Will Curry

I have always used these mental excuses for not hitting my drives as far as others in my foursome. Of course we are all looking for excuses. Now that we are starting a new PGA golf season, I noticed that there are some surprising results. By recent performance of some of the top players in the world, it looks like skill, strength and flexibility are more important than weight, height and age.

Are Weight and Height Key Factors for Your Golf Swing?
Brian Harman and Patton Kizzire teamed up to capture golf’s QBE Shootout at the Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida last week. It’s a 3 day event with a Scramble, Alternate Shot and Best Ball formats. This is a great example of tall and short as well as heavy and light weight where these factors had limited effect.

Congratulations to the Harman/Kizzire team winning QBE Shootout where it clearly showed that size does not matter in golf.

–Patton Kizzire: 32, 6 foot 5inches, 215 pounds. In RSM Classic his driving average was 286 yards, longest 312, accuracy was 72% and GIR 76.4%
–Brian Harman:5 foot 7 inches, 31 years old and 150 pounds. RSM Classic his average drive was 275 yards and his longest was 308 with an accuracy of 87.5% and GIR 72.2 %

Another recent example of an aging, short and light weight golfer Louis Oosthuizen at 36, 5 foot 10 inches and 180 pounds recently won the South African Open. On the par 4, 9th hole, he hit a 341 yard drive to pin high (but missed the eagle putt). 4 years ago he won the 2014 PGA Long Drive Competition with a drive of 340 yards beating Jason Day by 2 yards.

Is Age a Limiting Factor?
Charles Howell III at 39 and Matt Kucher at 40 both recently won tournaments on the same day and exactly 4 years after they had their last PGA Tournament wins.  Tiger Woods is 42 and now that he has recovered from many physical and emotional problems he will most likely win more tournaments. Of course we can’t forget the near miss for Tom Watson at age 60 when he lost his lead and tied on the 18th hole of The Open in 2009. Unfortunately he lost the playoff.

Why is an Average Sized Guy Outperforming the Big Hitters?
Cameron Champ is only 23, 6 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds. At the US Open 2017 he led the field in driving distance at 337 yards. When he won the Safeway Open, his average club-head speed and ball speed, were the fastest at 129.66 mph and 192.67 mph. He swings wide in the takeaway and loops down at the top and then swings from the inside slot and up his target line.  [Try it, you’ll like it.]

Cameron’s swing coach from the age of 14, Sean Foley, pointed out, “Look how much his club lies down across the top.” It looping about 10 inches down at the top. “He’s really loaded without swaying off the ball.” He has a perfect straight arm swing and wrist lag with a delayed release for major whipping action and power. He also pointed out that Cameron’s drives are about 30 yards longer than Dustin Johnson.

Weight, height and age are not the controlling factors in the golf swing. In our next blog we will summarize why skill, strength and flexibility along with an efficient swing are so critical for your golf swing. Practice for the perfect swing with GOLFSTR+. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

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Our weekly Swing Training Support Blogs are created based on what we see and hear that the professional golfers are doing.  It’s interesting that I recall seeing that Jack Nicholas always spent time to visualizing his shots.  Brendan Steele made a similar comment on the Golf Channel about pausing (about 2 seconds) to not only find a target but he focuses on a specific point that he wants to hit.  I’m only mentioning this because pros have been telling us to do exactly the same thing for putting.  “Focus on your putting target.”  Could burning an impression in our brain really help us hit our target?

Visualization sounds like a bunch of bunk because our swing is an action that only impacts with the ball and the target is in a totally different location.  The swing and the target are really 2 independent issues.  Why would visualization create a perfect end result for a ball that we have little control over?   We are only giving the ball direction and power and the target is a figment of our imagination (because we are supposed to be looking at the ball through impact).

Visualize your target.   Then focus on swing to power your ball  up your target line.  The water is only a mirage.

The Problem:
Our brain tries to take our golf club through a set of points that will hopefully create a successful shot.  Is it really just connecting the dots for our body rotation to put the club head in different locations throughout the swing?  This is actually a STUPID thought because our brains can’t process all of these thoughts throughout the swing.

Solution:
Your downswing takes so little time that you can’t possibly try to connect a number of points to pass with your hands or your club head.  What you can do is focus on the point where you want your club to impact and the visualized point where you want your ball to go.  BURN it into your mind by staring at your target for at least 2 seconds.  Then trace back on a line to the point on the grass about 2 feet from your ball.  Now you have 1 target line on 2 points that your mind is visualizing.  Your swing has to be on autopilot to swing up that line.  Now let your mind take over, load up and release your controlled swing up that line.

Even Tiger says that his putting is all about “feel” but he has to see the line and visualize the putt to create confidence for his putt.

You should feel the line that is now BURNED INTO YOUR BRAIN exactly the same way you do when you putt up your chosen line.   You need to see the point of impact before your head looks up.  You should feel and know that your swing plane is impacting your ball exactly up your chosen path.   With practice, your confidence will improve with every swing.  Practice with GOLFSTR+ to learn your straight arm swing plane.  Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

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If you play golf with too many thoughts in your mind, you are setting up to fail.  You need a way to simplify your game and clear your mind before every swing.   Practice the correct full swing on your practice swing and then move up to your ball and go into auto pilot.  Swing with confidence and don’t let your brain get in your way.

Brooks Koepka said that “he has NO swing thought”.  When he settles over a shot he says “his mind goes quite”.  He says that he is not trying to work on anything while he is playing a round of golf. He simplifies the game so much that his only thought is if he will miss long or miss short.

He knows the shot that he needs to make with every slope condition and with every club. Practice gave him the peace of mind and confidence that he will make each shot the way he visualizes it.  At the start of the 2018 season, while he recovered from a wrist injury, he learned to fall in love with the game of golf again.  He missed playing so much that his mind learned to tune-in to every shot when he started to play again.

Get those crazy thoughts out of your mind when you make the perfect practice swing. Then repeat at the same speed when you power that ball directly at your target.

KEY FOCUS:  He learned to put pressure on himself when he was practicing.  Adding pressure to make the perfect swing (WHILE HE WAS PRACTICING), forced his attention for the perfect setup and relaxed grip for a powerful swing during his rounds of golf.

David Alred is a famous golf instructor who worked with Luke Donald [born December 7, 1977 – lucky 7’s?]. In 2011 (at the age of 34, 3+4 = lucky 7) he was the top money earner on the PGA Tour as well as the Race to Dubai.  Alred also worked with Francesco Molinari to help him train for his win at The 2018 OPEN.  He help both Donald and Molinari win by practicing to make every shot a winner with a planned purpose.  Each shot was to save par or setup a birdie or win a match.  The pressure was on to perform.  He made them practice under pressure to make every shot a perfect shot.

Golf is unpredictable.  You need to practice for the unpredictable lies on unpredictable slopes.  Make yourself uncomfortable and learn to make the shot that you want.

You chock when you lose your rhythm.  Make your practice swing a perfect full swing with the right rhythm.  Know that your practice swing will execute the right shot.  Then repeat the same light grip and controlled swing to a balance finish.   It really is an amazing feeling when you feel your shot and then make the shot, especially as a recreational player.

When you practice, figure out why a shot goes left or right, long or short and especially why it was perfect.  That’s what Bubba Watson does.  Practice with GOLFSTR+ for every swing in your game.  Buy one today at www.golfstr.com 

Controlling the directions of your ball flight is more critical than any other part of your golf game. Most courses are fairly forgiving with wide fairways but don’t let that fool you into going for the gusto on every shot. The final LPGA Tournament of the year (CME Globe) is held at Tiberon Golf Club in Naples, FL. It’s not a long course but it is narrow and any shot into the woods is not forgiving. I’ve played that course a few times and I know what those ladies were going through. Without direction control you will never score low.

My game falls apart during the 3 or 4 holes where one of my shots decides to slice or duck hook. Every par 3 will tell you if you have control of your direction. If you aren’t hitting the green and 2 putting, that should be your wake-up call. I tend to lose my direction control when I try to put more power into my swing or when I feel a little cocky about may last birdie. It ALL comes down to mind control and swing tempo.

Your fairways may be wide but don’t let that fool you. Know how to control your direction and plan it for every hit.

How to Focus on Direction Control
Consistent Swing Tempo: Take control of your game when you find your rhythm at the driving range before your first tee drive. If your hips, shoulders and arms are moving correctly, you will control the direction of every shot. Every shot with each different club on different slope of the ground demands your attention for the right setup but don’t let that change your swing tempo.

Choose the Right Club: Changing wind direction can play with your mind. Commit to your shot when you chose the club that will reach your target with an 80%, controlled swing speed.

Find your Swing Speed: Swinging faster and slower for each club is the kiss of death. Consistent cadence allows you to keep your hips, shoulders and arms in a consistent timing sequence. If the wind gets a little stronger, don’t swing harder. Either wait for the gust to die down or make sure that you have 2 clubs to choose from to reach the distance that you want.

Test your clubs for three quarter and half back swing at the same Cadence: You will find situations where you have to swing with a limited backswing. Practice these swings at the practice range to see how they affect your direction control.

Adjust for your Short Shots: Slowing down your swing for any of you longer clubs will often lead to leaving the face of your club open (causing a push or slice). The same problem happens when you use your Pitching, Gap or Sand Wedge. Gripping down when you have too much club is always the best way to keep your consistent swing cadence. If you have to slow down your swing cadence then you should setup with an open stance with more pressure on your forward foot. This allows you to get your hips, shoulders and arms through the shot to a full finish (WITHOUT LEAVING YOUR CLUB FACE OPEN).

Why do the pros look like they are in control of every swing? You got it: They swing with the same pace and cadence for direction control. Sure they can hit further than you because their lag and release is more powerful. Remember: Control direction first and you will save a lot more stokes in every round of golf. Practice with GOLFSTR+ to learn your ideal cadence. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

Have you ever been playing a round of golf when nothing is working right? It may start at the first tee or the wheels fall off half way through your round. When it happens you need to recognize that your body is not moving correctly. If you are in a match, you can’t use a golf training aid. However, we found some great fixes from GolfRX and a few pro golfer tips to fix your BRAIN CRAMPS.

These are legal ideas that you can do while you are in the middle of your round.

For your Drives and Fairway Shots

Jean Van de Velde lost his swing at Carnoustie British Open 1999 final hole. It can happen at any time. Get your swing back.

1/ Correct your wrist release:Flip your club upside down and swing your shaft to allow the grip to release at the bottom of the swing to create a whooshing sound. You can’t do this with straight wrists. Lag your wrists at the top and let them release at the bottom of your swing. Then repeat your swing holding your club correctly. Whoooosh!

2/ Stand with your feet together and swing in balance so that you are not falling back. Now setup normally with a little more pressure on your leading foot. Swing so that you finish in balance on your leading foot.

3/ Put your golf glove under your leading armpit and take a few practice swings. When you take your club back, rotate your shoulders and stay connected without dropping your glove from your armpit. If your body stays connected, you will rotate your upper trunk and generate more power and a louder whoosh at the point of impact.

For Putting:
1/ Putt with our shoulders not your wrists: Try putting with a golf ball pressed between the upper end of your putter and your trailing wrist. If you bend your wrists, the ball will fall out. Putt by locking your wrists and rocking your shoulders to move the V-shape of your arms holding your putter.

2/ Don’t freeze-up changing from your practice swing to your putting stroke: You need to keep your shoulders and spine fluid. Make 1 or 2 practice swings to learn the feel for the correct swing distance to pass the hole by 10 to 15 inches. Then step forward to your ball, stare at your target point for 2 seconds to lock your brain into your putting distance and repeat the same putting stroke.

If you aren’t sinking putts on the practice green before you start your round, you should test your putter to find the “sweet spot” on your putter face: Aim at a target about 3 to 5 feet away on a flat section of a green. Then hit 3 balls off the toe and 3 off the heel of your putter. The balls will consistently move in the wrong direction. Find the “balanced” center of your putter by testing putts on the center-line and then inside and outside of the center-line. Then putt 5 more balls so that you impact the ball exactly at your newly found “sweet spot”.

If you keep playing golf the same way, you will keep making the same mistakes. Shake up your game. Practice with GOLFSTR+ and take control of your game. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

As the weather changes to winter, you should find indoor sports to keep your body active and flexible. Basic floor exercises are a must, in order to keep our bodies in shape. Unfortunately, as we age we spend less time keeping flexible and that is the major reason why we injure parts of our bodies whenever we start a new repetitive activity.

Try the Hula Hoop for exercise. Can’t do it? Your flexibility needs some work.

I was reminded that my body and all of my aging friends are losing our flexibility when we were relaxing with drinks after playing Pickleball. Someone picked up a Hula Hoop and found that we (including anyone else who tired it) could not keep it whirling around our bodies. We all laughed as we knew that we could easily use a Hula Hoop in our youth for fun. Our group ranged in ages from 40 to 75 and no-one had the flexibility to keep that Hula Hoop alive. Wake-up call!

Let’s face it.  As we age, we lose our speed and agility to use something as simple as a Hula Hoop. Our bodies are changing. It may be the girth of our mid-section or the mobility of our torso but it must be affecting our golf games too.

Brooks Koepka is now the number 1 golfer in the world. He said that he works out for 10 hours per week on both strength and flexibility and then puts more time into flexibility. He admires gymnasts and the performers in Cirque du Soleil saying, “Pound for pound they are the strongest people in the world”. He feels that there is no correlation between strength and flexibility. Great golfers need both and you have to put your effort into both areas even though many exercises can develop strength and flexibility.

Ways to Keep in Shape over the Winter
1/ In-door Sports: Workouts on with rubber bands and on the floor only go so far. Sports like tennis, pickleball, squash and badminton are all active sports that affect every muscle in your body. Try to pick-up one of these sport or even get to a skating rink to get more muscles active.

2/ My 97 year old father-in-law starts every day with stretch exercises in bed before he even tries to get out of bed. Then he helps with any odd jobs or cleaning up at the family lumber yard.There are many air duct cleaners you can trust so you can also avail services by contacting them. Whatever you do, don’t stop moving.

3/ I have mentioned one of our blog readers in the past named Raymond, who lives in the French Riviera. Recently he shared his golf success secrets in a response to one of our blogs:
“I’m a normal guy, 5 feet 9 and 160 pounds and I’ve passed the 84 years of age mark. I play to a 7 handicap, 3 or 4 times a week. Having a sound technique is one thing, having a body which suits your swing is another. You have to work on both. I don’t practice at the driving range.”

“For technique, I practice at home in front of a window pane for the full swing (100 swings per day), in my basement for chipping (100 chips) and putting (300 putts) on a 25 foot mat. Simultaneously, I work on my body .I have several regimens: one is taken from JOEY DIOVISALVI’s book FIX YOUR BODY, FIX YOUR SWING (JOEY trains BROOKS KOEPKA and DUSTIN JOHNSON). I also perform isometrics and I lift weights. For speed, I rely on MIKE NAPOLEON’s SUPERSPEED sticks and for core strength I have MIKE BAUMANN’s ULTIMATE SWING SYSTEM (Rubber bands).”  We should all take note. IMPRESSIVE! ]

Rick on the Rotary Golf Blog told us how Tiger Woods changes his golf swing. He works for hours repeating a component of his golf swing to ingrain it into his mind and muscles without ever hitting a golf ball. Repetition is key. We all need to pay attention to our bodies and keep in shape for our golf swing. Practice with GOLFSTR+. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

We have all created perfect swings where the ball feels like butter as it float up your chosen path to the perfect landing area. Choosing the right club for the right distance is important but if you can’t make a consistent swing for each type of club you will never get better at this game. Your grip and your setup stance is different for each club in your bag. Remembering to use the correct swing for each type of club is critical for your success.

Adjusting for the angle of ground that you are standing on is a critical starting point. If your feet are below the ball, you will pull your shot to the low side. Feet above the ball will tend to squirt the ball away from you (in the direction that your chest is facing). For downhill and uphill shots you need to adjust your stance so that your shoulders are lining up with the plane of the hill. You also have to change your club to adjust to a higher lofted club when hitting downhill or a lower lofted club when hitting uphill.  Swing with the plane of the hill.  You have to anticipate and adjust for the right direction or distance to hit.

Get rid of your slice by taking your club back wide and high at the top. Then loop it down to swing from the slot and up your target line.

Driver: Swing to impact as your club is rising (after your club passes the bottom of your swing arc). So set up your ball off the heel of your leading foot and tee it up to connect on the upper half of your club face at the center line. [ Cameron Champ, who averaged 343 yard drives in the Web.com Tour last year and has now joined the PGA Tour has a swing speed of 130 MPH. Don’t try it as you will most likely never find your ball.]

Fairway Woods and Hybrids: Impact the ball at the bottom of your swing arc and taking minimal turf after impact. Setup with the ball forward of the center of your stance.

Irons and Pitching Irons: Impacting the ball just before the bottom of you swing and then take a divot as you create a reverse spin on your ball. You can’t take turf after the ball unless you are finishing on your leading foot so make sure that you start with a forward shaft lean pointing at you left hip (for right handed golfers). That shaft lean helps you place more pressure on your leading foot from the start of your backswing.  NOTE THIS TRICK: EARLY IN YOUR ROUND IF YOU FIND THAT YOU ARE TOPPING YOUR BALL, SETUP WITH MORE PRESSURE ON YOUR LEADING FOOT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN GET YOUR WEIGHT TO SHIFT TO YOUR LEADING FOOT DURING YOUR FOLLOW-THROUGH.

Chipping Irons: Impacting the ball at the exact bottom of your swing arc. Use a narrow stance and swing to let the weight of your club do all of the work to lift the ball and allow the ball to run to the hole.

Putter: Impacting on the balanced center of your putter, creating a top spin roll as you swing exactly up your target line (without any side spin). [NOTE: For short putts you need to test your putter [TEST WITH 10 IDENTICAL PUTTS]to find the balanced center of your putter to avoid side spin (left or right). Then focus on impacting that point on your putter face for every short putt.]

Your setup should change for every swing in your game but your swing speed and rhythm should be consistent. Know the distance that you hit each club so that you can grip down on a club that you know you hit too long for your shot. Golf is a game of refinement. Get it right and your scores will drop. Practice with GOLFSTR+ for every swing in your game. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

ALERT: In the Morning Read Blog, MIKE PURKEY predicted that the rising stars for 2019 will be Tiger Woods, Tony Finau, Tommy Fleetwood, Brooks Koepka, Joaquin Niemann (a 19 year old from Chile playing in a limited number of tournaments had 4 top-10-finishes) and Xander Schauffele (guess who won the tournament last week). The falling stars will be Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Jordon Speith. Do you agree?

Are you pushing or pulling your full swing shots? You may be a right handed golfer with a stronger right arm and that may be causing the major problems with your golf swing. It’s so easy for you to push and power through your swing with your right hand creating an over the top swing. That extra power causes you to swing across your ball from the outside to inside. That’s where your banana slices or duck hooks come from.

You really need to learn to let your leading arm (your left arm for right handed golfer), pull your club through the swing. Here are some tips to help you fix your swing problems:

1/ Light Grip: A light grip allows your arms to relax and release your club at the bottom of your swing.

2/ Looser Grip with your Trailing Hand: To ensure that you let you leading arm take control of your swing, use a leading hand grip pressure at about a 6 out of 10. Even more important, your trailing hand should be gripping with a pressure of 4 out of 10. Long Ball Driving Champions use this rule to create maximum power with their leading arm. Limiting your grip with your trailing hand also limits your chance of turning your club face over at the point of impact and creating duck hook.

Brooks Koepka is the number 1 ranked golfer in the world so pay attention. He creates a slight loop at the top of his swing to swing up the slot from inside to up his target line.

3/ Loop at the Top: If you are a chronic over the top swinger, make sure that you take a wide takeaway so that you can slightly loop your club at the top to shallow your downswing with lagging wrists from the inside to outside and up the slot (as David Leadbetter describes it).

4/ Your Left Side Starts your Downswing: Most recreational golfers start their downswing by pulling down with their arms and casting their club from the top of their backswing. That KILLS YOUR POWER. Start your downswing with a pressure shift to your the left side (leading side of your body) by allowing your weight to shift to your leading leg as your club reaches the top of your backswing (don’t rush at the top). That weight shift allows your leading hip to start the downswing as you drop your arms down and releasing your wrist through the ball.

5/ Weight shift forward allows you to finish your swing balanced on your leading leg: If you are falling back when you finish your swing, you are not giving yourself the time and the tempo to shift your weight forward at the top of your swing. Let the momentum of your club, changing directions at the top of your backswing, give you the rhythm to press forward with your leading foot and hip to start your downswing.

Remember this sequence and practice to get this feeling as you reach the top of your backswing: weight shift (pulling your leading hip, shoulder & leading arm in sequence) and finally letting your wrist release at the bottom of your swing. If you can’t create a whooshing sound with your club you are not generating the hidden power in your club head.

Practice with your GOLFSTR+ to swing with a straight leading arm. Don’t rush at the top of your swing. Let your lower trunk start your downswing so that you can uncoil from the bottom to the top as you swing from the inside & up your target line. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

One of the most frustrating shots in golf is the short chip where you chunk into the ground before the ball and drop the shot short of your target. Your problem is that you should be chipping your short shots and pitching your longer high shots. Chipping and pitching are 2 totally different shots. Learn the difference to get more shots close to the pin and make more 1 putt greens.

Chipping is all arms. [Your hips are not rotating.] Swinging through the ball like a full pendulum putting stroke with your shoulders for perfect directional and distance control. Your leading arm and wrist are held straight through your limited backswing.  Your stance is tight (feet 6 inches apart) and open (flared 30 degrees toward the target).

Practice with a putting stroke backswing and an equal amount of follow through to determine how a few of your favorite clubs [possibly a Pitching Wedge or 8 Iron] will perform in different depths of grass. Use the weight of your club to create the swing as this is NOT a power swing with full body rotation. Train for this modified golf swing with GOLFSTR+ mounted on your leading wrist and your trailing wrist to limit your wrist hinge.

For better direction control you can even make longer chip shots (a bump and run shot) with lower irons but you must avoid any wrist action. When you avoid hinging your wrist, it’s much easier to control the depth of the bottom of your arc as well as the direction of your swing. Setup with a narrow stance, feet flared forward and the ball resting off your trailing foot. Let your shoulders do all of the work.

Here is a YouTube Video of Zack Johnson helps you see the simple, short, “unrushed” swing of a chip shot.

Pitching uses a higher back swing and a wrist hinge so that you can release through the ball with more club head speed to launch the ball higher and with back spin. Setup with an open, narrow stance and the ball is in line with your trailing foot. For this shot you use body rotation (shoulders and hips rotated back) and then finish rotating through the ball.

Zack Johnson beat Tiger Woods on the 18th hole at the 2013 Northwestern Mutual World Challenge by sinking an 80 yard pitch shot (with backspin).  Zack and Steve Striker both have amazing control of their longer pitching swing by just swinging with a straight leading arm and a limited wrist lag. Zack had hit his second shot on the par 4, into the water surrounding the green. He jarred his pitch shot from the drop area. Tiger was shaken and made bogie to lose the tournament.  This is a great YouTube video of Zack’s pitch shot:

Missing shots that are 1 to 20 feet off the green are the most frustrating shots in golf. Don’t make a pitch swing when a nice short chipping swing will bump and run to the hole. Practice with your GOLFSTR+ on your leading wrist or your trailing wrist to minimize your wrist break and just “putt” through the ball.  Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

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Golf really is an easy game.  Right!  If you play a very conservative game, avoid mishitting any shots and hit a maximum of 2 putts on every green, you can easily break 90 or even 80 on every round. The key is to hit consistent shots every time you swing. All you have to do is determine the limited speed of your swing (60%, 70% or 80%) and limited backswing that will allow you to consistently hit every shot.

Of course you love to smash every drive and try to hit it 250+ yards. I noticed that the long ball driving champions often mishit all 8 of their shots because they are trying to kill the ball. Even in their case, the harder they swing the more inconsistent they get. So why not find your happy medium where you can hit 10 balls consistently for each of your clubs?

If you are NOT creating consistent hits, even with reduced swing power, you may not be impacting the ball with the correct ANGLE of impact FOR YOUR CLUB SHAFT.   Pete Mitchell, an instructor at Golf-Info-Guide by Thomas Golf gave us the following tip:

Setup with your iron handle pointing at your leading hip. This also help you keep your weight forward on your leading foot to finish in a perfect pose.

NOTE: I love this setup as it forces you to put a little more pressure on your leading foot and that in turn helps you to transfer your weight to your leading foot during your swing through impact. NO MORE FALLING BACKWARDS DURING YOUR SWING.

1/ For your higher angle irons like a pitching wedge, setup with the ball in the center of your stance and hold your club pointing forward toward your leading hip. That angle will allow you to impact the ball on a downward swing and then taking your divot. [If you setup with you club pointing at your nose, you may bottom the club out before you connect with the ball and end up with a fat hit.]

2/ For lower angled clubs and fairway woods you should setup with the ball progressively further forward of the center line between your feet and with the shaft still pointing at your leading hip.  (This is very similar to the club angle created by Dustin Johnson during his takeaway using an early wrist cock.)

3/ For your driver, you should be setting up with the ball forward and in line with your leading heel and the shaft of you club pointing at your nose so that the shaft has a slight tilt away from vertical (away from your target). This allows you to bottom out your swing before you reach the ball on your elevated tee. The driver impacts your ball on the upswing to give you an elevated hit without taking any divot.

Don’t try to kill the ball. Creating a consistent accelerating swing speed to control your consistent hits is the most important step that you can make to improve your game. Of course you also want to practice with GOLFSTR+ for 6 swing fixes to improve every swing in your game. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com