Tag: jason sutton

Matt “The Kuch” Kuchar wins first FedEx playoff: What can we learn from his one plane/reverse slot swing?

August 30, 2010

Matt Kuchar wins the Barclays Championship in a playoff over Scotland’s Martin Laird. Kuchar makes birdie on the first playoff hole to win and continue outstanding play as he enjoys his best season on tour. Matt has one of the P.G.A. tours most unusual swings and once again I have cued up a slow motion video of Matt’s move in order to educate Guru Nation on how these unusual golf swings work and further highlighting the fact that there is a lot of ways to get it done out there and play great golf. Matt has what we would call a Reverse Slot/One Plane Swing. Let me clarify what I mean by both of these labels and see if I can help you understand some of the terminology behind the two.

One Plane Swing – Top teacher Jim Hardy coined this phrase as a certain style of swing. First off, one-plane has nothing to do with the golf club swinging on a particular plane throughout the swing as a lot of golfers (and some teachers) think. The golf swing has many planes. Shaft, hands, arms, shoulders etc. One plane is a reference between the shoulder plane and the left arm plane. When the left arm and the shoulder plane match at the top of the swing it is considered One-Plane, that’s it. When the arm plane is higher than the shoulder plane it is considered Two-Plane (see past post on Carl Pettersen). So as you can easily see, Kuch is a big time one-planer. When the left arm is below the shoulders, I call that a ZERO PLANE (I made that up). Other pros that use this style are former president of one-plane nation, Chad Campbell, and current president : Zack Johnson (because he has won a major). I think this is a great way to swing if you are a chronic over the topper. But I still have one criteria. I don’t like the shaft of the club to get below the right forearm or behind the hands in the takeaway. This can and usually makes the downswing too steep. But there is always the exception to any rule……which leads me to my second point.

THE REVERSE SLOT SWING PATTERN

“The slot is an area of the downswing about half way down where the club shaft is parallel and slightly on top of the original shaft plane”. (depending what camera view you use……post for another time. Every golfer wants to find the slot and the majority of touring pros are there in the downswing. The largest portion of PGA players have a swing pattern where the backswing is outside of the downswing. In Kuchars case, it is reversed…..We call this the REVERSE SLOT SWING PATTERN. He breaks the guru rule and lets his club shaft get lower than his right forearm and couples that with a very low arm plane. So how does he make this work? ALL OF YOU OVER THE TOPPERS (EARMUFFS). Key Move: In order to get the club back in front of him and back into the slot, he must rotate his entire torso (shoulders, chest and hips), very aggressively to the left. If he was too slow with his body, the club would come in too shallow or swing too much inside/out. Kuchar makes this work beautifully as you wouldn’t think this style would work out of the deep rough as he demonstrated in the playoff. Other players that use this style are, J.B. Holmes, Joe Oglvie, Bobby Jones, Sam Snead (going old school on you).  As this post is getting a bit lengthy, I will cut it off and accept any comments. So the moral of the story  is………If you are consistently finding the slot on your downswing, don’t let anyone change your backswing!!!!!

See you on the lesson tee,

Guru

2010 U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay: Perspective from an avid golfer. A Guest Post from Tom Chambers

August 28, 2010

As the U.S. Am finishes up today at Chambers Bay, I received an excellent email that I wanted to share from one of my students that recently played there. Here is Tom Chambers take on his experience at one of Americas hidden gems. Thanks for the post Tom. I am officially jealous and will put Chambers Bay on my bucket list of places to play. Here is the website: chambersbaygolf.com

Jason,
 
Thought you may enjoy a few stories and maybe a topic for the blog.
 
Last month I had a chance to play at Chambers Bay in the state of Washington. Oh and it also is hosting the 2010 US Amateur currently going on and play host to the US Open in 2015.
 
Since this is the first time I have played a course which is now on TV, I can appreciate what these guys are doing and how tough the course is going to play. Also amazed these guys are that good. I’ve muttered a few times, “He doesn’t stand a chance of making the 20 footer breaking 8 feet going down hill, he’ll be lucky to 3 putt”……….of course, they either cozy it up there tight or make the putt.
 
A little about the course. True links style golf. All the grass is fine fescue (fairways and greens). Sometimes it’s hard to tell where the fairway ends and the greens begin. From what I hear, similar to St Andrews. The course is built entirely on a bed of sand ranging from 10-50 feet deep. So it plays hard and fast. No winter rules and all the rain they get up there, it all drains really fast. The site was an old gravel and sand processing yard so some of the greyish looking sand is from the site. Bunkers all over the place although many are designated as waste areas but it can be hard to tell where the waste area ends and the hazard begins (Learn from Dustin Johnson and play them all as a bunker)
 
A player is not going to spin and zip the ball back. You have to play for a release and in some cases, some 10-15, even 20 yards of release with the longer irons. Pull out the British Open pointers, you will need them. Plenty of 3/4, lower flight  and bump and run type shots.
 
There isn’t a true level lie on the course. Just about every shot will have some sort of undulation. Ball a little above/below the feet or a slight uphill/downhill lie. It’s hard to remember to choke down a little or put a little more bend in the knees. Really, just enough to make it annoying. This is also true on the tee boxes, especially the par 3’s.
 
First, the greens. Watching a little on the golf channel tonight, I can attest, that 11.5 on the stimp meter may sound slow, but they play a lot faster. If you are not on the correct tier, these guys will be lucky to two putt if it is going down hill. Number 1, 12 (Drivable par 4 if the pin is in the front) and 17 in my opinion can ruin your round if you are not careful. Then add to the fact the greens are made of sand, a little grain of sand can just jump up and knock the ball of line. That may actually be the toughest part, knowing you put a good stroke on the ball and watch it jump left or right just a little and you are left saying what the ???????
 
On the first hole, if the player has a draw in his normal ball flight, he has to stay as far left as possible. Anything left and 99% of the time, the player will be left with a nasty 50 yard blind uphill shot. Twelve is a wicked 4 tier green and if you get lazy, one can easily putt back onto the fairway. For seventeen, if the flag is on the upper right tier, short can be dead as well as long and right. If it is on the lower left tier, nothing really to worry about.
 
Most of the lower holes have some sort of slight elevation change, ranging from a half to a full club up or down the bag. There are some other holes with hug  elevation changes like number 9. A par 3 with about 50-75 feet downhill elevation change. But I can say I hit a 9 iron some 175 yards!!! (normally a 6 iron)
 
Also there are plenty of tee box locations. I’m sure the USGA is going to play with them a lot this week. Somehow they stretched the course another 300-500 yards. Not sure how, I was looking for the tournament tees and couldn’t find them on some holes. They also took away a stroke on 18, which normally plays as a par 5. Today it was playing 511 yards but they can push the tees back and it can reach 550. Can you imagine a 550 yard par 4 finishing hole?!?
 
Very cool course and a must play if one gets to the Seattle area but you better be in shape, walking only.
 
And if you are wondering, I’ve played the course twice 86-90. Killed myself the first 12 holes this time around by playing east coast American golf (Fly it to a realativley soft green). My putting really saved me on the way to the house with six straight one putts.
 
Played another muni the next day. Jefferson Golf Course. Yes the same course that Fred Couples played when he was growing up. Actually saw him before my round when I was on the practice putting green. He was there with the Golf Channel doing a walk down memory lane before the Senior US Open. And shot an 81……….
 
I’ll be in for a tune up soon.
 
Stay well,
 
Tom Chambers

GURU TV – BODY PIVOT AND HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR SWING

August 6, 2010

We have talked a lot about the hands and arms but the engine to the golf swing is the body pivot. How the body moves or doesn’t move will affect how the golf club moves throughout the  swing. The one thing that I didn’t mention in this video is the player that is trying to keep his hips from moving to create torque in the backswing. Here is an fyi. If your hips don’t move, your shoulders will not turn enough to get the  club inside enough to find the plane. I hope you enjoy the vlog and leave a comment if you would like.

Guru

Sticks and Stones Will Break Your Bones But Misconceptions Will Kill Your Game: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

July 26, 2010

I was giving a lesson the other day to a first time student and in the process of watching him warm-up, the commentary began at a fever pitch. He would top one or hit it thin…..”Oh, I lifted my head.” He would hit a slice to the right……”Oh, I need to tuck my right arm on my backswing.” Over the years I have learned not to respond right away to these outlandish ideas or misconceptions. It is easy to jump right in and tell the student,”You are wrong or give them the correct answer contradicting everything that they thought they should be doing in their golf swing, but that for one doesn’t make the student feel very good about being with me and too it is just not the time. Golfers typically start golf without much knowledge and direction (with the exception of their buddies or husbands). Let’s face it, there are far more teachers out there than players, which leads us to our problem, MISCONCEPTIONITIS…….defined as – human beings ingesting false information from other humans that have done the same thing. Golf has to be the leading sport of bad information that is passed down through the years…….starting in the late 1800’s. I am a firm believer that it was definitely a teaching pro that coined the phrase “KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN”, There isn’t another 4 words that have made me more money over the years, that is for sure. Thank you Henry Cotton. So here is my list of common misconceptions that we need to address in the upcoming Guru TV Shows that may be holding you back . If any of these are your swing thoughts, please call 1-800-GURU…….Quickly. So here we go……..

1. Keep your head down – The head must be allowed to move somewhat during the swing. A steady head might be more appropriate. The amateur eyes might see the head raise up but remember it is attached to the body. Maintain a consistent spine angle and let your head follow your ball flight to create freedom in your follow through. Otherwise you will be looking at the ground and still killing worms.

2. Tuck your rear elbow on your backswing – This one started with someone watching Hogan swing. Even he had some space under his right arm in the backswing. Tell Fred Couples, Jack Nicklaus, Angel Cabrera or our recent PGA Tour winner, Carl Pettersen to tuck their right elbow and you will ruin their career. Width in the swing is created with a wide right arm in the takeaway. Save the tucking for the downswing when the swing gets narrow.

3.  Keep your left arm straight – Tension is the one of the most damaging things to a good golf swing and trying to lock your lead arm can cause this very quickly. Comfortably extended is better terminology. Keep it extended but soft. A little bend will not kill you. Once again, width is created by the right arm. If you are collapsing, try pushing out slightly with the rear arm and you will thank me later.

This is enough for you to chew on for the time being. There are so many more that I will discuss and probably do a show about in the near future. My advice to you is to make sure that when you get a tip that it 1) makes sense in a sound golf philosophy and 2) applies to your error tendencies. An educated student should know what these are. If you don’t, please see a reputable teacher/coach that can help you organize and understand your errors and put together a plan to fix them. Until then….. Don’t Forget To Breathe (the best place is when you get ready to take it away)

See you on the lesson tee,

Guru

King Louis Dominates The Open: His Classic Swing and The Red Dot

July 20, 2010

Louis Oosthuizen, the young South African, dominates the 2010 British Open with some steady driving and unbelievable ball striking. How about the live pro tracer that they used on the 17th, now that was cool technology. I have had some questions about the red dot on Louis’ glove and what I thought he used it for and what he was thinking….I will get to that in a minute. Let’s see what we can learn from his very simple looking golf swing as I have cued up a slow motion video of Louis hitting a driver.in driving. 1) He has a very solid set-up with excellent posture and balance to start from. 2)Copy his one-piece takeaway with the arms, shoulders and chest move at the same speed into the waist-high position. Notice how the club head stays outside of his hands and in between his forearms. This creates plenty of width for his backswing. The club is right online at the top of his swing which makes it easy to transition into his forward swing. 3)He has a very smooth transition in which he separates his lower body and his upper body which allows the club to drop into the slot and stay right on plane. 4. He delivers the club from the inside which allows a free release of the forearms, hands and clubhead. He made great swing after swing the entire tournament which is why he led the field

Full Release

What Was The Deal With The Red Dot Guru?

It’s no secret that the greatest players have a pre-shot routine that doesn’t vary too much from shot to shot. The initial part of every routine is what is called a “trigger” or “a call to action”. Some players use the hitching of their pants like Palmer, Couples, Furyk. Some use a club raised over head like Mediate or the velcro on their glove like Els. A raise of the left shirt sleeve like Tiger Woods. You can’t expect to focus for the entire round and you shouldn’t try. You must be able to turn it on and off when it is your time to play, maybe 30 seconds at a time. Louis used a red dot on his glove that he and his mental coach, Karl Morris came up with to bring him back to the present when his mind wandered. It helped him enter “the zone” when it was time to play each shot. I have often used a word or a phrase for my players like “no fear” or “focus” but anything will work if you will stick to it. Try something like this the next time you play that will allow you to get into every shot as it was the only one that you will hit, afterwards……Accept and let your mind wander until the next shot. This was how King Louis kept so calm and was able to not picture himself holding the trophy too early as many of us do when we are having a career round. Here is a short article that I found that explains it further…..The Red Dot.

I hope this explains the red dot and thanks for your question Steve. Feel free to comment on the Open championship as I have heard mixed views on how the fans liked. I think it was great and we just may have seen a star born.

See you on the lesson tee,

Guru

The Open Championship Preview and Predictions

July 14, 2010

Oh, the old course at St. Andrews. It is in the top 5 of my bucket list of places to play for sure. Not because of its lavish beauty or scenic views but because of its history. As a student of the game, you must have aspirations of playing here someday and I am very disappointed that I haven’t been able to make it over the pond yet. I have seen it so many times on television that I feel like I know it so well. How I yearn to walk out of the historic club house and down to the first tee and stripe a fairway metal down the fairway, narrowly avoiding the burn in front of the green. I want to take an aggressive route off the tee and just miss the principals nose. I want to stand on the “road hole #17” and take it over the “O” and find the fairway. And lastly, try to drive the green and hopefully not get stuck in the valley of sin just short of the green. If I do, I would use the putter and play the low shot as Constantina Rocca did some years ago. Someday I will do this. So as we approach the championship, I thought I would give you a few things to look for and my predictions on who I think will play well. There is nothing better than waking up to championship golf, am I right? So here goes………………….

1. The weather looks bad for the week, so we will see a lot of wind and rain which will make the scoring very difficult. I expect to see a lot of knock downs and punch shots that will be played low to the ground. Here are the keys to a knock down and I will shoot a video for you later in the week.

1. Take at least 2 clubs more than the yardage to ensure that you won’t swing too hard.

2. Place 60 percent of your weight on your forward foot as you would a pitch shot.

3. Even though this is a shorter swing, make sure you complete your shoulder turn to the top.

4. As you rotate through impact, bow your left wrist toward the target to take loft off of the club.

5.  Finish low and abbreviated to keep the flight down

########KEY: Swing 80%……The biggest error that amateurs make is to swing too hard which imparts more spin and makes the ball go too high.

Here are my picks for the 2010 Open Championship

1. Tiger Woods: Let’s face it, he is bound to win soon and he always plays great winning the last 2 held at St. Andrews.

2. Rory McIlroy: He is used to bad weather and has never shot over 69 in a tournament round at the old course

3. Justin Rose: How can you not put him on the list. Maybe the hottest golfer on the planet…..enough said

4. Lee Westwood: It could be his time and he has been so close.

5. Franscesco Molinari: His brother won last week, could be his turn this week

Euro dark horse: Shane Lowry

US dark horse: Steve Stricker…….anyone who can make that many birdies you have to put on the list

It will be a grind fest for sure and I look forward to seeing the replays as I will be on the lesson tee for most of it…….

See you on the lesson tee and don’t forget to breathe,

Guru

Your Golf I.Q. Part 2: How To Raise It

July 4, 2010

As my previous post on how to raise your golf I.Q. got a tremendous amount of feedback from my peeps from Guru Nation and Twitter, I know that you have been patiently awaiting the follow-up post. You may have found yourself in a one or a few of the categories that were included in the former post and you are thinking,”Hey Guru, I want to change. How do I raise my Golf I.Q.? I have bought into the “As If” philosophy and am ready to start thinking above my current level of play. Help me help you! How many of you googled Boiler Room? Organized your clubs or Burned your iron head covers? That’s what I am talking about, so who’s coming with me? As I write this post, I am watching Justin Rose trying to hang on to win his second P.G.A. Tour event and just shows you how hard it is to win at the highest level. Did he lose his swing or did he just lose his mind last week. We will see how he does coming in. Back to this post. Here is my list to help raise your golf I.Q. and get  you in the mindset that “You are the Best Player in the World” (thank you Alan for that wonderful comment)

1.  Learn to dress like a player: Don’t be afraid to wear a white belt and/or white pants. If we are emulating the best players in the world this is important. If you dress like a player, you just might play like one. I have not seen anyone on the tour that has a belt with a sailfish or your club logo on it…..I’m just sayin. Dress as If and no high socks either. I don’t care if they have a swoosh on it….save that for the basketball court. You know who you are! Get a white belt.

2.  Put a hybrid in your bag: Don’t be afraid of technology. Next to the golf ball, the hybrid is the biggest jump in technology in the last 5 years. Take the 2 and 3 iron out of your bag and insert hybrid. You will thank me later.

3.  Read up on your golf history. How many majors has Jack Nicklaus won? 18 people. To have a passion for the game, you must know some history. I suggest you learn about the greats of Hagen, Hogan, Trevino, Ouimet, Old Tom Morris etc.

4. Take at least 4 lessons per year. I don’t care is Tiger thinks he can get better without a coach. Golf is a sport where feel isn’t real and even the best players need another set of eyes and some motivation to get better. Do your research, find a coach and stick with him/her. If you don’t you can’t complain that your game is  getting worse.

5.  Get fit for a new driver on a launch monitor. It is amazing what the correct fit will do to maximize your driving. The numbers don’t lie and an expert fitter can get you twenty yards in a heartbeat. Is your driver holding you back, go find out. I recommend Stan Roach at www.danarader.com.

6.  How are your wedges and putter? In the year of the last year of non-conforming grooves, buy a new wedge of at least 58 degrees. If you don’t own or can’t use a lob wedge you may as well add 5 shots to your score before you tee off. Aside from putting, pitching is the most important part of the short game………learn to pitch it and you can’t with your pitching wedge….just saying. recommend the Callaway X/Jaws or Cleveland with zip grooves. This is the last year that they will make them with non conforming grooves.

7.   Be a stat keeper: If you are not aware of your basic stats, how do you really know your strengths and weaknesses. Take inventory of your game so you know what to work on. The educated golfer works on the things that they do well so get out of your comfort zone and start to work on your weak areas like putting. I recommend www.shotbyshot.com. Let’s be smart about our golf games and where to practice.

8. Understand the physical basics of the golf club. An educated student understands that you must do two things with the golf club. 1) swing the club on or parallel to the plane that is created at address. 2)strike the ball with the shaft leaning toward the target…..Impact people. Any other philosophy is not golf!

9.  Do Not Fall Victim To Golf’s Misconceptions: Head down, left arm straight, tuck the right elbow…..NO! Here is are thoughts of an educated student: swing the club on plane (see #8), hit the inside quadrant of the ball, release the head with the body, the low point of my swing is even with my front shoulder, flat lead wrist/bent rear wrist, swing to right field, stay connected, find the slot, hit the lowest shot possible around the greens, I practice my putting because it IS important.

10. Be your own best friend: I can’t believe what you just said to yourself! In an recent excercise that I did with one of my elite juniors, I said,”Imagine that you are on playing lessons with the pros and you are the pro.” “Describe what you are going to do with this shot.” I heard him say that he was going to kinda hit it over there and sorta let it land at this spot and hope it trickles down to the hole……No, No, NO. You have to be committed and exact with what you are telling your brain and body to do. Let’s be committed to every shot. If you talk like this to yourself, stop. Justin Rose did and he just won for the second time this year. I suggest reading the 30 second golf swing by T.J. Tomassi.

Good Luck and don’t forget to breathe. The fact that you are reading this blog, raises your I.Q. already…..thanks so much.

See you on the lesson tee and I hope you had a happy 4th,

Guru……………..704-542-7635