Golf News

This article is an update on the many pitching and chipping articles I've written over the last few years. Not much has changed since I did the Wedge Project video, but there are certain elements I have a deeper understanding about. Experience and the smart guys at PING have gone a long way towards advancing my understanding. Let's take a look... Discussing pitching at a Three Day Golf School Great pitchers typically take little to no divot, flight the ball low and generate high spin ratesLower trajectory shots are significantly easier to gauge than higher onesWhen struck correctly lower trajectory wedge shots will almost always have more spin than higher shotsMost golfers perform better when they deliver 45-ish degrees of loft at impact off a normal fairway. The club they use is irrelevantThe quality of the face to ball interaction (friction) is primary in generating spin and determining the launch angleThe quality of the lie plays a big role in determining the friction generated at impactAny moisture/matter that gets between the face and ball will typically decrease friction and thus increase launch angle and reduce spin. Control will be also be reducedI used to say that sand increases friction and that is often the case, but I've found it depends on the 'angularity' of the sandCleaning the club face should be done often and with a wet towel - don't use a teeThe primary role of grooves is to disperse moisture and matter from between the face and the ball and NOT generate spinOlder clubs with worn down grooves will typically not spin the ball as much as a fresh wedge (all else being equal)Premium golf balls, when struck correctly, will always flight lower and spin more than non-premium golf balls (Urethane cover indicates a premium ball)The optimal technique is primarily based around managing the club to ground interaction As the player alters trajectory so shall the club to ground interaction change. Lower shots with less loft will often lead to a steeper angle of attackControlling what the handle does through impact is integral to controlling the club to ground interactionI've come to learn that there is no single ideal spin loft to generate the most spin. Each different lie, situation, golf ball and golfer would require their own unique "optimal" spin loftI've been a proponent of draws for pitch shots, but I've seen too many golfers have success with fades and draws to continue advocating strictly for drawsFor stock, and thus lower flighted, shots the bounce plays less of a role than you might imagineThe worst thing to work towards with your wedge play....stay down. Please don't EVER work towards thatI've become a big fan of 'core' distances. Depending on the amount of time you have I'd recommend practicing two or more of these 'core' distances and really taking ownership eg. 30/50/70/90 yardsIncorporate variety and skill development into any and all forms of practiceI have found there to be a multitude of different, and somewhat unusual techniques that work well for certain individuals. A good general guideline that might help:With the weight slightly favoring the front footy and utilizing a narrow and relatively square stance with the ball positioned centrally, be sure to keep your chest rotating through the strike in order to have the sole of the club skimming/gliding along the turf. Stay tall and keep the chest moving!All the best.

In the following video Andrew shares information on the most common fault he sees with the everyday golfer - an open or weak club face and the effect this one element can have on ball flight and striking. I have no doubt that the club face angle, in particular in the early downswing, is an integral element to playing good golf. All golfers need to get the face in place in the downswing in order to be able to make a quality strike and manage the face angle for accurate outcomes.When the club face is overly weak/open:The weight will typically stay back as the pivot stallsThe handle will be too far back at impact, resulting in high and weak shotsDistance and compression will be compromisedThe strike will almost always be picky with very little club to ground interaction post impactTrajectory will be overly high with the prevailing misses being pulls and/or fadesWhen the club face is overly strong/closed:The hips will drive forward too far in an attempt to slow down face rotationThe hands will be well forward at impact, resulting in low spinning and low flighted shotsDistance will typically not be a problemThe quality of strike will often be acceptableAppropriate height will be a challenge, especially with a longer iron and the prevailing miss will be a hot, low ball flight with a tendency towards blocks and hooks What can you do to improve? Take an honest inventory on which pattern discussed above you typically fall under. Once you have an idea, start working on improving your club face angle in the early downswing. This will most commonly be achieved with improved wrist angles, but know that the grip will also play a role. Create a game plan and set about making some long lasting changes. You can do this!!Thanks for reading and please shout if you have any questions.

The two most common mistakes I see golfers battle with when chipping are poor pace; the club head travels in a jerky fashion or at speeds that are often too fast for the requirements of the shot and they struggle to get the club to bottom out in the correct location relative to the ball. Pace and low point! Watch the video below and then let’s check in on some of the key points… Here are a few points to take away:PaceFeel an even, ‘tick, tock” type pace as you swing the club back and forthA good practice is to hit a few simple chip shots with a 7 iron. This will give you an excellent sense of what the pace should feel likeTry to feel the transition be as passive or gentle as you can. That change of direction needs to be silky smoothLow PointThe practice rehearsals I demonstrated in the video are very important. Practice those both, away from the course and when playingFeel your weight staying forward in the backswing as this will aid you in being able to shift the low point forwardAs with anything, practice is integral to improvement. Try a few of those 7 iron shots in practice and don’t allow yourself to make a practice motion without having the intent of getting the club to bottom out of the target side of the ball.I hope these ideas prove to be helpful to you and your enjoyment out on the golf course. Thanks, as always, for your support and readership. Brett Rumford

I teach far more golfers that hit down on the ball too much more than those that don't hit down enough. If you are one of those golfers that typically takes big divots and hits a low ball flight then stay with me.... I have found this sequence to work nicely with all golfers looking to shallow their attack angle and improve the crispness of the strike. Try the following (with either irons or driver):PHASE 1 - 5 drags over the top of the ballPHASE 2 - 5 low to high pitch style shots, keeping clubhead low in the backswingPHASE 3 - 5 half speed and half size swings sensing an ascending strike (even with irons)(all shots are struck with the ball on a tee)Another drill I like to use to help golfers learn to deliver an ascending strike with the driver is what I call the Box Drill pictured below... Place an empty sleeve box between a teed golf ball and the target as indicated. The box should be approximately a grip length ahead of the ball. On a windy day it might be necessary to use tees to anchor the box in place. This is a costly addition to this drill!If you can hit shots without running the clubhead into the box then chances are that you're no longer hitting down on the ball and you should see an increase in both distance and the altitude of your tee shots. Keep in mind that as you "upgrade" your attack angle, should you have an adjustable driver, you might need to alter the loft.

Wyndham Clark won his first major championship on Sunday, shooting a final-round 70 to finish at 10-under-par for the tournament and hold off four-time major champion Rory McIlroy by one shot. The victory was a surprise for many, as Clark had never finished better than 75th in a major championship and had missed the cut in his previous two U.S. Opens. But Clark played steady golf all week, and hit some key shots down the stretch to hold off Rory. The difference to me was the 14th hole, where Wyndham hit a 280 yard second shot to 20 feet and Rory hit his 125 yard third shot into a bunker.LACC started the week off in controversial fashion with two players shooting major championship record tying 62’s along with a host of other low scores, but redeemed herself as a solid US Open venue with some more moderate scoring over the last few days. It was however, the lowest scoring average in US Open history with 71.16. I have never played there, but despite a few negative player reviews, I liked the look and setup of the course for the week. I would have liked to see the short 15th play around 120 yards long on Saturday instead of the very short 80 yard shot they had it set up for.Rory was so close, yet again! On Sunday he hit more greens than any other player yet turned in his worst putting performance of the week, losing 2.25 strokes to the field. Here are his strokes gained putting stats by round:1st: +2.74 2nd: +1.89 3rd: -1.19 4th: -2.25In a disturbing trend he seems to hit the ball well, yet perhaps rather conservatively, on major Sundays and putt poorly. The longest putt he converted in his final 22 holes was a 7 foot putt for par on the 16th on Sunday. It pretty much was St. Andrews all over again! The golf course certainly favored the top drivers of the ball, with wider than normal fairways and firm conditions. I thought LACC handled the challenge of a US Open nicely, but I’m not sure I’d be eager for a return visit in the near future. It’s just tough to beat Shinnecock, Pebble, Brookline and Oakmont!It’s crazy to think that we only have one more major to go for 2023. It’s just over 30 days until we get to see the top players take on Royal Liverpool and I for one, would love to see Rory grab another major championship. Finally!