TomTuckerGolf.com
 
Golf Tips Newsletter - Issue 382 - Wed. December 30th, 2015
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Prepare to play your best golf
by doing something now!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

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

In This Issue


Tom's Featured Tip: Wedge Swing Consistency Practice
Tour Greens: Tour Quality Synthetic Greens
Tom's Bonus Tip: 2016 - 6 Steps for Golf Success
Lesson Comments: What Students Have To Say
 Sponsors: Plum Creek Driving Range 
Batavia Country Club
Tour Greens Western New York 
Genesee Community College Golf Management Program 


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
Check out Plum Creek's 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.

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Tom's Featured Tip: Wedge Swing Consistency Practice

For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.

This is part 2 of a 3 part series on winter practice - wedge swing consistency practice.

Knowing the carry distance (how far the ball flies in the air) for each wedge or scoring club in your bag is critical to good scoring.

I call it calibrating your scoring shot swings.

Developing and calibrating scoring shot swings is something that needs to be done in order to take your game up a notch. You may be able to shave anywhere from 2 to 5 shots off your handicap (depending on your starting handicap of course) if you dedicate yourself to improvement in this area of your game.

I said swings - plural - because you need to have two stock swings for every scoring club in your bag.

I define scoring clubs as any club you use from a distance of 120 yards to the pin and closer. For some of my readers that might be a sand wedge, for others it might be a 9 iron, for many others it's more club. It is what it is, you know - the old different strokes for different folks thing.

I've gone back and forth during the course of my playing and teaching years on what method to use to develop a high level of excellence with scoring clubs, and I've settled on a hybrid method that I'll describe in this issue.

I say hybrid because it's a blend of mechanical technique (clockface reference swing lengths), and touch (in between distance swings).

A key element of the method as you learn it is not trying to hit a club a certain distance, but rather hit the club with the prescribed swing length and power, and note the distance. With practice, you'll be able to match a swing and a club to a desired distance.

One of the reasons my interest got peaked for this area of scoring was that when I changed to my Ping G30 irons late this year, my distances changed, so I needed to re-calibrate my own scoring club swings.

I did a lot of research on the topic then developed a system, which is now a two part lesson that I offer. Scoring Clubs Swing Development Lesson Package

I'll explain the components so that you "do it yourselfers" can give it a shot, but initially it's essential to have two people involved in the drills. I tried it solo with video, and it's way too cumbersome. You need two people to make the training process as efficient, as productive, and as perfect as possible.

The premise behind the process is
  1. to learn a full swing length and a 3/4 swing length for each scoring club in your bag

  2. to be able to repeat the swing length with a very high degree of accuracy

  3. to maintain the same absolutely consistent swing tempo and swing speed levels for each swing length

  4. to chart the results for the carry distance for these two stock swings for each of your scoring clubs
Here's how to practice the steps above.
  1. First of all, indoor practice on a simulator is a necessity for this method because it will give you accurate feedback on carry distance, which is critical to the process. You could do it outdoors on a range, but it won't be as precise for carry distance.

  2. You will need a practice partner (or an instructor like ME) to give you feedback in terms of a clockface reference regarding swing length. For example, your full swing might have a length of 11 O'clock and your 3/4 swing might go to a length of 10 O'clock. Everyone will be different on their length, the important thing is to make sure your full and 3/4 swings go to different lengths. For feedback, your training partner or instructor will need to audibly state the swing length after each swing, and you will eventually nail down the length.

  3. Next, after you've nailed down the swing length without actual ball strikes, you will actually hit balls with the swings, maintaining consistent tempo and swing speed levels. You make your strikes, and your training partner continues to give you audible feedback on swing length. That process continues for multiple sets of swings until you have nailed these swings down with actual ball strikes.

  4. Finally, you chart your results with each swing and determine the most repeatable distance for each swing for each club.
You now should have 8 distances nailed down with four clubs.

You still need to consider two more factors in order to get everything wrapped up: how far you ball rolls out after it lands, and what to do for in between distances.
  • There's only one way to determine rollout after the ball lands, and that's actually playing. You'll get a feel for that very quickly after some outdoor practice or actual play. A simulator will give you a number on total distance, but you will need to confirm it during actual play. One more point on this subject: find a ball that you like and play it all the time, that way you will minimize rollout variance. Changing ball types frequently will really have you guessing at rollout after the ball lands. A different ball may also affect carry, but it will affect rollout even more.

  • For distances that fall in between the distances you've established, feather your swing speed slightly. That's where your development of "touch" comes into play. After you have nailed down your stock swing lengths with a consistent swing speed, you may then tweak your swing speed to add or subtract a yard or two. Don't vary the swing length, just adjust your swing speed as necessary.
As I said earlier, developing and calibrating scoring shot swings is something that needs to be done in order to take your game up a notch. You may be able to shave anywhere from 2 to 5 shots off your handicap (depending on your starting handicap of course) if you dedicate yourself to improvement in this area of your game.

And winter is the best time to perfect these swings with the aid of a simulator and either a partner or an instructor.

If are really serious about improving this area of your game, please contact me to set up your lessons today!

Comments: ttucker@rochester.rr.com

Love your practice, own your swing, own your health,

Tom




Tour Greens: Tour Quality Synthetic Greens For Superb Short Game Practice

Would you like to be able to practice with purpose in your own back yard?

Would you like your short game to progress from bad to good, or from good to great?

Would you like to get the ball up & down with more frequency?

Would you like to have a short game practice area in the privacy of your yard for practice and for friendly competition with your kids, your wife, and your friends?

Click here TourGreensWNY.com  for photo galleries and more information.

If the thought of having a beautiful tour quality practice green in your yard appeals to you, you're in luck.

In addition to my golf instruction business, I am also the exclusive Western New York sales associate for Tour Greens Western New York.

With Tour Greens you can experience the ultimate home short game practice solution.

Click here to read what Tour Pro's Fred Couples, Rich Beem, Boo Weekly, Blake Adams, and Chris DiMarco  have to say about their Tour Greens.

You all know me well enough to know that I don't affiliate with any product that I don't have a passionate belief in. These greens are the real deal. They are extremely durable - and they LOVE Western New York weather!

For more information please click here: TourGreensWNY.com, or feel free to call, text, or email me to discuss your needs.

Comments: ttucker@rochester.rr.com

Love your practice, own your swing, own your health,

Tom




Tom's Bonus Tip: 2016 - 6 Steps for Golf Success

For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.

In addition to anything golf related, I love reading motivational and self help literature.

I saw an article by Jim Rohn, a favorite author of mine, and he listed his 6 Steps for Success. After reading them, I decided to relate them to golf, so here they are. Enjoy.

2016 - 6 Steps for Golf Success
  1. Develop the right plan for you.

    Determine what areas of your game need work, then set up a progressive plan to work on each area.

  2. Establish times to spend on it.

    Lock in SPECIFIC days during the week for practice, as well as SPECIFIC start and quit times for those days. Did I mention that the days and times need to be SPECIFIC? Specific get's it done in the real world, casual and non-specific resides in the world of can'ts and won'ts.

  3. Keep a journal.

    For golf, that means keep a spreadsheet to track progression and improvement. Add a "notes" column and use it, don't trust your memory to remember small details that may be a good swing key for a certain swing.

  4. Reflect.

    Review and study your notes in your spreadsheet weekly.

  5. Set goals.

    This one speaks for itself - set attainable goals, but don't be afraid to stretch. That means attainable but challenging. Goal setting has the greatest influence on a person's future, and is the greatest force that will pull a person in the direction that they want to go.

  6. Act on your plan.

    What separates the successful from the unsuccessful so many times is that the successful simply do it. They take action. Talk is cheap, action rules. Take action on your plan, or as Nike made famous - JUST DO IT!
Comments: ttucker@rochester.rr.com

Love your practice, own your swing, own your health,

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   Great rates, the best greens in WNY. Golf Digest Four Star rating for public courses to play in New York State. Tee times online or by phone in season. www.bataviacc.com  (585) 343-7600
Course Still Open & Taking Tee (weather permitting).

Tour Greens Western New York  Practice with purpose in your own back yard on your own synthetic practice green. Our greens LOVE Western New York weather!

Genesee Community College Golf Management Program   Click on link for more information if you or anyone you know is interested in a dynamic career in the golf industry, or in teaching golf.

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