I took away a number of things from The President's Cup this week. The first is that Tiger Woods is very close to winning form, and I suspect he might just win his Chevron Challenge event coming up in December. It is clear that his iron game and short game are quite good now, and his putting is close. He was able to avoid his weakness, the driver, in each of his last two events, as both golf courses in Australia did not demand length off the tee. I am also not yet sure how well he can hit the high fade with his irons, and I do not yet quite see the distance control he once had with the irons.
Another thing I took away from the President's Cup is that some of the young guns still have a ways to go to be considered major challengers next year. Dustin Johnson remains an enigma to me. I know nothing of his work ethic, but with his length, he should contend more often. Ryo Ishikawa and Jason Day are nowhere close to living up to their hype. Day had a couple decent finishes in majors last year, but does not appear to know how to close the deal. Ishikawa seems to be just another player from Japan who doesn't compete very well when he leaves his homeland.
The veterans for the U.S. team played very well. Jim Furyk went 5-0, and Toms, Stricker and Mickelson also had good moments. This just suggests to me that the young international players from outside of Europe are just not up to snuff. Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy and Retief Goosen were the most solid performers for the international side, and they are grizzled veterans.
The bottom line is that most of the big challengers for Tiger seem to be from Europe. Sergio Garcia appears rejuvenated, and I believe that players such as McIlroy, Donald, Westwood and McDowell will look forward to the challenge of facing Tiger when he is in better form next year. Most of the young Americans still have a lot of learning to do when it comes to winning. I think many of the top prospects for the U.S. are actually in college now, and it will be a few years until they hit the tour. As a result, I look for Tiger to have a couple good years, starting at Augusta in April.
Scott Cole
Your Golf Swing Fix
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thoughts on the Mental Game of Golf
In their quest to take their game to the next level, many golfers feel the need to explore The Mental Game of golf. Because golfers see that some PGA tour stars employ a sport psychologist, they think this kind of work will do wonders for their game as well.
Here's the rub. Can anyone name a tour player that suddenly became a great player because they hired a psychologist to help them with their game. Sure, some have certainly changed their attitudes as a result of their work, but it is difficult to name any that were turned into a star golfer.
The fact of the matter is that if you can’t break 100, you probably have a lousy golf swing. No amount of work on what is going on inside your brain is going to help you lower your scores if you can’t get the ball airborne, or have trouble keeping it on the golf course.
Golf is a process. You have to learn good fundamentals before you can start hitting the ball well. You have to learn how to hit the ball well on the range, before you play well on the golf course with your friends. You have to play well with your friends before you can play well in a tournament. You have to play well in a tournament before you can learn how to win a tournament.
Tiger Woods is a perfect case study in all this. He is re-learning how to play golf again. He is getting more comfortable with his new swing, and while it may not be a better version than what he has had before, as long as he thinks so, that is all that matters. As he is getting more comfortable with it, you can see he is getting more comfortable on the golf course, and particularly around the greens. Pretty soon, he will be able to knock down the door and win a tournament again, and then he will build on that process and win a major again. Will he get back to his highest level? That remains to be seen.
In all of this, what you have not heard is that he has hired a mental game guru to help him with his mental game. Tiger is mentally strong already, and therein lies the difference between the great players, and those that are not so great. Their mental toughness is more innate, not trained. Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson, and Tiger Woods never needed to hire a sport psychologist to help them win golf tournaments.
Yes, there are things you can do to help with your mental game. However, there is no magic mental process that is going to turn you into Tiger Woods. There is, however, a learning process to becoming a better golfer overall, as described above. So get to work on that process and you will become a better golfer.
Scott Cole - Your Golf Swing Fix
Here's the rub. Can anyone name a tour player that suddenly became a great player because they hired a psychologist to help them with their game. Sure, some have certainly changed their attitudes as a result of their work, but it is difficult to name any that were turned into a star golfer.
The fact of the matter is that if you can’t break 100, you probably have a lousy golf swing. No amount of work on what is going on inside your brain is going to help you lower your scores if you can’t get the ball airborne, or have trouble keeping it on the golf course.
Golf is a process. You have to learn good fundamentals before you can start hitting the ball well. You have to learn how to hit the ball well on the range, before you play well on the golf course with your friends. You have to play well with your friends before you can play well in a tournament. You have to play well in a tournament before you can learn how to win a tournament.
Tiger Woods is a perfect case study in all this. He is re-learning how to play golf again. He is getting more comfortable with his new swing, and while it may not be a better version than what he has had before, as long as he thinks so, that is all that matters. As he is getting more comfortable with it, you can see he is getting more comfortable on the golf course, and particularly around the greens. Pretty soon, he will be able to knock down the door and win a tournament again, and then he will build on that process and win a major again. Will he get back to his highest level? That remains to be seen.
In all of this, what you have not heard is that he has hired a mental game guru to help him with his mental game. Tiger is mentally strong already, and therein lies the difference between the great players, and those that are not so great. Their mental toughness is more innate, not trained. Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson, and Tiger Woods never needed to hire a sport psychologist to help them win golf tournaments.
Yes, there are things you can do to help with your mental game. However, there is no magic mental process that is going to turn you into Tiger Woods. There is, however, a learning process to becoming a better golfer overall, as described above. So get to work on that process and you will become a better golfer.
Scott Cole - Your Golf Swing Fix
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Will Tiger Woods Win Again?
Yes, Tiger Woods will win again! However, expect him to face some adversity when breaking through. Tiger has probably not experienced this length of winless golf in his entire life. In fact, he probably started winning golf tournaments at a very young age, and had won SOMETHING every year.
He is now gone two years without winning. Because of that, it will be more difficult to get used to being at the front again. Yesterday's third round in the Australian Open is a case in point. It is a very different feeling stepping up on the tee on moving day in a 72 hole tournament with the lead. Most who get in that position tend to relinquish it.
Golf is a process. Tiger has been reworking his swing. Initially, he could hardly take the new swing from the driving range to the golf course. Then he found it difficult to take it from a round with his buddies to tournament play. Now he must learn to take it from Thursday and Friday to Saturday, and then to Sunday. Then he must learn how to do all of that in a major.
Tiger's greatness over the years suggested that this process would be much easier for him than anyone else. We now know he is human. Jack Nicklaus went through these periods as well. He has mentioned that he had lost confidence some time between his 1978 victory at St. Andrews and his win at the 1980 U.S. Open. The difference is that Jack did not try to overhaul his swing. He just needed to make a tweak to the old one. However, it becomes much more difficult to make any kind of changes as we get older, for the simple reason that life becomes more complicated as we get older. There are more demands on our time, and less time to focus on golf. And, of course, the body does not allow us to make changes very easily as we get older.
We must remember that Tiger has young children, and they will place significant demands on his time. It will be impossible for him to be as sharp as he was for long periods of time. We will see flashes of brilliance, and a few more big wins, but nothing like the domination we once saw, when golf was his only focus. Life just doesn't work that way, and there are too many young and hungry players willing to get in his way.
Nevertheless, Tiger will win again, it's just a matter of time.
Scott Cole
He is now gone two years without winning. Because of that, it will be more difficult to get used to being at the front again. Yesterday's third round in the Australian Open is a case in point. It is a very different feeling stepping up on the tee on moving day in a 72 hole tournament with the lead. Most who get in that position tend to relinquish it.
Golf is a process. Tiger has been reworking his swing. Initially, he could hardly take the new swing from the driving range to the golf course. Then he found it difficult to take it from a round with his buddies to tournament play. Now he must learn to take it from Thursday and Friday to Saturday, and then to Sunday. Then he must learn how to do all of that in a major.
Tiger's greatness over the years suggested that this process would be much easier for him than anyone else. We now know he is human. Jack Nicklaus went through these periods as well. He has mentioned that he had lost confidence some time between his 1978 victory at St. Andrews and his win at the 1980 U.S. Open. The difference is that Jack did not try to overhaul his swing. He just needed to make a tweak to the old one. However, it becomes much more difficult to make any kind of changes as we get older, for the simple reason that life becomes more complicated as we get older. There are more demands on our time, and less time to focus on golf. And, of course, the body does not allow us to make changes very easily as we get older.
We must remember that Tiger has young children, and they will place significant demands on his time. It will be impossible for him to be as sharp as he was for long periods of time. We will see flashes of brilliance, and a few more big wins, but nothing like the domination we once saw, when golf was his only focus. Life just doesn't work that way, and there are too many young and hungry players willing to get in his way.
Nevertheless, Tiger will win again, it's just a matter of time.
Scott Cole
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
How to Fix Your Slice
The slice is the most common ball flight error in the game of golf. For a right handed player, the slice is defined as a ball that starts to the left of the target, and then ultimately curves to the right of the target. For a left handed golfer, the ball starts to the right and curves to the left. It has been estimated by such teaching professionals as Hank Haney that at least 80% of all golfers slice the ball. Hank would definitely know, as he has given over 40,000 lessons in his career.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of bad advice in the world of golf when it comes to providing good information how to cure the golf slice. Some pros will simply tell you to set up to the ball with the club face closed (aimed to the left for a right handed player) to your target line, and it will ultimately be square to the target at impact. Other pros will tell you to swing out to right field, and still others will tell you to rotate your hands through the hitting zone.
Fortunately, there is a better way. First of all, it is necessary for the golfer to gain an understanding of the swing plane and how it affects ball flight. Golfers who tend to slice the ball as I have defined typically attack the ball from outside, or above the swing plane. In other words, for a right handed player, the swing path is coming in from the right and heading to the left. Since the right handed player is standing beside the ball, a good swing will result in the club attacking the ball from the inside, rather than the outside.
A swing plane that is coming in from outside and above the correct swing plane, or plane angle achieved as you address the ball (the angle of the club shaft) also has a tendency to result in the club face being open to the swing path at impact. This causes a rightward spin on the ball, which causes it to curve to the right.
There are basically two types of swings that will cause the club to attack the ball from outside the swing plane. The first is a swing with a loop, where the right handed player pulls the club too far inside on the take away, and then loops the club at the top of the swing that it attacks the ball from the outside in the down swing. The other type is simply one in which the player’s alignment and set up result in a steep outside takeaway that and failure to loop the club back to the inside in the down swing. In other words, the club returns to the ball from the same direction as the take away.
In both cases, the cure is quite easy. In the first instance, the golfer must simply learn to reverse the loop they have in their swing. Instead of pulling the club too far inside in the takeaway, and looping it back to the outside in the down swing, they should do the opposite, and perform a take away more to the outside in the back swing, and then loop the club back to the inside in the down swing. Jim Furyk’s swing is a perfect example of this move. Ultimately, the golfer wants to find the happy place in the middle and execute a swing that is more on plane in the back swing, which makes it easier to keep on plane in the down swing.
In the second instance, the golfer needs to feel what it is like to swing the club on a flatter swing plane. One way to do this is to perform a number of swings at chest level, then drop the club about a foot, perform more swings, and keep dropping the club about a foot at a time until it is set up at ground level. A flatter swing plane allows the golfer to square the clubface more easily at impact.
In both cases, it is a good idea to practice these drills with a ball on a tee. When you are able to hit a draw off of the tee consistently, you will be ready to hit the ball of the ground with confidence. Ultimately, getting rid of the slice requires a golf swing that is more on plane, and one in which the lower body starts the down swing. Most golfers slice the ball because of a poor swing plane and poor sequencing of the body.
Scott Cole www.yourgolfswingfix.com
Unfortunately, there is a lot of bad advice in the world of golf when it comes to providing good information how to cure the golf slice. Some pros will simply tell you to set up to the ball with the club face closed (aimed to the left for a right handed player) to your target line, and it will ultimately be square to the target at impact. Other pros will tell you to swing out to right field, and still others will tell you to rotate your hands through the hitting zone.
Fortunately, there is a better way. First of all, it is necessary for the golfer to gain an understanding of the swing plane and how it affects ball flight. Golfers who tend to slice the ball as I have defined typically attack the ball from outside, or above the swing plane. In other words, for a right handed player, the swing path is coming in from the right and heading to the left. Since the right handed player is standing beside the ball, a good swing will result in the club attacking the ball from the inside, rather than the outside.
A swing plane that is coming in from outside and above the correct swing plane, or plane angle achieved as you address the ball (the angle of the club shaft) also has a tendency to result in the club face being open to the swing path at impact. This causes a rightward spin on the ball, which causes it to curve to the right.
There are basically two types of swings that will cause the club to attack the ball from outside the swing plane. The first is a swing with a loop, where the right handed player pulls the club too far inside on the take away, and then loops the club at the top of the swing that it attacks the ball from the outside in the down swing. The other type is simply one in which the player’s alignment and set up result in a steep outside takeaway that and failure to loop the club back to the inside in the down swing. In other words, the club returns to the ball from the same direction as the take away.
In both cases, the cure is quite easy. In the first instance, the golfer must simply learn to reverse the loop they have in their swing. Instead of pulling the club too far inside in the takeaway, and looping it back to the outside in the down swing, they should do the opposite, and perform a take away more to the outside in the back swing, and then loop the club back to the inside in the down swing. Jim Furyk’s swing is a perfect example of this move. Ultimately, the golfer wants to find the happy place in the middle and execute a swing that is more on plane in the back swing, which makes it easier to keep on plane in the down swing.
In the second instance, the golfer needs to feel what it is like to swing the club on a flatter swing plane. One way to do this is to perform a number of swings at chest level, then drop the club about a foot, perform more swings, and keep dropping the club about a foot at a time until it is set up at ground level. A flatter swing plane allows the golfer to square the clubface more easily at impact.
In both cases, it is a good idea to practice these drills with a ball on a tee. When you are able to hit a draw off of the tee consistently, you will be ready to hit the ball of the ground with confidence. Ultimately, getting rid of the slice requires a golf swing that is more on plane, and one in which the lower body starts the down swing. Most golfers slice the ball because of a poor swing plane and poor sequencing of the body.
Scott Cole www.yourgolfswingfix.com
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Late Round Fatigue
If you typically play a round of golf and suffer from a lot of mis-hit shots late in the round, you likely need to address some fitness issues.
Golfers who typically hit a draw often find those draws turning into a duck hook later in the round. Golfers who typically hit a fade will often start to lose those shots further to the right. The likely culprit when this occurs late in the round is fatigue in the lower body. When the lower body tires, the upper body takes over, and the mis-hits kick in.
Conditioning is the key. It is most important to get the legs in good shape. The legs are the foundation of the golf swing, and if they start to falter, you have little chance at consistent ball striking. If you are physically capable, I highly recommend a routine similar to the Plyometrics routine of P90X. This routine will both strengthen your legs and provide stamina and cardio benefits. Adding this routine to your fitness program once each week will prove quite beneficial.
In addition to the legs, it is necessary to work on the core muscles. Strength in the core muscles will allow you to maintain your posture in the swing. The core muscles include the small muscles in the legs and hips, abdominals, obliques and lower and middle back. Find a routine that works on these muscle groups and perform it three days each week.
Again, if you find yourself hitting weak shots late in the round, get started on your fitness!
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
Golfers who typically hit a draw often find those draws turning into a duck hook later in the round. Golfers who typically hit a fade will often start to lose those shots further to the right. The likely culprit when this occurs late in the round is fatigue in the lower body. When the lower body tires, the upper body takes over, and the mis-hits kick in.
Conditioning is the key. It is most important to get the legs in good shape. The legs are the foundation of the golf swing, and if they start to falter, you have little chance at consistent ball striking. If you are physically capable, I highly recommend a routine similar to the Plyometrics routine of P90X. This routine will both strengthen your legs and provide stamina and cardio benefits. Adding this routine to your fitness program once each week will prove quite beneficial.
In addition to the legs, it is necessary to work on the core muscles. Strength in the core muscles will allow you to maintain your posture in the swing. The core muscles include the small muscles in the legs and hips, abdominals, obliques and lower and middle back. Find a routine that works on these muscle groups and perform it three days each week.
Again, if you find yourself hitting weak shots late in the round, get started on your fitness!
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Pay Attention to the Details
If you are really serious about improving your golf swing, then you MUST pay very close attention to details in regard to your set up. If you don't grip the club properly and set up to the ball properly with good balance, YOU HAVE NO CHANCE!
Yes, there are exceptions to this rule, but they are much better athletes than you, and chances are, they learned to play that way at a very young age. Jim Furyk is the prime example. But, how many other players on the PGA Tour swing the club like he does? None. He has grooved that move from a very young age.
If you are learning the game as an adult, or have been playing golf for a long time, and not having much success (can't break 80, 90 or 100), then you should take the time to learn a fundamentally sound set up. This will take some effort and practice getting used to, but it will get you on the proper path.
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
Yes, there are exceptions to this rule, but they are much better athletes than you, and chances are, they learned to play that way at a very young age. Jim Furyk is the prime example. But, how many other players on the PGA Tour swing the club like he does? None. He has grooved that move from a very young age.
If you are learning the game as an adult, or have been playing golf for a long time, and not having much success (can't break 80, 90 or 100), then you should take the time to learn a fundamentally sound set up. This will take some effort and practice getting used to, but it will get you on the proper path.
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Chip shots
Most golfers, when faced with a 50 foot chip shot from just off the green, pull out a wedge or sand wedge, take a big swing using their hands, and either chunk it or scull it across the green.
These shots should be treated similarly to a putt. In fact, if you have a tight lie, and just a few feet of short grass between you and the green, you should probably putt the ball. Your average putt will get closer than your good chip.
Otherwise, use a 7 or 8 iron for these chip shots. You want to get the ball rolling quickly! There is no need to get the ball in the air on these shots. That just increases the degree of difficulty and widens the shot dispersions.
For a chip shot from short grass, use a 6 or 7 iron...ball a little back in the stance, hands ahead of the ball, relatively short backswing, and hit the ball with a descending blow.
If you are in longer grass, an 8 iron will be a better choice, if you have a lot of green to work with. Same technique as above.
Add this shot to your arsenal, and you will shave strokes off your score!
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
These shots should be treated similarly to a putt. In fact, if you have a tight lie, and just a few feet of short grass between you and the green, you should probably putt the ball. Your average putt will get closer than your good chip.
Otherwise, use a 7 or 8 iron for these chip shots. You want to get the ball rolling quickly! There is no need to get the ball in the air on these shots. That just increases the degree of difficulty and widens the shot dispersions.
For a chip shot from short grass, use a 6 or 7 iron...ball a little back in the stance, hands ahead of the ball, relatively short backswing, and hit the ball with a descending blow.
If you are in longer grass, an 8 iron will be a better choice, if you have a lot of green to work with. Same technique as above.
Add this shot to your arsenal, and you will shave strokes off your score!
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - More Short Game Practice
If this is the year you truly want to lower your scores, you need to spend more time on your short game. At this time of year, it is perfectly ok to get out to the range to focus on the full swing for a few sessions to get the timing back. Also, if you are really interested in making swing changes this year to improve your ball striking, now is the time to do get started.
However, once you have those first few sessions under your belt, you should really focus a lot more attention on the short game. In fact, short game practice should account for at least 50% of your overall practice. Putting should account for 50% of your short game practice.
For a typical practice session, here is what I recommend. Work your way through the three basic shots around the green...chip shots, longer pitch shots, and lob shots. Hit a group of ten shots of each type to a target circle. For chip shots, the circle should be 6 feet in diameter, for pitch shots, 12 feet in diameter, and for lob shots, about 20 feet in diameter. Count how many you get in the target circle for each type of shot, and figure out the average of each. Then hit 10 more of each shot and try to beat your first group of 10 results.
After that, pick one type of shot to focus more attention on, including bunker shots. Focus more attention on measuring your performance with each grouping. Determine where you want to LAND your shots, write down how close you get to the landing spot on each shot, and how close you get to the hole. Hit an odd number of shots, measure the median distance from each group, then try to beat that median with your next group of shots.
The key to your short game practice is to practice with greater focus. Do not just mindlessly hit chip shots. Do your best on each shot, and measure performance. When you do this, you will see faster improvement.
I'll touch on putting in a future post!
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
However, once you have those first few sessions under your belt, you should really focus a lot more attention on the short game. In fact, short game practice should account for at least 50% of your overall practice. Putting should account for 50% of your short game practice.
For a typical practice session, here is what I recommend. Work your way through the three basic shots around the green...chip shots, longer pitch shots, and lob shots. Hit a group of ten shots of each type to a target circle. For chip shots, the circle should be 6 feet in diameter, for pitch shots, 12 feet in diameter, and for lob shots, about 20 feet in diameter. Count how many you get in the target circle for each type of shot, and figure out the average of each. Then hit 10 more of each shot and try to beat your first group of 10 results.
After that, pick one type of shot to focus more attention on, including bunker shots. Focus more attention on measuring your performance with each grouping. Determine where you want to LAND your shots, write down how close you get to the landing spot on each shot, and how close you get to the hole. Hit an odd number of shots, measure the median distance from each group, then try to beat that median with your next group of shots.
The key to your short game practice is to practice with greater focus. Do not just mindlessly hit chip shots. Do your best on each shot, and measure performance. When you do this, you will see faster improvement.
I'll touch on putting in a future post!
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Relax Your Tension
Most beginners that I teach, and those golfers who have played a long time but still struggle, have a tendency to hold onto the club way too tightly. As a result, that tension tends to transfer to the rest of their body as well. Too much tension in the golf swing invariably leads to poor golf shots.
Most beginners and golfers who struggle think that they need to try and control the club with their hands and arms. However, their focus should be on learning a proper set up, and learning how to move the body properly throughout the swing. When a golfer can do this, they will learn that the club will do what it is designed to do, and that is to get the ball in the air without the golfer helping it.
The proper amount of tension is similar to that of a firm hand shake, not a hand shake where you are trying to show how strong your hands are! Your wrists should be free to hinge and cock throughout the swing. If they are not, then you are holding the club too firmly.
For shots around the green, you want to use a lighter grip pressure. This will allow you to have greater touch around the greens. In fact, this is a good place for many beginners to start. Once you learn proper technique and grip pressure to hit effective chip shots and pitch shots, then you are ready to move onto the full swing.
If you are struggling to get the ball in the air, or most of your shots are going off to the right (to the left if you are a lefty), then try relaxing your grip pressure. Less tension in your hands will translate into less tension in the body and a more freely flowing golf swing.
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
Most beginners and golfers who struggle think that they need to try and control the club with their hands and arms. However, their focus should be on learning a proper set up, and learning how to move the body properly throughout the swing. When a golfer can do this, they will learn that the club will do what it is designed to do, and that is to get the ball in the air without the golfer helping it.
The proper amount of tension is similar to that of a firm hand shake, not a hand shake where you are trying to show how strong your hands are! Your wrists should be free to hinge and cock throughout the swing. If they are not, then you are holding the club too firmly.
For shots around the green, you want to use a lighter grip pressure. This will allow you to have greater touch around the greens. In fact, this is a good place for many beginners to start. Once you learn proper technique and grip pressure to hit effective chip shots and pitch shots, then you are ready to move onto the full swing.
If you are struggling to get the ball in the air, or most of your shots are going off to the right (to the left if you are a lefty), then try relaxing your grip pressure. Less tension in your hands will translate into less tension in the body and a more freely flowing golf swing.
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Maryland Golf Lessons From Hank Haney Pro Scott Cole
We added an hour of daylight today, so that gives us golfers more time to work on our game and play a little more golf! Spring is just around the corner, so it's time to get back to work on your game to make this your best season ever.
I am a Level 2 Hank Haney Pro Associate Instructor and I presently offer my golf instruction services at the Olney Golf Park in Olney, Maryland. The golf park is located off of Georgia Avenue (Route 97) to the northeast of Rockville. This is simply the best public practice facility in the state! In addition to the driving range that offers 5 target greens, we have a 12,000 square foot practice green and a separate wedge game area. You can literally work on every aspect of your game!
Call me now to get started on improving your game today! 717-856-1453
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
I am a Level 2 Hank Haney Pro Associate Instructor and I presently offer my golf instruction services at the Olney Golf Park in Olney, Maryland. The golf park is located off of Georgia Avenue (Route 97) to the northeast of Rockville. This is simply the best public practice facility in the state! In addition to the driving range that offers 5 target greens, we have a 12,000 square foot practice green and a separate wedge game area. You can literally work on every aspect of your game!
Call me now to get started on improving your game today! 717-856-1453
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Keep the Driver in the Bag
When you go to the driving range, keep the driver in the bag. Why? Because if you can't hit an 8 iron consistently well, you surely won't be able to hit the driver. The driver has very little loft. As a result, it does not impart enough backspin to offset any sidespin you may create with your swing. Therefore, your bad shots will simply be exaggerated.
Most people like to finish their practice sessions with their driver. Unfortunately, most people swing much harder with the driver, and that will exaggerate their bad habits. Furthermore, the harder swing will ruin your tempo, which is very important with the shorter shots.
If you truly want to learn how to play better golf, you need to be patient and work your way up through the bag. Become proficient with the shorter clubs. At the very least, even if you are hitting it crooked with the driver, you will still have the ability to recover.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Most people like to finish their practice sessions with their driver. Unfortunately, most people swing much harder with the driver, and that will exaggerate their bad habits. Furthermore, the harder swing will ruin your tempo, which is very important with the shorter shots.
If you truly want to learn how to play better golf, you need to be patient and work your way up through the bag. Become proficient with the shorter clubs. At the very least, even if you are hitting it crooked with the driver, you will still have the ability to recover.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Focused Practice
Most golfers head to the range, grab a bucket of balls, and just start hitting away with no real plan in mind. If they are hitting the ball poorly, they try to remember old tips or old feelings that may have resulted in a few good shots at some point.
I've mentioned before that to gain long term improvement in the long run, golfers need to gain an understanding of their own swing, its flaws and how to correct them and build a better golf swing. This takes time, focus and lots of practice.
Another way to zero in even more on the range is to start keeping some statistics while practicing. This takes more time while you are practicing, but is well worth the effort, and it will help you eliminate flaws and make improvements more quickly.
For instance, yesterday I decided to focus on my short iron play on the range. I warmed up with some wedges, then moved up to the 8 iron, 5 iron, 2 iron and driver. I then dropped back down to the 8-iron shot. At our range, we have one green that is essentially in the 8-iron or 9-iron range for me, depending on conditions. Yesterday, it was about 50 degrees and I had a light breeze in my face, so it was an 8-iron shot.
I decided to keep track of 20 shots at that flag. I would mark down what direction in relation to the flag that the ball would start, and its distance and direction from the flag after it landed. My dispersion over the first ten shots was pretty wide as I was struggling with my swing, but I managed to hit a couple decent shots in those first ten. With the second ten I tried to get the same feel I had for those two good shots, and my shot dispersion was much better.
What this type of practice also does is get you to focus on your routine. If you practice as if you are on the golf course trying to hit your best shot, you will go through your on course routine for each practice shot. This will help to reinforce your on course routine, and it will become second nature.
Get more focused in your practice, and I guarantee your scores will drop!
Scott Cole
www.howtgolfyourbest.com
I've mentioned before that to gain long term improvement in the long run, golfers need to gain an understanding of their own swing, its flaws and how to correct them and build a better golf swing. This takes time, focus and lots of practice.
Another way to zero in even more on the range is to start keeping some statistics while practicing. This takes more time while you are practicing, but is well worth the effort, and it will help you eliminate flaws and make improvements more quickly.
For instance, yesterday I decided to focus on my short iron play on the range. I warmed up with some wedges, then moved up to the 8 iron, 5 iron, 2 iron and driver. I then dropped back down to the 8-iron shot. At our range, we have one green that is essentially in the 8-iron or 9-iron range for me, depending on conditions. Yesterday, it was about 50 degrees and I had a light breeze in my face, so it was an 8-iron shot.
I decided to keep track of 20 shots at that flag. I would mark down what direction in relation to the flag that the ball would start, and its distance and direction from the flag after it landed. My dispersion over the first ten shots was pretty wide as I was struggling with my swing, but I managed to hit a couple decent shots in those first ten. With the second ten I tried to get the same feel I had for those two good shots, and my shot dispersion was much better.
What this type of practice also does is get you to focus on your routine. If you practice as if you are on the golf course trying to hit your best shot, you will go through your on course routine for each practice shot. This will help to reinforce your on course routine, and it will become second nature.
Get more focused in your practice, and I guarantee your scores will drop!
Scott Cole
www.howtgolfyourbest.com
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Why Most Golfers Never Improve
Most golfers never improve. That's just a fact. The average handicap, in spite of all the technological improvements in the last 30 years, has not budged. Why? There are several reasons...First, most golfers never receive quality instruction that allows them to gain an understanding of their own swing faults, how to improve them, and how various swing faults affect ball flight. Second, most people don't spend much time working on their short game. Most golfers spend far more time trying to find a swing that works on the driving range rather than on the most important part of the game, which is putting. Finally, most people don't know how to measure performance properly so that they can understand what is holding them back.
Since golf season has essentially arrived, make this the year that you gain a better understanding of your golf swing, and be accountable for it! Forget all the meaningless golf tips you hear on the range or from your golf partners. Get some good instruction and develop a long term plan for improvement. Learn how to keep better track of your performance so you can identify the areas of your game where you are losing the most shots. Finally, learn how to practice more intelligently! Don't just go beat balls on the driving range and then hit a few putts. Develop a plan of action before you head to the range or golf course, and stick with your plan!
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Since golf season has essentially arrived, make this the year that you gain a better understanding of your golf swing, and be accountable for it! Forget all the meaningless golf tips you hear on the range or from your golf partners. Get some good instruction and develop a long term plan for improvement. Learn how to keep better track of your performance so you can identify the areas of your game where you are losing the most shots. Finally, learn how to practice more intelligently! Don't just go beat balls on the driving range and then hit a few putts. Develop a plan of action before you head to the range or golf course, and stick with your plan!
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Monday, February 28, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Starting the Season
On these nice warm days, as few as they've been, that we've experienced this winter, many golfers head out to the range, itching to swing their clubs. Unfortunately, after hitting a few wedge shots to get warmed up, most go to the driver, hoping to find some magic.
What most people should do before stepping on the range is go over to the practice green and hit some chip shots and pitch shots. This will help reinforce the idea that you must learn how to hit the ball first, and then the ground, in order to get the ball in the air. I see too many people trying to lift the ball in the air using their arms.
Yesterday, I was standing next to a guy on the range...same basic build as me, although I may outweigh him by twenty pounds. He couldn't hit a driver as far as my 8 iron. Why? Because he does all the work with his arms, and creates no leverage in his swing.
Understanding that you need to learn how to hit the ball first before you hit the ground is the first step toward learning how to swing the club properly. Learning how to compress the ball is of utmost importance in trying to hit the ball further. This starts around the practice green.
Come see me at the Olney Golf Park in Olney, Maryland so I can get you started!
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
What most people should do before stepping on the range is go over to the practice green and hit some chip shots and pitch shots. This will help reinforce the idea that you must learn how to hit the ball first, and then the ground, in order to get the ball in the air. I see too many people trying to lift the ball in the air using their arms.
Yesterday, I was standing next to a guy on the range...same basic build as me, although I may outweigh him by twenty pounds. He couldn't hit a driver as far as my 8 iron. Why? Because he does all the work with his arms, and creates no leverage in his swing.
Understanding that you need to learn how to hit the ball first before you hit the ground is the first step toward learning how to swing the club properly. Learning how to compress the ball is of utmost importance in trying to hit the ball further. This starts around the practice green.
Come see me at the Olney Golf Park in Olney, Maryland so I can get you started!
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Monday, February 21, 2011
Tiger Woods Swing Analysis
I just completed an analysis of a Tiger Woods' drive swing from his recent tournament in Dubai....check it out below!
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Aaron Baddeley wins at Riviera
Aaron Baddeley picked up his first PGA Tour win since 2007 yesterday, holding off Vijay Singh for a two stroke victory. If you have followed his career, you may remember that he was once the poster boy for the Stack and Tilt swing model. This was because he was already a high profile name on tour and not long after he began receiving instruction from Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer, the proponents of the model, he won twice and saw his world ranking skyrocket. Since then, he struggled, and he went back to his old teacher in 2009.
Much of the commentary during the telecast revolved around Baddeley’s swing. Since I did not see much of Baddeley’s swing in prior years, I can’t really make a comparison. Today he played under control, and finished the tournament third in greens in regulation. That is impressive considering that Riviera is a shotmaker’s course and it is necessary to hit a fade on some key holes. The Stack and Tilt model is mainly geared toward hitting a push-draw.
During the telecast today, Peter Kostis did his analysis of Baddeley’s swing and focused on the plane of the club shaft. Baddeley did well to stay on or close to the original plane he achieved at address throughout his swing. This is the essential key to Hank Haney’s teaching, although Baddeley is not a student of Hank. Hank also preaches the ability to hit all nine ball flights equally well…a straight shot, fade or draw with low, medium and high trajectories. Tiger Woods was capable of doing this at well with his irons before his knee issues resurfaced in 2008.
The bottom line is that there is no one swing model that will work for every golfer. Baddeley did achieve some success with Stack and Tilt in 2007, but his putting was also spectacular that year, and he actually finished a dismal 188th in greens in regulation that year. Overall, he apparently felt limited by the swing pattern and decided to return to his old teacher. Other tour players are clearly having some success with the model, otherwise it would not be so popular in some respects.
It should be noted that some of the best ballstrikers ever are noted for returning the clubshaft to the original plane they achieved at address. The best example is Ben Hogan, and well, it doesn’t get much better than that. However, he was not concerned with keeping the club on this plane in his backswing. It was his transition and hip turn that caused it.
If Aaron Baddeley continues to swing the club like he did this week, he will be a major force going forward.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Much of the commentary during the telecast revolved around Baddeley’s swing. Since I did not see much of Baddeley’s swing in prior years, I can’t really make a comparison. Today he played under control, and finished the tournament third in greens in regulation. That is impressive considering that Riviera is a shotmaker’s course and it is necessary to hit a fade on some key holes. The Stack and Tilt model is mainly geared toward hitting a push-draw.
During the telecast today, Peter Kostis did his analysis of Baddeley’s swing and focused on the plane of the club shaft. Baddeley did well to stay on or close to the original plane he achieved at address throughout his swing. This is the essential key to Hank Haney’s teaching, although Baddeley is not a student of Hank. Hank also preaches the ability to hit all nine ball flights equally well…a straight shot, fade or draw with low, medium and high trajectories. Tiger Woods was capable of doing this at well with his irons before his knee issues resurfaced in 2008.
The bottom line is that there is no one swing model that will work for every golfer. Baddeley did achieve some success with Stack and Tilt in 2007, but his putting was also spectacular that year, and he actually finished a dismal 188th in greens in regulation that year. Overall, he apparently felt limited by the swing pattern and decided to return to his old teacher. Other tour players are clearly having some success with the model, otherwise it would not be so popular in some respects.
It should be noted that some of the best ballstrikers ever are noted for returning the clubshaft to the original plane they achieved at address. The best example is Ben Hogan, and well, it doesn’t get much better than that. However, he was not concerned with keeping the club on this plane in his backswing. It was his transition and hip turn that caused it.
If Aaron Baddeley continues to swing the club like he did this week, he will be a major force going forward.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Golf Tip - Preparing for Golf Season
It's the middle of February and we just got a taste of Spring, so I am sure many golfers took the opportunity to head to the driving range or even the golf course. I know I did! This a great time to get started on making some improvements to your golf swing so you don't need to worry about your swing so much during the heart of the season.
Swing changes take time and effort. If you've been watching the latest Haney Project with Rush Limbaugh, you know that Hank asked Rush to make 100 practice swings each day. It really doesn't take that much time. Ideally, these will be 100 FOCUSED practice swings. I like them to be performed in slow motion first, and preferably with a weighted club. Focus on the changes you want or need to make.
Patience is truly the key. If you are serious about making changes to your golf swing, you should know that even a minor change will take weeks before it will be ingrained in your swing. That means weeks of focused practice and lots of repetitions. That is why it is best to get started now. If you need a lesson, see your pro to develop your plan for improvement. If you have that plan in place, get to work!
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
Swing changes take time and effort. If you've been watching the latest Haney Project with Rush Limbaugh, you know that Hank asked Rush to make 100 practice swings each day. It really doesn't take that much time. Ideally, these will be 100 FOCUSED practice swings. I like them to be performed in slow motion first, and preferably with a weighted club. Focus on the changes you want or need to make.
Patience is truly the key. If you are serious about making changes to your golf swing, you should know that even a minor change will take weeks before it will be ingrained in your swing. That means weeks of focused practice and lots of repetitions. That is why it is best to get started now. If you need a lesson, see your pro to develop your plan for improvement. If you have that plan in place, get to work!
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
Monday, February 14, 2011
Golf Tip - Early season practice
Ok, so you've been cooped up all winter, and winter still has some left in it, but you got a break from the cold, so you are heading over to the driving range. Do yourself a favor...just take your wedge.
We finally hit 60 degrees in Maryland today, so I visited the Olney Golf Park for the first time in 2011. January was essentially a bust as it rarely broke above 40 degrees. As I expected, the facility was pretty crowded today. I personally had a plan...just hit a bucket of wedges and work on 3/4 wedge shots. My goal? To simply get the feel of good contact and ball flight, and to start getting my hips more involved through impact.
What I noticed today was that most of the golfers who were there practicing were hitting a lot of drivers. That is a mistake. Developing some tempo, rhythm and timing are essential at this stage of the season. Also, if you plan on lowering your scores, you should probably be focused on mechanics. Ripping a half bucket of drivers just to see that you still got it is a big mistake. If you have not swung a club in a month or two, it is easy to develop some bad habits by letting loose with the driver.
So, if you are reading this post early in the season, keep the long clubs at home for a couple sessions. You have plenty of time to get them out later.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
We finally hit 60 degrees in Maryland today, so I visited the Olney Golf Park for the first time in 2011. January was essentially a bust as it rarely broke above 40 degrees. As I expected, the facility was pretty crowded today. I personally had a plan...just hit a bucket of wedges and work on 3/4 wedge shots. My goal? To simply get the feel of good contact and ball flight, and to start getting my hips more involved through impact.
What I noticed today was that most of the golfers who were there practicing were hitting a lot of drivers. That is a mistake. Developing some tempo, rhythm and timing are essential at this stage of the season. Also, if you plan on lowering your scores, you should probably be focused on mechanics. Ripping a half bucket of drivers just to see that you still got it is a big mistake. If you have not swung a club in a month or two, it is easy to develop some bad habits by letting loose with the driver.
So, if you are reading this post early in the season, keep the long clubs at home for a couple sessions. You have plenty of time to get them out later.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Monday, February 7, 2011
Golf Swing Fundamentals
In recent months I've participated in a golf forum known as Golfwrx. This forum provides discussion on a variety of golf topics, including instruction, fitness, and equipment. I have found it quite frustrating that there is some hostility among some of the instructors due to differing ideas about what golf swing models work best.
This provided me the motivation to try and find some common ground among instructors in regard to the fundamentals of the golf swing. To my surprise, a consensus could not even be reached in this regard.
I have concluded that golf instruction is similar to the martial arts in this regard as well. It is up to the student to figure out what type or style of instruction best suits their own personality. It is also up to the instructor to convey to potential students their own thoughts on the golf swing, and how best to learn.
To learn more about how I teach, click here
Scott Cole
This provided me the motivation to try and find some common ground among instructors in regard to the fundamentals of the golf swing. To my surprise, a consensus could not even be reached in this regard.
I have concluded that golf instruction is similar to the martial arts in this regard as well. It is up to the student to figure out what type or style of instruction best suits their own personality. It is also up to the instructor to convey to potential students their own thoughts on the golf swing, and how best to learn.
To learn more about how I teach, click here
Scott Cole
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Golf Tip - How to Make Swing Changes
Admittedly, watching Tiger Woods struggle this past weekend is likely going to make it tough for an instructor like me to convince a student to make a swing change when it is required. However, what I will point out is that this is the third major overhaul in Tiger's swing in about 12 years, and I would certainly not ask a student to completely change their swing in this fashion.
Swing changes must be done piecemeal, because even the smallest of changes take significant time and practice to be ingrained.
The best way to make swing changes is to make them without hitting any balls. Most people get too wrapped up in the result, rather than the execution. Occasionally, a golfer will hit a good shot with the same flawed swing. This is just a function of better timing with that particular swing, rather than an improved swing. Then, when they hit a crappy shot after making an improved move, they get frustrated and give up on the change.
What I try to do with a student during the first lesson is to identify the most critical ball flight error. I then let the student know what they need to do to correct that error, and then I give them a plan to improve their overall golf swing.
In order to make a swing change, the student needs to make practice swings without a ball, with significant focus on each repetition, for 100 swings a day, for several weeks. The repetitions need to be done in slow motion until they are ingrained, then done at half speed, then full speed, and without a ball. There is no point in trying to hit a ball until their is significant improvement in the move. I also HIGHLY recommend using a weighted club while working on these new motions. The heavier weight with slow motion reps sends a stronger signal to the brain.
This does not mean you don't ever go out and play while you are trying to make swing changes. When you are out on the course, it is necessary to just play and not worry about the changes you are making. If you are practicing as described above, these changes will take care of themselves out on the golf course over time. A round of golf is meant to be enjoyed, and it is more enjoyable if you are not worrying so much about mechanics. Mechanical changes should only be made and worked on during practice.
The key is to be very patient with making swing changes. Most golfers are not, and that is why most never improve. It takes a year for a good player to make a major swing overhaul, and a couple years for the average golfer. However, along the way, it is not unlikely that lower scores will occur. Stay patient and stay positive and you will surely reap the benefits.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Swing changes must be done piecemeal, because even the smallest of changes take significant time and practice to be ingrained.
The best way to make swing changes is to make them without hitting any balls. Most people get too wrapped up in the result, rather than the execution. Occasionally, a golfer will hit a good shot with the same flawed swing. This is just a function of better timing with that particular swing, rather than an improved swing. Then, when they hit a crappy shot after making an improved move, they get frustrated and give up on the change.
What I try to do with a student during the first lesson is to identify the most critical ball flight error. I then let the student know what they need to do to correct that error, and then I give them a plan to improve their overall golf swing.
In order to make a swing change, the student needs to make practice swings without a ball, with significant focus on each repetition, for 100 swings a day, for several weeks. The repetitions need to be done in slow motion until they are ingrained, then done at half speed, then full speed, and without a ball. There is no point in trying to hit a ball until their is significant improvement in the move. I also HIGHLY recommend using a weighted club while working on these new motions. The heavier weight with slow motion reps sends a stronger signal to the brain.
This does not mean you don't ever go out and play while you are trying to make swing changes. When you are out on the course, it is necessary to just play and not worry about the changes you are making. If you are practicing as described above, these changes will take care of themselves out on the golf course over time. A round of golf is meant to be enjoyed, and it is more enjoyable if you are not worrying so much about mechanics. Mechanical changes should only be made and worked on during practice.
The key is to be very patient with making swing changes. Most golfers are not, and that is why most never improve. It takes a year for a good player to make a major swing overhaul, and a couple years for the average golfer. However, along the way, it is not unlikely that lower scores will occur. Stay patient and stay positive and you will surely reap the benefits.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - More Thoughts on the Mental Game
Remember that round of golf where everything seemed to go right? Remember those rounds where everything seemed to go wrong? What's the difference?
From my perspective, the main issue that can sabotage a round of golf is keeping an eye on the prize. This can be the thought of winning a tournament or shooting your best score when you are playing well.
The first time this thought sabotaged a tournament for me was in the PA state high school championship. With 8 holes to play, I had a 5 shot lead over one of the best high school golfers in the country, Ted Tryba. I had started the day with a three shot lead, and four over Ted. At this point in the round, I was not playing particularly well, but I remember having this lead because that is exactly when I started thinking about winning.
I subsequently bogeyed the next two holes and my lead was quickly down to three. Ted started to play well and was hitting it close on every hole, but not making putts. I just missed a 10 footer on 17 that would have given me a three shot lead with one to play. I walked up to 18 tee with a two shot lead, and simply choked my guts out, made bogey on an easy par 5 and lost to Ted in sudden death.
A couple years later, I found myself in contention to make it through to the sectional qualifier for the U.S. Open. I was not playing well this day, but I was putting well, and conditions were tough, so the scores were high. Tour player Mark Wiebe finished second that day with a 1 under par total.
I actually shanked two full swing shots that day, one with a 6 iron on a par 3 and one with a 1-iron off the tee. I recovered in both cases to limit the damage to bogeys. I ended up in a 5 way playoff for one spot, and among those players was Stu Ingraham, who would be on the PGA Tour the next year. I was nervous as can be, but somehow managed to execute, made birdie, and won the playoff. In this case, my focus was not so much on the prize, but just trying to not make an ass out of myself.
A couple years after this I remember playing a 36 hole match against a big rival of mine for our club championship. We were both cocky and pretty much hit it 20 yards past everyone else we played with in those days. We were both playing pretty well, and I had a lot of confidence that summer. After a shaky start, I found myself 4 down after 8 holes with some stupid play. Then I just started to play. Over the next 25 holes I played 7 under par, and won the match 3 and 2. In this case, I simply would not be denied. It wasn't the championship I was thinking about, it was just beating my rival. I wasn't worried about what he was doing, just playing the best I could.
We often get too wrapped up in trying to find some secret mental technique to help us with our game. The funny thing is, most of the great players never thought that way. They simply focused on the task at hand. If they were confident, chances are they would win.
In the two examples I presented here where I got the job done, I did it in different ways. In neither case was I focused on the prize. I was simply focused on the task at hand, and I just executed to the best of my ability. Yes, I was very nervous in both cases. But there were no other thoughts sabotaging my round. In one case, I wasn't playing well, so I was just focused on doing the best I could. In the other case, I was playing well, and was focused on beating my rival with good play. In that instance, that might be viewed as a prize in itself, but for me it was motivation. And, since I had already won one club championship before, I was not fixated on that prize.
The bottom line is that you have to just do your best to focus on executing the shot at hand. If you think about a potential prize or you let negative thoughts creep into your head, you will only sabotage your round. Have fun, and just be yourself during the round, and play each shot to the best of your ability. At the end of the day, chances are you will have had a good round.
In regard to golf, it is my thought that keeping things simple is the way to go. There is no magic formula for success.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
From my perspective, the main issue that can sabotage a round of golf is keeping an eye on the prize. This can be the thought of winning a tournament or shooting your best score when you are playing well.
The first time this thought sabotaged a tournament for me was in the PA state high school championship. With 8 holes to play, I had a 5 shot lead over one of the best high school golfers in the country, Ted Tryba. I had started the day with a three shot lead, and four over Ted. At this point in the round, I was not playing particularly well, but I remember having this lead because that is exactly when I started thinking about winning.
I subsequently bogeyed the next two holes and my lead was quickly down to three. Ted started to play well and was hitting it close on every hole, but not making putts. I just missed a 10 footer on 17 that would have given me a three shot lead with one to play. I walked up to 18 tee with a two shot lead, and simply choked my guts out, made bogey on an easy par 5 and lost to Ted in sudden death.
A couple years later, I found myself in contention to make it through to the sectional qualifier for the U.S. Open. I was not playing well this day, but I was putting well, and conditions were tough, so the scores were high. Tour player Mark Wiebe finished second that day with a 1 under par total.
I actually shanked two full swing shots that day, one with a 6 iron on a par 3 and one with a 1-iron off the tee. I recovered in both cases to limit the damage to bogeys. I ended up in a 5 way playoff for one spot, and among those players was Stu Ingraham, who would be on the PGA Tour the next year. I was nervous as can be, but somehow managed to execute, made birdie, and won the playoff. In this case, my focus was not so much on the prize, but just trying to not make an ass out of myself.
A couple years after this I remember playing a 36 hole match against a big rival of mine for our club championship. We were both cocky and pretty much hit it 20 yards past everyone else we played with in those days. We were both playing pretty well, and I had a lot of confidence that summer. After a shaky start, I found myself 4 down after 8 holes with some stupid play. Then I just started to play. Over the next 25 holes I played 7 under par, and won the match 3 and 2. In this case, I simply would not be denied. It wasn't the championship I was thinking about, it was just beating my rival. I wasn't worried about what he was doing, just playing the best I could.
We often get too wrapped up in trying to find some secret mental technique to help us with our game. The funny thing is, most of the great players never thought that way. They simply focused on the task at hand. If they were confident, chances are they would win.
In the two examples I presented here where I got the job done, I did it in different ways. In neither case was I focused on the prize. I was simply focused on the task at hand, and I just executed to the best of my ability. Yes, I was very nervous in both cases. But there were no other thoughts sabotaging my round. In one case, I wasn't playing well, so I was just focused on doing the best I could. In the other case, I was playing well, and was focused on beating my rival with good play. In that instance, that might be viewed as a prize in itself, but for me it was motivation. And, since I had already won one club championship before, I was not fixated on that prize.
The bottom line is that you have to just do your best to focus on executing the shot at hand. If you think about a potential prize or you let negative thoughts creep into your head, you will only sabotage your round. Have fun, and just be yourself during the round, and play each shot to the best of your ability. At the end of the day, chances are you will have had a good round.
In regard to golf, it is my thought that keeping things simple is the way to go. There is no magic formula for success.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Strength Training
As winter drags on here throughout much of the U.S., many golfers turn to fitness as a way to improve their golf game. There is an entire industry devoted to the subject, and Tiger Woods can take credit for putting fitness at the forefront for golfers.
Most of the fitness related information for golfers is what is called "golf specific." Exercises are developed to help golfers increase range of motion and add some strength in areas where they are weak. Many of the exercises employ the use of training bands, balance balls and such. Traditional strength training is practically non-existent, but is it important?
My opinion is that if you are going to try to improve your golf game through fitness training you should incorporate at least some traditional strength training into your routine. The point is that you are likely performing many other activities outside of golf that require some strength, so why only perform golf specific exercises?
Your golf fitness routines should attack these areas...strength, balance, increased range of motion and speed. Many golf specific exercises will try to attack two or more of these areas at once. Many strength trainers will steer clear of traditional strength training because they feel it only attacks the strength area and may lead to too much bulk.
However, when done properly, traditional strength training will increase your range of motion, and it will help increase the strength of the big muscles a bit more rapidly. For instance, if you are seated on a stable surface, you will be able to handle more weight with a dumbbell press compared to if you are seated on a balance ball. The balance ball will incorporate the core muscles for stabilization, however, you simply won't be able to handle as much weight. If pure strength is what you are looking for in the specific muscle group you are exercising, then you need a stable platform.
With all this in mind, I feel it is a good idea to add traditional strength training into the mix. For myself, this means the use of traditional barbells and dumbbells. I train with these twice each week, and on other days I focus on cardio routines, some yoga, plyometrics and some more golf specific exercises. I believe golfers can benefit by incorporating a little of all of these areas into their routines. Lean, strong and flexible is the goal!
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Most of the fitness related information for golfers is what is called "golf specific." Exercises are developed to help golfers increase range of motion and add some strength in areas where they are weak. Many of the exercises employ the use of training bands, balance balls and such. Traditional strength training is practically non-existent, but is it important?
My opinion is that if you are going to try to improve your golf game through fitness training you should incorporate at least some traditional strength training into your routine. The point is that you are likely performing many other activities outside of golf that require some strength, so why only perform golf specific exercises?
Your golf fitness routines should attack these areas...strength, balance, increased range of motion and speed. Many golf specific exercises will try to attack two or more of these areas at once. Many strength trainers will steer clear of traditional strength training because they feel it only attacks the strength area and may lead to too much bulk.
However, when done properly, traditional strength training will increase your range of motion, and it will help increase the strength of the big muscles a bit more rapidly. For instance, if you are seated on a stable surface, you will be able to handle more weight with a dumbbell press compared to if you are seated on a balance ball. The balance ball will incorporate the core muscles for stabilization, however, you simply won't be able to handle as much weight. If pure strength is what you are looking for in the specific muscle group you are exercising, then you need a stable platform.
With all this in mind, I feel it is a good idea to add traditional strength training into the mix. For myself, this means the use of traditional barbells and dumbbells. I train with these twice each week, and on other days I focus on cardio routines, some yoga, plyometrics and some more golf specific exercises. I believe golfers can benefit by incorporating a little of all of these areas into their routines. Lean, strong and flexible is the goal!
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Monday, January 17, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Get a Golf Lesson!
I read a post in one of the online forums about a guy struggling to find his swing. He spent three hours on the driving range and completely lost it, so all of the nearby hitters started sending tips his way.
The author of the post then went on to say he had NEVER had a lesson in his twenty years of playing golf.
Golf is a difficult game, and one that is really never mastered. I often draw parallels between golf and the martial arts. There is a lot to learn, and you must always adjust to varying conditions. Yet, virtually no one who wants to learn the martial arts will try and learn on their own. So, why is this the case with golf?
Admittedly, the cost of instruction in golf is much higher, and that may be the problem with the industry. However, a student should at least get some group instruction to learn the basics. After that, there are plenty of less expensive ways to learn this game, especially on the internet.
Golfers can even receive an online video lesson by sending video of their golf swing to an instructor for analysis. So, after learning the basics through group instruction, an online video lesson could be beneficial and less expensive. Beyond that, there are lots of videos and books that golfers can obtain to further their knowledge. While there are many golf swing theories, that is no different than in the martial arts. Choose a theory or swing style you are comfortable with, and learn it!
The bottom line is if you want to improve your golf game, you need to acquire knowledge and learn how to incorporate that knowledge. A good instructor will help you with this, whether in person or online.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
The author of the post then went on to say he had NEVER had a lesson in his twenty years of playing golf.
Golf is a difficult game, and one that is really never mastered. I often draw parallels between golf and the martial arts. There is a lot to learn, and you must always adjust to varying conditions. Yet, virtually no one who wants to learn the martial arts will try and learn on their own. So, why is this the case with golf?
Admittedly, the cost of instruction in golf is much higher, and that may be the problem with the industry. However, a student should at least get some group instruction to learn the basics. After that, there are plenty of less expensive ways to learn this game, especially on the internet.
Golfers can even receive an online video lesson by sending video of their golf swing to an instructor for analysis. So, after learning the basics through group instruction, an online video lesson could be beneficial and less expensive. Beyond that, there are lots of videos and books that golfers can obtain to further their knowledge. While there are many golf swing theories, that is no different than in the martial arts. Choose a theory or swing style you are comfortable with, and learn it!
The bottom line is if you want to improve your golf game, you need to acquire knowledge and learn how to incorporate that knowledge. A good instructor will help you with this, whether in person or online.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - 5 Keys to a Good Golf Swing
Golf is one of those activities where the participants are often trying to find the best way to achieve their goal. It is similar to trading in the stock market, where individual traders with little experience are constantly trying to find the Holy Grail to riches. In the case of golf, golfers are often trying to find the Holy Grail golf tip or golf swing that will help them break 80 or become a scratch golfer.
An observation of the golf swings of some of the game’s most successful players over the years suggests that there is no one way to play the game best. Probably the three greatest players of all time are Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods. However, none of their swings looks very much alike. Consider the swings of other top players over time. Bruce Lietzke had a successful career on the PGA Tour, with 13 victories, yet he practiced very little. He has a classic over the top slice move, and that is the shot he favored. On the other hand Kenny Perry has the opposite swing from Lietzke and favors a draw shot. He has won 14 times on the PGA Tour.
There have been many other players over time with what would be regarded as unconventional swings. The 2010 PGA Player of the Year Jim Furyk is probably the most visible example. He has a very unorthodox swing, but is also one of the most consistent players of the last 15 years. Lee Trevino is another such player who was very consistent in his days on tour, but clearly had an unorthodox swing. On the other hand, Adam Scott has one of the nicest looking swings on tour, yet displays very little consistency.
So what makes a good golf swing? What most amateur golfers should strive to achieve is a swing they can repeat consistently. They should strive for a swing that they can repeat consistently, and one that results in consistently solid ball striking and consistent ball flight. This means it really doesn’t matter whether the player consistently slices the ball or hooks the ball. If the golfer has a good idea that will be the case, and they have a good idea how much the ball will curve in that direction, then they have achieved a consistent golf swing.
The first key to a good golf swing is balance. Most golfers who struggle do not have good balance during the swing. Poor balance leads to inconsistent ball striking. Poor balance can mean too much of a sway back and forth from side to side during the swing, or from heel to toe, or toe to heel. No matter what the balance issue, the golfer will struggle.
The second key to a good golf swing is a consistent spine angle from set up to just past impact. A changing spine angle will lead to very inconsistent ball striking. One example of a changing spine angle is one where the golfer’s body rises during the back swing. When this occurs, the golfer then must find a way to sink back down in the down swing, otherwise they will miss the ball entirely. What often happens is that the club attacks the ball from an angle that is too steep, and this can result in a variety of ball flight issues.
The third key to a good golf swing is a weight transfer that goes forward in the down swing and follow through. The conventional swing requires a modest weight shift to the rear foot during the back swing, and then back to the front foot in the down swing and follow through. Some newer swing models, such as the Stack and Tilt swing do not require as much transfer of weight to the back foot. Instead, more weight is kept on the front foot, but in the downswing, this weight still goes forward with a hip thrust. Many golfers often finish their swing with their weight on their back foot, and this results in poor ball striking.
The fourth key to a good golf swing is connection and proper sequence. There must be consistent connection between the upper and lower body throughout the golf swing. If there is any disconnect, such as the arms moving without any move in the lower body, or keeping the head down too long in the follow through, there will be inconsistent ball striking. Furthermore, the body must move in the proper sequence in order to achieve good ball striking. For instance, if the upper body starts the down swing once the back swing is completed, there will be a loss of power. A release of the hands too early in the down swing will also result in a lack of power and consistency.
The fifth key to a good golf swing is tempo and rhythm. Each golfer must find the right tempo and rhythm for their own swing. Some golfers do well with a fast tempo, while others do well with a slow tempo. However, this tempo MUST be faster in the down swing than in the back swing. Too often, in an attempt to hit the ball hard, a golfer will start their swing too quickly, and the end result is a deceleration in the down swing into impact. Furthermore, there must be good rhythm in the swing. There should be no choppiness in rhythm during the swing…it must be one continuous motion with no herky jerky type action in the swing.
What is noticeably absent from this list is the normal list of fundamentals such as the grip, stance and posture, alignment, takeaway, weight shift, swing plane, etc. While it may be ideal to work toward certain goals with these particular fundamentals, it is certainly not required that all be perfected in order to achieve a consistently performing golf swing.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
An observation of the golf swings of some of the game’s most successful players over the years suggests that there is no one way to play the game best. Probably the three greatest players of all time are Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods. However, none of their swings looks very much alike. Consider the swings of other top players over time. Bruce Lietzke had a successful career on the PGA Tour, with 13 victories, yet he practiced very little. He has a classic over the top slice move, and that is the shot he favored. On the other hand Kenny Perry has the opposite swing from Lietzke and favors a draw shot. He has won 14 times on the PGA Tour.
There have been many other players over time with what would be regarded as unconventional swings. The 2010 PGA Player of the Year Jim Furyk is probably the most visible example. He has a very unorthodox swing, but is also one of the most consistent players of the last 15 years. Lee Trevino is another such player who was very consistent in his days on tour, but clearly had an unorthodox swing. On the other hand, Adam Scott has one of the nicest looking swings on tour, yet displays very little consistency.
So what makes a good golf swing? What most amateur golfers should strive to achieve is a swing they can repeat consistently. They should strive for a swing that they can repeat consistently, and one that results in consistently solid ball striking and consistent ball flight. This means it really doesn’t matter whether the player consistently slices the ball or hooks the ball. If the golfer has a good idea that will be the case, and they have a good idea how much the ball will curve in that direction, then they have achieved a consistent golf swing.
The first key to a good golf swing is balance. Most golfers who struggle do not have good balance during the swing. Poor balance leads to inconsistent ball striking. Poor balance can mean too much of a sway back and forth from side to side during the swing, or from heel to toe, or toe to heel. No matter what the balance issue, the golfer will struggle.
The second key to a good golf swing is a consistent spine angle from set up to just past impact. A changing spine angle will lead to very inconsistent ball striking. One example of a changing spine angle is one where the golfer’s body rises during the back swing. When this occurs, the golfer then must find a way to sink back down in the down swing, otherwise they will miss the ball entirely. What often happens is that the club attacks the ball from an angle that is too steep, and this can result in a variety of ball flight issues.
The third key to a good golf swing is a weight transfer that goes forward in the down swing and follow through. The conventional swing requires a modest weight shift to the rear foot during the back swing, and then back to the front foot in the down swing and follow through. Some newer swing models, such as the Stack and Tilt swing do not require as much transfer of weight to the back foot. Instead, more weight is kept on the front foot, but in the downswing, this weight still goes forward with a hip thrust. Many golfers often finish their swing with their weight on their back foot, and this results in poor ball striking.
The fourth key to a good golf swing is connection and proper sequence. There must be consistent connection between the upper and lower body throughout the golf swing. If there is any disconnect, such as the arms moving without any move in the lower body, or keeping the head down too long in the follow through, there will be inconsistent ball striking. Furthermore, the body must move in the proper sequence in order to achieve good ball striking. For instance, if the upper body starts the down swing once the back swing is completed, there will be a loss of power. A release of the hands too early in the down swing will also result in a lack of power and consistency.
The fifth key to a good golf swing is tempo and rhythm. Each golfer must find the right tempo and rhythm for their own swing. Some golfers do well with a fast tempo, while others do well with a slow tempo. However, this tempo MUST be faster in the down swing than in the back swing. Too often, in an attempt to hit the ball hard, a golfer will start their swing too quickly, and the end result is a deceleration in the down swing into impact. Furthermore, there must be good rhythm in the swing. There should be no choppiness in rhythm during the swing…it must be one continuous motion with no herky jerky type action in the swing.
What is noticeably absent from this list is the normal list of fundamentals such as the grip, stance and posture, alignment, takeaway, weight shift, swing plane, etc. While it may be ideal to work toward certain goals with these particular fundamentals, it is certainly not required that all be perfected in order to achieve a consistently performing golf swing.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Quit Searching for the Holy Grail
I read a post on one of the golf forums the other day. This typifies the approach most golfers take when they go to the range. This particular golfer is a 9 handicap.
The golfer indicated that he had gone to the range one day, and hit the ball horribly. He even hit a few shanks with his wedges. He left the range completely demoralized. He went back home, looked at his collection of golf books, remembered one that had captured his interest, and re-read part of it. He took one of the tips with him to the range the next day, and started to hit it well.
He inquired on the forum if anyone else had an experience like that with that particular tip, and he wondered if this would carry over in the long run. He had also mentioned that he had tried the Stack and Tilt swing a while back, but had since gone back to what he was doing before. Naturally, since I am opinionated, I responded to his question, and suggested that it would last a week or two. He had not really changed anything in his swing.
The fact is, you can not improve your game without improving your golf swing. Small tips like this may occasionally help in the short run, but they NEVER have a lasting effect. If you want to improve your golf swing, you have to improve your fundamentals…grip, stance and posture, takeaway, shoulder turn, swing plane, weight transfer, impact position, and follow through. It’s a process that can not be achieved over night, and not without hard work.
If you are unwilling to make major changes to your swing, short game or putting, then you can forget about making long term improvements. That’s not how you improve in any sport, business or hobby. There are no shortcuts, and there is no Holy Grail in golf.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
The golfer indicated that he had gone to the range one day, and hit the ball horribly. He even hit a few shanks with his wedges. He left the range completely demoralized. He went back home, looked at his collection of golf books, remembered one that had captured his interest, and re-read part of it. He took one of the tips with him to the range the next day, and started to hit it well.
He inquired on the forum if anyone else had an experience like that with that particular tip, and he wondered if this would carry over in the long run. He had also mentioned that he had tried the Stack and Tilt swing a while back, but had since gone back to what he was doing before. Naturally, since I am opinionated, I responded to his question, and suggested that it would last a week or two. He had not really changed anything in his swing.
The fact is, you can not improve your game without improving your golf swing. Small tips like this may occasionally help in the short run, but they NEVER have a lasting effect. If you want to improve your golf swing, you have to improve your fundamentals…grip, stance and posture, takeaway, shoulder turn, swing plane, weight transfer, impact position, and follow through. It’s a process that can not be achieved over night, and not without hard work.
If you are unwilling to make major changes to your swing, short game or putting, then you can forget about making long term improvements. That’s not how you improve in any sport, business or hobby. There are no shortcuts, and there is no Holy Grail in golf.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Monday, January 10, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - How to Add Yards off the Tee
I’ve been watching the first PGA event of the season in Hawaii this weekend and am amazed at how far Robert Garrigus hits it. He is basically about my size…5’11, 190 pounds. I am a little bigger, and I think I am stronger, but he is the longest hitter on tour.
How does he do it? Its all in his lower body. His hips are practically square to the target at impact. If you note in his back swing that his club stays well short of parallel, it is even more amazing how far he hits it.
So, keep this thought in mind if you want more distance off the tee. You have to swing from the ground up to start the downswing. If you try to hit the ball with your arms, you will lose speed. I would even go so far as to say forget about trying to make a big shoulder turn and quit trying to get the club parallel to the ground your back swing. It’s not necessary.
What is necessary is to get yourself properly leveraged in the back swing. Your back leg should be used as a brace from which to push off in the down swing. Find that power from the ground up. Try to get as much hip rotation as possible in the downswing. If you have limited mobility in the hips, visit a trainer to learn what you can do to achieve more mobility.
If you are looking for a swing that suggests you don’t need a big back swing to achieve power, Robert Garrigus has it.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
How does he do it? Its all in his lower body. His hips are practically square to the target at impact. If you note in his back swing that his club stays well short of parallel, it is even more amazing how far he hits it.
So, keep this thought in mind if you want more distance off the tee. You have to swing from the ground up to start the downswing. If you try to hit the ball with your arms, you will lose speed. I would even go so far as to say forget about trying to make a big shoulder turn and quit trying to get the club parallel to the ground your back swing. It’s not necessary.
What is necessary is to get yourself properly leveraged in the back swing. Your back leg should be used as a brace from which to push off in the down swing. Find that power from the ground up. Try to get as much hip rotation as possible in the downswing. If you have limited mobility in the hips, visit a trainer to learn what you can do to achieve more mobility.
If you are looking for a swing that suggests you don’t need a big back swing to achieve power, Robert Garrigus has it.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Learn the Ball Flight Laws
As a scratch player, I really had no clue about the ball flight laws. In fact, according to recent data, no one did. Since the Trackman launch monitor was developed in the last few years, the assumptions that initial direction was caused by swing path were all wrong. We now know that the initial flight of the ball is caused by the angle of the clubface at impact. The curve is then dictated by the swing path's relation to the clubface angle.
Nonetheless, the general idea that the relationship between clubface angle and swing path caused the overall ball flight was known to most people. Swing the club inside out with a closed clubface and you would get a hook or draw. Swing the club outside in with an open clubface you would get a slice or fade.
I knew these general thoughts, but I really did not know the swing thoughts that corresponded with these general ideas. I would venture to guess that most people don't and that is why they struggle to improve.
Here's a quick refresher...
1. Slices are caused by a clubface that is open relative to the swing path of the club. The general causes of an open clubface are a weak grip and/or a swing path that is too steep and outside to in.
2. Hooks are caused by clubface that is too closed relative to its swing path. The general causes of a closed clubface are a strong grip or a swing path that is too flat and inside to out.
With this understanding, go to the range and pay attention to your ball flight. Does it start left of your target and then curve to the right of your target? If you are right handed, that suggests that your clubface is closed to the target line, which is why it started to the left. However, the clubface angle was actually OPEN compared to the swing path. The outside in swing path imparted the sidespin on the ball, and that is what caused the ball to finish with a slice. If the clubface angle matched the swing path, you would have just pulled the ball.
Now, as I said, however, the shape of the swing can impact what the clubface is doing at impact. A steeper swing makes it harder to release the hands and square the face at impact. A flatter swing makes it easier to do this. So, this is where you should focus your attention in regard to corrections to your swing.
So, if you are hitting a bunch of pull slices on the range, your swing path is too much outside in and steep...my first correction would be to get you to swing the club on a flatter swing path. If there are no other issues, this should help you hit a draw right away.
If you tend to hit a lot of hooks, I will first try to get you to swing the club on a steeper swing path with the arms more in front of the body on the down swing. This will help you to delay the release of the club a little longer, which will help you hit the ball a little straighter.
Next time you head out to the range, keep these thoughts in mind!
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Nonetheless, the general idea that the relationship between clubface angle and swing path caused the overall ball flight was known to most people. Swing the club inside out with a closed clubface and you would get a hook or draw. Swing the club outside in with an open clubface you would get a slice or fade.
I knew these general thoughts, but I really did not know the swing thoughts that corresponded with these general ideas. I would venture to guess that most people don't and that is why they struggle to improve.
Here's a quick refresher...
1. Slices are caused by a clubface that is open relative to the swing path of the club. The general causes of an open clubface are a weak grip and/or a swing path that is too steep and outside to in.
2. Hooks are caused by clubface that is too closed relative to its swing path. The general causes of a closed clubface are a strong grip or a swing path that is too flat and inside to out.
With this understanding, go to the range and pay attention to your ball flight. Does it start left of your target and then curve to the right of your target? If you are right handed, that suggests that your clubface is closed to the target line, which is why it started to the left. However, the clubface angle was actually OPEN compared to the swing path. The outside in swing path imparted the sidespin on the ball, and that is what caused the ball to finish with a slice. If the clubface angle matched the swing path, you would have just pulled the ball.
Now, as I said, however, the shape of the swing can impact what the clubface is doing at impact. A steeper swing makes it harder to release the hands and square the face at impact. A flatter swing makes it easier to do this. So, this is where you should focus your attention in regard to corrections to your swing.
So, if you are hitting a bunch of pull slices on the range, your swing path is too much outside in and steep...my first correction would be to get you to swing the club on a flatter swing path. If there are no other issues, this should help you hit a draw right away.
If you tend to hit a lot of hooks, I will first try to get you to swing the club on a steeper swing path with the arms more in front of the body on the down swing. This will help you to delay the release of the club a little longer, which will help you hit the ball a little straighter.
Next time you head out to the range, keep these thoughts in mind!
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Stay Within Yourself
I've been known as a fairly long hitter, and been guilty of letting that go to my head. I've often found myself more concerned with trying to add more and more length off the tee, rather than focused on other areas of my game. At some point you just have to accept that more distance will come at a cost.
My focus this year is to simply develop the rest of my overall game. I have more than adequate length off the tee, so now it's time to check the ego at the door and focus on accuracy and short game.
Watching the first PGA Tour event of the season this week in Hawaii suggests that while distance is a great thing to have, those that have it tend not to develop the rest of their games very well. There are some big boomers on the leaderboard, but also among them are Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker, two of the deadliest with their wedges.
So that is the basic theme of this post. Don't get so caught up in trying to add more distance off the tee. Chances are, you will hit the ball worse due to less consistent contact. Instead, stay within yourself, and focus on improving other areas of your game. Learn to be more accurate within 100 yards, become a better chipper and putter, and your scores will come down far more quickly.
Scott Cole
www.howtgolfyourbest.com
My focus this year is to simply develop the rest of my overall game. I have more than adequate length off the tee, so now it's time to check the ego at the door and focus on accuracy and short game.
Watching the first PGA Tour event of the season this week in Hawaii suggests that while distance is a great thing to have, those that have it tend not to develop the rest of their games very well. There are some big boomers on the leaderboard, but also among them are Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker, two of the deadliest with their wedges.
So that is the basic theme of this post. Don't get so caught up in trying to add more distance off the tee. Chances are, you will hit the ball worse due to less consistent contact. Instead, stay within yourself, and focus on improving other areas of your game. Learn to be more accurate within 100 yards, become a better chipper and putter, and your scores will come down far more quickly.
Scott Cole
www.howtgolfyourbest.com
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Golf Tip of the Day - Avoid Information Overload
There is so much golf instruction information available to golfers these days it is easy to see how many can suffer from information overload. Since golf instructors have had a great deal of difficulty in getting their students to improve, many are turning to new technologies and science to find ways to improve their students. Unfortunately, this may also have the effect of complicating things for the golfer.
Consider this…after analyzing the golfers swing on video, the instructor can also turn to 3D analysis systems to dig deeper into the biomechanics of the golfer’s swing, and their kinetic sequence. The instructor might then conduct a physical assessment of the golfer to identify any physical issues that might have a negative impact on the student’s swing. As a result of much of this analysis, the instructor may prescribe a host of exercises and drills on such devices as wobble boards, balance discs, swiss balls, etc., in an effort to get the student to develop greater physical skills.
On top of all this, there are a whole host of golf swing models that are marketed to golfers as the next best swing in golf. These include the One Plane Swing, Two Plane Swing, Peak Performance Golf Swing, Stack and Tilt Swing, The Golf Machine, and Rotary Swing, etc. All are touted as the best golf swing model, one that will add yards off the tee with greater accuracy.
The fact of the matter is that both the instructor and student can suffer from information overload. Let’s face it…some golfers will have more ability than others. It is up to the instructor to help the student maximize their potential. All that is really required is a simple approach where the student learns how to swing the club a bit better, and coaching on how to score better through an improved short game and golf course management.
My teaching philosophy embraces this more simple approach. I certainly enjoy using video analysis, and can see the benefits of some of the other technologies, but there are more simple ways to teach the golf swing. Unless the golfer is truly committed, all the technology in the world is not going to do the job. While these gadgets are certainly fun to play with as an instructor, I question their value.
The key is simply to learn the fundamentals of the golf swing, learn the ball flight laws, gain an understanding of how your swing can affect ball flight, and then properly work to make improvements on your swing and your short game. This can all be done without all the gizmos, gadgets and books.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
Consider this…after analyzing the golfers swing on video, the instructor can also turn to 3D analysis systems to dig deeper into the biomechanics of the golfer’s swing, and their kinetic sequence. The instructor might then conduct a physical assessment of the golfer to identify any physical issues that might have a negative impact on the student’s swing. As a result of much of this analysis, the instructor may prescribe a host of exercises and drills on such devices as wobble boards, balance discs, swiss balls, etc., in an effort to get the student to develop greater physical skills.
On top of all this, there are a whole host of golf swing models that are marketed to golfers as the next best swing in golf. These include the One Plane Swing, Two Plane Swing, Peak Performance Golf Swing, Stack and Tilt Swing, The Golf Machine, and Rotary Swing, etc. All are touted as the best golf swing model, one that will add yards off the tee with greater accuracy.
The fact of the matter is that both the instructor and student can suffer from information overload. Let’s face it…some golfers will have more ability than others. It is up to the instructor to help the student maximize their potential. All that is really required is a simple approach where the student learns how to swing the club a bit better, and coaching on how to score better through an improved short game and golf course management.
My teaching philosophy embraces this more simple approach. I certainly enjoy using video analysis, and can see the benefits of some of the other technologies, but there are more simple ways to teach the golf swing. Unless the golfer is truly committed, all the technology in the world is not going to do the job. While these gadgets are certainly fun to play with as an instructor, I question their value.
The key is simply to learn the fundamentals of the golf swing, learn the ball flight laws, gain an understanding of how your swing can affect ball flight, and then properly work to make improvements on your swing and your short game. This can all be done without all the gizmos, gadgets and books.
Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com
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