Pitch Shot from Greenside Rough

25 11 2011

What if I told you that you did not have to be perfect to hit a shot out of greenside rough?  You would then approach the shot with confidence.  Remember Tom Watson’s famous shot on the 71st hole of the 1982 U.S. Open?  Bruce Edwards, his caddie, said “Get it close” to which Watson responded “I’m going to hole it!”  And so he did.  Obviously Watson did it under the utmost pressure as he was battling Nicklaus for the victory and he was tied with Jack at the time.

The truth is that although these shots appear challenging, they are not that difficult.  I teach a forgiving short game technique on these shots where you slide the bounce of the club under the ball.  If you maintain constant loft on the club, the bounce will slide along the grass fro 10-12 inches providing a huge margin of error.  Take a practice swing and you will see the length of the brush mark.

Next time you get this shot, follow these steps:

1)    Take a lofted club like a lob wedge or sand wedge

2)    Play the ball forward in your stance

3)    Weaken your grip which will help keep the clubface open

4)    Firm up your wrists to keep the club from twisting in the grass

5)    Hit behind the ball

6)    Make a big swing

Distance control will come through practice.  Your confidence will grow as you increase your repetitions. Give yourself different lies and targets to simulate real golf conditions.  You have the forgiveness built in to the club and technique.  Go do it!

Josh Zander


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : game improvement, golf, golf instruction, pitch shot, short game, video

How To Hit it Straight

20 09 2011

Hitting the ball straight is one of the biggest challenges facing every golfer.  There are so many variables that go into hitting it straight that it is a wonder we ever hit the ball straight at all.  In fact most tour players prefer to curve the ball in order to get it to the target.  Jack Nicklaus liked to fade the ball while Tom Watson likes to draw the ball.  Very few tour players try to hit the ball perfectly straight once they are hitting clubs longer than an eight iron.  Today’s equipment makes hitting the ball straight more feasible, nevertheless, it is a challenge.  I believe every golfer should know what it takes to hit it straight. The closer you get, the less curve you will get on your ball and your direction control will improve.

So what does it take to hit the ball straight?  Correct aim, a square clubface, and a centered hit are all part of the equation.  The last variable is club path and that may be the least understood by the average player.  The reason is that the swing is an inclined circle, like slightly tilted a hula hoop.  This means that as you hit down on a ball you will be striking the ball earlier on the circle which means your path will moving to the right at impact.  Conversely, when you hit up on the ball, the later you are hitting on the circle and the more left your path is moving at impact.  In short, the attack angle directly affects the path.  My video on how to hit it straight illustrates the adjustments necessary to neutralize your club path with different attack angles.

The one thing to remember is that every ball struck from the ground requires a downward strike to hit it solidly and straight.  Hitting up on a ball that is on the ground will result in a miss-hit.  When you tee the ball up, it is to your advantage to hit up on the ball as it will minimize the spin rate and give you more distance.  Although you can get away with hitting down on your driver I do not recommend it as it will increase your spin rate and cost you distance.

Just like it is difficult to learn the golf swing from a book, I will leave the aforementioned formula for hitting it straight to your local PGA teaching professional.  But remember that just working on aim, face and center hits will help, but understanding the concept of path as it relates to attack angle will be the final piece in the puzzle.

Josh Zander


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : ball flight, full swing, game improvement, golf, golf instruction, video

The One-Plane Backswing

16 06 2011

By now you have probably heard the term “One-Plane Swing.”  The term was coined by my mentor Jim Hardy and has become part of the golf vernacular.  In the past, the one plane swing has been described as a flat swing.  Ben Hogan is the most famous example of this type of swing.   In his book, “Five Lessons, the Modern Fundamentals of Golf”, Hogan showed us that great image of the pane of glass.  At the top of his backswing, he shows how his left arm is on the same plane as his shoulders.  In his book, Ben Hogan stated: “At the top of his backswing, his (the golfer’s) left arm should be extended at the same angle as the glass.  Actually, his left arm would brush against the glass.”  This is what Jim Hardy describes as the One-Plane Backswing.  In other words, the left arm and shoulders are all on “one plane” at the top of the backswing.

In my video, I have demonstrated how to build a one-plane swing.  How do you know if this style of swing is correct for you?  Get in front of a mirror and look at your profile as you are hitting away from the mirror.  Make a backswing and hold it at the top.  Now look back at the mirror.  If your left arm is online with your shoulders, you are a one-planer.  If your left arm is higher than your shoulders you are a two-planer.  If you are one-planer, you should study this video in order to make your motion more fundamentally sound.

One of the best methods of learning is watching great players.  These days, the internet provides us with countless videos that we can use as models.  My favorite modern day one planers are Hunter Mahan, Sergio Garcia, and Trevor Immelman.  Tiger Woods is a great one planer when he hits his famous “stinger”.  The one-plane swing seems to be a trend on the tour these days.  This does not mean it is the only way to be successful; it is just one way to play golf.  As a teacher, I make sure my students stick to the fundamentals of a one-plane swing if they are one-planers.  There is a lot of confusing information out there.  Some of it is right for one-planers and some of it is correct for two-planers.  Figuring out which one you are will help you keep things simple and enjoy great golf.

Josh Zander

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddz-Pxj5WTU


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : ball flight, full swing, game improvement, golf, golf instruction, video

Grip it and Rip it

23 03 2011

Before you can rip it, you have to grip it. There are so many ways to grip the golf club and you need to find the one that works best for you. My recommendation is to match your grip to your desired ball flight. If you like to draw the ball, you should favor a stronger grip. If you want to fade the ball, go with a weaker grip. The “old school” way of shaping shots was to make the same swing and just change your grip on the club. I heard Nick Faldo one time making fun of Colin Montgomery’s golf academy. I am paraphrasing but he basically said, what they teach you there is turn your hands one way to hook it, turn your hands the other way to fade it and somewhere in the middle is straight. Now that will be $1,000! Can it be that simple? That might me a slight oversimplification because there are so many other factors involved but the concept is very true.

For those of you who have read my blogs before, you know that as an instructor, I will only make an adjustment to a student’s technique if it improves the ball flight or the quality of the impact. If you are already hitting it solidly and straight, don’t change your grip! Just because it is not neutral does not mean it is wrong. Paul Azinger and Freddy Couples both have extremely strong grips and they hit it great. I hope they never change. The golf swing is a mixture of all kinds of angles and in Paul and Freddy’s case, the strong grip matches the other aspects of their swings creating a neutral impact and a correct ball flight.

I want to make this blog helpful so if you don’t have an instructor, follow these simple recommendations as to when to change your grip:

Make your grip stronger if:

1. You are slicing

2. You have thin contact

Make your grip weaker if:

1. You are hooking

2. You have deep divots

Your grip is your one connection to the club. Making a change can be a difficult experience. If you decide to make the change, bring a club into your house and do your repetitions away from the golf course.

Now go grip it and rip it!


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , ,
Categories : ball flight, full swing, game improvement, golf, golf instruction, video

Posture

17 12 2010

Maintaining your posture is known as an important fundamental to a good golf swing. I completely agree with that statement with one exception. It is only important to maintain your posture if you have a “one plane” swing. A one plane swing has your left arm on the same plane as your shoulders at the top of your backswing. This is more commonly known as a flat or more rounded golf swing. You can almost think of this as a baseball swing that needs to be bent over in order to hit the ground.

If you have a “two plane” swing or more upright golf swing, please do not maintain your posture! Your left arm is in a higher position at the top of your backswing which already gives you an angle to hit the ground. Bending over during the downswing will lead to deep divots. You should also stand more upright at address if you have a two plane swing.

When you watch a video, read an instruction book or receive a tip, make sure it will help you with your impact or ball flight or it is not for you. There are many fundamentals out there that apply to different types of golf swings. It is up to your PGA professional to clear up the confusion and guide you on the correct path. Next time you take a lesson, tell your instructor about your impact and ball flight. Armed with this information, your teacher can help you understand the fundamentals that apply to you.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Categories : ball flight, full swing, game improvement, golf, golf instruction, video

Releasing the Clubhead

9 10 2010

As we all know, there are many golf swings in the Hall of Fame and none of them look alike.  But what they all have in common is that they can control their ball flight. After all, all we want as golfers is predictability.  A few years ago I asked the #1 player on the Stanford Golf Team how he was hitting it.  His answer was that he was hitting it too straight and could not curve the ball.  He thought the new equipment made the ball fly too straight.  Imagine that!  We should all have that problem.  The real reason he hits it so straight is that he has a stable release that keeps the clubface square to the arc around impact.  These players tend to be very accurate but do not curve the ball much.  Players with stable releases can still curve the ball but it requires set-up adjustments.  Many great players also use the roll release.  Phil Mickelson just won the 2010 Masters using it.  Bubba Watson is another example of a player who uses it and he certainly does not have a problem curving the ball.  In this day of forgiving equipment and computerized video analysis, I think we have lost the art of shot-making.  Old schoolers like Sam Snead used to find their desired ball flight by playing “spin the ball” on the range.  If they were hooking it on the golf course, they would slice it for a while on the range until they neutralized their ball flight.  Once they found their favorite flight, they were good to go.

What kind of release do you have?  Once you know this, you can use use the correct fundamentals to make it successful.  As I explain in the video, the fundamentals of each release are significantly different.  Impact is the moment of truth and if you want predictability to your ball flight, you need to know how to use your release to achieve your desired ball flight.

Josh Zander


Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Categories : ball flight, full swing, game improvement, golf, golf instruction, video

Balance

20 07 2010

“Balance Daniel son, must learn the balance!” For those of you old enough to remember the movie “The Karate Kid” you remember those infamous words of Mr. Miagi teaching his student the importance of balance. I feel like Mr. Miagi on the lesson tee sometimes as I stress balance to all my students. Balance is a fundamental you will find in all great golf swings. The swings make look different, but they all seem to finish like they are posing for the camera.

Your vestibular system and your nervous system equip you with tools for balance. Solid swing fundamentals also lead to better balance. Try this next time you go to the driving range. Don’t make a backswing and simply swing from your set up into a perfect, balanced finish position. Hold it there for ten seconds to allow your brain to understand the feeling of a balanced finish. Now set up and try to swing into that finish. It’s amazing how your swing plane and body motion starts to come around. Often times, as players, we get caught up in the minutia of the different parts of the swing. There is not enough time during the swing to think about all those details! Make it your goal to finish in balance and a lot of the swing faults will start to melt away.

As I mentioned in the video, slowing down your swing is not the solution to your balance problem. Slowing down may help your balance but now you are hitting it shorter. I have taught golf for 16 years and I have never had a student who wants to hit it shorter. Lets fix your golf swing and then speed it up! The average PGA Tour Player swings his driver at 112 mph. Have you noticed, they all pose at the finish while in perfect balance. Mr. Miagi would be proud!

Josh Zander


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : full swing, game improvement, golf, golf instruction, video

Hitting From the Rough

16 06 2010

They call it rough for a reason. It’s not easy! You really have to put your thinking cap on when you find your ball in the rough. From a nice lie in the fairway, most golfers think about yardage to the green, the correct shot shape to approach the flag, wind conditions as well as numerous other variables. When you are in the rough, the lie dictates what you can do. Just because you are 150 yards from the green doesn’t necessarily mean you can reach the green if the lie is down too much.

Think of this as a chess move. You want to assess the situation and plan what you can do to improve your position for the next shot. As my coach said in college, don’t try to be a hero. If you try to pull off a miracle shot, the most you can ever save is one stroke. If you don’t succeed, it often costs you two or more shots.

Most golfers have experienced the US Open lie where you just have to hack the ball out into the fairway. They have also experienced the lie when the ball is down a little bit limiting the distance they can advance the ball. The least understood of these shots is the flier lie. This is the one that looks like the ball is up on a tee. This ball will come out of the rough like a rocket. It flies farther, has less spin, and does not curve. This occurs because the moisture and grass promotes a slippery surface on the clubface that lessens the friction on the clubface. You will see even more flier lies on tour this year because of the new grooves. Again, there is less friction which means less spin. Flier lies can be great when you are trying to advance the ball as far as you can up the fairway but they become dangerous when you try to approach a green. Missing the green long tends to lead to high scores. My suggestion is to err towards the shorter club and if you miss the green short, you tend to have an uphill chip or pitch which is not that bad.

Every golfer will hit it in the rough many times during a round. The one that is armed with he knowledge of what can be accomplished with each lie has a significant advantage. Unfortunately, driving ranges are not set up to allow golfers to practice these lies, hence golfers tend to really struggle out of the rough. Next time you get a chance to  play golf by yourself, throw some balls into the rough and experiment what you can do. With good decision making and experience the rough will become less…rough!


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , ,
Categories : ball flight, full swing, game improvement, golf, golf instruction, video

Shot Shaping

17 05 2010


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : ball flight, full swing, game improvement, golf, golf instruction, video

Releasing the Putterhead

10 04 2010

There are so many ways to putt well.  Bobby Locke hooked his putts. Billy Mayfair slices his putts. Crenshaw has a long, flowing stroke.  Azinger has a short, pop-like stroke.   And Tiger has perhaps the simplest stroke I have ever seen.  All of the aforementioned putters have made their fair share of putts and all have one fundamental in common.  They all accelerate into the ball.

All golfers know that it is important to accelerate into impact.  This is an important fundamental in the swing as well as in putting.  If we all agree that acceleration is important, then we should all understand that accelerating the putter means that the putter has to release past the hands.

Too many golfers believe that the stroke is controlled by the shoulders and that the hands need to stay quiet.  Keeping your hands and wrists locked produces a block which leads to poor contact and deceleration.  Your hands are your only contact with the club.  The key is to use your hands and wrists correctly rather than eliminate them from the process.  When throwing a ball underhand, the hands and wrists remain soft and active in producing the throw.  This is an athletic motion and so is putting.  To feel the correct motion, simply anchor your putter to your belly and let the putterhead swing.  Can you feel what is happening to your hands and wrists? This is a release!

I personally can’t believe that USGA has allowed belly putters as they make putting so much easier.  You can’t block your putts if you let the putterhead swing while keeping the grip end anchored to your body.  If you have a short putter, I recommend building a belly putter to match so you can practice the release.  All you have to do is take your short putter to a club builder and have him use the same lie angle and build one long enough to reach your belly. Once you learn the feel of the proper release, your putting will improve tremendously.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : game improvement, golf, golf instruction, putting, short game, Uncategorized, video

« Previous Entries


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 44 other followers