The primary benefit of having the proper amount of hip bend in your swing is that it allows your body to coil effectively to create an efficient source of power.
While testing the PGA and Champions Tour players' golf swings, we discovered that a proper coil of the body is a simple way of achieving a repeatable power source. Average touring professionals turn their shoulders 41 degrees further on the back swing than their hips. This coiling action allows for a proper weight shift to occur, while maintaining a solid base, by keeping the hip motion in the golf swing to a minimum.
Typically we see most amateurs have two flaws with the coiling action in the golf swing. The first flaw is when a student's hips and shoulders turn together to create a long backswing with no coiling action. This swing usually produces action that takes the club significantly past parallel and is very difficult to repeat from swing to swing. The second flaw is the opposite. A student will not rotate their shoulders at all, leading to a lifting of the club with their arms. This invariably produces a reverse weight shift, which robs power and produces inconsistencies.
Test Your Coil
1. A simple way to test your coil is to set up in proper posture.
2. Now place a golf club in front of your shoulders.
3. Your goal is to turn the club across your shoulders over to your right foot. When you have done that you have created a sufficiently long turn with the shoulders.
4. Now comes the tricky part. Look and see where your belt buckle is facing.
If it is facing inside your right toe, you have a fantastic coil and are ready to hit long consistent golf shots. If your belt buckle is facing right of that point, your hips have rotated too far and you are losing power in you golf swing. By improving your coil you can maximize the efficiency of your swing and improve your ball striking.
Showing posts with label golfer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label golfer. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Short Game Golf Tips - Chipping Tips, Practice Tips
Todays message starts your series of drills covering the area of chipping and pitching and focuses on a technique called the Under Reach Technique which was invented by short game expert Paul Runyan. I had never heard of this before and asked a pro at my local course whether he knew of it. He said that it is a drill that he uses all the time to help higher handicappers get some consistency in their chipping.
So I asked him to show me how it worked. It only cost me a couple of beers, well maybe four or five. It really is a simple and effective way of stopping you duff those short little chip shots which most of us either hit fat or thin. This drill is entitled...... The Under Reach Technique by Paul Runyon Regardless of ability , we all have good days and bad days when it comes to hitting greens in regulation. On the bad days, it's important that you have the method and means to get up and down with some regularity; otherwise, your scores will be much higher than you'd like. A Pro I asked about the drill said: This is where a strong mental thought should be used. In getting up and down, the getting up part is the most important. If you can chip the ball ON THE GREEN and relatively close, you won't have to worry about making those tough 20 to 30 footers.
Unfortunately, most high handicap players short games aren't up to snuff (well mine certainly wasn't). If there's one mistake that I made on a regular basis that caused me and my overall score the most damage, it was hitting the chip fat and not even Getting Up. I've learned this great technique to ensure that you never hit a short shot short again (well most of the time), and you can use it too. This method is a method which was used by short-game master Paul Runyan, he called this technique "under-reaching the ball." It's quite interesting and easy to apply in the short game. The biggest problem amateur golfers like me and you have when it comes to the short game is chunked shots.
To help prevent fat chips, try the under-reach technique. Begin by assuming your address position, with your arms hanging to their natural length. Choke down on the club about an inch (i go even shorter, about two inches), and hover the club just off the ground as you get ready to execute the shot. The combination of choking the grip and hovering the club will help you guard against hitting the shot fat.
When you finally make a swing, simply concentrate on contacting the bottom half of the ball. How to set up for the Under Reach Start with the posture. With the ball positioned in the middle of your stance, assume your normal setup and allow your arms to fall downward in front of you as far as they can. Allow gravity to stretch them fully. Then, take your standard grip on the club. As you grip the club, allow the sole to rest gently on the ground. Now, grip down on the club approximately one inch. If you choke down appropriately, the clubhead should hover just above the grass. (Try this out on the carpet at home, it will give you the right visual of how the club will hover off of the ground)This is the under-reach to which Paul Runyan referred. With the club just above ground level, the leading edge of the club is now located at the bottom of the golf ball. Note: The longer the grass from which you're playing, the more effective this technique becomes. In long grass, the ball will often sit up, making it easy to slide the clubhead underneath the ball. By hovering the club, you'll ensure crisper, squarer contact.
Why does it Work? For you to get the ball up in the air, the leading edge of the club must pass under the equator (the middle of the ball). In this new address position, the leading edge of the club is well below the middle of the ball, making a square strike easier to attain. The only way to hit the shot fat is by changing your posture as you swing the club. If you remain in the same posture you established at address and maintain your spine angle, you'll strike the ball squarely every time and Not Leave it Short. The only thing that might cause you a problem with this technique is keeping your posture. A good way to ensure that you keep your posture intact is to keep your chin up and stand tall as you execute your swing. This will also better allow your arms to swing freely and stretch out through the shot, so the club can reach the bottom of the golf ball.
The Golf Swing Golf in many ways is a game of opposites. For example, in order to make the ball go up, you have to hit down on it. Most players try to "lift" the ball in the air instead of striking downward and pinching the ball against the turf. These players should look at the basic design of a golf club, which typically places the hands slightly ahead of the leading edge of the clubface. This is done in order to help create the perfect impact position, one defined by the hands leading the club into the back of the golf ball. In so doing, the loft that's built into the club lifts the ball into the air, not the hands. The under-reach technique helps you to take advantage of just that.
Of course, the club can't do all the work, you have to put it into motion. Now, before you think about swinging the club, think about the pace. The right pace is the true key to short shots around the green. You don't see a Tour pro strike a chip with a herky-jerky motion. Most of the top short-game players allow the club to move in response to gravity, not to muscular effort. When golfers overuse their muscles, their grip on the club usually tightens, which can affect the position of the clubface at the all-important moment of impact. When trying to gain a nice free flowing rhythmical short-game swing, why not try the following two drills. They're easy to execute and do the best job of ingraining the sensation of the club responding to gravity while the body and hands function solely to support the clubhead.
Give this pair of drills a go the next time you practice your chipping technique. Coupled with the under-reach technique, I'm sure you'll keep those chunked chips at bay and give yourself more opportunities to get up and down and save par. It's absolutely critical that you slide the leading edge of the club under the ball when executing short-game shots. The only way to effectively slide the club under the golf ball is to give your arms plenty of room to swing (Under Reach). To do this, you must stand tall and keep your head up; otherwise, it's easy to skull the shot over the green or chunk it short of the target. Brush The Grass Drill Make three continuous practice swings back and through while eyeing your target. Making rehearsal swings while looking at the target will help you instinctively determine the length and pace necessary to hit the shot the appropriate distance.
Then, step up to the ball and duplicate your rehearsal swing over the golf ball. Finally, hit the chip. I think you'll be surprised how well you'll strike the ball and how much more fluid your swing will feel. The Name Game Think of the name of a star or celebrity who has two syllables in the first name and two syllables in the last name. (i.e., John-ny Mill-er, Fred-dy Coup-les, By-ron Nel-son). As you make your swing, say the first name on the backswing and the last name on the forwardswing. Since the first and last names feature the same number of syllables, using them in time with your swing will ensure that the length and pace of your backswing matches the length and pace of your forward swing, a critical element of sound chipping. In the short game, too much speed and not enough rhythm can be even more detrimental. Shots around the green are all about distance control and touch. A good, relaxed tempo is crucial to achieving the desired results.
Good luck with your short-game practice. With a little work, you'll soon strike those scary chips with more confidence and freedom and with better results.
So I asked him to show me how it worked. It only cost me a couple of beers, well maybe four or five. It really is a simple and effective way of stopping you duff those short little chip shots which most of us either hit fat or thin. This drill is entitled...... The Under Reach Technique by Paul Runyon Regardless of ability , we all have good days and bad days when it comes to hitting greens in regulation. On the bad days, it's important that you have the method and means to get up and down with some regularity; otherwise, your scores will be much higher than you'd like. A Pro I asked about the drill said: This is where a strong mental thought should be used. In getting up and down, the getting up part is the most important. If you can chip the ball ON THE GREEN and relatively close, you won't have to worry about making those tough 20 to 30 footers.
Unfortunately, most high handicap players short games aren't up to snuff (well mine certainly wasn't). If there's one mistake that I made on a regular basis that caused me and my overall score the most damage, it was hitting the chip fat and not even Getting Up. I've learned this great technique to ensure that you never hit a short shot short again (well most of the time), and you can use it too. This method is a method which was used by short-game master Paul Runyan, he called this technique "under-reaching the ball." It's quite interesting and easy to apply in the short game. The biggest problem amateur golfers like me and you have when it comes to the short game is chunked shots.
To help prevent fat chips, try the under-reach technique. Begin by assuming your address position, with your arms hanging to their natural length. Choke down on the club about an inch (i go even shorter, about two inches), and hover the club just off the ground as you get ready to execute the shot. The combination of choking the grip and hovering the club will help you guard against hitting the shot fat.
When you finally make a swing, simply concentrate on contacting the bottom half of the ball. How to set up for the Under Reach Start with the posture. With the ball positioned in the middle of your stance, assume your normal setup and allow your arms to fall downward in front of you as far as they can. Allow gravity to stretch them fully. Then, take your standard grip on the club. As you grip the club, allow the sole to rest gently on the ground. Now, grip down on the club approximately one inch. If you choke down appropriately, the clubhead should hover just above the grass. (Try this out on the carpet at home, it will give you the right visual of how the club will hover off of the ground)This is the under-reach to which Paul Runyan referred. With the club just above ground level, the leading edge of the club is now located at the bottom of the golf ball. Note: The longer the grass from which you're playing, the more effective this technique becomes. In long grass, the ball will often sit up, making it easy to slide the clubhead underneath the ball. By hovering the club, you'll ensure crisper, squarer contact.
Why does it Work? For you to get the ball up in the air, the leading edge of the club must pass under the equator (the middle of the ball). In this new address position, the leading edge of the club is well below the middle of the ball, making a square strike easier to attain. The only way to hit the shot fat is by changing your posture as you swing the club. If you remain in the same posture you established at address and maintain your spine angle, you'll strike the ball squarely every time and Not Leave it Short. The only thing that might cause you a problem with this technique is keeping your posture. A good way to ensure that you keep your posture intact is to keep your chin up and stand tall as you execute your swing. This will also better allow your arms to swing freely and stretch out through the shot, so the club can reach the bottom of the golf ball.
The Golf Swing Golf in many ways is a game of opposites. For example, in order to make the ball go up, you have to hit down on it. Most players try to "lift" the ball in the air instead of striking downward and pinching the ball against the turf. These players should look at the basic design of a golf club, which typically places the hands slightly ahead of the leading edge of the clubface. This is done in order to help create the perfect impact position, one defined by the hands leading the club into the back of the golf ball. In so doing, the loft that's built into the club lifts the ball into the air, not the hands. The under-reach technique helps you to take advantage of just that.
Of course, the club can't do all the work, you have to put it into motion. Now, before you think about swinging the club, think about the pace. The right pace is the true key to short shots around the green. You don't see a Tour pro strike a chip with a herky-jerky motion. Most of the top short-game players allow the club to move in response to gravity, not to muscular effort. When golfers overuse their muscles, their grip on the club usually tightens, which can affect the position of the clubface at the all-important moment of impact. When trying to gain a nice free flowing rhythmical short-game swing, why not try the following two drills. They're easy to execute and do the best job of ingraining the sensation of the club responding to gravity while the body and hands function solely to support the clubhead.
Give this pair of drills a go the next time you practice your chipping technique. Coupled with the under-reach technique, I'm sure you'll keep those chunked chips at bay and give yourself more opportunities to get up and down and save par. It's absolutely critical that you slide the leading edge of the club under the ball when executing short-game shots. The only way to effectively slide the club under the golf ball is to give your arms plenty of room to swing (Under Reach). To do this, you must stand tall and keep your head up; otherwise, it's easy to skull the shot over the green or chunk it short of the target. Brush The Grass Drill Make three continuous practice swings back and through while eyeing your target. Making rehearsal swings while looking at the target will help you instinctively determine the length and pace necessary to hit the shot the appropriate distance.
Then, step up to the ball and duplicate your rehearsal swing over the golf ball. Finally, hit the chip. I think you'll be surprised how well you'll strike the ball and how much more fluid your swing will feel. The Name Game Think of the name of a star or celebrity who has two syllables in the first name and two syllables in the last name. (i.e., John-ny Mill-er, Fred-dy Coup-les, By-ron Nel-son). As you make your swing, say the first name on the backswing and the last name on the forwardswing. Since the first and last names feature the same number of syllables, using them in time with your swing will ensure that the length and pace of your backswing matches the length and pace of your forward swing, a critical element of sound chipping. In the short game, too much speed and not enough rhythm can be even more detrimental. Shots around the green are all about distance control and touch. A good, relaxed tempo is crucial to achieving the desired results.
Good luck with your short-game practice. With a little work, you'll soon strike those scary chips with more confidence and freedom and with better results.
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.
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.
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