Category: Tour Players

SBS Championship- A Tale Of Two Routines

January 12, 2010

As we look at the first P.G.A. Tournament of the season, after we get past the fact that we would love to be in Hawaii, we take a closer look at what champions do and how golf is played at the highest level. As I continue my quest to make you a more educated viewer of golf tournaments in attempt to learn something to help your own game, let’s see what we can learn from the final group in the SBS Championship. We have two top players that have both won U.S. Opens and had an excellent 2009. So why did Geoff Ogilvy shoot 67 and Lucas Glover stumble to a 76 after leading the tournament after 3 rounds? Continue reading “SBS Championship- A Tale Of Two Routines”

The Perfect Golfer and Stocking Stuffers

December 19, 2009

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and  Happy New Year even though I plan on blogging before the end of the year. I am often asked from students or golfers, “What is your favorite golf swing on tour?” Although I do have my favorites, I tend to look at parts of golf swings and individuals that I  tend to favor. When I give a lesson, I use a variety of swing models to show whatever part of the swing that I am trying to work on with my student…such as the takeaway or an arm position or spine angle.  So I came up with my perfect golf swing comprised by the different parts of the swing that I admire from the top players. Here is my version of the golf swing Christmas List:

1.  I want Adam Scott’s physique and perfect golfing frame

2. Y.E. Yang’s new grip and fundamentals (the one he beat TW with not the 4 knuckle 08 version.)

3.  Steve Strickers’ one piece takeaway

4. Bubba Watson’s large arc at the top of his backswing

5.  Trevor Immelmans’ top of swing position (compact/square club face)

6. Lucas Glovers double downcock lagging motion and his great hands around the green.

7. Zach Johnson’s impact position and body rotation

8. Ernie Els balanced finish and overall tempo

9.  Give me Padraig Harrington’s work ethic

10. Give me Tom Watson’s longevity and

12. Brian Gay’s putting stroke

11. I will take Rocco Mediate’s attitude and we have the perfect golfer.

All together we have a player with incredible length off the tee, a sound iron game, great touch around the greens and the best putter on tour and we can also do some modeling on the side, just kidding. The point is that there is no perfect golf swing out there but there are a lot of different looking swings that work. So here are your keys to improvement for 2010.  We will call it the Guru Plan for improvement:

1. Take a lesson from a reputable teaching professional that is proficient with video. This will give you a clear idea of what you have to work on and put them in order of importance.  Know your errors!1

2.  PAY ATTENTION: WRITE IT DOWN. This is why I do video emails or I take notes for my students after each lesson if they need it. Serious students keep a journal, will you.

3. GET TO WORK ON YOUR BODY AND YOUR SWING; If you can’t make the swing changes because of physical limitations or you are out of shape, work on it.  Changing your golf swing is hard work and takes time. If it was easy, everyone would be scratch. I have worked very hard on my golf swing over the years to get it where it is today and I have no sympathy for those that think it should come easy. You can’t fool golf.

4. Learn to rehearse your perfect swing in a mirror…..IN SLOW MOTION (KEY)..Especially if you are dealing with cold weather, don’t let that keep you from improving your swing. Get in front of a mirror with a weighted club or a regular club and work on your swing errors slowly so you can feel it.  You have to feel it first, then see it.

5.  Have a drill.  When you are able to get outside and work on your game, do some drills that will help you to feel the opposite of the error.
What you find in the golf swing is that you have to” feel like you change the swing a mile in order to change it an inch”, this is why we use video. Either you are making the change or you are not.

6. Work on your short game (including putting) at least 60 percent of the time. Most of you are trying to find the perfect swing and neglect this part.

7. Then use John Woodens 8 keys to consistency: practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice.

Stocking stuffers: a range finder, a club fitting and a new set (time to get rid of those Ping Eye 2’s and that bubble shafted driver), a momentus weighted club, a T.P.I. assessment, A dozen Callaway tour (i)s balls, a flip cam,Oh! and a lesson series from the GURU.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

GURU

What We Can Learn From Ricky’s Swing

December 11, 2009

Periodically I will post a tour players swing that i think will allow us to learn something that will help my viewers and also give you a better idea of how I break down and look at a golf swing.  I have commented several times at how I am impressed with Ricky Fowlers overall game and his swing is a classic example of a player that knows his swing and is comfortable with it. It hs a few unusual things that many would call swing flaws but I call them individual trademarks that all great players have.  Examples would be: Trevinos open stance, shut club face and figure eight move through the ball, Furyks dramatic vertical left arm at the top and reroute to find the slot and Nicklaus’ flying right elbow and leg drive. I could go on and on but let’s get to the analysis of Ricky’s driver swing.

The first thing that you notice is that Ricky is not a very big guy, he weighs a mere 135 pounds which dispels the myth that you have to be big to hit the ball long. 

First things first: His setup and posture match beautifully to his very flat arm plane. Tip #1 – If you are a one planer (low arms swinger, you better be bent over at address to ensure a consistent trough to your swing circle. If not you will hit thin shots.) Ricky’s spine angle is approximately 90 degrees to the angle of the golf shaft at address.

Takeaway: His clubhead stay outside his hands as his arms swing across his body. Notice how his left arm is slightly lower than his shoulder plane at the top. (Very much like Mr. Hogan)

Swing flaw #1 : At the top of his swing, the club is pointing to the left of the target (often called laid off). Many teachers would change this but I wouldn’t and this is why.  The golf swing is a balancing act.  You have steep moves and shallow moves. The laid off position is a steep move that counterbalance his flat arm plane which is a shallow move. I hope this makes sense. If the club was on-line at the top or across the line, it would cause his swing to get too shallow or swing too much to the right.

His downswing: This is where he gets his power. Ricky gets incredible separation between his hips and shoulders which is a great power move. Stop the video half way down and notice how open his hips are as his shoulders are perfectly square to the target line. The laid off position that I talked about allows the club to stay in front of him on the way down and square the face at the bottom. Huge key: Notice how his spine angle is exactly the same at impact as it started at address. This allows the impact position to be very consistent. Copy this move if possible

Copy this finish: His finish is free and is result of the incredible sequencing that makes it look so easy. He is a great driver of the ball because he has the ability and confidence to let go. There is no hang on in this swing almost as he was “hitting balls into the OCEAN” – a great driving image.

So I think this swing is very functional and will stand the test of time. Coupled with his brilliant short game and putting stroke and I think you will see young Mr. Fowler have a great rookie season on the P.G.A Tour. Only time will tell.

Let me know if this is helpful and I will do more of this in the future including videos of me demonstrating the moves that I have discussed.

Until next time,

Guru

Q School wins and Losses

December 9, 2009

As a young man, I mean younger man….I always dreamed of playing the PGA Tour. Playing golf on television and against the best in the world. I often get the question from students that don’t know me, “Did you ever play the tour”. Even though I was an accomplished junior and college player and have currently 4 major victories on my resume  which include (Wva. chapter assistants championship, The Kannapolis Pro-Lady, The North Augusta Pro-Am), I was not even close to being good enough to play with these guys. Most people don’t realize how good these guys really are. So I have found my niche, teaching the game. The innate ability to communicate the game to the masses, students of all levels and even guys that play at the highest level, rely on my for advice and that feels pretty good.  On a previous post I called Q School the hardest golf tournament in the world and this year didn’t disappoint. There were new faces like Troy Merit (the winner) and wiley vets like JP Hayes  and Jay Williamson, and Jeff Maggert that made it through. The interesting part is always the ones that are on the bubble coming down the stretch. The magic number this year was 9 under for 6 rounds. For the good players out there, this doesn’t seem so daunting. You could probalby do this on a weekly basis but the pressure is unlike any golf tournament you will ever play in.  So here is my highlights that were of interest, the good and the bad.

1. The biggest last hole disappointments: James Hahn is on the number playing the 18th only needing a par.  He hits it 60 feet and 4 putts for double bogey. He was actually talking to himself out loud walking up to the green, this tells you how hard it is to control your emotions in this enviroment.

2.  Tour veteran and recent champions tour winner, Tom Pernice Jr. drives it in the water on the last to make double and miss by 1.

3.  Best reaction goes to Brad Delahoussaye. During his interview he tears up saying” I have been trying for so long”, talking to his fiance on the phone. He had to change his honeymoon plans to Hawaii, I think she will get over it.

4. Some notables that didn’t make it were: David Duval, Tim Herron, Jesper Parnevik, Paul Stankowski and Ken Duke.

5. Best Charlotte player, via Zimbabwe, is Brendon De Jonge which finished a solid 4th place and should get into plenty of west coast tournaments.

6.  Lastly, the best after round interview goes to Joe Ogilvie. Ogilvie talked about how Shakespeare would never write this book and how he couldn’t understand why more people wouldn’t watch this tournament because it is the greatest in the world. He made an apprentice reference that was very funny…..if anyone can find this video please post as I feel he has a very good future in tv. This guy is very funny and obviously a great player.

Young phenom, Ricky Fowler who is slowly becoming one of my favorite players to watch, made it look easy and made it through. It helps when you have plenty of sponsors exemptions waiting for you if you don’t make it. I just can’t get used to the dutch boy painter hat and the long hair but I know the kids are digging it. His short game and putting is just ridiculous and is world-class. Check out his putting setup and stroke as its exactly like what I teach.

Next weeks Guru TV will be on putting: The arc stroke vs. Straight line putting………..so stay tuned

Don’t forget to breathe when you are nervous and I will see you on the lesson tee

Guru

The hardest golf tournament in the world and the falling of a hero

December 3, 2009

I am looking forward to watching the final round of one of my favorite tournaments of the year. The Masters, no, the Open, not even close. This week is Q School week. The toughest, most grueling, gut wrenching six rounds of golf in the world. Even tour veterans are not exempt this year, including David Duval, Jeff Maggert, Jesper Parnevik, Robert Damron and one of my favorite one plane golf swings, Clemson grad, Charles Warren. Charlottean Brenden Dejonge (who I almost worked with) is there and Joe Ogilvie. Keep an eye on upcoming star and my pick as rookie of the year, Ricky Fowler is playing.  If you want to see some great golfers get out of there comfort zones, putting their golf swings to the ultimate test, watch the last round on Monday.  The golf channel will air it and always tend to highlight the players that are close to the top 30 cut line. This is a great opportunity to see how consistent the players pre-shot  routines are and do they change under extreme pressure.  Things to watch for: 1)Do the number of practice swings increase. 2) Does their pace of play change, slower or faster 3)Do they start to hit shots that they wouldn’t normally hit in a typical round of golf 4) How do they handle the last nine holes of the toughest test in their golfing careers. 5)and do they Breathe, yes, someone always manages to forget to this…………We call this choking. It is kind of like a car crash, everyone slows down to see what happened. Stay tuned to see who this years victime is.

Now for my take on the Tiger situation. First of all, for those of  you who know me know that there is not a bigger Tiger fan on the planet. In the wake of his confession of infidelity (voice mail and text messages to prove it) I am in a state of shock and disbelief. I know that we all put Tiger up on a pedestal because of his golfing prowess but I also admired how I thought he lived his life. I am very disappointed in the news and am grieving because I don’t think that I will ever view one of my golfing heroes and someone who I looked up to, the same again. I am sure over time it will pass and I hope he and Elin can keep their marriage together for their kids sake at least.  I will pray for their family and that is all we can do.  I am sure we will never know exactly what happened the night of the crash (even though I think I know but won’t write), but this is a time when I think trying to keep his private life private definitely made things worse for him.  Maybe he will come out with the truth but my guess is that we will never know. 

Keep an eye on Q School by logging on to www.thegolfchannel.com

God Bless and don’t forget to breathe when you are nervous,

Guru