December 5th, 2011 | 
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Archive for the ‘Short Game’ Category
What I Learned in 2011
Around this time of the year I like to look back at the year and contemplate what I have learned as a teacher and coach that will make me better in the future. After much thought here is my list:
- Golfers too often lose sight of the fact that the game is all about scoring. It’s not about style, or aesthetics, or form – it’s about function. And scoring is function. If any golfer can go out and hit the ball the same as they always have and shoot five strokes lower they are very happy. No, this is not something new to me, but as I get older and hopefully wiser, I see way too many golfers who miss this point. They are searching for a swing, a technique, a “holy grail” that will upgrade their game. The answer lies in driving, wedging, putting and a hefty dose of hard work – period!
- Anybody can get better in twenty minutes. With the help of Trackman I have seen this time and time again. The challenge is taking “ownership” of the changes as this can only be done through practice. Through practice you get comfortable, you then begin to trust the changes, which in turn channel into confidence – the magic elixir of all sport.
Taking Ownership...
- The driver works much better when it strikes the ball with an upward hit. If a golfer swings at 100mph and strikes the ball with a 5 degree downward hit, they will be 28 yards shorter than a golfer who hits the ball with the same swing, but a 5 degree upward hit! The launch angle goes up, the spin goes down and boom, you’re not even swinging any harder.
- With an on plane swing, when the clubhead moves towards the ground the club path travels in to out and when it moves away from the ground it travels out to in. I know you’re more than likely scratching your head over this one – watch the video and read the article and it’ll make a ton more sense. This has been a game changer for me and I so wish I had knowledge of this information thirty years ago.
- Modern golf technology can do wonders for your game. From the latest drivers to launch monitors to pressure plates – there is new technology that can help you make real changes to almost any part of your game. Seek it out and take advantage…
- It is possible for every golfer to get longer – yes, I said every golfer. Even you! Most of the gains can be made simply by learning how to deliver the driver to the ball more efficiently. If you could learn what it takes to hit the ball 15 yards further (which is about my average for male golfers after a TrackMan session!) you have now made the golf course you play 200 yards shorter. Where do I sign up for that….?
- The weight transfer in the backswing is due to the swinging motion of the arms. There should be no conscious shift or lateral motion with the body. See the 84 degree secret…
Thanks for reading – I hope you have all learned at least something from my musings during 2011. If you remember one thing remember this: Nothing will ever take the place of hard work and heart – not talent, not finances, and certainly not coaching.
Oh, and if you haven’t wrapped up your holiday shopping yet I have a smokin’ deal for you. Buy one copy of It’s All About Impact and I’ll send you four – one for each member of your foursome.
I have big plans for upgrading the information and look of the site in 2012 so stick around and watch this space…
Posted in Commentary, Long Game, Practice, Short Game, Swing Philosophy | 
Tags: deliver club to the ball, dplane, golf 2011, golf coaching, golf scoring, hit it longer, hitting down on driver, hitting up on tee ball, modern golf technology, move weight, practice hard, practice to own the changes, scoring, swing plane, upward swing, weight in golf, weight shift, weight transfer, year end evaluation golf | 
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An Interview with Dr. Mo
Dr. Mo
Morris Pickens, or Dr. Mo as he is most often called, has quietly become the “guru” of golf-focused sports psychologists. When you look at him or spend time with him he is just a regular guy from Orangeburg, S.C., who loves college football almost more than golf. What you wouldn’t realize is that Dr. Mo is one win away from completing the mind coach Grand Slam – his students have won the Masters, the US Open and the Open Championship in recent years and with the young stable of players he is currently advising the PGA Championship could be added sooner rather than later. He currently works with Nick Watney, Lucas Glover, Zach Johnson, Kyle Stanley, Jonathan Byrd, Stewart Cink, Will McGirt and Justin Leonard.
I recently had the pleasure of spending some time with Dr. Mo on a golf trip and asked him a few questions about his philosophy and what he works on with the various tour players….
What’s the best advice you could give the average golfer?
Practice the game how it is played. There are scoring clubs and there are advancing clubs (irons). The scoring clubs are the driver, the wedges and the putter – focus on getting better with those when you practice.
Would you say something different to a young, aspiring golfer?
I would always encourage them to key in on the scoring clubs, but do this in more of a competitive environment. Have closest to the hole and up and down contests or see who can hit the straightest drive on the course. Basically, find players who are good and challenge them with the scoring clubs.
What are the biggest mistakes you see golfers make?
Golfers very often rely too heavily on technique or lessons. They seem to think that the “right swing” or a golf guru will turn their game around instead of realizing that working hard on the important aspects of getting the ball in the hole is what will really make a difference to their game.
You are big on scoring. How do you get your players to practice, and ultimately get better, with the scoring clubs?
I like to have them play a few games that isolate the scoring clubs. My favorite is a game called Drive and Five: You play seven holes – so play a nine and skip the par threes. You hit two tee shots off each tee box, pick them up and then advance closer to the green where you finish out one ball from anywhere between 40 and 120 yards and another from somewhere around the green. Par is five for each hole and you keep track of how many shots it takes you to get the two balls into the hole. The catch is that you add one stroke for each ball that finds the rough off the tee and two strokes for each ball that finishes in a hazard, bunker or trees. A tee shot in the fairway adds nothing to your score. Par is 35 strokes and that’s really hard to do. Zach Johnson once scored 30 – that’s really amazing! This game really illustrates how you’re doing with the scoring clubs and takes just over an hour to do.
I also like Wedge Worst Ball: Here par is three you go on the course and play two balls into each green from anywhere between 60 – 90 yards out. You select the shot that’s furthest from the hole and play out from there, but make sure you select the worst putt too. It’s almost like a scramble in reverse – if you have a four footer you need to make it twice!
How much time do these top golfers dedicate to their putting each week?
In the off season I would say 4-5 hours a week and during the season it’s more like two hours per week. That doesn’t include pre round warm ups or post round practice sessions.
When Zach Johnson won the Masters in 2007 legend has it that he planned to lay up on all the par fives for the week. Was that really the case?
No. We had devised a checklist that he had to go through before attempting to hit any par five in two that week. The points on the check list were as follows: He had to have less than a 3 iron to reach the green; he had to have a good lie; he had to have a level stance and the pin had to be in an accessible location. On Sunday he had 209 yards into the 13th green with 190 to carry the water which would be a comfortable 4 iron for Zach. The shot had a hanging lie which meant it did not meet the required criteria so he layed up and made birdie with his scoring clubs.
This is fantastic information that I know we can all benefit from. I have been around sports psychologists before and I found it interesting how Dr. Mo seemed to help golfers with a game plan - he provides them with a formula for practice and play that points them in the direction of improved performance and lower scores. If you would like to look Dr. Mo up check out his website. He has also written a very helpful book series Learn to Win….check it out too.
Anyone up for a game of Drive and Five before dinner?
Posted in Practice, Short Game |
Tags: compete, doc mo, dr mo, drive and five, golf guru, golf psychologist, how to score lower, learn to win, mind coach golf, mind coach grand slam, morris pickens, orangeburg sc, scoring clubs, scoring games, sports psych, wedge worst ball, Zach Johnson, zach johnson masters, zach lay up |
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How to Hit Great Bunker Shots
If you’re intrested in improving your sand play, and who isn’t, then check out my most recent video….
A few points to remember:
- Aim your body slightly left (as a right hander) of the target line
- The stance should be fairly wide - similar to that of a driver stance
- The ball position should be forward of center
- The weight should favor the front foot
- Feel in a low posture - keep your butt close to the ground. This will help with a shallow angle of attack
- Your target is the sand – two to 6 inches behind the ball. Hit somewhere there and the club will pass safely under the ball
- Control the distance with the length of your follow through. An unusual feel but try it, it really works.
Remember, you’ll get more out of 15 minutes of bunker practice than you will out of practicing any other part of your game – so what are you waiting for….?
Posted in Practice, Short Game, Swing Philosophy |
Tags: aim, bunker, bunker play, control distance, low posture, sand, sand play, shallow angle of attack, weight position |
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Chipping – Control Your Distance
This is an excellent drill to help simplify your approach to the shortgame. Using one method and changing the club to fit each situation you encounter is so much easier than trying to hit one club both high and low! If you focus on the landing spot for each shot around the green and, with the help of practice, learn how each mid to short iron makes the ball fly and roll out you will start to feel so much more confident. And we could all benefit from that!
Additional resources:
Golf Tips For Chipping Distance Control
Louis Oosthuizen’s Putting
I had the opportunity to watch the 2010 British Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen play a few holes the other day and was very impressed with his putting prowess. Take a look at the following video to see what positive aspects from his stroke you might be able to incorporate into your game…..
View my article on the Proper Putting Set-Up here.
