Slow It Down

This tip is focused on how to incorporate the information you get during a session with me or any other instructor. I know everyone would like to get a tip or advice and have it instantly transform their swing, pitch or putting stroke. Unfortunately, that is not how it usually works in golf. It takes focus, repetition and some discipline to incorporate new ‘FEELS’ or ideas to the point where you can execute them not only on the practice range but also on the golf course. So, I recommend using some very slow-motion swings and even pausing at certain positions for 2 main reasons:

Get the Motion Correct-The reason you are making a change is to improve your technique from where it is currently. So you will simply be able to execute the motion you are attempting at a slower speed initially. It is far more important to get the movement correct initially or you will just be repeating your existing swing.

FEEL Something-Whatever the motion you are working on, if you are attempting to hit balls or make full speed practice swings, it will be very hard to “FEEL” much of a difference. When you are doing any new movement slowly your muscle memory will “FEEL” or recognize a different motion. After repeating this multiple times your mind and muscles will be able to adjust to what you are asking them to do differently. Once the movement is more natural to you, you will be able to increase your speed AND still execute properly.

Chipping into the grain

One of the more difficult short shots you can face when playing on Bermuda grass is when you are chipping into the grain. That simply means the grass is growing away from your target. If you have ever had your wedge “stick” in the grass or get stuck in the ground, most likely the grain of the grass is growing against you. This leaves very little room for error on a miss-hit chip. So here are a few ways to help you execute this shot better next time.

1-Test the Grass-It will help you to know when the grain of the grass is against. If you can’t tell by looking, be sure to take a practice swing and brush the grass. If your club gets “stuck” in the grass or ground, you need to make an adjustment. If your club just slides through the grass or bounces of the ground with no resistance you are with the grain and should be able to hit any shot you'd like.

2-Open the Club Face-If you are into the grain, whatever wedge you select to hit your shot with you should at least slightly open the face. This will help you use the bounce on the club opposed to the leading edge that will get stuck.

3-Neutral Club Shaft-Rather than leaning the club shaft forward like most shots, try to keep the club straight up and down or neutral. This again will help avoid the leading edge of the club from getting caught in the grass. 

4-Heel Up-It should help you to get slightly closer to the ball so you can raise the heel of the club up off the ground. Again, this will help you use the bounce so the club doesn’t get caught up.

Mental or Physical

No matter what level of golf you are at, it is important to be honest with yourself when assessing your game. I often hear from clients that they are using a number of swing thoughts throughout a round or the first few holes and even sometimes changing your thoughts every miss hit shot. This is a sure-fire way to end up confusing yourself, stressing yourself out, losing confidence in your ability, and left wondering how I can get myself out of this rut.

If this sounds familiar, I have a couple of suggestions for you.

Be Honest with Yourself!

Was it a physical issue or a mental mistake. Were you completely focused on your target and the shot you were about to play but simply did not execute the shot how you hoped? Or was your mind focused on anything besides the shot you were about to hit? Maybe you were thinking about the conversation you were having prior to your shot, what you need to do after your round, what you are going to eat at the turn or any number of things going on in your head. If the latter is the case it doesn’t make sense to blame your physical motion over and over again debilitating your confidence. You might need to improve your mental focus. This is a big part of the game of golf, to improve it should be practiced on a regular basis.

Go with the Thought you Brought!

If you feel like you were mentally focused on the proper things and still hit a poor shot, you should simply try to execute your next shot better. Changing swing thoughts or trying to make mid round adjustments that will be hard to TRUST and therefore execute poorly. If the swing thought you are using that day provides undesired results, (which will happen in this game) I recommend a trip to the practice area before your next round to experiment with new thoughts to find something different to try next time out.

Control Your Roll

There are 2 main factors in putting: Speed or Distance, and Line or Direction.

Between these two your Speed Control is definitely more important! You certainly want to have control of your speed in order to leave the ball closer to the hole if you miss a putt to ensure a 2 putt. You also need to control your speed in order to read your putt. We know a putt hit too hard will not take the break you are counting on. A ball with not enough pace will take the break earlier than expected. And a putt that doesn’t reach the hole obviously can’t go in either.

So here is a quick drill that you can spend as much time as you like with.

1-Set up 2 tees a distance far apart as you would like to work on. (10, 20, 30, 40 feet apart) Try to find an uphill and downhill putt.

2-Put an alignment stick or club about 2 feet past the tees.

3-Roll putts in both directions. Try to get the ball past the tee so it would have a chance to go in, while keeping it short of your stick so you would have a short next putt.

4-Change distances. Simply, you cannot be too good at controlling your speed.

Pre-Round Routine

What is YOUR pre round routine? There is no right or wrong answer to that as long as you have one!

Whether you are a professional and spend an hour or more warming up or you are lucky to get to the course 15 mins prior to your tee time. Hopefully, most of you are somewhere in between. So here are some suggestions to set yourself up for a more enjoyable and successful round. 

1-HAVE A ROUTINE-Whether you spend 60 mins or 15 mins, develop a routine and try to do the same thing each time. Keep in mind you should be trying to warm up rather than fix your swing or putting stroke. Keep it relaxed and fun! Sometimes listening to your favorite music will help you find some rythym before going out.

2-STRETCH-Regardless of how much time you have, you need to loosen up your muscles. Stretch your legs, obliques, back, & shoulders. You will benefit from this more than hitting an extra 10 balls! You also give yourself the best chance to make the swing you have been working on. 

3-CHIP and PUTT-I recommend you always spend more time chipping and putting prior to your round opposed to hitting balls. Developing your touch on your short shots as well as comfort with the speed of the greens is the most important part of any warm up routine. You don’t want to be on the 4th hole still trying to figure out the speed of the greens. Chipping and putting better is the quickest way to lower scores!

4-HIT BALLS-Some people like to hit a lot of balls and some don’t. There is no right or wrong here. What I do advise is hit a couple shots with as many different clubs as you have time for. Not a dozen shots with 1 club. Another great thought is when you get to your Driver, on your last couple of swings try to simulate/visualize the tee shot on the first hole you are going to play. This will help you take your game from the range to the course.

How to Read Grain

Are you spending some time this winter playing golf in beautiful Southwest Florida or any southern location with Bermuda grass on the greens? Do you know how to read the grain in the greens? Here are a couple quick tips to give you a plan when trying to read your putts on Bermuda grass. There are 2 easy things to keep in mind. 

1-Since we know speed or distance control is the most important aspect of putting, let’s start there. When you have a longer putt, speed control should be your main concern. To tell if you are into the grain or with the grain simply look at the color of the grass between you and the hole. If the grass is dark or dull shade of green, the grain of the grass is leaning against you and therefore will slow down the speed of your putt. If the grass looks shiny or lighter green, the grain of the grass is going the same direction as your putt and therefore will be faster than what you are used to. 

Dark Green=Slower Putt

Shiny Green=Faster Putt

2-When determining the effect of the grain on the break of your putt, the easiest thing to do is look at the hole itself. Sometimes the grain will change throughout your putt. The most important area is around the hole where your ball will be moving slowly. Grain will only affect your putt as it slows down. As you can see in the picture, one edge of the hole will look rougher than the other based on the growth of the grass throughout the day. The edge that looks rough or bare, (Right side in the pic) is where the grass is pulling away from the hole. Therefore, the grass will pull your ball in that direction as well. The ability to identify the direction of the grain is also very important when chipping on Bermuda grass!

Lifting Up

I hear from a number of people that are struggling to make solid contact that they are “Lifting Up”! I want to briefly clarify this and give you a couple thoughts to help correct this. When you “Lift Up” and hit a thin shot or maybe top the ball, it is your upper torso or spine angle that has risen opposed to just your head.  The fix for this is not to keep your head down staring at the ground throughout your swing this will severely limit your ability to turn to your target. There are a number of reasons that could cause this to happen, so I would encourage you to contact me to identify YOUR specific issue. 

In General:

1-Stay balanced-If you are stuck on your heels or up on your toes it is harder to rotate properly.

2-Keep Turning!-Keep your core rotating until you’re facing your target with your weight on your lead leg.

Keep Your Stats

If you are interested in improving YOUR golf game…you should keep some stats from the rounds you play to give you a true representation of YOUR strengths and weaknesses. You can get as in depth as you like, but some easy to keep stats would help you hone in on the areas of your game that need improving. You can customize YOUR practice sessions to get the most out of your time. For example, if you find you hit a high percentage of fairways, you should not be spending hours hitting drivers on the range. Or if you find you miss most of the fairways to the right specifically…I would spend some practice time simulating a tee shot with trouble down the right side. If you hit a high number of greens in regulation but find yourself 3 putting a lot. I would spend more time working on your lag putting opposed to hitting a bucket of long irons while practicing.

Go as in depth as YOU want to and use the information to show you where to spend your practice time, so you see the results of your work in your scores!

Start Line

Simply put your start line is the direction your golf ball starts in. You can learn a lot about YOUR golf swing by paying attention to and controlling your start line. If your ball normally start left of target for a right handed player you know your club path is too far to the left and vice versa if you start the ball consistently right of your target. So here I have a put a pool noodle directly on my target line. The object of the drill would be to work on the opposite of what your tendency is. For a right handed player if you normally start the ball left of your target…simply try to start the ball to the right of the noodle. If you push the ball right of your target try to get the ball started to the left. This will help you move closer to a neutral path over time. If you are an advanced player you can use this drill to work on shaping your shots which will help you attack those pins in the corners of the greens or control your ball in windy conditions.

Hybrid Chip

Do you struggle with your contact when chipping off tight fairway lies? Or maybe a little less confident when chipping off into the grain lies when playing on Bermuda grass? Or maybe just have a bare lie around the green that would make using a wedge very difficult? If any of those situations have given you trouble in the past here is a great option to try the next time you are working on your short game. It’s always good to have as many options as you can to handle all the different scenarios you will face during a round of golf. If you like to putt the ball from off the green, I recommend you give this a try. You will find the ball will roll better with your hybrid than your putter. So grab your hybrid, loft really doesn’t matter but I would try to stick with the same club to help you improve your touch and consistency. 1-Grip down to the bottom of the grip. 2-Get close to the ball as if you were putting the ball. 3-Ball should be positioned slightly closer to your trail foot. 4-Set your weight into your front leg. 5-Simply putt the ball with your hybrid. The ball will skip across the ground and roll much like a putt.

Extension

Do you have trouble compressing the golf ball? Or find yourself “hanging back” on your trail leg after impact?

This will certainly cause you some issues making solid contact as well as cost you your desired trajectory and distance. It is important to transfer your weight to your lead leg by the time you make impact!

An easy drill to help with these issues that can be done at home. 1-Get in your normal setup position. 2-Put a tee about halfway in the ground just outside your front foot. 3-Simply make a swing and try to hit the tee. 4-Hold your finish position to see if your weight is entirely on your front leg and hips have rotated to face the target. You should be able to hold your balance!

Pre-Shot Routine

If you have wondered how professionals are able to consistently execute their shots with all those people watching or for the amount of money they play for? Their best “tool” for handling the moment is their pre shot routine. If you struggle to take your swing from the range onto the golf course, you should be working on your routine. Ask yourself is your routine different on the range than it is on the course? Once you start the same routine over and over again, You will be able to clear your mind to focus on where it should be - "your target" - instead of some technical aspect of your swing. This hopefully allows you to make a more free and confident swing with consistent results. Drill-Practice your pre shot routine on the range so it is the same pattern and timing each time. This will “Free” you up to play better golf!

GATE DRILL

Whatever level your game is at your putter is the most important club in your bag! Here is a simple drill to use to help you hit more solid putts and get your ball rolling on your intended line. A miss hit putt will effect your line and distance control. The gate down your line can help you to read putts better. 1-Setup a tee on either side of your putter head. If you can swing the putter through the Gate you know your putter is on a good path and you will hit a solid putt. 2-Setup 2 tees a couple feet down your intended line with enough room for the ball to pass through. This will ensure your putt is starting where you intend it to.

Control Your Ball Flight

As you know Golf is played outdoors, so you will always have to take the conditions into account. Whether you are trying to flight the ball a little lower on a windy day or control your spin on soft turf conditions, or you need the proper trajectory due to trees or rolling hills; it is important to have more than one ball flight as an option. The most common adjustment would be to flight the ball lower than your normal height.

Here are a few keys to keep in mind when executing this shot.

1-Ball Position- Move the ball slightly back in your stance. Just back of center ideally.

2-Choke up on the Grip- By moving your hands closer to the shaft of the club by an inch or so you will bring the flight down immediately. Also, you will lose some carry distance.

3-Club Up- The combination of your ball position and grip change will definitely make the ball fly a shorter distance so adjust your club selection accordingly to avoid over swinging.

4-Tempo -Realize the more speed you create the more backspin you create. That will cause the ball to fly higher. So take plenty of club and keep your tempo nice and smooth.

Longer Pitch Shots

Pitch shots of 40-80 yards can be some of the more awkward shots you face in a round of golf. It takes some practice to dial in your touch on these shots, so you should dedicate time during your warm up and practice sessions to work on these. There are a number of options for everyone to hit these shots. For more advanced players, work on controlling your ball flight and spin while practicing as well as your distance. Here are some keys to execute these shots how you want to: 1-Ball position-I recommend starting with the ball in the middle of your stance. Slight adjustments up or back will help you hit a slightly higher or lower shot. 2-Follow Through-Generally your follow through should mirror the length of your backswing to ensure good tempo. For a slightly higher shot, finish higher with your hands. For a lower shot keep the follow through lower. 3-Use all your wedges-Experiment with all your wedges to help you hit different ball flights and yardages. The same motion with 3 or 4 different clubs will produce 3-4 different flights and distances. 4-Repeatable Positions-Find 2-3 different length of backswings that you can repeat. If you take the club back halfway, maybe that is about hip high, then 3/4 of your full swing and then your full swing will give you 3 different yardages with each of your wedges. This should help you hone in on those random 47 or 63 yard shots etc.

Address Position

How Far Do You Stand From the Ball?
There is no set answer for this question. There are too many variables involved from person to person, such as: height, length of arms, length of upper torso and certainly flexibility.
So here are a couple ways you can check to make sure you are in the proper address position.
1-Start without a golf club. Stand up tall with your feet about shoulder width apart. Slight knee bend, then slight bend from the hips. Your arms should be free of tension and hanging most likely just over your toes. Let your arms hang, simply clap your hands together and this is where the grip of the club should be at address.
2-Take your setup with a golf club. When you feel ready to hit, simply release your trail hand from the club. Right hand for right handers and left hand for left handers. If your trail hand comes to rest closer to your body than the handle of the club you are too far away from the ball. If your arm comes to rest further away from your body, you are too close to the ball.

SWING PLANE

Whether you swing the club a little “Over the Top” or get the club “stuck” underneath the proper plane here is a very easy, non-technical way to work on that and change your “feel”. If you aren’t sure which scenario applies to you, contact me for a session and analysis to help get you on the proper plane.

1-“Over the Top”-Most players fall into this category. For a right handed player, if your shots start left of target you are most likely outside or over top of your intended swing plane. This is caused by your upper body unwinding faster than your lower body. To work on this set up normal to a shot. Drop your right foot back slightly and make swings trying to swing the club out to the right. The position of your hips will limit your upper body’s ability to unwind to early. Try to get the ball to start to the right of your target.

2-“Under the Plane”-If you hit a lot of shots that for a right hander starts right of your target you are most likely a little “stuck” or under the plane. This can be caused by your hips not rotating enough by the time you make impact. This makes the club swing from the inside-out. To change this feel, setup normal and drop your left foot back. When you swing you should feel your hips clear to face your target quicker than normal. You should see shots going higher and straighter.

The Fairway Bunker

The Fairway Bunker shot can be scary. Here is a plan to help simplify the shot for you.. 1. Pick the proper club. Make sure you have enough loft to get the ball out of the bunker. Realize this shot will come out lower than normal. 2. Grip: Choke up about a half inch on the grip. 3. Ball position: Slightly closer to your trail foot than center, to ensure ball first contact. Focus point: Concentrate on the front edge of the golf ball. This will help you hit ball first then sand. Practice Drill: Line in the Sand Draw a line and make sure it is slightly back of the center of your stance. Make a swing and be sure you contact the sand in front of the line. You must hit the ball then sand to get your desired result from a fairway bunker.

Focus on Your Spot

If you are someone that watches the putter swing back or look up a little early to see the result, this will effect your contact. Miss hits in putting will effect your speed, control and line. Drill Use a flat ballmark or small coin. Place it an inch in front of the ball and focus on that. Watch your putter move over your spot. This will keep your head still and improve your contact and free your mind up to make “your” best stroke.

Hit 2 Tees

When you're hitting irons, do you find yourself hitting behind the ball, topping the ball, thin low shots or high spinning shots with no distance? Today’s Tee'd Up Tip we are talking about your "Angle of Attack". We know you want to hit iron shots on a descending angle so that you compress the golf ball. Doing this correctly will give you your optimum ball flight and your maximum distance. Here is a drill to help you improve this: "Hit 2 Tees" You can try this at home and while hitting balls on the range. Place two tees in the ground lined up 1-2” apart. Using any of your irons, if your club stays down long enough to hit the 2nd tee you know your club is still working down thru impact.

The Takeaway

Your takeaway is maybe the most important part of your swing as the path you start the club on will effect the path of the club throughout your swing. What you are looking for- As the club reaches parallel to the ground you want your club face to match your spine angle and the clubhead to be inline with your hands. Drill: Setup to a ball. Place a 2nd ball about a foot behind your trail foot. Take the club away until your club is parallel to the ground, simply pivot and attempt to address the 2nd golf ball. If your takeaway was correct the club head will be properly positioned to hit the 2nd ball. If you take the club away to far inside or too far outside you will not be able to address the ball correctly.

Greenside Bunker

I hear from too many people that have their rounds come apart when they hit a ball in a bunker. Hopefully we can help simplify this shot for you! With the proper set up and some practice it is one of the easiest shots in golf. Setup 1-Club face is set open prior to gripping the club. This will help you use the sole or bounce on the club. Since the clubface is open now you must align your feet, hip, shoulders to the left so the ball comes out on your intended line. 2-Ball should be positioned slightly forward of the center of your stance. 3-Most importantly-Set 70% of your weight on your front leg. This allows you to impact the sand with a descending blow. Drill-Line in the Sand 1-Simply draw a line in a bunker. Move along the line practicing where you impact the sand. Ideally, try to contact the sand 1-2 inches behind the ball. When you can consistently make contact where you intend to in the sand you will improve your bunker game! For more ways to improve your Bunker Game, I provide a short game clinic every Tuesday from 9-10am or contact me to set up Private, Group or an Online Video Session to address your specific goals.

Short Game Targets

What should you be thinking about when hitting a shot from around the green or any shot during a round of golf? What is my TARGET!!! Just as you do on a tee shot or approach shot you need to pick a target when chipping/pitching or playing a bunker shot. When you are around the green your target should be a spot where you want to land the ball. Let your target determine what club or shot to play, for example do you need more height or more roll to get your intended result. Practice Drill: Hit your Targets 1-Place as many targets as you would like on a green. A tee or coin work well. 2-Simply try to focus on landing your ball on your spot! 3-Change clubs and targets as you practice and you will find you can hit a number of different shots with different clubs to reach any area of the green. Simply put "the better you get at hitting your targets around the green, the BETTER YOUR short game will be!" For more ways to improve your Short Game I provide a Short Game Group Clinic every Tuesday from 9-10am Or contact me to set up a Private, Group, or an Online Video Session to address your specific issue.

stretching

One of the most important parts of any round of golf is what you do before you tee off. Stretching will help prepare you for a day on the course or a practice session . Stretching is recommended to prevent injury first and foremost. Also, you need flexibility to be able to swing the club to the best of your ability. So don't waste your first 3 holes getting warmed up! Try some of these stretches before you start your next round and hopefully you will FEEL and PLAY better!

gain distance off the tee: “hitting bombs”

Do you want to get a few extra yards off the tee?”Hit Bombs” like Phil Mickelson? I have not met a golfer that would say no to that question, so here are some things to work on to help you hit it past your friends next time you play. 1-When to try to gain a few yards? There are better times than others to try to gain a few extra yards. Ideally on a hole you feel comfortable in your ability to keep the ball in play, maybe a downwind hole or everybody's favorite the Long Drive Hole in your next outing. 2-Club Face Keep in mind that the best way to reach your maximum potential distance is still by hitting the MIDDLE of the club face. A few extra mph on your swing speed will not help if you hit the ball off the heel or toe of the club! 3-Tempo Tempo always extremely important. Realize you want to build speed throughout your swing. So start with a smooth takeaway to keep your timing in sync, build speed on the way back down so the club is moving fastest just AFTER impact! 4-Wide Base and BIG Shoulder Turn Slightly widen your stance for balance and stability and try to make the best shoulder turn you can. Give these tips a try next time you are practicing and enjoy hitting some BOMBS!