Posts

Posted on

You CAN buy a better golf game

I was having dinner with some friends in Honolulu last weekend, when they asked me about my game. I was there for a bachelor party and it was early in the evening so I still remember exactly what happened. I gave them an update on my game and told them that I shot 77 the previous weekend. They were all very impressed, but I assured them that that was out of the ordinary for me. Then a friend of mine since my last told me that he was still playing the same clubs from almost 10 years ago. He had an old Callaway big Bertha wood that is about the size of the five wood these days. I told him he needs to buy new clubs. It would improve his game.

Technology can change your game. The technology to the companies are putting into today’s clubs is head and shoulders above what they did 10 years ago. At least 10 years ago the irons were cavity back and had started becoming more forgiving. However, the driver technology has changed exponentially. Take for example the size of the driver. I was playing golf in Honolulu during graduate school with the same guys when the first 460 cc driver came out. I demo’d one for a round and they teased me and called it a “cartoon” driver. It didn’t look big when I went into my stance, but when I hit correctly the ball flew pretty far. Who’s laughing then?? 🙂

Even today’s low-end clubs have improved greatly. You can buy an entry level set golf clubs for $200 or $300 and they will be more forgiving than any clubs from 10 or 15 years ago. I have some friends who still play with blades that their father gave them! Those clubs are probably 30 years old! How can you expect to play great with those? It’s like another handicap. In any case, I don’t mind so much if we play for money. Ha ha. But if you’re going to play a lot and want to get better at the game, you may want to consider a new set of clubs. And while you’re at it, get them fitted. It’ll help, really. Plus it’s always fun to buy new clubs!

Posted on

Keep your elbow straight

Years ago when I first started playing golf, I used to practice at a driving range in Hawaii Kai on the Island of Oahu.  I started playing during the summer when I was home from college and I hit the ball ok.  I was using a set of Mizuno used clubs that my parents bought.  The driving range wasn’t far and I had just graduated from college and didn’t have a job yet.  It was a great time because I could go hit a couple buckets of balls every day.  Through college I had played summers, but this was the first time I was able to play consistently.  I was flirting with breaking 100 for a while, but just couldn’t break through.  I watched the golf channel and read some magazines, but the thing that really helped me to break 100 was the straight elbow.

You’ve probably heard people say to keep your left elbow straight (for right handers).  I started practicing keeping my elbow straight throughout my swing.  The technique is fairly easy to explain.  Instead of breaking your elbow at the top of the swing, you keep your arm straight.  The concept is that this will help you do several things.  First and foremost it gives you the ability to get back to a good ball striking position consistently.  Some say to get back to address position, although there are some important differences between the position at address and when striking the ball.  Either way, you’ll get to a ball striking position easily and consistently.

This tip will help you get to a good strike position several ways.  For example, it will improve your transition at the top of the swing.  When people get to the top of the swing, and the elbow breaks, it can become difficult to make the same movement consistently.  It’s just one more variable that you have to account for in the swing.  When you swing harder or softer, faster or slower, you must adjust the timing and amount that you break your elbow.  However, if you keep the elbow straight, it takes that variable out of the swing.  Whether you are swinging hard or soft, you don’t have to worry about adjusting your elbow.

Another way it helps is by keeping your hands in front of your body.  You may have heard this tip before as well.  You may have also heard people say to keep the triangle between your arms and chest throughout the swing.  These are all related concepts.  Keeping your elbow straight will help.

In any case, try keeping your elbow straight through your swing.  It helped me find a consistent swing and break 100.  And actually I hit it longer, too.  It felt strange at first, but now it’s second nature.  Try it!  Good luck and hit it long and straight!

Posted on

The Ball Putting Alignment Stripe

I’m not the best putter out there. In fact, last weekend I missed two birdie putts under 6 feet. Damn! Gotta take advantage of those birdie putts. So what can I do? Well I’ve started trying something you may have seen some of the pros do: draw a line on the ball to help with alignment.

Here’s an example of one: http://www.golftrainingaidreview.com/putting-trainers/sklz-spot-liner/

I’ve tried to use the preprinted logo on the ball for alignment and that was semi-successful. It definitely helped me align myself to the target. But one problem was lining it up with my target. There logo on the ball is pretty small and it can be tough to line up without getting into the ‘spider position’ like Camillo Villegas. Then when I check it, I’m always off just a little bit. I can’t exactly take ten minutes just to line up each put when the municipal course is backed up on a Saturday afternoon. As a result, I just make my best guess and hit the ball.

Recently, I decided to try a marking tool. There are a few tools out there that attach onto the ball and have a stencil that draws the line over half the ball. I tried it out last weekend in Myrtle Beach and it was definitely helpful and easier to use than the little ball label. It was easier to line up straight and saved me time. Plus, it helped me identify my ball in the, uh, rough.

The horrible part is that I still missed those short birdie putts, but it’s still a work in progress. And hey, I’ll take a tap in par any day.

Posted on

Andrews Air Force Base

The weather report scared me with thunderstorm warning all week. I had driven all the way up to Washington DC and I might not get to play! So I went out to Andrews early and luckily beat the rain. I played the East course which didn’t have much water and wasn’t all that long. It’s really not that challenging a course, but very lush and mature. It’s nice scenery, but not the best I’ve ever played. The guys I played with told me they liked the South course. It’s the newest and more of a links style course.

That being said, I decided to play mostly from the trees just to make it more interesting..not! I couldn’t hit the ball straight today. I was left or right all day, and I never knew which way it was going to be. I started out fading, or uh, slicing the ball, but just got more inconsistent throughout the day. In any case, the trees were very big and there were lots of them.

The East course is the longest of the courses, but it’s still not that long measuring only a little more than 6800 yards from the blues. There’s one long par 5 that’s about 560yards, but many of the other par 5’s are reachable.

The course is well maintained and the greens were well taken care of. They were fairly quick and you need some spin to hold the ball. There’s also definitely some grain that’ll play a part in your reading of putts.

It does get crowded, but the three courses on Andrews AFB help keep the wait down. I was able to walk on as a single within 30-40 minutes on a holiday.

Maybe one of the best things about Andrews is the water machines that they have around the course. There were 3-4 points through the round where you could get a cup and fill it at an ice machine and a refrigerated water dispenser. That was great! I stuck it in my push cart and just kept walking.

Well, I heard the thunder a bit after my round, but made it through 18. Sweet!

Posted on

Grip Pressure

Many pros will tell you that your grip pressure should be light. This is supposed to let the swing be free and let the club head flow through the ball with speed. However, how often do we really think about it? Grip pressure is a tough thing because we all try to do things with our swing.

Today I went to the range and focused on grip pressure and tempo. I really slowed down my tempo and tried to feel the weight of the club throughout the swing. It reminded me of the Whippy Club, where you almost have to let the club swing itself.

The result for me today was great. I hit the ball more solidly than I have been, my distances were more consistent, and my balls were straighter. So the next time you hit the range, take a few swings with a light grip pressure and see how it helps your swing.