Tuesday's Tip: Read It, Roll It, and Hole It!

When it comes to golf instruction, it is easy to fall into the trap of taking on too much information. The true value of a well qualified instructor is that they can help you, the player, sort through all pertinent information so that you can quickly get to work on what matters most in your golf game.

Putting is no different in that something that seems so simple in technique can actually paralyze the mind with too much information. That is why I try to adopt the message you see in the title of this post…

Read It, Roll It, and Hole It!

Taken from one of the best putting books I’ve read in a long time, Hole It! by John Dunnigan, embracing the simple slogan above is a great way to cut through the clutter and focus on what will matter most in your putting. Dunnigan accurately points out that there are only three skills required to be a good putter:

1. Skill of controlling your speed

2. Skill of ability to hit your line

3. Skill to read a green

Here at the High Performance Golf Academy, we’ve embraced the importance of those three skills. Notice how the skill of a certain putting stroke, or even the ability to aim is not listed above. Now… will your ability to accomplish the first two skills effectively be easier if you’re aiming at your target? Probably. But at the end of the day you only need to be good at the three skills above.

As an instructor I have dedicated a lot of time and resources in finding all the ways to help my players improve their putting. With tools like Sam Putt Lab, and now AimPoint Express for green reading, I feel that I am truly equipped to help golfers of all skill levels be their best on the greens.

In addition to the AimPoint Express clinics I am offering (check them out by clicking here), I offer what I’m calling a Putting Boot Camp for those that are serious about investing in improving all three of the skills listed above. The best part is that we will use one of the sessions to learn AimPoint Express, which you will quickly see is an amazing way to efficiently read greens.

PUTTING BOOT CAMP

Now with AimPoint Express!!

Are you sick and tired of being a bad or simply average putter? If so, Putting Boot Camp is designed for you to start making more putts than ever before. This 3 sessions in 3 weeks package is designed to utilize the latest technology and techniques available to quickly improve your putting.

Session #1 - Sam Putt Lab Stroke and Putter Evaluation

Session #2 - Sam Putt Lab Training and Drills

Sessions #3 - Green Reading w/ AimPoint Express

All sessions are 45 minutes and must be used within 3 weeks of your first session.

Cost is $375 and includes all sessions.

Click Here to schedule your first session and let’s get to work on improving the three skills you need to be a great putter!

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Check out John Dunnigan’s Hole It! below…

Tuesday's Tip: Takeaways from The Masters

I have a small confession to make… I don’t watch that much golf on television. That being said I do watch The Masters, and hopefully you were able to as well.

It’s not hard to gush over the incredible beauty and ambiance that Augusta National provides golf fans once a year. Nor is it hard to excitedly talk about the numerous story lines that emerge from the players in the field each year.

This year was no different. Tiger Woods made a triumphant return to competitive golf, the usual suspects were lurking around the leaderboard all week, and one of the hottest hands in golf kept it rolling with a convincing victory.

But as a golf instructor, I enjoy watching professional events, especially majors, to find little nuggets to share with my students to help them learn to play the game better. Below are a couple of those little nuggets:

Lesson Nuggets from Augusta

• There’s no such thing as perfect golf, especially in a 72 hole event. Scottie Scheffler was dominant in his victory. After round 2 he had all but completely separated himself to close the day with a 5 shot lead. As difficult as the course was playing for every one else, this was a major accomplishment.

  However, on the par five 13th hole, he shanked his second shot (yes I used the “s” word) nearly taking out a group of photographers. He then proceed to hit his next shot a few feet from the hole where he would make birdie, beginning the propulsion to his 5 shot lead.

  Too many times I’ve seen players hit the panic button when they shank a shot. One bad shot turns into several because they simply can’t get over it. When playing golf it is sometimes helpful to have the mind of a quarterback that just threw an interception. You have to forget about it! For someone like Scheffler the was easy. After all he has an unlimited supply of confidence to know that that last shot didn't matter. It’s the next one that matters most.

• Take it from Tiger, master your short game! One thing that stood out to me on Thursday and Friday was how Tiger Woods’ short game seemed a little off. The surprising part to me was that I figured he would have been able to practice that aspect of his game much longer than the rest given the nature of his injury and his recovery.

  Of course that is speculation, but I believe it exposed another aspect of short game practice that goes unnoticed by many. It’s one thing to spend hours and hours working on every aspect you can from short game, and that is necessary in order to improve. But the thing you have to remember is that as important as mastering your technique is, you must also practice executing short game shots in a competitive environment.

  I’m not going to condone gambling, but one way to do this is to be constantly challenging your friends to chipping and pitching contests and try putting something on the line. This will help you tap into a different part of your golf brain that allows you to perform better under pressure. Short game mastery requires a lot of hours and even more competitive hours on the course or challenging your golf buddies.

  Coming back to Tiger, I don’t believe he was unprepared as it relates to his short game. Augusta National demands precision around the green and the more greens you miss, the more opportunities you are going to have to be less than precise.

If you find yourself changing the channel away from live golf coverage, especially during the majors, do yourself a favor and watch just a little longer. I’m constantly reminding my students that the best players in the world don’t hit it as great as you might think. They do hit it way better than anyone else, but my point is that they still miss fairways and greens. If nothing else, watching golf can add a little perspective to your own game.

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Do yourself a favor and get out in the yard with a chipping net like the one below:

Tuesday's Tip: Break Your Next Scoring Barrier with These Mental Tips

Yes I know it is Wednesday. Hopefully I’ll be back on track next week!

Breaking a scoring barrier can be an exciting time for any golfer. It can also be the source of unwanted anxiety as the end of your round approaches. These barriers typically come in bunches of 10 strokes at a time; breaking 100, 90, 80, 70, etc.

So when you’re on the cusp of breaking a new barrier, regardless of your overall skill level, what are some things you can do or think about to finish your round strong? In other words… not to blow it!

• Embrace the fact that you are playing good! If you are playing a good round of golf, chances are you’ve put in the work in order to do so. When you are playing good, enjoy the moment and stay positive no matter what until you’ve holed out on your last hole and the round is over.

• Be aware of negative self fulfilling prophesies. Avoid thinking that a bad shot or stretch of holes is just around the corner. Again… embrace that you are playing well and don’t give in to thinking that it will come apart at any moment.

• Perfection in golf does not exist. Technically, a perfect round of golf would be 18 birdies for 18 holes. Last I checked this has not yet been achieved by any professional golfer. Allow yourself to make mistakes and do not think that just because you make one, you’re going to miss out on breaking that new scoring barrier.

• Never want the round to end. The only thing that you should be thinking about when you are playing well is hoping you get as many chances as you can to keep posting good scores. If you’re just trying to hurry up and finish before you screw it up, chances are you will screw it up before you run out of holes to play (the negative self fulfilling prophesy).

Do you have an elusive scoring barrier? Put it in the comments below and let me help you break that barrier this year by working with me at the High Performance Golf Academy!

Also… if you like to read I highly recommend the following books for work on the mental game:

Tuesday's Tip: Make the Most of Cold Weather Practice

January and February in Kentucky, along with all the other states equal to or further north, are two of the worst golf weather months of the year. So far in 2022 it has been no exception.

Typically, we can expect a handful of days that are generally nice enough to see some time to get on the course or at least practice outdoors. But so far this year has given few of those opportunities.

Despite the weather, this is the time to be working on any technical aspects of your swing. With the guidance of a qualified instructor, you can accomplish a lot by practicing indoors. So what can you do to keep your golf game tuned up during this time of year? Check out some of my suggestions below, and as always I’m here to help you improve your game at the High Performance Golf Academy!

• Convert your garage or basement into your own practice space. Believe it or not, this can be done on a budget. You can also spare no expense with launch monitors and simulators. Whatever your budget may be, a mat, net, and a space large enough to swing a golf club is all you need to make your own indoor practice area.

• Spend the time. A phrase I love repeating to my players is practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent! I’m a big believer in quality over quantity, especially when practicing during cold months. 10-15 minutes of practice per day can be all you need to improve this time of year. Assuming of course that the 10-15 minutes you are spending is quality practice.

Speaking of quality practice… here are a few tips to make sure your practice is quality and not a waste of time.

• Accuracy in your motions. There are no shortage of tips online that can help you self diagnose your swing. But there is no substitute for getting in front of a qualified instructor and undergoing an evaluation (you can book one with me here). Make sure that you are spending the time to work on the things that will make you better. A qualified instructor is the most efficient way to do this.

• Feedback. All quality practice requires feedback. Below are a few ideas to get the best feedback when you practice:

  • Mirror work. Connecting what you feel with what it looks like is very important when trying to make any change or adjustment to your golf swing. Find a room at home (or make one) that has enough space for you to make slow motion swings in front of a mirror.

  • One of the easiest and most effective forms of feedback during indoor practice is knowing the quality of your contact. If you are lucky enough to have a space to hit golf balls indoors, make sure you know where the ball is hitting the club face. Dr. Scholls foot spray powder is excellent for this.

  • Recording your swing on video is another great way to see if you are achieving the changes you want to make. However, be warned that when using video you will want to pay attention to and use a consistent camera angle. Talk to your instructor on exactly how to do this.

• More on spending the time: Limit your time to make sure you remain focused. Let’s be honest, practicing indoors during cold weather months can get boring. Mindlessly going through the motions accomplishes very little. When you begin to notice your attention span drifting off, take a break. If you can go 5 to 10 minutes at a time before you lose your focus you’re doing really good.

Are you ready to get the most from your golf game? Click here to access my online lesson book and let’s get started!

Tuesday's Tip: Tips for the Busy Recreational Golfer

Tips for the Busy Recreational Golfer

When you are a working professional that loves the game of golf, it seems like there is rarely enough time in a day or week to spend adequate time on the golf course or working on your game. Unfortunately the work life balance is set for many, leaving a small, finite time to get better and enjoy your golf game.

If this sounds like you, consider the 3 tips below to make sure you are getting the most from your game when you do get to play.

GASP

GASP simply stands for Grip, Aim, Stance, Posture. Believe it or not, if you can manage these 4 simple keys when you play your chances of getting the most from your golf game significantly increase. Unfortunately many players simply hit the course on the weekends or after work throughout the week with little to no thought about these keys.

If you are unsure of your ability to accurately execute these four skills, it may be time to schedule that first (or next) golf lesson. Any competent golf instructor should be able to guide you to executing GASP effectively in one session.

Once you know the information, it is time to execute and sharpen your skills. This can be done with as little as 10 minutes per day at home with a golf club in your hands. No swings or golf balls needed. I’m yet to meet anybody that doesn’t have 10 minutes they can spare each day to work on GASP.

Mirror Work

If you do not have a full length mirror at home it may be time to get one. One of the key ingredients to effective practice is feedback and there is no better form of feedback than watching what you do as you do it (in a mirror).

Not only will it make working on GASP that much more effective, you can also work on any key positions in your golf swing that may be of concern. This obviously requires that you have quality information about your golf swing and a clear plan to improve. And yes… lessons are your most direct way to get that information and formulate that plan.

Being able to watch a position in your swing helps to build the connection between what you do and what you feel like you do. For many golfers there is a huge disconnect between the reality of what you’re doing and what you’re thinking. 15 minutes in front of a mirror every couple days in between practice sessions can go a long way in helping make that connection.

Time Management

You may have noticed by now that the tips I’ve discussed today have minimal time requirements. After all, you are busy so finding time to play golf is hard and practicing golf is next to impossible. However there is hope.

If you truly want to improve your golf game you can with as little as 1 hour a week of effective practice. That’s right… 1 hour a week. Here’s what that could look like:

Monday: GASP (10 minutes)

Tuesday: GASP and Mirror Work (15 minutes)

Wednesday: GASP (10 minutes)

Thursday: GASP and Mirror Work (15 minutes)

Friday: GASP (10 minutes)

Is this the pathway to becoming a scratch golfer? Nope. Not even close. But if you commit to this kind of practice plan I can promise you, with the right information from a qualified instructor, you will begin getting the most from your golf game.

Need help getting started? Click here to schedule your first lesson today and let’s get you going on the right track!

Learn Tour Quality Green Reading with AimPoint Express at HP Golf Academy

2022 AimPoint Express Clinics at HP Golf Academy

LEARN TOUR QUALITY GREEN READING

Learn the method that the best players in the world rely on, including several World #1 Ranked players.  

•  Discover how to read any putt accurately in less than 10 seconds

•  Learn how to adapt to changing green speeds 

•  Works on any green on any golf course

•  Used by players of any ability 

DATES

All clinics will be conducted by Tyrus York, PGA on the putting green at the Keene Run Course of Keene Trace Golf Club

• March 12 @ 12:30 PM

• April 4 @ 5:00 PM

• May 14 @ 12:30 PM

Click the links to register below!!

Tuesday's Tip: Most Important Skill to Improve Putting

Helping golfers improve their putting is a passion of mine. I firmly believe that just about anyone can be a good putter, and many can become great. But that doesn't mean that putting is easy. Yes… the physical skills required to be a great putter may be very different (and less strenuous) than having to bomb a drive 300 yards down the middle of a fairway. But putting presents its own unique challenges that seem to affect every player a little differently.

Keeping in mind that there is seemingly no “one way” to become a great putter, I wanted to share with you what I believe is the most important skill that will be required in order for you to improve putting to any degree.

SPEED CONTROL (aka distance control)

Speed control is so important because it not only helps you get closer to the hole, it will determine your read of the green.

Now that I am AimPoint Certified (click here to learn more about that) I have an even deeper understanding to how closely connected reading the green and controlling your speed is. It is so closely connected, that many AimPoint clinics will combine their green reading class with a speed control class.

The bottom line is this… you can’t effectively read greens if your speed control is off. And I’m not talking about blasting a 10 footer 5 feet past the hole. Your speed control will need to be way more precise than that if you want to make more putts.

How precise should you try to be? First of all you need to divide your putts into 2 categories:

20’ and Closer

• Your goal when you are 20’ and closer is to make sure you hit a putt with enough speed that if it misses, the ball will travel past the hole at least 12-24 inches (check out the picture that came along with this post). Anything shorter or longer than that and you risk over or under reading your putt.

Outside 20’

• Your goal when you are outside 20’ is to simply make sure the ball can stop within 10% of the overall length of the putt from the hole. For example; if you have a 30’ putt, the ball should stop within 1.5’ short or 1.5’ long of the hole (adding up to 3’). Just think of how many of your 3-putts will go away if you could accomplish this! Even from 60 feet… you’re just trying to get 3 feet short or 3 feel long of the hole!

To summarize, it is forgivable to leave putts outside 20’ just short of the hole. However, it is not forgivable to leave putts 20’ and in short of the hole. So the next time you are on the practice green, see how good you are at making the ball stop within the parameters above. Hint: golf tees are an excellent tool to help indicate where the ball should go if it’s not in the hole.

Knowing how long your putt is before you hit it is important for many reasons. If you keep stats (correctly) you will always need to know the length of your first putt so that you can calculate your make percentages (as well as determine your effectiveness in your approach shots/chipping and pitching). Knowing this information is important so that you can set your expectation level correctly and so you can begin prioritizing your practices to strengthen any weaknesses.

Too many times have players come in complaining about their putting, only to find out that they are statistically almost as good as the PGA Tour! After all, the make percentages on tour are very easy to find (i.e. the make percentage from 8 feet is about 50%) so in order to strengthen your mental toughness on the greens, you should probably know what putts you should be making.

Will improving your speed control directly lead to you making more putts? Maybe! Especially if your current speed control skills are lacking. Otherwise, sharpening your skill of speed control on the greens will then make the other two skills (1) reading the green and (2) hitting your line, much more useful.

Do you need help with your speed control? Come visit me at the High Performance Golf Academy and I can promise you’ll get what you need to begin improving immediately.

Tuesday's Tip: Thoughts to Improve Putting

Are you a good putter?

How you answer this question will say a lot about your current ability (obviously) but also your potential. I’m going to go on a limb and say that never in the history of the game has there been a great putter that thought they were bad. I’ll even go a step further and say that there’s also never been a bad putter that thought they were great.

I know that’s subjective and impossible to measure, but my point is that the stronger your belief that you are a great putter, the more likely you can become one. There are many players out there that may underestimate how good they are. And there’s a few bad ones that think they’re not so bad. What is important is that the first step in becoming a great putter is to simply believe you can be one.

So enough mumbo jumbo of how to think about yourself… what else do you have to do in order to be a great putter?

Putting requires you to be good at three skills and three skills only:

1. Reading the Green

2. Hitting Your Line

3. Speed Control

Over the last 6 years I have been using Science and Motion’s Sam Putt Lab to help players identify what is making it difficult for them to hit their line and/or control their speed. Now, with AimPoint Express in my toolbox, I can help players complete their quest to putting greatness by showing them an extremely simple and effective way to read a green.

As much as I’d love to spell it all out for you here in this article, I’m contractually not allowed to do so. That being said, make sure you are on the lookout for AimPoint Express clinics that will be exclusively hosted by your’s truly at the High Performance Golf Academy.

I realize how boring putting is to most players, especially recreational golfers. But for those of you that care about your score, I would encourage you to let me help you improve your putting now! And if you’ve never used AimPoint Express, there’s low hanging fruit that you can pick to get that improvement going very soon.

Tuesday's Tip: Hit the Center of the Clubface More Often

Why is it that golf can be so addicting? Answers can vary to that question, but a phrase that is often repeated in our academy goes something like this:

“That shot felt great! That’s why I keep playing!”

99.9% of the time a phrase like that is spoken, the player is simply referring to how great it felt that the ball hit the center of the club face. Hopefully you’ve experienced this at least a few times as a golfer, but hitting the center of the club makes so many other worries sometimes melt away.

I’ve even seen players hit it right in the screws (aka the center of the clubface) and the ball travel wildly off line and still feel overwhelmingly positive about the shot. So how can we increase the number of times the ball hits the center of the club? Try some of the tips I’ve picked up over the years the next time you go out for a practice session:

Know where the ball is hitting the face.

• Having quality feedback is necessary for any form of practice to be effective. Therefore, having the feedback of knowing where the ball hit the club face is very important. The most obvious, and the form of feedback most players rely on, is feel/sound. This can be a misleading form of feedback since many clubs on the market today are designed to increase forgiveness (meaning you can miss the “sweet spot” and it still sounds and feels good). Since we can’t smell or taste center contact, that only leaves visual feedback. Here are some ways to make sure you can visually see your contact:

  • Dr. Scholl’s foot spray/power (most recommended and pictured above)

  • Impact tape/stickers

  • Simply keep your club clean and you can usually see where contact was made after each shot.

What is your impact pattern?

• This is a question that any good instructor is going to ask or will be trying to find out very early in a lesson. Typically, impact patterns fall into the following categories:

  • Heal, toe, or center contact

  • Low, middle, or high contact (high contact usually limited to drivers)

  • Roaming contact (a.k.a. no obvious pattern)

How do you change your impact pattern?

• If you’re reading this, you probably don’t need me to tell you that if your pattern is center contact, there’s no need for change. Otherwise, what are some things you can do to improve your impact pattern?

  • Check your pre-swing fundamentals

    • Anyone that has come to see me for a full swing lesson will tell you that I will not let you get away with a poor grip or setup. Especially if you have a roaming impact pattern, there may be an issue with how you are gripping the club, and/or positioning your body (alignment and posture)

  • Focus on your finish

    • One of the first things we teach beginner golfers, whether they are juniors or adults, is how to swing through to a balanced finish. There is a really good reason why every good player you see has a similar looking end to their swing. The major key elements to a good finish would be to make sure your entire body is facing the target, weight is 99.9% on your left foot (RH golfer), and your club is behind your head. These are very basic suggestions, so feel free to pick your favorite professional golfer and copy their finish!

  • Drills

    • Use the following links to see some drills I’ve recorded in the past that address improving your contact:

      • Impact Drill #1 (This is very old lol!)

      • Impact Drill #2 (Maybe even older!)

      • Finish Drill #1

P.S.

This isn’t just about full swing! Controlling where the golf ball is hitting the club face is just as important in chipping, pitching, and putting.

New Promo Code for eGift Cards!

eGift Cards Available!

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Enter promo code TYGOLF21 and receive 10% off your eGift Card purchase! 

​​​​​​Minimum purchase of $100 to use the promo code. The code will expire on December 31, 2021.

eGift Cards can be used for any of the following services I offer:

• Individual Adult - $135

• Individual Junior - $120

• Val Pak - Buy 6 Individual Sessions for the Price of 5

Specialty Training Sessions

• Sam Putt Lab Evaluation/Training - $135

• K-Vest Evaluation/Training - $135

• Iron or Driver Clubfitting - $100

(All sessions above are 45 minutes)

On-Course Sessions

• On-Course Session (90 minutes) - $200

• Sam Putt Lab Evaluation/Training/On-Course (90 minutes) - $225

Click Here to learn more about long term coaching plans!