Your Winter Reading List

November 17, 2011

This article was published in the November edition of GolfTEC’s Momentum Newsletter. To sign up to receive GolfTEC’s monthly newsletter, click here.

Winter is not only the perfect time to work on your game by taking the majority of your golf lessons, it’s also a good time to catch up on your reading list. Here are three books recommended by GolfTEC to keep you at the top of your game.

Five Lessons – The Modern Fundamentals of Golf

By Ben Hogan

Review by Jim McNaney, City Manager, GolfTEC Minnesota

While it seems you could fill an entire wing of the Library of Congress with golf instruction books, there is one that is quoted, referenced and probably read by more golf professionals (both teaching and playing) than any other: “Five Lesson – The Modern Fundamentals of Golf” by Ben Hogan.  Why?  Quite simply, because it is great.

It’s great because it was ahead of its time using anatomical drawings to go along with the words.  It’s great because it takes what appears to be a very complex sequence of motion and breaks it down to 4 manageable parts.  It’s great because it repeatedly drums into the reader’s head that no matter what level they are, they can improve and play better golf.  Finally it’s great because it gives insight to the mind of one of the greatest golfers of all time.

If you are looking for some off-season reading, this book should sit at the top of the list.  In fact, this book might be considered “required reading” by anyone taking lessons.  If you have read it before, read it again.  Like a good “who-done-it,” you will pick up something new with each read.

I recommend students read it “actively.”  What I mean by this is take each part and practice it at home and in the bay.  Discuss it with your Coach.  Take as much out of it as you can and make it a part of your learning experience.

Active reading ensures that your improvement has no off-season.

They Played With A Quiet Mind

By Charles F. Kemp

Review by Brent Stewart, GolfTEC VP of Marketing

I first read this book in 1996 when I was playing golf with a cluttered mind. This 144-page quick study helped me back then and still helps me today.

I believe this book can help golfers of all levels and it is worth reading for the quotes alone. “You must put your mind at ease so your body can perform.” ~ Davis Love II. “Putting is more art than science.” ~ Ben Crenshaw. “You can’t be a perfectionist and play golf.” ~ Bob Toski. “Concentration is the ability never to look forward and never to look back.” ~ Anonymous.

This book is full of real-life experiences from some of golf’s greatest players including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson, with some insight into some of the earlier greats like Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Harry Vardon.

I will leave you with this one small excerpt from the book: “Relaxation is an art, but it can be cultivated and is of great value, both on and off the golf course. It helps us to attain a quiet mind that will help us both work and play better.”

Fearless Golf: Conquering the Mental Game

By Gio Valiante

Reviewed By GolfTEC Instruction Department

Dr. Gio Valiante is a mental game specialist who has worked with some of the top golfers on the PGA Tour. Dr. Valiante has researched how the brain affects thought patterns and performance and has created a mental game-conditioning program called the “Fearless Golf Academy.”

During the winter, when the weather might not be ideal for golf (or if you’re going on vacation and need a good read for the airplane), check out Fearless Golf. From gaining confidence to creating good mental habits before each round, the book is 300 pages of mental golf preparation.

The book starts with the story of Ben Hogan’s 1950 US Open victory when he needed a 1-iron shot from the fairway to make a difficult par and continue to playoff holes the next day. With a perfect swing and a par on the hole, Dr. Valiante writes that it was a moment of fearless golf and an example of playing well under pressure.

Whether it’s a $20 bet with your Sunday foursome or there’s a championship on the line, reading Fearless Golf this winter will help prepare you to play your best golf in 2012.

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Three easy ways to save par

September 9, 2011

This article appeared in the September edition of GolfTEC’s Momentum newsletter. To sign up for Momentum, click here!

 

Andy Hilts
GolfTEC VP of Instruction
PGA Master Professional

Closing each hole with a solid short game is what makes the difference between shooting a career round and needing a drink at the 19th hole. Many golfers choose to use one club for all of their shots around the green, usually a high-loft club like a lob wedge. But, the best short game play comes from first deciding on the type of shot needed (chip, pitch or flop) and then using the right club to execute that shot. Keep in mind that the lob wedge will require a larger swing due to having the most loft, which makes it the most difficult to control around the green.

The amount of green you have to work with is the first and most important factor that determines the type of shot you have to hit. The amount of green compared to rough or sand you have to carry will also influence club selection. As a general rule, you want to get the ball on the ground and rolling as soon as possible. The next section will provide guidelines for club selection based on the amount of carry and roll you’ll need to get the ball near the hole.

Pick your club: 8, PW, LW

25% Carry (air) – 75% Green (roll) = 8 Iron
50% Carry (air) – 50% Green (roll) = Pitching Wedge
75% Carry (air) – 25% Green (roll) = Lob Wedge

The percentages above are rough estimates that will help you determine the proper club and shot to use. First pick your landing point; preferably a flat spot only a couple feet onto the green. From that landing spot you can then determine how much total carry vs. roll you will need to execute the shot.

Pick your shot: Chip, Pitch, Flop

Keep in mind that Bigger Swings = Bigger Errors and the more lofted club you use the bigger the swing you will need to make. A chip shot will have the least amount of time in the air and the most amount of roll, while a flop is the complete opposite with most of the time in the air and very little roll on the green.

Proper Set-Up:

Chip: Place the ball back in your stance (closer to right foot for right handers), choke down on the club, use putting-type stroke with very little wrist action and take a longer swing for longer shots. A golf ball positioned back in your stance will lean the club shaft more forward and reduce the effective loft of the club. Less loft = less carry and more roll.

Pitch: The ball should be more centered in your stance to allow the loft of the club to not be too de-lofted (as in a chip) and you should have about 60% of the weight on your left foot if you’re a right-handed golfer. Take a longer swing for longer shots and have a small amount of wrist hinge as the distance required increases.

Flop: Open the clubface for more loft, open your stance to offset the open face, swing along the bodyline and move the ball position forward, lots of wrist hinge. ALWAYS REMEMBER TO BUMP THE GROUND! The bounce of the club must make firm contact with the dirt instead of just brushing the grass.  Bumping the dirt with the bounce while you are contacting the ball will ensure you avoid blading the shot over the green. This is concept is especially important when the clubface is more open.

Andy’s Keys:

NO SCOOPING or flipping with the hands. Scooping is when you try to lift the ball into the air using your club as the scoop and it’s a killer in the short game as well as the full swing.

Remember to choose the least amount of loft required. The more loft the larger the swing you have to take and the greater your potential costly errors.

Lob or flop shots are MORE difficult because we begin to add loft to the clubface by opening the clubface. When the face opens up it adds loft, but it also directs the shot right of the target. To offset the face pointing right, aim your body left and swing along your bodyline. Only use a lob shot when you absolutely have to.

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Ever wanted to see ball flight at GolfTEC?

August 24, 2011

How about have a closest to the pin contest? We’ve been testing new technology and in some Centers across the country, you’ll be seeing some big changes that will let you play 9 holes at Pebble, see your ball flight with your driver and much, much more.

 

Check out the photos below!

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Smart Training

August 2, 2011

Doug Rikkers
GolfTEC Director of Club Fitting and Merchandise

When used correctly, training aids can be a great way to develop a specific skill or movement in your golf swing. Practicing with the right training aid reduces the learning curve and gets you on your way to a better swing. Below are three of our favorites for fixing some of the most common swing faults we see.

Power Leg Coil – A lower body sway, where the weight shifts outside the trailing leg, is a common problem for many golfers. This fault often leads a reverse pivot and makes it difficult to shift your weight properly in the downswing. To get a feel for the proper pivoting action in the backswing we often use the Power Leg Coil. This training aid makes it nearly impossible to sway, by replacing the incorrect leg action with the desired pivoting motion of the trailing leg. Not only is the Power Leg Coil an effective tool for reducing your sway, but it also fits easily in your golf bag and can be used on the driving range or at home as part of your between-lesson practice schedule.

Swingyde – The Swingyde can be used to establish the correct amount of wrist hinge, eliminate poor clubface position at the top, create lag in the downswing and produce proper forearm rotation in the follow through. That’s a lot for a simple little device that attaches to any golf club! The Swingyde can be used indoors, or as you practice on the range or in our practice bays. The feedback provided by the Swingyde is immediate and simple to interpret; make the correct move and the Swingyde connects to the forearm of your lead arm. Make the wrong move and you’ll know right away from the resulting lack of connection.

Power Angle – If you struggle with keeping your arms extended and away for your torso at the top of your swing, the Power Angle may provide the cure you’re looking for. This unusual looking device starts with a molded grip and encourages an early wrist hinge and extended lead arm at the top. Once you’ve mastered the top position, the Power Angle helps get your trailing elbow down and in front of your right hip at impact, leading to a more powerful release of the club and more distance.

So if you’re looking for a new way to tackle that nagging swing fault that refuses to go away, ask your Coach about these and the many other training aids found in your local GolfTEC Improvement Center.

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To Stretch or Not to Stretch? The Age Old Question Answered

July 13, 2011

This article appeared in the July edition of GolfTEC’s Momentum Newsletter. To see the entire July Momentum, click here.

Kevin Tanner
Certified Personal Coach
TPI Level 2 – CHEK Golf Performance Specialist

Golf requires a combination of flexibility, strength and coordination to be played effectively. Our biomechanics and sport performance greatly affect our daily activities. Sitting at a desk or in your car for extended periods of time can cause a number of muscle imbalances in the body. When muscles stay in a shortened position for too long the body will learn to keep the muscles that length. In order to perform a complicated movement like the golf swing, the muscles must be the correct length, otherwise compensations will be made to achieve the appropriate motion. Muscles that are too tight will alter motor patterns like the golf swing. This can result in any number of swing flaws.

Many golfers out there think they need to be incredibly flexible to play this game… I agree there is definitely something to be said for being flexible. However, there are many people who don’t realize some key factors about flexibility and stretching.

There are four components to joint flexibility:

  1. The bone and joint structure
  2. The flexibility of the tendons and ligaments crossing the joint
  3. The flexibility of the muscle
  4. The flexibility of the skin

Some individuals may have limited mobility in a joint due to factors associated with a previous injury or surgery. If you have had any injury or surgery on a joint it is very important to tell your coach. These limitations need to be known when giving lessons so your coach doesn’t try to teach you a movement that you cannot perform.

Unfortunately, there is not a one size fits all flexibility program. Many factors contribute to flexibility and stretching. You first need to understand the state of your joints. During my training at the CHEK Golf Performance Series we discussed some important factors about joints and flexibility. Before starting any flexibility routine, find out the following information:

  1. To find out if you are hypermobile, hypomobile or in-between, decide if a, b or c below applies to you.
    1. Hypermobile people have very loose joints for one reason or another and do not need to stretch much, or often.
    2. Hypomobile people, have joints that are very tight and need to stretch a lot.
    3. The in-betweeners are often tight some places and loose other places.
  2. Do you have any unbalanced muscles?
    1. Are any muscles twice as tight as their counterpart on the other side?

If you stretch normal length muscles you will disrupt motor patterns and this can lead to any number of problems with the golf swing.  Ultimately, we are trying to return balance to our body by stretching the tight muscles.

Now, you must figure out the muscles you need stretch and have a program designed for you to maximize your time and effort while stretching.  Find a local TPI Golf Fitness Professional or a CHEK Golf Performance Specialist to get your body assessed and start on the path to playing better golf.

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