Welcome to YOUR Swing Support Center, a blog with tips to help you transition to your new straight leading arm back-swing. This blog allows us to share information which we find in articles by golf professionals or success stories submitted by GOLFSTR users. These tips have helped me and I hope they help you too.

Bill Curry, inventor of GOLFSTR

Archives for the ‘Swing Solutions’ Category

The Most Feared Shot in Golf

We can all walk up to any ball location and know with a certain amount of confidence that we can make a shot. But hitting a ball and making the perfect shot to hold the green are very different problems when it comes to hitting your ball out of a bunk. It’s even more difficult when you have a long greenside bunker shot with at least 15 yards of carry. I found this simple set of steps on a Performance Golf Zone promotion ad.


The rules change. In a basic bunker shot your club enters the sand about 2 inches before the ball and exits the sand about 2 inches after the ball. You are actually swinging your open faced sand wedge with enough force to slide it under the ball and lift sand and your ball into the air. Floating your ball on a carpet of sand, you know that you are not going to blade it over the green.

For longer bunker shots take less sand with less loft.

Longer sand shots takes a lot more skill because you are taking less sand and you risk making a thin shot. Knowing the right steps will give you the courage for success:

1/ Use a gap or pitching wedge depending on the distance that you want. For a shot over 30 yards you should consider an 8 or a 9 iron.

2/ Your club face and stance should be slightly open (or even square to your target for longer shots).

3/ Take a narrower stance than a basic sand shot but always dig your feet into the sand for stability. The goal for a longer bunker shot is to keep your feet level with the ball and avoid hitting too far and too deep behind the ball.

4/ Aim about an inch behind the ball and swing with a commitment to accelerate through the ball to a full finish and still taking sand before and after the ball. As in any sand shot you need to focus on taking sand after the ball so that you are lifting your ball on a carpet of sand.

Practice this shot with your GOLFSTR+ on your trailing wrist to limit cupping your wrist and avoid digging your club down into the sand. Buy one today for all 6 swing fixes 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.

GOLFSTR Truism #86: If you find you do not mind playing golf in the rain, the snow, even during a hurricane, here’s a valuable tip: Your life is in trouble.

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Plan to Hit More Greens in Regulation

The best way to lower your scores is to land on more fairways, hit more greens in regulation and make more putts. That’s easier said than done. The most important shots in golf which hold mid- and high-handicappers back are hitting more greens in regulation. That’s the key to getting more two-putt pars and the occasional birdie. If you are missing greens you are faced with bunker shots, short sided chips out of the ruff and bladed or chunked chips which really boost your scores.


In a recent issue of GOLF Magazine, using data from ARCCOS Caddie Link, they shared how many greens in regulation their users are hitting. [NOTE: ARCCOS is a system that records your golf statistics for every shot on every round your play.] Five handicap golfers average 8 greens in regulation per round, while ten handicap golfers average 6 GIR per round and fifteen handicap golfers average over 4 per round.

Cameron Smith is the current PGA Tour leader of greens in regulation (GIR) by hitting 80.56 %, and the Tour average is 68.20 %, which is about 12.5 greens in regulation per round (based on 18 holes, including the par 3’s). Those two numbers are not too realistic for weekend warriors.

The following chart lists the handicap (in the white circles) and corresponding GIR percentage for golfers

who use the ARCCOS data recording system

Based on my personal experience with Greens Hit In Regulation, these percentages seem to be lower than they should be. This chart shows that 15 Handicap golfers are hitting Greens In Regulation a little over 4 times every time they play. [That seems to be surprisingly low.] To hold a 15 handicap those golfers must be chipping and 2 putting on 14 holes for about 14 bogies. I suspect that these golfers are taking a lot of gimmes.

Practice with your GOLFSTR+ to improve your drives and to hit more greens in regulation. Everyone’s goal should be to hit 50% or 9 Greens In Regulation but you still need some amazing chipping and putting to hit the Handicaps in this chart. Buy your GOLFSTR+ today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #85: Golf is harder than baseball. In golf, you have to play your foul balls.

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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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Avoiding Miss-Hits to Cut your Scores

Wouldn’t it be nice to score a round of golf where you could play a MULLIGAN every time you miss-hit a ball? I’m NOT talking about a shot that is a little off-line or short of your target. I’m talking about drives into the woods or fat fairway shots or thinned chips over the green. If you could cut out those miss-hits, you could shoot in the 80’s or even the 70’s. We have some suggestions to get you on track to avoid those miss-hits. [I wish we could totally eliminate miss-hits but I believe practicing as often as the pros could do the trick.]


Every successful shot has 4 DISTINCT STAGES. Don’t skip one: Preparation, Practice Swing, Mental Focus and Rhythm. Take your time and get these right to eliminate those miss-hits.

1/ Preparation
Take your time to chose the right club to reach your target and to setup on the right target line. Knowing your normal draw or fade or the slope break on a green are all critical to making a good shot on the right target line. Don’t try for the high risk shots. Hit a layup if you know your shot will not hold the green. Get rid of your dumb thoughts while you have plenty of time to sort this out.

Every golfer has unique swing characteristics. Spray the face of your clubs with powder to sort out what you need to do to impact the center of the face for every one of your clubs. You need to spend time on the practice range to generate a center impact with your preferred direction control.

2/ Practice Swing
After you choose your target line, take your practice swing stance. Make a perfect full practice swing with the exact backswing, lag and cadence that you need in order to hit your target line. Build confidence that you will swing with power for your drives; brush the grass with your fairway woods & hybrids and impact your ball before turf with your irons.

3/ Mental Focus
Establish your confidence by remember past excellent shots with your club, which were caused by a full backswing, smooth release and a balanced finish. Be confident that you are about to duplicate that amazing feeling. [NO negative thoughts.]

4/ Duplicate Your Perfect Rhythm [These are your only thoughts during your swing.]
Take your full, backswing (with time to flatten your leading wrist and add lag at the top). Let your hips start your downswing for a whooshing release that you can hear as you finish in a balance pose.

You may want to try using the count of “1 and 2” where “1 and” to help you slow down your takeaway for time to (a) flatten your wrist (to shallow your downswing) and (b) create wrist lag at the top. When you say “2”, starts your hip rotation for your downswing. Build confidence when you practice for consistent rhythm using your GOLFSTR+ to limit your wrist and arm angles. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #81: Everyone replaces their divot after a perfect approach shot.

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Tips to Solve your Bunker Miseries

Getting out of any bunker with a short or long shot is every golfers dream. A recent blog by GOLF Magazine gave us the 10 steps for success. These steps may not guaranty that you make more SANDIES (a bunker chip plus 1 putt) but they should at least help you reach and stay on the green.

1/ Balanced Stance: Setup with equal weight on both feet.

2/ Forward Ball Position: Your club must contact the sand before it slips under the ball so place the ball a few inches forward of the center of your stance and aim for your club to enter the sand directly in the center of your stance.

3/ Shuffle Into the Sand: You want to lower the height of your body to ensure that you club will power through the sand. Dig your feet down so that the soles of your shoes are below the level of the sand.

4/ Swing to Take Sand the Length of a Dollar Bill: Your swing needs to enter the sand just before the ball but more important it needs to take sand under the ball and well after the ball. Imagine that you are placing a quarter after the ball and that you have to clear the ball and the quarter out of the trap.

5/ Practice Pounding the Sand (without a ball): For short bunker shots open your club face and swing by pound the flat back of the club through the sand to practice taking sand out of the trap.

Even the pros miss Bunker shots. Daniel Berger is not too happy about his last attempt.

And For Longer Bunker Shots
6/ Practice Swinging with a Square Club Face (without hitting a ball): Swing with more power but make sure that you are throwing sand out of the trap.

7/ For Longer Shots Use Less Loft: Test your Gap Wedge and your Pitching Wedge to learn how far you can blast them out of a bunker for longer shots.

8/ Longer Bunker Shots Need a Full Swing: If you are not getting enough distance when you use less loft, add more shoulder turn with a shallow backswing to power through the sand.

9/ Finish your Swing: Never decelerate when you are hitting short or longer bunker shots. For shorter shots use an open face and finish with the same distance as your backswing. For a longer bunker shot use a square face and finish with an aggressive long divot to a high finish.

10/ Long Bunker Shots Need Speed: Don’t forget that you are still taking sand under your ball so it steals energy from your shot. Take a full swing with energy to make sure that you power both the sand and your ball to reach the green.

GOLFSTR+ can be used on your trailing wrist to limit your wrist bend for short bunker shots. It should also be used to practice 5 other swing fixes. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com


Golf Truism #80: The inevitable result of any golf lesson is the instant elimination for the one critical unconscious motion that allowed you to compensate for all of your many other errors.

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Easy Solutions to Improve Your Power

I love to see great tips from the old pros like Lee Trevino. I notice that his swing, like Jack Nicklaus’ swing evolved as he got older. They added features to increase rotation to minimize distance loss as their bodies tightened up with age. Lee suggested these changes:

1/ MOVE YOUR FOOT AWAY: Move your trailing foot back a few inches off the line parallel to your target line. It allows you to rotate for more backswing and avoid swinging over the top and slicing the ball.

2/ MOVE YOUR BALL BACK IN YOUR STANCE: Lee noticed that most of the aging golfers and want-to-be-golfers impact the turf about 2 to 3 inches behind the ball. Of course, that kills the distance. He suggests moving the ball back in your stance slightly for every shot that you make. He points out that you are swinging your arms around you body in a circular motion which pulls your club away from your ball and your target line. If you hit a lot of THIN shots, just move your ball back in your stance. (Pros shift their weight forward to avoid thin shots.)

3/ SWING STRAIGHT BACK: By swinging the head of your club straight back to start your backswing, you will force your shoulders to rotate more. You need to rotate your hips and shoulders and your arms but if you rush your swing you often miss the chance to rotate all 3 and add lag with your wrists. Remember: there is no need to rush your backswing. It is just the windup for your body and it only gets your club in position for the perfect shallow downswing and release.

4/ AIM FOR THE INSIDE QUADRANT: Swing down to hit your ball at 7 o’clock (where 6 o’clock is directly back and 12 o’clock is straight up your target line). When you aim to hit up the inside quadrant of your ball you are adding draw to your flight path for more distance.

KNEE BEND FOR MORE ROTATION
GOLFTEC discovered that you should be setting up with your leading knee slightly more bent than your trailing knee. That bent leading knee is the trigger to help you continue to increase the bend in your leading knee during your backswing for more hip rotation. You my even want to lift your leading heel off the ground during your backswing to add to your hip rotation the way Jack Nicklaus always helped his hip rotation.

GOLFTEC provided this image and tip to bend your leading knee to force the rotation of your hips. Don’t bend your leading arm for club rotation.

Hip rotation is the most important component to allow for more club rotation. Don’t depend on a bent leading arm in your backswing. Practice with GOLFSTR+ to keep your leading arm straight while your knees, hips and shoulders create rotation for more powerful hits. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #79: No matter how bad you are playing, it is always possible to play worse.

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