Time to get busy! Start your season off the right way with some solid practice habits. Enjoy a blast from the past with this archive.
See you on the lesson tee (704-542-7635),
Jason
In this video, I show one of the ways that I help to develop a better impact position with my students. Pay attention to the young man who does the demonstration as he is going to be a good one. His name is Aaron Walker. Please share some drills or ways that you help your students with this all important area of the golf swing?
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To schedule a lesson with the Guru, please call 704-542-7635 or visit our website @www.danarader.com
See you on the lesson tee,
Jason
Here is my latest Golf Illustrated Topic for my bi-monthly column and a short game Guru TV archive…..free of charge
Building an Expert Short Game
With the summer golf season approaching and golf course conditions beginning to firm up, a sound wedge and short game is paramount. The average golfer tends to struggle to pitch and chip when the fairways are tight or the ground is hard. If you tend to blade, scull or hit your short game shots fat, this is for you. Let’s look at some possible causes of poor shots around the green and then how we get you back on track. If you follow these guidelines you will be able to get the ball up and down from anywhere around the green.
Possible Roadblocks
1) The Wrong Philosophy – The number one error that golfers make is allowing the lead wrist to break down through impact. This typically starts with a flawed philosophy of how the ball gets into the air. If you allow the club head to outrace the handle, you will catch the ball on the upswing and blade it or hit behind it. Stop trying to help the ball into the air and let the club work the way it’s built.
2) Another misconception is that your body shouldn’t move during pitching swings. If the body doesn’t rotate, the club will outrace the rotation of the body and will arrive at impact improperly.
Keys to a Sound short Game
1) The RIGHT PHILOSOPHY – In order to hit solid short game shots, the club shaft must lean towards the target at impact. This is how the club is built. The lead wrist should be flat and the club head will be moving downward into the ball. This is how you put backspin on the ball which is a question that I am frequently asked.
2) Rotation of The Body Is Crucial – On the forward swing, the left hip, shoulders and chest must continue to rotate toward the target. This will allow you to maintain a flat lead wrist throughout as we discussed earlier.
Symmetry is the Key to Distance Control
Short game shots are nothing more than smaller versions of you full swing. Once you are able to hit your wedges more solid, now its time for distance control. Controlling distance is simply creating the proper length swing that matches the yardage that you want to carry. The backswing length and the forward swing follow through should match. For example: If your lead arm swing to parallel to the ground in the backswing, your trail arm should finish parallel to the ground in the follow through.
Strategy
Sometimes the hardest part about the short game is making the correct decision on what type of shot to play. My philosophy is to play the lowest shot allowable for the shot at hand. There are three types of shots (high, medium and low) the amount of green that you have to work with determines the height of the shot you will play. The more green, the lower the shot. The less green available, the higher the shot.
The 2 Variables
Once you have your shot planned, match your set-up to the picture that you have in your minds eye. The two variables that make up the set-up are 1) club selection and 2) ball placement. You can pitch with anything from a pitching wedge to a high lofted sand wedge. The ball position is critical to controlling the trajectory and roll of your shots. The closer to your rear foot that you place the ball (Subtracting Loft), the lower the shot will fly. The closer that you place the ball towards your front foot (Adding Loft), the higher your shots will fly.
Short Game Practice
1) Mechanical Practice – Working on your mechanics to improve your consistency of contact is the first goal. If you can’t create a solid strike then you can’t effectively work on distance control. When working on mechanics I suggest you set up a station which includes: sticks on the ground for alignment and a stick in the ground behind you for plane work.
2) The Median Drill For Measurement – Once your technique improves, this is how you can monitor your progress. Hit eleven shots to a flag. Remove the closest five balls. The “sixth” closest ball is your median or average distance to the flag. You can use this for any short game shot to measure your progress.
3) Practice for Play – Simulate the pressure that you encounter as you play on the course. Take 5 balls and hit your shots to the flag. Putt them in to see how many you can get “up and down”.
64% of all of your shots that you play during a round of golf are within 100 yards. Prioritize your practice accordingly. Improve you mechanics. Create consistent contact. Measure your progress. Follow this blueprint and you too can have a world class short game.
Follow me on Twiter @twitter.com/onplanegolf
To schedule a lesson with the Guru, call 704-542-7635 or visit our website @www.danarader.com
See you on the lesson tee,
Jason
In the midst of another P.G.A. Merchandise show, I think for those who don’t participate just don’t know what they are missing. I enjoy seeing the new products and gadgets but that is not why I attend. I make the trip to Orlando to network with other professionals and friends in hopes to find a few nuggets or ideas that will help me guide my students when I get back. My students can’t wait for me to get back because I always have some great information and stories to tell that will enhance their golf games. Information is not just going to jump in your lap. It is not going to knock you down and crawl all over you. You must be a seeker and sometimes it takes courage to learn something new because we are all afraid of being wrong. For all you zen lovers, “You must be an empty cup”. I have attended the top 100 Golf Magazine party with my boss for the last 7 years and I always 
set a goal to meet a new teacher that I admire and be prepared to ask an intelligent question when you get that opportunity, because it could be a small window. This takes courage (and maybe a few glasses of wine,shh!). Your networking moment may happen when you least expect it. Here is a story: Last year an editor friend of mine asked if I would stop by the Cricket of Arms” pub for a pint because he wanted me to meet his good friend, Craig Shankland. For those of you who don’t know Craig, he is a legend in the teaching and playing game. Top 50 teacher and just a great guy. In the first five minutes he could tell how passionate about coaching that I was and he was gracious enough to share valuable information about his teaching and great stories about his good friend, Moe Norman which was priceless. We talked for about 2 hours over a few pints of Guiness and it was awesome. I shared with him my goals and this was the two pieces of advice that I received:
1) Keep writing as much as possible because that is what keeps your ideas fresh and your brain thinking and growing.
2)Pay attention: MAKE YOUR PLAYERS MULTI-DIMENTIONAL (He is very old school and teaches many LPGA players). He said that you have to be able to adjust to every lie and can’t fall in love with just one swing plane. He doesn’t use video very much and takes his students out on the course for the majority of the lessons to greater prepare for all of the different shots that make up a round of golf. (The Ultimate In Coaching)
The time I spent with Mr. Shankland was the highlight of my trip for sure so keep your eyes open for opportunities for learning and growing. I will be forever greatful for the time that he spent with a nobody teacher like me. I hope that someday I can be that person sharing all that I have learned to a young, hungry professional.
To succeed as coaches we must be versitile and know when to teach and when to coach.
Here are some quotes from Tiger Woods. Maybe he needs to reread these to 
get back to the days when he was free to self-discover.
“My lie dictates the shot I will play”
“I always listen to my body”
“Some days when I warm up I am hitting the ball low, other days I am hitting the ball high. some days the ball is drawing, other days it is fading. i just play what i am doing that day”
“Today when I practice I like to play games-in fact I like to practice more than play on the course. I still try lots of different things, just like I did with my Pop”
“We always practiced together seeing who could make the most 5 foot putts”
“As a child the club and the ball became my playmate”
“Ultimately golf is a journey-full of learning and discovery”
“On normal shots, I swing 75% of my power, on longer shots I swing at 90%. If I go all out, I do not make solid contact-which is most important.”
“There are no shortcuts- golf requires patience and perseverance, with a yearning for learning. Accepting the fact that it is a game of ups and downs and learning every time you play”
“when I play-it is almost as if I get out-of-the-way and just let it happen. I let it happen, I do not make it happen.”
“I won 12 times in the year 2000, including 3 majors and I only remember hitting one shot I would call perfect. It was the 3 wood on #14 in the third round of the British Open at St. Andrews. AS with every shot I attempt, I visualize that ball flight and the shot turned ou exactly s I had planned. Moments like that stay fresh in my mind, providing a positive image for future reference.”
“I will always be respectful and gracious to opponents-but I want to win, to beat you by a lot, to beat you bad.
I look forward to hearing about your P.G.A. Show learning moments. What are you waiting for……GO FOR IT!
Follow me on twitter @twitter.com/onplanegolf or friend me up on facebook @facebook.com/jasonsuttongolf
See you on the lesson tee,
Jason
Hello Nation,
Here we go with day 6 installment.
Today is the day.
Headed to the course mid-morning for a round before the bowl games get into high gear. I am anxious to see if the KURE has had any impact on my putting. But before I get too far ahead of myself, remember I needed to replace some dead batteries before I could get the KURE back into action. This mission was accomplished early this morning after the wife and I went out for some breakfast. I did a quick battery replacement, took 10 balls and went through the full routine. Going through the aim, stance and stroke. I wanted to get the feel of the KURE back since I missed a day yesterday. I did this right before leaving for the golf course.
Since we are closing in on day 7 lets go on a quick recap of drills and practice sessions. I tried to spend 30 quality minutes a day with the KURE. I started the original session with just aiming the putter and progressed over the next sessions by adding getting into my stance while keeping the club aligned to the target and finally making a stroke concentrating on getting the green light that shows the club was square at impact. I also left the KURE set up and as I passed by it during the day I would stop and hit 5-10 putts. I probably have a total 2.5 hours of focused practice not including the “ad hoc” putts or the time I spent playing around at different distances, angles, etc.
Now back to today and what happened when we took the KURE training to the course.
Guys and Gals listen up. It started on hole #1. I rolled in a 25 footer, followed up with a solid 12 footer on #2, then an 18 footer on 3. Before you know it I had 1 putted the first 3 greens. Now I know what is going through your heads at this point but believe me, I am a no BS kind of guy. I can certainly understand your skepticism at this point but read on it actually gets better. I lipped out on 4 and 1 putted again on #5. This was 4 one putts in the first 5 holes. Now don’t get me wrong I had a few 3 putts today as well but I have never come close to 6 putts in a 5 hole stretch. At least before today.
Today’s General Discoveries.
I had a great run of putting today. Was it because of the time spent with the KURE? Ultimately who knows for sure. Golf if a funny and amazing game. Putting even more so. This much I do know. I spent quality time over the past few days working to improve my putting. I re-enforced this practice by going over my routine with the KURE right before heading to the course. I then had one of my best days putting ever. Coincidence?
I don’t believe in coincidence.
Tomorrow will be the last installment. I will try and summarize the Good and Bad with the KURE. Tune in then
Alan
*****I WILL HOOK UP THE PHONE NUMBER AND DISCOUNT CODE FOR “The Kure Putting Solution” after Alans last post on Sunday for anyone interested in purchasing one.
See you on the lesson tee and happy New Year,
Jason
Today’s session began as normal for me. Double checking the KURE. I have not removed any components since the initial setup and after today’s check-out the KURE is still spot on. I started the session where I left off yesterday, using the “rock in” to check out my initial aim as I set the putter behind the ball. The results were a little better than yesterday. I did 3 reps of 10 tries and went 6,7,7 of ten. Still not where I want to be, as they say “old habits die hard”. The thing that still shocks me is how hard it is to line up the putt correctly after doing it wrong for quite some time. To me this is quite different from making full swing changes. In a full swing change things FEEL a lot different. Using the KURE things LOOK a lot different. The eye/brain just does not want to co-operate.
Today’s “General Discoveries” will focus on how the KURE is different from other putting training aids that I have used. I have used many aids in the past. Chalk lines, stretched strings, the eye-line mirror, plane board, etc. so I have some experience with these aids. So how is the KURE different?
1. The biggest difference I have seen so far is that the KURE uses no lines. Lets take the old standby, a chalk line. I have used a chalk line in the past with varied results. The problem I always had was if a line was present setting the putter down on the correct aim became easy. Heck that was a no-brainer, just follow the line right?. The same is true with the mirror board, strings and other. Regardless of how much I would try to “ignore” the reference line it was always there helping lead the way. Not so with the KURE. With the KURE you have to visualize the line then set the putter down with no “hints” as to what is correct. If you get the yellow light you are good to go. If not you can quickly check to see where you error was. This is some pretty solid feedback.
2. I listed this second but it is really a tie. The KURE gives you immediate feedback on the face alignment of the putter at impact. How cool is that? Short of video I do not know of another aid that gives you this information. If you get the yellow light, make your stroke, get the green light, the ball will be going to the target. Again pretty good stuff.
3. It allows you to experiment with some level of confidence. Ever wonder if using just your right hand to align the putter was better for you than using both hands? How about cross handed vs. conventional. I think that using the KURE would help in determining if the changes you are thinking about making or are actually trying to make are better. Think about it. If you can line up the putter correctly 10 out of 10 times using just your right hand and only 6 out of 10 times using both hands that would be good information to have.
4. The KURE uses batteries (3 types). My chalk line does not. Yes I know. In the age of laser range finders and GPS systems with fly-over mode batteries are almost as essential as a tee. But,,,,I still rue the day that drive to the practice range setup the KURE only to realize that a battery has expired.
In summary, the KURE is beginning to grow on me. Once you get familiar with it and think about the things you can do it’s pull becomes stronger. With the weather continuing to moderate the snow should melt by Tomorrow. I hope to take it to the practice green and get some “real” experience with it.
See you tomorrow.
Alan
Day 2 With The KURE
Good evening Guru Nation here is day two’s installment on the KURE.
I did not remove any of the KURE components from my putter overnight but I did re-check everything again before I started today. I even enlisted the help of my assistant again and had them aim the putter until they got the yellow light then visually checked from ground level behind the putter. Nothing had changed overnight. The KURE was still spot on.
With the base line set I was ready to begin. Also unless otherwise noted all of this was done in the 6-8 foot range. First I will talk about a few “general discoveries” on the KURE that I have learned over the past two sessions.
1. Settings on the aiming module. The module has 3 different levels of difficulty, Beginner, Amateur and Pro. The range of acceptance gets progressively narrow as you move up in difficulty. I played with the Beginner level for a few minutes and felt that it was a little too lenient and the Pro level a little to hard for my skill at this time. I settled on using the Amateur mode. I can tell you that the Pro setting is VERY critical and I look forward to working my way up to it.
2. Putter feel. For you perfectionist out there (I tend to lean to that side myself) when you attach the aiming module to your putter, the putter “feel” definitely changes. To me, it deadens the feel of the ball coming off of the face. After a couple dozen putt’s I was able to acclimate to the feel but I wanted to get this point out there. The feel of your putter will change! But hey this is mostly about getting the putter face aligned correctly so this is certainly not an obstacle to be overly concerned with.
3. Side to Side variation. In a perfect setup the practice ball would be on a line that extended straight out from the Spider (target module). What I found out is that the KURE will work just fine with balls that are placed 1 foot to either side of that exact target line (I suspect that it would work with balls placed even further out but the space in my hallway did not allow any testing beyond the 1 foot to either side, maybe tomorrow I will try this). To me this is a very important point because it allows me to place 3 balls each a foot apart when I am practicing. This allows me to aim to the same target from a slightly different spot each of the 3 times. This prevents me from getting into the habit of just pulling balls into the same spot each time. If you are like me it is easy to repeat the aiming process it you never move your feet/body and just pull a new ball into place. To me this is a BIG plus.
4. Working Distance. In the video and manual it talks about using the KURE in the 6-8 foot range. This is fine because this is where alignment really starts to have a large impact, but I used the KURE in my hallway to a distance up to 25 feet with no issues and only one exception. That was with the KURE set on the Pro level, it is just a little to sensitive at that distance to be effective. BUT it worked beautifully on the Beginner and Amateur settings.
Now on to today’s practice session. Today’s practice focus was on what I term the “Rock In”. Everyone does this differently but it is the process of setting the putter behind the ball and have it aimed at the target. The goal is to have the putter on the target line when it is set behind the ball (yellow light goes on). If you remember from yesterday, what my “eye” perceives as pointed at the target was actually a couple of inches left of the target on an 8 ft. putt. Well nothing changed overnight and on my first try I was only able to get 3 yellow lights out of 10 tries. All my misses were left. I went through 4 more repetitions of 10 each. My best score for the night was 7/10 on the last rep. With every miss being to the left.
In summary, Since my initial surprise on how far to the left I was aiming I have tried to “catch” the KURE in a lie. I have had no success in that endeavor. My mind is struggling with what a correctly aimed putter looks like and wants to believe that the KURE is somehow wrong. I have checked, checked and double checked the KURE and have found no deviation in its operation. If the yellow light comes on the putter is aimed at the target. More to come tomorrow. Wish me luck on my road to recovery.
Best,
Alan
Follow me on twitter @twitter.com/onplanegolf or friend me up on facebook @ facebook.com/onplanegolf
See you on the lesson tee,
Jason
Stuart Mackenzie: Look at the size of that boy’s heed.
Tony Giardino: Shhh!
Stuart Mackenzie: I’m not kidding, it’s like an orange on a toothpick.
Tony Giardino: Shhh, you’re going to give the boy a complex.
Stuart Mackenzie: Well, that’s a huge noggin. That’s a virtual planetoid.
Tony Giardino: Shh!
Stuart Mackenzie: Has it’s own weather system.
Tony Giardino: Sh, sh, shh.
Stuart Mackenzie: HEAD! MOVE!
I know, I know, I’m a freak…….(crickets) but I had to post that for those of you who didn’t get the original title, laughing now? The average adult head weighs about 15-21 pounds, so you better be careful as to where it goes during your golf swing.
Yesterday I posted a blog on different style body pivots and head movement. Thank you for all the comments that I received from coaches and friends. This is a great discussion topic that could go on for a while. What are the pros and cons of each style (a 2 pivot point move) or (a neutral, centered approach). Once again the genius in expert teaching is for the coach to design a pivot and a style that works for the student and not fit the student to the style or method. A lot of golfers cannot fit into a centered pivot due to physical limitations and immobility in their hips and lack of rotating ability. So we have to allow them to move off of the ball a bit in order to gain sufficient power. This puts a huge importance on training the hands and arms to create speed and an impact position that can allow them to hit the ball first and reach low point. There are many more factors that we could discuss that could affect these things (ball placement, set-up, posture, swing shape etc.) that we can save for a later time. In the meantime, since I didn’t have time to do a Guru TV episode this soon, I got permission from my friend and mentor, Chuck Evans to use a few segments from a webinar that he did that demonstrates this topic perfectly. Leave your comments below and thanks for all your feedback as I am learning so much from all of you. I am evolving as we speak. Enjoy the video.
http://video.medicus.com/video.php?id=485 – video describing the two different pivots
http://video.medicus.com/video.php?id=491 – video describing the pivot that promotes less back pain.
Remember: Everything we teach is borrowed or stolen from our teaching ancestors, communicate it clearly and watch the language that we use. Be careful of what you ask the student to do, they might just do it – Manuel DelTorre
follow me on twitter @twitter.com/onplanegolf or friend me up on facebook.com/onplane golf
See you on the lesson tee,
Jason
Something that I have been thinking a lot about lately as I have been giving hundreds of lessons is lOW POINT, HEAD MOVEMENT AND BODY PIVOT. As not to make this a full on debate amongst coaches (although that would be ok), I want to give the students a few ideas about how to improve the consistency of your contact. When we talk about the low point in the golf swing, we are referring to the bottom of the swing circle, just before it starts to elevate up and to the left. This point is typically even with your lead shoulder. This is why when you see a good player take a divot, it is usually 2 to 4 inches long on the target side of the golf
ball. If you are hitting the ball fat or thin, then your low point is not
as it should be so we have to look at a few areas that might give us
some insight into why this is happening. I am going to attempt to convey this in an understandable way for as I have alot of thoughts on this matter. Understanding is the easy part for most, it is application and what to apply that golfers struggle with. So question becomes: Should the head move in the golf swing? If so how much? How does the body pivot affect this idea? and Does head size make a difference? That was a joke.
HEAD MOVEMENT
MATCHING COMPONENTS
I have always been fond of a lower, flatter arm plane but have some students with high hands if they show the ability to successfully drop the club on plane. When you work with a more neutral pivot, to avoid getting too steep on the downswing, your arm plane should be a little flatter. If you tend to move off of the ball and tilt your spine more away from the target on the downswing, you can use a higher hand position. It is all about your ability to consistently find the plane line and low point that is important.
STEADY BUT NEVER IN FRONT
I think we would all agree that we don’t like to see the head forward of its original position at impact. This typically causes a loss of lag or club head throwaway. Another reason a steady head might be easier. If you shift too far off the ball, you must shift forward to recenter and could slide too far in front.
So in conclusion. Everyone wants more distance. If you load up on your backside and coil, you might give yourself a chance to hit it farther but you might sacrifice a consistent low point and your contact will suffer. I have found that for most players, SOLID CONTACT IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT. I have a saying,”Speed without contact is useless”. Think about it. So if you are struggling with solid contact, try a more neutral, head centered pivot and I think you will find that ever illusive LOW POINT and might even take make a target side divot. I will do a video on this in the near future that will help explain better. I hope this made sense.
P.S. remember these swing ideas are examples of A way to swing a golf club not THE WAY….Good teachers have a few tools, great teachers have MANY.
See you on the lesson tee,
Jason
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