Swing Solutions

GOLFSTR is ready to go retail!

We are presenting a made for TV spot to the Big Box Golf Retail buyers this week at the PGA Golf Merchandise Trade Show in Orlando, FL.

Following is the access to a YouTube version of the video which will be modified (with a proper 1-800 number) and run on the Golf Channel this Spring.  The message really gets to the point quickly.  Hope to receive thoughts from any of our subscribers.

Copy this URL and paste it in your browser to watch the video.

In the middle of a wonderful round of golf in Florida I started to hit a few drives that were real “quackers” (duck hooks).  Concerned that this was about to ruin my round I asked my playing partner what he saw.  As it turns out I was starting to bend my arm in the down-swing.  I had lost my focus on straight leading arm.  YES you not only need a straight leading arm IN THE BACK-SWING BUT ALSO IN THE DOWN-SWING and through impact.

My leading arm was straight in the back-swing (thanks to my practice with GOLFSTR) but I was starting my down-swing by allowing my leading arm to start bending.  This initial bending is referred to as the dreaded CHICKEN WING.

A “chicken wing” causes the leading arm to shorten.  This action leads to swinging over the top (on too steep of a plane) and casting the arms straight in order to connect with the ball.  Unfortunately, the steep downward swing forces your brain to make many corrective actions.  The results cause anything but a straight hit.

First you need to master a straight leading arm in the back-swing by practicing and playing rounds with GOLFSTR (with hinged wrist and bent lagging elbow for a low power plane – see Sergio Garcia, earlier blog).

Then focus on a gentle transition to the down-swing and acceleration with a straight leading arm.  Your power comes when you unload your wrists as the shaft of your club passes horizontal to the ground.

STRAIGHT ARM  –  STRAIGHT SHOT

PS:  We played The Talon Course at Twin Eagles in Naples from the Members Tees at 6500 yards.  This is an amazingly well trapped and water lined course.  I was pleased to escape with one double bogey.  Like golfing in heaven when you keep it on the fairways.

Sorry but I’m focused on setting up the spots for the Golf Channel.  We are shooting in Kissimmee, Florida on January 10 at Falcon’s Fire Golf Club.  I will load some photos of the shoot on www.facebook.com/golfstr1   tomorrow.  We have hired an agency who shoots ads for Disney and Golf Channel.  Expecting  that these ads will wake up the golf world to GOLFSTR.

We plan to run these ads starting at the end of April across the US.  These ads should help to move GOLFSTR into Big Box Retail (initial Distribution and Retail orders are already happening).

I hope that you understand that you are in on the ground floor of an evolutionary Golf Training Aid (The Brain Trainer).  This is like grass roots of a 1 year old company.  There are now 800 GOLFSTR owners.  If you are reading this you are one of the early adopters.  This is the marketing term for the 5% of the market who dare to try new concepts.  You are the initial buyers of a product which will wake-up 80% of golfers who need help in converting their swing to SWING LIKE A PRO.

We are depending on you to help expand sales throughout the world.  Enjoy this product and tell others about your find.  I know that it takes time to convert your swing to a straight arm swing.

I was a messed up golfer for years and finally with GOLFSTR I am on the right track. JUST DO IT!!!

Thank you for helping to promote GOLFSTR.  (pronounced: Golf Stir and stands for Golf Straight)

Straight Arm = Straight Shot

Let’s get realistic on what you can do with a straight leading arm in the back swing.

PUTTING accounts for about 43% of the strokes in an average golfer’s game.

OPPORTUNITY lies with the rest of your game.  You need to depend on a straight leading arm for consistent drives, approach shots and (yes even on your) chips.

I have been focusing on straight leading arm for my drives and approach shots.  Dropping any of these shots in the ruff or the water or the woods will not only waste a stroke to get back into the fairway but you also lose distance every time you leave the fairway.  That’s like losing 1.5 strokes for every poor shot.   If you average 1 mishit per hole that can cost you 27 strokes a round.

My point is that you can cut lower your score significantly just by keeping your shots in the fairway. 

I was recently reminded that consistent hits on those short approach shots are also dependent on “straight leading arm”.  We all get lazy in these shots, relaxing the leading arm and topping or blading the ball.

Gary in Nebraska recently emailed to say:  Just wanted to tell you that I love this product.  I have always worked hard to keep my arm straight but having some feedback is very helpful.  I am a 5 handicap but have a tendency to miss a lot of greens and I feel it is from my arm breaking down.  I am pretty good at getting up and down so score OK but think GOLFSTR will make me better and more consistent. 

So practice with your GOLFSTR to keep the ball in the fairway and hit more greens in regulation.  Get more consistent with your drives as well as your short shots using less back swing and a straight leading arm.

Happy New Year!!!

   . . . . and may the wind be behind every drive as you enjoy golf for another year!

PS    Thanks again for the wonderful comments and encouragement to promote GOLFSTR.  We are in Orlando shooting our Golf Channel Spots January 10 and will be showing them at the Orlando PGA Golf Merchandise Show January 23-26 in Booth 3711.

Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing.    -Ben Hogan

So if Ben Hogan believed this, it must mean that the golf swing is not a natural motion.  The most powerful swing or the most consistent swing requires a lot more than walking up to the tee an’ let’er rip.

It took me 50 years to realize that I had to commit to learning a new swing.  Actually my wife was consistently whooping my butt in golf and I had to do something about it.  I was motivated.  Making a resolution for yourself is the most important part of improving your game.

We are approaching a 1000 GOLFSTRs sold on-line in the first year of sales.  Reactions from our customers have taught us a few things:

1/ Golfers who buy GOLFSTR  have made a commitment to make a real change in their game.  They want to lower their scores.

2/ Very few GOLFSTRs are returned but I can tell by the comments that they were looking for the instant fix.  They are not committed to make a change to a Straight Leading Arm in the Back-Swing.  Hogan points out that the golf swing is not natural and it requires effort to learn it.

3/ Changing to a straight leading arm in the back-swing is just a good starting point.  It also requires adjustment of many other bad habits.  That’s exactly why we decided to offer this weekly blog.

4/ The best feature of GOLFSTR is that you can wear it as you play a round of golf.  See improvement as you play.  It builds muscle memory and that is way we call it the portable pro.

Make your New Year’s resolution for an improved swing with Ben Hogan in mind.

Wishing a Happy New Year to All.        Hit’em long and straight.

MY POINT:  You can’t talk and chew gum at the same time.  You can’t execute a swing correctly if you are not 100% focused on the swing.  Today I am announcing the winner of the signup promotion for YOUR Swing Support Center.   It’s a stretch to say that your mind may be wondering and thinking about the contest but the GOLF SWING CAN ONLY BE EXECUTED CORRECTLY IF YOUR MIND IS NOT WONDERING.

Are you thinking about keeping the leading arm straight in the back swing; that last bad shot; that buddy standing too close behind you; that comment made about the coffee stain down the front of your shirt or that stupid bird chirping over your head?  In this fast paced life our minds are trained to think rapidly.  Phones, computers and speed of transportation have moved our brains into warp speed.

The tension rises when you step up to make an important shot.  What am I talking about?  Every shot is important: driving, layups, pitching, chipping and putting.  Miss-hit one shot and you can’t possibly make par or bogey.

Rory McIlroy said that when he steps up to hit a ball he has trained his mind to think of nothing else but the process of hitting that ball with the power and direction and finesse that he plans.  His focus is intense.

THE TRICK:  I learned to trick my mind by repeating the identical sequence of words (in the back of my mind) so that I can’t be thinking about anything else.  By rehearsing these words and internalizing them I can only think about the motion and pace of the swing.  When I setup to the ball and relax my shoulders and hands I use the following words:

STRAIGHT ARM:  I think these words as a wake-up alert to focus before I begin my swing.

Sweep :                As I talk my club back with a deliberate slowed pace.

in:                           As I keep my lagging elbow bending in near my side (to open the club face).

aaaand;                 As I make the transition into the forward press and swing with wrists hinged.

Finish:                   As I swing from the inside across the ball to a balanced photo finish pose.

“STRAIGHT ARM . . . . . . . . Sweep in aaaand Finish”   [Where F in Finish is the point of impact.]

Just try saying these words and you won’t have time to think of anything else. 

CONTEST WINNER:  I just called the winner of the GARMIN S3 GPS Watch:  Laurence Schweichler in Caladonia, NY signed up for the contest on November 11 and he also told me that he purchased a GOLFSTR.   He was certainly pleased to hear of his win.  He said that he is a higher handicap golfer and that he has been trying GOLFSTR out by hitting into a net in his back yard & garage and he can see progress with his new swing (even with his jacket on).

Thank you to all who signed up for the Blog and I hope you are enjoying it.  You may also enjoy watching our progress with Shark Tank/ Dragon’s Den/ patent/ retail packaging so check out our Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/golfstr1

Did you ever wonder why 80% of golfers can’t break 90?  [I mean legally break 90 – –  without tipping the ball out of a hole or “magically” finding THE ball or using the foot wedge or taking those 3 foot gimmies or taking that second shot with another ball – “anyone can hit the second one”.]

Think back to when you were a kid.  Did you take up baseball, cricket or golf first?   Yup, baseball is the reason why you have a natural tendency to bend your leading arm in the back-swing.  You swing a golf club the same way you swing a baseball bat.  Why not rest you club on your shoulder while you are at it?  Shake your head or as they say today “shut the front door”: THIS IS NOT BASEBALL.  It’s time to change those baseball habits and learn the proper swing.  Why not Swing Like a Pro?  Bent arm is not the way to go.

Ben Hogan said “the golf swing is totally unnatural”.  If you are comfortable with your old swing, get over it.  You really have to WANT TO CHANGE.  Nothing comes easy.  If you really want to improve your game and break an honest 90, then you need to commit to understanding the basics and change your old habits.  I bent my leading arm in the back swing for 50 years.  Of course I saw the pros with their straight leading arm and wanted to do the same thing. Of course I could occasionally swing with a straight arm but my mind always knew better and said “Hit it like a baseball, belt it out of here!”   My baseball swing seemed to always take over and out came those banana balls and duck hooks or left pulls.

You can change your bad swing habits if you can change your muscle memory.  You need to re-program your thoughts.  Who knew that this was a mental game.  (Those who don’t play the game agree, they all think we are mental — I digress.)   The key to your success is using a reminder to keep focused on the right swing.  That’s why GOLFSTR was invented as the PORTABLE PRO.  Playing with a reminder like GOLFSTR is a lot better than tying a string around your finger to help you remember.  When it lifts off the back of your arm, you instantly know that you are bending your arm or trying to take too much back-swing.   You need a constant reminder by playing 18 holes with your portable pro.  She is always there to remind you.

It takes time to change from that baseball swing to a golf swing.  Focus and you can make the change with your golfing buddy, the portable pro: GOLFSTR.

“GOLFSTR’s an unfair advantage so you can’t use it while playing in a competition. 

Imagine what it will do for your game.”

SPECIAL NOTICE:   Hurricane Sandy and the Christmas mail rush seem to be causing delivery delays on the eastern side of the US.  Please be patient as we are now seeing deliveries of 2 to 3 weeks even though all shipments are out the door within 24 business days hours.  To improve delivery we will be shipping all future US orders from our Massachusetts warehouse by the end of December.  We thank you for your patience.

I mentioned in my last blog that I wanted to help you understand the “feeling” of the lag, wrist release and follow through.  Rory is a great example who we can all learn from.

The golf swing happens within a few seconds.  You can’t possibly plan each component of the swing as your mind can’t think that fast.  While reading Percy Boomer’s historic book “On Learning Golf”, I noticed that he describes the swing as knowing the right feeling for the swing.  This reminded me of the wonderful impression and feeling that we get when we watch a successful golfer in slow motion.  Understanding what the golfer is trying to do and then watching the motion really helps you feel the effort in the swing.

I found an amazing slow motion video of Rory’s swing on YouTube.  [Slo Mo of Rory’s swing]  Of course Rory, like most pros, swings with a straight leading arm in the back swing.    80% of the golfers in this world who would like to break 90 are wondering why they are not hitting the ball consistently.  That straight arm is just Rory’s starting point for consistency.  Rory does not need GOLFSTR as he learned the straight arm swing in his youth.  If you don’t have this natural feeling for the swing, GOLFSTR is a great Brain Trainer to help you make the change.

What Rory does so well in his downward motion is lagging the release of his wrists and moving the club head from inside to the outside (across the face of the ball) as he releases his wrists.  It’s like skipping a flat stone on water.  The wrist lag causes the burst of speed as they whip though the bottom of the swing and accelerate the club head to extreme speeds through the impact zone.

Practicing the swing to feel the lag and whip of the club head from the inside to outside is so critical for your success.  You can’t think it through.  You need to feel the motion that you want to achieve.

NOTE: If you enjoy these blogs please share them with your friends.   Please encourage them to add their name and email address in the blue box on the lower right side at www.golfstr.com  to subscribe and for a chance to win a GARMIN S3 GPS Watch.  [CONTEST DRAW DATE IS DECEMBER 20] 

GOLFSTR is also the perfect stocking stuffer.  The Portable Pro is easy to carry in your pocket, wear it as you play and see results.  It’s like having a reminder from your pro every time your swing.  Our Golf Channel ads says: “GOLFSTR is an unfair advantage.  Imagine what it will do for your game.”

Passionate golfers marvel at the power and distance professional golfers hit their drives.  That’s what keeps us glued to the Golf Channel and weekly tournaments on TV.  So where is all of that power coming from?

Professional golfers are athletes.  They train a lot more than recreational golfers so don’t expect to hit those amazing long shots like Ernie Els or Rory McIlroy or John Daly.  Strength, flexibility and technique are all major factors in their success in generating speed and distance.  Technique is the only component where this blog will be focusing today.  And GOLFSTR is designed to help you with muscle memory as well as technique.

So why does Ernie Els seems to swing with so little effort?  Straight leading arm in the back swing is a key starting point.  Rotation of the shoulders gives him added torque in his back-swing.  Length of the back-swing is so important.

But the real reason why his swing looks so effortless is that his power comes from the rotation of his wrists as his arms reach the bottom of his swing.  His wrists are accelerating the club from horizontal to the ground, through the ball and up to horizontal to the ground with very little movement of his arms.  The club head is moving 95% further than his hands.  You are seeing the effortless motion of his arms and losing sight of the whipping action of his hands and club head accelerating though the ball.

If you want to Swing Like a Pro (and Ernie), don’t release the hinge of your wrist until your arms start to approach the bottom of the arc in your swing.  Ernie, like all great golfers, delays his wrist release.  Others refer to it as lagging the release and snapping the wrist as if you are trying to throw a side arm pitch or skip a stone across water (more on this in the next blog).  No matter how you want to visualize this just make sure that you don’t start your forward swing by releasing your wrist at the top of the back swing.  Keep your leading arm straight and delay the wrist release.  You will be amazed at your improved distance.

Many golfers limit the power of their swing by limiting the hinge of their wrist in the back-swing.  The takeaway and back-swing must include a straight leading arm, lagging elbow near the ribs and a flat hinged wrist to generate power in the swing.

If you are having a problem hinging your wrist in the back-swing, you may want to try what we see in Dustin Johnson’s takeaway.   As he starts his takeaway, he rotates his wrist to the right and hinges or cocks his wrist so that the club face is open (pointing vertical to the ground).  By the time that his leading arm is horizontal to the ground his shaft is already cocked at a 90 degree angle to his leading arm.  By doing this you don’t have to think about cocking the wrist at the top of the back swing.

I’m only suggesting that you try this to understand the ideal position at the top of your back-swing.  Straight arm, club face open and shaft is 90 degrees to the arm.  I’m not talking about a John Daly back-swing.   Just limit your back-swing to the point where you still keep a straight leading arm or where GOLFSTR  just starts to release off the back of your arm.  You will be amazed by the power and results.

In time you need to incorporate the cocking of the wrist into your swing as a smooth motion in your back swing.  The Dustin Johnson example is not for everyone as it can create other problems.

As an exercise for a beginner golfer using GOLFSTR, I encouraged her to open her club face and just rotate her club to 90 degrees before she started her back-swing [YouTube video].  This is an exaggeration of the Dustin Johnson takeaway but it will help you see how it helped her.