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Archive for July, 2010
July 26th, 2010 | 
Author: Improving Your Chip Shot
Did you ever notice how the pro’s always chip it close when they are around the green? How do they do it?
Did you know that the best players in the world only get on the green about 13 or 14 times a round. The rest they have to use their short game skill.
The best way I know to lower your score and improve your putting is by hitting your chip within 3-5 ft of the hole. As a matter of fact, some of the greatest minds in golf tell us before we do anything with the long game, practice your short game because that is what scores.
Some Golf Tips you can practice are as follows:
- Develop Feel
- Stick to Your Chipping Method
- Keep Chipping Simple
Develop Feel
When learning how the golf chip is hit, you may want to first start out by placing your clubs on the ground and tossing a few balls toward the green, see what trajectory you can use to get the ball the closest to the hole. When I did this I found that a lower trajectory worked for me and what I did was took a less lofted club when I was closer to the green surface and got the ball to roll to the hole.
I once told my brother today I am going to use one club the whole round. I picked my utility club and learned the feel of the club. I learned what trajectory it created from various distances. I choked down on it when between distances. It forced me to focus and get a feel for each shot.
Stick To Your Chipping Method
Try various methods when practicing your chipping. One method you can try is to focus on a spot a few feet on to the green. Get your shot to hit that spot and calculate the roll from there.
Another method is to visualize the overall distance from the ball to the flag and hit it with that force (feel). Whatever method you choose, use the same chipping method during the round and stay consistent.
Keep Chipping Simple
The way I learned what club was correct to use to chip with was to hit the same stroke with a PW, 9, 8, 7, 6, and 5 and see what trajectory and distance they travel. Once I have that information in my mind, when I get out to the course it is simple, I look at the distance to the pin, pick out the club that I know will travel the right distance and simply play the same stroke I practiced.
In summary, if you improve your short game you will improve your golf score. The methods of feel, consistency, and simplicity will assist you in your goal.
Until next time,
John
Posted in 
Topping the Golf Ball
I know we all have done it. You set up to the ball ready to deliver that perfect swing and swoosh the ball never leaves the ground and shuffles out about 70 yards or less.
How did that happen?
Some of the things you can check are as follows:
- Grip
- Ball Position
- Stance
- Posture
Grip
The grip may be too tight at address, preventing a proper hinging of the wrist and thus properly releasing the clubhead at impact causing the club to be topped. You can correct this by holding the club light but firm and felt in the last three fingers of the left hand and the middle two finger of the right hand (reverse if you are lefty).
Ball Position
The ball may be too far forward in the stance or you may be standing too far away at address. To correct this check that for shorter irons the ball is about midway between the feet, for longer irons move ball slightly forward in the stance toward the target and the driver should be opposite the inside of your left heal. How far away, depends on your height but the butt of the club should be no farther than 4-5 inches from the inside of your left thigh.
Stance
The problem could be the body weight is set too much on the heels at address and cause you to pull away at impact
and pulling the head of the club up. To correct this at address try to keep your weight on the balls of your feet and not rock back through the swing.
Posture
An inability to maintain your knee flex may cause you to dip downward on the backswing. If this happens the only way to get the club back to the ball and this causes a straightening up of the body up and away from the ball. Check that your posture is correct by looking at yourself in a mirror. You should imagine a vertical line from the middle of your shoulders, down through your kneecaps and into the balls of your feet.
Well that is why we top the ball and a few remedies for you to try.
until next time,
John
P.S. Emmanuel Fauvel has a great short e book that will take 10 strokes off your golf score, get you a copy Now.
See previous post for information
Lower your score by 10 strokes, we have all heard that claim before from just about every golf guru around and usually it involves these big thick manuals or dvd’s that take forever to read or watch.
I want something small that I can look at and get the information I need and not have to waste all my time watching or reading.
Well, I found a short, easy to read book that does all that and more.
The book is called Golf Crisis, authored by Emmanuel Fauvel – winner of 2006 President Cup in Coutainville Golf Tournament, France and is also a member of Green Valley Golf Course. He wrote this eBook so that every beginner and medium level player can improve their golf score.
In this ebook he covers all the essentials and strategies to lowering your golf score.
Most Golfers reach a certain level and never improve beyond that point.
Fauvel’s book explains some of the concepts that will get you out of your scoring crisis.
Vital Tips to lower your score include:
- Gaining Confidence in your routine
- Work on the most important part of your game
- Choosing Equipment to match your game
- Visualization
- Working with your local pro
- Leaving frustration behind
The information is valuable and the fabulous thing about it is the price.
Click this link to grab a copy now Golf Crisis
until next time,
John
Today let’s analyze your golf game and go for some true confession.
Out of the 18 holes on the golf course, you probably use your fairway metal woods off of 14 of them. Out of the 14 shots you use with the fairway metal woods, how many of these shots created problems in your round?
Now be honest, let’s see last round I had 14 shots of the tee that I needed a wood and 10 of them were in the rough, trees, or water. I had 4 good drives.
Ok, let’s say that was you. 10 shots you had to scramble and probably lost 2-4 strokes. That means you added at least 20 strokes to your round and probably more by not keeping it on the fairway.
In a round, if you shoot 95 and you can save 20 stroke, you just shot a 75. Now you see why it is important to keep your first shot in the fairway. Next time you are at the tee. Try going for accuracy off the tee. If you are not hitting your driver well, get out your 3 wood. If you are not getting your 3 wood in bounds, get out a utility club and keep it in play.
Until next round,
John