How should I practice? Let me count the ways. Part 2

Friday, December 6, 2013

Tim Peighal,
Director of Operations,
Summit Golf Academy,
Port Orange, Florida

 

Now that we are practicing wisely lets make sure we focus.
When you are working on swing mechanics or tempo or technique or awareness remember to work on one thing per one swing. Don't try and do to much with one swing. Lets say you've chosen three areas to work on during a particular session. Hit five shots working on number one only then five working on number two only then five working on number three only. Then go back to one and so on. This is called circular learning and it will be much more productive and you will pay closer attention to what you're doing. Sometimes practicing can get boring and you will get distracted, this will help you keep your focus.

Start changing your targets and switching clubs
After you've accomplished your goals for that secession and you're satisfied with the motion, start changing your targets and switching clubs. Practice hitting shots to targets that bother you on the golf course. Like a back left pin position or a far right position. If you can hit the shot on the range you can hit it on the course. Also get used to switching clubs when you practice. Hit a driver then hit a 7 iron, hit a driver then a three wood ect., just like on the course. This will help you maintain tempo from club to club. Don't just practice with one club. Very seldom do you hit thirty or forty 5 irons in a row on the course. The time to practice is when you are striking the ball well because that is what you are trying to condition. When you are hitting it poorly is the time to seek professional advice.

You want to make your practice sessions as enjoyable as possible, so do what you can to make it fun. After all, you are working very hard to play a GAME better, so enjoy.

comments | | Read More...

How should I practice? Let me count the ways. Part 1

Tim Peighal,
Director of Operations,
Summit Golf Academy,
Port Orange, Florida

You should practice wisely, just like the expression "working smart".
After you've warmed up you should approach your practice session in the same manner you would a round of golf. You want to hit practice shots the same way you would hit shots on the course. You need to train yourself on the range to do what you expect on the golf course. Use the same routine to hit shots on the range that you would when playing. You're trying to achieve a conditioned response on the range so you don't have to think about it on the course. Some people may refer to this as muscle memory, I call it conditioned response.

Practice the way you want to play, if you're serious about playing well.
Use your time well and you will enjoy the game much more. Determine what kind of preshot routine fits you best and do it while practicing. Work on your mechanics and technique on the range so you don't have to think about it on the course.

The range is for work and course is for play.
Develop a program for success on the range and let the program run on the course. Don't interfere with it. It's called "getting out of your own way" while you play. You're not out there to play golf mechanics you're playing golf. Practice with intent. Go out with a goal and try to accomplish it. Don't just beat balls. If that's what you're doing you might just as well find a gym and pump some iron. Work smart and use your time wisely. Who knows you just might start to like practicing and your golf game will definitely improve.

comments | | Read More...

A Suggestion for Hitting Chip Shots With a Bad Lie.

Tim Peighal,
Director of Operations,
Summit Golf Academy,
Port Orange, Florida

Here is a suggestion for hitting those chips that seem to be in a bad lie. Let's say the ball is sitting down in a slight depression close to the green. Remember if the ball fits in the hole the club will too. Take an 8 or 9 iron and set the club down on its toe. Get the shaft as vertical as you can,you will be standing close to the ball and very up right. By doing this you will reduce the drag of the club.You want to strike the ball with the toe of the club. Now go ahead and use your putting stroke. The loft of the club will pop the ball out low and then it will run like a putt. This is a safe shot. Remember when you have a bad lie play the safest shot you can to give yourself a chance to make the next shot.

This shot works well when the ball is up against the fringe or from hard pan.The putter may not be the club for this shot because of the design, you can't always get the putter on the ball cleanly.

Options are a wonderful thing when your playing golf. The more options you have for any given shot the more chances you have to save par.

comments | | Read More...

Wind Play Tip

Mark Blakemore,
PGA Professional,
Website: PGAProfessional.com
Walnut Creek, California

"When it's breezy swing easy."

How many golfers have heard this old stand by? Let's get into just a little bit more detail about this. What will swinging easy do for you when the wind is up?

• For one thing it increases the chances of solid contact creating a more penetrating ball flight. (Swinging harder in an attempt to fight the wind makes it more likely you'll make poor contact for various reasons: contracting the wrong muscles in the wrong sequence, losing your center of balance, increased grip tension, the list goes on...)
• For another thing it compresses the ball less causing it to spin less, which also creates a more penetrating ball flight.

Notice the theme. A solidly struck ball with a more penetrating trajectory is less affected by the wind. Swinging harder when the wind is blowing is a powerful instinct to overcome. But if you can discipline yourself to use more club and swing easier (like all the textbooks and great players and teachers have been recommending forever) it will have a wonderful effect on your ability to control the ball in the wind.

comments | | Read More...

So You want to learn to play Golf - Part Three

Tim Peighal,
Director of Operations,
Summit Golf Academy,
Port Orange, Florida

Ok, so now your addicted to the game, it happens quite easily. How do you get comfortable playing with other people.

 

Well, most seasoned golfers have compassion for the plight of the newly afflicted player. Most of the time they will be eager to play with you and to encourage you. They will also want to impart their wisdom upon you. This is always well intentioned but not always good for you. At this stage of your golfing career it is easy to get confused, so you'll have to listen politely and decide what fits you and what doesn't. Tell them you are taking lessons from a golf professional and that may be all the input you can handle for now. Its easy for a new golfer to try and digest to many suggestions, stick with the professional.

Most new players are a little apprehensive about playing with people whom they think play well. If you learn to get yourself around the course quickly and are aware of the rules to some degree they won't mind playing with you regardless of the score. Slow play seems to the one thing that gets everyone on the course upset. You can avoid this misery by being aware of what's going on and be ready to play when its your turn.

Don't worry about how well the other people are playing, just enjoy yourself and try and learn something about managing your way around the course every time you play. It will get easier each time out. Stick to your practice routine but remember you have to practice but have to play also. The playing is just as important to your improvement. That's the measure of the effort you put into practice.

Remember - golf is a game and it has got to be fun, before you will ever get better.

comments | | Read More...

A Distance Tip

Mark Blakemore,
PGA Professional,
Website: PGAProfessional.com
Walnut Creek, California

Because of my experience in long driving I get a lot of players coming to me for lessons on how to increase their distance, both off the tee and otherwise. There are a lot of things that you can do to hit it farther.

Many of my tips include a reference to keeping your hands relaxed rather than tight. This is much easier to do if the grips on your clubs are in good condition.

It is easy to overlook the importance of this aspect of your equipment. Many golfers that want more distance have old, worn out, slippery grips on their clubs -- which almost guarantees that their hands will be too tight. Make sure your grips are either new, clean, tacky or textured in some way. If they're made of rubber and aren't very old you can usually rejuvenate them with warm water and dish soap, abrasive cleanser, or even sand paper.

Having grips that are in good condition will go a long way toward having a relaxed grip and hitting it farther.

comments | | Read More...

The Grip

Rob Anderson,
Associate Professional,
Harvest Golf Club,
Kelowna, British Columbia

As long as Golf has been around, there has been much debate over the many styles of gripping the club that have evolved over the centuries and its importance in the swing. These days we think of interlocking, baseball or overlapping (Vardon). No matter what your personal style is, your grip plays a marquee role in the performance of your swing.

Much time and effort has been spent in detailing the exact position of the hands on the handle of the club. (I will not try to detail the technical points yet again!). For instance, in 'The Modern Fundamentals of Golf', Ben Hogan devoted the entire first chapter to his views on 'The Grip'. We have seen many poor grips on Tour, (Lee Trevino or Paul Azinger), and the poor swings they result in. Unlike these two excellent players, the very natural grips of players like Ben Crenshaw or the late Payne Stewart produce more fundamentally sound swings.

 

Rarely do you see a poor gripper of the club have success at the highest levels. David Duval and Tiger Woods both have slightly strong, but very comfortable grips. Their hands are close together on the handle and act as a single unit. Their grip pressure is neither too loose nor too tight and the positioning of their hands, (along with a sound back-swing), allows for the left thumb to comfortably support the club at the top of the swing by being underneath the shaft. This is a hard position to create if you have to compensate for a really strong grip!

An often overlooked notion is the size of the grip on your club. Like a golf glove, the grip must fit your hand in order to be effective. Most players these days have grips that are far too big. They feel better to the player because they can be squeezed a bit harder and are a bit softer. Unfortunately, a larger grip will take some of the natural rotation of the hands and wrists out of play and will result in a ball flight that is more left to right for a right handed player. If you are a senior or have arthritic hands and enjoy the feel of a large grip, try having one of your clubs re-gripped with a much smaller grip. Work on the positioning of your hands and loosen the tension. If your hands have less tension, your entire swing will feel more free and easy going yet produce straighter, longer hits. Whether your grip is technically perfect or not, build some consistency to your swing by ensuring that your grip is the same for every shot, with every club. Your nearest BCPGA Professional will gladly show you the technical points of a sound grip. Remembering that the grip is a key ingredient to the swing will help you overcome the desire to return to a Motorcycle Grip or something previously unknown to the game!

Good Golfing!

comments | | Read More...

A Proper Warm Up

Daryl Allercott,
Associate Professional,
Northview Golf & Country Club,
Surrey, British Columbia

 

How often do you arrive at the golf course forty-five minutes prior to your tee-time? Chances are not as often as you should. One key to a good round of golf is being properly prepared and loosened up before the game. Arriving at the course forty-five minutes in advance will give you plenty of opportunity to hit some full shots as well as do some chipping and putting.

Driving Range: You do not have to hit a large bucket of balls, instead hit twenty or thirty balls and loosen up slowly. Start out with a short iron and progress up to the longer clubs. Try to get a "feel" for your swing but do not start working on your swing and making changes. Remember this is just a warm up and not a practice session.

Chipping: Save a few balls from your warm up basket and head to the chipping green. Try both the bump and run shot as well as some more lofted shots to get a sense of feel. The goal is to get each shot about two feet from the cup. By hitting some good chips you will have more confidence to take to the course. Also, if the course has a practice bunker hit a few shots from there. Remember, about half the shots taken in a round occur around the green.

Putting: When you hit the putting green before your round you are there to get a feel for the speed of the greens, not work on your stroke. Practices some longer putts (around thirty feet) and try to lag them close. Next, sink some short putts to build some confidence before you tee off.

Although time is precious in our busy lives, the small amount of time it takes to warm up properly before a round of golf will be well worthwhile. You will now feel ready to play on the first tee rather than the fifth tee and your chances of getting off to a good start are greatly increased.

comments | | Read More...

So You want to learn to play Golf - Part Two

Tim Peighal,
Director of Operations,
Summit Golf Academy,
Port Orange, Florida

 

So now that you've made the commitment to play golf here are some suggestions on what to do next. It would be very helpful for you to develop a good practice routine. Plan your time wisely. Let's say you have five hours a week to devote to practicing. You should spend at least 60% of that time on the short game, which is chipping, pitching,sand bunker work and putting. This is the area that will allow you to shoot lower scores. Also you will have more success in hitting good shots which will build you confidence. This is the scoring area and no matter what level of skill you achieve in golf it will always be of great benefit to be efficient around the greens.

The other 40% of your time should be divided between the Tee shot and the fairway shots. Golf is one of the those games that should be taught form the hole back to the tee, but most of us don't do it that way. If you go to any golf course or practice facility you will see the majority of the people whaling away at drivers. Don't fall into this trap. Yes it is true, you need to be able to drive the ball in play and with some length but ultimately you score with the wedge and the putter.

Feel is a big part of the game also and I believe it is easier to develop feel working on the short shots. The swing is softer and slower so you get more feed back. You hit more solid shots and you can carry this feel over into the long game. During a round of golf you probably won't hit every shot perfect or hit every green in regulation so you will have to rely or your shot game for help. Learn it and practice it right from the beginning and you will never be sorry.

Even the tour players who are the best players in the world rely on their short game to score. I think that is what sets them apart. They seem to have the uncanny ability to turn a 5 into a 4 instead of turning it into a 6. Although you may never reach their level of ability from tee to green we all can certainly learn to chip,pitch,put and SCORE!!!!

comments | | Read More...

So You want to learn to play Golf

Tim Peighal,
Director of Operations,
Summit Golf Academy,
Port Orange, Florida

The best advise that I could give anyone wishing to play the greatest game of all is this:

 

I would suggest you go to a range and just begin to hit some golf balls mimicking what you think you saw on TV or what you believe you witnessed your friends doing. Let your own athleticism take you as far as it can. If you still have the need for more punishment, find a facility that offers clinics and supplies clubs. Inquire and make sure the class sizes are small. Between 2 and 5 people is plenty for your first formal introduction to the game. It also insures that you will get some individual attention. You may want to take a series of these clinics. They can be very informative and inexpensive. At this point you may want to get a rule book and see what kind of rules govern this insane game. It will also give you some insight as to what you are getting yourself into.

If the bug has bitten you and the game gets into your blood the next step should be to find someone that you consider a really loyal friend that already plays the game and plead your case as to your probable addiction and talk them into taking you to a local club for a round of certain bliss. I would suggest a par 3 or a course that is not to busy and one that is golfer friendly. (This is where you have to have complete trust in your so-called friend.) While playing ask your friend questions about certain things like:

• why you probably have to take a cart,
• why they parked the cart where they did,.
• fixing ball marks,
• the proper way of marking your ball.

 

These are all things that pertain to helping understand how to get yourself around the golf course.

If you are still convinced that this is a wonderful game then I would begin to get serious about it. Find out what golf professional in your area has the reputation for being an excellent instructor and has the patience of Job. See if you hit it off and understand their concepts of the game. If so, sign up for a series of lessons and make a commitment to set aside some time to begin practicing. It's not enough just to take lessons you must apply what you are learning. Remember to be patient with yourself as well as with the golf professional. You must practice to get better but its very important that you are practicing using the right information.

For this reason I make my final suggestion. Make sure to see a P.G.A. professional because their goal is to make this game as enjoyable for as many people as possible.

comments | | Read More...

What Makes a Good Putt?

Chuck Wike
Chuck Wike Golf School
at Tradition Golf Club, Pawleys Island, South Carolina

What must one do to produce a successful putt?

Simply stated, you must roll the ball on the correct path at the correct speed. Of these two variables, path and speed, speed is the most important because it determines path. A putt hit too slow will break off line early and one hit too hard will not break as much.

So to determine your line you must first determine the speed of the putt at hand. We recommend the use of the 3 foot halo to help our students learn to control the speed of their putts through visualization and imagery. We feel if a player can consisitently hit putts and chips into the 3 foot circle they can improve their scores quickly.

Distance control is by far the most important variable to master on the greens. If you are going to take 30 seconds eyeing a putt, don't be overwhelmed with the line. Focus on speed and distance.

comments | | Read More...

Aim Correctly If You Want To Hit The Ball Straight

Rick Baker
Member Australian PGA, Former Club Professional
Surfers Paradise Golf Club

 

In my 30 years experience as a golf professional one of the most common faults I seen the average golfer make is that they don't know how to set up correctly.

A lot of players think they have to aim their body at the target and forget where their club face and feet are pointing.

The best thing to think of for a correct set up is to picture yourself standing on the nearest track of a railway line to hit a golf ball sitting on the other track.

Your feet, hips and shoulders don't aim at the target they aim parallel but to the left of the target. The only thing that aims at the target is your club face on the other line.

Such a set-up encourages swinging the club face through the ball along - rather than across - the target line. Try it you will soon see your shots fly straighter.

comments | | Read More...

The Classic Set Up

Chuck Wike
Chuck Wike Golf School
at Tradition Golf Club, Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Jack Nicklaus says once you have mastered the set up; grip, stance, posture, ball position, and alignment, you've mastered 80% of the game.

With that in mind, here at The Classic Swing Golf School and Fitting Center, zone one in our curriculum is designed to instill these fundamentals in every students game. Here in the photo, you see Ted Frick, Golf Machine Master Professional, working with one of our students, helping her to get her hands on the club properly.

Full shots comprise less than 45% of the scoring in golf for all levels of players. Yet whenever golfers gather, the full swing monopolizes the practice time, the effort, and the conversation. "The Swing," as it is called, suggesting there is only just one, can be made in a variety of angles, shapes, or sizes and still be effective. What we know for sure as teachers, is that your golf swing can be no better than your set up. These pre-swing fundamentals are static constants that we as players have complete control of, and our golf swing is a product of these 5 variables.

If you feel as though you are struggling in your game with one or more of these fundamentals, consult your local teaching professional or come see us at The Classic Swing!

comments | | Read More...

Left Arm Straight - Yes or No?

Tom Wischmeyer
Director of Instruction,
The Golf University,
San Diego, California, USA
1994 San Diego PGA Teacher of the year.

 

Many golfer's create needless worry over trying to keep their left arm straight throughout their swing. This old myth is not only unimportant., It can be downright damaging to your swing.

The only position in the golf swing where it is of relative importance to have your arm straight is at impact with the ball. Even there it is more a matter of letting it happen than trying to make it happen.

The problem arises directly from the set up as golfers tense up their entire left side in an effort to keep their arm straight. This pre swing tension is a killer to their over all swing motion. A tense left arm usually creates an arm dominated swing resulting in a reverse weight shift and a lack of proper shoulder turn. The result is a severe loss of power.

Professional golfers and good amateurs always have relaxed arms at address and frequently have a slight bend in their left arm at the top of their backswing. They are more aware of staying relaxed whereas the average golfer is attempting to remain rigid. Who do you think will have a smoother swing?

The bottom line is not to worry or even think about keeping your left arm straight. It is more important to keep it relaxed, if you do this you will have better rhythm and gain more club head speed. This will translate to the extra distance you have been searching for.

comments | | Read More...

Aim Your Feet Correctly To Hit The Target

Dave O'Connor,
Director of Golf,
Sconti Golf Club,
Big Canoe, Georgia, USA.

The reason most players hit the ball to the right of their target is because they aim to the right of the target. What determines where the ball is going to go before the golfer swings the club? The player's feet determine where the ball is going to go.

If a player wants to hit the ball at the flag, he must aim his feet parallel to the target. This means they must aim their feet left of the target, NOT AT THE TARGET. The only thing going to the hole is the ball - not your feet. Your feet, hips and shoulders must aim parallel (and left) of the target. This will allow you to swing the club around your body and at the target without your body getting in the way.

If you do not align your body parallel and left of the target you should not even swing the club. You will be setting yourself up for a bad swing. If you aim your feet and body right of the target you will do one of two things. If you hit a good solid shot it will usually go way left of the target. If you do not hit the shot very solid, the ball will usually start somewhere toward the target then slide to the right. It is very difficult to hit a straight shot if you do not set up properly.

How do you check your alignment? When? While you practice or after you hit a shot, get into your address position and place the shaft of your club on the ground so the shaft is touching the toes of your left and right foot. Next, walk behind the club laying on the ground and see which way it is pointing. Make sure you walk at least 15 feet behind the club on the ground. The further back behind the club you get, the easier you will be able to see where you are aiming. When you are practicing, you do this every 4-5 shots. I will bet anything that within 4 to 5 shots, you will be aiming right of the target. It will take you 3 or 4 practice sessions to get comfortable with this alignment process.

Something that will help you align properly to the target is to stay bent over at the waist every time you look at the target. DO NOT STAND UP AT THE WAIST AND LOOK AT THE TARGET. If you stay bent over and turn your chin (without lifting your chin) to the side to look at the target you will most likely line up parallel to the target. If you stay bent over and turn your chin to the side and your shoulder is in your view of the target, this will tell you that you are aiming to the right of the target. At this point you must move your feet to the left (if you are a right handed golfer) until you can see the target without lifting your body.

comments | | Read More...

What? Don't Keep My Head Down?

Tom Wischmeyer
Director of Instruction,
The Golf University,
San Diego, California, USA
1994 San Diego PGA Teacher of the year.

At the Golf University we spend a lot of time eliminating the most common myths in golf. At the top of the list is keep your head down. I know this is probably the first thing you were told to focus on when you started to play golf. The problem is that it is a killer to your swing motion. A golfer who exaggerates keeping their head down, or still, often suffers from a reverse weight shift and an over use of their arms.

A better thought process would be to keep you head level. We must allow some side to side motion of our head or we can never transfer our weight. Videos of the world's best golfers clearly show that they move their heads to the right from 1-5 inches in order to accommodate the backswing weight shift. It is also clear that they finish well left of their starting position as they complete their follow through.

Remember, your head is connected to your spine. If you are going to rotate your shoulders successfully, your upper spine and therefore your head must move with it. Any extreme effort to inhibit head movement will restrict your turn and therefore your weight transfer.

A good golf swing depends on free flowing motion. So, go with the flow, let your head move a little and you will be surprised how it frees up your swing.

comments | | Read More...

Grow Into a Grip Change

Matt Carrothers, Director of Training,
Big Sky Golf And Country Club
Squamish, British Columbia, Canada

One of the most difficult adjustments golfers must make is when changing from the grip they have been using to a more functional grip.

 

Once the correct positioning has been shown to them, the discomfort they experience is usually unbearable. Within days or even hours, the player has reverted back to what is more comfortable. This provides a common dilemma for instructors who are torn between changing someone's grip or leaving it as is.

The important element to overcome is not the new positioning of the fingers and palms, but the break-in period when the muscles are having to adjust to an unfamiliar feeling. This can be well-illustrated by holding an object such as a baseball bat, tennis racquet, or hockey stick.

If one of these objects is something you have rarely held before, try moving the positioning of your hands and fingers around them. Chances are it won't feel all that awkward no matter how you are holding them. However, when you do the same exercise with the familiar object of a golf club, you will notice even the most subtle changes.

Therefore, the greatest factor in making a change is the time factor. Try to hold the club with the new grip away from the golf course or diving range as often as possible. Hold the club while watching TV or on the phone and adjust to the new feeling gradually.

Forcing yourself to overcome discomfort while playing golf is the hardest time to achieve success because at that time your mind is so focussed on results.

Relax and give yourself a chance to grow into a grip change.

comments | | Read More...

Getting Ready For a New Season

Kim J. Brown, PGA Master Professional,
Keeton Park Golf Course,
Dallas,Texas, USA
Mr.Pause@msn.com.

If you are like me, it has probably been quite a while since you have been able to play golf on any consistent basis over the past few months. With the onset of winter comes a decreasing availability of weather and time to play it seems. The purpose of this "tip" is to offer some advice how to get a head start on getting your game back together and starting off on the right foot!

 

On days when you don't have time to practice or play or if the weather is too prohibitive you should:

 

1. Get as much physical exercise as possible....stretching, toning, cardiovascular, etc.
2. Maintain some "feel" for the club by picking it up, stretch, take practice swings.
3. Visualize hitting shots including having a picture in your mind of the "hole" that you are playing. Mentally "play a hole". Swing the driver, then the approach shot, if that particular practice swing did not feel right, practice the "chip" or "pitch" that you need to recover after missing the green. Then actually "putt" in the same manner(although putting to a cup on the rug will accomplish the same thing).
4. Practice your "setup and alignment". Look in a mirror- is your posture good, your grip appropriate, are your feet, hips, and shoulders aligned properly?

 

• When you can get to the course or practice range:

 

1. Don't "overtrain". Remember, you are better off hitting 40-50 practice shots when you are FOCUSED than just banging 150 balls without a purpose.
2. Concentrate on your setup and alignment fundamentals, not on swing "thoughts".
3. In regard to your swing, focus on swinging to a well balanced finish.

Notice how when you first hit balls after a layoff that very often you will swing smoother and your mind will not be "cluttered" with a lot of mechanical thinking? Carry that approach with you to the regular golf season and do your "mechanics" at the driving range!

Good luck and I hope this tip prepares you for your best season ever!

comments | | Read More...

Release Your Hands To Keep It Long And Straight.

Brian O'Keefe, C.P.G.A.
Director of Golf, Head Professional,
Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada

Straight golf shots are a result of proper hand rotation through impact of the golf ball. In the back swing the club head should be opening up to the point where the leading edge (the bottom of the club face) points straight up.

We then cock the wrists to create some energy to be released throught impact. We keep our wrist cocked until our hands are almost over the ball as we come in to strike it.

We then start our release by uncocking the wrists. The club head will then go from the leading edge pointing up position, or toe up position, to squaring up the blade to the target at impact, to the toe of the club point up on the follow through side of impact when the shaft is parallel to the ground.

This rotation of the hands or release of the hands will impart the correct spin on the ball that is needed in order for the ball to fly straight. This hand release through the ball also produces clubhead speed which together will produce long and straight shots.

comments | | Read More...

Ball position.

Tim Peighal,
Director of Operations,
Summit Golf Academy,
Port Orange, Florida

This is something that I think is very overlooked or just taken for granted. I feel it is extremely important to know where the ball is relative to the bottom of the swing, that spot may differ from player to player, because of the amount of foward lateral movement each player has. (You need to find the best position for you.) On all full shots that are uninhibited or not in some type of awkward lie the ball position should be slightly ahead of center to about 3 inches ahead of center according to the length of the club.

The ball position should be ahead in the stance so when you redirect the swing the club will start foward and decend on its foward approach to the ball. This will produce forward and downward pressure on the ball, making the ball start down your target line.

Here's how to determine where the ball is relative to your feet.

• Place two clubs on the gound forming a small letter t.
• The one that is parallel to your target is your foot line, place your toes along this club.
• The one that is perpendicular should be placed to indicate the center of your stance.
• Now start with the ball slightly ahead of this point for your iron shots and work foward up to about three inches for your driver.
• Remember on all full shots the ball should be between your front heel and the club that is at the center of your feet.

 

Try it I'm sure you will like it.

comments | | Read More...

Posture And Balance

When I was asked to put together a pro tip for World Golf, many ideas came to me that I wanted to pass on to all golfers.

Mike Mathers,
CPGA Professional,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

After some thought, I got away from the quick fix idea and more into the idea of the fundamental swing. From a professional point of view, I find that most golfers use far too much effort to get little result. I would like to see golfers reverse this so that they get the results with minimal effort.

Time and time again, when I'm on my way to the lesson tee, I look down at the practice tee and see people hitting bucket after bucket with poor posture and off balance in the backswing,impact position, finish position or all three. It is so important to have good posture and to be in good balance for the golf swing to work in an efficient manner.

If you promise yourself one thing from reading this pro tip, please let it be that you will go to a professional and spend some time just working on your posture and your balance so that you can work on it at home in front of a mirror.

The time that you spend on this will pay you much greater dividends than pounding balls at the range. Good Luck and Enjoy!

comments | | Read More...

Putting a Mini Swing in All of Us.

Rick Danruther
PGA Head Golf Professional and Director of Instruction,
Twin Oaks Golf Course,
San Marcos, California

  This article is part of a series which demonstrate a simple method to develop a repeating golf swing and it all begins on the putting green!

Putting can be one of the most confusing or one of the simplest part of a person's golf game. The putt is a mini swing and includes fundamentals and basics which should carry through to the full swing.

You should evaluate your putting stroke by how solidly you strike the ball and how true the ball is rolling. When you do this then you are in the proper frame of mind to improve. If you just count putts or count three putts, you may well have the wrong perspective.

The fundamentals all good putters strive is for consistent solidly struck putts which come off a square clubface, accompanied by good rhythm. This lesson will show you how to get yourself on such a path!

When you observe great ball strikers, notice how well they always set up to the ball. This is critical in putting. You must have a good setup to strike the ball well.

Hang your hands down from your body naturally. Do not have your hands too close to your body: (this is comfortable but wrong.) This position causes you generally to take the putter outside the line on your backstroke, and then requires you to loop it back in somewhere before impact to make a solid putt. Most of the time this type of player pulls his putts and doesn't make solid contact.

Other players have their hands too far from their body (this is best if any error is to be made) which results in taking the putter inside the intended line causing a pushed putt or some wristy motion through the stroke to "hook" the putt back to the hole.

To check your position set up normally then let go of the putter and let your arms fall. They should be basically in the same position as when you started. Looking into a mirror sideways will verify the proper position.

Once your hands and arms are in the proper position check the path of your stroke. Place an iron club on the ground and hover your putter over the top of it. Now go back and forth as is you are stroking a putt. Is the putter going inside and or outside the shaft at any time during the stroke? If so continue until you consistently can keep the putter on line. You can do this with any line on the ground or floor such as in tile at home, a decorative line in the carpet or up close to a wall. If you practice this exercise a few minutes daily you can improve your stroke immensely, and never leave your office. Your eyes may deceive, but a straight line speaks clearly for your path and alignment.

A few minutes daily with this drill-and your stroke will improve beyond your hopes! The ball will roll truer and fall in with regularity. It truly can be that simple. You addiitonally will have a foundation for two of the golf swing fundamentals-alignment and path.

comments | | Read More...