If you ever get a chance, go out and watch juniors play golf. Young children pick up the game of golf quickly and if given the basic fundamentals they can shoot some good scores. Let’s think why? It’s only a game to them! I teach several hundred juniors each year from ages 4 and up and in my first class, I ask “What is the definition of golf?” As kids answer anything, it is simple and honest. THE ANSWERS: “Hit the ball far.” “Get the ball into the hole in PAR.” “Avoid the Sand Pits.” As we progressed with the basics of golf, I summed up the class with a definition that works for kids and adults too: “Swing the golf club and get the golf ball in the hole in the fewest shots.”
Sounds simple. Try this the next time you play:
1) On the Tee: Swing the golf club as if you are taking a practice swing. Most practice swings are perfect, but once we address the ball, we change from swinging to hitting and we also forget that the fairway is a good thing.
2) On the Fairway: Most trouble is located short of the green. Take an extra club and aim for the center of the green
3) On the Green: Don’t be afraid to make a putt. Kids are great at this! Don’t get so technical with your putting stroke or over read a green. Allow your senses to take control and be confident that you will make that putt!
I hope this helps.
Great Golfing,
Chris
Monday, August 2, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Pain Free Golf by Summer Sirmons
In the middle of my golfing career as a University of Georgia Women’s Golf Team Member, I was struck by a back injury. After months of doctors, chiropractors, and rehabilitation, I was cleared to play only to realize that my current swing no longer worked for my body. In fact, the way that I had been swinging the club for the previous eight years was actually the cause of my injury. Now the real work of rebuilding my swing in a more efficient, pain free manner began.
This experience taught me a valuable lesson: Listen to your body. If playing golf results in pain, then your body is trying to tell you that the motions you are making are not natural for you. Or worse, an incorrect repetitive motion in your golf swing can cause long term injuries. In no way am I suggesting that if your golf swing causes pain, you should put down your clubs and take up a less strenuous sport. What I am suggesting is that at some point in your swing you are making an unnatural movement that causes your body pain (and almost certainly bad shots). The good news is that usually a few small changes in your swing will alleviate pain and actually improve your golf game. Then you can play pain free golf, better golf!
I have worked with students with pains ranging from fingers, to backs, to knees. Usually, these students have an incorrect theory about the physics of the golf swing that cause unnecessary pressures on their bodies. Once the theory is identified and corrected, the changes are usually immediate. Couple your new thoughts about the golf swing with a few drills and suddenly you have a new, more effective, and pain free golf swing.
Summer Sirmons- Academy Professional- Heritage Golf Links- Tucker, GA
Summer.Sirmons@affinitigolfacademy.com Call (404) 201-0866
This experience taught me a valuable lesson: Listen to your body. If playing golf results in pain, then your body is trying to tell you that the motions you are making are not natural for you. Or worse, an incorrect repetitive motion in your golf swing can cause long term injuries. In no way am I suggesting that if your golf swing causes pain, you should put down your clubs and take up a less strenuous sport. What I am suggesting is that at some point in your swing you are making an unnatural movement that causes your body pain (and almost certainly bad shots). The good news is that usually a few small changes in your swing will alleviate pain and actually improve your golf game. Then you can play pain free golf, better golf!
I have worked with students with pains ranging from fingers, to backs, to knees. Usually, these students have an incorrect theory about the physics of the golf swing that cause unnecessary pressures on their bodies. Once the theory is identified and corrected, the changes are usually immediate. Couple your new thoughts about the golf swing with a few drills and suddenly you have a new, more effective, and pain free golf swing.
Summer Sirmons- Academy Professional- Heritage Golf Links- Tucker, GA
Summer.Sirmons@affinitigolfacademy.com Call (404) 201-0866
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Key to Getting the Ball Airborne is Learning How to Control “Low Point”
Have you ever asked yourself what the #1 goal in golf is? The answer to this question is pretty simple- it’s getting the ball airborne.
This must be the first goal because golf courses are designed with sand traps and hazards that must be carried. The key to getting the ball airborne is learning to control “low point,” or where the club hits the ground.
Now this may sound simple, however it is extremely pertinent to playing successful golf. If you've ever seen a child pick up a golf club for the first time, you will notice they generally pick the club up in the backswing and then swing back down at the golf ball. The child may or may not be successful in these attempts, but they have achieved the basic movement of the club.
However down is not at the golf ball, it is actually through the golf ball.
When you hit down at the golf ball, you are swinging immediately back up after making contact. To hit the ball solidly we must hit down through the golf ball, taking a divot as you continue down after the ball has left the face of the club. This insures you compress the ball, and it is that compression that gives the ball a chance to pick up spin launching it into the air.
The best way to practice taking a divot is to set up a row of golf balls, as you’ll see in my lesson video with Thomas. Once the row is set up, Thomas will take a practice swing making sure the club hits the ground right on the line of balls and then continuing to take a divot after the line. As the swing gets longer the divot should get bigger because there is more speed and force going into the ground.
With the introduction of bigger head drivers and launch monitors, there has been some confusion in the golf industry as to whether you hit down on the driver or not. Because the driver moves up in the backswing it must move down in the downswing. However the driver does not move down as steeply as an iron. With a driver you are trying to make sure the tee moves; you are swinging through the tee. This ensures the ball is hit higher on the face where the hot spot is.
Once a player can control low point, they are ready to move on to the next fundamental of golf. However, that does not mean low point can then be ignored; I have taught many low point lessons to better players because they’ve lost control of it through the processes of working on other parts of their game. Low point is golf’s number 1 fundamental and when you learn to control it, you will play better golf!
Low Point by Brandon Ray- View my Profile
This must be the first goal because golf courses are designed with sand traps and hazards that must be carried. The key to getting the ball airborne is learning to control “low point,” or where the club hits the ground.
Now this may sound simple, however it is extremely pertinent to playing successful golf. If you've ever seen a child pick up a golf club for the first time, you will notice they generally pick the club up in the backswing and then swing back down at the golf ball. The child may or may not be successful in these attempts, but they have achieved the basic movement of the club.
However down is not at the golf ball, it is actually through the golf ball.
When you hit down at the golf ball, you are swinging immediately back up after making contact. To hit the ball solidly we must hit down through the golf ball, taking a divot as you continue down after the ball has left the face of the club. This insures you compress the ball, and it is that compression that gives the ball a chance to pick up spin launching it into the air.
The best way to practice taking a divot is to set up a row of golf balls, as you’ll see in my lesson video with Thomas. Once the row is set up, Thomas will take a practice swing making sure the club hits the ground right on the line of balls and then continuing to take a divot after the line. As the swing gets longer the divot should get bigger because there is more speed and force going into the ground.
With the introduction of bigger head drivers and launch monitors, there has been some confusion in the golf industry as to whether you hit down on the driver or not. Because the driver moves up in the backswing it must move down in the downswing. However the driver does not move down as steeply as an iron. With a driver you are trying to make sure the tee moves; you are swinging through the tee. This ensures the ball is hit higher on the face where the hot spot is.
Once a player can control low point, they are ready to move on to the next fundamental of golf. However, that does not mean low point can then be ignored; I have taught many low point lessons to better players because they’ve lost control of it through the processes of working on other parts of their game. Low point is golf’s number 1 fundamental and when you learn to control it, you will play better golf!
Low Point by Brandon Ray- View my Profile
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Club Head Speed by John Marshal
Everyone from Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard to the average 30 handicapper wants to hit the golf ball farther. And everyone can, as long as they are willing to put in a little effort. As a long drive competitor, I know that hitting it longer is a function of three distinct factors: improving the biomechanical efficiency of the golf swing, increasing strength and flexibility, and making sure that your equipment is ideally suited to your swing and ability.
Ultimately a functional golf swing is a system of levers that work together in perfect harmony to create club head speed. The primary levers include the wrist hinge, the arm swing and the rotation of the body. Want some supporting data? Conduct a Google search for “Jamie Sadlowsi swing.”
For those not aware, Jamie has won the world long drive championship each of the past two years. At 5’10” and 165 pounds, he is not a giant. Check out the wrist hinge and the rotational speed. He is literally a blur from the beginning of the downswing to the finish. He consistently flies the golf ball over 380 yards in neutral conditions and with a low spin rate ends up with drives longer than 400 yards.
What you may notice about Jamie’s swing is that there really is not a lot of weight shift, a long-taught “fundamental” that I think is entirely overrated. When you make a conscious effort to shift your weight to the rear foot and then forward to the target-side leg, there is the danger of too much sliding of the hips and the possibility that the center of gravity gets outside the feet. When that happens, rotational speed plummets. Club head speed is all about producing centrifugal force. The faster we can rotate on our axis like a figure skater executing a spin, the farther that golf ball is going to fly as long as we are making solid contact.
Written by John Marshal- view my profile
Ultimately a functional golf swing is a system of levers that work together in perfect harmony to create club head speed. The primary levers include the wrist hinge, the arm swing and the rotation of the body. Want some supporting data? Conduct a Google search for “Jamie Sadlowsi swing.”
For those not aware, Jamie has won the world long drive championship each of the past two years. At 5’10” and 165 pounds, he is not a giant. Check out the wrist hinge and the rotational speed. He is literally a blur from the beginning of the downswing to the finish. He consistently flies the golf ball over 380 yards in neutral conditions and with a low spin rate ends up with drives longer than 400 yards.
What you may notice about Jamie’s swing is that there really is not a lot of weight shift, a long-taught “fundamental” that I think is entirely overrated. When you make a conscious effort to shift your weight to the rear foot and then forward to the target-side leg, there is the danger of too much sliding of the hips and the possibility that the center of gravity gets outside the feet. When that happens, rotational speed plummets. Club head speed is all about producing centrifugal force. The faster we can rotate on our axis like a figure skater executing a spin, the farther that golf ball is going to fly as long as we are making solid contact.
Written by John Marshal- view my profile
Monday, April 5, 2010
PUTTING- Golf’s Softer, More Gentle Side.
Golf’s Softer, More Gentle Side
First installment in a series of three by Steve McCullough.
The game of golf came into being nearly 500 years ago. Ever since, it has been played on the ground and in the air. A lot of attention has been paid to the aerial part of the game, but nowhere near as much to the ground attack. When you observe the activity at any practice facility, you see where people spend their time. Far too many golfers concentrate their energy towards “Drive for Show “ and not enough towards “ Putt for Dough .” This series is intended to elevate the importance of putting and assist with becoming a better putter.
Putting seems so simple that anybody should be able to do it reasonably well. Therein lies the catch; looks can be very deceiving. The mechanical, physical, and mental skills necessary to be a great putter are numerous.
First, we will examine the mechanical aspects of putting. Great putters share four (4) common traits. They all tend to hold the putter with the palms of their hands facing each other. In addition, they place both thumbs on the flat side of the grip. When you arrange your hands in this manner, a delicate balance is created and maximum feel is promoted. The hands should adhere to the grip ever so softly which greatly refines the sense of touch.
Next, we will discuss what is commonly referred to as the pendulum stroke. This stroke is prevalent in today’s game due to advances in turfgrass varieties and maintenance. The pendulum stroke is achieved by moving the putter with one’s hands, arms, and shoulders simultaneously. The only noticeable joint movement occurs in the hip area. Thus the stroke is controlled by the large muscles of the torso, rather than the smaller ones in the hands and arms. This technique promotes a motion that is relatively easy to control and repeat.
While utilizing the pendulum stroke, it is critical that the putter accelerate through the striking area. From its’ farthest point in the backswing the putter head should move forward with smooth acceleration to the ball and beyond. This will cause the ball to separate from the putter face cleanly and roll with authority. Putts struck in this manner will be less affected by irregularities in and on the putting surface.
Putts aimed incorrectly tend to cause compensations in a players’ stroke. To avoid this, one should strive to get the ball to start on the intended target line. This can be facilitated by setting up to the ball with your eyes directly on top of the target line. You can achieve this position by setting up and then dropping a ball from either eye socket to the ground. The dropped ball should land on the target line. Gravity is such a wonderful thing! While in this setup position, by rotating your head toward the target you will be able to look down the line to the hole.
Next installment: Creating the proper body structure
Read More about Steve McCullough Click Here
First installment in a series of three by Steve McCullough.
The game of golf came into being nearly 500 years ago. Ever since, it has been played on the ground and in the air. A lot of attention has been paid to the aerial part of the game, but nowhere near as much to the ground attack. When you observe the activity at any practice facility, you see where people spend their time. Far too many golfers concentrate their energy towards “Drive for Show “ and not enough towards “ Putt for Dough .” This series is intended to elevate the importance of putting and assist with becoming a better putter.
Putting seems so simple that anybody should be able to do it reasonably well. Therein lies the catch; looks can be very deceiving. The mechanical, physical, and mental skills necessary to be a great putter are numerous.
First, we will examine the mechanical aspects of putting. Great putters share four (4) common traits. They all tend to hold the putter with the palms of their hands facing each other. In addition, they place both thumbs on the flat side of the grip. When you arrange your hands in this manner, a delicate balance is created and maximum feel is promoted. The hands should adhere to the grip ever so softly which greatly refines the sense of touch.
Next, we will discuss what is commonly referred to as the pendulum stroke. This stroke is prevalent in today’s game due to advances in turfgrass varieties and maintenance. The pendulum stroke is achieved by moving the putter with one’s hands, arms, and shoulders simultaneously. The only noticeable joint movement occurs in the hip area. Thus the stroke is controlled by the large muscles of the torso, rather than the smaller ones in the hands and arms. This technique promotes a motion that is relatively easy to control and repeat.
While utilizing the pendulum stroke, it is critical that the putter accelerate through the striking area. From its’ farthest point in the backswing the putter head should move forward with smooth acceleration to the ball and beyond. This will cause the ball to separate from the putter face cleanly and roll with authority. Putts struck in this manner will be less affected by irregularities in and on the putting surface.
Putts aimed incorrectly tend to cause compensations in a players’ stroke. To avoid this, one should strive to get the ball to start on the intended target line. This can be facilitated by setting up to the ball with your eyes directly on top of the target line. You can achieve this position by setting up and then dropping a ball from either eye socket to the ground. The dropped ball should land on the target line. Gravity is such a wonderful thing! While in this setup position, by rotating your head toward the target you will be able to look down the line to the hole.
Next installment: Creating the proper body structure
Read More about Steve McCullough Click Here
Monday, March 22, 2010
Shoulder Alignment is Critical- Gordon Leslie
Most golfers are more concerned about the alignment of their feet than their shoulders. Feet do not rotate, but shoulders do.
Because the right hand is placed lower on the grip, (for right-handed players) along comes the arm and then the shoulders. As a result, the shoulders are set up too open. As a further result, this hinders the backswing blocking the golf club from getting around the body.
The positioning of the shoulders at address is the exact way they will be positioned at impact. This mis-alignment is the direct cause of why so many golfers struggle with a slice.
I instruct my students that once both hands are on the grip, use the left shoulder as a pointer. Get the left shoulder pointing at where you want the shot to go.
With some attention to shoulder alignment, you are on your way to producing a better swing path.
Gordon Leslie
Acdemy Professional
PGA Member- Read More About Me
Because the right hand is placed lower on the grip, (for right-handed players) along comes the arm and then the shoulders. As a result, the shoulders are set up too open. As a further result, this hinders the backswing blocking the golf club from getting around the body.
The positioning of the shoulders at address is the exact way they will be positioned at impact. This mis-alignment is the direct cause of why so many golfers struggle with a slice.
I instruct my students that once both hands are on the grip, use the left shoulder as a pointer. Get the left shoulder pointing at where you want the shot to go.
With some attention to shoulder alignment, you are on your way to producing a better swing path.
Gordon Leslie
Acdemy Professional
PGA Member- Read More About Me
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