Andrew Rice Golf

Posts Tagged ‘hit it longer’

What I Learned in 2011

December 5th, 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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How to Hit it Longer Than Ever

June 1st, 2011 |

Author: Andrew Rice

Here are a few clues – do not swing harder or get a new driver or change your shafts! Although all of those ideas might help, the best, and simplest, way to hit longer shots is to strike the ball better. Plain and simple!

Here is the heads up from Trackman, the premier radar technology for swing and ball flight analysis:

Generally speaking, to maximize ball speed (which translates directly into distance) it is more important to improve centerdness of impact than to increase club speed. An off-center impact is less efficient in transferring energy from the club to the ball, thus some of the power of the club speed is lost, resulting in a lower initial ball speed and consequently less carry distance.

While increasing the velocity of the clubhead would increase distance, I’m sure we are all well aware what happens when we swing harder – perhaps increased speed, but far less control and very often a less centered hit. This is where smash factor comes in. Smash factor is a measurement where the ball speed is divided by the clubhead speed and essentially is the efficiency of the hit – how well was the energy of the swing transferred into the golf ball to make it go. The more centered, or solid, the hit, the further it will go. And, being aware that most of us do not have the ability to measure the smash factor of our shots it is important to be aware that if you want to hit it longer (and I’ve only ever met one person who didn’t!) the direction one should take should be in search of a better hit and not necessarily a faster clubhead.

A few good drills and articles to improve the quality of your ball striking:

Compressing the Ball

Impact Drill: How to Stop Scooping | Andrew Rice Golf

Hip Slide: Good or Bad? | Andrew Rice Golf

Hands Forward at Impact | Andrew Rice Golf

The moral of the story – focus on hitting it better and you’ll hit it longer. Now get to work…….

Posted in Long Game, Practice, Swing Philosophy |