On todays show, I field two great questions from my blog. The first one from Nick Chertock about how to get students in posture. Special thanks to my student, Mike Meyer for assisting me although he didn’t do a very good job of portraying poor posture (he is just that good) Recap the three ways to put a student into posture:
place forearm on back and bring the upper body up towards your hand and hips out
place club across waist and push the hips back
touch your fingertips to the tops of your kneecaps
and the second question from Bill Shafer from England about club face control.
recap:
grip could be too weak. you shouldn’t have to over rotate forearms and wrists to square face. strengthen grip until you can get the ball to turn left
check club face half way back, should tilt forward and match spine angle at address
check top of swing and make sure club face matches left forearm
If these check out then we will address how to release forearms (see older guru tv video on how to release the club properly)
This is what it is all about, getting you the information that you need to improve your golf games and that is what I love to do. Leave a question in the comment section and let’s keep it rolling. You can ask me about anything and I will give you the answer via video or text.
As the summer golfing season comes to a close, we approach my favorite time to play…..the fall. The temps get cooler and the ability to stand out and practice and play gets more bearable. I wanted to take a minute and revisit my ultimate goal for creating this blog. My goal was to help you, the average golfer and continue to grow the game. At times I feel as if I lose focus on this and try to impress my peers (all the outstanding coaches that I am fortunate enough to have reading my blog and sometimes even commenting on it, which I am grateful). I know that I do not have all the answers (maybe 30% as I can tell) but I am excited to learn the rest and share it with all of you. For those of you that have worked with me the last several years, know that my goal is to improve as your coach every year and I have done that. Next years guru model will be the best ever. But I can guarantee that there is not a coach out there that cares more about their students (YOU) and has a passion for helping people have more fun playing this great game and improving. If I don’t have the answer to your questions, I have a lot of friends that are a lot smarter than me that do and I will get it for you….because that is what I do. As Jerry McGuire says,”I am an animal for you and I will not sleep until I am playing a video game named after you wearing a shoe that you designed with your name on it….Well, you know what I mean. I care! So let’s get back to basics and get this blog rolling with some old fashioned….Ask The Guru! Here is how it works: 1) You leave a question in the comment section about anything that you want 2) I will either type an answer back in the form of a blog or make a videoblog demonstrating the answer for you. If you have been a lurker of this blog, which means that you read my stuff and watch Guru TV but don’t comment, I would love to hear from you. I have over 100 subscribers and would love to get more to get some dialogue going so spread the word as there will be alot of creative specials that I will be rolling out the rest of
Guru Teaching the Masses
the year. I look forward to your questions and I can’t wait to help youwith your game.
For more information about our programs, check out our website @www.danarader.com
Follow me on twitter @www.twitter.com/golfgurutv and join the conversation
The body is the engine of the swing. After you train the hands and arms effectively then you can focus on your body pivot. In the past I have talked about matching components. Different pieces put together correctly that allow you to swing the club on the correct swing plane. You can’t get these mixed up or you will not hit the ball your best. Here are the different combinations that I prescribe for the best results:
Neutral Pivot (Option 1) – steeper shoulder plane, higher right hip, centered head position. I recommend coupling with a flatter hand/arm plane to balance out the swing.
Chad Campbell – Option 1
Positive Pivot (Option 2) – flatter shoulder plane, level hips, spine tilted away from target. Head moves a half of a head away from target. I recommend a more a more upright arm plane to match. Requires a bigger slide forward with the hips and hand drop from the top to balance out hsp.
Ryan Moore Option 2
Check out our website @www.danarader.com or call 704-542-7635 to schedule a lesson
Follow me on twitter @twitter.com/golfgurutv or by clicking the button at the top right portion on the blog.
Ever since baseball has finished, my 10-year-old son, Nicklaus Palmer, has really taken to golf which makes me so proud as I think every golf pro wants their kids to enjoy the game. Nick has been tagging along with me to work the last couple of days and has been practicing very hard and having a great time. He was the camera man on my latest Guru TV video that you will see shortly and asked if he could do his own tip so I said, “sure Guru Jr.” This was the first and only take and I think he did a great job and makes a great swing considering it was my club and not his junior club. I hope you enjoy Nicklaus Palmers debut as I am a very proud father. We have played a lot of golf in the last month which has been very cool for the both of us. “Great job son, I love you and I hope you enjoy this great game for a lifetime.”
check out our website @www.danarader.com and follow me on twitter @twitter.com/golfgurutv
I first heard of Rory when he was 16 and was playing in European tour events and making cuts. A curly haired, freckled face kid. Looking more like Howdy Doody than an athletic icon, McIlroy has grown and matured into a world beater. I followed Rory around the back nine at Quail Hollow as he shot 62 to win the Wachovia Championship going away. As he faced a 40 footer on 18 with a couple of shot lead, he took no time and knocked it in like it was a five footer in a practice round. I saw the same look in his eyes this week as he destroyed the best of what the golf world has to offer by eight shots….and he left a few out there which is scary. As we watch these twenty something golfers come up through the ranks, Rory is by far the most talented and seems to be able to handle the pressure of Championship golf. As a coach, it is interesting to see how everyone marvels at the swing or technique of the hottest players going. Just like in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, we all wanted to swing like Tiger and I guarantee we loved to compare our students to Mr. Woods swing because he was playing better than anyone in the world for a unbelieveable extended time. (now he has changed it 3 times?) Would you have taught your students to swing like Jim Furyk if he would have been so dominant? hmmm? Well? So now we all want Rorys swing and what is not to like? He has great basics, athleticism, hits all the right positions, flow and power. But this is the same guy that missed several cuts in the past at big events and collapsed at this past April’s Masters, right. So I think aside from his wonderful golfing motion, first class short game and putting…It is the mental maturity and attitude that allowed him to stay out of his own way throughout the U.S. Open and win going away. I love the press conferences and learn so much about a player by listening close to what they say and how they say it. Rory mentioned (and was asked many times so he had no choice) about Tiger Woods. He said he thought a lot about what Tiger would do (2000 Open) which helped him keep his fire even when he had a big lead. This was very apparent when he got so upset after making a bogey on the 17th even though he had a huge lead but that is how you have to play in that situation. Tiger’s goal in the 2000 Open was to go bogey free even though he had a huge lead. He played a tournament against himself, set mini 3 hole goals which is what Rory did and it helped keep him in the moment up till the last putt. So we will see how this plays out as one major is just a start a legendary career. A lot of great players have won only a single major. So lets not start comparing this young phenom to Tiger or Jack until we see some consistency over a long period of time as golf is a very fickle game and can come and go as you all know. Let Rory enjoy his unbelievable performance and be a young man who I already admire so much, not as much by his golf game but they way he has handled failure and now how he will handle success. His dad should be very proud of the man that he has become. Wise beyond his years for sure.
I am sure that I was not alone as I stood in my man room and chanted,”Let’s Go Rory” as he simply was spectacular for 4 rounds in our major championship. The U.S. players need to take notice. Who is going to step up and stop him? Only time will tell. I am so fortunate to have been able to watch Jack Nicklaus at the end of his run, Tiger Woods in his prime and now Rory McIlroy starting his.
Check out our website @www.danarader.com and follow me on twitter @www.twitter.com/golfgurutv or friend me up on facebook.com/jasonsuttongolf
As we approach the week of our second major championship of the year, The United States Open, we have to ask ourselves; What kind of player wins the U.S. Open and what kind of shots are required to survive the grueling test that is some of the toughest golf course set-ups in the world. There is a reason why par is a good score and usually ends up winning or coming very close. The USGA sets the course up with this score in mind with narrow fairways, long rough, firm greens and difficult pin positions.
The type of player to look for this week: In my opinion you have to do three things well to win an open. 1) Drive it straight 2) be able to play smart from the rough 3)have a world class short game
Notice I didn’t say that you had to be a long power player or even a great putter although that doesn’t hurt but I think that the player will have to be able to work the ball with a fade pattern to keep the ball from rolling into the rough and also a fade into the greens tends to hold better than a draw. So the players that can shape the ball will have a definite advantage. Here are a few players that fall under this pattern and who I think will do well this week.
1. K.J. Choi – his steeper downswing and fade shot will set up well at Congressional. He can drive it straight, escape the rough and hit the greens with his fade. Choi has been showing good form of late as he just recently won the Players Championship.
2. Martin Kymer – Although his steep downswing doesn’t work at Augusta, he should be able to manage his way around and shoot something around par and contend this week. This is why he played so well at the PGA. His fade is a plus for this venue
3. Lee Westwood – His shot pattern doesn’t match my description but has the ability to work the ball both ways and simply has come too close not to be in the mix at the end. Hits alot of fairways and greens which makes him a threat
4. Rory Mcilroy – I know he has had his troubles of late but he has too much talent not to be in contention and he will win his first major this year. If not the US then the British Open. He is resiliant and has a great short game which will keep him in it. There was a great question posted on twitter the other day: Who will win their first major? McIlroy, Fowler, Montessero or Ishikawa. I choose Rory.
5. Luke Donald – New World number 1 has to get his long game going as he hasn’t struck as well as you think lately (check the stats) but has a world class short game and is a great putter that will keep him around par. Needs a major to validate his number 1 ranking so he really wants this one.
Honorable mentions include: David Toms, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Matt Kucher, Hunter Mahan
One of the shots that the players will face this week is a pitch shot from the rough or what I call the “birdnest“. Here is an video archive that will help you tackle these difficult shots around the green.
Leave your picks for the U.S. Open in the comments thread
Share this by using one of the social media buttons below
Check out our website at www.danarader.com or call 704-542-7635 to schedule a lesson with the Guru
I know many of my students have heard me talk about the D-Plane and why it is important. The cool thing is that many of you understand it. I had a 13-year-old junior that know how to work the ball now because of D Plane. As a student you need to have a general understanding of why the ball flies the way it does. As an instructor my job is to help you change your pattern to get the desired ball flight that you want. Some of you have asked me what I need to do to work the ball in both directions and this usually opens up a discussion about “The Descriptive Plane” or 3D ball flight. I usually pull out a couple of sticks or my monster wedge and try to explain it in a fashion that anyone could understand. There is so much more to it than just the path and club face relationship that is hard to explain (angle of attack, friction, spin loft etc.) and also impossible to see without a trackman to give you the exact numbers. As coaches we do our best to read ball flight, match it up with what we see with our internal high-speed cameras (our eyes) and then look at it on camera in slow motion to decide where to start first. The understanding of D plane principles has helped me to read ball flight better, diagnose quicker and help my students faster by changing their ball flight in a positive way. I have to thank my good friend John Graham (check out his site for more info) for our many talks on the subject and his videos that help explain this. I also have run across some other great videos fromBrian Manzella and this one from James Leitz that I would like to share. I know most of you have seen this but I never assume anything and think it can be useful for coaches and students. Along with some of my favorite videos I have included some pictures that might help paint the picture of the DPlane as well. Enjoy my montage and I am so grateful to all the great coaches that have helped me with this subject as it has taken my teaching to a new level.
James Leitz
Brian Manzella
John Graham
To understand your golf swing is to understand ball flight. I know your head is spinning right now so you must come to the lesson tee and I will explain it live.
Check out our website @ www.danarader.com or call 704-542-7635 to book a lesson with the Guru.
I know that you saw the opening for the scoring zone school that I did with top 50 instructor, Todd Sones but you didn’t get to see what shots that we hit around the green. Here are a couple of shots that I will think will help you lower your scores. There will be more to come.
Follow me on twitter at twitter.com/golfgurutv
check out our website at www.danarader.com or call 704-542-7635 to schedule a lesson with the Guru
The Golf Guru Show 