Instruction
Painting a better golf game
Painting a better golf game may conjure up images of you hitting a perfect shot. Or it might have you picture yourself standing over the ball, totally focused, prior to putting it in the hole. However, the painting I am referring to is a tad different.
I have painted a lot of homes over the course of my life, and as a result, have become fairly adept at it. Possessing this skill set occasionally brings invitations from friends and family members to assist them in their painting initiatives. This past weekend, I was sequestered by my friend Chuck to paint his newly acquired restaurant, The Colden Mill, in the tranquil town of Colden, N.Y. As I was painting this one specific area, I found myself in a very awkward situation and had to brace myself against the wall to cut in a very challenging angle, while balancing on a two-step ladder, brush in one hand and mini tray in the other. I soon realized that the only way I could successfully complete this specific area was by painting with my left hand.
Being right handed, I have intentionally painted with my left hand over the years simply to become a better all-around painter. But something was different when I painted with my left hand this time. Just after applying some paint on the brush while trying to balance myself, I said “I am an excellent left-handed painter.” As a result, I cut in a beautiful line and the paint brush felt completely natural in my hand.
At this point you are probably saying to yourself “What the heck does this have to do with my golf game?” The answer is everything, and here are two simple examples why.
- Seek out uncomfortable situations. Stepping into your discomfort zone creates new pathways in your brain, and allows you to grow into a better golfer, and a better person. One of the reasons most golfers falter under pressure is their discomfort in being in that new situation, and the negative energy it creates. By putting yourself in uncomfortable situations off the course, you will be more prepared when experiencing any new situation on the course.
- Enhance your communication skills. Whether you are putting for your first club championship or your first PGA Tour victory, you are there for the first time. More than likely you will have some A.N.T.s (Automatic Negative Thoughts) that will transcend into negative emotions such as fear, self doubt or uncertainty. To overcome this negative energy, it is imperative to communicate effectively. Focus on putting the ball in the hole and tell yourself, “I am a great putter.” This will reinforce that you have Total Energy Commitment to the shot, ensure your mind and body are relaxed and position you for success.
By viewing everyday situations in your life as learning opportunities, you will elevate the level of your game without ever touching a club.
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Instruction
Clement: Laid-off or perfect fade? Across-the-line or perfect draw?
Some call the image on the left laid off, but if you are hitting a fade, this could be a perfect backswing for it! Same for across the line for a draw! Stop racking your brain with perceived mistakes and simply match backswing to shot shape!
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Instruction
The Wedge Guy: The easiest-to-learn golf basic
My golf learning began with this simple fact – if you don’t have a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, it is practically impossible for your body to execute a fundamentally sound golf swing. I’m still a big believer that the golf swing is much easier to execute if you begin with the proper hold on the club.
As you might imagine, I come into contact with hundreds of golfers of all skill levels. And it is very rare to see a good player with a bad hold on the golf club. There are some exceptions, for sure, but they are very few and very far between, and they typically have beat so many balls with their poor grip that they’ve found a way to work around it.
The reality of biophysics is that the body moves only in certain ways – and the particulars of the way you hold the golf club can totally prevent a sound swing motion that allows the club to release properly through the impact zone. The wonderful thing is that anyone can learn how to put a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, and you can practice it anywhere your hands are not otherwise engaged, like watching TV or just sitting and relaxing.
Whether you prefer an overlap, interlock or full-finger (not baseball!) grip on the club, the same fundamentals apply. Here are the major grip faults I see most often, in the order of the frequency:
Mis-aligned hands
By this I mean that the palms of the two hands are not parallel to each other. Too many golfers have a weak left hand and strong right, or vice versa. The easiest way to learn how to hold the club with your palms aligned properly is to grip a plain wooden ruler or yardstick. It forces the hands to align properly and shows you how that feels. If you grip and re-grip a yardstick several times, then grip a club, you’ll see that the learning curve is almost immediate.
The position of the grip in the upper/left hand
I also observe many golfers who have the butt of the grip too far into the heel pad of the upper hand (the left hand for right-handed players). It’s amazing how much easier it is to release the club through the ball if even 1/4-1/2″ of the butt is beyond the left heel pad. Try this yourself to see what I mean. Swing the club freely with just your left hand and notice the difference in its release from when you hold it at the end of the grip, versus gripping down even a half inch.
To help you really understand how this works, go to the range and hit shots with your five-iron gripped down a full inch to make the club the same length as your seven-iron. You will probably see an amazing shot shape difference, and likely not see as much distance loss as you would expect.
Too much lower (right) hand on the club
It seems like almost all golfers of 8-10 handicap or higher have the club too far into the palm of the lower hand, because that feels “good” if you are trying to control the path of the clubhead to the ball. But the golf swing is not an effort to hit at the ball – it is a swing of the club. The proper hold on the club has the grip underneath the pad at the base of the fingers. This will likely feel “weak” to you — like you cannot control the club like that. EXACTLY. You should not be trying to control the club with your lower/master hand.
Gripping too tightly
Nearly all golfers hold the club too tightly, which tenses up the forearms and prevents a proper release of the club through impact. In order for the club to move back and through properly, you must feel that the club is controlled by the last three fingers of the upper hand, and the middle two fingers of the lower hand. If you engage your thumbs and forefingers in “holding” the club, the result will almost always be a grip that is too tight. Try this for yourself. Hold the club in your upper hand only, and squeeze firmly with just the last three fingers, with the forefinger and thumb off the club entirely. You have good control, but your forearms are not tense. Then begin to squeeze down with your thumb and forefinger and observe the tensing of the entire forearm. This is the way we are made, so the key to preventing tenseness in the arms is to hold the club very lightly with the “pinchers” — the thumbs and forefingers.
So, those are what I believe are the four fundamentals of a good grip. Anyone can learn them in their home or office very quickly. There is no easier way to improve your ball striking consistency and add distance than giving more attention to the way you hold the golf club.
More from the Wedge Guy
- The Wedge Guy: Golf mastery begins with your wedge game
- The Wedge Guy: Why golf is 20 times harder than brain surgery
- The Wedge Guy: Musings on the golf ball rollback
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Instruction
Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!
Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?
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