TomTuckerGolf.com
 
Golf Tips Newsletter - Issue 391 - Wed. March 2nd, 2016
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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: Q&A: Measuring Stance Angle
Tour Greens: Tour Quality Synthetic Greens
Tom's Bonus Tip: Keeping The Right Hand in it's Place
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: Q&A: Measuring Stance Angle

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

Q: Hi Tom, I've read where you have said to be precise about setup, ball position, etc. If I favor setting up closed - or open for that matter - how can I practice the setup direction angle precisely? Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good idea, I just want to know how to repeat it with consistency.

Thanks, Bob R., Niagara Falls, NY

A: Thanks for the question Bob.

I really appreciate your interest in paying attention to detail Bob, it will pay dividends in your game. I almost feel remiss because I haven't described this process in detail before, so here it is.

How To Measure Your Stance Angle

It is imperative that you know how much your stance is open or closed at address for your stock swings as well as for your specialty swings.

For example, for my students that want more distance with their driver, I usually have them set up two or three inches closed to square, and I have them observe their ball position well forward in their stance. The ball position is easy enough to recognize and memorize, but the precise distance that they close their stance requires measurement, then practice to be repeatable.

Here's how it's done:
  1. First I have the student set up in a square stance with their feet parallel to each other, square to their stance line. Then I have them open their front foot one inch, then the back foot one inch. Then I have them recognize that they are standing in a square stance with their feet open about an inch to their square stance line.

  2. Then I have them close their stance by dropping their rear foot about two inches back from the square stance setup line. Then I have them open their front foot one inch, then the back foot one inch. Then I have them recognize that they are standing in a closed stance with their feet open about an inch to their closed stance line.

    The width of their feet is the same as if it were a square setup with open feet, but their body lines point right of a direct ball to target aimline.

  3. Then I repeat the process with an open stance.

  4. Then we take a moment to make sure that the student understands that stance angles and foot angles are different things.

  5. Next I set them up in a two inch closed stance by having them drop their right foot back approximately two inches, with their toes open to their stance line. Then we use some tools to measure exactly how closed their stance is as follows:

    • I lay an alignment rod on the ground,parallel to their ball to target aimline, with the end of the rod right behind their left heel, pointing outward in the general direction of the target, parallel to the ball to target aimline. The rod extends from behind their heel, parallel to their ball to target aimline (not their closed stance line), pointing in the general direction of the target

    • Then I take another alignment rod and lay it down the same way behind their right heel.

    • Now I have two alignment rods on the ground parallel to each other, parallel to the ball to target aimline (not the closed stance line) pointing in the general direction of the target.

      Click here for photo of alignment rods layout

    • Next, I measure the distance between the rods in inches. That tells you in inches how far back the right heel is behind the left heel, which I refer to as the number of inches that the stance is closed. It's most often two or three inches, which I call a two or three inch closed stance.

  6. Then we experiment with a one, two or three inch closed stance to see which one works best for their intended ball flight.

  7. The student is then instructed to practice this at home by setting up in a two or three inch closed stance (whatever we ended up with at the lesson) to a ball with a driver in hand.

  8. They measure it to be sure, then they place a quarter (or a tee if you are outdoors on grass) behind each heel. Then they remove the alignment rods, and practice stepping into their driver stance with precision by placing their heels where the quarters (or tees) mark their spots. I ask them to practice this setup continuously in ten minute practice sessions with full concentration.
If you nail down your stance like this (even if it's square), and you practice it until it's second nature, all other things equal your consistency will absolutely improve.

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: Keeping The Right Hand in it's Place

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

My son Tom, who lives in Florida and is a high level player, recently had some problems with his left wrist.

Of course he kept on playing while trying to deal with it ( I don't know where he got that from :-)), and as a result his right hand started compensating for his relatively inactive left hand.

He ended up with a dysfunctional swing, his right hand got too active causing a multitude of problems.

We talked on the phone and I gave him my three favorite drills for getting the brain and body to understand where the right hand should be in downswing, and here they are:

Drill 1 - Parallel Dowel Swings

You will need two 48" long, 5/8" dowels for this drill. You could use two clubs, but dowels are better because there won't be any inertia from clubhead weight in the downswing.
  • Set up to an imaginary ball with one dowel in each hand, angled as if you were hitting an eight iron.

  • Hold the dowels two inches apart with your normal golf grip on each dowel.

  • Execute full slow motion swings, maintaining the two inch width between the dowels all the way from the top of the swing through the finish.

  • In the first few swings, you'll most likely see where your right wrist is incorrectly activating in your downswing. In subsequent swings, focus fully on keeping it in its place.
Drill 2 - One Arm Swings, No Ball
  • Put your right hand in your pocket, grip down on an 8 iron with your left hand, and practice slow motion swings - 3/4 backswing to a 3/4 follow through - making sure that your left wrist is either flat or slightly palmar flexed through impact into your follow through. Hold that impact angle as you feel like you are pulling the forward leaning shaft through the ball.

  • Next, put your left hand in your pocket, grip down on an 8 iron with your right hand, and practice slow motion swings - 3/4 backswing to a 3/4 follow through - making sure that your right wrist is cupped (slightly dorsiflexed) through impact into your follow through. Hold that impact angle as you feel like you are pushing the forward leaning shaft through the ball.

  • Next, grip the club normally with both hands and practice slow motion 3/4 length swings, maintaining your proper wrist impact angles into to your 3/4 follow through.
Drill 3 - One Arm Swings Hitting a Ball
  • Practice hitting teed up balls with an 8 iron, first with the left hand feeling like you are pulling the forward leaning shaft through the ball, then with the right hand feeling like you are pushing the forward leaning shaft through the ball. Maintain your impact angles in your wrists through the strike area.

    3/4 length swings, work slowly up to 75% of normal speed.

  • Then hit balls with both hands on the club, 3/4 length swings, work slowly up to 75% of normal speed.
I talked to my son recently and he said he practiced one handed left handed swings with an 8 iron, with emphasis on pulling the handle through impact, and he said he got back his penetrating draw flight.

One takeaway is that the feeling of pulling the handle as opposed to pulling the shaft worked for him.

If you have the very common problem of your right hand overtaking your left hand in your downswing, try these drills and you'll likely find your cure.

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. Great membership discounts are still available until April 1st. The earlier you pay the larger the discount. Check website for specific rates then call or stop in to purchase your 2016 membership.

BCC may be open on a day to day basis starting Monday, March 7th, 2016 if the weather permits. Please call starting Sunday March 6th for updates and tee times. Openings are availabe on some leagues, check out our events section on our website for more info .
www.bataviacc.com  (585) 343-7600

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