Branson Golf Guide

With the steps of a full swing now behind us it is now time to begin to learn about the short game. Although most of us prefer to hit a “long ball” with the driver when we practice and emphasize it during the round it is out short game that will truly allow us to shoot better scores and thus become better players.

Today we begin the process of understanding what the short game is and will spend the coming weeks analyzing the various types of shots we must master to become a good player.

Very simply put the short game is any shot that does not require a full swing. In a way, the short game is the most interesting part of golf because of the variety of shots possible. A well struck full golf shot gives much pleasure, and can satisfy the power urge we all have, but in the end it is the short game that really makes the score.

I believe the short game embraces the wide range of shots from distances of around 75 yards to a couple of feet – pitches, chips, bunker shots and putts. The various techniques for these shots will vary greatly from the full swing we have been working on, but there are some similarities we must not forget.

Although, it may not seem important that you have a solid foundation for short shots since the swing is so much less forceful than for full swings, in fact balance and stability are even more critical. The slightest movement of the body on a chip shot or a three foot putt can cause a miss, whereas you might very get away with it on a full swing.

Knee flex is another essential element of the short game. If your knees are locked at address you will be unable to drive the knees through impact, which is a critical function in being able to produce spin from a flop shot or bunker shot.

Again our posture remains a constant factor. Short shots – especially those from just off the green, have a way of making us want to hunch our shoulders. This becomes the main reason for hitting poor shots – generally fat, or behind the ball. “Good Posture” - a straight back and a slight bend at the waist – are as essential to a good short game as they are to hitting long straight drives.

Next week we will discuss the differences in the “pitch shot” and the “chip shot” and when we should hit each shot during our round. Although many players use these words interchangeably, they are very different shots requiring very different execution. Both provide a unique result that will be best suited to specific locations around the green.

Fairways and Greens!

We have now broken our swing down into its most basic elements and discussed in detail these segments over the past weeks. Today we put all of the pieces together to make a full golf swing…

We begin at address with our feet, knees, hips and shoulders parallel to the target line, or in the “square” position we have discussed. Our weight is on the balls of our feet and our knees are comfortably flexed.

Begin the takeaway by bringing the club back low and straight away from the ball for about 18 inches. Our right hand drags the club back, while the arms and shoulders move in precisely the same direction. There is no movement from the waist down to this point in the backswing.

The backswing continues with the right hand cocking the wrists at about waist height, and lifting the club vertically. Now the right hip and shoulder turn as if on a swivel and the left knee kicks in towards the right leg. The left heel remains on the ground as the right foot absorbs about 60 percent of our weight.

The downswing begins the instant the club reaches the top of the backswing with your hips and knees sliding about six inches laterally to the left. About mid way through the downswing your hands should still be cocked and your weight has begun to shift to the left foot. To complete the downswing, we kick our right knee to the left.

At impact the hands have uncocked fully and are in the same position as they were at address. Our lower left side has now turned away from the target line. The club head should continue moving along the target line. The knees have remained comfortably flexed throughout the swing.

That is it… the golf swing. Now that we have learned it we must practice it. Practicing is one of the most misunderstood terms to golfers I communicate with. It does not simply mean going out and hitting a bunch of balls on the range. Practice requires discipline just as much as playing. You should always practice with very clear objectives in mind.

Try to simulate golf course conditions on the range. Switch clubs often, try to hit various shots such as fades and draws, high and low trajectory shots. Imagine your practice session being like a round of golf. How many times do you actually hit driver on the course? We are not learning how to compete in a long drive contest; we are learning to play golf. You must use all of your clubs for that.

It is time to quit practicing when your mind begins to wander and you are no longer trying to hit “shots” but are simply hitting balls. It is much better to practice for an hour with your mind thinking about your swing that it is to beat balls mindlessly for three hours.

Good luck with your practice session and enjoy your round.

After spending a week with your golf club perched perfectly parallel to the ground at the top of your backswing I am sure that everyone is eager for this week’s topic… “The Downswing and Impact.”

The most common error that the average golfer makes as they bring the club down to impact is to misuse the lower body. Most seem to believe that because the hands and arms bring the club back, they should bring it down. Although logical it is completely incorrect.

The “hands and arms” downswing stems from the desire to “hit the ball” rather than to swing through it. “Hitting” is an aggressive act that excites us – we want to do it as soon as possible. By actively using our hands and arms in the downswing our wrists almost always un-cock too soon, usually as the hands are about shoulder high. This action is what gives birth to such terms as “casting” and “throwing from the top.” As many of you have probably experienced these actions result in shots that slice severely to the right or are pulled dramatically to the left.

What should generate the downswing momentum of the club while also eliminating conscious use of the hands is lower body action. Just as the club reaches the height of its backswing the hips “pump” or slide to the left. This places the hands in a “lagging” position behind the ball which will bring them properly into impact.

The initial direction of the downswing pump it lateral. It is a slide to the left on a line parallel to the target line. This action is the most critical in the evolution of a good downswing. There are many well intended comments made from teachers, writers and telecasters that are meant to explain a certain action in the downswing which all too frequently are misunderstood. Terms such as: “Get the left side out of the way” and “Clear the left hip” confuse too many golfers and they believe that they are to turn the left side to the left as soon as the downswing begins. This is one of the most common faults in golf today and a certain way to guarantee high scores.

If you get the left side “out of the way” before making a slight lateral slide you tend to straighten the left knee and pull your body away from the ball. This action results in what we call “spinning out.” When you spin out you thrust the right side of the body outward toward the ball, which in turn brings the club across the ball from the outside to inside the target line, causing a slice or pulled shot, depending on the clubface alignment.

In reprise, by beginning our downswing with the lateral pump we place our hands in the lagging position which will allow us to hit the ball from slightly inside the target line which will produce more solid and thus better shots.

The final portion of the golf swing is the “follow through” which is equally important to the production of good golf shots. We will spend next week developing a follow through that will ensure us a complete golf swing.

Fairways and Greens!

First appeared in Branson Daily News Article for June 5, 2007.

Address to most people consists mainly of being square to the target line; this is of course is a major factor, but not the only one.  The other elements are foot spread, knee flex, posture and distance from the ball.

I beleive that distance from the ball is the most important element of the address position.  Standing too far from the ball causes a number of things detrimental to good hot making.  First your weight moves out towards the toes, which creates poor balance.  Second, you’ll tend to stiffen your knees, which destroys good leg action.  Finally your posture will be poor.  You will almost always slump forward with the shoulders, rather than flexing at the knees.

The most important recognizable signs of standing too far from the ball prior to swinging are; if both arms are rigid or if the butt of the shaft is more than six or seven inches from your body.  You are also too far from the ball if you cannot wiggle your toes at address, meaning you have too much weight on your toes.

What is the basis of a good grip?  I subscribe to the time honored rule of having the “V’s” formed when you close the thumb and forefinger of each hand point toward the right shoulder.  Accomplishing this configuration provides the right amount of flexibility in the hands, plus the necessary control over clubface alignment at impact.

To create this union of hands and club, you should hold the club with the fingers of the left hand.  Specifically the club runs from the juncture of the palm and the last two fingers, across the lowest section of the middle finger and the middle section of the index finger.  The left thumb should ride just to the right of the center of the grip.  The ideal position of the right hand has the palm facing the target.  This will have the club lie in the fingers for the right hand.  The right thumb will lie diagonally across the grip with only the inside in contact with the club.

To make our hands work in unison they must be joined together.  This is where we get the interlocking grip or the overlapping grip.  You connect your hands with the little finger of the right hand and the crevice formed by the index and middle finger of the left hand.  There is no “right or wrong” choice between the two, a players hand size and strength will factor into the best for each individual.

I certainly hope that after the beautiful weekend we just had here in the Ozarks that many of you were able to get out and play golf…. Assuming you did, how did you play?  Often the first shot of the day can tell us much about how our round is going to unfold.  There is nothing better than hitting your driver 315 yards right down the middle of the fairway on the first hole, and at the same time there is nothing more devistating that hitting a big “banana ball” out of bounds because you were trying to hit it 315.  By no means would I ever try to convince someone to put their driver away, because with practice it can be one of your most important clubs.  Problem is we all watch too much golf on tv and see how far some of those players hit it, right?  But what we need to be watching is how SOLID they hit it.  That is what creates distance.  It is very important that we “swing within ourselves” in other words don’t try to hit a shot that we are not comfortable with.  If that means hitting 3-wood off the tee for a couple of rounds, so be it. I know if I had to choose I would rather hit it 250 yards into the fairway than 325 into the rough or the woods.  Try it and see how your scores improve.

Although currently pouring rain outside, I beleive golf season has arrived to the Ozarks.  I would like to ask all of you to pay special attention to this short comment.  It will make your pro, superintendant, and everyone who plays your course very happy… In spring a golf course can be a fragile as our “rusty” swings.  Wet conditions and new grass growth require us to pay special attention to our divots and ballmarks.  These practices are important all year, but a lack of care (or respect) at this time of the year can leave your golf course scarred for months to come despite the efforts of all who work there to make it better.  Work on this and you will feel better about yourself as a “golfer” while we work on yourself as a “player”.

Thank you so much from all of us who try to give you a golf course you can be proud of!

Rule 13:  Ball Played as It Lies.  Easily the simpliest rule to keep from breaking, but unfortunatley also the most broken one.  This rule is to me the true foundation of the game.  Quite simply you place your ball on your tee prior to hitting your tee shot, and then do not touch it again until you mark your ball for your first putt on the green.  Seems simple enough, but I challenge you to take note of how many times a ball is moved out of a divot or “rolled over” in the rough during any given round at your local club.  “Winter Rules” as they are called by most are not rules at all, they are simply a set of provisions to allow you to break the rules.  Sure, ensuring yourself a ”perfect lie” before every shot it tempting, but why not try to play the ball “down?”  Yes, there will be bad breaks, but look at all of the opportunities you will have to learn to hit new or different shots that are dictated by a lie you may have just moved it out of before.  If you convince everyone in your forusome to do the same then the best player will still win, and each of you will be winners for honoring the traditions of the game. 

Whether teaching or practicing myself, I like to keep it simple on the range.  I like to have my students practice with the mid-iron they are most comfortable with.  By selecting a club like a seven or eight iron, a club you generally hit well, you start off with confidence and can much more prepare for your round of golf or get into a good practice routine.  There are so many variables in the golf swing that we should at least give ourselves the advantage of starting off comfortable.  Try it the next time you go to the range, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much better your session goes when you have confidence in yourself.

Before we can make this decision we must first make sure we understand the difference.  All too often these two words are used by most golfers to describe the same shot and do not clearly understand the difference.  Very simply put, a CHIP is a shot that rolls farther than it flies, and conversely a PITCH is a shot that flies farther than it rolls.  With that said here is a short checklist to help you determine which shot to hit when…

1. Determine what kind of a lie you have.  The better the lie the easier it will be to execute a good pitch.  If the lie is bad or laying down a chip will probably work best.
2. Look at your intended target.  How much green is between your ball and the hole?  The more green the more likely a chip will produce a better result.  After all it is easier to make a ball that is rolling than one that is flying through the air.
3. Finally, and most importantly, which shot are you more comfortable with?  We will always hit a better shot if we are confident we can produce an effective result.

Try to master both of these shots as they will help lower your scores.  The more options we have on the golf course the better player we can become.