TomTuckerGolf.com
 
Golf Tips Newsletter - Issue 362 - Wed. August 12th, 2015
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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: The Importance of a Still Head
- Tour Greens: - Tour Quality Synthetic Greens
- Tom's Bonus Tip: Missing Putts Left
- 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 the Equipment & Apparel and 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: The Importance of a Still Head

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

To make any ball strike and get the desired trajectory, you need to concentrate on developing a repeatable swing circle, and to keep your head stationary during your swing.

Your head defines the axis of your turn, and as such it needs to remain stationary in order for the other aspects of your swing to unfold properly.

And I'm not just talking full swing here, it's true for putting as well.

I played a round last Wednesday where I couldn't make a putt, then I started to concentrate on keeping my head still and promptly rolled in a birdie on the next hole I played.

I was giving a lesson to an older gentleman who told me he had lost all the height on his longer clubs and on tee shots.

This student has great technique in his swing in general, he's a student of the game. However, when I videoed his swing in slow motion on my iPhone 6 (I love this phone, it shoots slo mo at 240 fps) I noticed that he was sliding his whole body forward as he initiated his downswing sequence.

As a result, he lost the elevation he would have gotten out of the swing if had he allowed his swing to finish naturally with a stationary head. He lost the ability to strike his driver on the upswing portion of his swing arc because he moved his upper swing center forward prior to impact, changing where the bottom of his swing occurred.

The correct movement to initiate the downswing sequence is a slight bump or lateral slide (whatever term you choose to use for that movement) of the hips towards the target, and a vertical drop of the rear elbow, while the head remains (laterally) stationary.

Do it correctly, and everything should unfold properly in your downswing.

A simple but superb drill to practice keeping your head stationary during your downswing sequence is:
  • Get into golf posture in front of a wall with your arms crossed, hands on shoulders.
  • Lean forward so that your head is pressing lightly against the wall.
  • Now execute a golf swing by turning back, bumping your hips, then turning through.
  • Leaning against the wall restricts your lateral head movement but allows head rotation, which is how it should feel during your swing
Add this drill to those you do regularly. Do it for five minute sessions, and wear a golf hat backwards on your head so that you don't wear out your hair.

Try it, you'll 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



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: Missing Putts Left

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

I made it easy on myself this week with this topic.

To stop missing putts to the left, refer to this week's featured tip "keep your head still".

By lifting your head during the stroke, you change your swing plane, usually causing a pulled putt and deceleration - but sometimes causing a right miss as well.

This error causes a left miss most frequently on short putts, because we often try to steer these putts instead of stroking them.

This simple advice will improve your putting immediately if you have a wandering head - keep it still.

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

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