The post Bad ball-strikers make this mistake while shifting their weight. Here’s how to fix it appeared first on Golf.

The post Bad ball-strikers make this mistake while shifting their weight. Here’s how to fix it appeared first on Golf.

If you find yourself shifting your weight wrong in the golf swing, there’s a good chance that you have no control over where the ball actually ends up.

You may spray it right. You may hook it left. You may even get lucky and actually hit one down the middle of the fairway. Regardless of the outcome, you don’t have the “why” helping provide the reason your ball goes where it does.

Weight transfer in the golf swing is key to hitting solid shots. Just watch videos of any all-time great ball-strikers like Ben Hogan, Moe Norman, or, more recently, Tiger Woods or Rory McIlory, and you’ll see how they’re able to shift their weight at the right time in the backswing.

By doing this, they generate speed through their hips, maximizing each swing to perfection.

Instruction

Now, look, neither you nor I are those type of players, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn some basic fundamentals when it comes to shifting your weight.

To help provide some insight, GOLF Teacher to Watch Rick Silva speaks about the differences between good and bad players, and shares a quick tip on how to correct a common issue with the latter.

How to properly shift your weight in the golf swing

In the video above, Silva starts by stating the obvious: How every good golfer knows they need to shift the weight forward on the downswing.

Next, he uses an alignment stick (available here) to demonstrate how the upper body should look in the golf swing, and how the weight should shift throughout the entire motion.

“Imagine if we were to lay an alignment stick right across our hips,” Silva says. “Here’s what golfers who struggle with doing that actually do.”

“Here we are at address, and, in a backswing, this [the alignment stick] rarely moves, causing us to drift off in our backswing with our upper body.

“This creates too big of a separation between our upper body and the middle of our pelvis. So on the downswing, we start to move our lower body, and the center of our pelvis actually goes backwards,” Silva adds.

As for the good golfer, Silva then demonstrates how they’re able to shift their weight properly.

Like the superb ball-strikers mentioned earlier, Silva says that, golfers who do this, are more likely to hit the ball with power and precision.

“The good player starts swiveling the [imaginary alignment stick] to the right, and then right at the top of our backswing, our upper body actually settles right between our feet.

“What happens here is, this propels our pelvis forward, allowing the [club] shaft to swivel,” he says. “That’s what helps us get our weight forward and hit great golf shots.”

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The post This fun putting practice drill helps you overcome intimidating pressure appeared first on Golf.

The post This fun putting practice drill helps you overcome intimidating pressure appeared first on Golf.

Check any of my recent scorecards and you’ll come to a very obvious conclusion: I need lots of putting practice.

While I’ve been driving the ball with more power and accuracy than ever before, striking my irons (mainly) pure, and learning to control my wedges from around the green, as soon as I grab my flatstick, I choke.

As I work towards shaving strokes and breaking 80 for the first time ever, the differentiator will be the putter.

OK, so I know what the problem is: mainly 2-putts or horrid 3-putts, leaving me as a bogey-golfer. Actually finding the solution is a different animal; but I’ll keep on practicing until I get locked in.

Instruction

One way that may help players like me is by trying this fun putting practice game that GOLF Teacher to Watch Ryan Young introduced me to.

Called “7 Up”, the game incorporates putting practice mixed with pressure, which is the perfect combination to dial in your short game.

In the video above, myself and two buddies (one just hoping to break 100 for the first time, and the other who doesn’t play enough golf to even know his handicap; although he typically shoots around 100 or so) compete against one another, hoping to be the last man standing.

First, Young describes the putting game.

“This is a fun game that I call ‘7 Up’,” says Young. “It does two things; helps you work on your speed control (or lag putting), and avoid 3-putts.

“I don’t care who you are, if it takes you four shots to get on the green, and then you 3-putt, it’s just a snowball effect.”

How the putting practice drill works

Young then goes into explaining how the putting competition works.

“Goal number one is to be the closest to the hole,” he explains. “If you’re closest to the hole, you can win a putt if someone 3-putts.

“So the people who aren’t closest to the hole, the point is to grind out that putt and not let that other player be point eligible.”

But what happens if someone makes their first putt? As Young says, “it’s an instant two points.”

A winner is determined once someone gets to seven points first.

After understanding how the rules work, my buddies and I step over our putts with the pressure cooking.

Putting

My buddy Kyle goes first, and rolls his shot past the hole by about seven feet — although, kudos to him for reading the line correctly.

I put mine within a few inches and can easily tap in my second putt.

My friend Mike goes next, and he pushes his putt to the right of the hole, stopping the ball less than three feet from the cup.

As Mike and Kyle stand over their golf balls, the pressure builds, with each having to make the putt to prohibit me from scoring a point.

Mike sinks his shot; 2-putt.

Kyle, miraculously, sinks his seven-footer, looking like Brian Harman at the Open Championship this year!

After doing so, we all rejoice, do a little fist bump, and Young chimes in, saying, “that’s the whole point of this game! You can have the worst lag putt, but it’s not over, so grind it out and save that stroke.”

It’s fun, it’s beneficial, and it helps scratch that competitive itch prior to teeing off for a round.

So if you’re like me, have been struggling on the greens, and can’t quite seem to get the improvements you want on your scorecard, try this putting practice drill to help find your stroke and sink more putts.

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The post A quick-fix tip to stop hitting the heel and start seeing better golf shots appeared first on Golf.

The post A quick-fix tip to stop hitting the heel and start seeing better golf shots appeared first on Golf.

If you find yourself often hitting the heel of the club during a round of golf, there’s a good chance you instantly lose your confidence, making it difficult to trust yourself to finish strong.

Driving

But instead of just trying to put some patchwork changes together in real time as a band-aid, it’s time to identify why you’re really hitting the heel.

In the video above, GOLF Teacher to Watch Jonathan Buchanan does just that, explaining a common issue he sees in many of his students’ swings who hit the heel, and then providing a quick-fix in order to hit better shots.

Why many golfers hit the heel

As Buchanan says, the first thing he looks for when a student struggles with hitting the heel is their trail arm.

While there are other reasons why players hit the heel, the position of the trail arm is typically where the problem begins.

“Oftentimes a golfer will take their trail arm back and bend it, leaving their center at home,” he says. “So instead of swinging the arms or turning the body in conjunction with the arms swinging, they pull their arms behind them.”

This is why your rotation and pivot are so important.

If you’re only swinging your arms and not fully turning your hips, you’re most likely producing an outside-in swing path.

Instruction

Another issue that Buchanan sees when players don’t swing their arms with the rest of their body? They try to react by pushing the club out towards the ball.

“When I have my trail arm pinned behind me, I often see an amateur react to that by pushing the club out,” he adds. “So they’ll take the arm that’s behind them and try to find some space by straightening and pushing the heel at the ball.

“This often causes a shank or a heeled shot off to the right.”

How to stop hitting the heel

So how can you correct this issue of hitting the heel? It all starts with incorporating your arms, allowing them to stay loose and swing with the rest of your body.

Says Buchanan, “To fix this, simply swing the trail arm away from the golf ball. So you want to feel some swing in my right arm, making it feel like the trail arm folds down.”

While there’s temptation to pull the arms back too fast — which will throw off your swing sequence — be sure that your hands, hips and back work in unison as you make your movements.

“I want to feel like I swing the right arm back, and I want to feel the toe of the club cover the golf ball,” adds Buchanan. That’ll help you hit the ball more in the center of the face.”

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The post A quick-fix tip to stop hitting the heel and start seeing better golf shots appeared first on Golf.

The post This amateur dropped his handicap index by 13. Here’s his secret appeared first on Golf.

The post This amateur dropped his handicap index by 13. Here’s his secret appeared first on Golf.

Going through a drastic swing change can lead to all sorts of problems for many players. Instead of feeling comfortable at address and confidently striking their ball, many times, they overthink their mechanics — which often leads to bad shots.

Golf is about having routines, sticking to them, and hoping those steps lead you to your desired consistency.

Having swing thoughts in your head prior to committing to your shot is a slippery slope. It distracts you and causes doubt, and it doesn’t allow you to fully concentrate on the task at hand — which is just simply hitting a good shot.

Instruction

As someone who recently overhauled his golf swing himself, there were definitely rounds where I just felt lost. I was searching for answers mid-round, wondering why I was falling back into bad habits and hitting bad shots.

While I’m still a work in progress, there are plenty of success stories out there about golfers who saw near-instant improvement, allowing them to improve their handicap index.

We’ve all seen Rickie Fowler’s resurgence on the PGA Tour after a swing change, so it’s a reminder that success is possible — no matter what level of player you are.

Since we’re all hoping to shoot low each time we play, it’s important to adapt your game to find what works best.

That’s what an amateur player named Tommy has done, as he’s been able to go from a 17 handicap to a current 4 handicap; all while reworking his swing pattern.

Tommy has worked with GOLF Top 100 Teacher Tim Cooke to see the improvement, so Cooke recently detailed the secret behind his student’s success. Take a look below to see if the same can work for you!

Tommy’s dedication has guided his improvement

Said Cooke, “In the past 14 months, Tommy’s handicap index has dropped from a 17 to a low of 2.9, with him currently sitting at 4.0 — but only because he’s had a couple poor rounds as of late!”

One of the keys to Tommy’s unbelievable progress is his commitment.

Cooke is located at the Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head Island, S.C., but Tommy lives in Philly. Despite the distance between them, the student makes it a point to visit his teacher about three times each year.

“During these visits, we work for three hours a day for 2-3 days, mostly focusing on Tommy’s full swing, but also retooling his short game,” says Cooke.

“It’s an immersive golf trip, where we can build a game plan of improvement for the following few months, then we supplement our in-person work with online sessions to keep his progress on track.”

How Cooke helped Tommy drop his handicap index

When Tommy began working with Cooke, the student had tendencies that are common in most amateur players.

He had a flat shoulder turn with limited pelvis rotation on the backswing, leading to an “over the top” steepening of the shaft in transition. The resulting ball flight was a weak cut that lacked distance.

After dissecting the problem, Cooke quickly realized how motivated Tommy was to improve his swing, hoping a change could level up his game.

“Our first objective was to create depth of handle at the top of his swing by using his body pivot,” said Cooke.

“One thing that Tommy does well is make exaggerated practice swings to feel the change he wants to make. On the range, he has an incredible mindset for change, so he doesn’t care about where the ball goes.

“After feeling and seeing the swing change, he starts to add a ball flight picture of the shot that he wants, while maintaining the new feel to his swing.”

Instruction

So Cooke focused on Tommy’s lead shoulder working under his chin.

“He had to feel that it was almost touching the ground and staying there in transition,” Cooke adds. “So we eliminated the flat shoulder turn and allowed his trail hip to rotate internally for a longer duration.”

Now that Tommy had a reworked backswing pivot — helping create more depth in his handle position at the top — Cooke began to correct the “handle dragging cut” at impact.

“He had to learn a new pattern, making sure he kept the lead shoulder low in the first half of the downswing as he lowered the shaft,” said Cooke. “We filmed lots of practice swings in slow motion, which helped Tommy learn this new pattern.”

By reviewing the tape and adapting to the new sensation, Tommy slowed everything down during practice. This helped his muscle memory feel the swing change, which, ultimately, he could apply at full speeds on the golf course.

“Tommy didn’t rush to hit balls, and instead would take 5-10 slow practice swings,” said Cooke. “He would then hit a few shots at slower speeds so he could transfer his new feel to a full speed shot.

“By doing this, it has allowed him to hit the baby draw that he’s always been looking for, and he has dramatically increased his distance and repeatability.”

Want to share your firsthand experience for a chance to be featured in a future Shaving Strokes article? Share your details and progress by emailing me at nick.dimengo@golf.com. We’re all in this together, so let’s share our wins, our learnings and our frustrations to help one another improve!

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The post ‘Almost every shot is painful’: But here’s how this 62-year-old keeps grinding appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘Almost every shot is painful’: But here’s how this 62-year-old keeps grinding appeared first on Golf.

One of my absolute favorite aspects of golf is the community it builds.

Sure, we’re all competing against one another out there on the golf course, but after the round, there’s camaraderie, with players removing their hats, shaking hands and offering to buy one another drinks.

So when I ask players like yourself to submit stories from your golfing lives, it’s always pretty awesome to see some of the messages I receive.

Instruction

That’s the case for today’s Shaving Strokes story, from a 62-year-old named Kapsy who sent me the following email about his journey as a golfer — one which nearly ended due to chronic injuries.

Hi Nick! I’m 62 years old, and have nasty stenosis in three areas of the Lumbar. What that means is that, not only can I not swing freely, but almost every shot is painful. Even putting, fires up the sciatica. Consequently, my swing speed is down big time. 18 years ago, I clocked 126 MPH with a 3 wood and 116 MPH with a 6 iron. That was then. Today, I’m barely 100 MPH with my driver, and in the very low 90s with my 6 iron. Needless to say, I had to figure out a way to play decently.

I admire golfers like Kapsy.

He doesn’t need to play, but he’s grinding it out on the course because of his love for the game. He’s not chasing money, trophies or any other type of accolades — just sheer enjoyment.

When I asked Kapsy if he’d elaborate on his story, he enthusiastically accepted.

In his eyes (and mine), it was important to remind players why we play this funny (yet frustrating) game. Even better, he offered some tips on how he’s adapted his play after the chronic injuries that have hindered him.

Below are some of Kapsy’s secrets. If nothing else, his zest for the game will put a smile on your face.

Adapting to chronic injuries

When I asked Kapsy about why he even still plays golf, he didn’t sugarcoat his reasoning.

“Golf is my passion,” he said. “I’m a very average golfer — up recently from a 9 to a 13 handicap due to my worsening stenosis. But I still have aspirations of being on the Super Seniors’ Tour when I turn 90.”

How much does he play given his limitations?

“It’s very painful to play, so I’m down from 3-4 rounds each week to about 1-2 now,” he said. “Often, I don’t even think about my score. I couldn’t be bothered with that. The sheer pleasure of playing golf is enough for me.

Instruction

“I set small goals to drop a handicap stroke, hit more fairways or greens in regulations, or discard all 3-putts.”

Helpful swing adjustments

Given Kapsy’s chronic injuries, I asked him if he could explain the adjustments he’s made.

“For the full swing, I’ve realized that I need to hinge my right wrist more than ever before, I also have to widen my stance and extend more after impact,” he said.

“At the moment, I’m unable to have more rotation (although I’ve always been quite flexible.) So to increase my swing speed (albeit marginally), I whip through the ball and hope for better impact position.”

How does he alter his swing without overdoing it?

“A few months back, I was at the driving range with my friend Buddy, who is a low single marker,” he recalled. “After watching me hit a couple of balls, he pulled me aside and said my swing was ‘jerky,’ and reminded me not to worry about distance, just swing with rhythm.

“As much as I wanted to argue that I’d already lost so much distance, I listened to him and kept my swing smooth. I kept my head down just a fraction longer after impact. After a few weeks, it started to pay off.”

Given his golf experience, Kapsy knew he already had the muscle memory to make a good swing — he just needed to reprogram himself given his injuries.

“I merely needed to make minor changes to my swing, not revamp it,” he told me. “I understand the mechanics of the swing enough to make the requisite changes, especially if I’m uncomfortable with something, or if it isn’t working.”

Kapsy added that he cannot practice often because of the injuries but can still lock in mentally, keeping himself sharp to get the most out of his rounds.

“Physically, I do some exercises and stretching, but mentally, I keep myself devoid of anger and anxiety,” he said. “I also never say anything negative, only positive affirmation. Negativity never helped anybody!”

Advice for other injured golfers

I asked Kapsy what advice he’d give someone else who’s trying to improve at golf — whether they’re dealing with chronic pain, returning from an injury, battling performance anxiety or just hopeful to post lower scores.

“Take 2-3 clubs to the driving range, and start building up your confidence with only them,” he said. “For your next trip to the range, use 2-3 other clubs, practicing from bunkers, as well as your chipping and putting.

“Chip with different clubs, always putting more weight on the lead side, and never decelerate with any swing you take.”

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The importance of goal-setting

Lastly, I had to know what Kapsy’s next goal is as a golfer. Or asked another way, at 62 and with all his injuries, why doesn’t he just call it quits, pick up a new hobby and save himself from the pain?

Like any passionate golfer, Kapsy scoffed at such a suggestion.

“I love golf, and I want to play it for as long as I can. That’s the big picture for me,” he said. “I feel it’s always good to have a goal. So, as much as I don’t particularly care about scores, I’ve set myself the goal of getting back into single figures.

“All of this makes me happy, because it allows me to continue to play golf. What more could I want?”

Want to share your firsthand experience for a chance to be featured in a future Shaving Strokes article? Share your details and progress by emailing me at nick.dimengo@golf.com. We’re all in this together, so let’s share our wins, our learnings and our frustrations to help one another improve!

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The post By using this tricky 2-club drill, you’ll be able to keep the clubface square appeared first on Golf.

The post By using this tricky 2-club drill, you’ll be able to keep the clubface square appeared first on Golf.

Since the beginning of time (or so it seems), amateur golfers have struggled with keeping the clubface square at impact. It’s almost a rite of passage for most beginner golfers, because nearly every one of them either slices or hooks the heck out of their shots.

Despite having played the game for 28 years, I’m no different.

Rather than continue to search for answers on my own, though, I was able to get a lesson from GOLF Top 100 Teacher Brian Mogg — which has proven to be more than beneficial when it comes to shaving strokes off of my game.

Instruction

In my situation, I needed to know the “why.”

Why was I slicing? When I didn’t slice, why was I hitting it pure? And why did my swing not resemble any of the ones I saw from the pros on TV?

In the video above, Mogg identified some major flaws in my swing, which weren’t just impacting the ball flight path after impact, but also causing loss of distance as well.

One of the reasons why I wasn’t able to square the clubface was because of my lack of rotation. So Mogg introduced me to a tricky two-club drill to try and correct the issue — along with plenty of other tips — so take a look for yourself to see his advice.

This 2-club drill can help keep your clubface square

Let me start with this: If you’re interested in trying this two-club drill, make sure you have someone aware of the situation — meaning they pull the club back and get out of the way! The last thing anyone wants is to get plunked by someone swinging a golf club.

Mogg echoes this in the video, saying, “in the odd chance that anybody does this with a buddy, please do it and get out of the way. It’s easy to do it and then start watching [where the shot goes].”

With that disclaimer out of the way, the video shows how Mogg’s able to help me make better contact, all by getting the club rotated higher above my head.

“You’re going to hit the ball, but because you tend to go back [with your arms] so wooden, something’s got to get the club up,” he says. “Well, if I dip my head, that gets the club up.

Instruction

“The problem’s not the head dipping. The problem’s not getting the club up.”

This is where Mogg begins to override my poor rotation, which adds better speed and momentum with this drill.

“Ready to go? On three, we’re going back together,” he tells me. “I’m going to help you try to override the [club]head.”

As I hit a couple of shots — some poor, some solid — he focuses in on me getting “more swing” from this drill, and to fully commit.

“You focus on the clubface and don’t change anything that you’ve done,” he says. “Let’s get this face square to slightly closed — I’m just going to add a little momentum to the process.”

“I’m looking for more swing, like [you can feel] the head is swinging more.”

As the results in the video show, I begin to hit more draws and cut out the slices or chunks. Sure, there were a couple mishits in there, but, overall, the tips from Mogg allowed me to create a better club path, which, in effect, led to a square clubface for better shots.

Rukket Sports Pathfinder Impact Mat

$69.99

Are you looking for a golf training mat to help your golf game? The Rukket Pathfinder Impact Mat was designed with input from professional golfers and golf teachers to help players of all abilities improve their game. The strike mat tracks club face alignment and helps ensure clean contact with the ball while the foam pylons can be used to keep your swing on plane. Use all four pylons to practice hitting straighter shots or remove pylons to practice hitting draw or fade shots. It’s the most versatile golf swing practice mat available and works with every club in your bag! Features 2-in-1 golf swing training mat combining the features of an impact mat / strike mat and a swing path trainer to help golfers quickly identify and correct common swing problems like hooks and slices. It’s a golf swing impact / strike mat to help identify and correct club face alignment. Use the “velvet” turf to ensure you’re making clean contact with the ball. It’s also a golf swing training aid to help with swing plane alignment. Use it to fix a slice or a hook, and to practice hitting draw and fade shots. What’s in the Box (1) Rukket Pathfinder Impact Mat (4) Foam Pylons (1) Instruction Booklet Product Specs 25in x 13in x 0.8in RUKKET FAIR PLAY GUARANTEE & LIFETIME WARRANTY: At Rukket Sports we know you came to win. We also understand that in order to win you need to train hard, so that’s why we’re proud to offer the Rukket Fair Play Guarantee & Lifetime Warranty for no-risk purchasing plus outstanding USA-based customer service!

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The post Hitting frustrating wedge shots? Try this ladder drill for distance control appeared first on Golf.

The post Hitting frustrating wedge shots? Try this ladder drill for distance control appeared first on Golf.

After playing two consecutive rounds on separate par-3 courses, I came to the conclusion that I really need some help with my distance control — and I’m guessing plenty of you can relate.

Here’s the issue I’m having: As I rework my swing and start making better contact thanks to some golf lessons, I find myself struggling with the yardages of each club. So a hole that’s 155 yards used to require a 7-iron, whereas now I can get there with my 8-iron.

Short Game

As you might imagine, the same thing happens with my wedges, where I just can’t quite dial in the distances I need to stick it close.

This is where a tried-and-true drill comes into play: Using a ladder concept.

In the video above, GOLF Teacher to Watch Christie Longfield — the Director of Instruction at Spanish Oaks Golf Club — demonstrates how to get a better feel on distance control with wedges (or any club, really).

The best part? It’s simple, and only requires some golf balls, the clubs you want to practice with, a towel, and an area to practice on.

With the towel from your bag (or from the clubhouse at the golf course), simply lay it on the green or fairway. This is going to be your target area, making sure you get it as close to that landing spot (the towel) as possible.

Next, Longfield says to start hitting shots just short of the towel target, then move to hitting shots over the target.

Short Game

“You’re going to try and hit your first ball right on it,” she says. “Now that you’ve got your spot, you’re going to practice trying to hit just short of it, and then hitting just over. So now you can start to feel how much power or how much speed you need to apply to [the shot].”

By doing this ladder drill, you’ll get a feel for the distance control, seeing how long or how short your backswing should be and how much speed you need to access.

“Use a little bit bigger backswing, maybe a little bit more speed, and we’re going to work on that to help you understand how to control the distance in a wedge shot that’s not a full shot,” adds Longfield.

Titleist Vokey SM9 Tour Chrome Custom Wedge

$179.99

For every shot, every lie, every course, there’s a grind fit for your swing. Finding the right grind to match your swing and playing conditions will give you the best turf interaction, contact and shot performance. Master Craftsman Bob Vokey has spent decades crafting, developing and improving his tour proven grinds to fit players of all levels. Anyone can manufacture a wedge, but it takes a master to turn a piece of high-performance technology into an instrument of creative control. Bob’s six tour-proven grinds are designed to offer maximum creativity, versatility and consistency, all meticulously developed through years of working with the best players in the world. PROGRESSIVE CENTER OF GRAVITY SM9 features a progressive center of gravity (CG) throughout the lofts, which optimizes ball flight, accuracy and forgiveness. Using tapered top lines and varied hosel lengths, the Vokey R&D team has raised the height of the CG in the higher lofts, which promotes a lower, more controlled flight. The CG is also forward of the face, resulting in increased MOI, exceptional feel and a club face that simply wants to square up at impact. SPIN MILLED GROOVES SM9’s patented Spin Milled grooves are meticulously engineered through a new cutting process to maximize spin and durability. The process starts by cutting the face perfectly flat with a high-speed saw. Then every groove is individually cut based on loft and finish; low lofts (46°-54°) are designed with narrower, deeper grooves, while higher lofts (56°-62°) have wider, shallower grooves. Micro-grooves are individually cut in between grooves, which maximize spin on partial shots. A proprietary heat treatment is applied to the impact area which doubles the durability of the groove without impacting feel, making it the most durable groove in golf. The process is only complete when every Vokey wedge is 100% inspected for utmost quality and performance.

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The post Hitting frustrating wedge shots? Try this ladder drill for distance control appeared first on Golf.

The post Want more power? Use the ground to generate force, says Top 100 Teacher appeared first on Golf.

The post Want more power? Use the ground to generate force, says Top 100 Teacher appeared first on Golf.

While hitting balls at the driving range the other day, my first instinct was to obviously see the dispersion of each shot — which helps reveal my tendencies with different clubs.

But the next thing I looked at? My clubhead speed and subsequent distance, which allows me to get an idea of how far I’m hitting each ball while using each club in my bag.

Sure, it’s important to know my club’s carry distance, but why are we all so obsessed with swing speed and power?

Driving

There’s no doubt it has something to do with the many pro players who are capable of hitting driver over 300 yards, along with everyone believing more distance always translates to lower scores. (Note: It doesn’t.)

Regardless of the reason why you want more power and distance (vanity versus substance), it’s something we all strive for.

That doesn’t mean we’re always going about it the right way, though.

Unfortunately, most amateur golfers just think that swinging as hard as they can is the way to get more speed and length. But as one very smart person once told me when it comes to club speed, “if you don’t have the fundamentals for increased swing speed, your shots are going to show it.”

So what’s a good way to generate more power without going 1,000 miles per hour in your golf swing? According to GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jason Baile — the Director of Instruction at Jupiter Hills Club — it’s simply understanding how to use the ground to your advantage.

How to use the ground for increased power

In the video above, Baile talks about creating more force by using the ground, which, in effect, will help lead to a dynamic backswing position.

A dynamic position is when one part of the body travels in the opposite direction of another part of the body. So if the lower lower body starts forward while the arms and club are still going back, it creates a snapping motion in the club.

In this case, Baile uses both his trail and lead foot to create this motion, and uses a force pedal to demonstrate how it all acts together in unison.

Approach Shots

“I’m going to place [the force pedal] on the inside of my trail heel,” he says.

“I’m going to start with the pressure being a little bit here on the ball of my left foot [front foot for a right-handed player], and as I load up into the top of the backswing, that pressure’s going to work diagonally into my trail heel.”

As Baile does this, it allows his inside foot to push toward impact.

“So if we take it from the top from there, diagonally this way [on the backswing rotation], the glute gets deep, and push back in to a good impact position.”

Many amateur players often misuse their feet in the golf swing. But by concentrating on this tip from Baile, not only will you be able to use them the right way, but you’ll be able to generate more power, too.

SuperSpeed Golf Training System

$379.99

The Speed Training System of Choice for Padraig Harrington, 3x Major Winner and 2024 World Golf Hall of Fame Inductee.Realize the dream of more distance with our original overspeed training system. This system has helped hundreds of thousands of golfers increase their swing speed and create more powerful, consistent golf swings.This system includes our 3 specifically weighted training clubs and access to our full online training program. The research is clear showing 5% swing speed gains in about 6 weeks of regular practice.Choose your appropriate set and then choose your tech to track your speed gains.  BUNDLE YOUR SET WITH TRACKING TECH FOR UP TO $80 OFF! Choose the MEN’S set if you use an X, S, or R flex driver and/or swing above 90MPH.  Not sure which set you need? Take our quiz here!

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The post Want more power? Use the ground to generate force, says Top 100 Teacher appeared first on Golf.

The post This amateur gained 5 mph of clubhead speed and 27 yards of driver distance. Here’s how appeared first on Golf.

The post This amateur gained 5 mph of clubhead speed and 27 yards of driver distance. Here’s how appeared first on Golf.

Every player wants to hit the ball farther, but in order to increase clubhead speed, the golfer must first have his or her fundamentals in order.

So if you’re a player who doesn’t quite rotate all the way, struggles to pivot properly, and can’t figure out how to square the face up when your swing sequence is sped up, it’s best to avoid hunting more distance right now.

That’s not to say you can’t attain your distance goals in the future. It just means that your first step should be dialing in your swing principles.

Driving

In today’s Shaving Strokes, that’s what GOLF Top 100 Teacher Joe Plecker had to work on with one of his students, Bret.

Bret had years of golf experience under his belt and even had “lots of clubhead speed,” according to Plecker. However, there were kinks in his swing that needed to be cleaned up.

So Plecker put together a plan of action for the amateur player to use in order to see those distance gains. The end result? Bret increased his clubhead speed by an extra five miles per hour, leading to a whopping 27-yard increase in carry distance with his driver.

Plecker walks through the instruction steps that he used with Bret — which should be helpful for any other player looking for more length.

How Bret increased both clubhead speed and driver distance

According to Plecker, “Bret’s driver is the most errant club in his bag, leading to hooks and slices. His swing type is mostly ‘under’, and requires a right-hand grip that tucks under the club and gets his right elbow into his side.

“His setup usually leans his upper body towards the target, and at the top of the backswing, reduces pressure over his right foot. This error throws the entire forward swing into a steep, out-to-in path of the club.”

Given his swing tendencies, improving Bret’s posture was the area that Plecker identified as most critical to see more clubhead speed and distance. So the GOLF Top 100 Teacher had Bret use a more upright position.

Next, Plecker says he worked on a more level turn of Bret’s shoulders, which helped create more shift to the right side.

“This gave him lots of time to shift forward, shallow the downswing, and crush the ball,” added Plecker. “This gave him his old draw back.”

Below is a before image of Bret’s setup, which highlights his forward-press position at address.

Next, the image below shows what Bret’s ball flight looked like with his poor golf posture. Bret’s spin rate with his driver was too high (4589) due to him hitting down (-4.6 attack angle), causing a decrease in overall distance (256 yds).

After identifying the issue, Plecker was able to get Bret to stand more upright. By standing taller at address and raising the lead shoulder, this moved Bret’s head back, directly influencing the pressure and pivot of his backswing.

The setup change also led to more pressure on Bret’s right foot (trail foot), increasing from 76% max to 90% max with the new set up. It gave him the ability to have his lead shoulder position at the top of the backswing. Finally, Bret was able to shallow the club more from the inside, keeping his body behind the ball at impact.

Following all the changes, Plecker revealed the impressive gains.

Bret’s attack angle leveled out to -0.4 degrees, his clubhead speed increased by 5 miles per hour (117), his spin rate decreased to 3,289, and his driver carry distance went up 27 yards (to 283 yards).

Many amateurs struggle with the same issues that Bret did. But by identifying the problem that was holding him back and putting in the work to improve, he saw how a new-and-improved swing led to better results.

TheStack Swing Speed Trainer (Hardware + App Bundle)

$349

TheStack Hardware 5 milled Stack weights enable 30 weight combinations between 0g and 300g Dual-purpose weight case / phone stand Highly engineered training club – Adult (41.5″) or Junior (38.5″) version (see Fitting Juniors) Speed radar not included. View all compatible devices here.  We recommend the PRGR TheStack App Training 2-year License included, accessible on iOS only. Dynamic speed training formulated by Dr. Sasho MacKenzie Guided workout timer for reps, sets, and rest intervals Custom speed metrics to track your gains Hands-free data entry using voice entry technology Includes access to Stack Putting (Beta) – Learn more Includes Single User License – Enables training and tracking for up to five local (i.e. family) users under one login. Multi-user Coaches License license sold separately. Access TheStack App from the App Store when your order arrives. Requires iOS 15.0 or later.

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The post Start sinking more short putts by trying this helpful eliminator drill appeared first on Golf.

The post Start sinking more short putts by trying this helpful eliminator drill appeared first on Golf.

Sure, most amateurs struggle with inconsistent tee shots, approach shots, and their pitching around the green, but one place where you can instantly shave strokes off your game? The putting surface.

As I’ve mentioned more than a few times, a strong putting touch can be the great equalizer, allowing a player to save par rather than scrambling each hole and making bogey or worse.

But dialing in your stroke is easier said than done — especially from anywhere within six feet in.

While pros make a whopping 99% of their putts from three feet or less, amateurs often struggle mightily. There are a few different putting practice games that can help you improve, but until you spend hours working on your stroke, you’ll never truly master the short game.

Putting

That’s where new GOLF Top 100 Teacher Sarah Stone comes in.

In the video above, Stone works with GOLF’s Claire Rogers on a fun putting drill simply known as the “Eliminator”.

Instead of just guessing on what areas of the short game you need help with, this drill helps eliminate different scenarios you might come across during a round.

So say you’re a pro at gauging distance control from 10 feet or longer, but can’t make a three-footer to save your scorecard. The eliminator drill will identify the former as a strength, and the latter as a weakness — so you can be efficient with your putting practice.

“Eight-feet and in is what we would call ‘scoring distance,'” says Stone. “One of the biggest things that people struggle in with this is [finding] what part of the skill are you not doing well.

“This drill will help give a good idea about what skill we need to dive into and work on a little more.”

How the eliminator putting drill works

After describing the background and the purpose of the eliminator drill, Stone next explains how it actually works.

First, you’re going to take the flagstick (which is typically about eight feet long), and you’re going to lay it down on the ground to help get your distance to the hole.

Now that you’ve got your measurement to the hole, Stone says it’s time to read the green and go through your pre-shot routine.

Putting

“I want you to read the green, and go on the line somewhere and put [a ball-marker] down to where the ball might need to run over it to go in the hole,” adds Stone.

As the Top 100 Teacher watches Rogers miss the putt right of the hole and long, she identifies some issues in her short game.

“I would say that your green-reading was a little off, and your speed control was slightly off,” says Stone. “On 8-footers, I like to see the ball slowing down at the hole.”

Although Rogers missed her putt, Stone says this is the whole purpose of using the eliminator drill — to determine which areas you most need work in.

“What you’re starting to do is figure out where you are lacking in your putting,” she adds. “Is it that you don’t know how to read a green? Then maybe we need to go talk about how to read greens.”

“This is a great way to figure it out before you need to go see your putting stroke again.”

So head on over to the putting green and try Stone’s eliminator drill for yourself. By doing so, you’ll be able to zero in on your biggest areas of weakness, and, with more emphasis on each, slowly start to see better results on the greens.

Alignment Ball

$39.99

Close to 20 feet of retractable cable! The Alignment Ball will help you work on start line easily and quickly on the putting green. Built in spokes make setup easy and efficient. Either straight putts or breaking putts, this retractable string can do it all! Carrying Case Included.

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The post Start sinking more short putts by trying this helpful eliminator drill appeared first on Golf.