Tiger is nearly there with his A game

Tiger Woods will win a PGA event very soon, possibly as soon as this week at Bay Hill. He is oh so close to his A game, and the only thing holding him back are his nerves. He was just slightly off his game on Sunday, which is understandable, since he hasn't been in the hunt in five years. But, he still played remarkably well. Consider that his playing partner, Brandt Snedeker, shot 78 in the final around, overnight leaser Corey Conners shot 77, and even Justin Rose struggled to a 72. Tiger shot 70, and that was mainly because he kept leaving himself long birdie putts. But, he even managed to hole one of those (a 44 footer) when the pressure was on! I was most impressed with Tiger's ability to hit shots from left to right and right to left ON COMMAND. After the round, he admitted that he's playing golf by feel again, and not mechanically. That was ever so evident with his short game. Remember when he had those epic short game struggles the last couple of years? And, how he would work on his "release" on his short shots to help with the full swing changes he was making under Sean Foley? None of that ever made any sense. Tiger's short game and putting are spot on right now. The next step is the driver. Many people are considering him to be a favorite at Augusta now. But, Tiger hasn't won there since 2013 for one key reason...the driver. While Augusta has wide fairways that are hard to miss, it is still critical to hit it in the proper position off the tee. Approaching those greens from the proper angle is critical to scoring at Augusta. Driving it off the tee is nowhere near as easy as it may look to the viewer. Success off the teen requires a player to be able to shape his tee shots from left to right AND right to left. Tiger's inability to do that consistently well since his last victory in 2005 is why he has not won since. That first tee shot has absolutely killed him, and it has set the tone for many of his rounds. I suspect this year will be a little different. I expect him to drive it much better. The key will be how well his 42 year old nerves hold up on those greens. So far, his putting has been excellent. But, let's face it, Innisbruck is not Augusta. At the same time, there is a history of older winners at Augusta...Jack Nicklaus at 46, Ben Crenshaw at 43, Gary Player at 42 and Mark O'Meara at 41. It's been quite a while since one of the old timers won at Augusta. But, with Phil Mickelson's win last week, and Tiger's 2nd place finish this week, perhaps 2018 will be the year of the old timer at The Masters.

Hey, Tiger is playing pretty good golf again!

Well, another year has past, so it must be time for another comment on the game of Tiger Woods! LOL Seriously though, my intention is to start posting more regularly again. I've hardly played any golf myself for the last six or seven years, but I am itching to get back to it this year. What better way to jump back in than to talk about the latest comeback of the greatest player of all time? Tiger showed significant progress this week after missing the cut at Riviera last week. The one aspect of his game that has a few analysts raving is his swing speed. Apparently, he is up around 125 mph with the big dog in his hand...that is quite astonishing for a 42 year old who doesn't make a living competing on the long drive circuit. I also heard the comment that for Saturday's round, Tiger was the leader in proximity to the hole by an astonishing 10 feet! On Sunday, Tiger looked like he was going to make a bit of a run, with a few birdies in the first eight holes, drawing within three of the lead. Alas, his game leveled off a bit, and Tiger finished at even par, eight behind the two leaders, Justin Thomas and Luke List. Tiger was happy with his play, and now all the golf writers and commentators have high hopes of a strong performance for Tiger at Augusta in April. What's my assessment? It's all about the driver. Augusta forces a player to drive the ball well, and to do that, it's necessary to curve it both ways. Tiger has not won at Augusta since 2005 because the driver hasn't allowed him to be in position to attack the pins in most years. Going at those greens from the wrong angles just makes the course play too hard. Only because of his intimate knowledge of every bounce on that course keeps him competitive. Where Tiger may actually have a better shot in a major this year is Shinnecock Hills, site of the U.S. Open. By U.S. Open standards, Shinnecock is a short course, playing to about 7,000 yards. As a result, Tiger won't need to hit too many drivers. Given that his iron game appears to be rounding into form, don't be surprised if Tiger makes a run there. A good indication of where his game and mind are will be at Bay Hill. He obviously loves the course, winning there 8 times, and most recently in 2013. That year, he hit few drivers, but putted his eyes out. If Tiger puts together another similar type performance on a track he enjoys, then I'll expect him to seriously contend at the U.S. Open, if not sooner at Augusta. By the way, I revived my old golf instruction website at Scott Cole Golf. The site will be focused on instruction, golf fitness and travel. Check it out soon!

World Golf Rankings - Bunching Up At The Top

The World Golf Rankings are really starting to bunch up at the top. The top 10 are as follows: 1. Jason Day 2. Rory McIlroy 3. Henrik Stenson 4. Dustin Johnson 5. Hideki Matsuyama 6. Jordan Spieth 7. Adam Scott 8. Justin Thomas 9. Sergio Garcia 10. Patrick Reed Only 1.2 points separate the top 5 golfers. The guy making the biggest move so far this season is Hideki Matsuyama. I really thought he would jump up another spot after his win in Phoenix this weekend, but he is within a whisker of DJ and Henrik. I don't mean to put pressure on the kid, but he's looking like the most likely candidate to be the first Japanese golfer to win a men's professional major. It's pretty clear he's already the best Japanese player of all time, given his success on the PGA Tour. Yes, that is where I place most emphasis. It will be interesting to see who becomes the favorite heading into Augusta. Justin Thomas was on a roll, but missed the cut at Phoenix. Spieth is playing consistently well, but has yet to get a win. He's still got to figure out the driver in my opinion. Jason Day is off to a so-so start, along with DJ, and Rory is injured, so this list is likely to see a big shakeup in the coming weeks. Tiger's Woes Continue Meanwhile, Tiger's latest comeback hit another road bump as he withdrew from Dubai with back spasms. I didn't get to see him play, but reports are that he looked old and injured during the round, although it was indicated that the spasm did not set in until the evening after the round. I think it would be great to see him round into some kind of competitive form, but this seems to be getting less likely in the near term. I believe his next event is scheduled for Riviera, a tournament he has rarely played. It's played fairly tough in recent years, so we'll see where he is with his game. Another missed cut would have to be damaging to his psyche. Take Advantage of this Weather! If you live in the Mid-Atlantic, you are probably jumping with joy that you've done little snow shoveling this year. Incredibly, the one major snow of the season in this neck of the woods was at the beaches and to the south in Williamsburg. So far this year, I've only picked up a shovel once after a sleet storm in Southcentral PA. Haven't had to bother so far here in the DC Metro. With that said, it's supposed to be over 60 again tomorrow. If you are able, get to the range and hit some balls. Keep in mind though, it's never a good idea to start ripping drivers during the first practice session or two. I usually just hit a bucket of wedges the first time out, then go up to about an 8-iron the second time. Fundamentals are what it's all about early in the season. If you can get some work in now, I guarantee it will pay off in the Spring. So get to it! If you are stuck up in the northern tier where it is still pretty cold, perhaps it's time to think about getting a golf simulator. There are some good buys out there, and you can learn more about them at Golf Simulator Headquarters. Check it out! That's a wrap for this post. I am getting the itch back so you can expect more in the foreseeable future!

Tiger back to competitive golf, but for how long?

Tiger Woods played his first PGA Tour event of the season last week at one of his favorite venues, Torrey Pines. Unfortunately, he missed the cut after rounds of 76 and 72. Yesterday was his first round in the European Tour event in Dubai, and that didn't go well either...+5. I read a tweet by Golf Channel instructor Martin Hall today that suggested it looked like Tiger was swinging to avoid pain. Not a good way to play golf, and certainly not a good way to try and play competitively. Let's face it, he's rusty. Nothing wrong with that after a long layoff. It was reported late last year before he played his Hero World Challenge event that he had shot a 64 at Seminole in FL, which is arguably the best track in FL. Hank Haney tweeted that if Tiger indeed shot a 64 there, then he could definitely win his own event at the Hero World Challenge. Well, that didn't work out too well either...one decent round out of four. Now it looks like he may miss his second consecutive cut. I really haven't watched him play, but for a few holes last week. Still has the two-way miss off the tee. This is due to the fact that he clearly wants to play a draw. That's a mistake. Tiger just needs to get it in the damn fairway off the tee and he can be dangerous any given week. His iron game was so good at one time, and it is easier to get those irons dialed back in than the driver. He's got two more events in the next three weeks, and then I suspect if he's not competitive he may go back to the drawing board. He always said he would not play if he didn't think he could win. Well, he clearly can't win right now. Well, enough about Tiger. What does the tour look like so far this year? Well, it looks like a bunch of young studs are dominating and I think they are ready to leave some of the old timers behind. It looks to me that only a handful of the old timers can still compete with these young guns...Phil, when he can keep it in play and putt...Henrik, and Justin Rose. These young guns...Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm and a few others are going to make life difficult for even Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rickie. I guess I could even throw DJ into the old guy mix since he is over 30. He can still hang for sure. But, it's clear these young guns have no fear and are ready to dominate.

Is Tiger Done With Competitive Golf?

Ever since he withdrew from the Safeway Open a couple weeks ago, there has been much speculation that Tiger Woods' career as a competitive golfer may be over. He added to that speculation with a recent interview where he suggested he is going to focus more on his businesses. Prior to withdrawing from the Safeway Open, Tiger indicated that he was feeling fit, and not feeling any issues from the three back surgeries he's undergone over the last couple years. However, when he withdrew, he indicated that his game was "vulnerable." Analysts such as Brandel Chamblee and Hank Haney suggested this meant Tiger was still struggling with his short game issues. In 2015, prior to hanging it up for the year due to back issues, Tiger was clearly struggling with his short game. In fact, he ranked last on the PGA Tour in scrambling and in sand saves...not what we were used to seeing. Some of his shots around the green that season were downright dreadful early in the season. This suggested he may actually have a case of the "chipping yips," a more rare form of the yips than the putting yips. While the putting yips can be solved by changing the grip from some sort of conventional grip to the grip now employed by Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson (a form of the "saw" grip), the chipping yips are a more difficult issue. Is it possible to overcome? Sure, especially for the greatest player in the game. However, I suspect that Tiger is simply ready to move on with his life. I never envisioned Tiger being a fixture on the Champions Tour, although he is still ten years removed from that. While we'd surely love to see Tiger playing at the top of his game against today's young guns, I'm not sure he has the desire to put in the work anymore. It looks like Tiger may be moving more in the direction that Greg Norman took his career. Norman battled his own injury issues, and ultimately made few appearances on the Champions Tour. He is also a wildly successful businessman, and I can see Tiger accepting a new challenge of building a business empire. He's certainly smart enough, so it will be interesting to see what happens! In the meantime, let's up one of these young guns can step up and dominate for a few years running.

What Makes A Good Golf Swing

Some published statistics suggest that the average golf handicap is essentially the same as it was forty years ago. This is in spite of all the new technology in equipment and in the world of golf instruction. How is this possible? One reason is that most golfers, including those who teach the game, do not have an understanding of what makes a good golf swing. One comment you will often here from an amateur golf when they watch a tour pro or any very good player is that they make every shot look effortless. That is exactly what a good golf swing looks like…effortless. Indeed, some of the more unusual golf swings on tour, such as Jim Furyk’s or Kenny Perry’s, even Lee Trevino’s, look effortless. All of these players have been great ball strikers with unusual looking swings. With that in mind, the appearance, or shape of a golf swing, has nothing to do with what makes a good golf swing. Unfortunately, that is what most instructors think, and as a result, that is what most amateur golfers think as well. A good golf swing is one in which there is a clear rhythmic sequence of events taking place. This sequence of events occurs with athleticism and balance. This athletic, balanced and rhythmic swing is what allows a good golfer to repeat the movement over and over again, even as the stakes are high. How can the average golfer, or worse, learn how to develop a good golf swing? First they must learn the proper sequencing in the golf swing that allows the speed of the club head to increase through impact, and allows the club to be square to the intended target line at impact. This sequence has nothing to do with the position of the golf club during the takeaway, or the swing plane, or the grip or set up. This sequence is actually found in other athletic movements, and this is why some professional athletes who specialize in these other athletic movements, excel at golf. Consider the other sports, or positions in various sports, where those athletes have a higher likelihood of success at golf. Quarterbacks, pitchers and hockey players are more likely to be good golfers than other athletes. I am talking about scratch golfers, not those that can break 80 now and then. Examples of these athletes are former pitcher Rick Rhoden, former quarterback John Brodie who played on the Champions Tour, Phil Simms, Tony Romo, John Smoltz, and hockey players Dan Quinn, Mario Lemieux and Grant Fuhr. Have you ever watched a baseball game, or a football game and heard the comment that the pitcher or quarterback “is in a good rhythm?” And we almost always hear that when a golfer is leading a tournament. Good pitchers make pitching look effortless, just like good quarterbacks in a good rhythm make hitting a receiver down field look easy. The funny thing is, just like in golf, these pitchers and quarterbacks look different from one another in how they get the job done. Think about the movements in pitching and throwing a football. There is a larger or small wind up which results in the back foot acting as a brace, which in turn creates leverage, and then an unwinding of the body that starts with the lower body. This is pretty much the exact opposite of what most golfers do. Most golfers do not create any leverage in the back swing because they do virtually all of the work with the arms, and then they do all of the work in the down swing with the upper body as well. As a result, even large, reasonably athletic and fit people have trouble hitting a driver as far as the average tour pro hits a three-iron. If you want to begin to build a good golf swing, think of these two athletic movements that most of us have done at one time or another… skipping stones across a pond and throwing a Frisbee. These movements are very similar to that of the golf swing. If you can get your mindset away from trying to control the golf club, and instead focus on developing the proper athletic movements involved in the golf swing, along with good rhythm and balance, then you will be well on your way to building a good, sound, repeatable, effortless golf swing. www.yourgolfswingfix.com

Learning Golf - The process

I have played very little golf over the last ten years, even after I started teaching a few years ago. That is now changing. I've come to the realization that I can practice all I want and really not get better if I only play once a month. I joined a semi-private club 30 minutes away this year, a brand new facility, due to its value, and to force myself to play. Well, life kinda got in the way in May and June, when I only played once. My game suffered mightily. Last week I played three times, and showed signs of improvement each day. During that stretch, I have given a few lessons, but have hit very few balls due to a bad left thumb. Today, I played again, and got back to fundamentals. I recognized that I was getting lazy with my posture. My low back tends to be a little rounded so I got back to trying to keep the spine straighter with better posture. The only other thought to my swing was to fire the hips hard in the down swing. The result was the best ball striking round I have had in years. Now it is just a matter of better distance control with the irons, which has been made a little complicated by longer distance than what I am used to. This is the process that every golfer goes through. There must be a balance between playing and practicing. For me, I have practiced a ton over the last few years as I have worked on improving my swing. The process began with my lesson with Hank Haney in February 2009, and then continued with my ongoing research. During this time I discovered a process in which I employ in my teaching, and the results for those students who employ it are quite dramatic. I continue to look forward to making more improvements. As I am 46, my goal is to one day play in the Senior U.S. Open. I never reached my potential at my physical peak, but I am smarter now and continue to hit the ball longer than most of my contemporaries. So, there is the goal! Set goals for yourself, develop your process, and you will get to where you want to be! Scott Cole www.yourgolfswingfix.com

British Open comments

This was an interesting British Open. For some reason, Royal Lytham and St. Anne's Golf Club produces a top notch winner every year it holds the Open Championship. This year was no exception and the leaderboard was stacked with big names every day of the tournament. In the end, Ernie Els, who has been snakebit as much as any golfer, came out on top when he played clutch golf down the stretch and Adam Scott could not hold onto the lead. Ultimately, the best ball striker of the week won the golf tournament. Els lead in Greens in Regulation by a wide margin, and if he had putted well, would have won by a wide margin. Fortunately for him, he putted well enough, especially on the 72nd hole. Questions remain with Tiger Woods game. Again, he displayed a lack of confidence in the driver on a day when the course demanded he hit driver due to the wind. The most telling shot of the day for me in Tiger's round was when he pulled out a 2 iron on a tee shot on a 462 yard par 4 that was playing dead into the wind. He left himself 240 yards to the green for his second shot. This was at a point when you figured he had no chance at winning, so why not pull the driver? Stunning. Given that the PGA championship will be played at Kiawah Island next month on a course that can stretch to 7,900 yards, and where the wind will likely be a factor, it is hard to imagine Tiger winning there while hitting 2 irons and 3 woods on every tee. Compare Tiger's effort to what Els did on 18 when he had to make a birdie. With a quartering wind in his face and from left to right, Els hit a fade over the left fairway bunker that required a carry of 285 yards. This left him a little wedge shot into the green that set up his winning putt. Until Tiger can do this consistently, he is going to come up short in most majors and will struggle at Augusta, where he has not won since 2005. Merion may very well be his best shot next year, since it is not long. Of course, with his ability, Tiger will likely at some point confound us pretend experts! In any event, it is always fun to watch the Open Championship as it is such a different brand of golf. Compared to the True South Classic which wrapped up today with Scott Stallings as the winner at 24 under, well, there is no comparison. Typical PGA Tour golf can be bit boring to watch as many weeks simply turn into a putting contest. Scott Cole www.yourgolfswingfix.com

The President's Cup - What Did We Learn?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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