| ============================================================== [ TomTuckerGolf.com Tips ] Issue 218 - Date 11/21/12 ============================================================== Newsletters Archive: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/archive.html Hundreds of Great Tips and Articles to help you improve your game. IN THIS ISSUE: - Tom's Featured Tip: Maintaining Your Angle of Inclination - Tom's Bonus Tip: Sadlowski; Ribs; Fatigue - Lesson Comments: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html - Sponsors: The Batavia Country Club, Chestnut Hill CC, Plum Creek Driving Range and PGA AboutGolf.com Golf Simulator November "Get To Know Us" Indoor Golf Special - $75 Foursome Rate to Play any of our 40+ Simulator Courses. Call 585-993-0930 or email Mark at plumcreek4@rochester.rr.com to reserve your tee time! http://www.plumcreekdrivingrange.com I am conducting indoor lessons this winter in the Simulator bay at Plum Creek, please call me at 716 474 3005, email me at ttucker@rochester.rr.com, or visit my website at http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/indoor.html for rates and details. NEW I also am offering a Driver Fitting Service, details are here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/indoor.html It doesn't make sense to spend big bucks on a new driver if it's specifications don't allow you to get the most out of your swing. Also keep in mind that you'll get a totally objective fitting through me because I have no vested interest in selling you a new club. If you want to respond to this newsletter, PLEASE DO NOT hit reply, email sent via reply gets auto-deleted. Instead, please FORWARD your reply to ttucker@rochester.rr.com and I'll get it directly. Thanks! Tom Tucker http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/ If you like this newsletter, please do me a favor and forward it to your friends so that they may subscribe: Subscribe - http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/signup.html The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter. ============================================================== Tom's Featured Tip: Upper Torso Angle of Inclination ============================================================== 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 :-) This information pertains to upper torso angle of inclination viewed from a down the line angle, not from a face on view, and there's a great drill at the end of the explanation. Most of my students come to me with a gross misconception of how their setup posture relates to the changing positions of the spine during the golf swing. It's readily apparent that they have been told, or have read, that they should maintain their spine angle throughout the swing. Without having that explained, one may surmise that they should try to maintain a forward waist bend (forward flexion) throughout their swing. This produces tipping and leaning away from the target during the backswing, some off balance finishes, some very poor shots, and a lot of frustration - even though the student thinks they are doing the right thing. Think Upper Torso Angle of Inclination NOT Forward Bend at The Waist. What the student needs to do is maintain the proper upper torso angle of inclination toward the ground throughout the swing. That's a lot different than maintaining a forward bend from the waist. This means that if you set up with a 30 degree forward bend at address, there should still be a 30 degree forward upper torso angle of inclination towards the ground in your backswing and forward swing. In order for this to happen, your spine must tilt to the left side in your backswing, then flex forward as you rotate forward to strike the ball, then tilt to the right side in your follow through. As the spine tilts to the side, it also straightens, so don't fight it - let it happen. The shoulders turn at a 90 degree angle to the spine, so yes - they do dip and rise. How much or how little depends on the swing method you are using. Some methods actually employ a flatter turn than 90 degrees to the spine, but they still move up and down to a degree in a well executed swing. Tilting to the side is not exclusive advice for any particular swing, every excellent golfer does this regardless of their swing method. The difference between methods would be in the degree that the spine straightens towards the target in the backswing as it tilts left, how the weight shifts, and the plane angle of the shoulder turn. Notice how better players are always seeing the results of their shots with an angled (tilted) eyeline. It's because their upper torso remained tilted towards the ground into their follow through, which is evidence of a good angle of inclination (tilt) through the strike. So ... if you find yourself leaning into your backswing to maintain forward bend from the waist, tilt to the side instead and enjoy the results! ANGLE OF INCLINATION DRILL Here's a great drill to help you feel the angle of inclination correctly:
backswing, at impact, and into your follow through will be on the right track. Make next year your best year. Love your practice, enjoy your golf, Tom ============================================================== Tom's Bonus Tip: Sadlowski; Ribs; Fatigue ============================================================== 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 :-) SADLOWSKI - Jamie Sadlowski destroys golf channel simulator. I wrote about Jamie's long drive prowess in a previous issue, but this takes swing speed to a new level, check It out: http://www.golfchannel.com/media/sadlowski-destroys-simulator/ RIBS - A couple of issues ago I mentioned that I was taking a little time off from lessons and swinging a club to let a back problem heal. Well, I did that, and also went to the VA for some tests and eventually ended up in their PT Department. Two great things happened there. First, the problem was identified as a displaced rib, not a back injury, which is good news. Apparently my latissimus muscle disturbed a rib when I was straining to lift too much weight during a weight training session. For those of you who thought that "stupid" subsides when you get older, think again. :-) Second, I was treated by Brian Piekarski, a Doctor of Physical Therapy who works at the Buffalo, NY VA. He's a great guy, and very tuned in to golf swing related injury issues. He gave me a great stretching routine, and here are some stretching exercise photos he sent me to share with you: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/golfsmart1.jpg http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/golfsmart2.jpg I have since re-dedicated myself to what he calls 3D stretching (planar stretching) because I want to continue to do what I'm doing for as long as I can. Give it a try, it will help your swing. HEART - I have studied, learned, and passionately believe, that progressive resistance exercise (not done stupidly) really helps turn back the hands of time in the aging process, and that cardio exercise still has it's place. If you walk when you play, being well conditioned on the cardio side can definitely help carry you through 18 holes of golf. When I coached college golf, our team was on a regular conditioning program, and many of my players remarked at how much stronger they felt during tournaments - especially on the back 9. Fatigue puts you on the fast track to poor shots and injury. It may well manifest itself through poor performance and/or poor concentration instead of obvious exhaustion, especially if you ride when you play. If your back 9 scores are consistently higher than your front 9 scores, maybe you need to pay attention to your cardiovascular conditioning. Pretty simple solution here: one dose of resolution, and one dose of get your butt off the couch and go for a walk. Walking is best simply because it's what you do on the course. I've often thought that if you walk and carry when you play, that you would get the most benefit from your daily walk by carrying your clubs while you walked. Now I've never actually done this during a conditioning walk, but it's a thought. If I was still coaching college golf, I think I'd actually consider trying that training method. Outdoor walking is even better than on a treadmill. Outdoor walking requires that you use the propulsionary muscles in your butt (glutes), and the back of your legs as you propel your body weight over the ground. When on a treadmill, you stay put as the ground moves underneath you, so no propulsion - although it's still excellent for strengthening the heart and lungs. Having said that, winter sidewalks and roads in the Northeast are not always walkable, so a treadmill may be the next best option. Get in a minimum of 3 days of walking per week, and work your way up gradually to three 30 minute sessions. If you enjoy it, the more days per week the better - but strive for 3 days minimum. Love your practice, enjoy your golf, Tom ============================================================= Golf Lessons ============================================================= I conduct lessons at The Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility http://www.plumcreekdrivingrange.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. Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html Indoor Lessons Details and Rates: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/indoor.html Driver Fitting Rates: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/indoor.html Testimonials: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html ============================================================== Sponsors ============================================================== Plum Creek Driving Range - Play indoor golf on any of our 40+ Simulator Courses. Call 585-993-0930 or email Mark at plumcreek4@rochester.rr.com to reserve your tee time! - http://www.plumcreekdrivingrange.com/ Batavia Country Club - http://www.bataviacc.com Course open, weather permitting. Chestnut Hill CC - http://www.chestnuthillcc.com Course open, weather permitting. ============================================================== All the best, 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 Success Loves Preparation ~ Anonymous |
