The Golfing Blog

Hit The Books To Improve Your Golf Game

The temperature here in Northern Illinois is falling and people have begun to put their clubs away for the season. If you are one of those people you can still improve your game this winter by hitting the books instead of golf balls.

The drill I am going to give you today will focus on the back-swing portion of your swing and the only thing you are going to need is a book.

First, set up as if you are going to make swing, but instead of holding a club place a book between your hands so your palms are facing each other.

Now perform your back-swing while you looking at the book during the motion. This helps you move your core and arms in unison during the motion. Next, come to a stop once you have completed your back-swing. At this point if you are in the correct position, the book will be on an angle of approximately 45-degrees, you will now be able to remove your top hand of the book, and the book will not fall.

By spending 10-15 minutes a day doing this drill for several weeks you will create a better back-swing which will help you start to develop a more consistent swing.

Want to improve your golf game this winter? Let Scott help you in person or online.

A Stronger Golfing Core

The winter months are an important time to prepare your golf game and body for a new season. If you want to play your best injury free golf it is important to have sound swing fundamentals and a strong core, starting with your abdominal muscles. By strengthening your abdominal muscles you will create support for your lower back and help prevent injuries. One of the simplest exercises you can do to get stronger abs is the "Plank".

How to perform the bridge:

Lie down on your stomach with your legs straight and together.

Lift your upper body, bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle so your forearms lie flat on the floor.

Make sure your elbows are aligned directly under your shoulders.

Flex your feet so that your toes are pushing into the floor.

Tighten your entire body and prop yourself up onto your elbows and the tips of your toes.

It is important that your back is flat,legs are straight and you are looking directly down toward the floor.

Hold this position for as long as you can without feeling strain in your low back.

Start your workout with the number of repetitions where you can feel the effect of the exercise without pain.

Try to add time to each repetition and gradually increase the number of repetitions to your workout as the weeks progress.

An important note
When you do the Bridge Exercise for the first time perform your set up in front of a mirror so that you can check that your body position is proper. You will then be able to associate a feeling with how your body looks in the mirror when performing your workout in the future.

To let Scott help you improve your golf game this winter click here.

Equipment Review: Margaritaville Eyewear

It might seem odd that I am doing an "Equipment Review" of sunglasses but for me as a PGA Teaching Professional they are an essential piece of equipment. I spend the vast majority of my day outside in all kinds of weather and protecting my eyes is very important.

Margaritaville Eyewear recently entered the sunglasses market and asked me if I would try out a pair and offer my opinion. It took me quite a while to decide whether I was interested. I am normally not interested in products that are affiliated with celebrities because who endorses or owns a product does not encourage me to buy a product, it is usually quite the opposite. One more thing I should add is that I am a skeptic by nature and seldom take a claim at face value.

But as I said, for me sunglasses are an important piece of equipment and I am constantly looking for ones which I think will be a good addition. Margaritaville sunglasses come in 8 different styles like a lot of manufacturers but in each style there are multiple color frame and lense options from which you can choose.

But the thing that struck me immediately when I put them on were the lenses. They are outstanding, very, very clear and virtually no glare. The elimination of glare is extremely important to me because even on fairly cloudy days any little glare really bothers my eyes. The glasses use what is called MPT which blocks out scattered light rays and lets in what they call "corrected light". Personally, I don't know what "corrected light" is but I really liked what a sunny day looked like through these glasses.

Having A Putting System, Part 1: Aiming

Are you having difficulty with your putting or it is not at the the level you wish it to be? It is time to develop a more systematic approach. There are two elements involved in putting, direction and distance. In this post I will be discussing proper aim.

Putter companies like SeeMore Putters have gained success with their Rifle Scope Technology which is a system to help the golfer know that they have aimed correctly.

If you don't have a SeeMore Putter you can improve your aim by using the name on the golf balls as a part of your aiming system. Once you have determined the line on which you want your putt to start, point the name on the ball along that line. Next, double check your line by looking at the putt from 6-8 feet behind the golf balls, if the name is pointed along your intended line you are ready for the next step.

Next, make sure the face of the putter is perpendicular to the name on the ball. Now that the name on the ball and the putter face form a "T" you have aimed correctly. With practice you will be able to quickly and correctly start your putts on their intended line.

In the next post I will discuss the distance control portion of your Putting System.

To improve your putting contact Scott by clicking here.

Practice Smart This Indoor Season and Play Better Next Spring

The Golf Season up north is starting to wind down but that doesn't mean it is time to put the clubs away, it is actually the time to plan and implement how to improve your golf game. The indoor season is a time to focus on your fundamentals and with the help of a PGA Golf Professional you can learn how to take your game to a new level.

In the Chicagoland area we have golf domes which are the perfect place to work on Finesse Wedge shots which can help you quickly lower your scores.

The best way to become a better finesse wedge player is by improving your distance control that the ball travels in the air. From course to course how far a ball rolls will vary but the distance the ball travels in the air (carry) can be controlled by the length of your swing. With your wedge in hand, focus on trying to create a specific and consistent length swing and see how far the ball carries.

Once you have found 3-4 specific length swings you can repeat consistently, practice those swings with your different wedges and chart the distances the ball travels in the air for each one. Be systematic in your practice during the indoor season and you will play better golf next season.

If you would like to become a better wedge play contact Scott by clicking here.

Having a Putting System, Part 2: Distance Control

In the last blog post I discussed the aiming component of your Putting System to improve the accuracy of your putts. In this post about your Putting System, I will be discussing how to practice in order to improve your distance control which will help you make more putts.

One of the keys to improving your distance control is to practice on the same putting surface each session. The reason for using the same putting surface each time is because the speed will be approximately the same each time you practice.

What you will need to practice:
3 balls, 4 ball markers and your putter. If you are practicing at home on carpet consider getting a garbage disposal gasket which can serve as your hole.

The set up:
Start at the hole then step off 1 pace from the hole and place a marker at that point, then do the same at 3 paces, 5 paces, and 7 paces from the hole. Using your own length of stride will give you a consistent system of measurement to use when setting up your drill and ultimately when determining the length of your putt on the course.

The drill:
Start by putting at a distance of 1 pace. Practice putting at this distance until you can determine what length of swing is needed to consistently produce a 1 pace putt. Next move back to the 3 pace distance and repeat the drill until you can produce a consistent 3 pace putt. Once you have accomplished the 3 pace putt repeat the process at 5 and 7 paces. This drill should be a part of every practice session.

To the course:
Since different courses have different speed greens it is important that on the days you play always use the practice putting green before your round. When you get to the practice green step off 1, 3, 5, and 7 pace putts and rolls some putts. By using this System you will be able to quickly determine the speed of the greens you will be playing that day. Once on the course get into the habit of pacing off your putts which will automatically allow you to systematically determine what you will need to do to sink that putt.

By having a Putting System you will become a better and more confident putter allowing you to sink more putts and shoot lower scores.

If you want to become a better putter and shoot lower scores contact Scott by clicking here.

Become a better shot maker 3 clubs at a time

Every golfer wants to become a better and more creative shot maker but it requires more than just practice, it also requires you to be able to take it onto the course.

You can become a better shot maker and add fun to your game 3 clubs at a time. The next time you play, limit yourself to using only 3 clubs for the entire round; for me one round it was my 5 iron, Wedge and Putter. Then during another round I would select 3 completely different clubs which would mean I would not use my putter and putt with another club like my Sand Wedge.

By limiting my club selection I learned how to be more creative in my thought process.

Once I became more creative in my thought process it enabled to achieve several things:

I learned how to better manage the golf course and my game,

I learned how to better visualize the type of shot I needed to hit because of the position in which I may have put myself, and

I learned through trial and error how I could create shots I never knew I could hit, which ultimately made the game more fun to play.

So if you truly wish to become a better shot maker and have more fun playing golf get more creative.

To let Scott help you become a better shot maker you can reach him by clicking here.

Low Country, High Enjoyment

I recently spent a few days down on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina after having not visited for several years. Within a few hours of being on the island I asked myself "Why haven't been back sooner?" The only reason I could come up with is that I am an idiot.

What's not to like about Hilton Head golf? It has plenty of terrific golf, wonderful food and a laid back atmosphere. It is only a 45 minute ride or a 2 hour ride from Charleston and as you drive across the bridge onto the island you feel the stress disappear.

I am sure you have seen the lighthouse on television but it is truly a special feeling the walk down the 18th hole at Harbour Town Golf Links which is one of my all time favorite places to play. The home of "The Heritage" is unlike a lot of the courses on the tour where you lace up your shoes tight and hammer at the ball. There you have the opportunity to use all the clubs in your bag and play a variety of shots. The 18th hole is the signature hole at Harbor Town but depending on the way the wind is blowing the Par 3 Seventeenth Hole can give all you can handle. The first round I hit an 8 iron into the green but on the very next day with the wind coming in off Calabogie Sound I needed to hit a 3 iron from the same tees. It is just a special place to play and incredibly fun. But Harbour Town is not the only place to play on the island. I have played and enjoyed the 2 other courses at Sea Pines Plantation as well as the courses at Palmetto Dunes which has courses designed by Robert Trent Jones, Arthur Hills and George Fazio. After you have decided which of the many courses you wish to play you can easily book your tee time with a few clicks by using the golf course directory.

If you are a member of a private club it would be worth asking your pro to see if they could get you on one of the private clubs like Long Cove Club which is fantastic.

When it comes to eating after golf, head on over to The Salty Dog Cafe which is an island institution. The Gumbo they serve up at the Salty Dog is excellent. But if you are a fan don't even think about leaving without having a slice of their Key Lime Pie. I have had a lot of Key Lime Pie in my life but the Key Lime Pie at The Salty Dog Cafe is the best I have ever had (Sorry, Jane).

There is one more reason I like Hilton Head Island so much is the people. The people down on Hilton Head are relaxed and welcoming. It is nice to go to a place where you feel the locals want you to visit them. So if you have not been to Hilton Head Island "Go" and if you have "Go back soon" it is definitely worth the visit.

The Best Golfer To Never..........

The 2011 United States Open is now in the books with a sparkling performance by Champion, Rory McIllroy. As usual during every championship week the media speculates as to who is the best player to never win a major. Many names are offered up, all of them are valid but it is only current players who are mentioned.

Here is a question I would like to ask (it has two parts), "Who is the best golfer in history to never win a major and why would you select them?".

Play Golf The Way The Pros Do

For a long time I have discussed with my students about choosing the correct set of tees they should play in order maximize their enjoyment of the game. In my opinion most players play from the wrong tees and play a golf course which is too long for their capabilities which also contributes to slow play.

One of the questions I ask my students is "How far do you hit your driver?". The standard response from the men is "250 yards", for some of them that may be the case but statistics show that the average male golfer drives the ball closer to 225 yards. This is where the problem begins and should end.

If you have not heard the terms yet, in the very near future you will be hearing about "Tee It Forward" or "Tour Equivalent Tees". They are programs being brought forward by the PGA of America and the USGA which based upon your driving distance will help you select a length golf course which will allow you to play a course the way tour players do. These programs are a result of research that was provided by Barney Adams, Founder of Adams Golf who studied the length of tee shots and how they related to a player's approach shot into the green.

For example, according to statistics if you hit your tee shot 225 yards the proper length course you should be playing would be 5800 to 6000 yards long. If you are playing a course 6400 yards long that is the same as a tour player who is playing a course that is 8000 yards long. I don't know about you but I wouldn't find that to be any fun and isn't that why we play golf, to have fun?

Below you will find a chart that will help you choose a course length that will allow you to play the course the way the tour players do and have more fun.

Driver Distance Recommended
18 hole Yardages
PGA Tour Professional 7,600 to 7,900
300 yds 7,150 to 7,400
275 yds 6,700 to 6,900
250 yds 6,200 to 6,400
225 yds 5,800 to 6,000
200 yds 5,200 to 5,400
175 yds 4,400 to 4,600
150 yds 3,500 to 3,700
125 yds 2,800 to 3,000
100 yds 2,100 to 2,300