The golf swing has many moving components. Regardless of what level of play you produce, there is always something that can be improved. During today’s discussion, I want to focus on our lead arm (in my case it is my left arm because I hit right handed clubs) and how it works during our golf swing. The mechanics of our lead are is very simple; it needs to rotate not pull during our golf swing. Pretty straight forward, right?
Continue readingTips
Knowing What You Know In Golf
Any player who has played a fair amount of golf understands that there are limitations to their golf game. This comes as no surprise, yet many (including myself years ago) do little to change this situation. I am not talking about conducting exhaustive research to fill our knowledge gaps, although that is always a good idea, but developing an understanding of what we can and cannot do with our golf clubs. This stage in our developmental process is often overlooked. Regardless, I have one sure fire tip that will help fix your woes and improve your overall game.
Continue readingPutting Tip On Grip
Any golfer who is serious about their game has taken the time to focus on their putting. I realize that I have talked about this stroke a fair bit lately, but is so important to lower golf scores. Additionally, all my practice at this moment is indoors, so putting is the easiest part of my game to improve. The reams of data available is overwhelming, however I found one simple, basic, repeatable tip that will help all golfers. The video is short and focuses on fundamentals, what a great way to start the new year!
Continue readingPutting Is The Great Equalizer
Putting is the great equalizer in golf. Approximately 40 to 50 percent of all strokes recorded are created through the flat stick. This might seem like a high number, but keep track of the number of putts in your next round and you will find that I very close. I know for my game, I hover around 45%. I always try to improve that number and shoot for an under 30 putts per round average. This goal is very hard to achieve, but it is a goal that I think is reachable. Having said all this, understanding your putting technique is very important to lowering your golf scores.
Continue readingThe Difference Between Chipping and Pitching
If you did not realize, there is a significant difference between chipping and pitching. These two dichotomous shots are important to have in your golf bag because it opens many options to the multitude of shots around the green. I do not have a preference because I have practiced both over the years, however I do subscribe to start the ball rolling as quickly as possible when hitting up and down shots. Regardless of your preference, each setup is unique and requires a different focus.
To discuss the differences between chipping and pitching, I found a video by Brad Faxon. It is simple to understand and outlines the differences between these two shots.
I like how the explanation does not focus on one shot type over the other. This is important because it is the lie of the ball, location of the pin on the green, course conditions and a plethora of other stressors that drives our decision on which shot to use. These two shots are the foundation of a good short game. They allow every golfer the opportunity to decide on what will be the best shot and club selection for any given situation.
I would note, both of these short game shots can be executed with any wedge in your bag. I carry four wedges and I am comfortable playing each shot with any of them. They all offer different options and I am grateful for that. Knowing how to properly chip or pitch a ball will lower your golf scores. As Faxon says, go practice and see what you can come up with in order to improve your short game.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 