February ‘08 Golf Digest Instruction Commentary

This month's articles

-LESSON TEE—I like some of the ways Suzann thinks about her swing. I don’t like the idea of creating resistance or tension. While it is technically correct it is not a helpful way to think about the swing. Think of ease, flow, and speed—not resistance and tension. I do like “I can swing down [forward] freely” and “keep my weight still [balanced]. In frame #4 Suzann does a good job of maintaining her balance. Like many players her swing is more complicated than it need be. In frame #2 you can see that her backswing is off the swing plane so that in frame #5 she needs to reroute the club so it is back on plane. The other thing that will help her is to recognize that she is moving her head and torso away from the target has he swings forward (see frame #6). However, if I was working with her I wouldn’t make changes unless I saw they were creating a problem. The golden rule is if a player is winning and has a swing with which they can control the ball—make no changes.

PITCH IT LOW-OR HIGH—Jim has many great stories from yesterday’s great players. I would suggest that it is not the pressure of the grip that changes the trajectory but the position of the club at impact. When the hands lead the club head the club will be delofted and the trajectory is lower.

TOUGHEST PUTT IN GOLF—Ok.

FIX A SLICE? Tee it higher—There are 19 ways to slice a golf ball. If your slice matches David’s description, this MIGHT be of some help. The key is changing the swing so that it does not create slice spin.

HITTING PURE IRON SHOTS—I love Annika’s game. Skip this article.

THE NO-FEAR PITCH—Ok, except if your mind is on the green it cannot be on the mechanics. Further, don’t hit down. You want the ball to go forward so have you intention be to swing forward. Finally, with regard to a divot, look at the size of the divot relative to the ball. I would not be surprised if this shot does not make it to the water.

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN FOR FEEL—Ask yourself this question, “With your eyes closed do you know what a 23 foot putt feels like versus a 19 foot putt?” Probably not. Golfers don’t have to putt with their eyes closed. The rules allow you to leave them open. Putt by visualizing. Look at the hole and while you are putting visualize the ball rolling to the hole. Let your brain learn how to move your muscles in response to your imagery. Feel is a poor second choice.

MY GUIDE TO BEATING THE SHORT SIDE—Let’s first get the one message that Nick gives us for each of the four situations: “GET IT TO OR PAST THE HOLE!” The most common problem with being short sided is leaving the ball short. It is what most of us dread and therefore is what is so easy to have on our mind. Control your thoughts. Visualize the ball landing at the flagstick. Unless your short game is really on, get the ball on the green for a possible one putt not for a gimme.

HIT IT SOLID—Mike leaves me in the dark when he says that by turning my left hand to the right squares my shoulders. I don’t know about Mike, but my left hand turns independent of my shoulders. His ball setup description is also puzzling. “The Move” Mike describes on the forward swing is also puzzling. If we do not need to raise our right shoulder and move our hips to the left to move the club from the ball to the end of the backswing, why do we need to lower the right shoulder, lean to the right, and move the hips to the left in order to return the club to the ball? The reverse-C finish is finished. Take a look at Suzann Petersen’s finish on page 36—no reverse-c.

MY BUNKER BLAST—OK. I think you’ll find equally satisfactory results without making the backswing more vertical than normal.

Breaking 100
CAST YOUR LEG IN PLACE AT THE TOP—Ok.
GRIP THE GRASS WITH YOUR FEET—Ok.
SWING LIKE YOUR SLAMMING YOUR CAR DOOR—Ok.

Breaking 90 Randy seems to imply that its more about distance than direction—don’t get sucker-punched. Direction first, distance second!!

POINT THE CREASE AT IMPACT FOR MAXIMUM SPEED—Point the crease at the ball during impact?? That is three ten thousandths of a second in duration. Release is nothing more than the continuous unhinging of the wrists which begins at the top of the backswing. By the time the club reaches about seven o’clock the wrists are fully unhinged and back to the position they were at address. The wrists maintain that position until after impact when the club passes 3 o’clock.

MORE EFFORT EQUALS CROOKED TEE SHOTS—Randy has this a little mixed up. A bigger swing (i.e. longer arc) gives the club more time to accelerate. However, a “harder” swing means using extra muscles—non-golf swing muscles. This gets the body to do things that get in the way of your normal good swing. Bigger does not mean more effort. More effort means more effort and that can produce crooked tee shots.

Breaking 80 I agree with Randy. If you can produce consistent ball flight (left, right, high or low) you can put some good numbers on the card.

TURN THE TRIANGLE TO CREATE POWER—Randy’s use of the triangle imagery is novel but triangles don’t hit golf balls—clubs do. The best imagery is of the club performing correctly.

SWING FROM A GOOD FINISH—Ok.

TURN THE WHEEL TO HIT A DRAW—This is dangerous. Don’t change your swing to hit a draw. Change your setup in a way that allows you to swing normally but produce a draw.

BREAKING 70—Ok.