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October 2008 Golf Digest

LESSON TEE—Body, body, body. A lot of talk about body by Randy Smith. But read Justin’s comments on page 33 and you’ll see he targets grip and setup. That make’s sense.

BELT BUCKLE TO THE TARGET—Let the body respond to the swing and that’s what you’ll get. Tiger presents it as an action that you initiate. Instead think of it as an action that is in response to the swing.

THE FLOP SHOT—Step 1 is fine. Then just make your normal swing.

FIX YOUR DRIVER MISS—If your miss is the result of off-center contact, the fix is simple. Practice retracing your backswing with your forward swing. The club started set up correctly on the ball, so just retrace.

KEEP YOUR BUTTONS MOVING— Allow your body to respond to the swing.

RIGHT KNEE POWER KEY—If your problem is that you hang back on your right foot too long (as Tom describes). The solution is to not do that. Get balanced at address and stay balanced until the forward swing of the club passing the address position pulls you forward.

SPLIT YOUR HANDS—Unless you are a veteran hockey player, take a pass on this.

GET YOUR STROKE BACK—I’ll take Rick’s word for it. I don’t see how this will fix anything, but it can’t hurt.

HOW GOOD CAN YOU GET—Hank asks some good questions for the player who is ready to look beyond their swing for score improvement. Regarding driving, if you are not sure you can keep your drive from costing you a penalty, widen your landing area to include the rough on the opposite side of the fairway from the hazard. Regarding approach shots realize there is a difference between “distance” and “effective distance”. Regarding chipping, don’t let you interest in precision promote rigidity in your body. And regarding putting, its not distance vs. direction. We need both—while you are putting be visualizing the ball rolling and stopping at your target.

10 RULES—Dave is from an era when psychological principles had not yet been clearly adapted to the game. Dave’s first rule illustrates this. What Dave means to say is that golfers perform on two levels. Our conscious mind should be focused on “what we want” allowing our unconscious mind to mange “how we do it”. Rule 2: read the first sentence and disregard the rest. Rule 3: I wish I was the player that Dave was. That notwithstanding his logic is off. Trust your read. If it looks straight, play it straight. Rule 4: Great. Rule 5: Good. Rule 6: Muscles respond to thoughts. No thoughts no movement. Have a clear mental picture of the ball rolling to and stopping at your target. Rule 7: Good. Rule 8: While this is logical, it is impractical. Imagine a spot one inch in front of the ball. If the ball rolls 1/8 of an inch to the right of that spot when making a 10 foot putt the ball will miss the cup by 2 inches. Rule 9: Good. Rule 10: Good.

HOW TO NAIL THE 4,5, & 6—Pablum.

THE FEEL OF A GOOD SHOT—Words from the king—if they help you, good for you.

THE PATH TO STRAIGHTER SHOTS—Ok, but not practical to use.

100/90/80

THE FORGOTTEN FAIRWAY WOODS—Amen.

Breaking 100

MATCH THE SLOPE ON UNEVEN LIES—When the hill is not too steep this is the correct strategy.

Breaking 90
WHEN TO SELECT A WOOD OVER A HYBRID—A high lofted wood is just as easy to use for heavier rough as is a hybrid. If its really heavy, don’t delude yourself—use a pitching wedge.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN YOUR SETUP—Good.

Breaking 80
LEARN TO HIT THE TOUR’S LAUNCHER SHOT—Disregard.

MASTER THE LONG PAR 3 WITH WOODS—Ok.

August 2008 Golf Digest

LESSON TEE—This article is a good lesson in the title saying one thing and the contents saying another. Lorena says “All the power in my golf swing comes from my hips and legs.” She then goes on to say, “I can keep all the energy I have in my upper body to release at the ball.” The speed in your arms is 99% of the speed of the club.
In the photos, you are seeing a swing that is very functional (produces good shots) but not optimal. The club swings outside and above the swing plane on the backswing and then looped so it can be returned on the swing plane on the forward swing. Additionally, at the top of the swing the club is pointing to the right of target. Lorena’s trademark head movement in frame 5 is not optimal either. The key to winning is to have a swing that can produce predictable ball flight and that is repeatable—her’s does.

MY CHIPPING BASICS—Maintaining the address-position wrist angles—critical. Playing the ball back in your stance—unnecessary. Keep the back swing short—then its not a swing. (P.S. Yes, Tiger is the best player in the world. Yes, this work’s terrific for him. Would this be the preferable direction for you to develop your chipping—not really.)

THE BASIC SPLASH OUT—Step 1-ok. Step 2-no. Never have the idea of swinging down. Step 3-ok.

MAKE MORE THREE-FOOTERS—First, if you ever are consider using a “straight back, straight through” idea for putting, tape a pencil to the end of the shaft and see how good you are at drawing a straight line to the target. You’ll be terrible. Second, no club swings inside on the backswing and inside after impact. Learn the difference between focusing on the path of the clubhead and focusing on the direction of the swing.

GET BACK TO SQUARE—In the photo Hank is setup with a driver. Presumably the target is over 200 yards away. During a full swing Hank can tell if the logo on his golf glove is pointing down the target line? I don’t think so. Look at the photo and ask yourself if the logo is pointing to the target line (target lines are down on the ground). Sorry Hank, what you may have meant is not what you said or are demonstrating.

HOW TO HIT ANY WEDGE SHOT—Do you think Butch has his students carry three different putters (one for short, one for medium and one for long putts)? Or, do you think he expects them to be able to simply vary the size of their swing to fit the shot? Why should it be any different with wedges?

GIVE YOUR PUTTS A BREAK—Ok.

USE THE 14 CLUB RULE—Ok.

ADD 42 YARDS NOW—Let’s begin with the question, “Could Tiger use this to get an extra 42 yards?” Of course not. The first point is that this will not be useful for everyone.
--The second point is that thinking of the swing as in-to-out can result it a very confused mind a misshapened swing. I would instead think of the swing as having a direction toward the target.
--Regarding Rick’s description of swaying, I can’t imagine anything that is more compatible with Manuel’s teachings.
--Regarding turning, it is the result of how far back you are comfortably able to swing the club. Think of the swing causing you to turn instead of the turn creating the swing.
--Regarding space, don’t try to keep the hands away from you. Instead, don’t try to unnecessarily bring them towards you.
--Regarding hanging back, allow the forward swing to shift your weight to your right foot.
--Regarding casting, the hands are for holding the club. The unhinge on the forward swing due solely to the centrifugal force of the swing.
--Regarding tapping, take a close look at the clubface in the photo marked with the “Y” (for Yes). Notice that the club face is out-of-square and looking far off to the right. No one would be in this position at impact.
--Regarding releasing—there is no release in the golf swing. The “N” photo is an example of a player using their hands (i.e. hand-action).

100/90/80

Breaking 100
HOLD THE BALLONS—looks good but guarantees little

POINT THE CLUB—you don’t need to extend the finger—just swing so the club winds up pointing at the target.

ROTATE—Ok.

FINISH—Good.

Breaking 80
CLIP THE TEES—don’t be mislead to think there is a “flat spot” at the bottom of your swing.

TRAJECTORY—Ok.

July 2008

July ’08 Golf Digest Magazine

LESSON TEE—Trevor Immelman’s swing is perhaps the most symmetrical on the backswing and the return of the club to the ball. Good balance.

A MATTER OF BALANCE—Tiger is unequivocal when he says, “One of the least discussed but most important elements of the full swing [really any swing] is balance. When you shift your weight, the club will not be square when contact is made.

KEEP IT SMOOTH—A swinging object accelerates at a constant rate and then decelerates at a constant rate—a swing is smooth. If it ain’t smooth it ain’t a swing. If it is not a swing don’t expect to get the speed and consistency that a swing always delivers.

KEEPING YOUR TEMPO—Ditto from above.

MASTER THESE TWO CHIPS—When the ball is high in the grass, raise your center (sternum) so that the bottom of your arc meets the ball. When the ball is down study the grass. You may need to play the ball back in your stance if the grass behind the ball is thick. Go with a very lofted club to improve your odds of escaping the rough. Disregard Butch’s comments about the legs.

MILK DOES A GOLF SWING GOOD—Oops! Disregard.

AIM CORRECTLY—NOT RIGHT—Ok.

LET YOUR HANDS WORK TOGETHER—Since when is neutral other than neutral? V’s to the right is strong. V’s to the left is weak. So where should neutral be? Yep, pointed at your center. And yes, keep the grip pressure the same throughout the swing (write me if you want to know why).

DON’T FLIP IT—Ok except for the last page. The left arm does not lead. If it does you’ll have to shut the club face to keep the ball from going to the right. Both arms swing together.

THE ONE LCUB YOU NEED—Ok.

BURNED TO A CRISP—Use suncreen—at least SPF 45.

ONE SIMPLE CHANGE TO HOLE MORE PUTTS—Try it. It’s not magic. Maybe it will help some.

HOW TO MAKE MORE MONEY PUTTS—Ok.
TURN YOUR SHOULDER, SWING YOUR ARMS—The movement of the body can be described many ways. It is more useful to think of the hands swinging the club back, the arms swinging it forward, and the body responding accordingly to both.

BREAKING 100 / 90 / 80—Disregard.

June 2008 Golf Digest

This month's articles

-Lesson Tee—K.J is so smooth in his rhythm and well balanced during his swing. The primary thing you should note in his coach’s instruction is that K.J is creating the “power fade” as a result of a swing change and not a setup change. While this is can be done with much daily practice, this is a high maintenance way to adjust ball flight. Much better would be to create the “power fade” through a setup change such as playing the ball slightly back in your stance.

-My New Stinger—Again notice that Tiger creates this ball flight by a swing change. This ball flight could also be created by closing the clubface slightly before you take your grip.

Trigger the Trap—Timing, timing, timing, too high maintenance. By the way, trapping the ball is a misnomer. You cannot trap the ball between the clubface and the turf unless you contact the all above the equator—and then it would never get airborne.

Open Mouth, Lose Tension—This could work for some players. What will work for every player is to put their attention on attempting to make the club move in a swinging motion (which is smooth and rhythmic) as opposed to attempting to make the club face crash into the ball.

Against the Grain—Ok.

How to Tame Your 3-Wood—Become “club blind”. Allow yourself the benefit of knowing that the swing is the same for all clubs. If you are thinking about the club you aren’t thinking about the swing.

How I Track My Stats—Ok.

Learn the Bumb-And-Run—So what is the difference between a “bump-and-run” and a chip shot? Nothing. Whether a lofted trajectory is desired or a low trajectory, the setup and swing are the same. The loft of the club determines the flight.

Get On The Ball—The key here is to learn to keep your balance during the swing. If the ball helps (and I doubt it will), fine.

The Importance of Speed—How long does a putt have to be when you want to lag it? Or, put another way how long does a putt have to be to keep you from trying to make it? Don’t lag putts, try to make them all. Statistically, if a putt is in the 20-25 foot range, a very good putt ends within 3 feet.

3 Steps to Fix Your Tee Shot—Since when is the fix for a slice a draw? And if that is a fix, why on the next page do they offer a fade fix for a hook? This is foolish. The fix is to hit the ball straight.

Breaking 100/90/80

Sand Solutions—OK

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.

January ‘08 Golf Digest Instruction Commentary

This month's articles

-LESSON TEE—Three things to observe in Colt’s swing. First, he plays the ball forward in his stance. This will necessitate that he sway forward (see photo 6) in order to get the club shaft and face square at impact. Second, although he is flat on the back swing (3) he reroutes the club on the forward swing (5) moving it along a path that is aligned with his target. Third is that he finishes (as you all have been taught to do) up on the right toe and with the club hanging over his left shoulder.

WIND UP FOR MORE POWER—David begins by saying, “…you have to do more than just turn your shoulders and hips.” But what does the “pull for power” drill do more than just turn your hips? Nothing. Be clear about this: Focus on swinging the club over your right shoulder. When you do, that motion will turn your shoulders and hips. We focus on making the club move correctly and allowing the body to respond to (not initiate) the swing.

BUMP YOUR CHIPS—I am not sure what “bump” means, but Tiger’s strategy of playing “low rolling shots” is one that Manuel whole-heartedly recommends whenever possible. Soling the club on the toe is a viable strategy “especially on dicey lies” as Tiger puts it. If you want to experiment with this type of setup, remember that playing a shot on the toe will tend to torque (twist) the club in your hands.

SAVE SHOTS INSTANTLY—From behind the ball, it is difficult to read the second half of a long putt simply because it is so far away. On long putts, walk halfway to the hole and read the break for that portion of the put. Then go back behind the ball and read the whole putt.

TRY SAM’S PITCHING TECHNIQUE—Regardless of which club you use for chipping, there should be no hand action (wristy-ness). Hands are for holding, arms are for swinging.

HOW TO HIT A 50-YARD BUNKER SHOT—“…use your normal bunker swing” I don’t think so.
A greenside bunker swing is intended for the club to create a “tidal wave” of sand that pushes the ball out of the bunker. On a 50-yard shot you don’t want any sand between your clubhead and the ball because you couldn’t carry the shot 50 yards. Keep this shot simple setup as you would for a fairway bunker shot. If you don’t regularly practice shots like this don’t allow your expectations to become unrealistic for hitting the shot the correct distance.

3 KEYS FOR RELEASE—Huh? Disregard this article.

TRAIN YOUR AIM—Our recommendation is to align with the actual target. We can’t argue with Tiger’s and Jack’s success.

FEET OPEN, BODY SQUARE—If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If you aren’t having a problem with your body responding to the swing then keep your setup for your short shots the same as for your full swing.

TRIPLE X FACTOR—Jim starts of by saying since his first x-factor article in 92 “…there seems to be more confusion than ever about the body’s role in the swing.” Could triple-x triple the confusion? Jim and Heartland differ on one central point. Jim want the player to focus on the body’s movements whereas we know better shots result when you focus on the clubs movements. The triple-x that Jim describes seems reasonable. However, it is not something the golfer should “make” happen, but instead is something the golfer should “let” happen as a result of swinging the club.

ELEVATE YOUR SHORT GAME—
Bunker Shot…..While Stan is very popular on tour, let me ask you one question. If you want to have a higher trajectory, why would you need to do anything different but choose a more lofted club or just open the club face? Keep your bunker play simple.

Downhill Shot…..Ok (except forget the “in your pocket” comments).

Short Chips…..A chip shot is just a small golf swing. No need to do anything unusual.

Breaking 100/90/80

3 STEPS TO MORE UP-AND-DOWNS—Consider using Todd’s 3 steps to practice what you learned at Heartland.