As we age, “DING Dong Hits” start to take over your game. We all wonder where these crazy mishits are coming from. They could be caused by physical injuries and reduced strength. So, its important to sort out what is causing your missed shots and make some minor changes in your swing to get your game back on track. The most critical areas to consider are your backswing, impact and finishing pose. You can exercise more to improve our strength, but mishits are your greatest concern as they are the primary reason for your higher scores. Focus on these areas: Setup Using a lighter grip to relax yo ..read more

You should be able to save more strokes when you have a higher lofted iron or putter in your hands. So why is it that you can’t hit it close for a 1-putt every time you are near the green? Of course, you need to read the green before every approach stroke, but you need to use the right club and practice to make more 1-putt greens. We have all heard that it is better to putt when you are near the green but in most cases, this is hogwash. Why not make a putting-chip? 1/ On any given round of golf you have hit many putts, and you know the speed of the green. Your mind is tuned in to that speed fo ..read more

The concept used in the movie, Money Ball, should be applied to your golf game. In that movie, Brad Pitt used a new set of statistics for baseball by counting a walk as equivalent to a single. Getting a runner on base is the only way to score runs. It’s the same in golf. Getting your ball in play or on the green is the best way to minimize bogeys or to get pars or birdies. DECADE GOLF is a course-management system, founded by Scott Fawcett, which uses a statistical approach to course management to lower your scores. He offered Tiger Woods’ personal rules to for scoring. Par-5s are prime scori ..read more

It really sounds like an impossible task to swing in an arc to hit a ball straight at a target. Of course, that’s what you are trying to do with every golf swing. It’s the real reason why we have so many problems trying to hit our ball at a target. The Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, used VISUALIZATION to hit his targets. He was making an imprint of his visualized shot on his brain. That memory controlled his swing direction and club face direction to create amazing shots. I suspect that it takes years of practice to achieve his skill level. Understand the Science of Your Golf Swing Your driver is ..read more

Wouldn’t you like to know why you are topping shots and hitting worm burners? It really is frustrating when you know that you need to clear a pond in preparation for a perfect third shot to the green. That’s when we rush our swing and dump our ball into the pond. Thankfully, Danny Maude described the cause and fix in a recent blog. YOUR MISTAKE: To make a mishit and top your ball, you must be swinging up and through the top side of your ball. The only way to do this is by shifting your weight to your trailing foot in your backswing and rush your downswing before you shift your weight back to y ..read more

If you don’t hear that whoosh of your club as it impacts your ball, you are loosing 25% of your club head’s release speed. Of course, that also means that you are losing power and distance. Most golfers, including myself, are afraid to whip their club through the impact zone as they may lose direction control. When you follow the simple steps in this blog you will be amazed at how simple it is to gain control and power for every club in your bag. 1/ Straight Leading Arm: Ideally you need to keep your leading arm straight during your backswing and your downswing to maintain the consistent dista ..read more

There has been a recent spat of blogs about improving our golf swing with extreme freedom in almost every part of your body. I noticed that a professional golf trainer, Erika Larkin, was exaggerating statements to get your attention so that you will recall the critical importance of her instruction. I have to admit that we can learn from her instruction, so I used this no brainer to get your attention. “No legs”: In this example she referenced a WW1 veteran who had lost a leg and became an exceptionally good golfer. KEY POINT: The arc of his swing always hit the lowest point directly off his s ..read more

Your driver is the only club that you need to depend on for maximum distance. Hitting closer to the green on your drives will give you a better chance for more one putt greens. You should be taking advantage with your teed up ball forward in your stance to launch it for more distance. A new high-tech driver may help but you should improve your impact and power before you spend more cash on another driver. Impact on the Center of Your Driver Face: Jack Nicklaus said that playing your shot is 50% mental and 40% setup. The easiest way to increase your driver distance is to impact your ball at the ..read more

Are you confusing your driver swing with your iron swing? As I watched Nick Taylor come from behind to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open, I noticed that his head seemed to stay in the exact same position from setup to impact. He never rushed his setup, and his body was just rotating (not swaying). Of course, the TV cameras were focused on his drives and hitting a drive is totally different than hitting an iron shot. That may be the solution for YOUR game too. Don’t be confused between a teed up driver swing and all other club swings which are off the deck. There are so many products, promo ..read more

The pros never fear a sand trap and you need the same confidence as they do.  You just need a technique that will guarantee that you can get out of a deep sand trap.  Too many golfers panic and sway back in their stance as they prepare for a killer swing to get out of any bunker.  Too often they top the ball or hit deep into the sand and then prepare for their next shot out of the same trap.  Sound like you? There really are 3 types of sand traps.  1/ Fairway Traps with a long flat bottom and a low lip can be played with any iron, hybrid or fairway wood as long as you ..read more