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[ TomTuckerGolf.com Tips ] Issue 15 - Date 05/30/12
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IN THIS ISSUE:

- Tom's Bonus Tip: Swing Practice Sequence
- Tom's Featured Tip: Putter Head Weight
- Golf Lessons
- Sponsors: The Batavia Country Club, Chestnut Hill CC

For the sake of simplicity, all advice on swings and drills is provided from
a right handed perspective; lefties .... well, you know what to do :-)



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Tom's Bonus Tip - Swing Practice Sequence
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Practice short to long swings at every range practice session in this order:

1 - Chipping
2 - Pitching
3 - Full Swing

The better our chipping gets the better our pitching gets.
The better our pitching gets the better our full swing gets

This is how to build a quality golf swing.


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Tom's Featured Tip - Putter Head Weight
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Editors note: I drew heavily on material from Geoff Mangum as well as
other expert sources for this research.

I saw this Q & A on a golf forum:

"Does the weight (or mass) of the putter head matter?"

"In addition to effecting swingweight, the putter head mass matters since two
putter heads with differing mass impacting the same ball on the same green at
exactly the same impact velocity will send the ball two different distances.

The more massive / weightier putter having greater momentum and force at impact.

However, this hardly matters unless the golfer switches putters often, because
basic familiarity with the heft and swingweight of your own putter is all that
you need for instinctive use."

My take on this would be just about the same, but instinctive use also requires
a mastery of the "core" putting stroke.

My experience is also that without question, a heavy headed putter - or even a
heavy hefted putter - helps solve the "yips" for players of any age.

The "yips" and my personal preferences (heavy headed putter) notwithstanding,
standard weight putters are usually sufficiently well weighted for a short,
gravity-assisted putting stroke ... including the necessary force for the backstroke
and stop reversal.

One theory is that the heavier weighted putter heads - including the branded "Heavy Putters"
- substantially increase the inertia that must be overcome. This can create added
stress to the hands and arms during the stroke which substantially slows down
the normal putting stroke. The player then has to generate additional force to move
the heavy putter, otherwise their putts are short.

This upsets consistency substantially.

For some players, the adaptation to convert from standard weight to heavy weight
putters creates a compromise to "feel" and "touch".

For others it's the magic cure.

I do agree that one should not go back and forth between standard and heavy putters;
too much neuro-muscular difference in their respective putting stroke mechanics. I
can personally attest to this because I've been doing it for the last few rounds to test
different putters in actual play, and it has affected my lag consistency - that's where
it's noticed most.

Some putter designers, however,disagree about any heft issues in backstroke
management. Timothy Winey for one, believes that a bit of extra heft that challenges
the neuro-muscular system in the backstroke substantially sharpens up touch.

There is a limit, though.

In comparison to a putter that is way too light, a "heavier" mass is better for touch
consistency. Conversely, a putter that is way too heavy causes muscle tension
and stroke inconsistency.

Winey's point may lie between just heavy enough and too heavy.

On another point, a bit of aggression in the back-and-thru stroke action helps the
body hit the timing of touch with a little sharper precision and consistency.

An indifferent impulse in the making of the backstroke doesn't seem as sharp and
accurate to size the stroke as this sort of aggression at the initial starting back of
the stroke.

Putter head weight comparisons:
Standard putter - generally the lightest
Belly putter - generally heavier than standard
Broomstick putter - generally the heaviest

You can usually find out the weight of the putter head on the manufacturer
websites, just keep digging through the "specs" tabs.

If you like a heavier putter headweight, you can always buy a belly or
broomstick putter, cut the shaft or reshaft the club, and re-grip the club.
Try to get a light weight grip if you do this, the Tiger Shark Super Stroke Lite
is an excellent choice.

If you do this, you may possibly need to tweak your swingweight a
bit. When I shortened my standard size two ball putter by five inches
to accommodate my PILS Stroke, I had to add 60 grams to the head
to capture the same feel that I had at 35".

Just know what you are getting yourself into before you break out the
hacksaw or the tube cutter and start cutting away.

Enjoy, Tom


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Golf Lessons
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I conduct lessons at The Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility
there's a link with info here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/

Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels
, please contact
me - Tom Tucker - at (716) 474 3005 or at ttucker@rochester.rr.com
for more information.

Lesson rates are here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html


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Sponsors
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Batavia Country Club
- http://www.bataviacc.com Need a new pair of
golf shoes or a new Callaway Wedge? Great Pricing ! Puma /Callaway /BCC
Logo Shirts/Wind/Caps.

Chestnut Hill CC - http://www.chestnuthillcc.com Low greens fees, great course!


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All the best, and remember: Motivation Without Knowledge Leads To Frustration

Tom Tucker
Teaching Pro, Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility
WGTF "Top 100 Golf Teacher"
USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
Cell: (716) 474-3005
Email: ttucker@rochester.rr.com
http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com
http://www.usgtf.com/top_100_wgtf.html