This Key Position Will Help You Draw the Ball

Creating a Draw is a shot which presents a challenge to a huge number of golfers, especially from the tee.  I spent much of my early life as a Pro playing Pro-Am events and I could guarantee at least 1 of my amateur team would ask “how can I hit a Draw?”  If you want to change your shot shape you must first understand the elements which control the ball.  The laws governing the flight of the ball and why we hit certain shots are too large a subject for this short blog however you should consider the following points.

Firstly, strike on the ball is critical.  Poorly struck shots cannot effectively be controlled and so an accurate strike should be your first priority.  Assuming you have a solid strike, the simple way to think of ball flight is that the Club Face determines where the ball sets off and the Swing Path controls curve through the air.  To create a Draw curve you need an inside-out Swing Path and this week’s video shows you a key position in the swing crucial to creating this Path.

The Delivery Position is something I work on with many players.  It directly influences Impact and by rehearsing the Delivery Position you can quickly improve both the strike on the ball and its flight.  Try this in your next couple of practice sessions or rounds and see what happens to your ball flight.  I would love to hear how you get on.

The Players Championship is one of the great weeks in golf.  All the best players at an iconic venue make’s for a great tournament.  Having been lucky enough to play the course several times I am amazed at the shots I see the best in the world play.  Sawgrass is the ultimate test of strategy and course management and it is the hardest course around the greens I have ever seen.  Nothing I have seen in the UK even comes close to the test it presents.  My last visit I watched a good friend and +1 handicap player shoot +12 48 for the front 9, he almost walked in complaining the course was just too difficult.  Only the lure of the 17^th kept him going.  The 17^th is obviously the most famous hole and although only a short iron the tee is a daunting place to stand.  As you can see in the photos included below the green is smaller than it looks on TV and you can appreciate just how severe the undulations in the greens are.  As Sergio Garcia proved it is the ultimate “Death or Glory” golf hole.

The deadline for entering the HowDidiDo National Matchplay is almost upon us.  If you haven’t already done so you can enter now through the HDiD homepage and you could join me at the finals for an amazing week’s golf in Portugal.

Please E mail your questions and comments to academy@howdididomedia.com it’s great to get your comments and feedback as well as requests for future topics and remember to subscribe to the YouTube channel to get all the latest videos.

Create Impact Speed for Better Bunker Play

One of the truly difficult things in golf is to understand and trust the relationship between good bunker play and impact speed.  A good bunker shot is a combination of technique and commitment.  You need to understand how your wedge works and use the bounce on the sole to prevent the leading edge digging into the sand.  Too deep a divot will slow the club rapidly and often result in a duffed shot a few feet in front of you.  Consistent ball position is crucial too; if the ball creeps back in your stance it is very easy to hit the ball first and if you see the ball sailing 30 yards over the green it becomes impossible to trust impact speed.

Fear of what could go wrong is the enemy of any golf shot but perhaps it is most obvious in bunker shots.  Confidence comes from positive feedback and that is why the line in the sand drill from 2 weeks ago is crucial.  This week, using a device called SwingSmart we can show you exactly how much impact speed is needed for a good bunker shot.

SwingSmart is one of a generation of new, affordable devices which measure very accurately the club movements throughout the swing.  It’s very useful because it gives information and feedback you cannot see or measure, even with sophisticated video cameras.  In this instance it proves just how much impact speed I use to hit a good bunker shot and with that feedback I can gain confidence and trust.

Using the drill from 2 weeks ago build up your club speed with every swing, checking the accuracy of your divots.  With a little practice you will soon find the speed you are most accurate with.  Replace the ball and then commit to the same swing speed.  If your fundamentals are sound you will see high, soft consistent bunker shots.

I can announce that again this season I will be hosting coaching days at High Legh Park GC in Cheshire.  A fantastic facility with multiple full swing and short game practice areas it is an ideal venue for improving any aspect of your game.  I will be available for both individual lesson appointments as well as half day schools covering more than one area of your game.  A full list of dates will announced over the next couple of weeks and for more information e mail me directly at neil.clarkson@golfprobooking.com

I continue to be available at Tonbridge Golf Centre, Kent and I look forward to seeing you at one of our coaching days this year.

If you have any comments or questions on this week’s video you van leave them below or e mail academy@howdididomedia.com I look forward to hearing from you.

Always Pick a Landing Point to Pitch It Close

There is no doubt that short game shots around the green are part of the game where we can all improve.  It is also an area of the game which seems to be under practiced; although I appreciate it can be difficult with the availability of short game facilities in many Clubs.  Elite players will devote more than 50% of their practice time to the short game and I believe that with a little help you could save 2-3 shots per round every time you play.  Short game shots are as much a test of your mind-set and decision making skills as they are about technique.  In this video I’m than ever before.

Shot selection and the landing point are the two most important to be made in any short game shot.  Every golfer has shots they feel more confident with and therefore should look at a short game shot in their individual way.  Phil Mickelson see’s different shots to Luke Donald but they are both amazing short game players.

When you are out on the course playing I want you to forget about your technique and focus instead on choosing very specific landing spots for the shot you decided to play.  It creates a positive mind-set, “I WILL land the ball on that spot” and keeps negative thoughts at bay.  As you get used to selecting a landing point you will start to hit them more often and create more chip and putt opportunities.  Improving 2 or 3 chip and pitch shots per round can make a big difference to your score.

Brett Rumford produced an amazing shot to win the European Tour event this week in South Korea.  Noted for being one of the best wedge players on tour his short game gives him the opportunity to compete with more powerful players.  His 4 iron into the green on the 1^st playoff hole was a shot worthy of winning any event.  His work with golf fitness specialist Kevin Duffy has been a big part of his success.  Kevin is a PGA Professional working in golf fitness and his knowledge has helped players of all levels.  It is a very important part of the game and overlooked by many Club players but a little work on flexibility and stamina can have a big effect on your score. 

If you have any comments or questions please post them below or e mail me at academy@howdididomedia.com

I look forward to hearing from you and remember to subscribe to the blog and YouTube channel for all the latest videos.


An remember that there are only 3 weeks left to sign up to the 2013 HowDidiDo National Matchplay Championships, click here to enter.

How Can Adam Scott’s Driver Help Improve Your Slice

Firstly apologies for the delay on this weeks blog.

After a fantastic finish at The Masters 2 weeks ago, Adam Scott putting a new Driver into his bag for the tournament seemed to pass largely unnoticed.  It’s not uncommon for players to introduce new clubs but the week of a major is less common and usually big news if the player wins.  What is interesting for me is not the new head nor the type of shaft he used but the LENGTH of the club. 

In recent years there has been an increasing trend for club manufacturers to increase the length of their Driver’s without telling anyone.  The main reason for this in my view is marketing and benefits to the golfer.  Distance sells Drivers and if you add length to a Driver the ball goes further.  It seems reasonable, but there is a very BIG if attached to that statement.  The ball goes further if the strike and impact are PERFECT and here is where we encounter our problem.  The longer the club shaft the harder it is to control and deliver to the perfect impact and missing the sweet spot is one of the biggest factors in losing distance.

Many Drivers in your Pro Shop are now 45.5 or 46 inches long and it may surprise you to know that Adam Scott’s Driver at The Masters was only 44.75 inches long.  Ask yourself this, does it make sense that you are being asked to use a Driver

Adam Scott is not alone, in fact the average Driver length on the European Tour is less than 45 inches and so almost EVERY Tour Pro is using a Driver shorter than yours.

If you are a player who would like to reduce your slice or drive the ball more consistently, it is really important that you find the correct length of driver for you.  A shorter shaft will reduce the curve on your ball flight and a straighter flight will travel further.  It will help hit the sweet spot more consistently and that will increase your average distance from the tee.

I recommend you check the length of your current Driver, either with your Pro or on the manufacturer’s website; you may be surprised by the result.  I would consider 45 inches to be the maximum length for a driver for any player and if you slice then shorter than that.

I would interested to hear from you regarding your current Driver length and particularly anyone who has a very long driver without knowing or if you have shortened your Driver what results did you get?

You can leave your comments below or e mail academy@howdididomedia.com

Next week we look at how you can save shots by Pitching the ball close.

Improve Your Bunker Play with a Line in the Sand

Have you ever wondered how Tour Players make bunker shots look so easy?  Talking to golfers it seems to be a part of the game so many struggle with and yet to the Pro’s, it looks mystifyingly easy.  The first step to improving your bunker play is to remove some of the fear and difficulty surrounding the shot.  It’s the only shot in golf where you never actually have to hit the ball.  With the correct technique you can hit between half an inch and 4 inches behind the ball and still get the ball out of the bunker.  Nowhere else in the game do we have this kind of margin for error.  If you struggle with consistency from bunkers check with your Pro and make sure your chosen wedge has enough bounce on the sole.  I see many players using a 60 degree wedge, which in my view is a poor choice for bunker shots.  The 60 degree wedge is usually a low bounce club with a sharp leading edge and results in inconsistently deep divots and poor distance control from the sand.  56-58 degrees of loft combined with at least 10 degrees of bounce on the sole would be the ideal club for most golfers.

By understanding and then improving your divot pattern without the ball you can quickly gain confidence.  When every divot hits the line you can attempt shots with the ball, but don’t let the ball distract you from the task of taking a good divot.  Always remember YOU NEVER HIT THE BALL, ONLY THE SAND.

I want to congratulate Julia Bashford of Aldwickbury Park GC.  Julia was one of our two competition winners of a 6 hour winter coaching program.  Since completing the program she has already reduced her handicap by 2 shots from 21 to 19, a great effort in the early part of the season.  Julia is proof that with a little help and effort you can make great strides in improving your game.  Great fun to work with and passionate about the game I am sure she will continue to see her handicap drop.

Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera provided a great finish to The Masters on Sunday night.  Long putters and rules breaches aside, the shot making under pressure was fantastic to watch.  I also enjoyed the differences between the 2 players; they represent the game in its 2 forms.  Adam Scott is a great athlete, his golf swing technically perfect and is a model example of the modern golfer.  Angel Cabrera is a player from a different place and time, where golf was learned and not coached and where shot making was more important than swing planes.  He is an artist not an athlete and his 2^nd shot into the 72^nd hole is one of the best I have ever seen.  We can learn from both of them, Adam Scott’s great posture and swing lines and Angel Cabrera’s balance and flowing movement.

I look forward to reading your comments below and e mail any questions to academy@howdididomedia.com

For all the latest videos subscribe to the YouTube channel and the blog at the top of the page.

How Using the Correct Shaft Can Make You a Better Player

Of all the technology involved in a golf club the shaft is by far the most important element.  A correctly fitted shaft allows you to maximise your performance for any swing, it works with your swing and allows you to hit the ball further and straighter than a poorly matched shaft and with the availability of launch monitor technology we can now prove this to be true.

The video this week is filmed at the Mizuno National Fitting Centre at Burhill G.C and features Nick Johnson explaining why shaft fitting is so important and how it can impact your game.  I took the head of HowDidiDo, Barry Dyett for a club fitting session to show him the importance of the process and to help illustrate why I believe every player should use custom equipment.  Barry is typical of many golfers I have met, a 12 handicap player he is capable of good golf but lacks a little consistency.  He has owned many golf clubs over the years but never purchased custom fit equipment believing it wouldn’t make a difference to him.

What is the most important thing to take from this video?  Simply that as every golf swing is unique; the club will behave differently for individual golfers, even if the swing speed is the same.  If you have ever bought a club that you hit great from the first shot then you have a SHAFT which matched your swing, the shaft and not the club head is the reason it felt so good.

At this point Barry was still a little sceptical (as you may be) and so the next stage was to hit some shots using the TrackMan Launch Monitor to record the results.  Barry hit a 6 iron using 2 different shafts; the recommended shaft from the Mizuno Fitting Software and a shaft just 5 grams heavier and slightly stiffer.  The results were remarkable; the recommended shaft won EVERY measurable category.

·         Clubhead speed increased 1mph

·         Ball speed increased 2mph

·         Carry distance increased 4 yards

·         Total distance increased 6 yards

·         Trajectory was more consistent

·         Shot dispersion was much closer to the target

In other words, a tiny shaft change hit the ball half a club further and more consistently on target.  How is this possible?  The correct shaft actually IMPROVED Barry’s swing.  TrackMan proved that his swing path improved by over 2 degrees and that the club face was squarer to the path at impact.  There was no conscious swing change from Barry, he was just hitting shots, but the shaft was working better with his swing and delivering the club into a better impact position.

Equipment alone will never be the answer to improving your game however coaching and club fitting are a very powerful mix and all throughout my career I have seen golfer’s waste money on equipment which will never help them.

For more information about how shaft fitting can improve your game visit www.mizunogolf.co.uk

Remember to subscribe to the Blog and You Tube Channel to get all the latest videos and I look forward to reading your comments below.  For information about Academy events and coaching please e mail academy@howdididomedia.com

How to Choose the Best Irons for your Game

 “What are the best clubs out there?”

The answer to this question must always be, “The clubs you hit the best”.  As a Golf Pro I understand people are often cynical of the motives behind talking about equipment.  What am I selling? How much money am I making?  As a coach however, (and one who longer sells equipment) my only motive is getting someone to play better golf.  Custom fitting your equipment is CRUCIAL if you are interested in playing your best.  One of the biggest and most overlooked reasons a custom fit is important is that there is NO INDUSTRY STANDARD for measuring golf clubs.  Every manufacturer uses different measurements to define their standard.  Different length shafts, different lie angles and different lofts.  Add to that the huge variety of shaft types, weights and flexes and it becomes almost impossible to get a set right for you without a fitting.

As an example take the lie angle of a club.  Standard lie for a Titleist 6 iron is 62.5 degrees, but for a Mizuno its 61 degrees.  If you are 2 degrees upright in Mizuno you are NOT 2 degrees upright in a Titleist.  This variety is true in every aspect across all manufacturers and even sometimes changes within a single manufacturer’s range of clubs.  Failing to understand this point can lead to bad purchases, wasted money and deteriorating golf.

In a recent independent survey of club members it was discovered that fewer than 10% were using clubs the correct length, lie, loft and shaft.  That’s a huge number of players making the game harder than it needs to be.  Properly fitted equipment doesn’t need to cost thousands of pounds, most brands custom fit now and it is NOT relevant to your handicap.  The higher your handicap the MORE important it is.  Imagine learning to play tennis with a wooden racquet, yes you can learn but it’s making the job MUCH more difficult.

Whether you are looking for new clubs this season or not I strongly recommend going for a professional club fitting, ideally with someone using a launch monitor.  If not available in your area then a demo day is also a good way to find your measurements.  Once you understand your needs you will be in a position to not only play better golf but save some money too.

If you have any questions or comments about equipment and custom fitting leave them below or e mail academy@howdididomedia.com I will answer what I can.

For all the latest videos remember to subscribe to the YouTube Channel and look out for news about the new Academy site. We will soon be releasing dates for 2013 Clinics and Schools you can attend.

Improve Your Putting for Just 85 Pence

It’s hard to believe it’s the week leading up to Easter and the winter weather continues to disrupt our golf.  With many courses covered in snow this week and a trip to the range seeming very unappealing this week’s video shows you how to practice in the warmth of your home.  This is one of my favourite indoor games or drills and could dramatically improve your putting, all for just 85 pence.

The best way to develop and improve your skills is to practice in a way which is both measurable and competitive; the 85 pence drill achieves both of these.  It is also something you can continue to use and develop.  If 1 putter length is too easy then use a driver length, moving out to 2 driver lengths as you improve.

The drill also serves another very important purpose.  Once you have practiced at home on the carpet you should take the idea out onto the putting green.  Place the coin on the front edge of the hole and try to roll the ball over the coin in the same way.  You will find that any putts that may miss the coin will still be holed.  By aiming for a very small target (the coin) we greatly increase the chance of hitting our actual target (the hole).  When you are out on the course imagine placing the coin on the front edge of the hole and rolling the ball over that spot.  As I say in the video if you can hit a small coin consistently you should have no problem with the hole.  By spending 15 minutes per week on this drill you will see a significant improvement over 4-6 weeks.

         

Entries are open for the 2013 HowdidiDo National MatchPlay Championships; simply follow the link from the homepage.  Entries remain open until the 14^th May, remember you can enter more than one event and potentially play your way to the Grand Finals in Portugal next winter.  It would be great to see some Academy followers make it through to compete at the finals.

It seems the only story in golf this week is Tiger Woods, another record win at Bay Hill and his return to Number One in the world.  As a player and person he polarises opinion but there is no disputing he is one of the greatest competitors in the history of sport.  By returning to the top of the game with his 3^rd coach, after a 3^rd major swing overhaul he has guaranteed that golf will be box office in the lead up to The Masters.  Justin Rose had another very good tournament, he has perhaps my favourite swing in world golf and anyone who can emulate his rhythm and balance will strike the ball better.  All the talk will be about Tiger and Rory at Augusta but Justin Rose is my pick to be slipping his arms into a Green Jacket.

I look forward to reading your comments and feedback below and remember to subscribe to the YouTube Channel for all new videos.  Next week we look at features and benefits of different iron types and how to choose the right one for you. 

Understanding How Your Grip Influences Clubface Contro

With Easter around the corner and just 22 days until The Masters, the start of the season is upon us.  If you have been working on a winter coaching program now is the time to turn your attention away from pure technical swing thoughts and start to think about playing out on the course with any changes you have made.  If you have played very little over the winter then the next couple of weeks is your chance to remind yourself  of some of the key elements needed to play well from the first Monthly Medal.

I would really recommend spending the next couple of weeks focusing purely on the simple fundamentals; Ball Position, Alignment and Posture are three areas where handicap golfers consistently make the most mistakes.  It is no coincidence that Jack Nicklaus spent a month before every season with his teacher Jack Grout solely on his set-up.  Keeping it simple now, prevents bad habits which can become destructive very quickly.  It helps clear the mind and allows you to play without the burden of multiple swing thoughts.

If you have practiced over the winter trust what you have learnt, if not, then grooving the basics is the fastest way to bring your natural swing back.  A couple of trips to the range now could really make a difference in the first few competitions and get your handicap moving.  Using alignment rods or clubs on the ground to show the correct ball position and ensure you are standing parallel to the target line will help you see your true ball flight.  Don’t try and change it, just repeat it.  Use a mirror on the range or at home to check your posture, a key thought being a correct spine angle produces a consistent turn.  This improves both your power and consistency.

The video this week looks at a forth fundamental, the Grip.  However before you think “oh no, not the grip..” understand I am not talking about a perfect grip or that you should change your grip.  That is something you should only EVER do with supervision from a PGA Professional and only then if it is destroying your game or preventing further improvement.  This video shows you how to understand whatt kind of grip you have and how it can affect both the clubface position at impact and trajectory or height of the ball flight.

By understanding your grip you have the chance to really improve your consistency by matching your swing to your grip type.

          Thanks for all your comments and feedback, please keep them coming.  In the coming weeks we will look at parts of the game you have asked about.  These will include bunker play, putting and as the season starts, on course play and strategy.  Many of you have asked questions about equipment and club fitting and as this time of year many new clubs are released and bought by you I want to show you how equipment can improve performance.  I will also show you how to avoid the expensive mistakes with clubs that can make your game worse.

Leave your comments below and remember to subscribe to the YouTube Channel to keep up to date with the latest videos. 

Creating Pressure on the Ball for Consistent Distance and Trajectory

There are few things in the game which produce as much disappointment and frustration as watching a well struck approach shot fly completely the wrong distance.  Golf is a game where we must control both the direction and distance of the ball and yet I find many players overlook poor distance control because the ball flew seemingly on target.  We don’t recognise the mistake in the same way as we would if we missed the target well to the left or right.

Poor trajectory is in my view a greater mistake because you have performed the difficult part of the swing well, namely returned the clubface online at impact.  By far the most common mistake is short of the target.  Ask yourself how many times per round you hit a well struck shot over the green?  Most mistakes are short and most trouble is short of the green’s halfway point.  One element of this is club selection, it seems difficult to make ourselves hit 1 extra club but very often it’s a long way to reach the back of the green.

I have found the main inconsistency, even in low handicap players is inconsistent pressure on the ball; what many Pro’s call “compression”.  This simply means if you hit 2 shots with the same club head speed (e.g. 80mph) but apply different pressure with the club then the 2 shots WILL fly different distances.  We create pressure on the ball through a combination of weight transfer towards the target at impact, a shaft position leaning towards the target at impact and a slightly downward blow on the ball.  The exception to this is the Driver which being on a tee demands a slightly different impact position.  All these elements are dealt with in previous blogs.

The video this week shows you a simple practice exercise to create more consistent pressure on the ball.  It is focused mainly on Pitching, part of the game where distance control is crucial but you can use the same drill and expand it for any club or shot into the green.

As with most of the drills we show you, it is always more effective to start with smaller swings and clubs.  It’s tempting to hit full shots with the longer clubs immediately but this slows down your ability to learn and improve the technique.  Hit at least 20-30 good wedge shots before attempting to use the technique with longer clubs.

This week I have had the opportunity to combine two of my favourite things; spending a few days in South Africa where golf and wine are never too far apart.  I was lucky enough to spend a day at Arabella Golf Resort about 90 minutes from Cape Town.  Ranked the 4^th best course in South Africa it is a spectacular place to play and in perfect weather for golf.  Nearby is Creation Winery set at the top of the Hemel en Aarde valley.  The valley name translates as “Heaven and Earth” and is a beautiful location for the ultimate wine tasting experience.  If you are looking for a golfing experience to rival anything in America then South Africa has some of the best courses I’ve ever seen.

As always I look forward to reading your feedback and comments on this week’s video and subscribe to the YouTube page to keep up to date with new videos.

Understanding Different Postures for Different Clubs

Many of you, I am sure, will be on the verge of another new season.  March is the time when the course begins to change again and we move from winter golf back to full golf courses and more regular competitions.  Have you set any new goals for this year?  If not, ask yourself why?  Any chance of improving your golf and being more successful starts with a new goal.  It doesn’t matter if it is big or small, whether it relates to your handicap or winning competitions.  It could be as simple as wanting to beat your friends more often.  Whatever your goal, to achieve it you must first look honestly at your game and find 2 or 3 areas you believe you can improve.  Ask yourself, what is your favourite club or shot and make a commitment to raise every part of your game to that level.  Improving your bad shots is the biggest key to consistently improving your scores this year.

This week’s video looks at a crucial element for consistent performance out on the course.  We have talked about Posture in a previous blog but today I want to illustrate the importance of setting the CORRECT posture for individual clubs.  A set of clubs will vary significantly in size and shape and it is not possible to stand in the same posture for every club and hit the ball consistently.  The amount of spine tilt should change across the range of clubs.  The longest club, the driver demands a much taller posture than a wedge.  As your spine position varies the natural swing plane will vary accordingly.  A taller posture encourages a flatter more rounded plane, ideal for sweeping a driver.  The more tilted over wedge posture creates a more upright plane, perfect for hitting down on the ball.

If you are a player who struggles with irons or woods it could be that you are creating the wrong posture and therefore swing plane for the club you are attempting to play.  An iron posture with a wood in your hands is not going to work.  You will hit a combination of pulls, slices and pop up shots as the plane is too steep into the ball.  A wood posture with an iron will cause your spine angle to rise and fall during the swing, resulting in thinned/topped shots and fat shots.

Understanding the correct posture for the shot you want to play is one of the biggest influences on whether you can score consistently.

If you are enjoying the HowDidiDo blog then get involved by subscribing to the channel.  Your feedback is very important, ask questions or make comments below and you can contribute to the future content of the videos.

Improve your Swing Path - Gateway Drill

If you enter “Ball Flight Laws” into Google you will get thousands of hits, a vast online collection of what can seem complicated, and confusing scientific data much of which creates the impression the game is more difficult than it actually is.  In fact there are relatively few things that control where your golf ball goes.  One of these elements is Swing Path; the direction the club head is travelling relative to the ball to target line.  Swing Path is something I am sure many of you will have worked on and tried to improve in your own games, especially if you have battled the dreaded slice.

Our understanding of the ball flights laws has shifted in recent times, (hence much of the confusion) but we now know that the Swing Path is responsible for the amount of curve through the air of the ball (hook draw fade slice).  Path has very little influence over where the ball starts; the club face takes care of that.  If your ball flight has a lot of curve through the air, especially with the longer clubs you can safely say that the path and club face do not match up together at impact. 

The goal of this week’s video is to test your ability to return the club through impact on a repetitive path.  Is your path consistent with all your clubs or does it vary?  My preferred ball flight for Club golfers is a slight draw and in order to create this you must have a Swing Path slightly in to out through impact.  To understand this path make some practice swings and feel the club swinging towards the outside tee peg shown in the video.  If you’re a player who takes deep or extreme out to in divots this feeling will get your path more neutral and shallow the angle of attack into the ball.

At this point it is important to understand that your Swing Path WILL change and react to the position of the club face.  If your club face is either very open or very closed during the swing it is just not possible to control the Swing Path.

OPEN CLUB FACE CREATES OUT TO IN SWING PATH

CLOSED CLUB FACE CREATES IN TO OUT SWING PATH

In an effort to hit the target you have chosen the brain will change the path to counteract a club face fault.  An earlier blog and video talked about understanding a square club face and you should review this before working at your Swing Path.

Start out working at this exercise with smaller swings, half and three quarter short iron shots before working up through the clubs with your full swing.  Finish with a few Driver swings and see how an improved Swing Path changes your ball flight.

The ball flight laws will be explained in greater depth within the full HDiD Tuition Channel to be launched in a couple of months.  Every month new chapters and videos will be sent to your personal area on the site and you will have the chance to send your own swing for comparison and analysis.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the You Tube channel by simply clicking on the box and I look forward to reading your comments and questions below.

Consistent Golf Starts by Building a Consistent Pre-Shot Routine

Perhaps one of my favourite things about golf is that the game and its courses are available to every player.  With a few notable exceptions we can play the same courses the best in the world play.  Playing the game at a variety of different courses challenges us as players and forces us to think if we are to play a new course well.  Playing different courses does something else, it creates great memories.  With no other sport can we watch the best in the world and say “remember when we played there?”

The Africa Open and East London Golf Club played last week is one of my favourite tournaments of the year.  Not because of the field or that it’s a huge event but because it’s personal to me.  East London is my wife’s home town and I have played the course many times, including with my Dad and Brother 2 days before my wedding.  As a memory, it’s one of my favourite golfing experiences.  It’s great to watch the Tour players tackle a great old golf course knowing the challenges it presents.  It is also a course which highlights the theme of this week’s blog very well.  It’s not long by modern standards and has several very short par 4’s, however it presents the players with a test which many failed.  It demands the player THINK and understand the strategy involved on every hole.

You cannot simply step up and hit the ball as far as you can and then play from there.  The 5^th hole is less than 325 yards and yet was the 3^rd hardest hole all week, the 6^th even shorter and it too played over par for the week.

On course play and course strategy is something which is not taught enough these days.  We are so focused on the swing and its mechanics we very often forget how to play.  How many of you hit the ball well in practice but fail to transfer that into a good medal score?

A poor or inconsistent mind set WILL create inconsistent results.  Walking up to the ball, grabbing a club, glancing at the target and hitting the ball as hard as you can is seldom the best strategy for producing consistently good golf.

The video this week shows you a very simple way of creating an easy pre-shot routine.  If your game is inconsistent I can guarantee your approach will be inconsistent.  Very few Club golfers create a routine but it’s fundamental to playing better golf.  It helps eliminate easy mistakes such as poor alignment and forces you to think more clearly about where you want the ball to go.  Use this idea to help build your own routine and make it consistent and repetitive every shot.

I look forward to reading your comments posted below or you can e mail academy@howdididomedia.com

How to Vary the Trajectory of your Pitch Shots

I would like to begin this week with the announcement that Mizuno Golf are the brand partners with the HDiD Golf Academy.  As one of the most recognised and respected golf club manufacturers in the game and with their commitment to high tech custom fit processes Mizuno have a huge wealth of experience and knowledge to pass on to you.  The revolutionary shaft DNA system is a huge step forward in helping club golfers understand how improving your game is directly linked to the equipment you use.  Its amazing to think for instance, that over 80% of golfers are using a driver with the wrong loft and/or shaft, severely limiting both distance and accuracy.  Very few players have irons correctly fitted for them making it almost impossible to strike the ball consistently and accurately.

Over the coming weeks and months we will be working with Mizuno to show how equipment and technology in golf can help every level of player improve their game significantly.The Grand Final of the HowDidiDo National Matchplay came to a conclusion last week.  The finals of the Singles, Pairs, Mixed and Seniors all produced some excellent golf with the quality and difficulty of the courses producing worthy champions.  The event continues to grow every year and entries will soon be available on the HDiD website for the 2013 tournament.

This week’s video looks at pitching and how you can add more variety to your short game.  The difficult conditions around the greens in the Matchplay last week really highlighted the need to have a variety of shots around the green if you are to have more up and down chances.  I see many players pitch and chip competently but a lack of variety means they often have a much longer first putt. Look back over some of the earlier short game videos to brush up on your technique and then experiment with the set up changes shown this week and you will soon see that with one technique you can quickly and easily add the variety of a lower shot to run up the green and a higher soft shot to stop the ball quickly.

Please leave your questions and comments below and for information about lessons and golf schools e mail academy@howdididomedia.com

A Better Release for More Distance

This week’s video comes to you from the Grand Finals of the 2012 HowDidiDo National Matchplay Championships played in Vilamoura, Portugal.  It’s the perfect place to get away from the UK weather and play good golf courses in excellent condition.  In watching the first 2 days play a couple of things have been obvious.  Firstly, with almost no golf played by anyone back home it has taken time to find the rhythm of the golf swing.  Secondly, even the very low handicap players have found short game and putting a real test.  The quick firm greens have highlighted the rustiness brought on by a lack of play in the terrible weather back home.  If you get a chance to visit the driving range remember, don’t neglect your short game you will need it at the start of the season.

This week I have chosen to focus on the release of the club and how important it is in order to maximise your power and distance.  A good swing shape with a poor release will take yards off your tee shots whilst making your swing feel hard work and laden with effort.  A good release will help maximise your clubspeed, producing more distance for far less effort.  I like to think of this as being a more EFFICIENT swing.  An efficient release produces “EFFORTLESS POWER” not “POWERLESS EFFORT”.

Use the technique in the video during practice, starting with just half swing wedge shots to learn the shape.  It may feel strange at first but keep going and your confidence will grow.  When you feel you have hit 10 good shots, let the swing size increase until you’re hitting full wedge shots.  You can now start to work up through the bag, changing clubs every few swings.  Keep creating this mirror image release and you will hit the ball further.

Entries to the 2013 HowDidiDo National Matchplay will be available soon on the website and you may be here next year playing in the Finals.

As usual leave your comments or questions below and I will reply to as many as I can.

  

Create More Power from a Complete Backswing

Last week I showed you how the wrong grip pressure can reduce club speed and limit distance.  This week we continue the series of videos looking at ways you can hit the ball further by showing you a simple way to complete the backswing.  One of the biggest issues for players who lack power is turning the body fully whilst swinging the arms to the correct position at the top. 

A good backswing is critical if you want to hit the ball further.  It is the part of the swing where almost all of the power is created.  Winding or coiling the torso combined with the correct arm and wrist action will produce much more downswing speed and distance.

The drill in this week’s video will help you create a fuller body turn whilst understanding the correct position for the arms to complete the backswing.  There are many golfers who create a good turn or a good arm position but far fewer who combine the two.  It’s a difficult combination to feel and practice without the correct feedback and this drill is the best way I know to learn the two elements together. 

Without the correct turn you can’t throw the ball over your shoulder and if your arms swing too flat or lift up too steeply you cannot throw the ball in the correct direction.  Once you have mastered the ball toss pick up a club and work on the same movement for your backswing.  It will allow you to swing through the ball with more power and less effort creating a lot more distance.

  This week our winners of the winter coaching programs complete their sessions.  Both Julia Bashford and Keith Kerr have made excellent progress, improving their ball flight, trajectory and distance as well as some new short game skills.  With a little more practice between now and the start of the season I am expecting both their handicaps to tumble.  It has been great working with them both and we will run a new competition for more coaching prizes soon.

It seems the main golfing news this week has revolved around two topics, Tiger vs Rory and the Ryder Cup.  Despite all the hype neither Tiger nor Rory played very well on what was a very difficult golf course.  As expected the press made a big deal of Rory’s new clubs and I said in last week’s blog it would be the Driver and the Ball that would be the most important changes.  In Abu Dhabi Rory’s Driver stats were down 5 yards in distance and almost 20% in accuracy.  How much was down to a new Driver and how much a rusty golf swing?  The next few tournaments will tell us more.

Congratulations to Paul McGinley on being announced Ryder Cup Captain.  He is a class act and already an experienced and successful Captain after 2 Seve Trophy’s.  He has also never been on the losing side in the Ryder Cup either as a player (3 times) or a Vice Captain (twice).

Leave your comments or questions below and I will answer as many as I can.   

Step 1 to Hitting the Ball Further

It’s perhaps not surprising that one of the most common questions I am asked is “How can I hit the ball further?”  You don’t have to watch the Professional game on TV for long before you realise how far the modern Tour player hits the ball, and let’s be honest who wouldn’t want another 15 yards off the tee?  In the lead up to the new season I’m going to show you some of the simple ways to help you hit the ball further.

This week I am going to start with a simple yet underestimated element of the swing, Grip Pressure.  It’s been my experience that good players understand and control their grip pressure far better than higher handicap players.  Perhaps the higher handicap player is concerned with just hitting the ball and grip pressure seems small and less important but if you get it wrong it could destroy any chance of making a smooth rhythmic swing.

Poor grip pressure destroys speed in the swing and speed is CRITICAL to hitting the ball a long way.  For every 1 mph you improve your club speed the ball will travel 2-3 yards further, thus 5mph more club speed could give you an extra 10-15 yards.

The video explains how to accurately gauge your current grip pressure and the effects of holding the club too tight.

If, having watched the video you have discovered your grip pressure is too tight I recommend that you check the thickness and condition of your grips with your Professional.  Grips that are too thin or worn will force you to squeeze a little harder, limiting your club speed and yardage.

In a couple of weeks’ time the Grand Finals of the 2012 HowDidiDo National MatchPlay will be played at the Vilamoura Resort, Portugal.  I am looking forward to seeing the players compete over 5 days to find the best MatchPlay golfers of the year.  Alongside the tournament we also host a fun golf week for anyone to come and play.  There are still a few places remaining on the week which includes 7 nights B+B and 5 rounds of golf with daily prizes.  If you are ready to get out of the cold and join us for a week in Portugal from 2-9^th February contact Alistair on 01292 317700 for the latest last minute deals.

This week is the return to action of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods in Abu Dhabi.  Much has been made of Rory changing his equipment and the money involved but I don’t think it will affect his game.  Tour players put new prototype clubs into play regularly, most of which will never be seen for sale.  The 2 most important changes are the driver and the ball.  He has been the best driver of the golf ball by some margin over the past couple of seasons and it’s crucial for him the new driver works just as well.   The change of ball can affect distance control and trajectory but again most players change ball every year as new versions are introduced.  I am certainly looking forward to seeing how they play this week.

Please leave your comments and questions below or e mail academy@howdididomedia.com and I will answer as many as I can.  

The Most Important Lesson of the Year

Welcome to the first Academy Blog of 2013.  I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year and you are looking forward to a new golfing season.  2012 is going to be a hard act to follow but I think it could be a great year for golf.  This is the time of year to be making resolutions and golfers seem to make more than their fair share.  To putt better, to hit the ball further, to lose the slice, to lower the handicap are all common goals at the start of the year.  I have a simple resolution for you if you want to achieve any and all of these things.  Make it your goal in 2013 to hit EVERY shot from the perfect start position.  Learn to produce the perfect posture, alignment, grip and ball position for every shot you hit and every part of your game WILL improve.  Worry a little less about your swing and a lot more about your set-up, it’s the ONLY way to play more consistently.

I want to start 2013 with one of the most important lessons you can learn in golf.  It is a fact that, with the exception of the Driver and Putter you must obey a key golf law to hit the ball into the air.

We must hit the ball down to make it fly up

Anytime the ball is on the ground we must obey this golf law, whether it is a full shot, a chip or a pitch.  If you try to hit the ball up, lifting the ball or trying to get the club underneath the ball you will be left hitting a combination of fat or duffed shots with thinned or topped shots.  Consistent ball striking demands you hit the ball down not up.  The downward strike creates backspin on the ball which combined with the loft on the club produces the correct trajectory or flight.  The correct downswing sequence creates this downward blow, striking the ball first then turf with the divot appearing forwards of the centre of the stance.  This week’s video explains how to create the correct downward strike and demonstrates a great practice drill to help you feel the correct movement.

You can leave any comments about this video at the bottom of the page, alternatively e mail academy@howdididomedia.com with any questions and we will reply to as many as possible.

2013 will be an exciting year for us here as we continue to produce videos to help your golf as well as launching the academy membership which will provide a library of videos, much more in depth instruction as well as the opportunity to have your own golf swing analysed and the lesson delivered directly to your PC.

Why Practice Does Not Make Perfect and What to Do Instead

Practice makes Perfect is one of the most common phrases in life as well as in golf.  The problem is that it just isn’t true.  This may be news to some of you, perhaps not to others but I want to use this common phrase to highlight some of the problems we face when trying to improve.

Practice makes PERMANENT not PERFECT.  In other words we will become better at whatever we practice.  If our practice habits are poor then we will become better at playing poorly.  You may be thinking “I don’t practice so this doesn’t apply to me” but ask yourself this; do you play every round without a purpose or understanding of why you hit poor shots?  If so then you are ingraining those poor shots into your game, you become better at playing to that same level and will NEVER improve.

If you want to improve your handicap or win a Club competition then this week’s video can help you without even hitting a ball.  Repetition of movement is a huge part of improving your golf swing.  The more you repeat a movement or start position, the more familiar it feels, the more naturally you will perform it on the course.  This is what many people mistakenly call “muscle memory”.

Muscle memory is a misleading term, muscles don’t have memories.  The movements we remember are what I refer to as your “default setting”.  In golf this is the swing we produce without thinking, if your default setting produces a slice and you want to change that then you must learn a new default setting.  Without repetition of movement this will never happen.  By using the idea in the video practice and repetition is made MUCH easier.  Making swings at home you will build up repetition without having to visit the range.  If you find practice boring or pointless because you never improve follow the video, it could change your game.

We have seen some amazing golf to finish 2012, most of it played by Charl Schwartzel the last 2 weeks.  In his final 2 events he won by 9 shots and then 12 shots and was an almost unbelievable 49 under par for 8 rounds.  That’s an effective handicap of approximately +9!

Lee Crombleholme’s players ended the year on a high with Andy Sullivan securing his best finish on Tour, Tied 3^rd at the Alfred Dunhill Championship winning over 73,000 euros.  With Branden Grace in 12^th it rounded off an amazing year for WinningGolfMind clients.  Click on the link to find out more.  We will hear more from Lee in the New Year

Sports Personality of the Year was a great event on Sunday.  It struck me listening to interviews how every athlete or player talked about needing a team around them to succeed.  In 2013 the HowDidiDo Academy will provide a team for you.  We will not only continue with weekly videos but in the spring we will launch a fully interactive online tuition and coaching service.  Coaching and lessons will be delivered to your computer every month and by sending video of your own swings you can get an individual lesson online.

We have a panel of some of the best coaches in the UK presenting their ideas on fitness, custom fitting and new equipment, short game and putting as well as more from Lee Crombleholme on the mental game.

There will be a series of events around the UK for you to attend and learn to play better golf and winter Golf Schools abroad.

We look forward to helping you play your best golf ever.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year