Want To hit the ball farther?

Saturday, November 30, 2013

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

Want to hit the ball longer? Of course you do! No one wants to hit it shorter!

In all of my years of teaching I have never had someone tell me they wanted to hit it shorter. But, virtually everyone has told me they wanted to add distance.

In an article earlier I mentioned that there are keys to power and accuracy and today I'll go into more about adding power.

You see, it doesn't do any good to hit it father if you can't control the direction. If you are hitting your tee shots into the right rough and then you add 30 yards to your tee shot then all you get is farther into the woods!

Power is attained through controlling the golf club through the "Three Stations."

1. Address
2. Top
3. Finish

As players we must control the golf club through these three stations.

A lot of players think that in order to hit it father they have to take it back farther. While this is true, to a certain extent, if the player loses their "alignments" and structure by taking it too far back then that player has defeated the purpose of "loading" the golf club for power.

Power is generated by how fast the arms swing and striking the golf ball on the "sweetspot" of the club. There is no Power generated by turning the hips! As an example, how you ever seen anyone sit in a chair and hit a golf ball? These players routinely hit it over 250 yards! How much "lower" body action is going on there.

The faster you swing your arms - in rhythm - the faster the clubhead speed. You can swing as fast as you'd like as long as you keep in balance.

The body provides balance and support, the hands give the shot direction, and the arms provide the speed.

So while the proponents of using the "big muscles" can be correct in the directional aspect of the golf stroke - they are all short hitters!

To increase your arm speed, swing a weighted club. After a few repetitions using this weighted club then pick up your driver and hit golf balls. You will notice an immediate increase in speed!

If you do this religiously you will build up those speed muscles and add distance to your shots.

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Tips for practicing your golf game will have you ready for your round

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

In order to practice your golf game we must first know how to practice! There are two basic types of practice.

1. Mechanical Practice
2. Playing Practice

A majority of players think that practice is beating golf balls. Wrong, that is just hitting balls! There must be a purpose for improvement. In reality if you're working on something in your swing then ... "you must work on this correctly even if you miss the ball, until you don't miss it anymore! There is no acceptable alternative," as Homer Kelly said.

Here are some ideas for you to think about the next time you go out to mechanical practice.

• Always lay down a reference line for alignment.

• Use an 8 or 7 iron to train with, even if you're having trouble with the Driver. These clubs are easier to engrain a "feeling" or mechanical imperative than the Driver.

• Verify your fundamentals, grip, aim, alignment, posture, ball position, plane angle, etc.

• Start by loosing up with a sand wedge - it's the heaviest club in the bag - and hitting little chip shots, then move into small pitch shots. This builds a strong foundation for learning the proper Impact Alignments.

• Focus on whatever it is that you are trying to improve on mechanically. Do drills to help enforce this change.

• Every half hour put down the clubs and take a break. Alternate between the long game and the short game. Remember, as your chipping gets better your pitching gets better and then your full swing gets better.

• Set realistic goals and time frames to achieve them. If you want to win the club championship but have a 15 handicap then give yourself time to work on the things that will get you there. For instance, if you putt well but pitch poorly, then spend more time pitching and less time putting.

• When it's time to play forget mechanics and focus on the target! You must learn to separate playing from practice.

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One plane golf swing or two - Do you know the difference?

By Chuck Quinton
Special Contributor

The golf instruction world can be a very confusing place for the average golfer. One instructor tells you to extend your arms down the target line, the next tells you to sweep the club to the inside. One tells you to rotate your shoulders from the top as hard as you can and the other tells you to hold your shoulders back and let your arms drop. Why all this conflicting information? Who's right and who's wrong?

The answer is that they are both correct. The true question is are they right for your golf swing? You see, in its simplest form, there are two basic types of golf swings with millions of variations in between.

On one side of the spectrum you have the golfers like Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Chad Campbell and Scott McCarron who swing the club more around their bodies and on a somewhat flatter plane. This plane puts their left arm and shoulders in line, or on plane at the top. These golfers are referred to as "One Planers."

On the other side of the spectrum, you have golfers such as Colin Montgomerie, Hale Irwin, Jack Nicklaus and Sean O'Hair who swing the club on a somewhat more upright plane such that their left arm is much steeper than their shoulders. These golfers are called "Two Planers."

These two sets of golfers must focus on very distinct sets of fundamentals that are, in many ways, exact opposites of each other and this is why you find two golf instructors telling you conflicting information.

If you are naturally a more rotary swinger where the club works more around your body, you must start the downswing with a completely different focus than someone whose arms are very steep at the top of their backswing.

If you don't know whether you are a one or two planer, you may be practicing fundamentals that are completely wrong for your golf swing and this helps explain why you've struggled to get better no matter how hard you work on your game.

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Tip: The correct aiming point will have your golf swing on target

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

The "Aiming Point" completely replaces the golf ball and it is a spot where you direct your hands.

An example of an "Aiming Point" would be in a greenside bunker. The player is trying to hit a spot behind the ball instead of the ball. This is an "Aiming Point."

You can also use "Impact Hand Location" but whichever you choose the spot is always along the base of the plane. Players with faster hands need to play the ball farther back then do players with slower hands - so this would indeed change their "Aiming Point."

But a general rule of thumb is with a wedge the "Aiming Point" is in front of the ball, with a 5 iron it's at the ball and with a driver it is slightly behind the ball.

Now behind the ball doesn't mean you "swing up" it simply means from your perspective when you look down. If your hands are over the left foot at Impact with all three of these clubs and the only thing that has changed is the ball position then you'll see what I mean.

Visually the right forefinger - which is what you monitor both aiming and the sweetspot with - has not changed but will appear to have moved because of the ball location changes.

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By doing less with your golf swing, you will get better

By Chuck Evans

Special Contributor

As I stand out on the tee line it always amazes me to watch people "practicing." One might take the club to the top, stop and look at it, and say, "Yeah this is what I want, this is great." Then they get settled into their address position heave the club back, not even getting close to their practice stroke, have almost uncontrollable amounts of motion, swaying, bobbing, etc., and still hit the ball.

 

I truly admire players like this. It takes a tremendous amount of athletic ability to strike a golf ball with some of the motions and positions I see everyday.

 

So athleticism, or lack of it, is not what hurts golfers and their games. What hurts is their perception of what they need to do and all of the gyrations that are going on. I've seen more Elvis impersonators on the tee than on stage in Las Vegas.

 

As I tell the players I work with, "It's always harder to do less." What I mean by that is if someone has a lot of body motion, twisting and turning in their stroke it is extremely difficult to not not have any un-golflike motions.

 

here are so many things going on in a golf stroke that we need to move as few a pieces as possible and in the smallest amount of space. Watch figure skaters at the end of their routines. They start with their arms out and away from their bodies but as they pull their arms inward and closer to them they start speeding up until finally their arms are crossed against their chest they are whirling so fast are sometimes just a blur.

 

Address positioning is the one time that anyone can look as good as any PGA Tour player … unfortunately it's usually all downhill after that.

 

As players we really need to do only three things to dramatically improve our ball striking.

 

1. Set our "Alignments" - the left arm and clubshaft angle and the right forearm and clubshaft angle.

 

2. Take these alignments up a Plane and down a Plane.

 

3. Add clubface control

 

While these three items are simplistic there is a lot that go into them and these also must be learned. At our Medicus Golf Institute "GeoMetrics" Golf Schools players learn and come away with a complete understanding of their games, how to apply the above three items to their games, and more importantly how to own these three items for the rest of their golf lives.

 

Try doing less in your stroke, you will get better!

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The truth about a straight left arm

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

One of the "absolutes" in golf - and what is taught - is a straight left arm (Or right arm if you are a lefty like Phil Mickelson). First let's define what a straight left arm is and isn't.

For the majority of people a left arm that hangs downward has an elbow joint. This joint has between three and five degrees of bend in it. This is what a straight left arm is.

Stretching - hyper extending - and locking the elbow is not a straight left arm! All the golfer has done successfully is to increase the radius from the left shoulder to the ground. This is a major cause of "fat shots!" This is what a straight left arm is not!

Harry Vardon won the British Open six times playing with a "bent" left arm.

Calvin Peete won the Players Championship and is the most accurate driver of the golf ball ever! In 26-plus years of playing professional golf he hit one ball out of bounds!

Calvin's left arm was severely bent as a result of an accident as a young child which shattered his left elbow.

Surgeons repaired the elbow, but it remained permanently fused so that Calvin could never fully straighten his arm.

Calvin won 11 times on Tour in a five-year span - 12 events total - plus his Players Championship victory. He led the Tour in driving accuracy for 10 straight years and led the Tour in "greens in regulation" three times.

Another player that had huge success on the PGA Tour is Curtis Strange. Curtis won 17 times on Tour including winning the U.S. Open back to back in 1988 and 1989. Others include Jay Haas and Kenny Perry.

Swing "Gurus" referred to Curtis' left arm as "soft."

Think of it this way, if you were to swing a piece of rope is it "locked" and taunt in the backstroke? Of course not! But what happens when you swing it to the ball - it becomes a straight line!

Now I'm not advocating that you intentionally bend your left arm but I am saying not to lock it thinking that is what straight is. The arms must feel like dangling ropes - loose. This will give you more power with less effort.

Remember, whatever angle your left arm hangs - loosely - just maintain it during the backstroke and let it come out by itself in the downstroke.

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Learning to stop that slice

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

How can I stop slicing the golf ball? We get this question asked virtually everyday!

First, let's discuss what causes a slice. It is not an outside-to-inside swing as many would have you believe. Curvature of the golf ball is produced by one factor - the angle of the clubface relative to the path for the clubhead when the ball leaves the clubface!

What this means is you can be perfectly on plane with your golf swing and still hit pushes, fades, slices, pulls, draws, and hooks because of the clubface alignment.

The clubface is controlled by the target side hand - left for right-handed golfers.

So the hands control the clubface and the clubface controls the golf ball. Plain and simple - the breakdown is:

1. Learn to control your hands
2. Control the hands you control the clubface
3. Control the clubface you control the golf ball
4. Control the golf ball and you control the game

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The art of the chip: Master one of golf's most important shots

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor



We all miss greens and when we do we've got to have the confidence that we can get the ball up and down to save par. A chip stroke is a stroke is like a putt but with a lofted club that has no cocking of the target side wrist. If you can safely land the ball on the green without using a cocked wrist then you are chipping.

The short game, chipping, pitching, putting amount to over 70 percent of all shots

All great chippers of the ball have several characteristics in common:

• They change clubs for different length chip shots - just like you would for different length shots from the fairway.

• The weight is favoring the target side foot - this helps to create a steeper angle of attack into the ball and eliminate those "fat" shots.

• The ball is positioned back of center to ensure a descending blow and proper ball turf contact.

• The ball is struck with a descending blow - Never try and help the ball into the air!

• The clubface does not open or close during the stroke - it "looks" at the ball during the stroke.

• The hands remain passive during the stroke, no flipping of the wrist - a kind of "dead hands" feel.

• At the finish the target side arm and clubshaft should remain in one line - not two!

Remember, a chip has maximum airtime and minimum ground time. We need to get the ball onto the green and rolling like a putt as soon as possible.

While there are variations of this procedure the above is an absolute to control your chip shots. The better your chipping gets then the better your pitching will get. The better your pitching gets the better your ball striking will get.

Learn to control these short shots and you will soon be in control of your game!

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Put purpose in your golf practice

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

In order to practice your golf game we must first know how to practice. There are two basic types of practice.

1. Mechanical Practice
2. Playing Practice

A majority of players think that practice is beating golf balls. Wrong, that is just hitting balls. There must be a purpose for improvement. In reality if you're working on something in your swing then "you must work on this correctly even if you miss the ball, until you don't miss it anymore! There is no acceptable alternative," as Homer Kelley said.

Here are some ideas for you to think about the next time you go out to mechanical practice.

Always lay down a reference line for alignment.

Use an 8 or 7 iron to train with, even if you're having trouble with the driver. These clubs are easier to engrain a "feeling" or mechanical imperative than the driver.

Verify your fundamentals, grip, aim, alignment, posture, ball position, plane angle, etc.

Start by loosing up with a sand wedge - it's the heaviest club in the bag - and hitting little chip shots, then move into small pitch shots. This builds a strong foundation for learning the proper impact alignments.

Focus on whatever it is that you are trying to improve on mechanically. Do drills to help enforce this change.

Every half hour put down the clubs and take a break. Alternate between the long game and the short game. Remember, as your chipping gets better your pitching gets better and then your full swing gets better.

Set realistic goals and time frames to achieve them. If you want to win the Club Championship but have a 15 handicap then give yourself time to work on the things that will get you there. For instance, if you putt well but pitch poorly, then spend more time pitching and less time putting.

When it's time to play forget mechanics and focus on the target. You must learn to separate playing from practice.

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Don't get intimidated by your golf partner

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

Most of us play golf with others and usually with players of the same caliber. But as long as we play golf there will always be players that hit it longer, straighter, hole more putts, better course management then we do.

I see the majority of players get intimidated by their playing partners and then they try to do things they simply are not capable of.

One player "A" hits a comfortable 8 iron 150 yards and player "B" uses a 5 iron for the same distance. It won't take long for player "B" to start trying to hit their irons farther - and because they are now out of their comfort zone their scores and accuracy suffer.

A prime example of this is former British Open Champion Ian Baker-Finch. This player was world class and was playing great golf when he won the British Open but soon after, rumor has it, he thought he should be hitting it farther. His quest turned into a nightmare, he completely "lost" the game that had won him the Open. His accuracy was completely gone and he no longer had any idea where the ball was going.

After struggling for a few years and not finding his way back he simply retired from competitive golf rather then play golf like most of the golf world does. When you have played golf at this high of a level it is extremely difficult to come to terms that you have lost what you've had.

Can players hit the ball farther without giving up accuracy? Of course, but there are limits to this. Once of those limits is the players physical make-up. If you have the flexibility of Craig Stadler but are trying to swing like Davis Love III then that is not going to work. You will have to rely on building speed into what you do have.

Find a fitness trainer and work on your flexibility; see if you can add more length to your swing but always under control. Think of it like this, your body is the foundation for the golf stroke - just like a sturdy home must have a study foundation - if you overload your foundation then structure will collapse. So don't try to overload your physical structure build a precision golf stroke based on what you can do - not what you can't do.

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Ben Hogan's words and actions still hold true for golfers and instructors

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

A few years ago I ran across an old video of Ben Hogan showing some friends how he practiced. The film was taken at Seminole Golf Club - one of Hogan's favorites - in the backyard of these friends.

As Hogan was getting set up he kept directing the person shooting the
video to move the camera so that it would be in the right place - teaching pros that use video take note!

Once he was satisfied with the camera placement he started waggling the
club but in slow motion. Once the waggle was done he started his backstroke - again in slow motion. Once he reached the top of the backstroke he started the downstroke - again in slow motion - all of the way into Impact, follow through, and finish.

One of the ladies present asked, "Benny, why are swinging so slow?"

Hogan replied, "At this pace I can control the golf club and everything in my swing. Whenever I'm working on something I always do it in slow motion. That way I can monitor what I'm doing."

Ben Hogan was way ahead of his time when it came to game improvement and the majority of us would do better if we followed his example.

Here's one of Hogan's best quotes:

"Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing."

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Golfers need patience and discipline to thrive during tournament play

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

Playing golf with your Sunday group is a completely different animal then playing and preparing for golf tournaments.

First, there is no pressure when playing with your group of regulars. You all generally shoot the same scores, have the same handicap and get out to enjoy the surroundings. If you miss a putt it may cost you some "skin" money or a beverage of choice but you will see these guys again next week.

Tournament play on the other hand is much different. Instead of three players trying to beat you, like your regular group, there are 154 players all trying to do the same thing -- win the tournament.

Winning a golf tournament is a combination of skill and luck. You could hit a great shot, have it hit a sprinkler head and then kick out of bounds. Or you could hit your tee shot into the trees and have it kick back in the fairway.

Preparing for a tournament takes time, if done properly, gives you an edge when the bell rings.

Practice rounds are just that -- practice. In preparation for your tournament you need to know exact yardages to the front, center and back of the greens. How far is the trouble off the tee? What club would you hit off the tee to leave the ball short of the trouble?

Have you considered charting the greens? Divide the green into quadrants then chart the breaks, grain, and any slopes. The pin will be in one of these quadrants during the tournament, so wouldn't it be great to know beforehand where to hit your approach shot and then know how the putts break?

Players need to develop a strategy and then stick to their game plan. You develop that game plan during your practice rounds. For instance, if you decide to hit an iron off the tee on a par 4 or par 5 then keep to that strategy, don't fall victim to what other players are doing.

In fact, during the practice round hit a couple of different clubs off the tee to see which one gives you the best opportunities and plays to your strengths.

I have seen many major championships lost because of the ball over-curving. Yes, the player hits a draw normally and then under pressure hits duck hook resulting in either a shot that now cannot reach the green or even worse: a penalty shot of some kind.

Take your time and chart the course, find yardages from every possible location - you may not hit the fairway on every hole so what it the yardage to the green from these locations and what shot options are you going to have.

Take these tips and apply them and you will see a difference the next time the "bell" rings.

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Controlling the golf club can help lead players to golfing nirvana

By Chuck Evans,
Special Contributor

As players we need to understand that we must control the three parts of the golf club in order to strike quality golf shots. These three parts are:

1. The clubface

2. The clubhead

3. The clubshaft

These three parts must be controlled through three stations - from address, to the top, and to the finish. You'll notice that Impact is not included in these locations.

Impact does not have the rank of a station simply because it happens if you have controlled the club through the three stations.

The three stations

1. The left hand controls the clubface and its job is to impart "Hinge Action" to the face supplying direction, trajectory, and curvature. These three "Hinge Actions" are known as (1) Vertical: a wall, (2) Horizontal: a floor, and (3) Angled: somewhere in between.

In a geometrically correct golf stroke (ideal application) the Horizontal Hinge Action is used. This action works just like a door that is opening and closing. While on a Horizontal Plane it is clear to see that there is no turning or rolling in either direction. But on an Inclined Plane of motion there is a turn to the right and a roll to the left.

2. The right hand - more specifically the first joint of the right index finger - controls the clubhead, its job is to sense where the clubhead is at all times and to direct the action of the clubhead. Using what is known as the "Aiming Point Concept" the direction and point of location in the downstroke varies according to hand speed, and the club being used. The shorter the club the more in front of the golf ball the "Aiming Point" is.

For example, when hitting a greenside bunker shot the player should be looking at a spot behind the golf ball. This is because that's where we want the club to strike the sand.

The same principle applies here. A wedge for example would be in front of the ball. A 5 iron would be at the ball, and a driver may be behind the ball.

3. Finally, the clubshaft controls the plane. The Plane is the angle that the club moves back and down on. It can stay on the same inclined plane back and down, shift to another angle, or even have several shifts during the stroke. The simplest is to not shift at all. The next easiest is to only shift this plane angle once, then two shifts, then three shifts, etc.

Annika Sorenstam, Tiger (when he's on), Adam Scott, Michelle Wie, and host of others use either a "single" shift in their procedures. Nick Price, Nick Faldo and others use a "double" shift while Jim Furyk uses a "customized" plane and multiple shifts.

You can use any of these and obviously play great golf, but remember - Any plane shift is dangerous! Learn to control these three parts of the golf club and you will be on your way to golfing "Nirvana."

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Pausing your golf swing can help it

By Karl Fischer
Contributor

This is an often-used instruction with some merit, but let's look at it for a moment.

Any time there is a "direction change on a single plane" (such as a pendulum changing direction at the top of its swing), the clubhead speed is zero. It is stopped at the top. Stopped is certainly a pause.

We think that the discipline sought here is not to pause but to "recognize the top of the swing" so that we actually get there and make a "full swing" as opposed to the often ineffective "abbreviated" version.

Teachers at the IRGO Golf Academy have often observed swing's being critiqued as "too fast" ... "slow it down." I do not agree with this generally as such guidance has the real tendency to cause clubhead deceleration, which can be worse than what is already in use. Even swing balance can be compromised.

An abbreviated swing naturally appears to be "too fast" but primarily because the "duration" is short ... the swing does not take very long. Why? Because it did not swing to a comfortable top. When we make "half a trip," it usually takes half as long. Certainly it's fast!

A directly beneficial "duration" improvement is to simply say "and" when you feel the comfortable top of your personal swing. Make sure you get to the top in all "full swings."

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Knowing what your clubs can do will help lower your scores

By Karl Fischer
Contributor

If you have not "calibrated your bag," you'll need to do it one day soon.

Get your swing smooth and consistent (remember the three Cs). Take your clubs to the driving range. Warm up properly. Hit five balls to a specific measured target with each club, starting with your wedge, working through the irons to the woods. Record the results.

Next, do it in reverse: woods down through your irons. Record the results. Now, average the yardages. You will then know how far your clubs go using range balls.

 

Generally, quality tournament balls will fly approximately 10 yards farther. If you calculate on-course yardages, you will soon need to make real-world adjustments.

Now that you have your bag calibrated, use it well. Do not force your shots. If your 7 iron goes 150 yards, you can squeeze it five yards or back off five yards. If you need to reach 158 yards, use a smooth 6 iron.

Better clubs hit better shots. When your clubs are consistent (what we call "bracketed"), your swing does the rest.

Let your custom-fitted clubs do the work. That's why you bought them!

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Changing your 'swing thought' will help your game

By Karl Fischer
Contributor

Remembering your "trigger word sequence," the words that help you make your smooth swinging-the-clubhead moves right to the target:

3 o'clock ... sweep ... and ... see it ... pin.

Well, the slicing rotation that we put on the golf ball generally comes from a clubhead path that travels from outside the target line behind the ball to inside this line after impact. In other words, the clubface cuts the ball and spins it clockwise, making it work off line to the right (for right handers). The ball curves to the right ... sometimes the "banana" right?

Try this simple alteration. lnstead of saying 3 o 'clock, looking and hitting the ball right on the butt, say "4 o'clock" so that you look inside and under the ball -- more at its hip.

With your eye on this point, your hand-eye coordination will work the clubhead inside and through. You will have less tendency slicing or fading from here.

Hope this helps and makes your game more fun.

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A swing thought will help your focus on the golf course

By Karl Fischer
Contributor

All great golfers have some swing thoughts or thought that they use to start and influence their motion. We all should. Choose the words carefully, and make them simple and clear.

IRGO Golf Academy uses successfully: "3 o'clock ... sweep ... and ... see it ... pin."

What does this mean?

 

At address. Standing tall with longish arms hanging comfortably from your armpits, breathing rhythmically and looking at the backside of the ball (where you strike it), say the "trigger words."

Sweep back swinging the clubhead to your top of swing where you say the tiny word.

And then, drop the hands down to under the armpits when you say the "see it," which help with a smooth, powerful impact through the ball.

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Golfers, are we swingers or hitters?

By Karl Fischer
Contributor

It's a good question and there is a difference in these two golf moves.

However, one should always swing the clubhead up and down through the golf ball along the target line to the pin.

In reality, I think all good ball strikers are swinging hitters.

For right-handers, comfortably using a golf club, the sensation should be swinging the clubhead from the left target shoulder (the pivot point) which will contribute to traveling down the line. So the longish left arm swings the club while, approaching the bottom of the swing arc, the right hand put on the hit.

Each hands job is different. The target left hand controls the clubface. The brace-side right hand takes the lag out of the club shaft or clubhead. It makes the bottom hit.

We hear about body parts in golf. Which does what and when? What leads and what follows? What rests and what works? I think golf is a cooperative balance of everything from the toe-nails to the finger-nails. It is a progressive muscular action from the brace foot or ground up through the body and club shaft to the ball resulting in holing it!

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Golf exercise will improve hands and swing

By Karl Fischer
Contributor

We've talked about the "hands being in control of the golf-head and swing," and with that in mind, I would like to add another thought for you to consider and possibly even feel and adopt.

When you make your great smooth and flowing swing through the ball to the pin, the hips slightly lead the forward swing (they are slower moving than the hands and start first). But the fast-moving hands catch the hips right at impact or back at square (the address start point). At this instant, the dominant hands pass the hip and clearly lead to the relaxed high finish.

If you can imagine with me that your hands are passing throuqh water, their speed and power will make a wake or void behind them. Now, once the ball has been struck and has gone away, let your whole body flow in behind the hands and fill the wake. Remember to relax and breathe out.

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Doing the 'four ball' exercise can improve your balance, golf swing

By Karl Fischer
Contributor

We call this exercise "doing the four ball," which is bullet-proof because you cannot do it wrongly. Think "swing in balance."

Place four balls (three is okay) about three inches apart in a straight line with your sternum (center of your chest). Set up in address ready position.

Now with a "tick tock" back and forth swinging motion, strike the closest ball first down the line to the pin, and, without stopping, hit the next three balls, one at a time, stepping forward slightly with each shot. Be rhythmic and let this exercise flow with a little hit at the bottom of the swing arc, through the ball to the pin.

 

Breathe in on the backswing and out during your hit. Relax during this exercise. Only squeeze the muscles when you make the hit, toward the bottom of each swing, just during actual impact.

Swing the clubhead through the ball to the pin.

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Use a garden rake to improve your wedge play around the greens

 

By Karl Fischer,
Contributor

One golfer from the Chilliwack area of British Columbia, Canada, had a great golf tip of his own. Bob Stewart said he has used it for years, and it works.

We at the academy have tested its application. We think it has merit, and, so, here it is:

It's for the short game -- from the long-cut fringe to the pin: the pitch and run.

 

This is where we so often see the thin hits (skulling), the fat hits and even the dreaded "chili dip." Hit it too soft, too hard. You know the routine!

Take a garden rake and rake some thick grass. Remember the feel! The hands are slightly forward pressed from sternum (center chest) and the left hand (target hand) leads the rake through the grass. There is very little wrist action in either hand. Your weight is more on the front or target foot (left side) than on the brace side.

Using your 8-iron, make this specific swinging motion through the ball along the target line to the pin. Do it gently over a short distance. Don't force it, swing the clubhead.

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A better sense of balance will improve your golf game

By Karl Fischer
Contributor

 

We call this golf exercise "feet together, hip-hip."

It is a balance exercise that assists us to swing the clubhead smoothly down and through the ball along the target line to the pin. It must be done without a great deal of force. You will not be able to hit very hard as your "stance or swing pedestal" is very narrow, and thus your stability is a little delicate.

Keep your heels 2 to 3 inches apart -- squarish brace foot, pinnish target foot -- so that you do not get a foot block. Remember, if you want to finish fully turned to the target, you need to have an open door or foot in order to get the job done. Stand comfortably with a tall chin, and let long arms swing the clubhead under a tall chin.

 

Strike a dozen balls to a target about half your normal distance away using only half, or hip to hip, swings. This will be very much like your short chipping or pitching game.

Don't try to hit the ball too hard. Think impact and direction not distance. Straight and shorter is better than long and in the bush.

Swing the clubhead down the line to the pin and "feel the steel."



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To improve your golf game play a round in your bedroom

By Karl Fischer
Contributor

This is a hand-eye coordination exercise, and it is fun and naturally builds good habits and feel. Those are great combinations.

Take five golf balls each. Drop them on the carpet about six feet from a chair leg or some target. You can use a sixth ball. Now with one hand, using a putter or even a short iron, stroke a ball by pushing it along the tarqet-line to the target ball or leg.

Make a contest of this if you want. Make sure you just touch the target ball.

 

Alternate hands with the same exercise.

This will give you excellent hand-eye control and develop more feel. It makes us work the ball to the pin. You will find that your index finger on the right hand (for right handers) will take a more active part in this finesse touch.

Hope it helps and is fun.

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When should I take a golf lesson?

 

The benefit of having a golf "teacher" is the avoidance of learning by trial and error and really getting to our goal the hard way -- you know, by repeating the mistakes of others.

Usually this journey is frustrating and misses our desired destination. We never get there and have less fun on the way.

We golfers cannot see ourselves swing the club. We therefore need someone else to evaluate our performance. Make sure you choose the very best professional for this evaluation and guidance

We take lessons at two distinctly different times of the year: at the start and later. A lesson in the spring is called a "kick start" and does exactly that. It helps us get back to last fall's proficiency sooner. We hope to edge out the golfing buddies by a stroke or two right out of the blocks.

However, when would we get the most "improvement" from a golf lesson? The answer: When we are at the very top of our game at mid or end season. To get out of our performance rut, we must accomplish this when we are ready to step up to the next level.

Often the very simplest of hints or procedural changes create the catalyst to move us up a notch. Don't take bad advice. It's out there in abundance.

Sharing quality time with a proven golf teacher is well worth the investment. This time should be inspiring, directly rewarding and enjoyable. It should be entertaining. Generally positive results will be immediate.

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Golf Setup Position: Step-by-Step Guide to a Great Golf Stance

Alignment

At address your body (feet, knees, hips, forearms, shoulders and eyes) should be positioned parallel target line. When viewed from behind, a right-handed golfer will appear aimed slightly left of the target. This optical illusion is created because the ball is on the target line and the body is not.

The easiest way to conceptualize this is the image of a railroad track. The body is on the inside rail and the ball is on the outside rail. For right-handers, at 100 yards your body will appear aligned approximately 3 to 5 yards left, at 150 yards approximately 8 to 10 yards left and at 200 yards 12 to 15 yards left.

 

Foot Position

The feet should be shoulder width (outside of the shoulders to the inside of the heels) for the middle irons. The short iron stance will be two inches narrower and the stance for long irons and woods should be two inches wider. The target-side foot should be flared toward the target from 20 to 40 degrees to allow the body to rotate toward the target on the downswing. The back foot should be square (90 degrees to the target line) to slightly open to create the proper hip turn on the back swing. Your flexibility and body rotation speed determine the proper foot placement.

 

Ball Position

The ball placement in your setup position varies with the club you select. From a flat lie:

• Play your short irons (wedges, 9-iron and 8-iron) in the center portion of your stance.These clubs have the most upright lie angles and they must be swung at the steepest angle, and you should take a divot in front of the ball.
• Your middle irons should be played one ball toward the target-side foot from center (a ball left of center for the right-handed golfer). These clubs have a slightly flatter lie angle and you should take a slightly shallower divot than with the short irons.
• The correct ball position for the long irons and fairway woods is two balls toward the target-side foot from center (two balls left for the right-hander). With these clubs, the ball should be struck directly at the bottom of the swing arc with very little divot.
• The driver is played farthest forward (three balls left of center for the right-hander) to strike the ball on the upswing.

Balance

Your weight should be balanced on the balls of the feet, not on the heels or toes. With short irons, your weight should be 60-percent on the target-side foot (left foot for right-handers). For middle iron shots the weight should be 50/50 or equal on each foot. For your longest clubs, place 60-percent of your weight on the backside foot (right foot for right-handers). This will help you swing the club on the correct angle on the back swing.

 

Posture (Side View)

Your knees should be slightly flexed and directly over the balls of your feet for balance. The center of the upper spine (between your shoulder blades), knees and balls of the feet should be stacked when viewed from behind the ball on the target line.

 Also, the back knee should be cocked slightly inward towards the target. This will help you brace yourself on this leg during the back swing, thus preventing lower body sway.

Your body should bend at the hips, not in the waist (your buttocks will protrude slightly when you are in this correct posture). The spine is the axis of rotation for the swing, so it should be bent towards the ball from the hips at approximately a 90-degree angle to the shaft of the club. This right angle relationship between the spine and the shaft will help you swing the club, arms and body as a team on the correct plane.

Your vertebrae should be in a straight line with no bending in the middle of the spine. If your spine is in a "slouch" posture, every degree of bend decreases your shoulder turn by 1.5 degrees. Your ability to turn the shoulders on the back swing equals your power potential, so keep your spine in line for longer drives and more consistent ball striking.

 

Posture - Face View

When viewed from face-on, your spine in the setup position should tilt to the side, slightly away from the target. The target-side hip and shoulder should be slightly higher than the back hip and shoulder. The entire pelvis should be set an inch or two toward the target. This places the hips in the lead and it counter-balances your body as your upper spine leans away from the target.

Your chin should be up, out of your chest to encourage a better shoulder turn. The head should be tipped at the same angle as the spine and your eyes should focus on the inside portion of the back of the ball.

Arms and Hands

At address, your hands should hang just forward of your pants zipper (just off the inside of your target side thigh). The hands-to-body distance varies depending on the club you are hitting. A good rule of thumb is hands "a palm's width" (photo, left) from the body for short and middle irons

(4 to 6 inches) and "a palm's length" (photo, right) - from the bottom of the wrist to the tip of your middle finger - for long irons and woods.

 

The Final Setup Positions

The shaft of the club will appear to lean slightly toward the target with your short irons because the

ball is positioned in the center of your stance. With your middle irons, the shaft of the club will lean only slightly toward the target (or not at all) since the ball is forward of center. With long irons and woods, your hands and the shaft of the club will appear to be in line. Again, as the ball position moves forward, the hands stay in the same place so the lean of the shaft disappears. With a driver, the shaft will lean away from the target.

Your arms and shoulders should form a triangle and the elbows should point to the hips.

And a Final Note about Tension
At address the upper body should be tension free. You may feel tension only down the inside of the back leg.

Remember: "Your swing evolves from your setup." If you focus on this vital pre-swing fundamental, you are more likely to improve your performance. A good setup does not guarantee success; however, it improves your chances immensely.

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