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Archive for February, 2009

The two most important things to keep in mind when exploding from the sand are:

1. That the swing should be a normal one.

2. That the the grip should be choked down somewhat at address.

Too many people climb into the sand trap already paralyzed by fear and suddenly start doing things with their swing that they would never think of doing on the fairway. They stab or they dip or they lurch, and they leave the ball in the sand more often than they get it out.

OK, then I say the “Law of Attraction” I’m not talking about a dating service for single golfers…

One of my subscribers to the Free Weekly Golf Tips sent me this email and I decided it was just a good tip I’d share it will everyone.

By the way, if YOU have a golf tip, or just a comment about golf make sure you post a comment… thanks.

Here’s the email:

Hi Ben,

Your site is getting better and better all the time.
(no, I did NOT pay him to say that )

I couldn’t figure out how to enter the blog response from the blogs so I am commenting
here. You may wish to consider how the “Law of Attraction” effects
golfers. Basically, what you focus on becomes your reality and never is
that more true than on the golf course because it has such immediate
manifestations. Too many golfers focus on what they don’t wish to do
rather than what they actually do want to do. How often have you seen
someone comment about how the only thing they wanted to do was not hit
ball in water or not hit into that small greenside trap and yet the ball
ends up exactly where  they said they wanted to avoid. The Law of
Attraction works in a way that whatever you give your attention will
come into your vibrational experience so it pays to learn what you are
thinking about and one is better served by thinking where they wish the
ball to go rather than where they don’t want it to go.

Sounds simple, but this is a powerful force we are all subject to but
not many understand!

Best regards,

Bob Bruder

It is obvious that you can hit a good shot even if you follow through awkwardly, for nothing you do after the ball leaves the clubhead is going to influence where the ball goes. But a sound follow-through is still a vital element in a golf swing because it helps insure that everything that went before was done properly. 

What is a good follow-through?

In general, there are three important elements to look for:

1. How the hands finish.

2. How the right shoulder finishes.

3. The position of the head.

Ideally, the hands should finish high. This indicates that you have brought them straight through the impact area and out toward the target. If the hands finish past and below the left shoulder, it usually means the swing has been too flat or the wrists have rolled over excessively at impact.

At the same time, the right shoulder should stay down and underneath the left. This indicates that you have hit straight through the ball with all your power, and not pulled the face of the club across it.

Finally, the head should be kept down but slightly tilted, to the point where you watch the flight of the ball almost entirely out of the corner of your left eye. This means you have maintained a steady position throughout the swing and stayed down on the shot.

Every golf shot combines two basic elements: One is judging distance and the effects of the terrain and wind on the ball.  The other is a complete execution of your swing. When it comes to putting, the mental calculations count more for for this shot than any other shot you will make.

Putt shots will also prove to be more difficult as well, but there are ways to help yourself.

 Many golfers simply pace the distance to the cup. Instead of this common practice, try to just stand over the ball and look at the line to the hole, while at the same time measuring the distance in 5 or 10 foot intervals. Then check the texture of the grass and remember this last important tip: Take notice of which direction the grass is growing! 

You obviously do not have to hit a putt as hard when the grass is growing towards the hole, as opposed of growing towards you, but the grain can be a little difficult to see unless you look closely. So take a moment and use the direction of the grass growth as a gauge to aid in how much power you need (or less) in your putt.

When a golfer makes a bad shot, you never really hear the excuse “I didn’t use enough foot during that swing”. Although this would seem like a lame excuse, (and would probably get a lot of strange looks from everyone around) there is actually a lot of truth behind that statement. 

In fact, a neglected right foot could be a major cause of interference with the trajectory of a golf shot.

Surprised? You shouldn’t be…

When you are hitting a normal shot your toe of the right foot (right handed golfers) should either be square to the line of flight or turned out to the right a bit. This helps the clubhead come away from the ball low, make a decent turn, and then start down properly.

However, if you need to hit the ball slightly longer than normal or a little higher, the toe of your right foot should be pointing farther to the right. This helps you make a bigger and more powerful turn away from the ball, while still keeping your balance and rhythm smooth.

It also keeps your hips behind the ball during impact and helps bring the clubhead into the ball with a clean sweeping motion, thus causing the ball to have greater distance and speed.

And of course, if you must hit a low shot, then try turning your right foot slightly to the left. This restricts the backswing and sets up more of a punching action on the downswing, creating a low shot.

So go ahead and “put your foot in it”. You’ll be happy you did.

OK, so Charlie Woods (Tiger’s new baby boy) is a little to young to start swinging clubs, but I’ve sure there are some other proud Dad’s out there who may be wondering…

How small should a child be to use Junior Clubs?

(Yes, and maybe some proud Mom’s too! )

Well, there are basically two ways to outfit a youngster who is just starting to play golf. You can either pass down the Parent’s clubs as is, cut them down to fit, or buy junior sized clubs. Either method can work just fine, depending upon how old the child is and his or her size.

Two important points must be kept in mind:

 First, a child should start with clubs that he can manage easily. Otherwise, he will have trouble learning a basic, rhythmic golf swing.

Second, he should start using adult clubs, which are cut down, as soon as he can handle them.

If the child is 10 years or younger, he should definitely be using junior clubs. They are very light, short, and balance to fit a young child this age. These clubs should be the ones he learns the fundamentals of golf with.

As soon as he shows some proficiency with these clubs, the child should start swinging adult clubs that are cut down to fit his height. This will probably happen around age 12. Once he has mastered the cut-down clubs and grows a little bit taller, adult clubs will be the next investment.

Of course, the child could also be a “she” and not a “he”. But the same basic guidelines apply.

A common predicament on the golf course places you about 100 yards from the green but an annoying, low hanging tree branch is right in front of you some 10 to 15 yards away, keeping you from hitting your normal 9-iron approach.

Instead of grabbing a saw and shopping the branch down, as we would all like to do, the solution is a shot that will carry no farther than a 9-iron, but start off with the trajectory of a 7-iron.

Either one of these clubs can be used.

The 7-iron can be used so long as you’re choking down on the grip and then hitting the ball as normal as possible. The 9-iron will work just fine as well, which I prefer to use in such a circumstance, so long as swing adjustments are made, as follows:

You have to shut the face of the club, move the ball back toward the middle of the stance, and keep your hands ahead of the ball. The effect is a reduced loft of the iron.

And finally, place all of your weight on the left side and keep it that way throughout the entire swing. The result should be a solid 9-iron shot that takes off low to the ground and shoots right under the tree branch.

Hit em straight (unless the tree is in the way)

Ben

Ever get trapped by a tree?

“yeah, she had her arms all around me”…

OK, that’s a different subject. I’ll talking about being in a very poor shot position on the course - where a tree if preventing you from making a good shot.

The best way to approach the situation of being trapped by a tree, so to speak, is to put yourself into a trance.

Put the pocket watch down, that’s not the kind of trance I’m talking about.

Listen, every golfer tends to miss a high percentage of shots that are in serious trouble, such as one where a tree limb is totally preventing a full backswing. And all too often, the reason for a mess is not the awkward lie, but rather a failure to be able to concentrate on the execution.

 Switch Your Thoughts 

You start to think about the tree instead of hitting the ball. What you should do for any such shot as this is to take your position over the ball and try a tentative backswing. Once you have established how far back you can take the club, repeat the restricted swing over and over until you feel comfortable enough to make the swing within your restricted zone.

Once you have done this, put yourself into a trance and forget about the obstacle. Put all your concentration into striking the ball as firmly and properly as possible. Even if your club hits the tree on the backswing, you are now prepared for this and your new-found concentration will help you to complete the shot.

(when I snap my fingers you’ll be the best golfer in the world… )

Hit em straight

Ben

It’s time to change your address.

No, I don’t want you to move out of town, I want to you move in front of the golf ball.

Golf becomes easier whenever you can eliminate any variables that pertain to the swing, yet the classic methods of teaching involved some very complex changes and ball positioning.

 The Old Advice  

The traditional theory for hitting irons stated that has the loft of the club increased, the position of the ball address shifted to the right, and the stance became more and more open. Every club, therefore, required its own stance.

 Today’s Advice: Keep It Simple 

The system that most professional use today is much simpler. The right foot is moved closer to the left as the loft of the club increases, and the ball is positioned slightly closer to the golfer, because the shaft of the club is shorter.

But regardless of the club being used, the stance is always kept square to the line of flight and the ball is always played off the heel.

OK - so let’s make change happen - in your golf game!

Hit em straight

Ben

Shhh…

Can you keep a secret?

There is a unique sand shot that could otherwise be a little known secret amongst professional golfers. It was years ago during the British Open when I saw Phil Rogers take a bunker shot I’ve never seen before.

The setup for this secret bunker shot must have the ball located in the sand very near the back bank of the bunker. And the bunker wall must be so steep that you will not be able to draw the club back in your normal fashion.

This particular shot can be attempted hundreds of times without success unless you have the right recipe. Here are the instructions:

1. Simply assume your normal trap-shot stance.

2. Now pick the club straight up, but breaking your arms the same as you would if you were picking up an ax before chopping a piece of wood.

3. Now hit down approximately 2 inches high on the ball with overly strong right-handed action.

There cannot be any follow-through all or else the clubhead will bury itself into the sand. The arc of the shot is up and down instead of back and forth, just like a woodcutter, but your shot will be a success.

Just between you and me…

Hit em straight…

Ben