swing thoughts 11/08

hitting the ball great

working on swinging the butt and keeping weight centered.

timing-

one-butt swings to left during backswing (stay level)

two-right elbow drops

three-butt swings to right

four-turn chest, relax hands and arms, esp right

visualization keys

focus hard hard hard on target, like kicker in football

remember to focus on where you want the club to hit the grass, usually 4-6 inches in front of ball.  at least.  sometimes may want to focus even further.

painting the ground with left hand controlling brush.

right hand baseball grip, keep shaft in fingers

when chipping, right hand at shaft end of grip

try to avoid hit impulse.

http://perfectputtingmachine.com

considering z putter training aid for winter, from foreinventorsonly.

green #1

you have to stay below the hole.
putting from anywhere above it-just tap it no matter what if the pin is in the middle.
from the upper left side, have to take a really high line to get it to stay in the upper half of the green

swing thoughts

baseball grip with hands slightly separated works great
make sure right hand keeps club in fingers
on backswing, don't lift club, stay flat
on transition to downswing, make sure right elbow falls into plane before turning upper body.
don't sway back, remember brady riggs video on creating space so that arms can swing down. swing the butt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvOr5nNqYEw
hip pivot, creating space on backswing

arms stay connected to chest, will follow on their own. make sure right hand stays passive.
full follow through.
think of painting the stripe down the target line.
focus on spot in front of ball where divot starts.

use this grip for short game too.
paint the line.
follow through down the line for chips and for putts!

sand game-this grip helps a lot. make sure to focus like a laser on the entry point in the sand. can swing out to in to shorten flight distance.

great great day with lots of discoveries.
right elbow helps timing.
baseball grip helped a lot, keep shaft in fingers rather than palm
keep right hand passive.
flat swing plane working now, don't let backswing get too long. no need for that.

bad hooks from not finishing backswing. rememer tempo-backswing at transition speed same as downswing start speed.

great round in hawaii with howaii

ewa beach 101
made a lot of putts but poor chipping, sand game-out in 1 for everything but not that close.
very windy

swing work

after a very bad round with lots of bad shots, i'm concentrating on a couple things

weight shift rather than thinking about relaxed arms

think about transferring the weight between the insteps and turning the left hip.

turning the hip will cause the chest to turn and the arms to swing through.

need to keep level--level head, level midsection, don't stand up

think about transition speed between backswing/downswing

don't let backswing get too long

baseball grip? 

remember to focus really target side before initiating swing.  like 3 yards target side of ball.  try to make ball fly over painted stripe (target line)

when putting, remember paintbrush training aid (snag golf)

smooth swings

watch transitions
speed at start of downswing should equal speed at end of backswing

keep elbows close to body/elbows lead hands
think about holding hands back/left hand painting ground don't let it cast!

recently been swaying forward/remember to swing butt back and clear left side

watch clemshaw clay pigeon hand launcher video and horse whip/snap in your swing video (approximately sept 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1to3raiXeO0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9n5PZuLMB8&feature=user

18 hole round

the putter really let me down. 46/52 with a blowup 8 on 18.

2 pars 3gir 4 lost balls 7 fairways ball in water on hole #1 with 21 degree hybrid/pushed into right water

37 putts-lagging was great, but missed 5 3 footers. guess i need to work on that 3 foot drill. i'm exhausted, i can't keep up with those guys. normally i use driver on 1 hole, maybe 2. i had to use driver on 9 holes today. i really had to concentrate on tempo to avoid the hook. i only lost one into a lateral with a hook and that was (in part) cause i chose the wrong line from the tee box.

those low single digit guys can really put their approaches with short irons tight. i mean like 3 feet tight. i mean they can take a penalty and still par the hole no problem. i learned a lot. i took some penalties because i took the wrong lines off the tee and into the green, having not played the wayback's before. i learned a lot about where they want to put the ball on the green to make putting easier.

in summary, i need to work on putting more than anything else. oh yeah, i pitched one from the sand over the green and into the berm on the other side. out in one though. need to work on this. impossible stance though with ball hugging the border of the hazard

putting drills

drill #1
tee in ground from 3', 6', 9' and putt through the tees
really focus on this rather than where the ball goes.
also put the tees on the target side to make sure follow through is down the line.

drill #2
take 3 balls and putt out in 2 putts both ways

pelz putting clips?
---------------------------
from kaizen
Start with working on hitting the sweet spot every time. Tiger uses a simple drill to work on this skill: practice hitting putts from between two tees that you've stuck in the green. These tees should be just slightly wider than your putter head, and serve as a gate for the putter to swing through as you hit putts. Hit putts of varying distances using this drill. Make this a central part of any practice and warmup you do.
Learning how to aim your putter takes practice too. This is something that most people pay very little attention to. I helpful drill is to snap a chalk line on the green, you putt underneath a string you stretch between a couple meat skewers.
The third part requires competence in the first two above. You need to be able to consistently have an efficient transfer of energy between the putter and the ball. You can't top 1/4 of your putts, then hit others on the toe and some on the heel and expect to be able to control the speed of the ball. Likewise you can't hit these glance blows with the putter. Once you get reasonably competent in these three skills, then your green reading skills will begin to improve.
Going out and practicing putting without an understanding of putting is like beating balls at the range without having an understanding of your swing. It's just wasted time.
---------------------------------------------
remember to focus your eyes on a spot in front of the ball and to follow through down the line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

consider left hand low versus gripping just in the fingers of the left hand to stop thrusting at the ball.

8/13/8 2nd pb 90

great round!
missed a 6" putt on 16 but still had a career round
40 putts
9 fairway
6 gir

watch position on backswing/soft wrists
keep eyes focused in front of ball
rhythmic smooth swing, esp transitions
finish follow thru

when chipping, keep weight on target side


lessons
on 11, consider 8 iron
on 13 consider 6 iron regularly
work on sand play
work on chipping
work on lag putting
work on 8' putts

range session

remember lucas's desired swing path back and forth
soft wrists

focus even farther in front of ball, maybe 4" in front of ball to bottom out swing optimally. this helps you swing down the line and keeps the ball from slicing horribly.

swing easy-only let backswing get to length where you can still swoosh appropriately on target side of ball
remember-pick a specific target, even with driver. and pick a spot 10 yards shorter than you want, you are better off if you don't feel you have to nuke the ball to get it there. trust the club.

trust the club.

short game lesson 8/6/8

chipping-keep weight forward. RELAX HANDS. short backswing, smooth transition, longer follow through. follow through down the line. make sure of this.
stand closer to ball, toe down. grip to shaft.
keep weight forward or else you blade the ball. focus on spot target side of ball to ensure downward blow. keep the triangle of your hands and arms. KISS

pitching
club shaft points back. ball forward of chip position. RELAX HANDS. short backswing with wrist cock and smooth transition. follow through (down the line) with clubhead pointed up when done.

right hand only drill
this is a right hand dominant swing

full swing
keep elbows together throughout swing. wrist cock early in full swing
turn body rather than swing arms. follow through down the line!!!!!!
focus on spot in front of ball

short circuits

concentrate on tempo
weight shift to left leg before starting downswing
finish weight transfer forward

pick spot 3-4" on ground in front of ball to focus on
keep eyes riveted there throughout swing. that will fix steep swing and improve contact.
just have to trust.
watch tempo with longer clubs.

when in trouble, watch shawn clement dvd #3 for refresher

golf lesson-off the tee 7/28

***alignment**** watch foot line and ball position

backswing-have slowed this down too much. turn body, turn arms, less hands and wrists (too steep).
Finish the backswing-when you don't finish, you get steep and left on the downswing. l shoulder goes left, forcing arms left

downswing-shoulders square at impact
***swing club down the line****
relax hands--let them turn over to prevent slices from occurring

tempo-
kid on swing
hover club to start!


drills-
baseball swing (make sure to keep left shoulder back)
hit balls off high tee's with every club to flatten swing.

6/10 playing lesson

played 5 holes today with pro who is 1 hcp keys for lesson

1)tweaked alignment a little- i will now aim at right side and draw the ball in rather than aiming at left side to allow for the fade/slice 1a)set club slightly closed and turn right hand over
2)need to take more aggressive lines than i have been taking/trust swing
3)finish swing-club on neck, think of pushing kid on swing. whoosh much later than ball.
4)sand-ball position forward-in line with left big toe! set up with hands behind ball 5)finish shots, esp putts and chips. commit!!!! short backswing, long follow through

hole 10-par 5 (aim right side of fairway and draw ball in) score-par driver to fairway, outdrove pro, 5hybrid to fairway, 7 iron on, 2 putt
hole 11-par 3 (aim right at green-don't be afraid of water) score-bogey 5 hybrid 170-won closest to pin 3 putts
hole 12-par 4 (truth comes out) score-7 driver sliced right into lateral hazard. from rough shot sliced into fescue on right hit out chip on putt 2x
hole 13-par 3 score par 6 iron 170 2 putts (tee shot was closest to pin)
hole 14-par 4 score 7 driver to fairway-aimed at bunker in middle of fairway and carried it easily outdrove pro 7 iron bounced off right side of elevated green and landed right on edge of fescue 2 chips on 3 putts
hole 18-par 4 score bogey tee shot -aim at y in cart path in the distance driver- flared into right rough and came to rest against tree distance wise-outdrove pro chip out from under tree 7 iron on (inside pro) 2 putts didn't go in one bunker, so we drove to trouble making bunker facing water and hit some shots out. got out every time onto green but see hints above note:pro went par on every hole. me not so much. great lesson!

97!

7/25/8 isaac's birthday

hole 1-
hooked hybrid into drink (24 deg)
really need to watch alignment and tempo

6 iron to green from 150, 2 putts for 5

hole 2
4 wood right, 4 wood to 100, wedge on, 2 putts
last round driver went left, either left or right okay on this hole, left is in the fairway though

hole 3
24 degree to fairway, 8 iron long from 130
downhill chip was okay, but raced by. 1st putt really short. 2 putts later, double bogey

hole 4
7 iron went straight--WATCH ALIGNMENT and trust swing.
blast out of berm and chip from fringe to 4', 1 putt bogey

hole 5
4 wood to fairway, 6 iron to fringe, 1 chip and 1 putt. par
take time and swing easy on approach shots

hole 6
21 degree hit 210. 28 degree to 120. 9 iron on (GIR)
1st putt lips out hard. 2nd putt lips out soft. 3rd putt goes in.

hole 7
4 wood left. 9 iron short. try bump and run short. chip and 2 putt

hole 8
8 iron 135 right club, chip and 2 putt

hole 9
21 degree to fairway 210
200 left
9 iron to middle island, 100 left
chunk 50 degree wedge into water
chip and 3 putt. grrr.
still trying to figure out strategy on this hole. carry it up left side off tee.

hole 10
hook tee shot into lateral (4 wood). remember to aim on right side and draw ball in!!!!!!!
7 iron, 7 iron, landed in sand short. blast out to 8 feet and miss putt by inch. double bogey even with ob and sand.

hole 11-
water is not in play. 7 iron to 10 feet. downhill sidehill putt hit badly, left 2 foot short. short putt for par

hole 12-
21 degree hybrid to fairway, 28 degree hybrid to right side of fairway, kicked right landed on cartpath and rolled into berm. take aim carefully!
blast out. chip to 8 foot. 2 putts for bogey

hole 13-
7 iron hit tree again on right. fanning shots on this hole because of the visual intimidation of the tree. it is a 6 iron hole, consider hitting 6 iron? bad choice to putt from fringe with lots of fringe and slope and 2 putted after that for bogey

hole 14-
4 wood left. real left.
blind 9 iron from uphill lie about 20 yards short of green. perfect. i was aiming at the fork tree but the ball flew 20 yards left from where i was standing and was perfect. hole is shorter than i think.
9 iron bump and run didn't run so much. 9 iron chip good, but watch slope of hole
BIG LEFT TO RIGHT SLOPE. 2 putts for double

hole 15
duff 21 degree short.
hit 6 iron to 125 to center.
soft 9 iron into wind, uphill like flew green into nice house backyard
drop, chip and 2 putt. for double bogey.
can't make 2 bad mistakes on one hole.

hole 16
4 wood to right, 28 degree to just off green, over water. chip badly and 2 putt. bogey.

hole 17
21 degree perfect 220 yards in middle of fairway
28 degree to sand, don't aim too far right on this hole, take sand out of play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7 iron to water somehow from sand.
chip perfectly over water over bunker land softly on green and rolls few feet
2 putts
double

hole 18
21 degree hook to fairway 210 yards away
soft 6 iron landed on green and rolled into fringe from 150
chip to 6 feet. putt just misses and bogey.

6 fairways
2 gir
36 putts
1 lost ball and 2 water balls.
1 bunker shot, out no problem to 8 feet but missed the putt by 1" left
3 pars
1 8-still don't have a round without an 8 in it. i realized some things: i don't need anything longer than 21 deg hybrid to par any given hole for gold 6300 yard tees. there are only 2 holes i can't score par on (9,17), barring a miracle. (although i did par one of them once). the rest of the holes, par is a reasonable possibility. i'm starting to find my misses with blind landing areas and that really drops the score a lot. putting is a lot better, taking a lot of pressure off. still have some really bizarre shots- i flew a green into lateral hazard staked area into wind from uphill lie 130 to center with 9 iron. still have some stupid mistakes-laid up with wedge from 200 yards because of water in front of green. then plopped next wedge shot into the water. dumb. i can still manage a bogey on almost any hole with 1 mistake-which is a great score for me. got a lesson for tomorrow to see why i am suddenly hooking the tee shots and skyballing them.

101-made river cup team so far

concentrate on all putts.
watch out for slope on green #1

swing fault-pop ups off tee? ball position too far forward? tee'd too high?

remember to relax shoulders during swing.
working on shortening backswing and yet finishing backswing at the same time is tough.
grip club tightly and then relax.

tempo tempo tempo.
let club do the work.
keep working on tempo at range.

don't take too many swings at range without working on something.
right now-tempo/pause at top and length of backswing
let club do work.

when putting-
break putt up into chunks- rehearse backswing as you work your way toward ball.
be confident over last putt!

lots of gir today, lots of pars. keep up the good work.
okay to lose one ball on hole--don't lose two.

tpi 7/1

gluts gluts gluts

ball over head and lunge
side to side chop motion
thera band side to side
stabilize hip/ head, turn sholder while standing on one leg

range findings

tempo tempo tempo
let the club do the work
momentum swing
squeeze grip before starting swing

watch the right hand-keep it from getting active

maintain angles-particularly on downhill or uphill shots
smooth transitions-don't jerk

putting
figure out how far you hit the putt with a slight takeaway. don't worry about any shot shorter than that.
watch the transitions--make sure you are using momentum.
squeeze grip before starting swing.

tpi 6/26

need to work on gluts
exercise
1)bridges with one leg bent while lying on ground
2)lunge position bring arms overhead and toward ground
3)rotate shoulders on one leg with ball
4)hop on one leg and rotate shoulders
retro walking

9 hole round 6/26

slow backswing

played the easy 9 today felt like i scored as bad as i could have today-left 2 putts 1" shortlipped out 2 3 foot puttsonly lost 2 balls-the second was on hole #9 when i said hey i've only lost only lost one ball so far, this could be good. then i was hitting the ball so well i decided to see if i could carry water that i always lay up to. it turns out laying up was the right move. :lol:
but 7/7 fairways!2 gir, 19 putts, score: 49. i struck the ball really well today. out of sand in one both times i was in sand, but unfortunately one i hit a little too hard trying to get it close and hit it into the fescue on the other side and couldn't find it.
dang i am on fire! i'm going to keep riding this hot streak until it disappears.


slow backswing

note to self:
hole 1-
stay below at all costs on approach.
21 deg hybrid is good to leave you 100 yards in from gold tees

hole 2-
4 wood, 21 hybrid, 28 hybrid, sand, 2 putts
just missed the green-actually hit green and bounced into sand
easy swings will get you there

hole 3-
21 degree hybrid
mishit 50deg wedge 80 instead of 100 yards
used 58 deg wedge on uphill lie from base of hill-need 54. remember to just get on green from base of hill rather than trying to worry about stopping it. the severe uphill will add loft. use the 54!
pitch came up short and needed another chip and 2 putts. left first putt 1" short. get ball to hole!!!!

hole 4-
gir-3 putt-missed 3 footer right

hole 5-
hit 4 wood 211 yards.
hit 6 iron short.
chip and 2 putt.
missed 3 footer right again.

hole 6-
21 degree to fairway. 21 degree to fairway for second shot. 130 yards in. pulled 9 iron into sand. bladed sand shot across green and into fescue resulting in lost ball trying to get it close. just hit it out next time!!!!!chip and 2 putts

hole 7-4 wood, 28 degree left 100 in. 50 deg on green from downhill, sidehill lie. remember balance is critical on these shots. missed putt by 1" short.

hole 8- marked 149
7 iron landed on far side fringe, had about 8 yards before ob, probably 8 iron is the right club for middle of green with no wind. 2 putts for par

hole 9
21 degree left me 200 in. tried to clear water. i think water line is 30 short of green and i aimed left of green with a 200 yard club. mishit into water
hit 54 at least 85 (really clean) and flew the green, was expecting 75
chip and 2 putts.

slow backswing

overall lagging was excellent
short putts not. yesterday i was pulling putts, today pushing putts
remember- do not let the right hand get active. almost all bad shots happen when right hand starts to become active, both short and long game and putting.
squeeze both hands tight and then relax to take hands out of swing!

tempo is important. just let club do the work. good things will happen.
slow backswing!

lesson scheduled with lucas for short game.
remember-short backswing long follow through.

whistling straits

2nd greatest golf trip of all time

shot really well-98 to 108 on tough courses

hated erin hills-too many blind shots, too much unplayable berm

sand shots-great out in every one. even up and down one and a missed short putt away from 2 up and downs. some really tough ones including a buried ball in a severe uphill. also hit couple great shots from 10-20 feet below green successfully out and onto green.

chipping pretty good but not good enough to save par.

missed about 5 3 foot putts but otherwise played really well.

still fairly wild off the tee.

prone to slicing driver

prone to wormburning 4 wood-am i standing up during swing?

need to keep working on right hand out of swing, esp on shots i think are tough. let club do work.

playing lesson from gary the caddie from manitowoc-

slow backswing, finish backswing, let club do work.

finish swing-tendency to stop as getting to left leg and then using arms to finish

putting-tend to pull putts, keep hands together. make sure ball in middle of stance! make sure ball in middle of stance! make sure ball in middle of stance!

watch lag distance. make sure not to hammer 3 foot putts.

look at tree tops to gauge wind.

whenever get in trouble-concentrate on slow backswing and letting club fall down.

don't get discouraged by bad shots-you can still salvage hole now.

tpi

gluts gluts gluts

work on side to side hops. (get weight to left side)
side to side hops with turn of shoulders
hop onto step with each leg
single leg takeaway.

range tips

full swing
-think of pushing a swing. toss the club back and pause at the top and allow the club to fall. esp with driver. there is no ball.

in wind-
-move ball back and swing slowly with extra club

chipping
-commit to backswing length. make sure left arm stays in same position throughout swing. with 54 degree wedge, fly 3/4 of way there. trust ball to check up. no sway off ball. just allow club to swing. there is no ball.

sand
-swing with body, not with arms. don't sway off ball (stay centered) no problem at all getting height with 54. focus on entry and exit points. take bacon strip. swing in to out.

back 9 played today/ shot 53!

it's amazing how much the course opens up when you are not afraid of sand.

i feel pretty good about today's half round-
trying to draw the ball i took a couple of penalties when the ball went straight or sliced

lost 2 balls only
it's amazing how different the course looks if you aren't afraid of being in the sand. had 3 sand events today, 1st one trickled in and caught under lip. no stance, no shot so i bunted it forward into the main part of bunker and popped out. other two sand shots popped out and landed on near side fringe and rolled through green, stopping on other side fringe. need to learn how to control distance, but at least out in one.

5 putts lipped out.

had first birdie of the year! par 3. amazing how good you feel when you have a birdie. 7iron to 10 feet. concentrated real hard and ball rolled to cup, paused on edge and then barely fell in.

another great shot-170 yard 5 hybrid from under tree branches to protected island green. barely cleared water, bounced up off upslope somehow and rolled onto green.
yes!
----------------------------
need to focus on weight shift/tempo
working on that draw the pro wants me to hit

new clubs arrived yesterday!

and they rock
ping rapture driver stayed in bag
ping g10-4 wood
ping g10-3-5 hybrid
ping g10-6-p 1 degree strong awt with cushion
ping tour w 50,54,58
ping craz-e jas 1 with special built up grip

playing lesson

played 5 holes today with pro who is 1 hcp
keys for lesson
1)tweaked alignment a little- i will now aim at right side and draw the ball in rather than aiming at left side to allow for the fade/slice
1a)set club slightly closed and turn right hand over
2)need to take more aggressive lines than i have been taking/trust swing
3)finish swing-club on neck
4)sand-ball position forward-in line with left big toe! set up with hands behind ball
5)finish shots, esp putts and chips. commit!!!!

hole 10-par 5 (aim right side of fairway and draw ball in)
score-par
driver to fairway, outdrove pro, 5hybrid to fairway, 7 iron on, 2 putt

hole 11-par 3 (aim right at green-don't be afraid of water)
score-bogey
5 hybrid 170-won closest to pin
3 putts :(


hole 12-par 4 (truth comes out)
score-7
driver sliced right into lateral hazard.
from rough shot sliced into fescue on right
hit out
chip on
putt 2x


hole 13-par 3
score par
6 iron 170
2 putts
(tee shot was closest to pin)

hole 14-par 4
score 7
driver to fairway-aimed at bunker in middle of fairway and carried it easily
outdrove pro
7 iron bounced off right side of elevated green and landed right on edge of fescue
2 chips on
3 putts


hole 18-par 4
score bogey
tee shot -aim at y in cart path in the distance
driver- flared into right fairway and came to rest against tree
distance wise-outdrove pro
chip out from under tree
7 iron on (inside pro)
2 putts

didn't go in one bunker, so we drove to trouble making bunker facing water and hit some shots out. got out every time onto green but see hints above

note:pro went par on every hole. me not so much.

great lesson!

9 holes today

played 9/shot 60. i thought it was a 56 until i realized when i was putting them in the computer i forgot to write a score for hole 8. on a side note, it is not a good idea to do a hellacious leg workout the day before you play a round and then walk. dang they need to rename our club to a hiking club with some golf swings thrown in. but i think my new pre shot routine (no swing thoughts at all/working on pretending the ball isn't there) is going to be good. still need to dial in distance and get better at sand and putting (putted 2 off the green-but so did the two guys i was playing with who are both single digit guys, although it sounded like everyone was complaining about the pin locations today). left three in the sand today. finished round and went immediately with pro to bunker and hit 25 shots, all out of the sand no problemo. so, oncourse problems in sand all mental. well i think if my legs are tired, my tendency is to stand a little bit and then i cast my right hand and hit really fat. playing lesson tuesday. on positive note, only lost 3 balls today. lots of great chips to 8 feet or less/lipped out putts. 2 gir (par 3's). if you take out the two 10's on holes 1,2 i finished well (for me). playing lesson tuesday

note to self- commit to your swing and swing confidently/aggressively. cautious swing=death by deceleration. @sshole. putting-finishing swing really improves consistency and distance. work on distance control.

preshot routine

i need to keep this simple

think only of target. one or two practice swings while already aligned
identify where club strikes ground.
make sure ball is in appropriate location
step forward and swing confidently.

commit! if you don't finish your backswing, you have already decelerated at the point you are striking the ball.

putting

take putter grip-allow putter in palms. momentum swing. don't cut off follow thru. let it finish.
weight slightly on left side. ball at sternum.
ignore ball (don't hit the ball) focus on the swing.
backswing to inside of foot for short putts
backswing to outside of foot for medium putts
backswing to hands outside of knees for long putts.
focus on this rather than ball. again, momentum swing.


identify line first and then focus on distance for long putts.
look at line from both sides-imagine how water would drain if poured on green.

full swing

shawnclementgolf.com is my current favorite website
top 25 golf pro on youtube
buy the dvd, it is worth it--one curious point is that the audio only comes out of one speaker on my portable dvd player.

work on weight shift-esp one leg drill and foot together drill. feel the momentum rather than swing arms.
think of dog wagging the tail. keep pelvis up.
do not left the weight sway.
swing has momentum-like child on swing--have to let everything happen in sequence
stay level during backswing
turn body, arms will follow

downswing-think skipping rock.
watch right elbow/should stay close to body.
pay careful attention to grip, esp right index finger
make sure that you don't cast right hand/let the body turn and momentum cause the club to travel along a path that the ball lies on.
ignore the ball, ball just in way (practice swing should identify where club strikes ball)

chips

evaluate lie
pick landing spot
stay level
weight on left side
don't move off ball!
keep elbow straight

sand

sand is the devil. i hate sand. for some reason, even though everyone else seems to think getting out of sand is easy, i have never been able to get out.

sand tips
get your @ss down
open clubface only a little
swing in to out
visualize bacon strip sized strike area
let ball get in way, think of ball as just a grain of sand
don't weight transfer on backswing
swing smoothly (don't rush)
turn shoulders