YOUR Swing Support Center

A few weeks ago I issued a Swing Tip named Consistent Hits with One Thought.  It was about clearing your mind during the setup to focus on the swing that you want.  Simplicity and focus are the keys to success in this wonderful game.  Golf Swing Secrets Revealed from St. Andrews by Andy Anderson is a blog that gives another twist to this subject.  I just wanted to share some of his observations.

FIRST GOLF FALLACY: Golfers should RELAX.   “Being relaxed is complete rubbish.”  This fallacy comes down to us through generations of golf teachers.   When you swing a golf club you are taking a comparatively violent action.  Is there any other violent action you take while you are relaxed?  Of course not!   It’s impossible.

Ben Hogan had a server rotation and straight arm backswing. This is not relaxed.

Did Ben Hogan or Arnold Palmer ever look relaxed when they take their stance or hit those amazing drives?  In their case it was extreme focus and explosion.  If they are relaxed, why are their lips compressed and their features contorted, as countless pictures show they are?

It is easy to see how “Relax” became fixed in the language of the golf teacher.  When inexperienced golfers get on the lesson tee they are so self-conscious and frightened that they tense up to the point, almost, of absolute rigidity.

In order for them to swing the club at all, the pro has to loosen them up to some extent.  He tells them to relax.  If a little is good, he thinks, a lot must be much better. He now makes a fetish of relaxation. Everybody has to relax as soon as he takes hold of a club.

SOLUTION:
“We don’t want a rigidity of the rigor mortis variety. But we do want firmness, a feeling of muscular movement under constant control, ready for instant response.  Nor do we want a mental relaxation either. Don’t get the idea your mind should be a complete blank when you step up to a shot.  If it is, you might as well be asleep.”

Hogan with an aggressive thrust through the ball.

So forget everything you have heard about relaxing.  For the purposes of playing good golf it is sheer rubbish.

Keeping your Arm Straight or your Wrist Straight to deliver consistent hits only happens if you focus and work on it.  GOLFSTR+ is a great training aid to help you with Every Swing in Your Game (6 uses).  Try it, you’ll like it!

Still $10 off on every GOLFSTR+ that you purchase until the end of this year.  Enter the Coupon Code: golfstr   when you order on our site:  www.golfstr.com

We are excited to announce that 100 members of the GOLF Partners Club tested and approved GOLFSTR+.   The Golf Partners Club is one of seven affiliate organizations with over 400,000 members participating in programs offered by the North American Media Group (NAMG Inc.).   77% of the participants testing GOLFSTR+  recommended it as a golf training aid that will lower your score.

To qualify for the test group, they had to golf at least 10 rounds a year.  They also agreed to the statement:  “I would buy a product if I thought I could drop 5 strokes off my score.” 

77% of the testers recommended GOLFSTR+ because they felt that it would lower their score.  They also ranked GOLFSTR+ in the following areas:

100 Golfers tested and evaluated GOLFSTR+ to qualify this product for Certifications.

• Convenience,
• Effectiveness,
• Comfort & Fit, Appearance,
• Durability,
• Rated Against Similar Products,
• Ease of Use,
• Design,
• Quality
• Performance.

This product is not perfect for everyone but the overwhelming test results qualified GOLFSTR+ for the Golf Partners Club: Seal of Approval.

We really learned a lot from comments provided by the testers in the following categories:

• Best Feature,
• Suggested Improvement, Main reason for recommending or not recommending the product
• What did your family and friends think of this product
• Comment about your experience with it.

The feedback from this test has encouraged us to improve the user instructions and to provide a more exciting promotion for the 6 uses.  Here are some of their comments:

-Thought that the product was revolutionary.   Overall experience was phenomenal.

-I have been trying to address my “chicken wing” swing for some time now.  This is the best product that I have found on the market!

-Thought it was a good looking teaching aid. Everyone wanted to use it.

-The product does what it’s meant to do.  On average I gained an extra 40-70 yards on my drives.  Can’t argue with the results.  The trainer does work and it works pretty good.

Training for Straight Arm in your Backswing is only 1 of 6 uses for this amazing Training Aid

-I shared this product with many family members and they all got one of their own.

-Honestly, my golfing buddies were not happy with this product. It took 5 strokes off of my usual game, and made it more competitive for them.

-I think it is perfectly designed for what it is designed to do.  I highly recommend this product for making my game better and more enjoyable.

-It is a very versatile product. Not only does it help keep your arm straight, but the other uses such as flat wrist for chipping and putting really helped to better my game

-Dramatically improved the scores for my son and his friends.   Truly a great product.  Improved my golf game tremendously.

-My friends laughed at me when I put it on at the driving range, but once I began hitting with better accuracy and all but eliminated my slice, they were asking for a go at it.  After about an hour, everyone was laughing, but that was because our swings were improving.

-Over all I liked this training aid, and the results were better than expected (took two strokes off my game in a week) I will continue to use this aid.

-Little uncomfortable at first, but it is to be expected since it takes you out of your comfort zone.

-During my first bucket of balls, I was hitting straighter than I have ever hit.  Within a few buckets of balls after using the product, I removed the Straight Arm Trainer and was hitting much straighter, adding 20+ yards to my drive.  I can’t wait to get back out on the course!

-My family liked it, and after letting them try it, they want to buy it!

-Simple yet highly effective!

-I would recommend this product because it helps correct bad habits. I grew up playing baseball so it is hard for me not to bend my elbow while swinging a golf club. Wearing the GOLFSTR helps remind me to keep my arm straight.  Has certainly helped me be more consistent with my golf swing.

-I really like the versatility of use in this product.

-My neighbor and I share a massive empty lot across from our houses and frequently hit balls into the field.  He was impressed enough to borrow it to help with his daughters swing.

-I found a lot of improvement in my short game swings. I was able to strike the ball much more accurately with the putter and had more direction control with my irons.

-I was skeptical about this product. There are so many golf aids that promise a better straighter further shot. However I found with this product that even though it didn’t keep your arm straight for you it definitely made you aware when you weren’t keeping your arm straight. I tried this on two rounds of golf. The second round I didn’t use the product but I found with every shot I was more aware of my arm being straight then I had ever been before. In my case I lost only one ball for an entire round, and even though I am still not ready for the pro tour, more than 90% of my shots were straight.   A huge improvement for me.   I was very pleased.

The comments are overwhelming.  I could enter about 300 more but I think you get the idea.  The results of this research have inspired us to re-launch GOLFSTR+ with an exciting new image showing a golfer in 6 swing positions with 6 different clubs and wearing GOLFSTR+ for each of the 6 USES.  This image may look like an Octopus golfing and should create attention for this unique Golf Training Aid.  Hoping it will go viral.

A GREAT GIFT FOR ANY GOLFER: Get $10 off until the end of 2013 when you enter the Coupon Code:  golfstr

CLICK www.golfstr.com to order on the STORE Page or call 1-855-799-9695 any time of the day 24/7.

In case you missed it:  Rory McIlroy beat Adam Scott in the Australian Open this past weekend on the 18th hole in the final round.  Scott was leading by 1 stroke heading up the 18th.  He bogied, Rory birdied > > > game over.  What an amazing turn around for Rory who shot -6 on his final round while Scott’s round was a -1.  I love to watch both of these golfers go head to head.

Driving and Fairway Shots:
Rory and Adam both have an amazing straight leading arm in the back swing.  I just had to point this out for any of those who don’t understand the benefit of a straight leading arm. Of course you can do the same by practicing and playing with GOLFSTR+ on your leading arm.

Rory has an amazing straight arm in the back swing. Focus and consistency pays off.

Both were really consistent with long drives in that thrilling match.  Adam  was 4 strokes ahead when they started the day and that was quite a challenge for Rory.  It was still wonderful to see the perfection in both of their games.

Putting:
Scott’s long putter failed him in the final round again as he missed 6 putts within 10 feet.  It was heart breaking.  Maybe it’s time for Scott to change to the conventional putter.  That long putter will be banned in the PGA rule book in 2016.  Rory definitely putts with a flat wrist.  Of course Scott is using the long putter handle to avoid bending his wrist during his putting stroke.   Why not practice with GOLFSTR+ to ensure that your wrist is flat throughout the putting stroke.   It certainly helped Rory in the Aussie Open.

I love watching this game and dreaming about wonderful shots in my game.  I hope you have the same passion.

GOLFSTR+ is designed to help you Swing like a Pro For Every Swing in Your Game.  It’s a GREAT GIFT for any golfer to correct 6 fatal flaws.   It give you 6 training aids in 1 product.  What a great opportunity for every golfer to learn to Swing Like a Pro.

Buy NOW at www.golfstr.com or call 1-855-799-9695 and enter Coupon Code:  golfstr   and SAVE $10.

As this year draws to an end, it’s important to understand your successes and then make them your launch pad for the future.  GOLFSTR owes its success to the community and now depends on the world community to move to the next level.

GOLFSTR was born from ideas shared by our friends and golf pros.   Many people with golf swing problems helped this product evolve to offer you 6 Training Aid uses.  We are now providing a $10 discount as incentive for you to give the gift of an improved golf swing to your friends and family: For Every Swing in Their Game.

The production of GOLFSTR was born as a cottage industry.   With help from 8 home sewers and a plastic company who converted a pizza oven to create our first prototypes to fill our first 1,000 orders.  With encouragement from our user community we decided to launch to the world.

The Original Use of GOLFSTR: Trains you to keep your leading arm straight in the back swing. Wear it while you play 18 holes and see your game improve.

To assemble our product and packaging we chose Best Pack.  It’s a local company which raises funds to help empower people with a developmental disability to be all they can be.  Their goal is to provide a competitive work environment for challenged people.  Although Best Pack is a for profit company all proceeds of their work are donated to improve the quality of life for individuals in our community to live in a state of dignity.  We are pleased that your purchase of a GOLFSTR is helping your golf game and giving back to the community.

GOLFSTR was developed for the single use of training golfers to swing with a straight leading arm.  Fortunately our world community of users alerted us to the many ways that they are using GOLFSTR to improve their game.  We added a Rubber Extender to give our users more performance options and 5 more ways to use GOLFSTR.  Thanks to our user community we have renamed it GOLFSTR+ with 6 uses.

We love your testimonials so keep them coming.  CLICK HERE to check them out on our Testimonial Page on our website.   Here’s one that was just published in the Nov/Dec 2013 Issue, Southern California Golf Association page 53:  Robert Sacks:  “I found that after using it for a while, I was hitting shots straighter.  The product gave me feedback on when to stop the backswing and forces you NOT to over swing.  Instead, it lets you take a proper backswing that helps you keep the ball straighter and longer.”   CLICK HERE to view the magazine.

GOLFSTR+ Retail Gift Package

Why not give the gift that keeps on giving — All Year Long.  Your friends will be amazed throughout the year.  GOLFSTR+ is the ideal gift for any golfer so when you buy now until the end of  2013 it comes in a retail gift pack.  Buy it on www.golfstr.com [OR  call 1-855-799-9695] and get $10 off when you enter Coupon Code:     golfstr

Happy Thanksgiving  and Hit’m Straight

For many years I have seen too many commentators and blogs saying that you should hit each shot without thinking.  “Just let your subconscious take over.”  If that was true, how do you control your swing for: shorter or longer shots using the same club, side hill lies, downhill lies, fades and draws.  The truth is that these shots don’t happen without focusing on your swing.

In past blogs I have commented on the power of the mind and the conscious vs the sub-conscious.  The intent was to get your mind in a state of total focus.

The Golf Channel and most golf gurus tell you how to manage a shot.  Revolution Golf did one this week on curving the shot from right to left and then from left to right and also creating a high shot and a low shot.  In all cased if you are not 100% committed to making the swing from in to out or out to in or with a high / lower back swing you will never make the shot.  It is absolutely crazy to think that your body can go on auto-pilot and make the shot without your mind being totally committed.

Each shot needs to come down to a single focus: ONE THOUGHT

The Solution:
Clear your mind by going through your setup route.  If you stick to a routine for the drive, fairway, pitch, chip, sand and putt then your focus will only be on the shot.  Just do the setup the same way for each type of shot.  This will put your mind at ease as you consciously plan your shot and choose your line.

Your grip, ball position and line up of the face of your club are important components of your setup routing.  Make them part of your mental check list.  When they are done they are out of you mind.  The cadence of your swing should always be the same but the height of your back swing and the direction of the swing should be your final focus.

One Thought for Success:
Determine the single swing thought to complete your shot.  All the pros rehearse their swing thought with a practice swing to lock the motion into their mind.  You only have 2 seconds to make the swing so you only have time for ONE good thought: down the line, in to out (fade), out to in (draw), or full/half/quarter back swing.

• Before you swing, breathe in and out forgetting any other thoughts.
• Earth Shattering Reality: You can only say or think one thing at a time.
• Mentally, say your single swing thought (to eliminate any other thought).
• Enjoy the view as your ball finds it’s target.

Practicing with GOLFSTR+ is a good way to lock in the basics For Every Swing in Your Game.  A great Christmas Gift.  Save $10 using Coupon Code: nail it       www.golfstr.com

Dustin Johnson has an unorthodox swing but he sure kills the ball.  He hit the longest drive on the PGA Tour in 2011 at 463-yards so he must be doing something right.   Last Sunday he won the World Golf Championship event in Shanghai.  He even got more camera time than his well-endowed fiancé Paulina Gretzky.

Clay Ballard on Rotary Swing Golf showed a great slow motion video of Dustin this week but he ignored his unorthodox take away and a bowed wrist in the back swing.  Could those be his amazing solutions for more power?

Dustin Johnson with Straight Arm, Straight Shot and a lot of power = distance.

In his takeaway he starts to open his club face immediately.  By the time his club is horizontal the face is perpendicular to the ground and he almost has a 90 degree wrist cock.  This reminds me of a new golfer who wanted to purchase a GOLFSTR.  She couldn’t understand the concept of wrist cocking to create lag.  I asked her to start her swing with her club at 90 degrees to her arm in the horizontal position (similar to Dustin Johnson).  As a beginner hitting over 175 yards within 5 minutes I knew that Dustin was on to something.  You may want to try this a few times if you are having problems creating lag in your swing for more distance (CLICK HERE).

A Golf Channel analyst commented on Dustin’s leading wrist bowing in the back swing.  They warned that this should not be done by the average golfer.  It’s just another corrective motion which is needed in the down swing.  Hank Haney also points out that a flat wrist in the back swing is important to keep a simple swing which is on the right swing plane.   That comment inspired us to offer another use for GOLFSTR+: flat wrist in the back swing.

Somehow I think that Dustin’s 6 foot 4 inch height, his extremely straight leading arm throughout the swing, his wrist release and his extreme strength have a lot more to do with the length of his drives.

By the way if you want to work on straight arm and flat wrist in the back swing you should try GOLFSTR+.  Buy it as a Christmas Gift and save $10 by using the Coupon Code: nail it   . Order now on www.golfstr.com

I saw 3 great Tips for Longer Drives last week from Jeff Richmond in the Consistent Golf blog.  It was loaded with a lot of detail but I love to find the meat and dump the potatoes.   Upper body rotation, smooth transition and delayed wrist release are all critical for longer drives.  You need to work on all 3 for great results.

Distance comes from club head speed but it only counts at the point of impact.  Accelerating slowly in the transition with a powerful wrist release in the bottom half of the swing will give you longer drives.

Upper Body Rotation:
You want to coil your back by rotating your shoulders more than your hips in the back swing.  Holding a weight in your hands, simply rotate your upper body from one side to the other while shifting your weight and balance.  Try to increase your turn on each side for each rotation, but be sure to do this in a controlled manner and use common sense. Don’t rush this to start with, but as you get used to the motion then you can increase the speed and rotation.  You can do this exercise every day if you wish, for up to 20 repetitions. This will help you to make a bigger turn in your golf swing for longer drives.

Flexibility, Smooth Transition and Wrist Release in the bottom half of you swing will generate speed and distance.

Smooth Transition:
Your driver needs to accelerate throughout the swing but the peak speed is only reached at the point of impact.  There is no need to rush in the back swing and transition but it must be a continuous motion.  Your hips will start your forward swing as your club reaches the top of the swing.  Just think about Ernie Els, “big easy”, with that smooth change in direction.  It looks effortless because the club head speed is only increasing at the bottom half of the swing.  Your hips lead your shoulders and your shoulders lead your straight leading arm and your cocked wrists are the last to release in the bottom half of the swing.

Delayed Wrist Release (Lag):
Shoulder Rotation and Transition allow you to control the initial acceleration of the club for a powerful release with your wrists.  Never cast or release your wrists from the top of the swing or you will lose all of the club head speed.  Just pull down with your straight leading arm and let your wrists whip the club head through the ball (in a whip snapping action) as your weight shifts through to your forward balanced finish.  Our training pro likes to call it your “Photo Finish”.

Now watch this slow motion video of Rory McIlroy [CLICK HERE] to see that the wrists never release until he reaches the bottom half of the swing.  All pros do it and you should too.

GOLFSTR+ will help you Swing Like a Pro.

Place your Christmas Order for your favorite golfer.  All orders placed before Xmas will be shipped in a Special Retail Pack and get a $10 discount by entering Coupon Code:  nail it

Looking over the Testimonial Page on the GOLFSTR website, I notice that we are getting suggestions for new uses from golfers with Lower Handicaps.   They seem to be experimenting with GOLFSTR+ to improve their swing.  A PGA Pro from Fox Hollow GC in Calgary, Alberta did it again.  At the PGA Alberta, Buyers Show he suggested a 6th use.

Finally a use for GOLFSTR+ on the trailing arm.  Greg Griffith is a Head Pro who was purchasing 16  GOLFSTR+ units for winter training in their Golf Dome [so we enjoy giving him the plug].   He especially  liked GOLFSTR+ for training with a flat wrist in the back swing but he suggested a 6th use: mount GOLFSTR+ on the trailing forearm to allow the wrist to flex back at the same angle as the bent end of the plastic plate.

Chip with a lagging wrist on your trailing arm & never cup your leading wrist in the follow-though with GOLFSTR+

This is the ideal angle for a trailing wrist lag when chipping.

Ideally you should train for chipping with GOLFSTR+ on your leading wrist to prevent cupping of the wrist in the follow-through.  Working with a second GOLFSTR+ on the trailing arm is a great idea.  This idea may generate more sales but we are not advocating the use of 2 or more GOLFSTR’s worn at any time as you really need to focus on training for 1 of the 6 uses at a time.

This is not recommended but many thought I was demonstrating my compound fractured arm.

Golf Professionals at the show were surprised to see me wearing 3 GOLFSTR’s for 3 USES: Straight Leading Arm, Flat Wrist Back Swing and Wrist Lag Training.  

GOLFSTR was designed so that I could train my brain to swing with a straight leading arm.  We now have 6 uses but its just not practical to react to multiple uses and multiple pressure points at the same time.  But it was great fun to see the reaction when I wore 3 GOLFSTR+ Brain Trainers.

Girls were falling all over me with sympathy for my “injured arm”.  You should try it.

CHRISTMAS is coming and every golfer needs a GOLFSTR+.  Get $10 off your purchase today.

When you call in or place your order on the website enter the Coupon Code:  tips code   (at the top of the Address entry page)

Every GOLFSTR+ shipped before year end will be sent in a RETAIL PACKAGE for your special gift.

Order by phone Day or Night: 1-855-799-9695  or on line at www.GOLFSTR.com

Buy GOLFSTR+  for every golfer on your list.  Email sales@golfstr.com to purchase GOLFSTR+  in packs of 8 for double the savings on every unit.

I loved a training video released this week by GOLF TIPS MAGAZINE with Derek Nannen, PGA Pro at Eagle Mountain Golf Academy, Scottsdale, AZ to hit your drives further. When you top a ball (and who hasn’t), the ball dives down to the ground. For longer drives you need to reduce top spin. To increase distance you need to hit with an ascending (upward ) swing of about 3 to 4 degrees. In your setup make these 3 adjustments:
1/ Tee up a little higher.
2/ Place the ball forward of your leading heel. (possibly up to your toe line).
3/ Angle your shoulders to the right to encourage an upward angle of attack.

You may want to add draw by moving you back foot slightly away from the target line. Most important you need to complete the swing with all of your weight on your leading foot and your chest facing the target.

Of course that video also showed the importance of a back swing with a straight leading arm, flat wrist and wrist lag for consistent, longer hits.  GOLFSTR+ is the brain trainer to get you there as well as flat wrist for chipping and putting.  That’s 5 Training Aids in 1 For Every Swing in Your Game.

CHRISTMAS is coming and every golfer needs a GOLFSTR+.

Get $10 off your purchase. Enter the Coupon Code: tips code

Every GOLFSTR+ shipped before year end will be sent in a RETAIL PACKAGE for your special gift.

Order by phone Day or Night: 1-855-799-9695 or on line at www.GOLFSTR.com

Buy GOLFSTR  for every golfer on your list. Email sales@golfstr.com to purchase GOLFSTR+  in packs of 8 for double the savings on every unit.

Purchase GOLFSTR+ in retail packaging for the perfect Christmas Gift

Last week we talked about Flexibility and Body Rotation by Steve Sticker.  Just to reinforce this point www.golf-info-guide.com by Thomas Golf released a great Blog about hitting the ball further by turning your chest faster rather than hitting harder (with your shoulders). By turning your chest faster you should feel like you are dragging your arms through the ball. In other words you are pulling the club with your leading arm rather than pushing it with your trailing arm.

To gain more distance you need to increase your club head speed along your hitting line (not across it).   Here is a great shot showing Tiger with a great delayed release and swinging from the inside.   So you need to initiate your swing in this order: CHEST, shoulders, arms and wrists.

Tiger’s chest rotates before his shoulders,  arms and then wrists start to release the club though the ball.

For golfers who are not so strong, a powerful early shoulder action can cause serious swing problems. They tend to attack the golf ball from the top of the swing with too steep of an approach down into the ball or the golfer leans back and ‘pulls up’ out of the shot at the moment of impact. This causes slices and mishits.

SOLUTION:
Practice turning your chest though the ball and finishing by facing the target. This action completes the rotation of the body through impact and maximizes club head speed down the hitting line.  As an exercise, focus on turning your chest faster which should feel like your arms and club are being dragged through the ball. It should feel strange as your chest starts to turn first when your arms drop in the downswing.

Of course a straight arm, flat wrist and lagging release are also key components for your successful swing.  GOLFSTR+ is a great brain trainer to help you with your new swing.

Pass this on to your friends and check our website for more Swing Tips on YOUR Swing Support Center.