Golf’s Unarguable Fundamental

July 15, 2015July 16, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Keeping my head still during my golf swing is by far the most important fundamental of hitting the ball well. I have tried all types of tips and tricks, but I always revert back to this basic tenant of a good golf swing.

To add to keeping my head still, I count to one silently before looking for the ball in the air. This little trick ensures my head stays steady and in the proper position throughout my entire swing. If I do not count to one, I generally it the ball off the heel of my club which sometimes results in something very bad!

Keeping your head still is key to great golf. I support it and recommended it! What are your thoughts on the matter?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Angle of Attack

June 9, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

The angle of attack in golf is a fuzzy subject for me. I understand it, but have never really been able to explain it very well. Mark Crossfield does a very good job in the video below.

This makes total sense to me. How about you? Is your angle of attack correct or do you need to adjust something? Let us know what you think!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Being Engaged in Golf

June 6, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 9 Comments

Scoring in golf is sometimes very challenging. A player can play well and score poorly. Conversely, a player can play poorly, but score well. Regardless of where you fit into this spectrum, being engaged in each shot is very important.

To explain what I mean, golf pro Darren Everett, from National Club Golfer, explains the importance of engaging with your target during all phases of your swing. Everett’s point of being engaged and focused on your target during your pre-swing routine, during contact, and after contact is a simple, yet extremely important lesson for all amateur and professional golfers alike.

Next time I am on the range or the course, I will engage the my target with intent. This important point will help me stay focused and should result in lower scores! We shall see tomorrow.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Golf Swing Transition

May 28, 2015May 28, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

Transition of the hips is one of the biggest faults in a golf swing. Most amateurs have a tendency to over rotate their hips and as a result, the club comes through on an outward-inward swing plane. This type of rotation generally creates that dreaded slice. In some cases, like myself, I generally pull the ball to the left side of the fairway.

My problem, other than having a bobble head, is in my hips. When swinging at the correct tempo my hips are in sync with the rest of my swing. However, if I swing too fast, thinking that I will hit the ball farther, my hips pop open and my right knee finishes pointing at the ball. This is a known fault of mine and I continually work on correcting it.

I also have difficulty explaining the proper hip / thigh process. So, I found this quick video from the National University Golf Academy. Ted Norby explains the proper process to follow to make consistent, solid contact every time.

Watching the video highlighted my challenge with my right knee. Now that I have a fix, I am off to the range.

What do you think? Is the hip / knee transition as important as Norby highlights?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

The Golfing Bobblehead

May 25, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 16 Comments

Keeping my head still through the entire swing!

Have you ever had that one challenge that would creep into your game for many unknown reasons? It is the bane of every golfer and when it sneaks into your game, it is hard to identify what this plague is doing to your swing. Well, I am here to confess that my earlier woes were caused by a reoccurring swing fault that creeps into my game from time to time.

I call it the bobblehead syndrome! Everyone once in a while my head is bouncing around like a bobblehead doll. It is forward of the ball, behind the ball, too high, too low or just out of alignment during contact. Yesterday, I realized that my current challenges were cause by my head moving during contact with the ball. I realized my issue on the second tee and through an epiphany, my game changed.

Suddenly, I was hitting most fairways or only missed the rest by a couple of yards. My contact was crisp, the swing consistent and my confidence grew. In 18 holes, I only had two poor tee shots and only walked away with a bogey. Overall, my 79 was pretty solid and I felt I could have easily shot lower.

I want to thank all those who provided positive advice and support. I will take those as areas of improvement as the year progresses. Having a strong resource, like The Grateful Golfer Community, helps improve my game and fuel my desire to improve. For that I am grateful. Thank you.

It has been about 1 month since the 2015 golfing season has started, so, how is your game coming? We all want to know!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!