My backswing’s too big, and I’m blocking

August 1st, 2010

I’m a single-digit handicapper, I drive the ball well, short irons are OK, short game is above average. When it comes to mid-irons and long irons, I seem to be fading all of my shots, that’s if I’m playing poorly. When I’m on, I usually have a draw. I have a good swing but sometimes it’s too long and I pass parallel. Can you give me a drill for this past-parallel flaw and advice on why I sometimes do not release my clubhead when I’m playing poorly? Jamie N., Seattle, WA

These are great things to work on. Look at Greg Norman, John Cook, and Tiger Woods (before he hooked up with Hank Haney)–they’re hitting the ball longer than ever, while shortening their backswings considerably over the past couple of years. And all the best players in the world release fully with their arms through impact.

As far as swinging past parallel, I think you should be less concerned with where your club goes at the top and more aware of your hands and arms. If you hear the terms “connection,” “one-piece takeaway,” or the “triangle,” these are all ways of talking about attaching the small parts (arms and hands) to the bigger parts (shoulders). Notice the connected triangle formed by the shoulders, arms, and hands of a good golfer at address, and how that triangle is there at impact, and you’ll see the importance of keeping your upper body together as much as possible during the backswing.

The goal is to turn your shoulders completely, let your wrists cock fully, yet still have the club short of parallel and your hands to the right of your head at the top. Done properly, that leads to a full, but paradoxically, shorter and more controlled backswing. Here are some drills to get the feel:

  • From address, take the triangle formed by your shoulders, arms, and hands back in one piece. It won’t really, but feel like your sternum (breastbone) points directly at your hands all the way up to the top of your backswing.
  • Keep your hands and arms in front of your upper body at the top. Don’t let them get behind or to the side. In other words, your hands should not be behind your head at the top, with your left arm laying across and against your chest.
  • Make sure your arms and hands stop at the top exactly when your shoulders do. Everything stops at the same time.

Now, my guess is that you’re not releasing your arms properly because of tension. So when you’re playing poorly and you start cussing–it’s a well-known fact that swearing creates tension–you’re tighter grip and/or shoulders are causing you to block the ball out to the right.

For those of you who don’t know, releasing means that when your right arm is parallel to the ground after impact and halfway into the follow-through, you should see 3 things: 1) your right arm should be straight, 2) your forearms (near your watch band) should be touching or very close to touching, 3) the fingers and most of your left hand should be showing below your right. To get to this position, try these drills while staying as relaxed as possible:

  • Roll your forearms counterclockwise on the way down to the ball. Turn them as soon as possible from the top. Think of turning your forearms and not your wrists–wrists can move in so many ways that even the best in the world try to leave them out of the picture on the downswing.
  • Try to touch your forearms together by your watch band, when your right arm is parallel to the ground just after impact. Keep two things in mind with this one:  a) if your forearms don’t touch that’s okay, as long as they’re close; b) if they do touch it’s only for a tiny fraction of a second–don’t try to hold them together into the follow-through.
  • Imagine hitting a pin-pong ball left-handed, backhanded, and with topspin. Keep your upper left arm against your chest, and think of rotating your left forearm.

Posted in Miscellaneous, Shots to the right | 5 Comments »

To Southpaw or not?

August 1st, 2010

Can you tell me how a new and middle-age golfer just getting started should determine whether he should be a left-handed or a right-handed golfer? I kick a football with my right foot and write right-handed but throw and bat left-handed. Chuck B., Rochester, WA

Great question! I have so many beginning students who, say, brush their teeth with their right hand, but maybe pet their dog with their left (I’m sure some people do both at the same time, probably leading to a circular petting technique), and they have no idea what to do with a golf club.

It used to be that every left-hander was force-fed the “right” way, mainly because left-handed equipment was so scarce. But nowadays there are all kinds of clubs for lefties, and that leads me back to your question.

I think you should swing a golf club from the same side that you’d swing a baseball bat.

I know when hitting bad shots many of you say to yourselves that you’re swinging like a baseball batter. But that’s a popular misconception–good baseball batters and good golfers have a lot in common.

Like:

  • a relaxed upper body, especially noticeable on the through swing
  • the weight moving onto the back foot, then dynamically shifting toward the target to start the forward swing
  • the so called “late hit”, with their wrists uncocking at the ball, not before
  • the way their arms release through impact
  • the hips clearing powerfully on the forward swing

There are so many similarities, in fact, that I’ve had many students improve their softball play by incorporating classic golf mechanics into their batting technique.

So, swing a golf club like you would a baseball bat.

One last thing: if you are equally comfortable swinging right- or left-handed (ambidextrous), ask yourself from which side you would swing a baseball bat if your life depended on it. If after that question you still feel that both sides are life-savingly reliable, choose right handed–there’s still a bigger selection of equipment available.

Posted in Miscellaneous | No Comments »

Practicing

August 1st, 2010

Doug, tell me how to get better. I’ve been reading books and magazines and practicing, but I still stink it up. Dan R., Bellevue, WA

Golf is a very difficult sport–surprise! And I guarantee that unless you’ve spent a lot of time in front of a mirror, you have very little idea what your swing really looks like. So Step One is to find a good teacher, someone who can watch you from the outside. Look for a coach who knows what they’re talking about and who can communicate it effectively to you. And it’s all the better if they use a video camera so you can see what’s going on with your own eyes.

More thoughts:

  • People are often shocked when their shots deteriorate while working on something new in their swing. That amazes me. They wouldn’t sit down at a typewriter, guitar, bicycle–anything, really–and expect to do well right off the bat. My dictionary defines practice as, “to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient.” So, hmmm, we start out non-proficient. . .and that’s why we practice. What a concept! Remember this: LEARNING REQUIRES FAILURE. I’ve never seen it any other way.
  • Work on one thing at a time. Like building a pyramid, you need a solid foundation first, with refinement added on top. Stay focused and make each new piece rock-solid before moving on to the next.
  • You probably won’t find the Secret to Golf in a magazine article or on TV. So avoid all the gimmicky new moves–most will be dead ends.
  • Don’t race through your bucket of balls at the range. It’s better to take a lot of practice swings while hitting 30 thoughtful shots, than to hit two large buckets in the same amount of time. A thousand times better, grasshopper.
  • Work on your short game. It’s: 1) easier, 2) the quickest way to lower scores, and 3) a great way to improve your long game, because it involves many of the same fundamentals.

Posted in Miscellaneous | 54 Comments »

Once and for all, will you fix my slice?

August 1st, 2010

OK, once and for all, will you fix my slice? I’ve been working on it my whole so-called golfing career, and I can’t get the ball to go straight, never mind draw. Jim M., Seattle, WA

First, realize that curving shots are the result of clubface alignment. So for your shots to curve to the right, your clubface must be pointing there through impact. Generally, slicing is caused by one of three conditions (or possibly a combination): 1) blocking; 2) a weak grip; 3) an open clubface at address.

Here’s what to do, once and for all:

  • Check your grip first. Make sure your hands are in a slightly strong position, with both palms facing each other, and the back of your left and the palm of your right facing a little above and to the right of the target. In other words, if you move your hands from a “praying” position, turn both hands to the right where you can see a little more of the back of your left hand.
  • Now square up your club. Ignoring the top edge, place the bottom-most leading edge of the clubface perpendicular to the imaginary line you want the ball to travel out on. In other words, at a right angle to the target line.
  • For the Number One Reason people slice–blocking–try these drills while staying as relaxed as possible:

1) Roll your forearms counterclockwise on the way down to the ball. TURN THEM AS SOON AND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FROM THE TOP. If you start hooking the ball uncontrollably left, it’s not because you’ve overdone your forearms–it’s either your grip is now too strong at address, or your left wrist is breaking down and cupping through impact.

2) When your right arm is parallel to the ground just after impact, try to touch your forearms together by your watchband. Keep two things in mind with this one: if your forearms don’t touch that’s okay as long as they’re close, and if they do touch it’s only for a tiny fraction of a second–don’t try to hold them together into the follow-through.

3) Imagine hitting a pin-pong ball left-handed, backhanded, and with topspin. Keep your upper left arm against your chest, and think of turning your left forearm.

Posted in Shots to the right | 5 Comments »

Mentally challenged–help!

August 1st, 2010

I’m a 15 handicap, and although mechanically my game feels pretty solid, I have the feeling that mentally I’m missing the boat. I’d like to know how to improve in this area. Dave D, Mercer Island, WA

Although most people never take one, a playing lesson can be extremely valuable. Mentally there are few things better than to have your pro out on the course with you, saying things like: “I’ve tried that shot a thousand times in the past few decades, and it’s worked maybe twice. Try this shot instead.”

Here are two more examples of the kinds of things that can be learned from a playing lesson:

1)       Personal Par There’s no reason for the average golfer to compare his/her score to the par total printed on the scorecard. That number really represents the score an expert golfer would be expected to shoot. It’s much more realistic and beneficial for the average player to come up with their own Personal Par to judge their abilities against. For example, if you average 27 strokes over par, 99 should be your personal par. So on every hole you get one more stroke than is printed on the scorecard, and on the nine most difficult holes you get an extra stoke on top of that.

Let’s say you’re playing a 205-yard long par three with a pond in front, and it’s ranked the fourth most difficult hole on the course. Personal Par for you here will be five. Now, let’s assume you usually hit an 8-iron straight and about 100 yards, and you two-putt many greens. So why not tee off with an 8-iron down the middle of the fairway, and hit another 8-iron to the middle of the green? Then 2-putt for a smooth 4–one stroke below your par–and record a Personal Birdie! You have absolutely no reason to go for this green on your first shot, and if you look back on the times you’ve played difficult holes based on the scorecard’s par, you’ll see my point. Which is: with the extra strokes coming to you through your Personal Par, you’ll make much wiser decisions about how to attack the hardest holes.

2)       This is simple, yet powerful–last year I had a student lower his average score by 8 strokes just by changing this one thing. Off the tee, set up on the side of the tee where the trouble is and aim to hit away from it. For example, if you tend to slice your driver and there’s water on the right, setting up on the left side of the tee will bring the water directly into play. So set up on the side where the trouble is, in this case the right side of the tee box, and aim across the fairway, down the left side.

Posted in Mental | 103 Comments »

These damn mats

August 1st, 2010

I’m a 5-foot-7 140-pound golfer who is 50 years old. I have been playing for 13 years and always have had a continual problem with my shots. I have a tendency to make a thin divot behind the ball, about 3 to 4 inches long. Unlike the pros who hit shots leaving divots in front of their shots. This is a problem with all of my clubs, especially the irons. When hitting on the driving range mat, I seem to hit the ball great, but when playing on the golf course, I keep making divots behind the ball, leaving me with a fat shot. I’ve taken many different lessons from books and magazines, and nothing seems to work. Do you have any suggestions for my problem? Tony Y., Seattle, WA

Did you know that, historically there have been many organizations for blind golfers (these players can shoot in the 70’s!), while for decades there were fewer if any, for deaf golfers? The irony is that deaf golfers–even though they can see the ball, ground, and target–have a more difficult time improving because they can’t get critical feedback from hearing the impact between club and ball. In other words, the feedback we all get from listening can be more key than seeing.

So what does that have to do with your problem? Well, I think the driving range mats are a big source of your frustration. Unlike real grass, when practicing off a mat you’re blinded from seeing the spot where the club first touches the ground–it’s hard to tell if your club hits the ground before contacting the ball or after.

Adding to the problem is that the mats are sitting on top of rock-hard concrete, so when you hit behind the ball the club skids along the mat, often producing decent shots. You can hit every ball in the bucket fat and not know it.

So you’re going to have to start paying close attention to the sound of your shots:

  • Listen carefully and you’ll notice your topped shots sound thin, with a high-pitched twang. Your fingers will be stinging and the ball flight will be lower, too. Paying attention to these tactile and visual sensations as they relate to the sound of the shot on the mat will help speed your progress.
  • When you hit fat, behind the ball, you’ll hear the thud of the ground, then the click of the ball. Often you’ll feel the club twist in your hands, and the ball will come up shorter than your normal distances.
  • A solid shot will have the best sound of all: a solid, thicker tone, with the sound of the ground and the ball occurring just about simultaneously. It sounds like you’re getting a lot of club onto the ball, pinching it against the ground. Start cultivating that sound in your shots and I predict your progress will accelerate immediately.

Posted in Miscellaneous | No Comments »

A question from the newspaper’s sports reporters

August 1st, 2010

Hey, Doug, most of us on the P-I golf police force are physically strong and able, but we’re lacking mentally. Jockeys stand taller than we do on the tee. What we’re trying to say is this: Why is it so much easier to hit a golf ball on the driving range than it is on the course? How can we overcome this mind block? Also, why does our regular swing vary so greatly from our practice swing? We want it to flow like your ponytail, Doug. So what’s up pal? Give us some answers.

While I’ll grant you that you and your fellow sports reporters might be lacking mentally, I’m thinking there’s still some improvement to be had. (I’m also thinking you might not be all that physically strong, either.)

First, let’s examine the mind of the reporter/golfer in detail.

At the Driving Range:

  • You have 75 balls in a bucket. Hit the guy in the stall next to you with one of them, and you still have 74 balls left. LOW PRESSURE
  • With fifty dollars in your pocket, you could carp-slice a whole bucket out into the parking lot, then get nine more. LOW PRESSURE
  • No bunkers, lakes, or playing partner’s plaid shorts/Hawaiian shirt/argyle sock combos to distract you. LOW PRESSURE
  • Do you know the people in the stalls next to you? No? LOW PRESSURE

At the Golf Course:

  • This shot is THE most important event in your entire existence, what with your-boss-standing-there-your-opponent-jiggling-car-keys-birds-chirping-sun-in-your-eyes-shoes-untied-got-the-ball-on-a-pink-tee-forgot-to-put-your-glove-on-besides-which-lost-that-stupid-ball-marker-off-the-glove-in-the-first-place-left-work-late/no-time-to-warm-up-not-to-mention-your-12-year-old-daughter-just-cracked-one-down-the-middle-240-yards-with-just-the-slightest-hint-of-a-draw-and-you’re-not-quite-sure-where-you’ve-left your-wallet. COULD BE PARALYZING

So the answer is to make your practice time more like your playing time. Here are some ways:

  1. At the range, pretend you’re playing your home course. Hit a tee shot on the first hole, judge where it would have gone if you were really playing, then select the club you’d use for the remaining distance to the green and hit that shot. If you would have missed the green with that shot, play the pitch or chip up onto the imaginary green, then go to the next whole without putting. Go through your on-course pre-shot routine on every shot.
  2. Use “pressure games” as much as possible, for example: you absolutely can’t leave the practice green until you’re 1 under par (2 putts per hole), putting to nine holes; or you can’t stop chipping until you get 6 out of 10 balls within 3 feet of the cup. These can be incredibly effective ways to improve your on-course play, especially if you stick to your guns. Gary Player was often asked why he was one of the best sand players in the world. He said he didn’t allow himself to leave the practice bunker until he had holed out two of his shots. And he was often there in the sand trap at 11 o’clock at night, with the range lights glaring down, concentrating and reaching deeper.

Putting yourself under pressure at the range (as often as possible) will give you much more confidence handling all the distractions that pop up on the course.

Posted in Mental | No Comments »

Working the ball

August 1st, 2010

I have been playing golf for 26 years and have only recently taught myself how to work the ball, rather than put up with my lifetime fade. I can now fade or draw the ball, for the most part on command, but I am unable to hit a low draw. My question is: What is involved in the setup, ball position, and swing plane to hit such a skillful shot? Todd C. Howe, Mill Creek

Actually, a low draw should be as easy to create as a high fade. Think of your worst banana slices or duck hooks. I’ll bet the slices went higher than normal and the hooks much lower on the solid ones.

Curving the ball, whether by accident or on purpose, usually comes down to two things: 1) the ball starts its journey in the direction the entire club travels at impact; and 2) the ball comes to rest where the clubface points at impact.

So, when hitting a draw on purpose:

  • Aim your body where you want the ball to start—to the right of the target.
  • Aim the clubface where you want the ball to finish—directly toward the target.

If your swing plane and path are correct, you’ll end up hitting a draw because of the effective loft of your club. Effective loft is the amount of loft on the clubface as the ball is struck, and because your clubface is pointing to the left of the path of the club (the necessary ingredients to hitting the draw mentioned above), the ball should come out lower. Test this yourself: at address, point your clubface to the left. Notice how the loft disappears the more you turn it counterclockwise.

So your high draw is a bit of a mystery to me. Try the following:

  • Hit down with your irons, with the shaft leaning to the left at impact. Make sure you take a divot to the left of the ball.
  • Play the ball farther back in your stance at address, to the right. Try no more than a quarter of an inch at a time, and don’t go to the right of center.
  • It’s possible your swing plane is too upright. Try swinging on a slightly flatter plane, more around your body rather than up.

Posted in Address, Miscellaneous | 2 Comments »

I need an alignment

August 1st, 2010

My friends are constantly telling me my aim is off. I think I’m pointing straight down the fairway and they say I’m aiming way to the right. How can I tell if they are correct; how can I fix it if they are; how do I get them off my back? Frustrated, Seattle, WA

When any good golfer sets up to the ball they follow a precise routine. This routine starts with establishing the target line, [target line is italicized] the imaginary line drawn from the ball to the target. The target line is an important reference point for the set-up–the clubface will be ­perpendicular, and you will be ­parallel, to it.

Align the clubhead before positioning your body: ­ignoring the top edge of the club, place the bottom-most leading edge of the clubface perpendicular to the target line. This points the face of the club down the target line directly toward the target, which is where it should be at impact.

Now align your body to the target line. At address, imaginary lines drawn across your toes (back of the heels might be more appropriate), knees, hips, eyes, and most importantly your shoulders and forearms, should parallel the target line. Because your arms will tend to swing out in the direction your shoulders and forearms are aiming, upper body alignment is critical.

To check your alignment, lay a club on the ground across your toes. Now step behind the ball and look straight down the target line. Is this club on the ground parallel to the ­target line? Or is it pointing at the target?

Your feet should be aligned ­parallel left of the target line. If the line across your toes points directly toward the ­target, you aren’t set up parallel to the line of flight. You are actually aiming to hit the ball off to the right. This concept can be confusing at first, so let’s try again: imagine you’re looking down a straight set of railroad tracks; if the track on the right points directly at your target, then the parallel track on the left shouldn’t. . .because as I mentioned 10 words ago, it’s parallel, dammit.

Once your feet are aligned ­properly, arrange your knees, hips, forearms, shoulders, and eyes–set them all parallel to the line across your toes.

Now you’re ready to swing in the right direction.

Posted in Address, Miscellaneous | 144 Comments »

Buying clubs

August 1st, 2010

I started playing 2 years ago with a hand-me-down set of clubs. I’m 6’2’’, slice the ball on almost every shot, and I’m wondering how much I should blame the clubs for these bad shots? How do I go about buying the right clubs for me? Seneca S., Albuquerque, NM

A couple of years ago my dad shared this nugget at the dinner table: “A good golfer should be able to play just as well with any kind of equipment—borrowed, rented, used.” Well, I reminded myself, my dad’s also an 18 handicapper, and he needs to be corrected.

So I gave him a lecture just like he had done when I was a kid, about how our creator had designed each of us uniquely, like snowflakes–different in height, hand size, inseam, and even with different goals. In other words, our golf clubs need to be built to our unique specifications and needs.

Consider this:

  • If you’re 6’2’’ and playing with clubs that are too short, the angle of the shaft relative to the bottom of the club (the lie angle) will most likely be too flat, causing you to slice when taking a perfect swing.
  • If your club’s grip is too large you’ll tend to hit the ball to the right and short because of its limiting influence on your wrists and forearms during the swing.
  • If the shafts are too soft for you, the ball can and will go everywhere.
  • If you have clubs that don’t fit (the vast majority of people out there), you can’t hit the ball where you want with a perfect swing–you have to swing incorrectly to get around the poor fit. And that’s a house-of-cards.

So, here’s my answer: don’t buy any equipment until you know you’re going to play for at least a couple of years. Then buy the best equipment you can get your hands on, and that means custom-fitted–for lie angle, grip size, shaft material and length, flex, flex point, swing weight, and head design.

If you live in the Seattle area I can make a couple of strong recommendations for local clubmakers who do an excellent job. But take a look at the major brands in the local stores and pro shops, too. At many of the pro shops, and even a few of the stores, you’ll be able to demo the clubs out on a range where you can see the ball flight and get a sense of their feel. Check their warranties and especially how much custom fitting is involved. You’ll find different approaches to custom fitting—for example, some manufacturers offer a couple of lie angles to choose from: 1- degree upright, standard, or 1- degree flat. Others bend them through a whole range of lies to fit much more precisely.

The bottom line: don’t buy a set of clubs off the wall because the salesperson says so–challenge them to show you how well they fit your body type and needs. Most won’t be able to, but your not going to buy from them anyway if you’re looking for custom-fitting.

Posted in Equipment | 107 Comments »

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