MISCELLANEOUS
(245).."WEDGE PUTT"
One of the most awkward shots in golf occurs near the green, when the ball comes to rest against the first cut of rough. This close to the green, most players would usually select a putter for the shot. In this case, however, due to the height of the rough, a putter will get hung up and make a smooth stroke nearly impossible.
A better choice for the shot is a sand wedge, using it to hit the ball in the belly for a designed thin shot. This technique will allow you to make consistent contact with the ball because the round bottom of a sand wedge will glide over the rough with ease.
To set up for this shot, start with your feet together, and place the ball back in your stance. Next, set your hands slightly forward and keep a light touch on the club.
For the stroke itself, be sure to keep the club head above the ground and be conscious of keeping a smooth rhythm.
DRILL:
In order to learn the bellied wedge
shot, go to the putting green and hole a few short putts using your sand wedge. Be sure to not ground your club, and focus on contacting the ball with the leading edge of the club. After a few minutes you will become accustomed to the thin hit and you will see the ball rolling as true as a putt. When you feel confident, try this shot next to the green and you will be amazed at the results.
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(246).."WASTED PRACTICE"
Most golfers have had days when they hit the ball great on the practice tee and can't seem to get the same results on the golf course. This is due to poor practice habits and not making your practice match your course play. Here are two tips on improving your practice in order to improve your scores.
1) Set up a practice station with two clubs for alignment and one for ball position.
2) Play a game on the range - Imagine your toughest hole and play it in your mind. Hit your drive, second shot and chip or pitch according to how your shots were played. This will put added pressure on yourself and help you improve your pre-shot routine as well. It will also make your session more interesting and valuable.
3) Always practice to a target, if you aren't the time is wasted. In other words, make each shot on the practice tee the same as a shot made on the course. Do not just pull ball after ball from the bucket and hit. Do your line up, pre shot routine, etc. as if making the shot on the links.
Make your practice time productive and not wasteful.
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(247).."WHEN TO PRACTICE"
Most golfers practice more when they're playing badly as opposed to when they're striking the ball well.
If you develope a swing fault and are striking the ball poorly, the worst thing to do is to go to the practice range and practice that fault. You will in all probability end up treating the "effect" and not the "cause" of the problem and compounding the problem. Let's see..If I am hitting to the right, I'll just aim to the left.
This is not the way to fix a swing fault.
When you're playing badly, it's time to take a lesson or have a Pro look at your swing and tell you what you are doing wrong. Now go to the range and practice.
Don't try and fix it your self or listen to your golfing buddies even if they are good golfers, because they will screw your game up...they will have you compensating for errant ball flight and not finding the root problem and fixing it...trust me on this one. You must repair the "Cause" and not treat the "Effect". Why do you think Tiger has Butch hanging around, for weather reports? He, as any golfer, can not see what he does wrong during the golf swing. He can guess, but he does not know for sure.
Nothing cracks me up more than listening to a 100 shooter tell another golfer what they are doing wrong. DAH...
When you're playing good and striking the ball well is when you want to practice more so you can learn to repeat that good swing. To be good at your practice you must think on every shot and develop a good routine. You're better off making 10 good thoughtful swings then hitting 50 balls rapid fire with little thought or trying to fix a swing problem your self. Also, when practicing don't hit too many balls without a break because fatigue will set in and your swing will break down.
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(248).."RULE 28"
From time-time I will try to highlight rules that are often misused, confused or violated by amateurs. The "unplayable lie" is a prime example.
Let's talk about rule 28, The Unplayable Lie. If you violate this rule in stroke play it costs you TWO strokes. In match play you lose the hole. Tough penalty, so it behooves you to understand it.
First off who decides the ball is unplayable? Only one person makes this decision you. There are no criteria except what you decide fits your game, your ability and the situation. That obviously means that what is unplayable to one player is not to another. It's your choice and it only costs you one stroke to exercise this privilege.
It is the better part of valor to use this rule in many instances. For example, let's say your ball has come to rest between two tree roots. You feel you cannot safely make a stroke without either endangering the health of your hands or that the ball may take an untoward hop into deeper trouble. Further, even getting it out would not advance it toward the hole. Two club lengths away is fairway and a clean lie with 150 yards to the pin. You take your drop in a perfectly safe area and you've still got a chance to get up and down.
When you have decided to take an "unplayable lie" penalty, what are your options? And note that you get to clean your ball before dropping.
1... Take your drop as nearly as possible from where you played the last stroke. This is the classic "stroke and distance" penalty. Note: If you hit from the tee box, you may tee it up again on the tee box.
2... Drop the ball behind the point at which the ball has come to rest, keeping that place between you and the flag stick.
You may go back as far as you wish.
3... Drop the ball two club lengths either way, no nearer the hole. One exception, if you are in a bunker, you cannot drop it out. Nice try, Charlie.
As you can see, you have many good options under this rule. The central thought in making this decision is, "with my best shot, can I reach the green without taking a drop?" That question comes up in many situations in golf but is vital here.
If the answer is "no," be smart and get yourself in a position where you will only lose the single shot you would have sacrificed anyway. Always remember to play golf to get yourself in the best obtainable situation to play your next shot.
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(249).."POSTURE"
Posture is a key element of the set-up and is best described as an athletic position that allows the body and arms to react freely and effectively with your golf motion. To achieve proper posture, start from a standing position with your stance width as wide as your shoulders or hips (whichever is wider) and follow this checklist:
1. Let the hips tilt back wards or away from the golf ball, knees locked.
2. Maintaining a straight spine, tilt forward from the hip sockets until it is approximately 45 degrees to the ground or until you feel your weight out on your toes..
3. Unlock your knees and allow them to flex slightly until you feel your weight move from the toes to the middle of your feet.
4. Let your arms hang directly below your shoulders and just above your toe line.
Although golf is not generally referred to as a sport played by athletes, there are several similarities in the posture and athletic set-up for athletes in all sports. A good example is the linebacker in football. You will never see a NFL linebacker with his shoulders slumped over and weight on the heels before the snap. This would not allow for effective lateral movement needed to make tackles.
Here are two of the most frequent posture faults that I see:
1. Bending from the ribcage instead the hip joints.
2. Excessive or no knee flex.
These faults will cause the following errors:
1. Too much bending from the ribcage makes for a rounded spine and affects the ability to pivot or transfer your weight correctly.
2. Excessive or no knee flex sets your weight entirely on your heels or toes and leads to poor dynamic balance throughout the swing. Both of these faults will effect your swing plan with the most frequent being over the top and too steep on the down swing.
Shots that you will likely see due to the previously mentioned errors are:
1. topped shots
2. pull hooks
3. slices
4. fat or thin shots
Here is a drill that will help you to get into a better posture:
POSTURE DRILL:
Start by holding a club by the head end, lay it down your back with the grip end touching your tail bone. Keeping the club resting against your spine and back of your head while bending forward until your shoulders are directly above your toes. Finish the drill by flexing your knees slightly and balancing your weight on the balls of your feet. Maintain this position while flipping the club back in front of you into the address position.
Do this drill before your practice sessions and you will soon develop a sound fundamental posture and will be on your way to building a solid, repeatable golf swing.
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(250).."SWING THOUGHTS"
As you set-up to the ball, You think "keep your eye on the ball". As you swing the club back, You think "keep your eye on the ball". At impact, You're still thinking "keep your eye on the ball". Sound famliar?
If you ask a great player what they see when they set-up to the ball, you will not hear the statement "keep your eye on the ball". The great player isn't focused on the ball; they are focused on the target. The ball is the least important part of golf. Obviously you couldn't play without a ball, but it shouldn't be the most important thought on your mind when you are going to play a shot. If you are staring at the ball, you are too fixated on it.
The most important thoughts in your head (pre-swing and in-swing) should be the target, the golf swing and confidence in your ability. The thought of the golf ball can only give you more tension than you already have before trying to hit a golf shot.
Just think of your practice swings. There isn't a ball you are trying to hit. Therefore the ball isn't in your thoughts. How great does your practice swing usually feel? The comment often heard around the golf course is "I wish my regular swing could feel as fantastic as my practice swing. My practice swings seem so fluid. Then I put the ball there and it all falls apart".
Well, what causes a regular swing to be a lot less effective than a practice swing? The obvious answer is the golf ball. So the obvious answer is to forget the golf ball is there. Easier said than done, but it can be done. You need to take your mind off the ball. You need to get a good swing thought. Just like when you take those effortless practice swings. They are so free flowing.
Your mind's eye sees the target. It remembers what the target looked like. It pictures the golf ball landing next to the target. But the mind never thinks of hitting the ball. It may picture the ball in flight, but it doesn't see the club hit the ball. "Take Dead Aim", Harvey Penick understood.
A good drill to help you to conquer the habit of keeping your eyes on the ball is to practice hitting balls with your eyes closed. The next time you go to range start your practice session, give it a try. What do you have to lose? You might even hit it pretty good. I guarantee that by your 6th attempt you will hit the ball perfectly on the sweet spot. I suggest trying this using a 7 iron. Pick a target, lock it in your mind, "Take Dead Aim", close your eyes and swing away.
It probably will feel very different at first. It might even take two or three attempts to successfully accomplish the task. When your eyes are closed you are developing the sense of "feel" for your golf swing. You are feeling your golf swing. Hopefully you are learning how to see your golf swing in your minds eye. If that is happening you are successfully taking your mind off that "dang" ball.
The golf tips that are passed down from generation to generation are like the game we played in grade school called Telephone. Telephone was when every kid in the class stood in a single file line. The teacher told the first kid a message and he/she told the next kid in line that same message. This kept going till the end of the line and the last kid would tell everybody what the message was. The message was never close to the original.
Well, that is what has happened with tips like "keeping your eyes on the ball". What started as a well-intentioned tip has been converted to "a golf swing killing epidemic." That saying (and many others like it) are over taught and misinterpreted.
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(251).."LEFT WRIST"
To keep the club face in the correct position throughout the swing, the left wrist must move in a flat position. What I mean by flat is in relation to the back of the left forearm, and the back of the left hand for right-handed players. The back of the hand remains parallel to the forearm. To deviate from this position will roll the club face out of position.
Keeping the left wrist in this flat position will allow the correct movement of the wrists at the top of the back swing, and the start of the downswing, which is an up-and-down motion. Keeping the left wrist in this flat position throughout the back and forward swing will allow it to move in an up-and-down-motion finishing the follow through properly.
To check and see if the wrists are in the proper position, swing the club halfway back about hip level high and when the club shaft in a position parallel to the ground and the target line the left wrist is in this flat position if the club face will be perpendicular to the target line, and the toe of the club will be pointing vertically to the sky.
If halfway through the forward swing when the shaft is again parallel to the ground and target line and the toe pointing to wards the sky the left wrist has remained in the flat position throughout your entire swing which translates into a great shot on target.
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(252).."OVER THE TOP"
In this week's tip I will help you cure the dreaded over the top move which is responsible for hitting pulled or slice shots. The main problem is actually one of timing, in that the downswing sequence is happening in reverse order. Instead of the hips leading the shoulders on the way down, it is the shoulders and arms that are taking the lead. When this happens the shoulders carry the arms out and over the swing plane and your club attacks the ball from out to in, thus causing the pull or slice.
What is needed to cure this fault is to allow the shoulders amd arms to hold longer at the top of the back swing so that the arms will have ample time to drop into the slot. Once the arms have dropped into the slot, the club will follow and the ball will now start at the target. Any left-over curvature to the shot, such as a hook or slice, are due to an out-of-position club face which must be addressed by giving proper attention to the grip.
DRILL:
In order to learn the correct timing for the downswing, the arms must first be educated as to their role in the sequence. A great way to learn the right move is to allow your left heal to come off the ground during the backswing. Now at the the very start of the down swing plant your left heal to the ground to start the down swing. This will give you correct feel of the hips starting the swing.
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(253).."BUNKER LIES"
Good-Lie Bunker Shot
If you have a good-lie here are five easy steps to get you out of your unexpected trip to the beach.
1) Play the golf ball off the inside of your left foot with the feet about a foot apart.
2) Use an open stance where the feet are aimed six feet left of the flag stick and an open club face where the club face is pointed four feet to the right of the flag stick.
3) Be in a position where your knees are pointed in to wards each other a bit with the weight equally distributed in both feet if you are hitting from a level lie.
4) Break the wrists abruptly on your back swing and make sure you take a full swing.
5) The harder the sand, the slower the swing. The softer the sand, the faster the swing.
Most of the basic mechanics in a full swing must be used in this shot
Bad-Lie Bunker Shots
If you have a bad-lie here are five easy steps to get you out of your unexpected trip to the beach.
1) Play the ball to the right of center with your feet about a foot apart.
2) Use a square stance where your feet are pointed toward the flag stick and a slightly closed club face where it points about three feet left of the flag stick.
3) Be in a position where your knees are pointed in to wards each other a bit with the weight equally distributed in both feet if you are hitting from a level lie.
4) Break the wrists abruptly and take a full back swing. Chop down one to two inches behind the ball into the sand allowing the sand to throw the ball out of the bunker, then stop your follow throughr waist high.
5) The harder the sand, the slower the swing. The softer the sand, the faster the swing. Make sure each swing you take is controlled.
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(254).."CHIN UP"
One of the biggest swing killers is the chin.
The best posture in the world is not worth a thing if you keep your chin on your chest during the back swing. If your chin is down, as soon as the left shoulder hits it during the back swing, swing faults will occur and will result in you being pulled out of the swing plane. To complete the swing with your chin down and Keep your eye on the ball you "must" either sway back or raise the arms to complete the swing. . Guess what? No power, No turn, No staying in the swing plane... You Loose.
One of the most important aspects of a good posture is to hold your chin high at address. You want your chin well off your chest so your left shoulder has plenty of room to turn under your chin during turn in the backswing. If you are standing to close too the ball, it could cause you to lower the chin to see the ball at address. To check if your are the correct distance away from the ball, go to my tips page and under (9) ADDRESS...read "To Close to the Ball"?.
In Tigers book "How I play golf" he says this is one of his key thoughts during the swing. Hey, if it works for him. DAH !
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(255).."STRENGTH vs WEAKNESS"
There are a number of errors of practice which lead to in-efficiency. A common one occurs when a golfer practices the very shot with which he has the greatest skill. How could such an apparently obvious mistake be prevalent?
Here are a few reasons:
Because you can make a given shot, you derive more pleasure from practicing it than a shot which continually causes you anguish. You may also not have the courage to make a public display of your weak shots. The good shot you practice may have been a weak shot at one time, and you have allowed a good idea to become a somewhat unreasonable fixed idea through simple habit.
Also, poor form can force a golfer to practice strengths excessively and incorrectly. If you think your form is a problem and contributing to your weak shots, have it checked.
My son was very successful in using lofted clubs close to the green, when a less lofted club should have been used. He did very well with this shot, he attained this by excessive practice at the practice green at the course. The problem was his up and downs suffered because he did not put the same effort into his putting and chip and run shots, which were only fair.
Do not make the error of not understanding the law of diminishing returns. This simply means that it can be unproductive to try to become too good with any given club. There comes a point in every shot at which additional practice does not produce an equivalent improvement in the score.
Example: Let's say you are taking three and four to get down instead of two from on the fist cut of the green. There are several solutions.
With the first, you can practice putting until you learn to get down in one.
With the second, you can practice chipping until you are so accurate that it always leaves a" gimme".
The third is the most efficient, would be to practice chipping and putting together until you could reasonably be expected to go down in two.
My weakest shots used to be with my 2,3,4 irons. I played for an entire summer by hitting off the tee with a club that forced me to use one of these clubs on my second shot. They are no longer my weakest shots.
The point being, you know your weak spots...practice them, not your strengths and you will improve your scores.
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(256).."EGO TRIP"
Ego involvement is a Freudian term having to do with what is generally known as pride. We are ego-involved when we use a three iron when we should be using a two or even a wood club. One of the secrets of better play is not allowing your ego to affect your choice of clubs. If your opponent used a six iron, You should not hesitate to use your four wood if the situation and "your game" calls for it. In other words, play your game and not your egos.
Ego involvements affect other golfing situations. We may play an opponent "even" when a handicap is indicated. We may elect to shoot over a dog-leg instead of around it. We may turn in a lower qualifying score just to get into a higher flight, or we may turn in a higher qualifying score in order to insure winning a trophy in a lower flight. We may use a high-compression ball because very hard hitters do, although we could get more distance with less compression. We may turn only good scores into the handicap committee for a higher handicap that will help us win a trophy. We may shoot for the pin when our general accuracy can only justify shooting at the green.
There are some ego involvements which can be beneficial, such as pride in improvement; but, in general, ego involvements cause us to become unrealistic. This prevents us from doing what a golfing situation calls for, and this is disastrous. Nothing can be solved if pride produces wishful thinking or otherwise prevents us from seeing the problem as it is. Let intelligence and not ego drive your golf game and your scores will drop.
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(257).."LEFT HEEL = POWER"
Use Your Left Heel Like An Accelerator To Put More Power in Every Shot...
When setting up over the ball, your weight should be evenly distributed between the left and right. Make sure to have the weight on both the balls and heels of the feet. Keeping all of the weight on just the balls or just the heels of the feet will cause a loss of balance on the backswing.
As you start the club back with your left hand, you will begin to feel your upper body coiling. As you reach the halfway point in your backswing, let the left heel naturally lift up 2 to 3 inches. This will automatically transfer your weight to the right side and allow the lower body to participate in this coiling action. This increase in coiling adds more potential power to the downswing. Note that as your left heel rises, your
left knee should move toward your right knee. This ensures that you have transferred the weight to the right side, not just lifted your heel.
Now that the club is fully swung back, we need to unleash the power you have created. Start your downswing by placing the left heel back on the ground and shifting your weight back to your left side. Once again, make sure your knees are working toward one another.
At this point in the swing, the right knee is moving toward the left. The faster you put your left heel down, the faster your weight will shift back to the left side. Increasing the speed of the weight shift makes your upper body accelerate through the ball, providing enormous power. Think of the equation as: Faster shift = faster club head speed = more distance.
At impact, your weight should be on your left side, and your right heel should be in the air. If your right heel is not off the ground at impact, then you're still trying to create power with your upper body. This causes you to hit the ball before your weight shift has a chance to work.
Try this sequence a few times in slow motion to get the feel of it. Remember to make sure that your right heel is off the ground before impact.
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(258).."BETTER CHIPPING"
In order to be more consistent with your short game, it is important to use the proper body motion. There should be a feeling of connection between the arms and the body. Your arms and shoulders should form a triangle in front of the center of the body. To see better results throughout your short shots, this triangle must stay intact.
Without the triangle thought, you may overuse your arms and hands. Although the hands and arms are important because they provide feel and touch, you must learn to combine the movement of these small muscles with your larger muscles in order to be more consistent.
In chipping, the most common causes of losing the triangle include having no upper-body motion, being too far from the ball and having too much hand action. A lack of upper-body motion occurs when the shoulders do not move. If the shoulders don't move, there is a limit to how much the arms can swing without breaking down. It then becomes a chain reaction, with the arms breaking down followed by the wrists breaking down, which causes a scooping motion at impact. The result usually is a skulled or topped chip.
If you are too far from the ball, it becomes very difficult to stay connected and causes the arms and hands to work independently of the body. The result is a chili-dipped shot or a skull.
Too much hand action will produce a breakdown of the left wrist at impact, which is a very weak position. You also will not be able to execute a good chip under pressure or from a bad lie.
In order to be more consistent and achieve solid contact when chipping, the triangle needs to move with the center of your body. To create a better chipping stroke, try the following drills.
Towel Under The Arms - Place a towel under your arms and make a swing. This will help you connect the upper arms to the chest. When doingthis drill, be sure to keep your head still.
Stand Close - Stand as close to the ball as possible (Right). This will eliminate the urge to use just your arms. You will need to set the shaft more vertical in order to accommodate for the lack of space between the arms and body. The lack of space also will make it difficult to overuse the wrists.
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