October 12, 2015 Posted by Matt

How you grip the club plays a major role in how the clubface approaches the ball.  A strong grip is one that has the hands rolled toward the right or under the handle and will shut the face and cause a hook.  A weak grip is one that has the hands turned to the left and will cause a slice or a fade.  To simplify your grip, try to have the Vs created by your hands and thumbs pointing toward your right cheek.  Starting with this neutral grip will allow the club to return to square at impact rather than having you make some swing adjustment to compensate for a strong or weak hand position.  It may take a little time to get used to the neutral grip, but your shots will soon fly straighter than ever before.

October 11, 2015 Posted by Matt

What do you do when a shanked shot appears?  I’m sure Ian Poulter was asking himself the same question when he shanked a shot in the President’s Cup this weekend.  All players at some time or other have hit the dreaded shank.  A shank is when the hosel or inside of the clubface strikes the ball, sending it directly to the right and usually into trouble.  A common cause of a shanked shot is when your body moves forward as you start your downswing.  When your upper body moves forward, your hands and arms get stuck behind you and well to the inside.  As you come into impact from the inside, your hosel will strike the ball first.  To prevent the shank, keep a good posture, and swing by turning your shoulders around your head so there is no lateral movement.

October 10, 2015 Posted by Matt

Ah yes, the par 3 prayer for a hole-in-one, not exactly a rare occurrence…

I must be doing something wrong since I’ve only had one ace.  How many hole-in-ones have you had?

October 10, 2015 Posted by Matt

If your ball lands in heavy rough near the green, do not try a normal pitch or chip shot.  The best way to get the ball up and out of the rough is a flop shot.  Open the face of your most lofted wedge so it sits almost flat on the ground.  Make a long, slow backswing and through swing.  Keep your hands still so the face stays open and your hands do not shut down the face.  The club should slide under the ball as it picks up speed through impact.  Grip the handle lightly, and let the club do the work of getting the ball into the air.

October 9, 2015 Posted by Matt

Many golfers hit poor chip shots and poor pitch shots because they decelerate as they come into the ball.  The usual result is a ball that gets just onto the green and ends up woefully short of the hole.  In practice, concentrate on making a slow and controlled backswing that is not overly long for your chip and pitch shots.  Make a crisp movement with the club toward the ball, and let the club go through without stopping.  By accelerating through the shot, your pitches and chips will hit and roll out to the hole more often.  You can set the distance you need to move the ball by the length of your backswing.  Be consistent in the speed that you use to go through the ball, and you will see a big improvement on your short game.

October 8, 2015 Posted by Matt

Maybe a new golf shaft will help you.  The shaft of the club is very important since it affects the type of ball flight that you will produce.  If you hit a slice, you should look into a shaft that has more torque.  Torque is the ability of a shaft to turn to square as it comes into impact.  Golfers who have high swing speed do not want the shaft to torque too much, as it will cause a hook.  But for the average golfer who slices, the added torque will close the face to square so that you will hit straighter shots.  Also, if your drives fly too low, look into a softer flex.  This will help the ball get higher into the air.  I recommend asking your pro for a club fitting.  He or she will be able to guide you through the process of matching your swing speed to the appropriate  golf shaft.

October 7, 2015 Posted by Matt

Here is a little trick for better putts.  When you hold your putter, make sure you use a light grip, so the putter head will release through the ball at impact.  Good putters use their shoulders in a rocking motion to propel the stroke instead of using their hands.  Move the thumb of your bottom hand away from the middle of the grip, sot that it sits just on one side or the other of the handle.  This will help keep your hands from being too active and force you to use your shoulders in a rocking motion to move your arms and hands during the stroke.  Try to keep your hands “quiet” but not stiff as you swing the putter.

October 4, 2015 Posted by Matt

Do you ever ask yourself why your practice swing is perfect, but then when you go to hit the ball you go right back to your old golf swing?  When you take a practice swing you are focused on swinging towards the target and finishing your swing instead of focusing on the golf ball.

When you are trying to change your swing, you are even more likely to focus on the ball instead of your finish.  Most golfers tend to hit “at” the ball instead of making a good swing and the ball gets in the way of the golf club.  Amateurs often hit and stop their swing instead of finishing their swing which usually makes the outcome of the shot even worse.  You need to focus more on the target and your swing thought should be “finish my swing”.  Try to hold your finish for two seconds.

According to one of the top PGA Teaching professionals, Dr. Jim Suttie, a couple of drills you can do include:

1. Full swings at one half and one quarter speed
2. Starting at the finish of your swing and then making a full swing from there
3. Have your teacher pull the ball away on your downswing.

October 2, 2015 Posted by Matt

A good way to help you determine your line and start your putt on the correct path is to place a line on your ball and line it up to the line you think your putt needs to go.  There are plastic templates that allow you to make a straight line on your ball with a permanent marker.  When you place your ball on the green in front of your coin, align the straight line to your intended path for your putt.  When you set up to putt, place the center of your putter head directly in line with your straight line on the ball.  Start your putt by stroking the ball down the line.  If the ball rolls over and over as if it were one solid line, you have struck the ball well.  This technique will be a big help in starting your putts in the correct direction.

September 30, 2015 Posted by Matt

The right knee is the key to solid shots.  When you make your backswing, your right knee should remain flexed and ready to take the weight from your shift.  The weight should be felt on the inside of your right foot so the knee does not bow backward to create a sway.  If you straighten your right leg on your backswing, you are losing the ability to coil for power.  Have a friend stand behind you and place the grip of a club on the back of your knee to keep your flex as you swing back.  This little drill will help you get the feel for getting a good position as you swing back to the top and the result will be solid shots.