Prepare to play your best golf by doing something now!
Tom's Featured Tip: Driver - Hit Up or Hit Down?
Tour Greens: Tour Quality Synthetic Greens
Tom's Bonus Tip: Payne Stewart Quote
Lesson Comments: What Students Have To Say
Sponsors: Plum Creek Driving Range
Batavia Country Club
Tour Greens Western New York
Chestnut Hill Country Club
Click here: INDOOR GOLF LESSONS for details on how to improve your game over the winter.
Plum Creek Driving Range, Batavia, NY, Open All Year
Simulator Course Play Specials: BataviaGolf.com Call 585-993-0930 or Email Mark to reserve 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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Junior Golf Camp Junior Golf Camp at BCC
This year I'll be conducting several weeks of Junior Golf Camp for boys and girls at the Batavia Country Club. I will be assisted by Roxanne Noeth, who has won the BCC Ladies Club Championship several times.
At the camp, junior golfers will learn the basic skills of golf, as well as golf etiquette and self discipline. There will be daily games and prizes, and all the kids have had a blast at past camps. Availability is limited to 20 kids per week, it's on a first come first served basis.
This years camp will run for five days, Monday through Friday.
Junior Golf Camp hours are as follows:
Monday - Thursday 8:30am - 11 am. Monday through Thursday will include instruction, play, and contests.
Friday - Tournament starts at 6:45 am sharp and usually takes about an hour and a half
There will be a ten minute break half way through each session, players should bring their own beverages and snacks.
Dates and Age Groupings are as follows:
July 10 - 14 - Ages 7 - 9
July 17 - 21 - Ages 10 - 15
July 24 - 28 - Ages 10 - 15
The cost for an individual junior golfer is $99 for the week. If two siblings attend during the same week, the cost drops to $89 per junior golfer.
Players will need to bring their own equipment.
For more information or to register, please contact the Batavia Country Club (585) 343-7600 ext 10. Payment is required to reserve your spot.
Tom's Featured Tip: Driver - Hit Up or Hit Down?
When I begin a five lesson package, the first lesson is always Ball Striking. At that lesson, I explain to the student that they should always strike the ball first, and the ground second when they swing any cub except the driver.
This means that with all clubs except their driver, they should be making contact with the ball on the downward part of their swing arc (a downward angle of attack) to catch the ball before they reach the low point of their swing.
If that's done with the correct amount of forward shaft lean and the correct weight distribution, the ball is compressed correctly and a good strike is the result.
With the driver, there are options.
For maximum carry, the optimal angle of attack at impact is a 4 degrees upward strike. This means that the ball is struck on the upward part of the swing arc (an upward angle of attack).
The longest hitters on the LPGA (ladies tour) are hitting their drivers this way. Long drive professionals hit at an even higher upward angle of attack - as much as 8 or 9 degrees upward - with less lofted clubs to get the high flying, long carrying ball flight necessary for their profession. Keep in mind that long drive professionals only need to get one out of six drives in the grid, whereas playing pro's need to keep every drive in play.
The problem with hitting it on the upward part of the swing arc is the potential for loss of control over your spin axis. This means that your curvature is not as reliable as if you were to hit the ball at a dead even angle of attack or on a slightly descending part of your swing arc.
PGA Tour Pro's average a strike with their driver that's about 1 degree downward. They have so much swing speed that they can launch it high enough at that angle to get plenty of distance, and that slightly downward angle of attack allows them to control the spin axis better for more reliable curvature.
I have Jack Nicklaus's book "Golf My Way", and in it he says "I tee the ball fairly high for a normal drive, usually so that the center of the ball is about opposite the top edge of the club face. This helps me to hit the ball high by catching it either exactly at the bottom of the swing arc or very slightly on the upswing. I believe teeing the ball low can easily rob you of distance by making you "hit down" on the ball rather than sweeping through it."
And Ben Hogan, perhaps the greatest ball striker of all time, also hit his driver with a level angle of attack or a slightly upward strike.
Your personal angle of attack needs to be balanced by age, swing speed, and the competitive level that you play at.
If you are a senior golfer swinging 75 mph and 2 degrees downward at impact with your driver, and you're getting frustrated with golf because you're not hitting it very far, then your attack angle should probably be changed to more upward. I would try to get you swinging 4 degrees upward at impact.
If you are a younger golfer playing high school or college golf who is 6 degrees up at impact at 115 mph club speed and hitting it all over the place, then a change towards a more level angle of attack would be a good idea.
Hitting down produces less curve than hitting up, hitting up produces longer carry.
If you have a fast swing speed, you may benefit by hitting level or slightly downward on your driver to gain control. If you are a mere mortal, have a slower swing speed, and want to hit the ball further, there are only two ways to do it: you have to either swing faster or hit more upward at the strike.
Try swinging up with your driver, you'll probably like it.
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
Click on the image below for a video demonstration of how well golf shots hold on our Tour Greens synthetic putting greens.
If you would like a free, no obligation quote for getting a beautiful practice area or putting green installed on your property - indoors or outdoors - give me (Tom Tucker) a call at (716) 474-3005, or email at at ttucker@rochester.rr.com
For more information please click here: TourGreensWNY.com
Comments: ttucker@rochester.rr.com
Love your practice, own your swing, own your health,
Tom
Tom's Bonus Tip: Payne Stewart Quote
"A Bad Attitude Is Worse Than A Bad Swing"
Payne Stewart
If that quote describes you, make a change.
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 (585) 343-7600 www.bataviacc.com
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.
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!
Chestnut Hill Country Club (585)-547-3613 www.chestnuthillgolf.com
THE WESTERN NEW YORK LEADER IN GOLF OUTINGS!
Only minutes from Buffalo, open to the public. Tee times online or by phone in season.
All the best,
Tom Tucker
Teaching Pro, Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility
WGTF ' "Top 100 Golf Teacher"
USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
IGPA Certified Golf Psychology Coach
Cell: (716) 474-3005
Email: ttucker@rochester.rr.com
http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com
"There are no substitutes in the quest for perfection!"
~ Ben Hogan