Golf Circuit (James)

I agree 100% - golf is definitely not one-size-fits-all and you have to find what works for you!

Hey guys! Swing path huh? Here's my suggestions, although I do think that swing path is over-taught and ultimately a bi-product of higher level movement patterns. 1. Get Your Swing On Video ASAP (at 300 frames per second or higher if possible). It's always amazing to me how much feel can differ from reality, and you can identify the real cause of your problems rapidly. 2. Understand Ball Flight Laws. Turns out that ball flight can (and often does) lie. There is more than one way to hit a push, cut, fade, hook, pull, draw, or straight shot. Contrary to years of incorrect teaching, it's now been scientifically proven that face angle actually plays the major role in determining the direction that the ball takes off in, while swing path in relation to face angle is what determines the spin direction. It's the opposite of everything that's been taught for decades. 3. Research Early Extension. I've seen a lot of students who think they are coming too far inside and getting "trapped" are actually victims of this little known swing fault. Here's some more info. Cheers! James

Good advice from the boys! I would add that whenever you have a crazy lie like that, make sure you are using a club that you feel comfortable with, and take a 3/4 swing. You're not going to be hitting any miracle shots, so make a conservative plan that you feel confident with. Club up, choke down, and make a nice controlled swing.

Take them into the pro shop and crumple up a piece of paper. Then get a wastebasket and ask them to throw the paper into the wastebasket. After they complete the task, ask them if they thought about how they were going to move their elbow or when they were going to release their grip on the paper, or if they just looked at the wastebasket and threw it in. That sometimes helps get the idea across.

I totally agree - I think a lot of right handed people would do better off golfing left handed because of the dominant hand issue.

Hey Boz - do you have a website for your golf balls? Thanks! James

Great stuff guys! I would tend to agree that if you're getting bruising on any of your fingers you are likely trying to control the club too much with your hands. I always feel like their only job is to keep the club from going flying - nothing more. To try and control a complex high speed movement like the golf swing with tiny little muscles like the ones in your hands and fingers is a futile exercise that usually causes inconsistent results at best. That being said, I always felt like the pointer finger of the trail hand (right hand for right handed golfers) should be chopped off. I don't think it does any good. All the magic happens in the ring and index fingers. Also, I really don't like the way that the index finger is positioned in the last picture that jmiller posted. When I see players hook their index finger around the grip like that it is usually a sign that they are going to try and steer the whole thing with that helpless little digit. Have you considered amputation?

You've got the right idea - bring a club to the office with you and just practice the same thing. Take your grip how you want it, put the club down, and repeat.

Great question. Tension is the #1 reason why amateur players hit poor shots so you're not alone. When you grip the club tightly you are probably trying to "hit the ball" instead of "swing the club." Grab your driver in your right hand and just swing it. Feel the weight of the clubhead. Feel the momentum it develops on the downswing. Don't try to control it. Let it swing. Your hands and arms have almost no business doing anything in the golf swing except making sure the club doesn't go flying. If you use your bigger muscules (hips, core, shoulders) to create the motion of the club you should be able to reduce the tension in your hands and arms. If it was easy they wouldn't call it golf. Keep up the hard work and Let me know how it goes!!

I completely agree - you have to use what works for your game. I failed to mention that I have a standard stiff shaft in my driver (although it's an 80 grammer), an X-Stiff in my 5 wood, and Dynamic Gold X100s in my irons.

@JBones Fantastic question! Here's my thoughts: I was actually in the same boat a few years back. I hit it it fairly high, and I had the Dynamic Gold S300 in my irons for quite some time. After some experimenting with different options I made the switch to the X100 and it has definitely helped me control (and flatten) my trajectory and also tighten my shot pattern. I tested some Project X shafts as well, but I've always found step-less shafts to have a muted feel that I just don't like. Not to say they're bad golf shafts, they're just not for me. Finally, do you have access to a golf shop or pro who has an interchangeable shaft fitting system and a launch monitor? I would highly recommend finding one and hitting all the shafts you can before you dump money into re-shafting. Dynamic Gold (X100 or even S400), Project X, and even KBS Tour are all great shafts you just have to find the one that fits your swing best. Let me know if you have any other questions!!

@dru_ thanks for the questions - here's my thoughts. To answer your question directly, I don't have a problem with a player using any combination of shafts as long as they are working. To not answer your question directly, I think you may be focusing a bit too much on this equipment stuff if you are an 18 handicap. I know that you said that you practiced your short game. Practice it more. I know this probably isn't what you want to hear but in my experience it's the truth. Until you are getting up and down consistently, making a high percentage of your putts inside 8 feet, and 3 putting only once every few rounds I won't be satisfied. At an 18 handicap I would bet that you are getting around most greens in regulation - it's what is happening after that that is causing your scores to be what they are. Also, what kind of launch monitor are you using? Who is operating it? I've seen all too many occasions where inaccurate launch monitor data (or the mis-interpreation of it) has led players to being improperly fit for equipment. If you're using a budget launch monitor I would be careful reading too much into the data. Also, there is a lot of powerful technology out there today but it's only as good as the person using it. Make sure you are working with somebody who has a thorough understanding of the numbers that are popping up on the screen. Hope this helps - let me know if you've got any other questions!

@R.P. Jacobs II my apologies for not getting back to you sooner! As far as I know Smash Factor is not limited by the USGA or R&A. It is simply a measure of how well you hit the ball. I know instructors who work with elite players and have seen smash factors of 1.53 or 1.54 on Trackman more than once! What is limited, however, is the Coefficient of Restitution (COR). This is basically a measure of how springy the clubface is when it is impacted by a golf ball. Golf's governing bodies have placed a limit on COR of 0.83 and most manufacturers have spec'd their clubheads out so they are right up to the limit. Hope this helps answer your question- let me know if you're looking for something different!

@RookieBlue7 it's amazing what kind of revelations you can have when you are cruising around on some grass, isn't it? First of all, if you are using a Tour Spoon to hit it by your cousin who is about to be paid to play college golf I don't think we have a problem at all. My honest recommendation would be to put your driver up for sale on E-bay and start working on your putting until you go blue in the face. I like low scores better than big drives. However, your question about shoulder position is a fantastic one so I will address it anyways. I've found that for the most part golfers shoulders naturally fall fairly parallel to their feet (and within PGA TOUR averages) when they address the ball. That being said, I'm an outlier. When I hop on the 3-D motion capture it's easy to see that my shoulders sit wide open when I address the ball naturally. This makes it difficult for me to make a nice shoulder turn on the way back, and it (combined with my left leg being about 1.5" longer than my right) often results in me going into back bend (reverse spine angle). The key is that you position your upper body to be able to rotate around your spine efficiently. This usually means that your shoulders are right about parallel with your feet and the target line, but it differs a bit from individual to individual. If your shoulders are too open or closed you will often tilt instead of rotating. Do some shoulder swings in front of the mirror and see if this seems to be what is going on in your case, and let me know. Also keep an eye on your hip position - if your trail hip is higher than your lead hip at address you're going to have the same problem. Keep up the good work!

You guys are great - keep the questions coming! @Knappbuilders I understand that you are frustrated with your mid-irons. How are your shorter irons? If you hit those just fine then take your mid-irons out and leave them in the garage. Seriously though - the two points that you brought up are valid. Tension is actually the #1 cause of bad golf shots in amateur players, so focus on using your big muscles to swing the club instead of using your small ones to hit the ball. Weight shift is also an important element in the golf swing, so if you're having trouble with that you can try hitting a few shots where you actually step through toward the target with your trail leg to ensure you are getting a complete transfer of your weight. Oh, and all that stuff I just said doesn't mean anything unless you spend at least 75% of your practice time on putting and short game .

Great question! Inside 100 yards I really try to visualize what would happen if I hit the ball into the hole. I'm not necessarily trying to make the shot, but at this point I need to start plotting a path to the hole and understanding what that's going to look like. Also, the closer you get to the hole the more important distance control becomes. Go out to your short game practice area and drop 10 balls at 30 yards, 10 at 40 yards, 10 at 50 yards, 10 at 60 yards, and keep going all the way out to 100 yards. Hit a few from 30, then bounce up to 70. Then go up to 50. Then go back to 100. Mix it up and you will start to get the distance control dialed. Finally, I feel that a lot of the control I have over these shots comes from my legs and my lower body. Using those bigger muscles to "feel" the shot helps me be much more consistent and avoid big misses.

Basically I agree with what everyone else has said. Bad habits are easily developed on the driving range when you don't have somebody standing behind you watching each swing. Also, in terms of return-on-investment time spent practicing your short game pays out way better than time practicing your full swing. That doesn't mean you can't warm-up at the driving range, but you better have a plan and stick to it!

@revkev - excellent question. Here's my thoughts on how most amateurs should spend their practice time: If you are hitting the ball well on the course, do not go to the driving range at all. Avoid it like your mother-in-law. Seriously though, unless you have something specific that you are working on improving don't go to the range. Go to the putting green and practice putting. When you think you've gotten pretty good at putting, go practice more putting. When you think you're a "really good putter" practice some more. I also suggest practicing shots from inside 100 yards. If you have a short game practice area this is a great place to do so. Make sure you are practicing hitting actual "shots" and not just lobbing the ball out there 75 yards with no target. Finally, practice getting up and down. This is a skill, and the more you work on it the better you will get. Actually hit a pitch shot, and then grab your putter and try to sink the putt. Practice getting up and down. I know it's fun to go out and slap a bunch of drivers into the fence, but it's not making you any better (in fact, it is likely making you worse). Use the driving range only when it's absolutely necessary, and when you head there go with a specific goal in mind. Don't just go "hit a bucket of balls."

@jmiller065 thanks for the question! Sounds like you've got your pre-shot routine pretty dialed in. If it's working I wouldn't change it, as long as it's not taking too long. Regarding alignment, I would suggest practicing at the driving range with an alignment aid such as a club or one of those orange sticks. Go through your entire pre-shot routine, address the ball, and make sure that your feet are parallel to the target line. Hit your shot and see where it goes. If it ends up on-line you're in business. If it doesn't you know that the problem is not with your alignment but with something else going on in your swing. Also, one last thought. Have you ever worked on developing a post-shot routine?

@skihippy - great question! A hard push is caused by your clubface being open in relation to your swing path at impact. Here are a few things I would recommend experimenting with: 1. Move your ball position forward. This will give your clubface a little more time to square up through impact. 2. Strengthen your grip slightly. Rotate your hands clockwise on the handle of the club. This should also help square the clubface up at impact. 3. Check your alignment. I see an amazing amount of players who have swing issues that can be traced back to bad alignment. Ensure that your feet are lined up parallel to the target line, and the rest of your body should follow. Give this stuff a shot and let me know how it goes!!

@ stevenhw8 good question! Controlling ball flight is a great skill to have, so congratulations on your progress so far. As far as controlling the trajectory of your shots, here are a few of the things I would recommend: For Low Shots: Experiment with your ball position: Putting the ball further back in your stance should make the ball fly lower. Experiment with a shorter backswing and follow through: Many pros who are feel players like this approach when they are trying to keep it down. Club up and swing easy: When you hit the ball hard with a full swing you put a lot of spin on it, and spin causes lift. If you club up and swing easy you're likely to put less spin on the ball - resulting a lower flight. Come in a little flatter than normal: Once again, a flatter plane should impart less spin on the ball and cause less lift. For High Shots: Club up and open the face of your club: Believe it or not you can hit a flop shot with a 5 iron. I know this sounds ridiculous, but just try it on the range. Once you hit a couple good you will get the feeling for what hitting a really high shot is all about. Put the ball on a tee: I know, this sounds like cheating, but if you've got the option always put it on a tee if you're looking for extra hang-time. Come down a little steeper than normal: A steeper angle of attack is likely to put more spin on the ball, which is going to cause more lift and a higher flight. Hope these tips help, and don't be afraid to ask me about any of them!

@jmiller065 - great questions! I'll try to address them individually. 1. Regarding Tempo: I think that metronomes can be excellent training tools - especially for players who have a hard time with consistency and developing rhythm. Regarding the specific ratios that you mentioned, I think they are ok starting points but it's important to find what works best for you. It doesn't really matter how fast you transition as long as you are sequencing properly. Make sure you're not starting your downswing with your upper body, hands or arms - Everything should start with the lower half first. Keeping this in mind might just help you from being so quick at the top. A great drill to do is to get into your stance, cross your arms over your shoulders, take your back swing, and then practice holding your shoulders back while you fire your hips. You should feel your core getting pulled as you develop some tension. 2. Regarding Course Management and Strategy: Great questions. I totally agree with you that you don't need to be a big hitter to shoot low scores, and I think that the majority of golfers are more concerned with hitting high pretty looking shots than writing down low numbers on their scorecards. The best advice I can give to players struggling with course management is to keep it simple. If you have clubs in your bag that you don't use often or don't hit well, take them out. If you need a straight shot and nothing in your bag goes straight except for your 9 iron, hit it. As far as tools that will help, I think that looking at a picture of the hole you are about to play and planning how you are going to play it us way underrated. Sure - you might have to make some adjustments along the way but it's much better than just getting up there and trying to whack it as far as you can every time. It's like the old saying goes, "if you don't care where you're going it doesn't much matter how you're going to get there." Thanks so much for the questions - keep them coming!!

Awesome thanks Matt - This is a great idea! Any fellow readers out there who would like a PGA Pro's opinion on swing, equipment, fitness, or anything else related to the game please don't be afraid to post your questions as a reply here and we'll be sure to get back to you!