Golf News

I know there are many golfers out there who struggle with staying on their back foot for too long. If you feel you have a hard time getting onto the front foot in the downswing then give this video a watch… If the club face is overly open throughout the swing we will often have a tendency to hang back as this aids in closing the face late in the downswing. Shifting onto the front side will actually SLOW the closing of the face and an open face in the downswing needs that process sped up. That’s why the first objective for any golfer that hangs back should be to strengthen the face in the downswing. Once you have a stronger club face on the way down you should take the Scottie Scheffler Shuffle Challenge. Work to get your pelvis driving forward enough to drag that trail foot at some point in the downswing. Have some fun with this one and if you happen to hit a few shanks as you work to do this – the club face is still too open. Give it a go.

When hitting shots with the ball on the ground it is simply imperative that we lean the shaft towards the target at impact in order to expose the sweet spot to the back of the golf ball. After watching this video you will know exactly why… As you can now see if you’re not leaning the shaft it isn’t possible to hit the ball out the center of the face. Leaning the shaft and delivering the clubhead in a slightly descending fashion gives us the best opportunity to compress the ball and deliver maximum energy transfer. A leaning shaft at impact gives us:a delofted club face, thus improving ball speed and distance.a sweet spot that can now collide with the golf ball.increased ability to hit down on the ball, thus improving strike quality.an energetic and penetrating ball flight that sizzles!I’m sure you’re wondering what you can do to start leaning the shaft more effectively for shots played off the ground. Keep in mind that an open face on the way down will corrupt any ability a player might have of leaning the shaft. Try these ideas:at address, feel that your hands are slightly ahead of the ball and that your weight gently favors the front foot.make sure your club face is in a neutral to strong position on the way down and into impact. Tip it down!practice hitting low, knockdown style shots on a regular basis. Punch the ball.Give these ideas a try to start to improve the quality of strike, ball flight, distance, feel and outcome of your shots off the ground. I sincerely hope it helps!

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