Learn to Control the Golf Ball

Learning to hit the golf ball relatively straight is not as difficult as most people believe if you simply understand what is required.  Most normal people have the hand-eye coordination necessary to accomplish it.

 Only two things control the direction of the golf ball -  the direction the club is facing and the direction the club is traveling.  If the club is traveling towards the target and the club is facing towards the target the ball will fly toward the target.

Most people have the ability to swing their arms toward the intended target so the trick is to get the club to face in the same direction.  A simple homemade training aid will help you do this.

Take one of your golf clubs and tape a ping pong paddle to the shaft of the club so that the paddle and the club face are pointed in the same direction. Now swing the club toward the target while watching the face of the paddle.  Normal coordination will allow you to control where the paddle faces.  If you have the ability to use a screwdriver you can do it.

If you want to draw the ball or hook it simply  rotate the face of the paddle so that it points left of the target while still swinging toward the target. If you want to fade or slice the ball, have the paddle point to the right of the target while you continue to swing your arms and the club toward the target.

Practice doing this without a golf ball until you learn how to do it and get comfortable with it. As you get used to how it feels you are learning to do it without thinking about it.  The more you practice it the faster it will become automatic.

A final note about slicing.  A slice is caused when the face it pointing right of the directions your arms are swing.  Nothing else.  When you get the face (or the paddle) to face in the direction of the swing the ball will go straight in that direction.  Since most slicers swing from out to in this means you will pull the ball straight left until you fix the direction of your arms.

If you don’t have a ping pong paddle the next best thing is a tennis racket.  Grip it with both hands and swing it like a golf club.

Why Your Swing Disappears.

"Are You A Compulsive Hoarder Of Golf Tips?"

 

This one is devoted to all those DYI golfers out there that searched on YouTube, the internet, Golf Digest, the Golf Channel, and on and on trying to get help.

The seemingly innocent act of fiddling with your golf swing because of a new tip you picked up somewhere has caused many golfers to say “I have lost my golf swing. I can’t hit the golf ball anymore.”

A golf swing doesn’t disappear; your golf swing is still there … it’s just buried under these new compensations.

Have you ever been guilty of the following example or something similar?

This fiddling process that leads you to ‘losing your golf swing’ could start as innocently as slightly changing your grip. Some might say: “how can a slight grip change cause me to lose my golf swing?”

Easy – let’s say that you’re a right handed Golfer that has the tendency to hit your golf ball anywhere from a fade (golf ball drifts to the right) to a slice (ball drifts a lot more to the right). You read that you need to strengthen your grip (see more knuckles on the left hand) so that you promote a draw.

You now hit a few shots and your golf ball starts going a little to the left.  You continue hitting golf balls because it’s nice to see your ball not going to the right. However, after a few more shots your golf ball starts going farther and farther to the left. So you say to yourself that you better weaken your grip just a little.

What Happens Next?

So what happens next? The same thing that always happens when you start "fiddling with your golf swing.

After the initial success of the golf tip that worked for a few swings … you start to hit behind the golf ball.  So you think to yourself: “well, I’m probably coming over the top and getting too steep coming into the golf ball. I’ll try to make this next swing come more from the inside.”

After a couple more shots you start finding that you’re now shanking the golf ball. So you say to yourself: “Ok, I might be coming too far from the inside and too shallow into the golf ball. I’ve probably become too flat.”

So what are you going to do now? Another grip adjustment? More tweaking of your swing plane?

The Question Is How Do I Avoid This?

Rule No.1

When you are hitting the ball good never listen to a tip from well meaning friends unless they are A LOT better than you.  Tips from friends is usually the beginning of the end.

Rule No.2

Don't pay attention to tips in publications or on the Golf Chanel.  They are not really bad but they are generic which means they may harm your swing.

Rule No.3

Take a video!

The next time you start hitting the ball better have someone video your swing from face on.  Then when it starts to go bad have them do it again from the same angle.  Comparing the two is very beneficial.  There are a lot of apps that handle swing analysis.

What Should You Do?

Watch this video and NEVER stop working on it.  It will help keep your swing in good working order.

The most important things to keep in mind.  Start slowly and make sure your feet actually touch!

Getting Better At Golf Is NOT Difficult

Golf  Has Been Made Too Difficult!

Learning to hit the golf ball is NOT as difficult as almost everyone says unless you are trying to be really good at it.  Taking up golf or learning to break 100 or 90 is far easier than you have been told.

Golf is NOT Difficult

Unfortunately golfers are constantly told that learning to hit a golf ball properly is hard. I guess the reason for that is that nobody thinks they can make any money off of telling golfers it is simple. The worst part is when I tell a golfer that it is fairly simple and they can learn to do this quickly nobody believes me because it is the opposite of what almost everyone else is telling them.

Golf only becomes difficult if someone desires to play at a very high level. Tour players are constantly talking about how difficult it is and I agree with them. In order to succeed at that level the margin of error is almost non-existent. But on the other hand learning to play golf and shooting in the 90's is still simple.

Using the Tool

The key to it is learning how to use the tool which is exactly what a golf club is.  The object is to take the tool and propel the golf ball into the hole in the fewest shots possible.  I rarely find a golfer that has a clear understanding about what actually happens between the ball and the club at impact and how it affects the flight of the golf ball.

One of the complaints that I hear frequently from golfers is about their inability to take their game from the driving range to the golf course. The reason is very simple, on the driving range you have learned how to use the tool under ideal conditions. You always have a good level lie.  The problem is you haven't learned how to use the tool when conditions are not perfect.  When the ball is slightly below your feet or slightly above your feet the tool performs differently than when the lie is level.

The problem is not that they can't take their swing from the range to the golf course. The real problem is that all they can do is take their range swing because it is all they have learned.

Hitting the golf ball with the tool properly is both logical and simple but you have to practice under real life circumstances in order to learn to use it.  Spending a lot of time on the range is only useful to initially learn something.  After that practicing on the course or on course like conditions is what people need to do.

A Problem With Lessons

This is one of the major reasons golf lessons don’t work.  You do what the two of you are working on very successfully on the range and everyone is happy.  Then you find it doesn’t work so well when you go to the course and play.

My suggestion is to swing at slow speed and learn how to use the tool properly to change ball flight and make more solid contact, then gradually speed it up to full speed.  You need to learn to be good at walking before you attempt running.

This Video Makes Golf Swing About As Simple As Possible

Making Swinging a Golf Club As Simple As Possible

A golf instructor that I have a great deal of respect for because of his ability to help people get better posted this video and gave me permission to share it.

Watch it and pay attention to what he says and what he does even if you have to watch it more than once.  Anyone with the ability to walk fast without falling down can do this and get better quickly.

If it feels different you have to understand that the only thing that feels comfortable to you is the swing you have.  Any change, no matter how simple or good, will feel a little different. 

Embrace it.  Different Is Good!

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This Simple Drill Works Wonders

The first time I saw this drill used was many years ago and it was shown to me by Gary Wiren who is a member of six Golf Halls of Fame, including the PGA Hall of Fame and the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame, and has honorary memberships or distinguished-service recognition from Sweden, Italy, New Zealand and Japan.

I bring that up just to let you know that this drill actually works.  I have used it successfully for years with my students and would just like to pass it on because it will help you.   A great explanation of how to gain more club head speed and improve impact.  It doesn't get much more simple than this.

The one tip this young lady leaves out is the the lighter you hold the club and the more relaxed you are the faster it will move and the louder the sound will be.  Now watch the video and go make some noise.

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Golf Explained Simply

I just posted a new video to my YouTube Channel and I think most golfers can learn something from it.  It is not a How To Fix video.  It is information only.  Two very good teachers cover a variety of topics about how the golf swing works.

New to Golf

This is something I believe golfers that are fairly new to the game can greatly benefit from as it explains a lot of things that people have misconceptions or misunderstandings about and it does it very simply and clearly.

I love using simple videos because people learn athletic movements primarily with their eyes and with their ears to a lesser extent.  They watch the motion and the brain records it.  Then they should try the motion and repeat it until they develop a feel for it.

Not New to Golf

Even if you are not new to golf it will act as a refresher course that will help you get over all the bad tips your friends, TV announcers, and golf publications have given you.  Everyone, unfortunately, has a tendency to become what I call a "Tip Hoarder."  You pick up bits and pieces from a lot of different sources and store them away.

Trying to create a decent golf swing from all the odds and ends would be like trying to build a house out of scraps of lumber.  The result is most likely not going to be very good.

One Last Thought

Your golf swing is the result of what what you are thinking.  Your brain controls all your movements so if it has bad information to work with the result will be bad golf shots.

Change what you think in order to change your swing.  It is that simple.

Fixing the Chipping Yips or Inconsistency

Here is an unusual tip that will help your short game, especially if you suffer from the dreaded yips or worse yet – the dreaded shanks.

Look at the Hole and Not the Ball

Look at the hole while you make your swing.  It is the same principal that Jordan Spieth uses in putting.  He looks at the hole while making his stroke.  It allows your brain to focus totally on the target and not on the technical aspects of the stroke or swing.

It is not difficult to accomplish, it simply takes a little practice in order for you to get comfortable with it. I can promise you that it is worth it to give it a try.  This video will demonstrate what I am talking about.

I first discovered this working with blind children.  In order to better relate to them, I learned to hit balls with my eyes closed.  After you get over the initial panic, you suddenly develop a much better feel for where the club is during the swing.  The blind children, in many cases, actually developed faster than children with normal eyesight.  Once they made contact with the ball the first time they knew exactly what to do from then on.

Fear Causes Poor Pitching

The major cause of poor chipping and pitching is the fear of failure.  When you become afraid that you are going to hit a poor shot, your conscious mind tries to control what happens at impact and it simply cannot do it.

An example of this is walking a straight line.  Most of us can do that with no problem until a policeman shines a flashlight in our face and asks us to do it.  If you start thinking about or trying to consciously control walking you will fail every time.

Fix Your Own Swing

Those of you that read my instruction tips and articles know that I focus on the average golfer.  I think everyone will benefit from face to face instruction with a good teacher, but the next best thing is my blog.  I am not remotely interested in what elite or tour caliber players do.  They have extraordinary skills and talent that completely separates them from the average golfer and what is useful to him.

The video is by a golf professional that I have great respect for because he is a very good at what he does and shares my belief in helping the average golfer.  You can check him out here.

Think Your Way Into Playing Better

Thinking VS Swinging

 

This week’s article is based on the premise that the body responds to the thoughts that are going through your mind.

The major reason that golf is difficult to learn is that the ball sits still and it gives you time to think. Other sports where a ball is involved, such as tennis and baseball the ball is in motion and you simply react to it.  A batter in baseball does not make a conscious decision to swing the bat. He simply focuses on the ball and let’s his body react. In golf, the ball sits there waiting for the brain to decide what to do and when.

This concept is important, even at the beginner level. The brain says hit the ball and the body responds. The ball may only move a few feet, but the body was successful. The instructions were to hit the ball – contact was made.  One of the biggest challenges for a beginner is the desire to help the ball get up in the air which is impossible.

The Little Voice

The brain also only responds to the last thought - sometimes known as the” little voice”. The brain does not respond well to negatives. The thought “don’t hit it in the water on the right” will not and cannot produce a good swing. It produces a negative or defensive swing.

The result is never a good shot.  The “little voice” is negative by default unless you override it with a positive thought.  It is essential that you focus on what you want to happen rather than on what you don’t want to happen. The only good shots come from positive swing thoughts.
 

Change Your Thinking

It is much easier to change your golf swing by changing what you are thinking.  You need to examine what your brain is telling your body to do.  Are there so many thoughts it gets confused?  Concentrate on one positive thought.  A good instructor or coach will find out what is going on inside your head.  I have found over the years that the things that need changing are most often things that the student is trying to do because of bad information.

What you believe about how to swing the club correctly is often what is holding you back.

Learning to swing at the target, rather than the ball will solve a multitude of swing problems.  Concentrating on trying to control the club at impact will create a multitude of swing problems.

Only ONE Thought

I always ask my students “What is the one thing you are taking away from our lesson today?”  I find this necessary because what I think I am saying and what they are hearing me say are often two very different things.

Just remember that you can only handle one swing thought at a time and it has to be positive to drown out the “little voice”.

Easily Gain 10 to 15+ Yards With This Drill

Here is another in my collection of really useful, proven drills that help the average golfer fix his or her own swing.  I have used this one successfully from the day I saw it for the first time and that was more years ago than I care to think about.

The Whoosher Drill

As you will see in the attached video, you simply turn the club upside down and grip the shaft near the head.  For maximum effect grip the club with you left hand first and then place your right hand over your left so that your right thumb is NOT on the shaft.  Hold the club lightly and swing it fast enough so that the grip will make a whooshing sound.  The idea is for the sound to be the loudest slightly past where the ball would be.  This indicates that the club head is still accelerating through the impact point.

This will help you develop more club head speed and easily add 15 yards or more to your shots.

Other Benefits

Learning to do this successfully will also help greatly in eliminating fat and thin or bladed  shots.  The primary cause of these shots is early release causing the club head to pass the hands prior to impact.

As you get more comfortable with it you can go to a more comfortable grip as long as the sound still happens past the impact point. Working on this will, in most cases, help you to improve your grip.

It is important to remember that it doesn't matter whether you use a overlap, interlock, or ten finger grip as long as the sound is in the right place.

Enjoy this young lady demonstrating how this drill is done.

Hope you get a lot from this and tell your friends about it.  Thanks to all the folks that are signing up for my free mailing list.

One Simple Drill That Fixes Many Problems

 
I am always on the lookout for simple swing drills that I have used either personally or with my students that I know work  I get a lot from my friends and fellow instructors who are some of the best teachers in the business and post them here.

I ran across this video of one of my favorite drills of all time on the Golf Channel which surprised me a little.  This person does such a great job of explaining it I had to post it.  Also a friend of mine is Bobby Jones IV and he tells me this was one of his grandfathers favorites.

It is called the "Swing with Your Feet Together Drill" and it is a simple fix for a multitude of problems.  It teaches you to develop a swing  that is "In Balance"  and the importance of balance is not emphasized enough today.  Golf instruction today seems to be obsessed with positions instead of ball striking.  One of the things I love about it is that it will not allow you to swing "over-the-top."  If you do you will immediately lose your balance.

The one key factor to this drill that the instructor does not place enough emphasis on is the fact that for this to work best the feet have to be actually touching.  The reason for this is that the brain has a safety mechanism that tries its best to keep you in balance so you will not stumble and get hurt..

Start Slowly

Depending on what stage or shape you swing is in now you may have to start very slowly and build up to a full swing.  I can hit about 80% of my full shot this way, but I have practiced it a lot.  When I start to struggle with my own swing, which we all do at times, I go back to this drill until I can make solid contact again.

If your grip makes this difficult then just grab the club with two hands like you would a baseball bat or hockey stick.  That tip alone may help you tremendously.

Using Your Right Hand

Pay close attention to what he says and does with his right hand grip near the end.  That grip he uses teaches a lot about how the right hand works.  It eliminates scooping and sculling.

I apologize for the 15 second lead in ad but it is off the Golf Channel.  Please enjoy and leave comments.  I would love to know what my readers would like to see and think!  Also join my growing number of subscribers.  It's free and private and you get  notices when I post something new.

My New YouTube Channel to Help Golfers

I have started a new YouTube Channel titled, strangely enough, "Fix Your Own Golf Swing."  My plans for it include posting only videos that I personally approve of that are short, simple, and good solid advice that can help you.

No Big Names

You won't see names that you are really familiar with because in all honesty most of the stuff posted by the "The Teachers to the Tour Players" are self promoting sales pitches that are long on hype and short on worth while content.

There are many great teachers out there that are very successful and quietly go about their business of helping the average golfer and don't spend small fortunes on marketing and self promotion.  Fortunately I am in a position to find them and get exposed to there teaching.

These are the people I will be promoting and are actually people that would be willing to help you if you feel the need.

Just Getting Started

I only have a couple of videos posted at the moment, but will be adding more daily.  In the case of long videos I will edit them to get just the essential information.  For some reason most guys seem to think they need to make videos are thirty minutes long when the important content is usually just a few minutes.

A Sample 

 

Here is a sample of the content I will have on my channel that a friend of mine posted In a Facebook group that we are both members of.  Loved it and asked if I could use it.

Fixing the Over-the-Top Move Part 1

I hope this catches on so I can showcase good videos from really good teachers.  You can help by subscribing to my blog and or my video channel.

Thanks!

Fix Your Own Golf Swing

Most golfers have been trying to figure that out for a long time with very little success.  The reason for your lack of success is not your fault.  The problem lies in the fact no one has really helped you the way you needed to be helped.  Traditional golf instruction is all about telling you what to do to fix your swing flaws and really good golf instructors have known for years that doesn’t work very well if at all and they will tell you this.

Figure It Out For Yourself

You have to figure it out for yourself.  Lessons should only help guide you through the process of fixing your swing yourself.  People frequently take lessons and get better while the pro is standing there telling them exactly what to do and then two days later are completely lost again.  They were given too much information and weren’t allowed to figure out how to do it themselves.

 I’ll give you an example of what I’m talking about.  There are a million articles and videos out there that give detailed instructions on how to fix a slice and everyone has access to them yet millions of golfers have read and watched and still slice.  The reason why this happens is that the instructions are generic and loaded with generic detail, but each golfer is uniquely different and learns differently in his own way.

Here's An Example

A slice is caused by the fact that the club face is open to the swing path (direction the club is traveling).  No other reason.  The over-the-top or out-to-in swing is a result of this – not the cause.  The ONLY way to fix it is squaring the club face up.  The best and easiest way to do this is by using your hands to do it.

The kicker is that I can’t tell you how to get your hands to do this because it is going to be different for everyone and feel different to each person.

Here is what you are trying to accomplish with the club face:

A Suggestion To Help Guide You

I can give you a suggestion to help guide you.  Take a golf club and learn to do this with your hands.  Don’t use a ball initially and do it until you are comfortable with it.  Only think about your hands and how this feels.  Start slowly and build up speed.  You can do this anywhere you can swing a club.

Once you can do it comfortably without a ball then I suggest you take a six or seven iron and tee the ball up.  Take a half swing at half speed and work on different feelings of what your hands are doing until you can control the ball flight.  Once you can control your club face you have control of your golf game.

Just remember - there is no wrong way, only the way that works best for you.  Now go find your best way.

My New Blog

I wanted to introduce you to my new blog.  I created it for the sole purpose of helping golfers from beginner level to 15+ handicap enjoy the game more.  The title of the blog says it all.  Finding a good coach is still the best way to improve, but I realize that it is difficult to do.

So, if you don't already have someone, let me become your online coach and help you to help yourself become a better golfer and enjoy the game more.

I encourage you to subscribe to the blog so that you can leave comments and ask questions.  Your input will determine what this blog becomes and the topics I present here.  It want be totally instruction.  Some of my blogger friends will contribute articles that I am sure you will find entertaining, educational, and informative.

I am a Life Member of the PGA of America with over forty years of experience in the Golf Industry.  I have spent much of his career teaching/coaching golfers of all ability levels from tour players to beginners.  I have developed a very simple old school approach to the golf swing that I refer to as minimalist.  I only give you the minimum amount of information you need to improve.  I love technology, but only when it is useful.  I don't believe anyone needs a computer to fix a slice or a hook.  I also believe golf can be much less confusing, much easier, and more fun.

I have an insatiable curiosity and love of logic.  I was the kid most teachers didn't like because I always wanted to know why and just because they said so wasn't good enough.  This probably derives from the fact that I am a member of a group that only has about 1200 members world wide and requires an IQ in the 99th percentile for membership.

Early in his career I was fortunate enough to spend time with the great Mickey Wright, Harvey Penick, and Ben Hogan.  I have also been fortunate enough to have been associated with winners of multiple tour events and several majors.

My approach to coaching the golf swing has been primarily influenced by the legendary John Jacobs.  My philosophy is built around two statements –

“Never tell them more than they absolutely need to know” and “Anyone that can't explain the golf swing in a simple, easy to understand fashion is not an "expert".  They are just knowledgeable.”

Some of you may already know me as Sam W Adams - especially on Facebook - and Essentially Golf.