My philosophy is pretty simple. I will address the shots you may hit that get you into trouble when you play. Namely: slices, hooks, pop ups, tops and fat shots. For you newcomers-we'll be dealing with prevention. I also want to tackle the shots that may scare you the most on the course. This means hitting shots from thick rough, tight grass, in the bunker and from uneven lies.
The goal is to change your mechanics the least but accomplish the
most improvement. You don't have to have a perfect swing to play
some good golf. If you are curving the ball too much, I'll start
with your grip and then we'll look at your swing shape. I want you
to know how to set up to the ball athletically to give you your
best chance of swinging in balance and hitting with power. You'll
never be able to hit the ball as far as you could if you don't learn
to pivot on the backswing and move through the shot. I want your
hands, arms and body to work in sync. There is no reason to play
golf by hitting "short, dainty" shots down the Fairway when you
could hit the ball FAR and STRAIGHT! Pretty is out and power is
in!
In your short game, I want you to know the difference between a
chip and pitch, once and for all. I want you to be able to hit the
shot you need upon command. I'll show you how to deloft the club
and adjust your ball position to create a low running ball flight.
I'll show you how to set up with the shaft more neutral to create
a higher ball flight. I want you to learn the foundation of a good
pivot through pitching. This will help you stop over using your
hands and calm down excess body motion. The goal is to use only
what you need, and never play a tough shot when an easy one will
do.
As for putting, the mission is simple. I want you to work toward
having no more than 36 putts per 18 holes. Once you get there, I
want you to have less. If you have problems with distance control,
I'll show you how to check your stroke first. You have to hit your
putts solidly with a square face to really develop good feel on
the greens. If you don't hit your putts in the sweet spot, the ball
won't roll the same distance consistently. I'll show you how to
cut down unnecessary motion with your body and hands and teach you
to keep the blade more square to your aim line. Then the fun can
begin, you can learn to read greens, better so you can make more
short putts and get your long putts closer.
Once you have more control your ball flight all around the course,
your confidence will soar, you'll score better and have more fun
and that's what this game is all about. I look forward to sharing
my tips with you on GolfSpan.com.
