Andrew Rice Golf

Posts Tagged ‘jack nicklaus’

A common complaint I hear from golfers is that their swings are too fast or aggressive.  They just have a sense that they are quick either in the transition or the downswing.

Timing is very important throughout the golf swing. When a golfer feels quick the first thing they do is try to ’slow down’!  In an attempt to get some rhythm in the swing they go overboard in slowing everything down. That leads to an overly slow start to the swing, which in turn leads to a rapid change in pace in the transition and on into impact.  It is this drastic change in speed that conveys the sense of quickness and aggression in the swing.

Ernie Els

The PGA Tour average time for the backswing is 0.74 seconds, with an additonal 0.25 seconds to make the down swing and get to impact. Notice that there should be a 3:1 ratio backswing vs. downswing. That means that a Tour golfer will invariably strike the ball in less than a second from when the swing started.  Ernie Els, one of the smoothest swings out there, takes in the vicinity of 0.78 seconds to complete his backswing with Anthony Kim, one of the fastest swingers taking 0.60 seconds.  The vast majority of golfers I teach invariably take well over 1 second to complete the backswing!  In watching Els or even Kim, most golfers believe they swing a lot faster than either of those two top players.  Wrong!

Anthony Kim

Each of the above golfers are able to maintain a good rhythm in their swing because they maintain that 3:1 ratio in their swings.  When a backswing takes over a second to complete the golfer is now faced with a 4:1 or even 5:1 ratio which feels way out of rhythm.

Here are a few pointers when trying to get the timing back into your swing:

• Don’t try to speed your backswing up too quickly – take one pill a day and not the whole bottle!
• The body should not feel hurried; the wrists and arms will create much of the necessary speed.
• Try a few shots with the clubhead starting 2-3 feet ahead of the ball and then flow into the backswing in one motion. This gives the club a rolling start and gradually increases the pace.
• Remember that rhythm does not have to be slow!
• Stay patient and gradually build up to it; try to blend the downswing speed into the transition and backswing.

Things to Ponder:

• In the six events Tiger Woods played in 2008 he won more prize money than Jack Nicklaus did in his entire career! That is crazy!
• Lee Trevino is a legend, but I cannot stand watching him teach or commentate on TV.  He is just too much “Lee” for me.
• Tim Clark cannot be feeling too good this week. How about the four swings he made in the playoff only to lose?
• Sorry for the slow down in posts this week, but I am floating on a boat with my family this week in the Gulf of Mexico. I’ll be back at full force next week!

There are many, many different ways to control the shape of a golf shot, yet none quite as reliable as the method outlined below.

This formula works off the fact that most golfers spend hours trying to make their golf swing as consistent as possible.  If you spend all that time ‘grooving’ your swing why, when you need to shape a shot, do you employ a totally different golf swing from the one you worked so hard on?

Do you remember your mother saying, “Two wrongs don’t make a right!” ?

Well, for shot shaping, three rights make a left! And three lefts make a right. Keep in mind that whether you are a lefty or righty the formula works the same.  Here’s the explanation:

To curve the ball to the right

1. Aim your body and club face to the left; the direction you would like the ball to start.
2. Move the ball position to the left in your stance. (As you view the ball)
3. Rotate both hands to your left on the grip of the club. This should be done in a subtle fashion.

Once you are set and ready to fire;  make the same swing that you are accustomed to making and the ball should launch in the intended direction and curve to the right.

To curve the ball to the left

1. Aim your body and the club face to the right of your target.
2. Shift the ball to the right in your stance
3. Rotate both hands slightly to the right on the grip.

With a little practice you will start to get a sense for how much the ball position or grip needs to be altered in order to produce the desired result.

Corey Pavin

 

Corey Pavin has been a tremendous ’shot shaper’ throughout his career.  I have even seen him attempt to shape his pitch shots!

Regardless of whether you are a Tour golfer or a beginner,  shot shaping is a necessary component to controlling your golf ball.  If it’s simply a hook to find your way back into play or a soft little cut 6-iron into that front right pin position shot shaping is something you need in your ‘bag’.

Things to Ponder:

• Heart will always beat out technique in the home stretch!  Look at Rory Sabbattini – you may not love the guy, but he has boat loads of heart.
• I present Charlie Wi on the flip side; great swing and technique; not enough heart to get the job done.
• My all-time HEART list: Paul Azinger, Corey Pavin, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and maybe even Zach Johnson!
• Players bubbling under and looking for that first win: Briny Baird (an obvious choice!), John Mallinger, Ken Duke, Brian Davis, Tim Clark, Jim Furyk……oh yes, he has won before!

If you have any thoughts or ideas on shaping the ball please feel free to let me know or post them here.

I have come to believe that the majority of modern day golf instruction is based primarily around instructor style preference. Way too much of the information being peddled is ‘form’ based vs. ‘function’ based.

In studying the top golfers of all time there are no two swings that are alike. Who is to say that Ben Hogan’s flat plane is better than Jack Nicklaus’ vertical arm move? Who is to say that Sam Snead’s slight over the top move was better than Nick Price’s drop down transition?

Tom Watson

At the end of the day it all comes down to IMPACT! It is the one position in which all of the great players are decidedly similar. From Patty Berg to Lorena Ochoa and Tom Watson to Peter Thompson – all these players are almost identical at impact. If this is the case, which, trust me, it is, then the look of the swing should play less of a role in a golfer’s improvement and the focus should be more on impact.

Here are the elements of a great impact position:

• the weight is noticeably on the front foot; 80% or more
• the handle always leads the clubhead
• the head remains over the ball, while the hips have shifted to the target; this creates what I refer to as body ‘curve’
• the clubhead travels down (downswing!) into the ball; this includes fairway woods and the driver!

The next time you take a lesson make sure your teacher works towards getting you into a better position at impact. It is the only way you will start to hit better golf shots!