Golf Learning Aids

When first learning or just trying to improve your golf game it is one thing to mentally understand the golf swing, it is another to get the correct feel for the swing. Learning aids will help a player get the correct feel for the swing. There are training aids to help every aspect of your game.

FULL SWING

Medicus is a hinged training club that you can hit balls with. The hinge that is in the shaft of the club will break when a player swings the club out of position. If a player opens or closes the club face during the swing the hinge will break down give you instant feedback and feel. It is a great aid to help a player improve their tempo and rhythm of their swing.

Momentus is a weighted club that helps a player feel the correct swing plane. It has a training grip to help a player feel the correct grip. There is a short version that can be used indoors without hitting the ceiling.

Power Hitter weighted trainer is a club that a player can hit balls with when they practice. It will give a player the feel for a proper swing plane and helps a player feel the proper wrist action through the ball.

Swing Accelerator is another swing trainer that helps with timing and club head speed of your swing.

PUTTING

The Medicus dual-handle putting trainer prevents a player from using their hands during the stroke. Breaking down in the wrist is one of the most common reasons why players make bad strokes.

Several different putting arcs are out there. They give a player the correct feel and build muscle memory for the path of the putter.

I feel a player needs to be careful not to over-use any training club or practice drill. When you first start with a drill or training club it can be close to 100 percent of your practice. After that try to limit drills and training aids to 20 percent of your practice. You must eventually train yourself to have the same feel with your club. After all, it is only you and your club on the course.

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.

Putting Tips

Even with the new driver and golf ball technology that can hit the ball farther than ever, that old saying still goes. If you have ever watched golf on TV, you would notice that it comes down to putting. The difference between the winner and the rest of the field usually comes down to putting. Improving your putting can be more than just practice. There is technique to the putting stroke that can be practiced on the green or the rug at home.

THE SET-UP

Grip: There is no wrong grip in putting. There is a grip that might be best for each individual to help him or her make a good putting stroke. You want to find a grip that helps minimize wrist and hand movement during the stroke.

Stance: Find a stance that lines your eyes directly over the ball (target line).

To check for this line, take your stance holding a golf ball in one hand, hold the ball between your eyes (on the bridge of your nose), then let go. The ball should drop on the line of the putt. If it drops outside or inside the target line, you need to adjust your stance.

Stroke: The less movement in the swing, the better the stroke will be. Keep your hips and head steady. Your lower body should have no movement at all. If you have trouble keeping your hips from moving, try changing your width of stance or see if a different stance helps you stay steady.

To help keep your head steady, practice putting and only listening for the ball to go in the hole. When you are finished with the putting stroke you should still be looking down at the green at the spot where the ball was.

Staying steady – with no action from the hands – will help keep the putter on the correct line and keep the putter face square to the hole during the stroke.

Drills: To help with your direction when putting, lay two clubs on the ground parallel to each other toward the line to the hole so that space between them is a little wider than your putter. Start with a putt that has no break about 6 or 8 feet from the hole. Make strokes keeping the putter in between the two clubs. This will help with centering your stroke on contact and also, the direction.

Speed is more important than direction. If you miss the hole, the ball should roll about 20 inches past the hole. Always put a priority on speed, especially on your longer putts. Here are two drills to help speed.

Take 8 or 10 balls and line them up in a line toward the hole with approximately two feet of spacing between each ball. The first ball should be two feet from the hole; the second four feet; and so on. Putt the one closest to the hole and move back to the next one. Each time you are getting a feel for hitting the ball an additional two feet. When you putt one after another you can get a good feel for what it takes to add distance to each putt.

Another great way to practice distance is to putt to the edge of the green trying to stop the ball as close to the edge without going off the green. When you take direction out of it your mind is only concerned with how hard to hit it, not how straight.

Keeping the putter square to the target will get the ball rolling to the hole. That is the easy part. Controlling your distance is the challenge. Spend your time practicing your distance and you will have fewer putts each round.

GolfRx: Drills to Help Your Game

To have a complete game of golf, you need to practice the complete game. Simple drills can make a difference when it is time to step off the practice area and onto the course. Here are a few tips for the complete game.

FULL SWING:

The most important position in the swing is when you impact with the ball. Working on the club position just before the ball (referred to as the slot), and just past the ball, is a great way to improve your impact position. This is where the wrists do the work and release the golf club to the ball. A drill that will improve your release through impact is to hit balls with your feet together only using your wrist action. It is easier to improve the whole swing working on it in small parts.

With your feet together take the club back by breaking your wrist only (Photo 1). The wrist break creates a 90% angle between your left arm and club. Your hands should not go much past your leg. Swing through only using your wrists to hit the ball. Look for the club to be out pointing to the target with the toe of the club pointing to the sky (Photo 2). Check your left wrist; it should be flat. The motion will feel more like a rotation than a wrist break in the follow through.

This drill will teach you to release the club at the ball which is where you want your maximum club head speed to be. Most players “cast” the club. This occurs when your wrist is releasing the club early in the down swing and using up your club head speed before you get to the ball.

The action of the club rotating so the toe points up to the sky is the club squaring up. If the ball goes to the right the club is not turning to the to the toe up position. After some practice time with the drill add shoulder turn to this action making it a full back swing and follow through.

SPEED DRILL:

Speed is good. The faster the club is moving at impact the father the ball will go. The problem with most golfers is they do not recognize the difference between club head speed and moving their body faster. I like to say that there is good speed and bad speed. Good speed is club head speed at the ball. Bad speed is moving the body faster that does not transfer into club head speed or having your maximum club head speed before impact. To work on club head speed and the timing of that speed use the swish drill. Take your driver and hold it upside down, swing it listening for a swish of air made by the swing of the club (photo 3). The air sound represents speed where the sound is tells you where the speed is. Try and make the swish happen just past the ball in the follow through. Most player swish is made before they get to the ball. As you practice you will find that to increase the your speed you will have to relax your muscles so the your wrist and arm move freely. Relaxed muscle can produce more speed than tight muscles.

CHIPPING AND PITCHING:

The number one fault players make when hitting pitches and chips is to break down in the wrist. This scooping is a player’s instinct telling them to get under the ball and lift the ball up with the swing. Keep a picture in your minds eye that the loft on the golf club gets the ball in the air, not the wrist action scooping the ball up. A good drill to prevent your wrist from breaking down is to hold a second club so that it extends upward (Photo 4). Make some chips or short pitches if your wrist start breaking you will hit your side with the second club. Look for the club head to stay low to the ground in the follow through so that the loft of the clubface can hit get the ball in the air. You will notice that the bad wrist brake brings the club high off the ground. Keeping the club low also is stopping the wrist from breaking down. After some practice time with the second club try to feel the same motion with out it. Hold you finish position and notice where you are. Look for that flat wrist and low clubface.

As with any drill limit you practice time to 20% or 30% of your total practice time. You need to make the transition from drill to full swing. Remember practice is not only about improving your swing technique but also about finding that one common feeling that you have when you hit your best shots. That’s what you take to the course.

Hope these drills help your game.

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: Lowering Your Score With Better Course Management

I find that many of my students’ golf swing and ability to hit the ball is better than the scores they shoot. The way I see them hit the ball during lessons, I can imagine them scoring several shots lower than they actually do. Sure most players find that they hit better shots on the range than on the golf course, but you can learn to save strokes with better decision making on the course.

Course management starts before you even get to the first tee shot. All players have to know their game. This means: know the distance you hit the ball with each club, take into consideration clubs you may be struggling with as well as those that are your favorite; know the type of lies that you are able to hit from; and take into consideration that your game goes through peaks and valleys.

If you have not been playing very often, your game will not be the same as when you’re practicing and playing on a regular basis. The conditions of the course as well as the weather may play a role. Don’t forget the way your body feels, we know every day we wake up is a different feeling. Not feeling great, with a sore back, probably is not the day to try and hit a career shot over a hazard.

Even the tee that you choose to play from can be considered course management. Golf is a game, make it fun. Don’t beat yourself up playing from the back tees. Play the tees that fit your game and how far you hit the ball. It’s no fun to have to hit fairway woods into every green.

It is also important to have a game plan with your swing. You might have found a thought that has helped you on the practice tee that is what you should take to the course. Maybe your focus is on staying relaxed throughout your swing. Whatever you’re thought, stick with it. Too many players turn their first bad shot into several. Better players know they eventually will hit a bad shot. Chalk it up to the law of averages. Don’t try harder or try to figure out what you did wrong and try and correct it on the next one. That is only putting extra thoughts in your head that usually makes thing worse. If you know your swing well enough you should be capable of making adjustments on the course but only after the first bad shot turns into a pattern of bad shots.

THE FIRST TEE

Should you use your driver on the first tee? That may depend on many factors. Did you have time to hit balls before the round? The length and shape of the hole may be a factor. How you are hitting your driver? With all shot decisions it comes down to risk and reward. If the hole is wide open hit the driver. If hazards are on both sides of the hole and you’re not feeling confident with your driver, hit a club that you can keep in play. You’re better off finding your ball and having a shot to the green instead of chipping out from the trees or taking a penalty stroke. As with all decisions out there, play your game. Don’t hit your driver just because the rest of your group is hitting one. Good players are not worried what others think of them. Keep in mind, there is no rule in the rulebook telling you what club you have to hit.

Other considerations when on the tee:

• Find a level spot on the tee box to hit from
• Tee up on the side of the tee that gives you the best angle to your target and away from trouble
• Tee up on the side of the tee where the trouble is
• Always use a tee even if you use an iron from the tee box

FAIRWAY SHOTS

Whether your approach shot is to the green, or short of the green, have a specific target and game plan. If your shot is to the green with the pin tucked behind a bunker, or carry over water, ask yourself if you have the shot in your bag to fly the bunker and keep it on the green? That will have to do with the length and club you would need to get the ball to the green.

Playing away from the bunker might be the best shot to play. If the ball lands short it has a chance to run on to the green or will leave you with a chip shot. If you go for the pin and land short you’re in the bunker, if you’re a great bunker player that’s okay, if you’re not, you’re better off with the chip.

KNOW YOUR LIE

Hitting from the rough or from a slope limits the type of shot that you will be capable of hitting. Every level player is different and that is why it is important to know your game. You are better off hitting a clean shot from a bad lie than to risk hitting a shot that may easily turn into a wasted stroke.

When hitting over a hazard or trying to hit to a par five in two, keep in mind the risk vs. reward. For example, if hitting over a hazard only means hitting an 8 iron vs. a 7 iron there is not much of a reward for the risk. If hitting over the hazard means having a wedge going in vs. a 5 iron that is a risk to take. As far as hitting to a par five in two, consider your next shot. Do you want a short pitch shot over a bunker or a full shot to the green? Usually a full shot is an easier shot to play. That might not be the case for you. If your short pitch shots are the best part of your game, then going for it would be the shot for you. If your 100-yard full shot is the best part of your game, lying up to the 100-yard marker would be the smart play.

Other considerations:

• Whether a full shot or short shot around the green, play your shot to the part of the green that gives you an uphill putt.
• Use an extra club if it helps you stay relaxed and keep good rhythm.
• Visualize the shot before you hit the ball.
• Play in the present; Forget about the past. You can’t change it, only learn from it.
• Never count up your score before the round is over. It never fails when a player knows what they need to score on the last two holes to have their lowest score ever it just does not happen.
• Use a consistent pre-shot routine.
• Try to stay positive throughout the round

Keep in mind golf is an individual game. Know your strengths and weaknesses and play your game. You have a better chance of playing to your potential by playing your game and not someone else’s.

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: 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: 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.

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