The address position

The discussion of address position seems to always be the first chapter in any golf swing book. Ironically the readers of the books are evidently skipping this chapter.

I won’t go into a boring treatise on the subject here, why beat a dead horse. You should however as a student of the golf swing, understand that your address position directly effects your ability to control your ball flight and literally make correct and consistent contact with the ball.

In my opinion, the most important parts of your “address” or “setup position” are alignment and ball position. Simply stated, as a right handed golfer, if you aim your body to the right of the target and position the ball slightly behind the center line, closer to your right foot, you will create a right to left ball flight, or draw. Curving the golf ball intentionally takes knowledge, practice and skill. This ability is common to all good players. It is how they manage their way around the golf course. If you don’t set up to intentionally hit the ball in a specific direction with a specific curvature I guarantee it will not happen.

For beginning golfers just getting the ball in the air can be frustrating. If you have a competent instructor you should however be learning how to create intentional draws and fades.

If you don’t have time to devote to practicing your address position, including a consistent pre swing routine, you should at least observe the following pictures.

Here are 3 quick tips for a correct impact position. 1. Push your pelvis back. It helps keep your upper and lower body separated throughout your swing. 2. Let your arms hang to eliminate tension. 3. Make sure your ball position is really where you think it is.

The pictures are a good representation of a structurally correct address position using the Amazing Angle golf swing trainer. At the practice range I continually see variations of these pictures. Generally if the address position doesn’t resemble the pictures, good things do not happen.

So, devote some time to your address position at your next practice session. It will pay huge dividends. Join me next time for the discussion on the first move of the golf swing.

Practice with a purpose!

 

Series on the 5 “killer moves” in your golf swing

This is the first in a series of articles, on what I believe are the five “killer moves and positions” of the golf swing.

Please understand that it is my belief that any movement or grossly incorrect position or multiple incorrect positions at 1. address, 2. move away of the swing, 3. at the top of the backswing, 4. transition to downswing, (inability to create an inside swing path), or 5. sustaining the power package in the downswing, WILL negatively effect the all important “impact position”.

These concepts sounds so simple. However, in the 27 years I have been helping students, I see these same violations day in and day out. The continuation of these violated positions and movements are discussed in videos and articles ad nauseum. These five “killer positions” are without a doubt catastrophic and are prominent in the swings of struggling golfers. To be as specific as possible, if you currently are violating one or more of the five, you are probably guaranteeing that you will not reach impact correctly.

To be sure, great players may look different as they execute these swing positions and movements. Swing styles are not of importance, only that the different looks do not become confused with the debilitating “killer moves”.

The next article will concern itself with creating an effective consistent address position. Starting your golf swing correctly and consistently will put you on the fast track to a great golf swing.

I am convinced that a golf swing training aid, such as the Amazing Angle, will help you identify the “killer moves”, eliminate the current behavior and habituate new and effective behavior.

As always, please practice with a purpose!

 

PM on the U S Open 2012

Well, it looks as though the Olympic Club won this one. The USGA really makes the American championship difficult. That golf course looked so tough I felt like I wouldn’t even attempt to play it in that condition. I’m sure not much fun was had by all. It was somewhat deflating to see my heroes being humiliated. None of the greatest players in the game under par. It is a hard game after all.

But, hope springs eternal. A good new major champion in Webb Simpson and a look at the possible future of golf in Beau Hossler. That was fun. That is one poised young man. Do you think he knew what was happening, the gravity of the situation? I have a feeling he may have been enjoying a glimpse into his future!

One final observation. It wasn’t the big hitters ahead down the stretch. If you can control your ball flight and keep it in play off the tee, have a nifty little short game and make some putts, you are a match for anybody. Practice with a purpose!

 

Timing your golf swing

I had 2 very interesting lesson sessions yesterday. These students have been working very hard on specific swing mechanics with their Amazing Angle swing trainers, optimizing swing positions and movements, and are making wonderful progress.

Both students, while making progress, were just not hitting the ball purely, with power. In cases like this I try to explain that in addition to practicing swing mechanics, we are also responsible for timing our swing correctly. A distinction should also be made between fast paced swings and slower paced swings. Which is better? Both can be good. There are great players who swing with a fast pace and great players who swing with a slower pace. The point is that swing pace is different from swing sequence or timing.

There is a book that I highly recommend for both new and advanced students that deals with this subject. The title of the book is “Tour Tempo”, written by John Novosel. His contention is that all good golf swings, including a long list of tour players, are timed in a 3 to 1 ratio. Measuring this relationship is done with a special camera that allows counting frames of the backswing and downswing to impact. According to Mr. Novosel, if for example your backswing has 30 frames, your downswing would have 10 frames. 27 frames up, 9 frames down, etc.

If you actually count one thousand one, one thousand two to the top of your backswing and then one thousand three to impact you get the basic feel of 3 to 1 timing. The measurement is obviously more complicated than this, but I think this concept has some juice. Try it the next time you are in the practice mode, you may be pleasantly surprised by the results!

 

Bubba’s Golf Swing

Recently several so called experts have taken some cheap shots at Bubba Watson’s “homemade golf swing” .

Here is what I believe. You have to love and envy his ability to play the game. Watching Bubba is entertaining to say the least. Nothing is off the table and he will try anything. His creativity is amazing. He just sees the shot and does it. How did Bubba get here, we all would like to know.

Would I try to teach Bubba’s swing? In a simple word, no. Do I think his swing is good ? I think his swing is AMAZING.

When I started teaching my nephew David Haley Jr., who by the way fared much better than many touring pros at yesterday’s U S Open sectional qualifier, I spent a great deal of time on only a few fundamentals. As David got older the constant reminders allowed effective golf swing moves to materialize and habituate which produce power and consistency. That is the beauty and essence of Bubba’s swing. It repeats itself to create a powerful, natural and consistent ball flight.

When I start with a new student, they are exposed to the real fundamentals of the golf swing, impact, forward divot and creating their personal natural ball flight. If the student has developed what I consider to be “killer moves”, positions or movements during the swing that are so detrimental as to destroy any possibility of improvement, they must be eliminated. These positions are identified and rectified by substituting something that is not destructive. Perfection obviously does not exist in golf swings. Witness the fact that that Tiger is now on his third recreation of his golf swing. Note that he has won major championships with each different swing.

Don’t confuse beauty with effectiveness. There are beautiful golf swings out there that don’t make money. On the other hand don’t confuse diversity and effectiveness either. Don’t let “killer moves” remain unidentified in your golf swing and stop your improvement. As for Bubba, he does alright with his “home made” swing.