For any golfer who wants to play great golf
Review: Divot Mat
Mar 8th
The DivotMat is an excellent practice/training aid. It identifies your impact characteristics in a unique way for indoor or outdoor use.
The Divot Mat consists of a few key pieces. 1) The Divot Mat Sheets, 2) The Divot Pad (Lie Board), 3) The Divot Mat, a soft mat on which to put the Divot Pad including velcro strips to fasten it securely to the mat, 4) 2 DVDs with instructional information.
The Divot Mat sheets have 9 golf balls printed on them that serve as the focal point for your shot. When you swing and hit the mat, your club leaves a trail mark on the Divot Mat. This trail shows where the club first hit the mat, how long the divot is, and the direction of the divot. These 3 things enable you to see whether you are hitting the ball fat, thin or just right, and whether you have an inside-out swing, outside-in, or straight swing path. Read the rest of this entry »
30 Day Challenge, Days 22 – 25
Mar 8th
This is how my driving range has looked throughout most of this 30 day challenge.
With the weather starting to warm up I’m starting to see more accurate carry distances and I’m very excited for what the season holds. I continue to make progress with my ability to execute the shots I see in my minds eye. My irons are especially strong in that regard, although I feel like I’m starting to overpower the shafts a bit. Still, that is god news even if it means that I’ll need to reshaft soon.
The most significant change I’ve seen in the last few days is that getting into the ready position has become so much more natural which is having a positive impact on my confidence. Being reasonably confident that I’m set up well to my target and the ball makes it so much easier to swing freely. This ready position also allows me more more freedom in visualizing and executing shots. My body feels like it allows the ball to get in the way of the club face and it does not fight itself as much.
HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED THE STATE OF INSTRUCTION TODAY
Mar 4th
By: Buck Mayers
One plane vs Two plane, Natural Golf, Lever Golf, Rotary Swings, Swing the Handle, Swing the Club Head, The Dog Wags the Tail, The Golfing Machine, Stack & Tilt, The 5 Lessons, Swing Like a Pro, and ON and ON. Are they right or are they wrong? Can we argue that many observations and opinions have not helped many golfers become better? It is obvious that ideology, methodology and opinions contribute to success. The better question is…have golfers improved consistently with all the technology, fitness, mental training improvements available? The answer is NO!
Why? The communication and information of “how to teach” typically has ideas and methods, the “what” to teach is most often opinion based and pseudo science. The physics and laws of motion are what they are. If you can skip a rock off water, you have experienced the laws of motion subconsciously. Playing golf is a right brain creative process. My meaning here is that understanding what you see and feel leads to a sound swing. A sound swing does not lead to understanding. The brain controls the body, the body controls the club and the club controls the ball.
What have 3 dimensional swing technologies brought to golf? – CLARITY AND EDUCATION. Outside of equipment, fitness, mental aptitude and creative short game skills, we now have measurable, quantitative, scientific documentation of how the golf club and body move in space effortlessly, efficiently, and according to the laws of motion. Are there differences in the machine? We know from personal ball flight, conditions, body traits and mental strategies, styles may vary accordingly. However, why you hit it solid, straight or far according to physics will remain the same.
Whether you shank, top, hit off the toe, hit fat, slice, pull, push, hook, hit it too high or low, we now can tell you why. 3 dimensional video will enhance understanding, visual and sensation awareness or feel. The clubface, club path, angle of approach, centeredness of contact, and speed are the only influences of the ball’s flight. 3 dimensional video arms every student and teacher with the cause of the effect – PERIOD! The swing is an action where certain things are caused to happen and certain things are allowed to happen. Faults arise in trying to cause what should be allowed.
30 Day Challenge – Day 21
Mar 4th
It was a cold driving range session. The heated bays were closed due to some work they were doing on them and we were very exposed to the wind out on the mats. Most of the snow was thankfully gone, and I heard that the course may open a week ahead of schedule, which was great news to me.
After warming up I was able to continue most of my good ball striking from the day before. I was unable to hit driver as it was an irons only day at the range due to work they were doing on the left side of the fence. For the most part I was able to shape shots at will and given the high wind conditions I felt my distance control was pretty good.
One of the things that was different today was that I didn’t strike the shots until I felt ready. When I did finally feel ready, it felt as if my heartbeat had slowed way down, and it was like being almost in a meditative state. The feeling in my hands was amplified and I felt more committed to the shot I picked out. It was very interesting, and I’d never really felt that before.
To sign up for the 30 day challenge.
30 Day Challenge – Days 19 and 20
Mar 3rd
Yesterday’s driving range session was very different from today’s session.
Yesterday, although I hit a lot of quality shots I had some trouble keeping my focus which led to some inconsistencies, especially with the driver. I think I started to take the results for granted and I my consistency dropped off. The other thing that happened was that I found it more difficult to focus on the process and on the feeling in my hands and as a result my consistency dropped off.
Today was a different experience. My sole focus in this session was to feel the shot in my rehearsal and reproduce the feeling without worrying about ball flight. This idea got me back on track. I found that when I was able to focus on the feeling both in the rehearsal and with a golf ball that I got that consistency back that I had missed yesterday. When I was not able to recreate the feel I had rehearsed, I didn’t even have to see the ball to know where it went, I could feel what my hands did and knew whether I pulled it, hooked, pushed or faded it. It was very interesting. Yesterday, I didn’t know where my misses were going and I had to watch the ball, and today, I knew exactly where my misses were going by recognizing the feeling in my hands.
I came to the realization that to be a good ball striker all I need to do is feel the shot, and recreate the same feeling with the golf ball. That’s it. The challenge of course, is actually recreating the feeling consistently, but it sure is a simpler way to play the game. So the things that can hurt my ball striking are those that take me away from seeing and feeling the shot, and reproducing the feeling.
Learning Golf in America – Part 1
Mar 2nd
John, a successful entrepreneur started playing golf at a company outing. He soon got hooked on the game and decided he wanted to become a good player. He had plenty of money to spend on golf lessons and ended up going to see some of the best known teachers in the game, they were all on Golf Digest’s top 100 Teachers.
His game didn’t improve. Each teacher he saw contradicted the previous one. First he stood up too tall, then his posture was too upright. After seeing those teachers, going to their 4 day workshops, he ended up more confused than ever. He would make incremental gains, then lose them as quickly as they came. He was in golf overload, and he still couldn’t break 90.
Larry, a successful feel player when he was young, was now turning 60 and decided he needed more distance to play better. After seeing a number of teachers, his head was filled with tips and swing thoughts. The new distance did not materialize, and now his body was confused. He used to be able to self diagnose and make changes on the course, but he had so much going on in his head that he couldn’t play the way he used to. It took him years to get back to playing golf the way he used to, from feel.
Although I’ve changed the names to protect the innocent, these are not unusual stories. There is more information than ever on the golf swing. There are so many websites advertising their tips. Golf magazines are filled with instruction. But is the average golfer getting any better?
30 Day Challenge – Day 18
Mar 1st
My balance work has been going pretty well. I find my body reacts well to the energy in my hands and my shots are going where I want them to for the most part.
Today was a very windy day at the range, but at least the temperature is cooperating, the snow is begining to melt, although the golf course is still covered. Still I’m feeling like I’m making good progress.
Rob noticed something about me today since starting the 30 day challenge. He noticed that I’m smiling more and I’m not as intense. Now don’t get me wrong, intensity is important, but I think the way I had it going was putting pressure. Pressure creates tension, and tension, well, can ruin a golf swing. It’s funny but not focusing on how my golf swing looks has really had other effects than on just the swing.
My outlook on the game is different. It feels like a much easier game now, and that alone makes this challenge really worthwhile for me. Sure having better distance and accuracy helps, but not having 30,000 swing thoughts has helped even more and my progress continues.
30 Day Challenge – Day 16
Feb 27th
I wanted to take a bit of time and reflect on what I’ve experienced in the first 15 days of this challenge.
I started out a very analytical golfer. I was constantly doing video analysis, checking to make sure I was in the proper positions, very worried about having a swing that looked good and was technically good. All that has changed.
I’m much more concerned now with feel, visualization and using my body and my hands efficiently. I’m not so worried about positions anymore as I see them as an effect of doing the right things. I rely more on my mind and visualization to create the shots I want to create and have found that I’m learning to trust my swing.
I don’t really care how my swing looks now as I’m beginning to own it. Regardless of how it looks, it’s my swing,unique to me, and what matters is my results. It’s pretty cool approaching the game this way. It’s been liberating and quite an experience.
Rickie Fowler – a result of consistent coaching
Feb 27th
Gotham Golf Blog has a really good post about Rickie Fowler.
One of the important points in the post is how Rickie Fowler has stuck with one coach throughout his career. He hasn’t bounced from style to style and philosophy to philosophy. I think too many golfers bounce around trying different ideas. True, it can lead them to something that eventually works, but it also may confuse them and actually hinder their learning. When somebody goes through so many ideas, tips, etc, it becomes hard to find your unique style and refine that.
I think there are too many people claiming they have THE answer to the golf swing. There needs to be a match between the instructor and the student, and the swing should be based on the things that makes that student unique.
30 Day Challenge – Day 15
Feb 26th
I continued balance work. The snow came down really heavy today so that eliminated going to the driving range. The only thing I really could do was putting, maybe some chipping, and simulator work. I ended up doing some work on the simulator focusing on my balance.
My golf swing has felt freer. Being in balance like this seems also to be a key to more accuracy and distance. This better posture seems to allow me to rotate more cleanly around my hips, especially with my feet not feeling stuck to the ground. My hips also feel like they are clearing faster.
I tried working on a suggestion that Eben gave me which was to get into position, then feel my hands. For a few days I think I was so focused on balance that I seemed to lose touch with my hands. Now, that getting into position ready to hit a golf shot has become more natural, I seem to be getting the feel back in my hands. At the same time, I’m just a bit more aware of how my body allows the energy in my hands to work more efficiently. I feel like I’m making steady progress. Now if only the snow would melt and the temperature would rise so that I could go back to the range.
To sign up for the 30 Day challenge click here.
