Playing It Different In Golf

September 5, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Hitting to the second green from 150 yards out!

Playing to win at golf is no-brainer. It is not a profound statement, but carries many “ah-ha” moments. Avid golf pundits suggest that course management, playing the ‘smart’ shot, or avoiding a hazard at all costs will lower your golf score. In some cases, the logic of playing it safe is a solid approach to golf, however it cannot be the default approach to play winning golf.

As always, when my friend and I get together we talk about our golf game. We talk about the recent changes to our swing, new techniques we discovered and how we play certain holes on our home course. We both find the conversation very interesting and sometimes very enlightening. Last night was one of those conversations where I experienced an “ah-ha” moment.

He described his double bogey on a short hole, just over 300 yards, at the Northwood Golf Club, Middlesex, UK. His shot off the tee only has to carry about 190 yards to clear a sand trap. He suggested that it is narrow past the trap and playing for position was the ‘smart play’. Never seeing the hole, I agreed that it seemed like a logical approach. He says that hitting a 5-iron off the tee puts him into a safe position and clears the traps without any real problem. Recently during a career round, he approached the 17th tee and started to think. After a ‘angel verses devil’ conversation in his head he took out his 6-iron. He wanted to flop the ball just over the traps to play it safe and to protect his score! Well as expected, the ball did not carry far enough and lodged itself just below the front lip of the sand trap! Five-strokes later he recorded a double-bogey!

This situation has happened to us all! Instead of riding the wave of success, we try to protect our score. This phenomenon is common in golf because most players count their score when playing well. As a result, our decision-making is impaired and more times than not the results are not what we expect. In my friend’s case, playing it different did not work to his advantage.

Another situation of interest during our conversation focused on greens in regulation or GIR. As stated before, I believe GIR is the most important statistic in golf. If a player has a high GIR percentage, they are likely to score very well.

Our discussion turned to playing a shot from 180 yards from the green. He said that often he will play a shot 160-170 yards up the middle of the fairway to make sure that he is in play. He would then rely on his short game to get up and down. Further inquiry gleaned that he uses this approach for two reasons: he is confident with the shorter iron and to protect from pushing his ball left or pulling right into trouble. He stated that this approach works for him and has helped lower his score in the long run.

Well his approach is definitely playing it different to what I would play. At 180 yards I would still recommend going for the center of the green if you can carry the ball that far. My friend unquestionably has the skill to do so and I would recommend that he start being more aggressive. It is possible that this change in tactic may not positively affect his score, but in the long run I believe it would be better for his game. A by-product to my approach is an improved GIR stat and given how well he putts, a lower score.

The interesting point about our conversation was that there are no right or wrong answers. Each golf shot should be played at the moment after taking in all the prevailing factors. There is little question that my friend’s approach works for him and has produced the results he looks for, however it is not the approach I would take. No matter how we look at golf, everyone has an opinion that suits their game and playing it different in golf is whats makes it fun!

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

How Wide Should Your Golf Stance Be?

August 31, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 24 Comments

How wide is your stance in golf? This is a great question for all golfers regardless of their skill level. This important question has rattled around in my head for about a month.

After analyzing my swing (for the first time on video), it was very clear that I had absolutely no lower body movement; I mean none. Additionally, this year I struggled with consistency off the tee, this dramatically increased my frustration while playing my favorite sport . When I mentioned this to my friend Kirk, he said that I have always swung the club this way! Needless to say, I was completely surprised! I maintained a 4 handicap for 10 years and this year it dropped to 2.8! I cannot seem to lower my handicap any further, mostly because of my limited distance and inconsistent play off the tee. Well, now I have my next project as I continue to strive towards being a scratch golfer.

While at the PGA Tour Canada Golf Clinic at Wildfire Invitational this past Wednesday, a young pro noticed my stance woes immediately. He recommended that I widen my stance about two inches with each foot! As I moved my feet out, it felt like I was doing the splits. However, after hitting about 20 balls on the range that day, my new stance started to feel more comfortable.

Curious about my new found knowledge, I started to research the proper distance and location of my feet in my stance. To my surprise, I found that everyone had an opinion and very few were exactly the same. So here is what I found that was consistent among most articles:

Everyone’s stance will adjust according to their physical stature. Being short, tall, stout, thin, or average will have a direct impact on the width of your stance.
The shoulder width rule (your feet shoulder width apart) is an okay guideline, but flexibility will definitely impact your foot position. The more flexible, the wider your stance.
“Basically, what you need to do is find neutral joint alignment. In other words, find where the center of your ankles, center of your knees, and center of your hips stack up over each other.”
“Consequently, the most efficient width of stance should be no wider than shoulder width for most full swing shots, including your driver. With this width you will more likely maintain a dominant rotary force. This will lead to greater club head speed and better dynamic stability.”

Here are a couple of videos that help explain the advantage of a proper stance and how to figure out what is best for you.

After widening my stance, I have suddenly found 10-20 yards off the tee. I am more consistent when hitting my driver just by moving my feet a couple of inches farther apart. Not to suggest this is an easy fix, I still have to hit the range to determine the exact position of my feet, where the ball should be placed in my stance for all my clubs, and build confidence to swing through the ball! I am excited about my new project and will keep you posted as things progress!

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

PGA Tour Canada Golf Clinic for the Canadian Armed Forces

August 29, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

Earlier this week, I had the honor of attending a golf clinic hosted by the PGA Tour Canada for the Canadian Military. Only a day before they were to compete, eight young golfing phenoms spent 1.5 hours sharing their considerable knowledge with Canadian soldiers. For the fifth time this year, the PGA Tour Canada hosted serving members to teach them how to putt, chip and drive a golf ball. It was a day to remember for most of us golfing enthusiasts!

The Wildfire Golf Club is currently hosting a PGA Tour Canada event. Prior to the start on Thursday, Devin Daniels, Wills Smith, Drew Evans, Steve Carney, Adam Cornelson, Greg Machtaler, Peter Campbell and Daniel McCarthy stopped preparing for their professional event to help golfing wannabees improve their game!

Our 1.5 hours was broken into three 30 minute segments. Each segment consisted of putting, iron play and driving. Two of the pros, Drew Evans and Peter Campbell shared their expertise on the putting green. The rest was spread throughout the driving range. The most exciting aspect of the entire event was the close and personal attention each pro gave the player.

I was fortunate to have Drew Evans provide some putting tips. As he watched me putt, he indicated that I had a very good putting stroke. He emphasized the importance of keeping my triangle while putting. When I asked about my view of following through twice as far as the back swing, he indicated that it was a good drill for mid to high handicap players, but for lower handicappers, a smoother even putting stroke is preferred. Lastly, he suggested that I move my hands out from my body about 2 inches to keep my shoulders, wrists and putter head in a straight line…man did that make a positive difference! Thanks Drew I appreciate the help. Here are some other tips by Drew and Peter.

My next station was the driving range. I started with my 7 iron and both Adam Cornelson and Steve Carney liked what I was doing. My follow through was excellent and my contact consistent. The only thing they suggested was that I slow my back swing down to produce a smoother tempo throughout the entire swing. This will have to happen at the range as changing my tempo with my 7 iron will be difficult. I was encouraged to hear that my 7 iron was in pretty good shape.

Moving on to my driver was a slightly different story. I hit my driver 240 yards straight, 7 times out of 10. Of course, being a golfing freak, I asked how to gain 20 more yards. Drew Evans looked at my swing and told me what I already knew…no power was generated from the lower part of my body. To date I have been unable to correct this problem. Drew suggested I widen my stance. At first it felt very uncomfortable, but the results were unmistakable. I immediately gained some distance on my driver with the same consistency.

After hitting about 20 drives, Devin Daniels approached me and suggested I should slow my back swing down. He noticed that when I was trying to hit the ball hard, everything sped up and became out of sync. Additionally, he reminded me that less is more. Something I have said over and over. Swinging at 80% strength is the key to have the ball go farther! Of course it worked and now I have two things to work on at the range.

The entire day was incredible. Everyone who attended the golf clinic was very impressed by the Wildfire Golf Club, the pros knowledge and infinite patience while answering questions and the PGA Tour Canada for continuing to host the Canadian Military! After talking to the PGA Tour Canada staff, I found out that there are opportunities to caddy next year and I think I am going to give it a go!

Thank you PGA Tour Canada for continuing to support the Canadian Armed Forces!

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

Breaking 100 Without Quick Fixes

August 26, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

Breaking 100 at anytime is generally the first milestone golfers try to achieve. There are many tips, drills and quick fix programs that guarantee to lower your score with little to no practice….or so they claim. Obviously, there are drills that work very quickly, but others are less effective in the short-haul because they are too advanced for the player.

In earlier articles, I have outlined different ways to break 100 and they are very valuable to any player who dedicates the time to improve. These articles are:

Each post deals with a specific area of the golf game that, if a player focuses their practice time, will gain the greatest results. I am sure you have figured it out by now…. your short game.

Putting 10000 times!

All players, regardless of skill level, have the ability to play better. Even Rory McIlrory will say he “left a couple” on the course after playing a great round of golf. This is nothing new and only reinforces a player’s desire to play better.

On the flip side, when a player does not play well, they generally focus on the area of weakness from that round. Most of the time, I would suggest, it is their short game. Off to the practice range they go with focused intent to putt and or chip until they regain their smooth stroke.

Focused practice is the real key to breaking 100. The rule of thumb is to attempt something about 10,000 times in order to perfect any skill. Golf is no different. The professional golfer will have practiced all skills more than 10,000 times and as a result earn a living from playing golf. As amateurs, it makes sense that success can be drawn from watching the élite and aping their actions.

To break 100, it is important to engage in focused practice. The process is very straight forward: Perform the stroke; Make a small adjustment if required; Repeat the stroke. When making an adjustment, make sure it is not something that completely changes your original stroke. Repeat 10,000 times. This slow process is the key to successfully mastering your short game.

Breaking 100 without quick fixes is the only real method to lower your score. Time, patience, and the desire to improve are the real keys to good golf! This may not be the answer you are looking for, but experience tells us that in golf ‘practice makes permanent‘.

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

Does Golf Need Saving?

August 14, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 9 Comments

There is much talk about how golf is slowly dying as fewer people take up the sport. Golf is a game that is time-consuming, requires practice, is difficult to master and can be expensive to play. It is difficult to dispute these facts, however, is the golf industry really dying or is it going through an economic adjustment?

CTV News reported that, “a new survey finds the overall number of rounds played has dropped by nearly 15 per cent since 2008 — a tough hit for a multi-billion-dollar industry.” One of the current difficulties is keeping “under 30” players playing! If we match the rising costs of everything from fuel, fertilizer, wages, and equipment to the economic downturn from 2008-2012, there is no wonder that people with very little disposable income are finding something else to do.

Rick Harrow of Fox Sports is suggesting a different story. The golf industry and the PGA are doing fine. The influx of money from the Fox TV deal and the growth of club professionals are macro indicators that things are not as doom and gloom as some might suggest. Have a look below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lglGuYlsUM

Does golf really need to adapt to survive? As a traditionalist, I suggest that some modifications to the game might be required, but not as to change the game dramatically. The “TEE IT FORWARD” initiative is a great example of modifying a round of golf without changing its integrity. However, even the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, thinks it is time to make changes to mainstream golf. See below.

Personally, I am not a fan of bigger golf holes, playing football on the golf course, or changing the basic premise of the game. However, I am already an avid golfer so my opinion is definitely biased!

Earlier I wrote an article for Punditarena.com called “Is Golf Imploding?” The landscape of golf is changing. New faces of golf are emerging everyday. I would suggest that golf is evolving instead of imploding. This multi-billion-dollar industry will make the economic adjustment required to survive and grow….it always does!

Do you think that golf needs saving?

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