Learn The Swing on the Practice Range.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

To a beginning golfer hitting a golf ball seems easy until they try it. Golf can be a sometimes frustrating, and time-consuming game to learn. My recommendation is that players practice patience by not hurrying to the golf course to learn how to play. Do your learning on the practice range where your mind will not be on scoring, but on learning.

Some things to know and practice: First, and most important search and ask around about a respected golf instructor in your area, and get them to give you information on their program prior to starting an instructional series. You don't want someone giving you advice who is not qualified, and can impart poor information that can create bad habits.

Secondly, You learn to play golf by feel, not mechanics alone. Too much detail is confusing. You cannot think your way through a golf swing. You feel your way!

Finally, short practice sessions regularly are better than one long period. Practice, and good repetition, will teach your muscles to learn to feel - creating your own internal dialog from within that you, and only you, can describe to yourself.

Ultimately, start out with a plan, and take your time because as the saying goes "You must learn to crawl before you can walk."

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Knowing your wedges can help you manage your short game

By Les Miller
Contributor

When playing short par 4s or hitting your second shot on par 5s, I suggest you lay up to a full wedge shot distance. You can practice all you want, but the mid-range wedge shot (30 to 50 yards) is one of the hardest shots in golf, so leave yourself a full wedge shot distance when laying up.

Zach Johnson's win last week at the Sony Open in Hawaii showed how this strategy equals low scores.

Johnson laid up precisely to his full lob or sand wedge distance so that he could hit full wedge shots, achieving maximum distance control and optimum spin. This course management lets him play par 5s on tour better than many players who have more distance off the tee.

For improved wedge play, know thy distance

Every golfer, regardless of handicap, should know the distance that each of their wedges travels using a full swing. That's why many PGA Tour professionals, like Phil Mickelson, carry four or five wedges in their bags. This allows them to play shots from 60 to 120 yards using a full swing. They know they can make a comfortable full swing and hit most of their shots within 10 feet or so of the desired distance.

You can build your short game the same way.

First, develop a consistent full swing with your wedges, one that produces consistent distance and trajectory. Then make sure you carry enough wedges in your bag for the course conditions you are playing.

I would suggest four, which should give you many more options than you currently have. This course management leads to lower scores and more fun.

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Curing that slice is just a few practice drills away

By Les Miller
Contributor

With today's oversized drivers, it's easier to hit long drives - and easier to hit that big slice off the tee. Not only will sliced drives miss the fairway, they also rob you of distance. Try these tips, and I know you will cure your slice forever:

First, a sliced shot is caused by two major factors: Either the player has an open stance (aiming to the left of the target for right handed golfers), or the clubface is open at impact.

To fix these problems, start by addressing the ball with a closed stance (right foot slightly behind the left for right-handed golfers). From this position, make sure your feet, hips and shoulders are aiming slightly to the right of the target. Take a slightly stronger grip than normal.

 

To do this, turn both hands toward your right shoulder. This will encourage your hands to have an aggressive release and turn over through the impact area.

When you want the ball to go left, you move both hands on the grip to the right. This grip gives the hands more freedom to release and the arms the ability to rotate as they pass the center of your body.

To get the feel of the hands releasing, try this drill: Hold the club at waist level and swing as though you were hitting a baseball. Feel as though you want to pull the ball into left field. This motion should let you feel the clubface turning over through impact.

By swinging above the ball, you're swinging on a shallower plane, which speeds up the hands allowing them to release.

Remember, the more you open your stand, the more you will cut across the ball causing your slice to increase. To cure a slice, aim right, turn your grip to the right and feel like you are releasing the hands over through the impact area.

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Unhappy couple: Golf and the back may fight, but you can find harmony

By Brandon Tucker
Senior Writer

Most golfers experience back pain at some point during their career. Myrtle Beach Chiropractor Chris Garner has treated his share of golfers and offers his advice on how to save your back.

Even the top golf touring professionals with the prettiest, most fluid swings the human form can generate are susceptible to back problems.

For the rest of us duffers - with our abnormal twisting, awkward balance, spine angle - the prospect of a harmonious spine and a regular golf habit is practically impossible.

Dr. Chris Garner, chiropractor at Grand Strand Health and Wellness (www.GrandStrandChiropractic.com or tel. 843-357-WELL) in Myrtle Beach, sees plenty of golfers come in each year. One startling statistic he has come across in his research among golfers is this: 77 percent of pro golfers experience back pain at some point, according to a recent survey.

"Our bodies are meant for pure motion," said Garner, referring to the motion of forward-to-back, side-to-side and twisting. Combining any of these motions creates "shear force" on the 26 vertebrae in your spine, which can lead to problems, and the golf swing is practically impossible without creating this force.

"Whenever you put sheer force on a disk that combines two or more motions, it basically shreds your disk."

Try and visualize that the next time you rear back for a little extra on your drive.

And while pro golfers do their best to create a repeatable, healthy swing they can perform hundreds of times a day, the amateur player stands to encounter more problems, even if they're not banging as many range balls.

"If these (PGA Tour) players possess great swing mechanics and posture and still suffer from pain, look at the average player with less than good mechanics," noted Garner.

"They're going to be prone to higher risk."

It all boils down to a simple fact: The human body just isn't made to hit a golf ball properly. But for most golfers, that's probably not enough to keep you off the golf course.

Stretches to protect your spine on the golf course

For those with a back healthy enough for golf, Garner offers a lot of preventive care suggestions to his patients. He starts by providing a list of 10 stretches that cater to the stresses of the golf swing (you can find a complete list of "peak energy" stretches on the GrandStrandChiropractic.com Web site).

And while he won't be giving you any specific swing tips himself, he recommends getting your swing looked at by a professional who can help tune your swing to put less stress on your spine. One of Garner's favorite teachers he commonly refers patients to is Jim Fellner, director of golf at the Long Bay Club in the Myrtle Beach area.

"If a golfer can have solid mechanics, good posture, our shoulders at the right height, you'll be a lot less susceptible to injury," said Garner.

And before you give too much attention to your back, look to your feet. Garner said by investing in a pair of foot stabilizers, which can be fitted at a doctor's office by analyzing where the weight is in your feet during the swing, you can not only prevent back pain, but add 3-5 m.p.h. to your swing speed, which may result in up to 10 extra yards off the tee.

Another specialty the Grand Strand Health and Wellness has introduced with great success is the ProAdjuster, which is a NASA-inspired computer that measures a spine's precise levels of motion. Once you've been analyzed, treatment is then delivered by the doctor based on analysis results, and gentle treatment is applied to the discovered problem areas.

Other options for treatment include the use of ultrasound, traction, cables, hydro-therapies and massage. Disc compression therapy is another method that has an 82 percent success rate of curing problems.

Back pain may be a threat as long as players are on the links, but care and prevention methods continue to get more advanced - all in the name of being able to whack that little white ball.

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Swing hard for better drives

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

By Les Miller
Contributor

Watch the longest hitters on the PGA Tour and what do you see? Players like Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, Vijay Singh and J.D. Holmes all hit their driver as hard as they can. Why? Because today's big headed drivers have sweet spots larger than the golf ball itself, so you can swing for the fences and still hit it solid.

To hit your driver as far as possible, swing longer and faster, letting yourself release the golf club through impact. Worry about control issues later.

Tee it high and play it forward

Today's drivers are 45 inches long, so the optimum ball position is forward (off your left toe, for right-handed golfers). Tee the golf ball high so you'll catch it on the upswing for a longer carry and roll - the best of both worlds.

Trajectory: high launch, low spin

Through a combination of finding the right driver and hitting the ball more on the upswing, you will begin to launch the ball much higher. This will improve the final one-third of your ball flight, creating longer drives, with no loss of accuracy. When you hit your driver on the range, watch how the ball behaves toward the end of its flight. If you notice it's falling abruptly from its peak, test a driver that launches it higher with less spin.

Tip: Find a good lie on the tee

Most tee boxes are imperfect: They slope in one direction or another, have divots, etc. Tee up in a place where your feet are even and level, even if this means teeing up right next to one of the markers or moving back a club-length or two.

Another tip is to make sure you tee up on the same side of the tee box as where the trouble is. So, if there is water or out-of-bounds on the left, tee up on the left side of the box. If there is trouble on the right, tee off on the right. This will allow you to hit away from the trouble instead of hitting at the trouble.

Test-drive some drivers

The great thing about golf today is most golf courses have "demo" drivers you can test. Also, most golf equipment companies have "demo days" where they have sales reps who furnish "demo" clubs for consumers to test. Whenever you can, take advantage of these opportunities. I know from experience that testing will help you find the perfect driver, the one that magically produces more yards.

Tip: Know your driving days

When you go to the range before a round, you're never sure what your shot shape will be: could be a slice, draw or a straight shot. Every day is slightly different. If you want to avoid "bad driving days," where you hit the ball all over the place, pay closer attention to what you showed on the range.

On the course, plan and execute your tee shots based on your tendencies that day. Your misses will be more manageable, and you'll avoid a lot of stress. You'll at least be able to get the ball around the golf course.

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Don't overlook proper club position at address

By Les Miller
Contributor

Proper placement of the golf club during the address position is an area that is overlooked by most golfers. This position can determine why you hit some clubs better than the others or why you slice long clubs and hit the short ones straight.

In the set-up position, knowledge of where the golf club should be positioned with the use of each club is very rarely discussed, but the fact is the club hits the ball; therefore, proper club placement is equally as important as learning how to set up to the ball.

Begin with the lie angle of the club. If the lie angle is too flat, golfers have a tendency to catch the heel upon impact, turning the blade over, causing hooks or shots to the left. If the lie angle is too upright, the toe of the clubhead will catch the turf upon impact causing the clubface to open creating shots to the right or a slice.

When purchasing clubs or taking lessons, "always" have a professional properly fit your clubs. Always place the club properly on the ground first, and then step into your stance. This way, your body will adjust properly to each club in the bag.

Next, find the proper place to set the clubhead behind the ball. If you tend to hit shots on the toe of the clubface, try addressing the ball in the heel area of the clubhead. Players who hit shots on the toe usually are pulling the club in toward their body upon impact.

Next time you see Senior PGA Tour player Fuzzy Zoeller on TV, watch how he has the ball placed next to the hosel at address position. He sets up like this because he straightens up slightly during his swing, which pulls the clubhead in during impact. Instead of trying to "fix" his swing, he simply addresses the ball in by the hosel. This goes to show that there are many ways to hit better golf shots.

Finally, if you have trouble making a full shoulder turn on your backswing try, placing the clubhead two to three inches back behind the ball at address. This will set your shoulders back to a closed position and allow you to make a full shoulder turn. When PGA Tour player Fred Couples feels he is not making a full shoulder turn on his backswing, he uses this tip.

Try these tips, and see your ball striking improve.

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What it takes to be the best golfer you can be

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

If players want to be the best they can be, they should mimic what the best golfers in the world do. This means they have very specific routines they go through when they practice, pre-tournament practice rounds and post-tournament practice.

But none of these things matter if you don't first work on your pre-swing adjustments and setup. This means you learn to set up and look as good as any PGA Tour player at address. This includes grip, posture, ball position and alignments.

When you're practicing, work on the things you're having trouble with. If your putting and chipping are good but you're driving is off, then work on driving.

Always have a plan when you're practicing. Practice with a purpose. It is of no value at all to stand on a range and just beat golf balls! There is also no value in practicing if you don't have a plan and you're not focused. You are just wasting time.

The best players in the world have very specific routines that they do on a daily basis. Again, if you're practicing and not playing golf, then you are working on mechanics. If you're warming up to play golf, then the focus is on target acquisition.

If a particular golf course favors lots of high approach shots to the green, then those are the kinds of shots you need to be working on. Players need to be able to hit the specific shot the hole calls for.

One thing you want to do with each and every round and each and every practice session is that you want to walk off the golf course knowing you've done the best you can. You didn't let down, you stayed focused no matter what the outcome was.

How many times have we heard the world's No. 1 player in an interview after his round say that he just didn't have it today, but he was proud of the way he hung in there and just kept fighting?

Never quit, never give up, and always hold your head up high. Whether you shoot 80 or 60, if you know that you have done your absolute best then you can be proud of whatever happens, and you'll never think to yourself, "I wish I would have tried harder, or I wish I had not given up during a round."

The one thing we see over and over again, at AJGA events and other junior golf events, is that the majority of the players have very mediocre short games. They all strike the ball about the same, but it is the player with the best mental attitude, course management and short game that brings home the trophy.

Part of the pre-shot is to make practice swings to program what you are trying to do for the shot at hand. These rehearsals are designed for a specific purpose, and that is to get the feel or sensation, what it is you're trying to do on that shot.

So, if you're just rehearsing something or just doing something that really has no purpose, then you're not rehearsing properly in your pre-shot. Another part of this reversal is to not only get the feel of what you want to do with the golf club but to visualize and see the flight of the golf ball and get a clear picture of what you are trying to do.

Every player is going to hit bad shots, accept it and move on. The very best players in the world will tell you that they only hit four or five shots a round exactly the way they wanted, their misses are just closer than everybody else's. The other thing that great players do exceptionally well is to play one shot at a time.

Your next shot is the most important in golf

The most important shot of the day is the shot you're getting ready to hit right now. You can't go back and replay the hole that you made bogey on, and you can't transport yourself magically into the future to birdie the last hole, but what you can do is take control of the shot you're getting ready to hit and put all your focus and energy into that shot.

When you are practicing, work on the weak parts of your game and ingrain your strengths. Get a picture of what you want to do. See yourself making perfect strokes, whether it be putting, chipping, pitching or even full swing. As a player, you have to capture that "Kodak" moment, as we call it.

This means seeing a picture in your mind of yourself doing precisely whatever it is you're trying to do. Once you can see that picture, your body can duplicate it. But if that picture is fuzzy, then there is no signal to send from the brain to the body.

The next big key is to realize that you don't always have to stand out on the range pounding golf balls. You can visualize and think about your swing, do mirror drills, flashlight drills, racquet drills and many more inside without hitting golf balls. You can build a great golf stroke, and a great golf game, by doing lots of mirror work.

Great players are always working on different shots, whether it is high, low, fades, draws or whatever. There are going to be times when you need to play a specific shot, and you need to have already worked on that shot so that you can pull it off.

Are there players that just play one particular shot? Certainly, BUT how they play the golf course is limited by their ability to not shape shots.

When you are loosening up before a round, start with the heaviest clubs in your bag, which are your wedges. Hit a few short shots with those, and then move up to a different club like an eight iron and hit a few with it, then move up to a 4 iron and hit a few shots. Then go to your hybrid or fairway woods and finally the driver. Then work your way back down again to wedges. The last club you should use is the club you hit on the first tee.

Your pre-tournament practice round is designed to map your strategy out for the golf course: what club to hit off the tee, what angle to hit the fairway to give you the best angle into the green and the different pin placements on the green.

You pretty much know where the pins will be; they are always in the toughest spots. So, divide the green into quadrants, and hit putts to each of those quadrants to the toughest hole location for that quadrant. Make notes of where the ball starts to break, how far from the hole and the amount of the break. On slow greens, be an aggressive putter. On fast greens, be a defensive putter.

Do these things, and you will become a better player. If you work hard on your short game, you will drop 5-7 shots per round even if your ball striking does not improve.

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