Major Golf Lesson

I’d like to share with you this amusing story of a very good, long time friend of mine who’s priorities I had to persuade to re-organize and see clear of what actually was important to him. Keep in mind he’s a friend I’ve had for many years. I introduced him to his wife, so I’m able to badger, ridicule, and deprecate his golf abilities in an amusing manner. We always have fun, and lots of it.

The Tomahawk Chop

During some post round ribbing after a dismal exposition of what golf is supposed to look like and how it supposed to be played my good friend told our playing partners and me “I can’t take it anymore”. I told him, “I couldn’t either”. He said, “Hey, Mr. All Pro Golf Pro, (he calls me that because he’s a wisenheimer) what are you upset about”. I said, “If I brandished a tomahawk chop like the one you display every time you swing the club I couldn’t take it either, besides you just have to live with the result. We’re the ones that have to look at it”. We were all cracking up because that’s what he called his swing, but acknowledged the amusing commentary held some validity. He actually had bent most of his shafts in his irons from “tomahawking” his club into the fairway or tee box after almost every pass at the ball. And because he hit it so crooked most of the time, it was just routine for him to bury the club after practically every swing he made. It was now just a part of his swing. It got to a point that we’d razz him about how his tomahawk chop had great timing and rhythm and it was the only thing that looked good in his swing. I started asking him if I could take some tomahawk lessons from him. And that maybe we could make a trade, I’d give him some golf lessons and he could give me tomahawk lessons. I think my provocation that day finally gave him an infinitesimal interest in a golf lesson with him replying, “Hey Mr. All Pro Golf Pro, if I start taking lessons from you that means I’d have to practice, then I’d expect to be better. Besides I don’t have the time anyway. I’m just happy when I brake 100″. I let him know he needed to see his swing on video just once. Besides why should he get a pass at observing something so tormenting. He’s the one producing it. We all agreed.

Well, the day finally arrives. He lastly shows after years of golf lesson prohibition. I even offered my services pro bono (hey, he’s a very good, long time friend and besides it was for the public good). Anyway, I get him to warm up a little and could clearly see that this was a sub-conscious move. He was really working at it, that is, not to present that “tomahawk” during his lesson. Well, we never even made it to the chop. As we’re evaluating his swing on the monitor I see bewilderment on his face. He watches for a couple of swings and then finally asks me, “When are you going to show me my swing?” I said, “That is your swing!” “What the @#$%*!, that’s not me. That guys doing the Japanese ojigi at address”. I asked him, “what the heck was the Japanese ojigi?” “You know, their bow. And it’s not the informal bow, but the type of bow that signifies a respectful greeting bow, a deep gratitude bow, an a apology bow, or asking for favors bow. You know, that real deep bow”.

Well, needless to say he was so dejected by the look of his spine angle (Japanese ojigi) at address, he said “That’s embarrassing! I’ve got to change that! I can’t believe I address the ball like that”. Well that’s what we worked on. And believe me, his address looks 100% better than it did before. While the boys all commended him (and me) for working a miracle on his address, their not embarrassed for him anymore by his mastery of the Japanese ojigi.

The chop, well, it’s still there when he hits it crooked. But, we wouldn’t want to get rid of something that brings him and us so much entertainment. I mean, he’s authored that chop. It’s a commemorative memorial to a golf shot that’s gone awry.

So remember, If you’ve got a friend or loved one “that can’t take it anymore” or if you “can’t take it anymore” go ahead and purchase them a golf lesson. I’ve got plenty of packages from the half-hour lesson to a one or two day customized golf school. There are convenient golf lesson gift certificates available you can purchase through the website.

I promise, we’ll keep it professional. We’ll get them so they “can take their swing” whichever course they play.

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I’ve had several students ask me whether they should wait until after January 1, 2010 on purchasing new clubs with the new grooves or buy clubs now that have the sharper edged grooves which induces a higher spin rate on your golf ball. It will depend on whether you play in Major/USGA events or on the PGA Tour. I’m sure you would love getting paid to exhibit your game of golf regardless of how good or bad it is, but have a more efficient means of making a living than taking your chances on qualifying for USGA events or the PGA Tour. But if you would like to try and qualify you will have to use the new grooves because the USGA has decided to regulate the size of the grooves on the club face. They’re reducing the maximum groove capacity by around 25% from what is currently allowed while also limiting the groove edges that are considerably duller than what is now allowed. The intention is to limit the effectiveness of shots from the rough.

Either way, it’s still remarkable how particular some golfers are concerning the level of club design. Grooves are the horizontal canals engraved into the clubface. During those valuable few microseconds at impact when the ball and the clubface actually meet, grooves amplify the friction, and impart more spin to the golf ball.

Well, before to long, club makers started to experiment with the depth, width and sharpness of those grooves in an effort to claim that their grooves spin the ball more than any of their competitors clubs could.

It’s been a proven scientific fact that the U-groove induces more spin than their V-groove predecessor does. The USGA has finally stepped in and on January 1, 2010 the USGA will implement the new limits on edge sharpness for all grooves manufactured after 1/1/10. These limits will decrease backspin and increase launch angle and ball roll out. If you want more backspin you can continue to play with the square or U-grooves until 2024 or could be forever. However if you purchase clubs manufactured after 1/1/10 it will have grooves with spin performance at or below V-groove levels. Those grooves will limit you to average spin performance.

Here are some performance implications:

• Spin rate is reduced by 30 to 50%
• Launch angle increases 7-20% or up to 5º higher
• Roll out of the ball after impact on the green is increased from 9 to 15 feet

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Fundamentals of the Pre-Swing
The set up you produce before you swing the club has the most influence on your direction, distance, and trajectory of your balls flight or pattern. To hit a straight shot you have to combine these pre-swing fundamentals to match your desired result. When any component of the set up is flawed, swing manipulations are required to gain control of the shot.

Grip The grip is the device that maneuvers the clubs face angle at impact.

Think about your grip as the devise that maneuvers your clubs face angle. The intention is not to enhance power, but to direct the clubface and its angle at impact. This influences direction and trajectory; two of the three objectives for every golf shot. The grip is the only connection you have with the golf club and you must have your hands positioned clockwise or counter clockwise on the golf club in the correct relationship to the clubs face.

Key Points:
(Right-handed)

• 1½ -2½  knuckles visible (index finger and middle finger knuckles visible on the back of your left hand).

• A line between the thumb and index finger (short thumb) pointing to your right eye in your left hand.

• An infant babies bottom visible in the left hand on top of the handle of the club (in the fingers).

• In your right hand the letter V forms between your index finger and thumb on the very top of the grip. (No palming or hammer grip with the right hand under the grip handle).

Stance The stance will encourage mobility and stability.

The golf stance refers to the fanning and the width of the golfers feet at address. This dimension is evaluated from the instep of each foot. The stance encourages trajectory in a golf shot by influencing the angle of the swing arc. This angle or swing plane is upright with a narrow stance and flattens with a wider stance. Your stance should be wide enough to encourage balance and stability, yet narrow enough to provide a weight transfer.

Key Points:

• Fan the feet no more than 35 degrees.

• Weight should be on the fat part of the foot (ball to arc) and slightly inside each instep

Posture Posture for the golf swing is a universally athletic position.

In particular, the joints that bear all the weight should be in alignment, knees flex slightly with the spine bending forward at the hip joint (not the waist) to support a natural hanging of the arms. Posture at address should prepare the body for a dynamic motion during the swing and should grant a stable base from start to finish. Your posture at address and throughout the golf swing has a significant impact on how well your shoulders can rotate around your spine.

Key Points:

• Feel like your sticking your butt out.

• Put the hands in front of the hips while looking forward and up, then bend from the hip joint not the waist.

• Put a golf shaft on the tailbone and up between the shoulder blades with the shoulders feeling slightly back behind the neck, then bend forward keeping the shaft in the same place.

Ball Position The ball should be in a middle position between the ankles.

Ball position refers to the golf balls relationship between the instep and how near or far from the feet at address. The ideal ball position should be slightly behind the very bottom of the swing arc. In a correct set up, this position should be centered in the stance or one ball width to the target side of center. This position should be marked with the ankles or the left armpit. Ball position has a large impact on trajectory, distance and direction in a golf shot. Secondary influences include grip and alignment. How near or far the ball is in respect to the feet is determined by what club is held at address, be it a driver or a wedge.

Key Points:

• Position the small ball (golf ball) to make contact  before the big ball (earth). This is slightly behind the bottom of the swing arc.

• Move the ball position back (right) to encourage a lower trajectory and forward (left) to promote a higher trajectory.

• The butt end of the grips handle for every club should be directly over a line drawn across the knees while at address. This will determine how near or far the ball is, in respect to your feet.

Aim Construct the set up around the aim of the clubface.

A wood is aimed properly when the top line on the face is at a 90-degree or perpendicular angle to the ball-to-target line. An irons clubface is aimed properly when the leading edge of the clubs face is at a 90-degree or perpendicular angle to the ball-to-target line.

Key Points:

• Hold the clubhead at eye level with the top edge of a wood or the irons leading edge hanging vertically. When lowered to the ground behind the ball, the edge of either club should be perpendicular to the ball-to-target line.

• Pick an intermediate spot directly in front of the golf ball and directly on the ball-to-target line. This could be a blemish on the ground from a broken tee to a blade of grass. Point your clubface directly at that spot. This is called an intermediate target. The smaller the spot (a single blade of grass) the more precise the resulting aim.

Alignment Alignment of the body is parallel to the aim of the clubface.

The lines formed by the heels, knees, hips and shoulders represent body alignment. Their correlation to the aim of the clubs face affects direction, distance and trajectory.

Key Points:

• Imagine a set of railroad tracks with the outside rail the ball-to-target line and the inside rail being the body line. Both are parallel to one another. The farther away the target the closer together the rails look. They never meet but they look like it. This is called parallel left.

• Set a club shaft on the ground parallel to the ball-to-target line. Align the heels, knees, hips and shoulders to the shaft on the ground.

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These fundamentals for preparations to a golf swing should be practiced in a mirror, on camera and on the practice or lesson tee. The more repetition the better your habit becomes at getting properly prepared to make a swing of the club.

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