Tag: shot by shot

20 Days With the Guru, Day 7: That Which Can Be Measured Can Be Improved….But How Do You Know

December 12, 2010

How do you know what to practice? Most golfers tend to practice what they are good at because it is fun. You hit your favorite club so you can look good on the range because you are self-conscious about what you look like and how you are perceived. This is normal human behavior as no one wants to be embarrassed or look bad especially when it comes to golf. The serious and intelligent golfers practice their weaknesses instead of their strengths, you just have to be courageous and be able to take a good hard look at your entire game. So let’s say that you have bought into what I just said, the key is to first KNOW your WEAKNESSES. Only then can we get the most out of our practice sessions and really start to see improvement. I use a great piece of technology that will allow you to track your progress, target your weaknesses and be able to put together an intelligent practice program every time you go to the
practice ground. It is called SHOTBYSHOT.  This is the best software to track your progress that I have ever seen. What I really like about it is that it compares your stats in each area of your game to your goal handicap. (example:if you are a 5 handicap and want to be a scratch, you will see what your stats should be in each area to reach your goal. It then highlights your weakest area so you know what to focus on in your practice). It also gives you precise stats on your putting from specified distances that you record after each round). I use this to Taylor practice sessions for my tour players and elite juniors. It makes it easy for the player and the coach to create a plan for improvement.
Once you start to record some scores into shotbyshot.com, here are some general recommendations for practice structure and a few drills that can give you measurement in each area of your game.  Here is a link to Peter Sanders Blog (owner of shotbyshot.com)
Disclaimer******YOU MUST OWN YOUR GOLF GAME! AND YOUR PRACTICE! Your coach should not have to force you to practice, if so, you don’t deserve to get better. Remember,”YOU CANT FOOL GOLF,”
DRILLS FOR MEASUREMENT
The Median Drill (short game)
also called the eleven ball drill. You can use this on any short game shot……pitch, chip, bunkers etc. Pick a shot. You can use multiple targets if you have more than 1 pin on your practice green. Hit eleven shots to your targets. Take away the closest 5 balls. Measure how close to the hole your 6th ball is. This is your distance.your goal is to decrease this distance. Clear measurement.

14 Ball Drill (driving accuracy)
Pick out an imaginary fairway on your practice range. Maybe two flags as wide as wide as your average fairway as a reference. Going through your golf course routine, hit 14 drivers as you would in a round of golf. Count how many that you hit into your imaginary fairway. MEASUREMENT! Set your goals accordingly.

30 foot drill (putting)
Measure off a 30 foot putt. It is approximately 10 steps. Lay a club or dowel rod 3 feet behind the hole. Hit ten putts in attempt to make the putt or leave the ball in between the hole and the stick. Count how many you get in the zone. Measurement. This will help with your distance control.
Whatever your practice plan is, always include some form of putting practice.

So I hope this helps organize your practice in the upcoming season always remember,”In order to get to where you are going, you must know where you are. Only then can you figure out how to get there”

See you on the lesson tee,

Jason

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