FREE golf tips from a Pro?! That's right, it's just the kinda guy Dave is. Hope they help!
Off Season Putting
Off Season Putting
Hi Golfers,
As I am writing this, Tiger Woods has just won Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Invitational. That makes 6 straight victories worldwide. Incredible!
A huge part of his success (you know it's coming) is his PUTTING!!! At one point, he was 51 for 51 putts made inside 7 feet. Think about that. If he misses 2 of those, he loses the tournament.
We can do that! Maybe not 51 for 51, but we can MAKE MORE SHORT PUTTS! It just takes confidence. Practice and repetition will build confidence.
Start now.
Place a toonie or a coaster on the carpet. Putt your golf ball, from 2, 4, 6, 8 feet, to that object. Work on your stroke and your fundamentals.
Your confidence will build and your fear will diminish! Putting is 43% of the game…..take a lesson !
Cheers,
Coach Dave
Take it From the Range to the Course
TAKE IT FROM THE RANGE TO THE COURSE
I don't really have a teaching “style”. I like to work within the strengths or limitations of each individual golfer. Having said that, as I walk the range, I see something that most people have in common. Swing after swing after swing….no aiming….no real target….no real purpose other than to hit balls.
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is “How do I take my swing from the range to the golf course?”
“It feels totally different when I am on the tee or in the fairway!”
I believe this is because there are no consequences on the range. If you hit a bad one, you simply grab another ball and try to hit it better than the last, and so on and so on. Out on the golf course, you only have one shot and it has to count. You can't (or shouldn't) grab another ball and do it over…………you have to live with that one shot !
Why don't you try to practice like you play?
Simulate golf course conditions on the range. Great golfers do it……….why shouldn't we?
It's simple…………line up each and every ball you hit on the range as if you were on the golf course.
Step back………..aim at a specific target………go through your pre-shot ritual, if you have one…………and make each shot count (put some pressure on yourself each and every ball!)
Now you are practicing under game conditions and it won't feel so different out on the golf course. Try to be patient and do this once in a while, if not every time……….you will improve your physical and mental ability to perform under pressure!
Good luck,
Coach Dave
Bunker Shots
GREENSIDE AND FAIRWAY BUNKER SHOTS
GREENSIDE BUNKER
* Dig your feet down in the sand
- Place the ball a little forward in your stance
- Place a bit more weight on your front leg and have your hands slightly forward
- Open the clubface slightly (allowing the “bounce” to splash the sand)
- Focus on a grain of sand approximately 2”– 3” behind the ball
- Commit to that grain of sand and swing to a finish position !!!
FAIRWAY BUNKER
- Dig your feet slightly in the sand
- Take an extra club (6 instead of 7)
- Make sure you have enough loft to clear the lip!
- Choke down about 1/2 “ on the grip
- Place the ball a little back of center in your stance
- Try to keep your legs “quiet”
- Make a normal golf swing
GOOD LUCK!
If you have any questions or want to book a lesson…..that's why I'm here!
Thanks,
Coach Dave
Heavy Rough
Heavy Rough
If you have watched any U.S. Open tournament, you'll have noticed, for the most part, if a player hit his ball into heavy, deep, rough grass, he would choose a very lofted club to get out.
He sacrifices some distance to put himself in a good position for the next shot.
My objective is for you to be your own caddy while on the golf course. When you swing your club through heavy rough, the grass surrounding the ball will grab the hozzle, or heel, of the golf club and close down the face.
As a result, the club is de-lofted and, for a right-handed golfer, the ball will shoot out low and to the left. If you try to use a 5-iron, for example, in this situation, the club will de-loft and turn into a 2 or 1 iron, thus, not leaving enough loft to get out of the rough. The predicament now worsens!
If you de-loft a sand wedge for instance, there will still be enough loft to escape the deep grass. Sometimes we try to get too much out of this situation and we compound the problem. A good caddy would tell us to take our lumps, choose a golf club that will get us back in play, and, maybe make a par or bogey instead of a double or triple.
Course management, a good short game, and a little understanding will go a long way to reducing your handicap. Consider an “on course” lesson and learn to be your own caddy!
See you soon,
Coach Dave
Fear Management
FEAR MANAGEMENT
I am definitely not a qualified psychologist, but I'd like to deal with, what I believe to be, one of the biggest challenges of all in this game: FEAR!
Fear causes us to miss hit shots, to aim where we would normally not aim, to de-accelerate on short chips, to skull or chunk bunker shots, to miss short putts, and on and on. How many times have you attempted a greenside bunker shot and left the ball in the sand because you were afraid of skulling it over the green?
How many short chips have you left in the rough because you were afraid of rolling the ball too far?
How many tee shots have flown disgustingly right from fear of going left?
Yes, fear can rear its ugly head on every golf shot IF YOU ALLOW IT TO!
Obviously, effective practice and proper technique can reduce the fear factor to where it is more manageable. This is the part when I try to convince you to take a lesson (you knew that was coming). Let's deal with a few examples of how to overcome this obstacle.
The Tee Shot: Pick a specific target and focus on that spot. Think about where you would like the ball to go. Take aim, making sure you have properly aligned your body, and swing the club. Try to eliminate the “don't” from your preparation. The more you concentrate on the positive target , the better chance you have of eliminating fear!
The Greenside Bunker: Your setup is extremely important. Ball position and weight distribution are critical for success. Again, pick a positive target (in this case, you can focus on a grain of sand an inch or two behind the ball) and swing the club with authority. One lesson and some practice can lessen the fear factor and improve your sand game immensely.
Putting and Chipping: On short putts, try to focus on a blade of grass somewhere at the back of the cup and follow through to that spot, keeping your head and body very still. The short chip requires proper setup, club selection and technique. Once you have established those, you should try to pick a specific landing spot somewhere on the green, and stroke the ball to that spot.
The main theme I am trying to get across is to put all of your focus into a specific, positive target to eliminate the fear or negative. Hold up your finger in front of your face and focus on it. Soon, you'll notice all background disappearing.
Finger = target, background = fear.
Hey, maybe I am a psychologist after all.
Good luck and fear-free golfing,
Coach Dave