Sean Foley Golfer Stats

Here are some interesting stats gathered from PGATour.com regarding Sean Foley's top students. The moral of the story appears to be - it's not easy to make great golfers better! It'll be interesting to see how Tiger's statistics change over the next few years.

(Please note, this information has been compiled by a golf professional other than myself)

PARKER MCLACHLIN

In 2008 McLachlin won on tour and did not work with Foley, 2009-2010 with Foley

2008 Tour Rank

2009 Tour Rank

2010 Tour Rank

Driving Distance

286yds

105th

279yds

157th

269yds

191st

Driving Accuracy

58%

157th

54%

173rd

54%

180th

Greens in Regulation

62.50%

159th

58%

182nd

53%

194th

Total Driving

176th

176th

184th

184th

193rd

193rd

Ball Striking

178th

178th

183rd

183rd

193rd

193rd

Proximity to Hole

36ft

154th

39ft

182nd

41ft

194th

HUNTER MAHAN

Mahan did not work with Foley in 2008 during the PGA Tour season; started in the 2009 season

2008 Tour Rank

2009 Tour Rank

2010 Tour Rank

Driving Distance

290yds

75th

297yds

28th

291yds

56th

Driving Accuracy

66%

62nd

65%

74th

68%

34th

Greens in Regulation

69%

7th

68%

19th

68%

33rd

Total Driving

23rd

23rd

7th

7th

2nd

2nd

Ball Striking

8th

8th

4th

4th

11th

11th

Proximity to Hole

34ft

48th

34ft

55th

36ft

142nd

SEAN O'HAIR

Sean began working with Foley at the Canadian Open in 2008.

2007 Tour Rank

2008 Tour Rank

2009 Tour Rank

2010 Tour Rank

Driving Distance

296yds

34th

291yds

69th

293yds

46th

288yds

84th

Driving Accuracy

64%

79th

60%

138th

61%

123rd

64%

74th

Greens in Regulation

67%

23rd

64.40%

113th

67%

27th

67%

59th

Total Driving

8th

8th

112th

112th

66th

66th

51st

51st

Ball Striking

9th

9th

111th

111th

42nd

42nd

48th

48th

Proximity to Hole

35ft

68th

34ft

48th

34ft

55th

35ft

109th

JUSTIN ROSE

Justin began working with Foley mid 2009

He currently ranks 6th in total putting 2010; 2009 ranked 143rd and 2008 ranked 186th. He works with Dave Stockton on putting,

2007 Tour Rank

2008 Tour Rank

2009 Tour Rank

2010 Tour Rank

Driving Distance

288yds

96th

286yds

103rd

288yds

90th

286yds

104th

Driving Accuracy

63.90%

95th

64%

90th

64.8

79th

66%

57th

Greens in Regulation

65.70%

58th

61%

170th

66%

83rd

66%

88th

Total Driving

89th

89th

197th

197th

66th

66th

58th

58th

Ball Striking

63rd

63rd

197th

197th

71st

71st

70th

70th

Proximity to Hole

34ft

33rd

34ft

60th

35ft

92nd

33ft

26th

STEPHEN AMES

Began with Foley in November 2006

2003 Tour Rank

2006 Tour Rank

2007 Tour Rank

2008 Tour Rank

Driving Distance

285yds

99th

289yds

88th

282yds

154th

283yds

133rd

Driving Accuracy

66%

109th

62%

101st

67%

47th

62.70%

103rd

Greens in Regulation

68%

34th

66%

58th

64%

86th

65%

96th

Total Driving

125th

125th

87th

87th

107th

107th

160th

160th

Ball Striking

82nd

82nd

68th

68th

94th

94th

134th

134th

Proximity to Hole

33ft

21st

34ft

44th

34ft

49th

32ft

6th

2009 Tour Rank

2010 Tour Rank

287yds

94th

282yds

138th

65%

73rd

66%

57th

67%

30th

67%

66th

62nd

62nd

107th

107th

40th

40th

84th

84th

35ft

77th

35ft

100th

To read more on Sean Foley and Tiger Woods click HERE

Ryder Cup Rain

I have always wanted to play golf in Wales in October.....? To bad, because the golf world was so ready for this event. Looking forward to it getting going. (Pics compliments of @paulazinger)

This is how Paddy deals with a little pressure combined with a little precipitation - this guy must have nerves of steel to be napping now! (Pics compliments of @ianjamespoulter)

And there is golf being played in Wales today......

Euros looking good so far. No signs of any fear factor!

Ryder Cup Notes

Tomorrow starts one of golf's greatest events - The Ryder Cup. Here is a brief overview of the event and once again a few of my mindless musings.

Some pertinent sites to visit:

• PGA.com
• Golf.com
• Golfweek.com
• Golfchannel.com

Take a look at who is playing and their Ryder Cup records:

Team Europe:

Lee Westwood – 37 World ranking: 3 Ryder Cups: 6 - played 29 - 14/5/10.  (won/halved/lost)

Martin Kaymer – 25 World ranking: 6 Ryder Cups: 0

Luke Donald – 32. World ranking: 8 Ryder Cups: 2 - played 7 - 5/1/1.

Rory McIlroy – Age: 21. World ranking: 9 Ryder Cups: 0

Graeme McDowell – Age: 31. World ranking: 13 Ryder Cups: one - played 4 - 2/1/1.

Edoardo Molinari – Age: 29. World ranking: 15 Ryder Cups: 0

Ian Poulter – Age: 34. World ranking: 16 Ryder Cups: 2 - played 7 - 6/0/1.

Padraig Harrington – Age: 39. World ranking: 22 Ryder Cups: 5 - played 21 - 7/3/11.

Miguel Ángel Jiménez – Age: 46. World ranking: 26 Ryder Cups: 3 - played 12 - 2/3/7.

Ross Fisher – Age: 29. World ranking: 27 Ryder Cups: 0

Francesco Molinari – Age: 27. World ranking: 32 Ryder Cups: 0

Peter Hanson – Age: 32. World ranking: 42 Ryder Cups: 0

Team USA

Tiger Woods Age: 34 World ranking: 1 Ryder Cups: 5 - played 24 - 9/2/13.

Phil Mickelson Age: 40. World ranking: 2 Ryder Cups: 7 - played 30 - 10/6/14.

Steve Stricker Age: 43. World ranking: 4 Ryder Cups: 1 - played 3 - 0/1/2.

Jim Furyk Age: 40. World ranking: 5 Ryder Cups: 6 - played 24 - 8/3/13.

Matt Kuchar Age: 32. World ranking: 11 Ryder Cups: 0

Dustin Johnson Age: 26. World ranking: 12 Ryder Cups: 0

Hunter Mahan Age: 28. World ranking: 14 Ryder Cups: 1 - played 5 - 2/0/3.

Zach Johnson Age: 34 World ranking: 19 Ryder Cups: 1 - played 4 - 1/1/2.

Bubba Watson Age: 31. World ranking: 24 Ryder Cups: 0

Rickie Fowler Age: 21 World ranking: 33 Ryder Cups: 0

Stewart Cink Age: 37 World ranking: 35 Ryder Cups: 4 - played 15 - 4/4/7.

Jeff Overton Age: 27. World ranking: 48 Ryder Cups: 0

Some interesting facts:

• Team USA has 21 majors compared to Team Europe's 5
• Team USA has no players with winning records, while Team Europe has 4!
• Celtic Manor and the city of Newport paid $1 billion to host the event.....not really, but they were close

My thoughts:

• I believe the most powerful person involved with the Ryder Cup to be..........

Mrs. Doubtfire err, Colin Montgomerie! Simply because he is the only person involved who has the ability to single handedly cause a team to lose. The unfortunate thing is that he only possesses that power over his own team, but hopefully he'll only be putting out fires instead of starting them.

The winner will be......

Team Europe in a landslide! Monty will manage to stay out of the way, Tiger will be horrible and Dustin and Ricky will just not be enough to overcome the Euros as Poulter and the Molinari's manhandle the "Yankees"! The reason - can you picture Tiger, Phil and Stewy wearing the above pictured hair pieces? And that's just it - camaraderie and kinship. I get the feeling the Euros want to be together as a team, whereas the US side is put together as a team, they have to deal with being together.

Nothing can beat good old fashioned team chemistry!

Enjoy the golf and thanks for checking in.

Shinnecock Hills - None Better!

After being priviliged to play Shinnecock Hills recently for the second time I now firmly believe it to be the finest golf course I have ever played. And I've been fortunate to play most of the best in the world.

Since its original design by Willie Dunn in 1891, updates by Charles B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor, Howard C. Toomey and William S. Flynn have transformed a fairly treeless, sandy landscape into a golf utopia. Shinnecock Hills has hosted U.S. Open championships in 1896, 1986, 1994, and 2004.

The thing I found so appealing about the golf course was it's simplicity; the greens almost seemed like 'magic carpets' that the designer had unfurled and laid down at the end of each fairway. Nothing overly complex or tricked up, just simple and subtle elevation changes that all seemed to fit.

The bunkering was decidedly plain too - and I mean that in the most positive light possible. Golfers of just about every skill  level would be able to extricate their golf ball from every bunker on the property. What a breath of fresh air - no trickery!

The whole golf course played that way - nothing overdone, just good old fashioned golf. In fact, it may have the finest par four (#14) and par three (#11) in all of golf!  Strike the ball correctly and you should have an excellent opportunity to shoot your handicap. The golf course could not have been more different than the way it appeared on Sunday in the carnage of the 2004 US Open when Goosen defeated Mickelson.

I absolutely love this golf course - so much so that I have a new favorite.

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Tiger Woods and Sean Foley

Here is an excellent article that I came across that explains a little more about Sean Foley and his relationship with Tiger Woods and Stack and Tilt's Bennett and Plummer:

(Robert Lusetich/Fox Sports)

Sean Foley has "no interest" in getting Tiger Woods to swing as he did in 2000, when the world No. 1 had arguably the greatest year in the history of golf.

"That was how he learned to swing, and he had great success with it but it was penal on the body and dependent on timing," said Foley, who's working with Woods this week at the Deutsche Bank tournament outside of Boston. "It was pretty looking, but it just wasn't the most efficient way to swing."

Woods won four straight majors from the middle of 2000 to April, 2001, but it came at a cost.

The way he snapped his left leg on the downswing, Foley and Woods agree, caused serious damage to the knee, which had to be reconstructed in 2008.

"This is nothing against Butch (Harmon, who was Woods' coach at the time) but trying to go back to that would be a huge mistake," Foley said. "Plus, he can't rotate like he did when he was an elastic kid. He's nearly 35, he doesn't have that body anymore."

Instead, Foley has Woods more centerd over the ball throughout his swing, putting less stress on his body and, judging by the jump in fairways and greens hit last week at The Barclays, leading to improved ball-striking.

Woods has stopped shy of anointing Foley as his new coach, but on Thursday he again spoke glowingly of how much better he was playing since starting to work with the 35-year-old Canadian three weeks ago.

"I'm hitting the ball much better, hence I have more confidence," Woods said. "I'm driving the ball much straighter, hitting the ball a little bit farther, especially with my irons, and those are all positive signs.

"It's just a matter of, as I said, making it a little bit more natural, and that's just reps."

Although Woods has been careful not to criticize the unorthodox teaching methods of his previous coach, Hank Haney -- he made a point last week to note that they won six majors together -- Foley isn't as diplomatic.

"Let's be honest about this, it's not like he was flushing it with Hank," Foley said. "I think he hasn't been happy with how he's hit it for a very long time."

Indeed, Foley has spent much of their time on the range together ridding Woods of what he calls "counter-intuitive moves introduced in order to offset something else that didn't need to be there."

What Foley, who is enjoying the challenge of taking on golf's most recognizable name, has in common with Haney is that they both quickly became aware that Woods is a lightning rod.

Foley's teaching philosophy wasn't of particular interest to anyone outside the small world of golf swing nerds until he started working with Woods.

Now, he's at the center of a whisper campaign that accuses him of stealing his ideas from two colleagues, Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett.

Plummer and Bennett developed a system of hitting a golf ball called Stack and Tilt, which calls for players to keep their weight on their front leg throughout the swing.

Though hailed as revolutionary, it was met with derisive condemnation by the teaching establishment. Nonetheless, several players who switched to Stack and Tilt won on the PGA Tour, giving the method legitimacy.

Foley admits that he enjoyed discussing the intricacies of the swing with Plummer and Bennett, whom he likes and respects, but ultimately, he credits them with "maybe 5 percent" of the inspiration behind his own, very similar, swing ideas.

"Andy and Mike are very bright guys, but how much of what they teach is Mac O'Grady?" Foley said of golf's Bobby Fisher, a tortured genius who's spent years breaking down the secrets of golf.

"And how much did they take from (Sam) Snead and (Ben) Hogan? And how much of it is taken from (Isaac) Newton?"

Foley says his swing ideas were developed over 15 years. He said he learned when still a teenager trying to copy the swing of Curtis Strange -- who swayed off the ball on his backswing -- that keeping the weight more centred worked better.

He then studied the swings of great players in history and noticed they didn't make dramatic weight shifts away from the ball either.

"Mike and Andy aren't reinventing the wheel," Foley said. "Like me, they watched old school players hit it good and realized there was something to what they were doing, but they didn't invent the 1950 golf move."

The most obvious difference between Stack and Tilt and Foley is that all the players taught by Plummer and Bennett swing very much alike.

Foley's three highest-profile students (before Woods), Sean O'Hair, Hunter Mahan and Justin Rose, don't swing anything alike.

"Stack and Tilt is one method of swinging," Foley said. "If it's such a great system, then why are people coming for a 'watered-down version' from me?"

Foley finds it amusing to hear that he's being derided as the "flavor of the month" on the Tour practice range.

"If I'm flavor of the month then I've been flavor of the month for ten years," he said. "I'm doing what I was supposed to do, I really believe that.

"There's a sense that this was what I was meant to do, and here I am. But this is not fixing world hunger, this is getting people who are already very good to hit a golf ball better.

"I suppose my point is that I'm not a guru, and I'm not some guy who (BS'd) his way to the top. I'm just who I am."

Very interesting!

To learn more about better ball striking visit www.itsallaboutimpact.com

To see how Sean Foley's other students have fared click HERE

Atlantic Golf Club

Situated in the Bridgehampton on Long Island in New York, the Atlantic Golf Club is a special place. And it's not only the golf course that makes it special.

The Director of Golf is Rick Hartmann and I could not think of a better personality to provide New York's financial and entertainment elite an exceptional all-around golf and membership experience. An excellent player in his own right, Rick oversees a well-seasoned staff that seems able to anticipate every golfer's need.

The caddy program is second to none! I have never seen a caddy yard as deep as the one they have at Atlantic - I don't believe it is possible to get even a mediocre "loop" there. Rocco Casero, the caddie master, seems to have the magic touch when selecting his team.

The course is beautifully maintained by longtime superintendent Bob Ranum. Bob always seems to be trying to find a way to improve the course and it's playability. From reshaping the traps to altering the cut on the fairways, nothing seems to be too much for Bob and his crew to provide a fun, playable and spectacularly well maintained golf course.

The Rees Jones design was opened in 1992 by Lowell Schulman and was greeted with rave reviews. The course has been softened (made more player friendly) in certain areas over the years and I really like the direction it seems to be headed. A more enjoyable and pleasing experience for golfers of every level. The fairways are generous enough, but make sure you don't misfire as the infamous Atlantic fescue awaits your wayward Titleist. There are enough difficult holes to keep you paying attention (2, 4, 5, 10, 18) but they are nicely balanced by a handful of interesting and imminently playable holes (6, 8, 11, 12, 17). My favorite holes are the 4th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 16th. The 4th is an almost exact replica of the famous 13th hole at Royal Portrush and at over 200 yards into the prevailing wind it is just as brutish. It really is thrilling to be able to strike the correct type of shot that finds this green.

This month a few fortunate golfers will have the privilege of competing in the US Mid Amateur Championship at Atlantic Golf Club - they are in for a treat, and a stern challenge. I know Rick and Bob and Rocco are looking forward to playing host - something they do so well.

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End of Season Sale - Impact Book is now 30% Off

I have known Andrew Rice since he was a young man growing up in Southern Africa. I have always been thoroughly impressed with Andrew’s dedication and passion to play, teach, and constantly discover the intricacies of our great game. I know you will benefit from his diligent pursuit of finding the most efficient manner in which to play the game and produce results. The quest for improvement at every level of golf is never ending, but I am sure you will find Andrew’s thoughts to be an efficient way for you to achieve your potential.

Nick Price - Hall of Fame Member and Three Time Major Winner

The book has done very well for me this summer and as a thank you to all who have read this site and put up with my rants here is an opportunity to buy the hardcover version for $18.87 or the eBook for $11.17! I have had the book on sale before but never at these numbers. If you have purchased the book already why not pick up a few copies for friends or that golfer in the family who just doesn't get it?

Give it a try - you will not be disappointed.

To purchase the hardcover book or eBook click HERE

Even as a youngster, I focused on the strike. I would go down to the beach and practice hitting the ball first and the ground second. Andrew has laid out a solid framework for every golfer to improve their ball-striking.

Ian Woosnam - Masters Champion and Ryder Cup Captain

The 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits

Here are a few of my thoughts after witnessing the PGA Championship:

• Martin Kaymer played like a champion and he thoroughly deserved the title. Don't forget the up and down on the 72nd hole he had, not to mention the stunning two he made at 17 in the playoff. I love to see talented, hard working youngsters breaking through. Well done Martin, Louis and Graeme!
• You would think the PGA of America could have one of their 28,000 members to follow the final group so as to avoid what happened on the 72nd hole. I do not blame anybody for the incident and it is certainly Dustin Johnson's responsibility to know where he is playing from, but let's have a little foresight here....

• Whistling Straits has more bunkers than all the courses in Africa (not a true statement, but it just might!) and it needs to get pushed off the edge of Wisconsin and into the lake! In fact while they're at it they can push another future PGA site, The Ocean Course at Kiawah into the ocean too. The last time I checked golf was meant to be fun and you couldn't pay me enough to play those two courses in particular. They are both horrible!

• How about this picture posted at PGA.com of some kids building sand castles in a bunker! How many majors will this ever happen at? I guess that's what happens when you have 1000 too many bunkers.

• Poor Nick Watney - what started as such a promising day turned into a demoralizing experience. I hope he can come back from this.
• Dustin Johnson is a tough kid and I believe his 72nd hole nightmare will only steel his attitude towards greater heights. I firmly believe he will come back better than ever from this.
• I like the way Bubba played the playoff, but he simply must opt to miss long on the final hole versus a shot that has the potential to be short - especially since Kaymer had a poor lie in the rough.
• For all the focus on Tiger I don't believe he seems to be swinging any better YET. Every time I saw him on day 4 he finished with his right shoulder high from the clubhead being trapped behind him and seemed as wild as ever. I do think his change to Sean Foley is an excellent choice and he will get better under his guidance. And no Sean Foley is not a Stack and Tilter, just an instructor who understands that all swings are unique unto the individual and everything in the swing should be directed around impact.

• A little insider info is that Tiger called up Foley right after he and Hank parted ways and asked Foley to drop all his other students (notably Mahan and O'Hair) and start teaching only him. Foley said, "Thanks, but no thanks!"
• I'm sure it's just me, but the PGA Championship is really starting to feel like the fifth major - and there are only four! It just does not appeal to me in the unique manner each of the other three majors do. Anybody up for starting a petition for only three majors?

Putting: Distance vs. Direction

 I always ask my students which is more important in putting: distance or direction? I am pleased to report that about 60-70% of them correctly side with distance. Think about it this way; are you more likely to hit a 30 footer 10 feet beyond/short or 10 feet wide of the cup? Hopefully your answer is beyond/short, because if it was wide you have serious additional issues.

Much of the information I read on putting today is directionally oriented; the arc of the stroke, face rotation and balancing, path and face and so on. Is this information correct and valid? Yes! I just don't believe it should be the priority. Think about the last round of poor putting you had (hopefully you cannot remember!) - I can almost guarantee you it was due to poor distance control. When you practice focus on speed control as a priority and you must start to encounter better results. Good distance control comes from; a solid and centered strike where the appropriate amount of energy is transferred to the ball and a backstroke that closely matches the through stroke (most golfers are short back and long through!). Here are a few things that will help.

Watch the HD video lesson HERE

Drills and Teaching Aids that Work:

This is an excellent drill to help you acquire the feel of a solid strike: Gather a dozen balls in the center of a green and quickly and casually “hit” them back to a point off the side of the green -- just like when you are clearing a putting green by hitting all the balls off the green with your putter.  Do not emphasize a target; don’t take time to set up; just pop the balls off the face of the putter. When done correctly, you should be able to feel how efficient the stroke is.  There should be a minimal amount of follow through, the strike should feel crisp, and the sound should be louder than what you are accustomed to. When I see a golfer struggling with the putter, they are almost always overemphasizing the “stroke” element and have lost the concept that there needs to be some impact or “hit.” The problem most often is that their motion is long, slow and overly mechanical.  You should be able to sense the ball compressing off the putter face.

An excellent training aid that conveys the feel of the correct strike on the ball in putting is the Ball of Steel from Eyelinegolf.com - each ball weighs 5x what a golf ball weighs and you had better transfer energy efficiently if you want to even have a chance of making a 3 footer with the ball steel. I have found it works really nicely when alternating between a real ball and a heavy ball, but be sure to stay within three feet. After using this teaching aid your putting stroke will be more compact and efficient and thus more consistent.

When putting key in on distance first and your results will improve dramatically - I guarantee it!

Ball of Steel product TOUR   

 

To purchase the Ball of Steel click HERE (be sure to use the code IMPACTBOOK for a discount)

Speedchain - Dynamic Power for Golf

View the HD video lesson HERE

 The speedchain is a tremendous teaching and training aid for just about any golfer looking to get a sense for what the body should be doing throughout the golf swing. And by now you should all know I am a big fan of getting the body to work correctly. While it may not be the easiest aid to use and "operate" it is superb at communicating the feel of the transition and downswing.

Ben Hogan has long been admired for his dynamic golf swing and the effortless ease with which he drove his weight up onto his front foot.  It often looked like he was "cracking a whip" when he swung a club. Training with the speedchain will get you to sense the hip drive and weight shift - just prior to - the arms and the club completing the back swing. A necessity for delivering maximum power and snap into the back of the ball.

The speedchain is made up of a sturdy grip attched to a length (20') of chain where the links get bigger and heavier as they extend out away from the grip. The weight of the chain forces the body to work as efficiently (correctly!) as possible. I would recommend using or purchasing the XX Strong Model (for all golfers) as the heavier chain limits the amount of whipping in the terminal end of the chain - it just seems a little safer.

Here's a teaching/training aid that is guaranteed to help your swing and as a bonus it offers an excellent core workout as well - I cannot recommend it enough!

FYI - I am in no way affiliated with the manufacturing or selling of the speedchain.

 For more information on Speedchains and purchasing click HERE

View the HD video lesson HERE

Impact Drill: How to Stop Scooping

This is a version of a drill that I have presented many times, but each time I use it, it impresses upon me the importance of a proper strike on the golf ball. In using Trackman I have come to learn that the correct attack angle (an upward or downward hit) with an iron should be anywhere between 2 and 5 degrees down. If you have ever topped shots or alternated between thin and heavy strikes, you are more than likely getting scoopy through impact and this drill is right up your alley.

This drill will get you to do the following through impact:

• Get the weight shifted onto the front foot
• Lead the hands ahead of the clubhead
• Hit down on the ball
• Take divots in the right place - after the ball!

All you need is a small piece of one of those swim noodles that all the kids like to use in the pool. Secure the strip of noodle into the ground by pressing tees through the center as illustrated. It may take a little experimenting, but eventually you'll find the appropriate distance to line the balls up from the noodle. Before long you should start to see a consistent line of divots occurring on the target side of the golf ball - a positive sign! If you find yourself hitting a few of the dreaded "hosel rockets" your grip is too weak; Essentially you now need to scoop the face in order to square the clubface through impact. Get it stronger!

Some additional drills to help with impact:

• The Impact "Drag" Drill
• Hip Thrust Drill
• The Towel/Line Drill for Compression
• The Hip Slide and Why it is Important
• Golf's #1 Impact Exercise

Pitching Help

When it comes to the shortgame it is vital that the golfer strikes the ball and the ground on every shot - and preferably in that order! Golfers run into trouble when the club contacts the ground before the ball, particularly with a closing clubface as the leading edge will dig into the turf. There is no quicker way to deplete confidence than to start  alternating between bladed and heavy pitch shots.

A helpful drill is to practice hitting 40-60 yard pitch shots with an 8-iron. Try to get the ball up in the air, with a slight cut action and have it land softly. This will give you the sense of keeping the face open and using the bounce of the club correctly. It will also prevent the wrists from being overly active. A feeling to key in on is the sense of swinging to the inside after impact (as pictured below). Be sure to keep the face open or looking up while the club tracks to the inside as this will prevent the leading edge from digging.  This is rapidly becoming one of my favorite drills!

Golf Grip Guidelines

Here is an excellent method to ensure that your grip stays in the fingers and favors the strong end of the spectrum.

Remember - a strong "ish" grip helps the handle get in front of the clubhead at impact and encourages all golfers to keep their hands passive through impact.

Have a friend draw a "channel" on your glove diagonally across the base of the fingers (as illustrated left). Be sure that the guidelines are not too high up in the palm - if this is the case the wrists will have a hard time setting the club and the grip will always look weak.

When gripping the club be sure to position the handle along the lower of the two guidelines - this will make sure that the handle does not sneak up into the palm.

Be sure that once your glove hand is positioned on the club you can see at least two knuckles and the V formed between the thumb and the index finger is pointing to the trailing shoulder.

As we saw with Louis Oosthuizen and his glove - you can draw or write whatever you want on any part of your equipment, in any color too!

For additional information on the grip:

• Golf Grip: Where should it be?
• Golf Grip: Strong, Neutral or Weak?
• The Grip and how it pertains to Impact

Louis in a Landslide!

 

Louis proved all the naysayers wrong! He held the lead in the Open Championship from the 7th hole on Friday and never once looked like he would relinquish his grip on the coveted Claret Jug. With the victory South Africa has their 20th major championship and he becomes the fourth South African to win "Champion Golfer of the Year" honors.

Paul Casey, the nearest challenger, was no match for the diminutive man from Mossel Bay. Shrekkie, as he is nicknamed, showed no sign of wavering on Sunday as he split the fairway early and often. He did exactly what was needed - stay ahead of the pressure (three shots or more) and never gave Casey any hint that he had a chance. That eagle on nine must have hurt!

Here are a few observations from the event:

• The shot tracker feature off the 17th hole was phenomenal. A great idea that got even better when shown from the fairway. I got to a point where I could tell where balls would end up just by watching the tracker from the tee.
• I think the 17th hole played a little too long and I believe the chaps at the R&A would agree. They showed their thoughts by not putting the flag beyond the Road Hole Bunker once.
• Tom Watson did a fantastic job in the booth. He was the only one who came close to pronouncing Oosthuizen correctly, although it did look like John Daly picked out his outfit for Sunday.
• I enjoyed the addition of Rocco Mediate on the telecast - he was fresh and unrehearsed.
• Tom Weiskopf was insightful, but very dreary and slow and I felt he took away from the experience.
• Ricky Fowler is a golfer for the future! What a great turn around after his poor start.
• St. Andrews is the finest golf course on the planet - in my opinion. For almost 150 years it has withstood the challenges from the games finest and still continues to stand tall.
• After the butchering of "Oosthuizen" by all who attempted it, the Champion Golfer will from now on be referred to as Louis - to go along with Tiger, Phil and Ernie!

Some may have thought the Open was drab, but I absolutely loved it. What can be better than a fresh young star winning on the best golf course in the best event?

Watch Louis' swing in slo-mo HERE and HERE

The 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews

How many of golf's greatest have traversed the bridge crossing the Swilcan Burn?

There will not be birdies flying at the 17th hole this week after the venerable R&A added an additional 50 yards to this already very difficult hole.

The par-5 14th hole could be heaven or hell this week for the golfers. The latter if they happen to find their ball in Hell Bunker!

I would love to be in the "auld grey toon" this week for the Open Championship - in any capacity. Just to be able to get a sense for not only the event, but the place as well. I'd love to simply see those bunkers - from Beardies, to Ginger Beer, to Cottage, Road and the feared Hell. It seems that the saying of Bobby Jones has never been more true,

Too much ambition is a bad thing to have in a bunker.

I look for TW to win this week and I hope for firm fast and windy conditions. Whatever we get - enjoy!

Bunkers: The Buried Lie

 View the HD video lesson HERE

I often talk to golfers I teach about how they play the buried lie out of a sand trap and more often than not they say they used the closed face method to get the club to dig the ball up and out onto the green. This method works fine if you don't have much of a lip or plenty of green to work with, but how do you handle this situation if you have a short sided pin or high lip to clear?

Here is a great method I got from Lee Trevino:

• At address the weight should be well onto the front foot
• The ball should be in the center of the stance or slightly back
• The hands should be forward of the ball and very low
• The idea is to get the "V" formed between the hosel and the sole of the club to delve down into the sand and lift it up and out of the sand

•  Notice how the clubface remains open so as to impart some height and softness to the shot
• The hands need to be very low  at address to get the toe up in the air and the "V" exposed to the entry point
• The swing is steep with a sharp downward attack into the sand
• There is no need to overpower this shot as, when executed correctly, the ball should pop out with some height and softness.
• There should be very little follow through

Notice how low the hands need to be here

View the HD video HERE

Additional information on Buried Lies:

Tom Watson: Buried Lies: Pick The Right Club: Golf Digest

Video Golf Tip | Buried Lies in Greenside Bunkers

Golf Tips for a semi-buried lie - Rod Lidenberg PGA

Free Golf Lesson - How to Play from Various Bunker Lies

Congrats Graeme!

Well played Graeme! You played like you actually wanted to win while everybody else around you couldn't wait to get their hands off the trophy.

My thoughts:

• Pebble Beach is great place, but I believe the course needs work. When 7 out of 84! of the best golfers in the world hit the 17th green (on Sunday) in fairly benign weather conditions there is a problem. When the shortish par 5 14th hole plays as the most difficult hole on any day there is a problem. No major changes required - it just needs to be made a little more playable. That being said I thought the course was beautifully set up for the week.
• Tiger's stock is down once again after a week of better ball striking. Could somebody please teach him how to give a post round interview? Let's start with congratulating the champion....! Much better swing though.
• Hank Haney (who was at Mission Hills in China during Open week) - if Tiger's numbers were so much better with you than any other coach, then I would expect hordes of Tour golfers to be waiting on your doorstep now that you can teach golfers other than just His Highness.  How is that going for you? (BTW - don't bother emailing me on this one)
• Ernie Els let another one slip from his grasp. Of the 17 full swings he made on the back nine, 8 were in the poor category and that's not to mention a handful of makeable putts sliding by the edge.  I really thought he would pull it out.
• Phil was just plain flat!
• Dustin Johnson will be doing some soul searching today. He is a tough kid who has the ability to let things slide of his back and I firmly believe he will come back stronger than ever. To those who might blame his swing for the breakdown on Sunday, please be quiet - Graeme McDowell has almost the exact same left wrist in his swing and that held up just fine. It's all about impact!
• Gregory Havret played the best out of all contenders on the back nine. He actually had a real shot at the trophy on the last two holes. Great looking swing and I found myself wondering why he doesn't do well more often. Strange game we play! Did anybody think Steve Martin in Pink Panther during his post round interview?
• I loved the way Graeme McDowell chatted with the camera coming up the eighteenth hole. He showed confidence and personality. Not that any Irishman has been short on personality! He seemed friendly and likeable.
• Out of the last eight events on the PGA Tour there has been one US winner! Can you believe it - 7 out of 8 have been foreign. It is such a global game and in my opinion that only makes it more interesting.

Graeme McDowell's Equipment

Happy Father's Day - I hope you have been as blessed as I have with my dad, Bill Rice. What a truly great man. I owe everything in my life to you Willy - thanks.

Pebble Beach - US Open '10

Here are a few stunning shots of Pebble Beach to whet your appetite for this weeks action......

My pick for the week is Retief Goosen and my sleeper is Ricky Barnes! Enjoy the golf.

Hilton Head Golf

 Every summer the tiny island of Hilton Head in South Carolina hosts over 1 million visitors who invariably come to spend a week enjoying the beach, relaxing, fishing and a round or two of great golf. If you plan to play some Hilton Head golf this summer, or any time of the year for that matter, here is a quick run down of the top courses:

Resort/Public:

• Harbourtown Golf Links - If you have saved your golf dedicated dollars and want to treat yourself there is nothing better on the island than this gem. Don't forget to take your camera and collect a sample of the reeds that led to Brian Davis' demise
• Palmetto Dunes - this resort features three courses and is known for quality conditioning and good value. The courses are designed by Robert Trent Jones, George Fazio and Arthur Hills.

There are also numerous solid courses open to visitors just off the island in Bluffton. I would recommend Crescent Point (designed by Palmer), which has perhaps the most visually stunning (and difficult) hole in the area - the 215 yard par three 9th hole (pictured below). I would also recommend the Gary Player designed Hilton Head National for its interesting holes and consistent conditioning.

If you know the right people or have an inside connection then you might be able to gain access to one of the many stellar private tracks in the area. Here is my line up of the top five:

Private:

• Chechessee Creek (Coore/Crenshaw)
• May River Golf Club (Nicklaus)
• Berkeley Hall - North (Fazio)
• Colleton River - Nicklaus (Nicklaus)
• Long Cove (Dye)

 Click for Hilton Head tee times

Rickie Fowler's Okie State Orange

Yesterday Gary McCord called Rickie Fowler (dressed in his Sunday best "Okie State Orange" as he calls it)

A traffic cone with hair!

Absolutely hilarious. That must be a top ten statement for McCord and certainly one of the best of the year!

Here is Rickie practicing at Berkeley Hall in April 2011:

To strike it like Rickie check THIS out.