Archives for November, 2021

Chipping Should be the Easiest Shot in Golf

Every shot in golf is important but if you can’t hit your greens in regulation, you better be a good chipper. Golf Magazine feels that chipping is the quickest way to lower your scores. You don’t need strength to make this shot so anyone can become an excellent chipper. That’s the primary reason why so many aging golfers can often beat those younger long ball hitters. A skilled chipper who always have golf shoes for walking, can hit it close for a one-putt green. Young or old, we can all learn to be great chippers if we just spend more time honing our skill with a number of different lofted clubs.

A chip shot is a short-game stroke where the ball rolls more than it carries in the air. The stroke is directly related to putting, and actually looks a lot like a putting stroke when executed properly. Because the chipping stroke is short, it’s also very simple to execute.

The proper setup for chipping will lead to consistent contact and also make distance control simple. Because a chipping stroke is a weaker motion than a full golf swing, you only need to adjust your setup to allow for a shorter backswing and follow through up your target line.

Chipping Setup
Slide your hands down to the bottom of grip (forcing you to bend more at your waist).
Your stance should be 6 inches apart at your heels to limit the power in your swing.
Your weight and sternum should be forward relative to the golf ball throughout the entire stroke. Drop your leading shoulder and allow the shaft of your club to lean slightly forward. This position helps you finish your swing up your target line without releasing your wrists.
The loft of the club will do all of the lifting so you need to choose a lofted club that will allow your ball to clear the rough or the fringe and roll out to the hole.

Make your practice swing like a putting stroke and repeat the same stroke with enough speed to reach your planned landing spot.

Chipping Stroke

1/ Your stroke is like an elongated putting stroke using your shoulders for rotation. You are accelerating through your ball so your follow-though is at least as long as your backswing.

2/ The arc of the club reaches the bottom of the swing as it impacts the ball and then skims the turf in front of the ball. [Make sure that this happens in your practice swing to avoid hitting a fat or thin chip.]

3/ Keep your eyes focused on your ball until you impact the ball. Then allow your body and head to rotate up your target line. Your club face should be square to your target line at the point of impact, but the momentum of your swing must carry your club up the target line.

Let your club do the work for chips. Don’t release your wrists through the ball. Don’t add a whipping action with your shot which you need for a lob shot (with a wider open stance and open faced club). Practice with GOLFSTR+ to add a slight bend to your trailing wrist and hold it through your complete swing. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

GOLFAVENUE   BONUS OPPORTUNITY:  Click here to trade-in your golf clubs for cash or a credit with 25% bonus value to purchase premium brand clubs or pre-owned clubs.

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GOLFSTR SPECIAL OFFER: Trade-in your old clubs for CASH or New Clubs

Thank you for being one of our GOLFSTR Swing Tips subscribers. You may also be using our GOLFSTR+ Training Aid which gives you 6 swing solutions.

We are now working in partnership with GOLF AVENUE offering you trade site for your old golf clubs for CASH or a CREDIT to buy new or used clubs.

Act now before December 31 for a 25% bonus on your the trade-in value for your old clubs. Use your credit for the purchase of new or used clubs.

CLICK to see the complete offer and access to the GOLFAVENUE site

 

 

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Tricks to Help Hit YOUR Next Milestone

Golf is a very personalized game. Every shot that you make depends on your absolute focus to apply YOUR BEST knowledge for success. You have to block out any external interference from your environment and your foursome. It really comes down to your personal skill in making a prefect shot every time you swing a club.

Don’t kid yourself: Consistent hitting with every club is NOT easy. You should study your swing for every club and take lessons to correct your swing. You need to understand what’s wrong with YOUR swing BEFORE you can develop consistency. Then use these tips to achieve the success you want on the course.

  1. Play the Tees for your Age and Strength: If you can’t reach the green on in 2 strokes on par 4’s with 50% of your attempts then more to forward tees.
  2. Weather Can Be your Friend or Your Enemy: Don’t expect your low rounds on a windy or rainy day. They will be more challenging and frustrating.
  3. Avoid Blow-up Holes: If you make a poor shot by mishitting or landing in a hazard, accept your mistake and work on performing the best recover shot to a safe location. Don’t compound your error by trying to make a hero shot and ending up with a SNOWMAN 8.
  4. Believe in your Skills for Every Shot: When you prepare for every shot remember the great shots that you have made when you relax with a full backswing and a balanced finish. Think positive words like “I’m calm and I can do this.” It’s only 18 holes and if you can par 1 hole you can par them all.
  5. Play with Partners who can Inspire You: Play with friends who play at your speed. Who can relax your mind and take your mind off the low score that you are shooting.
  6. Luck Helps: If you make a bad shot don’t start stewing over it until your find your ball. Focus on knowing your ball location and finding your ball, then sort out a positive solution. More often than not, you get a lucky break so that you can salvage a bogey. Find the positive and make the best of it.
  7. Don’t Focus on a Low Target Number: Don’t focus on your end result. You can’t afford to be thinking about your chances to make a birdie or the glory if you break 90 or 80. Block those thoughts out. Make your prefect practice swing with the right cadence and a balanced finish. Then repeat that swing to execute the shot. Staying totally focused on the shot that you are making is your best way to make a final winning score.

Pros who lose their focus and start thinking about the glory of finishing with a win, never win. That’s why pros often have an emotional breakdown when they finally realize their accomplishment after their final winning putt. They can’t afford to start thinking about victory celebrations or they will they will lose that calm balanced finish on every swing. The same principals apply to you.

Fear of Failure: Water on the left and trees on the right. If you tighten up, you will shorten your arms and lose your shot right. Stay calm and relaxed to make the perfect shot in difficult situations.

Practice with your GOLFSTR+ to control the 6 key components of your swings. Building confidence and consistency will help you reach more milestones in your game and solve the Golf Truism below. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #84: Golf is the only sport where the most feared opponent is YOU.

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Your Golf Ball Design Matters

Technology in the advancement of the golf ball design over the past 70 years has been revolutionary for the game of golf. But, you need to take advantage of the technology that fits your game. Your swing speed is the key factor in determining the ideal ball for your game, so you should choose wisely.

In the 1950’s, golf balls normally ended their life with a deep cut through the cover. As a kid I spent hours cutting off the skin of those damaged balls, finding the end of the single strand of elastic and running out hundreds of yards of elastic banding to get to the rubber core of the ball. I was amazed at the elastic stretching and wrapping process that must have been used to create those balls.

More recently balls are made from multiple cores of rubber with various formulations for durability and flexibility. One manufacturer tried to change the manufacturing concept by using a metal ball bearing for the core of the ball. The PGA never approved that design even though the manufacturer argued that it had superior features of length and control over other balls. In my experience I could never get that ball to draw and constantly hit fades with it until I deepsixed it in a pond.

You may have seen slow motion videos where a club deforms a ball at the point of impact, but this video shows a 150 Mile Per Hour impact of a ball on a steel plate. It’s incredible that the ball returns to a round shape after this impact.

This distorted golf ball just bounced off a solid steel plate at 150 MPH.
You will be amazed to know that this ball returns to its round shape.

Click here to watch this surprising video.

I included this video to help you understand that you need a swing speed of at least 100 MPH to compress the 3 part Titleist Pro V-1 golf ball. Bryson DeChambeau has a swing speed of 133 MPH. The typical swing speed of 20 to 50 year old golfer can be over 100 MPH. That’s the minimum swing speed needed to benefit from the 3 part Pro V-1.

Aging golfers like myself have swing speeds of about 80 MPH. We are wasting money buying premium balls like the Pro V-1. We can get more distance with softer balls like the Titleist NX Tour which is a 2 stage ball. Of course, there are many balls that will suit your game but I have highlighted the Titleist reference as they provided this video and associated information.

Improve your game with golf balls that match your swing speed. Unfortunately golf balls may get you closer to the hole on every shot but GOLFSTR+ will help you refine your swing to reduce your scores on every hole, and Pclubgolf will also help you stand out. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

Golf Truism #83: Golf! You hit down to make the ball go up. You swing left and the ball goes right. The lowest score wins. And on top of that, the winner buys the drinks.

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Putting Perfection

I was happy to see that Colby on a recent GolfersRX blog suggested putting with a swing like a pendulum. As a graduate engineer I decided to swing my putter like a pendulum many years ago. It really is the only way to direct a putt directly up your target line. If you read the breaks and hit the right target line with the right speed, you should be able to sink more putts. A perfect “pendulum” swing is ideal for your success.

Your your swing must impact the ball with a square face and with a follow through swing directly up your target line. Unfortunately, we all have a natural tendency to swing our putter around our body as our arms are attached to our rotating shoulders.


Pendulum vs Arc Putting Swing
There are too many putting contraptions that encourage you to swing the putter in an arc as you rotate your body during the putt. This really is a dumb approach to putting as your putter only squares to your target line for a fraction of a second as it arcs around your body. If your ball is not resting exactly at that spot which is square to your target line, you will never hit it on the right path. A perfect pendulum swing is the only solution to minimize miss-directed putts.

The Colby Recommendation
To eliminate the wrap around the body effect, he suggested that you practice with your leading left arm wrapped around your ribs to your right side while you practice putting with your trailing right hand (for right-handed putters). He stated that “the toe of the putter should turn over just slightly after impact”. Unfortunately, if you don’t place your ball on the perfect point before your putter turns over, you can expect a pulled putt.

Solution
Because your leading arm is on your left side (for right-handed putters) it’s much easier to make a pendulum swing up your target line if you use your leading left arm to swing straight up your target line (and not around your body). That’s right, let your leading arm be your pendulum and your trailing arm my even let go of your putter as it impacts the ball (and continues swinging up your target line).

There are many putter grip options being used but we are recommending the LOWER RIGHT IMAGE with the flat of your leading hand facing the hole and an open trailing hand (to possibly release the putter at the point of impact).

Grip your putter with a normal left-hand grip so that the back of your left hand is facing directly up your target line. Then steady your putter with an open fingered right hand (so that your thumb is open and parallel with your flat fingers). With this method your putter can slide out of your right hand after the point of impact as your left-hand swings your putter (like a pendulum) directly up the target line.

With this pendulum swing make sure that you move your ball forward and in line with your left armpit. That is the exact point where your putter is starting to swing up in its pendulum arc. Pete Styles at Golf-Info-Guide.com by Thomas Golf also suggests that your back swing should be 1/3 of your swing and your follow-through should be 2/3 to ensure that you accelerate through impact with the ball.

This putting technique will work for you if you practice finishing your putting stroke with your left arm swinging up your target line (and NOT around your body). You should also practice using GOLFSTR+ to lock your leading left wrist to ensure that you keep your flat leading wrist swinging directly up your target line. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #82: Golf can best be defined as an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle, followed by a good bottle of beer.

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