Pete Robbins from White Dragon Golf passed on this great drill by Jim McLean. It ties in with yesterday’s post on making solid contact. As Jim McLean indicates, he is not the inventor of the drill, but explains how your hips sliding forward at the beginning of your golf swing leads to solid contact.
The Shaft Bump Drill is simple, easy to duplicate and gives immediate feedback. Check it out:
Unfortunately, I will not be able to hit the range or links for a few months, but if anyone has used this drill, we would all appreciate your thoughts.
Solid, consistent contact between the ball and the club face is paramount to great golf. I am always looking for new and innovative drills to share with The Grateful Golfer Community! Additionally, I think it is important that the drills are easy to duplicate and provide immediate feedback to the player.
At Golfshake.com, Steve Astle of the East Midlands Golf Academy talks though a drill that you can use on the practice ground to help you improve your ball striking. This drill improves the consistency of your ball striking making sure create a quality contact with the ball every time.
This is a great drill for me to use during my practice sessions in the spring of 2016. I have never used impact tape before and for the life of me cannot understand why! Before I rush out and buy some, have anyone of you used impact tape before? If so, are you pro or con?
There is an age-old dilemma in golf! It is on every players mind every time the stand next to their ball wondering which club to hit next. They are at 175 yards, hitting over water, with a wide open, yet tricky green to land on. The dilemma has arrived; play safe or go for it!
I asked this very question a short time ago, and was surprised by the response.
At 175 yards from the green, over water, what do you do?
81% of the respondents had enough confidence in their game that they felt going for it was the answer! Personally, I would go for it as well, but I would have to admit, I would not go for it every time. @cencalhack added a qualifier to his comments below and most golfers would agree that “going for it” depends on many factors.
Unless the lie/wind is horrible that is a go for distance every time https://t.co/TtcIYKHblq
Hitting a long shot over water is difficult at best. There are so many factors that must be considered, that I am not sure we amateurs actually consider them all! So, I thought I would make my list and see if I am forgetting something. If I am forgetting something, please let me know! Here is what I look at when hitting the ball 175 yards, over water, to an open, tricky green:
Lie. My lie will have to be relatively flat and in the first cut or fairway for my next shot to be an automatic go shot.
Wind. Which way is the wind blowing and how strong is the wind are definitely.
Hazards. The water hazard is the most obvious hazard, but what about the hazards by the green. What happens if I hit long, left or right? Are there out-of-bounds markers near the green?
Feel. How am I playing to this point? If I am playing poorly, well a lay up shot might be the best course management approach. If I am playing well, then pin hunting might be the solution.
My list is fairly generic, but covers most situations. Again, if you have any suggestions, I am all ears!
One final note, ego does play a part of golf. Some players (myself included sometimes) automatically reach for a club when we get to a specific distance or think “that difficult shot” is in our bag. Playing automatically is not good course management and will cost us strokes over 18 holes. So beware of that dreaded ego!
It is important to remember that risk – reward is part of every golf shot!
Regardless of your decision, commit to the shot because anything can happen on the golf course!
2016 is going to be an awesome golfing year! I am a grateful golfer!
2016 is going to be an awesome year! The first day of any new adventure brings the hope and confidence of something great to come! I am excited to renew my quests and to commence many new ones. 2016 will be a year of change; changes that I embrace and will meet will a positive, focused, and grateful attitude!
2016 is going to an awesome year! It is a year full of hope and endless possibilities. I believe that our destiny is in our own hands. We all have the ability to create the future we want. The only thing that stops us form achieving our goals is ourselves. Golf is but one avenue for us all to achieve greatness!
As 2016 unfolds, I am looking forward to all the exciting adventures coming my way. I am anxiously anticipating working through all the challenges, sharing positive experiences and hearing from The Grateful Golfer community!
The Grateful Golfer 