A conversation with Camilo Villegas yields lessons

Sunday, December 1, 2013

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

It's been a busy week but fun and informative. First I had the opportunity to spend some time with Camilo Villegas - the "Cobra" - and while it was a lot of work we had time to talk about some of the things that he does in preparation for a tournament.

Camilo is a very mature 24-year-old and has a great outlook on life and golf. When he was asked about Harbour Town and the tough conditions, he replied that, "Yeah it was tough but it was also a lot of fun."

If we had asked a lot of other players the general response would have been much more negative.

The lesson to be learned here is that you can't do anyting about playing conditions: you take what Mother Nature is dealing out and make the best of it. There's no use in getting down and complaining because everyone else is playing in the same conditions!

We also spoke about No. 10 at Augusta, where you need to draw it around the corner to take advantage of the down slope, and he told me that in a practice round the guy he was playing with doesn't like to draw it. This other player hit five tee shots trying to draw the ball and none of them drew! In fact, they all wound up in the tree line on the right side!

And this lesson simply means that as a player you have to play to your strengths. Don't try to hit shots that you are not comfortable with nor shots that you have not practiced.

As players we all can get consumed with swing mechanics, weather conditions, and trying to hit the perfect shot. Ben Hogan once said that he only hit four-to-five shots a round exactly how he wanted! If the best players in the world don't hit every shot perfect then why does the average player expect to?

The goal is to minimize the error percentage, not hit it perfect every time.

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How to handle tough playing conditions

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

It was evident that this year's Masters was played in difficult conditions: Weather, course conditions, and those undulating greens that Augusta National Golf Club is known for.

All of these factors took a toll on the world's best players. But how can Mr/Mrs average golfer compete with less than favorable conditions?

First of all there's not much you can do about the weather, unless you decide not to play. But here are a couple of tips.

In windy and cold conditions always take more club! The harder you try to hit a shot the more the ball can "balloon" and the more any sidespin is magnified. This could be one, two, or even three clubs more than usual. In loosening up for the round pay particular attention to how far the ball is flying then hit with different clubs to find out which one gets to your normal distance.

In the cold, dress in layers, keep a hand warmer handy, and keep extra golf balls in your pocket to try and keep them as warm as possible. Warm golf balls fly farther then cold ones!

When you add rain to this the key piece advice is to make sure that your hands, golf glove, clubs and grips stay dry! Take extra towels, rain suit, and gloves to help.

Since you will have extra clothing on you won't be able to make the same length backstroke without a lot of effort. Don't worry about this, just make sure to keep your stroke comfortable with a firm foundation. Excessive movement is one of the things that kill most golfer's games.

If all else fails, wait until another day when the weather is better. There's an old story that goes like this: Two guys are sitting around the clubhouse and one asks the other, "So what do you shoot?" The other guy replies, "Usually in the low 70's - any colder then that and I don't play."

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Why 'greens in regulation' stats are misleading

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

We all read about GIR's - greens in regulation - and are told that this statistic is one of the "Golden Rules" to better golf.

I've got news for you - it can be totally misleading!

What do I mean? Consider this example: You hit your approach shot to the green and you have a 65 foot putt. Your playing partner misses the green but only has 10 feet to the hole. Which one would you prefer?

Obviously the closer one.

In our Player Development Program we have our players keep detailed stats for every shot they hit. Not only fairways, greens, putts and up and downs, but also whether the ball curved, and which direction the divot went: in front of the ball, behind it, or no divot at all. But the biggest one we ask them to keep is proximity to the hole on their approach shots.

For instance, Jason Gore ranks 192nd in proximity to the hole with 41 feet 4 inches and is 35th in GIR. Tiger Woods, on the other hand, ranks #1 on GIR and #8 in proximity with 33 feet.

These are shots from the fairway and reflect the week before The Masters. This data is from PGA Tour.com and is under Shotlink.

To capture this data we use a device called the eDataCoach.

Once the data is recorded by the player it can be either stored on the player's computer or uploaded to the eDataCoach site. In either case the player now has a complete statistical analysis of what is happening on the course instead of guessing what is going on.

So what does all of this mean to the average player? If the world's best players struggle with their distance's from the hole then we all will too.

I would suggest that when practicing you learn how to start the ball on the line you would like for it to go. You can do this by simply placing a couple of shafts in the ground - like goal posts - approximately 15 feet in front of the ball. If the target line is dead center then the posts would be parallel to it.

Place one shaft even with your heels and the other three feet to the right of the target line - for a right-handed player - and then work on getting the ball through the "goal posts."

You cannot fix the curve until you have fixed the starting direction.

By doing this drill your ball will start at the target more often and you will be hitting it closer.

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Heed these lessons from some of golf's greatest legends

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

Over the years there have been thousands of golf tips from teachers and players alike. These tips are of course to help golfers in their game and maybe, just maybe, one of them will turn a light on in the player's head.

Here are a few that I really like and the meaning that goes with them.

"The single most important maneuver in golf is the set-up (or ball address). Set up correctly and there's a good chance you'll hit a reasonable shot, even if you make a mediocre swing. Set up poorly, and you'll hit a lousy shot even if you make the greatest swing in the world." Jack Nicklaus

 

The setup is critical to any sport and especially to golf. Since we stand to the side of the golf ball, swing right to make it go straight, hit downward to make the ball go up, and several other counterintuitive quirks this makes the setup the one thing that the average player can do as good as any PGA Tour player.

If the setup is correct then things are allowed to happen during the stroke. If the setup is poor then things that should happen more naturally now become disconnected and disjointed, which now makes the player have to manipulate them.

"Good golf begins with a good grip." Ben Hogan

Hogan started with a poor grip and could not keep the golf ball on the course. Once he changed his grip he became a legend. I'm not saying that all he did was make that change, he made several others too, but since the left hand controls the clubface - for a right-handed player - having the left hand and clubface in the same alignment throughout the stroke can really make a difference between controlling the golf ball or not.

"Before they ever begin swinging I can improve 9 out of 10 typical amateur golfers." Tommy Armour

Tommy Armour would take his students out for playing lessons and teach them the art of course management. By improving involved for playing around what you see, can help you start to eliminate mistakes, therefore eliminating strokes.

"Too many people, I believe, feel so uncomfortable and off-balance at address that it is impossible for them to get the swing started, let alone finish it." Mickey Wright

Mickey Wright had arguably the best golf swing of anyone that has ever played the game, man or woman. This goes back to the setup, the player must setup balanced, loose and, most importantly, not cramped up by holding the club too closely to them. The arms have to have room to swing and if they don't then there will be compensations - again, something we really don't want in golf.

In summary, by taking the advice of these legends and working on your set-up, grip, course management, and tension you will start hitting better shots, playing better golf, and shooting lower numbers.

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Putter position prevents ball hops

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

Recently I brought out the trusty video camera to record the effects of ball reaction when struck with a putter. The results of this test verified what I had originally found years earlier concerning what happens when the puttter face strikes the golf ball.

Years ago I watched a well known PGA Tour player demonstrating how he putted. After a few smaller putts he then decided to show how to lag 30 footers. As he struck the putt I noticed that the ball appeared to be airborne for about 6 feet! I was shocked to see this and after his exhibition I went up and asked him if he knew that his putting stroke produced this "airtime." He didn't and when I showed him - once again on video - he could not believe it.

If the putter strikes the ball below the center line then the ball "hops", or gets airborne. On the 10 foot test putt this hop was approximately 2 feet, or 20 percent of the distance. Obviously when the ball finally does hit the surface there is a change of rotation and diminished speed.

When the putter strikes the ball at the center line then the golf ball skids before it starts rolling. This is most evident on those early morning rounds when you see the "rooster tail" effect of the ball on the green.

But when the ball is struck above the center line the ball rolls pure, with no hops or skids.

The easiest way to strike the ball above the center line is to simply forward press the putter, without opening the putter face, so that the top edge is out in front of the bottom edge. As long as you maintain this during the stroke then the top edge will strike the ball above the center line, and your puts will roll smooth and pure.

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Head to the range before a round to loosen up, and after the round to practice

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

Noted golf instructor and columnist Chuck Evans offers golf tips and lessons for WorldGolf.com readers on all aspects of the game.

 

Recently I was at PGA Tour's PODS event in the Tampa area, working with a few players. Standing on the practice range, I was reminded of some of the things that the world's best golfers do both before and after their round.

The majority of pro golfers show up to the practice range and get loose before their round. They aren't working on anything in their golf swing, but instead they are just loosening up and getting a "feel" for what they have brought to the course that day. They go from the practice range to the course and play their practice rounds. These rounds aren't about scoring but instead about what type of shots will be needed for this particular course.

After the round they come back to the practice tee and then work on their games. If they had problems hitting a particular shot on the course that day they will work on that shot. If they hit it well then they keep working to try and maintain that "feel." The vast majority of pro golfers also use numerous training aids to help them create, and maintain a certain feel. For instance, if they fight their set up alignments they will have some sort of training aid to help them. Virtually all of the players lay down something for alignment when they are hitting balls. They don't want to fall into any bad habits that could affect their ball striking.

So the lesson to be learned for the average player is this: Before the round don't work on your golf swing. Instead just hit balls, loosen up, and whatever the ball is doing play that type of shot in your round. After the round, head to the range and use this time to really work on your game. Use training aids specific to your problem areas to help speed up the learning process and start practicing like the best players in the world!

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Should I pitch, chip or putt?

By Chuck Evans
Special Contributor

You've missed the green, and there's a decision to make: What type of shot do you play next? Do you chip, pitch or putt?

That choice depends on a couple of factors. But before we go there, let's go through the differences between chipping and pitching.

Even the television announcers get these confused. How many times have you watched a tournament, seen the player stroke from 30 yards off the green and heard the announcer exclaim, "What a great chip shot!"?

Wrong! That 30-footer was a pitch, not a chip.

Chipping is a stroke with no wrist-cock - less "air time" and more "ground time." Think of it as a putt with a lofted club. Pitching is a lofted shot, played with a cocked left wrist; it has more carry and less roll.

Playing from the off the green, the average golfer should try to putt if possible. If the ground is too uneven or the grass is too tall, then chip. But if the ball cannot safely carry to the green with a chip-length stroke - "safely" meaning at least one pace onto the green - it's time to pitch.

What's a chip-length stroke? In a previous article I discussed chipping at length, but here's a quick review:

The length of a chip stroke is about two feet in both directions. Starting from address, the hands go to the middle, or just slightly outside, of the back thigh. On the forward stroke the hands go past the front thigh while maintaining the left arm and shaft in one straight line.

Let's say your ball is just off the fringe of the green. Will the chip-length stroke get you at least that one pace in? If it won't, you'll need to pitch to reach safely.

Use this formula and your short game will improve.

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