TomTuckerGolf.com
 
Golf Tips Newsletter - Issue 298 - May 21st, 2014
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In This Issue  


- Tom's Featured Tip: Par 3's - Practice as You Play
- Tom's Bonus Tip: Course Management
- 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.

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Tom's Featured Tip:
Par 3's - Practice as You Play

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 had an interesting discussion during a lesson this week with a student - Jim Mahoney - that has been taking lessons from me for several years. He has shown steady improvement, and always has a tune up lesson or two before his outdoor golf season begins in earnest.

We were discussing an element of playing par 3's that is rarely addressed.

Teeing up the ball for short to medium length par 3's.

Most people do it, then wonder why the flight and distance is different from when they hit that club at the range. The answer is obvious to me, it's because the ball is normally teed up for par 3's, and usually it's teed up too high.

So, before I explain how teeing up the ball affects the dynamics of the shot, I will suggest that you tee up some of those 6,7,and 8 iron shots when you practice at the range if that's what you do at the course.

When short to medium length iron shots are teed up, important swing dynamics may be affected as follows:
  • The point of contact on the clubface is usually a groove or two higher than the point of contact that is made from strike on a ball that is played down. This usually results in a loss of distance from two to seven yards, depending on how high on the face you hit it. The great Jack Nicklaus used to hit a ball one or two grooves high on the face to intentionally take some yardage off the swing. Very few players have enough precision in their game to do that.

  • The angle of the swing plane may get a little flatter. Not a lot, but a little, which is enough to throw distance as well as accuracy off. The higher you tee the ball, the flatter it may get.

  • The vertical angle of attack may become flat, or even ascending. The vertical angle of attack on short to medium irons should normally be descending.

  • Your ball position may creep forward because to your eye it seems like it will be easier to hit, so you don't need to play it where you would if you were playing it off the ground. This contributes to an upward (ascending) angle of attack, instead of a correct downward (descending) angle of attack at impact.

  • For your scoring irons,
    1. A descending angle of attack is optimal.
    2. You may be able to live with a flat angle of attack.
    3. An ascending angle of attack is almost never desirable.

    There are a few rare exceptions, but I'm not going to get into them. I discourage most of my students from even practicing iron swings with an ascending point of contact at impact. It can have a negative influence on the good neural pathway swing patterns I have them develop for good ball striking.
The reason that I say "may be affected" instead of "will be affected", is that some better players use the tee as it should be used - ball teed very low, with the tee simply insuring that the ball is lying perfectly flat with the surface.

If you are an average player who likes the secure feeling of seeing the ball teed up somewhat high on short to medium length par 3's, at least take plenty of practice swings on the range with your ball teed up to simulate those situations.

Ball placement for par 3 iron swings should be wherever you usually place it for the club you are using. If your swing repeats, at least you'll start noticing the different but consistent flight patterns and yardages, which should help with your club selection. The ball will probably be launching too high, but even so - if you are able to repeat the swing you'll be able to score.

If you are a better player - meaning better ball striker - start playing and practicing at the range with your ball teed up lower for those par 3's. When you practice on the range this way, make sure that you are still taking a divot after the strike, just as you would if the ball were being played off the ground. Train yourself to maintain the same descending vertical angle of attack as if the ball were being played off the ground, and you'll see more consistent results.

Watch the pros that tee it up on par 3's and you observe the ball teed very low, and a divot after the strike. That's how it's supposed to be done.

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

Tom


Tom's Bonus Tip:
Course Management

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!

"Placing the ball in the correct position for the next shot is 80% of winning golf"

Ben Hogan

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:
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Testimonials:
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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   Best greens in WNY, great rates.
Memorial Day Specials: Members - Free Cart; Public - before 1:00 PM: $20.00, after 1:00 PM: $15.00 includes 18 holes with cart. Tee times are required. 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