Don’t Overswing

photo credit: Companygolflessons Most amateurs want to literally kill the ball thinking that the harder they hit it, the farther it will fly.  In some respects this is true but allow me to explain.  The PGA Tour players can hit the ball as far as they do because of their tremendous ability to time their shot.  What that simply means is that they bring all of their torque in force at one instant and that is the moment of impact.

The average player gets lucky a few times in a round and manages to come close to maximum torque at impact but this is quite uncommon.  In order to achieve your greatest distance you must forget trying to hit the ball as hard as you can and concentrate on your timing.  Coiling and uncoiling is the key.  You must uncoil your back-swing precisely at the point of impact.  It’s not how hard you swing but it IS how FAST your club hits the ball that gives you maximum distance.  Think smooth, think of your timing and don’t try to overpower your shots.

Center Line

photo credit: Tarter Time Photography The golf swing revolves around the address position.  If you address the ball properly that is 95% of hitting a good shot.

Keep in mind that during the address position you should be able to draw a straight line which flows from the top of your head pretty much to the center of your feet position.  That “centered” position should be in place when contact with the ball is made.

The word has always been “don’t move your head during the swing!”  Actually, more often than not, the head along with the rest of the body move slightly to the rear (behind the ball) during the back-swing.  The key here is to be back into the exact address position when final contact is made.

As you take the club back there is a slight movement off plane but as your right knee and right hip drive forward it should bring you back to your original address position.  You should NOT make a direct effort to accomplish this move . . . . it should happen naturally.

Visualize Your Shot

photo credit: nantucket_01 In every aspect of life you must think it in order to do it which is especially true in the game of golf.  Golf IS visualization.  Every shot should be visualized in your mind’s eye prior to addressing the ball.  PGA Professionals are masters at the art of visualization which is the primary reason they resemble walking zombies most of the time (no offense meant).

Whether it’s a drive, fairway shot or putt, study the lay of the land, the wind conditions and estimated distance.  Once you have determined the various factors that will affect your shot, visualize the ball’s flight to it’s landing zone.  If you intend to hit a fade or draw imagine the ball curving gently to the right or left while proceeding to your target.

While at the practice range visualize every shot you take.  Watching the pros, you will notice how they watch their practice shots until they come to a complete stop.  This is all part of the process of visualizing.  Using this method will shave precious strokes from your game and that’s a guarantee !

The State of Play on the PGA Tour

photo credit: zzazazz  

The year 2011 will be known as the year the PGA became an international enterprise instead of an American tradition.  

As Tiger Woods walked off the course, after missing the cut in the PGA Championship, it seemed to be an ominous sign that the PGA Tour has a serious problem.  American players no longer dominate the tour which is obviously bad for business.  Furthermore, as far as players are concerned,  there are no real glimmers of hope on the horizon.  The word “superstar” is no longer used in the world of professional golf.

The PGA Tour has lost much of it’s popularity with the literal disappearance of Tiger Woods as a competitive tour player.  During the PGA Championship television announcers tried to, once again, puff the participation of Woods in the tournament.  The wind came out of the press’  bubble as Woods missed the cut and was seen pouting as he walked to his car.  As Woods left, it seemed to be an ominous sign for the PGA Tour.  Factoid:  after two rounds, Woods was beaten by four non tour players (club professionals that had entered the tournament).

The PGA has got to do something to bring back viewers.  They’ve got to get out of their old stale mode and try something new.  New types of tournaments, perhaps match play events.  If they don’t think out of the box by trying new venues, they may lose their fan base for good.

Make no mistake, the game of golf itself is healthy it’s the PGA Tour that needs help.

Tiger Fires Caddie Steve Williams

photo credit: cliff1066™   Today, Tiger Woods announced on his web-site that he is “no longer working with Steve Williams.”  In every PGA Tournament for the past 12 years, Williams has been on the bag for Woods  The statement reads:  I want to express my deepest gratitude  to Stevie for all his help, but I think it’s time for a change.  Stevie is an outstanding caddie and a friend and has been instrumental in many of my accomplishments.  I wish him great success in the future.”

Thus far n 2011, Williams has been carrying for Adam Scott.  Woods claimed he injured his leg in the Masters which led him to drop out of The Players Championship.  Over the past year there has been tension between Williams and Woods stemming from Woods’ indiscretions with other women.  Williams was allegedly angry when he discovered Woods was having affairs with various other women while still married.  Williams said he was “shocked and dismayed” at the news.”

When the Woods scandal broke I made a claim that Tiger Woods’ career was over, I still stand by that claim !

Gimmies

photo credit: sidewalk flying   Gimmie Definition:  A putt that one player requests be conceded by another player, allowing the first player to pick up and move on as if the putt had been holed.  The word Gimmie comes from “give me.”

Have you ever asked for a Gimmie?  Of all the infractions in the game of golf the Gimmie is the most widely used. 

Usually, a Gimmie is the distance between the putter head and the putter grip.  Any put within that distance could be considered a Gimmie.  Bottom line:  Gimmies are against the rules of golf and are prohibited.

If you must use Gimmies, however, allow the distance to be only within the length of the putter’s grip.

Rory! Rory! Rory!

photo credit: Brian J. McDermott   The 2011 US Open Championship ushered in a new era on the PGA Tour.  The days of Tiger Woods' dominance over the game of golf are forever gone.  The door has opened for a new breed of young golfers led by Rory McILroy, the 2010 US Open Champion.  The “new blood” has been a long time coming and it will be a welcomed change over the preoccupation the media had with Tiger Woods.

Nearly two years ago, in a post on this blog-site, I predicted that Rory McILroy would be the new dominant force on the PGA Tour and the US Open proved my assumption.  McILroy smashed a bevy of US Open records with his brilliant 72 hole performance.  Every spectator became a part of history in watching the youngest US Open champion ever, walk down the 18th fairway to victory.

McILroy is a class act.  He respectfully removed his hat on his walk down the 18th hole.  He handed his father his trophy while saying “happy father's day Dad!”  Rory is a welcomed change over the make-believe phony persona of Tiger Woods.  It's about time kids everywhere have a new champion to look up to, someone who is the real deal and who is a proven great player.

Generation X PGA Pros

photo credit: pocketwiley   On Memorial Day Ricky Fowler was  interviewed, on national TV after his ride in an F-15 fighter jet.  When they asked him what his feelings were he said, “at least I didn't blow chunk (a reference to vomiting)!”  A far cry from the answers a Palmer or Nicklaus would have given when they were in their prime. 

Fowler is part of a new generation of PGA Pros with about as much personality as armadillos.  Except for Phil Mickelson, there is not a single stand-out personality on tour.  Compared to the 60's, 70,s and part of the 1980's when the likes of Palmer, Trevino, Player, Nicklaus, the Walrus, Chi Chi, the Great White Shark and many more, today's players behave like a herd of zombies.

It's time for a new make-over.  The players need to loosen-up and start acting like ambassadors for the game instead of worrying about every word they say for fear of offending one of their sponsors (Fowler's remarks were just plain stupid).   Golf's future is at stake but no one seems to be worried.  Where have all the Superstars gone?

Putting Grips

photo credit: USACE Europe District   Putting is not standardized, it is very personal.  There are many variations of holding and swinging the putter, here are a few:

Standard Reverse Overlap:  This is the grip that dominates the game.  It is a reverse Vardon grip, whereas, your left forefinger overlaps the knuckles of your right hand (for right-handers).  Both thumbs are placed on top of the grip facing downward.

Baseball:  The grip is held as one would hold a baseball bat.  Both thumbs straight down and resting on top of the grip.  The back of hands are directly opposite of each other.

Claw:  This grip has become extremely popular.  The left hand is placed in the standard position with thumb facing downward and resting on top of the grip.  The right hand is opened with the palm facing the target.  The thumb and first three fingers of the right hand are placed on the grip with the palm facing the target.

Putting is about keeping the clubhead from drifting off the target line.  Choose the type of grip that has the highest degree of success for your game.

Feeling the Clubhead

photo credit: Evan Wilson Photography   Golf is a game of feel.  Playing golf is all about striking the ball cleanly on the sweet spot (center) of the clubface.  Hit the ball off the sweet spot and you've got an errant shot.

TIPS:  a)  never force your swing, the idea is to swing as smoothly as possible generating speed as the swing progresses with maximum clubhead speed reached at the point of impact.  b)  hold the club with very light grip pressure which will give you maximum feel of the clubhead.  c)  don't try guide the club with your hands, the swing is accomplished through the use of the entire body not just your arms.  d)  make a full body turn to generate maximum power. 

These tips are not at all hard to follow and they do not require any change in your style or golf swing.

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