============================================================== [ TomTuckerGolf.com Tips ] Issue 23 - Date 07/25/12 ============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: - Tom's Featured Tip: The Open and One Sided Misses - Tom's Bonus Tip: Q&A Inverted Praying Hands Drill - Lesson Comments: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html - Sponsors: The Batavia Country Club, Chestnut Hill CC 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. My bio is here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/ If you wish to comment, respond, or ask a golf related question, please email me directly at ttucker@rochester.rr.com Plum Creek Driving Range and Practice Facility, simulator rates can be found through a link on my home page here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/ WE TAKE CLUBS ON CONSIGNMENT Plum Creek is now accepting clubs, bags, etc on consignment. If you have something golf related in good shape - clubs, bags, balls, etc. - that you want to sell, please contact me directly for details at ttucker@rochester.rr.com. 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 :-) ============================================================== Tom's Featured Tip - The Open and One Sided Misses ============================================================== As much as I like Ernie Els, and dislike Stevie Williams, it was hard to watch a class act like Adam Scott close out with four bogeys to lose the tournament. Full congratulations to Ernie, but I can't help wonder what would have happened if Tiger's approach to number 6 had been one yard to the right. There were quite a few interesting quotes by commentators, and another major rules gaffe. David Feherty had the best quote while they were dissecting Tigers "overzealous" pursuit of another major. He mentioned this Zen quote: "Sometimes to catch a butterfly, you just have to let it land".  That's food for thought.  Points to Paul Azinger who said: "Golf is a lifelong experiment", which has a lot of truth in it when you consider that players we think are at the top of their game are nonetheless going through swing changes fairly late in their careers - Tiger, Padraig Harrington, etc. Points deducted from Paul Azinger for not knowing the Unplayable Lie Rule (Rule 28). He incorrectly stated that Tiger could have taken relief outside the bunker at hole 6 if he declared an unplayable lie.  As a professional commentator he has to know that Tiger had to keep his drop in the bunker if he declared the lie unplayable.  No mulligan there, as a former playing professional he has to know that rule inside out.  Heck, when I coached college golf, if any of my players didn't know that rule they would have been doing pushups until they fell flat on their face. Points to Curtis Strange who provided me with a thought for this week's newsletter when he said: "Great players fight missing it to the left" (he was referring to right handed players although he didn't say so). What Curtis was alluding to was that good players work to develop a stock swing that accounts for a "one sided miss". This means that they can they can look at a target and essentially eliminate one side of the course or the other. With most of my good players that take regular lessons, we work on getting to the point where they are consistently starting the ball in a direction to draw it back to the target line, and not left of it. For a right handed player, this means that they can look down a fairway from the tee and eliminate the left side of the hole, tee to green. That's a big advantage over someone who's miss may be either left or right. I teach a draw first, then if the player decides that a fade best suits their game, we develop that kind of swing. To be able to play a fade with effectiveness, one needs a very fast swing speed - so that's always a consideration if the player is competing or playing from tees at courses that are generally long. This winter I'll be using the simulator to train my students to groove a swing that produces the correct amount of draw. That's possible when information on vertical angle of attack, swingpath, and clubface orientation is available. The Evolution Of A Full Swing I generally teach the evolution of a full swing along this progression: 1) first and foremost, good fundamental ball striking swing habits are developed 2) fundamental swing shots are then aimed at the center of the target until solid contact is being made about 75% of the time 3) during this phase, straight misses and misses that curve right to left (draws or hooks) are generally acceptable, misses that curve left to right (fades and slices) are not acceptable 4) training continues, to develop a consistent trajectory and draw curvature with a stock swing, and when the student can curve the ball consistently 75% of the time - with no fades or slices - the swing has evolved beyond the fundamental swing level 5) the stock swing aimpoint then changes to allow for a gentle draw (or fade if that's the stock swing curvature), and training continues on other nuances to reinforce trajectory and curvature It takes commitment and work to go beyond fundamentals, and maybe that's what Azinger meant when he said that "Golf is a lifelong experiment". Training For A Consistent Initial Shot Direction If you consistently play a draw or fade, here's a tip you can use with a simple training aid that you can easily make yourself. One way you can train yourself to start your shots to one side or another is to get an old golf shaft and a piece of pipe insulation or a swimming pool noodle ($1 at the dollar store). When you are at the range, stick the shaft vertically in the ground about 8 to 10 feet in front of you, in line with your target. Slip the pipe insulation or the noodle over the shaft, and make sure that for a draw, every shot starts to the right of the shaft. If you play a straight shot (can anyone do that?) you could set up two of these like mini goal posts and practice hitting straight shots between them, but personally I favor the draw to insure a consistent "one sided miss". Obviously, if you miss you get feedback because you'll hit the noodle. This will really help you get your shots started where you want them to go. BTW, if you hit the noodle more than you miss it and are bouncing range balls all over the place, take it down and keep working on your curvature without it until you become more consistent with your shot curvature. Safety always comes first at the range. If the concept of a "one sided miss" is new to you, try it on for size and watch your scores improve. Enjoy, Tom ============================================================== Tom's Bonus Tip - Inverted Praying Hands Drill Q&A ============================================================== The Inverted Praying Hands Drill - http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/drillprayhands.html is one if my favorites to help quell a "hit" impulse at release. I had a student ask me this question last week, here it is with the answer, (this student happens to be a lefty, so righties - reverse the positions for a change) :-) : Q: Tom, Do I use the inverted praying hands position for all clubs including my driver? A: Hi xxxx, for every club in your bag, as a left handed player, at impact the right wrist should be flat or bent back slightly (towards your palm), and your left wrist should be cupped - bent back away from the palm. These positions can be practiced with the inverted praying hands drill, although in the drill we are overemphasizing the amount of wrist bend in order to train the hands and wrists to get the right amount at impact - when the club feels heavier than when you swing hands alone. Note that there are specialty shots where you actually let the clubhead pass the hands - the answer above pertains to stock swing shots. Enjoy, Tom ============================================================= Golf Lessons ============================================================= 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. Rates: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html Testimonials: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html ============================================================== Sponsors ============================================================== 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! ============================================================== 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