GolfRx: Playing the Trouble Shots

Not all shots are played from good lies on a flat ground like the practice range.

There are many different types of lies we encounter and knowing how to play from them will save you strokes. To be successful with all trouble shots, it is best to play within yourself and know your own ability. Don’t try to hit a miracle shot to make up for the bad one that got you in trouble in the first place. Make a wise decision by getting the ball back into play with a shot you know you can hit. Here are some tips for various difficult lies on the course:

Hitting From the Rough

Always evaluate the lie – the more blades of grass behind the ball the tougher the shot.

Take your punishment by using a high-lofted club to advance the ball; even if it’s not very far. Experience will help you know what clubs you can hit from different degrees of rough. Grip the club a little firmer than normal to avoid the club getting snagged by the grass. Play the ball back in your stance. Fight the tendency to help the ball up by scooping the club. It is more of a chopping action on the ball in order to get it out of the rough let the loft of the club get the ball up.

Sloping Lies

For all sloping lies, maintaining good balance is the key. To compare it to baseball, swing your club to hit a single not to hit a home run. A compact swing with less overall movement will help with balance and ensure good contact with the ball.

Don’t over react by changing your swing or making big changes to your set-up.

However if the ball is on an obvious incline, small changes are necessary – the more the slope the more the change necessary.

Take a practice swing to see where the club is going to make contact with the ground and to check how your balance is for that lie. Remember staying relaxed is necessary to keep good balance.

Uphill Lie

This occurs when the ball is closer to the higher foot (forward in your stance).

Keep your shoulders with the angle of the slope (above photo). This will make your weight settle a little more towards your right foot.

Take more club for the distance you want the ball to travel. With an uphill lie the ball will go higher and shorter than normal. The slope adds loft to the club, so the more the slope, the more loft it will add. For most players the ball will move from right to left so allow for this when you set up for your target. If you are a player that has a natural left to right ball flight, you might not have to change your aim.

Downhill Lie

For the most part, this is the opposite of the uphill lie. It is more difficult however, because the slope takes loft off the club so it is harder to get the ball into the air. Think of it this way: if you are on a 20 degree slope and your 5 wood has 20 degrees loft on the club, you have zero loft left to get the ball off the ground.

Side Hill

There are two scenarios here. First is when the ball is above your feet. Aiming to the right, the ball will have a tendency to go in the direction of the slope. Grip down on the club allowing for the ball to go less distance. Always swing in BALANCE.

When the ball is below your feet, aim left. The ball will go in the direction of the slope. Grip at the end of the club to help get down to the ball. Focus on keeping your weight toward your heels to help with balance. By focusing on the ball being hit will help you stay down, your body will naturally want to come up to prevent you from falling down the slope.

The more fundamentally sound your swing technique the easier it is to hit all trouble shots. The more you practice your swing as well as your trouble shots the better chance you have of taking it to the course. All players should practice these shots before you try them on the course.

Fall might be here but that shouldn’t mean an end to your golf. There are courses in the area that are open year round and if the ground is not snow covered, you will find golfers on the course. The golf industry has come up with cold weather products to help keep the golfer warm on those cold, fall days. (photo below)

You can find cold weather apparel to keep the body warm, winter golf gloves, cart mitts you can wear between shots, hand warmers to put in your pockets and the all-important propane heater for your cart.

Enjoy your fall golf.

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.

GolfRx: Getting Children Started in Golf

Golf is a lifetime game. Whether children take advantage and enjoy this game often depends on their early experiences. Golf has to be fun for children. When introducing the sport to a child, I try to get him/her to develop a passion for the game. I begin by teaching the basic swing form that will allow them to at least hit the ball in the air. If there is a major swing flaw that prevents this, the child will get discouraged and want to quit.

A child can start practicing golf if he can stand and swing a club. Get him out in the yard or to the driving range and let him swing away. There are many opportunities available to kids to get started. There are opportunities available that range from sponsored free clinics to week-long golf camps. Most golf facilities offer both group and private golf lesson to kids.

The Michigan PGA and Carl’s Golfland offer free junior golf clinics at both of Carl’s locations. The clinics are for boys and girls ages 8-17 of all skill levels. Kids golf from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. and then enjoy free pizza and Pepsi after golf.

The next available classes are Thursday, August 9th at Carl’s in Bloomfield Hills and Thursday, August 16th at the location in Plymouth. To register: call 248-335-8095 for Bloomfield Hills, or 734-354-9274 for the Plymouth location.

Equipment for Kids

For the very young there are plastic clubs available that are very light with larger plastic golf balls to hit. The choices for junior golf clubs available from top manufactures have increased greatly over the years. They have realized that kids are their future customers.

They are available in many different lengths to fit all ages and sizes. We have a “First Club For Kids” program at Carl’s Golfland. Carl’s will give a new club to all kids to get them started with this game of a lifetime.

It is important to have patience and recognize the development levels of kids when you begin lessons. At first, just let kids go and don’t worry about form. If they continue to show interest, find a qualified instructor that works well with kids. My priority is to keep it fun. I will not go too long with the same exercise. If I see the kids are getting bored hitting full shots, we will go to the green and putt and chip for a while.

As a child’s skill level increases, I will help him understand some of the swing fundamentals and teach the etiquette of playing.

As they improve and develop more playing skills, competitive play is the next step. There are many opportunities for kids to play in tournaments throughout Michigan.

Playing in competition early-on is important. I have had many good golfers go out for their high school golf teams and struggle because they never had the experience of playing in tournaments. Playing with parents and friends is very different than in tournaments or high school tryouts.

Most important is to give kids the opportunity to take golf to whatever level they may choose. You never know who may be the next Tiger Woods.

GolfRx: June 2007

The short shots around the green are the most important shots for the average player to master. The average golfer will usually hit less than 50% of greens in regulation. I see so many golfers that are capable of hitting two or three shots well enough to get near the green, but is unable to score because of a poor short game. Even the Professional golfer misses greens, but they are able pitch or chip the ball close to the hole to save par. You will lower your score faster by spending more time practicing a basic pitch and chip than by spending time practicing your full swing.

What is the Difference Between Pitching and Chipping?

Chipping is a low short shot made to the green that has less air, or carry time, and more roll time once it hits the green.

Pitching is a short high shot hit to the green that has more air, or carry, and very little roll once it hits the green.

Which Shot to Use?

As a rule of thumb, keep the ball low to the ground and have it roll to the hole as much as you can. This means putt when you can, chip when you can’t putt, and pitch when you have to. If you only have a couple of feet of apron to putt through use the putter. If you need to fly the ball onto the green, picture a shot that has a trajectory that will carry the ball to the green and then roll to the hole. Some players will use many different clubs around the green; others will only use one. When your shot requires more carry to the green than roll to the hole itself, you need to pitch the ball with a lofted club. Use this shot when the hole is very close to the edge of the green where the carry to the green is equivalent to the roll to the hole; or use it when you are further away from the green and the shot requires more carry distance to fly to the green.

THE CHIP SHOT

The chipping technique is a shorter swing without wrist action. The most common club to chip with is the 7-iron. I find that many players make short shots around the green too complicated and change the set-up too much from what they do in their full swing. To find a basic set-up for chipping take your normal set-up with your 7 iron; place your feet closer to each other; and move your left foot back off the target line one or two inches opening your hips and feet but not your shoulders (Fig. 1).

Lean your upper body to the left slightly putting more weight on the front foot (Fig.2). Check your ball placement with your shoulders because they stay square to the target line. When the upper body leans to the left the ball should be slightly to the right of your buttons of your shirt.

What makes the chipping stroke different from the pitching is that there is no wrist action in the swing, almost like a putting stroke. The club should swing back and through very low and level to the ground. Practice this shot by placing two clubs on the ground parallel to one another about two feet apart (Fig.1). This not only can help for your aim, but more importantly your stroke.

During the swing the club head should stay in between the two clubs in your back swing and forward swing. Most players have problems because they use their hands too much, thus bringing the club inside and crossing the shaft on the ground, or taking the club up off the ground too much. The swing should feel like a sweeping motion back and forth just brushing the grass. The back swing and forward swing should be about the same length.

Practice chipping with the 7 irons to know how far the ball travels in the air compared to the roll on the green. Control the length of the shot by changing the length of the back swing. Compared to a 7 iron, an 8 iron will have a higher trajectory and less roll and a 6 iron would have a lower trajectory and more roll. Some players will change the club to fit the shot, while others might use one club but change the length of the swing to control the length of the shot. Discover which works best for you.

THE PITCH SHOT

The pitching technique is like a smaller version of the full swing. If you have a sand wedge use it before using a pitching wedge. There is a bigger difference in loft between a pitching wedge and sand wedge than there is between other clubs. Start with short shots. Using a little shoulder turn and a little wrist break take the club back to the hip high level. Make your forward swing a mirror image of the back swing by following through to the hip height level.

Through impact the left wrist should stay flat. (Fig.3). The most common fault would be to break down the left wrist. (Fig.4). Hold your follow-through to check your position. If your wrist is breaking down, work on keeping the club lower to the ground in the forward swing. A good drill would be to hit and stop your swing a few inches past the ball holding that flat left wrist position. When you have the feel of hitting the ball without breaking down, let your follow through continue on. As you need to lengthen the swing to hit a longer shot, gradually widen your stance and square your hips and feet to the target until you get to your full swing position.

Like putting, always take a practice swing when pitching and chipping to get a feel for how big of a swing you need for the length of the shot you have. Look longer at the hole than you do down at the ball, you need to have a good picture in your minds eye once you look down at the ball. The longer you stare down the hole, the longer the picture will stay in your mind. It is also helpful to pick a spot on the green where you want the ball to fly to through the air. Much like putting, distance is more important than direction.

It is one thing to make good clean contact and hit the ball straight and another to hit the ball the 15 yards that you need.

Have fun practicing your short game. That’s the fastest way to lowering your score.

GolfRx: Putting – Preparation for the Stroke

There is more to putting than practice. Your pre-swing preparation can be just as important as practicing your technique. In a typical round of golf there are more strokes made with the putter than any other club.

On the PGA tour the lowest current average number of putts per round is 27.21 and the highest is 31.25. On the LPGA tour the lowest is 27 and the highest is 28.71. Let these numbers help you determine the average number of putts that fit your level. If your goal is to score in the 70’s you better look for an average closer to 30 putts per round. I believe a realistic goal for most golfers would be to average no more than 2 putts per hole or 36 for 18 holes.

If you are not sure how many putts per round next time you play keep track. Your pitching and chipping does have to do with the number of putts. You can’t leave yourself with 25-foot putts all day long and expect to lower your putting average. Lets look at the process that leads up to the actual stroke.

READING THE GREEN

Reading the green should start before you take your fist step onto the putting surface. As you walk up to the green look at the big picture first. Is the green flat, or is it sloping to one side or the other? Is it uphill or downhill?

Once you step onto the green notice the slopes on the green itself. If you are not the first to putt watch others. Even if their putt is from a different line you can still learn from the break and more importantly the speed.

Picking your line depends on the speed of the green and the severity of the slope; the speed being more important. When visualizing the roll of the ball, keep in mind that the middle of the hole is not a straight line from the ball to the hole, but the side of the hole that the ball would be breaking down to.

Once you pick your line you must commit to that line and trust it through the stroke. Trusting it through the stroke means putting the ball on the line we pick even if that line is two feet to the right of the hole.

Speed is always more important than direction. Not only is speed important as far as leaving yourself with a short 2nd putt but also how that speed influences the break. The ideal length putt would roll 18 to 20 inches past the hole, this also gives each putt a chance to go in. A faster rolling ball will not break as much as a slower moving ball.

It is important to know whether you missed a putt because of bad speed or a bad line. If you miss a putt on the high side of the hole, but it rolls past the hole by six feet, you may have missed the putt because you hit the ball too hard and not because you played too much break.

PRE- SHOT ROUTINE

The pre-shot routine is one of the most important aspects of all shots. A pre-shot should be consistent for each shot and should help players prepare themselves for the stroke. In putting it starts with marking your ball. Some

players will line the manufactures name up with line that they pick. If that does not seem to help at least place the ball on the green the same way each time. An example would be to have the number on the ball on the backside so you line the middle of the clubface with the middle of the ball each time. It will also give you a spot where you can fix your eyes each time.

Whether you stand behind your ball and take a practice stroke, or take 1, 2 or 5 practice strokes on your line for your pre-shot routine, always keep the same routine. Look at the target longer than you look down at the ball. Golf is very much a target sport, but unlike most other target sports, we do not look at the target during the stroke. The longer you look at the hole, the more you will be able to keep the picture of the target in your minds eye when you make your stroke.

When you make your practice stroke try to feel a swing that would make the ball go the distance of your putt. When you feel that you are positioned over the ball correctly take a last look at your target and make your stroke.

MENTAL SIDE

Confidence is a huge part of success. Confidence comes from sound technique and spending time on the practice green. Practice with short one or two foot putts, even if they would be “gimmes” on the course, making a bunch these will do wonders for your confidence. Gradually increase the length of the putt trying to keep the same feel in your stroke.

Before each round I get on the practice green to get a feel for speed of the green with some longer putts but always end with very short putts that find the bottom of the cup. You are better off leaving the green with a positive feel – and sound – of the ball going into the hole. Even if you only have a few minutes before you play, you are better off spending that time on the practice green than the range.

Be positive. Tell yourself that you will make the putt. Play in the present. Forget about the last hole where you may have missed a short one. You can’t change the past.

Finally, before you make each stroke picture in your mind’s eye the ball going into the bottom of the cup. This will not guarantee that you will make each putt, but I guarantee that you will make more putts thinking about the ball going in than if you are thinking about something else.

GolfRx: April 2007

The dreaded Slice. By far the most common bad shot for the average golfer. What is a slice? A slice is when a ball that is hit severely curves to the right. (Assume a right-handed player.).

The first step to stopping a slice, or any bad shot for that matter, is to understand what the club is doing through impact. The clubface is always telling the ball where to go. Most golfers tend to think the slice is a result of swinging the club from out, to in, cutting across the ball. But that is not it; the ball goes to the right because the clubface is OPEN. The curve to the right means the face is open to the direction the club is traveling.

So again, if the club is swinging to the left (out to in) in the follow through, and the clubface is open at impact, the ball will curve to the right. The more open the clubface is compared to the path the club is traveling the more slice there will be on the ball. A clubface that has less loft will put more sidespin on the ball. This is why the driver slices the most. So, why is the clubface open? There could be many reasons.

Things to Check in the Set-up

• The Set-up: This is the most important part. At home or at the range is the place to practice. Find your normal set-up, take a deep breath, and feel. A major difference between a lower handicap player and the high handicap player is the ability to feel during the swing. Not being able to feel the club during the swing makes it very difficult to make an adjustment. Tension in the body takes away the ability to feel. Too much tension will also stop the hands and arms from moving which will prevent the clubface from squaring up at impact.

• Grip and grip tension check points: Hold the club with the fingers not palms. Hands need to be soft so that you can feel the club in the swing. The top three fingers of the left hand and the middle two of the right should be the pressure points.

• Relax your arms, shoulders, neck, back and chest: I find that tension in the shoulders and chest to be a bigger problem than in the grip. After all, the fingers need to stay secure on the club.

One of the most common faults in the set-up that will result in a player slicing the ball is to aim the shoulders to the left (open to the target line).

This will cause the club to swing to the left in the follow through. Remember swinging to the left with the club open at impact is what puts slice spin on the ball. Check your alignment by putting a club across your shoulders looking for the shaft of the club to be square to the target line. (Figure 1)

Check your ball position by laying two clubs on the ground at right angles. (Figure 2)

Look for the ball to be lined up with your left shoulder so that your arm and shaft of the club are in a straight line. There should be a slight tilt to the right with your upper body. That tilt is also the feeling of your shoulders being square to the target line.

The Swing

When you first start practing with your driver choke down on the club an inch or two. This will help you have more control of the club. Some of the best players in the world will also practice swinging the club at half their normal speed. This will help you recognize what the club is doing in your swing.

Remind yourself about being relaxed and you must keep that same feel throughout the swing. Take some swings without the ball at first. Stop the follow through with the club and with your arms extending straight out from your body to about the hip high position. Look at the clubface.

The toe of the club must be pointing to the sky. (Figure 3)

If the toe is pointing to the right (clubface pointing to the sky) the face is open. (Figure 4)

Hit some shots with this half of a follow through swing checking the position of the clubface. If the ball is going straight, start completing your follow through.

Another good drill would be an impact drill. Very slowly move down from the top of your back swing and stop at the ball. If you move down to impact and the face is open, you would have just hit a slice. Relax and do it again. Make the adjustment that you need to do so the club is square at impact. If the club is in the correct position it will probably mean that the body is also in the correct position.

When hitting practice balls, remember the ball doesn’t lie. If the ball goes to the right, the clubface is open.

The more the slice, the more the club is swinging to the left with the clubface open. If you feel like you are swinging to the target with the club turning to the toe-up position but the ball still goes to the right, start exaggerating the motion. If the ball stops slicing, add some speed to the swing.

Have fun practicing your game. Remember golf is a game, thus it is meant to be enjoyed.

GolfRx: February 2007

We all want to play better golf. The challenge becomes how? Is the answer new clubs, using more expensive golf balls, or is it taking a lesson? Although lessons and equipment help us play better golf, the answer might have more to do with improving our body’s ability to perform the required movements.

I see players working so hard on improving their golf swing. What they don’t realize is the problem with their swing might have more to do with their lack of strength, or flexibility, in some area of their body. This not only can lead to poor performance, but also physical injury and mental disappointment.

That’s probably not what a lot of you want to hear, but you don’t have to spend hours each day at the gym to play better golf.

There are “golf-specific” strength and stretching exercises you can do but more importantly, “golfer-specific” exercises you can do. Each golfer needs to know what specific stretching or strengthening drills he can do to improve his own golf swing. If you know what areas to work on each day for a few minutes- not hours – it can make a difference. The more you understand the golf swing, the more able you will be to improve. This is independent of your swing mechanics or physical condition.

Each month I will try to help you better understand the swing mechanics related to the golf club as well as the bio-mechanics of the swing.

Let’s start with our golf posture. What happens first is most important: the set-up, or address position. A good set-up can lead to a good backswing and a good backswing can lead to a good downswing.

First, we must understand that while there are certain fundamentally correct positions, every golfer deviates from these positions. You don’t have to be perfect.

The better your posture is at the address position and through the swing, the more consistent your swing will be.

What is good posture? Good posture in golf is tilting our spine at the pelvis from a vertical position to an angle somewhere between 25 and 40 degrees. The amount of tilt forward would vary depending on a player’s height. The best way to find this position is as follows:

From a standing vertical position, push your behind back and tilt forward until your shoulders are out to your toes and your behind is out past your heels by 2 or 3 inches. Use a mirror at home to check your position.

Ideally, you should have a flat upper back. The more curved your back, the harder it will be to make a full shoulder turn or trunk rotation.

A good drill to check and improve this position is to hold the grip end of your driver against the back of your head with one hand; with your other hand try to get the other end against your behind. Try to make both ends touch while standing first. Then try again in your golf posture, tilting forward (Fig 1).

If you can’t make both ends touch, then some stretching is in order for you. Maintaining good hamstring, glute and hip flexor flexibility also helps with your posture.

The stronger your back and abdominal muscles are, the easier it is to have a flat back and maintain it during the swing.

Another exercise you can do to help with your upper back posture and flexibility would be to hold the shaft of your driver across your back with one hand on either side (Fig 2). It might be difficult to do at first if you lack flexibility in your upper chest and shoulders. Using a longer club will make it easier for you to get the club behind your back.

This exercise will help you open up the front of your body. In your back you will feel your scapulas come together. This will take the rounding, or curve, out of your upper back.

You can use the “club behind your back drill” to help improve trunk flexibility. Stand upright with the club across your back, stand with your right foot to the outside of your left foot and then turn you shoulder to the right. Placing your right foot across your left prevents your hips from turning. This puts the stretch into your torso. Tour players are capable of turning their shoulders 90 degrees to hip rotation. Make sure to stretch both sides of your body. You can also work on your pivot with a club behind your back (Fig 3). Get into your golf posture and rotate back; ideally you would want a 90-degree turn.

There are many activities and exercises that can help you improve your golf flexibility and strengthen your golf muscles. I know my yoga practice has helped my golf game both mentally and physically. The drills I have shown you today only take a few minutes and can be done at home. We know the more quality time we put into something, the better the results. Even if your time is limited, take a few minutes to stretch before each practice session or round of golf, it not only will help prevent injury but also improve your golf game.

Joe Portfilio is a PGA Golf Professional at Carl’s Golfland in Bloomfield Hills. He is a graduate of the Professional Golf Management Program at Ferris State University. Since joining Carl’s in 1988, Joe has given over 2,000 lessons per year. He is co-founder of Michigan Adaptive Golf which helps people with disabilities start, or resume, golf after an illness or injury.

If you have a question, or topic you would like to see, can contact Joe at: joep@carlsgolfland.com

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