BEN CRANE - PGA TOUR PRO

Recently Ben Crane has been putting the finishing touches to a series of Golf work out DVDs.

These are without doubt the future of golf. If you want to improve your self both physically and mentally you have to watch these.






I hope you enjoyed them.
All i can say is watch out MYTPI , Coach Noss, and all the other golf fitness experts ;)

Andy

GOLF SWING - SLOW MOTION SWINGS FROM TOUR

Two weeks ago I spent a few days at the CASTELLO MASTERS Tour event here in Valencia. I had the opportunity to get onto the practice ground and film some of the players swings in slow motion.

I just wanted to share some of my thoughts with you.



If you pause the video of Gonzalo Fernandez Castano at impact you will notice that his left arm is slightly bent at impact. This is very uncommon in elite players. Lee Westwood, Retief Goosen are other players that have the same impact position. One thing that is very important though is that the club shaft and left forearm are aligned. The bend is at the elbow not in the back of the wrist.

In the swing of Rhys Davies you will see that he has a glove tucked under his left armpit. This is a common drill that helps the player feel the connection between the upper left arm and the chest in the swing. He may be trying to make sure his left arm does lift any further than he wants through out the swing with this drill.



David Horsey has a very fundamentally sound swing. One thing to notice is the length of his arm swing. If you imagined a large clock face super imposed over his torso,his left arm would only swing to approximately 10.30. This length of swing allows him to be very consistent. He produces power from a good retention of the angle between his left arm and club shaft,during his downswing.

Jamie Donaldson has had his best year on tour in 2010. Notice how he retains the position of his hips during the back swing. He is able to rotate his shoulders over 90 degrees while maintaining limited hip turn. This is a great way of creating energy. This position highlights great mobility in his thoracic spine and hips.



Richard Bland was featured in a Q & A blog a few months ago has enjoyed his most successful year on tour to date. Richard has some classic two plane fundamentals. But I want to highlight his impact position. If you pause the swing at .30 seconds you will see how Richards left arm and shaft are aligned. There is a distinct angle between the shaft and back of right forearm. Post impact you will see a full release of the club, the toe is nicely pointing skyward. Once again classic 2 plane swing motion.

If you have any ideas on the swings you have seen or on my thoughts please post up in the comments section.

Andy

GOLF FITNESS

As a Titleist Performance Institute level 2 qualified golf fitnesss professional I found the latest interview on the TPI youtube page a great insight into the importance of being golf fit. Even though the interview in its main is about HIP issues, what Lance Gill and Dr. Thomas Byrd discuss in relation to prevention over rehabilitation is important for the whole body.

For four years I have been screening golfers to establish an understanding of how their body is effecting their golf swing. The screens can also highlight which swing technique could be the most suitable for the player. The physical screens encompass stability,mobility and balance.
If through the screening process I find an issue that could present it self as a swing fault or future injury, I am then able to prescribe a fitness programme for improvement or advise my player to seek advice from a medical professional to help.

When I first mention the idea of golf fitness to payers , the instant thought is one of running on a treadmill, stationary bikes, lifting weights etc . These are methods used in fitness but in the whole, the programmes from TPI are designed to be done at home or at the gym with minimal use of equipment.
Through the use of golf specific fitness programmes the player can improve the bodies mobility,stability and balance. Improving your golf fitness can have a huge effect on your chances of reaching your desired golfing goals

Additional distance
Improved ball striking
Less fatigue
Injury prevention
Swing change Sustainability

These are some of the areas that you can improve this winter if you start a golf fitness programme.

Visit www.mytpi.com to find your nearest golf fitness professional or contact me and I will endeavour to find you a professional who can help.

Andy

GOLF SWING - SWING LIKE TIGER WOODS

It still amazes me how many youtube video's on the golf swing claim to help the golfer 'swing like Tiger Woods' or 'build the perfect swing' These pages are getting hundreds of thousands of hits. From this evidence it must be fairy important to the viewers to try and improve their swing and make it look like a tour pro.

With the emergence of computer swing analysis software like GASP or V1 I think the focus of many golf professionals shifted slightly from making the player the best at scoring to the player with the swing that most matched a tour pro.
Most analysis systems allow a split screen mode where the player can be compared on screen to a tour player. I must admit to doing this on many occasions. My only rule to using the split screen was to try and use a tour pro of a similar height and build to my player having a lesson.

I ceased using the comparison mode of my GASP software a while ago, because I felt it had a detrimental effect on my players improvement. I had somehow fallen into the trap of showing the player that they had improved based around the similarities to tour professionals' swings.
What I really should have been doing was showing the player how their swing had changed from lesson to lesson, and highlighting how those changes had effected the ball flight.
I still use the tour player files on the GASP analysis system but only to highlight the different swing models and techniques there are at the highest levels of golf.

So please do not get sucked into the idea that you need to swing like TigerWoods or any other tour pro's. Watch the different styles and methods used.

Once you have got it into your mind that the secret to good golf is not just a good looking swing, you will be well on your way to improving.

Andy

ENLIGHTENING

Striking a good golf shot can be simplified by the analogy of striking a matchstick.
When striking a matchstick it is easiest when you have these 3 simple components.


1 Downward pressure.

2 Acceleration.

3 A forward leaning shaft.

If you do not have these 3 components you will find it hard to strike the matchstick.

Firstly if the shaft of the matchstick leans backwards or is vertical you will find it difficult to apply sufficient downward pressure to create enough friction for the match to light. Secondly it will prove very difficult to create enough acceleration.

If the shaft of a golf club at impact is backward leaning or vertical similarly you will not be able to create enough downward pressure. This downward pressure is transferred to the ball which in turn compresses. This compression is vital in maximising initial golf ball velocity. You will also find clubface control very difficult due to left wrist extension. Quality ball striking and thus distance control is almost impossible from these shaft positions.

Now if the matchstick leans forward downward pressure can be applied to cause enough friction to light the match, plus the far end of the match can be pulled at speed. And we have light.

Imagine your golf club is a giant matchstick.

1 Apply downward pressure by striking the ball with a descending clubhead.

2 Acceleration will come from the pivot of the body

3 The forward leaning shaft, make sure the hands reach the impact zone before the clubhead.

Just a thought.

Andy

CONTROL YOUR BREATHING

The Grand Slam of Golf has just finished in Bermuda with Ernie Els winning the 4 man event. The event is fairly unique in a number of ways. The most interesting for me is that the players have microphones on full time. So we as viewers could get to hear all the conversations between players and between caddies and players. This gave us a great insight into the workings of the player/caddie relationship.

Graeme McDowell was by far the most vocal of the 4. He allowed us to hear all his thoughts on club selection, line of putts etc. The most fascinating insight for me was his use of breathing control during putting. Once he had gone through his green reading and line up process, he would settle to swing the putter. Just prior to making his stroke he had an obvious long exhalation. It seemed he was emptying his lungs of all the air they held. Then he would swing the putter.
This exhalation is a similar technique used by expert marksmen in archery and shooting. The exhalation relaxes the shoulders and helps maintain stability in the torso and arms. Thus helping accuracy. He showed us perfect diaphragmatic breathing.

Try this little 2 part breathing exercise to help you understand the difference between chest and diaphragmatic breathing.

1 - Stand or sit in a relaxed position and place one of your hands on your chest. Now begin to take some short quick breaths, you will notice that your chest and shoulders rise and drop with each short sharp breath. This is not great for stability during putting plus it also enhances a state of anxiousness. This feeling and breathing pattern we sometimes get when scared or nervous. These two feelings are also common in golf.

2 - Place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach. Now breathe in through your nose keeping your lips closed. As you take your slow deep breathe your chest should remain still and your stomach should expand. Next exhale fully through your open mouth. Really try and feel like you are pulling your stomach in to help empty your lungs. You should very quickly feel more relaxed and less anxious than before. This is correct diaphragmatic breathing.

Being able to control your breathing on the golf course or at home will allow you to reduce anxiety and help you control nerves. Many golfers get nervous when having a good score or bad score. Many of us at work have moments of panic and anxiety when things may not be going well for us.

Many of the elite level golfers will rely on correct breathing techniques in times of pressure to help them maintain a good level of play.

Hopefully this little breathing exercise will help you at home, work and on the golf course.

Good luck

Andy