Swing Solutions

Even at the age of 50, the Master of the Short Game has proven that he can still win a major championship. We really should learn from Phil Mickelson’s success. He provided 3 short game tips in a recent blog which was released by SCGA (Southern California Golf Association). Following is the abbreviated version of their blog.

Knowing these tips will improve your game but you can’t expect to instantly excel like Phil. He started practicing as a young boy in his back yard. Starting early helps but countless hours of practice are needed to learn the precision that he has accomplished. Learning these 3 tips should speed up your learning curve.

Setup with Weight on Your Front Foot:
Successful chipping needs a sharp edged 60 degree wedge where you keep the leading edge down to lift the ball through impact. Setting up with your weight forward helps you impact the ball first with your downward strike. A shallow swing will end up blading your ball across the green.

Setup for a High or Low Chip
Consider what you are trying to do with your chip before you setup. A high chip over a sand trap or rough around the green with a pin close to the edge of the green, the ball needs to be placed off your front foot. A low chip which you are using for directional and distance control should be setup for hitting off your back foot. The ball should never be setup for a chip between your feet as you need to keep your weight forward to avoid hitting the ball thin or scooping the ball.

Setup with an Inverse Line
Your arm and the club must be setup with an inverse line where your trailing wrist is bent back. You need a slight forward press in your hands to get the club in the correct position for crisp contact. Setting up with this position will ensure that your leading edge will stay down.

Chipping close to the hole for a one putt hole will save you a lot of strokes. Practice with GOLFSTR+ to hold your limited lagging wrist (or inverse line as Phil calls it) for better chips. By one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #62: Hazards attract; fairways repel.

Yes, I said thought, because your KEY thought is all that you have time to focus on. Your swing takes about 2 seconds so you don’t have time to control 20 thoughts. Your goal should be to remove the thought clutter out of your brain during your SETUP so that you can execute the perfect shot. You have plenty of time to organize your thoughts during your setup so spend that time wisely to clean up your brain for the 2 seconds that count.

I recently watched a swing simplification video by TopSpeedGolf. That video summarized the components of a swing that should create the perfect shot. It all comes down to choosing the right club and executing the swing path when you clear your brain for a simple swing. Review and practice the following check list to simplify your swing plan during your setup to make each shot with confidence.

1/ Center-Line Impact: The impact on your club face should be on the center line of your club face. This should not be a thought in your mind as you should have tested your impact point for each type of club (Driver, Woods and Irons). Your arms may stretch out for some of your clubs or your leading arm may never straighten out so you should setup knowing what to expect for each of your clubs. You should test all of your clubs by spraying Dr. Scholl’s Foot Powder on the face of your clubs to determine the ideal stance center impact on every club in your bag.

2/ Square Face at Impact: In general you want a square face at impact (or slightly closed for a draw or slightly open for a fade). You know what shot you are trying to hit so your grip and stance should be adjusted accordingly during your setup to make each shot. Your grip should be out of your mind during your swing.

3/ Driver Setup: You should be launching your ball in an upward trajectory so the ground level is not a concern in your mind. Slope your trailing shoulder down so that you will drive your ball upwards at about a 4 degree angle. The loft of your club will take care of the elevation of your ball.

4/ Fairway Woods and Hybrid Setup: Your ball should be setup between your leading heel and the center of your stance. Your swing should power the ball up your target line and the loft of your club should take care of the launch angle of your ball.

5/ Iron Setup: Swing to impact your ball before you impact any turf. Body rotation and the transfer of your weight to your leading foot during your transition should be a primary thought during your swing. Avoid rushing your swing to ensure that you have time to complete this sequence.

6/ Club Path: Be aware of your swing problems so that you can avoid coming over the top and slicing. You will never get rid of that problem until you learn to shallow your down-swing as you swing up your target line.

Practice with your GOLFSTR+ to control your forward weight shift near the top of your backswing for a perfect impact and a balanced finish. Be confident with your setup so that you can focus on your key swing thought. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #61: A ball you can see in the rough from 50 yards away is NOT yours.

Every pro that we see on TV has an amazing straight leading arm during their backswing and downswing. They depend on their straight arm for consistency and added power. So why is it that we also see some recreational golfers who consistently bend their leading arm and still play a pretty good game of golf?

I have been working on a straight leading arm swing for years. That’s why I developed GOLFSTR+. I needed a training aid that I could use during my practice rounds of golf as a constant reminder to keep my leading arm straight in the backswing.

Realizing that I had limited spine and shoulder rotation, I started using one of the Golf-Info-Guide exercises to train my body to rotate. I use my trailing arm to pull the elbow of my straight leading arm across my chest as I rotate my spine. It’s just a great stretching exercise. I still have limited overall rotation (due to age and upper body injuries) but my straight arm swing is crutial for consistent drives and fairway shots. It forces me to coil my upper body for a more powerful swing release.

My wife has a much worse problem with spine rotation as a result of a major auto accident (with the help of the Mount Vernon injury claims attorneys, the compensation was claimed at the right time). She almost wraps her leading arm around her neck and releases her arm with tremendous power for her driver. I have never tried to change her swing as her neck is fused and her drives are very consistent as she is able to straighten out her leading arm before impact with the ball.

Unfortunately she has lost the ability to straighten out her leading arm for her iron shots. Her lighter irons don’t extend her leading arm as easily as her driver so she is either hitting off her trailing leg (as she does not shift her weight to her leading leg) or she tips the ball off the toe of her club with her shortened bent leading arm.

Problem: Aging golfers have less flexibility to coil their hips and spine so they compensate by bending their leading arm for a longer backswing.

Solution: Use your feet, hips and shoulders to rotate your body with a straight leading arm. Avoid bending your leading arm by using body rotation and less arm rotation.

1/ Start your backswing with a slight lift of your leading heel as you bend your leading knee to increase the rotation of your hips and to prevent your head from swaying back
2/ As you hinge your flat wrists for lag at the top of your swing, shift your weight into your leading foot and focus on a balanced finish [as recommended by Danny Maude].
3/ You need a straight arm at the point of impact for a consistent hit and more power as you release your wrists.

If you aren’t bending your leading knee at the start of your backswing, your aren’t getting enough rotation with your hips to allow for a sweeping shallow swing instead of a chopping downswing. Practice with GOLFSTR+ for the straight leading arm. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com.

Golf Truism #60: If there is a ball on the fringe and a ball in the bunker, your ball is in the bunker. If both balls are in the bunker, yours is in the footprint.

It’s amazing to see how many putts the professionals sink. If you practice their techniques, you can putt with the same amazing precision and win more dough on the course. Pros work on (1) reading the break, (2) feeling the distance and (3) learning how to hit a straight putt up their target line. This blog is a summary of Andrew Tursky’s recent article covering the techniques used by Aaron Baddeley, one of the PGA Tour’s best putters of the last 20 years. [In 2004 Baddeley finished in the top-10 in the putting category ten times and he led the tour in 2015 which is nearly unmatched.]

“Poor putting tends to wear down the psyche of a golfer more than any other part of the game.” Aaron’s putting strategies and practice tips may be your gateway to success:
1) Just putt it: Baddeley’s approach is to allow his inner athlete take over, rather than doubts or concerns. “I just putt…I just try and hole it,” Baddeley says. “It sounds funny, but it’s like throwing a ball to first base.” He sees downhill putts gently falling over the front lip of the cup and on uphill putts he sees the ball going into the back of the cup. From there, he simply reacts to the speed he has in his mind.
Speed Drill 1: Find a putt with a good amount of break on your practice green, and place three balls down about 4-5 feet from the cup. Hit each putt with different speed; one fast, one slow, and one medium. Each putt will break differently, and over time, you’ll get comfortable controlling the speed needed for all 3 balls to tumble into the hole.
Speed Drill 2: The tee drill. Surround a practice hole with tees at around 5-6 feet, and go around the circle from tee-to-tee hitting putts at the cup. This helps simulate the different breaks of putts you’ll see on the course.

2) Setup the same way every time: The swing needs to be is exactly the same to hit the center of the face to create straight putts. Only the swing distance changes to compensate for distance. To ensure he sets up the same distance from the ball on every stroke, Baddeley uses his putter head to measure the distance from the golf ball to his feet. His sweet spot is 3.5 putter head lengths. At that distance, Baddeley has his eyes over the ball in the proper spot where he can make a free-flowing stroke. Measure your gap and check it (while your play) if your putts stop sinking.

3) “Measure” your aim: Baddeley says the most important part of putting is aiming the face properly at your starting line. Reading the putt correctly is only half the battle. Butch Harmon taught Baddeley to putt off the end of a ruler to get his putter face square. Setup a ruler about 10 feet from a hole and pointed directly at the hole on a dead straight putt. When you setup to the ball, check to see if the ruler looks like it is pointing left or right of your target? Hit putts to see what “square” really feels like.

Improve your putting by practicing to feel the break and to set up exactly the same way with a square putter face to hit up your target line. The GOLFSTR+ Training Aid is a great way to practice putting with your locked leading wrist and to build your confidence for your successful putting. By one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #59: I’s easier to get up at 6 AM to play golf then at 10 AM to move the grass.

Because you make about 36 putts on every round of golf, shouldn’t it be the easiest way to lower your scores. Lydia Ko won the Lotte Championship in Hawaii with drives that were 30 yards shorter than the longest drivers but averaged 4 putts less per round than the longest drivers. That is great inspiration and wake up call for recreational players. You need to apply a unique strategy for every putt specifically if its a lag, uphill, downhill and sidehill putt.

A great starting point is to practice making straight putts by swing straight up your putting line. Your ball position should be slightly forward of the center of your stance to ensure a top spin roll without any bounce. Putt by rocking your shoulders and locking your wrists to make a straight putt. The best putters use their brains. They determine the speed of greens by using the practice green before they play a round of golf. They get a feel for the speed of up-hill, down-hill and side-hill putts as they are tuning up their brains. They also use these strategies:

Chip or Lag Putt Close to the Hole
Your good approach shot to every green is the starting point for your first putt. Of course you want to minimize the length of your first putt but if you don’t have the skill to stop on a dime, plan for a safe landing area on or near the green (avoiding perimeter sand traps and extreme slopes). Improve your chipping skills and lag putting skills to get your ball within the 10 foot of the hole where you have a real chance to sink your putt.

Strategic Putting
You need a different strategy for uphill, downhill and side-hill putts. Walk around your putting line to determine the direction of the slope and the amount of slope. The best putters will make a firm putt to minimize the break as the ball reaches the hole (at its slowest speed where it will break the most). Remember that all putts that dies short of the hole never goes in so plan putting with enough speed to pass the hole.

Uphill Putts (Make a firm putt and expect less break.): When your putt is primarily uphill, looks for the side hill break and make sure to account for that break but your FIRM PUTT UPHILL will limit the side-hill break. Make sure that you are putting to pass the hole by up to 2 feet to MINIMIZE the side-hill break.

Sidehill Putts (Make your short putts firm.): When you putt across a minor slope on a 1 to 3 foot putt you should be putting firm enough to MINIMIZE the break and pass the hole by 2 feet (if you miss the hole). Plan to shape your longer sidehill putts to die into the hole. [You have seen golfers like Adam Scott hold up a finger or 2 fingers while planning for side hill putts where the number of fingers are a reminder for the magnitude of the slope. There is no perfect system or Adam would be on top of his game today.]

Downhill Putts (Die into the hole): These putts are the most difficult to sink as you can’t make firm putts to avoid imperfections on the green. Firm downhill putts may just end up in a longer return putt and possibly a third putt so you have no choice but to die into the hole. Choose your line and prey for success based on your experience to choose the right line for any side slope during your putt.

Practice all of our putts with GOLFSTR+ to keep you leading wrist locked. See you success and then apply the same shoulder rocking swing for all of your putts. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #59: I’s easier to get up at 6 AM to play golf then at 10 AM to move the lawn.

Too many golfers destroy their swing by starting their downswing with their arms and wrist release from the top of the swing. If you are one of these golfers you need to “FEEL” A NEW approach to your swing. You will never improve the consistency of your swing unless you commit to learning the correct way to swing. START YOUR DOWNSWING WITH YOUR LEADING KNEE AND YOUR LOWER BODY ROTATION.

As shocking as it may seem, your downswing STARTS WITH YOUR WEIGHT SHIFT TO YOUR LEADING LEG as your backswing reaches the transition from swinging up to down.

Because this is a new approach for your swing, you should learn this move at half the speed of you normal backswing. Remember that the change in direction from up to down is ZERO MILES PER HOUR. The transition of your club reaches a dead stopped at the top BUT YOUR LOWER BODY IS IN CONSTANT MOTION as you start your down swing with an EARLY LEADING KNEE BEND for a weight shift to your leading leg.

Your backswing and downswing must include:
1/ a rotation of your hips and shoulders to coil up your body for POWER and wrist cocking for lag at the top of your swing.
2/ a BEND IN YOUR LEADING KNEE for weight transfer to your leading leg during the transition at the top of your swing.
3/ a straight leading arm (and flat wrist) or a leading arm that will straighten out before the impact with your ball to keep a consistent distance to the ball for your setup and your point of impact.

How to Create Your Weight Transfer
1/ Weight transfer happens as your swing approaches the top of your backswing. YES, your body weight is shifting forward with the momentum of your backswing. It happens as you reach the transition point where you change club direction from up to down. Give yourself more time in your backswing to make this weight shift. Instead of using the UP and DOWN cadence of “1, 2”, mentally think the words “1 and 2”. Adding the word “and” to give you a little more time to bend your leading knee to shift your weight to your leading foot and cock your wrist to create lag at the top of your swing.

NOTE: Your weight shift and wrist lag are your focus so that early release of your wrists is not happening.

2/ As your weight shifts to your leading foot, your hips are already rotating forward so you are uncoiling from your legs up to your shoulders as your arms start to drop without an early release of your wrists.

3/ Your straight leading arm drops and finally releases your wrists to whip your club through impact at the bottom of your swing. [Early wrist release is the killer for lost power so practice creating a whooshing noise with and inverted club at the bottom of your swing.]

To feel your corrected swing, practice with a mid-iron AND SAY THE CADENCE “1 and 2” in your mind (where “2” is the start of your downswing. An iron is shorter and lighter than your driver so it’s critical that you learn this forward weight transfer with an iron. Use your GOLFSTR+ to learn to swing with a straight leading arm for your backswing and then flip the plastic plate to test for your trailing arm lag at the top of your swing. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #58: A good drive on the 18th hole has stopped many a golfer from giving up the game.

Are you missing short putts that you expected to sink? I recently discovered an immediate solution using any conventional putter. I have been practicing my short putts with a GOLFSTR+ to putt with a locked leading wrist. That practice improved my confidence to putt with a locked wrist but using GOLFSTR+ during any competitive rounds of golf is PROHIBITED.

BINGO!!! I have now discovered a way to use my existing putter to lock my leading wrist and solve my problem with shaking, nervous hands for short putts under 6 feet.

I got this idea when I noticed Bryson DeChambeau, Webb Simpson, Bernhard Langer and Matt Kutcher using an ARM-LOCK TECHNIQUE with longer putter handles pressed against the underside of their leading forearm. I have seen the method used for some time but when the up and coming Will Zalatoris used this technique to win runner up at The Masters, I realized that shaky hands and wrists could be a problem for most golfers, young and old.

Solution
For my short putts under 6 feet I have now improved my putting by gripping down on my putter handle with both hands at the same level and allowing the extended putter grip to press against my forearm. To do this with my standard putter I just have to bend over a little further at my waist. I almost bend over like Michelle Wei West in her table-top putting stance. The good news is that if I choose a putting line, I definitely hit that line.

I just putt with a normal shoulder rocking motion to swing my putter directly up my chosen line. Shaking hands and wrists are no longer a problem. Now that I have more confidence I am hitting more firm putts to ensure that I have enough speed to pass the hole and limit the brake as the putt slows down near the hole. Short putts never go in.

For my longer putts over 6 feet I don’t seem to have the same wrist and hand shaking problem because there is a lot more motion in my shoulders to swing my arms for the longer putts.

Anchored Putting is Banned
We all know that anchored putting, where a golfer holds the end of a long handled putter with a leading hand and anchored against the chest is not legal. Pressing the extended end of your putter shaft against your forearm is perfectly legal under the Rules of Golf. According to Rule 10.1b, a player’s putting stroke must not include an anchor point on which they plant their forearm — i.e., the technique used with broomstick putters, with the end of the putter (or the player’s forearm) anchored against a player’s chest. Adam Scott prevailed at the 2013 Masters while anchoring, as did Keegan Bradley at the 2011 PGA Championship” but that style of putting is no longer allowed.

I call this WRIST-LOCK PUTTING. Most golfers miss half of their putts within 6 feet of the hole. You are losing about 5 to 9 strokes per round. Stop missing short putts. Practice with GOLFSTR+ to prove to yourself that a locked leading wrist putt will help you sink more short putts. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #57: Golf is the perfect thing to do on Sunday because you spend longer praying than you would in church.

If you have made par or birdie on a hole, what’s stopping you from doing the same on every hole that you play?  Your swing must have been perfect for the successful holes that you played in the past so what is holding you back for your future successes in golf.  As it turns out, it’s all in your MIND.

There have been some amazing wins and accomplishments from new and also past winners in recent tournaments.   Why are these golfers suddenly re-surging?  I started thinking about this when Sean Foley brought Lydia Ko’s golf career back to life.

Sean Foley (Certified PGA Trainer for Tiger and Lydia Ko) shared an emotional Instagram, praising Lydia for her first tour victory in 3 years.  His primary focus on training Lydia was to build confidence from her past successes.  He recognized that she just had to find and release the game that he knew was within.  He helped her understand that she had performed well in the past so her skill and attitude was already in her mind and body. All that he did was to give her the conviction to let it re-emerge. 

These are a few of the recent golfers who changed their mental focus into success (in addition to Hideki Matsuyama who won the Masters, his first PGA win in 4 years).

1/ Stewart Cink winning RBC Heritage at Hilton Head by 3 shots at the age of 47.  He focused on a hole by hole game plan each night before each round with his son who happened to also be his caddy.  He said that it cleared his vision and his ability to make the shots that he wanted.

2/ Lydia Ko had not won in 3 years and won by a margin of 7 strokes at Lotte Championship in Hawaii.  Since she started working with Sean Foley she has had 9 top 10 finishes in her last 16 starts.  She also set a low round scoring record in the final round of the ANA Championship.  NOTE: Her drives are still about 30 yards shorter than the longest drivers but her accuracy to hit greens and putts is blowing the field away.

3/ Jordon Speith is back on a tear with a fresh return to his winning form.  He just changed back to his original swing style by shallowing his downswing.  We expect to see him win a few tournaments this summer.

4/ Will Zalatoris came from the college ranks to place second at the Masters.  He is a new comer on the pro scene but he sure is shaking up the golf world.

I’ve seen the same commitment and success happen recently in the Professional Tennis world.  Winning gives them confidence and that confidence breeds success.   It’s caused by their new found mental attitude.

Focus on One Shot and One Hole at a Time. 

Mark-up the corners of the box on your score card for each hole with a check for your drives staying in the fairway (or on a par 3 green), a check for Greens in Regulation and number of putts.  Total your checks for FIR, GIR and Putts for comparison to your next round.  Playing against yourself from round to round is a great way to lower your scores, or pclubgolf.com may also help.  You may want to put in some extra practice with your GOLFSTR+ to help you focus on your perfect hits.  Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #56: A good golf partner is one who’s always slightly worse than you are, that’s why I get so many calls to play with Friends.

Every golfer has a certain skill level based on the time that you have golfed and the amount of training and practice you have put into the game. You have improved your game by adjusting the clubs that you use and the balls that you prefer. At this stage in your game you have hit perfect shots with every club in your bag and you know that wonderful feeling of executing perfect shots. So why do you still mishit a percentage of shots?

Each type of shot requires a different set of skills. Putting is the easiest skill but it is the most difficult to perfect. You have to learn to read every green based on the speed of the green to estimate a line for your putt and the power required to at least reach the hole. An approach shot to the green requires the skill to choose the right club and power for your swing to get your ball to stop on the green near the hole. The easiest shot should be a tee shot on a par 4 or par 5 where distance is your preference because you only need to land your ball on the fairway in preparation for your next shot.

Personal Pressure Causes Mishits
So why is it that you still mishit tee shots as well as every other shot that you have made a hundred times before? You are actually putting pressure on yourself to control your shots and to hit longer shots. You can only blame yourself for that pressure. Here are some solutions to minimize that pressure! It’s all in your mind.

How Do YOU Minimize Mental Pressure?
1/ Practice Builds Confidence: If your driver is not working, get fitted for a club that works for your swing speed. Over the years I have changed from a stiff to a regular and now to a senior shaft. When your speed and strength goes, you need to let the whip of your shaft do the work.
2/ Take Pressure Off: Don’t go for the hero shot. Use a less lofted club and swing at 80% for better direction and distance control. Restrict your backswing as your bent arm backswing is not helping you. Learn to swing with a straight leading arm as you coil your body for more power. GOLFSTR+ is a great training aid to help you cure this problem.
3/ Choose a Club That you Know Will Reach Your Target. Don’t choose a club that you know can only reach your target 25% of the time. It’s better to swing at 80% and choke down on a club to ensure that you can reach your target.
4/ Take an Unplayable. When you know your swing or shot is obstructed take a stroke penalty for a 2 club relief. It’s much better than hitting into more trouble or burying your next shot in a bush. [On day #4 at the Masters, Billy Horschel hit into Rae’s Creek and lost 2 strokes before he used an unplayable to escape. It was an expensive 8.]
5/ Expect More Rollout on a Green. When hitting any club into a green plan for extra rollout. It’s far better to stay on the green than to roll off the back.
6/ Layup When the Green Won’t Hold Your Shot: Hit to a good entry point if you know that your long iron will not check up on that green.

Knowing what to do and doing it are 2 different things. You can’t change your mind after you make the shot so why not play it safe and avoid the high numbers on any hole. the best callaway edge golf clubs can also level up your performance. Build confidence by practicing with your GOLFSTR+ and save more strokes. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #55: If there’s a storm rolling in, you’ll be having the game of your life.

We have all struggled with the bunker shots, especially when we are playing in a match where every stroke counts. A messed up shot on a fairway is a pain but 2 or 3 attempts to get out of a bunker is a real disaster. We all land in bunkers so wouldn’t it be fantastic if we knew that we could get out in our first attempt?

I was excited to watch a friend escape a bunker with a perfect swing. She had taken a lesson from a PGA Certified Instructor who showed her the ideal bunker escape shot:

1/ Using your sand wedge setup with an open stance and the ball in the center of your stance and weight slightly forward (on your leading foot).
2/ Wiggle your feet down about an inch into the sand for stability and to lower your swing depth in the sand.
3/ Open your club face so that the face points almost straight up from the sand (depending on the distance that you want your ball to fly). You still need to make a three-quarter to full swing and finish your follow-through.
4/ KEY POINT: Imagine a quarter placed in the sand beyond your ball. Your goal is to launch your ball, the imaginary quarter and sand on to the green. Depending on the distance you want to fly your ball take a three-quarter swing to power the head of your sand wedge under your ball and LAUNCH YOUR BALL & SAND (about 3 to 5 inches) BEYOND THE BALL ONTO THE GREEN.

Unfortunately after working on this method I would still leave about 30% of my bunker shots in the bunker.

Improved Solution

Amazing Discovery
I discovered that if I STARE AT A SPOT IN THE SAND ABOUT 1 INCH BEYOND THE BALL DURING MY SWING I can now make most of my bunker shots. I have never heard a pro recommend this trick. If I want to land my ball further across the green, I just focus on a spot about 2 or 4 inches beyond my ball.

After you try this revolutionary method out, I hope to hear from you. I realize that it’s difficult to change your focus from your ball to a point in the sand beyond your ball. Just drop a number of balls in a practice trap and feel the thrill of success before you take this trick to the course. Start enjoying your bunker play forever.

You still need to swing with a straight leading arm so practice this shot with your GOLFSTR+. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com . Try out your new bunker shot and drop your comments in below.

Golf Truism #54: Golf balls are like eggs. They’re white, sold by the dozen and you need to buy fresh ones each week.