sequencing

The importance of sequencing
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My aim in this article is so find out if your body has the range of motion that will allow the downswing to function correctly and in the right sequence.
The impact position is the most important part of any golf swing. A correct
downswing sequence is paramount to obtaining a good impact position.
From the top of the backswing the sequence of motion to impact should be

1. knee’s
2. Hips
3. torso
4. shoulders
5. hands and club

The major swing fault I see as a coach in regular club golfers is slicing. One of the most common swing faults attributable to slicing is poor sequencing. Often the sequence from top of backswing will be as follows

1. hands and club
2. shoulders
3. torso
4. hips
5. knee’s

This sequence is incorrect, inefficient and will almost certainly encourage a slice.
Can you start the sequence correctly?
Look at the photo’s and follow the exercise called hip twisters






Stand in your 6 iron posture position with your arms crossed against your chest. Now try to rotate your hips from left to right while keeping everything from your belly button up, i.e. torso, shoulders and head as still as you can. If you are unable to make this rotary motion of your hips while keeping your upper body stable you will almost certainly have problems of incorrect sequencing. This exercise is a disassociation test, this highlights your body’s ability to mobilise one part of your body while stabilising a corresponding body part.

Practicing this exercise will certainly help you perform better golf swings and it could also unlock the frustration you may have had in trying to stop a slice.
Remember if you cannot move your hips in a rotary method at the same time as keeping you upper body stationary, you could be helping your slice.

Are you improving at golf?

Simple question but I think it is a fairly important one.

What is the measure of our improvement in golf? Is it about hitting a long drive way past your playing partner? Is it a about hitting a wedge from 140 yards? It could well be the fact that you have not hit it the lake you normally do for the last 5 rounds. Is it changing your swing from a 2 plane method to a one plane method?

For me as a golf coach I measure the success of my pupil’s by

• A reduction in their stroke average/improvement in their stats
• Reaching or surpassing pre set goals/targets
• Have they enjoyed the game more?

I hope you noticed there was no mention of improving how their swing looked, or improving their ball striking.

Having a great looking swing is nice, but that’s about it. It's nice.
My first golf pro told me “a good golf swing is one that works efficiently and repeats under pressure.”

To this day I still teach with this thought in my head, I ask myself, am I making this pupils swing nicer to the eye or am I improving him/her as a golfer?
Keep that in mind also folks, this game is about the score you have and nothing else. It is called a scorecard because that’s where we record how well we have done in the round.

If the scorecard can record our scores and tell us how well we have done why do we not carry scorecards to practice? Is it not important to also study how well we have practiced? Or should practice just be about, did I hit it good or did I hit it badly?

Trying to be subjective about your golf game is difficult. Let statistics be your friend. Score your practice sessions. Check out www.linxtracker.com for more help.

Using a programme like Linxtracker can only help you understand your weaknesses but it also allows you to be honest in your assessment of how you are doing. Using this information and discussing it with your golf pro will allow you to work on the areas of your game that are important, and also help you

• Improve your scores
• reach /surpass your goals
• enjoy your game more

Happy golfing

Golf swings and language

I have just spent the last four weeks at the amazing Taronja language school in Valencia learning Castellano, or Spanish as most people say.

What has this got to do with golf? I agree not much but it will help with my new life in Valencia. So why write this blog?

Well after 4 weeks of hard study with 3 different professors, and spending time with students from many parts of the world certain things became very apparent. The relationship between language and golf.

Most students at the school spoke English to a decent level. We had students from Korea, Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, Morocco, pretty much the world over. So let me now get to my point.
Every one sounded different when they spoke English but everyone understood each other.

Amazing!

Why?

Because their grammar was correct. Their fundamentals were sound and good. They all knew how to create an understandable sentence and where each word should be placed for it to be correct. They had got to speak good English by learning the most important thing is good grammar.

I believe the most important part of learning golf is understanding impact. For me the laws of impact are the same as the laws of grammar. Understand and get great at impact and the game of golf can be a fun and enjoyable one. Have a poor impact position or have no understanding of what it takes to achieve it, is fatal to good, enjoyable golf. Have poor grammar and what you say will almost certainly be unrecognizable.

Accents and how we sound are similar to golf swing shapes and styles. Many accents sound different in the same way many golf swings look different. Some people speak fast some slow. Some golfers swing with quick tempo’s some with slow ones. Accents don’t make language bad and an awkward golf swing style does not make a bad golfer.
Discover the truth to improving your golf game; understand what should be happening at impact. Understand what your impact tendencies are and what bad shots they create. And then work on fixes with your PGA golf instructor.

Gracias Golfers

golf is a target sport

We all know golf is a target sport! correct?

I find as a golf coach that the majority of club golfers understand the principle that golf is a target sport.
Sadly some golfers think that golf is a sport where you make a series of complicated swinging actions and you hit the ball, with no concious thought for the actual goals at hand, the target.

Having read a fantastic article by Neil Plimmer @ openmindgolf.wordpress.com on shot selection before club selection it got me thinking about many conversations I have had with pupils regarding specifying your target.



Look at the dartboard above. imagine preparing yourself to throw a dart at the bullseye. What are you be thinking about, what would be your specific target?
Hopefully its the bullseye, and not the dartboard

I am amazed at the idea's that golfers have, and the advice given to them as regards medium to long distance putting. I have heard "I am imagining putting up to dustbin lid" and even " a kids paddling pool sized circle" around the hole. Believing that putting to distances like these around the hole is benefical, to me this is wrong.

Do you think the best darts players like Phil Talor aim at the whole dartboard and hope they hit the bullseye? No way,if Phil Taylor wants to hit the bullseye he will aim for the bullseye

On the putting green you want to get the ball in the hole not in a circle around it. Golf is a target sport, and the ulitmate target is the hole So everytime you are attempting a putt do not think about finding an enlarged target aim for a specific target.

THE HOLE

learning and fun

As a golf coach my job is to help golfers of all abilities improve their golf games. That may mean on occasion improving a swing mechanics problem or it can be a simple as helping a player manage their way round a golf course better. Everything I do is based around one simple fact, my pupils come to me to help them lower their scores. To help my pupils improve i make sure they have a FUN learning experience. Having FUNwhile learning is paramount. I believe we all find learning and understanding more achievable while we are having FUN.
In practice there should always be a strong FUN and game element through out.Practice should never be repetetive swings at the same target. This is not golf. This is not FUN

routine

If you look at the best players in the world they all have good routines. These routines start at home on the practice range where they work with their coaches. At tournaments all players will prepare with range time and practice rounds and maybe some gym workouts.
Do you have routines at home or at work? Why? Generally we have routines to help us work more efficiently. Efficiency in golf means lower scores and more enjoyment.



Tigers famous chip in on the 16th at Augusta. Watch the video, admire the shot then watch it again. Look at the way Tiger first of all evaluates the shot at hand. All the time he is thinking about where the ball should be played too and how it will react when the ball is on the green. When he returns to the ball to prepare for the shot, he continues to visualise the shot at hand. He has 2 practice swings then he executes the shot. This routine is the same he takes on for all shots on the golf course.

Visualisation
Practice swing
Execution

I truly believe it does not take talent, ability or athleticism to be professional in your approach to, and routine in golf.
A simple routine
Begin your routine stood behind the ball looking down your intended ball to target line. In this position begin to visualise the shot you are trying to hit, no matter what your skill level is. From here you should also be picking out your intended target. It may be a tee shot to a fairway or a tee shot to a green. Pick a definitive target. Don’t just except hitting a fairway, visualise and attempt to hit the ball to a specific target.
Once you are happy with your target and you have got a clear idea in your mind of the shot you want to hit, have 2 practice swings. These swings are your only chance to obtain a feel for the shot at hand or to practice a technical thought you may have.
From here step up to the ball take your address position and have a further 2 looks at the target. While looking at the target I would suggest having a couple of waggles to reduce tension. Once you are happy with your preparation execute the shot.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

happy gilmore

Padraig harrington uses the happy gilmore swing for this main reason.

Using the happy gilmore swing it maintains a correct transfer of weight throughout his swing.
A problem that re-occours in Padraigs swing is his inability to load up his right leg in the backswing. This becomes very noticable when at the top of his swing his lead leg flexes forward more due to the weight being placed on it, as a consequence Padraig leans his spine towards the target slightly, what we call reverse spine angle. This type of reverse spine angle is commonly seen in golfers who try to use the stack and tilt method.
When Padraig gets into this poor reverse spine angle position, He has to compensate for this in his downswing. He tilts his spine angle back away form the target to give himself room to swing his hips torso , arms and club back to impact. This has the effect of shifting his weight in the opposite direction of the target. This is not good for power and speed.

If you have problems using longer irons or woods off the tee try having a go at the Happy Gilmore swing its fun and it really helps