MISCELLANEOUS
(1).."ALL ABOUT THE GRIP"
The purpose of the grip is to connect your body
with "the instrument" (the golf club) in such a way
as to return the club face squarely to the ball at
impact. This is best accomplished by placing
the left hand in a strong position and the right
hand in a relatively weaker position, as most
players' natural tendency is to control the club
with their right hand (something that will most
assuredly spoil the golf shot).
The grip should be taken with relatively light
grip pressure, like holding a bird in your hand just
tight enough so that the bird won't fly away, but
light enough to avoid injuring the bird. This light
grip pressure accomplishes two key things:
(1) It allows the player to maintain a
tension-free feeling in the forearms and wrists,
which is critical to achieving maximum possible
distance simply because it stops you from tightening
your spine and allows you to take advantage of all
the energy you stored up in the turn. A relaxed,
tense free swing WILL ALWAYS generate greater club
head speed than a tight, tense swing, ALWAYS.
(2) It allows the club face to come back square
to the ball. If you grip the club to tight, you
tighten your left fore arm which results in the club
face being open at impact. A square club face at
impact is critical in achieving directional
predictability of golf shots.
There are three basic types of golf grips. None
is better than the others--top professionals have
used all three:
(1) The Vardon Grip. The most commonly used by
top players. The distinguishing characteristic
of this grip is how the pinkie of the right hand
rests atop the index finger of the left hand, or
rests in the crease between the left index and
middle fingers.
(2) The Inter locking Grip. Many of the top
players use this grip, including Jack Nicklaus and
Tiger Woods. Preferred by many with short fingers,
this grip is distinguished by the pinkie of the
right hand is wrapped around the index finger of the
left hand, and the two fingers are intertwined, or
inter locked.
(3) The Ten-Finger Grip. Also called the baseball
grip. Preferred by
juniors and a few pros, including Gene Sarazen. In
this grip, all ten fingers rest on the club. The
pinkie of the right hand rests on the club, just
below the index finger of the left hand.
There is also a cross handed grip used primarily
in putting where the left hand is on th bottom.
(right handers)
Placing your hands on the club
The left hand is placed on the club first, with
the club resting diagonally from just below the
heel
pad to the first knuckle of the index finger.
A good test is achieved by placing the club on the
ground. Then, place the heel pad of the left
hand on top of the grip, and using only the left
index finger wrapped around and under the club, you
should be able to lift the club with ease.
Then, close the hand. The V formed
by the crease between the thumb and index finger
should point to your right shoulder, and you should
be able to see at least two knuckles of your left
hand. The left thumb should point down the
shaft of the club, and should rest just slightly to
the right of center of the shaft at about one
o'clock.
The right hand is then placed on top of the left
hand, with the left thumb fitting into the
lifeline of the right palm. The
then base of the middle and ring fingers of the
right hand should rest on the side of the club, and the
right index finger may be (or may not be) separated
slightly from the middle finger, creating a
trigger-like sensation. The right
thumb should be placed on the left side of the
club or touching the index finger, like making the OK sign. The "V" formed by the crease between the right thumb and index finger should
point toward the player's right ear or
shoulder.
The right pinkie may rest on top of the left
index finger or on top of the crease between the
left index and middle fingers (Vardon Grip), or may
be intertwined with the left index finger
(Inter locking Grip), or may rest directly on the
club just below the left index finger (Ten Finger
Grip) as described above.
A proper grip might feel awkward at first if
you've been previously gripping improperly, but it
is the bedrock of a good golf swing and probably the most ignored by golfers. Even if
you take a perfect golf swing, a poor grip will
surely limit the wrist cock, cause problems and inconsistency in your shots.
You can not consistently strike the ball squarely
without a good relaxed grip which will result in a
tense free golf swing.
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(2) "PUSHED SHOTS"
....If you are pushing your shots (they go to the
right and do not curve) while making an
aggressive swing the problem probably lies in your
left forearm.
When you get to aggressive you tighten
your left forearm the end result is a club face
that is open at impact. This tightness might even be
a
result of gripping the club to tight during those
aggressive swings.
If you take one of your irons,
grip it with you left hand only and hold it straight
out in front of you, parallel with the ground
(relaxed forearm). Now tighten your left forearm
which is usually preceded by a tightening of the
grip, and watch the club face open up. This is what
happens when you get aggressive. Practice making
swings with a relaxed left forearm and grip. I'm
sure your push will be a thing of the past and you
might even enjoy an increase in distance and better
feeling shots.
A lot of guys try to fix pushed shots by rotating
either the left or right hand clockwise when they
grip the club (strong grip) thus pulling the club
face closed at impact compensating for the tight
grip and left forearm. Do yourself a favor and don't
do this!!!! Maintain a neutral grip and relax, this
is the only way to maintain consistency and that is
what the game of golf is all about, CONSISTENCY.
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(3) "TAKE DEAD AIM"
I have noticed that many shots that are hit to
the right or left and blamed on some fault of the
swing are nothing more than poor alignment.
In order to hit the ball at a target you must line
up correctly.
Before hitting, stand behind your golf ball about 3
to 5 feet so it is between you and your intended
target. Now pick an object on the ground no more
than two feet in front of the ball, (a golf tee,
blade of grass, cig. butt,leaf, anything) that lies
on the imaginary line that goes from your ball to
your intended target.
This is important:
Walk up and address the ball and pretend the object
on the ground is your target, align the lines on
your club face so they are perpendicular to the
object (90 degrees), now with the grip pointing at
your zipper look down at your shoes and make sure
they form a "T" with the golf shaft. Open your
stance and finish the address.
DO NOT even look at
your real target until you have established your
address and then be sure to trust
your alignment and not to change your stance.
If you
still hit to the right or left using this method,
you most probably have a swing problem and that will
eventually be addressed in these tips or do yourself
a favor and don't listen to every thing said out on
the links (good golfers are not necessarily good
teachers) see a golf teaching professional.
Let me put it this way, I am pretty good with a pair
of pliers, but I doubt if you would like me to pull
your tooth.
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(4) "PUTT FOR THE DOE"
1. STEADY EYES FOR SURE STROKES
When your eyes wander during the putting stroke, the
putter face angle will also wander. Train your eyes
to remain steadily focused on the ball until the
putter head past the impact point.
2. DISTANCE, DISTANCE, DISTANCE
Most three putts are caused by poor distance control
on the first putt. Even the tour pros miss almost
50% of their putts from six feet, but they do not
leave themselves six footers coming back. Good
distance control can be achieved if you are
consistent with these items.
A....MAINTAIN the same speed,no matter how long
the putt is, only change the length of your putting
stroke.
B....However far you come back with the putter from the ball,that is how far your putter should be in front of the ball when you finish your stroke.
C....The big secret is to ONLY CHANGE THE LENGTH
of your putting stroke to achieve distance control.
Try using your toes as a guide and practice putts
(ie.) 1 inch past my toe equals what distance, 5
inches past
my toe equals what distance?
Practice these three things and I'll think you will
be surprised how good your distance control will
become and you will start knocking strokes off your
game.
3. PRECISE FOCUS FOR PRECISE PUTTS
When reading the green pick precise targets for
every putt. Telling yourself the putt is a little
bit uphill and breaks a little bit left is a recipe
for a tentative stroke and a missed putt. If we
expect to roll the ball into a 4.25" hole, the brain
needs specific information.
4. STRAIGHT BACK, STRAIGHT THROUGH
If you are having problems with direction control
especially on short putts, check your take away. If
the putter head comes inside on the take away you
will tend to push your putts and if you take it
outside you will tend to pull or cut putts. Find a
straight line or lay down two clubs parallel to each
other and practice taking the putter straight back
on every putt.
5. PLAY THE PERCENTAGES
Putts make up 45% of the shots in the average round
of golf. If you two putt every green, that is 36
strokes, think about it! Practice your putting and
your scores will start dropping.
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(5) "PRACTICE WITH A PURPOSE"
Needless to say, volumes could be written on
practicing your golf swing. Personally, I feel it to
be extremely beneficial to keep it simple. Beating
balls can be boring and unproductive if you let it
become so.
You might try giving yourself some challenges.
When at the driving range taking full swings or in
the back yard chipping, always, always, ALWAYS work
with a target. See how many shots you can hit to a
target you have chosen. Furthermore, as you change
your
clubs, change your target. Keep yourself focused on
what you are trying to accomplish with each practice
session.
Harvey Penick said it best "Take Dead Aim".
Focus your entire mind on your intended target
and
you will be amazed at the irregularities in your
golf swing that the "mass of Grey matter" between
your ears will
compensate for and produce a good golf shot.
When you practice try to swing in a calm,
smooth, unhurried manner. Do your pre-shot routine
for every shot and take dead aim at your chosen
target. What is going on in your
mind has a great deal to do with how you swing the
club. It's NOT how many balls you can hit and how
fast, or how FAR, it's how many balls you can hit
well, consistently.So practice with a purpose.
The next step is learning how to turn a round of
golf into a practice round to improve your game.
First of all, we all have certain clubs that we do
not hit very well, be it the long irons,the driver,
whatever. Forget scoring and concentrate on bringing
those clubs into your game. Let's face it, you will
NEVER be able to hit those clubs if they stay in
your bag.
For example: The clubs I could not hit were my 3
and 4 irons. To force myself to use them I changed
the way I played certain holes. If I normally hit
driver-short iron on a particular hole to reach the
green, I would
change my club selection so what ever I hit off the
tee on that hole required a 3 or 4 iron to get to
the green. I began to tee off with my 3 iron on a
particular narrow, par 5 at my home course and guess
what? the 3 and 4 irons are now as comfortable for
me to hit as
my 9 iron. Believe me, it works and you will improve
your golf game, provided you are patient with
yourself and practice with a purpose.
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(6).."UNEVEN LIES"
How many times does a your ball come to
rest on an uneven lie? How much do you practice
hitting from uneven lies?
In playing a round of golf it is amazing how many
times you have uneven lies, even in the fairway. Do
you really know how to execute shots
from these lies? By not
learning some these common shots
that frequently come up, you are simply adding
strokes to your golf game and I for one like taking
strokes off my game. Obviously it is important to
know how to execute such shots.
General Rules:
On any unlevel lie, there are a few basics one
should follow.
First, you must alter your
address position by allowing your weight to follow
gravity.
Second, tilt your shoulders so they are aligned
with the slope.
Next, as you swing the club, swing it along the
angle of the slope.
Lastly, keep your lower body movement to a
minimum.
BALL ABOVE YOUR FEET
This is probably the easiest of all
uneven lie
shots. Start by moving the ball back a little in
your stance and
choke down on the club. Your weight distribution
should be equal
on both feet. The lie will have tendency to hit the
ball to the left, so aim you shot to the right of
your target. To picture this, with a sand wedge on
the ground at address pick the club up straight
armed and observe the loft of the club. It will be
pointing more and more left the higher you raise the
club. Make a flatter swing which follows the slope
of the land. The swing key to keep in mind is to have
a more passive body and extend your arms through the
shot.
BALL BELOW YOUR FEET
This is a more difficult shot. In
this position
it is harder to keep your balance as your weight can
easily spill
over to your toes and beyond. I have seen a on
occasion golfers shank the ball from this position.
I don't want that to happen to you!
Start with a little wider stance
than normal and
place the ball forward from the normal position.
This lie tends to hit the ball to the right so aim
left of your target.
Grip the club at
the very top or in extreme slope cases even
partially off the shaft.
This will give you maximum length to get to the
ball. Your weight
distribution should be equal. The lie dictates a
more upright plane and again, don't fight it. Good
swing keys are to keep you knees flexed and
stay down through the shot.
UPHILL LIE
When you are faced with an up-hill lie, the
first thing you want to do is
accept the fact that the ball is going to spend more
time in the air and less time on the ground. Don't
fight that fact. Select one more club than you would
from an even lie. Next, move your ball position
forward in your stance. For the uphill lie, you will
have to tilt your spine to the right to keep your
shoulders parallel with the slope. Place 60 percent
of your weight on you back foot. In executing, keep
the body passive and make more of an arms and hands
swing. Remember to stay down in the follow through.
DOWN HILL LIE
When you are faced with a down-hill lie, the first
thing you need to do is realize that the ball
now will spend more time on the ground and less time
in the air. Again, don't fight it. Select one less
club than you would with an even lie. Position the
ball back in your stance. Tilt your
spine angle to the left to keep your shoulders
parallel with the slope. Place 60 percent of your
weight on your front foot. In executing, again
keep the body passive and make more of an arms and
hands swing. Remember to stay down in the follow
through.
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(70).."THE PITCH SHOT"
A pitch shot is a wonderful scoring shot and can be played with just about any club.
A pitch shot is a controlled shot that is struck crisply and has the flight of a dart. To hit a pitch shot start with your pitching wedge. Choke down just a bit maybe an inch or so. Place about 75% of your weight on your left side. Play the ball slightly back in your stance. Take a 3/4 back swing with little wrist breakage and minimal leg movement.
The down swing starts by pulling the left arm down and extending the club face down the target line chasing the ball as long as possible. Follow through with a three quarter swing. The flight of the ball will be lower with little ball movement.
The pitch shot is a great shot to play in all types of conditions and can become your bread and butter scoring shot!
Select your 8 iron, pitching wedge, and sand wedge. Pick out 3 targets between 50 to 120 yards about 15 yards apart. Practice your pitch shots alternating targets and clubs to develop feel and distance in your pitch shot.
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