Josh Zander, a PGA Teaching Pro and mysmartgolf.com co-founder, will answer your questions on how to solve golf’s thorniest problems. To learn more about Josh, visit www.mysmartgolf.com or www.zandergolf.com. See the end of the post for how to contact Josh with your own questions.
I am a 20 handicapper. What can I do in the offseason to make myself more ready for the start of golfing?
The offseason is a great time to get your body in shape. The golf swing is an athletic motion, and the body needs to be able to respond to what you want it to do. If you tend to make the same mistakes in your swing and you blame it on a “bad habit,” consider the fact that your body will not let you make the change. Take this offseason and commit to a program that will improve your stability, flexibility and mobility.
The fitness industry has made great strides in addressing the needs of golfers. My favorite website for golf training is http://www.mytpi.com/. The people at Titleist are interested in making golfers better and playing longer. They have put together an amazing site to help you reach your golf fitness goals. My recommendation is to see your local golf professional and ask him what positions you need to achieve in your swing. Videotape it and bring it to your fitness professional. Work on your body this winter and that “bad habit” that you think you have may actually disappear!
What kind of mental exercises do you recommend for preparing for those moments like standing over a six-foot winning putt?
The first thing you need to do is commit to the speed of the putt. Any putt that has a break in it will be affected by the speed. The harder you hit it, the less it will break. The softer you hit it, the more it will break. I like to think about how the ball will enter the hole. Will it die in over the top edge or am I ramming it in to the back of the hole? Now that you have committed, your focus should be on hitting a solid putt right in the sweet spot while keeping your head still. No peeking!
The best advice I can give you is to disassociate yourself from the outcome. Once you hit the ball, the result is out of your hands. The green is not a perfect surface so a bump or a spike mark may kick it off line. This is out of your control so don’t worry about it.
The perfect example was Tiger’s mindset at Torrey Pines on the 72nd hole of the U.S. Open when he needed to make the putt to force the playoff with Rocco Mediate. He knew that all he could do was hit a solid putt at the right speed on his chosen line. After that, it was out of his hands.
Michael Jordan was asked why he wanted the ball with a few seconds left and his team down by one point. His responded that when he took the shot, one of two things could happen. It would either go in or miss. Either way, he was still going to be ok. In other words, he was safe to perform. Adopt Tiger and Jordan’s mindset and you will give yourself the best opportunity to succeed. If you don’t, you will still be ok.
Sometimes, you just want to bomb the ball. What are your recommendations for getting the most distance out of your drive?
Develop the proper sequence in your downswing and you will reach your maximum clubhead speed. The proper firing sequence to the downswing is hips, core, arms and then club. It is the same in any sport. If golf is not your first sport, tap into how you hit a baseball or a tennis ball or any other sport where you were trying to propel an object. There are many factors that lead to hitting it longer. Hitting the sweet spot, delivering the club on plane, staying relaxed so your muscles can fire are among them.
The bottom line is that the sequence has to be correct or the ultimate transfer of energy to the club will not be there. I will leave you with one last thought that I cannot stress enough. Slowing down your swing will NEVER lead to hitting it longer. If you slow down a bad swing, all you have is a SLOW BAD SWING. Improve your mechanics and your sequence and speed it up!
Got a golf technique question for Josh? Write it in the comments below
