Knock it Stiff with Your Wedges

Knock it Stiff with Your Wedges

I have been coaching golf for ten years now and have not found many players that have practiced their wedges effectively and efficiently. This area of the game could be one of the easiest to improve in the shortest amount of time. To hit wedge shots effectively there is a little different technique involved versus the full swing, but after that it will take a few practice sessions and it will stay with you for a very long time.

Wedge Technique

When watching the technique of the best wedge players in the game one thing is noticeable. They all hold off their wedges. What I mean by this is that through impact and finish they have learned to release the club without releasing the face. To learn how to do this go to impact slowly with no ball and hold this position. Now let your body and arms work together to a ¾ finish without your right hand crossing over your left. You must however feel as though your left armpit stays connected to your body while you’re left elbow folds next to your side. You will know you did this correct if the shaft of your club points to the right. Any release of the toe will result in the club aiming to the left through the finish. What people don’t understand is that by “holding the club off” this will actually lower the flight of your golf ball because it will require more wrist angle or “lag” and will thus make it more easy to control the distance of your wedges.

Distance Control

To learn proper distance control it is essential that you go to a place to practice where you can set out either shafts, towels or head covers at ten yard increments. In other words you are basically trying to create a football field with targets set from about 40 – 100 yards. There are two basic methods to learn to control your wedges. The first method is by feeling as though your body is like a speedometer as in a car. If you turn your body at 50 mph then the ball will go 50 yards. Spend some time practicing this and you will be able to see how far the ball flies and you will learn the proper feel for these distances. The second method to control your wedges is to develop three checkpoints in your backswing. These do not have to be exact but you want to feel a half-swing, three-quarter, and a full backswing position. When you do this each checkpoint will cause the ball to fly a certain distance with each wedge. I personally carry 4 wedges and thus have developed great feel and consistency for twelve distances that I will most often have on the golf course. Make sure you practice this for a couple of weeks and you will also see your distance control with your wedges improve dramatically.

One of the easiest and quickest ways to see your scores lower is to learn how to effectively control your distance with your wedges. There is a simple technique change that will allow you to improve your technique, but with a little practice you will be able to knock it stiff with your wedges and watch your scores drop dramatically.

Left Knee Stability For Solid Shots

The new modern golf swing has been dominated so much with a stable lower body and maximum torque that I felt it necessary to discuss and answer questions for my readers. I want to break down the lower body into two areas, Left knee and right knee. Today I want to discuss the left knee. The Left knee is such an important, but often overlooked area of the swing that I wanted to address this question and give my readers something to work on and create stability and power in their golf shots.

From the start of golf all the way to about the 70’s and 80’s with Jack Nicklaus, the left knee in the golf swing was basically viewed as an instrument that rotated and turned a lot in the backswing. This can be viewed at youtube.com just by watching Bobby Jones, and Jack Nicklaus for example. In their golf swings you will see that the left heel comes into the air and basically their left knee would point at an area that was in front of or to the right of their right foot. What this created was tremendous amount of turn in the golf swing. This would be something I would recommend for senior golfers that have trouble turning in their golf swing and I have written an article recently on the left foot work of Jamie Sadlowski to prove this point. The modern golf swing teaches more for the left knee to remain dead still or at most rotate just to the point that the left knee would point at the ball. The idea behind this teaching is to create maximum torque in the body. Imagine your lower body and upper body as two ends of the rubber band. If your lower body turns and your upper body turns then no torque is created. By keeping the lower body quiet you can wind your upper body and create the stretch in the muscles that is needed to hit long powerful drives. This idea of keeping the left knee dead still, head still and winding the shoulders are again more for the guys you’re watching on the PGA TOUR nowadays. These guys are athletes and train sometimes two times a day in the gym. I personally am not that flexible to keep the knees dead still and I need to let my left knee turn in order to get behind the ball.

Once you have wound up behind the ball, the role of the left knee in the downswing is different in the modern day golf swing versus the traditional golf swing. Many older players such as Byron Nelson had a bent left knee and sagging knees at impact. This is one area that I strongly disagree with and discourage with my students. The straightening of the left knee and posting through impact is an area that the modern day golf swing has a superior advantage over the traditional method. The sagging of the left knee is a major power leak and does not create the consistency needed to hit long, precise irons and drivers.

The backswing and the role of the left knee are basically determined by your physical ability. If you are flexible and can wind up behind the ball while keeping the left knee still then use that to your advantage. If you lack flexibility, then let the knee turn and even let the left heel come off of the ground.

To Turn, Or Not to Turn…That is the question. If you are flexible and can keep the left knee solid without turning it in then I recommend you do that. If you need the flexibility then go ahead and allow it to turn in the backswing. For everyone make sure your left knee straightens through impact and this will help create the stability you need. Remember I am on the blog for you guys so please send me your questions.

The golf season is about to start so it’s time to get serious again. Click on the image below to DISCOVER how to add yards to your drives this upcoming golf season, effortlessly and pain free.

Proper Hip Movement for Long Drives

I wanted to post this comment I received from Doc yesterday. I thought this was appropriate with the article I wrote about proper footwork for more distance and as I said I was going to continue with more information on how to increase distance with the proper hip movement. Notice the drill that Doc was using when he explains about his hip movement last year versus now. Hopefully after reading this article all readers including Doc will understand why he was hitting it shorter since he started taking these new lessons. Thanks for your input Doc and keep me informed on if this helps you.

“I lost a lot of distance this past year after some video lessons…I was asked to swing around a bent left knee through impact and to start my downswing with my hands and arms dropping down (which I agree with) followed by a “skipping the stone” move thru impact. My thought last year was to let the left hip go straight backwards to start the downswing; this seemed to give me much greater distance. I tried to keep the left wrist in the same position and also used the “skip a stone” move. I am confused and a little frustrated at my loss of power.” -Doc

Just a refresher from my last article where I was trying to convey what the proper footwork for longer shots is. The proper footwork is similar to Jack Nicklaus and Long Drive Champion, Jamie Sadlowski. During the backswing both Jamie and Jack lift their left heel and then slam their foot down into the ground, which starts the transition of their weight into their left leg. From this position and through impact their right heel will lead their right foot, which is a perfect example of how the weight is transferred. I gave the readers the image of your right knee kissing the left knee through impact and follow through.

The proper hip movement of the golf swing works in conjunction with the footwork and is important. It is called the closed hip bump. If you can imagine throwing a baseball I want you to pay close attention to your wind up. As you wind up you will notice that your hips will slightly close before they open for the pitch and your right arm is still moving back as the hips are going forward. This is how speed is created and it is how the body is stretched to create maximum torque. How this appears in the golf swing is very similar. As the golf club is nearing the top of the swing the hips will actually shift left and actually appear more closed than they were a split second before. This is the transition and it is this move that allows the club to shallow onto the correct swing plane. It is this move also that creates the maximum torque and increases the famous X Factor. The muscles in your back are elastic. In other words they are like a rubber band. The more you stretch them the quicker they shorten. This bi-directional movement creates more torque and is evident in all the long hitters on tour. Some tour players that don’t hit the ball as far still do this move but do not have as much lateral bump to the left, but it is still there.

In the comment above from Doc he stated that in his transition he felt as though his right hip went backwards. This is the closed hip bump and the reason why he was hitting it far. Notice that Doc stated he stopped doing this and let his arms lead first. Lets go back to the image of throwing a ball. Now imagine winding up and stopping. From this stopped position go halfway with your arms as you throw it and then fire your hips. If you’re like me this would be very confusing and not natural to any movement of motion we have ever learned or done in our life. Why then would we try to emulate this motion in the golf swing? It makes no sense to me and is definitely a good lesson to hit the ball shorter.

Work on the closed hip bump to hit the ball farther this upcoming year. A faulty transition and starting from the arms or upper body is the number one reason why so many golfers come over the top and hit short shots.

I welcome your comments and feedback on this article.

Keep em long and straight,

Proper Hip Movement For Long Drives

I wanted to post this comment I received from Doc yesterday. I thought this was appropriate with the article I wrote about proper footwork for more distance and as I said I was going to continue with more information on how to increase distance with the proper hip movement. Notice the drill that Doc was using when he explains about his hip movement last year versus now. Hopefully after reading this article all readers including Doc will understand why he was hitting it shorter since he started taking these new lessons. Thanks for your input Doc and keep me informed on if this helps you.

Just a refresher from my last article where I was trying to convey what the proper footwork for longer shots is. The proper footwork is similar to Jack Nicklaus and Long Drive Champion, Jamie Sadlowski. During the backswing both Jamie and Jack lift their left heel and then slam their foot down into the ground, which starts the transition of their weight into their left leg. From this position and through impact their right heel will lead their right foot, which is a perfect example of how the weight is transferred. I gave the readers the image of your right knee kissing the left knee through impact and follow through.

The proper hip movement of the golf swing works in conjunction with the footwork and is important. It is called the closed hip bump. If you can imagine throwing a baseball I want you to pay close attention to your wind up. As you wind up you will notice that your hips will slightly close before they open for the pitch and your right arm is still moving back as the hips are going forward. This is how speed is created and it is how the body is stretched to create maximum torque. How this appears in the golf swing is very similar. As the golf club is nearing the top of the swing the hips will actually shift left and actually appear more closed than they were a split second before. This is the transition and it is this move that allows the club to shallow onto the correct swing plane. It is this move also that creates the maximum torque and increases the famous X Factor. The muscles in your back are elastic. In other words they are like a rubber band. The more you stretch them the quicker they shorten. This bi-directional movement creates more torque and is evident in all the long hitters on tour. Some tour players that don’t hit the ball as far still do this move but do not have as much lateral bump to the left, but it is still there.

In the comment above from Doc he stated that in his transition he felt as though his right hip went backwards. This is the closed hip bump and the reason why he was hitting it far. Notice that Doc stated he stopped doing this and let his arms lead first. Lets go back to the image of throwing a ball. Now imagine winding up and stopping. From this stopped position go halfway with your arms as you throw it and then fire your hips. If you’re like me this would be very confusing and not natural to any movement of motion we have ever learned or done in our life. Why then would we try to emulate this motion in the golf swing? It makes no sense to me and is definitely a good lesson to hit the ball shorter.

Work on the closed hip bump to hit the ball farther this upcoming year. A faulty transition and starting from the arms or upper body is the number one reason why so many golfers come over the top and hit short shots.

I welcome your comments and feedback on this article.

Keep em long and straight,

Does ball position really matter? It does if you want to improve your score…

Golf is a great game…of course winning makes it even better.

Most golfers don’t play a perfect round every time they’re on the course. You’ll have days that you play great and other’s not so great. Some days may be bad enough that you question giving up entirely.

Consistently playing a great round isn’t easy. Not even the pro’s do this …There’s many factors that must be taken into consideration.

If you learn nothing else from this today, please remember this one thing, all right? Most golfers miss the boat on this one.

It just happens that ball position is one of the most important aspects to improving your game.

Ball position is responsible for the direction the ball starts. Golf is all about direction and I don’t need to tell you that.

It’s easy to learn, and the best way to cut strokes almost instantly.

Common mistakes most golfers make with ball position:

You place the ball too far forward…the end result…you need to lunge forward and lose balance over the shot.
Another big mistake is putting the ball too far back in your stance.

This isn’t sound advice.

Learning correct ball positions for the club you’re using should be something that you are aware of every time you tee it up.

Here’s some helpful tips for a few of the clubs you’ll be using,

With wedge in hand place your feet two club heads apart…with the ball about 15 inches from your toes. This is the optimal ball position.
When using the 9 Iron you want them further apart than the wedge stance. The ball will be one-club head length from the inside of your front heel. The distance between the ball and your toes should be 16.5 inches. Try this and you’ll be amazed by the outcome.

As you can see…there’s no set stance… It’s gonna change and you must be willing to change with it for maximum improvement.

Listen the next time you’re on the course practicing, try it for yourself. You’re gonna feel the difference in the control and see a change in the quality of your ball striking.

Avoiding The Aching Back Pain Associated With Golf

Golf injuries are not uncommon but many can be completely avoidable.

Let’s take look at the most common injuries,

Back pain is something that you hear about frequently. Pro players are often missing from tournaments because of it. You even hear about young golfers having this problem…some of them are in their early teens. Back pain shouldn’t be an issue yet.

So what is the secret to many of the pro golfers, and average golfers to skate through their life without injury?

Luck may be the answer for some, but proper training is the secret.

It all begins with the swing. You want to hit the ball hard, far and accurate…so you use all of your might. All your concentration is focused on slamming the ball to do this. It puts a great amount of stress on your back. First off, strength doesn’t come from how hard you hit the ball…it comes from how you hit the ball.

So twisting your body with tense arms is the reason most of the back pain people are faced with.

You’ve certainly seen hundreds of websites teaching various methods on the swing. Most of them talk about how to limit your turn during swing. It will reduce the risk of injuring your back.

Listen one slight turn the wrong way can do severe damage to your back.

Some of these limited turn methods will work; while others won’t…and it’s not easy trying to find the perfect swing that’ll limit movement…reduce risk or injury…while blasting out drives further, increasing power with control and accuracy.

It’s not impossible to do. This won’t eliminate risks completely…but reducing the risks is important.

Your swing needs to be natural. Forcing your swing worrying about smashing the ball doesn’t work; it’s why players get injured.

Your stance plays a major role in your swing. Think about your stance for a moment.

If you can be pushed off balance in your stance it’s wrong. ..You’re at a higher risk of injury.

Optimal position will ground you therefore improving your balance.

Listen balance is important…your power starts from the ground up. This is the power that helps you to smash the ball 300yards with minimal effort time and time again.

Shoulder pain is another problem golfers are faced with. The cause of this…is none other than your swing.

Discover the stance, grip and swing that offers you the strength, accuracy and reduced risk of injury and you have the confidence of being injury free for many years of playing the game you love most of all.

How To Fix A Slice

Power Alignment & Visual Tips

For just a minute I want you to forget about hitting the ball …forget about looking good in front of your buddies… and forget about the score.

Today is the day you’ll finally look like a real golfer… you’ll control your shots better, get the ball on the green more often… and knock strokes off of your score consistently.

All this from one simple method…SETUP

But first let’s talk about what you’re probably doing wrong.

Nine out of ten golfers setup up aligning right of the target…this steals power from club impact limiting your distance…it causes visual distortion…and you miss your target by many yards.

Try this if you want to learn if you are mis-aligned with your target.

Pick out a target and setup like you normally would. Once you setup…put your club down at your toes or heels. Take 10 steps back behind the ball.

Look at where you just aimed. Is your club parallel left of your target or right?

If you said right you’re mis-aligned.

You must learn to square your stance.

Misalignment in the tiniest fraction can wreak havoc on your score…one inch to the left or right will result in disaster.

The single most important aspect of your golf game is your setup. Golf is a relaxing game…well it’s supposed to be. Don’t rush your shot.

If you’re like most golfers you just want to hit the ball. You try too hard to blast it 300 yards and on the green…you end up screwing up. When you set up properly you don’t need to worry about slamming the ball… you just do.

The next time you are practicing check your alignment. Your lack of accuracy just might be you’re not aligned correctly and have nothing to do with your swing. There are many simple techniques to improve your alignment and start hitting your target exact and online every time.

Start by using two clubs. The first club needs to line up about 5 yards left of the target. And the other club is placed parallel to the first club on the ground. The second club will be perfectly parallel to your target. All you need to do is square up to the parallel club and hit the ball….it’s smooth sailing to your target now.

Once your alignment is improved you will be able to visually see your target without any distortion.

Power Set-Up

The Natural Shoulder Turn that Prevents Injury

Fill Out The Form Below To Be Granted Free Instant Access To Your Free HD Training Videos...

We value your privacy.
We will never sell, rent or trade your email address.
We hate SPAM and you can unsubscribe with one click.

Your Email: