Don't Fall For The Flyer

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Beware of those fluffy lies in the first cut of rough

By: Butch Harmon

Photos by: J.D Cuban

November 2013

       It's not often that average golfers hit a good shot that ends up over the green. That's because they almost never take too much club on approach shots—and usually take too little. So when they do hit one long, it probably means they skulled it.But one solidly-struck shot that sometimes goes over is the short iron from the first cut of rough—that fluffy strip of grass that borders the fairway. Most golfers love this lie, because they get a little cushion under the ball.

      The trouble is, the ball tends to jump out of the short rough—hence the name "flyer lie." What makes it jump? Grass gets trapped between the clubface and the ball at impact, so the face can't grip the ball like it normally does. As a result, the shot flies like a knuckle ball and runs hard after it lands.To minimize the effects of the flyer, make a few adjustments to help you catch as much of the ball as possible. First, play it farther back in your stance, about middle for a short iron. This will lean the shaft more toward the target. Then, hinge your wrists abruptly on the backswing, which sets up a steeper angle into impact (see photo).

      Finally, as you swing through, keep the back of your top hand going toward the target for as long as you can. This will guard against the face twisting if it catches the grass first.Drop a few balls and practice this technique. It's OK to love the flyer when you're hitting a hybrid or fairway metal, but when you need to stop an iron on the green, try to catch the ball as cleanly as you can.BUTCH'S BASICSSometimes you miss a green and find your ball perched high in the grass. Lucky you, right? Well, only if you know how to play the shot. The standard chipping or pitching technique, where you hit down on the ball, can cause the clubhead to slide right under it and produce a weak shot. The trick when the ball is sitting up is to make more of a sweeping motion, like a long putting stroke. Set up with the ball off your back foot (see photo), and keep your lower body still and your wrists firm as you make a level sweep back and through. You'll pick the ball off the top of the grass for solid contact.

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Don't Let Rainy, Wet Conditions Ruin Your Rounds

 

         The United States Presidents Cup team overcame sloppy conditions at Muirfield Village over the weekend to claim victory against the International Team, 18 1/2 to 15 1/2. Players from both teams were able to remain unaffected by the rain and take advantage of the soft conditions to make plenty of birdies on what is normally a very difficult golf course. Some players will likely forgo a round of golf at the first possibility of rain in the forecast. Other, more dedicated players would never let a little rain spoil the opportunity to go play.
 

For whatever reason, if you find yourself dealing with wet weather on the golf course you need to be aware of how it can affect your game, and the following advice will help:

 

• Grips. You obviously want to make every attempt to keep your grips dry when playing in the rain. But I’m more concerned about what type of grips you have on your clubs. Not all grips are created equal. Some grips will perform better than others if they get moisture on them. If you know that playing in the rain is something that may happen, make sure you have grips on your clubs that can withstand getting wet.

 

• Your swing. There is no need for your swing to change when playing in poor weather. I often hear from my players that they play better in the rain. One reason for this is that those same players are worried about the golf club slipping out of their hands. To prevent this they make easier swings and focus on a constant grip pressure throughout the swing, resulting in better golf shots. And don’t wait for the rain. If ball-striking is a problem for you, make easier swings and focus on constant grip pressure all the time.

 

• You’ll need more carry from the tee. The ball travels farther in the air than it does on the ground anyway, but this is especially true when the ground is soft from rain and the ball has no roll. Having a driver that has been fit to your swing to give you optimal launch conditions will be a big asset when the ball’s not rolling because the ground is soft. So make sure your driver is fit for you.

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Maximize Speed at the Right Time for More Distance

 

Power. Everyone wants more of it in their golf game, but most don’t understand how to make that happen. Most players try to make all the power in the swing happen at the ball. This, however, slows the club down after impact and causes the overall swing speed to be maximized at the wrong time. The best way to create speed at the correct time in the swing is to think of a race car going into a curve. The driver pours on the gas and accelerates out of the turn, not into it. If he put his foot on the gas into the apex of the turn he would lose control of the car. So the next time you want to build speed into your swing think about accelerating into the finish instead of into impact. If you do this you’ll maximize speed at the right time and add valuable yards to your game.

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Improve Your Rhythm Like Walker for Better Results

  
  Jimmy Walker got the new PGA Tour season off to a great start by claiming victory Sunday in the Frys.com Open at CordeValle Golf Club. His final round 66 (-5) would help him claim a two shot victory over Vijay Singh. Walker dominated the field in the always important statistic of strokes gained putting and finished in the top 10 in greens hit in regulation. The steadiness he displayed down the stretch can be contributed to his ability to make consistent and repeatable golf swings. Two things you need to have when it comes to developing a repeatable golf swing are rhythm and balance. Yet many players struggle mightily with these critical areas of the swing. Whether it’s putting, short game or full swing, you must swing the golf club with rhythm and balance.
 

Rhythm and balance are closely related because it’s difficult to have one and not the other.

Here are a few tips to help you get in rhythm and maintain balance in your golf game:
 

• Manage your tempo. If your tempo is too fast or slow, keeping rhythm and balance gets very tricky. I use a metronome to help my students get a feel for the proper tempo in a swing. Tempo will vary player to player, but as a guide try setting the metronome somewhere between 70 and 80 beats per minute. Begin with small swings like a putting or chipping stroke to match the feel of your swing to the beat.
 

• Hold your finish. This is one of the first things I’ll teach a beginning golfer when working on the full swing, but yet I see several experienced golfers forget the simple detail. If you can hold your finish at the end of the swing for at least three seconds, chances are you did something right to get there. And always remember that the smaller swings like putting and chipping require you to hold your finish as well!

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