TomTuckerGolf.com
 
Golf Tips Newsletter - Issue 281 - January 22th, 2014
To View In Your Browser   Click Here

 

Prepare to play your best golf by doing something now!

To comment or respond to this newsletter, please click here ttucker@rochester.rr.com

In This Issue  


- Tom's Featured Tip: Increasing Swing Speed
- Tom's Bonus Tip: Upcoming Topics?
- Lesson Comments: What Students Have To Say
- Sponsors: Batavia Country Club   Chestnut Hill Country Club 
Plum Creek Driving Range and PGA AboutGolf.com Golf Simulator 


Click here:  INDOOR GOLF LESSONS  for details on how to improve your game over the winter.

PLUM CREEK DRIVING RANGE IN BATAVIA, NY, IS OPEN ALL YEAR
NEW Equipment & Apparel Sale, Simulator Course Play Specials: http://www.plumcreekdrivingrange.com Call 585-993-0930 or email Mark at plumcreek4@rochester.rr.com to reserve your simulator time!

Buy Gift Certificates for Lessons   Sample Gift Certificate

Golf lessons - Outdoor and Indoor - are available 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/lessonrates.html   for details.

Subscribe - http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/signup.html   If you like this newsletter, please do me a favor and forward it to your friends so that they may subscribe, thanks!

The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter.


Tom's Featured Tip:
Increasing Swing Speed

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!

Every golfer wants to hit long drives that land where they are aimed. The length of your drive depends on several factors including:
  1. squareness of contact, angle of contact, lag, release
  2. some equipment considerations,
  3. and of course - swing speed.
Numbers one and two above have to do with owning your swing (technique) and playing with the right equipment for you. Improving those elements involves education, practice, trial and error, and/or professional lessons or advice.

Number three - raw swing speed - may actually be the easiest to develop. Easiest is probably the wrong word, simplest to develop would be more accurate. For every MPH your swing speed increases, you can expect between 2.2 and 2.5 yards more carry distance - so it might be worth a little effort over the winter to pick up some more swing speed..

Here are some things you can do.
  • First, get stronger. Personally, I have experienced some distance gain from a workout I've been doing consistently, coupled with good diet and the supplements I take, some which are specific to muscle recovery.

    I had not hit a ball with a full swing for about two and a half months, and last week I was hitting 7 irons into the simulator while I was preparing for a lesson. I noticed that I had picked up about 7 yards of carry with my seven iron, and the only thing I can attribute that to is strength gains from my program. And I'm not young - I was born in 1946 do the math. The point being that if you are a baby boomer, male or female, you can do this. If you're younger, even better for you - you'll get stronger faster and stronger overall.

    • A progressive resistence "strength building" weight training program, coupled with a plyometric training mindset is what I find works best. That generally means fewer reps with fairly heavy weight, and a burst of push or pull on the exertion portion of the lift. It builds strength and explosiveness without excessive bulk by training the fast twitch fibers. Bulk slows your swing down, strictly due to the added weight (not muscleboundness), and golfers don't need that. Lean muscle mass is great, bodybuilder type muscle hypertrophy is not desirable from a swing speed standpoint. Get yourself healthy and strong, the benefits extend way beyond golf.

  • Second, practice fast swings. After you build up your body to enhance and support speed, swing a light club with very fast movement on a regular basis.

    I'm providing a free plug here for a training aid I use for that, it's called the Momentus Speed Woosh. It really provides positive audible feedback when you execute fast swings.

    If you don't want to spend the money, invert your driver, grip it at the wrong end and make fast swings with that.

    Either way, taking 3 sets of 10 swings as fast as you can without falling over, 3 times per week, will absolutely increase your swing speed. Do this until the outdoor golf season starts, then do it once a week for maintenance. Also, do it for a swing or two with your driver before you tee it up on the first tee to remind yourself to swing fast, but not hard.

    The benchmark swing speed feeling for when you play should be to swing as fast as you can, while maintaining good technique and finishing in balance for full shots.

    I implemented this swing speed exercise (inverted club swings) when I coached the GCC Golf Team the year we finished fourth at nationals, and one of my players increased his swing speed 15 MPH. The team average increase was 5 MPH, so it absolutely works. They also were on a weight training program in the off season and we worked on technique constantly, so it was the combination that worked for them.

    Having said that I will state unequivocally that even if you only practiced fast swings, your swing speed will improve.

Love your practice, enjoy your golf, own your swing,

Tom


Tom's Bonus Tip:
Upcoming Topics?

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!

I received an email yesterday from a newsletter subscriber named Jim L. that I just had to share with you. Enjoy

Tom,

Every few weeks you send me your helpful golf tips and I keep your newsletters on file for future reference. Here are a few more that you might want to incorporate some day, maybe even into a book. Here would be a suggested outline of topics that I thought might be of interest.

Have a good winter.

Table of Contents
  • Chapter 1
    - How to properly line up your Fourth putt.

  • Chapter 2
    - How to hit a Nike from the rough when you hit a Titleist from the tee.

  • Chapter 3
    - How to avoid the water when you lie 8 in a bunker.

  • Chapter 4
    - How to get more distance off the shank.

  • Chapter 5
    - When to give the Ranger the finger.

  • Chapter 6
    Using your shadow on the greens to confuse your opponent.

  • Chapter 7
    - When to implement Handicap Management.

  • Chapter 8
    - Proper excuses for drinking beer before 9 a.m.

  • Chapter 9
    - How to urinate behind a 4" x 4" post ... Undetected.

  • Chapter 10
    - How to rationalize a 6-hour round.

  • Chapter 11
    - How to find that ball that everyone else saw go in the water.

  • Chapter 12
    - Why your spouse doesn't care that you birdied the 5th.

  • Chapter 13
    - How to let a Foursome play through your Twosome.

  • Chapter 14
    - How to relax when you are hitting three off the tee.

  • Chapter 15
    - When to suggest major swing corrections to your opponent.

  • Chapter 16
    - God and the meaning of The Birdie-To-Bogey Putt.

  • Chapter 17
    - When to regrip your Ball Retriever.

  • Chapter 18
    - Use a strong grip on the Hand Wedge and Weak Slip on the Foot Wedge.

  • Chapter 19
    - Why male golfers will pay $5.00 a beer from the Cart Girl and give her a $3 tip, but will balk at a $3.50 Beer at the 19th Hole and stiff the Bartender.

Love your practice, enjoy your golf, own your swing,

Tom


Golf Lessons

I conduct lessons at The Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility
there's a link for Plum Creek 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 email me 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 and Simulator  Outdoor range and play indoor golf on any of our 40 Simulator Courses. Call 585-993-0930 or email Mark at plumcreek4@rochester.rr.com to reserve time for simulator play or practice!

Batavia Country Club   Pro Shop at Batavia CC open 9am - 4pm daily for memberships, gift certificates, merchandise, apparel, and equipment. Phone orders accepted as well. www.bataviacc.com

Chestnut Hill CC   Great rates, 20 minutes East of Buffalo, NY .

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

"There are no substitutes in the quest for perfection!"
~ Ben Hogan