Golf Tips to Think About: PART 2

Try to figure out the right backswing speed and downswing speed for YOUR GAME. Recreational golfers try to match the swing and distance achieved by a professional golfer but that’s not realistic. The pros that we see on TV have a club swing speed of 120 MPH and hit consistent drives about 300 yards. Unfortunately you are not practicing golf and exercising 5 to 7 days a week. You need to set some realistic goals.

We all want to hit longer drives; with more consistent connection and more greens in regulation. Choose a tee which is reasonable for your level of play so that you are NOT trying to crush every drive and every approach shot.

Why not plan for a realistic goal and setup your swing to achieve it.  Hitting the ball consistently can cut strokes off every hole. Slow your swing down and enjoy the success of making better connection with your ball.

Swing Thoughts for the Pros:
Hank Haney recently pointed out that the ratio for the backswing to the forward swing for professionals is fairly consistent at a 3:1 ratio. This is interesting but it may not be a good swing thought for recreational golfers. Ryan Moore has an extremely slow backswing as he deliberately positions his club. Nick Price has a frantic back and downswing but it does not get him any further down the fairway than Rory McIlroy or Dustin Johnson. [According to Hank, every extra mile per hour of club head speed you generate gives you an extra 2.5 yards in distance.]

If you want to see a crazy sloooow backswing that creates a perfectly controlled ball flight, check out Inbee Park. She just won the Women’s PGA Championship for the third year in a row. Her drives are shorter than most of the ladies on tour (she averages 237 yards). Inbee keeps her leading arm straight in the backswing (possibly she is practicing with GOLFSTR+). Her limited body rotation in her backswing (similar to most aging golfers) gives her shorter drives BUT with more consistent results.

My point here is that recreational players should take as much time as we need to wind up for a smooth transition. Any rush in the transition will mess up your tempo. I know that when I try for extra distance, I cut my backswing short and lose my tempo and distance.

Don’t try for 5 or 10% more distance which may destroy your swing and may result in a topped ball or a fat hit. Get that out of your mind. Go for a smooth transition and a relaxed acceleration through the ball to a balanced finish. Keeping your ball on the flat of the fairway is worth giving up a few extra yards for a drive that could land OB, in the rough, in a trap or behind trees. [NOTE: Inbee my hit shorter shots but they are in the fairway.]

Game Plan:
After you play a round of golf, look at your score card to see where you could have dropped your score by a stroke or 2 on each hole. Was going for the green from a side hill lie worth the risk? Did a major hook or draw around a tree payoff? Could you have played a safer shot out of a bunker? Would a lag putt have been a better idea than putting off the green? Don’t forget to practice with your GOLFSTR+ and get that swing under control. Buy it today at www.golfstr.com .