'Eyes on the ball' isn't a fundamental

Monday, November 25, 2013

 

I’d like to bust a myth for you: Keeping your eye on the ball in golf is not a fundamental.

In fact, if you introduce your junior to golf in this manner, you may unintentionally do more harm to their swing development than actual good.

Here’s why:

Humans learn physical skill almost exclusively through their senses. From the ages of 4-8, the sweet spot for athletic motor-skill development, kids are very connected to their senses and acquire movement patterns very quickly. Intentions, whether from a parent or coach, can point the junior’s senses in a specific direction.

If you over emphasize “eyes on the ball,” you are guiding your child into hitting “at” the ball, or a chopping motion that lacks efficiency and power. If you want to help your junior, develop a solid, efficient and powerful swing, direct their intention to what the golf swing is really a response to — the target.

 

If you always emphasize looking at the target before hitting every shot, a new movement pattern will develop. The hips and torso will turn toward the target on the forward swing and will lead the swing of the arms and the club!

 

To help, try the following exercise:

Before every shot, have him or her make practice swings with their eyes on the target, not the ground. You will see more body rotation and good swing sequence immediately. Then step up to the ball, take a few more looks at the target and swing. I even have my students hit it with eyes on the target for the whole swing. Give it a try!

Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/mar/05/golf-tip-of-the-week-eyes-on-the-ball-isnt-a/#ixzz2liidayIl
- vcstar.com

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Get club in right position at top of backswing

The position of the club shaft at the top of the backswing should be pointed at your target if you were to take the club to a parallel position.

 

It is not mandatory, however, to have the club shaft parallel to the ground to have a good golf swing. In fact, many of your longer hitters are short of parallel.

 

How do you get your club in the correct position at the top of your backswing?

Make sure you keep the club shaft between your arms throughout your swing. You can do this by using these simple checkpoints.

 

At the address position check to make sure the club shaft is between your arms.

At waist high on the backswing the shaft should still be between your arms.

Look in a mirror at the top of your backswing to make sure the shaft is between your arms and pointing at your target.

 

Check this shaft position at impact, waist high on the follow-through and also in your finish position.

 

By repeating these drills you will train your golf muscles to make a correct, efficient and repeating swing.

Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/feb/19/golf-tip-of-the-week-get-club-in-right-position/#ixzz2lihuOr00
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Finding the swing plane that fits your body type

The more consistent your swing plane is the more consistent your ball flight will be. The more consistent your ball flight is the lower your scores will be. But just what is swing plane?

A swing plane is the path that the clubhead takes around your body. A perfect swing plane would be if the clubhead was on the same exact path on the downswing as it was on the backswing. Sam Snead probably came as close to achieving that as any golfer in history.

 

No two swing planes are the same because no two bodies are the same. You can find your swing plane by holding the club straight out in front of you and rotating your hands and arms around your body keeping the rotation perfectly level.

 

Tilt this plane until your clubhead touches the ground and do the same rotation around your body.

 

By maintaining your posture or spine angle throughout the motion you will achieve a consistent swing plane.

 

If your swing plane fits your body type and posture, you will be very consistent in your ball striking. If you are on-plane throughout your swing and you have the proper grip, you can develop a powerful swing.

 

By being on-plane, the back of your left hand (or right hand for lefties) will be facing the target for a millisecond at impact, and you can use your other hand for maximum power. There always has been the belief by many that golf is a one-handed game, and that too much right hand will hook the ball. This is true — if you do not stay on-plane.

 

The top hand controls the swing path and keeps you on-plane, but the bottom hand gives you the added power you are looking for.

Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/jan/08/golf-tip-of-the-week/#ixzz2lihcaK1N
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Napa Golf Course winter instruction starts Nov. 30

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Napa Golf Course at Kennedy Park will offer the following opportunities for winter instruction. To sign up or for more information, call the pro shop at 255-4333.

 

• Couples Golf Saturdays

This clinic is designed for a player of any caliber who would like to learn the game of golf with their significant other in a casual setting. The class will cover all aspects of the game, with the goal of getting couples on the course ready to play. The fee is $180 per couple for five sessions, each from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Classes are limited to four couples. The two sessions will be Nov. 30 through Dec. 28, and Jan. 4 through Feb. 1.

 

• Junior “Rookies” After School Camp

This is a five-week class for juniors ages 8-12 and will cover all aspects of the game, including on-course experience. Students are asked to provide all equipment necessary to play the game. The fee is $99 for five lessons, which will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Each session is limited to the first six players. The sessions will be Nov. 20 through Dec. 18, and Oct. 16 through Nov. 16.

 

• Ladies Night Out

In the club’s most popular clinic, female players learn the game in a very relaxing atmosphere. All aspects of the game are covered in five weeks of instruction, including on-course experience. This class is for the beginner to intermediate player. The fee is $89. Classes will be from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays, from Sept. 23 through Oct. 21.

 

• Ladies Sunday Clinic

The club developed this class to help more experienced players improve their games. Classes include video analysis as well as on-course instruction. The fee is $89 for five lessons, which will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Sundays. The first session is from Nov. 17 through Dec. 15, and the second from Dec. 29 through Jan. 26.

 

• Get Golf Ready

This program is designed to teach a golfer in five lessons everything they need to know to step onto a golf course and play with confidence. Lessons will include all aspects of the game. The class is for beginners as well as experienced golfers who want to further their knowledge of the game in a casual learning environment. The fee is $99 for five lessons that are from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturdays. The sessions are Nov. 16 through Dec. 14, and Dec. 21 through Jan. 18.

 

• Individual Instruction

Tom Sims, PGA Director of Instruction, offers one 45-minute lesson for $55; three lessons for $150; five lessons for $250; or 10 lessons for $350.

Contact Sims at 363-7967 or tsims@playnapa.com for more information.

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When in Trouble, Be Patient

Every golfer must fight the urge to follow a bad shot with a spectacular recovery, or a bad hole with a spectacular hole. Spectacular play succeeds only in making the player foul up and lose the hole. In most instances, the smart move is to get safely and surely back in play, and then resume the attack.  

 

Hutchinson wrote, "Perhaps the most fatal beam of all that can float over your mental vision is the vision of a past hole badly played which you are filled with some insane notion of 'making up for.' This idea of 'making up' by present extra exertions for past deficiencies is one of the most deadly delusions that is prone to affect the golfing mind. Its results are inevitably ruinous." 

 

One situation where patience is particularly vital is on the tee after you've hit a drive out of bounds. At this point, most golfers hastily tee up a second ball despite the fact that, strictly speaking, it is their opponent's turn to hit. The wise move is to back off and allow the opponent to play (after all, he too may hit into trouble), allow yourself some time to cool off, and then tee up a second ball. 

 

Most battles on the golf course are won not by the transcendent brilliance of the victor but by the mistakes of the vanquished. Be patient and eventually your opponent will win you the match.

Read more: http://www.golf.com/instruction/10-commandments-match-play#ixzz2lTn4X94Q

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Keep it in Play

According to Strange, "the best way to put pressure on an opponent is to keep the ball in play." In most matches, accuracy is much more important than distance. Even when you are out-hit from the tee, you have an opportunity to be the first one on the green, thus putting the pressure back on your opponent.  

 

Although scramblers and magicians in the tradition of Walter Hagen and Seve Ballesteros can unnerve their opponents, the inexorable assault of a fairways-and-greens grinder like Strange is far more fearsome, as the pressure is unrelenting. 

 

"Drive for show" has little meaning unless part of the show is accuracy. Indeed, if ever you should divert from your game plan in a match, it is to err on the side of caution from the tee -- take a 3-wood occasionally rather than a driver-and wait for your opponent to make the big mistake.

Read more: http://www.golf.com/instruction/10-commandments-match-play#ixzz2lTmaRjqB

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Watch Your Opponent

It should go without saying that you need to pay close attention to your opponent. Says GOLF Magazine Playing Editor Curtis Strange, "In match play I want to be fully aware of what my opponent is up to at all times, because it can influence whether I play a particular shot aggressively or cautiously." 

 

Beyond this you can learn things about the golf course, as Nicklaus did by watching his opponent's ball. On a par three, if your opponent hits first, you can judge your own club from the club he selects. (Although the Rules prohibit you from asking what club he hit, it's legal to take a peek in his bag and see which club is missing.) This assumes, of course, that you know your own strength relative to your opponent's -- what is a 5-iron for him could be a 6-iron or 4-iron for you. Around the green in particular it pays to watch how a ball runs, as you can often observe the effects of grain, slope, and moisture. 

 

If you aren't familiar with your opponent's strengths and weaknesses, by watching him closely you may learn something early in the match that could help you later on. Let's say he hits into a couple of greenside bunkers and plays poor recoveries, then later in the match he hits into another bunker while you're just outside him, facing a ticklish downhill chip. Armed with the knowledge that your opponent is shaky from the sand, you can play a conservative chip shot -- get the ball on the green and settle for a six-foot uphill putt for par rather than risk a delicate little flop shot that might stay in the fringe. 

 

The final reason for watching your opponent is to note any change in his mannerisms or pace of play. Sam Snead was one of the best at sizing up opponents. He says: "One of the best ways to judge when the pressure is getting to your opponent is by watching his routine. Everyone has a pace of play and a routine that he follows, but when the noose starts to tighten, he falls out of his pace and routine. Instead of taking two practice swings, he may take three. He may hesitate over club selection. If he smokes, he may chain-smoke to try to calm his nerves. When you sense this, it's time to pour it on and turn up the pressure."

Read more: http://www.golf.com/instruction/10-commandments-match-play#ixzz2lTlGBykm

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