"Everybody can get better on 15 minutes per day."
"You can even get better on 5 minutes per day."
Tom Tucker, Unrenowned Golf Coach 😄
Tom's Featured Tip: When You Should Go With The Flow
Lesson Comments: What Students Have To Say
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When You Should Go With The Flow
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.
When You Should Go With The Flow
For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.
I did a lesson for a senior golfer that I've worked with for quite some time last week. His problem was that he was hitting strong pulls left of his target line that were also drawing (going right to left) more often than not.
After a few swings, I saw that the cause was that he was either swinging down the line or slightly outside to inside on his downswing, with a closed clubface at impact..
Normally I'd have the student work on some swing plane drills, as well as the positioning of his right elbow on his downswing, to facilitate an inside to outside downswing path.
He struggled with the elbow positioning drill, so I had him perform a flexibility test before I did anything else. I saw that he had restricted flexion in his right shoulder as well as in his right elbow, which makes it challenging to attack the ball on an inside to outside downswing path.
Swing plane drills were in order, but trying the drill the right elbow into the optimal position in his downswing would eventually just cause a sore elbow.
I could have recommended some stretching exercises to eventually get the shoulder and elbow a little unstuck, but this particular student wasn't realistically a candidate for that.
So instead, we decided to go with the flow.
What I mean by that was we made some setup and aimline adjustments to make that hard hit pull playable. I actually loved the flight and curvature of his pulls, so I decided to work with what he had, rather than try to make a change that would likely cause him pain with no gain.
Here's the swing template that I gave him for better results. It's good advice for anyone that hits consistent pulls.
- Alignment - set up aligned to the right of your target
- Weight - should be about 80% on your left side at impact. Start pressuring down on your left leg at the halfway point in your backswing.
- Clubface - work on not fanning the face open in your backswing by keeping your left wrist straight or slightly extended (bent) throughout your backswing
- Try to replicate your backswing path in your downswing path to minimize your occasional outside-in downswing path.
- Posture - stay angled until you are well past impact - don't pop up too soon
Golf is a game of discovery and adjusting, and so is golf coaching.
In my earlier coaching days I might have considered that this solution was a surrender to a swing flaw. Being much older and a little wiser now, I've discovered that it's sometimes better to go with the flow, rather than to try for a change that will just be too difficult and frustrating for a student to accomplish.
Try it, you'll 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. Don't 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.
Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates:
Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates
Testimonials:
http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html
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.
Golf Digest Four Star rating for public courses to play in New York State.
Tee times online or by phone in season.
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. And make sure to check out their new turf mats, I think they copied what I did - but in a better way!
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. (Editor's note: Order through Amazon Prime instead of through the manufacturer's site and you'll save around $100)
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.
Train with a Rypstick to improve your swing speed and gain more distance off the tee. If the versatility of three different swing weights in one club appeals to you, this is your swing speed training aid of choice.
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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