2017 February

I am currently receiving the “Save 1 Stroke Per Hole” series of Golf Tips from Todd Kolb. He also created my US GOLF TV video which was shot at a past PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, FL.  He is a PGA Professional Trainer who really understands the game. I just wanted to share his key tips which are really helping my game to “eliminate those nasty blow-up holes”.

We all know these tips. Pros have caddies to remind them to keep their game in check. Somehow our subconscious egos make us ignore the obvious. Snap out of your crazy rut and follow these rules to break 100, 90 or 80. You can do this by saving a stroke on all of your problem holes.

Keep your Ball in Play: Sort out your big miss and adjust your swing with a lesson or at the driving range before you play a round of golf. You may have to adjust your distance to the ball to avoid hitting off the toe or swing with less speed to avoid slicing the ball but do whatever is needed to keep your shots in the fairway.  First learn to swing like a professional golfer and then adjust for your body’s strengths and weaknesses (because you may not have the perfect timing for every swing).

Get your Ball back in Play: If you end up in the rough, behind a tree or in a sand trap, make the shot that will get your ball in play. Yes you will waste 1 shot but you are avoiding a blow-up hole. [NOTE: mark your score code to identify what caused each blowup hole (T-tree, W-water, S-sand etc) and then plan to eliminate fix the shots that put you in those spots.]

Grab more Club: Don’t expect to hit every shot like the pros. Choose an extra club so that you can swing in control with an 80% swing. Focus on the perfect swing with less power to hit in the right direction.  Swinging at 100% will kill your game as you lose control of many shots.

Know Your Shot Tendencies: If your driver always fades to the right, adjust your aim to the left and let it fad into the center of the fairway.

Know Your Club Yardages: At sea level in humid climates your ball will not travel as far as it does in dry warm air in higher altitudes. Knowing the distance to the hole is a good starting point but distance to clear a trap or a water hazard are even more important. Adjust your selection of clubs according to your situation and know the flight distance and roll distance of each club.

Chip with the Same Club: You should become an expert using 1 club for chipping (to lift over the approach obstacles and roll out on the green). The green elevation changes on every hole but if you use the same club for most chips then you will learn to trust your skill with that club. [A 6 iron to 60 degree wedge will do but I prefer my #4 hybrid as it will clear most obstacles and I eliminate fat chips too.] Your confidence using your favorite chipping club will improve your chances for a 1 putt green.

Walk off Putting Distances: For longer putts, don’t trust your feel for the distance. Walk it off and know what you have to do for a 30 or 40 yard putt over different elevations. Take practice swings with the tempo and backswing that will get your ball to the hole.

Use these TIPS or you can always hire a caddy for $100. Practice for every swing in your game and buy a GOLFSTR+ to swing like a pro. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

I laughed when I saw this title in an article by a PGA Professional Mike Dero, Director of Golf at Quail Creek Country Club in Naples, FL. DON’T LAUGH, a Quiet Eye and a Quiet Mind add up to confident putts. Research by Professor Joan Vickers in 1996 found that a “Quiet” or focused eye can improve the putting performance of highly skilled tour putters and weekend warriors too. It only takes a 2 second look at the target and 2 seconds of focus on your ball.

The longer your eyes can focus on a spot the better your aim and depth perception. There seems to be 2 reasons:
1/ When your eyes move, you head, shoulders and torso can move with them, causing a change in your putting direction.
2/ The Quiet Eye is the prime indicator of a quiet mind. “A quiet mind is not stressed, anxious or jumpy. It is calm and confident and has clarity of purpose – as in your focus to just roll the ball in the hole.”

Focus 2 seconds at the end of your target line to feel the distance and then 2 seconds on a dimple on your ball to calm your mind.

Research has found that we look at up to seven different targets before putting. This active eye confuses and muddles your mind.

To apply this in golf you actually need to focus for 2 seconds on your target point and then back to your ball to focus for 2 seconds on a dimple on the center line near the back of your ball (your point of impact). The more definite and engaged you are on these points, the better the results.

By gazing for 2 seconds on both the target and then your ball, this allows the body enough time to organize the unconscious process to perform a stroke to the target.

You should practice your putting stroke with a flat leading wrist using your GOLFSTR+ as you rock your shoulders (and putter) up the target line. Ideally you should keep your Quiet Eye focused, on the spot where your ball sat, up to a second after impact. Your input for the putt is complete at the instant of impact so there is no need to move your head or your eyes until your ball is well on its way to the hole. Practice with GOLFSTR+ for every swing in your game. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

At the PGA Merchandise Show at the end of January 2017, I watched a PGA Forum with the top trainers in USA. Hank Haney, Jim McLean, David Leadbetter, Michael Breed and Larry Rinker were all on the panel.

I picked up 3 important tips that may help you too.

1/ Stop Fairway Mishits: On important shots, does your fairway club (hybrid, iron or wedge) dig into the ground before the ball or are you topping the ball? Your practice swing may be perfect. Unfortunately that little white ball changes everything. As you tighten up for a more powerful swing at the ball, your mind and body rhythm change. Your hips are locking up and preventing the lateral movement of your body. Your weight is staying over your trailing foot, as you rush your arms through the swing.

Tips from the most influential golf instructors in North America.  These guys know and love this game.  Attention to detail will lower your score.

Pros have a fluid motion where they rotate around the axis of their body and swing through to finish with all of their weight on their leading foot in perfect balance. They also skim the grass (or take a divot) after their club impacts with the ball. [In other words (as Hank Haney describes it) the bottom of their swing arc is after the impact with the ball.]

Jim McLean said that you need to bow your wrist at impact like all of the great pros. If you can’t lead with your body and leading arm to create a bowed leading wrist at impact then you need to set up with a bowed wrist and more weight on your leading foot.

SOLUTION To Create Sold Ball Contact Before You Skim the Grass: Start with 75% of your weight on your leading foot. This also forces you to setup with a bowed wrist and a forward slanted shaft. This will stop you from swaying back in your backswing and will allow you to connect with the ball before you bottom-out the arc of your swing in the grass.

I notice that 2 of my friends who regularly break 80 are consciously doing this to improve their impact with the ball. This has also been a breakthrough for my fairway game.

2/ Swing all of your clubs at the same speed but choke down on your grip to hit a shorter distance with the same club. Don’t swing at half speed or you may create a lazy swing and leave your club face open. When you chock down on your grip you also need to take a practice swing to make sure that you are bending down a little more to reach the ball. Chocking down will reduce your distance by up to 15 yards but if you don’t adjust the bend at your waist to get closer to your ball, you will blade the ball and lose control of your shot.

3/ Michael Breed suggested that you finish every hole as if it is a par 3. Your drive or your fairway shot on a par 5 should put you in position to close the hole as if you are playing a par 3. Choose the right side of the fairway to place your ball in order to simplify your approach shot. Hit the green for a 2 putt par or hit the front of the green for an ease chip and putt.

I hope these tips help with your game as they are helping with mine. Don’t forget to keep practicing with your GOLFSTR+ to help you train with these tips. Some tips will really help your game but you need to try them.  Buy your GOLFSTR+  today at www.golfstr.com

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I was going to call this golf tip, Novice Chipper vs Pro Chipper, but your level of success depends on your state of mind. There really are 2 ways to approach a chip shot and both will get the job done.

First you need to understand that a Chip Shot is completed with any club except a Sand Wedge. Your goal is to lift the ball over the fringe or short rough to let the ball run up to the hole. In general your ball is rolling on the ground over 75% of the distance. [A pitch shot is a totally different shot. It is completed with your Sand Wedge or 60 degree wedge to fly over a bunker or deep rough. A pitch shot needs a full swing and release through the ball to create a reverse spin to stop the ball when it lands.]

Nervous Chip Shot:
If you hit fat chip shots (digging your club into the ground before the ball) or thin chip shots (blading the ball across the green), you are a nervous chipper. If the fairway leading to the green is short cut, you should consider chipping, even when the green is up to 30 yards away.

Great image of a nervous chipper.  Anger does not help the situation.   Thanks for the contribution: www.golfacademy.org

To avoid the yips in chipping, take any wrist action out of your swing. Choose the loft of your club depending on the distance that you want your ball to stay in the air (to avoid a bad bounce on the fairway leading to the green).  Setup as if you are putting. Center the ball between your feet, grip down on your club (to the bottom of the grip) and swing by rocking your shoulders. Take a practice swing to get a feel for the distance you want to hit your ball.

I repeat: DO NOT BEND YOUR WRISTS. DO NOT SWAY BACK IN YOUR BACKSWING.  SWING DIRECTLY UP YOUR TARGET LINE -like putting.

You will be a lot more successful with this technique IF you practice with as selection of clubs to understand the distance that each club will give you in the air and roll on the ground. Test your swing with the same backswing as your follow through for different distances. Practice with GOLFSTR+ to keep your leading wrist flat throughout the swing. I’m suggesting that you work on your proficiency with at least 4 clubs: a 5 iron (or low hybrid), 7 iron, 9 iron and pitching wedge.

Confident Chip Shot
If you are not hitting fat of thin chip shots, then you most likely have a relaxed swing where your body rotates through the shot as your hands swing through the impact with the ball.

Hank Haney recommends the following for the confident golfer: set the ball back in your stance; setup with your hands and shaft leaning forward of the ball; limit your wrist lag in the backswing and limit your follow through with the back of your leading hand still pointing at your target and holding the limited lag of your trailing wrists. Use any club up to a Pitching Wedge depending on the distance that you want to fly and roll your ball.

First determine if you are a Nervous or Confident Chipper. Then practice with GOLFSTR+. Nervous Chippers should practice with a flat leading wrist when you chip. Confident Chippers should train with limited lag on your trailing wrist using your GOLFSTR+. 15 minutes of practice with your new chipping method will make a world of difference. Buy your GOLFSTR+ today: www.golfstr.com

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