Killer #2

Killer #2 Gripping the club in the palm of the left hand

There is probably not one PGA Tour or LPGA Tour professional that grips the club way up into the palm of their left hand (for right handed players).  They don’t grip it this way because they know they can’t hinge the wrists properly if they do.  Gripping in the palm takes away from range of motion in the wrists, causes the golfer to grip more tightly, and cast the club.  Ever heard me say this before?  All these killers are intertwined.  If your golf gloves tend to get worn on the meaty part of your left hand, then that is a good sign of a poor hand placement on the club.  The reason it gets worn out is because the grip of the club is sliding or moving around in your swing and the casting motion and excessive grip pressure play a role as well.  The fix for this will be to change the way your left hand is placed on the club.  A good drill for this is the way Adam Scott takes his grip.  When he is about to hit a shot he lets his left arm hang limp on his side the takes his grip while his left arm is on his side.  This allows the hand to be placed on the grip more towards the fingers of the left hand.  Give it a try.

If your glove looks like this one, it's time for a change.

5 Killers to the golf swing/Killer #1

There are 5 killers that I see almost every day on the range.  Eliminating these things is the kick start to better golf.  Here they are in no particular order:

1)     Excessive grip pressure (squeezing the club too hard)

2)     Gripping the club too much in the palm of the left hand

3)      Hitting off your back foot

4)      Handle back at impact (backwards shaft lean)

5)      Poor sequence of club and body (kinematic sequence)

I will be talking about each one of these topics in my next few posts with pictures and ways to improve each one.  

Killer #1 Excessive grip pressure 

Gripping the club too tightly can cause a loss of club head speed, a loss of range of motion, a lack of proper wrist action, casting the club, a loss of power, and fat and thin shots.  Most golfers grip the club too tightly because of an improper grip and to gain extra control of the club.  When you grip the club too tightly, you hinder the club’s potential to move at a high speed.  When you grip tightly, the tension goes all the way up your arms into your shoulders and back.  When the body is tight it can’t move.  When pressure is added early in the downswing the result is a club head that is cast at the ball.  Ever heard the term lag?  Casting is the opposite of lag.  Tight grip pressure also causes the club head to arrive at the ball too early with the hands behind the ball at impact, resulting in fat and thin shots that are not hit solidly.  All of the swing killers are all related.  They must all be eliminated to play at your best.  A good drill to combat the tight pressure would be to make some practice swings holding the club as light as humanly possible without it coming out of your hands.  Another good drill is to place the left hand on the club as you normally would and then just put your right thumb and forefinger on the bottom of the grip almost as if you were trying to hold your right ear lobe.  Make some swings with both of these drill without a ball to get the sense of a much lighter grip pressure.

 

Stenson wins it all

Henrick Stenson had a tremendous last half of the year and capped it off with a win at the Tour Championship to win the Fed Ex Cup.  Stenson, in my opinion, dominated the last 3 months on the tour.  It seemed like he was close to winning almost every event he played.  Stenson was struggling a few years ago to find his game.  Well, he found it.  I think he has worked tremendously hard on his swing and short game.  When he hits a ball, it looks like he is hurting the ball.  His trademark 3 wood off the tee has given him a great advantage.  The tour players seem to be hitting fairway woods off the tee more and more these days.  Stenson seems to be the best at it.  The Fed Ex season was fun to watch and Stenson deserves a big congratulations.  Good work Henrick!

World Am

Thousands of amateurs flock to the Grand Strand each August to test their padded handicaps against other golfers from around the globe.  These golfers are a different breed.  They come into town sometimes a week before the event so they can scope out the 4 courses they have been assigned to.  They come in and get yardage books, scorecards, and an ice water.  Some of these golfers are seasoned veterans of the event and some are not.  A lot of these golfers show up 2.5 hours early for their scheduled tee time because they are so nervous they can't sleep.  They get to the course early to chug coffee, do their business, fix their swing on the range, and talk it up with the others.  This is like playing in the US Open for these golfers, and they treat it that way.  I don't know who will win this year, but I do know that that guy will be wearing his best outfit, have all his handicap holes mapped out and beat all of the other sandbaggers in the world with his pencil.

TaylorMade introduces the SLDR Driver

Coming in August is the newest technology from TaylorMade.  It's called the SLDR(Slider).  They have moved the center of gravity more forward in the club head to achieve higher launch and lower spin.  This is the recipe for distance!  The moveable weight technology comes in the form of a sliding weight that goes from the toe to the heel depending on what ball flight you want.  The loft is also adjustable.  It will produce a high, penetrating ball flight.  When it hits the ground it will run because of the low spin imparted on the ball.  The head doesn't look as flashy as the R1 or the RBZ Stage 2, which I like.  Numerous tour professionals have already put them into their bag.  Demos will be available in early August.  Come out and try before you buy!  More information on the club can be found at www.taylormadegolf.com

John Deere wrap up

The young 19 year old Jordan Spieth outlasted some great players to win the John Deere Classic yesterday.  I was very impressed by his composure throughout the event and especially in the 5 hole playoff.  It was almost as if he had been there before.  Zach Johnson was almost distracted by his play.  I think Johnson just assumed that the other 2 guys would just fold because they had not won before and also the fact that he "owns" the John Deere classic, having won it before.  Spieth did not fold.  The only thing that he will be folding is some more clothes for his trip to the British Open this week.  He received a spot in the event by winning this week.  He was one of the youngest winners ever on the PGA Tour.  He has a great swing and a great attitude.  Look for him atop the leader boards more often.  Check out the entire story at: www.pgatour.com

 

Anchor Ban

The anchoring stops in 2016.  The USGA and the R & A have decided to ban anchoring a golf club against your body to swing it.  4 of the last 6 majors in mens golf have been won by someone who anchors the putter.  I thought the Masters this year was great to watch.  It was one of the most exciting tournaments that I have watched in a long time.  Was it more exciting because Adam Scott won?  He anchors his putter by the way..I don't know.  The only thing I can tell you is that golf needs all the spark it can get by both the players and the fans.  I think this rule will take a little sizzle out of it.  I guess the rule needs to be implemented.  I think you should "swing" the club.  There will probably be lots to talk about as we get closer to the rule being put into effect.