End of the Week Tip: Gaining Strokes on the Field

Every Friday I have a new golf tip posted on this blog. Be sure to leave a comment or share if you like what you read.

The strokes gained statistic on the PGA Tour has revolutionized how we understand what it takes to win. It should be of little surprise that the players who hit the most greens and putt well on those greens tend to do very good.

Hitting greens in regulation for most golfers is a great thing, but being able to capitalize and make some putts on those greens can have you playing great golf.

Here are some tips to help you make more putts and maximize your ability to make putts when on greens in regulation:

·      Know yardages with your wedges.  Most birdies on Tour are made when the players have a wedge into the green.  It is easier to get the ball close to the hole when you can use a shorter club.  You must however be able to control these shorter clubs to take advantage of getting to use them.  Practice distance control by practicing a stock shot to a comfortable yardage using a less than full swing.  For example, use your sand wedge and practice making the ball travel half of its full swing distance.  From there you can make slight adjustments to account for the difference in yardage.

·      Expand your makeable putt range.  I’ve never seen a putt I didn’t think I could make and hopefully you haven’t either.  But the truth is that the farther you get from the hole the more luck is required to make it.  Begin by making 2 footers your 100% make range.  Practice by spending more time making 2 footers than any other putts.   Once you feel like you’ve accomplished this, expand your range to 3 feet.  Keep expanding your distance until you feel like 5 feet is your 100% range.   The goal is to build the confidence of knowing that any putt 5 feet and in should be an easy make. This will allow you to be more aggressive on longer putts and reduce the fear of running the ball past the hole.

End of the Week Tip: Approaching the Green from Thick Rough

Every Friday be sure to check out my End of the Week Tip. Please comment and share these tips, especially if you like what you read!

Rough conditions vary course-to-course and sometimes even day-to-day on the same course.  Most courses will have a period of time where for whatever reasons the rough gets super thick.  Here are some tips to help you escape the rough and put yourself in position to score:

·      Beware of the flyer.  When your ball finds the rough you can experience a variety of different lies that require different plans of attack.  Occasionally the ball will sit up in the rough creating what is called a flyer lie.  Use a higher lofted club than normal in this situation as the ball will likely come out fast with little spin.

·      Adjust your angle of attack.  If the ball is sitting down in the rough, you will need to attempt to hit down on the ball to reduce the amount of grass getting between the ball and the clubface. One way to increase attack angle (hit down on the ball), is to keep more weight on your lead leg, left leg for RH golfers, throughout the swing. 

·      When in doubt, play it safe.  Most players get in trouble by being too aggressive in the rough, often resulting in shots that miss their targets or even worse stay in the rough.  If the ball is swallowed up by tall grass, there is no shame in taking a high lofted club like a pitching or sand wedge and simply getting the ball back in the fairway.

FREE SEMINAR: How I Use K-Vest and Sam Putt Lab for Winter Training

When: Tuesday November 1, 2016 from 6pm till 7:30pm

Where: High Performance Golf Academy (5600 Harrodsburg Rd. Nicholasville, KY 40356)

Cost: FREE

What: Join me as I demonstrate how I use K-Vest and Sam Putt Lab during winter months to train my students. We will also spend time discussing winter training programs and why they are a benefit for any golfer wishing to improve their game.

Who is this for? 

This seminar is designed for any golfer, male or female, that is unfamiliar with K-Vest and/or Sam Putt Lab and wants to take their game to the next level by continuing to learn and train in the winter months. Players that have benefited from winter programs the most tend to be middle school, high school, and college players as well as adults that still love to compete or simply want to lower their handicap next spring.

Please RSVP by texting your name and "sign me up" to 859-274-6558. You can also email me at tyrus@hpgolfacademy.com

Coaching Sessions Available this Winter

Ready or not, winter is almost here and now is the time to plan for how you will improve your golf game during critical cold weather months.

Winter time in central Kentucky is the perfect time to set a coaching and practice regimen to keep your game sharp and improving while many others put their clubs away. 

Over my 10+ years of teaching I have seen over and over how committing to a coaching program pays huge dividends when spring comes back around. 

It doesn't matter whether you are wanting to compete for a high school or college team, or if you simply want to shave a few strokes from your handicap. Winter is when you can make significant improvements to your game.

COACHING PACKAGE

My coaching package is designed as a 4 month term with 16 sessions that average about 1 session per week. Sessions can be used however they are needed to complete the package in 4 months.  

Each session can be used for any of the following:

• Club fitting/evaluation
• K-vest 3D Motion training/evaluation
• Sam Putt Lab 
• Trackman training/evaluation
• On course training/evaluation  

Adult - $1,120 (or $300 per month w/ auto pay)

Junior - $960 (or $260 per month w/ auto pay)

Our facility at the High Performance Golf Academy, located at the incredible Keene Run Course of Keene Trace Golf Club, is equipped for indoor/outdoor training and is suitable for all weather conditions.

Simply click here to schedule your first session and let's start improving your game for 2017! 

End of the Week Tip: Fairway Metals from the Fairway

Hitting fairway metals from the fairway can be difficult.  Here are some tips to help you take advantage of your fairway metals on long approaches:

·       Have the right equipment.  Most players automatically put a 3 wood in the bag as their next logical choice of club following a driver.  However not every player generates enough club head speed to launch a 3 wood high enough for it to go any further than your next club.  Using launch monitor technology like Trackman you can see what your carry distance is relative to the next club in the bag.  A 4 or 5 wood may turn out to be the optimum club to follow the driver.

·       Choose your target wisely.  Pin seeking with a fairway metal isn’t always a good idea, especially if the pin is guarded by bunkers, rough or water hazards.  Choose a target line that will allow the ball to roll out after hitting the ground and will keep you out of trouble if the ball lands a little short of your intended destination. 

·       Stick the finish.  When the ball is on the ground versus a tee, our subconscious may tell us to “lift” the ball in the air, resulting in topped shots that stay on the ground.  These swings also result in finishes that hang back, or end with more weight on the back foot instead of the front.  Be sure to contact the ground and finish with your weight on the front foot, allowing the loft of the club to do its job and get the ball in the air.

End of the Week Tip: Avoiding High Numbers

It’s a fairly common thing for most golfers to have a good round going only to have their score inflated by a couple bad holes.  Here are some tips to help you avoid those big numbers and keep your scores where they belong:

·       Choose the correct recovery shot.  Errant shots are sometimes unavoidable when you play.  The trouble comes from turning one bad shot into several.  Assessing the amount of risk involved when attempting a recovery shot is critical.  Look at it two ways: what is the easiest shot that gets the ball in play and which shot is the most aggressive.  The answer usually lies in the middle.  Just remember, bogey isn’t always bad.  

·       Practice those recovery shots.  Attempting a shot you’ve never attempted during the course of a competitive round is a big no.  After a few rounds you may discover that you keep finding yourself in a particular situation but are unsure how to proceed.  Whether on the driving range or on the course, the next time you practice try to recreate your trouble shots.

·       Get creative.  Some of the most “creative” golfers on Tour just so happen to be some the least accurate drivers off the tee.  Because they spend a lot of time hitting recovery shots, they’ve gotten creative in how to produce the best results.  Hopefully the majority of your shots are in the fairway, but be prepared by using your creativity and practicing the recovery shots that will be the difference between you making par or triple bogey.

End of the Week Tip: Dealing with Fast Greens

Watching the best players in the world navigate their way around Augusta National during The Masters is one of my favorite times of year. I especially enjoy watching how they handle the famously firm and fast greens during the year's first major.

We may not experience greens as difficult as the ones during the Masters, but there are a few times a year where the greens you play can get firm and fast.  Check out these tips for the next time you are dealing with firm, fast greens.

·       Consider your options when approaching the green.  Creating spin depends more on your lie than anything else.  If playing from the rough where more grass can get between the clubface and the ball, you are less likely to create the necessary spin to hold the green.  In this case your best bet would be to find a landing area short and try getting your ball to roll up to the green.

·       Your grooves matter.  Old, worn out grooves will not help you create spin.  The function of grooves is to channel away any debris that can get between your ball and the clubface so that you get more friction.  New, clean grooves will help you create the most friction and the most spin.

·       Consider a heavier putter on faster greens.  Several putters on the market now have adjustable weight technology that allows you to add or take weight away from the putter head.  A heavier putter head will help you make slower swings which will be needed on fast greens.  Just make sure when you make the change that you spend a little extra time on the practice green getting the feel for your putter and the green.

End of the Week Tip: Be Creative and Have Fun!

Creativity on the golf course will not only improve your score, it will make the game of golf more fun and exciting. Hopefully every drive is in the middle of the fairway and every approach is very close to the hole. However, the chances are that you experience some trouble every once in a while that requires you to use your brain to escape it.

Here are a few things to consider when trying to get creative on the course:

·       Consider the risk vs. reward.  I like to think of the worst case scenario when attempting a high risk shot and make sure I’ll be comfortable with myself if it happens.  That frees up any anxiety the shot could create and gives me my best chance to succeed. If the worst case is too much to handle then it may not be a good idea to attempt the shot.

·       Practice creativity on the range.  The best place to discover the different shots you can hit is on the driving range.  I’m a big proponent of having always attempted any given shot in practice before using in a round of golf.  A great way to practice your creativity on the range is to choose a target between 100-125 yards away, and practice hitting every club in your bag to that target. Then practice intentionally curving the ball and controlling your trajectory to hit high and low shots.   Do this with every club in the bag and you’ll find that there a few clubs in there that are easier to control which means they can be your go-to clubs on the course.

·       Practicing on the course.  Without delaying pace of play, it’s always a good idea when you’re on the course in a non-competitive round to practice your creativity.  Challenge your friends to a contest of who can pull off the wildest, most creative shot on the course.  The possibilities are endless so get creative and have fun!

End of the Week Tip: The Game Inside the Game - Putting

There are few things as invigorating for a golfer as smashing a drive down the middle of the fairway 10 to 20 yards past your playing partners.  But when it comes to consistently scoring at or below your handicap, one part of the game becomes very important.  It is often referred to as the game inside the game: putting.

Here are some ideas to make sure you’re getting the most from the flat stick.

·       Make sure your putter fits.  Clubfitting has come a long way in the last few years but few people take the time to make sure their putter actually fits them.  Today I use Sam Putt Lab to measure the finest details of the putting stroke to make educated decisions on putter fitting. Personal preference is important when it comes to the brand, and possibly the weight of the putter, but make sure the length and lie angle of your putter accomplishes the following things at address:

1.     Putter is flat on the ground

2.     Eyes are directly over or slightly inside the ball

3.     Arms hang naturally from your shoulders

·       Speed control is key.  The size of your putting stroke will determine the speed of the putter and the distance of your putt.  But much like judging how far your arm would go back to throw a ball, little thought needs to be involved.  Use the practice green before a round to determine the speed of the greens, and then use that knowledge on the course.  Let your body react to the speed, slope, and distance of the putt.  

End of the Week Tip: Short Game's Tight Lies

The technique used to get the ball close to the hole from a closely mown lie can be very different from when the ball is in taller grass.  Follow these tips to make sure you perform your best when you find yourself in a closely mown area around the green:

·       Club selection.  My first rule when around the green is to use your putter if at all possible.  Closely mown areas around the green can offer several opportunities to use your putter.  But sometimes the shot is either too long or you need to carry the ball over a steep slope or obstacle.  In this case, you want to select a club that will create your desired ball flight.  Just make sure whichever club you pick is one that you’ve spent time rehearsing in practice.

·       “Land” the club on the ground like an airplane. In Andrew Rice’s “Wedge Project” he discusses how your club should stay as close to the ground as possible for as long as possible through impact.  This means trying to hit down on the ball is a bad idea that will result in inconsistent contact.  “Landing” the club on the ground through impact can be achieved by using little to no wrist hinge in the swing and rotating your upper body to swing the club.  You will also notice that there is little to no divot when you execute this shot properly.

·       Go for the draw.  In order to “land” your club it needs to come in shallow and from inside the target line.  The draw, curving right to left for the right handed golfer, is created with a swing path that is from the inside and shallow.  Practice this by placing an alignment rod in the ground on the target line about 10 feet in front of the ball.  Make the ball start just right of the stick then slightly curve left back to the target (opposite for left handed golfers).