Trouble Shots Around the Green

One question I am always asked is, “How do you get backspin when playing shots to the green?” Hitting the ball first creates backspin. If the club hits the ground even slightly before the ball you will not be able to spin the ball. Having a clear picture in your mind is the first step to successfully hitting the ball first and the ground after the ball. Far too many players think of getting under the ball, which is the opposite of what you want to happen. Have a visual focus on the top of the ball or even in front of the ball will help with contacting the ball first.

1. HARD PAN

The biggest challenge for golfers playing from hardpan is more psychological than swing technique. Players try to get under the ball to help it in the air, this only causes a player to ether hit the ground first or miss the ground as the club is coming up and skull the ball over the green. On nice fluffy grass, players are more relaxed which helps the swing and hitting the grass first is more forgiving than hitting the ground first on a hardpan lie.

Keys:

• Trust that the loft of the club will get the ball into the air.

• Leaning your weight to the front foot is the most important (Photo1). During the stroke, keep your weight on the front foot. This is necessary to insure hitting the ball first. Players will have a tendency to move their body backwards in an attempt to get under the ball to help it in the air.

• The other fault players make in an attempt to help the ball get up is to use their hands in a scooping motion. Keep your left wrist flat going through the ball. I think of keeping my right wrist bent back going through impact, which is the same thing with a different thought.

2. BURIED IN ROUGH

Just as with other bad lies around the green,fight the urge to help the ball out by trying to lift it out. You need to have more of a chopping motion to cut down through the grass. The downward swing and the loft of the club will bring the ball up. Any time a ball is sitting down – whether it be long grass or a hole-like divot – picture a “V” type swing. The up motion of the club in the back swing and the down motion of the club in the downswing will get the ball out of the long grass.

Keys:

• Open stance

• “V” swing – Take the club up off the ground with an earlier wrist break.

• Face the toe of the club up to sky; check your clubface position; feel like the club is going straight away from the ball as it goes back and up.

3. LOB SHOT

The lob shot is one of the most difficult shots to hit in golf. Since it is a risky shot to play, only use it when you absolutely have to. Use your most lofted club. The lob wedge or 60-degree wedge has made this shot a little easier to play. You can use a sand wedge to play the lob shot but the bounce on the sand wedge makes it difficult to hit from tight lies and impossible for the average golfer to hit from hardpan.

Keys:

• Open stance; feet, hips and shoulders open to target to adjust for an open clubface

• Open clubface; the higher you want to hit the ball the more you need to open the clubface.

• Play the ball forward in your stance; inside your left heel (if you are right handed); weight on the front foot; place 60% -70% of your weight on your front foot and keep it there through the shot.

• Stay steady; keep your body and your head as still as possible.

• Use your left side; pull through with your left arm. Look for a finish where the clubface is facing the sky. Swing the club on the line of your stance.

4. FRIED EGG IN BUNKER

When the ball is buried in the sand, the advantage of bounce on the sand wedge is no longer an advantage. You need to cut into the sand to get the ball out.

Keys:

• Open stance; feet, hips and shoulders 10-20 degrees left of target; • Close the clubface (photo 4); closing the

club will take the bounce off the club so that it will dig into the sand bringing the ball up and out.

• “V” type swing; take the club vertically up in the back swing so that the downswing can have a chopping motion down to the ball.

• Make an aggressive swing. Expect the ball to come out low and release.

Get to the practice green and try these shots before you get to the course. These are the shots that can save you strokes each round. They can be fun to practice too.

GolfRx: Spring Season Practice

I hear this too often: “Things were going well until the 4th hole. Then everything went downhill.” I know what happens. Many players hit one bad shot and start to make adjustments. They don’t chalk it up to the law of averages. Everyone hits a bad shot from time to time. Better players handle bad shots better because they understand their swing.

The time to work on fundamental corrections isn’t during a round-or even the middle of the season. An automatic, repeatable swing should be developed in practice. And spring is the best time to start fresh, well before leagues and outings begin. But most players don’t know how to get the most out of practice sessions-whether on the range or in a dome.

It’s best to have a game plan in mind. Don’t just smash balls and get caught up in distance. A range ball isn’t an accurate indicator of distance, anyway. In fact, don’t even emphasize the outcome of the ball early on. Be more into what you feel happening in your swing. Evaluate last season; remember what bad shots prevented you from having lower scores. Then focus on improving those areas of your game.

MUSCLE MEMORY

Better players understand the golf swing. With all the videos, magazines, golf channel and lessons available, players should have a better concept of what the body and club is supposed to do in a good golf swing. The body can only do what the mind tells it to do.

Many swing flaws come from a player having the wrong concept of the swing or no concept at all. Getting your body to perform consistently takes practice. You need to develop “muscle memory.”

Always start with your set-up, grip, posture, stance and target aim. The set-up is the prerequisite to the swing. First, check your ball placement in relationship to your feet. Place clubs parallel on the ground (above photo) to remind you where the target line is. Check to make sure your set-up is on balance.

One great way to help you to be aware of your body and club position in your backswing is to take a slow, deliberate, backswing and then stop at the top. If you are holding your breath or can’t stay on balance, something is wrong. Also, the shaft of the club should be pointing down the target line at the top of the backswing.

The goal here isn’t stopping, it’s teaching you muscles to get to a certain spot. The body builds muscle memory when it is in a stop position more so than when it is in motion.

OBSTACLE COURSE

Did you ever see someone hit the bucket of range balls that is on the outside of the target line (or the ball that is being hit)? I have. They’ll quickly move the bucket, but there’s obviously something wrong with their swing path.

To get your swing path in a groove and help you be more aware of the club head in your forward swing, set up an obstacle course. Place head covers or tees in the ground on ether side of the ball so that you must swing between them to hit the ball. You don’t need a teaching pro or video to tell you something’s wrong when you’re hitting head covers out onto the range.

This drill can help a player be more aware of the club during the swing. If you have ever seen a tour player practice you would see that they set up practice stations such as this to help them get the most out practice. Inner learning, the learning that happens when you are on your own is the most important. Most improvement happens when a player is on his or her own rather than under eye of a pro.

I actually see students make greater improvement early in the year because they aren’t under the pressure of performing in a league or tournament. Get out for some early practice and build some muscle memory. Pretty soon you’ll be able to stop concentrating on you swing and start visualizing successful shots.

Any questions, comments or suggestions for future articles please contact Joe at: joep@carlsgolfland.com

GolfRx: Swing Plane Simplified

The swing plane is one of the most misunderstood and sometimes the most complicated principle of the golf swing. Is my swing too upright or too flat? Do all clubs swing on the same plane or do they have different ones? These are the questions that I hear many times a day. What is a swing plane or the path of the club? Here is the definition from the PGA Teaching Manual: “An imaginary flat, thin surface which is used to describe the path and angle on which the club is swung. Plane has inclination or tilt, i.e., flat, medium, upright, as well as direction- inside, outside or down the line.”

Okay, now doesn’t that help? I don’t think so. Keeping the club on plane in the swing does not have to be a geometry problem. Let’s simplify the swing plane.

One way that I like to have players picture and feel the club on plane during the swing is to keep the club head in front of the chest during the swing. Think of the club head as being in line with your sternum or buttons of shirt. If you can keep the club in line with the center of your body as you make a good turn in the back swing you are on plane. In the down swing the club should feel like it swings down on the same line it swung back on.

That is an easy, non-technique way of looking at swing plane. Lets look at a few important positions you can check to see if you are on plane.

USING THE GRIP END OF THE CLUB TO CHECK YOUR SWING PLANE

THE BACK SWING

I believe one of the easiest ways to check and work on improving your swing plane is by being aware of where the grip of the club is pointing. The first position to check is the hip high position in the back swing. The grip of the club should be pointing to the target (Photo1). This puts the shaft of the club on a line that is parallel to the target. The most common fault I see would be players swinging the club inside too much and having the grip of the club point to the right of the target.

At the half-way position, the grip of the club should point down to the target line (Photo2). Some better players will have the grip point to the inside of the target line but never over the top pointing outside of the line (Photo 3). This is one of the most common swing faults I see everyday.

At the top of the swing the grip of the club should be pointing straight back so that the shaft of the club should be pointing down the target line. I will put a golf ball or range bucket on the ground behind a player just inside the heels of the shoes for a target to point the grip of the club towards (Photo 4). For most players the back swing ends up being longer then they realize so when you feel the grip pointing to the ground it really will be over your shoulder pointing back to a spot into the air or the shaft of the club will be pointing in the direction of the target.

THE FORWARD SWING

As I like to say, the set-up is like a prerequisite to the back swing. A good set-up can lead to a good back swing and a good back swing can lead to a good forward swing. It is never a guarantee that a good back swing will lead to a good forward swing but at least it gives you a chance.

The grip of the club checkpoints are the same in the forward swing as they are in the back swing. What is different is the forward swing starts with the legs moving first then the shoulders, arms and then the club. When the club is in the hip high position the grip of the club is pointing to the target as in the back swing, the difference is the hips are open to the target and the hands lead the club head to the ball (photo 5).

I like to have players think of the follow-through to the finish as a mirror image of the back swing. When the club shaft is in the hip high position in the follow-through the grip of the club should be pointing straight back from the target (photo 6). From this position let momentum carry you to the finish.

The hip high positions in the down swing before impact and in the follow-through are the two most important positions to find. As well as the two most common positions that better players position their golf club. They might be a little different in other areas, but not in these two positions: just before impact and post impact.

I hope using the grip end of the club helps improve your swing plane.

Any questions, comments or suggestions for future articles please contact Joe at joep@carlsgolfland.com

GolfRx: Considerations for the Senior Golfer

Being able to accommodate for age can help a player maintain their game through time as well as prolong ones golfing years. The senior golfer has to recognize their physical limitations and have expectations that match those limitations. That might mean playing from the next tee box closer to the green. Keep the game fun even if it’s not the same game you may have had in the past.

Equipment Suggestions That Can Help the Senior Golfer

Golfers need to consider equipment that is easier to handle such as more flexible graphite shafts that fit slower club head speeds. If the shaft is too stiff a player will lose distance. Graphite lightens the weight of the golf club making it easier to control as well as increases the club speed. More lofted woods will help with both distance and controlling direction. The introduction of hybrid clubs to replace longer irons has made one of the biggest differences to improving the senior golfer’s game.

For the golf ball, choose a low compression golf ball made for slower club head speeds.

Tips to Help the Swing

Poor posture is the biggest problem I see senior golfer’s having. Some of the problems with poor posture are due to back problems and lack of flexibility, but a more common reason is due to wearing glasses. Players need to drop their head down to look through the top of the glasses to have clear focus. Dropping the head down too far will cause poor posture.

Many golfers will wear distance glasses for playing and either change to reading glasses to keep score or have their playing partner keep score.

Players need to work on bending forward from the pelvis to keep the back as flat as they can. A rounded back makes it harder to turn in the swing. Dropping the head down too far will cause a rounding of the back which makes it harder to turn.

Other helpful set-up changes would be to play the ball more in the center of the stance, this may be necessary due to the decrease in flexibility making it difficult to turn and laterally move weight to the left side in the follow through.

Turning both feet out or using an open stance will allow for more hip rotation. This will allow for a bigger back swing taking pressure off the back at the same time.

The Swing

Losing strength in the forearms not only can result in loss of distance, but also cause a player to hold the club with too much grip pressure. A player who has more overall strength does not have to grip the club as tightly. We know that gripping the club too tight will prevent the wrist and hands from moving as well as make it difficult to stay balanced. Strengthening your hands and forearms is an easy way to improve your swing and gain distance. There are many different types of grip-strengthening devices that are made for the golfer (Fig. 1).

A lack of rotation in the back swing is the other big reason for the loss of distance. Improving your posture is the first step to more rotation. Always start with the set-up; it is the prerequisite to the back swing. To help improve your range of motion in the back swing try putting a club behind your shoulders, cross your right foot over your left, and rotate to the right (Fig. 2). If keeping your balance is difficult with your feet crossed do the same stretch sitting down (Fig. 3).

The point is to not let your hips turn. If there is no resistance in the hips there will be no stretch. If getting the club behind you back is too difficult, use a broomstick; it is longer than a golf club which allows your hand to be placed farther apart from each other. This will also give you a good stretch in the shoulders. Eventually, you will be able to get your hands close enough to each other to use a club.

Spending a little time stretching and strengthening will help make golf the game of a lifetime that it is. Have fun with your practice.

Thanks to Dick Bury, PGA Professional at Carl’s Golfland, for demonstrating drills to help the senior golfer.

Any questions or suggestions for future articles please contact Joe at joep@carlsgolfland.com.

GolfRx: December 2007

One of the components to building a solid golf swing that has been over looked is the physical condition of a golfer. In the past, a player’s physical condition was not looked at as a part of a players development. Ever since Tiger Woods has come along, physical conditioning has been a major part of a player’s development and performance.

Because of this, a physical evaluation of a golfer is becoming a part of the overall evaluation of golfers when assessing their needs for improvement. Not only is this important to golf-swing performance but also to injury prevention.

When I evaluate a player’s swing I see faults that are directly related to a lack of the player’s strength or mobility. Titleist Performance Institute (TPI), part of Titleist Golf, has put together a program that specifically addresses a player’s physical condition and its relationship to the swing. The workshop to become a TPI certified golf fitness instructor helped me with organizing and matching up swing faults to the player’s body and then prescribing exercises for the individual.

TPI has developed a physical screening that involves a series of tests to identify a player’s limitations that may lead to swing faults. So not only can you look at the swing and predict where a player may have strength or mobility problem, but also through a series of tests predict what swing faults a player may have. Once you determine a player’s limitations you can prescribe exercises for that particular player.

I have always looked at golf conditioning in two ways; golf-specific as well as golfer specific. General conditioning is great, golfspecific conditioning that targets a certain area related to the golf swing is great, but player-specific conditioning that is for that individual player is the BEST. For most of us our busy lifestyles do not afford us much time to spend on conditioning. However, if you have a few specific exercises that fit your swing faults, you will be able to find the time during the offseason to do them.

Taking a break in the offseason can be the start of bad swing habits when you pick up a club in the spring. When we take a swing our bodies tend to move into positions of least resistance and into positions of strength. After a long break the flexibility and strength we may have had from swinging a golf club all summer may be lost. The start of the season can mean the start of bad habits as the body compensates for the lack of mobility and or strength. Restriction in trunk rotation or tight hip flexors may be the cause of a sway or over use of the arms and hands in the swing.

Many of the exercises that the TPI use to correct a players limitations resemble many of the yoga postures that you find in any yoga class. There is no wonder why I have played my best golf during periods of time when I was able to make it to yoga class on a regular basis. Even when I am not able to get to a class I will do my four or five postures at home that are specific to helping my swing.

Here are three exercises that you can do at home and the related areas of the golf set-up or swing they will help.

Quadruped Pelvic Tilts (Cats and Dogs)

Start in the quadruped position (all-fours) with your arms and thighs perpendicular to the floor. Without bending your elbows, try to lower (swayback) your spine creating the dog position (Fig. 1); and then lift or arch your back up creating the cat position (Fig. 2). Repeat this back and forth and then find the middle or neutral position. Hold this position with the abdominal muscles engaged for two breaths. Repeat several times.

This will help a player’s ability to move and control the pelvis during the swing. This is important for optimal power transfer from the lower body to the upper body during the swing. The cat and dogs exercise will also help a player improve their posture in the set-up position by making it easier to tilt forward from the pelvis and keep a neutral spin position at the same time. This will help a player in making a proper rotation in the back swing as well as helping a player stay in posture during the forward swing. The player who feels that they can’t stay down on the ball in the follow-through will benefit from this exercise.

Two Hip Rotation Exercises

Hip Circles – Start by stabilizing your core in the quadruped (all-fours) position. Try to have a feeling of strength in the core to prevent any movement from the spine. Slowly start to make circles with your right hip, try to create the biggest range of motion possible without losing your stable spin. Repeat on the left side.

Pigeon – From an all-fours position bring your right knee forward just inside your right hand, move your right foot toward your left hand in a bent position and extend your left leg back (Fig. 3). Bring your torso down into a forward bend over your right leg. Let the weight of your body rest on your leg (Fig.4). Repeat on the left side.

These two hip exercises will help in internal and external hip rotation. This is important in both coiling and loading into the hips on the back swing and bracing into and rotating around the hips on the downswing. Anytime there are restrictions in the hips’ range of motion there will be the potential for excessive lateral motion (sway and slide) in the golf swing.

I hope these exercises get you started with your golf-conditioning program. Maybe that bad habit you have been fighting in your golf swing is due to the lack of mobility or strength more so than lack of practice. Find out what is important to improving your swing and just maybe your swing improvements will come from improved physical condition rather from hitting balls at the range.

Have a happy holiday season!

Any questions or suggestions for future article topics please contact me at: joep@carlsgolfland.com.

GolfRx: Keeping Your Game Up to Par in Winter

There is no reason to feel like you are starting your game over in the spring. There are many opportunities and ways to keep up on your game during the winter. Whether you keep your body in golf fitness shape or work on your swing, it will give you a head start next spring.

I think the challenge for most of us in continuing to practice our game through the winter is that the season for getting back to the golf course seems like such a long time away. It is very easy to lose that incentive to practice. I find that players that do take lessons and work on their game in the winter make more progress than players that work on their game in the spring and summer. In the off-season there is less pressure because there is no worry on how you are going to hit the ball on the course in the next week. Also in the winter players tend to focus more on improving their swing and not on the outcome of each and every shot.

Practicing your putting is the easiest. All you need is a carpeted floor, your putter and a golf ball. Here are a few ideas on indoor putting practice and ways to work on the full swing during the winter.

PUTTING INDOORS

Practicing your putting can be as simple as putting on your home or office carpet using a coffee cup as a target to having your own indoor putting green in the basement. There are many different types of putting mats available for purchase (see photo on page 22). There are mats that even double as a training device to help in squaring the putter to the target.

PUTTING DRILLS

When practicing, put your emphasis on making contact with the center of the clubface and squaring the club face to the target. I would say that the most common fault in putting is lining up the putter to the target incorrectly. Most players do not aim the putter appropriately. A simple and effective drill would be to make putting strokes between two parallel clubs lying on the ground (see photo on page 22). This will help in squaring the putter to a line as well as keep the putter from swinging too far off of the target line.

You might not have a green to read and the speed might not be the same as the greens that you play, but practicing your stroke on the carpet is just as beneficial as on the real green.

HITTING BALLS IN THE WINTER

There are driving ranges that stay open year round. Most will have covered tees that have some kind of heating unit above the hitting area. These heaters will actually melt the snow several feet out onto the range.

There are a few golf domes in the area. The ball will only travel 100 yards or so in the air before hitting the back wall, but that is okay. If you’re working on your swing it is not necessary to see how far it goes.

Hitting nets for the garage or basement are becoming popular and are a convenient way to work on your game at home all year. (See photo on page 21.)

Whether at the range, dome or at home, put your focus on the swing and the contact with the ball not the outcome of the ball. Better players know where the ball is going by the feel of the swing and the contact with the ball. Be more attentive to recognizing whether your club hit the ball or the ground first. Try to feel whether contact with the ball was on the center of the face or was it on the toe or heel of the club. Using impact tape when practicing is a great tool especially when hitting balls into a net or at a dome.

The off-season is the best time to make swing changes because there is time to build some muscle memory before you get to the course. Even if you find time to swing a club in the garage, basement, anywhere that the walls and furniture are safe can make a difference next spring. Make it fun. It’s a way to take your mind off the cold and snow of outdoors.

Any questions or suggestions for future article topics please contact me at: joep@carlsgolfland.com.

GolfRx: Greenside Bunker Play

Being positive and confident when playing from the sand is the key to being successful. Most golfers are afraid of the sand shot. Just like in all golf shots, this will make a player tight, preventing them from swinging through the ball. Decelerating into the ball will leave the club head in the sand and that usually means the ball will stay there, too.

I find that players will have the same swing faults in the sand as they do for a short pitch shot. The difference is that in the sand they will not get away with it because of tension and lack of confidence playing out of the sand. As with any trouble shot, players will not get away with poor positions as they might when hitting from the middle of the fairway.

The sand wedge is shaped differently from other irons where the back of the sole of the club is higher than the leading edge of the sole. This is called the bounce; it prevents the leading edge of the club from hitting the ground first. This would cause the club to dig into the sand and get stuck. When hitting a sand shot you want to hit the sand first, the bounce on the club will allow the club to swing through the sand without digging deeper.

BASIC SET-UP

Feet, hips and shoulders should point left of target or open to the target line.

Picture a “V”, your club face aims down one side of the “V” pointing at the hole, while your body is aligned on the other side of “V”.

Position the ball inside your left heel.

Your hands should stay slightly behind the ball. The shaft of the golf club will be angled away from the target. Remember to hold the club slightly above the sand because the rules of golf do not allow the club to touch the ground prior to the stroke.

Give yourself a secure footing by digging your feet into the sand; your feet should be below the surface an inch or two. This will help you determine the texture and density of the sand. In wet coarse sand the ball will come out faster and go further so you will have to take a shorter swing. In fine, powdery sand the sand will slow the club down so you will need to take a bigger swing.

THE SWING

The sand shot is different than other golf shots because the club should hit the ground before the ball. The club should hit the sand first, 2 or 3 inches behind the ball and come out of the sand at least as much in front of the ball. The club should not directly come in contact with the ball; the sand should take the ball out of the sand and onto the green. A good thought to have is to try and splash sand out onto the green; let the sand bring the ball out of the sand.

The set-up changes make the club hit the sand first without you having to try to hit the sand first. The feet being below the surface of the sand helps the club hit behind the ball. The ball placement forward in the stance with the hands behind the ball will cause the club to hit the ground near the middle of the stance. The rest of it is the swing. Try to take your normal swing and adjust the length of the swing for the length of the shot. The club will swing on the line of your body making it feel like you are cutting across the ball.

To insure that you accelerate through the ball make sure you make a complete follow through, even if it is bigger than your back swing.

Common swing faults that I see that cause bigger problems in the sand include: taking the golf club too far inside and/or having a closed club face in the back swing. In the follow-through, players will try and help the ball out by breaking the wrist to try and scoop the ball out of the sand. Make sure you have good extension with your arms and club in the follow-through.

If you need to get the ball up quicker, open the clubface in the set-up. This will add loft to the golf club, helping the ball go higher.

Now it is time to practice. Players need to hit practice bunker shots so they gain confidence in the shot. Take practice swings using the “splash the sand on the green” thought. It is a good one. After a few practice swings, put a ball down and splash sand on to the green, and the sand will bring the ball out with it. Good luck with your bunker play.