Picking out the perfect target line is an art. Many, inexperienced golfers, think that aiming down the middle of the open sight line is the always the proper line. Experience tells me that this is rarely the case and a more discerning approach to selecting the perfect target line is required. I have learned this nugget for years of falsely believing that the fattest spot of my sight line was the safest. Boy, was I mistaken. Picking out the perfect target line is all about one thing and one thing only. Read on to find out!
Continue readinglower golf scores
Forgetting How To Hit Golf Shots
Have you ever played yourself into a situation where a unique golf shot was required. You have made this shot before, but for some reason your cannot recall how. This season I came across a couple of instances where I had to rethink my shot because I could not remember how to make the shot I want. I realize that this seems a bit on the crazy side, but my trouble shot was a rare one, but it was a shot I made in the past.
Continue readingMy Favourite Chip Shot
I have talked about chipping with my 7-iron many times in past posts. I often try to discuss what to do to make the magic happen, but may not have hit the nail on the head. That is until I found this video by Nick Faldo.
I have used this drill about hitting out to distance, but I never thought that hitting the ball backwards. It makes great sense and I will definitely be adding this drill to my list next spring. Until then, my search for great, simple and repeatable drills continues.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
Brad Faxon And Putting
Brad Faxon is a well respect professional golfer who has turned mentor and teacher. He offers advice in many areas and I have used his sage wisdom in previous posts. I happen to stumble across a short video on putting where Faxon offers a fundamental tenant that all golfers should follow. It should be the basis of your putting stroke and maintained as you build your unique style of putting. It is a great tip and needs to be watched by all golfers.
Continue readingDo Results Point to the Cause of a Poor Golf Swing?
Determining what happened during any golf swing is a challenge. Sometimes golfers, especially me on certain days, over analyze the tiniest mistakes and think that corrective action is required. Experience has taught me that waiting to see if this swing error persists over a round or two before trying to worry about making adjustments. If I do decide that something needs to be addressed, then I have to determine what is causing the problem before making any changes. This step is a bit more challenging because I find that the results do not always point the the cause of my swing woes. It really is a bit more complicated than it seems.
>!–more–>Any golf swing can be dissected into large, medium, small, and minute movements. The plethora of actions during any golf swing need to timed is such a manner as to produce a square club face on impact. Or at least the position required to produce the shot shape needed at that time. It really is a magical dance that has the potential for something to go wrong on every swing. Obviously, I cannot break down every movement because of the complexity of the interaction, but I do have a thought process that helps me narrow down my search and analysis.
The first thing I do is take a step back and look at the larger picture. Understanding the result of my consistent poor shots is is not always based in the where the ball finishes. Well, actually where the ball finishes is a big indicator, but not always. The point is that I think that it is important to look at the big picture of my poor results.
Next, I focus on my specifics. I watch to see what my divot looks like; I see if my ball is pulled or pushed consistently; Is my ball long or short of my target; how did my contact sound; how does my contact feel; or am I making the right course management decisions. There is a longer list of possibilities, but I think you get the point. There are many specifics that will give me a clue as too what the problems might be taking down my golf score.
So, the real question is do the results of poor results point to the cause of the golf swing? I would say probably. **Side note** I was going to stop writing my article right now, but I thought all the screaming at the monitors would be a bad thing 😉 ** I actually think that most amateurs should seek professional help to solve most of their swing woes. However, mature golfers, like Brian, Kevin, Lorne and BMc, understand their grooved swing enough to dissect swing woes without always seeking professional advice. We understand that consistent errors are caused by a plethora of possibilities. I think if you asked these sage players they would be able to tell you that results of their swings do indicated what the problems could be.
Results do help point out swing errors. The more experienced you are, the better opportunities you have to identify our swing errors. But until you are that level, seek professional help from your local golf pro.
I am grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 