winter 2012 lesson 1

focusing on the body we are now proceeding to focus on the body turn rather than the hands tension and trying to control the ball are my problem. trying to control the ball results in chicken wing and not finishing the swing. so relax the hands as much as possible swing the club back, keeping arms extended. let the backswing finish and then turn the body on an inside out plane. leave hands behind and let the body swing the arms. keep head steady, while visualizing club path past right foot. if hands and arms are relaxed, i will finish the swing completely with club rebounding off the back. focus on hitting ball. typically i need to have a slightly steeper backswing than my tendency to avoid my normal problem of hitting behind the ball. if i don't rebound, i have tensed the left arm or hand.

summary of thoughts

most important thing is to relax the left arm. a lot of faults happen because of failing to keep the arm relaxed. putting really really visualize spot where ball enters cup pick spot 1/2 " in front of ball relax arms toss club back collect momentum let right shoulder get pushed forward chipping keep club upright, the more upright, the lower the ball flight setup toe down, strike the match. toe grind. closed face to path to put some stopping power on it to help with downhill lies. Visualize spot where ball enters cup. visualize spot 1/2" in front of ball for ball to pass over weight forward, open stance relax arms toss club back collect momentum let right shoulder rock forward with relaxed arms. don't tense, don't stop momentum forward. with 50 deg wedge throw it 1/2 way there with 54 deg wedge, throw it 2/3 way there work on developing feel toss the club back. let the momentum stop and then swing the shoulders through. remember the higher takeaway. 1/4" setup towards the heel to allow for drop. with short game, out to in path. clubface closed to actual path. with full swing, in to out path. arms should really be away from body after contact with ball. hands should have turned over if left arm is relaxed. visualize ball very back in stance with driver. remember to hit the imaginary ball. need to get swing flat and closing face early.

chipping lesson #2

rock the shoulders, relax the hands and arms pretend clubhead goes back with right shoulder remember that follow through is down toe line (not in to out like full swing) keep weight forward close clubface, rock the club with relaxed arms load the right hand but don't lock it, just let the right shoulder pivot momentum chipping not striking at ball right shoulder has to follow the toe line. if you had long stick extending through grip the club would hit my left hip on follow through.

chipping lesson

setup involves standing upright and gripping club at top of grip. weight forward, much more forward than normal. feet separated by 6". open stance. close clubface. to swing, rock shoulders. be sure to catch momentum and then maintain right hand flex. we will be hitting running chips a lot. hands may need to be further from body than normal. shaft more upright. plan to use 58 degree wedge more. weight is so far forward that fat shots unlikely. blading ball is unlikely as long as right hand maintains cocked position. pivot shoulders rather than strike ball. be sure to have closed clubface and swing along toe line to impart spin on ball.

martin hall tempo and up and down

remember that my left arm tends to chicken wing I need to set the elbows to the body. turn arms over, rather than chicken wing. need to keep left arm relaxed to allow this to happen. then remember tempo. short game 1,2 long swings 1 and 2 backswing, turn hip, downswing concentrate on feeling the club in the right index finger. lastly remember to finish with the left bicep against the left chest. like keeping a glove in the left armpit.

golf lesson putting and playing

played today remember tempo lesson remember to relax left arm and let right arm swing through the ball. i tend to chicken wing and push the ball right. if i swing correctly, the left side is out of play. putting lesson setup with elbows out relax hands, no tension. putter in straight line with right arm bring elbows into body. pivot left shoulder back, catch momentum pivot right shoulder forward hands relaxed head still

Lesson

Short game Wedges finish swing on target side of ball.. Avoid deceleration Setup important. Down the line for low runner Club goes on feet line for popping ball up Putting. Finish on target side. Hit chang's foot Remember posture and setup Accelerate to finish Don't cast hands Full swing Effort is to rotate left hip and transfer weight forward Arms along for ride Keep arms in front of body, fold right arm up Don't cast hands Keep head focused behind ball Pinch ball off turf Club speed 106 driver 89 7 iron.

Lesson

Remember putting setup Tend to set up with face open. Want club to be in straight line with arm. Tilt head to see line. Lean forward to keep toe down. Stroke with right shoulder and stop. Keep accelerating through ball Full swing lesson Practice right arm swing with club upside down Swing around body, keep elbow folding in front Pick spot for imaginary ball. Remember hybrid and driver are back Keep club in right hand index finger. Tendency is to cast club with right hand. Want to compress ball, keeping right wrist flexed. Imagine pinching ball.

nunchuk lesson

new shafts here today. work great continue to work on tempo and keeping head back. pick imaginary ball point depending on club relax left arm take club back keeping elbows in front of body. reach top of backswing. pause. then downswing and keep head focused on imaginary ball. let arms fold to body after swinging down the line

Playing lesson

Alignment off Tempo is variable Finish swing, concentrate on putts and chips Focus on line, and takeaway plane. Keep head still. Relax arms can swing through with right hand

Lesson 3 full swing

Hands were turning over too fast. The chopping drill will be used as a basis for full swing Right hand needs to power swing Timing is important. The longer the club the earlier the right hand pushes Remember to keep chest still and let hands pass chest before turning over Somehow have to get hands moving faster while keeping chest stationary.

chipping lesson #2

same technique but this time working on tempo. we are going to change tempo for putting and chipping. instead of smooth acceleration dying out. we are going to accelerate and then stop. with chipping focus on putting the leading edge between the ball and the ground. decide on your stopping point based on the landing area. then practice swing to feel the correct takeaway for the basic speed. if short, you can slow down but still stop hard. this will impart spin on the ball. remember you can use these chips over bunkers. don't have to flop them. can use all 3 wedges. don't be afraid of using 58. remember basic setup is still important. forward lean to set bounce on ground. grip with left hand, very weak. bowed left wrist. right hand on at the metal. make sure shaft is controlled in index finger. using this technique, can open up club face. if open club face 2 degrees, then open stance 1 degree.

chipping lesson

grip is wrong for my yips. open stance, shoulders, hips, feet are open. back foot perpendicular to target line. ball slightly beyond midpoint of stance. i need a very neutral grip. i need the back of hand completely facing the target line. square the leading edge to the target line forward lean the shaft significantly and then grip the club. eyes 12" behind ball. swing smoothly swing down target line. hands maintain shaft lean. shoulder based swing. (first of new set of seven)

playing lesson stone creek

still tend not to get weight forward still tend to get stuck and flip hands around and to the left--especially with hybrids when i think short backswing, i don't get full shoulder turn, i just jerk club inside and up. have to make sure to finish shoulder turn, even during shorter backswing. alignment tends to get off and to the right. continue to work on putting stroke

golf machine putting lesson (last of 2nd series)

Putting lesson #1 Pendulum based swing Mimic belly putter with handle pointed at belly button. Use shoulders not hands, swing back with shoulders, swing through with shoulders Left hand and right hand wrists are stable through swing. when hands dominate swing, the arms separate from body. Tempo is (one … through), twice as much follow through as down swing. Remember to roll the ball. Think no backswing swing-make sure not to hit the ball multiple times because clubhead is too fast. For distance control, pick comfortable swing-for me twenty feet. Adjust swing from there.

golf machine advanced ball striking lesson

advanced ball striking maintain cup in left wrist so club head follows path back. back of left hand aims at ball. when downswing starts, thrust right hand at ground and ball. maintain cup even after ball is struck club should swing in to out. this compresses ball properly. if knockdown shot is desired, move ball way back in stance, and exaggerate cupping of hand. hold cupping while swinging club further through the ball down the line. driver swing. even more in to out. for this the club bottoms out and then goes up into the ball. to swing on the proper path, (back of left hand at ball) i have to thrust right hand at the ground right away. i am still working on coordinating the hip turn. for the time being, i will not exaggerate the down the line backswing because i can't get my weight to the front properly yet. my flaws are tempo (tend to be quick on backswing) tend to pull club to inside on backswing rather than extending down the line. fail to use hips cupping the left wrist and keeping the back of hand at ball seems to automatically shorten the backswing.

Playing lesson

Putting Sweep, not strike at ball My tendency is to not rotate right hip enough on downswing I also need to swing in to out. Need to work on true punch out--maintains wrist with palm up With new irons don't need to fear hook go ahead and shape shots In wind need to adjust clubs and trust distances.

Mini lesson

Keep focusing on one piece takeaway--really far back And then turn hips remember to extend both arms for driver swing, not for iron swing Use hips to swing club Extend arms on Follow thru Hip driven swing Remember to initiate swing with hip rehearsal move Iron backswing short, driver long

golf machine swing makeover lesson

iron swing- take club straight back really far down line and then up. overall swing length feels like half swing. left shoulder may drop a little to accommodate the amount club goes back. remember chang was pulling me back even further. my tendency is club goes inside and wrist cock too early. downswing initiated by right hip going forward, don't think about arms or hands at all. hip only, not shoulders. driver swing longer swing so i have to remember tempo take club straight back and then up. one piece. full wrist cock for driver swing. remember to swing club down the shoulder line. drop the club in the slot and swing right away. downswing initiated by even bigger right hip movement forward. not shoulders just hip movement. this occurs as arms drop into slot remember to take club all the way back.

playing lesson 6/8 brook hill

swing in to out! really in to out! arms need to be away from body by the 3 o'clock arm position. need to rotate hip a little on downswing. duck hooks come when hip is frozen. swinging in to out helps me to release club. focus on backswing path and downswing freely in to out. tend to stab at putts still paint the path with the white line on the putter. choke up on all clubs 1-2" remember to swing while keeping head still and back.

Golf machine iron lesson

Backswing should be straight back and then up. Extend left arm back Right arm with limited backswing. My tendency is to cock wrist too much. Backswing feels short. Keep head steady Keep body steady Swing down with arms and then whoosh with hands. Allow hands to rotate over Swing in to out Swing in balance Watch out for body lunging at ball, Tendency is to spin out upper body.

driver lesson

body movement is way too much keep chest facing the ball. control club with right thumb and forefinger right hand traces path back. swing in to out on downswing remember right hand needs to start rotating very early in backswing. face is closed by the time you reach club parallel to ground on downswing. relaxed arms keep body still! keep same tempo remember to put club on back of ball. still tend to swing ott. swing in to out!

bandon

Golf tips --to set up with the driver need to place the ball back in the stance. Next I need to squat pushing the weight forward and then bend the left knee. Keep your head focused on the appropriate imaginary ball. Swing easily allowing the hands to turn over Be careful of your tempo you can swing as fast as you want as long as you maintain control of the delivery of the club head into the back of the ball with the right hand

golf machine lesson lesson 9

tendency is to cock wrist too early in backswing. tendency is to lunge at the ball. remember tempo. swing back. control swing at the ball--push early in downswing and relax hands and let them turn over. hips move too much. feeling is that hips don't move at all. don't jump up just concentrate on tempo. especially with driver. swing is very effortless. remember to visualize ball on ground. driver face should be closing by the time it reaches ball. driver swing is very flat. CONTROL TEMPO ON DOWNSWING! REMEMBER FINISH POSITION! ARMS IN FRONT OF TORSO chipping-right hand at ball.

quick lesson

It's been a while since i had a lesson bad habits hands creep forward at setup trying to kill the ball which results in ott, shoulders spinning out, weight falling backwards. when i get in trouble, i need to remember that effortless swings produce good results. take some half swings. practice swinging in to out rather than out to in. left hand only drill, with right hand stabilizing left elbow remember to thrown the club at the beginning of the downswing and let the relaxed arms turn over during the downswing. finish should be very controlled, not falling over.

golf machine playing lesson

preshot routine
hold club in right hand
pick line
set club face behind ball.
take stance.
swing away
(make sure head stays steady)
(one piece takeaway-don't roll hands)

swing with relaxed arms
tension prevents release and keeps hands from turning over
chase the ball

tempo tempo tempo tempo

chipping and putting
right shoulder controls length of backswing
swing through
let hands rotate naturally
keep head still

putting tips

keep arms soft.
right arm powered
align with head looking at flag vertically straight down.
trace line back.
keep head still
make sure alignment is good, feet, hips, shoulders, especially head should be right over line and parallel to club path.
clubbed must pass over spot that right eye is focused on.

pre shot routine
blow air out
focus on area in front of ball that you want ball to roll over with right eye especially.
concentrate on visualizing ball going into hole and stroke with soft arms.
finish swing.

golf machine lesson 8

driver swing is different than the rest
remember the backswing has to be flatter
right hand should point at ball during backswing after club swivels up.
continue to focus on one piece takeaway.
keep arms fully extended.
body turns on backswing so arms have room to swivel down.
Tendency is to lunge at ball. Relax as much as possible and let arms swing through.

DRIVER SWING IS ONLY SWING where clubbhead reaches ball FIRST! clubhead before hands!
clubhead passes hands before ball.
in order to accomplish this, swing should be "U" shaped rather than "V" shaped.
The hands need to start early.

Things to work on.
follow through continues to be steep
Need to also work on swinging in to out.
Focus on right eye dominance and picking spot before starting swing to assure club path and also shaft stability.
Swoosh after the ball-momentum peaks at different spots for different clubs! only driver is before ball.

PRESHOT ROUTINE
RELAX ARMS

golf machine 7

one piece takeaway. still have a habit of rolling left wrist

preshot routine-no tension
two practice swings, then step up to ball, exhale, take smooth swing


alignment. still tend to align way left. remember to concentrate on foot line during take back to stay on line.


maintain right shoulder back and keep arms in front of body during downswing. don't lunge at the ball.


visualize ball in different places to allow proper release.
ball 1 foot back for driver. right on ball for hybrids. 4" forward for irons.
swing in to out.

tendency to come up too quickly. swing through the impact zone.

golf machine lesson 6

control the clubface with the right hand
one piece takeaway (triangle, use shoulders). finish by rotating
right shoulder back to create room
tendency to take club inside remains.

on downswing tendency to lunge with right shoulder remains.
tendency to spin out on downswing, especially before ball remains.

tendency to try and kill the ball remains.

with driver and woods, the backswing needs to be slower to give the
club time to get to the right position. right shoulder really needs
to rotate for longer clubs. rotating the club starts earlier. think
of the ball being back a foot. remember the golfmachine video where
they talk about visualizing the ball in different spots. the ball can
be at the right foot.

pre shot routine
from behind ball pick line
line up then practice shots
remember visualize line
right hand must extend down line, ball will follow line right hand travels, right hand controls club face. control the club face.

golf lesson 5

today i regressed a lot.
i learned the importance of a tension free swing.

so far the areas where i tend to regress to:
1)allow right elbow and wrist to collapse on backswing
2)too much wrist cock on downswing
3)don't swing in to out
4)allow left shoulder to spin out

drills for the week:
one piece takeaway-start club forward and then swing back. lift right arm. don't let right wrist collapse.

keep shoulders stable-swing in to out with very relaxed arms and shoulders. do not allow left shoulder to rotate.

weight shift back and forward-baseball swing drill

REMEMBER:
KEEP arms in front of body on backswing, downswing, and follow through.

golf machine lesson 4

Backswing is one piece then rotate right arm up. Remember swing path/plane. (don't overextend left arm)

Weight shift will be practiced with baseball drill. Slight movement forward (BELT OVER LEFT ANKLE) and hip turn. Just lift left foot and then weight goes down on toe, then to heel. right now tendency is for body to spin out too much

Swing inside to out along arc. Gentle movements.
Try to avoid right shoulder dip. This helps keep the body from spinning out as well on follow thru

Pass handle through ball. (If hands get there first and are hands/arms are relaxed, you will not go fat.)
REMEMBER TO START CLUBFACE ROTATION EARLY. RIGHT NOW IT FEELS LIKE ROTATION STARTING WHEN RIGHT ARM IS PARALLEL TO GROUND

Remember: upper body should be connected. Right now tendency is for arms to resist starting downswing too much. let the weight shift start from legs and the arms to follow.

golf machine #3

keep working on relaxing and letting hands turn over naturally.
left shoulder is much more stable during downswing.
keep clubshaft in narrow tunnel
work on throwing sidearm with right hand. keep right elbow close to body, helps left arm to turn over rather than sway downline
envision clubhead closing from time right arm reaches parallel on downswing.


keep right hand facing ball on backswing
back 2 feet and then up.

golf machine 2

still have too much thrusting of torso and left shoulder

on backswing, takeaway with right palm pointing at ball.
on downswing throw right hand at ball in first part and then just let momentum carry club the way there
hands and arms on both sides have to relax to allow the club to turnover.
remember the club has to follow the club path AND roll over naturally.
the roll over has to start a lot earlier than i am used to!
Rolls over a lot more completely than i am used to!

feeling of holding butt away from line and letting club turn over. think about the down the line view, and how much space there is. remember that you can see the club pointing backwards and the club handle with plenty of room between the body and the club.

right hand only to practice letting the club turn over
left hand only to practice letting the club turn over
swing while the left arm holds a club to the ground to steady shoulder

remember martin hall smart stick for club path
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5rYpfmAwo4

golf machine #1

1/31/12

basic motion
keep laser on line
no tension in arms
arms move only, shoulders stable for this part
right hand back from ball like lawnmower pull, push towards ball on downswing (right arm piston)
allow left hand to turn over on follow thru
pinch the ball