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Richard’s Quick Tip:
Open to Square
Although you should open your stance on chips and other short
shots, you should not open your shoulders.
Opening your shoulders-having them point left to the target
line-will force you to swing across your body, from outside to
in, and you will likely cut across the ball and make
less-than-solid contact.
The correct procedure is to keep the shoulders square and the
hands ahead of the ball throughout the chip.
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Comments from subscribers:
Hi, i am 15 and I am a relatively new golfer,I have
been golfing for three years, but this is my first
year playing "serious" and there are several area's
that i need help in. My dad has been teaching me, but
he can only do so much, and he is a scratch golfer so
he knows alot about the game of golf. I actually need
help in the whole game, everyone does. But, on the tee
i get the distance i need when i hit the ball
straight, but i almost always slice the ball, i mean i
slice ball almost two fairways over, and if the ball
would go straight then that would add another 50 to
100 yards to my ball. I usually hit my ball around 250
yards, but that is w/ my huge slice. I recently have
been having a hard time hiting my irons, i dont hit
"down" on them and i have a habbit to hit them "fat".
The worst part of my game by far is my chipping. And
my putting is bad too. So if you wouldnt mind, could
you give some tips? I kno theer is ALOT, haha, but i
appreciate it. Thanks!
OK...so you slice. Welcome to the club.
Most people do....
There is one thing that I would recommend that you do.
Run, don't walk, and go out and get the Body Golf Slice Buster Video.
Go and get it right this second!
You need to learn how to move correctly before you can expect to
hit it straight.
In the meantime, here's a drill for you as a gift (so to
speak...)
Try this grip.
Hold the club as you usually would and look down on it.
Now let me ask you a couple questions...
Can you see the first three knuckles of your left hand?
Can you see the fingernails of our right hand?
If the answer to either of those two, tiny questions are "no" you
got problems.
The anti-slice grip is one that is natural and what I call
"neutral" Learn this grip ASAP to stop slicing the ball in a hurry.
That should hold yo over until you get a hold of the Body Golf
Slice Busting Video.
As far as hitting it fat goes...it means that you have a lazy
right side. You're not geting your belly through the ball.
Do this drill for that little problem.
Go to the range and set up to hit some short irons.
Once you're warmed up, try this...
As you finish your swing, take a step toward the target with your
right foot. What I mean is that I want you to pretend that you're off balance
and walk through the swing-through.
This is one of the magic three drills that vaporized my slice and
got me on the road that brought me here (in ten minutes) over 12
years ago.
Try those two drills and tell us what you think.
Stay in touch
Mark Anthony Montaquila
dear richard
just wanted to say the exersize videos have been a big help, the
stretching of my back has helped tremendously. thers not much i
can do for the upper back, but im no longer having lower back
troubles like i was having which i believe is due to practicing
the drills and losing a little wieght. i played a par three
course today and was able to make a full shoulder turn
eliminating the ole pull hook and making cleaner crisper shots. i
lost a few of the shots to the right but its like my distance has
come back.just wanted to say thanks.
sincerely
david
R.M. Thanks for the message David. Most of us could benefit
for exercise, but most of us are too lazy. Exercise is work, and
as you have found, it can improve your golf and lower your score.
Thanks for sharing with us.
=====================================
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Cure
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===========================================
Quote of the Week:
"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over
small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not
you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you."
Jim Rohn
Author and Speaker
===============================================
Golf quote of the week:
"The golf swing is like a suitcase into which we are trying to
pack one too many things."
John Updike (author and winner of two Pulitzer prizes)
=================================================
Questions and Answers by Teaching Pro Mr Joe DeLorenzo THANK YOU
for taking your time to answer these Joe.
Joe is also available for private lessons. "For private or group
lessons in Chicago's northwest suburbs, contact Joe at
golfwithjoey@yahoo.com
Joe,
I have played golf once per week for many years, so I should be
getting better and better, but I am not. I should not be hitting as many
poor shots as I do. I don't understand why. Any ideas?
Tim
Hi Tim,
If you play once per week, but you do not practice in between, then it is
not logical to assume that things will get better while you
continue to do things the same way as always. Nothing is going to get better
unless you change the way you do things. If you cannot get to a range in
between rounds, just hit some wiffle balls at your local park. At least
you ball striking should improve. Have a contest with your current grip
against a different grip. Many people think the interlock grip is best just
because it is used by Tiger and Jack, however many people find that the
overlap works better, and the 10 finger grip works best, despite the perception
that it is a beginner's grip, which is a false perception. Some people are
blessed with a lot of natural athletic ability, while others must work at it
to get better. Set some realistic expectations. There are not very many
low handicappers who play or practice only once per week. On a daily
basis, you can do the simple drills shown in the Body Golf videos, and you
will be on your way to improvement.
Joe
Hello,
In your golf tips one of the tips say "You are separating your
hands at the top of the backswing." How do you correct this, what do you
look
for at the top of the swing.??
Jimmy Walker
Hi Jimmy,
With a proper grip, I don't see how the hands can separate at the
top of the swing unless one of the hands is letting go of the club. Whatever
grip style you are using, interlock, overlap, or ten-finger, try the other
two to see if they are better suited for you. If the problem persists with
all 3 grip types, there are a number of drills you can try. First, swing the
club back and forth several times with one hand, and then the other. This
should train your hand muscles to hang on to the club. Notice the amount of
wrist break with each hand, because if you use too much wrist, that might
cause one hand to slip a little. Next, try a normal backswing and stop at the
top and check your hands for slipping. Get the feel for starting the downswing
with good hand control. When you get the feel for that, the only purpose of
the backswing is to arrive at that position. Good luck!
Joe
hi joe,
I've recently changed my swing, making it simpler, with less
thinking parts -- it's basically a straight head and spine, swing back and down.
this has improved my consistency tremendously and i've managed to cut
about 5 strokes off my score within the first 4 rounds of play. the only problem
I have (other than putting, which is a constant) is with distances. The
new swing, while accurate, is killing my judgement. as a guide, i've dropped
about 15-25 yards a club from the 9 iron up. the pitching wedge is less
severe, with only a 5-10 yard loss, so that's no issue. the other wedges
I carry -- 51*, 56* and 60* -- have kept their usual distances. so i
continue the upper body workout, and pushups, the core training and also work
the
quads for stability, and stretch like a cat out of bed. still no difference
-- and to make matters worse, i now have jumping distances. it could be
inaccurate distance markers, but i now occasionally get both my regular
distance and the new swing loss of distance. The swing is not an upright swing
... neither is it flattish. it's about 45-50* at the top of my
backswing. i used to hit my 7-iron 165-170yds. With the change and in spite of
the
training, i get anywhere from 143-150yds (when it low) to 170yds. i'm
thinking that this new swing, while rhythmic and stable and accurate, is slow
in
swingspeed than its flattish predecessor (which causes the occasional
pull/hook). which is the other thing i should bring up -- i still occasionally
forget to focus and pull/hook the shot and the distances then are normal. So
i
guess the question i'm really asking is -- how do i increase swingspeed
without compromising accuracy. like i've said, i've worked really hard
each evening and i get no results. i've done religiously the simple dumbell
drill that richard that advised some weeks back and while I feel stronger
and more confident, i'm not seeing any results. and as you will surely
concur, 143-150yds on a 7-iron is pathetic. i've lost even more distance
with my driver ... from a regular 275-290 yds previously to only 230yds
at best now.
help please?!?
best regards,
cd
Hello CD,
Since I cannot see your swing, I can only suggest some
possibilities. Your new swing has improved your scores despite your loss of distance,
so your control must be vastly improved. Extra distance might cause you
to lose that good control, but all of us golfers are never satisfied we want
it ALL, right? Good for you, let's see what we can do. First of all, you
can call your current swing your "A" swing that you can always come
back
to when other "B" or "C" swing experiments might fail. I
am assuming you
are using the same clubs as before. If you are using different clubs, that
might account for some or all of the distance loss. If that is not the
case, your loss of distance could be "casting" or "hitting from
the top",
which means your downswing uses up your wrist action too soon. Try delaying
the wrist snap until the last possible instant before impact. Also make
sure your lower body weight shift is aggressive, and extend your
follow-thru fully.
Joe
Joe,
What do you think about too much technology and illegal clubs?
Ted
Hi Ted,
Appendix II Section 4 of the official Rules state that the club
must be plain in shape, yet some of the new putters look like Lunar
Landing Modules, and they are deemed legal, so I think some of the rules are
laughably inconsistent. I feel that if technology makes the game more
enjoyable for you, then go for it. You just have to understand that if you ever
want to play in formal competition, you must be careful to follow the
rules. If you are just a recreational golfer, it really does not matter. Most
putts are missed by misreading them, and no high tech putter will ever help
that problem, even if you stroke the putt perfectly. Consider major
league baseball allowing only wooden bats, but metal bats are allowed
for all other levels. You can apply the same logic to golf. Unless you are
playing in formal competition, use any kind of club you want and enjoy the
game to the fullest.
Joe
Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, in my opinion, golf is a game of integrity, so if you do
not follow all of the traditional rules, you have no integrity. How do you
justify not following all the rules?
Answer: You must be one of those people who turn yourself in to
the police every time you drive 5 mph over the speed limit, and insist on
getting a ticket, after all, you broke the rules. If you don't do this,
how do YOU justify it, where is YOUR integrity?
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Small Changes Can Snap Slump
by
Mac Stevenson
Has your game been victimized by an early summer slump? Has an
important facet of your game refused to come around as it should
have? More often than not, a minor change in your stance or
posture or grip or ball placement can snap you out of a dreadful
slump.
Before going further, keep it in mind that the forthcoming
suggestions are based on shots hit from level lies; as an
example, the ball placement in relation to your left foot on a
fairway wood shot wouldn’t be the same on a downhill lie as it is
on an uphill or level lie.
Changes in your fundamental approach to different shots should
not be extreme unless a teaching professional tells you that what
you’re doing is way off. Sometimes just a slight adjustment on
certain shots can break you out of a slump. And when the
modification works, it will give your confidence a much-needed
boost.
These key thoughts can change from round to round, especially in
putting. The worst kind of a slump in golf is when you lose
confidence in your putting. Even the pros go through seemingly
unsolvable putting woes.
What can you change when your putting is just terrible? This is
something that every serious golfer goes through from time to
time. Remember, don’t make the alteration too drastic.
If you’re in a putting slump, experiment with your grip. You
might want to move the position of your left hand or right hand
on the grip, just a slight change. Or you can try moving the ball
back or forward slightly in your stance. Another change worth
trying is moving your hands an inch or two forward or backward in
relation to the ball. You might even want to move the position of
your head over the ball.
All of these fundamental changes should be very slight until you
hit on something that helps. Then your confidence will surge and
hope springs to the forefront. Any of these trivial-seeming
experiments can help if your putting has gone south.
Second only to putting woes is a driver that won’t behave off the
tee. If you’re mishitting your driver, the game is going to be a
struggle and not much fun.
If you’re slicing, try strengthening the grip on your left
hand--moving it slightly clockwise. If you’re hooking, try the
opposite; move your left hand counterclockwise to a weaker
position.
When all kinds of bad things are happening with the driver, try
slowing your backswing slightly. Or make an attempt to slow the
transition from backswing to downswing. Keep your head steady
throughout the swing. Most of the time, head movement is the main
culprit. Keep your feet firmly planted to keep from swaying; this
also aids in keeping your head anchored. Change the position of
the ball in relation to your left foot, moving it back or forward
a half inch or so. All of these examples are minor keys, but one
of them might be just the one to get you going in the right
direction again.
If you’re hitting your full iron shots poorly, most likely you
are moving on the shot. You lose balance and either hit behind
the ball or scull it. Work on keeping your feet solidly planted
and your swing smooth, all the while keeping your head steady
through the shot. It helps if you can concentrate on seeing the
divot your clubhead makes before your head comes up. Experiment
with the position of your hands in relation to the ball in your
stance. If you’re hitting a lot of fat shots, moving the hands
forward at address will often help. All experimental switches
should be moderate.
With chip shots and pitch shots, improper balance and head
movement cause most of the bad shots. Try keeping more of your
weight on the left foot; here again, just a minor adjustment,
nothing that makes you real uncomfortable. And hand position is
very important on these shots. You may have slipped into a bad
habit as to where your hands are placed when you start your
backstroke. Work it out with some experimentation during a
practice session.
And another most important tip: Keep a journal or diary of what
changes you make and when you do it. Describe the problem and the
solution. This can help you a year or so down the road when you
start having the same problem with your putting, driving, or
something else; if you keep a journal, you might find the
solution right there.
When you discover a key idea or swing thought that really helps,
don’t let it escape into thin air. Get it down on paper.
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Richard’s Thoughts
Computing Distances
Many golfers judge distances subconsciously. They look at the
hole and “feel” the distance. This is not as accurate as
consciously computing how far you are from the green. The “feel”
can be made much more accurate if it is helped mechanically and
psychologically. This is particularly true when you are within
pitching distance of the green.
The soundest method seems to be that of Bobby Jones, which
involves the control of distance simply by shortening the grip on
the shaft. If you will drop balls at one-yard intervals back
from the green for about 100 years, you will find that you can
control the length of the shot by simply holding the club at
spots higher and higher on the grip. With this mechanical method
Jones was then free to concentrate on direction. The balls
automatically were close to the hole if he computed the yardage
correctly.
Gauging the distance involves certain psychological factors.
Hitting the ball the correct distance is a psychological horse of
another color. Having read Bobby Jones techniques some years ago,
this is how I did it. In order to practice hitting precise
distances, I measured the distances from the practice green 100
yards back. Whenever I hit practice balls I did not play shots
from one position, but scattered them at one yard intervals from
the green on back. I noted my finger position on the grip at
each distance. On the course, the sole problem was to estimate
the distance, hold the grip at the point indicated for that
yardage and pull the trigger.
I found out that if I would break up the distances to the flag
into intervals of 10 yards, yardage can be gauged precisely.
This is fine fo short distances but is difficult to do for
distances over 100 yards. Up to 60 yards is easily handled.
When the distance is greater, I move to the side of the ball,
estimate where the halfway mark is, divide this into yardage,
multiply it by 2, and that is it.
Of course feel or the subconscious, is still important, but even
this can be developed consciously. A general rule which should
guide you is in the development of feel is always to use muscles
which have the greatest potential for touch. Proper muscles can
build a physiological fence around the shot and prevent bad
judgment.
This means that your estimate is more accurate if the more
sensitive muscles are used for the shorter distances. You must
avoid using a yardstick when a ruler is needed.
The most delicate touch is in the tip of the index finger; then
the other fingers, wrists, forearms, arms and body. Smaller
muscles are more sensitive discriminators than larger ones. Also
if few muscles are used, the additional variables that accompany
the moving of many muscles are eliminated.
Since all shots do not require equal amounts of touch, there
comes a point at which strength becomes a factor. Otherwise,
what is gained in touch is lost in accuracy if, for instance, the
club is loose in the hands.
The right combination of distance and direction can only be
achieved through varied practice. There are additional factors
such as wind, bounce, and temperature whose influences need to be
appraised. The simplest method of appraising is just what you
would now expect-practice and play under as many different
playing conditions as possible.
Until next week…good golfing!
Dr Richard Myers
www.thinkandreachpar.com
www.superbabysitting.com
864.675.0038
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Greenville, SC 29615
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