Lead Elbow Breakdown

photo credit: jlastras   Bending the lead elbow during the backswing is a common problem with many beginners.  This “hinging” problem creates inconsistent and erratic golf shots.

During address, the shoulders and arms form a triangle.  The lead arm remains straight throughout the backswing, while the inside elbow “breaks,” allowing the club to go back and upward.  Once impact is achieved, the reverse occurs; the lead elbow breaks to allow the club to swing up over the shoulders.

During a properly executed swing, the moment of impact should duplicate your address position.  Keeping your lead elbow straight will create more consistency, power and accuracy,

During practice try swinging the club with just your lead arm.  Take the club back to about ten o’clock for best results.

When to Gamble

photo credit: melloveschallah   Smart gamblers bet high only when the odds are in their favor.  Knowing when and where to take chances during a round of golf, can greatly affect the outcome.

In many cases for the average golfer, a gamble occurs when there is an option to either go for the green, or hit back out onto the fairway and play safe.  At other times, you may be confronted with the choice of going over trees or hitting a safe shot to the middle of the fairway.

How you play these shots depends on how well you are playing on any given day, especially if you are in the middle of a close match.  It’s fun to gamble but it’s no fun to lose or finish with a much higher score.  This is one call we have to make individually.

Check the Wind

photo credit: daniel john riedl   Wind can play a crucial role in your scoring capabilities.  Since most golf holes traverse in a different directions, you can expect to be confronted with various wind directions.

Generally, how you play in the wind depends on your intuition.  There are specific methods to employ, however, they can vary from player to player.

With a left to right wind you can hit a draw, aiming directly at the flag.  The ball draws into the wind on it’s right to left path and ends up where you aimed it.  Hit a fade (left to right) for a right to left wind.  With a headwind blowing directly at you, take an extra club and hit it low, with a tail wind, use one less club and let it ride the wind.

“The Haney Project”

photo credit: believekevin   Hank Haney is one of the foremost golf instructors in the U.S., just ask Tiger Woods.  Just how good is Hank?  The Golf Channel has decided to put him to the test by arranging to do a series called “The Haney Project.”  Haney’s job will be to fix Charles Barkley’s swing, one of the worst in the history of the game.

According to Haney, Barkley’s swing is a “worst case scenario.”  “It’s like he’s driving down a road and comes to a stop sign,” Haney said, halfway through his downswing he has a hitch, he stops, stoops and then finishes.”  “He drops his head nearly one foot from where he started,” he said. 

“Barkley hits an average of 1000 balls per practice session and works as hard as I’ve ever seen, so we’ll see,” Haney said.

Where Have the 2 Irons Gone?

photo credit: danperry.com   The 2 iron has gone the way of the dinosaurs.  How many golfers still carry a two iron in their bag, not many, you can be sure? 

The 2 iron, along with the extinct 1 iron, have been replaced by the new hybrids.  The hybrids have two advantages, they are extremely easy to hit and they can be used successfully in bunkers and deep rough.  They are the greatest invention since the development of metal woods in the 1980s.

To some golfers, hitting a 2 iron was like using a putter for the same shot.  Using a 2 iron would almost guarantee a shot of no more than 100 yds., a 1 iron shot would be, maybe 40 yds. if you were lucky.  In steps the hybrid and the rest is history !

Hitting the 3 Wood

photo credit: Heather Elias   The 3 wood, for most amateurs, is one of the most difficult clubs to hit well.  What makes this club so hard to hit?  The answer lies between your ears. 

The 3 wood if, if used correctly, can be very advantageous on most long par 5s if the shot goes off as planned.  There seems to be two predominant tendencies, swinging too hard and trying to lift or scoop the ball off the ground to get it airborne.

Set up with the ball slightly forward in your stance, keep the back-swing slow and just try to nip the ball without creating a divot.  Granted, this does take practice but this method lets the clubhead do the work of lifting the ball into the air.  Most of all, do not try to “kill” the ball.

Reading Greens

photo credit: NathanF   There are many factors to be considered when reading a green. (1) Speed-is the determining factor with all putts especially because it changes as the the green dries out in afternoon sun.  (2) Grain-type of grass is a determining factor; it affects speed and amount of break.  (3) Contour-left to right, right to left, uphill, or downhill.  (4) Wind-is more detrimental with long putts.  (5) Time of day-greens will be slower in the morning hours because of watering or dew.  They become faster as they dry out in mid or late afternoon.  (6) Weather.

Some say “reading greens is an art rather than a science,” it may just be a little bit of both.  Reading a green goes hand in hand with having a good putting stroke because one, compliments the other.

Choosing the Right Club

photo credit: Mr. McGladdery   Choosing the right club from off the green is critical.  Phil Mickelson may use a Lob Wedge from just off the green but is this the correct shot for you?

A Lob shot is certainly not the easiest to execute unless you are proficient at it, so why not go for a less demanding shot that puts the odds in your corner? 

A good rule of thumb is to get the ball on the green as soon as possible and let it roll to the cup.  If you are off the green by several yards, use a less lofted club such as a 5 or 6 iron to get the ball rolling sooner.  Prior to the shot, read the green as you would with a putt.  This is a time tested way of shaving strokes.

Texas Wedge

photo credit: eMaringolo   The term “Texas Wedge” was coined by Ben Hogan.  Hogan was born and raised in Texas where the courses had concrete-like fairways.  Approach shots were generally played to run up to the cup after landing well short of the green.  In many instances the ball would go over the back of the green and come to rest in the fringe.

Hogan started using his putter instead of playing the typical short chip shot from the fringe (first cut).  He found that in almost every case, using the putter brought him closer to the hole.  The technique became very popular after Hogan started using it on the PGA Tour.  He eventually referred to his putter as the “Texas Wedge.”

When playing this shot, play the ball back in your stance and elevate the putter-head slightly during your backstroke, use a firm follow-through.

Lesson Frequency

photo credit: diskychick   How often to take golf lessons is a debatable issue.  Some instructors require a once a week schedule and others may require lessons every two weeks or even once per month.  There are two determining factors.  First, the playing level of the student and second, their ability to execute what they’ve just been taught.

If you are a low handicap player you may require a lesson only once a month or two.  If you are just beginning, you may require a weekly lesson for the first few months.  Generally, for most players, after the first series of lessons as a beginner, only what I call maintenance lessons, should be required.  These lessons are to examine your swing and make sure no bad habits have begun.

Next Page »