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
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
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
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
Monday, November 22, 2010
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
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
Sunday, November 21, 2010
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
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
Saturday, November 20, 2010
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
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
Friday, November 19, 2010
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
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
Thursday, November 18, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
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
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
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
Monday, November 15, 2010
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
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
Sunday, November 14, 2010
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!
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!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
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
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
Friday, November 12, 2010
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
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
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