Editorial

11 Sep 2015 Corina Pelloni

THE “SECRET” TO THE GAME?

For the 40 years that I have played golf, I have been hearing about the so-called “Secret to the Game.” I suppose golfers consider this secret to be the shortcut to scratch golf, a pearl of knowledge that trumps all else. Ben Hogan told us to “dig it out of the dirt.” To me, this means don’t be so foolish; just practice hard and create your own method or “Secret.”   If you examine the method of any great player, some things are obvious. If you look at the way the best players hold the club (grip), there are many subtle variations that allow for great ballstriking. No two players have the same golf swing. When watching golf on TV, you’ll see everyone’s swing is different. There are quick, slow, short and long backswings. Finishes high or finishes low and left – both have been employed to good use.   There have been at least two ball position theories for as long as I can remember: 1) Move the ball back for the short irons and move the ball forward as the clubs get longer; 2) Leave the ball in a constant position (depending on whether it is on the ground or on the tee) and widen or narrow the stance with the right foot only.   Realizing that Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Byron Nelson all agreed with the second ball position theory, I think we have a chance there to start to find a real pearl. Nicklaus played the ball near his left heel and Hogan a little farther back in his stance, but they kept it constant after settling on a basic position. So, with so many things about the swing differing or negotiable, what is the something that all good players do, or that might be the “Secret”?  All good players touch the ground in the same correct place when they swing the club. They can make the club hit the ground in the correct place, from the correct direction and at the correct depth with every club. That place is near the left heel. A correctly swung club bottoms out just behind a teed driver and just in front of a ball on the ground. I watch people make practice swings and they hit the ground well behind where they intend to put the ball, or they hit the ground someplace different every swing, or they hit the ground in the same place, but it is the wrong place (back by their right foot, for instance).  I’ve had new students tell me they have never made a correct divot in their entire golfing career. When I am working with a student, I explain to them that until they can hit the ground up by their left heel, there is only a limited number of clubs they can hit (short irons) and they will probably never be consistent with their irons and driver on the same day. Their irons will be good and the driver bad and the one day the driver is good, the irons go south. This happens a lot to the person who thinks they must move the ball all over their stance.  Think about it. They hit a drive to start the hole (left-heel ball position), and then they hit a 9-iron out of the back of their stance. Then they hit a driver again and then some other iron and this goes on the whole round. These people end up with a favorite club, which is the one club they get the ball position and stance width correct.  The point is, they are never putting the club into the ground in the same place two swings in a row. They think golf is a major “hand-eye move” and search for the ball with their hands on every swing. I teach my students to hit the ground in the front of their stance with all clubs. They learn that their weight must be on the left foot where the divot will begin. Most times the swing will bottom out where their weight is. So, at impact, your weight must be where you want the divot to begin. Either you shift your weight there or you begin with your weight there (wedge play, pitching and chipping). If, every time your students make a practice swing, they touch the ground lightly by their left heel, they have gone a long way in striking solid golf shots. When they are getting ready to play an iron shot out of the fairway, they should see the practice swing hit the ground lightly, just in front of the ball they intend to hit. They shouldn’t go to the ball until they loved that last practice swing. Then, when playing the shot, they are only trying to reproduce what they felt seconds earlier in the practice swing. By focusing on touching the ground in the same correct spot, the player learns to find the correct width of stance with each club. If their stance is too wide, with a given club, then it will be hard to get their weight past the ball over to their left foot. So, it really doesn’t matter how much attention you pay to other aspects of the game if your students can’t control where their swing hits the ground. When giving a lesson, I know a student is ready to hit balls when they can show me swings that consistently touch the ground correctly. When all swings, with any club, can deliver a square clubface past the left heel, then good shots with any club in your bag is a reality. Sometimes the real “Secret” might be so simple that we look past something that is obvious. Ask your students to understand and focus on touching the ground in the best spot and this “Secret” can become something that should be common knowledge.

11 Sep 2015 Corina Pelloni

MY TOP-THREE LIST OF THINGS THAT HAVE DAMAGED GOLF

Golf is a great game that would even be greater, in my opinion, except for three things that cause me angst: Number 3 – the Stimpmeter.  I actually have friends who call ahead to golf courses to find out what speed the greens are rolling, and refuse to play if not to their satisfaction. When I was growing up, no one gave a hoot about green speed.  Most greens were rather slow, but all we cared about is that they were smooth.  It was rare that balls would roll to the hole and then trickle five to six feet past. All speed has caused is interminable delays as people mark their third and fourth putts. Number 2 – distance.  That’s all we hear about now.  No one thinks about strategy.  All we see in advertising is that this is the longest driver, this is the longest ball, or these irons provide maximum distance.  Isn’t the object of the game to shoot the lowest score? Distance hasn’t made the game better, because to counter it, courses have become longer with more hazards.  The time to play has increased and maintenance costs have been driven up.  Maybe it is time to take note that most of the courses that have been closing in recent years are the so-called championship courses built in the last 20 years. Number 1 – golf carts.  Where to start? From concrete paths that ruin esthetics, ruts and skid marks, to inebriated dopes drag-racing down fairways.  Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the back end of a cart shows up barely visible in one of the course lakes. Those issues aside, what carts have done is obliterate the thousands of caddie programs which benefitted young people in so many ways. Caddying was one of the best learning experiences I ever had.  I witnessed firsthand how adults interact with each other, both good and bad. I learned about rules and discipline.  I saw the nuances of the golf course and how the same could be so different from day to day.  Looking back, carrying those bags all summer was some of the best mentoring I could have ever gotten, not to mention an opportunity to play and grow the game along with thousands of others like me. All of the above were done with good intentions, but let’s not forget where that road can lead.

2 Sep 2015 Corina Pelloni

THE GAME IS ALWAYS BIGGER

“No one is bigger than the game.”  This is a famous quote from sport that is highly recognized amongst many who have devoted their lives to golf.  Then, “Hello world” appeared on the scene. As Tiger Woods played the game for a period of 7-8 years at a level perhaps higher than any predecessor, we were not only witnessing greatness, but history. He had no competition when he was playing his “B” game, let alone his “A” game. Yes, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson conquered occasionally, but suffice it to say their respective stars and legacies would have shone far brighter be it not for Tiger’s presence. “Tiger-proofing” golf courses came in style; purses and TV ratings went ballistic; Nike launched  itself into the golf industry the moment Tiger donned the swoosh, and golf became cool from kids to great-grandmothers.  Nary would a minute pass without a Tiger update during tournament telecasts. Then, his public fall from grace, only to be followed with less than “Tiger-like” results, to serious signs of Tiger will never be the same. If Tiger is not the same, how will the game remain healthy?  Tiger is golf. The Golf Channel is even referenced as The Tiger Channel by some.  Sponsors’ dollars will dry up, purses will drop, and tournaments will be forced to dissolve. Tell us it isn`t true! Fast forward to 2015…the year that saved golf?  Or, in other words and punctuation, the year that saved golf!  One could argue Tiger`s 2000 season with three major wins and nine overall victories is the best ever.  One could also argue no one has ever come closer to winning the modern Grand Slam than Jordan Spieth this past season.  One could also make the claim 2015 is/was a defining year in golf. First there was Old Tom, then Harry, Bobby, Byron, “Slammin” Sam, The “Hawk” – otherwise known as Ben – Arnie and his “Army,” Jack, and finally Tiger.  These were the icons of the game. Yes, there was a supporting cast with other excellent players, with some in between generations.  However, these players helped define the game.  What they all held in common was they were actors on a stage. We will never see another Jack Nicklaus, or, who will be the next Jack?  Then Tiger came along.  Few have ever asked who will be the next Tiger, because no one thought it possible, probably because Tiger’s talent and exploits had never before been seen or even fathomed.  Once again, enter 2015.  If Tiger did anything for golf, it was to develop a mindset and confidence amongst the youth of today that has instilled the following attitude: “If he can do it, so can I.”  Athletes are flocking to golf; hence, the journey toward greatness for our present and future stars continues and always will. We are at the dawn of a new era.  The fourth Great Triumvirate. First, there was Harry Vardon, John H. Taylor and James Braid, followed by Byron Nelson, Sam Snead and Ben Hogan.  Later, we were spoiled with Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.  Barring injuries, we will see Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth become the next holders of this unique title. Every player has their respective place within the game, their legacy, their grandeur and stories of folklore, yet no one is irreplaceable.  Golf, the gentleman’s game, trumps all.  It’s just too beautiful a stage with a forever-changing and compelling play.

24 Aug 2015 Corina Pelloni

WATER BALL?

A few weeks ago, my oldest daughter was getting ready for her golf play day at our club.  She was in the garage over by my old golf stuff digging around for something.  When I asked her what she needed, she said she needed some water balls.  I asked her why; she told me there were a few par-3s that had a lot of water, and she didn’t want to lose any of her newer golf balls. I laughed a little, then told her she needed to think positive and not negative thoughts.  We spoke about visualizing where we wanted the ball to land, and what it looks like in the air while flying towards our target.  We also spoke of how negative thoughts normally lead to negative outcomes. Like every other golfing dad out there, I took out a brand new sleeve of balls from my golf bag and gave them to her.  I told her to only use them on the water holes and no other holes.  She understood how I wanted her to think prior to the shot.  Later that day, I was anxious hear about her round.  I came home from work and she proceeded to hand me the golf balls I gave her.  I was excited until I saw they were not used.  She said she was still scared to lose a brand new ball in the water.  She said she hit one ball in the water that day, and that she was thinking about not hitting it in the water on that hole. While laughing at the idea of her not using the brand new golf balls, I reminded myself how important our thoughts are prior to hitting a shot.  We all have friends who dig into their golf bags for old golf balls to use over water, and I’m sure most end up in a watery grave. Make sure pre-shot thoughts are an area you address with your students, no matter what level of player they are.  Whether is it “aim small-miss small,” “take dead aim,” or “focus only on the target,” we need to teach how to have positive thoughts.

6 Aug 2015 Corina Pelloni

MAKING GOLF HARDER NOT THE WAY TO GO

While reading a recent copy of Golf Georgia, I saw where a golf course was changing its greens from bentgrass to Champion Bermuda.  If you’re familiar with turfgrass, you know that bentgrass greens can be difficult to maintain in the South.  However, this particular course in north Georgia wasn’t having this problem.  It seemed that the bentgrass greens made the game too easy, in their view. The director of golf was quoted in the magazine as saying, “When the greens were soft you could shoot at the pins and could hold your shot.” So as not to embarrass the involved parties, I won’t name the course or the director who made this remark, but since when did a green holding a shot become a bad thing?  Do they really want greens that reject shots? If you have ever played true links golf, you know that firm and fast conditions are the norm.  However, these courses have adequate run-up areas that allow you to land your ball either short of or on the front of the green, and be able to control it in that manner.  This is not usually the case in America, as many courses have very soft areas in front of the green.  There is nothing more frustrating than having as your only two options: 1) land the ball short of the green and have it stop short, or 2) land on the green and watch the ball bound over it. This is not to say that the game should be too easy, but a balance is necessary.  Golf course owners and operators should keep this in mind when contemplating changes to their courses.  

4 Aug 2015 Corina Pelloni

GOLF LEADERS PILING ON TRUMP ARE OUT OF BOUNDS

I don’t dislike Donald Trump. I don’t necessarily like him, either.  I have the same feeling for him as I have for the Yankees, Patriots, Packers and Montreal Canadiens.  I hate them because they are always beating my teams. But I have to admit I respect them because they are so successful. I certainly respect Trump’s success. He does what he says and says what he does. I think people in general admire people like that.  Mr. Trump has done a lot for golf.  I was fortunate to play at Trump International in Palm Beach awhile back.  The course was quite impressive and the operation was first class. Now, the odds that I could play any of his courses on a regular basis are a million-to-one, but I am okay with that.  I don’t begrudge wealthy people having places to go that I, in my present state, could never set foot on. Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.  Remember that stuff?  When did we stop admiring success?  People at the top create opportunity for those down the line.  For every Trump International, there are hundreds of World Woods, a top-100 golf course that right now you can play for $30.  It’s $500 to play Pebble Beach, but down the road there’s Pacific Grove for $50, with vistas just as spectacular. The golf authorities want to distance themselves from Trump because of words.  Hey, whatever happened to free speech? Who made them the moral authority?  If people feel The Donald crossed a line, they will punish him with their wallets.  I loathe it when organizations, politicians, or talking heads begin a sentence with, “The American people want,” when they actually have no clue what the average person wants.  I have found over the years that people are pretty adept at running their own lives. It requires wealth to run in Trump’s circles, and in America anyone has an opportunity to accumulate wealth, but it is not required to live a pretty good life and enjoy a lot of good things.  Until Mr. Trump actually demonstrates discrimination against anyone, I say to the USGA, PGA, PGA Tour, and any other golf organization, mind your own p’s & q’s.  People in glass houses, as the saying goes.  

1 Aug 2015 Corina Pelloni

RELAXED CHIPPING MEANS LOW SCORING

I was fortunate to go to one round of the Masters and two rounds of the Heritage Classic, in Hilton Head, this Spring. As always, I spent a great deal of time watching the pros practice. I noticed a trend or change of thought in short game theory that is worth noting and passing to our students. Remember, tour pros base technique decisions on the best general result because it translates directly to money. They don’t chase theories that produce spotty results. In years past the tour pros felt like they were better off, when chipping, becoming adept with one or two clubs and then picking different landing spots. These clubs were generally some form of wedge. Now I see them using more of a Paul Runyan type of theory, which asks the player to refine a chipping STROKE and choose the right club to fit the length of the chip. Think of the reasons. They play on increasingly slick greens. They need a stroke that has the ball moving slow. To have deft touch, you must choose the club that allows the swing to be short and the clubhead to move slowly, on a shallow path along the grass. With the new, tight Bermuda grasses, understanding the grain is very important. Northern players are learning that their method developed on lush grass doesn’t travel well on tight Bermuda. A wedge swing that has the clubhead raising quickly and and using speed is very dangerous, especially against the grain. A less lofted club employed with a putting type stroke is much more reliable. I explain it to my students like this. If it is a younger student I know they are probably addicted to too much loft. I teach them that tour pros don’t shoot low because they pick difficult shots to play. They use their considerable talent to play easy shots, with less lofted clubs, because they know that they are very comfortable using a small, slow swing. Why select a bigger swing that worries us? This Spring we saw many tour pros chunking wedges (not just Tiger )because they didn’t know how to deal with the grain in the grass. I convince my younger students to use their increasing skill to open their mind and develop a menu of shots. Why take a talented athlete and make them one-dimensional? It isn’t hard to show a student that chipping up a hill with a lofted wedge is silly. You have just  selected a club that is fighting your intent. Older students are better served to find a chipping stroke that is comfortable. Ask them to imagine their stroke on a six foot putt. If it is smooth and disciplined, show them what that stroke will do with different lofted clubs. It is a real eye opener. It can quickly breathe life into a shaky chipping method. The technique is simple. Raise the handle up until the club is almost sitting on the toe, with the heel slightly in the air. You are putting the handle between your forearms and under your shoulders, much closer to the line of the shot.  It will likely feel more comfortable to use your putting grip. Standing this close to the ball, the path of the swing becomes very precise. Stand with the feet close together. Play the ball nearly on your right toe. Lean the shaft toward the target until your hands are over your left leg. Put your weight on the left foot. Now imagine that you are putting a six footer, with a smoth STROKE instead of any hit. The ball will come off rolling slowly, which is exactly what we want for chipping. Soon a 50 foot chip is nothing more than the right club selection and the same comfortable stroke we always use. If our decision making process keeps us relaxed and confident, we have set the stage for a level of performance that we can sustain for many more good shots and holes and rounds of golf. Why would we torture ourselves with risky decision making?

16 Jul 2015 Corina Pelloni

RAIN DELAYS

I was recently caddying in our local State Amateur qualifier for one of my young golf students.  After 10 holes, the skies opened up and the rain began.  We rushed to the clubhouse and saw the radar on the TV; it didn’t look good.  The golf course staff thought it would be at least a few hours’ delay. So, what to do during this time?  We ordered some food, talked about the round so far and small-talked.  After about 90 minutes, the staff said it would be another two hours at least.  After an hour of watching TV, I decided to play a little putting game in the clubhouse.  I set up a few folded napkins in an area with very few people.  We played a nine-hole putting match.  I made him go through his putting routine on all putts, so it took about 45 minutes to complete the “match.” Once we were done, it was time to loosen up again.  He went through his warm-up routine on the range and they sent us back out onto the course.  He played the last eight holes in -1 to make it into the State Amateur by three shots.  Talking after the round, he thought our putting game got his focus back on track. There are many things you can do during a rain delay.  Getting rest and eating food are the normal two.  But make sure you do something to get your mind focused back on the game before you leave the clubhouse.  I hope these tips will help you and your students in the next rain delay you encounter.

9 Jul 2015 Corina Pelloni

US OPEN ILLUSTRATES HOW MUCH THE GAME HAS CHANGED – AND MAYBE NOT FOR THE BETTER

During the recent US Open, I can’t recall the exact hole, but a graphic came on the screen, showing that the carry distance to clear a set of bunkers and reach the fairway was 270 yards. There seemed to be quite a few holes like that at Chambers Bay. As a fellow who in his best times never hit the ball more than 240 yards, it hit me how much different today’s game is than the one I grew up playing. Whether golf today is better can be debated, but the gap between a tour pro and an average golfer has increased exponentially. One of the great appeals of golf used to be that the average golfer could try to play the same shot a tour pro would play on a given golf course. Other than pitching and putting, that train has sadly left the station. I have been a single-digit handicap golfer just about all my life, and there is no way I could reach the fairway from the tees the pros played at Chambers Bay. Imagine the 20-handicap golfer and what his fate would be. Many will argue that the pros play a different game and leave it at that. Problem is, human nature is such that most golfers want to attempt to play that same game, or at least feel like they can. Most sports are spectator-oriented. You’re not going to get a chance to hit a 90 mile-an-hour fast ball in Yankee Stadium or return a 100 mile-an-hour serve at Wimbledon. But for years, anyone could try to hit shots on golf courses where pros played for a living. In those days, the pros did not hit the ball that much farther; they just hit it better. A 400-yard hole was a good test. Today it is considered pitch-and-putt for the best. I’d hate to see the professional golf game become a spectator sport similar to others, because that could result in people losing interest in playing the game. It remains to be seen, but if it happens, blame is squarely on the shoulders of the USGA. They have let the game get away from its roots. Poor regulation of equipment standards, course lengths, and setups are not helping golf. They are supposed to be the watchdogs. Problem is, no one is watching them.

1 Jul 2015 Corina Pelloni

GOLF APPS

Today’s technology has made playing a round of golf easier for the modern player. It has also pretty much eliminated the use of caddies. The golf app has essentially become the modern player’s caddie. There are still some courses that recommend taking a caddie, or there is a charge for not using one –  Pinehurst #2 comes to mind as one of them. Tiger Woods was asked recently if there was a reason why there are not many young black players entering the PGA Tour or golf in general. His answer was, “Because there are so few caddie programs available that would introduce them to golf.” Every college program today allows the use of GPS technology when competing against other schools. However, the NCAA only allows the use of laser devices. They do not permit use of devices that give information on slope. Sometimes the use of the GPS clouds the thinking of a good young amateur player as they may grab a 9- or 8-iron to try and hit something 162 yards, without giving consideration to just where the pin is located. Maybe they only have to hit the shot 150 yards or maybe 170 yards depending on the slope of the green as it relates to the pin position. But the thinking stays fixed on the original yardage given by the GPS. As golf pros, we should be up to speed when it comes to giving advice to a student who asks which golf app is available for him to use on their smartphone or iPad. The most basic golf apps available on the market today come fully equipped and provide information on thousands of golf courses all over the world. Some come equipped with a rule book to help the average player understand the rules of the game. The golf app has changed the way both experienced and casual golfers approach their round of golf. The golf app market has become a bit over-saturated.  With many of the options available today, which ones are really good and which ones are just okay? Do you really need to spend $3.99 – $29.99 each to try out a series of golf apps to find the one you like the best? There are plenty of very good, reliable, free apps available that can give both the experienced and routine player as much to work with as some of the more expensive apps out there. I know of three free golf apps that have earned a good reputation in the golf world. They are Golfshot, Swing by Swing Golf, and Golf Logix.  iTunes rates the golf apps, and you can check out how they rate by going to the iTunes web site. These free apps have a lot in common; handicap tracking systems, leaderboard features, accurate range finder, club recommendations, satellite photos of the hole being played along with a zoom in on the green feature to see the front, middle and back of the green. All three have upgraded packages available for a price. Some upgrading features are touchscreen layup distances to any point in the fairway, GPS distance to all hazards, and the ability to set exact pin positions. Other popular apps to consider for $4.99 are Who’s Your Caddie, iPing, PGA Tour Caddie, Golfcard GPS, Nike Golf 360, Golfzing, V1 Golf Swing Analysis, plus Tiger Woods My Swing.  For only$1.99, Skydroid Golf GPS, and for $29.99, GolfShot GPS device. Whether it costs money or not for the initial installation of the golf app or the one you are recommending to a student, they all have upgraded versions that can be custom-made to fit the interest level of any player, along with systems for swing analysis for the pro teaching a student.