PGA instructor Caleb Olsen teaches both uphill and downhill pitch shots in this video, but it's the downhiller that I'm interested in today. And you'll note something interesting...
Although Caleb says his downhill shoulder is lower than his uphill shoulder (that's his trailing shoulder -- left shoulder for a rightie, right shoulder for a leftie), that isn't what happens at all in this video! Caleb's downhill shoulder is clearly higher, and it's easy to see why.
To get his downhill shoulder lower, he has to lean downhill. That's a very unstable position, from which he'll have trouble making solid impact. But in this position he FEELS like he's raising his trailing shoulder; he's just not raising it as much as it feels to him.
That's why his shoulder turn is so important. Caleb is making a very shallow -- very flat -- backswing. He does bend his trailing elbow a little, but he lets his shoulders do most of the work. That lets him swing his club along the slope even though he isn't leaning forward. On a full shot, this would be a problem because he would have trouble getting any distance at all; this is a very short swing.
But this is a pitch, so he doesn't need a long swing. A short swing with very little hand and arm action gives him a very stable swing, making it much easier to make solid contact.
This is definitely something you need to practice, mainly to convince yourself how little effort you need if you do the swing properly. But it will pay dividends once you find yourself in this position.
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
The Stuff That Happened Monday
I didn't plan on this post but we had quite a bit of news Monday so... here goes.
First off, the European Tour announced their 2019 schedule, which has changed quite a bit due to the PGA Championship moving to May. That put it opposite the BMW PGA, which is the ET flagship event. And changing that set off a whole string of changes.
The European Tour looks pretty healthy to me. There are 47 events and the events have been shuffled to make the end of their season very strong, just when the PGA Tour will be starting their new season. Remember, the PGA Tour wants to end early in order to avoid competing with the NFL and college football.
To me, this is brilliant scheduling. This is going to give the ET about three months of high-powered tournaments when the PGA Tour is focused on getting the new Web.com Tour grads playing. Especially for the guys who want to play both tours, this could be a dream come true.
If you want more details about the changes, this post by Will Gray over at golfchannel.com will give you the highlights of the schedule changes.
The other news concerns the individual part of the competition at the East Lake Cup, where the college teams jockeyed for seeding. Albane Valenzuela won the women's title and helped nab top seed for herArizona Stanford Cardinals. And while Oklahoma State’s Viktor Hovland managed to grab the men's individual title, it wasn't enough to stop the Duke Blue Devils from snagging the top seed among the men's teams.
And before you ask, Duke is a team from North Carolina so, yes, I'm very happy about that.
The team portion of the event begins today and finishes tomorrow. GC will cover it, of course -- the pregame show at 2pm ET and the "official" coverage at 3pm ET.
First off, the European Tour announced their 2019 schedule, which has changed quite a bit due to the PGA Championship moving to May. That put it opposite the BMW PGA, which is the ET flagship event. And changing that set off a whole string of changes.
The European Tour looks pretty healthy to me. There are 47 events and the events have been shuffled to make the end of their season very strong, just when the PGA Tour will be starting their new season. Remember, the PGA Tour wants to end early in order to avoid competing with the NFL and college football.
To me, this is brilliant scheduling. This is going to give the ET about three months of high-powered tournaments when the PGA Tour is focused on getting the new Web.com Tour grads playing. Especially for the guys who want to play both tours, this could be a dream come true.
If you want more details about the changes, this post by Will Gray over at golfchannel.com will give you the highlights of the schedule changes.
The other news concerns the individual part of the competition at the East Lake Cup, where the college teams jockeyed for seeding. Albane Valenzuela won the women's title and helped nab top seed for her
And before you ask, Duke is a team from North Carolina so, yes, I'm very happy about that.
The team portion of the event begins today and finishes tomorrow. GC will cover it, of course -- the pregame show at 2pm ET and the "official" coverage at 3pm ET.
Monday, October 29, 2018
The Limerick Summary: 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions
Winner: Xander Schauffele
Around the wider world of golf: Nelly Korda picked up her first LPGA win at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship; Scott Parel won the Invesco QQQ Championship, the second of the Champions Tour playoff events; Khalin Joshi won the Panasonic Open India on the Asian Tour; and Cameron Champ got his first PGA Tour win at the Sanderson Farms Championship, the alternate event on the PGA Tour.
Everybody talks about how far Xander Schauffele hits a golf ball, how he's up there with DJ and Rory and Brooks, etc. But it seems to me that Xander won his first WGC event because he managed his game better than anybody else and made a bunch of putts.
Especially on those last two holes that tortured the field all week. I don't know who had the fewest strokes on 17 and 18 for the week, but Xander was 5-under for the regular rounds and 1-under in the playoff. By comparison, defending champion Justin Rose was 4-over for the week while Tony Finau was also 5-under on the regular rounds... and more importantly, only even in the playoff.
I do know that Xander's 68 was the best round of the day on Sunday, enough to track down Tony's three-shot lead and force the playoff. As crucial as the final two holes were, it was Xander's game management on the tough Sheshan course that got him the win.
As I recall, Xander got passed over for the Ryder Cup team this past time. I passed over him as well, feeling that Tony was in better form. But I don't think Xander will have to worry about making teams in the future -- at least, not if he keeps playing like this. With three PGA Tour wins in less than 18 months -- two of them big titles (a Tour Championship and a WGC) -- plus three Top6s in only seven major appearances, Xander is going to be getting a lot of attention going forward.
And of course, he gets all the Limerick Summary attention this week.
Around the wider world of golf: Nelly Korda picked up her first LPGA win at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship; Scott Parel won the Invesco QQQ Championship, the second of the Champions Tour playoff events; Khalin Joshi won the Panasonic Open India on the Asian Tour; and Cameron Champ got his first PGA Tour win at the Sanderson Farms Championship, the alternate event on the PGA Tour.
Everybody talks about how far Xander Schauffele hits a golf ball, how he's up there with DJ and Rory and Brooks, etc. But it seems to me that Xander won his first WGC event because he managed his game better than anybody else and made a bunch of putts.
Especially on those last two holes that tortured the field all week. I don't know who had the fewest strokes on 17 and 18 for the week, but Xander was 5-under for the regular rounds and 1-under in the playoff. By comparison, defending champion Justin Rose was 4-over for the week while Tony Finau was also 5-under on the regular rounds... and more importantly, only even in the playoff.
I do know that Xander's 68 was the best round of the day on Sunday, enough to track down Tony's three-shot lead and force the playoff. As crucial as the final two holes were, it was Xander's game management on the tough Sheshan course that got him the win.
As I recall, Xander got passed over for the Ryder Cup team this past time. I passed over him as well, feeling that Tony was in better form. But I don't think Xander will have to worry about making teams in the future -- at least, not if he keeps playing like this. With three PGA Tour wins in less than 18 months -- two of them big titles (a Tour Championship and a WGC) -- plus three Top6s in only seven major appearances, Xander is going to be getting a lot of attention going forward.
And of course, he gets all the Limerick Summary attention this week.
The final two holes in each roundThe photo came from the front page at europeantour.com.
Seemed destined to drag the field down.
Not Xander, of course,
Who felt zero remorse
As he scored while the others’ hopes drowned.
Sunday, October 28, 2018
A Tony Finau Power Drill (Video)
In this short video Tony's coach Boyd Summerhays shows us one of Tony's power drills.
Hitting an impact bag like this is a common impact drill. (When Carl Rabito taught me the basics, an impact drill like this was one of the drills he had me do.) You don't have to buy a bag, btw -- you can take a drawstring bag and stuff it full of old towels and rags. You'll get the same result.
Anyway, the purpose of this drill is to teach you how to use your arms and body together. When a player's body gets ahead of their arms, they often say they've "gotten stuck," and when their arms get ahead of their body, they "flip" their hands. In a properly sequenced swing, the hands stay pretty much centered in front of the chest from halfway in the downswing to halfway into the finish.
You don't have to swing as hard as you can. Just make a smooth swing, and try to carry most of the clubhead speed you created just before you hit the bag into the finish. (That bag's gonna be heavier than you expect, and it will try to stop you. Just look at how much it slows Tony down!) Obviously the bag is going to stop your swing, but you're trying to keep going.
Don't reverse pivot when you do this drill. Try to feel as if you're hitting through the bag, not bouncing off it!
LIke I said, this is a common drill but, in this high-tech age, sometimes we need to be reminded that older drills are still effective. Tony's bag drill is an excellent example of this truth.
Hitting an impact bag like this is a common impact drill. (When Carl Rabito taught me the basics, an impact drill like this was one of the drills he had me do.) You don't have to buy a bag, btw -- you can take a drawstring bag and stuff it full of old towels and rags. You'll get the same result.
Anyway, the purpose of this drill is to teach you how to use your arms and body together. When a player's body gets ahead of their arms, they often say they've "gotten stuck," and when their arms get ahead of their body, they "flip" their hands. In a properly sequenced swing, the hands stay pretty much centered in front of the chest from halfway in the downswing to halfway into the finish.
You don't have to swing as hard as you can. Just make a smooth swing, and try to carry most of the clubhead speed you created just before you hit the bag into the finish. (That bag's gonna be heavier than you expect, and it will try to stop you. Just look at how much it slows Tony down!) Obviously the bag is going to stop your swing, but you're trying to keep going.
Don't reverse pivot when you do this drill. Try to feel as if you're hitting through the bag, not bouncing off it!
LIke I said, this is a common drill but, in this high-tech age, sometimes we need to be reminded that older drills are still effective. Tony's bag drill is an excellent example of this truth.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Ray Floyd's 10 Rules
The September 2009 issue of Golf Digest included an article called Ten Rules for Becoming a Chipping Virtuoso by Raymond Floyd. Those of you who follow my blog know I'm a big fan of Raymond's approach to strategy, so I thought I'd pass on his chipping tips list as well.
His rules are pretty simple though you might not come across them very frequently. I've added a few comments to make sure you understand what he has in mind.
His rules are pretty simple though you might not come across them very frequently. I've added a few comments to make sure you understand what he has in mind.
- Find your own way.
Simply put, Ray says everybody has to learn how they chip best. All the best chippers were ultimately self-taught, because the "right" way to chip doesn't fit everybody. - Get your stare on.
Ray says his stare happened when he got lost in the moment and let his imagination take over. He stopped thinking technique and began to see the shots in his mind. - Underreach at address.
Don't stretch your arms out so they're overextended. If you do, your actual swing will mis-hit the ball. - The butt of the club never moves back.
You may want the butt of the club behind the ball on certain sand shots, but not when you chip. If the back of your lead hand faces the sky at impact, you'll mis-hit the chip. - Experience a light-bulb moment.
Anybody can tell you that you need to practice your short game. But until you have that moment of recognition that YOU need to practice, you won't become as good as you can be. - Get the ball rolling quickly.
The higher you fly the ball, the harder it hits the ground and can bounce off-line. Keeping the ball low so it rolls more helps the ball track toward the hole better. - Know when to take the flag out.
If you have a good lie, regardless of whether you're in the rough or not, take the flag out. At least, that's what Raymond did. - Become a great mudder.
The ball behaves differently when the weather's nasty so practice chipping in wet weather. Most players never do. - Learn the "rut-iron"chip.
This is the chip shot where you stand closer to the ball, tilt the clubhead up on the toe and open the face a bit. Use it when you chip from the rough. The grass is less likely to grab the club and twist the face. - Save your back -- hit five at a time.
Move to a new chipping spot after every five balls, so you have to straighten up and move around. Your back will thank you!
Friday, October 26, 2018
A Quick Check-In at Taiwan
Let's take a quick peek-in at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship. The live coverage is being carried live on GC's online rather than TV (the WGC has that slot). GC is just showing repeats of the LPGA event later on the following day.
As usual, Tony Jesselli has a preview over at his blog. This is a limited field event and a number of top players are skipping it, as this is the fourth event in a seven-week stretch that spans the globe and ends at the CME Group Tour Championship. That makes this a good opportunity for other players to make up ground or simply try to get a victory.
And Jodi Ewart Shadoff is doing just that. After a seven-under 65 on the first day, she is (at the time I'm writing this) eight-under for the tournament after six holes (just one-under for the day). She's just two shots ahead of Lydia Ko and Wei-Ling Hsu. Three shots back is a group of six -- Ryann O'Toole, Ally MacDonald, Mirim Lee, Moriya Jutanugarn, Megan Khang and So Yeon Ryu.
I currently have the streaming video from GC on and, while the weather looks good, it appears the players are struggling a bit to read the greens properly. The best score I've seen so far is Lydia's -- she's five-under for the day -- but nobody is going particularly low early in their rounds.
Still, this looks to be a very competitive tournament going into the weekend. The leaderboard is tightening up and with only 81 players in the field, we could see someone get their first win this weekend.
As usual, Tony Jesselli has a preview over at his blog. This is a limited field event and a number of top players are skipping it, as this is the fourth event in a seven-week stretch that spans the globe and ends at the CME Group Tour Championship. That makes this a good opportunity for other players to make up ground or simply try to get a victory.
And Jodi Ewart Shadoff is doing just that. After a seven-under 65 on the first day, she is (at the time I'm writing this) eight-under for the tournament after six holes (just one-under for the day). She's just two shots ahead of Lydia Ko and Wei-Ling Hsu. Three shots back is a group of six -- Ryann O'Toole, Ally MacDonald, Mirim Lee, Moriya Jutanugarn, Megan Khang and So Yeon Ryu.
I currently have the streaming video from GC on and, while the weather looks good, it appears the players are struggling a bit to read the greens properly. The best score I've seen so far is Lydia's -- she's five-under for the day -- but nobody is going particularly low early in their rounds.
Still, this looks to be a very competitive tournament going into the weekend. The leaderboard is tightening up and with only 81 players in the field, we could see someone get their first win this weekend.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Danielle Kang's Exorcist
Earlier this week Danielle Kang told the Morning Drive crew that she had "demons or whatever you call them." (That's not an exact quote but it was something like that.) She said her big battle was with the six inches between her ears.
Randall Mell has written an interesting article about Danielle's new "exorcist." You may have heard of him -- Butch Harmon.
Danielle got her second win after only a month working with Butch. Dustin Johnson has been trying to get her to go to him for FOUR YEARS, and she finally got desperate enough to call him.
It looks like it might have been a good choice.
The article is an interesting look at the dynamics of their work together. I just thought you guys might find it to be a entertaining read. After all, how many players do you think Butch would say this about?
Yes, an interesting read, to be sure.
Randall Mell has written an interesting article about Danielle's new "exorcist." You may have heard of him -- Butch Harmon.
Danielle got her second win after only a month working with Butch. Dustin Johnson has been trying to get her to go to him for FOUR YEARS, and she finally got desperate enough to call him.
It looks like it might have been a good choice.
The article is an interesting look at the dynamics of their work together. I just thought you guys might find it to be a entertaining read. After all, how many players do you think Butch would say this about?
“I think she should be a top-five player in the world. She should win two, three, four times a year. She wants to be the best, and she can be. She has a tremendous upside.”Of course, he also says she drops more F-bombs than he does... and that he kinda likes that.
Yes, an interesting read, to be sure.
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
My "5 to Watch" at the WGC-China
Here we go again! It's already time for my first "5 to Watch" of the new wraparound season, for the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
Last year Justin Rose came from eight shots back to win after Dustin Johnson had an unbelievably bad final round to lose a six-shot lead. And so the questions surround DJ as he enters the week, especially after Brooks Koepka bumped him from the OWGR #1 spot last week.
When picking my "5 to Watch" this week, I found myself wondering just how important power and distance really is at Sheshan International. The event has been a WGC for nine years, with only the 2012 version being played elsewhere (Mission Hills, if you must know, and won by Ian Poulter), and only three Americans have won there:
So let's see what kind of luck I can have picking this event...
And we'll get to see how it all plays out starting tonight, starting at 10pm ET on GC. (Expect some pregame coverage starting at 9:30pm though.)
Last year Justin Rose came from eight shots back to win after Dustin Johnson had an unbelievably bad final round to lose a six-shot lead. And so the questions surround DJ as he enters the week, especially after Brooks Koepka bumped him from the OWGR #1 spot last week.
When picking my "5 to Watch" this week, I found myself wondering just how important power and distance really is at Sheshan International. The event has been a WGC for nine years, with only the 2012 version being played elsewhere (Mission Hills, if you must know, and won by Ian Poulter), and only three Americans have won there:
- Bubba Watson (2014)
- Dustin Johnson (2013)
- Phil Mickelson (2009 -- he also won in 2007 before it became a WGC)
So let's see what kind of luck I can have picking this event...
- Brooks Koepka would seem to be the best bet among the power players. Given his play this year, it's hard to bet against him. His position as World #1 is still a bit shaky -- he could lose it this week -- so we'll see if he can respond to pressure yet again.
- Likewise, it's hard to go against Justin Rose. The defending champion has played consistent if less-than-spectacular golf this year, posting four worldwide wins. (He's been #3 in my own Ruthless Golf World Rankings for a while now.) And unlike Koepka, he has a win here already, so he's a proven quantity.
- Many of you won't remember, but Francesco Molinari won this event in 2010. I know that's quite a while back, but Francesco isn't the same player he's been over the last few years. Coming off his Open victory, his game is clearly in good enough shape to take this title again. And again, he -- like Rose -- is a proven quantity.
- This is Jon Rahm's first time in action since the Ryder Cup. And with only one appearance at this event -- a T36 last year -- the Wild Child may not be one of the first names you'd expect to play well here. But I believe the so-called "Ryder Cup bump" may propel him to something special this week.
- And my flier is... Eddie Pepperell. This is his first WGC, period. But he's 7th in the Race to Dubai and has been playing out of his mind this season, with two runner-ups and a win at a little event called the British Masters. There's something to be said for form over experience, and Eddie might very well prove how true that is.
And we'll get to see how it all plays out starting tonight, starting at 10pm ET on GC. (Expect some pregame coverage starting at 9:30pm though.)
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Those Other Two Weekend Stories
There were two stories I didn't get to mention Monday, so let's get you up-to-date in case you missed them.
First of all, the Andalucía Valderrama Masters finished up on Monday. It was weather-delayed -- no rain, just lightning problems -- and shortened to 54 holes. But that didn't stop Sergio from taking the event by a fairly dominant margin of four strokes. The back-to-back win not only defended his title but made this his third win at the event.
While the shortened event is still an official finish, it doesn't carry the full effect it would have had as a 72-hole event. Both the purse and the Race to Dubai points were reduced -- I believe players only received something like 75% of the totals. Still. that moves players up in the rankings... and money's always a good thing to get!
The other bit of news concerns Paul Azinger being named as Johnny Miller's successor at NBC. The new lead golf analyst spent an hour on Morning Drive -- just to get broken in a bit, you know. Here's a segment of Zinger's morning appearance:
Miller is scheduled to end his long broadcast run at the Phoenix Open while Zinger will make his first appearance at the WGC-Mexico Championship in February. And GC's announcement included this interesting bit of info:
So now you're caught up on what happened this weekend -- besides Brooks Koepka reminding people who he is, of course.
First of all, the Andalucía Valderrama Masters finished up on Monday. It was weather-delayed -- no rain, just lightning problems -- and shortened to 54 holes. But that didn't stop Sergio from taking the event by a fairly dominant margin of four strokes. The back-to-back win not only defended his title but made this his third win at the event.
While the shortened event is still an official finish, it doesn't carry the full effect it would have had as a 72-hole event. Both the purse and the Race to Dubai points were reduced -- I believe players only received something like 75% of the totals. Still. that moves players up in the rankings... and money's always a good thing to get!
The other bit of news concerns Paul Azinger being named as Johnny Miller's successor at NBC. The new lead golf analyst spent an hour on Morning Drive -- just to get broken in a bit, you know. Here's a segment of Zinger's morning appearance:
Miller is scheduled to end his long broadcast run at the Phoenix Open while Zinger will make his first appearance at the WGC-Mexico Championship in February. And GC's announcement included this interesting bit of info:
In addition to offering his views from some of the biggest events of the year, Azinger will also contribute to various instructional, documentary and news platforms on Golf Channel. He will retain his current roles broadcasting the Masters for the BBC and the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open for Fox Sports.It appears that Zinger is going to be very busy for a while. And us Zinger fans will get to see him in a variety of roles going forward. I'm especially pleased that he'll be contributing more instructional material because he has a proven ability to explain things clearly.
So now you're caught up on what happened this weekend -- besides Brooks Koepka reminding people who he is, of course.
Monday, October 22, 2018
The Limerick Summary: 2018 CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges
Winner: Brooks Koepka
Around the wider world of golf: Danielle Kang beat seven runner-ups to claim her second LPGA victory at the Buick LPGA Shanghai; Woody Austin won the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, the first of the Champions Tour playoff events; Harry Higgs won the Diners Club Peru Open on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica; and Becky Morgan won her first LET title at the Hero Women’s Indian Open. The ET's weather-delayed Andalucía Valderrama Masters finishes up today.
Now the boys on Tour should be starting to get a bit worried...
Brooks was out for a few months early in the year. Then all he did was win two majors and the Player of the Year trophy. And now he's added another worldwide win to his total and move to Number One in the OWGR, shoving his old buddy Dustin Johnson out of the way in the process.
Do you think he feels a bit underappreciated?
Seriously -- was this tournament ever really in doubt after the third round? I know Gary Woodland made a big run at Brooks, actually tying the lead for a while. But Brooks shot a 29 on the way in -- a 29, folks! Nobody was going to stay with him at that point.
So now the analysts will begin their attempts to predict what he might do going forward. Without a doubt, this has been a banner year for Brooks. I already had him in the top spot on my RGWR. In my opinion, the OWGR is a bit behind. But we've seen players rack up great years, only to stumble a bit from fatigue or whatever and not be able to get back to that high level again -- at least, not for a while.
I don't know if Brooks will have that problem. He says that he isn't going to change anything -- and that's good, but I don't think change can be prevented. Even though he won't try to change his game, change is the rule in this life and he's going to have to juggle his own expectations as he moves forward. That alone will give him all he can handle in his attempts to keep it all going.
Still, I wouldn't want to bet against him. I'd much rather be at the height Brooks has reached and try to stay there than to try and fight my way up from underneath. And I don't envy those players trying to take him down a notch, given the beating he's laid on them this season! So I'll just give him yet another Limerick Summary, sit back and watch the fireworks going forward... because I'm sure there will be plenty!
Around the wider world of golf: Danielle Kang beat seven runner-ups to claim her second LPGA victory at the Buick LPGA Shanghai; Woody Austin won the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, the first of the Champions Tour playoff events; Harry Higgs won the Diners Club Peru Open on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica; and Becky Morgan won her first LET title at the Hero Women’s Indian Open. The ET's weather-delayed Andalucía Valderrama Masters finishes up today.
Now the boys on Tour should be starting to get a bit worried...
Brooks was out for a few months early in the year. Then all he did was win two majors and the Player of the Year trophy. And now he's added another worldwide win to his total and move to Number One in the OWGR, shoving his old buddy Dustin Johnson out of the way in the process.
Do you think he feels a bit underappreciated?
Seriously -- was this tournament ever really in doubt after the third round? I know Gary Woodland made a big run at Brooks, actually tying the lead for a while. But Brooks shot a 29 on the way in -- a 29, folks! Nobody was going to stay with him at that point.
So now the analysts will begin their attempts to predict what he might do going forward. Without a doubt, this has been a banner year for Brooks. I already had him in the top spot on my RGWR. In my opinion, the OWGR is a bit behind. But we've seen players rack up great years, only to stumble a bit from fatigue or whatever and not be able to get back to that high level again -- at least, not for a while.
I don't know if Brooks will have that problem. He says that he isn't going to change anything -- and that's good, but I don't think change can be prevented. Even though he won't try to change his game, change is the rule in this life and he's going to have to juggle his own expectations as he moves forward. That alone will give him all he can handle in his attempts to keep it all going.
Still, I wouldn't want to bet against him. I'd much rather be at the height Brooks has reached and try to stay there than to try and fight my way up from underneath. And I don't envy those players trying to take him down a notch, given the beating he's laid on them this season! So I'll just give him yet another Limerick Summary, sit back and watch the fireworks going forward... because I'm sure there will be plenty!
Two majors this year weren’t enoughThe photo came from this page at golfweek.com.
So Brooks showed the whole world how tough
He can be. No beginner—
The POY winner’s
Now World Number One. He’s hot stuff!
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Zack Lambeck's Putting Game (Video)
GOLFTEC's Zack Lambeck demonstrates a putting game to help you make more breaking putts.
The game is simple enough. You find a putt that breaks noticeably, set a line of golf balls out to the side of the hole -- five balls, three feet apart -- then put a tee in the ground just inside the low side of the cup. Your goal is to hit putts that, if they miss the hole, they miss on the high side and not on the low side.
The scoring is equally simple:
Game drills are always more fun than simple repetition drills. And one thing I like about this one is that tee in front of the hole, which I think makes it easier to aim because it gives you a clear indication of where the edge of the hole is. Given that you don't have to buy any new equipment to use this practice rig, I think it's worth a try.
The game is simple enough. You find a putt that breaks noticeably, set a line of golf balls out to the side of the hole -- five balls, three feet apart -- then put a tee in the ground just inside the low side of the cup. Your goal is to hit putts that, if they miss the hole, they miss on the high side and not on the low side.
The scoring is equally simple:
- A made putt = 3 points
- A miss on the high side = 1 point
- A miss on the low side resets your score to 0
- Winning total is 15 points
Game drills are always more fun than simple repetition drills. And one thing I like about this one is that tee in front of the hole, which I think makes it easier to aim because it gives you a clear indication of where the edge of the hole is. Given that you don't have to buy any new equipment to use this practice rig, I think it's worth a try.
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Wally Armstrong's Drill for Better Shots Off the Tee (Video)
Wally Armstrong from Golf Tips Magazine calls this drill "sweeping the dew." It's an easy drill you can do on the teebox before your shot.
Placing the clubhead on the ground well back in your stance, then dragging it along the ground and up to a full finish can help your drive in a number of ways.
Yes, I know I harp on ball position all the time. But a huge number of swing problems are caused by incorrect ball position, and yet it's one of the easiest things to fix because it's just a setup issue.
If you do this drill correctly, you should feel rhythmic and balanced all the way to your finish. That, in conjunction with correct ball position, should really help your tee shots with a minimum of practice.
Placing the clubhead on the ground well back in your stance, then dragging it along the ground and up to a full finish can help your drive in a number of ways.
- It helps you learn to stay more level during your downswing. Many players think they lift their heads when they actually straighten their knees.
- It helps you learn to turn fully into your finish. If your shoulders stop turning too soon, that's going to affect how square your clubface is at impact.
- It teaches you how far to stand from the ball.
Yes, I know I harp on ball position all the time. But a huge number of swing problems are caused by incorrect ball position, and yet it's one of the easiest things to fix because it's just a setup issue.
If you do this drill correctly, you should feel rhythmic and balanced all the way to your finish. That, in conjunction with correct ball position, should really help your tee shots with a minimum of practice.
Friday, October 19, 2018
Wie Out for the Rest of the Season
In case you somehow missed it, Michelle Wie's wrist finally got the better of her. She's fought it all year, taking cortisone shots, skipping events to rest and rebuilding her swing again, all in hopes of avoiding surgery. Alas, it was not to be. The deed is done and she's done for the year.
In the meantime, get well soon, Wiesy!
Personally, I think it shows just how tough and how determined Michelle is to play. Say what you like about her lack of wins, she's been dogged by injuries since her teen years and yet she just keeps coming back. Hopefully she'll start next year the way she started this one, with a win.
In the meantime, get well soon, Wiesy!
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Who Says Laura Davies's Best Days Are Past?
This is the first year that there have been two senior women's majors.
Dame Laura Davies owns both trophies. Need I say more?
This one wasn't as easy as her 10-stroke romp at the US Senior Women's Open. The wind howled at 25mph and, as best as I can tell, she still tied the best score of the day with a 70. She beat the field by four strokes in tough conditions.
I'm now watching to see if she can take this form back to the main tour. She HAS to have gotten some real confidence from these performances. Way to go, Laura!
Dame Laura Davies owns both trophies. Need I say more?
This one wasn't as easy as her 10-stroke romp at the US Senior Women's Open. The wind howled at 25mph and, as best as I can tell, she still tied the best score of the day with a 70. She beat the field by four strokes in tough conditions.
I'm now watching to see if she can take this form back to the main tour. She HAS to have gotten some real confidence from these performances. Way to go, Laura!
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
The Dame's at It Again!
It was just a few months ago that Dame Laura Davies blitzed the field at the Senior Women's Open by ten strokes. And while she doesn't look to put on that kind of show this week, Laura is once again in the lead at the LPGA Senior Championship.
It's been cold and windy at the French Lick course in Indiana (and for those of you overseas who might not know, French Lick IN is famous for being the home of NBA legend Larry Bird) so it's put a bit of a damper on the scoring. After two rounds there are only nine players under par and Laura has a two-shot lead at -6 (68-70).
Laura finished her first round with two bogeys, then added two more in the first four holes of her second round before righting the ship to take the second round lead. Her closest competitor, Brandie Burton, has been on a roller coaster, shooting 74-66. And the oldest player in the field, Jane Crafter, is at -3 after rounds of 70-71. Silvia Cavalleri is also at -3, but it's hard for me to believe she's old enough to be in this field (LPGA seniors start at 45).
Perhaps that just shows my own age.
Anyway, the final round is today. I'm going to miss it because of work but at least I can check the scores on the LPGA's live leaderboard. If you're where you can watch it, GC will carry it at 4-6pm ET.
I'll be interested to see if Laura can make it two in a row, regardless of the victory margin. She's definitely making a good go of it so far.
It's been cold and windy at the French Lick course in Indiana (and for those of you overseas who might not know, French Lick IN is famous for being the home of NBA legend Larry Bird) so it's put a bit of a damper on the scoring. After two rounds there are only nine players under par and Laura has a two-shot lead at -6 (68-70).
Laura finished her first round with two bogeys, then added two more in the first four holes of her second round before righting the ship to take the second round lead. Her closest competitor, Brandie Burton, has been on a roller coaster, shooting 74-66. And the oldest player in the field, Jane Crafter, is at -3 after rounds of 70-71. Silvia Cavalleri is also at -3, but it's hard for me to believe she's old enough to be in this field (LPGA seniors start at 45).
Perhaps that just shows my own age.
Anyway, the final round is today. I'm going to miss it because of work but at least I can check the scores on the LPGA's live leaderboard. If you're where you can watch it, GC will carry it at 4-6pm ET.
I'll be interested to see if Laura can make it two in a row, regardless of the victory margin. She's definitely making a good go of it so far.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
The New Rules for Greens Books
We knew it was coming but the USGA and the R&A finalized their decision on how green-reading books will be regulated.
The new rules will limit the size of the books, the scale of the diagrams and even how you read them. (That last bit is the most interesting to me.)
How is this going to affect the game? I don't know for sure. I suspect we may see a surge in the number of players using AimPoint Express, and I won't be surprised if some enterprising player (Bryson, are you listening?) figures out some new way to notate the contours of the green. All those tiny little arrows you see on the photo above? A few well-placed and well-drawn complex curves might give players the same amount of info without requiring so much detail.
Of course, that would make greens book reading more of an art. But that IS what the ruling bodies are after, isn't it?
The new rules will limit the size of the books, the scale of the diagrams and even how you read them. (That last bit is the most interesting to me.)
- The books' size will be limited to 4.5x7 inches, which makes them small enough to put in a pocket.
- But you could just use smaller print, right? Au contraire, mon ami! The scale at which you draw the books will be limited to 3/8 inch of page for every 5 yards of green (1:480).
- And just to make sure nobody tries microprinting the details, you can't use a magnifying glass or anything other than prescription eyeglasses to read the books.
How is this going to affect the game? I don't know for sure. I suspect we may see a surge in the number of players using AimPoint Express, and I won't be surprised if some enterprising player (Bryson, are you listening?) figures out some new way to notate the contours of the green. All those tiny little arrows you see on the photo above? A few well-placed and well-drawn complex curves might give players the same amount of info without requiring so much detail.
Of course, that would make greens book reading more of an art. But that IS what the ruling bodies are after, isn't it?
Monday, October 15, 2018
The Limerick Summary: 2018 CIMB Classic
Winner: Marc Leishman
Around the wider world of golf: In-Gee Chun blitzed the field to win the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship; Bernhard Langer did likewise at the SAS Championship on the Champions Tour; Jared Wolfe won the Volvo Abierto de Chile on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica; Nick Voke won the Clearwater Bay Open (and a Web.com Tour card) on the PGA TOUR China; Eddie Pepperell won the Sky Sports British Masters on the ET; and Tirawat Kaewsiribandit won the UMA CNS Open Golf Championship on the Asian Tour.
It only took five holes for Marc Leishman to make his plans for the day clear. Four straight birdies on holes 2-5 gave him a lead that he never relinquished.
And when he birdied the final hole, he left no doubt in anyone's mind that he could be trouble going forward. After all, he's won three times in the past 18 months... and the last two were five-shot blowouts. He set a tournament record (-23) at the 2017 BMW Championship and tied the record (-26) this week.
Oh yeah, the field will take notice of this one.
As for Leish, he knew exactly what his plans for the night would be as well:
Well, okay. Just this one little Limerick Summary. Leish is gathering quite a collection of them!
Around the wider world of golf: In-Gee Chun blitzed the field to win the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship; Bernhard Langer did likewise at the SAS Championship on the Champions Tour; Jared Wolfe won the Volvo Abierto de Chile on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica; Nick Voke won the Clearwater Bay Open (and a Web.com Tour card) on the PGA TOUR China; Eddie Pepperell won the Sky Sports British Masters on the ET; and Tirawat Kaewsiribandit won the UMA CNS Open Golf Championship on the Asian Tour.
It only took five holes for Marc Leishman to make his plans for the day clear. Four straight birdies on holes 2-5 gave him a lead that he never relinquished.
And when he birdied the final hole, he left no doubt in anyone's mind that he could be trouble going forward. After all, he's won three times in the past 18 months... and the last two were five-shot blowouts. He set a tournament record (-23) at the 2017 BMW Championship and tied the record (-26) this week.
Oh yeah, the field will take notice of this one.
As for Leish, he knew exactly what his plans for the night would be as well:
"We'll sit that (trophy) in the middle of the table tonight and have a few beers and just talk about it and just have a good night with friends really. I'm looking forward to doing that tonight."Spoken like a true Aussie. There's not much more I can add...
Well, okay. Just this one little Limerick Summary. Leish is gathering quite a collection of them!
The field knew low scores were a must—The photo came from this page at pgatour.com.
And Leish STILL left ‘em all in the dust!
Once he went five shots clear,
No one else could get near;
All their hopes for a victory went bust.
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Tommy Fleetwood on Chipping (Video)
This video is three years old, right about the time Tommy started his run back to the top of the game. I won't repeat everything in this video -- that's why I include the video, after all -- but I'd like to point out a couple of things that you may be interested in.
First of all, Tommy now carries four wedges. That's nearly a third of the clubs in his bag, which shows you how much importance he puts on this part of his game. Note that he says the fourth wedge he added, which has slightly less loft than a sand wedge, allows him to take longer clubs off the tee on shorter holes if he so desires. So this fourth wedge is as much a strategy choice as a short game choice.
You'll also want to note that Tommy plays a cut shot for all his chips. As a rightie, he lines up with his feet aimed slightly left and swings down his foot line, which gives him a slight out-to-in swing path. A lot of players and instructors these days prefer to hook their chips to get them running sooner. There is no right or wrong here, but you need to pick the one you think benefits you the most. Tommy is very clear that he thinks a cut shot is the best shot, so that's what he plays. Confidence is important in your short game!
One extra thing I'll mention is that, while Tommy generally plays his chips from a narrow stance, he says he does widen his stance for longer chips that require a longer swing. Note that he doesn't put a length on when he does that, so it's clearly a feel thing for him. That's also worth remembering when you're developing your own set of fundamentals.
And I think that is the biggest takeaway from Tommy's video lesson. You have to develop your own fundamentals, decide on which techniques you're going to use in your own game. I don't care what any player or instructor tells you, there's only one truth when it comes to golf technique:
First of all, Tommy now carries four wedges. That's nearly a third of the clubs in his bag, which shows you how much importance he puts on this part of his game. Note that he says the fourth wedge he added, which has slightly less loft than a sand wedge, allows him to take longer clubs off the tee on shorter holes if he so desires. So this fourth wedge is as much a strategy choice as a short game choice.
You'll also want to note that Tommy plays a cut shot for all his chips. As a rightie, he lines up with his feet aimed slightly left and swings down his foot line, which gives him a slight out-to-in swing path. A lot of players and instructors these days prefer to hook their chips to get them running sooner. There is no right or wrong here, but you need to pick the one you think benefits you the most. Tommy is very clear that he thinks a cut shot is the best shot, so that's what he plays. Confidence is important in your short game!
One extra thing I'll mention is that, while Tommy generally plays his chips from a narrow stance, he says he does widen his stance for longer chips that require a longer swing. Note that he doesn't put a length on when he does that, so it's clearly a feel thing for him. That's also worth remembering when you're developing your own set of fundamentals.
And I think that is the biggest takeaway from Tommy's video lesson. You have to develop your own fundamentals, decide on which techniques you're going to use in your own game. I don't care what any player or instructor tells you, there's only one truth when it comes to golf technique:
If it works for you, it's right for you.There are a lot of ways to get the job done, so the important thing is to make your stroke with confidence. Don't let anybody tell you differently!
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Kirk Jones on Hand Motion (Video)
You can think of today's tip as the flip side of Thursday's tip. Martin Hall talked about how grip affects your tendency to hook the ball; in today's video Kirk Jones talks about how grip affects all club motion.
While Martin talked about creating a more neutral hand position, Kirk shows why you need to pay attention to HOW you use that hand position.
Even with a good grip to create a desired clubface position, you can alter that clubface if you get sloppy with your wrist motion. Cupping your lead wrist can open the most neutral clubface, while rolling your trail hand over your lead hand (also called bowing the wrist) can close the face down.
Kirk also mentions exaggerating your wrist cock. That contributes to both problems, depending on whether you cup or bow your wrist to create more cock during your swing.
The irony here is -- and I know some instructors will disagree with me but it's true -- you can play good golf with a bowed wrist and you can also play good golf with a cupped wrist. Just look at the history of our game and you'll find great players who used both of these positions at the top of their swings.
The key here is consistency. If you bow your wrist, you need to keep it bowed the same amount throughout your swing. The same is true of cupping. It's when you use a cupped (or bowed) grip at address, bow (or cup) it on the way back and then try to square the face at impact that you get into trouble. For example, DJ bows his wrist during his backswing and then maintains that bow all the way through impact. That makes him a fairly consistent driver despite his length.
Finally, I shouldn't have to say this but I will: Obviously you want to avoid the extremes. A slight bow or a slight cup is pretty easy to maintain throughout your swing; exaggerated cups and bows like Kirk shows in the video are recipes for disaster. Find your most natural position and maintain it throughout your swing, and you'll be surprised at how much more consistent you'll be.
While Martin talked about creating a more neutral hand position, Kirk shows why you need to pay attention to HOW you use that hand position.
Even with a good grip to create a desired clubface position, you can alter that clubface if you get sloppy with your wrist motion. Cupping your lead wrist can open the most neutral clubface, while rolling your trail hand over your lead hand (also called bowing the wrist) can close the face down.
Kirk also mentions exaggerating your wrist cock. That contributes to both problems, depending on whether you cup or bow your wrist to create more cock during your swing.
The irony here is -- and I know some instructors will disagree with me but it's true -- you can play good golf with a bowed wrist and you can also play good golf with a cupped wrist. Just look at the history of our game and you'll find great players who used both of these positions at the top of their swings.
The key here is consistency. If you bow your wrist, you need to keep it bowed the same amount throughout your swing. The same is true of cupping. It's when you use a cupped (or bowed) grip at address, bow (or cup) it on the way back and then try to square the face at impact that you get into trouble. For example, DJ bows his wrist during his backswing and then maintains that bow all the way through impact. That makes him a fairly consistent driver despite his length.
Finally, I shouldn't have to say this but I will: Obviously you want to avoid the extremes. A slight bow or a slight cup is pretty easy to maintain throughout your swing; exaggerated cups and bows like Kirk shows in the video are recipes for disaster. Find your most natural position and maintain it throughout your swing, and you'll be surprised at how much more consistent you'll be.
Friday, October 12, 2018
Power Restored!
As you may have guessed from the missing post this morning, we got hit by the storm. Hurricane Michael (you have no idea how many jokes I've heard about that!) hit us Thursday afternoon. It was pretty quick but it was messy, taking down trees and power lines all over the place. One of our neighbors actually had a two-foot diameter tree blown over UPHILL through the branches of a stronger tree that didn't fall.
Anyway, this post is just to let you know that I'm back on line and will be posting as normal tomorrow. We're still straightening out the mess today, but at least we and most of the other folks locally are okay. Be sure to pray for all the people who have been or will be in the path of this storm.
Anyway, this post is just to let you know that I'm back on line and will be posting as normal tomorrow. We're still straightening out the mess today, but at least we and most of the other folks locally are okay. Be sure to pray for all the people who have been or will be in the path of this storm.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Martin Hall's Hook Stopper (Video)
I do a lot more tips for slicers than hookers simply because there seem to be more of them on golf courses. (Okay, that doesn't sound quite right but we'll press on. ;-) Anyway, this Night School video from Martin Hall has a very simple way to help stop your unwanted hooks.
As you know by now, I love simple fixes... and the simpler, the better. The more complicated a "fix" is, the less likely it is that you'll be able to repeat it. But this grip tip is wonderfully simple. I'll even call it pure genius!
If you hold the club shaft parallel to the ground in your trailing hand and make sure that the face of the club looks straight up at the sky -- Martin says the grooves are parallel to the ground, which means the same thing and it's just a matter of which thought helps you get the face in the correct position -- if you hold the club this way and THEN take your lead hand grip so the back of that hand also faces the sky, you'll get a weaker grip.
And a weaker grip makes you less likely to flip the clubface at impact and hook the ball.
So if you're hooking the ball and yet can't stop using a strong grip, this is a very simple tip to help you get a weaker grip on the club and do it consistently. Consistency is always the key to a permanent fix; if you can't do something the same way every time, you can't correct the problem.
Yes, I love simple tips. And this is a great one if you have trouble with a chronic hook.
As you know by now, I love simple fixes... and the simpler, the better. The more complicated a "fix" is, the less likely it is that you'll be able to repeat it. But this grip tip is wonderfully simple. I'll even call it pure genius!
If you hold the club shaft parallel to the ground in your trailing hand and make sure that the face of the club looks straight up at the sky -- Martin says the grooves are parallel to the ground, which means the same thing and it's just a matter of which thought helps you get the face in the correct position -- if you hold the club this way and THEN take your lead hand grip so the back of that hand also faces the sky, you'll get a weaker grip.
And a weaker grip makes you less likely to flip the clubface at impact and hook the ball.
So if you're hooking the ball and yet can't stop using a strong grip, this is a very simple tip to help you get a weaker grip on the club and do it consistently. Consistency is always the key to a permanent fix; if you can't do something the same way every time, you can't correct the problem.
Yes, I love simple tips. And this is a great one if you have trouble with a chronic hook.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Reminder: CIMB Classic TONIGHT
Just reminding you that the CIMB Classic coverage begins TONIGHT on GC at 10:30pm ET. Pat Perez is the defending champion.
As best as I can tell, Kuala Lumpur is 12 hours ahead of us here in the Southeastern US. So the prime time coverage tonight will actually begin at 10:30am Kuala Lumpur time. I don't know how players make such a large schedule adjustment, especially the guys coming from the Safeway Open this past weekend.
Anyway, there will be four hours of live coverage TONIGHT. Just remember that.
As best as I can tell, Kuala Lumpur is 12 hours ahead of us here in the Southeastern US. So the prime time coverage tonight will actually begin at 10:30am Kuala Lumpur time. I don't know how players make such a large schedule adjustment, especially the guys coming from the Safeway Open this past weekend.
Anyway, there will be four hours of live coverage TONIGHT. Just remember that.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Furyk on Breaking Up Spieth and Reed (Video)
I wanted to find the entire interview Tim Rosaforte did with Jim Furyk that aired on Monday's Morning Drive, but I haven't found it yet. However, since this has been a major question about his decisions at the Ryder Cup, I thought I'd post this one.
Furyk's explanation makes sense to me. While the possibility of pairing Tiger with Justin Thomas and leaving the Spieth/Reed team intact was there -- that was the reason they were in the same pod -- the decision was made simply because Tiger made the team. And Furyk says all parties knew that was the plan for weeks before the Cup.
The possibility of breaking up one team that had been succcessful in the past -- let's keep that "in the past" bit in mind, as there is no guarantee that Reed and Spieth would have played well this time -- to try and create two winning teams seems a good gamble to me, given the caliber of the players involved. and the fact is that Furyk still fielded one winning team while the second team ended up facing the Euro Superteam every time.
After hearing this, Reed's dissatisfaction with the arrangement after the Cup seems to be the result of poor play more than anything else, don't you think? It's just a shame that he didn't handle it better. Furyk did say that Reed and he had texted each other since the comments, but he didn't go into detail about the content of those texts.
It sounded pretty clear to me that Furyk simply expected guys to "show up" as they have in the past, even when their games weren't quite in shape coming in, and they didn't. But that's golf, isn't it?
Furyk talked about a lot of things in the interview. Among other things, he also noted that he had planned to send Phil and Bryson out in the morning fourballs but Phil didn't feel good about his swing and spent the morning working on the range, that DJ and Brooks laughed about the supposed fight they had, and that the team members seem surprised that everybody thinks things were so bad in the US team room.
If you didn't hear the full interview, you might want to explore the shorter clips that GC has posted on their site. They are very interesting!
Furyk's explanation makes sense to me. While the possibility of pairing Tiger with Justin Thomas and leaving the Spieth/Reed team intact was there -- that was the reason they were in the same pod -- the decision was made simply because Tiger made the team. And Furyk says all parties knew that was the plan for weeks before the Cup.
The possibility of breaking up one team that had been succcessful in the past -- let's keep that "in the past" bit in mind, as there is no guarantee that Reed and Spieth would have played well this time -- to try and create two winning teams seems a good gamble to me, given the caliber of the players involved. and the fact is that Furyk still fielded one winning team while the second team ended up facing the Euro Superteam every time.
After hearing this, Reed's dissatisfaction with the arrangement after the Cup seems to be the result of poor play more than anything else, don't you think? It's just a shame that he didn't handle it better. Furyk did say that Reed and he had texted each other since the comments, but he didn't go into detail about the content of those texts.
It sounded pretty clear to me that Furyk simply expected guys to "show up" as they have in the past, even when their games weren't quite in shape coming in, and they didn't. But that's golf, isn't it?
Furyk talked about a lot of things in the interview. Among other things, he also noted that he had planned to send Phil and Bryson out in the morning fourballs but Phil didn't feel good about his swing and spent the morning working on the range, that DJ and Brooks laughed about the supposed fight they had, and that the team members seem surprised that everybody thinks things were so bad in the US team room.
If you didn't hear the full interview, you might want to explore the shorter clips that GC has posted on their site. They are very interesting!
Monday, October 8, 2018
The Limerick Summary: 2018 Safeway Open
Winner: Kevin Tway
Around the wider world of golf: Team Korea got their first UL International Crown victory on the LPGA; Lucas Bjerregaard won his second European Tour title at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship; Ruixin Liu won for the third time this season at the Symetra Tour Championship; Nicolás Echavarría won the San Luis Championship on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica; Kevin Techakanokboon (an American!) won the Zhuhai Championship on the PGA TOUR China; John Catlin (another American!) won the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship on the Asian Tour; and Takumi Kanaya won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
Alright, I confess: I was far more interested in seeing the new Doctor Who episode than in the final round of the Safeway Open. (For those of you unfamiliar with Doctor Who, it's a British science-fiction show that has been around for over 50 years, the Doctor is an alien who regenerates into a new body any time they need to change actors, and this is the first time the Doctor has been a woman although they've been hinting that this was coming for around three or four years.) And in my opinion, the new Doctor did not disappoint.
Fortunately, since BBC America chose to do a global simulcast of the show, I didn't have to miss any of the Safeway's final round. Sometimes cable is a wonderful thing!
I don't know if Kevin Tway is a Doctor Who fan (aka a "Whovian") or not, but he certainly debuted a new episode in his own career Sunday. (Wasn't that a smooth transition? I'm proud of that one.) Tway is yet another of those "can't miss kids" who has learned the Tour is a tough place to win -- even if your dad is a major winner.
But like his dad Bob Tway, who won his first event in a playoff against a proven player (the 1986 Andy Williams Open against Bernhard Langer), Kevin claimed his first win in a playoff against two proven winners, Brandt Snedeker (9 PGA Tour wins) and Ryan Moore (5 PGA Tour wins). While Brandt struggled to hold on to his third round lead and Ryan tied the best round of the day (-5), Kevin calmly shot -1 in the windy conditions to make a three-way playoff.
And then all he did was birdie all three playoff holes to grab his first win.
I thought the most telling thing Kevin said after the round was that his dad had been telling him he was good enough to win... but he didn't really believe it until he actually did it Sunday. I don't believe in the old "floodgates" theory, but I can't help thinking that his playoff performance -- three birdies under pressure -- may be the start of some really good performances the rest of this year.
And if I can help kick that streak off with his very first Limerick Summary? Well, I'm glad to help.
Around the wider world of golf: Team Korea got their first UL International Crown victory on the LPGA; Lucas Bjerregaard won his second European Tour title at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship; Ruixin Liu won for the third time this season at the Symetra Tour Championship; Nicolás Echavarría won the San Luis Championship on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica; Kevin Techakanokboon (an American!) won the Zhuhai Championship on the PGA TOUR China; John Catlin (another American!) won the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship on the Asian Tour; and Takumi Kanaya won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
Alright, I confess: I was far more interested in seeing the new Doctor Who episode than in the final round of the Safeway Open. (For those of you unfamiliar with Doctor Who, it's a British science-fiction show that has been around for over 50 years, the Doctor is an alien who regenerates into a new body any time they need to change actors, and this is the first time the Doctor has been a woman although they've been hinting that this was coming for around three or four years.) And in my opinion, the new Doctor did not disappoint.
Fortunately, since BBC America chose to do a global simulcast of the show, I didn't have to miss any of the Safeway's final round. Sometimes cable is a wonderful thing!
I don't know if Kevin Tway is a Doctor Who fan (aka a "Whovian") or not, but he certainly debuted a new episode in his own career Sunday. (Wasn't that a smooth transition? I'm proud of that one.) Tway is yet another of those "can't miss kids" who has learned the Tour is a tough place to win -- even if your dad is a major winner.
But like his dad Bob Tway, who won his first event in a playoff against a proven player (the 1986 Andy Williams Open against Bernhard Langer), Kevin claimed his first win in a playoff against two proven winners, Brandt Snedeker (9 PGA Tour wins) and Ryan Moore (5 PGA Tour wins). While Brandt struggled to hold on to his third round lead and Ryan tied the best round of the day (-5), Kevin calmly shot -1 in the windy conditions to make a three-way playoff.
And then all he did was birdie all three playoff holes to grab his first win.
I thought the most telling thing Kevin said after the round was that his dad had been telling him he was good enough to win... but he didn't really believe it until he actually did it Sunday. I don't believe in the old "floodgates" theory, but I can't help thinking that his playoff performance -- three birdies under pressure -- may be the start of some really good performances the rest of this year.
And if I can help kick that streak off with his very first Limerick Summary? Well, I'm glad to help.
The seventy-five holes it tookThe photo came from this page at pgatour.com.
For Kevin to get his first look
At a victory weren’t bad.
The birdies he had
Could be signs that good fortune’s afoot.
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Ian Baker-Finch's Favorite Putting Drill (Video)
I've been doing tips from players in this week's UL International Crown and wanted to do a putting tip from So Yeon Ryu, but all I could find was her mentioning that she worked with Ian Baker-Finch. So here's a drill from Ian...
Ian's favorite drill is one you've probably seen before. He places five balls in a line, starting at three feet from the hole and the next one three feet farther, etc., all the way out to 15 feet. (Or, as he says, you can just use the putter shaft as a rough guide.) Then he tries to make all of the balls, starting with the one closest to the hole. He repeats the drill four times -- uphill, downhill, right-to-left and left-to-right.
What caught my eye is how he practices the downhillers. I was a bit surprised that he placed a target ball PAST the hole. Since he's putting downhill, I would have expected his target to be just short of the hole so he didn't roll too far past.
But Ian is clearly afraid of leaving his downhill putts short. And to be honest, we do see the pros leave them short quite often. But I'm not certain that's a common problem for amateurs. And this is where you need to pay special attention.
This is a great drill for learning speed control. But when you try it, you need to see what your tendencies are and adjust for them.
Do you tend to hit your downhillers way past the hole? Then you should set a target ball that is roughly that amount short of the hole and see how you do when you try to stop the ball there.
Do you tend to leave your uphillers short? Then you should set a target ball that far past the hole and try to get the ball to stop there.
Drills are only useful if they help you get the results you want. Never be afraid to adjust a drill if doing it the way an instructor recommends doesn't help you improve.
Even if that instructor is Ian Baker-Finch.
Ian's favorite drill is one you've probably seen before. He places five balls in a line, starting at three feet from the hole and the next one three feet farther, etc., all the way out to 15 feet. (Or, as he says, you can just use the putter shaft as a rough guide.) Then he tries to make all of the balls, starting with the one closest to the hole. He repeats the drill four times -- uphill, downhill, right-to-left and left-to-right.
What caught my eye is how he practices the downhillers. I was a bit surprised that he placed a target ball PAST the hole. Since he's putting downhill, I would have expected his target to be just short of the hole so he didn't roll too far past.
But Ian is clearly afraid of leaving his downhill putts short. And to be honest, we do see the pros leave them short quite often. But I'm not certain that's a common problem for amateurs. And this is where you need to pay special attention.
This is a great drill for learning speed control. But when you try it, you need to see what your tendencies are and adjust for them.
Do you tend to hit your downhillers way past the hole? Then you should set a target ball that is roughly that amount short of the hole and see how you do when you try to stop the ball there.
Do you tend to leave your uphillers short? Then you should set a target ball that far past the hole and try to get the ball to stop there.
Drills are only useful if they help you get the results you want. Never be afraid to adjust a drill if doing it the way an instructor recommends doesn't help you improve.
Even if that instructor is Ian Baker-Finch.
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Lexi Thompson on Consistent Driving (Video)
This video comes from Golfing World via golfchannel.com. In it Lexi talks about how to be more consistent with your driver.
I think it's interesting that Lexi doesn't really know how to practice consistency. It demonstrates a less-technical approach to her golf swing -- which, if you've ever seen her as she finishes some of her shots -- is clearly how she plays.
But she does give two solid pointers.
Let's be straight about one thing: Nobody is ever consistently consistent. (Yes, I know. Just smile and read on.) This is not about perfection in your swing. Rather, it's about attitude. It's about accepting that you are human and can't get it right every time, but that you can improve by learning to trust your swing.
And that means learning to swing comfortably. It's not about making a perfect swing, but about making a swing that you feel comfortable making. That's how you develop consistency, especially under pressure.
Lexi's swing isn't perfect, but it's successful. Think about that and learn from it.
I think it's interesting that Lexi doesn't really know how to practice consistency. It demonstrates a less-technical approach to her golf swing -- which, if you've ever seen her as she finishes some of her shots -- is clearly how she plays.
But she does give two solid pointers.
- If you want to hit the ball more consistently, you must hit the ball in the center of the clubface.
- If you want to hit the ball in the center of the clubface, you must swing rhythmically. Swinging hard will have the opposite effect.
Let's be straight about one thing: Nobody is ever consistently consistent. (Yes, I know. Just smile and read on.) This is not about perfection in your swing. Rather, it's about attitude. It's about accepting that you are human and can't get it right every time, but that you can improve by learning to trust your swing.
And that means learning to swing comfortably. It's not about making a perfect swing, but about making a swing that you feel comfortable making. That's how you develop consistency, especially under pressure.
Lexi's swing isn't perfect, but it's successful. Think about that and learn from it.
Friday, October 5, 2018
Ariya Jutanugarn's Swing Technique
Phil posted the link to this golf.com article on yesterday's Georgia Hall post and I figured, "Hey, I posted some help for chipping. Why not for the full swing?" So here it is.
The article mostly focuses on generating power -- don't they all these days? -- but one of the four tips can help just about everybody without hitting the gym.
Simply enough, Ariya "flings" the clubhead at the ball. All that means is she stays relaxed and flexible during her swing. She doesn't grip tightly and try to make sure the clubhead hits the ball. (If you ask me, that sounds like Charles Barkley's problem.) When she swings she just lets it go.
You don't need "grunt power" to get distance. You need clubhead speed, and you get that through a free relaxed motion. When you try to hit too hard, you tighten your muscles and actually slow the clubhead down. Most of the ladies on the LPGA and LET don't look like they're swinging all that hard, but they hit the ball farther than most average male amateurs -- even though most of them are much shorter than the men!
That's what I'd like you to take from this golf.com article. Swing freely. That's a simple tip that most average players never learn, but you can be the exception!
The article mostly focuses on generating power -- don't they all these days? -- but one of the four tips can help just about everybody without hitting the gym.
Simply enough, Ariya "flings" the clubhead at the ball. All that means is she stays relaxed and flexible during her swing. She doesn't grip tightly and try to make sure the clubhead hits the ball. (If you ask me, that sounds like Charles Barkley's problem.) When she swings she just lets it go.
You don't need "grunt power" to get distance. You need clubhead speed, and you get that through a free relaxed motion. When you try to hit too hard, you tighten your muscles and actually slow the clubhead down. Most of the ladies on the LPGA and LET don't look like they're swinging all that hard, but they hit the ball farther than most average male amateurs -- even though most of them are much shorter than the men!
That's what I'd like you to take from this golf.com article. Swing freely. That's a simple tip that most average players never learn, but you can be the exception!
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Georgia Hall on Chipping (Video)
If you saw Georgia Hall's short game in her first UL International Cup match, you know that she can get it done around the greens. Here's a Golf Monthly chipping video with Georgia, recorded less than a month ago.
Most of Georgia's technique is pretty standard -- which you should expect, as most pros chip in a similar manner -- but I'm posting this because she does something a bit unusual.
Georgia chips her longer putts -- this one's around 20 feet -- with a 7-iron and uses a putting motion with her chipping grip.
Make sure you understand how her stroke differs from other pros. I've posted a number of videos where instructors recommend a firm putting grip for chipping. But Georgia is holding the club as she would for a normal chipping stroke. She just doesn't use much wrist action when she chips. Rather, she uses her shoulders and makes sure she swings with a good rhythm.
Note also that she's not in deep rough for this shot. The ball is lying pretty good, and she can get a lot of club on it. But she says the 7-iron is a safer shot than a wedge here. The reason is because the 7-iron's face stands taller so you're much less likely to mis-hit the ball. There's more room for error while still getting a solid strike on the ball.
Basically, Georgia has chosen to use a high percentage technique in order to give her a better chance to get the result she wants. Remember what she says: Most players will get better results if they land the ball closer to their feet and let the ball run out, rather than flying the ball most of the way to the hole and hoping to make it stop fast.
And she's an Open champion. She knows.
Most of Georgia's technique is pretty standard -- which you should expect, as most pros chip in a similar manner -- but I'm posting this because she does something a bit unusual.
Georgia chips her longer putts -- this one's around 20 feet -- with a 7-iron and uses a putting motion with her chipping grip.
Make sure you understand how her stroke differs from other pros. I've posted a number of videos where instructors recommend a firm putting grip for chipping. But Georgia is holding the club as she would for a normal chipping stroke. She just doesn't use much wrist action when she chips. Rather, she uses her shoulders and makes sure she swings with a good rhythm.
Note also that she's not in deep rough for this shot. The ball is lying pretty good, and she can get a lot of club on it. But she says the 7-iron is a safer shot than a wedge here. The reason is because the 7-iron's face stands taller so you're much less likely to mis-hit the ball. There's more room for error while still getting a solid strike on the ball.
Basically, Georgia has chosen to use a high percentage technique in order to give her a better chance to get the result she wants. Remember what she says: Most players will get better results if they land the ball closer to their feet and let the ball run out, rather than flying the ball most of the way to the hole and hoping to make it stop fast.
And she's an Open champion. She knows.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
The UL International Crown Starts Tonight
Two weeks of team play in a row. How great is that?
The 2018 UL International Crown is being held in Korea, which (1) insures a absolutely wild crowd of fans and (2) gives us US viewers prime time coverage, unlike the Ryder Cup last week.
Tony Jesselli has done a very thorough preview at his website, so I'll just hit a couple of key points.
The eight teams in this year's matches are Korea, the United States, England, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Sweden. Defending champion Spain did not qualify this time, which is one of the more unique aspects of this competition. [CORRECTION: The US is defending, and I don't know why I got confused since it's in all the ads. Spain was the defending team two years ago but didn't qualify -- still making this a unique aspect though.] And while the two teams most expect to contend for the title are Korea and the US, each team comes in with a few questions.
For the Korean team, Inbee Park qualified but chose not to play so another Korean player could go. You have to wonder how that will affect their chances. After all, ULIC teams don't have a separate captain, so how will the Koreans play without their most experienced player to lead them?
On the US side, both Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson come in with questions -- Wie from injuries, Thompson concerning her form. In my mind, this surrounds the US team with even more questions than the Ryder Cup team faced last week.
I can't help but think that Thailand could easily be the sleeper in this week's event. The Jutanugarn sisters Ariya and Moriya, veteran Pornanong Phatlum, and young Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong have all played very sound golf this season, with both Jutanugarns having won, Sherman having two Top5s and Pornanong one. Don't underestimate them!
GC's coverage begins tonight at 8pm ET.
The 2018 UL International Crown is being held in Korea, which (1) insures a absolutely wild crowd of fans and (2) gives us US viewers prime time coverage, unlike the Ryder Cup last week.
Tony Jesselli has done a very thorough preview at his website, so I'll just hit a couple of key points.
The eight teams in this year's matches are Korea, the United States, England, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Sweden. Defending champion Spain did not qualify this time, which is one of the more unique aspects of this competition. [CORRECTION: The US is defending, and I don't know why I got confused since it's in all the ads. Spain was the defending team two years ago but didn't qualify -- still making this a unique aspect though.] And while the two teams most expect to contend for the title are Korea and the US, each team comes in with a few questions.
For the Korean team, Inbee Park qualified but chose not to play so another Korean player could go. You have to wonder how that will affect their chances. After all, ULIC teams don't have a separate captain, so how will the Koreans play without their most experienced player to lead them?
On the US side, both Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson come in with questions -- Wie from injuries, Thompson concerning her form. In my mind, this surrounds the US team with even more questions than the Ryder Cup team faced last week.
I can't help but think that Thailand could easily be the sleeper in this week's event. The Jutanugarn sisters Ariya and Moriya, veteran Pornanong Phatlum, and young Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong have all played very sound golf this season, with both Jutanugarns having won, Sherman having two Top5s and Pornanong one. Don't underestimate them!
GC's coverage begins tonight at 8pm ET.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
The Questions Begin
To be honest, I'm not in the mood to dissect the Ryder Cup at this point, and I'm not going to spend much time doing so -- at least, not today. But golfchannel.com posted a couple of articles that tell me the US team's expectations might have been too high.
The two articles concern the apparent friction between Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth and a near fistfight between Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka. You can read the articles for yourself, but they do indicate that "the Committee" didn't solve all the problems as well as they thought they did.
It's these sorts of incidents that cause people to believe the US team doesn't really know how to be a team. But I think that is a misunderstanding of the problem. In my Saturday post I wrote the following:
Don't get me wrong. "Bonding" does make the whole team experience more enjoyable, and it can help group members get past some of the barriers to cooperation. But it seems to me that it's been elevated to some level of magic, one that people think can instantly transform a disfunctional situation into perfect one. (Cue multitudes of angels singing amid rays of bright light.)
The American team really does have most of the qualities their fans believe define a team, but teamwork takes work, not magic.
Working in a team setting IS a learned skill. The American system tends to create alpha dogs while the European system teaches the basics of teamwork long before players become good enough to be alpha dogs. It's not that the US team members aren't united in their desire to work together -- they simply don't fully understand how to do it. An alpha dog's idea of covering for a teammate who just hit a bad shot is to try a hero shot of his own, rather than playing a safe shot that enables the team to avoid the big number.
Fans are no better in this respect. They tend to brand any safe play as "weakness" or "a lack of desire' when that play is, in fact, the only smart play. And alpha dogs really don't like to be labeled as weak. I think of Marty McFly in the Back to the Future movies, constantly endangering his future because "nobody calls me chicken!"
I'll leave the "experts" to debate this issue, as I know they will for the next two years. But in the spirit of instruction, let me offer one piece of corrective advice to all the alpha dogs out there on the Tour who hope to make future Ryder Cup teams. And because this debate takes on almost religious dimensions sometimes, I'll even phrase it as Jesus often phrased His teachings in the Bible:
It's a hard truth that's foreign to an alpha dog's mindset. It's much harder to do than it sounds, because it strikes at the root of how alpha dogs see themselves. The problem isn't so much about team as it is about self-image. It's about understanding that the real magic of a team is that the individual often needs to be less impressive rather than more -- in fact, often needs to be less impressive rather than more.
The word for that is "paradox." In a true team, less is often more -- dramatically more -- if the players are willing to step back and rethink what they really need to be on that team.
I don't know that the golfing world is ready for that truth -- at least, not the American golfing world -- but I think the European players already know it. And if the American alpha dogs could just grasp this one simple truth, they'd be well on the way to learning that teamwork is a bit different -- and more wonderful -- than anything a committee can legislate.
End of rant.
The two articles concern the apparent friction between Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth and a near fistfight between Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka. You can read the articles for yourself, but they do indicate that "the Committee" didn't solve all the problems as well as they thought they did.
It's these sorts of incidents that cause people to believe the US team doesn't really know how to be a team. But I think that is a misunderstanding of the problem. In my Saturday post I wrote the following:
Team play is a learned skill, one which the Euro players tend to learn as youngsters because they play more teams growing up.While I've never been on something like a Ryder Cup team, I've been on a number of teams in my life. Church mission teams and business teams aren't really that different from sports teams when it comes down to relationships and how they work, but it's easy to put too much emphasis on "bonding."
Don't get me wrong. "Bonding" does make the whole team experience more enjoyable, and it can help group members get past some of the barriers to cooperation. But it seems to me that it's been elevated to some level of magic, one that people think can instantly transform a disfunctional situation into perfect one. (Cue multitudes of angels singing amid rays of bright light.)
The American team really does have most of the qualities their fans believe define a team, but teamwork takes work, not magic.
Working in a team setting IS a learned skill. The American system tends to create alpha dogs while the European system teaches the basics of teamwork long before players become good enough to be alpha dogs. It's not that the US team members aren't united in their desire to work together -- they simply don't fully understand how to do it. An alpha dog's idea of covering for a teammate who just hit a bad shot is to try a hero shot of his own, rather than playing a safe shot that enables the team to avoid the big number.
Fans are no better in this respect. They tend to brand any safe play as "weakness" or "a lack of desire' when that play is, in fact, the only smart play. And alpha dogs really don't like to be labeled as weak. I think of Marty McFly in the Back to the Future movies, constantly endangering his future because "nobody calls me chicken!"
I'll leave the "experts" to debate this issue, as I know they will for the next two years. But in the spirit of instruction, let me offer one piece of corrective advice to all the alpha dogs out there on the Tour who hope to make future Ryder Cup teams. And because this debate takes on almost religious dimensions sometimes, I'll even phrase it as Jesus often phrased His teachings in the Bible:
You have heard it said, "The goal is to have two birdie putts on every hole."
But I say to you, the true goal is to insure one easy par putt on each hole, and then the birdie putts shall come to you as well.
The word for that is "paradox." In a true team, less is often more -- dramatically more -- if the players are willing to step back and rethink what they really need to be on that team.
I don't know that the golfing world is ready for that truth -- at least, not the American golfing world -- but I think the European players already know it. And if the American alpha dogs could just grasp this one simple truth, they'd be well on the way to learning that teamwork is a bit different -- and more wonderful -- than anything a committee can legislate.
End of rant.
Monday, October 1, 2018
The Limerick Summary: 2018 Ryder Cup
Winner: Europe, 17.5-10.5
Around the wider world of golf: Yes, there were other events going on this weekend. Ken Tanigawa got his first Champions Tour win at the PURE Insurance Championship, and Matthew Sutherland teamed with his uncle Kevin Sutherland to win the Pro-Junior title; Tony Romo's Tour School run ended at First Stage, where he finished T72 but shot his best round of the event (72) on the last day; Nick Voke won the Macau Championship for his second victory in a row on the PGA TOUR China; Ruixin Liu won the IOA Golf Classic on the Symetra Tour; Angelo Que won the TOP Cup Tokai Classic on the Japan Golf Tour; and Adilson DaSilva won the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on the Asian Tour.
I really don't know what to say. Team Europe has successfully defended home turf in the Ryder Cup for a quarter century.
It's not because I was rooting for the Americans. I'm speechless because this is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Excellence is hard to sustain in any field of endeavor, but in one like golf where anything can happen -- and where, in this case, the rough really did look like a field -- the ability to adapt to such a wide variety of changing conditions for so long is just incredible.
I'm sure Team USA doesn't feel quite as impressed as I do. That's the problem with being the one against whom history is made. Perhaps, after a few weeks and an ungodly number of beers, they'll be able to appreciate the quality of the pounding they have taken over the last quarter century. But whether they do or not, it's an accomplishment that golf fans everywhere should recognize and celebrate.
Yes, even US fans should celebrate it. It's not masochism. It's just recognizing greatness when we see it.
And in a few days, after the champagne buzz has subsided and their clothes have either been cleaned or disposed of -- depending on how big the celebration ends up being -- they'll find today's Limerick Summary ready and waiting.
Or at least, I hope they'll be able to find it. Given how much drinking was going on during the TV broadcast, I'm not sure they'll be able to find anything for a week or so...
Around the wider world of golf: Yes, there were other events going on this weekend. Ken Tanigawa got his first Champions Tour win at the PURE Insurance Championship, and Matthew Sutherland teamed with his uncle Kevin Sutherland to win the Pro-Junior title; Tony Romo's Tour School run ended at First Stage, where he finished T72 but shot his best round of the event (72) on the last day; Nick Voke won the Macau Championship for his second victory in a row on the PGA TOUR China; Ruixin Liu won the IOA Golf Classic on the Symetra Tour; Angelo Que won the TOP Cup Tokai Classic on the Japan Golf Tour; and Adilson DaSilva won the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on the Asian Tour.
I really don't know what to say. Team Europe has successfully defended home turf in the Ryder Cup for a quarter century.
It's not because I was rooting for the Americans. I'm speechless because this is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Excellence is hard to sustain in any field of endeavor, but in one like golf where anything can happen -- and where, in this case, the rough really did look like a field -- the ability to adapt to such a wide variety of changing conditions for so long is just incredible.
I'm sure Team USA doesn't feel quite as impressed as I do. That's the problem with being the one against whom history is made. Perhaps, after a few weeks and an ungodly number of beers, they'll be able to appreciate the quality of the pounding they have taken over the last quarter century. But whether they do or not, it's an accomplishment that golf fans everywhere should recognize and celebrate.
Yes, even US fans should celebrate it. It's not masochism. It's just recognizing greatness when we see it.
And in a few days, after the champagne buzz has subsided and their clothes have either been cleaned or disposed of -- depending on how big the celebration ends up being -- they'll find today's Limerick Summary ready and waiting.
Or at least, I hope they'll be able to find it. Given how much drinking was going on during the TV broadcast, I'm not sure they'll be able to find anything for a week or so...
It seems that the story’s the same,The photo came from this page at europeantour.com.
No matter the team captain’s name:
Team Europe at home
Makes it clear that they own
ANYBODY who thinks they got game!
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