Tips for greater distance

Dreaming about Killing your tee shot for tremendous distance may be easier than you think. If you want this dream to come true, try holding the club more in your fingers and less in the palm.

When the club is held more in the fingers the ball goes farther. To demonstrate this, pick up a baseball and hold it in your palm, then throw it as far as you can. Next, throw a baseball as far as you can holding it in your fingertips. I'm sure you will find the ball goes much further from your fingertips.

Here are two drills to do consistently that will make you more comfortable with a finger grip:

1. Finger Curls

• Bend and Straighten the fingers from the middle knuckles

2. Holding Tee Drill

• Place tees between the base of the thumbs and forefingers, and hold them in place for extended periods of time
  

These drills make you more comfortable holding the club more in the fingers by keeping the thumbs from clenching the club into the palms.

When you watch your drives fly farther down the fairway, you won't be dreaming!

Now go out and play better golf!

A guy stands over his tee shot for what seems an eternity: looking up, looking down, measuring the distance, figuring the wind direction and speed. Finally his exasperated partner says, "What's taking so long? Hit the damn ball!"

The guy answers, "My wife is up there watching me from the clubhouse. I want to make this a perfect shot."

"Forget it, man," says his partner. "You'll never hit her from here."

This month we are discussing a drill on how to eliminate excessive arm movement during the swing.* In order to achieve the optimal tempo and generate the most power, your shoulders and arms need to move/work together. Follow this drill and feel how the upper and lower body should work together:

1. Put your feet close together, almost touching.
2. Take your normal posture and place the ball in the center of the stance.
3. Keeping the hips, waist and legs still, turn the club away from the ball with your arms and shoulders. Keep the hands quiet during the takeaway, and don't pick the club up with the arms.
4. Turn the club away, emphasizing the arms and shoulders working together. Find a comfortable rhythm and create contact with the arms following the body, rather than leading.
5. Make sure the arms are always in front of the torso. You don't want the club to be pulled or pushed back by the arms. Simply allow the arms and shoulder turn to work together.

With this drill, the tendency to do too much with the arms will be eliminated when you do not allow the arms to out-work the body's turning motion. You will sense a small amount of natural weight shift taking place between the feet. Don't fight this movement; allow the body to turn naturally and be sure to finish this drill with the weight shifted onto the target foot after impact.

Now go out and play better golf!

"caddy, I'd move Heaven and earth to break 100." "Concentrate on Heaven, sir. You've already moved enough earth."

Swing Plane continued

Several other reasons exist for swinging off plane. Picking the club up with your hands or rolling the club face open during the swing are two.

Keep in mind that a taller player has a naturally steeper swing plane than a shorter player, and a shorter player has a naturally flatter swing plane than a taller person. While your shoulder turn and arm swing are related, a good backswing requires a left arm swing that's on a slightly higher plane than your shoulders. This arm angle allows your shoulders to have more of a free passage to the ball on the downswing. If your left arm swing is off, you'll automatically be on the wrong plane and your swing will be off.

Below is a drill to check to see if your swing is on plane:

• Take a club and assume the proper posture, and swing to the top of your back swing.
• Hold that position for a second.
• Loosen your grip and let the shaft fall.
• If the shaft hits you on the top of the right shoulder, your swing is on plane.
  1. If the shaft hits you on the head or neck, your swing plane is too steep.
  2. If the shaft falls behind your back without hitting your body, your swing plane is too shallow.

Employing a simple move at the top of your backswing ensures that you're taking the right swing plane as you start into the downswing. As you begin your downswing, shift your weight onto your left foot while at the same time bringing your right elbow back down to the side your body. Remember to retain the angle of your wrist as you complete this move. It's the seat of power and the key to maximum distance. As the weight shifts to the left and the elbow drops down, the club falls automatically into the right slot for the correct swing plane. This movement flattens the swing ever so slightly, and it's the ideal position from which to swing the club down at the ball since it delivers the club head squarely to the ball.

In effect, you're actually employing two swing planes to hit the ball correctly, and one is slightly different than the other:

1. The first comes from executing the correct takeaway.


2. The second comes from dropping down your right elbow just before the downswing.

The second is a slightly different swing plane, but is crucial. It runs right through the correct angle of your spine, the natural axis around which your shoulders should turn to enable you to deliver a clean, crisp blow to the ball with a square club head and good power.

Swinging on plane is crucial to achieve power and clean golf shots. Check your swing plane, correct any flaws and practice to create a repeatable on plane golf stroke!

Now go out and play better golf!

Jim and Bob are golfing. Jim slices his ball deep into a wooded ravine and climbs down in search of it.

Jim spots something shiny. As he gets closer, he realizes that the shiny object is an 8-iron in the hands of a skeleton lying near an old golf ball.

Jim calls out to Bob in an agitated voice, "Hey Bob, I got trouble down here."

Bob calls out, "What's the matter Jim?"

Jim shouts back, "Throw me my 7-iron. You can't get out of here with an 8-iron."

Hit Short

This week's lesson is entitled, "How Playing Short will Save You Strokes ". It's a pretty simple tip really, but it will help you to lower your scores.

This week, again, we'll be focusing on your approach shots. What you should get out of this lesson is that short is usually better regarding approach shots, and I'm going to explain a few reasons why I believe this to be true.

Let's set the scene. We'll use the same example throughout. Let's say that you usually hit your 8 iron around 150 yards, and you are 160 out. Now, most golfers would probably grab their 7 iron here, and think to themselves, "I'll just take a little off this, and I'll be right on the pin".

Problem: Most recreational golfers don't have the ability to add and take off power from their swings.

You should focus first, and foremost, on mastering one swing, including the tempo, speed, and power that it takes to perfect that one swing. Once you start trying to swing a little easier or a little harder, problems start to sneak into your round. You are trying to play for the pin and instead, you end up in the bunker on the right side of the green, and now you've just turned a par hole into a double bogey.

The difference in distance between your 7 and 8 iron should be about 10-15 yards. The Point? Hit your 8 iron every time in the above situation. Don't mess with your swing. Go with what you trust. Hit the 8 iron 150 yards, and let the ball roll onto the green. At that point, anything can happen. You may end up 2 inches, 2 feet, or 20 feet from the pin, but at least you're putting.

Benefit 1: If you mishit the ball a little further than usual, you're still in good shape because you played a little short in the first place. If you hit the ball a little short, you're still okay, because chances are, you're sitting in the middle of the fairway, maybe on the fringe.

Benefit 2: If you go to the right or the left, since you played the shorter club, you're not going to be as far right or left as you would have been with the 7 iron. This could mean that you are still on the green, or it could mean that you are on either side of the fairway. But chances are that you are still in decent shape.

Summary: When you're trying to decide between two clubs, take a second to look at the hazards around the green. If there's a bunker or some water guarding the front of the green, then sure, it may be a good idea to take the larger club. But other than this exception, you are almost always better off, taking less club. You'll stay out of trouble, and that is the key to lowering your overall score.

On the short 5th at Massachusetts' Brae Burn Country Club, a golfer complained bitterly, "My sonofabitch partner cheats!"

"How do you know?"

"he just hit out of the rough with a 3-wood."

"So?"

"I really stepped hard on that ball!"

Swing Plane

Swing Plane.* The concept of plane confuses some players. Many are unclear about what it is, and its impact on your golf swing. Whether you understand the concept of plane or not, swinging off plane is never good.

Focusing on two points - spine angle at address and the position of the left arm on the downswing - clears up the confusion about swing plane and explains its effect on your golf swing. The most common reason for swinging off plane is adopting the wrong spine angle at address.

SETTING YOUR PROPER SPINE ANGLE

• Stand erect with your chin up (not head down) and form your grip with the club head right at eye level.
• Slightly flex your knees forward (don't bend your knees, just a slight flex).
• Tip forward from the hips - not the waist - keeping your head in line with your spine (chin up).
• Finally, lower your arms so they point directly straight to the ground. The club head will fall into the proper ball position. For most golfers you will feel as if you are too close to the ball.

Here is a great test to see if you have the proper upper body tilt:

Once you’re all set up, let go of the club with your right hand and extend your arm and fingers. Reach for your right knee with your right middle finger, for proper upper body tilt, your finger should touch half an inch above your kneecap.

The spine angle forms the natural axis around which your shoulders should turn at a 90-degree angle. The spine angle you set at address is critical because it decides the shape and plane of your swing.

If a player tilts too far over at address, the flatter spine angle causes the shoulders to "tilt" during the swing. As a result, your left arm comes off your chest during your swing, your backswing becomes upright, and your swing plane is too steep. Fat shots, deep divots, and pulls and slices are symptoms of a steep plane.

If a player leans too far back at address, the more erect spine angle causes the shoulders to flatten during the swing. As a result, your left arm squeezes too tightly against your chest, your backswing becomes flatter, and your swing plane is too shallow. Hitting behind the ball, thin shots, and loss of power are symptoms of a shallow plane.

Setting your proper spine angel is sure to improve your game. Check your set-up each time you practice and when you hit the course you're sure to hit solid shots!

Now go out and play better golf!

On the 1st tee of Chaska, Minnesota's Hazeltine national country Club, a complete novice asked his caddy,

"how does one play this game?"

"See that flag, sir? Just hit the ball in that direction."

The novice uncorked an absolutely incredible drive.

At the green, the caddy couldn't believe his eyes- the ball lay only 3 inches from the cup. He jumped up and down excitedly.

"What do I do here?" asked the player, coming up.

"Get the ball into the cup, sir!"

"NOW he tells me!"

Putt for Dough

Most of us amateurs miss a good percentage of putts from 10 feet and in.
Fortunately there are things we can practice to help.

try this:

Pick a straight putt. This is important because if it curves you will not know if you had the right speed.
You will want to pick about a 4 foot putt. Then using 10 balls, pick a number of how many you will sink in a row. For simplicity just start with 1. Then as confidence grows increase the number. Go all the way to 50 in a row. If you miss you start back at 1 again. This is the best way to increase confidence. Now with that being said, make sure your stroke is straight back and straight through with the club head aligned straight at all times.

You must use only your upper body and arms on a putt. Arms and Shoulders only!!! Do not come up out of the putt early.

A good way to test how you are doing on this is to Hit and Hold. By this I mean take your stroke and hold on the follow through for at least 5 seconds. check that your head and body are still down and your clubface is still straight. Any movement of your head or the clubface will cause you to miss.

Remember, straight back and straight through> Arms and shoulders only. Like a Pendulum.

Now go practice.

Tournament formats and golf bets

Definition: Criers and Whiners is a game of do-overs, or mulligans that can be used from any point on the course. In Criers and Whiners, handicaps are converted into free shots that are used during a round.

Say a player has a handicap of 14. Rather than applying the handicap in the proper manner, the player is instead given 14 free shots to use at any point on the course, at any time. Hit a bad shot off the second tee? Hit it again. Now you've got 13 left.

The game can be played with full handicaps (as in the example above) but it most common to use only three-fourths or two-thirds of handicaps. That forces the player to be judicious in using his replay strokes.

Two other conditions usually apply: The first tee shot of the day may not be replayed, and no
shot can be replayed twice.

Definition: Defender is a betting game or points game for groups in which one member of the group per hole is designated as that hole's "defender." The defender's job is to get the lowest score on his hole; the other members of the group are trying to beat the defender.

Before teeing off, establish a rotation (for a threesome, A is the defender on the first hole, B on No. 2, C on No. 3, back to A on No. 4, and so on) for the Defender.

When the Defender successfully defends his hole - that is, gets the lowest score - he earns 3 points and the other players lose 1 point. If any member of the group beats the Defender, the defender loses 3 points and each other player gains 1 point. If the Defender ties for low score on his hole, the defender gains 1 1/2 points while the others lose a half-point.

Defender can be played just for points and bragging rights, or a dollar value can be assigned to the points and money divvied up at the end of the round.

Definition: Greensomes is a competition format that is a variation of foursomes (2-person teams, each playing one ball). In Greensomes, both players on a team tee off, the best of the two tee balls is selected and that ball is then played alternate-shot until holed.

In regular foursomes, the 2-person team would play alternate shot for the full hole, i.e., only one tee ball would be hit.

Greensomes is essentially a 2-person scramble off the tee, then alternate-shot into the hole.

Definition: Last Man Standing is another name for a Flags tournament. Each golfer begins the round with an allotment of strokes - usually his or her full or partial handicap plus the par of the course being played - and plays until those strokes are used up. The golfer who advances farthest around the course before using up his allotment of strokes is the winner.

Definition: Three Club Monte is a golf format that requires the players to pick just three clubs to use during their round. All players are allowed their putters in addition to the three other clubs they choose. The choice of clubs can't be changed during the round - once you've chosen a 3-wood, 5-iron and 9-iron, for example, those are the only clubs (other than putter) you can use during the round.

Three Club Monte is a good game to play in order to learn and practice half-shots, knock-downs and so forth.

Definition: Thirty-Two is a side bet for golfers that focuses on putting. It's essentially a challenge from one golfer to another to avoid a three-putt.

Let's say your buddy is facing a long, difficult putt. You invoke the thirty-two side bet. If your buddy three-putts (or worse), he owes you two units of the bet. If he two-putts (or better), you owe him three units of the bet. (If the bet is $1, for example, and he three-putts, he owes you $2; if he two-putts, you owe him $3).

Definition: Gruesomes is a 2-person team game that is more common as a betting game but is also sometimes used as a tournament format.

In Gruesomes, both members of the team tee off - and then the opposing team selects which drive they have to play. Needless to say, the opposing team is likely to select the worst - or most gruesome - of the two drives.

Following selection of the tee ball, the teams play out the hole in alternate shot fashion. The player who hit the "gruesome" tee ball also plays the second shot.

An American, driving erratically from a grass bunker, hit and killed a cow in the adjoining pasture.

"my God," he cried, running up, "I'm terrible embarrassed! Can I replace her?"

"Dunno," replied the farmers boy, "How many gallons a day do you give?"

Hitting a 460 CC driver

The key to hitting the ball farther with the modern driver and golf ball (which spins much less off of a flat face than balls of the past) is high launch combined with a low spin rate. Our goal is to get enough spin to achieve lift, while minimizing (hopefully eliminating) drag.

Assuming that you have a driver with enough loft, here are four things that you can do to increase launch and decrease spin rate, thus increasing your distance off the tee:

Tee the Ball Higher
The old adage has always been that the top of the driver should be about halfway up the ball when it is teed up. However, with a 460cc driver, I like to see you set the ball high enough on a peg such that the top of the driver is no more than one-third of the way up the ball. Of course, this means that the standard 2 1/8-inch tee will not be long enough to accommodate. You will need a tee at least 3 inches in length, but likely a little longer than this.

Move the Ball Forward in Your Stance
(Towards your left foot for a right-handed golfer)
The notion of playing the ball off of your left heel is no longer valid. We want to hit the ball on the upswing, thus increasing launch angle and decreasing the ball's spin rate. In order to do this, we must move the ball forward in our stance. For some golfers, it will be enough to play the ball off of your big toe, while for others it may be necessary to move the ball all the way up so that it is positioned outside of your left foot. Experiment with different ball positions – but, whatever you do, move the ball forward in your stance!

Set Up to Hit the Ball on the Center of the Face
Most golfers set their driver on the ground at address. This results in a high percentage of driver shots being hit on the heel-side of the face, especially when we tee the ball higher. Test yourself this way: The next time you are at the range and set up to hit your driver, once in the address position stretch your arms out and move the club up to the ball's height. Notice where the ball is going to contact the face of your driver? On the heel side – or possibly the hosel – of your driver.

This is a very common problem for golfers – and it's an awkward adjustment. The solution is very simple, however. Instead of setting your driver behind the ball such that the center of the face is aligned with the ball, move backwards a couple of inches (towards your back) such that the toe of your driver is aligned with the ball. Now do the test again. Stretch out your arms and pick the club up to the ball's height. Is the ball aligned with the center of the driver face? If so, put the club back down and fire! If not, keep moving back until it is.

Don't worry that once you set the driver down it doesn't align with the ball. The ball isn't on the ground - it's three inches above the ground!

"is this Harry's secretary? I forgot to ask him which course we're playing on this afternoon."

"Sorry, Mr. Nash is out of the office all day on business."

"You're supposed to say that, but which course will we be on?"

"Sorry, Mr. Nash is out on a business call."

"O.K., O.K. Just tell me. Is his call Three or 18 miles from the office?"