Swinging the Club

photo credit: Justin Tallaksen   Choose any club in your bag and make a full swing using a very firm grip.  Now use the same club and hold it very gently and take the same swing.  Did you notice how much heavier the club felt when you used a grip with very little grip pressure?

Try pounding a nail with a hammer using a firm grip – now pound another nail using very light grip pressure.  You will drive the nail quicker using the light pressure on the handle, why?  Because a lighter grip will generate more head speed which will create more force when the nail is struck.  The same holds true for a golf club.

The only way you can actually feel your club and the clubhead is to maintain very light grip pressure.  TIP:  If your club feels heavy to you during the swing you are most likely using the correct grip pressure.

Putter Heads

photo credit: fredcamino   The game of golf includes two different games which are on the fairway and on the green.  The game on the fairway is impersonal because there are certain age-old swing requirements that need to be incorporated in order to score well.  On the other hand, the game played on the green is a highly personal game where almost any method a golfer chooses may work well.

Because the putting game is so personal it is very important for every golfer to use a putter that is not only comfortable but looks good to the user.  TIP:  Choose a putter with a putter head that has a nice look to it.  Some designs can be extremely distracting and can have a negative impact on  your putting game.  Forget all the hoopla and sales pitches by manufacturers and salespeople.  Choose a putter that you like the looks of.

Don’t Hesitate When Putting

photo credit: CostasZ   One of the biggest reasons for bad putting is lollygagging over a putt.  Many golfers will study their putt/s at nauseam.  They read the putt from behind, to each side and from the back of the hole.  Once the read is taken, it's time for the practice swings.  Once over the ball it's time to repeatedly glance from the ball to the hole (and all between).  The stroke is made and that relatively easy 10 ft. putt is missed by 5 inches.

TIP:  For better results with your putting, take a quick read from behind the ball, make one practice stroke, step up to the ball, take one look at the cup and without hesitation,  make your stroke.  One of the biggest advantages of this method is that it does not allow the opportunity to clutter the mind with all sort of negative thoughts.  In other words, it doesn't give you time to “think.”  Try it and watch the difference in your scores.

Setting the Club

photo credit: Justin Tallaksen   First -  the target line is an imaginary line which runs through your ball directly to the target your aiming at.  Second -  the club should travel towards the ball from inside the target line.

At the top of your backswing the club should start it's downward path from inside the target line – NOT down the target line as some think.  Setting the club means to make a slight inside move just as the club starts it's downward path.  This allows the clubface to enter the impact zone from inside the target line.  When the clubhead meets the ball it is SQUARE to the target.

The way you can be assured of setting the club at the top is to make sure that your right elbow (left for lefties) is close to your side.  If your right elbow drifts away from your body the clubhead will not move into the ball from the inside.

Tommy “Two Glove”: A New Face on Tour

photo credit: familymwr   Can Tommy Gainey be a new PGA Tour superstar?  Maybe, maybe not but during the Phoenix WM Phoenix Open he gave every amateur golfer new hope.  Why?  Gainey's swing is far from classic, it's a cross between Lee Trevino's backswing and Arnold Palmer's follow-through.  His grip is far from standard, with his right hand literally under the club's handle (strong hook grip).  He isn't robot-like as most tour players are.  To top it off, he wears two gloves. 

Bottom Line:  1)  It's a real treat to watch Gainey go from Golf Channel's Big Break TV series, to the spotlight on the PGA Tour.  2)  It proves that you don't have to have a picture perfect swing to be in the big league.  3)   You can break from tradition and wear two gloves.  4)  The only thing that really matters during the swing is the position of the clubhead when it meets the ball!