MISCELLANEOUS
(29).."CORRECT POSTURE"
....Posture effects not only your balance but
also your swing plane. When your posture is
too upright, you'll swing the club in an
exaggerated curve around you that results in
a hook or a pulled shot. When you're bent
over too much, you'll pick the club up
producing an abbreviated back swing that's so
abrupt that it virtually guarantees sliced
golf shots.
---Knee Flex:
Your knee flex should match the knee bend of
your normal walking stride just as your
forward foot fatten on the ground. This is
your natural balance flex point and it
differs from golfer to golfer, depending on
flexibility and body physique.
The amount of knee flex is also related to
the length of your arms. With proper posture,
golfers with short arms require more knee
flex than those with longer arms.
No matter how much knee flex you have, make
sure that your weight is evenly spread from
the balls of your feet to your heels and
never on your toes.
---Bending From The Hips:
Your body is designed to bend forward from
the hips, not the waist. When you bend from
your waist, you hunch your back and
de-activate your centers of rotation. Your
hip joints lock up, thus forcing your hips to
move laterally, producing a slide instead of
a turn.
By bending from your hips, your arms will
hang, tension-free, directly below your
shoulders. This also creates room for your
arms to swing, and it will establish your
swing plane.
Notice that when you assume the correct
position, your abdomen is retracted upward
and inward causing your backside to protrude.
Remember that with your spine angled
correctly, the weight of your head and
shoulders pulls you forward toward the ball
during your golf swing and it is your
protruding backside that provides the
counter weight to keep you in balance.
To get the feeling of the position, imagine
that you are about to sit on an
above-the-waist three-legged stool. The
traditional image of a regular-height stool
causes too much knee bend with a squatting
appearance.
---Shoulders:
The shoulder level check point features your
arms hanging straight down from your
shoulders with your upper arms adhering
lightly to your body as if they were strapped
on top of your chest. You're in the correct
position when you can drop the club at
address, relax your arms and they don't
change their angle of hang.
To achieve proper posture...
1...
With straight knees, place a shaft across
your hips, parallel to the ground.
2...
Now push the shaft backwards until your
backside protrudes and your upper body bends
forward and your weight moves to your toes.
3...
Then flex your knees slowly until you feel
the weight move back to center of your feet.
You are now in correct posture and balance.
Back to Menu
(39).."BUNKER SHOTS"
The Fundamentals of the Splash Shot:
...For the splash shot. always open your club
face to maximize the bounce. The shorter the
shot, the more open your club face. And be
sure to always open the club face before you
finalize your grip on the club. Do this by
hovering your club head above the ball using
only your right hand to aim the club face to
the right of the target. Then take your grip
with both hands, keeping your club face in
place. The problem with taking your grip
first, then rolling your arms to open the
club face to the ball, is that doing it this
way, your arms roll over through impact
returning the club face to square or, worse,
closing the club face.
Secondly, with the butt end of your club
pointing at the center line of your body,
open your stance by pulling your left foot
away from the target line until your club
face aims to the target. By opening your
stance, you effectively shorten the length of
your left leg and plant your weight in your
left hip. This provides a stable platform
that encourages you to hit down and through
the shot.
To execute the splash shot properly your club
swings along your shoulder line, so you
should position the ball forward in your
stance of your left heel. This opens your
shoulders, producing an outside to inside
swing path that carves the ball out of the
sand.
In taking your stance, work your feet into
the sand for stability. With your feet below
the ball it guarantees that you'll hit behind
the ball, a necessary feature of the splash
shot. It also allows you to test the
consistency and texture of the sand -
information that you need in order to
calculate where to contact the sand and how
hard to hit the shot. However, take note that
when you dig your feet in, you effectively
move the hosel of the club closer to the
ball, so adjust by standing farther from the
ball. For every inch you lower yourself in
the sand, move back an inch from the ball.
The final set up key involves the position of
your head and spine. It's vital that you hold
your head in the center of your body with no
spinal tilt toward the left or, the more
common error, toward your right shoulder. The
weight of your head is significant so if your
head and spine lean toward your right
shoulder, the rest of your body weight does
also, tilting your entire body out of
position.
The swing itself is upper-body oriented
because your weight starts, stays and
finishes on your left side. Your arms swing
fully allowing the club to move along your
shoulder line.
Back to Menu
(40).."BALL POSITION"
.....A correctly positioned ball is a
prerequisite for square contact. The location
of the golf ball affects both your shoulder
alignment and the steepness of your swing. If
the golf ball is too far forward in your
stance (toward your target foot), your chest
must turn toward the target so that you can
sole your club head behind the ball. This
"opens" your shoulders and because the club
swings where the shoulders point, you're
stuck with a slicer's swing path - steep and
outside-to-in.
....If you locate the ball too far back in
your stance (toward your trail foot) then
your chest must point to the right of the
target, closing your shoulders and creating a
flat, inside-to-out swing path. That's not
what you want either.
1...
With the ball to far forward, your shoulders
align left of the target promoting a slice.
2...
With the ball back in your stance, your
shoulders align right of the target, the
prelude to a hook.
3...
Depending on the club, the ball moves about
three ball widths from your left cheek, to
your shirt logo and finally to your armpit.
The bottom of your arc:
With an iron, your club face contacts the
ball just before it reaches the bottom of its
arc. When the ball is teed with a wood,
contact takes place at the bottom of the arc
or slightly on the upswing. Since your left
hand is higher on the club than your right
hand and you are on your left leg at impact,
the bottom of the arc is opposite your left
armpit.
Thus for your driver, the ball will be
positioned opposite your left armpit,
guaranteeing that the club will travel level
to the ground at impact. With your long irons
and fairway woods, locate the ball off your
shirt logo and with the medium to short
irons, the ball will be positioned farther
back opposite your left cheek.
Don't use your feet:
Always relate your ball position to your
upper body: feet are a poor reference, since
most golfers use their toes to judge ball
position and they can give the illusion that
the ball position is correct when, in fact,
it is not.
You can see how easy it is to be fooled by
trying out the following: place a ball in the
middle of your body. Now when you draw your
right foot back about five inches the ball
appears to have moved forward. When you open
your stance the ball appears to "back up"
just as it does when you flare your left foot
out.
Back to Menu
(41).."THE MENTAL GAME"
One of the primary keys needed to unlock your
mental game is to become very aware that your
emotions affect your brain's chemistry and
performance.
Dave Pelz is the master of understanding and
teaching the short game. His Short Game Bible
digs deeply into the importance and
probabilities of golf inside 100 yards.
I am a great fan of Dave's and
my insights this week will be limited to his
feelings on "Muscles and Adrenaline", because
believe it or not there is a definite mental
side to this great game of golf.
Dave correctly explains that when a golfer
feels pressure his body responds differently
than when you are relaxed. On the practice
tee where there is no outcome at stake there
is little or no self-imposed pressure.
However, on the golf course the outcome
becomes a primary concern for most golfers.
Focusing on the outcome creates this mental
pressure and not only affects one's muscles
and adrenaline flows, it affects the numerous
biochemical or neurotransmitters secreted by
your brain.
As a result of this mental pressure and
chemical changes in your brain and body, it
is impossible to duplicate the same golf shot
you have on the practice tee and your ability
to perform suffers both physically and
mentally.
Dave advises that you counter these pressure
situations by making a conscious decision to
keep the strong muscles out of your short
shots and to swing with "dead hands" in order
to beat the adrenaline effect. If you
practice with dead hands, he contends that
it's a small step to doing the same thing
during a match when your heart is pounding
and your muscles are pumped full of
adrenaline.
Besides being technically superior, what
really makes swinging with dead hands work
well under pressure is that it forces a
golfer to change his focus from the outcome
to focusing on the process of having dead
hands. When you focus on the outcome of
making the shot, you open yourself to the
fear of missing the shot. The emotion of fear
is the trigger which creates chemical changes
in the brain that diminish one's ability to
perform and totally destroys any touch you
may have had in practice.
Since your mind can only focus on one thing
at a time, by focusing on the process of
swinging with dead hands a golfer
automatically reduces his level of fear and
self-imposed mental pressure. If a golfer is
mentally strong enough to stay totally
focused on the process and not the outcome,
he could duplicated his strong muscle
practice shots inside 100 yards on the course
since there would not be any pressure or
adrenaline affect.
Since it's easier to learn using dead hands
than to stop chasing the outcome, I recommend
following Dave's advice as well as learning
how to control your fear.
Back to Menu
(42).."TRUST YOUR GUT"
One of the primary keys needed to unlock your
mental game is to become very aware that your
emotions affect your brain's chemistry and
performance.
Trust Your Gut.......
When you are reading the green, holding a
club in each hand to determine which one to
use, or the many other decisions you make
during a round of golf, your gut feelings
help you decide. Trust your gut! Your first
choice is usually the best choice.
If you
doubt your gut feelings, you are concerned
about the outcome and not the process.
Who is smarter?
Is it your conscious mind that is full of
negative emotions or your relaxed instinctive
mind? Fear or doubt affects your brain's
chemistry causing your judgment and
performance to suffer. When your gut feeling
is not correct, you will find that it is not
off by much.
Your brain is a very sophisticated computer.
It loves to solve your challenges if you
allow it to help you. Help your brain to help
you. Optimize its chemistry by eliminating
your negative emotions and provide it with
objective feedback.
The human mind put a man on the moon and
brought him back. If it can do that, it
certainly can help you read the green,
determine how the ball will break and give
you the proper direction and force to apply
to sink a putt.
Your brain talks to you through your gut
feelings.
Golf becomes an art form once you master the
mechanics and your emotions. Instead of
expressing your feelings with paint on a
piece of canvas, you express your gut
feelings with a club and a ball on the golf
course. Great golfers are known to have a
real feel for the game because they have
learned to trust their gut.
Back to Menu
(43).."POINT OF IMPACT"
.....Sometimes when you are struggling it is
beneficial to know where exactly the ball is
striking the face of the golf club.
Although there are a million impact type
tapes and gadgets you can put on the club
face to show you where the ball hits the
face, they have two things in common.
1...They are pain to put on, especially
when you are playing a round of golf.
2...They are expensive.
Here's a an easy, inexpensive
alternative. Stop and buy yourself a small
container of Johnson & Johnson baby powder.
They have tiny plastic ones that moms carry
in their purses and these fit anyplace in
your golf bag.
Now when you are at the range or playing a
round of golf and want to see the impact
point, just
pull out the powder and lightly dust the
ball. Hit away and voila on the face of the
club is the imprint of were the ball impacted
the face of the club.
Fast, easy,
inexpensive....Doesn't get any better than
that..
Back to Menu
(44).."6 GOOD HABITS"
....Keep It Simple!....
Sometimes the simplest advice pays the
greatest dividends. It's been my experience
that when people come to me hoping for a
magic tip, or to be enlightened on the
intricacies of grip, stance, and posture-when
all they really need are some good golf
habits!
So here it is: My list of the six ways to
lower your scores and your handicap.
1. Move Up....
Having trouble achieving a mental
breakthrough? Try playing from the forward
tees, in order to alter your comfort zone and
lower your scores. Playing a shorter course
will instill a "go-for-par" or birdie mind set
that will stick with you when you return to
your accustomed tees. If you can't score any
better from the forward tees, consider it a
message that you need extra work on your
short game!
2. Do it Daily....
Ben Hogan once said he hated to miss a day of
practice because this meant it was one more
day before he could get better. While you may
not be able to keep this regimen, you should
keep in mind that you get out what you put
into the game. Time pressed? No problem. Just
taking a club out in the backyard and
swinging for 15 minutes will aid the cause.
3. When You Play Golf, Play Golf....
If you're going to take the time to play, do
it seriously and focus on each shot. Never
make a careless swing during a serious round!
Of course, this doesn't mean you can't have
fun-it just means you should turn up the
focus a notch. Use the driving range for
working on technical skills, and the golf
course for focusing on the real target:
lowering your score.
4. Get Better Gear....
I'm not saying you should spend thousands of
dollars on equipment. But if you're using an
older set that isn't fitted properly, you may
be needlessly holding yourself back. Many
recent technical advances such as perimeter
weighting to produce a larger sweet spot and
larger clubhead volumes-will make a
difference in the consistency and distance of
your shots. Why not take advantage of them?
5. Don't Short change Your Short Game....
Chipping and putting account for more than
half the strokes in a typical golfer's game.
Consequently, you should devote most of your
practice to your short game. I like to use a
football analogy here: It's great to be able
to advance to the two-yard line, but it won't
mean a thing if you can't make it into the
end zone!
6. Write it Down!....
It's easier to improve if you can document
your hits and misses. Where do you hit good
shots, and where do you hit poor ones? Did
you hit right, left, or on top? How many
putts of less than five feet do you miss?
Keep a journal and consult it periodically to
unearth patterns and discover areas that need
work
Back to Menu
(45).."PRE SHOT ROUTINE"
This tip comes from one of my favorite
players...
Raymond Floyd.
In my 35 years of playing professional golf,
one thing that I have noticed is that all
great players have developed a pre-shot
routine.
Mine begins by positioning myself behind the
ball and determining my line of flight. I am
a firm believer in visualization as are many
of my peers on tour. Next, I visualize the
shot I need to play for the given conditions.
I actually "see" the ball fly toward the
green and land near the flag stick. With a
putt, I visualize the ball rolling on my
intended line and going into the hole.
After visualizing the appropriate shot, my
pre-shot routine continues with my proper
alignment to my target, and my waggle to get
me comfortable. Only then, am I prepared to
execute the swing itself and make a
well-played shot.
My pre-shot routine does not take a long time
to complete, and if you timed me, you would
see that it takes me the same amount of time
whether I'm driving the ball or putting.
In comparison, an amateur approaches his
shots differently each time and seldom
begins from behind the ball.
I suggest that you learn from the great
players and develop your own pre-shot routine
that begins from behind the ball and includes
visualization. Never vary from your routine
and I'll bet you lower your scores.
Back to Menu
(46).."CORRECT CLUB POSITION"
FINDING YOUR NATURAL CLUB POSITION
The following simple exercise will help you find
the club position best suited for your height and
build.
Important.... Go to my golf tips archives
and under "THE SWING" ...posture and balance to assure you are achieving a correct and balanced address.
Without a club, assume your golf address and place
your hands in a praying position, palms facing
together. Now, lift your arms up, then let
them drop, palms still together. Repeat the
exercise several times. You will note that your
hands always fall the same distance away from your
body. Depending on your build, the distance that
separates the club from your body could range
anywhere from six inches to ten inches. The
important idea is to establish a position with
which you feel most comfortable and at ease -
without undue stretching or cramping of the arms.
When you are establishing your natural club
position, remember always to assume a "correct"
position on address.
Now with a club in your hands assume a "correct ,
balanced address.
Lift the club up with your arms extended,
keeping your hand pressure steady. Bring the club
down slowly until it touches the ground. Repeat
this movement several times. The club will hit the
same place each time, indicating that you have
found the position best fitted for you.
Try repeating the above exercise assuming an
upright, straight leg position on address. Because
of the stiffness of the upper body and arms, you
should see that the
club head will seldom return to the same place when
it is lowered.
Arm and hand muscles should be neither too tense
nor too relaxed. The body should be alert and in
control of the club at all times.
It is crucial, therefore, that you
always assume a "correct balanced" position to
ensure minimum variation of club head position.
Golf is a game of repetition, the more you are able
to exactly repeat something the more consistent you
will become and that my friends means better golf.
Back to Menu