All Posts - Page 193 of 198 - United States Golf Teachers Federation

9 Oct 2009 admin

Opportunity Abounds For US Golf Managers Assocation, USGTF Members

A couple of years ago, Golfweek magazine printed an article on the state of the golf business, and specifically highlighted the concerns of the PGA of America. It seems the PGA was concerned because more and more golf courses were not hiring PGA professionals to run their operations. And just who were these golf courses hiring instead? Business professionals. In response, the PGA went on a marketing campaign to make the golf courses aware that PGA professionals, at least in that organization’s eyes, were the most qualified to run a golf course. What has been the response of the golf industry to that campaign? Well, if Crosswinds Golf Club in Savannah, Georgia, is any indication, the campaign didn’t do much, if anything, to help PGA professionals. Crosswinds, an upscale 18-hole facility, like so many other golf courses throughout the country, has gone without a PGA professional for many years, and have no plans to bring one in. In fact, the general manager at the course is making a point to only hire proven businesspeople in the position of director of golf. Today, the majority of all golf facilities in America, which include full-length, executive, and par-3 courses, along with driving ranges, do not have a PGA member on staff. Speaking of 18-hole facilities exclusively, approximately one in four do not employ PGA members. In other words, the PGA does not have a monopoly on the golf business – far from it. When it comes to teaching, the Golfweek article also highlighted the concerns of PGA professionals who did work as directors of golf or head professionals. They were no longer getting to teach the game, because their duties required them to stay in the office or pro shop, and their general managers frowned upon them heading to the lesson tee. So they didn’t – and still don’t. This directly from the United States Golf Managers Association website (www.GolfManagersAssociation.com): “Similar to 1989, when the USGTF asked themselves why must one attend a 4–6 year program simply to teach the game – it made no sense – we now ask ourselves the same question regarding golf club management….We knew that old school education was not keeping pace with technology. These practices were outmoded and the consumer deserved better.” The golf courses themselves also believed they deserved better, and were thus shying away from traditional golf professionals and hiring business professionals, instead. This trend continues to this day, as we see with Crosswinds Golf Club. Where does the US Golf Managers Association and the US Golf Teachers Federation fit into all of this? It fits very well, as many of their members are finding out. Almost all US Golf Managers Association and US Golf Teachers Federation members come from other business backgrounds prior to golf. In contrast, almost all traditional golf professionals only know one business, and they’ve been in that business since they graduated from high school at age 18 or college at age 22. On the surface, you would think that would be an asset, but as we’ve seen, more and more golf courses are considering it a liability. Why? Because many of these traditional golf pros are seen as golfers first and businesspeople second. US Golf Managers Association and US Golf Teachers Federation members have an advantage in that they are seen as businesspeople first and golfers second. This is not to say that prior business experience is absolutely necessary to getting your foot in the door as a golf club manager or teacher, but of course it helps. One of the things that both US Golf Managers Association and the US Golf Teachers Federation members have going for themselves is training and certification through these organizations. The US Golf Managers Association course allows anyone the opportunity to earn certification, not just golfers. The US Golf Managers Association’s emphasis on business is recognized by golf courses that wish to hire people for their business skills. The result is that US Golf Managers Association graduates have a definite advantage in the job marketplace. Now, what about those golf pros serving as directors of golf or head professionals who are lamenting the fact that they are no longer able to teach because of administrative duties? This is where the USGTF comes in. For many years, the golf business has become more and more specialized. As we’ve seen, no longer do many golf courses want their personnel to be a jack-of-all-trades, even if by chance they are capable of doing it. The USGTF recognized this long ago, and many members since 1989 have taken advantage of the fact that golf courses want someone to manage the overall operations, someone else to manage the golf shop, and still someone else to handle the teaching duties. USGTF members have been quite successful in an array of teaching scenarios, such as head coaches at high schools and colleges, directors of instruction, and golf teaching professionals. Old school methods and jacks-of-all-trades may have been appropriate in a bygone era, but today’s golf courses are full-fledged businesses concerned with the bottom line. They recognize that specialized personnel mean a more efficient and profitable operation. The US Golf Managers Association and US Golf Teachers Federation allow its members to take advantage of this now-established paradigm, which undoubtedly will continue into the future. Photo by Rennett Stowe

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8 Oct 2009 admin

Thoughts On Lesson Planning

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24 Sep 2009 admin

Renovating… Golf Clichés

Photo by kevindooleyBy Dr. Tom Kubistant USGTF Contributing Writer Reprinted by permission from Golf Today One sure sign that the science of human performance has become more accepted is the emergence of playing clichés. From over-inflated announcers to self-appointed mental gurus to even your playing partners, it seems we cannot talk about playing good golf without using stock clichés. A cliché is an overused word or phrase which has become trite and commonplace. The impact of the concept has become cheapened by its constant repetition. In an effort to have the phrase more commonly understood, it has become diluted. However, here is the kicker: even though they are overused, CLICHÉS ARE STILL VALID. Beyond the veneer of obfuscation, the core concepts of clichés are still true. Good performers know this and have derived their own personal meanings and applications from common playing clichés. An important part of heightened performances is translating general playing clichés into one’s personal style. Let’s examine the more common golf clichés, review why each core concept is still valid, and renovate it to make it moremeaningful for your personal style. (There is also an accompanying sidebar to this article of Kubistant’s Klichés!) However,before we begin, let me expose three common performancephrases which are invalid and downright destructive. THREE FALLACIES The science of human performance is sometimes confusingenough without inaccurate and invalid concepts. In the early and middle parts of the 20th century when this science was inits infancy, there were few proven principles. In the gap, sensationalistjournalists and even teaching pros invented phrases andsayings which sounded good, but had no basis in science. Letme expose these fallacies. 1.“Muscle Memory.” This is a nice sounding alliteral phrase. The concept seems solid: if you practice enough you can trust your muscles that they know what to do. You can then just turn off your brain, react to the shot (see below), and let it go. This all seems nice and acceptable, but it ain’t true. Muscles don’t have memories! There aren’t little brains in each muscle fiber! Specific neurological impulses codified in the brain command specific muscles to fire in a prescribed sequence. Believing in this myth of muscle memory simply promotes a passive mind and an irresponsible mentality. The brain has to be continually engaged to direct the body in a specific and fluid manner. Back in the 1940s and 50s this phrase was popular. It was even attributed to Ben Hogan. When he heard that he was being credited with this phrase, he bristled. He said that he found his game “in the dirt” which required continual practice. During a round he said he concentrated so hard purposefully engaged with each swing. “Muscle Memory” sounds nice, but it is simply invalid. 2.“React To The Shot.” There are so many emphases to the golf swing and for each specific shot it can quickly become overwhelming. Trying to remember all of them and organize them into swing thoughts usually leads to short-circuiting the mind and body. What to do standing over the shot is one of the critical moments in the shot performance. “Reacting to the shot” seems to be an acceptable response to combating all these emphases. However, a reacting mentality simply leads to abdicating self control. Plus, under pressure or doubt, a reactive mindset only leads to fragmenting, freezing, and outright choking. As is detailed below in the clichés, each shot is a separate performance unique unto itself. As such, each shot is a creative experience. Instead of mindlessly reacting, the mind has to be fully immersed and engaged in the shot experience. It is through these two concentration dimensions that an integrated mind and body can emerge. A reacting mode is really a form of giving up. Full and fluid performances emerge from deep and expansive concentration. 3. “Focus And Concentration.” However, concentration is even misused. I hope it is my professional legacy that I have expanded on the true dimensions and applications of performance concentration. Historically, there have been gaps in understanding concentration. Hence invalid phrases have been invented. True concentration is composed of three elements and three dynamics. It is composed of being engaged, immersed, and yet detached. And the active processes of it are zooming, focusing, and idling. (For a more complete description, please see my recent “A Duffer’s Guide To Concentration” article on Golf Today’s website.) Focusing is a part of concentration, not separate from it. As I have warned, whenever you hear an announcer, an infomercial, or even a teaching pro use the phrase, “Focus and concentration,” RUN AWAY! These people have no idea what they are talking about. Okay? These are the three most common fallacies of human performance. There are also a lot of proven practices. Some are cloaked within clichés AND they are still valid. Let’s look at three categories of them. “PLAY WITHIN YOURSELF” First, there are numerous clichés emphasizing the importance of being true to yourself. “Play within yourself,” “Stay within yourself,” “Swing within yourself,” “It is what it is,” and on a preventive level, “Stay out of your own way” and “Let it go” all refer to the importance of self-acceptance and control. We all know that golf is a game which cannot be forced by swinging or trying harder. Yet we all fall prey to the temptation of swinging beyond our ideal rhythm, trying to jam shots into a target, and becoming more intense It is one of the grand paradoxes of The Game that the less we try to control outcomes, the more they take care of themselves. Along with this, the more we emphasize the processes and qualities of the performance the better outcomes and scores emerge. So the goal of any performance is to stay within yourself. This is the only area in which you have true control. This is also the only area in which you can feel completely comfortable in your efforts. Consistency, efficiency, and even ease all emerge from staying within yourself. One of the enduring fascinations with golf is that what resides within you is THE ultimate playing arena. “PLAY ONE SHOT AT A TIME” Next, there is a whole group of clichés which, one way or another, emphasize staying in the moment with each specific shot. “Play one shot at a time,” “Be with the shot,” “Be in the moment,” “Stay patient,” and at remedial levels, “I got ahead of myself,” and “I jumped on the bogey train,” all refer to the importance of concentrating on the here-and-now. Golf is a dead ball sport. The ball just waits for you to do something with it. It is not already in motion to which you have to react or alter. Each shot starts from scratch. As such, every golf shot is a uniquely creative process. So a round of golf is really a series of 72, 90, or 108 separate performances. You see, there is absolutely no relationship between the 7-iron you hit on the driving range or first hole and the 7-iron you are hitting now on the eighteenth…unless you allow it to. This is one of the secrets of the mental game. You have to remind yourself that every shot is a separate performance unique unto itself. So if you have flubbed every 7-iron throughout the round, this does not necessarily mean you will flub the present one…unless you believe it to be so. When you start connecting bad shot performances believing in momentum is when you jump on the bogey train and give up on rounds. When you think about it, every shot performance is a unique experience. The stance, lie, and conditions are always slightly different. So are your specific physical, mental, and emotional states. Approach each shot as a brand new experience separate unto itself. Become both relaxed and eager with each new experience. It is another paradox that when you play one shot at a time is where enduring consistency emerges. “IN THE ZONE” Sometimes a round of golf – or even just one pure hit – can be a wondrous experience. Everything – mind and body, mechanics and rhythm, and process and target – somehow seamlessly merge into producing something more. These rare experiences are peak performances. Romantic golfers have created a whole bunch of clichés in an attempt to define these experiences. “In the zone,” “In the flow,” “Playing in a fog,” “A cocoon of concentration,” and even “A state of grace” all refer to those experiences where we are deeply within ourselves yet perform beyond ourselves. Indeed, these performances are glimpses of what we can do…and can become. With respect to those in the Shivas Irons Society, not every round of golf is a magical and mystical experience. Indeed, it is one of the frustrations of The Game that one round we are in the flow on some kind of magic performance river and the next we are in shambles on the bank. Expecting each performance to be a mystical peak performance merely ensures disjointed efforts. Human performance can be a gateway to something more and something better within ourselves. I have been researching the science of human performance for over thirty years and even though I have identified about 90% of the factors necessary for being in a position for a peak performance to occur, there are still some elusive elements. Efficient optimal performances provide the foundation for maximal performances. And systematically using both of these prepare for the possibility of the rare peak performance. Relaxing, centering, concentrating, accepting, and being in the moment all open up the performance pathways to both consistent and even elevated efforts. Here is the key: do not try to force a peak performance or being in the zone. Simply, do those things that will put you in a position so that these states can emerge. WHAT CLICHÉS MEAN TO YOU Good golfers know what to emphasize to perform well. They have adapted common playing clichés to mean something to them. They then honor their meanings. Clichés are valid. What do these mean to you and your performances? If nothing else, golf is a game of precision. And this precision must extend to the concepts to be communicated and understood. One major reason why so many golfers do not understand how to play the game is that they lack precise concepts for successful performances. Before you create a solid game plan or even commitment to a single shot, you have to have broad playing perspectives. Perspectives build the structure in which specific playing strategies and tactics emerge. If you are to play within yourself, play one shot at a time, and be in the zone, you must begin with knowing how best you perform. Personalize these playing clichés of what each means to you. This is THE best time you can invest in your game away from the course. Now, how do I analyze the grandest cliché of “Be the ball”? NA-NA-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na…!

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24 Sep 2009 admin

Ernest Jones: Remarkable Teacher, Remarkable Man

By Brian Woolley USGTF Contributing Writer, London, England Golf Club - Wimbledon

Photo by Rob Inh00d A slightly built man, Jones is remembered for the understated elegance of his swing and a hand action able to generate considerable club head speed. He played creditably in four English Open championships without ever threatening to win, and won a loyal following at Chislehurst for the quality of his teaching and the skill of his club-making. Following the outbreak of the First World War, Jones, alongside thousands of his generation, decided to enlist and at the end of 1915 he found himself in the trenches of Northern France. In March 1916 he was badly injured at the Battle of Vimy Bridge. He returned to England with sixteen pieces of shrapnel in his head and body and without his right leg which had been amputated below the knee. But Jones was not about to give up on golf. Four months after his army discharge and still awaiting delivery of his new false leg, he visited his old friend and fellow professional Arthur Havers, who was to win the British Open in 1924. With Jones still learning to use crutches and essentially hopping on one leg, they decided to play golf with Havers’ offering Jones a stroke a hole. This proved not to be necessary. Jones completed the first nine in 38 and tiring slightly came home in 45. Subsequently, with an artificial limb fitted Jones was regularly able to play par golf and even won a local professional competition in 1920. However with his tournament career at an end Jones decided his future was in golf teaching. He read widely on the subject and subsequently complained that most teaching manuals were too complicated and filled the players head, particularly beginners, with too many thoughts. He developed a simple mantra, ’Swing the Club Head’ which he would chant repeatedly during lessons. These ideas were encapsulated in a 1920 written by Daryn Hammond entitled ‘The Golf Swing: The Ernest Jones Method’. This book received considerable publicity in the United States and in 1924 he was appointed professional at the women’s National Golf Club in Long Island, never to return to his homeland. For over thirty years Jones taught from a dusty studio on the 7th floor of the Spalding Building on 5th Avenue Manhattan. Dressed in a double breasted blue serge suit Jones would give 3,000 half hour golf lessons a year. ‘There’s nothing wrong with any golf swing’ he would say, ‘the problem is you don’t swing.’ Pupils would then be handed a handkerchief tied to a pen knife to experience a swing rather than a hack. Swing rhythm might be enhanced by playing Strauss waltzes on a crackly gramophone. At 4.30 pm each day the last lesson would finish, Jones would take a whiskey, water and lemon juice (served in equal quantities) at his favourite bar and then commute back to his Long Island home. The simplicity of Jones’ methods produced much debate and controversy within the USGA but this did not prevent his induction into their Teachers Hall of Fame after his death in 1965. His two books ‘Swinging into Golf’ and ‘Swing the Clubhead’ have never been out of print, and continue to influence generations of golfers of all abilities. His progression from the battlefields of France to golfing immortality via the skyscrapers of Manhattan is one of the most remarkable of sporting journeys.

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17 Sep 2009 admin

Get Real With Your Students

Golf in Sedona Arizona - Red Rock Country

Photo by Al_HikesAZPsychology By Dr. Gregg Steinberg USGTF Sport Psychology Consultant – Nashville, Tennessee Many students have unreal expectations about what you can do for them, as well as how good they should play and score after their lessons. When students have unreal expectations and you do not meet these expectations, your students will be dissatisfied, and perhaps not return. However, when students know what to expect from you and the game of golf, retention increases and so does satisfaction with the product. Thus, you want to communicate realistic expectations with your students. The following are some unrealistic expectations and how you may fix them: 1. Students who believe the game should be easy. Instructors throughout the world have heard, “It looks much easier on TV.” Many beginning students come with this expectation. They believe they should master the game quickly. However, they do not appreciate all the years and years of hard work that the pros on TV have put into the game. Explain how long and hard you had to work at the game to reach your level. As with life, the game of golf is challenging. 2. Students who believe they should get better without practicing. As Ben Hogan once said, “The secret is in the dirt.” Students who believe they will get better without putting in their dues on the practice range will be very disappointed. To remedy this problem, develop a contract with your students in that they have to practice or play at least five times before they take another lesson. In this case, both parties will be happy with the improvement. 3. Students who believe they should continually get better. Unfortunately, our improvement comes with plateaus. We will get better, then plateau, then get better and plateau again. To help your students get off a plateau, suggest that they change some variable in their game. For instance, if they play tougher courses, this could shock them out of a plateau. 4. Students who believe they should see the same level of improvement as their handicap diminishes. The law of golf improvement states that as the handicap goes down, the level of change slows down exponentially. That is, going from a 30 handicap to a 20 handicap is moderately easy, and takes a moderate amount of time. Moving from a 10 to a 5 is difficult and takes years of practice. Going from a 5 to a zero is almost impossible and can take a lifetime. Make sure they understand this law of golf improvement. 5. Students who believe they should fix their bad habits in 21 days. When Nick Faldo went to David Ledbetter to fix his slide move in the late 1980’s, it took nearly two years to fix that bad habit. But once fixed, Faldo became an all-time great. Make sure your students realize that fixing a habit does not take 21 days (as some have reported). The length of the process depends on certain variables such as coordination and amount of practice. Quicker results come with more practice. 6. Students who believe the problem is always physical. Given that I am a sport psychologist, this point has my bias. In many occasions, problems with improvement and performance are due to anxiety, and the lack of ability to deal with pressure. Discuss with your students their emotions during a round, and if warranted, you should recommend that they visit a sport psychologist to remedy the problem. You and the student will be happy with the results.

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17 Sep 2009 admin

Angle Of Attack

Photo by c.a.mullerBy Jim Moffitt CGTF Member, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Of the five aspects to the ball flight laws, angle of attack often receives short shrift from most teaching professionals. The other four aspects – clubhead path, clubface angle, clubhead speed, squareness of strike – receive much attention from both players and teachers alike. However, all five are important in determining the quality of the shot, and that includes the angle of attack the clubhead takes into the ball. The longer the club, the shallower the angle of descent will be. Of course, this means the shorter the club, the steeper the angle of descent will be. With a driver and the ball teed up, the ideal angle of approach is actually a slight ascent of the clubhead into the ball. To achieve these desired results, proper ball position and stance width are key. The golfer should never feel he has to manipulate his swing; instead, ball position and stance done correctly should do the trick. For most players, driver ball position opposite the forward heel will result in a slight ascending of the clubhead through impact. For balls hit off the ground, ball position forward of center, slightly behind the forward heel, is ideal for most players. For players who have a more difficult time turning their weight into their forward foot on the downswing, the ball position should be placed a little farther back in the stance. The ball position should never be placed in the back half of the stance for normal shots, unless the player has a physical problem that prevents him from playing the ball more forward. There are two schools of thought concerning ball position for balls played off the ground. One school says to play the ball in a constant position in relation to the forward heel while widening the back foot away from the front foot for longer clubs, and narrowing the back foot towards the front foot for shorter clubs. The second school says to not only widen and narrow the stance according to club length, but to play the ball farther back from the front heel for shorter clubs. According to studies done by ModelGolf, tour players actually do move the ball in relation to the front foot from the 2-iron to the 9-iron, but the movement is so small that, for all practical purposes, the ball position in relation to the front foot remains almost constant. Therefore, we at the USGTF prefer to advocate the first school of thought. Not only is this simpler for the average student to understand, but the widening and narrowing of the stance also takes care of the angle of attack for the different clubs! As the club gets longer, the circumference of the swing gets bigger and the angle of attack becomes shallower automatically. To ensure the ball is struck solidly, the body’s center must be placed farther behind the ball. Simply widening the back foot away from the front foot accomplishes this already, so why make it more complicated by moving the ball more forward, too? Of course, as the club gets shorter the circumference of the swing gets smaller, so the angle of approach steepens naturally. If we kept the same wide stance with a 9-iron that we had with a 2-iron, the club would bottom out before hitting the ball. Thus, a narrower stance is required for the 9-iron. There is no reason to move the ball farther back in relation to the front foot, as the narrowing of the stance already assures us a chance of making square contact. If the angle of attack is too shallow for the given club, it is quite easy to hit the ball fat or to top it, since the tendency will be to bottom out early. If the ball is hit squarely, it will fly lower with less spin than it should. If the angle of attack is too steep, again it will be easier to hit the ball fat or to top it, since the margin for error for clean contact is greatly reduced. If the ball is hit squarely, it will fly higher with more spin than it should. This is quite common with average golfers hitting their drivers. Examine your students‚ ball flight for these tendencies. If you see low shots with little spin or high shots with lots of spin, the problem is most likely this “forgotten” aspect of ball flight.

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17 Sep 2009 admin

The Changing Face Of Golf Instruction

By Dr. Gerald Walford, Professor USGTF Level III Member, Pippa Passes, KY Stay Behind the Ball!

Photo by The Newb PART I INTRODUCTION Over the years golf instruction has changed. This is really no surprise to anyone who has kept up to date through the years. The following article will give some insight into the many changes, subtle and obvious, over the years. Some may surprise you. The changes in instruction have occurred in the physical, mental, video and apparatus areas. Instruction is designed to develop learning. No learning – no teaching. If learning is not taking place then the method or style of instruction must be changed. It is amazing how many teachers teach their same method student after student, year after year. Naturally, this may not work with all students so some students drop out. The teacher rationalizes that it was the student’s fault – they are not teachable. As Casey Stengel once said, “I coached good, they learned bad.” PHYSICAL CHANGES IN INSTRUCTION The golf swing has changed dramatically from basically a roundhouse swing with lots of body movement to a more vertical swing with less body movement and more arm action for greater consistency. YESTERDAY’S SWING The Body The old swing of yesterday was taught with a very strong body rotation. In fact, Mindy Blake claims that the left arm rotated around the body to a 76-degree angle from the line of flight. This angle is created by moving the shoulder over 90 degrees of rotation. The hips rotated 70 degrees. Of course, these measurements are not exactly accurate to all the golfers of this era but it does give us a general idea. It is also noticeable that the hips and shoulders both rotate almost the same number of degrees as the whole body rotates away from the ball. The clubface is open at the top of the swing and the left wrist is concave. The legs also move with the hips on the backswing as the left knee kicks inward considerably towards the right knee, independently of the arms. Almost all golfers at this stage lifted the left heel off the ground and in some cases the heel lift was quite high. This is not surprising as the excessive body rotation almost pulled the left heel up. With the golfer’s club at the top of the swing, the body is well coiled but the upper body muscles are not stretched and are loose because the hips are rotated as much as the shoulders. For the downswing and the uncoiling of the body, the muscles must pull the body around to the ball. For muscles to react in this fashion they must be in a state of tonus (slightly stretched) for quick reaction. Unfortunately this coil did not stretch the muscles because the hips and shoulder are turned together almost the same distance in the coil. To start the downswing, the golfer slammed the left heel down to tighten the muscles to pull the body around to the ball for the swing. This is what is meant when it was said that the downswing starts at the feet and then works its way up to the hands. Grip The strong grip was taught with three or four knuckles showing on the left hand. The strong grip made it easier to close the open clubface from the top of the swing to impact. The 10-finger grip was popular and was taught until Harry Vardon changed the teachings to the overlap or Vardon grip still endorsed to this day by many as the only way. The Stance With the strong grip and lots of body rotation the golfer stood to the ball with a closed stance for the driver and long clubs and progressed to a more open stance for the shorter clubs. The stance also altered the ball position. With the driver the ball was played well forward and then moved back towards the right foot as the shorter clubs were used. The stance was very inconsistent and varied with each shot. This stance gave a pronounced inside takeaway to the backswing because of the excessive body rotation. Weight Transfer This swing had a strong weight transfer. Weight went to the right leg on the backswing as the body shifted back. On the downswing the body moved forward and the weight shifted onto the left leg. The body rotation was around the right leg for the backswing and for the downswing the body weight moved forward onto the left leg. Lots of timing factors. Lots of teaching and practice. At impact, the right heel is well off the ground and the hips are well forward into the body rotation. With this excessive rotation the body sway to the target is extreme. EARLY MODERN SWING The Body Golf swing teaching has now moved to lessen body rotation. This is to help develop a more consistent swing with easier timing factors. The basic move was to develop more stretch to the upper body muscles for a stronger reflex action. The more modern swing has less body rotation as the hips now rotate only 45 degrees. The angle of the left arm to the direction of travel is also about 45 degrees. Although the left arm angle to the direction of flight is 45 degrees the shoulders have rotated about 90 degrees to give this angle. As you will notice the left arm is now moving more in line with the flight line of the ball. This means the swing has become more vertical. This swing has put the clubface more square at the top with the left wrist now flatter and even flat with some golfers. This more compact swing brings about easier coordination between the arms and legs. The hips are now providing resistance to the upper body rotation. This resistance means that the muscles are stretched and are being set up for the downswing. This early modern swing has the left foot flat on the ground during the backswing giving limited hip movement. The upper body muscles are now stretched to provide the required tonus to the muscles for a powerful downswing. This swing has fewer moving parts and as a result it is more compact and more consistent. Grip The grip is now moving to a weaker grip with one or two knuckles of the left hand showing. This is possible because the clubface is now placed in a more closed position at the top of the swing. This means less hand rotation is needed to achieve clubface squareness at impact. The overlap grip is still demanded but some concessions are made for the interlocking grip if it was felt the golfer’s hand were small. The Stance The stance is now taught to be squarer to the target for all shots. There may be some openness to the short irons but the idea is to develop a more consistent stance. The ball position is also more consistent as most golfers are playing the ball just off the left heel for all shots. This stance affects the takeaway, as the takeaway is now straight back with little or no hip rotation as the shoulders are rotating. The buzzword for this was the one-piece takeaway. Weight Transfer The weight transfer still exists but it is less pronounced. The weight may shift but the body usually does not slide backwards or forwards as much as the old swing. At impact, the body is closer to square to the ball. The shoulders are square but the hips are a little ahead of the shoulders. In most swings the body is more perpendicular with minimal body sway to the target. THE LATE MODERN SWING The Body Late modern swing teachings continue the trend to less body rotation. The swing is being taught to be more in line with the line of flight. The line of the left arm to the direction of the ball flight is about 15-degree or less. The hips are almost nil in rotation as the range of hip rotation is down to 10-degree range. This shows how the upper body moves the swing while the legs are strong supporters or stabilizers to the swing. If we believe in the old adage of “the less moving parts, the less to go wrong” then this late modern swing is the answer. Grip The grip is now moving to a more weaker left hand position with one or no knuckles showing. This weaker grip does not mean weaker power to the swing. It is just that the clubface is even more closed at the top. Less hand rotation is used to achieve square contact with the ball. With the swing in a more upright or vertical plane the hands do not have to rotate as much to achieve squareness at contact. The body and hands rotate less. Some of the late modern teachings even have the hands swinging with no rotation at all. This makes timing and accuracy much easier. In this era, grip teachings have become more flexible. The 10-finger grip, often called the baseball grip, is now used and taught by many. Natural Golf teachings recommend this 10-finger grip, which they call the palm grip. This grip has also achieved great success. In fact, research studies, experiments and dissertations have been unable to prove one grip as better than the others. The Stance The stance is very similar to the early modern swing. Weight Transfer Weight transfer is even lessened more as some are now teaching to keep the weight evenly balanced until after impact when the follow-through pulls the body weight onto the left leg. Jerry Heard, a famous PGA golf pro before being struck with lightning, teaches this in his golf schools. Most golfers are now being taught to brace the right leg at an angel to achieve minimal weight shift backwards. This helps to prevent a body sway backwards. Ben Hogan claimed this right leg brace and his cupped left wrist at the top of his backswing was the basis of his “secret”. At address he angled his right knee inward towards the target and maintained this right leg position till impact. On the downswing, his first movement was to push the right knee inward to the left so as to ‘run the right knee at the ball’. This ‘secret’ now out in a book by Jody Vasquez is to be published in April 2004. Now that this is out, the secret will be quickly taught by many teachers simply because Ben Hogan did it. At impact many modern teachers are now teaching to have both feet flat on the ground and the body square to the ball. This trend is noticeable with many of today’s top touring professionals.

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7 Sep 2009 admin

PART 1: Tiger’s Modern Swing Setup

PART 1: Tiger’s Modern Swing Setup By John Andrisani USGTF Level III Member, Vero Beach, Florida tiger woods

Photo by Keith Allison I consider myself a golf historian, though admittedly my interest leans mostly toward the realm of golf instruction. In fact, in my library I’ve got over one hundred how-to books, my at home office walls are covered with swing sequence photographs of golf greats, and my desk drawers contain golf videotapes and electronic media of all types, plus binders containing instruction articles cut out of major golf magazines. On top of that, I’ve attended approximately 25 golf schools around the world, and when not attending a golf tournament, constantly watch golf on television. I live golf instruction! In searching all these years for the answers to the perfect swing, I’ve tested out all kinds of swing methods, including the most popular and the most obscure, and observed closely the swings of top tour pros from past and present eras. In tracking the actions of Tour professionals, the players I pay the closest attention to simply because they have proven themselves to be the best golf club swingers and golf scorers in the world, I’ve noticed that over the last ten years gradual changes have been occurring in the techniques of more and more top players. These changes have all been quite subtle in nature and, again, so gradual that the leading golf magazines have not reported on them. Furthermore, until the 2007 PGA championship, no one player had employed all of the elements of what was being built before your eyes without you knowing it: The Modern Golf Swing. In all fairness, the chief reason this modern golf creation was virtually impossible to see was because players were modernizing their setup, backswing, and downswing piecemeal, and by feel or instinct alone. Moreover, one player would change only one address key, another player only one backswing key, another one downswing key, and so on. Therefore, these changes went unnoticeable. No one golfer had it all together, a handle on the complete Modern Swing package, but that was all to change. My trained eye and my constant tracking of what goes on in the world of golf instruction is what allowed me to discover the one player who was smart enough to figure out the entire puzzle and piece each piece together into one super-efficient package. Furthermore, this player operated according to a plan, making conscious decisions to risk everything he had accomplished to try and bring his technique to the highest possible level. This shows the genius and the courage of that one player. Who is this one player who has assembled the Modern Swing that will now be our model for the future and allow him to play golf even better than before and likely overtake Jack Nicklaus’s major championship record of 18 major championships? Why, of course, it’s Tiger Woods, the world’s greatest golfer, who just so happens to be the most determined golfer, who just so happens to be the golfer who most thinks outside the box when meditating on golf technique. What’s even more ironic is Tiger Woods is setting the trend, but he’s such a phenomenon and gone through so many teachers and methods that the press and golf swing aficionados have failed to notice the changes Tiger has made to his setup and swing. That’s why you have not heard any golf commentator mention Tiger’s accomplishment or, up until now, ever read about Tiger discovering and employing The Modern Swing. I spoke about this at length in one of my books, Tiger’s New Swing. However, since its publication in 2005, Tiger has modernized his swing. And as one golf insider told me, Tiger did the work himself (mostly after failing to win the first three major championships of 2007), and that makes sense, considering he knows more about golf technique than anyone in the world. THE MODERN SWING SETUP * Teach Your Students to Follow These Instructions When setting up to drive, position the ball an inch behind your left heel, tee the ball lower than normal, so that the leading edge of the driver’s face is even or just a tad below the top of the ball. Just recently, Tiger changed the position of the ball, moving it back slightly. Tiger also started teeing the ball lower to discourage an exaggerated upswing hit and, instead, encourage what renowned teacher Jim McLean calls a more streamlined “flat spot” in the hitting area, and as a result, a more level strike. By level strike, I mean that the club moves low along the target line through impact and stays on the ball for a split second longer. The result: more solid, clubface-to-ball contact, less backspin imparted on the ball, and a lower, more piercing ball flight. I’ve also noticed that rather than set his hands a couple of inches behind the ball, a la Ben Hogan, in order to promote a low and long takeaway, Tiger sets them slightly ahead. This new “modernized” position promotes a more upright swing plane, very different than the flat swing Tiger learned under Butch Harmon. So, I suppose Tiger now believes what his idol Jack Nicklaus always believed, and what we should all accept as fact: “An upright plane gives the golfer his best chance of swinging the club along the target line at impact.” Two other setup changes to Tiger’s swing that are both tied to one another involve the left hip and the distribution of weight. Whereas Tiger used to set slightly more weight on his right foot and tilt his left hip up, to promote an upswing hit, he now sets up with his weight evenly balanced and his hips dead level. These modernized changes of Tiger, plus setting his head more in line with the ball than well behind it, point to the modern-day golfer looking for added distance via a lower flying tee shot that will roll out farther upon landing, rather than a tee ball hit with plenty of carry. Last, but certainly not least, Tiger’s grip is neutral to strong, instead of on the weak side, and his stance square rather than open, proving that he is trying to gram a straight ball or slight draw into his shotmaking repertoire rather than his old bread-and-butter high flying fade that, unfortunately, sometimes turned into a slice. Sometimes, too, when fearing hitting a shot right of target, Tiger would try to flip the club back to square at impact, end up closing the clubface, and hitting a duck-hook. Have your students work on the aforementioned address keys until they become second nature. At that point, they will be ready to learn and groove Tiger’s backswing and downswing keys.

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7 Sep 2009 admin

PART 2: Tiger’s Modern Backswing and Downsizing

Photo by Keith Allison By John Andrisani USGTF Level III Member, Vero Beach, Florida Previously, I brought to your attention something that had previously gone unnoticed by golf experts, yet it is something so groundbreaking for the world of golf instruction and how the game is likely to be taught in the future. It was the discovery that Tiger Woods changed his swing once again, likely this time forever, since the new Modern Swing he employed helped him hit the ball so powerfully, so accurately and, moreover, on such a super-controlled consistent trajectory, that he re-entered the winner’s circle at the 2007 PGA championship, his 13th time in a major championship. I had heard from good sources, prior to the PGA, that Tiger was working on modernizing his swing, only this time all alone, without the help of any of his former teachers and without the aid of present coach Hank Haney. Apparently, Tiger had programmed so much swing data into his brain over years and years that he just wanted to let all this technical information filter through, with only the best swing technique emerging. All of you teachers, and your students, too, should be excited and ecstatic that in your lifetime you not only get to see this great champion hit such wonderful tee shots, but that you now will learn, based on my observations, the backswing and downswing keys that Tiger uses to compliment his new Modern address, described previously. On that note, let me take you to the lesson tee, where I will use Tiger as the ultimate Modern Swing model. You, me, your students, and our generation of teachers and amateur golfers should all realize that Tiger’s new Modern Swing just may be the future of golf instruction. THE MODERN BACKSWING ACTION Once comfortably and correctly establishing the Modern Swing Setup, Tiger swings the club low to the ground for about six inches, just long enough to start creating width, and thus stored power. Tiger controls the swinging action by nudging his weight away from the target and gently pulling the club away with his hands, simply because it is the most natural thing to do. The club moves directly along the target line early in the takeaway, then slightly to the inside once Tiger’s shoulders begin turning slightly clockwise. As soon as the club’s shaft parallels the target line at waist level and weight shifts to Tiger’s right foot, right leg, and braced right knee, Tiger allows his right wrist to hinge slightly, with the club moving up quite quickly. This upward movement of the club is helped by Tiger’s modernized shoulder action. Rather than turn the shoulders on a flat plane, he kind of rocks them, albeit being cautious not to dip them. Make sure you advise your students to be careful of wrongly dipping the shoulders, since this fault will cause a reverse pivot. Let the player simply feel the correct movement – left shoulder points down slightly, right shoulder points up slightly – in a see-saw fashion. Tiger continues swinging back, with the momentum of the turn and the slight tug on the club with his right hand carrying the club to the top, where it now finishes square to the target line rather than laid off, as was the case before his switch to a Modern Swing. Tiger’s early set and turn action allow him to make a free and fluid backswing action that is more natural-feeling, and therefore easier for him and all golfers to repeat. Tiger’s footwork has changed, too. Rather than keep his left heel planted on the ground, he allows it to lift slightly, and this move promotes a bigger, more relaxed turn, though the turning action of the shoulders, again, is more upright than flat. It’s obvious that Tiger figured out that this modernized turning action allows the club to stay closer to the target line on the backswing, so that he can rely less on timing for delivering it squarely to the ball on the downswing. THE MODERN DOWNSWING ACTION Because Tiger now sets the club sooner on the backswing and arrives in the ideal parallel position at the top, all he does to trigger the downswing is replant his left heel and nudge or bump his body weight toward the target. These moves, in turn, cause the right elbow to drop down into his side and the club to fall into the perfect hitting slot. Because Tiger now swings the club back on an upright plane, the club does not have to travel as far on the downswing when returning to impact. Tiger sometimes used to swing the club on an overly flat plane and lay the club off at the top, which caused him problems coming down. Fearing the club would get stuck behind his body and cause him to have trouble returning it to square (from such an inside position), Tiger tended to sometimes clear his hips too early and too vigorously and ruin a good score by hitting a tee shot way off line into trouble. The beauty of Tiger’s new modernized downswing is that it is an ideal remedy for students who tend to swing the club back on an overly flat plane and push shots right of target. Tiger’s modern action is both freefeeling and natural-feeling, and thus easier to repeat. Simply have the student trigger the downswing by practically simultaneously nudging their lower body toward the target and replanting the left heel on the teeing ground’s grass surface. In doing thus, the right elbow and club will drop down into the perfect hitting position. from there, all your student should do is rotate his or her left hip counterclockwise, just as Tiger does. A split second later, the student should release the right foot and hip and begin straightening the right arm. Finally, once the student’s left hip clears and the club nears impact, he or she should straighten the right wrist. Do that yourself and you will feel the club catapult into the back of the ball. Bam! You have just experienced Tiger Woods’ hot new swing with a Modern Twist.

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20 Aug 2009 admin

Swing Changes

Photo by mhofstrandRequired Commitment By John Savage USGTF Level IV Member and Examiner – Langhorne, Pennsylvania Maybe I’m a little old fashioned, but I find “crash courses” a little mind-boggling. We are a society which demands pills to fix just about everything, and now we are into crash courses that attempt to teach us a great deal in a minimal amount of time. There are crash courses on how to start an exercise program, how to lose weight quickly, how to use your newly purchased computer in two easy lessons, and the list goes on. Have we become a lazy society? Do we think everything can be solved quickly? Has instant breakfast and online banking had that much effect on us? People today don’t want it now – they want it yesterday. Where do some of your students fit into this? Are they people who are proactive or reactive? Do they wait for someone to fix it for them (“Gee, I always hit it good when you’re standing there with me on the lesson tee, but when I’m on my own, I just don’t do as well”), or will they actually do something to fix the problem? Did they have a crash course mentality when they came to you for a lesson? Do they want to play better by next Tuesday, or are they committed to working on improving? It is a fallacy to think that one can become thin and keep the weight off after a crash diet, or become fit, learn how to fix a car, or become a gourmet cook in two weeks or less. In golf, is there such a thing as a quick fix for a beginner? Let’s face it – it’s never just one thing with a high handicapper’s golf swing. Effective transformation is going to require a commitment , which in turn requires time. A golf student has to want to make a change. Then they must understand the amount of time that is needed to make a difference. They have to be realistic about their athletic ability and how much effort is necessary to achieve improvement. Real change means working on it diligently for more than a week or two. It takes time to learn which exercises work best for each individual. It takes time to get results from a new diet. It takes time for a golfer to become comfortable with a swing adjustment. Players need to be patient if they are looking for the improvement to be permanent. We recently made a backswing change in a 2-handicap golfer. The change moved his position at the top of his swing to the inside about four inches, and the left palm position from parallel to pointing slightly down. He hit 100 balls a day for five months before he was comfortable with the fact that he would not regress to his old swing during competition with his improved ballstriking. Obviously, not many players have that type of dedication. Getting them to understand how to practice properly, and link their perspiration to their inspiration, might help them get past their counting on a quick fix. Crash course expectations give false hope to many. To others, they can be the beginner’s course to real improvement if a person’s thoughts are used to prime the engines of change. Then, they are beneficial. However, if they are used instead as a quick fix, they can actually be harmful. They can become an excuse to quit. For students to improve, they must understand what they need to change (and you and they must understand what not to change) to accomplish it. As teachers, we can only make it clear, and by making it clear we can make it easier for the student to comprehend. The motivation must come from within the person who wants to make progress. Then, they must work on it. A student should understand that it is not the speed in getting there, it’s the arriving. Remind them to slow down. There will be good days, bad days, and regressive days. All players have what is called “game slippage.” This means, no matter how well they do on the lesson tee and afterwards on the practice range, they will not perform as well during a round of golf until they have mastered what you have corrected in the swing. A student must be willing to continue the effort so that the change you make today won’t disappear by next week. If not, then the crash course mentality will continue to cause failure. Make sure they understand that by staying with the program the improvement they are seeking is much more possible.

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