For any golfer who wants to play great golf
Swing Theory
What were the great players of the past thinking when they played golf?
Jun 1st
Ever wonder what Ben Hogan, Jimmy Demaret, Jackie Burke Jr and other great players of the past were thinking while playing golf? What would be it be like to in their heads as they prepared to hit a shot, and how would it differ from the way many players approach the game today? Eben Dennis had the chance when he was younger to spend some time those legends, and learned from them how they approached the game.
They were using their feel and imagination not thinking about their backswing or swing plane. They were artists with the club being their paint brush. They played golf and not golf swing. They understood the tools they were using like a carpenter understands his. They developed routines that would allow them to repeat how they prepared to play the shot at hand. They prepared for the golf course as if it were a chess match. As Hogan once said a golfer playing golf without feel would be like a deaf man trying to play the piano by ear. They knew the equipment was built for ease of use and respected its value.
Most from that era also learned to play during the wooden shaft era and if they swung too hard they would break the clubs so they stayed with that feeling when steel shafts came along and allowed players to slash at the ball without penalty of a broken club. They also understood as many of the best players do today that the golf ball just gets in the way of going forward toward the target instead of hitting at it like most players do. The best understood that you can control the club effectively only from your fingers and that everything supports what they do.
In short they were doing little thinking and mostly creating.
How often have you played golf with a state of mind like this? How often have you thought of yourself as an artist, with the golf club and ball as your paint brush, and the golf course as your canvas.
Eben also shared a story with me about the time he had a chance to play 9 holes with the Champions Golf club founder Jimmy Demaret. Mr. Demaret hadn’t competed in about 10 years and hadn’t swung a club in months, yet played nine holes with Eben and shot 31, making it look effortless and easy. Afer the fifth time of Eben asking him how he could make it look so easy after not swinging a club for so long, Mr. Demaret looked at him and said “I just look where I want to go, then feel the shot and go there.”
Fore! Golf Marathon at Crystal Springs
May 24th
On Wednesday, May 19th, I played in the golf marathon for the Jack and Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation at Crystal Springs resort in New Jersey.
It was one of the best golf experiences I have had in my life. The resort is beautiful and the Crystal Springs golf course is a very challenging layout. Although it’s not as long as some other courses, you must keep the ball in play and on the fairway. And even if you manage to hit the fairway you need to be in the correct side of the fairway. There are very few flat lies on the fairways and even less of them in the rough. The rough is full of punishing grass moguls that make it difficult hit good shots to the large, but fast undulating greens. This course has some of the largest greens I have played on, but you must be in the right part of the green to have a good putt at birdie or even par.
Besides the beauty and difficulty of the golf course, the whole day was so much fun. Once I checked in with Rob Pritts of Back9Promotions , the man behind the golf marathon, we got some breakfast and an opportunity to meet some of the other golfers and participants including about 10 players from the New York Jets. I ended up playing with 3 of the Jets, 2 of them for over 50 holes of golf.
I ended up playing a total of 63 holes of golf. It was the most I have ever played in one day, and although it was tiring, the whole experience was amazing. The two Jets I played with were wide receiver Danny Woodhead and safety Jim Leonard. Both of these guys have excellent golf games. One of the contests during the day was to see who could play the most number of holes with a Bridgestone ball that was handed out at the beginning of the day. Danny Woodhead ended up playing his Bridgestone for 33 holes and ended up winning the prize (a very nice Bridgestone Staff Bag). I unfortunately lost mine on the 2nd hole.
One of the my favorite holes on the Crystal Springs course was the 2nd hold on the Classic 9. It was also the hole on which I started my day. It is a 185 yard hole 75 feet below the tee, across a quarry pool to a bow tie (or dog bone) shaped green. The first time I played the hole, I over clubbed and hit a 5 iron off the roof of the house that bounced back onto the green from where I made my par.
I was also proud to be wearing a golf shirt donated by L.O.F.T. golf of Hartford, CT. And I was able to deliver a putter donated by the Roll-Master Golf called ” The Ringer “, which makes a sweet sound, like fine crystal, when you hit a putt on the sweet spot, for the $10,000 putting contest.
Although the day was about golf, it was also very rewarding to raise money for a great cause. The Jack and Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation creates wow experiences for families with a parent diagnosed with late stage cancer. It is very sad to think that the kids in those families are going to lose a mom or a dad. In the end we raised about 35,000 for the foundation.
On the radio talking about Game Sense
May 23rd
Yesterday, May 22nd, ZenChili was on the radio in Hawaii talking about Game Sense. Here’s the link to the radio show.
http://www.hernco.com/golfclub/ac51522.htm
To buy game sense or to get more information about it go to www.gamesensegolf.com .
Today’s Round – swing changes and surprising strategy pay off
May 14th
Today I headed up to play Richter Park Golf Course, one of the public course gems in Danbury, Connecticut. I was unsure of what results I was going to get as this morning I decided to implement some swing changes. I also upon arrival at the course, took my 4 wood out of the bag. This club has been giving me trouble recently as the shaft has a completely different flex than what I am now used to in my irons. I decided that I did not even want to be tempted by it.
After hitting a few wayward drives (two that went OB on me) I decided to also leave the driver in the bag the rest of the round. I just wasn’t feeling comfortable with it and it just wasn’t working well with the swing changes. Besides Richter Park is not so long that I would miss the driver. So I spent most of the round teeing off my 18 degree Cobra Baffler pro hybrid and decided that I would play the par 5s as 3 shot holes.
I was hitting the hybrid probably 20 yards behind where I would normally hit my driver and so much straighter. On one hole I went hybrid – lob wedge and ended up about 8 feet from the pin slightly above the hole. The only hole where driver would really have made a difference for me was 18. I thinned the hybrid and ended up with 205 to the back of the green, to a green perched roughly 15 yards above me. I would have proffered a shorter second shot but that’s golf.
I was pretty amazed at how well the swing changes worked. My irons were crisp and very straight. I ended up with an 81 that could have been even better had I left the driver in the car from the beginning. I had 2 drives that went OB on me, and without those penalties the score could have been much lower. However, my irons were crisp, as were my wedges. I had really solid distance control all day and I’m excited for what these swing changes will bring.
During the round I also decided to implement the strategy from this article about asking the right questions. The other thing that has improved my scoring is Game Sense . Even when I don’t hit pure shots, I’m leaving myself good opportunities to save my score. Deciding on the correct strategy based on what I brought to the course that day has now become second nature and it really makes the game so much more fun. I recognize what the course architects are trying to do to trick golfers and I can very easily select the right strategy. Sun Tzu said, and I’m paraphrasingm that every battle is won or lost before it has even begun. Although golf is not a battle it is a competition between you and the golf course. Use the right strategies and make the best decisions and you give yourself good opportunities to play well.
Golf Event: Help children who have a parent with late stage cancer
May 5th
In a few weeks I will be taking part in an amazing event to help the Jack and Jill Foundation.
As you can imagine being diagnosed with a late stage cancer is a tragic event. Even more so, when a parent has young children. There are countless memories that they will never get to share. Graduations, weddings, first jobs, first apartment and untold more.
The Jack and Jill Foundation steps in to help children with a parent that has been diagnosed with late stage cancer to have an opportunity to get a vacation from the cancer, and to help them create some lasting memories. I am very proud to be a supporter of the Jack and Jill Foundation and I hope that you will join me. Click here to see a video of what this foundation is doing.
On May 19, I am participating in the FORE! Jack and Jill Golf Marathon. This is a one day event of golf and fun to help raise funds to so that the foundation can meets its goals of helping as many children as possible who are going through these incredibly difficult circumstances and who are going to experience a tragic loss.
If you would like to help, please follow this link to the pledge page to make donation. Just a dollar per hole can make a tremendous difference. Thank you for your support.
New strategy for effortless golf has surprising results
Apr 29th
Today was one of the great practice sessions. Even though I set out to do something I was practicing on the simulator, I ended up going in a completely different direction with my driving range session.
At home I had been practicing with the driving range portion of my golf simulator . I noticed that I had difficulty squaring the face, but once I concentrated on having an inside path and getting the face slightly closed at impact I hit beautiful draws.
I wanted to see how that would translate on the driving range I go to, to hit actual golf balls. So I started out doing that, and quickly got bored of it. I followed an intuition I had and instead practiced in a different way.
I started with the pitching wedge and picked out a target about 75 yards away. And the thought I had in preparing for the swing was this “What is the smoothest slowest full swing I can do to hit it to that target 75 yards away.” So I felt the smooth swing in my body, and then did the same thing with a golf ball. That smooth swing created a gorgeous pitching wedge shot. It arced high, and went right at the my aim point but effortlessly carried to 130 yards.
I felt no effort in the swing. In fact, it almost felt as if there was anti-effort. That was interesting so I wondered if I could do that consistently. I hit about 10 more shots, to the exact spot give or take a couple of feet. The ball just exploded off the face and the sound was completely different from the way it sounded at the beginning of the session.
Earlier in the session I had been trying the ideas from the simulator session and I was hitting my 7 iron about 165. I wondered if it would work the 7 iron. I grabbed my 7 iron and picked out a spot 125 yards from me on the line I wanted to hit the shot to. Again I thought, what is the easiest smoothest and slowest swing that will take it to 125. Once I felt that I had it, I stepped up to the ball. The swing felt slow and smooth, and the ball sailed to 175 yards, bouncing off the back of the green at the range. Again it felt effortless. I was trying to do less and ended with a better result.
Have you ever experienced this? Give it a shot, I think you’ll like it.
Jim Furyk talks about being a feel player
Mar 23rd
Furyk plays an approach shot to the 7th at Copperhead during his fine opening round.
After his win at the Copperhead Golf course at Innisbrook, Jim Furyk spoke to Michael Breed on Monday night’s “The Golf Fix.” Jim Furyk mentioned that his father has been his only coach throughout his career and that Fuyk considers himself the least mechanical player on tour.
Here are some of the things he said when asked about being a feel player.
“I let my dad worry about the golf swing, for me its a feel issue. I worry about setup and putting myself in a good position.”
“I may be the least mechanical player on tour”
“The golf swing happens in maybe a second and a half. I’m not a connect the dots player… It’s about you’ve got a very small amount of time to make a golf swing… Your mind can do some pretty magical things… Relate the club face to a feel… It’s repeatable because it’s natural. I never broke down the swing and tried to do things that felt uncomfortable or unnatural.”
What Furyk talked about is absolute gold. It matches a lot of what I talked about in the 30 Day Challenge. He let’s his dad worry about the swing. I think it’s the same thing other feel players say. They don’t want to know the details because it doesn’t help them make a repeatable swing. Furyk went on to say that he can’t think about all the pieces and retain his feel. The conscious mind can only handle so much, when you cram it with a million swing thoughts you are going to get inconsistent results and you are going to lose feel. It’s amazing watching Furyk because he does appear to be mechanical. He has very exacting pre-shot routines. But then you hear him talking it’s all about feel.
He goes on to say that “your mind can do some pretty magical things.” That is a great quote. By letting your mind focus on the feel, it can really do wonderful things and execute great shots. The problem most people is that they never really learn to tap into it. Getting away from technical positions, video, and all those swing thoughts, can really free up your creativity and allow your mind to feel the golf swing, rather than trying to “connect the dots” as Furyk puts it.
The last point I want to make is that he never did things that felt uncomfortable or unnatural. When I look at the swings of most golfers they really do look uncomfortable. They try to twist their bodies into certain positions because that what they think they should be doing. The reality is that those uncomfortable feelings are there to tell you that you are not doing things right.
I’ve had instances where an instructor told me to get into a certain position. The idea itself wasn’t wrong, but forcing myself into the position was. I needed to find a way to get into that position in a way that felt was natural. Once I did that, it made perfect sense and I was able to feel it and use it effectively. But the important point is that I found a way to get into it naturally.
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.
3 dimensional video observations of the best players in the world show superior kinematical sequence or how the club and body move in space efficiently without effort or thought. There is order but without conscious orientation to positions of the club or body. Sequence creates positions not vice versa. The best teachers in the game study learning styles, physical traits, club fitting, short game skills and the differences in the machine. But now we all can see and feel in real time, how the body and club move in harmony for consistent solid, straight and long golf shots without ideology, methodology or opinion. Golf is not a subject; it is a motor skill and we all, as human beings can improve our understanding, visual and sensation awareness according to physics and the laws of motion. I highly recommend you to experience 3 dimensional technology.
Buck Mayers is the Director of Instruction for Buck Mayers Golf Academy located at Grey Rock Golf Club in Austin, TX and the National Director of Instruction for Motion Golf. He can be reached at 512.695-2270 or buck.mayers@gmail.com
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 6: Can I hit more greens in regulation?
Feb 17th
The past few days I have talked quite a bit about things I have been doing with the driver. Things that astounded me. Today I really wanted to focus on how I can hit more greens in regulation , which means improving my iron play and approach shots.
One of the most frustrating things in golf for me is to hit a great drive and follow it up with a lousy iron approach. It really bugs me to have placed the ball in perfect position and not get home. I don’t know if it’s happened to you but I always feel like I wasted a good opportunity when that happens.
I can only imagine how many more greens I would have hit if I could have just improved on that shot and how much more it would have changed my scores and my handicap.
So how can I hit more greens in regulation?
There are a number of things you can do to hit more greens in regulation . I’ll talk about the things I’m doing now, as well as cover other effective techniques.
During the 30 Day Challenge I’ve been working on improving my feel. This has paid a lot dividends including improving my consistency with the driver. It has also really helped to improve my iron game. I feel very confident now that not only will the irons go in the intended direction, but that I can bring them in from the right or the left. I think this alone will have a tremendous effect on my approach shots to the green. My ball striking has become so much more solid by simply feeling what my hands need to feel during the swing. It’s not the same as using my hands, it’s more like feeling their role throughout the swing. It’s very interesting to work on it really simplifies the game.
On the technical side of things there are things you can do as well. The first is to shorten your back swing. Irons should be hit with a 3/4 swing with a descending blow. Hit the ball before you hit the ground and you should see your ball striking improve. One way to ingrain this faster and save yourself some time on the range is to use a hinged iron to improve your mechanics and hit more greens in regulation . The hinged club will break when you’re swing is off and as you correct those problems, you should be able to hit it more solid.
I think a lot of it has to do with confidence as well. I think if you’re not used hitting a great drive, and I wasn’t used to it as driving was the weakest part of my game last year, is that when you do hit it well, you get a bit excited, or very excited. This in turn creates pressure to execute. If your not comfortable with the pressure, you won’t hit a good shot.
This 30 day challenge has changed my confidence greatly. I feel differently approaching the ball. I am better able to plan a shot and actually execute it without thinking about the mechanics of the shot. That is probably the most helpful result of the challenge so far. It simplifies the game, takes mechanics out, and makes it simply more fun to be a shot maker. Sign up for the 30 Day Challenge here if you’re interested in taking complicated mechanics out of your game and gaining confidence over the ball.
