2013 May

In recent PGA Tournaments the pros averaged 53% to 73% hitting Greens in Regulation.  Recreational golfers average well below 40% for GIR.  Chipping close to the pin and finishing the hole with one putt is critical for the weekend warriors to make par.    You really should spend more time pitching, chipping and putting if you want to get your score down.

Mike Calbot, Golf Doctor USA, developed a product called Wrist Lock to help golfers practice short range shots with a flat wrist.  When GOLFSTR  was presented to him as a training aid to keep the leading arm straight in the back swing, he immediately recommended it for use on the back of the leading wrist (or golf gloved hand).  Locking the wrist flat is so critical for consistent short range shots.  [Not very flattering but that’s Mike demonstrating with GOLFSTR on his wrist.]

Golf Tips Magazine and Revolution Golf Blog both provided recent articles covering the following points for chipping close to the hole.

1/ Take a narrow, open stance: Heels are 2 to 6 inches apart and the leading foot is moved a few inches back from the direction of the hitting line.  This give you room to swing along the target line (without bending your wrist)

2/ Weight is on the leading foot:  Shift forward so that 70% of your weight is on your leading foot to ensure that you impact with the ball before your club gets caught in the grass.

3/ Ball Back in your Stance:  Having the ball lined up with your rear heel forces you to sweep down and through the ball to finish straight up the hitting line.   Let the loft of the club do the lifting.

4/ Flat Wrist: Keeping a flat wrist prevents scooping the ball and flipping it off line.  Low back swing and low follow-through will allow you to get crisp shots at the pin.

Direction and distance are critical for this shot.   Knowing the right club to choose for the density of the grass and the distance to the pin can only be learned with practice.  You need to feel the shot and know what the loft of each club will do for you.

I thought that this series of shots from Golf Tips Magazine is a great chipping illustration.

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GOLFSTR is designed to remind you to keep your leading arm straight in the back-swing and through impact for more power and consistent hits.  Best of all you can wear it while you play 18 holes as a constant reminder and watch your game improve.

Thanks to the comments from many of our customers and also from Mike Calbot, Professional Golf Swing Analyst, Master Instructor and famous golf trick shot artist at the Old Cork Screw Golf Club (a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course) in Ft. Myers, Florida we have discovered 3 more Training Aid Solutions for GOLFSTR.

GOLFSTR has 3 New Training Aid Features when mounted on your wrist and over your knuckles.

Each of these Training Aid Solutions use GOLFSTR mounted on the wrist over your golf glove with the curved end over your knuckles.  (Applies to GOLFSTR with a One Size Fits All arm band)

#2:  Flat Wrist Putting Solution:  Hinging your wrist in the putting stroke causes inconsistent control of the ball.  For consistent, straight putting strokes you need to lock your leading wrist and let your shoulders and spine rotation create the swing. 

#3:   Flat Wrist Swing Solution:  A cupped or bowed wrist on the gloved hand at the top of the back-swing causes inconsistent hits.   For straight shots with controlled trajectory your gloved hand should remain in-line with your arm.  A flat wrist keeps your club face square to the arc of the swing plane. This makes it easier to square the club face at impact for more consistent straight hits.  [The Flat Wrist Swing Solution uses GOLFSTR as a training guide and should only be used when wearing a golf glove and is intended for limited swings to recognize if you have this fatal problem.]

#4:  Chipping Solution: Cupping the leading wrist and scooping the ball at the point of impact creates mishits.  For chip shots your leading wrist should bow slightly at the point of impact and never cup to allow the head of your club to flip ahead of your leading arm.  GOLFSTR prevents you from cupping your wrist and give you more control and distance in your chips.

GOLFSTR sounds like Golf-Stir and it stands for GOLF STRaight.                                          Straight Arm = Straight Shot

Please LIKE this article to share it with your friends and spread the word about GOLFSTR.   We hope to hear about your success with these new Training Aid Solutions. 

Pro golfers achieve excellence when they are in control of their mind, body and focus.   The MIND understands the swing mechanics.  The BODY must be in shape for endurance and strength.  And your FOCUS needs to be in a relaxed state of mind.  Have you figured out how to control your FOCUS?

I was surprised to learn that success using the Straight Arm Swing depended on controlling my focus and my subconscious mind.

Your conscious mind sees the target, the ball and that irritating guy standing beside you.  But your subconscious mind is the accumulation of memories that make you bend your leading arm to swing faster for longer shots.   So how do the pros control their focus and subconscious mind?

• Tiger is a devout Buddhist who has learned to control his inner emotions and focus as he prepares for a shot and executes each swing.  He visualizes each component of the swing in slow motion.
• Jack Nicholas focuses on visualizing the trajectory of the shot.
• Rory McIlroy said that he totally blocks external thoughts.  His focus during the swing is 100% committed to the motion of his swing.
• Successful pros use sports psychologists for mind control to learn the process of relaxation and focus during their swing.

Fortunately, while golfing with a sore back I had to slow down my back-swing and the results were surprising.   A fast back-swing has little to do with the speed of the forward swing.   Now with a STRAIGHT ARM and a SLOWER, FOCUSED back-swing I have learned to reach my ideal position at the top of my swing for a smooth transition into an accelerating forward swing. 

My golf world has changed and yours can too.   Focus 100% on a  relaxed swing!  Just focus on the words ” Calm and Relaxed ” before you swing and hold that thought as you begin you slow and deliberate straight arm back-swing.

$10 Discount:  Now that GOLFSTR is about to be stocked in PGA TOUR SUPERSTORES and EDWIN WATTS GOLF STORES (south east USA) for under $30, we are offering a limited time $10 Spring Discount when you purchase on-line at www.golfstr.com  .  

CLICK TO enter your order on the STORE page and enter the coupon code:     bent elbow

Commentators during the Masters said that the long ball hitters like Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and even Fred Couples had the best advantage on the 7,435 yard Augusta course.  So why is it that a 14 year old makes the cut and wins youngest amateur in the history of the Masters? 

Every struggling recreational player should pay attention to a few details of Guan Tianlang’s game. 

On the first day he said that he was nervous on the 1^st Tee.  His drive landed dead center up the fairway.  He hit every drive as long as Ben Crenshaw, a 62 year old and PGA Tour winner (about 250 yards).  He had no 3 putt holes and only had 1 bogey and a 1 shot penalty.  He’s 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds.  What’s your excuse?

To achieve this amazing feat his accuracy had to be exceptional and he has nerves of steel.  Let’s look at his swing:

-his takeaway is to the inside, [contrary to what Tiger and many of the pros are doing]

-club head is kept low in the back swing with a lagging elbow into the side, [similar to Sergio Garcia’s power plane swing] 

-his leading arm is dead straight from takeaway to transition at the top and all the way through impact. 

CLICK HERE for a 31 second slo mo video of Guan’s swing.  

The moral of this story is straight arm, practice and take control of your mind.

Check out next week’s Swing Tips about body, mind and soul, with emphasis on “soul” and your subconscious mind.  Why do you think the pros hire sports psychologists?  We have a break through for you.

Swing Tips are free from GOLFSTR  to build interest throughout the world.  We appreciate your support.

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