The Golf Swing

Fixing Common Mistakes - Head Drop

2005-06-17T08:16:00.000-04:00

It's hard enough to coil your upper body to its maximum so don't make it harder by letting poor posture get in the way. A common fault of many golfers is to let their head drop at address so that the chin nearly touches or does touch the neck. By dropping your head you limit your shoulder turn and hence the distance you can hit the ball. Make it a habit to have good posture. Keep your spine straight and your chin up. If you do this you'll allow room for your shoulders to turn the way they should and you'll greatly increase your distance.

Fixing Common Mistakes - Weak Grip

2005-06-16T08:34:00.000-04:00

Traditional golf instruction teaches that you should be able to see at least 2 knuckles on your left hand when you look down at your grip. I on the other hand believe that if you can see only 2 knuckles you're restricting your swing. The fewer knuckles you see the weaker your grip and the more restricted your hand action will be. Now if you're a big strong person and you hit the ball great with a weak grip don't change it. But, if you're having problems with distance and direction check your grip. You should be able to see 3 knuckles on your left hand. Give it a try and you'll find you hit the ball with more authority since your hands will be livlier.

The Set Up - The Left Arm

2005-06-15T07:32:00.000-04:00

The left arm forms the radius of your swing arc. If the left arm bends during the swing it will force the clubhead to move out of position forcing you to make adjustments during the swing to bring the club back to square at impact. The goal is to have the the left arm in the same position at impact as it was when you addressed the ball. To make sure this happens start with the left arm straight at address and concentrate on getting it square again at impact. It's almost impossible to not bend the left arm at all during the swing. Some bending will occur naturally. This natural bend of the arm will correct itself on the downswing due to the centrifugal force created during the swing. The key is to not let the arm bend any more than it naturally would during the swing.

The Set Up - Correct Distance of Hands from Body

2005-06-14T07:49:00.000-04:00

Did you know that your clubs differ in length in 1/2" increments? A 9 iron is 1/2" shorter than an 8 iron , an 8 iron 1/2" shorter than a 7 iron etc. So how do you add consistency to ball position and make sure your hands are the proper distance from your body? Try this method. Set up to the ball as you normally would and place your club on the ground behind the ball. Remove your right hand from the club without changing the position of the club. Make a fist with your right hand and extend your thumb. Now place your fist against your left thigh. The tip of your thumb should just touch the butt of your club. Then simply place your right hand back on the club and you're ready to go. The only other piece of advice I would give you is not to leave the clubface on the ground. After determining the proper distance of your hands from your body and placing your right hand back on the club I like to raise the clubface off the ground (change the angle of the spine don't pick up the hands) as it makes for a smoother takeaway. Use this method for all your clubs and you'll always have your hands the proper distance from your body.

The Set Up - Keep the Club Off the Ground

2005-06-10T07:58:00.000-04:00

When you set up to the ball at the tee box do you let the clubface rest on the ground? Do you pick the club up with the hands on the takeaway rather than with the arms and shoulders? Both are sure fired ways to lessen the distance you could potentially hit the ball. If you keep the club on the ground you run the risk of dragging the club along the grass on the takeaway. If you pick the club up with the hands rather then your arms and shoulders it's almost impossible to generate maximum clubhead speed.

What you need to accomplish is an arms-shoulder take-away from the ball that will create a wide arc and generate maximum clubhead speed. Rather than grounding the club try hovering the club behind the ball at address. Hold the club off the ground behind the ball and line up the sweet spot of the club right next to the ball. You'll immediately feel the difference. By holding the club off the ground you transfer control of the club from the hands to the arms and shoulders which makes it easier to make a one-piece takeaway. You'll be able to create a wider swing arc which translates to more power and greater distance.

The Set Up - Proper Distance Between Your Feet

2005-06-09T08:56:00.000-04:00

Everyone wants to knock the cover off the ball. A common mistake I see alot of golfers make is to set their feet too wide apart in the mistaken impression that a wider stance will yield more power. A wider stance might feel more powerful but in actuality a wider stance will inhibit the weight shift and the proper movement of the lower body.

The correct distance between your feet is just wide enough to give you a solid foundation and narrow enough to allow your lower body to move. This distance is typically shoulder distance apart. At shoulder width apart you give your hips the ability to turn freely and allow for a smooth transfer of weight between your feet.

The proper distance between your feet will also allow you to swing as hard as you want without losing control provided you can maintain your balance. If you can't maintain balance with your feet spread properly, it's a sign that you're swinging too hard. Rather than spreading your feet to accommodate a fast motion, throttle down with the upper body. You won't lose power by keeping your stance narrow because what you sacrifice in arm power will be made up for by an active lower body.

Practice using different distances between your feet with different clubs. The shoulder width rule is not really accurate it's just a guide. Your feet should actually be a little closer together on short iron shots, just inside shoulder width, and a little further apart when hitting your driver, just outside shoulder width.

The Set Up - The Role of the Spine

2005-06-08T12:04:00.000-04:00

In order to create the type of power necessary to hit the ball far you have to engage the large muscles of your back and hips. In the golf swing they are the main source of power. In the middle of all these big muscles is your spine. it is the axis about which you rotate these large muscles. It's important that you understand what the proper positioning of the spine is throughout the swing. Basically, in a nutshell, the angle of the spine remains constant throughout the swing until you are well into the follow-through.

The easiest way to make sure you have the proper spine angle is to get it right at the beginning when you address the ball. To achieve a proper spine angle at address, bend forward from the hips while keeping your spine as straight as possible. A straight spine bends your torso forward so your arms hang freely from the shoulders. Bend until the hands are approximately six inches from the thighs. As you bend from the hips, don't lock your legs. Instead, maintain a slight flex in your knees. To make the most effective turn, your spine must be as straight as possible. Keep your chin up rather than dropping it toward your chest. If the chin drops, the top of the spine will curve.

The Set Up - Driver Ball Position

2005-06-07T08:55:00.000-04:00

When you have the driver in your hand do you tee the ball up opposite your left instep? If you're a power hitter and are getting good results keep at it. However, if you have problems with the driver it might not be such a good idea to tee the ball that far forward in your stance. When the ball is placed forward in your stance you are hitting the ball on the upswing. In order to keep your clubface square your hands must make adjustments as the club passes the bottom of the swing arc. Any variation in clubface angle at impact will result in a mis-hit. You might want to try sacrificing a bit of distance for accuracy by hitting the ball at the bottom of the swing arc.

Try taking a practice swing with just your left arm. Note the point where your clubface is at the bottom of the swing arc. This is the point at which your clubface will be naturally square to your target line by using just the rotation of your upper body. You've taken any adjustment of your hands out of the equation. The result may be some loss of distance but you'll wind up playing from the fairway a lot more often.

The Set Up - Alignment part 2

2005-06-03T09:20:00.000-04:00

If you get the clubface square to the ball its easier to get the rest of your body to be square to your target. The best way I know to square up your clubface is the following. Begin by standing directly behind you ball. Pick out your target line and then pick out a spot a foot or two in front of the ball. This spot must be directly on the target line. It could be a twig, a blade of grass, a tee, it doesn't matter waht it is as long as it is directly on your target line. This spot now becomes your target when you're setting up. Now walk to your ball and place your club behind the ball so that it is perpendicular to your target line using your spot as your reference point.

Now take your grip on the club making sure the clubface stays square. Then align your feet perpendicular to the clubface and parallel to the target line. Now that your feet are square the rest of your body should also be square. Take one final check to make sure you're sqaure by looking at your mark on the ground and out to your actual target. If everything looks Ok then fire away.

The Set Up - Alignment part 1

2005-06-02T09:21:00.000-04:00

If you don't set up square to the ball your shot is basically ruined before you swing the club. Aiming your club and body anywhere other than parallel to your target line is a sure fired recipe for making a good swing bad and a bad swing even worse.

Learning to align yourself properly doesn't require any special skills or years of experience. All it requires is that you take some time and effort to make sure your body and club are aimed properly.

Proper alignment means setting your feet, knees, hips, shoulders, and clubface square to the target line. However, in order to consistently set yourself square you have to know what square feels like.

Try the following: Place a club on the ground parallel to your target line. Now grab another club and take your stance making sure your knees are flexed, you're bent forward at the hips, your spine is straight and your arms are hanging from your shoulders. Now, without changing the position of your body lay the club across your knees. Is the club parallel to the club you placed on the ground along your target line? It should be. Is the club parallel to the ground? It should be. Do the same thing for your hips and shoulders. The club should always be parallel to your target line and the ground.

Tune in again tomorrow for more on setting up square to the ball.

The Set Up - Stick You Butt Out

2005-06-01T09:35:00.000-04:00

Most golfers know what the proper set up should look like. In case you don't, here it is, bend forward at the hips, flex your kees slightly and keep your spine straight and your arms hanging down from the shoulders. Yet many golfers can't seem to get it right. Instead of bending forward at the hips I see many golfers arch their backs in order to lower the club to the ball. By arching your back instead of bending at the hips all you accomplish is to tuck your chin into your chest and make a proper coiling of the upper body almost impossible.

Rather than bending forward at the hips try this idea instead. Stick your butt out! If you concentrate on sticking out your butt out when you address the ball it will force you to bend forward at the hips and keep your spine straight and your arms hanging down from the shoulders. Maintain this angle throughout the swing and you'll find it much easier to coil your upper body and get a full body turn which will lead to greater distance on all of your shots.

Give it a try. Set up to the ball and bring your club to the ball by arching your back and then hit the ball. Now, hit another ball but instead of arching your back, stick your butt out and bring your club behind the ball. I guarantee you'll see the difference.

The Full Swing - How to Make Good Contact

2005-05-27T07:46:00.000-04:00

Most golfers are under the mistaken impression that the toe of the club should be pointing straight up when it is at hip height on the backswing. If you think about it however, in order to do this you have to rotate your hands to the inside. Try it in slow motion and you'll see I'm right. By rotating the hands all you've accomplished is opening up the clubface. Now, in order to get the club back to square at impact you must be in recovery mode on the downswing. More than likely you'll wind up coming back to the ball from over the top in order to square up the clubface at impact.

The proper position for the toe of the club at waist height is a slight tilt towards the target line so that the leading edge of the clubface is the same as the angle as your spine. If you do can accomplish this, both your spine angle and your clubface angle will be square. Now with both angles square at hip height you can achieve a square clubface at the top of your swing which will allow you to achieve square solid impact.

Practice this technique in slow motion bringing the club back just to hip height. Don't rotate the wrists or arms. Wear your glove when you do this drill. The logo on the glove should point out. if the logo's pointing up you've rotated your wrists or arms and opened up the clubface.

The Long Game - Don't Let the Long Irons Intimidate You

2005-05-26T08:57:00.000-04:00

For many golfers the long irons can be quite intimidating. If you have problems hitting your long irons the problem can probably be traced back to an excess amount of tension in your arms or improper movement of the body.

Most golfers feel the need to take a bigger and longer backswing when hitting these irons. This train of thought however, can lead to excess movement of the upper body. This excess movement can cause you to either pull off the ball on the backswing or pull up on the dowswing. The result of both is a poorly hit shot.

The key to avoiding either of the above is to focus on the angle of your spine and a good light grip. When you take your stance bend at the hips and focus on keeping your butt out and up. Keeping this feeling of having your butt sticking out throughout the swing along with a light grip will allow you to have a tension free swing that will sweep the ball off the ground toward your target.

Fixing Common Mistakes - Keep Your Head Down

2005-05-25T08:38:00.000-04:00

It's happened to all of us at one time. You hit an ugly shot and your partner says "you lifted your head". Although your partner was probably right the problem really isn't with your head. More than likely you had too much movement of your body which caused the head to move. We've all been taught that it's necessary to keep your head down or still throughout the swing. What happens, however, is that you become so intent on keeping your head still that it restricts the turn of your upper body.

Rather then concentrating on keeping the head still what you should be concentrating on is the angle between the hips and the spine and the amount of flex in the knees. Straightening either of these angles during the swing will result in the lifting of the head. The change in these angles will also alter the arc of the your swing. Causing the angle of the swing to be too steep and result in poor contact with the ball. Usually a topped shot.

On the other hand, too much bending at the knees or hips during the swing tends to drop the head and upper body and lower the arc of the swing so the club strikes too far behind the ball, usually into the ground.

Therefore, you have to get in the habit of forgetting about your head and concentrate instead on maintaining the angles at the hips and knees from address through impact. If you can do this you shouldn't be bothered again by topped or fat shots.

Here's a drill you can use to get you in the habit of keeping the angles between the hips and spine and the knees consistent. In order to perform this drill it has to be a sunny day. You need to have the sun behind you so that your shadow is cast directly in front you when you are setup to the ball. Take your normal stance and notice your shadow. Mark the point on the ground that corresponds to the top of your head. I like to place a club on the ground. The club should line up parallel to your target line and once again be at the spot where your shadow indicated the top of your head. Now set up so that your shadow is just touching the club on the ground and swing the club (you don't have to actually hit a ball). Keep your eye on your shadow. If you're keeping your head down which means the angle between you hips and spine stays consistent and you're maintaining the correct flex in your knees the shadow of your head should remain relatively consistent with the club you placed on the ground. If it's not remaining along this line than practice the drill until it does.

Fixing Common Mistakes - Inconsistency

2005-05-24T08:31:00.000-04:00

If you find that you're the type of golfer that rarely hits back to back good shots then it's time to think about sacrificing some distance on your shots for consistency. By becoming consistent you'll cut lots of strokes off your game. You'll eliminate penalties caused by errant shots as well as those wasted shots trying to recover form bad lies. The best way I know to become consistent is to throttle down your swing. Here's how to do it.

Take a Wider Stance

By taking a wider stance you'll form a more stable base for your swing. This wider base will allow you to develop the tight coiling pattern of the upper body that is necessary on the backswing. It will also reduce any tendency you have to sway. When I say take a wider stance I'm only talking about 2 or 3 inches wider than you normally would set up.

Leave Room at the Top of Your Swing

On the back swing if you have the tendency to bring the club back all the way to horizontal it's time to cut back and bring the club back 3/4 of the way. That's what I mean by leaving room at the top. By bringing the club back only 3/4 of the way you'll find you get the following benefits. 1) The weight will remain on the inside of your right foot eliminating any sway you have in your swing. If at any time in your backswing you feel the weight shifing to the outside of your right foot you're swaying and you need to correct it right away. 2) You'll limit the wrist action in the backswing. Overly active wrists will cause your clubface to open or close at the top. This opening or closing of the clubface has to be compensated for on the downswing. 3) Your clubface has a greater chance of being in the proper position at the top of the backswing (pointing towards the target rather than right or left of the target)

Time the Downswing

On the downswing concentrate on shifting your weight onto your left foot and pulling the club through impact to a full follow through. In the beginning when you try the 3/4 swing you feel the urge to swing hard to compensate for the lack of extension on the backswing. Don't! Swing easy. Practice this for a while and you'll see yourself hitting the ball squarely. Your shots will fly straight and your distance won't suffer much at all. I don't know about you but I'd rather be 220 yards out lying in the fairway than 240 yards out trying to recover from an errant shot into the woods.

The Mental Game - First Tee Jitters

2005-05-23T07:47:00.000-04:00

Even the pros get nervous on their first tee shot of the day. Many mid and high handicap golfers feel that the first tee shot sets the tone for the day. Nothing, however, could be further than the truth. Your opening tee shot is just one stroke and if you hit a bad shot you have lots of time to recover. Therefore, you shouldn't put any undue pressure upon yourself to try and hit a perfect shot. You have to learn how to keep those first hole jitters from ruining any chance you have of making a good swing. Following are two things that I find help to get rid of the jitters.

1) Make believe you're hitting into a practice net - On most golf courses the first hole is usually wide open. There may some some hazards you need to avoid but typically there's a nice wide opening for you to hit your ball. The key is to block all of the hazards out of your mind. I do this by imagining I'm hitting into a practice net that is sitting right in front of the tee. Make sure you're aligned properly and then take your swing trying to hit your ball solidly into the bullseye in the practice net. What does this do? It eliminates the direction factor. Now you don't have to worry about the direction of the ball. Simply try and hit that bullseye right in front of you.

2) Hit the Ball Short - Most golfers tend to swing harder on the first hole then any other hole. This is a big mistake. A fast swing will tend to yield a poor result. You need to slow down your swing. Make believe you're on the driving range and try hitting the ball 20 yards shorter than normal. You might also try hitting a 3 wood instead of the driver. regardless of which club you use you must Relax and slow down your swing. By trying to hit a shorter shot you will eliminate the pressure you feel to crush the ball and you'll be able to make a nice smooth easy swing at the ball.

Try the above two tips. You might not crack off a 250 yard drive but I guarantee you that you'll you'll hit a nice straight shot that will have you sitting in the short hairs.

The Mental Game - Keep The Streak Going

2005-05-20T08:09:00.000-04:00

You've just run off a string of four consecutive pars. You start to realize that you are on a hot streak and thoughts about how long you can keep it up start to dance through you mind. On the next hole your streak comes to a screaming halt when you hit double bogey.

In order to become a good golfer you have to learn how to handle a hot streak and keep it alive. Following is the method I use. You might want to give it a try.

Think About the Next Shot - When you're on a hot streak try not to think about how long you can keep the streak alive. Worrying about how long you can keep the streak going is nowhere near as important as the next shot. Picture in your minds eye exactly the next shot you want to hit. Feel it coming off the clubface. See the flight of the ball as moves towards your target. Watch the ball as it hits the ground and rolls. Now your're ready to hit the ball.

One important point to remember is that the next shot is in the future, the streak is in the past. In order to keep the streak going the only important thing is the next shot.

The Mental Game - Say It Out Loud

2005-05-19T08:05:00.000-04:00

I think it was Winston Churchhill who said that "Golf is a Good Walk Ruined". I don't think I'd go that far but let's be honest you spend a heck of a lot more time on the course walking than hitting the ball. This down time from hitting the ball gives your mind an awful lot of time to wander onto thoughts about anything but golf.

When it's time to hit the ball you have to be able to get your mind back onto the task at hand which is to get the ball from point A to point B via the best possible path. One of the best ways I've found to get my mind back into focus is to say my shot out loud prior to setting up to the ball. I try to realistic about the shot I plan to hit and you should also.

I find that even if I don't hit the ball the way I said was going to, just the fact that I said it out loud gets my mind back into focus and flushes all those other thoughts out of my head. Then, between shots, I can think about anything I want while I'm walking to my ball.

The Mental Game - It's Good to be the Underdog

2005-05-18T08:22:00.000-04:00

You're a high handicap golfer so no one expects you to play well. That's a good thing because it allows you to look at your mistakes, and you're going to make your share of them, as opportunities. When things go bad don't get upset. I know that sounds ridiculously easy to say but very hard to do. Look at your mistakes as learning experiences then forget about the bad shot or hole and start to concentrate on the shot at hand.

As an example, you've hit an ugly slice into the trees. Does it do you any good to get all upset about the shot? Obviously it doesn't because that shot is history, you can't take it back. What you should start to think about is how am I going to recover. You should also look at it as a chance to surprise your partners by playing a smart shot and escaping relatively unscathed. Hey, you're a high handicap golfer and nobody is expecting you to hit a good recovery shot, so you're in the position to get a good deal of satisfaction by hitting a good recovery shot and turning their expectations upside-down.

The same goes for a series of bad holes, when others expect you to fall apart. Use the opportunity to stick with your shot-by-shot, hole-by-hole approach. Following a string of bad holes with a string of good ones is incredibly satisfying.

The Mental Game - To Score or Not to Score

2005-05-17T08:33:00.000-04:00

If you're a highhandicap golfer sometimes it's difficult to play a round thinking about scoring since, in your mind you know that you're not going to score well. Therefore, you're usually more interested in your swing than your score. However, if your mind is constantly thinking swing instead of score it will tend to become cluttered with negative thoughts. Especially if you hit a several bad shots in a row. What you need to do is stop worrying about your swing and start concentrating on getting the ball into the hole in as few strokes as possible. Your focus should be on moving the ball forward and getting it there using the quickest and safest route.

At the same time you shouldn't let your score control your game. It's usually best to ignore your score otherwise a couple of bad holes in a row can be extremely discouraging and ruin the rest of your round. It may sound contradictory but its actually not. Playing for score means that you're playing to get the ball into the hole in as few strokes as possible without worrying about how your swing looks. If you play each shot as they come concentrating on moving the ball forward you'll find yourself in a much position to rebound from those inevitable bad shots and bad holes.

The Full Swing - Wrist Action

2005-05-13T08:16:00.000-04:00

How come some golfers seem to be able to hit the cover off the ball while others can't seem to get any distance on their shots? It's true that your size plays a role but even the smallest golfer has the ability to hit the ball far. The main reason for a lack of distance has to do with the action of your wrists through the impact zone.

If you're able to make a proper backswing and build up the torque in your upper body that is required to hit the ball far but you still lack the distance you desire then you must learn how to use the wrists. Most golfers either don't use any wrist action or they allow there wrists to break too early in the downswing. It's almost impossible to make the wrists release at precisely the right moment because the downswing happens too fast and the muscle to brain to muscle relay simply doesn't work quickly enough.

The key to a proper release of the wrists is to remain loose. Keep your grip light and keep the tension out of the muscles. The next time your on the range try swinging the club making sure everything is loose and relaxed. Take your normal swing and make sure to remain loose throughout the swing. Your wrists will naturally release through the impact zone. Practice this and you'll find that your shots will fly far and straight.

The Full Swing - Begin at the End

2005-05-12T08:35:00.000-04:00

The best way to correct any flaws you have in your swing is to begin at the end. What I mean by this is you should work on the end of your swing. That's right the end. It should be your goal to finish your swing properly with your weight fully transferred onto your left side, right foot on its toe, belt buckle facing your target and your hands up by your left ear. Remember, a good finish shows what came before. If your finish is good than the swing that got you there was good and if your finish is bad than your swing was bad. Strive to obtain a good finish on every shot and you'll see those mishits disappear.

Try this drill if you're having problems finishing your swing. Using a 5 iron set up to the ball as you normally would. Now, without swing the club move into the pefect finishing position as I described above. From this position I want you to swing the club back down past the ball and to the top of your backswing and then swing down and thru and hit the ball striving to obtain the perfect finish you started with. You'll probably hit an ugly shot the first couple of times you try this drill but that's OK. Keep at it for a while and you'll start making solid contact and your swing will become nice and smooth and your flaws should disappear.

The Full Swing - Learn to Use the Fairway Wood

2005-05-11T09:34:00.000-04:00

If you find that you lack distance off the tee then one club you need to learn to use effectively is the fairway wood. A fairway wood will fly low and roll far and can be the difference on those long par fours and par fives.

Two conditions have to be met in order for the fairway wood to work properly. 1) you have to have a good lie and 2) your landing area must be free of hazards. If you don't have both of these conditions met try another club.

Unlike your irons when hitting a fairway wood you want to sweep the ball off the grass. Play the ball in the middle or slightly forward of the middle of your stance. Bring the club back low on the takeaway and keep it going back along the target line as long as possible. Don't pick the club up rather let the turning of the shoulders bring the club up to the top of the backswing. Make a smooth transition at the top and bring the club back to the ball on the same swing plane it left on. If you do this your club will sweep the ball off the grass and send it flying towards your target on a low trajectory with lots of roll and put those long par fours and fives back in play.

The Full Swing - The Importance of Tempo

2005-05-10T08:59:00.000-04:00

So what's a good swing tempo? The answer is it's different for every golfer. But, when your tempo is good you know it because you're in a groove. You're hitting every club well and you're consistent. It doesn't matter which club you're hitting when your tempo is on your hitting solid shots consistently. Good tempo is the number one thing you can do to maintain a solid golf game. If you feel that your tempo is off here's a way to get it working.

The next time you're on the range place a ball on the tee. Pull out your driver and take your normal grip. Now holding the club with your normal grip walk away from the ball using your normal pace and stride. Walk about 10 steps away from the ball and then turn around and using the same pace walk back to the ball. Once you're back at your ball immediately address the ball, make one waggle and swing. It's important that you use your normal pace and stride when performing this drill because this is the best indicator of your natural tempo. If you normally walk with a slow pace you don't want to perform this drill using a fast pace. Use your natural rhythm. Once you discover what your natural rhythm is try to use the same tempo when hitting the ball. Any time you feel your tempo is off perform the above drill and you can easily get it back.

The Full Swing - Over Swinging

2005-05-09T08:32:00.000-04:00

One of the main reasons a lot of golfers hit the ball all over the place can be traced back to over-swinging the club. In an effort to get maximum distance on their shots the club is brought back way too far. I'm a firm believer that when it comes to the back-swing less is best. You're not John Daly and your swing shouldn't look like his. The average golfer will hit the ball considerably better with less of a back-swing.

If you find yourself among that group of golfers that's continually hitting shots off target you need to get out of the habit overswinging. This can be a difficult habit to break but the payoff is well worth it.

I like to teach my students to stop the back-swing when their left arm is parallel to the ground. This will make your swing stop short of parallel but that's OK. Your focus should be on getting a full shouder turn. This full shoulder turn when combined with a straight left arm that has remained under control will produce an incredible amount of torque which in turn equates to a large increase in distance and more importantly a shot that remains under control.

The Short Game - Hit Them Long

2005-05-06T08:28:00.000-04:00

You have 50 feet and a bunker between you and the pin. Don't try to get cute and just clear the bunker so the ball trickles close to the pin. Every now and then you'll pull off that shot but most of the time you'll wind up in the bunker. Always leave yourself a margin for error. Pick a landing spot that is well past the bunker and play to that spot. Depending upon the slope of the green you could still salvage par. Always play smart when faced with a difficult shot. You'll bogey the hole most of the time but you'll also save par more often then you would think and you take double and triple bogey out of the equation.

The Short Game - Easy Does It

2005-05-05T08:47:00.000-04:00

Easy Does It

Taking a big hard swing with a fairway wood or your driver sometimes produces amazing results. However, when you have a short iron in your hand taking the same kind of swing will often prove disasterous. Swing too hard with a short iron and your body will tend to change position. The result a poorly hit and inaccurate shot. Remember when you have a short iron in your hand you're looking for accuracy. You want to get close. The best way to accomplish this is to swing easy. If you can't make it to your target with an easy swing the answer is simple. Take more club.

The Short Game - The Order of Shots

2005-05-04T09:17:00.000-04:00

I coach my sons ice hockey team and I always tell the kids if you have the shot go ahead and take it. The same concept holds true on your short game. The type of shot you hit is crucial when you're around the green and depends on several factors. However, the type of shot you hit should be in the following order. 1) The putter - Do you have a clear path to the pin? Are you lying in the short grass? If so use the putter. You'll consistently get the ball closer to the hole. Just remember to hit the ball a little harder to make up for the longer grass. 2) Chip the ball - If you find yourself with rough terrain between you and the flag then the putter isn't an option. Chip the ball and select the club that will get you over the rough terrain and rolling as soon as possible. Lastly, 3) Pitch the ball - You should only pitch the ball if you have a hazard between you and the ball (such as a sand trap or if you have to go up a slope). Since a pitch will fly farther in the air and roll less when it hits the ground it's harder to control and should only be used when necessary.

Remember the following - "More roll equals more control".

The Short Game - Take a Divot

2005-05-03T09:39:00.000-04:00

In order to consistently score well you have to be able to hit your high irons. Specifically, the 7 iron through the pitching wedge. These are your scoring clubs. When you have one of these irons in your hand you should be hunting for pins.

If you find yourself coming up short on a lot of your approach shots with these clubs the problem could be in your swing. With your low irons and woods you want to sweep the ball off the grass. If you do the same with your high irons your club will sweep the ball off the turf resulting in a high short shot. Your short irons require a crisp, descending blow. One that takes a divot. This will give you a lower trajectory that stays on target and goes further.

The ball should be played in the middle of your stance. This will guarantee that the club is moving downward at impact. Don't take a full backswing because a long, sweeping swing doesn't produce distance with the short irons. Take a 3/4 swing and concentrate on bringing the club down into the back of the ball. By coming down at a steeper angle you'll have more wrist cock which will result in more distance and a nice divot like you see the pros take when they play. Whatever you do, don't forget to follow through.

The Short Game - Change the Club When Chipping

2005-05-02T08:32:00.000-04:00

Do you always reach for the same club when you're chipping? Using the same club from varying distances has its disadvantages. The main disadvantage being that you have to change the force and speed of your swing as the distance varies to get the ball to go where you want. An easier and more reliable method is to change the club instead of the force and swing speed.

Start thinking of your chips as long putts. Your objective is to get the ball on the green and rolling towards the hole as soon as possible. If your ball is only several feet off the green and you don't have much fringe to cross there's nothing wrong with using a 4 or 5 iron. As your distance increases from the green progress upwards to more lofted clubs. Using different clubs allows you to keep a consistant swing which makes for better results.

The Short Game - Get Low to Avoid Thin Chips

2005-04-29T08:25:00.000-04:00

A lot of high handicap golfers find themselves hitting their chips and pitches thin. These thin hits are caused when the leading edge of the club meets the ball at or around its equator and are usually caused by the upper body lifting as the club comes down. The ball will fly on a low trajectory and most of the time wind up way past the pin. This lifting of the body is typically caused by a stance that is too straight. When chipping and pitching be sure to get down low by flexing your knees and bending at the waist a little more than you would on a full shot. Keep the ball in the middle of you stance and your weight equally balanced between your feet. If you find yourself hitting your chips and pitches thin remember "Get Low".

The Short Game - The Sand Wedge Lob

2005-04-28T10:22:00.000-04:00

If you're close to the green but you find yourself in deep grass and you have little green to play with don't use your wedge instead pull out the sand wedge. You should keep a fairly open stance and an open clubface just as you would if you were hitting an explosion shot out of the sand. Keep your back swing slow and break your wrists early. Keep a good steady rhythm on your downswing and try to have your clubface slide under the ball entering the grass about an inch behind the ball. Make a good follow through and your ball should pop out of the grass high and land soft.

The Short Game - The Texas Wedge

2005-04-27T12:02:00.000-04:00

So you thought you were only allowed to carry 14 clubs in your bag, didn't you? Well the truth is that's right, under the rules of golf you can only carry 14 clubs. However, you do have an extra club in your bag and probably didn't even realize it. The extra club is the putter. Under the right conditions you can use the putter instead of your wedge when you find yourself short of the green. When using the puter from off the green the putter is commonly referred to as the Texas Wedge. It got this name because the golf courses in Texas are typically very dry and free of hazards. Because of these conditions it became common for Texans to putt the ball from as far as 50 feet off the green.

The key to this shot is not the distance you find yourself off the green but the terrain between your ball and the flag. If you're lying in the fairway and there are no hazards in front of you the putter becomes a viable option. However, if your sitting several feet into the rough or there is longer grass in front of your ball that you need to go through the putter won't work because this longer grass will influence the direction and speed of the ball. Anytime the grass is long enough to have an influence on the direction of the putt, chip the ball. Anytime you're sitting in nice short grass, putting is an alternative.

It's essential that you make solid contact with the ball, since any mis-hits will be greatly exaggerated by the slower surface your ball is on and you'll wind up short. Also, don't ground the club behind the ball prior to your takeaway. Rather keep the putter resting lightly behind the ball, this will prevent you from catching the blade in the longer grass on the takeaway. Accelerate the putter through impact and follow through with the club moving along the target line.

The Texas wedge is a viable option. Especially for those of you that are not completely confident in your chipping ability. If you fall into this category give this shot a try and I you'll find yourself getting the ball closer to the pin then if you had chipped.

The Short Game - Fly the Flag

2005-04-26T09:22:00.000-04:00

Knowing how you hit the ball can give you lots of clues on where you need to improve your game. Think back about your approach shots to the green. Do you normally come up short on your iron shots into the green? What about chips and pitches? When you think back on this you'll see a pattern emerge. For most of you I bet you're coming up short of the flag. You're not even giving yourself a chance because a ball that comes up short never has a chance of going in while a ball that winds up past the pin at least had a chance.

The next time you play make it a point to give each shot a chance by using enough club to hit every approach shot past the flag. Try not to leave any shot short of the flag. It doesn't matter if you're hitting a fairway wood or a wedge. Don't leave anything short. I would take this philosophy one step further and do the same on you putts. Don't leave any putts short. Give every putt enough power to get past the hole.

You'll find that when you hit the ball past the flag that more often than not you'll wind up closer to the hole than you would have if you left the ball short. Be aggressive, leave nothing short and remember "never up never in".

The Short Game - Learn to Use the Wedge

2005-04-25T10:36:00.000-04:00

Almost every golfer could achieve lower scores by sharpening their short game. Many golfers, however, are scared of their wedge for one reason or another. Maybe they skull their wedge shots too often or just flat out can't seem to hit it. If you're one of these people let me offer you some advice. Get over it and learn to use your wedge. It will save you numerous shots per round. Follow the 3 steps below and practice the wedge.

1. KISS - Keep it Simple Stupid

Stick with the basics when it comes to wedge shots. Just because you see the pros on TV opening up the club and making all other kinds of adjustments to their stance and swing doesn't mean you should. Keep it simple. Use your normal grip and keep the club square to the ball and open your stance slightly. Practice the basics and once your confident that you can consistently make solid contact then and only then start experimenting with grip, stance, alignment etc. that is necessary to hit differnet kinds of shots.

2. Hit Down Dammit

Learn to use the loft of the club. The reason the club is angled is to give you loft. Don't try to pick the ball cleanly off the grass. To get the ball up you have to hit down. Your aim should be to have the wedge hit the ground with its leading edge just behind the ball. Concentrate on taking a divot and the ball will pop up.

3. Go Slooooow

One of the main causes of mis-hit wedge shots is too much movement of the body. This excess movement is usually caused by too quick of a swing. The result typically will be a skulled or fat shot. The wedge is a precision club. When you have the wedge in your hand you should be pin hunting. Like any precision instrument you want to handle it with finesse. Keep your grip light and your swing rythmic. The best way to achieve this rythmic swing is to go slooooow.

Putting Tips - Listen for the Ball to Drop

2005-04-22T08:18:00.000-04:00

Sneaking a Peek at ball after you putt as it rolls towards the hole is a guaranteed way to derail your putt. If you find your head rotating towards the hole as your putter is coming through impact just about any chance of the putt sinking is gone. This movement of the head, however slight, causes movement in the rest of your body and is enough to throw off your center of gravity and cause your putter to go offline.

Try this the next time you're on the practice green. Concentrate on the ball instead of the hole. Don't follow your putter back or through, keep your eyes on the ball prior to impact and glued to the spot where the ball was after impact. After impact don't look up at all to watch your putt instead listen for the sound of the ball dropping into the hole. You'll be surprised how often they drop.

Putting Tips - Pace Off the Long Putts

2005-04-21T07:56:00.000-04:00

Many mid to high handicap golfers run up their scores because of their inability to get a long putt in the hole in two strokes. Three putts and even four putts will kill a round faster than anything else. This problem can be cured if you'll spend some time on the practice range working on judging the distance and how hard to hit the ball from long distances.

Unlike out on the fairways there are no distance markers on the green. That doesn't mean however, that you shouldn't know how far the putt you're looking at is. When you're faced with a long putt make it a point to pace off the distance. To do this, simply walk from the ball to the hole and multiply by 3 (the length of an average pace is 3 feet). This isn't an exact science so you don't have to be exact. Just estimate it as closely as possible. You also should make it a point to do this as soon as step onto the green so you don't slow down play.

You should practice these long putts on the practice green. Pacing off the distance and getting a good feel for how hard you have to hit a ball to go 30 feet, 40 feet, etc., so that when you're on the green during a round and your faced with a 40 footer you'll know how hard you have to hit the ball. This will greatly increase your confidence in your stroke and allow you to get a lot of those four footers within 3 feet of the hole. Which is close enough for just about anyone to get down in two.

Putting Tips - Get the Ball Rolling

2005-04-19T08:36:00.000-04:00

In order to have continued success on the greens you have to learn how to get the ball rolling smoothly. There's a big difference between hitting the ball and putting a good roll on it. If you look at your putter you'll realize that there actually is a slight loft to the club (usually about 4 degrees). This slight loft in the club is necessary in order to get the ball rolling smoothly towards the hole. If hit properly the ball will actually lift slightly off the ground before sitting back down on its journey to the hole.

Too many golfers don't use this loft to their advantage. In order for the loft of the putter to do its job your hands should be even with the ball at address and at impact. If you keep your hands ahead of the ball you've effectively de-lofted the putter. Instead of the ball rising slightly off the ground at impact you'll hit the ball down into the ground. This can cause the ball to immediately go off line and ruin any chance you had of sinking the putt.

Putting Tips - Accelerate Your Putting Stroke

2005-04-18T09:51:00.000-04:00

Are you having problems sinking short putts? One possible reason could be that you're trying to baby the ball into the hole. What happens when you try to baby the ball is that your stroke becomes too tentative. This tentativness causes your putter to go off line and results in either a push or pull. It doesn't matter how short the putt is you must accelerate the putter through impact.

The next time you're on the practice green try the following drill. Place your ball 3 feet from the hole and hit it using your normal putting stroke. Now, place the ball in the same location but this time only bring the putter back half as far as you did on the first putt. Concentrate on accelerating the putter through impact. Don't forget to follow through. Repeat the drill from 4 feet, 5 feet etc. You'll soon realize the difference in the strokes. Get into the habit of accelerating your putting stroke and you'll see a lot more of those short putts dropping in to the hole.

Putting Tips - The Sweet Spot

2005-04-15T08:14:00.000-04:00

If you are a mid to high handicap golfer and you're finding it hard to get on the green in regulation the last thing you want is to waste strokes once you're on the green. Fortunately, poor putting is often caused by not hitting the ball solidly. Think about your putting game. Do you come up short on one putt and then blow your next putt way past the hole? If you are then more then likely you're not hitting your putts on the Sweet Spot of your putter.

That notch or line that you see on your putter on the top of the blade might not actually be the Sweet Spot. To find the actual sweet spot on your putter try doing the following. Hold the putter by the grip very lightly between the thumb and forefinger. Hold the club out in front of you, now take a coin and tap the face of the putter until you find that spot that sounds different. The sound you want to hear is one that feels solid. Also, when you hit the club at this point the blade doesn't turn but rather goes straight back. This point is your Sweet Spot.

Once you've found the Sweet Spot mark the spot on the top edge of the blade so that when you're standing over your putt you can see it. You might put a small piece of tape or even some white out on the blade to mark the point. Now practice hitting your putts using the spot you marked as the Sweet Spot. You'll find you make solid contact much more often and you should start hitting your putts with greater consistency and turn a lot of those 3 putts into 2 putts.

Putting Tips - Learn to Lag

2005-04-14T09:33:00.000-04:00

On long putts your goal should not be to sink the putt but to get the ball within a 3 foot radius of the hole. First look at the direction and once you know how the ball is going to break focus your attention on the distance. How hard are you going to have to hit the putt to get it within that 3 foot radius. The amount of power you'll need to get the ball into the circle will be determined by whether or not it's an uphill or downhill putt and how closely the green is cut.

I find it easier to walk the line the putt will travel stopping at the halfway point. From this point I'll take a practice swing concentrating on how hard I need to hit the ball to get it to the hole. Now remembering how hard I needed to swing the putter from this point I'll try to double that force for the actual putt. I've found that breaking the putt down into halves makes me more confident when I'm actually standing over the ball and looking at a 60 footer.

Don't underestimate the effect that a slope will have on a long putt. A long uphill putt will require a good firm stroke in order to get the ball into the circle while a downhill putt of the same distance could roll a lot further then you thought.

Spend time on the practice green working on these long putts. Concentrate on the circle. Hit both uphill, downhill and sidehill putts. Hit only 1 ball at a time. Try to lag it to within 3 feet, then go to your ball and try to sink it from that point. Once you've sunk the ball pick it up and hit it from another point. This will force you to adjust your aim and the amount of force needed for each practice putt and ultimately help you when you're faced with that long putt on the course.

Learn how to lag your putts and watch the 3 putts disappear. You could potentially knock several strokes off your game just by learning this extremely important technique.

Putting Tips - The Effects of Mountains and the Ocean

2005-04-13T08:40:00.000-04:00

When you're playing a mountainside or oceanside course the ball can seem to do some peculiar things on the green.

Putts on a mountainside course tend to want to go down the mountain. It may not be apparent to your eye, in fact, you might read the break going in the complete opposite direction. Take my advice, anytime your playing in the mountains always assume the ball will break towards the downhill side.

On an oceanside course the ball tends to want to break towards the ocean. The reason for this is that the grass tends to grow with the grain facing the ocean. So on an oceanside course always assume the ball will break towards the water.

You'll get lots of crazy breaks on these types of courses. Even more so on a mountainside course. You shouldn't be surprised when what you thought was a straight putt takes a big turn or when what you thought was a break to the left was actually a break to the right. Just keep the following in mind, down the mountain and towards the ocean and you'll increase your chances of sinking putts.

Putting Tips - Keep an Eye on Your Missed Putts

2005-04-12T12:44:00.000-04:00

Are you the type of golfer that gets disgusted when they miss a makable putt? Do you turn away in anger and not follow the putt to its conclusion? If you are you should stop. Get into the habit of watching your putts until they come to a stop. Alright, so you missed the putt. You still have to putt again so why not watch your first putt. You'll pick up the break of the green which will make it easier for you to sink the next putt.

Putting Tips - Drop Downhill Putts

2005-04-11T08:52:00.000-04:00

Just like uphill putts the force of gravity is once again at work on a downhill putt. Only this time gravity is trying to pull your ball all the way down the slope. Be smart on these putts and try to drop the ball into the hole on its last rotation. There are 2 reasons why you want to do this. First, the slope of the green and gravity are pulling your ball towards the hole and any imperfections in the green will have less of an impact on the direction of the ball. Second, If you get too aggressive on these downhill putts you'll find yourself facing an even longer uphill putt. I'd rather play it safe and know that even if I miss the first putt I have an easy tap in to get out of there with only 2 putts then face the prospect of 3 putting.

Putting Tips - Be Aggressive on Uphill Putts

2005-04-06T08:47:00.000-04:00

When your ball is on the green and lying on a slope beneath the hole the force of gravity is trying to pull your ball away from the hole. Any imperfections in the green between your ball and the hole will have a higher likelyhood of knocking your ball off line. The slower your ball is rolling towards the hole the more likely any imperfection will cause your ball to go off line. Therefore, on uphill putts that are within a makeable range it's best to think about banging the ball off the back of the hole. This should give the ball enough speed to take any imperfection out of the equation. If your ball is outside of makeable range don't try to bang the ball off the back of the hole instead try lagging your putt so that it's within 3 feet of the hole. Preferably leaving yourself an uphill putt. It's much easier to make a 3 foot uphill putt than it is to make a 2 foot downhill putt and 2 putting is much better than 3 putting.

Fixing Common Mistakes - Looking Up

2005-03-29T09:04:00.000-05:00

Looking Up

Probably the most common swing flaw for most golfers is looking up before the ball has been hit. Looking up to watch your ball will ruin any chance you have of hitting a good shot. If you don't remedy this flaw you'll never play up to your potential. It takes a lot of discipline to keep your head down and still but if you master the impulse to watch your shot you'll start hitting the ball solidly and straight.

If you watch pros when they hit putts, chips or pitches you'll notice they don't look up to follow the ball until the stroke is finished. By the time they look up the shot is well on its way and nothing they do from that point can have any effect on the shot.

On putts try the following the next time you're on the practice green. Line up your putt and hit it the way you normally would. Only this time don't look up to follow your putt at all. Instead listen for the sound of the ball falling into the hole. Start 3 feet from the hole and work your way out. You'll be amazed at how often you'll sink the putt.

On chips and pitches concentrate on the spot where the ball was lying before you hit it and keep your eyes on that spot until the ball is well gone. Only then should you look up to see where your ball has gone. Use the same method for your longer irons and woods. Concentrate on keeping your eye on the spot until the ball is long gone. If you do this you'll see a vast improvement in every aspect of your game.

Fixing Common Mistakes - The Waggle

2005-03-28T09:57:00.000-05:00

Every golfer performs a waggle of one sort or another before hitting the ball. The purpose of the waggle is to keep the muscles loose and get the juices flowing prior to hitting the ball. There is no one right way to waggle but there is a wrong way.

You should never do anything during the waggle that will cause you to alter your stance or change your aim. The waggle should get you into a position so that you get a proper turn of the shoulders during the swing. The best way to achieve this is with a one piece waggle.

Try using this waggle before each shot. Keep your wrists firm (don't allow them to break), move the club back and forth by rotating the shoulders not by moving the arms back and forth. Make two or three waggles to get the feeling of bringing the club away from the ball by executuing a proper shoulder turn, then swing. If you do this you'll encourage a backswing that is controlled by turning the body rather than your arms. This will result in a proper coiling of your upper body which means greater torque. This increased torque will lead to greater distance.

Fixing Common Mistakes - The Takeaway

2005-03-24T09:39:00.000-05:00

We've looked at how a bad grip and an improper set-up can lead to all kinds of bad shots. If your grip is good and you're setting up to the ball properly but you're still have difficulty the next area to look at is your takeaway.

The Fault - Improper Takeaway

The importance of starting your swing correctly can't be over emphasized. The entire swing takes somewhere between 1.5 and 2 seconds to complete. Scientists have proven that the muscle to brain and back to muscle reactions simply are not fast enough for a golfer to consciously direct the swing in that small amount of time. For even the slowest swinging golfers once they are about two-thirds of the way into the backswing the rest of the swing will be purely reflexive. So what can we take out of this scientific data? It's quite simple really. When you swing the club your actions are under your full conscious control only during the initial takeaway motion from the ball. That means that the beginning of the swing is pretty darn important.

The Cure - Slower is Best

In my opinion it's not possible to start the swing slowly enough as long as the club is swung and not taken away from the ball. By that I mean as long as its part of the fluid motion of the swing and not a conscious effort to take the club away form the ball without the rest of the body taking part in the motion. There are several reasons why.

1) The slower the backswing is started the more control you'll have over the initial path of the clubhead and the alignment of the clubface. Since this is the only part of the swing we can consciously control if you perform this part wrong whatever mistakes you've made will be magnified at impact. The faster you move the club away from the ball the less control you have over its attitude and direction.

2) The faster you start the swing the harder it is for you to coordinate the rest of your body and make a full upper body turn. If your initial motion is too fast the smaller muscles of the hands and arms will react faster than the larger muscles of the shoulders, hips and legs. This will cause your body to get out of sync resulting in lots of ugly shots.

3) The pace you start the swing back on will dictate the tempo and timing of the entire swing. The faster you take the club back the less likely you are to properly complete the swing.

So if nothing else has worked try slowing down your takaway and strive for a full shoulder turn. With a good grip, a proper set-up and a nice slow takeaway you should find that any swing problems you've had should quickly disappear.

Fixing Common Mistakes - Improper Set Up

2005-03-22T09:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we discussed how a bad grip can lead to poor results. However, if you grip is OK and you're still having problems the next area to look at is the set up.

The Fault - Improper Set-Up

If you're consistantly hitting the ball off your intended target line and the problem isn't your grip than the next most likely culprit can be traced to your set-up. If your body isn't properly aligned to your target line it is almost impossible to bring the club back to the ball on the proper swing plane. The result will be an inside-out or an outside-in swing that will result in either an ugly slice or a big draw.

The Cure - Get into the Proper Position

The best and easiest way to bring the club back to the ball on the proper swing plane is to make sure that your body is in balance and is correctly aligned to your target. Start by placing your feet shoulder width apart and square to your target. The best way to determine where you're aiming is to place the club across your thighs. Where your clubhead is facing is the direction you're aiming. Next, make sure sure your weight is evenly distributed between your feet. Your knees should be flexed slightly. Bend over from the hips and keep your spine straight. Let your arms hang down naturally and place the club behind the ball. Stay loose! From this position you're all set to give the ball a good ride.

Fixing Common Mistakes - Improper Grip

2005-03-21T08:26:00.000-05:00

We all go through periods where we're just not hitting the ball right. It can be very frustrating to not be able to hit the ball the same way you did yesterday or last week. When a situation like this arises the best thing you can do is not to panic. The problem usually can be traced back to something as simple your grip, or a faulty take away. So when everything seems to go bad go back to basics and make sure your fundamentals are sound.

Tha Fault - Improper Grip

The way you grip the club has a huge effect on ball flight and your swing plane. For example, if you grip the club with a weak grip, meaning your right hand (if you're a righty)sits too much on top of the club, then your right shoulder is probably higher then it should be and your body is most likely aimed left of your target. This will cause an open clubface at impact along with an outside in swing path. The result? An ugly shot.

The Cure - Remember your V's

Make sure your grip is correct. Put your left hand on the club first, you should be able to see two-and-a-half to three knuckles. Then, place the right hand on the club. The "V's" formed by the thumb and forefinger on both hands should point between your right ear and right shoulder. One very important point to remember, you can't hit a golf ball if your squeezing the club too tight. A tight grip means there's lots of tension built up in your muscles. Your grip pressure must remain loose.

Difficult Lies - The Downhill Bunker Shot

2005-03-17T08:59:00.000-05:00

The Downhill Bunker Shot

This is one of the most difficult shots in golf. You wind up in the trap and your ball is sitting on the downslope. You've got to get the ball up into the air or you'll be hitting your next shot from the sand also. Here's how to play the shot.

1) The Setup - The key is to make sure that your shoulders are aligned to the contour of the ground. This means placing more of your weight on your downhill foot (left foot if you're a right-hander and right foot if you're a left-hander). Next, open up your stance and open up the clubface.

2) The Backswing - Pick the club up abruptly when you start your backswing (don't sweep the club back)and cock your wrists. By bringing the club up fast and cocking your wrists you'll create a steep angle of attack. It also will prevent you from scraping your club along the sand or hitting the lip of the bunker on the backswing.

3) The Downswing - The club must come back to the ball following the contour of the ground. In order to avoid hitting the ball thin make sure that your arms are fully extended and sweep the club underneath the ball at impact. The distance you hit behind the ball is determined by the distance you need the ball to travel. Don't baby this shot. Hit it hard and follow through.

Difficult Lies - The Deep Sand Save

2005-03-16T08:13:00.000-05:00

Your approach shot has landed in a greenside bunker that's so deep the wall towers over your head. Should you play out laterally or go for the pin? This is a scary shot and one that many average golfers will leave in the trap. However, once you know how to play this shot it's not really that difficult. The correct shot to hit is an explosion shot that flies high, easily clears the wall of the bunker and lands on the green. So let's look at the proper way to hit this shot.

1) The Grip - the proper grip on this shot will have your hands down the shaft so that your right thumb and index finger are wrapped around the metal of the shaft (right-handers). The clubface should be turned wide open and your grip should be on the weak side. You need lively hands to keep your clubhead speed up on this shot. A weak grip will help keep your hands lively. To make the grip weak do the following. Look down at your left hand, you should see 3 knuckles, if you don't rotate your left hand until you do.

2) The Stance - Now that you have the proper grip aim your clubface and your feet straight down your target line. Now open your stance wide by bringing your left foot back to a 45 degee angle from the target line while keeping your clubface straight along the target line.

Your feet should be spread wide, slightly more than shoulder width apart. This will require you to bend a little more at the waist to get the clubface behind the ball.

3) The Swing - The hands need to be extra active for this shot to work. That's why we weakened our grip. On the back swing pick the clubhead straight up with a quick break of the wrists, then bring the clubface back so that it hits about an inch-and-a-half behind the ball. Your swing should be hard but controlled. The harder you hit down on the ball the higher it will fly. It's better to be long on this shot than short because you don't want to hit it again out of this lie. So don't be afraid to use some force on this shot. Most importantly, follow through, don't leave the clubface stuck in the sand or your ball will still be in the sand too.

Difficult Lies - The Bank Shot

2005-03-14T08:11:00.000-05:00

This is a difficult spot to be in. You've just missed hitting an elevated green with your approach shot. Your ball has rolled down the hill and is sitting on a bare lie. There's very little green to work with as the pin is cut close to the edge of the green.

Since you're sitting on a bare lie a flop shot won't work because you won' t be able to get the club under the ball. The only real alternative you have is to try to hit the bank shot. What I mean by a bank shot is that you want to hit the ball into the side of the hill, this will slow down its momentum enough so that the ball will just clear the top of the hill on the second bounce and trickle onto the green.

Club and target selection are critical here. If it's a low hill you can go all the way down to a 3 iron. As the height of the hill increases you would move up in iron # all the way up to a 7 or 8 iron if necessary. If you hit the ball too low the ball won't make it up the hill to the hole. If you hit the ball too high it will run way past the pin and maybe even over the green.

This is a difficult shot but it can be done. The keys are to choose your target carefully and make sure you have the right club to get the ball to your target.

Difficult Lies - The Downhill Pitch and Chip

2005-03-12T11:38:00.000-05:00

These are tricky little shots that most golfers have a difficult time pulling off. Because of the slope many golfers tend to hit into the ground behind the ball causing a fat shot. The greater the degree of the slope the more likely you'll be to hit it fat. Try the 2 methods I explain below and you should be able to avoid these fat shots.

1) Hit it Square - For this shot you should use either a sand wedge or a pitching wedge. Set up to the ball with an slightly open stance and play the ball slightly back in your stance. Your weight should be more towards the down hill side (your left side if you're a right-hander and your right side if you're a left-hander. The clubface should be square along your target line and your hands even with the ball.

The trick is to move the clubhead along the angle of the slope. Your wrists must remain firm through impact (don't break the wrists). This will cause you to hit the ball flush with a square clubface. Follow through so that your clubface points straight along the target line. The ball will come off the clubface low and fast so land it short of the green and let it run to the pin.

2) The Flop Shot - This is a high risk shot and should only be used if the method above won't work for some reason (like having a bunker between you and the pin). This shot will fly high and land soft.

Use your pitching wedge for this shot and open it up wide. Use a very wide open stance. For this shot your weight should be on the uphill side (right side if you're a right-hander and left side if you're a left-hander). Play the ball in the center of your stance and keep your your hands even with the clubhead. This shot requires lots of wrist action. To hit the ball bring the club up with a quick wrist cock and slide the clubface cleanly under the ball with a brisk downswing. The clubface should pass the hands at impact as the wrists break on the downswing. The ball will pop up high and land soft.

This method is tough and requires lots of practice. But when there's no other altenative it's the shot to play.

Difficult Lies - Ball Below Feet

2005-03-11T08:39:00.000-05:00

A side hill lie with the ball below your feet will make your clubface point to the right of the target if you're a right-hander and left of the target if you're a left-hander. So most right-hand golfers will aim left of the target and assume that the ball will drift back to the right and visa-versa for a left-hander. However, it rarely plays out like this because the slope of hill makes it hard to make a full turn without losing your balance. What usually happens is that you won't make a full coil of your body and you'll compensate for this lack of power by pulling hard with your arms. The club will come to the ball from over the top on an out to in swing plane and you'll pull the ball way left.

Once again the key is to maintain your balance throughout the swing. Because of the slope of the hill you'll need to keep your weight back in your stance and crouch down to get your club behind the ball. Take one (1) club more than you normally would. Aim slightly left of your target if you're a right-hander and a little right of the target if you're a left-hander. Make a smooth controlled swing concentrating on making a full coil (get your left shoulder under you chin) on the back-swing and then simply uncoil and concentrate on bring the club back to the ball on your target line. An out to in swing plane will result in a pulled shot that will land well off target and an in to out swing plane will result in an ugly slice. If you bring the club back on your target line the ball will start out left of the target and drift back right to the target.

Difficult Lies - Sidehill Lies

2005-03-10T15:20:00.000-05:00

The general rule of hitting the ball on a sidehill lie is that if the ball is above your feet, the slope will tend to move your shot left and if it's below your feet, the slope will tend to move your shot right. However, this rule is not set in stone. Let's take a look at hitting a ball off a sidehill lie with the ball above your feet.

BALL ABOVE FEET

A sidehill lie with the ball above your feet will make your clubface point to the left of the target if you're a right hander and right of the target if you're a lefthander. So most right handers will aim the ball right of the target and let the ball drift back to the left and visa-versa for a left hander. The problem with this stategy is that it will only work if you make solid contact with the ball with your clubface square to your initial alignment. However, gravity tends to pull your body away from the ball. Because of this most people tend to make contact with the ball more toward the toe of the club, which twists the clubface open and sends the ball right instead of right as you would expect.

The key to this shot is to maintain your balance throughout the swing. Your weight should be on the balls of your feet at address and stay there. Use one (1) club more than you normally would. Aim your body and the clubface a little right of the target if you're a righthander and a little left of the target if you're a left hander. Make a simple easy swing 3/4 swing using mainly your arms (that's why we went up 1 club). If you've taken enough club, and maintained your balance, you should hit the ball cleanly on the sweet spot and work its back to the left as you'd expect.

Course Management - Know How You Hit Each Club

2005-03-08T09:20:00.000-05:00

You have to know what kind of shot you can hit with each of the clubs in your bag. I suggest that you practice hitting the same shot with different clubs and see which one gets you the best result. It helps to experiment with different clubs also. For example, instead of hitting a 5 iron you might try hitting a 7 wood. Following are a couple of tips on club selection.

1) Don’t use a driver on a narrow fairway. Use a club that will put you safely in the fairway like your 3 iron.

2) Don’t use a driver on holes with out of bounds. Try hitting the 3 wood instead, you'll only lose about 10-15 yards and you'll increase the accuracy of the shot.

3) Don’t use a low number iron or 3 wood in a fairway bunker with a high lip. Give up the yards and make sure you clear the lip. Hit your 7 iron and set yourself up for the next shot.

4) It's usually easier to hit a 5 wood or 7 wood on the fairway or in the rough than it is to hit a low iron. You'll get a higher trajectory on the ball without losing too mush distance.

5) Don’t hit a certain club because every one else is, hit the club that you feel comfortable with.

6) Try to learn the distance you can consistently hit every club in your bag.

If you know how you hit each club and stay with the safe shot you will easily eliminate several strokes per round.

Course Management - Know Your Limits

2005-03-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Try to always remember that you are not a pro. You're not playing golf for a living. You're on the course to have a good time. There aren't hundreds of thousands of dollars riding on your next shot. Just because a pro can pull off an unbelievable shot doesn't mean you can. If the odds of making the shot aren't highly in your favor don't try to pull it off. Instead, take the easier route and get yourself or keep yourself out of trouble. That's where it pays to know your limitations. Here are some useful tips to help keep you out of trouble.

1) Don’t try hitting through the trees. Instead, chip the ball sideways back into the fairway.

2) Don’t try to kill the ball to get more distance it rarely works.

3) Don’t attempt to shave some distance off your next shot by hitting over a dogleg. Take the sure shot and put it in the fairway.

4) Take a nice easy swing on uneven lies.

5) Direction is almost always more important than distance. Avoid trouble by keeping your ball in play.

I could go on and on but you get the point. Recognize your own limitations and play within those limitations. If you do this I guarantee you'll knock several strokes off your score.

Course Management - Tee Box Tips

2005-03-05T09:44:00.000-05:00

1) Always be aware of how the tees are lining up. Just because the tees are aligned in a certain direction doesn't mean you have to follow that path. Many times the path the tees are lined up in will lead you into trouble.

2) Just because you're on the tee doesn't mean you have to hit the driver. You should hit the club that will give you the best position in which to play your next shot.

3) Always tee up the ball on the side of the tee box that opens up the fairway, for example, if the fairway doglegs left tee the ball up on the right side of the box.

Course Management - A Plan for Every Round and a Target for Every Shot

2005-03-04T08:25:00.000-05:00

Why is it that sometimes you can hit the ball well but don't put up the score that you should? For most of us it can be summed up in 2 words "course management". How many times have you tried to pull off that 1 in a 100 shot. You say to yourself "I can clear that water hazard even though its 250 yards to safely get over it". Or how about "If I can just get the ball through that opening in the tree and put a slight fade on the ball I can get it there". Let's be honest now. What really happens when you try to pull off that kind of shot? It doesn't work! You wind up making triple bogey or worse. You can ruin a good round by trying to pull off a shot of that kind. You're almost always better off taking the safe route.

Course management starts prior to your teeing off on the first hole. You should always have a plan of action before you start the round. But even more importantly you need to have a plan for every shot you take. Pick out a target on every shot and try to hit it that target. And remember bogeys are much better than triple bogeys.

Putting Tip - Don't Break Your Wrists

2005-02-24T09:38:00.000-05:00

One of the fundamentals of the putt is to not break your wrists. The back of your left hand must remain square to the hole throughout the stroke. The head of the putter should not beat your hands to the ball. If they did you broke your wrists and the odds of you hitting the putt online are next to nothing.

Putting Tip - Keep Your Head and Body Still

2005-02-23T09:27:00.000-05:00

Concentrate on keeping your head and body still before, during and after impact with the ball. The only part of your body that should be moving is your arms and shoulders. If you move your head your body will also move which can cause you to hit the ball off your target line. There will be plenty of time to look at the ball after you make your putt. Practice keeping your head still. In practice try to not look at your putt at all. Take your swing and don't look, listen for the sound of the ball falling into the hole. You'll be amazed at how often it will go in.

Putting Tip - Take a Deep Breath and Relax

2005-02-22T08:32:00.000-05:00

Before you putt the ball it's extrememly important that you relax. While you're standing over the ball take a deep breath and let it go. This will release the tension that tends to build up. This release of tension will then transfer to your stroke. It's difficult to hit a putt when your body is all tense. Get into the habit of relieving the tension prior to every putt and watch them start falling into the hole.

Putting Tips - Practice Drills

2005-02-18T08:31:00.000-05:00

Do you have problems with short putts? Do you get a case of the yips when you need to sink a putt? Here are a couple of drills you can try that will get you sinking those putts consistently.

1) Put a coin about 8 inches behind your ball on the line that you want the ball to go. Concentrate on bringing the putter back along the line so that the center of your putter passes over the coin going back and forward.

2) Start this drill 1 foot from the hole. Take 5 balls and sink all 5 from 1 foot. Then move to 2 feet from the hole and sink 5 putts, then 3 feet, 4 feet etc. Miss one putt and you have to start all over again from 1 foot.

Sand Play - The Fried Egg

2005-02-17T08:20:00.000-05:00

Your ball lands in a green side bunker which is bad enough but when you get to the ball you find that you have a buried lie or as it is commonly called "The Fried Egg". How do you play this shot?

The first thing you need to do is not let it bother you and don't let the situation beat you. You might have trouble getting the ball close to the pin but unless the ball is completely buried you can get it out and on the green.

Here's how I would play the shot.Normally from a green side bunker you would hit the sand wedge, however, in this situation with the buried lie the sand wedge won't work. The large flange on the sand wedge won't allow you to dig deep enough into the sand to get under the ball and pop it out. So I use the pitching wedge instead. The pitching wedge has a much smaller flange which will allow the leading edge of the club to dig into the sand deeper.

The Setup - Keep your stance square to your target line. Don't open your stance as you would on other sand shots. The ball should be centered between your feet. The face of your club should be square to the target line or closed depending on how deeply the ball is buried. Dig in to the sand and get a good firm stance. Your weight should be slightly more towards your front foot.

The Swing - You want to club to enter the sand about 2 inches behind the ball. Your swing back and through the ball should be steeper than normal and your weight should be kept more towards your front foot through the swing. You should feel that the left arm and side are pulling the club down through the sand.

The only variables are that the deeper your ball is buried the more you should close your clubface and the harder you swing. The ball will fly out in a burst of sand and it will roll a long way after it lands because you can't put any backspin on the ball with a buried lie. Therefore, if the pin is cut close to the bunker forget about getting it close. Just be thankful you got the ball out of the bunker and concentrate on sinking the putt. If the pin however is towards the back of the green you stand a good chance of getting the ball close.

Sand Play - The Fairway Bunker Shot

2005-02-16T08:13:00.000-05:00

You crack off a great drive only to find yourself in a fairway bunker. It always seem like the people who design golf courses always put those things in wrong place. Anyway, you still have 150 yards to the hole what do you do?

The swing is a little different in this situation. Let me explain. First of all you want to use a club that is 2 clubs more than the club you would typically hit for the distance you want to hit the ball. For 150 yards if you would typically hit a 6 iron you should use a 4 iron.

The Setup - Dig into the sand and keep the weight evenly distributed between right and left but more towards the insides of your feet. Choke down slightly on the club (about an inch). Play the ball in the middle of your stance.

The Swing - Here is the key to the swing. Keep the lower body as still as possible. Because you're in the sand your stance is not as stable as it would be on solid ground. If you try to take a big swing at the ball with a lot of leg action your swing plane will shift and you'll need to make adjustments. Trying to make adjustments during the swing is bad and you don't want to do that. Concentrate on keeping your legs and hips quiet during the swing while still acheiving a full shoulder turn. Use your normal swing speed and try to clip the ball off the sand taking as little sand as possible.

Tip - For longer shots out of fairway bunkers you'll be better off using a lofted wood than an iron. A 7 wood often is an ideal club to clip the ball off the sand and send it a good distance down the fairway or onto the green. Depending on the distance I want the ball to go and my lie in the sand and whether or not there is a lip I need to clear I've even hit my driver out of the sand.

Sand Play - Hitting Out of Wet Sand

2005-02-15T08:24:00.000-05:00

What do you do when you've hit hit your ball into wet sand? Here's how I handle this situation. I'll set up to the ball just as I would for a normal sand shot except for a couple of very important differences. First, instead of opening up the clubface I'll keep my clubface square to my target line. Second, since the clubface is square to the target line I'll be a little less aggressive with my swing by taking a shorter backswing.
If you keep your clubface open in wet sand the flange of the club will tend to bounce off the wet sand rather than digging into it and we don't want that to happen. By squaring the clubface you'll eliminate this bouncing off the sand. Hit behind the ball about an inch or two but remember to be a little less aggressive. The club will dig in and the ball will pop out.

Sand Play - The Long Sand Shot

2005-02-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

You're in the sand with a decent lie. However you have 40 yards to the pin and have to get up over the lip of the trap. What do you do?

Here's what I do. I hit an 8 iron instead of the sand wedge. 40 yards with a sand wedge from the trap is a long way and would require a real good hard swing at the ball. I like to keep my swing consistent so I'll grab the 8 iron and take a normal swing at the ball but I'll let the club enter the sand a little farther back than I would if I was hitting the sand wedge.

Hitting further back behind the ball will allow you some leeway if you make a mistake because your ball won't travel as far and you'll be less likely to hit it over the green. Give this method a try you'll be surprised with the results. Vary the club you use as the distance from the pin increases and as your lie dictates.

The Short Game - The Birds Nest

2005-02-11T09:21:00.000-05:00

Your ball is lying in heavy grass making it look like an egg in a nest. There is a bunker between you and the flag. What do you do?

You need to get a lofted clubface under the ball. At the same time you need to make sure that the the club doesn't get caught up in the grass causing the ball to land in the sand. So here's the answer. Choose the sand wedge. The sand wedge is the most lofted club in your bag. The heavy flange will cut through the grass allowing you to get under the ball.

Open the clubface to increase the loft of the club. To accommodate for the opening of the clubface, adjust your stance to the left. This will make it easier to get the club under the ball. Here's the key to the shot. You don't want to hit the ball onto the green you want to hit the entire birds nest onto the green. You'll need to take a good swing because the birds nest is much heavier then the ball. On the downswing hit behind the ball focusing on sliding the the club under the entire birds nest, be aggressive and follow through and the ball will pop up and onto the green.

The Short Game - The Sand Wedge Putt

2005-02-10T09:21:00.000-05:00

We've all come across this problem. Your just off the green and your ball is in light rough or leaning against the fringe. You want to get the ball rolling as fast as possible. If you use your putter the blade will have trouble gliding through the grass. What do you do? Next time try the sand wedge.

The sharp, heavy leading edge of the sand wedge will cut smoothly through the grass. The flange also adds more weight and will put extra power into the shot. Therefore you need to practice this shot to get the feel for the distance the ball will travel. You should play this shot exactly as you would a putt, right down to your putting grip. Make the leading edge of the wedge strike the back of the ball. Don't hit under the ball you don't want to pop it up you just want to get it rolling. don't be afraid to try this shot because once you're comfortable with it you'll find it's much easier to hit than the putter.

The Short Game - Use Different Clubs

2005-02-09T09:20:00.000-05:00

A lot of golfers use the same club every time they have a have a shot around the green. While this method may work for some players I personally don't recommend it. Why try to adapt one club to every situation when you have a bag full of clubs that will do the job for you.

When you are greenside your goal should be to get the ball rolling like a putt as soon as possible. By getting the ball rolling as soon as possible you stand a better chance of getting the ball close to the hole. Therefore, you should select the club with the least loft possible, given the situation at hand. If you have to play over a hazard you wouldn't do this but if you have a clear run at the flag get the ball rolling ASAP. For short shots use a wedge or 9 iron. As the distance increases move down to your middle irons. On long chips I'll often move down to a 4 or 5 iron. Regardless of which club you use always use the same swing. By keeping your swing consistent, you remove the doubts from the shot. A firm, confident swing will put the ball close to the pin consistantly.

The Short Game - Hit Your Short Shots Hard

2005-02-08T08:48:00.000-05:00

Have you ever watched the pros hit their chips and pitch shots when they're close to the green? One thing you'll quickly realize is that although the shots are short ones, they hit em hard.

Accelerating the clubhead through impact is as vital to the short game. It's the only way you'll consistantly put the ball close to hole. If you practice this you'll also find that by hitting em hard you'll impart a backspin on the ball. This backspin will give you control over the shot. So don't baby the short chips and pitches, be aggressive. The hands must lead the club through impact and you must make a descending hit on the ball and whatever you do don't forget to follow through.

The Short Game - Chipping and the Grip

2005-02-07T08:17:00.000-05:00

Chipping is very similar to putting. You have to develop a feel for it and build a method that works for you. Once you've discovered a method that works you should stick with it no matter how unorthodox it is. The method I teach is a little different than most but it works well for most people that try it. If you would like to learn more about my method visit my web site

The Biomechanics of the Golf Swing

Regardless of the method you use there is one rule of chipping that is universal. Grip down on the club. Once I'm within about 50 yards of the hole I begin to choke down on my grip. The closer to the hole the more I choke down. Sometimes I even choke down all the way to the metal. There are 2 reasons why you should do this also.

1) It improves your touch. When you choke down on the club you move your hands closer to the clubhead and the ball which in turn increases your feel for the shot.

2) By lessening the distance between your hands and the clubhead you cut back on the arc of the swing. This smaller arc automatically shortens the shot without you having to make big adjustments in your swing length or pace and it allows you to take a good, crisp, authoritative swing without worrying about hitting the ball past the pin.

Go down to your local practice range and give it a try. You'll soon discover how much to choke down on the club from various distances and you'll be knocking the ball close to the pin consistently.

The Practice Swing - Why doesn't the swing that counts look like my practice swing?

2005-02-05T10:10:00.000-05:00

Here's a question I get all the time. Why does it seem like I'm hitting them great at the range but as soon as go to hit the ball at the 1st tee that beautiful swing disappears?

There are fewer obstacles to overcome when you're on the practice range. You don't have people watching you. You have a positive attitude. You're relaxed and hitting some balls just to warm up. If you hit a bad shot on the range you just shrug it off because, hey it's not a big deal.

As soon as you step up to the first tee however, the dreaded 1st tee jitters strike. Now the shot counts and if you hit it poorly it's a big deal. Suddenly everything you were doing right on the range you do wrong. Here's what you need to do. Relax, just try to remember why you're on the course. To have fun. You're not doing it for a living. Just relax and remember your fundamentals. Remember how your swing felt on the practice range and make the same swing on the first tee.

Don't allow tension to creep into your game. Tension is #1 difference between your practice swing and course swing. If you allow it to play a role in your game it will kill your swing. You can't step up to the tee and be thinking about hitting the ball into the woods or not being able to clear the water hazard. Keep the negative thoughts out of your mind. Think positive, pick out a spot where you want the ball to land, take aim, and swing just like you did on the practice range. You'll be amazed at how often you'll hit the target.

The Long Game - Don't Try to Kill the Ball

2005-02-04T13:43:00.000-05:00

The one area of the game that separates a good golfer from a high handicappers is the ability to hit a long iron shot.

Most high handicappers find the long irons the most difficult clubs to hit. However, the truth is they are not as difficult as they appear. The best thing to remember on long iron shots is not to try to hit the ball any harder than a short iron shot. The key to make this happen is to try to not make it happen but let it happen. Don't try to hit the ball hard to get more distance. In fact, don't try to hit the ball at all. Just swing naturally at the ball. Take an easy swing just like you would with a short iron and think of the ball as merely a point on the path of your swing. You most likely won't be able to hit a 3 iron 260 yards like the pros do but you can achieve good distance with your long irons. Master this and you'll soon be smacking your long irons better than ever.

The Long Game - My Swing Stays Consistent

2005-02-03T08:26:00.000-05:00

If you want to play good golf you have to build 2 very important qualities into your swing

1) consistency and 2) simplicity. Once I'm settled into my stanse I make no conscious swing adjustments. I make the same swing for every club in the bag. I have the same back swing on every shot. It doesn't matter if I'm hitting the driver or a wedge (except if the shot is a pitch or chip).

As the club shortens, your clubhead arc will decrease automatically. There's no need to increase or decrease your swing speed or the distance you bring the club back. If you keep your swing length consistent you'll build the confidence that the length of your shots can be controlled solely through your club selection.

The Set Up - Same Ball Position for Every Shot

2005-02-02T07:57:00.000-05:00

Consistency is the key in golf. The biggest problem most amateur golfers face is the lack of consistency. If you can learn to repeat the same swing over and over, you'll make the game a lot easier.

That's one of the reasons why I teach that the mid to high handicap golfer should use one ball position for all shots. To make the setup comfortable and the stance stable, I move my right foot closer to my left as the loft of the club increases. Most of you have probably been taught that you should move the ball progressively back in your stance as your club shortens. The problem with this method is that you're changing the loft on the clubs. For example, if you play the 5-iron a bit farther back in your stance than the 4-iron, all you've done is to deloft that 5-iron so that it's now effectively a short 4-iron. In addition, you've also just changed your contact point with the ball (the point in your swing where the club makes contact with the ball). I don't know about you but I have enough trouble maintaining one impact point - I don't want to have to deal with a dozen of them.

Unless I'm trying to play a special shot of some sort, I position the ball in the center of my stance. Your own position may be a bit farther forward or back. Regardless of where you feel the most comfortable doesn't matter. The point is to determine exactly where the point is and then stick with it for every club in your bag.

The Long Game - How to Hit the Ball High

2005-02-01T08:10:00.000-05:00

One of the hardest things to do is to hit the ball high into the air. Here's how I do it. First of all don't change your swing. Just make two minor adjustments to your stance.

First, play the ball slightly forward of where you would normally play it. If you usually position it off your left instep, move it about a ball-width forward. Wherever your normal ball position is, that is the position that allows you to hit the ball at the bottom of your downswing, moving the ball forward in your stance from this position will get yo tol hit it at the beginning of your upswing.

Second, redistribute your weight slightly at address, so that you feel a bit more weight on your right side. This will shift your center of gravity, and your swing center, behind the ball a bit. This is where your center of gravity needs to be at impact if you want to hit the ball on a high trajectory.

Then just make a normal swing and follow all the way through the shot. Above all, don't try to hit up on the ball. With the changes you've made at address, you'll do that naturally.

The Long Game - Drawing or Fading a Shot

2005-01-31T08:08:00.000-05:00

I'm a straight-ball hitter. I don't try to play a lot of fancy shots from right to left or from left to right. But lets face it sometimes you just have to be able to draw or fade a ball. Here's the trick, keep it simple. Don't make any changes in your grip or swing. You can draw or fade a ball simply by altering your alignment when you set up to the ball.

For a left-to-right fade I align my body slightly to the left while keeping my clubface aimed straight at the target. By pointing my toe line, knees, hips, and shoulders to the left, I set up an out-to-in cut across the ball, which imparts the clockwise sidespin that makes the ball drift to the right.

Conversely, for a right-to-left draw I aim my body to the right while keeping the clubface straight at the target. This alignment encourages a takeaway that is more to the inside than usual, resulting in a more in-to-out hit on the ball; this counterclockwise spin moves shots from right to left.

The more curve I want on these shots, the more I open or close my stance. It's as simple as that.

Difficult Lies - Hitting Out of Difficult Lies

2005-01-29T09:57:00.000-05:00

Trouble makes us all stretch our shotmaking skills. Believe it or not a good portion of those skills are mental, not physical. To be able to make a shot out of a difficult lie you have to work harder and concentrate harder. If you can do this, a good portion of the time you will pull off the shot.

You may not have the physical skills of a professional, but there's no reason why you can't approach and evaluate trouble situations with the same mental acuity. In fact, to use these skills you need nothing more than a sophisticated version of your normal pre-shot routine.

I begin playing a trouble shot as I'm approaching the ball. Often you can see your situation better -- get a view of the big picture -- when you're 100 yards in back of it. You can see the actual height of the trees, the nature of the terrain the shot will have to cross, and sometimes you can get a better view of the pin position as well.

Once I'm at the ball, the first thing I do is inspect the lie. If it's in heavy grass, several shots are immediately made impossible. Likewise, if it's sitting on hardpan or some other tight lie, certain shots are eliminated. I also make note of whether the grass is wet or dry and whether it's growing with my shot or against it.

Next I take a look at what's in front of me. Let's say I'm in the rough, I have 150 yards to the green, and I have to hit the ball under the tree limb that's hanging about six feet off the ground. I begin to imagine what the ideal shot would look like -- some sort of punch that lands in the fairway and runs to the green.

This is when I start asking myself questions: Does my lie allow me to put the club on the ball for such a shot? (If the grass is very thick, the answer is no.) Can I find my way to the green with such a shot or does a bunker or water hazard block the way?

If the answers to the questions raise doubts about my first shot, I'll search for other options. This is when I look up into the trees for a possible high escape. I'll also consider whether a hook or slice shot would be possible from the situation. If no other option is available, I'll return to the question of the low shot and make my decision, either to go for the green or to lay up.

Once that choice is made, I'll match a club to the situation. In the case of the shot I've described, let's say I choose to go for the green. I'll next visualize the ideal shot once again, and that picture will automatically tell me the best club to choose, probably a 4- or 5-iron, which I would play back in my stance and hit with a short, crisp, punch swing.

If I make the more difficult decision -- to lay up -- I'll again imagine what the ideal shot would be. I'll decide the ideal point from which I'd like to play my next shot, then I'll visualize hitting my safe shot to that point. Finally, I'll choose the club that offers the best chance of executing that safe shot.

Adopt this type of routine and you'll be pleased with the results. You'll discover that the tighter the spot you're in, the tighter your focus of concentration will be, and the more impressive your shotmaking will be.

If you tend to get into a lot of trouble on the course than I suggest that you work on your swing. Everyone gets in trouble now and then but if you are consistently finding yourself in difficult situations there is a flaw somewhere in your swing that needs to be addressed. To learn how to keep out of trouble in the first place I highly recommend that you look into my course on the golf swing "The Biomechanics of the Golf Swing" by going to the following URL [http://www.biomechanicsofgolf.com].

In addition, several years ago the Adams Company came out with a new type of club designed specifically for hitting out of difficult lies. I've used these clubs and I have to admit they work real well. There currently is a special on these clubs. Click on the picture below and check them out. The price is a steal! But you better hurry because quantities are limited and this special offer could end at any time.

The Back Swing

2005-01-26T11:42:00.000-05:00

On the back swing the most important thing to remember is that everything is connected. The hands are connected to the arms and the arms are connected to the shoulders which are connected to the the torso which is connected to the legs and feet. Everything must work as one unit.

The biomechanics of the golf swing teaches an easy method of making sure everything stays connected during the back swing. To learn more about the back swing follow the link and visit my web site. Biomechanics of the Golf Swing

Pick Out a Target and Aim Fot It

2005-01-25T11:28:00.000-05:00

Aiming the clubface is like aiming a gun. If you are not aimed properly there is no way you're going to hit your target. A slight variation of only a couple of degrees will magnify itself greatly the further away you are from the target. For example, if you are aimed 5 degrees off target and your target is 150 yards away and you hit the ball straight in the direction you were aiming your ball will land 25 yards off target. As you can see a slight variation can make a world of difference.

Learn how to align yourself properly to the target and you'll be amazed at how often you'll hit it. If you want to learn more about how to align yourself to the target visit my web site, The Biomechanics of the Golf Swing, www.biomechanicsofgolf.com

The Golf Grip

2005-01-24T09:37:00.000-05:00

The first thing you have to realize about the golf grip is that if you have a bad grip it is almost impossible to make a good swing. The grip is one of the basic foundations upon which the entire game revolves. A bad grip forces you to make adjustments to your swing in order to hit the ball squarely. With a bad grip it doesn't matter how pretty your golf swing is because you'll never hit the ball square consistently. Therefore, if you truly want to improve your swing the first place to start is with the grip. If you want to learn more about the proper golf grip visit my web site, The Biomechanics of the Golf Swing, www.biomechanicsofgolf.com

Setting up to the ball

2005-01-22T11:47:00.000-05:00

Along with a proper grip, setting up to the ball correctly is the most important thing you can do to improve your golf score. If you consistently slice or hook the ball the problem more than likely can be traced to a poor set up.

A good set up allows you to swing the club so that yhe club head returns to the ball on the same plane that it left it on the back swing. A good set up allows you to repeat the swing over and over so that it becomes second nature. Without a good set up you can't consistently hit the ball properly.

If you want to learn how to create the proper set up visit my web site, The Biomechanics of the Golf Swing, at www.biomechanicsofgolf.com