The L to L drill is an expansion of the 9:00 swing drill. It’s intended to help you feel the proper hinging of your wrists and positions of the club in a half length swing. It’s important that you become familiar with the correct 9:00 position of the club and hands before advancing to this drill. […]
Tour pros understand carry distance versus total distance. Many amateurs focus exclusively on total distance rather than how the ball actually got there. For example, many people will ask how far I drive the ball. Well, that depends on wind, conditions, firmness of the ground, slopes, bounces, and perhaps some other things. I can’t necessarily […]
Use this drill if you are a beginner learning the golf swing, or if you are employing a new grip, stance or set up position. The idea is that this is a miniature golf swing, focusing on the area through the hitting zone, that matters the most when we are impacting the golf ball. If […]
I recognize that most people have only a limited amount of time to practice and to work on their golf game. To make the best use of your time, I suggest we focus more on the quality of our practice as opposed to the quantity of shots that we hit. What I mean is […]
If you find your ball in play, but in a circumstance where you are not able to make a swing or advance the ball, then you are always entitled to claim an unplayable lie. Under this rule, you incur a one-stroke penalty, but are permitted to take relief from your troubling situation. There are three […]
There are actually quite a few instances in golf where you are entitled to relief without penalty. Generally, this includes areas that are sensitive such as new grass, young trees, flowers, or otherwise, or areas under repair on the golf course. This also includes what we call casual water, or excess water that you are […]
When you have lost your ball, or hit a shot out of bounds, which is marked by white stakes or lines, the penalty is one stroke and distance. What this means is that you incur a one-stroke penalty and need to go back to the point from where you hit your last shot. For […]
When you hit your ball into a water hazard, the first thing to do is to notice whether the hazard is marked with the red stakes for lines, or with yellow stakes or lines. A water hazard marked with yellow is a standard water hazard, while red markings indicate a lateral water hazard, and comes with […]
Whether you’re playing in a Major Championship on the PGA Tour or just a regular game with your buddies, you’re competing on some level. If the game is important enough for you to care about your results, it may be important enough to consider some preparations for competition. You’ll want to get both your […]
Your pre-shot routine is the process that you go through prior to hitting each golf shot. This includes gathering information on distance, wind, and your situation, organizing your thoughts and setting a shot plan in your mind, any rehearsal or practice swings, setting up for the shot, and then pulling the trigger. A well […]
When we mention the term angle of attack, what we’re looking at is the direction from which the club head is approaching impact with the ball. This is how the club will influence where the ball will travel. First, if we take a frontal view of the golf swing, the shape of the swing […]
Consider our finish position an opportunity for us to immediately gain the most critical feedback about each golf swing we make. I advise you not to neglect this opportunity if you want to improve your game most expeditiously. The goal of a proper finish position is to complete the golf swing in good balance, with […]
The golf swing from a frontal view looks like a circle or perhaps an oval if we account for the shifting of our weight in the downswing. When we look at a swing from down the line, imagine a plane going diagonally up from the ball through our body. In simple terms, you can think […]
Alignment is the concept of addressing the golf ball with your body and club face directed precisely at the intended target. If consistent results are expected, then a consistent alignment is necessary. Otherwise, if a player’s alignment changes for every golf shot, every golf swing must change in order to produce consistent results. Determine a […]
When we talk about ball position, imagine a straight line drawn perpendicular to the target line, from the ball to your feet. Take notice where the ball is located relative to where you are standing. A forward ball position is when the ball is located more toward the target, or off your left foot, relative […]
Posture is an important and often overlooked fundamental in the game of golf. Contrary to what most non-golfers might believe, we are making a very athletic motion. It’s important to prepare yourself in terms of balance and stance just like any other athlete. You should feel comfortable, agile, and in perfect balance before the […]
To me, a proper grip is one of the most important factors when developing a repeatable and reliable golf game. Directionally speaking, I define an effective grip as one that will return the club face back to its starting position, and here’s the key, without manipulation. For example, if we start with the club […]
When we consider the design of woods and hybrids, much like irons, they vary significantly allowing for different types of golf shots. A typical set of woods and hybrids nowadays may include a driver, 3-wood, maybe a 5-wood, along with perhaps a hybrid club or two, depending on the preference of the player. The […]
At time throughout this series, we will reference the design features of your golf clubs and associated terminology. When we talk about irons, they are of course numbered from low to high, perhaps from 4 or 5-iron through 9-iron. Set makeups certainly vary and players may add or remove clubs at their choosing. The […]
Although not the main focus of this instruction series, I feel it appropriate to address some common questions beginners often have about equipment. First, when we look at the make up of your set, you’ll want to not only consider the total distance that each club is capable of producing, but also the trajectory […]
