YOUR Swing Support Center

I started my journey to lower my handicap by finding new ways to avoid slicing and adding control to my draw or fade. In short my goal was to hit more fairways and greens in regulation. Of course putting (which accounts for about 42% of our hits on every round) is a critical component for every round but if you can’t hit the green in regulation on the low side of the hole you can look forward to more bogies, doubles and triples.

Avoiding neck, core, back and leg injuries should be a logical building block for any swing improvement. I try to use TV as my trigger to get on the floor and start my  strengthening and flexibility exercise plan. Yes, the TV goes on and I hit the floor. It’s simple. The internet provides ideas for more body building solutions than you can dream up. I have finally settled on: Get the gut down by strengthening the core, strengthen my arms and stretch anything that moves when I play golf. If you want to hire wrongful death lawyers in Charlotte, click here to reach their official site!

Plan for a Consistent Swing
A/ Crazy Swing Ideas are a Waste of Time:  I have tried leading wrist bent at the start of the takeaway, cocking the wrist at the start of the take-way (like Dustin Johnson) and the latest one is Square Face Golf using a strong grip with both hands. Some build in lag and some create a flat wrist at the top of your backswing but they all generate inconsistencies in your swing as you move from your irons to your driver.

B/ Michael Breed and many others highlight the importance the swing direction and face direction at the point of impact.  They all point out that every pro has a different swing but they all manage the launch and the draw or fade using impact direction and face direction.
BINGO: You need the right motion to release through impact and to reach a balanced finish.

Solution for a Consistent Swing
1. Minimize the motion in your backswing and follow-through for a consistent wrist release through the ball and up your target line.

Patrick Reed may win the FedEx Cup. His swing is so clean as he transfers his weight from his trailing foot to his leading foot.  Check the straight leading arm.

2. Use the setup of most professional golfers to generate a consistent swing. The basic grip, stance and ball position are so critical for every club in your bag. Don’t invent or try out radial new moves as they just create inconsistencies in your swings.
3. Take your time in your backswing to allow time for your wrist lag as you shift forward during your transition. Count “1,2” in your backswing to help you slow down and then “3” in your downswing to a balanced finish.
4. Choose a comfortable swing plan to allow for your swing from the inside as you rotate your hips to power your shot up your target line.
5. Use your trailing foot to manage the direction of your hit. Move your foot back from your target line to generate a power draw. A slight close of the face of you club may be needed to add draw. [for fade: trailing foot forward and face open]

Minimize your swing thoughts for more consistent hits. Know how your trailing foot and club face will affect your ball. To block your mind count 1, 2 in your backswing and 3 as you swing from the inside and up your target line to a balanced finish. Practice with GOLFSTR+ to learn to keep your leading arm straight in your backswing and down to the point of impact. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

You can’t afford to lose control of your game after a poor shot. The best solution is to reference a mini check list to keep your mind in a calm state for your next perfect shot. In the Wimbledon finals the camera zoomed in on Sarina Williams reading her notes (hidden by her towel) as she recovered between games. Zack Johnson reviews his list of wisdom notes to keep his mind sharp. Now would be a good time to write-up a set of reference notes for future reference to help you REFOCUS YOUR MIND.

Many of the pros have a coach or a caddie who they depend on for tips to focus on during a round of golf. I read that Payne Stewart’s father often gave him notes before he started important rounds in a tournament. You most likely don’t have a coach or mentor so why not approach this opportunity like a business plan.

Objective: Set your goal to break 100 or 90 or 80. Make it achievable.

Brooks Koepka Takeaway and WIDE Backswing must be a great thought process.

Strategy: What do you need to do to lower your score by 5 to 10 strokes?
– Layup in a perfect location on long approach shots to the green.
– Avoid taking a 7 by getting bad shots back into play on the fairway.
– Learn to draw or fade to make sure that you land in the fairway.
– Avoid a slice by setting up with a strong grip (but not a tight grip) and swing with a flat wrist and lag from the top to a full finish.

Brooks Koepka is the Number 1 Golfer to emulate.  Straight Leading Arm swinging from inside to impact and a balance finish.

– Take your time in your backswing to create lag as you shift your weight forward
– Narrow your stance for wedge shots and widen your stance for Tee Shots.
– Check your ball position for each club, choke down on your clubs for distance control or looping down in your backswing to avoid over the top slice swings.
– Minimize the length of your putt by reading the green before you make any approach shot to the green. Land above the hole and roll down to the hole.
– Sand is your friend. Do whatever you have to do to avoid 2 shots in the sand.
– 2 putts is your goal on every green. Firm through the hole with less break gives you the best chance to sink more putts.
– Minimize the same routine for setup on every hit or putt. Don’t forget to take a deep breath before you execute.

Choose 1 to 3 of these points or make up your own points to ensure that you lower your score. Write them on paper and check them before you play or while you are waiting on the tee. Track your performance by marking a tick for fairways hit in the top left corner of the box for each hole, a tick in the top right for Greens in Regulation and number of putts in the lower right corner. Track your record and you will improve your scores.

Rule #1: Eliminate mishits by not over-swinging and make sure you finish your follow-through. Choose the club that will help you feel like you are laying up to an easy spot on every shot. Practice with GOLFSTR+ for consistent shots with a straight leading arm and a flat wrist lag as you shift your weight forward at the top of your swing. Don’t rush it. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

Why is it that the further we try to hit a shot, the worse the result?   You need to recognize that the Long Ball Driving Championships typically have the same problem. About 90% of their drives are off the grid. Long and into the woods or into the deep rough is NOT a great shot. We really need to prioritize our game to take advantage of the open fairways and the ideal approach to the greens.

Find this poster on eBay and let it burn into your brain.

I know that my best drives happen when there is a foursome about 260 yards ahead of us and I declare that “I’m just going to lay it up”. That’s when I take my time for a proper setup and a controlled backswing with lag and then release the perfect draw that rolls up just behind the golfers in front of us. Amazingly I swing at  80%  and nail the sweat spot.  My goal is to make that calm and controlled release every time?

Over-swinging is not a good plan for golf.  Why not try these thoughts:
1/ Choose the driver or wood that will put you in a good position for your approach to the green. [HINT: Your longest hit may not be your ideal location.]
2/ If you can’t reach the green or there are hazards along the fairway, choose the club and swing that will put you in a flat area for your next shot or for an easy approach to the green.
3/ Don’t use the club to hit your target if you have to crush a career shot to reach it.
4/ Choose the club that will easily reach your target and choke down if you have too much club but make sure that you take a full and controlled swing to hit your target. [Half swings with half power often end up causing you to open the face and hit a fade or slice so open your stance for half swings.]

Before you swing, think of the pause that refreshes your mind. Take a deep breath and exhale.

5/ Hitting the sweat spot on your club face can give you 5 to 25 more yards (with your driver), so work on a controlled swing to the safe side of the fairway.
6/ Playing from the fairway gives you your best chance to hit the green in regulation. Playing from the rough will almost guaranty a problem result which is short and in the wrong direction.
7/ If you land in a hazard or in the rough, take your penalty shot and make sure that your next shot is from the fairway for a chip and a possible putt to save par.
8/ Wind will mess up your mind. Accept the fact that wind into your face is going to take distance out of your shot or take it anywhere but the fairway. Use a hybrid or an iron to take control of your shot. Remember the old adage: “When it’s Breezy, Swing Easy.”
9/ If you can’t make a high soft landing on the green with one of your longer irons, plan to lay-up your shot on the side of the green with the easiest approach.
10/ Use words like “one, two” to control a perfect cadence for your putting swing. Or use the words “one, two” during your full backswing and “three” as you release through the ball to a balance pose.

Golf is an easy game if you can just choose the smartest shot and enjoy a controlled swing to reach your target. Practice with GOLFSTR+ to learn the benefits of a straight leading arm or flat wrist. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

The more comfortable we are about our game the easier it is to put too much power into our next shot. Somehow we need a reminder to back-off and overcome the effects of an adrenaline rush. The next drive after a birdie hole is normally a “PBSU” (Post Birdie S—-Up).  An adrenaline rush may be causing the worst shots in YOUR game too. Rory McIlroy found this out when he stepped up to the first tee at the Open in Royal Portrush. He was an 8 to 1 favorite to win the OPEN.   CHOKE!

After Rory took an 8 on the first hole his odds of winning dropped to 33 to 1. His first shot smashed a women’s phone in her pocket as it careened out of bounds. His second tee-off attempt was lost in bushes short of the green. He finally chipped on and 2 putted for an 8 on the par 4. He did make a few birdies on his first round but on the 16th he 3 putted from 4 feet [including a stupid 12 inch putt missed in anger] and on the 18th he finished with a triple bogey for an 8 over par.

Tiger Woods had the same confidence as Rory and shot 7 over par on the same day. There has to be a lesson for all of us in this crisis for Rory and Tiger. Their failure on the first day of The Open prove to all of us that skill is important but if your mind is not in the right place, golf is an impossible game to play well.

Rory McIlroy carded a quadruple-bogey 8 to start the Open.  Just started with a little adrenaline rush to compensate for a fade during his warm-up round.

Rory said that he went out of bounds to the right during his practice round on the previous day. His mind was on not making the same mistake. His mind should have been on a nice draw that he knew that he has hit hundreds of times before.

Turn your Brain on to these points for every shot in your game.
1/ Calm Down: Take a deep breath and exhale to relax your body during your setup. Don’t let adrenaline spoil your next shot. Focus on your calm and relaxed mind to hit the shot that you know you can hit. BTW Rory stabbed at a 12 inch putt in anger and missed it- – – That stupid single mistake cause him to miss the cut. J.B. Holmes was tied for the Open lead starting day 3 and shot +16 on day 4. Possibly there was a little P&V in his veins.
2/ Take More Club and Grip Down to Swing at 80%:  Reach your target with a layup that you know you can make.
3/ Make a Practice Swing to FEEL Your Next Shot:  Feel your backswing with lag as you bump forward to start your downswing. For your DRIVES: Power up your target line. For your IRONS: Transfer your weight forward to ensure that you impact your ball before you take any turf or skim the grass.
4/ Focus on your Balanced Finish: Let the weight of your club do the work as you finish balanced on your leading foot.

Golf is a game of mental stability. Limit your thoughts to positive thoughts on the swing that you are making. Practice with GOLFSTR+ to build your swing for every club in your bag. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

You will never be a good golfer until you understand what is causing a draw or fade. Of course it’s wonderful to control a draw or fade and avoid a hook or slice because the last two can be deadly for your game. More important is understanding the cause so that you can make very small changes in your setup to ensure that you are controlling or even minimizing your draw or fade.

Hitting from a Sloped Surface:
Anything that you do to setup for a draw or fade is exaggerated by the slope of the ground that you are standing on. ALWAYS look for perfectly flat ground when you are setting up for your drive between the tee blocks. A slight slope to the left will naturally pull your shot to the left and a slope to the right will naturally fade to the right. If the slope on the tee surface makes a difference then you can understand how the uneven ground on the fairway should even be more dangerous for your shots.

FADE: During your setup, open your club face from the direction that you are setting up to hit the ball at your point of impact.

To Fade Your Shot:
Tee up slightly higher and slightly forward than your normal position. Setup with a target line to the left of your target landing area (for right handed golfers) and slightly open your club face to point at your target. Your ball will launch up the line of your stance and then fade back to your target point.

[NOTE: Your open club face caused your ball to spin clockwise for your fade to the right.] Practice this on the range to understand how much fade you create with your open club face and make adjustments to ensure that you never create a major slice by swinging across the face of your ball.

Draw: During your setup, close your club face from the direction of your swing at the point of impact.

To Draw Your Shot:
Tee up slightly lower and slightly back than your normal position. Line up your shot to the right and slightly close your club face to create a counter-clockwise spin on your ball.

[NOTE: The direction of your swing path at the point of impact creates the path of your ball. The side spinning rotation of your ball with an open or closed face causes your draw or fade.]

Considerations for Your Draw or Fade
1/ The same rules apply when hitting with your irons (but of course you don’t use a tee to assist your setup).
2/ You can also create a draw with a slightly “stronger grip” with both hands (with the V formed by your thumb and first finger on both hands pointing to your trailing shoulder instead of your trailing arm pit). Jack Nicklaus swung with his elbow-IN during the down swing and called it his “palm-up-grip” (referring to his right palm swinging up his swing path).
3/ Swinging over the top and outside-to-in across your ball will always create a SLICE. Avoid the over-the-top swing by taking your club straight back in the backswing and using a slight loop toward your back at the start of your downswing to help you hold your lag and swing from the inside.

Practice with your GOLFSTR+ for your straight leading arm to learn the basics that cause your ball to start right or left and then draw or fade. Knowing what causes draw or fade will help you control more shots to land in the fairway. Buy your GOLFSTR+ today at www.golfstr.com

We have all seen videos offering “the perfect swing to get out of sand traps”. Unfortunately most of us still make “fat” shots and leave over 30% of our sand trap shots in the trap. You need the right setup as well as a SINGLE THOUGHT to complete your swing and get your ball out of the trap. The missing ingredient is to take your ball and an imaginary quarter (after the ball) out of the trap.

Your problem is that you need to swing through your ball and take the sand after the ball to complete your swing. Don’t get stuck in the heavy sand. Finish your swing. Imagine that there is a quarter in the sand about an inch beyond your ball. Swing with enough power to take your ball and the sand (including the imaginary quarter) after the ball with your full follow through.

ONE THOUGHT: Take the QUARTER with your follow-through.

I like to combine that though with the proper setup that I found in a recent blog by GolferRX:

1) Widen your stance (They suggested double your driving stance but I like to dig my feet down an inch or 2 into the sand with a bit wider and open stance for stability. An open stance helps you complete your swing.)

Rickie Fowler puts more weight on his leading foot to swing under the ball and the “quarter” after the ball.

2) Put more weight on your leading foot to help you swing through the ball and the sand after the ball). This forces a weight shift forward to get that extra sand.

3) Open your clubface – your ball should be able to rest on your club face. [When you open your sand wedge face to point straight up, you need to open your stance by at least 30 degrees away from your target line so that the leading edge of your club is square to your target.]

NOTE: Deep traps and short bunker shots need a high floating shot to clear the lip of the bunker by using a 30 degree open stance. For long bunker shots close your stance closer to parallel with your target line and close your club face to get more distance than height.

4) Keep your hands centered in your stance during your set-up

5) Swing with reasonable speed to take sand 2 or 3 inches before your ball as well as your “imaginary quarter“ in the sand after the ball. Complete your follow-through and end up balanced on your leading foot. [You will never get the ball out of the sand if you don’t transfer your weight to your leading foot as you complete your swing.]

Build confidence in your ability to make consistent sand trap shots by practicing with limited lag on your trailing wrist using your GOLFSTR+. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

I just thought that July 4th would be a good time to spice up your swing. We would all like to hit dead straight, sweet shots every time we swing a club. Unfortunately our swing direction or the ground slope or our hands cause slight changes in our swing resulting in a draw or a fade especially when we don’t want that shot. Why not plan for a power draw or fade to avoid surprises?

I really don’t think you want to put fireworks in your swing like Bubba Watson. His lack of recent wins is one reason why we don’t want a huge draw or fade. He really has an overkill for his draw or fade. He plans for each draw or fade which can turn into a hook or slice that flies deep into the rough on too many occasions. Of course he also hits the occasional streak where he is able to execute a controlled draw or fade and even wins some tournaments but it’s not the best plan of attach for golf if you want consistent hits.

Bubba usully setups up with an open stance but he controls his draw or fade using the direction of the club face impact on the ball from a lower plane swing to the ball

In a recent golf magazine article I found the following: “No matter how many tournaments Watson wins, he will always be looked at as a freak show like a high-wire act. He hits the ball insane distances with his driver, and all that TV announcers want to talk about when covering Watson is how much he curves the ball, 30 or 40 yards at a clip. His swing defies convention, present or past. He does things no one would teach. In that regard, he claims never to have taken a lesson. Every announcer says Watson has the best hands in golf.” —-until he looses control.

Things we should learn from Bubba:
1/ Don’t Use Extra Large Grips on your Irons and Drivers: Bubba using anywhere from 10 to 13 wraps of tape under each grip as he progresses down each grip. “His grips look like Little League bat handles.”  Those oversized grips cause all of the extra action on his ball flight. NOT what you want.

2/ Plan to control your distance as well as your cut or slice. The greater the cut or slice, the more you risk playing your next shot from the rough or the trees. Your drive is your longest shot so you really should setup to aim for one side of the fairway and curve your ball back to your target line.

3/ A guaranteed draw or fade is what you should be planning on every shot. Hitting from a slight slope or using a slight rotation on your grip can change the face direction of your club and the outcome of your shot. Don’t risk it. Setup for your draw or fade by using your ball position slightly forward or back and your trailing foot slightly back (closed) or forward (open) from your target line. [Bubba setsup extremely open to his target line.  DON’T DO IT.]

4/ Generate Your Fireworks with your Lag and Release: I like to swing straight back and up to the top (not quite as exaggerated as Jim Furyk) with a slight loop at the top to power my hit with an inside to outside swing and forcing a power draw (like Jim McLean).

Practice to consistently draw or fade your shots at the driving range. Use your straight leading arm by practicing with GOLFSTR+. Use your wrist lag to naturally generate FIREWORKS for your power draw or fade. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

I found this article with a startling heading: Mickelson Won’t Win US Open, and here’s why. It was a Morning News blog by JIM NELFORD (AS TOLD TO GARY VAN SICKLE) | June 6, 2019. This was a very convincing heading and I had to figure out why. As it turn out it was about Draggers and Throwers. What’s that?

Pebble Beach is a ball-striker’s paradise. It has the smallest greens on the PGA Tour and it is usually windy from its perch overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Those two things mandate precise ball-striking. As it turn out the US Open was played under very calm and saggy conditions and of course we know that Phil did not win but why was Nelford’s prediction so adamant?

Precise Ball-Striking is exactly what we all want. So if there is a way to improve our swing for a consistent way to play golf, we better get to the bottom of this. The Article States: There are two categories of players on the PGA Tour:
Draggers: Those who drag a square clubface through impact using their lower bodies. Draggers are better, more consistent ball-strikers. “A dragger is like a baseball hitter. The batter drags the bat through the impact area while the lower body rotates. Like DRAGGER golfers, batters don’t roll their forearms or wrists until after they hit the ball.”
Throwers: Those who throw the clubface in an effort to get it square at impact, using their hands, arms and shoulders. Nelford/ Gary Van Sickle estimate that throwers make up 90 percent of Tour players because that’s the only method being taught. “A thrower rotates his forearm hard through impact. It’s a flashing move that makes the clubface turn quickly in order to reach the square position at impact. This move is an effort to compensate for flaring the clubface open during the backswing and getting it out of position. Throwing the clubface back to square before impact requires meticulous timing. The throwers include the late Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickelson and most other players.”

Throwers are taught to stop the lower-body rotation during the forward swing – it’s called hitting up against the left side – so the centrifugal force of the body’s rotation helps throw the clubface back into position before impact. It’s a difficult thing to get right every time.

Jack’s hip are not open at impact and it also looks like Hogan, Faldo and Woods have the same move. They are all Draggers!

Jack Nicklaus dragged his club through impact. So did Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller and Paul Azinger among the previous generation. Among today’s stars, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jim Furyk and Zach Johnson are draggers. Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods, the men who won the first two major championships this year, mix the two styles. And as it turned out Gary Woodland must be a dragger too.

In summary Throwers are upper-body players where the upper body catches up to the early hip rotation and Draggers are lower-body players where they rotate the hip and arms together through impact. Whether you are a Dragger (for more consistent ball striking) or Thrower, you need to practice with your GOLFSTR+ for a straight leading arm swing. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

Let’s face it, golf is a game of control. It’s a head game. Being in the right frame of mind with calm and relaxed emotions is everything. Watching the US Open reminds us that you need a positive mental attitude to start with but on the course like Pebble Beach anything can go wrong at any time. Mental recovery after every mishit with a solid swing plan is exactly what we all need.

The pros know that a CONSISTENT SWING SPEED for every club in their bag will allow them to produce the same swing results. Their POWER SWING is consistently swung at 80% of their swing speed. In order to maintain the same POWER swing speed they make slight adjustments to compensate for distance with every club in their bag:

Gary Woodland used a tight grip and brute strength to get through the rough at the US Open.

1/ Grip Pressure: If they are in deep rough, they have no choice but to increase their grip pressure to prevent club head rotation. They know that a tight grip will steal distance out of their hit but direction of the ball is the critical concern for a safe hit.
2/ Grip Down: There is about a 10 to 20 yard distance change between each club so the pros know that they can’t get more distance out of a club without risking disaster. They always choose the club that they know can reach their target and then grip down slightly to reduce the distance that they want to hit WITHOUT changing THEIR SWING SPEED.

A Slower Swing Demands a Change in your SETUP:
In the sand, on a side slope, in the rough and especially within 50 yards of the green, you have no choice but to reduce your backswing and your swing speed. To maintain the direction of your hit you should compensate with your ball position and body positions to ensure that your release at the point of impact is straight up your target line.

Slowing down your swing changes everything. The timing for your arms, your body rotation and especially your wrist lag. Without making setup changes for a slower swing you will end up spraying your shot away from your body as you leave your club face open or hit off the toe of your club.

Gary Woodland had it all figured out to win the US Open with 4 superb rounds of golf. Brooks Koepka could not catch up.

Adjust for a Slower Swing (It’s a lot different than your 80% POWER Swing)
1/ EXPECT that your slower swing will be LAZY: That’s right, without a crisp swing through the ball, you will tend to leave your club-face open as your body rotation will be out of sync with the speed of your hip, shoulder and arm rotation.
2/ Put More pressure on your Leading Foot: A slower swing will mess up your weight transfer from your back foot to your leading foot. You can’t afford to “drift” back in your backswing so start with 60% of your weight on your leading foot.
3/ Adjust Your Footing for your Slower Swing: You need to adjust for a swing below your normal 80% Power Swing. Don’t flare your trailing foot and consider opening up your stance to ensure that you will impact squarely on the ball and to help your complete your follow-through.
4/ Make Sure to Impact your Ball First: [A GREAT PRACTICE TIP] laying a tee on the ground about 3 or 4 inches before your ball. Allow your hips to move forward OR use more pressure on your leading foot during your setup so that you swing to miss the tee and hit your ball before you skim the turf.

Adjust for your swing speed by practicing with GOLFSTR+  with every club in your bag.  Buy one today www.golfstr.com

I was surprised to hear that our brain and visual focus have a lot to do with the success of our golf shots.  Jason Day and Jack Nicklaus visualize their shot but even more important they pick a target point to allow their brain to zero in on that point to make their planned shot. I was also surprised to see a video by Tom Stickney, a PGA Instructor on GOLF-INFO-GUIDE which highlighted the fact that your visual focus will actually allow your brain to unconsciously control the direction of your shot.

Jim McLean is shown here with a burning image around his target point and you should too.

Tom referred to a tip that he learned from one of his golf coaches.   He recommended that you follow your normal setup routine and end your pre-shot routine with a last look at your target.  The smaller the target is defined, the better your success will be in hitting that target.

I am only bring this tip to your attention as it’s exactly the same process that I have been using for my putting.  If I choose the correct target point with my rehearsed swing speed for the right break, I sink my putt.

• If I pick a target point and focus on that point for at least 2 seconds before I return my head to focus on my ball, the target and distance are burned into my brain.
• It’s as if I have this laser image for the line that I need to hit for my putt.
• I feel the image in my brain even though I have moved my visual focus back to the ball.
• Hitting my ball on that “laser target line” is the only thing that my brain can visualize and “feel”. Swinging my putter directly up that line is all that my brain will allow me to do.

Hitting a drive or a fairway shot is easier than putting on a sloped green so the direction of my shot is all that counts.  Start by planning for a draw or a fade (or a straight shot if you can count on it).

Spend your “FINAL FOCUS” when you prepare for each shot by choosing a specific target.

DO NOT LOOK at the hazard on the left or the trees on the right but focus your eyes on your chosen target.  [If your last look is at the pond, that’s where your ball will end up.]

Your final focus will lock your brain into the shot that will drive your ball directly up your target line.  Practice with GOLFSTR+  for your powerful straight arm shots on your target line.  Buy one today at www.golfstr.com  

PS.  I look for these tips to help my game as much as I want to help yours.   In my last round of golf, the rough was about 6 to 8 inches deep, so I really wanted to hit fairways and greens.  I worked on my FINAL FOCUS and hit 16 out of 18.  My playing partners kept taking free lifts out of the rough to survive the round.