To achieve maximum clubhead speed and efficient energy transfer to the ball, make sure to incorporate these key ingredients into your practice lessons:
Square Club Face, Square Swing Path At impact there is no substitute for a clubface that is square to the target, and a square swing path. Face angle at impact can directly influence, faster or slower, a golf ball's initial velocity. Couple proper face angle with a correct swing path and you will gain serious bonus miles per hour of ball speed. Use a computerized system to measure and monitor the relationship between club head speed to ball speed, recently coined the smash factor.
Open clubfaces and an out-to-in path will cause glancing blows that decrease the distance a ball will travel. Hit the Sweet Spot Aside from an assortment of club lengths, weights, lofts, and shaft flexes that assist in maximizing your length, the next most important criteria for distance is centeredness of contact. Hitting the ball in the sweet spot, a challenge for most, will create better control of the ball flight and improve your distance. Try using some impact tape on your clubface if you are curious about how regularly you contact the center of the club. Hands First Another weak spot found at impact in most amateur's swings is the inability to get their shafts to lean toward the target as they strike the ball.
Trapping or pinching the ball will naturally deloft a club, effectively giving you more smash factor. Making sure that your hands win the race to impact before the club head is critical and common in all good ball strikers. Combine Power and Control In order to achieve these classic fundamentals and increase your distance, make sure to check your swing mechanics regularly. To attain higher clubhead speed, proper setup is mandatory to maximize your efforts. Once the swing is in motion, make sure to shift your weight properly, keep your swing arc as wide as possible, and accelerate through the ball using body rotation. The Pirelli Tires company has a slogan that says, "Power is nothing without control". This also holds true for the golf swing. All the speed you gain will only be useful if you can keep the ball in play.
Proper Weight Shift Monitor a proper weight shift by primarily using your upper body as the engine of the backswing to load up energy into your rear leg. Having a low, one-piece takeaway promotes a wider swing arc and actually gives you a head start in the direction of your weight shift. Most short hitters snatch the club head up early in the backswing, causing their arms to fold inward to their chest, decreasing their swing radius and eliminating a proper weight shift. Try to use a video system to keep working on the backswing moves until you can make clean crisp contact. After creating a good coil of your torso (X-factor) in the backswing, it is important to use your lower body as the engine of the downswing. The hips and shoulders can rarely be too open at impact, so start cranking up your rotation speeds and driving your weight back toward the target simultaneously.
Testing the biomechanics of over 200 Tour Players including their rotation speeds through impact and have discovered that professionals on average turn 28% faster than the amateurs we teach. Sometimes equipment will help, but a golfer must also give it a good rip if they expect to gain yardage. So if you want to increase your clubhead speed and overall distance then quit being so nice to the ball and pull a Nike -- "Just Do It".
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Swing Tips
Pre Round Tip
Stretching before the first tee should be dynamic, or movement oriented. This is the best way to prepare your body from a neuromuscular standpoint.
Swing Training Tip
For effective golf, the club has to be pulled, not thrown from the top of the swing! All top players create this pulling action by unwinding the downswing from the feet upwards; most poor players destroy it by throwing the club at the ball with the upper body before the lower body can get into the act.
Throwing the club at the ball from the top of the swing with the upper body destroys the width and path of the swing arc and the approach angle. It is one possible cause of the slice, loss of distance and many other related faults. After a time it becomes as much a psychological problem to break as one of technique. Proper golf swing practice can break that psychological barrier and positively promote the feel of correct swing mechanics.
When the club is swung with one hand only (i.e. the trailing arm), the upper body is naturally held back at the start of the down swing allowing the lower body to lead and create the all important initial width. How do you fix this - permanently? See the Stop Slicing Program for complete detailed instruction. Stop Slicing Now Avoid the Sloppy Swing The infusion of perimeter-weighted clubs into the market has been a boon for all golfers. Miss the sweetspot and these forgiving clubs will still produce a pretty good result.
In contrast, wooden woods and blade-style irons are not very forgiving: Mishit the ball even slightly and you'll see a noticeable loss of distance, direction, and trajectory. Because of this difference in performance, many players, even Tour pros, have made the switch to perimeter-weighted woods and irons. If you're among them, be sure you don't get sloppy. Because the quality of contact with perimeter-weighted clubs doesn't have to be quite so precise, there's a tendency to downplay the importance of making solid contact, and that can lead to sloppiness, swinging too hard, poor clubhead path, swaying, and so on.
Never forget about the quality of your swing. To help instill this concern, take a wooden driver and blade 5-iron every time you go to the practice range and spend a few minutes hitting each. This should help keep your swing honed and your focus on making solid, square contact with every club.
Stretching before the first tee should be dynamic, or movement oriented. This is the best way to prepare your body from a neuromuscular standpoint.
Swing Training Tip
For effective golf, the club has to be pulled, not thrown from the top of the swing! All top players create this pulling action by unwinding the downswing from the feet upwards; most poor players destroy it by throwing the club at the ball with the upper body before the lower body can get into the act.
Throwing the club at the ball from the top of the swing with the upper body destroys the width and path of the swing arc and the approach angle. It is one possible cause of the slice, loss of distance and many other related faults. After a time it becomes as much a psychological problem to break as one of technique. Proper golf swing practice can break that psychological barrier and positively promote the feel of correct swing mechanics.
When the club is swung with one hand only (i.e. the trailing arm), the upper body is naturally held back at the start of the down swing allowing the lower body to lead and create the all important initial width. How do you fix this - permanently? See the Stop Slicing Program for complete detailed instruction. Stop Slicing Now Avoid the Sloppy Swing The infusion of perimeter-weighted clubs into the market has been a boon for all golfers. Miss the sweetspot and these forgiving clubs will still produce a pretty good result.
In contrast, wooden woods and blade-style irons are not very forgiving: Mishit the ball even slightly and you'll see a noticeable loss of distance, direction, and trajectory. Because of this difference in performance, many players, even Tour pros, have made the switch to perimeter-weighted woods and irons. If you're among them, be sure you don't get sloppy. Because the quality of contact with perimeter-weighted clubs doesn't have to be quite so precise, there's a tendency to downplay the importance of making solid contact, and that can lead to sloppiness, swinging too hard, poor clubhead path, swaying, and so on.
Never forget about the quality of your swing. To help instill this concern, take a wooden driver and blade 5-iron every time you go to the practice range and spend a few minutes hitting each. This should help keep your swing honed and your focus on making solid, square contact with every club.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Common Swing Faults With Physical Fixes
NOT ALL MUSCLES WERE CREATED THE SAME by Paul Chek
Joint dysfunction Muscle imbalance Static or dynamic postural stability problems All the above are reasons why a player's swing faults are hard to improve long term. Aside from blatant lack of skill, muscle imbalance is by far the most common source of altered neuromechanics and both poor and/or inconsistent swing mechanics. Teaching pros need to be able to identify and correct length-tension relationships. Length-tension relationships (the balance between muscles and groups of muscles) represent and dictate both the real-time function of the working joints and how well the body executes the brain.s swing command.
In the presence of muscle length-tension imbalances, what may be a very good motor engram leaving the brain often manifests as a swing with notable faults. A player with muscle imbalance is most easily identified by his/her poor posture. Altered spinal curvatures disrupt spinal mechanics, leading to compensatory movement at other joints. When the player.s muscle balance and postural alignment are optimal, there is minimal engram (motor command sequence) disruption. In this state, good motor programming results in long term correction of swing faults and minimizes chances of orthopedic injury. One of the main reasons for muscle imbalance is the way our muscles are designed. We have muscles that are classified as TONIC and muscles that are classified as PHASIC.
The physiological reality of how these two muscle types react to both physical and mental stress is what underlies many chronic swing faults that persist despite having spent large sums of money on elite coaching and high-tech clubs! Tonic muscles are ideally suited to postural duties such as holding an address posture and an optimal swing axis. Tonic muscles react to aberrant physical or mental stress by shortening and tightening. Phasic muscles are more suited to dynamic movements such as actually swinging and accelerating the club. Phasic muscles react to aberrant physical or mental stress by lengthening and weakening.
One of the key reasons for the difference responses between the muscle types is the threshold of stimulation; tonic muscles have a low threshold of stimulation, while phasic muscles have a high threshold of stimulation Additionally, as we age (beyond 40) our phasic abdominal and gluteal (butt) muscles tend to weaken, further encouraging muscle imbalance. Experienced golfers often have a very good mental image, or consciousness of the ideal swing, and try with all intent to execute one. Because tonic muscles have a lower threshold of stimulation than phasic muscles and tend to override commands to antagonistic and synergistic phasic muscles, which have a high threshold of stimulation, the physical image or expression of the motor command may not represent the mental image used to generate the movement. Here the tonic lumbar erectors and hip flexors override the phasic abdominal and gluteal musculature, pulling the player into an over-swing; not only does the player frequently not realize he/she is doing this, back pain is a common byproduct. Note that muscle imbalance is most easily identified as poor posture (the key is recognizing what is poor posture versus good posture!).
When a player develops any degree of muscle imbalance, the swing motor engram that leaves the player.s brain is altered in proportion to the degree of facilitation and muscle imbalance that exists in the musculoskeletal system. Additionally, each time a player executes a swing in the presence of muscle imbalance, the engram is progressively altered and the muscle imbalance is further facilitated. This is one reason that golfers play for five or even ten years with minimal improvement in their handicap; even though their understanding of the game is improving, their level of neuromechanical imbalance is of greater influence on their game!
THERE IS A SOLUTION! You can make significant gains toward a better swing by simply stretching the shortened tonic muscles just before you play.
Joint dysfunction Muscle imbalance Static or dynamic postural stability problems All the above are reasons why a player's swing faults are hard to improve long term. Aside from blatant lack of skill, muscle imbalance is by far the most common source of altered neuromechanics and both poor and/or inconsistent swing mechanics. Teaching pros need to be able to identify and correct length-tension relationships. Length-tension relationships (the balance between muscles and groups of muscles) represent and dictate both the real-time function of the working joints and how well the body executes the brain.s swing command.
In the presence of muscle length-tension imbalances, what may be a very good motor engram leaving the brain often manifests as a swing with notable faults. A player with muscle imbalance is most easily identified by his/her poor posture. Altered spinal curvatures disrupt spinal mechanics, leading to compensatory movement at other joints. When the player.s muscle balance and postural alignment are optimal, there is minimal engram (motor command sequence) disruption. In this state, good motor programming results in long term correction of swing faults and minimizes chances of orthopedic injury. One of the main reasons for muscle imbalance is the way our muscles are designed. We have muscles that are classified as TONIC and muscles that are classified as PHASIC.
The physiological reality of how these two muscle types react to both physical and mental stress is what underlies many chronic swing faults that persist despite having spent large sums of money on elite coaching and high-tech clubs! Tonic muscles are ideally suited to postural duties such as holding an address posture and an optimal swing axis. Tonic muscles react to aberrant physical or mental stress by shortening and tightening. Phasic muscles are more suited to dynamic movements such as actually swinging and accelerating the club. Phasic muscles react to aberrant physical or mental stress by lengthening and weakening.
One of the key reasons for the difference responses between the muscle types is the threshold of stimulation; tonic muscles have a low threshold of stimulation, while phasic muscles have a high threshold of stimulation Additionally, as we age (beyond 40) our phasic abdominal and gluteal (butt) muscles tend to weaken, further encouraging muscle imbalance. Experienced golfers often have a very good mental image, or consciousness of the ideal swing, and try with all intent to execute one. Because tonic muscles have a lower threshold of stimulation than phasic muscles and tend to override commands to antagonistic and synergistic phasic muscles, which have a high threshold of stimulation, the physical image or expression of the motor command may not represent the mental image used to generate the movement. Here the tonic lumbar erectors and hip flexors override the phasic abdominal and gluteal musculature, pulling the player into an over-swing; not only does the player frequently not realize he/she is doing this, back pain is a common byproduct. Note that muscle imbalance is most easily identified as poor posture (the key is recognizing what is poor posture versus good posture!).
When a player develops any degree of muscle imbalance, the swing motor engram that leaves the player.s brain is altered in proportion to the degree of facilitation and muscle imbalance that exists in the musculoskeletal system. Additionally, each time a player executes a swing in the presence of muscle imbalance, the engram is progressively altered and the muscle imbalance is further facilitated. This is one reason that golfers play for five or even ten years with minimal improvement in their handicap; even though their understanding of the game is improving, their level of neuromechanical imbalance is of greater influence on their game!
THERE IS A SOLUTION! You can make significant gains toward a better swing by simply stretching the shortened tonic muscles just before you play.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Ben Hogan's Real Golf Secret......It is in the Feet
Ben Hogan did have a secret, but it wasn't in his golf swing....at least not the swing itself. It's not possible to gain Hogan's accuracy from just a single golf tip because Hogan's secret was in the process he used to control his golf swing to become one of the most accurate golfers of all time. This is also the very reason his secret has been an enigma for over 40 years.
Ben Hogan's secret was his extraordinary ability to focus. This was not a gift from heaven. No, Hogan spent long hours perfecting his focus technique. Hogan would take hours to hit just forty balls. He would hit a ball and spend a few minutes to rewind the shot in his mind and go over every aspect of it. Before he hit the next ball he knew everything he did right and wrong with that shot and was ready to hit the next one even better. Hogan fine tuned every swing until it was perfect. He didn't want any bad swings to creep into his system and create any bad habits. His swing is not one to emulate unless you are built like him, but his methods will make any golfer strike the ball well.
If you read very carefully, you can see in Hogan's books just what he did. The problem is that you must understand the swing and his process before you can properly interpret what he wrote. It was only after discovering and perfecting Hogan's system that I re-read his books for probably the tenth time, and realized that he did share his secret, but that he was looking at it from a stand point of someone who already understood. Hogan's swing secret was not just the balance and setup...it's about how he achieved and controlled balance during his swing and how you can get similar results using his control methods. The key phrase is how he controlled his swing movement.
Anyone can make a great swing once in a while, but Hogan was known for doing it almost every time. Hogan said that the game is played keeping the weight on the inside halves of the feet, but that is as far as he went. It's too bad because this statement is the key and the starting point for understanding Hogan's secret of control. His secret? The swing is controlled from the feet. I have taken pros and blindfolded them, leaving them to monitor their swing completely by feel and been able to get them to not only to strike the ball purely, but to shape their shots accurately using only feedback from their feet. Most of the pros on tour use his methods, except they use them subconsciously. Hogan took the process to the conscious level so he could monitor and correct his swing in motion. Today's pros have been convinced that they shouldn't think about anything during the swing, but it has been proven that the mind will not think about nothing. Like it or not, your mind works all of the time, as shown in your dreams. The trick with the golf swing is to focus in such a way so that those thoughts are completely visual, thereby never bothering the brain with any distracting conscious thoughts.
Do you wonder why Tiger no longer uses a guru? It's because he is working on the same process. When he perfects it, and he is close, he'll be unstoppable. Anyone who wants to give Tiger a game in the future will have to know this information or fall by the wayside. How fast does it work? I have shown high handicap golfers the very first balance routine right on the golf course and watched as most of them immediately started hitting their shots more accurately.
Ben Hogan's secret was his extraordinary ability to focus. This was not a gift from heaven. No, Hogan spent long hours perfecting his focus technique. Hogan would take hours to hit just forty balls. He would hit a ball and spend a few minutes to rewind the shot in his mind and go over every aspect of it. Before he hit the next ball he knew everything he did right and wrong with that shot and was ready to hit the next one even better. Hogan fine tuned every swing until it was perfect. He didn't want any bad swings to creep into his system and create any bad habits. His swing is not one to emulate unless you are built like him, but his methods will make any golfer strike the ball well.
If you read very carefully, you can see in Hogan's books just what he did. The problem is that you must understand the swing and his process before you can properly interpret what he wrote. It was only after discovering and perfecting Hogan's system that I re-read his books for probably the tenth time, and realized that he did share his secret, but that he was looking at it from a stand point of someone who already understood. Hogan's swing secret was not just the balance and setup...it's about how he achieved and controlled balance during his swing and how you can get similar results using his control methods. The key phrase is how he controlled his swing movement.
Anyone can make a great swing once in a while, but Hogan was known for doing it almost every time. Hogan said that the game is played keeping the weight on the inside halves of the feet, but that is as far as he went. It's too bad because this statement is the key and the starting point for understanding Hogan's secret of control. His secret? The swing is controlled from the feet. I have taken pros and blindfolded them, leaving them to monitor their swing completely by feel and been able to get them to not only to strike the ball purely, but to shape their shots accurately using only feedback from their feet. Most of the pros on tour use his methods, except they use them subconsciously. Hogan took the process to the conscious level so he could monitor and correct his swing in motion. Today's pros have been convinced that they shouldn't think about anything during the swing, but it has been proven that the mind will not think about nothing. Like it or not, your mind works all of the time, as shown in your dreams. The trick with the golf swing is to focus in such a way so that those thoughts are completely visual, thereby never bothering the brain with any distracting conscious thoughts.
Do you wonder why Tiger no longer uses a guru? It's because he is working on the same process. When he perfects it, and he is close, he'll be unstoppable. Anyone who wants to give Tiger a game in the future will have to know this information or fall by the wayside. How fast does it work? I have shown high handicap golfers the very first balance routine right on the golf course and watched as most of them immediately started hitting their shots more accurately.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Seven Technology Factors to Improve Your Golf Game
We are all looking for that little extra something that is going to make this wonderful game a little bit more forgiving. Here are a few suggestions:
Technology Factor #1 . Shorter Driver Length and More Loft Today.s drivers that are sold .off the rack. are made in lofts from 8-11 degrees, and in lengths of 45. to 45 1/2.. However, only 10% of all golfers have the required swing mechanics and athletic ability to warrant playing such equipment. If you swing over the top or have an inconsistent tempo, and your wrist to floor measurement is less than 40., then a 45. driver is probably too long for you. If you.re swing speed is less than 95 mph and you are using a driver with a loft of 9-11 degrees, then you are probably not maximizing your distance off the tee. If you hit a 3 wood better and more consistent than a driver, you can definitely take advantage of higher lofted drivers.
Technology Factor #2 . Closed Wood Face Angle Wood face angle is the BEST equipment correction device for driver accuracy. Face angle is the direction the face points when the head is placed in playing position or soled. It is a design factor that helps correct minor swing path faults or the inability of the golfer to square the clubface at impact. How many golfers do you think have that problem? Most golfers with driver problems either push or slice the ball off the tee. Yet, when you purchase .off the rack. drivers you have very little opportunity to alter the face angle. They just don.t offer that as an option. Most drivers will only have a closed face angle of 1 degree. A face angle with a 2-4 degree closed face angle will cut down a slice from 5-15 yards.
Technology Factor #3 . Set Make-Up Today.s 7 iron has the same loft as a 5 iron of 15 years ago. Ever wonder why it is so difficult to hit today.s 3 and 4 irons? With today.s stronger lofted long irons, many golfers are going to higher lofted woods or hybrids. Which one is best for you? That depends. If you are currently having success with higher lofted woods, then staying with woods makes perfect sense. However, if you are not consistent with the fairway woods, then the shorter lengths of the .hybrid. clubs may make you more consistent. Each option has its pros and cons. The lower and deeper center of gravity of the wood heads will tend to hit the ball higher and are easier to hit. But the shorter lengths of the hybrids should be easier to hit on center and with more control. Either way it is probably time to get rid of your 3 and 4 irons and take a serious look at higher lofted fairway woods or hybrids.
Technology Factor #4 . Use the Most Flexible Shaft You Can Control. By using a more flexible shaft, you will probably hit the ball a little higher, the shot will feel a little bit more solid, and the face might close a little more at impact. These are all things that will allow you to score better. By using a stiffer shaft you will probably hit the ball a little lower and with less distance, and the impact will be slightly harsher while the clubface may remain slightly open. Therefore, consider dropping down a flex and you might just be rewarded with a tighter shot dispersion and lower scores.
Technology Factor #5 . Use Cavity Backed Irons Cavity backed irons truly are more forgiving on off center hits. You have probably heard this before, but take a cavity-backed iron and muscle-backed iron to the course and take a 10 shots with each and plot the results (when the greens keeper is not around). Plotting these shots will show you which type of iron performs best for you. I.m sure you will see better results with the cavity-backed iron.
Technology Factor #6 . Go With a Wider Sole on the Sand Wedge If you tend to leave the ball in the sand from digging too deep under the ball, look for a sand wedge with a much wider (thicker) sole than on your current sand wedge. Also, if you tend to have a very steep downward swing plane, look for a wide sole angle and more bounce to get out of the sand more consistently. Sole angle will allow the club head to create lift as it travels through the sand to get the ball out. Bounce allows the leading edge of the head to glide through the sand because the trailing edge is actually lower than the leading edge. Having a wider sole angel and more bounce together creates favorable conditions to get out of the sand consistently.
Technology Factor #7 . Add weight to your Putter . In the Grip More golfers are starting to notice a more consistent stroke with a heavier putter. But not just by adding weight to the head. I.m talking about counterbalancing your putter by adding weight to the grip end. I will be talking more about this in future articles, but many of my customers are noticing huge performance gains by adding weight to the butt end of the putter. The method is called .Balance-Certified Golf. and Custom Clubs of Frederick is one of only a few shops in the area that can perform this service
Technology Factor #1 . Shorter Driver Length and More Loft Today.s drivers that are sold .off the rack. are made in lofts from 8-11 degrees, and in lengths of 45. to 45 1/2.. However, only 10% of all golfers have the required swing mechanics and athletic ability to warrant playing such equipment. If you swing over the top or have an inconsistent tempo, and your wrist to floor measurement is less than 40., then a 45. driver is probably too long for you. If you.re swing speed is less than 95 mph and you are using a driver with a loft of 9-11 degrees, then you are probably not maximizing your distance off the tee. If you hit a 3 wood better and more consistent than a driver, you can definitely take advantage of higher lofted drivers.
Technology Factor #2 . Closed Wood Face Angle Wood face angle is the BEST equipment correction device for driver accuracy. Face angle is the direction the face points when the head is placed in playing position or soled. It is a design factor that helps correct minor swing path faults or the inability of the golfer to square the clubface at impact. How many golfers do you think have that problem? Most golfers with driver problems either push or slice the ball off the tee. Yet, when you purchase .off the rack. drivers you have very little opportunity to alter the face angle. They just don.t offer that as an option. Most drivers will only have a closed face angle of 1 degree. A face angle with a 2-4 degree closed face angle will cut down a slice from 5-15 yards.
Technology Factor #3 . Set Make-Up Today.s 7 iron has the same loft as a 5 iron of 15 years ago. Ever wonder why it is so difficult to hit today.s 3 and 4 irons? With today.s stronger lofted long irons, many golfers are going to higher lofted woods or hybrids. Which one is best for you? That depends. If you are currently having success with higher lofted woods, then staying with woods makes perfect sense. However, if you are not consistent with the fairway woods, then the shorter lengths of the .hybrid. clubs may make you more consistent. Each option has its pros and cons. The lower and deeper center of gravity of the wood heads will tend to hit the ball higher and are easier to hit. But the shorter lengths of the hybrids should be easier to hit on center and with more control. Either way it is probably time to get rid of your 3 and 4 irons and take a serious look at higher lofted fairway woods or hybrids.
Technology Factor #4 . Use the Most Flexible Shaft You Can Control. By using a more flexible shaft, you will probably hit the ball a little higher, the shot will feel a little bit more solid, and the face might close a little more at impact. These are all things that will allow you to score better. By using a stiffer shaft you will probably hit the ball a little lower and with less distance, and the impact will be slightly harsher while the clubface may remain slightly open. Therefore, consider dropping down a flex and you might just be rewarded with a tighter shot dispersion and lower scores.
Technology Factor #5 . Use Cavity Backed Irons Cavity backed irons truly are more forgiving on off center hits. You have probably heard this before, but take a cavity-backed iron and muscle-backed iron to the course and take a 10 shots with each and plot the results (when the greens keeper is not around). Plotting these shots will show you which type of iron performs best for you. I.m sure you will see better results with the cavity-backed iron.
Technology Factor #6 . Go With a Wider Sole on the Sand Wedge If you tend to leave the ball in the sand from digging too deep under the ball, look for a sand wedge with a much wider (thicker) sole than on your current sand wedge. Also, if you tend to have a very steep downward swing plane, look for a wide sole angle and more bounce to get out of the sand more consistently. Sole angle will allow the club head to create lift as it travels through the sand to get the ball out. Bounce allows the leading edge of the head to glide through the sand because the trailing edge is actually lower than the leading edge. Having a wider sole angel and more bounce together creates favorable conditions to get out of the sand consistently.
Technology Factor #7 . Add weight to your Putter . In the Grip More golfers are starting to notice a more consistent stroke with a heavier putter. But not just by adding weight to the head. I.m talking about counterbalancing your putter by adding weight to the grip end. I will be talking more about this in future articles, but many of my customers are noticing huge performance gains by adding weight to the butt end of the putter. The method is called .Balance-Certified Golf. and Custom Clubs of Frederick is one of only a few shops in the area that can perform this service
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
A Good Golf Pre-Shot Routine: Necessity for Every Golfer
You might ask yourself, "Why do I need a pre-shot routine?" Or for that matter, "What is a pre shot routine?" A pre-shot routine is quite simply the habits or actions one takes in the few seconds before the golf swing is made. So, why is a good routine necessary?
It is important because it allows us to relax, and it enables us to develop something that is repeatable in a game where even the best players in the world struggle with constancy, accuracy, and repetition. The next question to ask yourself is, "Do I have a pre-shot routine?" If the answer is "yes", is it a good one? If the answer is "no", your golf game will benefit from developing one.
Let's take a look at some components of professional's pre-shot routines vs. amateur's routines to see how yours measures up. The difference that I see between most amateurs and professionals lies in the quality of their pre-shot routines and their ability to repeat their routine time in and time out. Most amateurs will hastily walk up to the ball and then make two practice swings, then one time they will make no practice swings, and then waggle three times the next. These random actions breed inconsistency.
Meanwhile, professionals will go through the same repeatable course of action each time. This enables them to put their mind at rest. By knowing you have done your routine thousands of times, it allows the mind to focus on the actual shot at hand, thereby eliminating negative thoughts, which wreak havoc on most amateur golfers. A good pre-shot routine will also distract you from the pressure of each shot. You can concentrate on repeating your routine, rather than worry about the possible negative outcomes of the shot at hand. A great example of this would be David Toms' performance during the 2001 PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Toms had a 12-foot putt on the 72nd hole to win his first major championship. Toms was able to focus on the task at hand by relying on his pre-shot routine. It enabled him to put his pounding heart and shaking hands aside and concentrate on his speed, line and stroke. When the ball was halfway to the hole, Toms knew he had sunk the putt and won his first major championship.
A good pre-shot routine is beneficial to players of all abilities. Not all pre-shot routines should be the same, but yours should be one that is repeatable and relaxing. Here are a few tips to work with to develop a good pre-shot routine. Start behind the golf ball and envision your target. Once you have focused on a target, make a practice swing with your eyes remaining focused on your target. As you swing, envision the perfect result from your shot. Now step up to the ball and take your address. Once you are comfortable with your address, take a deep breath, releasing the tension in your body as you exhale.
Finally, take one last look at target to improve focus and let it rip.
It is important because it allows us to relax, and it enables us to develop something that is repeatable in a game where even the best players in the world struggle with constancy, accuracy, and repetition. The next question to ask yourself is, "Do I have a pre-shot routine?" If the answer is "yes", is it a good one? If the answer is "no", your golf game will benefit from developing one.
Let's take a look at some components of professional's pre-shot routines vs. amateur's routines to see how yours measures up. The difference that I see between most amateurs and professionals lies in the quality of their pre-shot routines and their ability to repeat their routine time in and time out. Most amateurs will hastily walk up to the ball and then make two practice swings, then one time they will make no practice swings, and then waggle three times the next. These random actions breed inconsistency.
Meanwhile, professionals will go through the same repeatable course of action each time. This enables them to put their mind at rest. By knowing you have done your routine thousands of times, it allows the mind to focus on the actual shot at hand, thereby eliminating negative thoughts, which wreak havoc on most amateur golfers. A good pre-shot routine will also distract you from the pressure of each shot. You can concentrate on repeating your routine, rather than worry about the possible negative outcomes of the shot at hand. A great example of this would be David Toms' performance during the 2001 PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Toms had a 12-foot putt on the 72nd hole to win his first major championship. Toms was able to focus on the task at hand by relying on his pre-shot routine. It enabled him to put his pounding heart and shaking hands aside and concentrate on his speed, line and stroke. When the ball was halfway to the hole, Toms knew he had sunk the putt and won his first major championship.
A good pre-shot routine is beneficial to players of all abilities. Not all pre-shot routines should be the same, but yours should be one that is repeatable and relaxing. Here are a few tips to work with to develop a good pre-shot routine. Start behind the golf ball and envision your target. Once you have focused on a target, make a practice swing with your eyes remaining focused on your target. As you swing, envision the perfect result from your shot. Now step up to the ball and take your address. Once you are comfortable with your address, take a deep breath, releasing the tension in your body as you exhale.
Finally, take one last look at target to improve focus and let it rip.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Golf Driving Range Tips for Play and Practice
In order to begin hitting it on the course like you do on the range, you need to start convincing yourself that each shot you hit on the golf course is exactly the same as the shots you hit on the driving range. This is easier said than done, but it is really the only way to create that good mindset that you have on the range. You need to focus entirely on where you want the ball to go, not on where you don't want the ball to go. It is very easy to step up on a hole that has OB right and water left and say, "Don't go right, there's Out of Bounds!" The way your brain works, it typically thinks in images. If you are thinking about not hitting it right, your brain is focused on RIGHT, and it will actually manipulate your body to help the ball go in that direction.
So you need to focus intently on the fairway (an extremely small piece of the fairway, like a small mower cut or a distant tree branch) to help your body perform the way you want it to. Next time you go out to play, pretend that each shot you hit is being hit on the driving range. And when you come to a hole that has trouble, focus only on where you want the ball to go without any thoughts of where it can't go.
So you need to focus intently on the fairway (an extremely small piece of the fairway, like a small mower cut or a distant tree branch) to help your body perform the way you want it to. Next time you go out to play, pretend that each shot you hit is being hit on the driving range. And when you come to a hole that has trouble, focus only on where you want the ball to go without any thoughts of where it can't go.
Solving Golf Swing Problems
Identify the (slicing, hooking, lack of distance, etc.) problem. Verify the problem by videotaping yourself or asking a knowledgeable golfer to watch you hit a few balls. Find the cause of the problem. Start by reviewing your fundamentals of grip, stance, balance, alignment, etc.
Do some diagnostic drills to help you pinpoint the cause. Plan your course of action. Commit to implementing your plan. Repetition will help you build confidence. Give it time to work, but, if it is not going well, seek additional help.
Purpose: To have a reliable system to identify your golfing problems. The first step, no matter what the problem, is always to REVIEW YOUR FUNDAMENTALS (Grip, Stance, Alignment, Swing Path, etc.) Also, the diagnostic drills can help you pinpoint your problems. You must know the problem and its cause to effectively correct it. Use a video tape recorder or a knowledgeable practice partner to help you correctly diagnose the problem.
To provide the means to restore your confidence. Many problems will stem from loss of confidence. Doing repetitions of the drills will give you the needed confidence in your swing to overcome your problems. Solving problems and developing confidence takes time. Do not expect instantaneous results. After you identify the problem, find the cause and learn the cure, you will still need time and practice to integrate your new skills into your "old game".
Do some diagnostic drills to help you pinpoint the cause. Plan your course of action. Commit to implementing your plan. Repetition will help you build confidence. Give it time to work, but, if it is not going well, seek additional help.
Purpose: To have a reliable system to identify your golfing problems. The first step, no matter what the problem, is always to REVIEW YOUR FUNDAMENTALS (Grip, Stance, Alignment, Swing Path, etc.) Also, the diagnostic drills can help you pinpoint your problems. You must know the problem and its cause to effectively correct it. Use a video tape recorder or a knowledgeable practice partner to help you correctly diagnose the problem.
To provide the means to restore your confidence. Many problems will stem from loss of confidence. Doing repetitions of the drills will give you the needed confidence in your swing to overcome your problems. Solving problems and developing confidence takes time. Do not expect instantaneous results. After you identify the problem, find the cause and learn the cure, you will still need time and practice to integrate your new skills into your "old game".
Friday, July 17, 2009
Hitting out of Fairway Bunkers
Let me cut right to the gist of this tip. To get out of a bunker in the fairway you should hit the ball not the sand first. If you hit the ball cleanly and pick it, it will fly far, if you hit the ball and pinch it against the sand, the golfball will come out and fly lower than normal. If you should hit the sand and then the ball, you have played a greenside bunker shot.
Pot bunkers are the name of the game in Scotland, and they are not easy to get the ball out. Imagine staring at a wall of sand or railroads ties 8 feet high, and a pin 150 yards away! How in the @$%@$% are you going to get out of that one? Quite often players will have to reverse course and pitch the ball out either sideways or back towards the tee. A guaranteed lost stroke on the hole, and quite often the majors are won or lost by a single stroke. Fortunately for us state side, pot bunkers are uncommon hazards, especially when it comes to fairways bunkers. Occasionally you will see pot bunkers around the greens, and if you ever have played PGA West Stadium course you know what I am talking about. Fairway bunkers tend not to be to deep and have a small lip if any. But what is the best way to advance the ball forward? It actually is quite easy. Phil, Corey, and a few other pros have told me how and it works!
First off, a fairway bunker is completely different than a green side bunker. Green side bunker shots require you to open the clubface, open and place the ball forward in your stance. You will "bounce" the club and hit sand before the ball. This is not the case in fairway bunkers. A fairway bunker requires you to hit the ball and not the sand. Here is an easy way to set up properly for a great fairway bunker shot. Select the normal club for the distance of the shot you are hitting. I would suggest staying away from fairway woods unless you are a very low handicapper. Place the ball in the middle of your stance. Plant your feet firmly in the sand. Thick sand will require you to choke down on the club slightly to compensate for your feet digging in the sand. Align your clubface, feet, and shoulders towards your target. You are now in the proper position to hit a fairway bunker shot.
At this point take your normal swing path and attempt to hit the ball only. The key to the swing is hitting the ball first and not the sand. Jack was a great fairway bunker player and quite often he would be able to hit the same shot from a good lie in a bunker as from the fairway.
Pot bunkers are the name of the game in Scotland, and they are not easy to get the ball out. Imagine staring at a wall of sand or railroads ties 8 feet high, and a pin 150 yards away! How in the @$%@$% are you going to get out of that one? Quite often players will have to reverse course and pitch the ball out either sideways or back towards the tee. A guaranteed lost stroke on the hole, and quite often the majors are won or lost by a single stroke. Fortunately for us state side, pot bunkers are uncommon hazards, especially when it comes to fairways bunkers. Occasionally you will see pot bunkers around the greens, and if you ever have played PGA West Stadium course you know what I am talking about. Fairway bunkers tend not to be to deep and have a small lip if any. But what is the best way to advance the ball forward? It actually is quite easy. Phil, Corey, and a few other pros have told me how and it works!
First off, a fairway bunker is completely different than a green side bunker. Green side bunker shots require you to open the clubface, open and place the ball forward in your stance. You will "bounce" the club and hit sand before the ball. This is not the case in fairway bunkers. A fairway bunker requires you to hit the ball and not the sand. Here is an easy way to set up properly for a great fairway bunker shot. Select the normal club for the distance of the shot you are hitting. I would suggest staying away from fairway woods unless you are a very low handicapper. Place the ball in the middle of your stance. Plant your feet firmly in the sand. Thick sand will require you to choke down on the club slightly to compensate for your feet digging in the sand. Align your clubface, feet, and shoulders towards your target. You are now in the proper position to hit a fairway bunker shot.
At this point take your normal swing path and attempt to hit the ball only. The key to the swing is hitting the ball first and not the sand. Jack was a great fairway bunker player and quite often he would be able to hit the same shot from a good lie in a bunker as from the fairway.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Boost your Golf Drives to Lower Scores
Every golfer would like to have a golf training tip to increase their drives by 10, 20, 30 or even 40 yards. But what do you need to focus on to accomplish that?
Have you ever received a golf training tip that didn't work? I think we all have. That can be very frustrating to say the least. But the key to implementing a golf training tip that.s effective is to look at your swing.
Do you lack a full, 90 degree shoulder turn on your backswing? Do you breakdown at impact where it really counts? Or do you have a hard time staying in your golf posture through out your swing? You've got to take a deeper look at your swing faults AND physical limitations to determine what golf training tip will be the most effective in improving your driving distance. Don't just try any golf training tip your golfing buddies tell you. Give it some serious thought before you do one of the golf training tips in the magazines. There are hundreds golf training tips you can read about, but won.t work for you.
Have you ever heard of the .62 point check-list?. If you haven.t, it means instead of having one golf training tip you think about during your swing, you think of 62 of them. Maybe not that many, but you think of enough to accomplish what they term .paralysis by analysis.. When this happens, your swing will go south real quick. This happened to the Number One ranked golfer in the world back in the 90.s. His name? Nick Faldo. He became so mechanically he couldn't even hit a ball. He would enter a tournament and take so many practice swings, and not have one golf training tip on his mind, but many. It took him right out of the world rankings and ultimately off the tour. He is now commentating and doing a great job. Here.s a golf training tip that will help your backswing range of motion, enabling you to have a much higher clubhead speed and quickly improve your driving distance. I call it the Backswing Shoulder Stretch:
Extend left arm out in front of you (if you are a right handed golfer), in a handshake position, thumb pointing skyward.
Take right hand and put under left wrist, so the back of the hands are touching each other.
Pull with right hand against left wrist and make as big a turn on back swing as possible.
Hold for at least 15 seconds, repeat two more times.
Reverse the stretch to work the follow through.
As you can see this is a simple golf training tip, but one that is very effective if you do it consistently. This is a great stretch to do throughout your round to maintain a full backswing. This is just one golf training tip that can have a big impact on your performance; and is well worth trying. About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf trainers in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites.
Have you ever received a golf training tip that didn't work? I think we all have. That can be very frustrating to say the least. But the key to implementing a golf training tip that.s effective is to look at your swing.
Do you lack a full, 90 degree shoulder turn on your backswing? Do you breakdown at impact where it really counts? Or do you have a hard time staying in your golf posture through out your swing? You've got to take a deeper look at your swing faults AND physical limitations to determine what golf training tip will be the most effective in improving your driving distance. Don't just try any golf training tip your golfing buddies tell you. Give it some serious thought before you do one of the golf training tips in the magazines. There are hundreds golf training tips you can read about, but won.t work for you.
Have you ever heard of the .62 point check-list?. If you haven.t, it means instead of having one golf training tip you think about during your swing, you think of 62 of them. Maybe not that many, but you think of enough to accomplish what they term .paralysis by analysis.. When this happens, your swing will go south real quick. This happened to the Number One ranked golfer in the world back in the 90.s. His name? Nick Faldo. He became so mechanically he couldn't even hit a ball. He would enter a tournament and take so many practice swings, and not have one golf training tip on his mind, but many. It took him right out of the world rankings and ultimately off the tour. He is now commentating and doing a great job. Here.s a golf training tip that will help your backswing range of motion, enabling you to have a much higher clubhead speed and quickly improve your driving distance. I call it the Backswing Shoulder Stretch:
Extend left arm out in front of you (if you are a right handed golfer), in a handshake position, thumb pointing skyward.
Take right hand and put under left wrist, so the back of the hands are touching each other.
Pull with right hand against left wrist and make as big a turn on back swing as possible.
Hold for at least 15 seconds, repeat two more times.
Reverse the stretch to work the follow through.
As you can see this is a simple golf training tip, but one that is very effective if you do it consistently. This is a great stretch to do throughout your round to maintain a full backswing. This is just one golf training tip that can have a big impact on your performance; and is well worth trying. About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf trainers in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
A Great PreShot Routine for Putting
Watch many of the worlds best putters and you will notice they all have in common a definable, repeatable pre-putting routine. This routine has been practiced thousands or perhaps even a hundred thousand times by these golfers. They will practice it every day to ingrain the process and the mechanics and to make it second nature. The preshot putting routine takes the focus off mechanics and enables their body to become target focused. The best putters know that if they are putting poorly one day then they simply need to return to their basic pre putting routine and practice until they discover the putting fault from their previous round of golf. That is, they will practice their routine to discover the fault that was the cause of there poor putting. Most of the time it is very simple to reveal - just by practicing their preshot routine, they discover something small in their putting process, an event out of sequence that they forgot to execute.
Different Strokes Putting Keys for Different Folks
This putting tip works only if you are using a conventional putter. ( 34-35 inches or so ).
The preshot putting routine is different ( or slightly different ) for every golfer. Why ? - because each person has a slightly different and unique physiology. This difference means that each persons shoulders, arms, hips, knees, hands, and neck all make up a different set of size and mass. No two wrists are exactly the same size. The process that will square one persons shoulders will open anothers, and close yet another persons shoulders.
Try this routine to see if it helps you putt better. You may find that some or all of the components of this routine may be incorporated into your routine to assist you in putting better. First Get into an Athletic Golf Setup to Putt the GolfBall into the Hole. How? You have heard this many times. Do not bend forward from the waist!
You get into an athletic golf position by bending forward from the hips. Grip the putter in your left hand to start while standing behind the ball. Pass the putter back and forth between the left and right hands two times finally stopping with the putter in your right hand. Then, take your left arm and push it straight out from your body and let it drop comforably to your side. This has the effect of "tightening the rope" ie the muscles in the lead arm. Watch the pro's - most all of the good putters do this including Vijay and Tiger. Next, keep your left hand in front of your body and push the putter with the right hand into the left hand. Do not move the left hand to the right hand, move the right to the left. When you grip the putter handle grip first with the top of the palm pad nearest the pointer or index finger, then the rest of the fingers. This is an important setup key as there is a direct relationship between this grip position and the rocking of the shoulders up and down on the spine.
What you have done is activate the large golf muscles in your shoulders, neck, lats, arms, triceps, and biceps. This as we know is important because in golf we want to use the bigger muscles for consistency and repeatability. In addition, you have enabled the right side of your body ( for right handed players ) to control the putt. This is important because it enables the shoulders to stay square and your head to stay back behind the ball resulting in the proper release of the putterhead down the target line. If you do not stay back on the ball you will most likely lunge a bit forward and push the putt to the right of your target.
Lastly, while staying in your current posture, walk to the golfball, address it and putt it to the hole. If you follow this preshot putting routine you will put the golfball in the hole more often. Less three putts and more one putts. That is the way to score. Practice this technique to build confidence in your putting stroke.
Different Strokes Putting Keys for Different Folks
This putting tip works only if you are using a conventional putter. ( 34-35 inches or so ).
The preshot putting routine is different ( or slightly different ) for every golfer. Why ? - because each person has a slightly different and unique physiology. This difference means that each persons shoulders, arms, hips, knees, hands, and neck all make up a different set of size and mass. No two wrists are exactly the same size. The process that will square one persons shoulders will open anothers, and close yet another persons shoulders.
Try this routine to see if it helps you putt better. You may find that some or all of the components of this routine may be incorporated into your routine to assist you in putting better. First Get into an Athletic Golf Setup to Putt the GolfBall into the Hole. How? You have heard this many times. Do not bend forward from the waist!
You get into an athletic golf position by bending forward from the hips. Grip the putter in your left hand to start while standing behind the ball. Pass the putter back and forth between the left and right hands two times finally stopping with the putter in your right hand. Then, take your left arm and push it straight out from your body and let it drop comforably to your side. This has the effect of "tightening the rope" ie the muscles in the lead arm. Watch the pro's - most all of the good putters do this including Vijay and Tiger. Next, keep your left hand in front of your body and push the putter with the right hand into the left hand. Do not move the left hand to the right hand, move the right to the left. When you grip the putter handle grip first with the top of the palm pad nearest the pointer or index finger, then the rest of the fingers. This is an important setup key as there is a direct relationship between this grip position and the rocking of the shoulders up and down on the spine.
What you have done is activate the large golf muscles in your shoulders, neck, lats, arms, triceps, and biceps. This as we know is important because in golf we want to use the bigger muscles for consistency and repeatability. In addition, you have enabled the right side of your body ( for right handed players ) to control the putt. This is important because it enables the shoulders to stay square and your head to stay back behind the ball resulting in the proper release of the putterhead down the target line. If you do not stay back on the ball you will most likely lunge a bit forward and push the putt to the right of your target.
Lastly, while staying in your current posture, walk to the golfball, address it and putt it to the hole. If you follow this preshot putting routine you will put the golfball in the hole more often. Less three putts and more one putts. That is the way to score. Practice this technique to build confidence in your putting stroke.
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