"15 Minutes of Body Action Drills Are More
Important Than Hitting 200 Balls"
Tom's Featured Tip: Putting Process Discovery
Lesson Comments: What Students Have To Say
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Putting Process Discovery
The Best Training Aid For Indoor or Outdoor Practice
The Divot Board
This is the most useful ball striking development training aid that I own.
Putting Process Discovery
For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.
I recently conducted a playing lesson with a young player with a lot of potential that I have been working with for over a year. His handicap has dropped considerably since we have been working together, and he contacted me for a playing lesson to help him take his good swings from the range to the course.
That's called "walking it across the road" in golf parlance.
The first thing we did was a warmup on the range, and we established a specific, detailed pre-round range warmup routine.
He did mention that a lot of the time he doesn't have the time for a pre round range warmup, and I mentioned that he is really short changing his scoring potential for the day if he doesn't work that in. You can't "walk it across the road" if you don't start across the road.
It's important!
Next we marked up a few balls with my alignment template,
went through a putting warmup routine on the practice green, and headed to the first tee.
His full swing was pretty solid during the playing lesson, although he didn't score too well due to one blowup hole..
He hit a few shots fat, and was obviously nervous playing in front of his coach.
I taught him some breathing techniques to use before each shot, and mentioned that he was scooping the ball on his fat hits due to a little sway in his backswing, which he rarely does during a lesson.
After reviewing the ten words that describe his swing pattern:
- Weight forward
- Shoulder down
- Hands in
- Straight arms
- Tuck hips
A major improvement that resulted from the playing lesson was adjustments that we made to his putting process.
He was currently using a left hand low hand technique for all of his putts. He adopted that grip for better compression due to a left wrist breakdown at impact. He didn't know that was why he did it, but I saw the wrist breakdown on occasion in his full swing when we first started our lessons, and it's been my experience that some full swing irregularities carry over to short swings (and vice versa) - including putting. He figured that out subconsciously.
His short putting was good, but his lag putting was not good enough.
It's been my personal experience that the left hand low model works very well for putts in the ten foot and closer range. However, I always found it difficult to develop feel for longer lag putts with the left hand low placement, especially so for very long lag putts.
I had him try a traditional hand placement for his long lag putts, and his distance control was much better than with the left hand low. I suggested that he make the switch when he plays, and I believe he will practice and play that way in the future. Interestingly, his father made the same suggestion, which proves that it's usually a good idea to listen to dad ☺ .
I also observed that his pre shot putting routine was inconsistent, so we changed that. This student said that he felt that this process adjustment will have the most impact on his game and his putting confidence.
Here's the pre shot routine for putting that he is now committed to:
- Stalk the putt to determine the break
- Align the ball so that the lines on the ball point towards your intended aimline - more details on that sequence here:
Newsletter #781 - Aligning Your Putts
- Standing behind the ball - make three practice strokes while looking at the hole to get a feel for the stroke you want to use
- Standing next to the ball - make three practice strokes while looking at the hole to get a feel for the stroke you want to use
- Step into the ball, get your stance, align your putterface
- Look at the target, look at the ball, then execute your stroke while looking at either the target or the ball, your personal preference.
I think that the takeaway for most of the players reading this might be the pre shot routine for putting.
If you don't have one - or if yours needs tweaking, try it, you'll absolutely like it.
Email Comments: to TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer, The Stack and Tilt Swing
Love your practice, own your swing, own your health, and remember that golf is a game of discovery. Dont be afraid to experiment when you practice, it's good for your golfing brain.
Tom
Golf Lessons
I am now conducting lessons at The Batavia Country Club
Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact
me - Tom Tucker - at (716) 474 3005 or email me at TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
for more information.
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Sponsors and Affiliates
Buying a sponsored product through any of my affiliate links helps support this free newsletter, and I only affiliate with excellent products that I use myself. Thanks, Tom
Batavia Country Club (585) 343-7600 www.bataviacc.com
Great rates, the best greens in WNY.
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Tee times online or by phone in season.
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Click here to buy your Divot Board to drastically improve your ball-striking. Combine your Divot Board practice and putting practice with the included putting lesson drills, and watch your scoring improve1.
Use your club or hand to re-set the board after your strike
Click here to buy now for outstanding Ball-Striking practice feedback
BONUS: when you buy through the newsletter link above, you'll also receive free access to my Putting Lesson Videos ($60 value) which cover: The Elevated Aimline Drill, The Squareness Awareness Drill, The Aimline Accuracy Drill, The Stock Putting Stroke Drill, The Barrier Drill, The Short Putt Channel Drill, and more.
Click here to buy your Fiberbuilt Golf Flight Deck Practice Station. If you are looking for the most robust portable hitting station that money can buy, the Fiberbuilt Golf Flight Deck Practice Station fits the bill.
Click here SuperSpeedGolf.com to buy this swing speed training aid and increase your distance off the tee.
SuperSpeedGolf.com Buy now and get to work on increasing your swing speed now.
Club Champion Don't waste another dollar on clubs until you've gone through a fitting at Club Champion, 1669 Pittsford Victor Rd., Suite 400, Victor NY 14564. Call Master Fitter & Builder Jeff St. John. PGA work: (585) 978-8513, cell: (585) 831-2292 to schedule your fitting today1 Mention my name and you'll get special attention.
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Click here Rypstick.com to buy now, and make sure that you enter TOMTUCKERGOLF (case sensitive) in the Discount code box when you check out to receive a 5% discount.
All the best,
Tom Tucker
Teaching Professional, Batavia Country Club
WGTF ' "Top 100 Golf Teacher"
USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
IGPA Certified Golf Psychology Coach
Cell: (716) 474-3005
Email: TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com
"There are no substitutes in the quest for perfection1"
~ Ben Hogan