Every month we will be posting some helpful tips for
improving your game. In addition to this I am also including
some news from around the academy/golf centre. All the
team are contributing to this section, so I look forward
to posting lots of helpful tips and fun/informative news
articles over the coming months.
Chip like you putt!
Posted by Mark on Feb 10th 2008
When playing those little chip and run shots from the fringe of the green, we encourage you to take onboard some basic putting principles to help you gain greater control.
Hold the club (say a no 7 iron for example) in exactly the same manner you hold the putter, using your standard putting grip. Basically this shot is like putting with a different club, so by taking your putting grip you will encourage a pendulum like motion, keeping the wrists very quiet in the process. It will allow you to use the loft of the club to nudge the ball over the thicker fringe grass and then run the ball down to the hole. Soft hands on the club and quiet wrists during a pendulum like stroke, should give you a consistent and controlled stroke.
One other small tweak on your normal set-up is to stand the club up a little more upright when addressing the ball. Even if the heel of the club then feels like it’s off the ground a smidge, don’t panic as this will help quieten the wrists and stroke the ball like a putt.
If your playing uphill and need a little more run out of the ball, then try a less lofted club. On the flip side, if the green falls away from you and the ball is going to run out quicker, then a more lofted 9 iron or wedge will help you control the run on the ball.
Good luck with this tip!
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Left heel down if you can!
Posted by Mark on March 8th 2008
When making your back swing, much has been written regarding the movement in the left foot. In my humble opinion if you are flexible enough to make a full back swing with the left foot planted then do so!
Keeping the left foot planted throughout the swing allows most golfers to create some good resistance and balance, giving a great feel of coiling the upper body over a stable lower body during the back swing and a solid left side to swing into during the down swing.
I only encourage a little lifting of the foot if the client is struggling to complete the back swing with it planted, it simply allows a little more freedom of motion to some golfers, maybe helping them to complete a full turn. Then I ask them to plant it firmly down on the ground at start the down swing, that way giving them balance and a good weight shift in the down swing.
Let me know if this helps?
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Left-Hand on Club First
Posted by Mark on Feb 7th 2008
We see a huge amount of golfers aim left of target with their body alignment when addressing the ball, or open as we term it in teaching. A simple and very effective way of combating this is, when addressing the ball, having got the clubface aligned correctly, always place the left hand on the club first. By putting the left-hand on first you immediately get the left side of your body slightly forward and then all you have to do is tuck the right hand on the club and not change the alignment of the shoulders as you do so. This is especially helpful when addressing woods, as it gives you the feeling of being tucked in behind the ball, with the right side of your body nice and low, even the weight slightly favouring the right leg, all good pointers when trying to sweep the ball cleanly from the tee, with a nice ascending blow.
Best of luck!!
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Tip of the Month - March 2007
Work on one thing at a time!!
By Mark Janes
If you go to the range and you have maybe two or three
things you are working on, (any more than that and you
seriously need to stop thinking so much) try to break
your practice up into batches of five shots. So if weight
shift and a balanced finish are the two objectives, then
five shots thinking of the weight shift from right to
left and then the next five concentrating on the full
balanced finish.
This way you are completely focused on one thing at a
time and you make improvements in those specific areas
quicker than trying all the points at once. You might
even want to hit the next five simply focused on the rhythm,
helps to clear the head and blend the swing into a fluid
motion. Which ever set of five you hit best, I would suggest
you take that thought with you onto the course. So keep
it simple and break your practice into batches of five
shots!!
Best of luck with this tip, any problems or thoughts,
as always feel free to get in touch!!
Tips of the Month - January 2007
Winter Warning!!
By Mark Janes
Warm up – Make sure you take a couple of minutes
to do a few stretches, especially this time of year when
its cold and you tend to wrap with many layers of clothing.
A few simple turning exercises will go along way in loosening
up those muscles and making it easier to complete that
all important turning action in the body. I can’t
list them all here, but for any one who’s interested,
please get in touch for a selection of golf specific warm
up drills.
Take an extra club or two!! – Due to the conditions
this time of year, the ball will tend to fly a little
shorter than in the spring or summer months, so instead
of trying to force the shot, take an extra club or two.
Cold air, wet ground, stronger winds and no run all take
their toll, so if you normally pick out a 7 iron on the
par 3 in summer time, then hit 6 or even 5 iron this time
of year. The mindset of having that extra club works wonders
in you making a smooth swing and allowing the club to
do the work, rather than forcing the same 7 iron. The
other thing to be aware of is most people hit it short
of the pin anyway, so an extra club might just allow you
to find the middle of the green with your approach, not
such a bad thing!!
Bump and Run or Pitch?? – Although as most of you
know I am a big fan of the 7 iron style bump and run shot,
this time of year a slightly higher softer landing shot
is probably the more effective solution. Due to the soft
greens, the 7 iron is an unknown quantity, you never know
quite if the shot will skip on or hit a soft spot and
stop dead! So take this out of the equation and use more
of a pitch style shot, using the PW, SW or 9 iron and
throw the ball more up to the pin, it’s always going
to stop so have some faith and be positive.
Quality not Quantity!!
By Adrian Stuart
Most people arrive at the driving range after reading
a magazine article on swing technique or new ways to improve
their handicap; this can be a one way ticket to disaster
for most golfers. They then spend a bucket of balls trying
out all the techniques from the magazine articles only
to find that the ball flight is let’s say inconsistent
and very much the same as when they started!!
We would obviously encourage you to go to the driving
range, but try not to hit millions of golf balls, take
a lot more practice swings between shots with a mid iron
like a 7 iron. If you have had lessons spend time working
on the few key movements your instructor has given you
and not 101 ideas picked up from the magazine article!
Once you feel you have a bit more confidence with your
swing and the ball flight with number 7 iron is more under
control, then maybe reach for a longer iron and test yourself
out a little more, if this works then try the woods, but
only if you have the desired control on the ball flight.
Confidence has to be built slowly, remember quality not
quantity.
Another tip is to always aim at something whilst practicing.
When you play a round of golf you are often aiming at
a precise object such as a flag 150+ Yards away. So don’t
turn practice into just beating balls into the wide open
range outfield. This also helps you to be prepared for
when you have to hit a precise shot in the monthly medal
or for that little side bet against your friends.
During one practice session, just step back and have
a look at the other people on the driving range, how many
of those are really taking there time, probably just the
experienced ones?
Best of luck with these tips, any problems or thoughts,
as always feel free to get in touch!!
Tips of the Month - November
Time management for golf!
By Mark Janes
One of the biggest complaints we hear from our clients
is not having enough time to work on their games. Even
when they do find a few minutes to practice, are they
indeed working on the most relevant area of their game?
The simplest way of learning which area of your game is
the most important to you personally, the pattern to your
game if you like, is by keeping some statistics on your
golf, other than just the final score! After each and
every round write down a few details on the following:
Fairways hit?
Greens in regulation? (I.e. putting for birdie)
Putts per round?
Up and downs? (I.e. how many chip and one putts)
Start with just these four basic figures and I’m
positive you will start to understand exactly where you
are dropping your shots on a regular basis. Either store
them on your pc or jot them down in a note book that you
can keep in your golf bag. You can even forward me these
stats as it makes sense that I know which are the key
areas to work on for the next lesson.
For anyone who is keen on this and wants to store the
information really professionally, then please get in
touch as I’ve got together with a great company
who supply superb software. It’s an awesome piece
of software and keeps about every detail on your golf
that you could imagine!!
So a few minutes identifying the pattern in your game
can allow you to work on your weaknesses and not waist
time fine tuning your strengths!!
For Distance control of your wedge shots.
By Tom Bridger
Once you get inside your full swing distance with the
wedges it can be very hard to gauge the correct swing
you need for that distance. This month we will look at
working with 3 swings and 3 clubs. This will then give
you 9 separate distances of shot and 9 different ball
flights.
The 3 swings are what we will call the 8 o’clock
position, 9 o’clock and 10 o’clock. These
positions all relate to the left arm. At address, the
left arm is at 6 o’clock. With each of the swings,
we want the tempo and rhythm to stay the same, so that
the length of the swing will give the different distances
the ball will travel.
The 3 clubs that can be used are a Lob wedge, Pitching
wedge and 8 iron, however once there you have the distances
you hit these clubs, fill in the gaps with your other
clubs and this will give you an even larger number of
shots you can play all different distances and flights.
Take your normal set up for pitching, and then concentrate
on making the 8 o’clock swing first of all, hit
around 20 balls with each club to give you an average
distance that you hit. Write this down as it will help
to commit it to memory for when you’re on the course.
Go trough all the 3 clubs and 3 swings and you will have
all the distances you need for the course. When doing
this observe the flights of the ball as some will be higher
with less roll and some lower with more roll. This will
help for when you’re on the course you will be able
to judge which shot to play depending on where the hole
is cut on the green.
On the course take a walk forwards up to the flag to
see what is around the hole, which side of the hole would
be best to aim at. This is especially important when playing
over a bunker or hill and you cannot see the actual hole.
It will give you a better idea of the distance you need
to go and where you want the ball to land. All this can
help you to better visualize the shot that you wish to
play.
Best of luck with this, any problems or thoughts, as
always feel free to get in touch!!
Tips of the Month - October
Descending blow for better pitch shots –
By Mark Janes
When playing that all important soft landing wedge shot
over the bunker or indeed anywhere around the green, one
of the most important factors is to encourage a descending
blow into impact. If you are looking for more control
on the distance you hit these shots, then the strike pattern
has to be similar each and every time you play this shot,
a major factor in this consistency is a descending blow.
A great drill to help achieve this correct angle of attack
into the ball is to place an umbrella or empty sleeve
of balls, about 6 inches or so behind the ball. Now set-up
to the shot, checking your weight is positioned nicely
onto the left foot (for you right hand players), ball
position centre and stance slightly narrower than usual.
From here simply swing the club up and over the umbrella
and then back down again, allowing the club to descend
into the back of the ball, missing the umbrella in the
process and giving the perfect ball/turf strike pattern.
If you strike the umbrella first then you would have tried
to scoop the ball up yourself, rather than trusting the
club to get the job done. In addition to this your weight
will have probably moved back onto the right side, a classic
mistake we see all too often during initial lessons. So
keep the weight left and swing up and down over the obstacle
and the strike pattern will be hugely improved and way
more consistent than previously.
Best of luck with this, any problems or thoughts, as
always feel free to get in touch!!
Tips of the Month - September
Use slopes to help cure that slice or hook!
By Mark Janes
For you slicers!
If you (or maybe a friend you know!!) suffer from the
common fault of the ball starting left of target and fading
right, then find a slope with the ball above the feet
and hit loads of practice shots from there. Slopes are
a great way of giving us an improved feel for the correct
shape to the swing. Up until now you would have felt a
very steep swing, with the club moving on a very steep
plane and from out to in, with the divots pointing left
of target. Practicing with the ball a few inches above
your feet allows the club to work a little more around
the body, allowing a nice shoulder turn to be completed
during the back swing. Then the momentum is set for the
downswing, when the club naturally approaches the ball
more from the inside path and a little more shallow than
your used to. This in turn will help control the ball
flight and you might even be able to turn the ball over
from right to left.
For you hookers!!
If on the other hand you have the opposite ball flight
to our friend above, maybe a controlled (or otherwise)
draw flight from right to left, then you need to find
some slopes with the ball below your feet and hit plenty
of practice shots from there. In the past you are used
to the club coming into impact too much from an inside
path, on a very shallow plane and the face closing through
impact, hence the right to left shape. With the ball now
several inches below your feet this slope will encourage
the club to swing more up and down on a steeper plane
and angle of attack, thus leaving the clubface more neutral
and less right to left shape on the ball, you might even
fade one or two from left to right!!
Take time to see how the land lies
By Tom Bridger
On pitches and chips take a walk forwards up to the flag
to see what is around the hole, which side of the hole
would be best to aim at and the general lie of the land.
This is especially important when playing over a bunker
or hill and you cannot see the actual hole. It will give
you a better idea of distance control and where you want
the ball to land. All this can help you to better visualize
the shot that you wish to play.
Tip of the Month – August
Sit into the right knee for a more solid back
swing!
By Mark Janes
One of the most common back swing faults we see week
in week out on the range is the straightening/locking
of the right leg during the back swing.
This has a habit of causing all manner of problems including,
a reverse pivot (weight going to the left side in the
back swing), steep back swing, lifting in the right side
and poor rotation in the body, but to name a few!
The flex you start with in the right knee as you address
the ball should stay there during the complete back swing
motion. I always like to give the feeling of “Sitting
Into the Right Knee” at the top of the back swing.
You will stand a much better chance of transferring the
weight and loading up on the right side with this feeling.
To get the ultimate feel for this, make a few practice
swings with the right heel off the ground slightly. This
will position the weight more towards the ball of the
foot and create some much needed resistance to the right
leg. You simply cannot straighten the right leg, well
without putting the heel down anyway! Do this a few times
for the ultimate feel and then hit a few noramally trying
to re-create the feeling, experienced golfers can actually
hit a few with the heel off the ground.
Tip of the Month – July
Safety first, for lower scores
By Tom Bridger
If unsure about any shot your about to play, if you think
you might not be able to make the carry or the gap your
aiming for is too narrow, then play it safe. There will
be times on the course when you can attack shots, but
times when it is most sensible to play safe. Remember
5 is better than 8 and if you play it safe you have a
chance to chip and putt for your par. Use your handicap
allowance, don’t try and play scratch golf all the
time.
Tip of the Month – June
Grip in the fingers – Just like throwing
a ball!
By Mark Janes
One of the most common grip faults we see is the club
positioned too much in the palm of the hand, especially
the left hand. This fault will lead to poor hinging of
the wrists during the swing, a lack of club head speed
and a tendency to leave the club in an open position at
impact, amongst others!
Place the club diagonally in the left hand, from the
base of the little finger up through to the middle joint
of the index finger, allowing the left hand to sit more
on top of the club, rather than underneath as it was previously,
two to three knuckles visible when you look down on the
left hand. This will allow the wrists to hinge fully during
the back swing and then in turn really zip the club head
through during the follow through, squaring the face and
allowing the speed to be generated from the correct source
rather than a lunge with the body that we see so often
during lessons.
A great analogy for this is to take a ball in your hand
and get ready to throw it, notice the ball sits in the
fingers, not the palm! Your wrist is free to hinge as
it should do in the swing. Now place it in the palm of
the hand and try to throw it, no wrist hinge, the feeling
I have is almost locking the wrist, not exactly what you
want during an efficient and free flowing swing!
GOLF GRIPS - OFTEN OVERLOOKED AND GREATLY MISUNDERSTOOD!
By John Demspter
Clean, fresh grips enable the player to hold the club
with sufficient pressure to swing effectively. Badly worn,
shiny grips force the player to grip unnecessarily tightly
and increases tension in the body and prohibits good rhythm
in the swing.
Grips that are too large or too small for the individual’s
hands again force the player to grip too tightly and will
reduce effectiveness. Grips that are too small tend to
make the hands very active during the swing and can cause
severe hooking. Grips that are too big have the opposite
effect and push shots occur.
Senior golfers who have muscular problems with their hands
may well benefit from having slightly larger grips fitted.
The hands do not need to close so far on the grip to control
the club, and is therefore more comfortable.
During the month of June, free grip checks are available
in the Pro Shop with special offers on all grips.
Practice Drill – Club Face Check
By Tom Bridger
To check in the first few feet of the swing that you
are keeping the club square to the target. Setup as normal
and make a swing back to waist high and stop there. Look
at the position of the club head (if the toe is pointing
to the sky then the club will be square to the target).
Keeping the club in that position turn your feet 90 degrees
to face the club. Place the club head onto the floor and
this will show you how the club is now aiming. If the
club is aiming straight well done, if not you can then
work on opening or closing the club head depending on
the direction the club is facing.
Tip of the Month – May
Putting – Feel and Confidence
By Mark Janes
Just before you go out on the course the standard routine
on the putting green is to grab three balls, stand ten
feet from the hole, miss all three putts and then stroll
to the first tee, what a confidence booster, sounds familiar!!
Then you find yourself on the 1st green and funny enough
miss from the same distance!!
You should be achieving two things from your putting
warm up, feel for the pace of the green and confidence
to take to the course. So pop a tee peg into the ground
somewhere on the green, take one ball and roll it up close.
One ball because you only get one go when playing regular
golf on the course and a tee peg because all you are working
on is feel. If you miss it you are not worried and if
you do hit it then that’s a real bonus as the tee
is significantly smaller than a hole, all you are really
trying to do is roll it up close.
Get Wise – Get Custom Fitted
By John Dempster
Would you buy a pair of shoes in size 9 when you need
size 10, even if they were a bargain? Of course not. Then
why would you spend much more on clubs that do not fit
you? No professional golfer would play with ill-fitting
clubs.GET WISE-GET CUSTOM FITTED !
As heard on the course by JD: GOLFER : You must be the
worst caddie in the world. CADDIE : No sir, we couldn’t
have a coincidence like that.
Putting Alignment
By Tom Bridger
When lining up a putt, use the logo on the golf ball
to point you in the right direction. Its much easier to
line up from behind the ball than gauging whether or not
the club is aiming in the correct direction from the setup.
Once the ball is lined up just use the alignment aids
on your putter to align with the logo on the ball and
you will know that you are aiming in the correct direction.
The logos can be lined up on all side hill slopes. It
gives you a better chance of holing those longer swinging
putts.
November
A simple drill to help you warm up those shoulder muscles
and help you complete your turn. Especially important when
playing during these cold winter mornings.
Place a club horizontally high across your chest, with the
grip end over your left shoulder, then criss/cross your arms
flat to your chest, so to keep the club in place. Then take
your normal stance and posture to the ball, keeping the arms
across your chest.
Simply turn the left shoulder/grip so it points just behind
the ball, almost over the right foot. Be careful not to strain
anything, not everyone is capable of turning the shoulders
this far, find your own maximum point. The grip should ever
so slightly point towards the ground, not down at the ball,
but a few feet the other side of it. This way the shoulders
have turned rather than tilted too much.
Always maintain a flexed right knee when doing this, a lot
of people let the right leg straighten, causing a locking effect
and poor weight transfer, certainly something to watch out
for when doing this drill.
You should really feel a pinch in the right thigh at the top
of the back swing; basically your body is like a coiled spring
ready to release down through impact in a smooth and fluid
manner. Try to hold this position for a few seconds, then when
you swing normally, you have a greater feeling of the correct
sensation. Come back to the ball slowly and repeat this motion
several times until it feels smooth and your large muscles
have warmed up.
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