Golf Tip of the Day - Winter Golf Instruction

We are getting a heat wave here in PA and Maryland toward the end of this week (yeah, over 40 degrees, woohoo!), so some folks apparently broke out the golf clubs yesterday and played some golf. One of my students immediately got in touch with me to set up a lesson.

Let's be realistic. We are only in the FIRST week of winter! We've had a cold December, and some long range forecasts suggest a warmer than average January and February, but please, you know it's generally going to be cold!

Now is NOT the time to get a lesson on your full swing unless you live in a warm climate. In that case, any time is a good time. But, here in PA, most golfers won't get out much until April. As such, a good time to start getting ready for the season with a full swing lesson is some time in March.

Now, if you absolutely have no clue about how to work on your golf swing over the winter months, then by all means, get a lesson. But, this lesson should not involve much ball striking. It should be all about learning the proper fundamentals of the swing. Most improvement in the golf swing comes WITHOUT hitting balls. Now is the time to get in front of a mirror and perform slow swings, and learn what it feels like to be in the proper positions throughout the golf swing.

Winter golf instruction can also focus on improving your biomechanics and fitness. If you have the opportunity, get yourself a physical assessment and get set up on a program to improve your golf fitness so you can be better prepared to improve your swing when the season arises.

If you have the itch to play golf this winter, go ahead! But, if you have not swung a club in a couple months, keep your expectations low. Your timing will likely be off a bit, and this will hamper your swing. However, your mind will likely be uncluttered as well, so you may actually be able to hit some good shots. The bottom line is to just enjoy yourself as always.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Goal Setting

As we approach the end of 2010, it’s time to set goals for the New Year. We should do this in all aspects of our life, but if you are passionate about your golf game, it’s really a great idea.

Let’s take the example of a 20 handicapper. Some people might be happy with dropping their handicap to 15 over a twelve month period. In reality, that would only be within the normal statistical fluctuation of a typical golfer’s scores. Consider this…the typical PGA Tour player is going to shoot a low round of 64 or 65 some time during the year, and under difficult conditions, may shoot a round or two in the 80s. That is essentially one shot per hole. The top players are more consistent and may have a narrower deviation.

With this in mind, the 20 handicapper can expect to shoot anywhere from 85 to 105 during the course of a year. Dropping down to a 15 handicap would only drop those figures from 80 to 100. In reality, dropping down to a 15 handicap only requires a few more scores in the low 80’s and a few less scores above 95. The golfer might get a little more consistent for a season through better putting, or better ball striking, but their overall game really shows limited improvement. The next year, they could be right back up to a 20 handicap if one area of their game falls apart. Therefore, why not be a bit more ambitious in your goal setting? You can be ambitious, but still realistic! I say you shoot for a 50% drop in your handicap.

To really drop your handicap by 50% or more, you have to show improvement in your entire game. To go from a 20 handicap to a 10 handicap will require you to break 80 a couple times, and shoot only a few scores in the 90s. Is this possible? Absolutely. As 12 year old, I dropped my handicap from 25 to 14. When I was 13, I went from 14 to 8, and when I was 14 I went from 8 to 4. After that, my handicap hovered from scratch to 3 for the balance of my amateur career. I plateaued due to lack of adequate instruction, as no one could ever claim I was lazy. I hit more balls than anyone I knew. Ok, so my handicap was dropping about 40% per year, but that was without any instruction. I just went out and played.

So how do you go about accomplishing this goal? You need to break things down in more detail.

First, you should set a goal of improved ball striking by the time the season begins in earnest. Here in Maryland, that is around mid-April. The weather beginning in mid-March is adequate for work on the full swing. Get yourself some instruction on the full swing, and start your practice. If you practice smartly, and keep accurate data, by the time May rolls around, you should already be hitting the ball better than the previous year.

Now its time focus on other areas of your game. In your first few rounds of the year, you should pay attention to your ball flight characteristics, where you are missing your tee shots, where you are missing the green, how many penalty shots you are accruing, how you are missing your putts, etc. If you can keep accurate data, you will learn your tendencies and what areas of your game need the most work. Then you can set goals for your putting, greens in regulation, etc.

If you are an avid golfer and you already keep detailed statistics, it is far easier to develop detailed goals for the upcoming season. Get yourself into this habit, and each year you will find you have the ability to improve, no matter how low your handicap is to start the year.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - How to Stretch

As many golfers know, improved flexibility can help to improve your golf swing by allowing you to have a bigger shoulder turn, create a wider swing arc, and maintain posture throughout the swing. However, much of what I read on the golf forums on how to stretch is not healthy.

If you are seeking to increase your overall flexibility, it is NOT necessary to stretch hard every day. In fact, that would do more harm than good. It is, however, necessary to do some light stretching before your round of golf or practice session, and helpful to do some light stretching afterward.

When you stretch for increased flexibility, keep these tips in mind....

1. You only need to stretch for increased flexibility 2 or 3 times per week.

2. With each stretch, ease into the stretch, and never bounce when you are in the stretch. That is a good way to cause injury.

3. Hold your position for 30 to 45 seconds, and be sure to breathe. Get into your initial position where you feel discomfort, hold it for 15 seconds, then try to increase the stretch slightly and hold for another 15 to 30 seconds.

4. Always remember to breathe and try to keep the rest of your body as relaxed as possible.

5. When you are finished with the stretch, come out of the position very slowly.

6. Try to hit the major muscle groups when you stretch. Of utmost importance to golfers are the hamstrings, glutes, back, lats, shoulders and neck.

7. Give yourself 30 to 45 minutes to do your stretching routine and take your time!

Keep these tips in mind and you should start to see results after just a couple weeks. If you have any very tight areas, there may be an injury, so be sure to get checked out. Never, ever stretch beyond your limits...if you have pain, back off!

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - How to Improve Your Golf Swing

If you've ever paid much attention to the golf tips I write in this blog, you will notice that I rarely get into specifics about how to swing the golf club, or offer specific ways to putt or hit various shots. There are millions of tips like that on the internet, in books and in magazines. If you read this blog, chances are you've seen a lot of those tips.

Today I offer a very general idea about improving your golf game. If you want to hit the ball better, you need to improve your swing. But, what exactly does that mean and how do you do it? Well, the first thing I will say is that there is no SECRET. Just as there are millions of golf tips to help you improve your swing, there are thousands of ways to swing a golf club relatively effectively.

Consider this...there are over 28,000 PGA professionals (no, I am not one of them). To gain entry into the PGA management program, at some point you must pass a players ability test. Typically, to pass, you have to shoot a couple scores in the mid-70s. I would argue that to do that, you need a reasonably effective golf swing. But, I guarantee, many of those swings are going to look a bit unorthodox.

So, when I say that to play better golf you need to improve your swing, I am not saying you need to go out and try and turn your swing into Ben Hogan's swing. What I am saying is that you should learn about the basic fundamentals of the golf swing and try to apply them to your swing.

Unfortunately, we have some disparity in opinion regarding these basic fundamentals. For instance, the Stack and Tilt swing model will have you set up to the ball with more weight on your front foot and have you feel as if you are keeping more weight on this front foot throughout the swing. That swing will have you finish with definitive tilt in your upper body away from the target.

Other swing models seem to be a response to the Stack and Tilt swing. For instance, CJ Goeck's Perfect Connection model will have you finish in a more upright position that appears to put less strain on the back than the Stack and Tilt swing. Also, there is disagreement among the supposed golf biomechanics as to what model will result in less stress on the body.

So, what does all this mean for the golfer? I strongly believe that the first thing a golfer should do to start making improvements is to get a physical assessment of their body from an experienced trainer or therapist. This will help identify the weaknesses in the body that may be keeping you from making any improvements at all.

Once you identify those weaknesses, work to strengthen them through a training program recommended by your trainer. After that, it is on to the fundamentals.

I believe that the fundamentals of the swing are quite simple. They start with a good grip, good stance and posture, and then you need to train the body how to move properly in the golf swing. Get yourself a video analysis of your swing so you can identify the areas that need most improvement. Then set a goal to improve on those fundamentals. Develop a plan to achieve that goal. This plan should require that you only work on one or two areas of the swing at a time.

Keep this in mind...improving your golf swing is a long term pursuit. If you are simply looking for a quick fix to help you straighten out your slice, don't expect long term improvement in your ball striking. Improving your swing requires knowledge of the fundamentals and the ball flight laws.

One other thing I should add...there is no one golf swing model that is better than the rest. While Ben Hogan had a gorgeous swing, most people do not have the physical capabilities of duplicating that swing. I can't name one player on the PGA Tour who swings like Hogan. None.

There is, however, a golf swing model that will work for best for you, based upon your own abilities. As Hogan used to say, you have to go dig it out of the dirt.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day

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Golf Tip of the Day - Training the Hips

Yesterday, a golfer asked on a forum about how the pros learn how to turn their hips properly in the golf swing. I commented that most pros and good golfers and general don't think about it that much, because we learned to play at an earlier age and it just comes naturally.

With the popularity of the Stack and Tilt golf swing, there are now a couple schools of thought on how the hips move in the golf swing, but there are some common elements. There is some turn in the hips in the back swing, although the Stack and Tilt method calls for more of a tilting to allow for a straighter back leg. In the down swing and follow through, there is a lateral move toward the target, a turn and some "curling" of the hips in both methods.

However, many golfers simply have trouble with all of these moves, and they wonder how to learn them. Here are a couple thoughts.

No matter which swing model you subscribe to, you need to learn how to make the moves slowly, and without a club in your hands. Break the move down piece by piece, and perform each move slowly and master it.

If you have never participated in any sport or activity where the hips are engaged quite a bit, such as baseball, swimming, the martial arts, etc., I highly recommend taking up a martial arts class. In order to throw the various kicks and punches properly and with power, you need to learn how to utilize the hips and core. Training your hips and core this way will help you develop them for use in the golf swing. Furthermore, the hip action for throwing a simple straight punch with power is very similar to the hip action used in the golf swing.

I like this idea better than simply trying to find exercises to train your hips because of the practical use of martial arts training. Learning a skill that applies to two activities is better than simply working an exercise to benefit one. It will also keep your attention longer as well.

Scott Cole

Golf Tip of the Day - Passive Arms

I just read a great interview with instructor Jim Waldron, who teaches in Oregon and Hawaii. I agree with much of what Jim teaches and how he teaches. Jim has a martial arts background as I do, and he employs much of what he has learned in studying the martial arts into his golf instruction, as I do.

One thing he mentions in his interview is that the arms should be PASSIVE throughout the golf swing. Most golfers try to control the golf club too much with the hands and arms, and as a result, they actually lose control of the club. Over active arms throughout the golf swing also results in a substantial loss of power.

Jim refers to the use of the arms in the golf swing as the "Arm Swing Illusion." It appears that the arms control the club throughout the swing, but they actually just follow the body movement. If you employ sound mechanics in your swing, you don't have to worry about what the arms are doing. Furthermore, the arms actually move very little on their own during the swing, it just looks that way.

I often say to students "you have to lose control to gain control." Until you understand that concept, you'll never take your swing to the next level. Learn to develop passive arms throughout your swing, and keep the triangle formed by your arms and shoulders down to the grip of your club in front of your body, and you will become a much better ball striker.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Tiger's Hank Haney Swing vs. Tiger's Butch Harmon Swing

There is a new article online regarding Tiger's performance under Hank Haney from 2006-2009 and during his record year in 2000 when he was coached by Butch Harmon.

No matter what you think of either instructor, both have earned their ranking as the two best instructors in the business, no matter what you think of their abilities.

The link to the article is below...

http://rexfordbuzzsaw.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/which-tiger-swing-was-better-hank-haney%E2%80%99s-or-butch-harmon%E2%80%99s/

Scott Cole
www.howtgolfyourbest.com

How To Play Golf Without Back Pain

The golf swing is a complex athletic move that involves the use of just about every muscle and joint in the body. As a result, golfers tend to be injury prone when they swing the golf club with some improper moves during the golf swing. One biomechanical trainer who trains a number of golfers on the PGA Tour has suggested that golfers are great compensators. When they struggle to make a proper move at some point in the golf swing, golfers will compensate by trying to counter that move later in the golf swing. Unfortunately, this is often when injuries occur.

Probably the most common injury among golfers is in the back. Back injuries are usually a result of two major faults in the golf swing. The first swing fault occurs when the golfer has difficulty lifting their arms in the back swing. The golfer usually compensates for this by tilting the hips in the back swing, instead of turning them. As a result, the back leans toward the target in the back swing. In the downswing, in order to make some decent contact with the ball, the golfer must thrust the hips forward violently, which tilts the spine back away from the target, and puts significant pressure on the lower back.

The golfer who has some difficulty in lifting their arms in the back swing likely has some shoulder issues that need to be addressed. There is likely some rotational ability that can be addressed with treatment and exercise. Once this is addressed, the golfer should also learn to swing the club without tilting the spine toward the target. Maintaining the spine angle properly throughout the swing will go a long way toward playing without back pain.

The second swing fault that results in back pain is the reverse C position that many golfers end up in on their follow through. Many golfers end up in this position because they do not understand how the golf club functions to get the ball in the air. As such, they try to help the ball in the air with a big follow through that results in them leaning away too much from the target, and this puts significant pressure on the lower and middle back.

The simple solution to this swing fault is to get a better understanding of how the golf club works to get the ball in the air. Consider a pitching wedge. The wedge typically has 47 degrees of loft, and a number of grooves. The loft and the grooves will combine to create backspin, and it is the backspin that lifts the ball in the air. The more spin you create, the higher the ball flies.

Many beginners and average golfers instead try to help the ball in the air by catching the ball on the upswing as they tilt the back too far away from the target. What they should be doing is lowering their center of gravity in the downswing, which will allow the club to catch the ball first, and bottom out past where the ball was sitting. The divot should actually occur past where the ball was sitting. This allows the club to compress the ball and put spin on it to get it into the air. A golfer who understands this knows that they don’t need to tilt the spine so much during the swing.

The key to avoiding back pain while playing golf is to learn the proper fundamentals of the swing. By having a better understanding of the swing fundamentals, the golfer can learn to swing the club properly, and play pain free.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Test Your Balance

Now that the cold weather is firmly entrenched here in the northern states, I will focus most of my posts on golf fitness for a while. Today, I want you to test your balance. If you have poor balance in your golf swing, you will never be a consistent ball striker. This doesn't mean you need to go out right away and by a swiss balance ball and try and hit golf balls while standing on that. While that would be an impressive feat, we'll leave that to the trick shot artists. It's completely unnecessary. It is also unnecessary to learn how to hit golf balls from any sort of device that makes it difficult to maintain balance. Without getting into specifics, recent research indicates that training on these devices is not helpful to swinging a golf club with better balance.

To test your balance, all you need to do is stand on one foot and then close your eyes. Try and hold the position for 15 seconds. It will be difficult for sure. If you struggle with this, do the following exercise.

Stand with both feet together. Shift your weight to your left leg and let your arms relax by your sides. Raise your right foot off the floor by bending your knee. Lean into a golf posture and allow your right leg to extend behind you. Allow your left leg to bend as you are doing this. Hold for a count of five, then return to the previous position, while keeping the right foot off the floor. Repeat this ten times, then switch legs and do the same. Gradually try to build up the time you hold the golf posture position on one leg for 15 seconds per repetition.

This exercise will help you develop better balance, which will translate into better balance for your golf swing.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Reading the Green

Let's face it, you could have the best putting stroke on the PGA Tour, but if you can't read the greens, it won't matter much. Still, I think we make this out to be more difficult than it needs to be. For instance, if you look at a putt from both sides of the hole and can't figure out which way it will break, it is likely a straight putt. So, just go straight at the hole. If you have good speed, you will likely have a chance to make the putt.

Here is a tip for you though for putts of 10 feet or longer. The most important part of the putt for you to read is the last third. This is when the ball is slowing down. Therefore, it will curve more than at any other time during the putt. Try to figure out what the break will be in the last third of the putt, then worry about the remainder of the putt after that.

Now, if you have a putt that breaks right to left, visualize the ball rolling into the top half of the hole, because that will actually be the center of your LINE. Then focus on having good speed and you will have a better chance to make a putt.

If you are having trouble reading the putt from behind the ball, walk to the other side of the hole and look at the line from there. Still no idea? It's likely a pretty straight putt. If you are more advanced at reading greens, then you can worry about how the grain may affect the putt as it dies at the hole.

Remember though, focus most of your attention on the last third, and visualize the ball rolling in the high side. One other comment, most golfers tend to miss to the low side, so that means they underestimate the break more often than not. With that in mind, learn to play a little more break than what your eyes are telling you.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Measure Your Performance

One reason most golfers don't improve much over time is that they don't measure their performance properly. As a result they don't understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Most people measure performance simply by monitoring their handicap from year to year. However, it is rare that a golfer's handicap improves much after they have played golf for three years. Their handicap will hover within a relatively tight range, but there is no trend of improvement. As they get older, and their physical abilities diminish, they game becomes more difficult.

However, if they learn to measure performance in more detail then they can focus on the areas of their game that need the most improvement, and watch their scores drop. If you go to PGATour.com, you can find a whole host of statistical measures for each player. The individual golfer can go into even further detail with various measures of where their shots are heading when they miss, proximity to the hole, what putts they tend to miss and make, etc.

If you want to get control over your own improvement, learn how to measure your performance in greater detail.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - More on Golf Fitness

The other day I touched on the potential need to undergo a physical assessment from a qualified therapist before undergoing any golf fitness program. This assessment will highlight weaknesses that may be keeping you from making improvements to your golf swing.

A proper assessment will involve analysis of the following:

1. Head, shoulder and hip alignment - this assessment looks for such characteristics as rounded shoulders, ears that may be ahead of the shoulders and an increased curvature of the spine.

2. Position of the feet as you stand erect - do the point in or out?

3. Balance - can you stand on one leg for 60 seconds?

4. Core strength - a lack of core strength will affect your ability to maintain posture in the swing.

5. Shoulder rotation - Lack of rotation ability result in restrictions to your arm swing. For instance, lack of rotation may result in an inability to lift the arms in the back swing, which can lead the golfer to compensate elsewhere. A reverse pivot is an example.

6. Torso rotation - lack of rotation ability in the torso may lead you to compensate by over rotating the hips or the shoulders.

7. Overall strength and coordination - If you lack in strength or coordination in some areas, it will be difficult to swing the club properly with good balance.

I will continue to touch on the subject in more detail in future posts.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Assess Your Golf Fitness Needs

Golf fitness is another golf related industry that has taken off over the last decade as PGA Tour players, led by Tiger Woods, have focused more on their fitness. As better technology has failed to help golfers improve, they are turning more to fitness, since golf instruction still tends to be a bit expensive for the average golfer.

Before a golfer begins to focus on improving their fitness, however, they should get a physical assessment first. This assessment will determine their strengths and weaknesses. The fact is, many golfers have physical issues that inhibit their ability to swing the golf club well. Visiting a physical therapist who knows the biomechanics of the golf swing is a good idea. The golfer can gain an understanding of their physical issues and learn how to improve them.

Over the winter months, it is a good idea to work on your fitness. Start out by getting a physical assessment so you can improve on your weaknesses and build on your strengths. This will help your game as the new season begins.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Keep an Open Mind

our students. Therefore, it is helpful to learn new ways and new ideas to help make students better.

With that in mind, I picked up a copy of the Stack and Tilt book yesterday to see what all the hub bub is about this swing model. There is practically a cult following with this model, much like there has been with the One Plane Swing. While I do not agree with many of the concepts of Stack and Tilt (or One Plane Swing for that matter), there are some things I found useful. Down the road I will start to conduct full reviews, but keep in mind, these will only be my opinions. That is the beauty of golf though, there are many ways to hit a golf ball, so there will be many opinions!

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Keep a Journal

In a couple previous posts I have discussed the topic of taking notes. Behavior analysis studies suggest that golfers can improve much more rapidly by taking detailed notes during practice, lessons and their rounds of golf.

Golfers should also maintain a daily journal whenever they do something golf related. During winter, this could mean describing the few indoor swings you took or putts you hit, or your workout at the gym. Otherwise, write down a paragraph or two describing your round of golf, the weather, how you were feeling, what bets you might have had, how you performed, etc.

This journal should be kept in addition to the detailed notes you should start taking regarding your golf game. When you combine the information in the journal and in your notes, you will have a far greater capacity for learning, and this should lead you to improve your scores more rapidly.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Indoor Training

I think Mother Nature officially ended the golf season here in the Northeast and Maryland yesterday. The temperature dropped about 20 degrees in a matter of minutes as this cold front blew through. A few hearty souls still managed to find their way to Olney Golf Park, but it was not a comfortable day to work on your game or play golf anywhere.

So, now we are faced with about three months of chilly weather. Sure, there will be a few days where we can practice comfortably, but they will be few and far between. The heaters here at Olney Golf Park will help the avid golfer, but short game practice won't happen much.

How can we stay in touch with our golf swings when the weather gets cold? This is the time to really do some hard work on your swing. Indoor practice can be quite beneficial all year round. This is a great opportunity to work on your fundamentals.

I consistently hammer the point home...get in front of a mirror and work through the various positions of your swing slowly. Study the fundamentals of the full swing, and try to match them in the mirror. Use a face on view at times and a down the line view at times.

Learn how to move the body properly through the golf swing. Learn how to keep the club on plane slowly, and gradually try to build up your swing speed. If you struggle with making these movements, it could be the result of physical issues. Winter time is a great time to address these.

Don't let the cold months go to waste. To continually improve your game, it makes no sense to start again from scratch every Spring. Keep up the work in the winter months and you'll be sure to hit the ground running when Spring arrives.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - How Do You Learn?

How do you learn? Why is it that we have all this new technology, all these training aids, golf tips and instruction from the best teachers in the world, and yet most golfers never improve? Why has the average handicap not dropped in 30 years while the clubs hit the ball straighter and the ball flies 25 yards further?

I will tell you why. Most golf instructors are not demanding enough of their students, and most students are not demanding enough of themselves.

Golf is a difficult game. There is a ton to learn, just in the swing itself! Yet, how many golfers take notes during a lesson. How many instructors have told a student to take notes? How many golfers keep detailed records of their rounds? Why is it that Steve Williams knows more about Tiger’s game than you know about yours?

The best way to learn is by practicing, but if you don’t take notes and keep track of the proper statistics, how do you even know what to practice?

I studied Pai Lum Kung Fu for eight years and was REQUIRED to keep a notebook and journal. We essentially learned something new every day, so there was no other way to keep track of everything.

Golf is a little bit different in that you can read all about the golf swing in a variety of books. But, you still need to learn what works for you, and the only way to keep track is by taking notes.

Just some food for thought. I will be hitting on this topic a bit more in the coming days.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Keep it Simple

I read through some golf forums daily and many people are often looking for swing tips. Many are concerned with this position or that position in their golf swing, and some of the tips offered break things into minute detail. While these tips are well intended, they are often reflective the teaching or swing philosophy of the tipper.

From my point of view, many of these tips will not result in much improvement in the golfer. In regard to the full swing, golfers should pay much more attention on improving their fundamentals, such as their set up, how they move the body in the swing, and their swing plane.

With a better player, to get the club on a better swing plane, it may just be a matter of a tweak or two, but for most people it is more of a need for improved fundamentals.

This winter, if you are stuck indoors, work on the basic fundamentals of body movement, and work on improving your swing plane in front of a mirror. Learn to make the movements slowly before you try to do them at full speed. By the time Spring comes around, you'll be way ahead of the game!

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Learn Your Tendencies

Golfers can make significant improvements to their game by keeping track of some specific statistics. Unfortunately, most golfers do not keep any records, or pay attention to these statistics, and therefore, they have no idea how they should focus their practice.

Some avid golfers do keep track of some statistics such as greens in regulation, fairways hit, putts per round, penalty shots, etc. However, this does not reveal a golfers tendencies. For example, you may keep track of how many fairways you hit in a round of golf, but did you pay attention to where your misses landed when you did miss a fairway? What about when you missed a green? Or a putt?

It is possible to break the game down several levels to reveal a golfer's tendencies, particularly when it comes to putting and the short game. For instance, a golfer can learn whether they tend to miss short putts to the right or left, short or long, etc.

Amazingly, it really doesn't take too many rounds of golf with solid record keeping to identify your tendencies. Once you do, you can develop a plan for improvement. Developing a plan is key to making improvements and lowering your scores.

In coming weeks, I will be employing these ideas in my own instruction and I will be offering a private membership area on this website that will discuss in much more detail how a golfer can keep track of their performance and plan for improvement.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Plan for Improvement

With golf, as we get older, if you aren't getting better, you are likely getting worse. The fact of the matter is, as we get older, we are going to lose distance over time. Sure, you can slow the rate of decline by staying in great shape, but it will happen.

So, if you are losing distance, the golf course can get harder. Of course, you can choose to play from a more forward set of tees so that the course doesn't get harder. Most good players might find that difficult to do.

What is the answer? Make improvements in your swing so that you will be more accurate; make improvements to your short game so that you will leave yourself with shorter putts; and make improvements to your putting so that you can hole more putts. This last item may prove more difficult if our eyesight is declining. Obviously, the other areas may become more difficult to improve on if we develop a physical malady.

However, it is possible to develop a plan. Learn how to plan for improvement. Keep better records during and after your practice sessions and rounds of golf. Find out what your weaknesses are, then find ways to make them better.

The bottom line is that if you don't develop a plan, you won't likely see much improvement, if any, in your game. Always approach each session with a plan of attack. Don't just go beat a bucket of balls and hit a few chips and putts. That is not planning, that is just going through the motions. That may help keep you at your current level, but as your skills erode, practicing without a plan will not help you improve.

Find a good instructor to help you develop an overall plan for improvement and learn to keep better records. If you can do this, you will definitely improve more quickly and stay on top of your game even as your physically abilities may decline.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - How to Hit a Draw

It's late in the season here in the Mid-Atlantic states, and it looks like today and tomorrow will be the last relatively warm days for a while. As such, many people may hang up their clubs for the winter. However, that doesn't mean you can't work on your golf swing.

One of the best ways to train your golf swing is to simply find a place to swing indoors, any place where you can at least swing a 6 or 7 iron. Get yourself a mirror and start learning how to move the club into the proper positions in the golf swing. You can learn those positions by picking up a copy of my ebook "Fundamentals, Faults & Cures" here.

Now, on to today's topic, how to hit a draw. It is estimated that 80% to 90% of golfers slice the ball. The reason why is that most golfers try to hit the ball with the upper body, rather than simply letting the club swing while the lower body does the work in the down swing. A slice is a result of the club approaching the ball from an outside in swing path with an open club face.

To counteract that swing path, golfers are told to try a takeaway more to the inside, or to swing out to right field in the down swing. Both are terrible pieces of advice. Pulling the club more to the inside on the takeaway will only make the inside takeaway, over the top swing loop even bigger, resulting in a bigger slice. When people try to swing out to right field, they often do it with the arms only. The tendency is to get an early release, or to reach too far and hit the ball on the hosel, which results in a shank.

To hit a draw, you need to think of two things...a flatter swing plane on the downswing and you must initiate the down swing with the lower body. This will allow you to hit the ball from a more inside swing path. If this simply results in a push, check your grip, and make sure it is not too weak.

I've got drills and video to show you how to hit a draw. My ebook "Fundamentals, Faults and Cures" will show you all and again, you can find it here.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Take Notes, Keep Stats

One way to really learn how to play better golf is to take notes. You should take notes when you practice, when you play and during a lesson. You should then keep tab of some important statistics.

When you receive a golf lesson, you should take notes during the lesson. I have often told students to at least take notes afterward, or as soon as they get home, but this does not work well either. So, from now on, my students will be encouraged to take notes during a lesson. The student should bring a bound notepad of some type, a pen, and a plastic bag to keep the notes dry. These notes should be kept in their golf bag for reference when they play and practice on their own.

Students should keep notes when they practice. They should pay attention closer attention to where the ball lands in relation to their target with each club so they can get a feel for their shot patterns. I ask all students before a round of golf if they can describe their critical ball flight error, and many don't even know if they slice, hook, pull, or push their shots. Students can prepare better for a lesson by paying more attention to their ball flight.

Some students actually do keep some statistics such as fairways hit, greens in regulation, putts per round, sand saves, etc. However, to really learn about their own game, they should keep more detailed statistics. For instance, when you miss a green, keep track of whether you missed short, long, left or right and by how far from your target. In regard to putts, pay attention to the distance of the putt, how you read the break, and whether you missed long and low, short and low, long and high or short and high. You can also do the same for short game shots.

Behavioral research has shown that when you get a better understanding of your game by keeping better notes and statistics, you can improve significantly faster.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Warm Up and Stay Warm

Not too many people will be grabbing early tee times here in PA and MD over the next few months. Every morning we have major frost on the ground accompanying freezing temperatures. However, by late morning, the temp rises to tolerable levels for some sturdy golfers.

If you are playing golf in colder weather, it is important to get yourself appropriately warmed up and loosened up before you start to play. Cold and tight muscles can lead to injury at some point in the round. Before you play, get the blood flowing by jogging in place, doing some jumping jacks, or possibly some squats while holding a golf club at arms length, one hand at either end, and raising it over head as you squat. As you rise back up, lower the club to chest level.

You should take about 5 minutes to get warmed up, and then do some light stretching. Your focus should be on the hamstrings, back, neck and shoulders. Once you get them loosened up a little, you can start swinging a heavy club slowly, or use a club with a donut weight on the end. Or, simply swing two irons together.

The trick will then be to stay warmed up during the round. In colder weather, we lose our touch, so wear a pair of mittens or carry a hand warmer. Occasionally, you may want to repeat the warm up process, especially if you are riding a cart rather than walking. Continue to keep the blood flowing and do some light stretching. This will not only help your swing during the round, but keep you injury free as well.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - How to Increase Your Swing Speed

I just read a forum post in a relatively popular golf instruction site and the golfer who wrote it was bragging about getting his swing speed up over 130 mph. The gentleman in question mentioned that he is 57 years old, and accomplished this by doing a particular workout for about a week and a half. He went from 106 to 131 in that period of time.

Time for a reality check folks. That swing speed would put him among the top 5 longest hitters on the PGA Tour. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson can get their swing speed up to that level when they go at it hard. They typically average about 125 mph. The average swing speed on tour is 112 mph.

A 57 year old man can not accomplish a 25 mph increase in swing speed in less than two weeks. I would venture to guess that there are fewer than twenty 57 year olds on the planet that can swing the club at 131 mph, if there are any at all. A 131 mph swing speed would translate into a carry of over 325 yards, and probably closer to 350 yards. Jamie Sadlowski, the two time defending ReMax world long drive champion swings the club at 145 mph. The funny thing is, the people in the forum were actually congratulating this guy, because they really have no clue.

It is possible to increase your swing speed significantly, but it takes a long period of time and work.

Here is what needs to happen to see a dramatic increase in swing speed.

1. You likely need to improve your technique. If you have a major swing flaw such as a reverse pivot or over the top swing, you will have great difficulty increasing your speed.

2. You need to increase your flexibility so you can swing the club on a bigger arc.

3. You need to increase your strength. Golf specific exercises will help, but you will really need to train like an athlete. Just look at today's long drive champions...they train hard!

4. You need to increase your body speed. This is done through the incorporation of plyometrics into the training routine.

5. You need to get on the range and learn how to swing the club faster without losing control.

I have had success with reasonably talented golfers in achieving increases of swing speed of near 10 mph in a single lesson, but that was due to an improvement in technique. I likely could not get another 10 mph in swing speed from them without training them like serious athletes.

I intend to put myself through more rigorous training over the winter to see what I can do about increasing my own swing speed. I could stand to shape a bit anyhow, so I will turn this into an experiment. My training will consist of a mix of typical free weight training, some P90X training which includes some plyometrics, yoga and some excellent core work, cardo training and more flexibility training. I take some measurements in the next week and follow up on this on a monthly basis.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com\
www.powergolftraining.net

Golf Tip of the Day - Start Stretching

Golf season is winding down here in the northern states, but that doesn't mean you should completely forget about your game over the winter months. You can make some major improvements without touching a golf club, although I would highly recommend that you keep swinging, somewhere, just to keep that muscle memory.

If you haven't already, now is a good time to add a stretching routine into your golf improvement program. But, before you do so, I highly recommend getting together with a physical therapist to get yourself evaluated first. Many of us have developed some physical issues over time, and these can result in muscle tightness in various parts of the body. However, simple, passive stretching exercises will not do much to loosen those muscles up until you identify the cause of the tightness first.

Get together with your physical therapist to identify the causes of any muscle tightness you may have, and then they will also be able to put you on the appropriate stretching and physical therapy routine to help alleviate these issues. It is usually recommended that strength training and active stretching exercises be performed as well.

Do yourself a favor, invest a little time into getting your body evaluated and you will go a lont way toward making those improvements in your golf swing you so desire.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Top 10 Best Golf Tips

These are the Top 10 Best Golf Tips I can give to any student...

1. Learn to hit your putts more solid – The average number of putts per round for a PGA Tour pro is about 29. The best putters average just under 28. I would venture to guess that most beginners average well over 40 putts per round. The average 90 shooter probably averages about 36 putts, while the average 80 shooter about 32 to 33 putts. If you want to lower your scores quickly, become a better putter. This starts with learning how to hit your putts more solid. You need to develop a better stroke, which may be a function of your setup. Then you need to practice. At least 50% of your practice should be on your putting.

2. Practice your lag putting – This is directly related to the first tip. To be able to control your speed on the greens, you have to learn how to hit your putts consistently solid. Once you do that, you need to practice your lag putting before every round. Get yourself used to the speed of the greens so that you will not have trouble getting the ball close with your long putts. Good speed is far more important that getting the direction right.

3. Practice your chipping and pitching – So that you don’t throw shots away during the round, learn how to hit the basic chip and pitch shots, and practice them diligently. Many people don’t even know the proper technique or which club to use. Learn that, and practice the proper technique. If you combine this with improved putting, your scores will drop like a stone.

4. Learn how to hit a bunker shot – Most people fear the sand, but the pros surely do not. Hitting bunker shots is all about technique. Learn the proper technique, and you will be able to get the ball onto the green consistently. That should be the first goal. With practice, you can start going for the pin to give yourself a better chance at par saves.

5. Keep your driver in the bag – Most people slice the ball. The driver, because it has less loft than any other club, creates more side spin when it strikes the ball improperly. Most people will pull out the driver on every long hole. It is far more important to keep the ball on the fairway than to hit the ball long. When faced with trouble in the direction that your ball normally curves (i.e., water to the right when you normally slice it as a right hander), keep the driver in the bag. You will have a better chance at keeping the ball in play by using a club that has more loft to counteract the side spin.

6. Hit one extra club into every green – Most golfers consistently under club themselves going into every green, because they usually do not hit the ball very solid and on the sweet spot. They usually have only a general idea of how far they hit a ball with each club, and due to ego, will always take out less club than they need. Hit one more club than you think. If you happen to hit it very solid, you might go over the green, but more often than not, you won’t hit the sweet spot, and your ball will get closer to the green or you will hit more greens by taking one more club.

7. Learn the proper set up – Many swing faults are a direct result of a poor set up, whether it is simply the alignment, or possibly posture issues. For instance, if you tend to squat in your stance with little bend in the hips, you will tend to change your spine angle during the swing, and pull the club to the inside too much. This will often lead to an over the top move in the down swing, and a pull or slice. Work on a better set up to improve your overall swing.

8. Learn a set up routine – Many golfers may have a decent set up, but they have a poor routine, and they do not get themselves aligned properly, or they may stand too close or too far from the ball. By developing a proper set up routine, you will eliminate these errors and you will hit more shots on the intended line.

9. Learn the ball flight laws – Most golfers have no clue what causes a slice or a hook, or how the golf club and golf swing combine to get the ball in the air. This lack of understanding leads to many swing faults and poor tips on how to correct those swing faults. If you learn the ball flight laws, you will be on your way to having a better understanding of how to correct your own swing faults.

10. Learn how to fix your slice the right way – Most people slice the golf ball, and they read tip after tip on how to correct it, or they buy a $500 driver to help correct it. The slice can be fixed if you learn what it takes to hook the ball. Most people say they just want to hit the ball straight. That can’t be done until they learn how to eliminate the faults that cause the slice. Learn how to fix your slice the right way buy learning how to swing the club on a better swing plane, and you will be on your way to fixing your slice.


If you notice, the first few tips all had to do with the short game. Improving your short game will lower your scores faster than anything else you can do with your golf game. Notice how it wasn’t until the last tip was mentioned that there was any tip involving the swing itself. The fastest way to improvement is the short game and learning the set up fundamentals. Spend more time on these areas, and you will become a much better golfer. After that, it will likely require some instruction on the full swing to help make improvements there. By understanding the ball flight laws, you will be able to make these improvements in your swing more quickly.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Plan for Environment

This particular post is geared mainly toward golfers who play a little competition now and then. If you play competitive golf, then there will be days where the weather is not so nice, but you still have to play. With that in mind, it's a good idea to be prepared.

When I was a sophomore in high school, I won my conference championship. The following week, we were playing the district championship on the same course. The district tournament at the time was 36 holes played in one day. Since I was conference champion, I was paired with other conference champions in the district. One these was Emlyn Aubrey, who played some on the PGA Tour. Another is noted long drive, trick shot artist and instructor, Ben Witter.

On that day, it rained buckets. I was unprepared. My golf bag was a small nylon carry bag. My grips were wet immediately, as were my towels. As my swing is a little handsy, I had trouble holding onto the club. I shot 51 for 9 holes and walked off the course.

Emlyn Aubrey went on to win the tournament with a pair of 72s. Obviously, he was just a better player, but he was also prepared. Fast forward two years later to the PA state championships where under cold and wet conditions, I finished 2nd, losing in a playoff to future PGA Tour player Ted Tryba. I was carrying a similar bag, but I had covered most of it with some sort of plastic. It kept everything dry and I had no issues.

The moral to this story is that you have to learn to play in lousy weather if you compete at all. Even if you are just playing in the 4th flight of your club championship, you need to experience playing in rain, wind and cold. With that in mind, when the weather is bad and you planned to play that day, go ahead, if the course is still open. You will learn to be a little more patient and learn how to deal with various conditions.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Fairway Bunker Shot

Most people hit a tee shot into a fairway bunker and think it is the end of the world. However, it is really not a difficult shot when you learn a couple keys.

First of all, your priority should be to make sure you at least get out of the bunker with your first swing. So, if you find yourself in a bunker like on the 18th hole at Augusta National, with a steep face in front of you, don't try to be a hero and go for the green. Be sure to take out a club with plenty of loft to get over the top of the bunker.

Next, your mindset should never be to try and lift the ball out with your club. You need to let the club do the work, and that is why it is important to choose a club with more than enough loft to get out of the bunker first.

From here, the fairway bunker shot is just like a fairway shot. You are going to hit the ball first, then the sand. So that is a bit different than a greenside bunker shot where you want to slide the club under the ball. Hitting the ball first will allow you to utilize the entire clubface, which will create the back spin necessary to get the ball in the air.

Just like in a greenside bunker, you want to make sure you dig your feet into the sand a bit to provide some stability. Then, because you are digging yourself into the sand and inch or two, you need to choke down on the club by a similar amount. If you don't, and you take your normal swing, you will hit the shot fat.

The set up is then similar to any other fairway shot, assuming you have a level lie. You should align the body parallel to your target line (feet, knees, hips and shoulders), play the ball in the normal position in your stance for whatever club you are hitting, and then just make a normal swing (if you are you have a steep downswing, you will need to flatten your swing modestly so you don't hit the shot too fat; if you have a flat downswing, you need to make it a bit more steep so you don't hit the shot too thin).

Next time you are out playing a round of golf just for fun, throw a couple balls into the fairway bunker and apply these tips. Once you learn how to hit the ball more crisply out of the fairway bunker you will have no more fear of them.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Top 10 Worst Golf Tips

Here are the Top 10 Worst Golf Tips I have come across over the years...

10. Extend Your Arms At Impact - I just read this particular tip the other day, and it is absolutely horrible advice for the average golfer. Most golfers lose power because their arms ARE already extended at impact. This means their swing is already slowing down. Compare this thought to throwing a punch. Do you want to hit your opponent when your arm is full extended? No, because then you will have no penetration in your punch! The same can be said for the golf swing. You don’t want to be fully extended until AFTER impact. Full extension of the arms should actually happen about two feet past impact with the ball. This way you make sure you have the body behind the shot completely and you hit through the ball with acceleration.

9. Weaken your grip – Quite often, when an instructor sees a student for the first time, they will ignore the student’s ball flight and focus only on what they don’t like about the student’s golf swing. One area where most people have poor fundamentals is in the grip, and many people have a strong grip. Unfortunately, most people also slice the ball. So, while a strong grip should cause them to hook the ball, they are slicing the ball because their swing is badly flawed. If the instructor focuses on the grip rather than the ball flight, a weaker grip will make the slice worse.

8. Turn your hips more – Most people already turn their hips plenty in the golf swing. Yet, they will be told to turn their hips more if they are not generating much power in their golf swing. This is terrible advice. Turning the hips more, without turning the shoulders more will result in a lack of torque in the back swing. This torque is the difference between how much the shoulders turn and how much the hips turn. If the hips turn as much as the shoulders, or only a little less, than there is no torque, or tension built up between the upper and lower body. Furthermore, turning the hips more may actually result in weight shifting back to the front foot during the backswing. Ideally, there will be about a 2:1 ration between the shoulder turn and hip turn.

7. Get Stacked – This is in reference to the Stack and Tilt golf swing being marketed to both tour pros and amateurs alike. This is not a knock on the developers of the swing, who are two decent teaching pros from what I understand. The idea behind the swing is that it will help some golfers learn how to make better contact with the golf ball by keeping the weight primarily on the front foot and leaning the spine toward the target during the back swing. Unfortunately, most golfers are not athletic enough to pull off the move required in the downswing, which is that the spine will tilt back away from the target by impact. Many golfers already have a reverse pivot in their golf swing, and it leads to a variety of other swing faults as well as some back issues. Before attempting to copy this swing, get with a pro who is very familiar with it first.

6. Get a new putter – Putters are not cheap. If you are putting poorly, it is not likely because you need a new putter, unless you have bent it somehow, or unless you are putting with some hickory shafted relic. It is likely because you don’t spend much time practicing putting, and when you do, you don’t have a good routine or plan for improvement. Save your money and get your butt onto the practice green and work with some drills to gain better speed control and to develop more consistent contact with short putts.

5. Get a new driver – Drivers are even more expensive than putters. The solution many people seek is to get fitted with a new driver. Most people slice the ball, so most new drivers are built to combat that issue. Unfortunately, human beings have a way of adapting, and that slice will rear its ugly head no matter what kind of driver you are using. Save your money on equipment and get a couple lessons from a good teaching pro who knows how to fix a slice. A little research will help in that regard!

4. Feel as though you are sitting down when you stand up to the ball – This is terrible advice and it is often given to golfers who are topping the ball. Telling them to sit down in the stance is an attempt to help them stay down through the ball. Unfortunately, if they bend their legs too much and put too much weight on the heels, they will likely not have enough bend in the waist. Furthermore, it is not a natural position and the body will adjust at some point in the swing. The spine angle will change throughout the swing due to this poor set up, and it will be impossible to make consistent contact with the ball.

3. Aim further left – This advice is given to right handed golfers who tend to slice the ball, so if you are a lefty, chances are someone told you to aim further right if you slice the ball. Unfortunately, this will only cause you to come into the ball even further from the outside and over the top, which will cause a bigger slice. Most people are told this if there is trouble to the right (for a righty). The best thing to do is keep the driver in the bag and hit a more lofted club such as a 3 or 4 wood. The higher loft will add back spin to the ball, which will offset some of the side spin that causes the slice.

2. Hit down on the ball – This advice is often given to golfers who are having trouble getting the ball in the air because they are topping it. Telling them to hit down on the ball usually results in more swing faults because the golfer is trying to hit the ball with the upper body and the arms. They are topping the ball because their spine angle is changing in the golf swing, and they may be trying to lift the ball in the air. They just need to learn how the club design will get the ball in the air on its own, and they need to adjust the ball placement in their stance, and maintain their spine angle through the swing.

1. Last, but not least…drumroll please – Keep Your Head Down! - This is the worst advice to give to a golfer. It is given to golfers who top the ball too much. When a golfer tops the ball they will often say to themselves “I lifted my head.” Nope, they didn’t, they did not keep their center of gravity down at impact. Most golfers’ center of gravity rises in the down swing, while good players always lower their center of gravity, just as any athlete in any other sport tries does. Keeping the head down too long will only result in the upper body becoming disconnected from the lower body through the impact zone, and therefore, little power is generated. For better players who keep their head down too long, it often results in a pull hook.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

There you have it, the top 10 worst golf tips!

Today's Golf Tips - Lose Control to Gain Control

When I begin teaching a beginner student, I don't put the golf club in their hands for a lesson or two. The reason is that they want to start out trying to hit the ball by simply swinging the club with their arms. They are not conscious of what the body needs to be doing during the golf swing. In many cases, because they are only using the upper body, they are incapable of even hitting the ground!

When you initially start learning how to swing a golf club, you need to learn how to lose control of the club, and let your body, and gravity, do the work for you. What you need to focus on first are the fundamentals of the body movement. The photos below are examples of how I teach without the golf club. My students will swing a basketball or dodgeball, and learn how to just let their arms follow the body, particularly in the downswing.





Until the student can move the body properly, it will be difficult for them to swing a golf club properly. The main issue usually arises to start the downswing. Most beginners don't trust that the club will hit the ball if they let the lower body lead the downswing. They then try to hit the ball by using their arms, and this is what causes a variety of bad shots...topped shots, fat shots, slices, shots on the toe, etc.

Learn how to lose control and trust that moving the body properly will result in a good golf swing. Once you learn to lose control, you will gain better control over the golf ball!

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

Golf Tip of the Day - Mind Your Balance

Not many golfers have very good balance when they swing a golf club. At impact, many are up on their toes, falling forward, falling backward, or spinning out on their heels. This is mainly because they do not have a good set up.

When you set up to the golf ball, assuming you have a level lie, you should typically have your weight balanced evenly between both feet, and the weight should be balanced just behind the balls of the feet. More often than not, golfers have their weight too much on their heels or too much on their toes.

When you set up with the weight too much on your heels, you typically will not have enough bend at the hips. This will likely cause a couple different swing faults. If you do not have enough bend at the hips, the tendency is to pull the club too far inside on the takeaway. Also, it may cause you to rise up and down during the golf swing, or you may lean forward in the backswing.

If your weight is too much on the toes, the tendency is to fall back on your heels at some point in the swing. You may also be bent over too much as you address the ball, and that often leads to a steep takeaway.

In regard to the takeaway, once the club gets on the wrong path, it needs to be re-routed somehow in order to get back on plane. Unfortunately, most golfers are not skilled or athletic enough to pull this off. Most then end up with a swing that results in a slice.

With that in mind, be more mindful of your balance at set up. Just a few simple adjustments may go a long way toward better ball striking.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com

The Golf Swing and Back Pain

One of the topics that a number of the online golf swing gurus are hitting upon these days is the back pain that can be caused by the golf swing. Some of the online teaching pros go as far as to claim that their golf swing model is endorsed by medical professionals, or is scientifically proven. One teacher may suggest that the two-plane swing is the culprit, while another may indicate that the more modern and athletic, rotational swing is the culprit.

So with all this conflicting information being thrown at you, what is the true answer? I really don't know, but here is my two cents. It all depends on the individual.

The golf swing, no matter what model you subscribe to, is a complex athletic move. I know, I know, contrary to what is being sold to the public, the golf swing is not SIMPLE! What athletic move that incorporates just about every single muscle in the body at one moment or another can possibly be described as simple?

So, due to the fact that the golf swing itself is a complex athletic move, and no two human bodies are exactly alike, then it is no wonder that some people can develop back pain by using a one plane swing, two plane swing, or any other swing. Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Fred Couples, Seve Ballesteros and even Rory McIlroy have suffered from back pain. They all have very different golf swings. The only common thread is that they play golf.

Back pain for golfers can come from a variety of sources. Those who walk most of the time and may have foot issues may develop back pain. Those who walk and carry their golf bags can develop back pain. Those who are significantly over weight can develop back pain.

The only real way to fight it is not by switching to a new golf swing. Sure, a tweak here or there may alleviate some of the issues. It was revealed that Butch Harmon has Fred Couples hitting a draw this year to help alleviate some of the back pain, and Fred appeared to be doing well up through late Spring, but the issue did come back later in the season.

So, the best way to fight back issues is to strengthen the back, get it more flexible, and work on some of the spinal alignment issues, if you have any. I personally have some back issues, but I avoid major flare ups by continuing to do my core muscle workouts at least semi-regularly, stretch at least a little, and use my Tru Back device for alignment. The spine requires consistent attention. If none is given, any complex athletic move or activity is bound to result in wear and tear.

Do yourself a favor. If you have back issues, don't imagine for one second that a different golf swing will be the cure. The fact is, changing the overall shape of your golf swing takes a lot more work, than just a viewing of a video. Remember how long it took Tiger Woods to incorporate the changes he made to his swing with Hank Haney...over a year. Subtle change can be made, but major changes take time and practice.

Take care of your back instead. Take the time every day to loosen it up and stretch it out a bit. Consider taking some yoga classes and picking up an alignment device like the Tru Back or an inversion table. If needed, go to a chiropractor. If you take care of your back consistently, you will be much better off in the long run.

Scott Cole
www.powergolftraining.net

Sunday Golf Tip

Occasionally when I head to the range to practice, I will often be hitting balls next to a couple people where one person is trying to teach the other. The tips and advice I hear being offered to the one trying to learn is usually worthless. The "teacher" might have an idea how hold onto the club and how to swing it, but they usually have no idea how to communicate, and they often talk way too much. This just confuses their "student."

Sometimes, when I give a lesson, a student will tell me "my friend told me to keep my head down," or some similar piece of worthless advice. I then ask them how well their friend plays the game, and ask why they would take advice from someone who can't shoot under 90 or 100 themselves.

If you are trying to learn the game, the best thing to do is get individual instruction. If you can't afford that, at least get an understanding of the fundamentals through group instruction, or go purchase a book or dvd.

It is absolutely crucial that you ignore the advice of your friends! Even scratch golfers do not know how to communicate well. Part of becoming a golf instructor is learning how to communicate. So, even if the instructor is not a great golfer, if they can communicate and at least demonstrate some things well, it will be of benefit to the student.

Ultimately though, if you want to learn to play well, you need to learn the fundamentals and apply them, AND keep track of your progress and take detailed notes! Take ownership of your learning, and you will benefit in the long run!

Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
www.onlinegolfswingcoach.com

Late Season Golf

As the golf season starts to wind down here in Maryland and southern PA, I am reminded how the golf season extends quite a bit further if you are willing to drive just a few hours south.

One of my favorite places on earth is Williamsburg, VA, where I attended The College of William and Mary on a golf scholarship. Williamsburg is about a 2.5 hour drive south of Washington, DC, yet the average high temperature in December is about 8 to 10 degrees warmer. Furthermore, you can find some great packages at great golf courses such as Kingsmill, Golden Horseshoe, Fords Colony and more.

Williamsburg is a great place to visit for a long weekend, and Fall is probably the best time of year to go. As the weather gets cooler here, if you still have the golf bug, check out Williamsburg!

Scott Cole
www.powergolftraining.net
www.onlinegolfswingcoach.com

Scientifically Proven Golf Swing?

One of the new catch phrases I have stumbled upon lately on several golf related websites is "scientifically proven." One site then goes on to claim that their model swing is endorsed by a host of doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, etc. I also mentioned recently that Hunter Mahan has made the claim that what Sean Foley is teaching him and Tiger Woods, Sean O'Hair and Justin Rose is backed by science.

So, how exactly do you scientifically prove a golf swing? From what I have seen, you have some biomechanics guys plugging some numbers into a computer and up pops an image of this scientifically proven swing. If you address the ball this way, and swing the club this way, you have a swing that is scientifically correct and you will be able to swing the club pain free!

Ok, well, the problem is that no two people are alike. Therefore, no two golf swings are identical. So, how can you prove that any of this stuff will work for the typical golfer? How about a golfer who may have a bum knee, or shoulder, or elbow, a bad back, issues with their neck or even their hands?

In a few of these cases, the golf swing model suggests swinging the club on a more upright swing plane. Well, I can tell you that 90% of all golfers already swing the club on an upright swing plane, in fact, a plane that is too steep! The issue with a steeper swing plane is that your timing must be very good because the hitting area at impact is much smaller than that with a more shallow swing plane. That is why most of the better players on the PGA Tour today have a more rotational, athletic swing, as it allows for more consistent ball striking.

Who is widely regarded to be the best ball striker the game has seen? Well, Ben Hogan of course. And he had a flatter swing plane than most. Moe Norman is also mentioned as a great ball striker, and his swing plane was also a bit flatter. This is not to say that a more upright swing can't work. Jack Nicklaus had a fairly upright plane, and he was terrific with his long irons and at driving the ball, although not so good with his wedge game.

The bottom line is that there are many ways to get it done in this game. Ideally, we want to try and keep things as simple as possible, and as pain free as possible. But, try to look through all the hype. Even if one particular swing model may be more biomechanically sound than another, the fact is, most people won't be able to duplicate that swing, because they just won't be able to get their body to move that way.

The golf swing is a complex, athletic move. Once you get beyond a certain age, it becomes even more difficult to learn to do well. However, by learning about your own strengths and weaknesses, and the general Ball Flight Laws, you can find a way to make significant improvements in your ball striking without making any major changes. Down the road, I will be happy to show you how!

Scott Cole
www.powergolftraining.net

Weight Loss For Golfers

I have a friend by the name of Larry Jacobs who is THE weight loss guru for golfers. He has had great success working with pros such as Roger Maltbie of NBC and Allen Doyle on the Champions Tour. Click here to find out more!

What was your best golf shot ever?

Ok folk, I thought I would try to get a little participation to my blog, so all of your comments are welcome! I want to hear about your best golf shot in your entire golf career. Here's mine...

I was 18 at the time, so this is a long, long time ago! I was playing in one of the local better ball of partners tournaments, which dominate the competitive golf scene in the Southcentral Pennsylvania region. There were not many individual tournaments with sizable fields, so these were the tournaments most of the best players competed in.

Heading into the final round at my home course, Carlisle Country Club, my partner and I were tied for the lead with the two best players in the area, who were 20 and 30 years older. These guys had won every local tournament several times over, and were always regarded as the team to beat as they paired so well together.

My partner and I got off to a bad start, and ultimately we found ourselves down by 3 with two holes to play. The 17th was a short par 3, and my partner knocked in a bomb from about 30 feet for birdie to cut the lead to two. The last hole was a 550 yard par 5. In those days, since we were still using persimmon drivers and balata cover balls, the only time you reached that green in two shots was if the weather was somewhat dry and you had the wind at your back.

On this day, however, the hole was into a slight wind. I hit a solid tee shot about 280 to 285 yards, and found myself in the fairway, with a slight uphill lie. Knowing that we needed a 3 to have a chance, and there was little trouble in front of the green, I pulled out the driver again. About 50 yards short of the green is a fairway bunker, and after that, a modest downslope to the green. I hit the ball absolutely perfect, and dead straight. I have no idea where the ball actually landed, but it ended up rolling up on the green and finished pin high, to the right of the flag. Under the circumstances, this is clearly the best shot I have ever hit in my life. I don't see how I could top it, until I actually knock one in from 270 yards under the same circumstances.

So, I had a 25 foot, right to left curler for eagle. I was shaking as I had rarely been in position to win anything of note up to that point in my career (I missed a 4 footer to win the PA State high school championship about 9 months prior). Somehow I managed to hit the putt solidly, and it curled into the right lip for an eagle 3. The crowd went wild, and that is one of the best moments I have ever had in the game.

Unfortunately, one of my two nemeses proceeded to knock in a 15 foot, downhill slider right on top of me for birdie, so we lost the tournament by one. Still, it is a great memory!

Ok, tell me your story!

Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
www.onlinegolfswingcoach.com

New Ben Hogan Book Review

I just had the opportunity to read Kris Tschetter’s new book Mr. Hogan, The Man I Knew, an autobiographical account of her relationship with Ben Hogan. The book reveals the man behind the gruff image often portrayed in the media, from the perspective of an LPGA golfer.

A little background. Kris Tschetter received a golf scholarship to play at Texas Christian University in the early 1980s. The university is located in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area where Hogan made his home. She and her brother received junior memberships at the Shady Oaks Country Club where Hogan was a member early in her college career. It was there that she ultimately befriended Hogan.

Hogan, Mr. Hogan as he is referred to by Tschetter, became her mentor and coach, and they ultimately became very close, as did their families. Tschetter reveals a side of the man that virtually no one was aware of, particularly his charitable side and his care for children. She also confirms his desire for privacy and his methodical demeanor.

As my own career as a golf instructor has evolved, I have become more and more fascinated by Hogan due to his success, particularly after his near fatal car accident. Tschetter’s book reveals that Hogan was indeed human, and not just a ball striking machine. He won his many tournaments by outworking and being better prepared than his competitors. It is clear that he could have likely won many more championships and major championships had it not been for the accident. His injuries not just to his legs and hips were devastating, but he also received a head injury that damaged his eyesight. His ability to overcome these injuries and go on to win several more major championships is simply awe inspiring.

As an instructor, what I take away most from the book are the golf course management lessons that Hogan gave to Tschetter. He actually did not stress swinging the golf club a particular way to her. With all the instructors out there who try to copy Hogan’s swing and his teachings, he never felt that his way was the best way. His swing simply worked for him. In the book, there is actually a passage where Tschetter is complaining about her inside takeaway. Hogan replies that she should not focus on that much, and he refers to Ray Floyd’s swing, since he had just won the U.S. Open at Shinnecock. Hogan simply stressed being in the right position just through impact. If you could get that right, chances are, you have made good contact with the ball. I can relate, because I have a similar type of takeaway.

After reading this book, I have concluded that it will be one of the best golf related books for years to come. The information in the book is extremely valuable from the perspective of a golf instructor and any golfer who wants to improve their game. There are no secrets! Becoming a great golfer requires hard work and patience along with a solid foundation in the fundamentals. However, from the standpoint of providing a glimpse into the life of Ben Hogan, I think it is even more revealing. The man clearly should be admired as a person, rather than just a legendary golfer, and Tschetter does an excellent job in uncovering the truth behind the legend. I will be forever grateful for her contribution to the game!

Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
www.onlinegolfswingcoach.com

Golf Tip of the Day

I completed reading Kris Tschetter's new book about her relationship with Ben Hogan, and will complete a review of that book in the next day or so. One revealing tidbit in the book was that even Ben Hogan suggested he only hit 3 or 4 shots each round just the way he wanted to. Now, of course, Mr. Hogan's misses were far better than the good shots most people make!

Still, what this implies, and it is implied elsewhere in the book, is that there is really no way to swing the club perfectly every time. Hogan was successful because he knew how to manage his game better than anyone else. Sure, he hit the ball better than everyone too, but he stressed golf course management to Tschetter at least as much as the golf swing.

So, while you are out on the course, don't worry so much about mishitting some shots. Just make sure you play to miss the shot in the right place. For instance, if you have water in front of the green, and the pin is cut close to the front of the green, don't shoot at the pin. Instead, hit enough club to get you to the back of the green! If you miss long, chances are you can walk away with bogey or less. Hit it in the water, chances are far greater that you will walk away with double bogey or more.

Enjoy your round!

Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
www.onlinegolfswingcoach.com

Golf Tips to Add Distance Off the Tee!

Golfers, I've just finished my new report, 10 Ways To Add 15 Yards To Your Tee Shots Today!. If you go to my home page, you can sign up to receive the free report. Down the road, I will make available a video discussing these golf tips. In the meantime, check out the new report! scottcolegolf.com

Scott Cole

Golf Swing Feeling Tight in the cold weather? Stretch more!

Today I headed over to Olney Golf Park where I teach here near Rockville, Maryland, and after my one lesson today, I decided to hit some golf balls. My student is a beginner, and today we simply worked on how she should move her body through the swing, so she did not hit many balls. So I ended up with two large buckets of balls, or about 200 balls to hit. It was a cold and wet day here in Maryland, and I was still a bit tight from my upper body workout the other day, and I've had a kink in my neck the last couple days.

While I hit the ball ok, it was clear I was not hitting with the power I am used to. As the session wore on, I could feel my swing becoming more compact, and I was not getting any extension through the ball. This was quite evident when I decided to try hitting one driver, which ended up being a low hook. I knew it was time to end the session with some short pitch shots.

I have not spent much time on my stretching for a while, but now that the weather has turned cold, it is even more important to make sure I do. This goes for any golfer. Colder weather makes us tighter, and that leaves us with less efficient, less powerful golf swing. Not only should we take more time to get warmed up and stretch before practice or a round of golf, we should do more at home as well.

If you do not have a stretching program, I highly recommend starting one. I learned quite a few stretches in my martial arts and yoga training, and will begin to implement them even more as I finally start to settle into a routine here in Maryland. I recommend you get started as well! Keep an eye out for more fitness information here at scottcolegolf.com in the future! You can also visit my Power Golf Training website to obtain my Principles of Power Golf ebook.

Scott Cole

PGA Tour Statistics Suggest You Need a Putting Lesson!

I just pulled statistics for 33 of this years full field PGA Tour events to see if any particular statistic stood out among the winners. That stats I pulled were for Driving Accuracy, Driving Distance, Greens in Regulation, Putts Per Round and Putts per Green in Regulation. I looked at the ranking in each category for each of the winners. I then added an Overall ranking as well.

For example, in the first tournament of the year, won by Geoff Ogilvy, he was 16th in Driving Accuracy, 19th in distance, 10th in Greens in Regulation and 1st in both putting categories. His overall score was then calculated by adding up all his rankings in the five categories, which resulted in a score of 47.

I found some interesting numbers. The average overall score was a 92. The lowest overall score was a 46 at Bayhill by Ernie Els. the highest was a 165 by Hunter Mahan at Phoenix, followed closely by Ben crane with 164 at the Farmers Insurance. In both cases, both were first in Greens in Regulation, but well down the list in putting.

The least reliable indicator of a potential victory was both driving categories. The average ranking for both accuracy and distance for the winners was 26th. Not surprising, putting was the best indicator of a potential victory. The average ranking of the winner in the Putts Per Green In Regulation category was 10th, but this was skewed upward by the Crane and Mahan performances, where they ranked 42nd and 54th respectively. Take out those two performances, and the average rank is 7th. Six times, the winner was first in this category. Only four times was the winner ranked first in total putts per round. 14 times the winner was first in putts per green in regulation.

In regard to greens in regulation, the average ranking of the winner was 16th. Four times the winner was ranked first, but nine times the winner was ranked out of the top 20, and six times the winner was ranked outside the top 40!

These stats are quite eye opening, because the vast majority of golfers either buy a new driver or get lessons in hopes of hitting the ball farther and straighter off the tee. Yet, how many golfers actually get a putting lesson?

The moral of the story? When you are ready to spend some money on your golf game again, get a putting lesson! I would also note that the statistics also imply that the winner is hitting the ball pretty close with his short irons, so you should also consider learning how to hit those better as well!

Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
www.onlinegolfswingcoach.com

Golf Tip - Lower Your Score Today

It's getting a little late in the season to be working on major swing changes, or that new swing you read about that will magically help you hit the ball farther and straighter. So, here's a quick tip that will help you chop a couple strokes of your score, today!

Before you tee it up today, get on that practice putting green with purpose! First, work on your speed control. Lay down a club on the green, then drop ten balls about 20 feet away. Hit all ten putts and try to get as close to that club as possible without going past it. Do this again from 30 feet and from 40 feet. Once you've done this and you are comfortably getting within two feet of the club, set up two tees, two feet apart, and about two feet in front of the club. Now hit ten putts from 30 feet and try to get each putt in between the two tees, and still short of the club. Now, you should have a good feel for the speed of the greens today.

Next, set up two tees, one about 1/4 inch off the toe of your putter, and the other 1/4 inch off the heel of your putter. Be sure you set this gate up about 4 feet from a hole, and be sure it is a straight put. Have the gate set up square to the hole. Set your putter between the gate, and a ball in front of your putter. Try to make as many putts as you can without missing, and without hitting the tees. Once you miss one, start over, and try to beat that streak on this try. You should make at least 10 in a row with this drill. When you do, you will have more confidence on your short putts heading out to the course.

So, now you have the speed of the greens down, and some confidence with your short putts. This should lead to more made putts! Now, go enjoy your round!

Scott Cole, Hank Haney Pro Instructor, Olney Golf Park, Olney, MD
www.onlinegolfswingcoach.com

Golf Tip

I would say that 90% of the students who come to me for a lesson have a lousy grip. Now, in some instances, I may not change that grip. For example, if a student is slicing every shot, but has a strong grip, I won't change the grip. As Hank Haney would say, "they have more slice in their swing than hook in their grip." So, I won't change the grip until they are hooking the ball.

For many students though, I just wonder who they were watching before they put their hands on the club. When I see a student with a horrible grip, I will demonstrate that grip to them, then ask one question..."Have you ever seen a player on the PGA Tour hold the club this way?" That's a rhetorical question of course. While some tour players, such as Fred Couples, do not have the nicest looking grip in the world, their grips are still way better than most golfers.

So ask yourself this question next time you are watching some golf on TV..."does my grip look like that?" Well, I will make it easier for you...just go to this page to see a good grip!

The moral to this story is this...the greatest golfers on the planet play on the PGA and European tours. To improve our own game, shouldn't we try to imitate them? While we may not be able to swing the club like them because of physical limitations, chances are we can at least hold onto the club like them, and stand up to the ball like them.

If Tiger Woods is always trying to improve his swing, don't you think you might want to improve on some things as well in order to get better? While I may not agree with what he may be trying to work on now, at least he is still striving to get better!

As the golf season here in Maryland begins to wind down, we still can have all winter long to work on the fundamentals, and the most basic fundamentals are grip and set up. Get to it and I guarantee you will be a better golfer next year as a result!

Scott Cole
www.onlinegolfswingcoach.com
www.powergolftraining.net

Europe Wins Ryder Cup

Europe held off a hard charging U.S. squad to win the Ryder Cup today 14.5 to 13.5. The Americans needed just 14 points to retain the cup, but came up a little short. Phil Mickelson finally came to life, and Tiger Woods played well, but the effort was not matched by the rest of the squad, except for Steve Stricker.

One other bright light was the late charge by Rickie Fowler to get a half point in his match against one of the Molinari brothers. Fowler won 4 of the last 6 holes, including the last three with birdies, to get the half point.

Unfortunately, Hunter Mahan was not up to the task today, as he made only one birdie. Still, he was just 1 down with three to play, but Graeme McDowell closed him out with consecutive birdies on 16 and 17.

Overall, the U.S. performed a bit above expectations and gave the favored European squad all they could handle. Pavin's decision to bury Woods and Mickelson into the depths of the singles lineup may come into question, as they U.S. needed early momentum. Stricker provided some with his victory of Lee Westwood in a match of top 5 players. Unfortunately, it was not enough to get the ball rolling for the U.S.

Scott Cole
www.onlinegolfswingcoach.com
www.powergolftraining.net

Golf Tip - Cure Your Reverse Pivot

Ryder Cup - Session III

Wow, Europe has asserted its will in Session III of the Ryder Cup, winning 5 1/2 points out of 6. Lee Westwood and Luke Donaled trounced Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in the opening match, 6 and 5, and it was all downhill from there. The U.S. should be happy they even picked up a 1/2 point as they were down in all six matches for much of the day.

Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson continue to be the weak links of the squad, as both have lost all of their matches, two while playing together. I have not seen much of the matches, but from what I have seen, Tiger Woods has not helped Steve Stricker much. In the one four ball match, I noted that Tiger's score counted five times and Stricker's score counted 12 times. That does not mean much, but it does say that Tiger was not making many birdies. One shot Tiger hit sticks in my head. He hit a wedge or short iron about 30 yards too long on one shot. That is a fault he had in the two years he spent between working with instructors Butch Harmon and Hank Haney. Looks like distance control is back to being an issue.

Overall, the other players on the U.S. squad have played fairly average. The Europeans seem to have more energy and determination. This is a reflection of the two captains. Pavin has been stoic, Monty has been expressive.

Tomorrow, the U.S. squad will need to pull off their second biggest comeback in history if they want to retain the cup. They need 7.5 points out of 12 to reach 14 points. It is doable, but with Mickelson and Woods not on their game, not likely.

Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
www.onlinegolfswingcoach.com