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
Showing posts with label Washington DC golf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington DC golf. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
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
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