Golf on Sun. and Mon.

I had the pleasure of playing this holiday weekend with my premier student and nephew, David Haley Jr. He is currently playing for the University of Minnesota and will be playing Mon. June 4 in the U.S. Open sectional qualifier after the Memorial Tournament, for a spot in the U.S. Open. He will be in a group consisting of former Masters champ Mike Weir. Major pressure but I am sure he can handle it well. Tournament golf at this level is gut wrenching. Most of us play for “fun” and with bad swings hopefully still really enjoy it.

I started with David when he was around 6. I have often wondered what is it about students like him who have continued to improve over time and now may be ready for the next big step.

He started with a ton of athletic ability, but there seems to be a lot more to it. Everyone gets beat up and humbled by this game. There are a lot of great players out there who have not been able to make the transition to playing for a living. It occurs to me that the old adage “where there is a will there is a way” is very real. Instruction early on is a must because it installs proper fundamentals at an early age. Being able to play and practice as the main part of your life is not common to most people.

After considering all parts of practice and play there are still countless numbers of possibilities and obstacles that eventually get in your way, life doesn’t stand aside for anyone. You never really know who is ready for the next step into golf stardom. Jason Dufner is a good example. At a later stage in his golf journey he has elevated himself into the winners circle. Don’t think for a minute that this just happened. He has been grinding away for many years when other guys have lost the dream. Persistence has finally paid off for him. Great congrats to Jason Dufner.

If you are struggling with your game right now and are not seeing progress, you may not be focusing on the “true fundamentals” of the game. Find a teacher who will teach you about the impact position and striking the ball. Your swing may have a different look but if you can repeat a good impact position your game will change. You may not make the tour but you will certainly enjoy the game more.

 

Impact. The golden moment of truth

For all you golfers that are struggling with your swing, and aren’t we all on occasion, help is on the way. You need to know that your problem is at impact and that problem usually boils down to where the club is coming from,(your swing path)’ or the face angle of the golf club at impact. Sometimes the problem can be diagnosed by inspecting your divot, hopefully there is one. If the divot is struck behind the ball ( fat shot), and is severely pointing left, I probably don’t need to tell you that there is a problem.

The golf club must return to the ball on a path coming from inside the target line, not outside. The most common problem of the hands “flipping” through impact results in the inability to actually strike the ball. If you can’t get the ball to go up, it is a severe case of the dreaded “flip at impact”. The hands must be trained to get the correct position at impact. The closer you get to the correct impact position the more you will improve your ability to make the ball fly correctly and consistently.

 

Does it matter what your swing looks like ?

We frequently see golf magazine articles heralding the swings of the “hot” tour pro of the week.
Is the article and information interesting? Yes, for sure. Should you try to copy that swing ? Maybe and maybe not. You have probably habituated some good moves and some bad moves just by playing over the years. Change for the goal of improvement is a good thing. Just remember a better ” impact position” and “ball strike” is the goal. The swing change is only successful if it produces better contact and ball flight. Don’t change your swing just for style points. The Amazing Angle can help you experience the correct positions and movements in the golf swing. Check it out at http://www.keithhaleygolf.com

 

The effects of improper “shoulder plane” on impact position

In any type of golf swing the way your shoulders rotate around your spine can help create a great golf shot. If you fail to posture yourself correctly you may not be able to rotate your shoulders “on plane” effectively. Your inability to posture yourself correctly will inevitably lead to your failure to hit good solid golf shots. Don’t trust your current feel that your posture and shoulder rotation is sufficient. If you have recently lost power and directional control, have a qualified instructor check your posture. The Amazing Angle is the “gold standard” of all golf swing trainers. The Amazing Angle will help you feel and habituate a proper shoulder rotation. Check it out at http://www.keithhaleygolf.com

 

Rory’s Power

Check out this video of Rory McIlroy’s swing with commentary by Dave Phillips.  His bump and pelvic thrust are the key parts that give him so much power.  Developing a big shoulder turn, a bump to the left and strong pelvic thrust can add power…and distance…to your golf swing and no one does it better than McIlroy these days.

golf swing, sustaining lag, long drive, distance

 

Amazing Angle

The Amazing Angle Golf Swing Trainer – Improve your swing technique today!

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Optimized backswing position

Sustaining lag angle to impact

Optimized impact position–forward shaft lean

Optimized post-impact position, forward shaft lean

Right arm straight, almost done