2011 Masters - The Schwartz Be with You

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What a fantastic day of golf! The story lines were so numerous it's hard to decide where to start, Rory's collapse, Aussie influx, every continent challenging (just about!), Tiger's charge.....

The Sunday at the 2011 Masters will always go down as one of the most enjoyable days of golf I have ever watched. The tournament committee and Mr. Billy Payne must be commended for the course set up the last two years. They seem to have gone for a slightly more playable and softer course and the results have been tremendous. The eagles and birdies and thus, excitement, are back on the final nine. It could not be more fun to watch.

Here are a few points I found interesting or strange about the final day's play:

  • At one point every continent, other than Antarctica (and not the Arctic which is an ice sheet Mr. Feherty) was represented on the final page of the leaderboard. I could almost picture the anticipation shifting from Europe (Rory), to the US (Tiger), to Asia (KJ), to Australia and finally to Africa with Charl's courageous finish.
  • Rory actually led going into the final nine and ultimately finished 10 shots back. Think about that...His four shot lead had dissipated by the time he had reached the third tee box. Note: If you ever find yourself in an event and you have a lead going into the final round here's a thought - take every golfer withing 8 shots and view the day as a one round shootout. Is it possible for you to play decent and still lose to another golfer by 6, 7 or 8 shots? It certainly is! Get out there and treat the final round as if you need to beat every player in the field. Don't let that 3 or 4 shot lead lull you into a defensive mode of play. In fact Rory would have needed to shoot 69 in order to win - an excellent score for an overnight leader and that's with a four shot head start!
  • Tiger Woods comes across as an arrogant jerk and I am amazed at how vehemently I now root against him. Please don't try to convince me that all golfers curse as much as Tiger with the excuse that he just has the camera on him more often. Please...
  • Best Interview Award goes to Rory who stated that this experience would only serve to toughen him and prepare him better for the future.  Rory you are a class act. He tweeted the pic below with the statement:

Off to Malaysia with Charl. At least one of us has the green jacket.

  • Worst Interview Award goes to...it's obvious isn't it? At least he's consistent with it.
  • Jim Furyk was in 1 greenside bunker all week while Ian Poulter and Jeff Overton were in 13 each!
  • Martin Kaymer, the PGA champion, was watching the closing holes on TV at JFK along with British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen. The two were so riveted by their friends amazing late charge that they refused to board a flight taking them to the Malaysian Open where they are playing this week. The authorities eventually delayed the flight by an hour so that they could watch the final few holes and see the victory. Try that next time you're in JFK....

This is what was in the champion's bag:

DRIVER: Nike VR Tour (8.5°) FAIRWAY WOODS: Nike SQ Sumo (13°, 19°) IRONS: Nike VR Pro Blade (3-PW) WEDGES: Nike VR Pro (54°,  60°) PUTTER: Nike Method 004 BALL: Nike ONE Tour D

The 2011 Masters Stat Pack:

GIR

Schwartzel 49/72 t18; Day 52/72 t6; Scott 51/72 t11; Woods 53/72 5th; Ogilvy 50/72 t16

Birdies

Schwartzel 17 t11; Day 23 1st; Scott 17 t11; Woods 19 5th; Ogilvy 20 4th

Putting

Schwartzel 1.49 2nd; Day 1.58 t11; Scott 1.54 t3; Woods 1.67 t33; Ogilvy 1.54 t3

In the driving categories of distance and accuracy the only point of note was how few of the contenders rated highly in either distance or accuracy. Day was 17th and Scott 19th in distance and Ogilvy was t7 in accuracy.

It really was good to see a young talent come through and finish an event in the fashion that he did - almost reminds a little of his good friend and roommate Louis Oosthuizen.

An interesting interview with Charl about his eagle on the third hole and his dad's influence on his game. I love his statement at the end about keeping it simple so that it will hold up under pressure. Something we can all do well to keep in mind!

Masters Week 2011 Edition

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Major season gets under way this week. Thank goodness it's that time of the year again - Masters Week! Here are my ramblings and predictions for the week.

These sites will help you keep track of all the action:

Masters.com (this site is truly exceptional)

Which even includes a live feed from the driving range......!

Golfweek.com

Golf.com

Golfdigest.com

"Tuesday Clippings" /  "Wednesday Clippings" / "Thursday Clippings" /"Saturday Clippings" / "Sunday Clippings" segment from Geoffshackelford.com

Thursday's pairings have been released.

Here's the outlook for the weather:

A heavy storm rolled through Augusta early on Tuesday morning.

Here are the odds:

PHIL MICKELSON +600
TIGER WOODS +1000
LEE WESTWOOD +1600
NICK WATNEY +1500
MARTIN KAYMER +2000
DUSTIN JOHNSON +2300
LUKE DONALD +2500
RORY MCILROY +2800
HUNTER MAHAN +2500
PAUL CASEY +3300
MATT KUCHAR +3000
JUSTIN ROSE +2500
BUBBA WATSON +3300
GRAEME MCDOWELL +4000
PADRAIG HARRINGTON +4000
ANTHONY KIM +3500
STEVE STRICKER +4000
IAN POULTER +5000
AARON BADDELEY +5000
RETIEF GOOSEN +6000
GEOFF OGILVY +6000
MARTIN LAIRD +6600
ERNIE ELS +6000
RICKIE FOWLER +6000
KYOUNG JU CHOI +6000
JIM FURYK +6000
SERGIO GARCIA +6000
ADAM SCOTT +5500
FRANCESCO MOLINARI +7000
FIELD - ANY PLAYER NOT LISTED +150

Augusta National Snow

Augusta National 2011

Augusta National in Winter

This year I am having a hard time seeing how Phil can lose. I certainly would not have said that last week, but finishing with 63, 65 on the weekend in Houston must really have his confidence up. And he has always been a streaky golfer! For some reason I like Martin Kaymer too and my sleeper pick is Martin Laird.

The other majors this year are the US Open at the newly renovated Congressional, the British Open at Royal St. Georges and the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club.

If your weather is horrible and you'd like to get away and play a little golf of your own you may want to look to Hawaii. Of course you'll need Hawaii tee times.

Enjoy the golf and check back often for updates of interest.

Clubs Too Upright, Too Light?

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Thanks to reader Chuck for this enlightening article posted by Bradley Hughes from www.bradleyhughesgolf.com:

 FLAT LIE ANGLES -            The Reason and Logic Of The Greats

I know from personal experience in a question asked directly to Lee Trevino that he used clubs that were at least 3 degrees flat in lie angle from the old standard. Doug Sanders also informed me in the interview I recently did with him (on page 2) that he had his clubs flattened down so the toe sat down and the heel would never strike the ground first. If we look at Ben Hogan's club that is in USGA Golf House Museum it is close to 6 or 7 degrees flat in lie angle when compared to clubs of the same length and loft of today.

If flat lie angles were the choice of the game's best ball strikers throughout history then WHY do manufacturers insist on putting upright lie angled clubs in the hands of golfer's today?

  • The upright clubs make the player come steeply into the ball on descent.
  • The upright clubs tell the body stall and insist that the hands flip through impact to try and square that upright lie angled club with the ground.
  • The upright club straightens the right arm away from the body and increases clubface roll throughout the shot making timing a huge problem.
  • Upright lie angles deteriorate the swing by not stressing the importance of swinging the golf club behind and around the body and rotating through impact with the correct body effort and sequence.

Too often we now see golfers throwing the club through impact - pushing the club head off to the right of the target or throwing the clubhead left of the target with their hand roll - flipping the club face over by hand action trying to correct the mistake. Today's clubs should all come with a warning label:     "Swing Deterioration And Poor Mechanics Possible By Using This Club"

 Add the fact that the shafts are too long and the swingweights and overall club weights are too light and it is little wonder we don't see ball striking mastery on any level any longer. Remember: Feedback of the club and the swing is necessary for improvement to take place. That's why golfers are not improving. They don't know the difference between a good strike or a bad strike of the ball because the permieter weighting and large sweet spots don't allow such reference. The equipment golfers are using is NOT designed to help them adjust their swing to the correct efficient motion.

Bradley Hughes

Very well said Mr. Hughes. I have an inkling as to why manufactureres insist on making clubs lighter and more upright...... Firstly, the clubs are more upright as it causes the faders, who happen to be the majority of golfers, to reduce the amount of curvature of their shots. Notice I never said anything about improving their swings - the upright lies in fact encourage these golfers to continue swinging the way they always have. And secondly, the light weight leads to more speed which creates a Wow! factor when they first hit the clubs. The lighter the club the faster you can swing it. You also, however, relinquish a measure of control over the clubhead and a feel for the club.

So the slicer who tries his buddies new 7-iron and hits a straight bomb over the green is amazed as he has never hit the ball that straight and that far before - he simply must have a set!

As with most things it comes down to $$$$! Don't get sucked in and allow yourself to be enticed with new gimmicks. Know your numbers (length and lie) and play something you like the look of and can feel.

Ever Considered an Online Lesson?

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With technology being what it is today it is very easy to stay in touch with a golf instructor that might be half way around the world. Most smartphones incorporate a video recording feature and some of the better footage of golf swings I have received have been emailed to me straight from a students' smartphone.

There are four simple steps required to have an online golf lesson with Andrew. Here's how:

1. Create a Video of Your Swing

2. Upload the Video for Sharing/Viewing

3. Pay for your Lesson via PayPal

4. Email me the Link to your Video for Analysis

Once all four steps are completed Andrew will let you know when your video has been evaluated. If you choose to have a phone consultation along with a video lesson Andrew will coordinate with you once the video lesson has been analyzed.

Online Lesson Pricing

Video analysis only – $50 Video analysis with 15 minute phone consultation – $80

Follow these steps to get the ball rolling:

  • Create A Video of Your Swing

Capture one swing from face on and another swing from down the line. Take care when recording your swing to ensure the best results for your online lesson. Use a tripod, or a friend with a very steady hand as a moving camera leads to moving reference lines in the analysis. Camera positioning is also important. The face on shot should be at 90 degrees to the target line and the down the line shot should place the ball between the target and the camera lens ie. shoot straight over the ball toward the target.

  • Upload Your Swing Video for Viewing

We have two ways you can upload videos to us, YouTube and V1 Software. Don't be intimidated, dive in - it's far easier than you might imagine!Here are instructions for both methods:

YouTube

A good way to publish your swing video for an online lesson is to upload it to YouTube. During the upload process, you can  select Public or Private for your video. Selecting Private will restrict viewing only to those that have the link.

You will need a YouTube account, so if you don’t already have one you will need to create one, which is a simple process and free of charge.

Here are the instructions from YouTube on uploading video. As you might imagine, there is also an instructional video on uploading to YouTube.

Once you have uploaded the video, check that it has been successful by clicking the link provided and watching the video.

V1 Golf Software

For use and upload with a PC you will need V1 Home 2.0 which is available free of charge HERE. Upload directions are included with your free download.

For use and upload with an iPhone, iPad, iTouch or Android phones purchase the app HERE. V1 Golf actually has the #1 sports analysis app in the world at the moment.

  • Payment via Paypal

We  only take payment via PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account go to www.PayPal.com and set one up. It is very easy and makes online payment for anything so much easier. Payment should be made to andrew (at) andrewricegolf.com

  • Contact Us with Your Lesson Request

Once your swing is uploaded uploaded, send us the link to the video along with your request for an online lesson and we'll get cracking.

Please also be sure to indicate your selection of video analysis or video analysis with phone consultation. Current turnaround for online lessons is 48-72 hours.

Should you have any questions about receiving an online lesson please shoot me a note to andrew (at) andrewricegolf.com and I'd be happy to to help.

Hands Forward at Impact

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One of the most important parts of a great impact is getting the hands in front of the clubhead or ball. This position encourages a delofted clubface and increased ball compression. Additionally, I have found that the hands appear to line up up with the lead thigh at impact for the vast majority of the top players in the game. There are a few factors that play a big role in your ability to get the hands forward at impact and compress the golf ball.

If you are tired of scooping at impact or a weak inconsistent strike then read on..... The primary factor is the quality of your grip.  The weaker the grip the further back the hands tend to start at address and the further back they are required to be at impact. I don't ever recall seeing a golfer with a weak grip (other than Ben Hogan) getting the hands far enough in front of the ball at impact. Think about it: if the grip is weak and the more forward the hands are, then the more open the face will be at impact.  Take a look how many Tour golfers have grips that appear to be stronger vs. weaker and they all have forward shaft lean at impact. Essentially a weak grip necessitates that the hands be further back than they should at impact (they must be back in order to square the clubface), and the more back the hands are, the poorer the strike and the weaker the trajectory will tend to be.

If you are currently the owner of a weak, or even neutral, grip try this:

  • As you prepare to take your grip, rotate the face 20-30 degrees closed
  • Now take your regular grip
  • At address make sure the face is square (this will rotate your hands and arms into a stronger position)

For some reason this method of strengthening your grip does not seem to be as uncomfortable as merely just rotating your hands on the club. Move the club instead. Give it a try.

A proper strong grip will enable you to lead the clubhead with the handle while maintaining a square clubface at impact and compress the ball - isn't that what we're after?

Here is a gallery containing almost 30 PGA Tour golfers from past and present. Take a look at where their hands are at impact:

[nggallery id=16]

Impact Drill: How to Stop Scooping

The Impact "Drag" Drill

An Athletic Impact Drill

Drive the Hips into Impact

Happy St. Patrick's Day

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Here's a toast to all things Irish! It is the greatest country in the world to play golf; to make a new friend out of a complete stranger; and of course enjoy a lovely pint of Guinness.

Ireland's (Not Eire or Northern Ireland) Five Best Courses:

  • Ballybunion Old
  • Waterville
  • Portmarnock
  • Lahinch
  • Doonbeg

Best Towns to Visit:

  • Dublin (Temple Bar District will be hopping tonight!)
  • Killarney
  • Tralee
  • Kinsale - the culinary capital of Ireland

Best Courses You've Never Played (or heard of!):

  • Dooks
  • Spanish Point
  • The Island
  • Ceann Sibeal
  • Rosses Point
  • Carne
  • Laytown & Bettystown

Best Books to Read if You're Headed to Ireland:

Best Irish Bands:

  • The Dubliners - yes, it's true!
  • U2
  • The Cranberries
  • Paddy Casey

The Best Places to Stay:

Ireland has fantastic people, fantastic golf and the beverages aren't bad either! Have a great day, enjoy the festivities and be safe.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Ben Hogan's Secret....

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Hogan.jpg
Ben Hogan

Many people have claimed that they know Hogan's secret, but I have never heard one that I have bought in to. Something viable that would separate Mr. Hogan from the crowd; something unique only to him. Thanks to my friend Bobby MacWhinnie for pointing this fantastic quote out to me from the book "Ben Hogan - An American Life" by James Dodson:

His real secret, as it were - lay not in the technical jargon as (he) would have you believe, but rather in the rarest combination of an extraordinarily disciplined brain and an undeniable will power fueled by a fierce survivor instinct to prevail against any odds.

Work those characteristics into your game and you may have a secret of your own!

Read more on Ben Hogan's Secret HERE

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Golf in Orlando, Florida

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Look, we both know it's been a long cold winter and that you are ready to feel the sun on your skin and get out and play some enjoyable golf. Why not head south and experience some great golf in Orlando.

Early spring is a fantastic time of year in O-town - no major summer crowds yet, the NBA's Orlando Magic are playing and the heat (80's just about every day) and humidity are perfect.

Orlando has two of the finest golf resorts in the entire USA; namely Grand Cypress and Champion's Gate. Both resorts have multiple courses and are located on the Disney(west) side of the city.

Grand Cypress has three separate Jack Nicklaus nines along with the highly recommended Nicklaus designed New Course - which is based after the Old Course at St. Andrews. It even has a "burn" running through the course.

Champion's Gate sports two Greg Norman designed courses - one a links themed International course and the other a more traditional National course. While the linksy International can be great fun on a calm day, beware when the winds pick up as it can certainly be quite formidable.

Whether it be with the family or a golf specific trip, there are few locations that can match the fun you will have in Orlando. Give it a try!

Bounce - Book Review

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While not a book written specifically for or about golf, I found the information and evidence in this book invaluable as a coach. It certainly is a book that all golf coaches and aspiring golfers should read. With the book, author Matthew Syed challenges the idea that sports stars are "born with it" and provides evidence that they all achieved there success through hard work and dedication. From Mozart to Federer to Woods; the evidence suggests that their success has been attained the hard way - they earned it.

The book blows up the idea that talent gets people to the top. Instead it shows that through a combination of opportunities (in the right place at the right time), hard work and dedication anybody can achieve their dreams. I liked the idea of the “ten thousand hour rule” — the minimum time necessary for expertise in any complex task or sport. Syed also gave a great analogy about the "tip of the iceberg" - whereby people who see a great young athlete and attribute their success to purely God-given talent (the tip of the iceberg) versus looking at the body of work and dedication (the iceberg below the water) that has gone into supporting their performance.

A few quotes from the book:

There is an innate capacity for our bodies to bring into being, to the best of their ability, the optimistic scenarios in which we fervently believe.

Anne Harrington, Harvard University

...in order to become the greatest player of all time you have to embrace failure.

 

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.

Samuel Beckett, Worstword Ho

...the path to excellence is inordinately lenghty, requiring a minimum of ten thousand hours of lung busting effort to get to the summit.

 

The talent myth robs individuals of the incentive to transform themselves through effort....

 

...purposeful practice can enable countless individuals to realize untapped potential.

A highly recommended read. So good in fact that I am paying my sons to read portions of it. Now get to work!

Chicken Wing at Impact?

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Lee Westwood is an exceptional ball striker and a contender in almost every major championship.

The interesting part about Lee's swing, which I regard as somewhat unique, is his impact position. Is that a chicken wing? Surely that cannot be good? Remember that the only factor that matters is the physics (forces and angles) that the golf club imparts on the ball.

Retief Goosen is the another premier golfer who gets into this impact position, although to a much lesser degree. In looking at the top picture notice that the handle of the club is positioned in line with the lead thigh.  This is the key element. With the driver, the shaft should be vertical or leaning slightly forward, as in the Westwood image, but with irons there should be a few degrees of shaft lean. As a result the hands should once again be aligned with the lead thigh.

The moral of the story - get the club in a great position, relative to the ball, at impact and good things will happen - chicken wing and all.

Should your chicken wing not be quite as functional as the two players above here is a little help:

Weight Transfer and Positioning

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Having the use of the Swing Catalyst system has almost been like being able to look behind the curtain to see what truly happens to a golfers' weight when they swing the club. Guesswork and perception are taken out of the equation and the information you read in the following post is based purely on fact. 

Weight shift is a poor term.  Similar to the term "takeaway" it does not convey the appropriate sensation.  My research has shown that the term "weight transfer" would be far better.  And here's why: When I think of shifting my weight I make a conscious move to get my body over to my back foot for example.  Not good!  The weight transfers in the swing purely due to the motion in the arms hands and club as they travel away from the target.  Think of it this way - if I swing my arms, which each weigh 15 lbs, and a club  in my backswing you can be sure that I am transferring weight onto my back foot. There is however no conscious shifting or body move that gets the weight over there. This is exactly why the 84 degree  rule (as illustrated below) holds true.

There should be no lateral body move in the backswing, yet many players often wrote or spoke about a sense of weight transfer. The body stays centered while the weight is transferred by the motion in the arms and the club. Video HERE

I found that very good golfers (college and touring professionals) had a maximum percentage of 80% of their weight on their back foot slightly beyond halfway back.  This was achieved with almost no lateral movement in the upper body.

Click to Enlarge

In the screen shot above notice how the center of gravity indicator between my feet (top right) is almost as far to the right as it goes. This should be the furthest point to the right the weight moves and from here it starts moving back to the front foot.

I did find that a reverse weight shift (reverse pivot) was almost impossible for me to achieve. With the arms and club swinging to the right it made it very difficult to get the weight to favor the front foot in the backswing.

In the screen shot below I have positioned my weight 70/30 on the front foot (with the 84 line as a reference) at the top of my swing as advocated by some teachers. While the numbers may be difficult to achieve I did find that for many people the idea of keeping their body left and sensing the weight being 70/30 in favor of the front foot proved to be very helpful. This helped me to seperate the difference between what a student felt and what was real.  Many times it was better for a student to work towards a feeling than the actual reality.

Click to Enlarge

At the start of the downswing, when the left arm (for right handers) gets parallel to the ground the majority of top tour professionals displayed a weight distribution of 50/50.  Sam Snead illustrated this beautifully!

I did notice that with single figure handicap golfers there seemed to be a tendency to get their weight too far forward (75/25) at this point. This led to a situation where, when they got to the delivery point (shaft parallel to the ground), they very often had more than 90% of their weight on their front foot and had to back up through impact.  This seemed to be a contributing factor to hooks and blocks - the better golfers most common malady!

All the best ball strikers studied displayed a tendency to transfer the weight to the front foot in a smooth and continuous flow with no backing up or slowing of the transfer. The more straight and direct the CoG trace moved the better. This meant that they arrived at impact with an 80/20 split favoring the front foot and the weight continued to move smoothly over to the front side beyond impact.

Click to Enlarge

Notice the continuous and smooth CoG trace into the front foot here by Billy Hurley.  His weight was more than likely 85% on the front foot at impact.

The tendency with higher handicap golfers (above 18) was for the weight to get too far back and then remain there all the way through impact. It was not unusual to see one of these golfers have a split of 70/30 favoring the back foot at impact.

In summary:

  • The weight should start at 50/50
  • Somewhere between halfway back and the top of the backswing the player should max out weight on the back foot at 80/20
  • At halfway down (arm parallel to the ground) the weight should once again be 50/50
  • The weight should make a continuous tranfer to the front foot in the downswing with an 80/20 split occuring at impact. 

A few more screen shots:

Geoff Ogilvy passing through impact (shaft bend is due to camera lens)

Click to Enlarge

 

Peter Uihlein at impact

Click to Enlarge

Please keep two things in mind as you process the above information: due to the relative newness of this technology there is not a huge sample group of golfers to study and that all percentages are a mean or "ballpark" number.

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The Weight Shift

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The photo of Sam Snead above perfectly illustrates where the weight should be positioned at these three key points in the golf swing:

  • Just prior to the top of the backswing the weight is almost always in the vicinity of 80/20 favoring the back side.
  • At the half way down point top players always seem to position their weight equally here (50/50).
  • At impact the weight is always in the vicinity of 20/80 favoring the front side.

The amazing technology from Swing Catalyst has been instrumental in educating me further on this important information. If you'd like to learn more about your weight shift please give me a call to book your session at some point within the next two weeks.

I will be posting at great detail on this topic later in the week so stand by. The evidence is clear!

2011 Orlando PGA Golf Show

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I have recently returned from the 2011 Orlando PGA Golf Show and I wanted to share a few of my impressions with you. Firstly, if you are an avid golfer, you simply must make a plan to attend this show - it is literally the Disney World of golf! Talk to your golf professional, a friend in the biz, beg, steal, but find a way to get there. Plan on two full days (preferably Thursday and Friday) to soak it all up.

This year there seemed to be a positive vibe at the Show. All the major club companies were represented with Taylormade commanding a huge portion of the floor. My four high points of the Show were:

Swing Catalyst

 

Once again I have nominated this product as one of my highlights. It might be costly, but this machine dispenses invaluable information for any golf coach. It shows where a golfers weight is positioned throughout the swing, how much rotational force is being generated, all while synchronizing with video and either Trackman or Flightscope. Talk about an all in one package! This is the G5 of golf instruction technology.

Flightscope

 

The new and improved Flightscope X2 portable launch monitors do not offer anything groundbreaking relative to what Trackman has always offered, but where they crush the competition is price point - $11,000 vs $30,000+! The accuracy of the Flightscope has always been brought into question, however after meeting with them and seeing the new X2 in action I am sold. Not new technology, but definitely a new price point at which to consider the technology.

Nuun Hydration Tablets

Nuun tablets are optimal hydration and I believe the future of hydration in sports. The taste is light and refreshing and I really like the "green" aspect of this product - you carry your own Nuun waterbottle, fill it with water and add a tablet without loading up the landfills with plastic bottles from everything you drink on the golf course. The speed of absorbtion, electrolyte content and lack of carbohydrates (sugar!) is what sets this product apart. It tastes really good too.

Speed Woosh from Momentus

In an almost unnoticed about face by Momentus (which has always promoted heavy clubs) they are now promoting the Speed Woosh to increase your clubhead speed. Well what about all those heavy clubs I bought that are lying in my garage? Sorry, no good - at least if you want more speed! This device is great fun to swing and as an added bonus it works. It gets the fast twitch muscle fibers to fire and that can only help you add distance to your tee balls. I like it!

In additon to these four highlights I saw a little bit of everything - from six different types of golf tee designs to a device to keep your head still in the swing (it actually worked!) There were also the usual cast of golf celebs from Greg Norman to Hank Haney (hi Hank!) to Natalie and Paula. I also attended a few excellent seminars  by AMF and noted golf instructor Jeff Ritter. Jeff gave an inspirational talk on marketing golf instruction in the modern society.

After leaving the show I felt excited and enthusiastic about the future of our game. We seem to be turning the corner and I am really looking forward to 2011.

Thanks for reading and feel free to post your questions and comments.

Augusta National 2011

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Today I had the privilege of playing every golfer's dream course  - Augusta National. While I did not play as well as I would have liked as you can tell from the pictures it was a beautiful day and who can complain when you're on God's gift to golf!

The course seems to be weathering the cold winter well and there are a few new, yet subtle changes. In addition to the new practice grounds from last year, the 11th and 17th greens have been resurfaced.

Take a look at the ALBUM I created and enjoy. As you well know it is a special place!

Here are pictures of Augusta under a blanket of snow in 2010 and here are my pictures from earlier in 2010.

Rickie vs. Rory

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Rory McIlroy (Getty)
Rory McIlroy (Getty)

 As you may have heard by now the PGA Tour players have voted Rickie Fowler the Rookie of the Year for 2010. I was shocked to see that Rory McIlroy had not received the award, but after a little extra digging I can see how a strong case can be made for Rickie! I would have a hard time placing a bet against either of these two fine young players but who had the better year?

Rickie Fowler (Getty)
Rickie Fowler (Getty)

Rickie Fowler had no wins on the PGA Tour this year, but he did have 7 top 10's. Rory McIlroy had one win (Quail Hollow) on the PGA Tour and 5 top 10's - two of which were third place finishes in major championships.

Fowler finished 32nd on the money listwhile McIlroy was 36th; they both played on their respective Ryder Cup teams - McIlroy on the winning side; Rickie had a 70.35 stroke average, while Rory's was 70.94; Rickie played 28 events while Rory only played 16.

In fact in their eleven head to head meetings (in official PGA Tour events) Rory bested Rickie on seven occasions!

A close call....?

On the surface I can commiserate with Lee Westwood in his rant on Twitter against the selection:

Sorry 140 letters is not going to be enough for this rant! Just seen Rickie Fowler has been given rookie of the year! Yes he's had a good year but Rory McIlroy third in two majors and an absolute demolition of the field at Quail Hollow! Oh yes and on the winning Ryder cup team! Please! Is this yet another case of protectionism by the PGA Tour or are they so desperate to win something! Wouldn't have something to do with Rory not joining the tour next year?"

However if you look at the body of work  Rickie Fowler put forth he has a strong case. You must also consider the fact that Rickie came straight to the tour from Oklahoma Statewhereas Rory turned professional in 2007 and came to the US tour after two years on the European Tour.

All that being said - isn't this a great argument to be have? Here are two of the finest young gunsthe PGA Tour has seen in a long while and we cannot decide who had the better year - fantastic! As someone once said to me, "These are high grade problems!"

The 2011 season is shaping up to be a beauty (even without Rory being an official member of the PGA Tour). Dustin, G-Mac, even Tiger! It's gonna be good....

Your thoughts?

How to Play Fairway Bunker Shots

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Fairway bunker shots are different than those played in close proximity to the green. They are actually played in the same fashion as the rest of the shots in the game: ball first, ground second.

Play fairway bunker shots in the same manner in which you would play a shot from the fairway with a few subtle adjustments. Two checkpoints to determine: First, do you have a lie that allows for the clubface to get cleanly onto the back of the ball? Second, do you have enough loft on the clubface to get up and over the lip in front of you? If the answer to each of these questions is yes, go ahead and swing away as you normally would. If not, the shot must be played in the same fashion that you would play the above mentioned greenside bunker shot: with a lofted club and impacting the sand before the ball. Do not be greedy when you have either a poor lie or a high lip in a fairway bunker. Take your punishment and move on.

Technique:

Once you have met the above criteria, key on these few simple points to play successful fairway bunker shots:

  • Favor a ball position that is centered and grip down slightly, regardless of what club you have selected. It is far better to strike the ball first than sand first.

  • Shuffle your feet in lightly. Keep in mind that for every inch you descend into the sand the ball elevates, thus increasing the potential to hit a ‘fat’ shot.
  • Keep your lower body very quiet and work towards maintaining your elevation throughout the swing – any change in altitude could lead to a mishit - stay level.

  • When it comes to club selection make sure you allow for ample clearance over the lip in front of you (get it out) and plan on your shot travelling a half club shorter (due to gripping down) than what it normally does.

Hopefully this information will help you overcome a case of the fairway bunker blues!

View the video lesson here:

Additonal information for better fairway bunker shots:

Crisp Holiday Bargains for Every Golfer

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Here are a few offers that are sure to please either yourself or the avid linkster on your Christmas list.

It's All About Impact

I received my copy of "It's all about Impact" yesterday. What a great book! You have verified what I have thought for years but was unable to put into words. This book is well worth the money because not only do you explain the 84 degree "secret", You also get into basic shot skills needed by most amateurs, myself included.

Thanks for a well put together book that is easy to read & understand, has great photos and again, is a super value.

Best regards,

JH

  • The eBook and hardcover version will both be 20% off from today through Christmas
  • All hardcover books will be autographed by yours truly - bonus!
  • Purchase either version and receive a certificate for a one hour golf lesson from Andrew for $80 (valid for 3 months from date of purchase)
  • There is also free shipping for anybody residing in the state of South Carolina
  • If you would like to place a bulk (5+) order please contact me at (843)247-4688 or andrew (at) andrewricegolf.com for special pricing

Purchase your copy HERE

This is what BH had to say after reading the book and working with the drills:

What an unbelievable difference! Balls are jumping off the club and my confidence has soared. Thanks for studying these world class golfers and sharing their success with your readers.

While I did not play particularly well this weekend, I am very excited about my ball striking.

I have picked up at least 20 yards on my drive and a good club with my irons. I hit 15 quality iron shots, and drove it very straight most of the time.

Thank you, I now feel like I can play golf again!

JL

Golf Lessons

From today through Christmas I will be offering the following packages on lessons at Berkeley Hall:

  • Purchase six thirty minute lessons for $300 - thats $50 each and the regular price is $75!
  • Purchase six one hour lessons for $600 - thats $100 each and the regular price is $150!
  • All lessons packages include high speed video analysis and a V1 video lesson emailed to your inbox
  • These lesson packages are perfect for the crazed golfer in your family and are all available as Gift Certificates (valid for one year from original date of purchase)
  • If you would like to purchase or discuss a package please contact me at (843)247-4688 or andrew (at) andrewricegolf.com

Group Lessons

During the spring season I will be offering a limited number of group sessions at Berkeley Hall:

  • Group sessions are limited to three golfers (minimum of two required) and will run from 3PM to 5PM on Wednesdays
  • The sessions include high speed video analysis and a V1 video lesson emailed to your inbox along with 30 minutes spent on the shortgame
  • I will be offering a total of six sessions on the following dates: Feb. 2 and 16, March 9 and 23 and April 6 and 20
  • The cost is $120 per session and the session package (all six) is available for $600 - a savings of $120! Also available as a Gift Certificate
  • Should you wish to purchase a package or sign up for any lessons please contact me at (843)247-4688 or at andrew (at) andrewricegolf.com

Thank you all so much for your support this year - I could not do what I do without you.  Merry Christmas!