November 17th, 2009
One thing always surprises me when I am playing with amateurs and professionals in the same group. I rarely here golfers ask better players for advice or tips. Golf is something that takes years to master and often times a simple tip or piece of advice can work wonders on the course. It seems that often times people get intimidated when paired with better players. Often times they are nervous and simply afraid to come out and ask advice for a shot or how to play a hole.
The best advice is to ask away. I have never met an accomplished player that is not willing to help out another player. Golf is something they are all passionate about and more times than not they will be more than willing to help you out. So next time you are paired with someone that seems to have it all together on the course don’t be afraid to ask a few questions.
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November 16th, 2009
In the past two weeks Tiger Woods made trips to China and Australia and managed to come home with a new trophy to add to his case. Playing in the JB Were Masters in Melbourne Tiger outlasted a mostly Australian field that included Geoff Ogilvy, Aaron Baddeley, Adam Scott, and Nationwide Tour ace Michael Sim. Tiger edged Greg Chalmers by two strokes finishing the week at 14 under par. After Phil Mickelson won the previous week in China, Tiger further separated the top two ranked players from the rest of the world. Tiger and Phil seem to be doing their best to match each other going into the 2010 season. Unfortunately, due to Tiger’s limited schedule, we may not see any great battles until next spring. If things continue to pan out as they did this fall it will be well worth the wait.
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November 10th, 2009
For the first time in years there are questions as to who is the world’s best golfer. Tiger Woods had a great season yet still everyone seems to be talking about Phil Mickelson. In a season cut short, with the illness of both his wife and mother, Phil has been dominating on Tour. With his win in the last big event of the year at the WGC HSBC Championship in China Phil seems to have sealed his place at the top of the golfing world.
Starting this summer with yet another second place finish at the U.S. Open Mickelson has played extremely well. With wins at the Tour Championship and the WGC a showdown with Tiger in 2010 seems inevitable. A late season putting tip from Dave Stockton seemed to give Phil the extra confidence to come through with two huge late season wins. The tip was very simple, go back to using a forward press. This means that Phil leans his hands towards the target so they are ahead of the ball. This is a tactic that Phil used to use but had tried other means in the past few years. The renewed confidence on the greens has made all the difference in the world and is setting up a great duel in the year to come.
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November 3rd, 2009
Golf club manufacturers are making it extremely easy to try before you buy. With demo days, demo programs at local golf shops and 
courses there is ample opportunity to try multiple clubs and brands before buying. It can make a big difference in your club selection and save you strokes on the course. Too often people buy a club simply because of an ad they saw on TV promising 15 more yards or more accuracy. While club design has come a long way there is no way to know what club is best without hitting them all.
Demo days give all golfers an opportunity to test all the latest and greatest clubs out there. Local golf courses host these events to give their customers the opportunity to find the best set of clubs. They are almost always free of charge and often times offer free fittings. In order to take advantage golfers must keep an open mind when buying a new club. It is easy to buy into the advertisements and buy a club that was used to win the latest PGA Tour event. The truth is that there are dozens of companies making great clubs that get almost no exposure on the PGA Tour simply because they cannot afford to sponsor anyone. This does not mean that there clubs are low quality or that they would not be the best fit for you. Sign up next time you see a demo day at your local course, even if it is a brand you are not really familiar with. You may be surprised at what you find.
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October 29th, 2009
With some of the country buried in snow before Halloween many are already counting down the days to their winter golf trip. There is not much better than enjoying warm weather and sunshine on the course in the middle of the winter. The problem is that many of us that go on winter trips 
have not played in weeks if not months prior. This often leads to bad scoring and frustration and can dampen the fun of a winter getaway.
Making a couple preparations before your trip can not only lower your scores but also make your vacation more enjoyable. Obviously if you are able to play or go to the range then get as much playing time as you can before your trip. The following tips are for those that are either snowed in or kept off the course by freezing temperatures.
Practice putting whenever you can. The short game is the first thing to get rusty during the off season and making a twenty foot putt can make up for a lousy hole. Practice putting whenever and wherever you can. Practice on your living room floor or even on smooth tile. It will amaze you what a difference it makes when you get out on the course.
Buy a package of Table Tennis (Ping Pong) balls. This may sound strange but they allow you to practice pitching and chip shots inside without breaking the lamp. Practice hitting them onto the couch from varying distances and onto tables or nightstands. Just make sure you have plenty of room to swing without hitting anything valuable or breakable.
Finally play it safe on the course when you get there. If your game is rusty there is no need to try to take any unnecessary risks. Make sure that you are hitting to the widest part of the fairway and the middle of the greens. This will give you the most room possible for any errors. While this seems like something that people would automatically try to do they often get out on the course and try to swing as hard as possible on every shot. When you have not played for awhile this will not work. Play it safe and stay out of trouble to shoot your best vacation scores.
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October 21st, 2009
Phil Mickelson recently stated that he has not putted well for two years. Something that is hard to believe given the fact that he has five wins over that time period. It was a simple putting tip from Dave Stockton turned it all around. He simply told Phil that it is fine to have a forward press in the putting stroke, or lean the hands towards the hole prior to making the stroke. While Phil’s change was small this time other tour players are taking drastic measures in order to compete with the best golfers in the world. Adam Scott has made a coaching change in order to attempt to climb back up the world rankings and others are trying different, not new, swing techniques such as the Stack and Tilt.
All this means is that the top golfers in the world tinker just like the rest of us. The test out new clubs, swing tips, and golf balls more frequently than anyone realizes. The fact is that golf is a streaky game. Besides a few top players on tour most players make the majority of the earnings in a few tournaments. There are several things that average golfers can learn from this. First of all don’t be afraid to try new things given that they have some merit. Swing tips from a local golf professional are much better than from a magazine. All of our swings are different and some drills may hurt more than help. Secondly you will have bad days on the golf course. There is something about the game, perhaps beyond explanation, that makes it simple one day and impossible the next. So remember that it is fun and just relax during the bad rounds. It is still better than being at work.
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October 17th, 2009
It is not always easy to figure out when a new club will actually help your game. I get asked all the time how often clubs need to be replaced, and my answer varies depending on the golfer I am talking to. Like any other sport the quality of the equipment does make a difference in performance. There are many factors that determine the need for new clubs, a fitting, or simply more instruction.
The first question is always the skill level of the golfer. Experienced golfers are more likely to notice small changes in design and performance than casual or beginner golfers. It is easy to get sucked into the media blitz from the golf club manufacturers promising ten more yards every time a club is released. The fact is that golf clubs have changed a great deal in the past decade. New materials, advanced design and manufacturing techniques have led to more stable shafts and powerful drivers. However, this might not help the average golfer at all. Not too long ago drivers were only 43″ in length. Now most companies use 45.75″ as a standard length. Adding nearly three inches to a driver will certainly increase distance but there is a trade off in control. Irons for the most part have not changed a great deal. In fact the new releases from Titleist look a lot like there irons from 2000 to 2003 and the craze of the bigger drivers also seems to be coming to an end with new releases taking some 60-100 CC’s off the size of previous drivers.
In reality the life of an iron for an average golfer can be twenty years, many people are still playing Ping Eye 2’s from the 1980’s. Just make sure that you change your grips once a year. As for drivers every three years should keep you near the top of the technological advances. There is one thing that will trump any new driver or irons purchase and that is practice. A skilled golf can play with any clubs in good shape and score well. Next time you find yourself blaming your clubs try taking a lesson and checking to see if your clubs fit properly. This will make a bigger difference every time, and if you think you do need new clubs ask a PGA Professional at your local course. They are there to help so take advantage of them. If you do decide to buy new clubs take advantage of club demos offered by golf companies and hit as many different models as you can. It is free and is the best way to see what works best for you.
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October 15th, 2009
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October 6th, 2009
Trying to hit a golf ball while off balance is as hard as it gets. When watching a good golfer the easiest thing to recognize is how they remain in balance throughout the swing. Most amateur golfers have trouble with balance throughout the entire swing. Often times you will see people having to step out of the golf swing because their balance is so bad. While many golfers can set up to the golf ball in balance they often lose it quickly during the swing.
There is a very simple drill that is very effective in the development of dynamic balance, or balance during the swing. On the driving range set up to the ball with a narrow stance and lift your right leg, for right handed golfers, off the ground. From here simply hit golf balls. It is best to start out small just hitting pitch shots and work your way up from there. Chances are you will quickly see how off balance you get from the very beginning of your swing. Practicing this on a regular basis can help develop sound balance and greatly improve your swing.
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October 6th, 2009
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