GolfLivesMatter
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- #26
Hey OG....let me know the SMH ones! LOL! It's all in fun. Plus, I bet you have some of your own too!Most of those make a whole bunch of sense, but some make me shake my head.
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Hey OG....let me know the SMH ones! LOL! It's all in fun. Plus, I bet you have some of your own too!Most of those make a whole bunch of sense, but some make me shake my head.
OG, to keep the thread a little shorter, I didn't quote your thread....LOL!
You're good because you're no BS.Probably a solid plan.
You're good because you're no BS.
100%. I'd still like to hear some of your "ism's" when you get a chance.Thanks. Some can handle it. Some can't. Those who cant usually block me. Not sure what that's all about. Debate is fun.
Hey OG, just an added comment, I used to be very defensive about my thoughts, but I have since come to realize that I don't have all the answers, and in fact others may be a far better guide for me than myself.Thanks. Some can handle it. Some can't. Those who cant usually block me. Not sure what that's all about. Debate is fun.
Be carefully of interpreting what seems obvious in an elite swing. It may not be what the player is actually doing. The shoulder turn during the backswing is a good example. Inn reality the player is twisting his spine and ribcage while swinging his hands and club back and up over his trail shoulder. The shoulders are not directly connected to the spine as is the ribcage, they can be turned fully without twisting/rotating the spine/ribcage. However the arms are connected to the shoulders (ball & socket joint). It is the movement of the arms that moves the shoulders. However the spine will twist the left shoulder towards the target when the thoracic spine is fully twisted and extends backwards. This is how we keep our head still during the backswing.I just stood up and went to the top...lol. My shoulder is definitely under my chin without head movement. But the "bad move" for me is the left shoulder can travel more lateral-left than in rotation which causes the slight OTT move. I don't know if my right shoulder is pushing left, or if my left shoulder simply leads left first, then rotates. Does that make sense?
Keeping the head in one spot is key to keep the bottom of the swing arc consistent. One guy I know says he thinks of his head being in a box, swinging around his head, which is very similar to the Nicklaus thought. People say "keep your head down" which is fine, but what that really means is if you move your head, so moves the shoulders, arms, etc.
Good points. I never thought about trying to keep the club in front being tough to do with shoulders controlling the backswing. Maybe that's my issue, or I've been too focused on the shoulders to keep the club in front. It's almost opposite thinking in my case.Be carefully of interpreting what seems obvious in an elite swing. It may not be what the player is actually doing. The shoulder turn during the backswing is a good example. Inn reality the player is twisting his spine and ribcage while swinging his hands and club back and up over his trail shoulder. The shoulders are not directly connected to the spine as is the ribcage, they can be turned fully without twisting/rotating the spine/ribcage. However the arms are connected to the shoulders (ball & socket joint). It is the movement of the arms that moves the shoulders. However the spine will twist the left shoulder towards the target when the thoracic spine is fully twisted and extends backwards. This is how we keep our head still during the backswing.
The elite player is endeavouring to keep the club in front of his body during both the backswing and downswing. That is difficult to do if the shoulders control the backswing.
Over the years I've worked with popular golf instructors, and some not so well-known, who have provided various thoughts and ideas about the game of golf. I've discovered my own too. We all focus upon the swing, doing "this or that" "right or wrong". While the swing is obviously important, these are some of the thoughts that have helped me along the way.
- You're hitting 100's of drives on the range, on the course you only have to hit one at a time.
- If possible, tee off last to give yourself plenty of time to visualize your shot.
- You hit 13 fairways yesterday, plan on less today.
- Use the directional line on the ball to line-up tee shots.
- Don't expect most of your drives to land in the fairway, unless you think you're better than most guys on tour.
- Don't always think Driver. Assess hole distance. If it's 360 yards, subtract 140, a 220 yard tee shot requires an 8 iron....relax.
- Want to break 100, and can hit a 7 iron 150 decently? Hit a 7 iron off the tee, then another. On most par 4's that leaves <100 yards to the green.
- Missed the fairway into trees or heavy rough? Chip or pitch out to a distance you like and go for a one-putt par.
- The driver distance on a par 5 rarely makes a difference in score, it's the 3rd shot that counts.
- Despite feeling like you're the center of attention while hitting, nobody really cares how you're playing.
- A par 3 shot is really just an easier 2nd shot you'd have from a fairway.
- When standing in rough, the feet are likely lower than the ball, like digging-in for a stance in a sand trap.
- Don't rake in putts. Putt out because when you play in a tourney a two footer will look like a 10 footer.
- Pretend like you're practicing on the practice putting green when putting.
- Two good shots in a row is the goal, no matter what clubs or types of shots.
- A 20 yard longer 2nd shot from the fairway is far better than a 20 yard shorter shot out of heavy rough or trees.
- Play the tee boxes that result in an average of a 7 iron to the green, unless you want to make the game harder than the pro's play.
- Watch what you wish for! The better you get the higher the expectations which adds tension. Forget how well or bad you played yesterday.
- Pretend you missed your first shot and the next is your second attempt. Most of us hit our 2nd shots much better.
- Get your golf balls custom inscribed with a key swing thought, like "Don't watch ball", "Putt thru ball", or "Relax".
- Plan on a bogey on each hole to relieve expectations.
- Play your game, not their game.
- The moment you think "I've got this" review the basics.
I'm sure others have some interesting quips/thoughts over all the years of playing golf.
Happy Thanksgiving Folks!
I'm in your camp because you'll go all the way back to grip which is smart. Sometimes, at least IMO, we don't realize that over the years our wrist/grip position may need to adjust due to various issues, like minor injury, carpel tunnel onset, etc, that are not overtly recognized. Or, the grip wanders slightly due to not paying attention.The OP has a great list here.
I'll add that when ball striking goes south, to get back on track my experience is that relearning the grip is most effective. I believe that grip technique influences a player's swing far more than any other factor.
I'm in your camp because you'll go all the way back to grip which is smart. Sometimes, at least IMO, we don't realize that over the years our wrist/grip position may need to adjust due to various issues, like minor injury, carpel tunnel onset, etc, that are not overtly recognized. Or, the grip wanders slightly due to not paying attention.
So true because it's fairly easy to shift the grip slightly more into the fingers or not. I use Hogan's grip in his book because it's relatively simple to understand and check. However, I have been closing the face ever-so-slightly before taking that grip which tells me I might need a slightly stronger grip.The late great player and teacher Tommy Armour wrote in his book that he "wanted six months to teach a student the grip". I doubt he meant that literally, but was instead trying to convey how crucial grip technique is to the entire golf swing.
Nicklaus instructor Jack Grout actually refused to teach students who would not adhere to the grip technique he taught.
It continues to surprise me how so few players (and instructors) pay enough attention to grip technique.
Over the years I've worked with popular golf instructors, and some not so well-known, who have provided various thoughts and ideas about the game of golf. I've discovered my own too. We all focus upon the swing, doing "this or that" "right or wrong". While the swing is obviously important, these are some of the thoughts that have helped me along the way.
- You're hitting 100's of drives on the range, on the course you only have to hit one at a time.
- If possible, tee off last to give yourself plenty of time to visualize your shot.
- You hit 13 fairways yesterday, plan on less today.
- Use the directional line on the ball to line-up tee shots.
- Don't expect most of your drives to land in the fairway, unless you think you're better than most guys on tour.
- Don't always think Driver. Assess hole distance. If it's 360 yards, subtract 140, a 220 yard tee shot requires an 8 iron....relax.
- Want to break 100, and can hit a 7 iron 150 decently? Hit a 7 iron off the tee, then another. On most par 4's that leaves <100 yards to the green.
- Missed the fairway into trees or heavy rough? Chip or pitch out to a distance you like and go for a one-putt par.
- The driver distance on a par 5 rarely makes a difference in score, it's the 3rd shot that counts.
- Despite feeling like you're the center of attention while hitting, nobody really cares how you're playing.
- A par 3 shot is really just an easier 2nd shot you'd have from a fairway.
- When standing in rough, the feet are likely lower than the ball, like digging-in for a stance in a sand trap.
- Don't rake in putts. Putt out because when you play in a tourney a two footer will look like a 10 footer.
- Pretend like you're practicing on the practice putting green when putting.
- Two good shots in a row is the goal, no matter what clubs or types of shots.
- A 20 yard longer 2nd shot from the fairway is far better than a 20 yard shorter shot out of heavy rough or trees.
- Play the tee boxes that result in an average of a 7 iron to the green, unless you want to make the game harder than the pro's play.
- Watch what you wish for! The better you get the higher the expectations which adds tension. Forget how well or bad you played yesterday.
- Pretend you missed your first shot and the next is your second attempt. Most of us hit our 2nd shots much better.
- Get your golf balls custom inscribed with a key swing thought, like "Don't watch ball", "Putt thru ball", or "Relax".
- Plan on a bogey on each hole to relieve expectations.
- Play your game, not their game.
- The moment you think "I've got this" review the basics.
I'm sure others have some interesting quips/thoughts over all the years of playing golf.
Happy Thanksgiving Folks!
Good point. But most guys I know are trying to hit a career shot vs. accepting the tough lie and thinking the next shot through to setup a high percentage wedge shot to the green.I'll add to this list a sensible way to play from sloped lies, which is to use a more lofted club. Often times I see beginner or high handicap players trying to play a long shafted (fairway wood , hybrid, long or mid iron) from a severely sloped lie. But the reality is that controlling a ball from a sloped lie is extremely difficult, even for Tour players. If the lie is well above or below ones feet, or seriously downhill or uphill, it's usually best to play a short shafted-high lofted club, such as wedge thru about 7-iron) to advance the ball forward and set up the next shot.
So true because it's fairly easy to shift the grip slightly more into the fingers or not. I use Hogan's grip in his book because it's relatively simple to understand and check. However, I have been closing the face ever-so-slightly before taking that grip which tells me I might need a slightly stronger grip.
In this video , at the 5:00 minute mark, Nicklaus demonstrates and talks for 90 seconds about his grip technique:
Check it out and let me know what you think. Traditional instruction promotes holding the club within the fingers of both hands, but Nicklaus style is a little different in that he promotes an emphasis on using the fingers in the right hand, while the left hand is more of a palm oriented hold.