MISCELLANEOUS
(121).."HOOK HELP"
Note: When practicing this drill, don't expect the ball to travel as it normally would. The inherent slope for this lie creates natural trajectories that are far from perfectly straight. Don't concern yourself with ballflight. The goal of this article is to help you fix the swing flaw that causes the hook, not to hit perfect golf shots.
The Drill:
Hitting balls that lie below the feet is excellent practice for players who block the ball to the right or struggle with duck-hooking. Shots that are blocked to the right or duck-hooked result from the club being trapped too far to the inside (behind the body) in the downswing. This is a swing tendency common to many better players. Tiger Woods often comments that when his timing is off, it's due to his arms and club getting stuck behind him in the downswing.
By practicing hitting balls below the feet, you'll learn to maintain correct posture and keep the club out in front of your body, from takeaway through impact. You'll also ingrain the feeling of swinging the club underneath the body. Keeping the club in front of the body is a trait most great players strive to develop. Not only does it reduce the chance of trapping the club behind the body and forcing a hook or block, but it creates a swing that's less dependent on perfect timing, as well.
When practicing from this lie, you'll need to bend more from the hips in order to get down to the ball. Note that as you bend more from the hips, you'll also need to increase your knee flex to maintain balance. Your primary focus when hitting this shot is to stay down and maintain your setup posture throughout the swing. Realize that this bent-over posture will create a swing plane that's steeper than normal. Don't fight it. The tendency for most players is to come out of the shot and top the ball or catch it thin. To hit the ball solidly, shorten the swing and stay down.
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(122).."KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN"
When giving lessons there seem to be many common faults shared by many golfers. At the top of the list is what I call the "keep your head down" syndrome. I know this is probably the first thing you were told to focus on when you started to play golf and one of the most common things you hear while playing.. The problem is that it is a distance and consistency killer. 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 back swing weight shift.
The reason "keep your head down" kills your swing is because you are so worried about raising your head that you keep it on the ball the entire swing or entirely to long. As you make your back swing and your shoulders and torso turn you are storing energy for the unturn. You start your turn to complete the swing and here's were the problem begins......when you shoulders get square to the ball and the club is about1 to 2 foot behind the ball...you lock your head on the ball. Guess what? You not only not only stopped your head, you locked your spine and now it can not continue the unturn. The end result is your arms take over and finish the swing. Not only does this rob you of many yards, blocked shots and slices are the rule.
To greatly improve you distance and accuracy, learn to relax and release your head when the shoulders become square with the ball on the downswing.
Don't panic, nothing will really change, because the swing has already taken place and the head release will change absolutely nothing, except shot and distance improvement.
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 your unturn.
A good golf swing depends on free flowing motion. So, go with the flow, let your head go on the downswing and you will be surprised how it frees up your swing.
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(123).."TROUBLE LIES 1"
Pine Needles :
The key here is to make contact with the ball first. If you hit the pine needles before the ball, the club will slide into the ball and create a poor shot. To prevent this, position the ball back in your stance, and hover the club at address. Remember, pine needles are like pick-up sticks--they're all connected, and if you ground the club, you may inadvertently move the ball. Take the club up abruptly and swing into the ball with a descending blow.
Hardpan :
The key to playing off hard- pan is making contact with the ball first because you don't have the same margin for error that you do from soft grass. If you hit the ground first, the club will bounce into the ball and shoot it low and long. Play this shot almost like a punch, positioning the ball toward the back of your stance, with your weight favoring your left side. This will ensure that you hit the ball with your hands in front of the clubhead, with a descending blow. Never "scoop" from hardpan.
Water :
If at least half the ball is above the surface, you can give it a try, otherwise, take a drop. To play a ball from the water, use a sand wedge and treat the shot like a bunker blast, entering the water slightly behind the ball. The flange on the wedge should displace enough water to blast the ball out.
Concrete :
A cart path is an immovable obstruction from which you can take relief without penalty. However, there may be times when the nearest point of relief may be worse than the cart path itself. In these situations, simply take a wide stance (for stability since your spikes won't dig into the concrete) and choke down on the club for added control. Play the ball in the middle of your stance and attempt to sweep the ball cleanly off the path, swinging primarily with your upper body. It's important not to deliver a sharp descending hit on the ball because the path is hard and can cause injury to your hands and wrists as well as damage to your club.
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(124).."TROUBLE LIES 2"
Deep Rough :
The shot you play from a lie in the rough depends on your objective. If you need distance from the rough, move the ball back in your stance, close the club face a bit and hit a punch shot. Hit the ball hard with your right hand (for right-handed golfers) and it should come out low and run long. If your objective is to play a high shot, move the ball forward in your stance, open the club face slightly and swing the club with a normal amount of wrist cock and release. The ball should come out high, but without a lot of spin.
Fringe :
When your ball comes to rest against the collar or fringe, it can be almost impossible to play the shot with a putter. Instead, select a sand wedge and grip the club with your normal putting grip. Set up like you're going to putt the ball, but concentrate on hitting the equator of the ball with the leading edge of the club. The ball should start rolling end-over-end fairly quickly and behave like a putt.
Soggy Turf :
Wet turf is heavy turf, and making contact with it prior to contacting the ball will result in a fat shot that goes nowhere. Instead, concentrate on sweeping the ball with a minimal amount of ground contact. To accomplish this, position the ball in the center of your stance and hover the club just behind the ball at address. Keep your lower body quiet throughout the swing, and if possible, try to pick the ball cleanly off the turf. Because of the wet conditions, you might want to take an extra club.
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(126).."STROKE SAVER"
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.
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(127).."PUTTING 101"
PUTTING POINTERS
"Today we're going to talk about the most crucial part of the game which is putting. When one part of the golf game is responsible for 40 + percent of the strokes you accumulate in a round of golf. It would seem prudent to do something to improve it.
If you play a round of golf and theoretically hit every green in regulation and two-putt, that's 36 putts or half the shots. So let's concentrate on a couple of tips that will help you become a better putter and lower your scores.
The intended line is the target line you want your ball to follow. What I like to do is get behind the ball and see what kind of break I have. Then I line up the text or line I put on my balls to a target that is about three feet in front of the ball (you can use any thing on your ball that will give you a line). If I hit this target I know I have a pretty good chance of making the putt. That is what is very important in making putts, having an intended line.
Now let's talk about ball position. It is really important to have proper ball position in hitting solid putts. I like to place the ball inside my left heel. The best putters like Ben Crenshaw and Brad Faxon both put their balls inside the left heel. Be sure that the face of the putter is straight up and down and not leaning forward (delofted) or leaning back (lofted)
The other line tip you want to be aware of is proper eye position over the ball. You don't want to lean too far over or too far back. An easy test for this is to get in your set up position. When you feel comfortable hold another ball up to your dominant eye. Drop the ball and if it lands where the ball is then you know that you have the correct eye alignment over the ball. You can also use a piece of string with some weight tied to one end and hold this next to your dominant eye and see if the weight dangles directly over the ball. If not, you need to adjust your posture until your are over the ball.
So let's review the three main points. First, It is very important for your ball to go off on your intended line. Second, is ball position, it is very important to place the ball on the inside of your left foot. Three, is proper eye alignment, making sure your eyes are over the ball and not too far over and too far back. I hope this tips improve your putting. Remember...40 ish percent of your strokes occur on the dance floor, seems like it might be a good place to start eliminating some.
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(128).."ON THE TEE TIPS"
Test-Drive a Driving Iron:
Let's face it. A driver simply isn't the club for everyone. It's the longest club in the bag and, therefore, the most difficult to control. A viable option for players who struggle with the big dog is the driving iron, equipped with anywhere from 12 to 17 degrees of loft (about the same as a 3-wood), but with a shaft length more typical of a 3-iron. An added benefit is perimeter weighting, which can help shots hit near the heel or toe find a portion of the fairway. As the new millennium dawns, more and more golfers are giving the driving iron a second look.
Vary Your Trajectory:
There's more than one way to skin a golf hole, including adjusting your trajectory off the tee to match the playing conditions. Hitting a low shot can pay dividends in two ways, mainly by cheating a headwind and producing more roll. A higher tee ball can add yards when hitting downwind or from an elevated tee box. The easiest way to vary your trajectory: alter your tee height. As a general rule, tee the ball higher for high shots and lower for low shots.
Live With Your Slice:
You've tried everything to cure your slice and nothing seems to work. Big deal. A fade can be a great weapon off the tee--if you plan accordingly. If you're plagued with a left-to-right ballflight, forget about the middle of the fairway. As you set up to the ball, move your target to the left-hand side of the fairway. If your tee ball fades, you'll be in position A. If you happen to hit it straight, you're still in the fairway. Need more convincing? Give Nicklaus, Woods, Montgomerie or Duval a call.
Fade It:
To hit the ball from left-to-right, set up with your toe line pointed left of target and your clubface at the target.
Draw It:
To hit the ball from right-to-left, set up with your toe line pointed right of target and your clubface at the target.
Hit the Draw or Fade on Command:
Hitting the draw or fade doesn't require manipulating your swing. It's all in the setup (see above). For both setups, swing along your toe line to produce the desired shot shape.
Tee the Ball at the Right Height:
If you play with one of the new low CG drivers, hopefully you haven't forgotten to lower your tee height. A ball teed to match a regular driver will be too high for a shallow-faced driver. Regardless of the type of driver you play, tee the ball so that its equator bisects the top of the clubhead.
Develop a Go-To Driver Swing:
Tight fairway, match on the line. You need to put the ball in play. It's a situation most amateurs fear, which is why you need to develop a go-to driver swing-- a second serve, if you will. This is the swing that produces the most accurate drives, not the most "oohs" and "aahs" from your playing partners. The key is control, which can be yours if you simply choke down on the club (about an inch) and swing at 75 percent.
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(129).."GET A GRIP"
Do not underestimate the importance of the grip size and condition.
Grip size can have a significant effect on feel and accuracy, and should be taken seriously. Generally, the smaller or thinner the grip, the more feedback and feel it will provide. However, a grip that's too small can cause overactive hands and wrists, enhancing the pulled and hooks. Conversely, grips that are larger often take the feel out of the hands, and cause the hands and wrists to be less active in the golf swing. A grip that's too big can stifle the release of the club altogether, causing a variety of slices and blocks.
To find the right grip size, assume your normal grip and observe the relationship between the tips of the fingers on your left hand and your left thumb pad. Ladies don't forget to factor in your finger nail length. If the fingers are digging in, then the grip is too small. If there's a significant gap, then the grip may be too big. Regardless, remember that comfort is the most important thing when determining grip size.
Don't over look the conditions of the grips. Are yours a little glossy and slippery? Don't assume you need new grips. If they are not dry rotted or have holes worn in them they can be brought back to life pretty easy. The gloss is usually caused by the oils from your hand.
To bring them back to life, put some hot water and what every dish washing soap you have in a bucket or do this in your kitchen sink. Now grab the green scotch bright pad used for scrubbing those pots and pans and soak it in the soapy water. Wrap the pad around the grip, holding it with one hand. Grip the club head and rotate it back and forth while gripping the pad, moving up and down the grip a few times. Rinse with cold water and let dry. The soap removes the oil build up and the scotch pad is just rough enough to tack up the grip...Do not use sand paper. This just tears up the grip and does not remove the oils. If you do this when the grips get a little glossy, you will be amazed at how long a set of grips will last.
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(130).."WRIST ACTION"
Good Grip (hands) leads to good wrist action.
Wrist action accounts for 90 percent of bad shots. Why is this so common?
The natural way to control the club is with the hands and any attempt to use the hands encourages breaking of the wrists.
There are two directions the wrists can move in the golf swing.
That is the forward/backward (like you are waving good-bye) or up and down.
We'll refer to the forward/backward action as the breaking of the wrists and the up/down as the hinging (cocking)of the wrists.
This is one reason that the grip is so important. When you manipulate the grip ie. rotate either hand right or left, you restrict the natural cocking of the wrists. A faulty grip encourages breaking of the wrists. You do not have to learn or farce the up/down (cocking) if the grip is correct, and if the left arm is in the correct position the hinging or cocking of the wrists will be automatic.
In order for this action to happen keep the back of the left hand flat in relation to the back of the left forearm during the swing. It's as simple as that. If the left arm is in the correct position the wrists will hinge (cock naturally), if not there will be a breaking motion. Don't try to cultivate an independent wrist motion. Let it be natural. When you take the club back farther than the shoulder turn, you force the wrists into a cupping (breaking) position. Result: A throwing motion that will almost always result in the slice.
A simple tool to see if your wrists are breaking. Get a 12" ruler. two stips of velcro, rubber bands or tape. With the back of your hand parallel with your fore arm lay the ruler on the back side of your left hand/arm, starting at the knuckles and running up the fore arm. Hold it in place with a piece of velcro, tape etc. around the fore arm and a piece around the palm of your hand. If you are breaking your wrists during the swing, the ruler will let you know.
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(131).."SWING TENSION"
Tension in the golf swing can cause you to lose distance and accuracy. One of my key items when giving lessons is to instill the "No Tension" thought in every golf swing. By executing certain fundametals correctly, tension is avoided. Certain swing characteristics that many of you are familiar with cause tension.
For example, keep your leading arm stiff. What purpose other than looks is there in keeping your leading arm stiff? None; it only causes tension. There is absolutely no comfort or reason in keeping this arm stiff.
Fundamentally you decrease tension by working on a proper grip. A grip that has no tension is achieved by doing the following: Place the grip in the fingers of both hands. With the bottom hand, start the grip in the middle of the fingers. Avoid the palm. Also, place the thumb of the top hand off to the side, away from the target, and place the bottom thumb on the other side of the grip, closest to the target. The thumbs have many nerves at the tips. If the thumbs run directly down the center of the grip, you trigger those nerves. The arms tense up and you now have tension.
All you are trying to achieve is a light grip. The reason is if you have a tight grip, you tighten your fore arms and this will result in a open or closed face at impact. Don't believe me, grab a club with just your left hand and set it on the ground with the face pointing at some target. Now tighten your grip and be amazed, instant open face. During the swing avoid any move or swing characteristics that cause tension. Tension is the swing killer...it leads to inconsistent shots and reduced distance. Any power you can deliver to the ball is greated in the coil of the back swing. Tension restricts the uncoil, this reduces the power that can be delivered to the ball, therefore less distance. Why do you think your practice swing feels so good? Dah! no tension.
Key swing thought of the day....."NO TENSION"
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(132).."FAT &THIN SHOTS"
Both shots are easily identified by golfers of all skill levels. Both shots are hit low to the ground. It just so happens that one of the main causes and cures for both shots is the same.
Anytime your swing-center moves during the backswing, this changes where the low point of the club arc will be during the down swing.
Usually this swing-center movement is a result of golfers futile attempt to generate more power during the swing.
You have a tendency to slide back when trying to kill the ball and
all you are really doing is changing where the low point of the club will be at impact. When you do the swing-center slide, its very unlikely that the slide forward will match the one back, so where the club will be at impact is a guess. Therefore, the ball is usually hit fat or thin, depending on how you are sliding that day. Sometimes you get slide back to the ball just right, but most of the time you do not. Work on keeping the chin still during the takeaway, but release it when you hit the ball and rotate the shoulders, without doing the backward slide.
Remember anytime you do the slide, you are probably going to hit fat or thin, so don't.
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(133).."PERFECT DREAMS"
The Perfect Driver
FACT:
Driver heads of 300cc or larger are the best choice for your perfect driver.
FACT:
All driver heads weigh the same, with in 5 grams.
FACT:
Titanium and exotic metals allow the construction of larger heads at 200 grams and still be strong enough to not collapse when you hit he ball.
FACT:
MOI (momentum of inertia) or the tendency of the head to rotate when the ball strikes the ball to the side of the center of gravity decreases as the head volume increases. Result..more energy is transfered to the ball and not lost in the rotation.
FACT:
The larger head you use for your driver, the longer straighter shots you will have when you do not hit the center of gravity.
However, with the lure or increasing overall driving distance for the average player, we also saw an increase in the physical length of the
driver with the introduction of lightweight, graphite shafts. Where the standard length of the driver with a stainless steel head was 43", 300cc + driver heads were commonly put into shafts that were 45" or even longer. The result was a club that could potentially give you added distance off the tee, providing you could control the extra
physical length of the club, but also resulted in a loss of consistency.
The problem is that for many golfers - even with the larger, more forgiving 300cc driver head - controlling a club of this length is very
difficult. For example, a "slice" swing (one that travels on an outside-to-in path) will be amplified the longer the club becomes. Hitting the ball squarely and on the sweet spot becomes more of an accident than a regular event. Sure, the odd time that you do
hit the ball purely, you will marvel and amaze your buddies at the length and accuracy of your shot. However, we become very selective in the shots we remember, forever raising the expected level of potential we now posses.
The reality is that driving the ball well with both distance and accuracy is a product of solid ball contact with reasonable club head speed. Additionally, you get much more roll when your ball lands in the fairway as opposed to the rough, trees, water or sand.
The larger, more forgiving driver heads provide the forgiveness on your less than perfect swings. Combine this head with a shorter, easier to control shaft and you significantly increase your chances of keeping the ball in the fair way. This will improve the overall distance and accuracy of your tee shots and, ultimately, put you in a much better position off the tee on a more consistent basis.
Consistency is the key to better scoring and this combination will give you the best chance at achieving the consistency you need to score well.
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