TomTuckerGolf.com
 
Golf Tips Newsletter - Issue 426 - Wed. November 2nd, 2016
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USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
WGTF "Top 100" Teacher
IGPA Certified Golf Psychology Coach


 


Prepare to play your best golf by doing something now!

Tom's Featured Tip: Line Lockedness
Tour Greens: Tour Quality Synthetic Greens
Tom's Bonus Tip: Short Game Quick Tip
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, Batavia, NY, Open All Year
Simulator Course Play Specials: BataviaGolf.com Call 585-993-0930 or Email Mark to reserve simulator time!

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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: Putting - Line Lockedness

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


Many golfers can fall prey to "Line Lockedness".

That's a phrase I heard many years ago that described the putting malady of falling in love with the line of a putt so much that the player forgets about the speed, usually resulting in a putt that falls short of the target.

Here's a simple way to nail down the line of the putt without having the process interfere with the speed that you want to roll the ball.

First of all, if you are a pure instinct putter - a player that only concentrates on the speed and lets the line take care of itself by subconscious instinct - this tip doesn't apply. The reason is that there's not much conscious decision making on the aimline at address with pure instinct putting. A pure instinct putter stares at the target and lets the brain make the stroke alignment automatically.

For those that can putt that way, more power to you - but I really can't recall any professional player that does that all the time in the modern era. When you see Jordan Speith look at the hole while executing a short putt, that's what he's doing, and I've seen a few senior players execute long lag putts that way also. Instinct putting is also a hallmark of the "face on" putting style, and interestingly, rookie PGA Tour Player Bryson DeChambeau is considering switching back to that method. He used it successfully for a period of time for all of his putting when he played college golf.

Every time I mention the "face on" putting style, it makes me want to pull out one of my many long putters and work on it again, but I'm resisting the urge.

This tip applies to vast majority of players that take the time to aim the putt along some aimline before making the distance calculation in their pre shot routine.

Here's a way to get the line and the speed without getting "line lockedness".
  • During you pre-shot routine, after considering the break of the putt, decide on the aimline that you want to start your putt on.

  • From behind the ball looking at the hole, pick a very specific spot 16 inches in front of the ball on that aimline.

  • Next, from behind the ball while still facing the hole and looking at the hole, make three practice strokes with what you feel would be the right stroke length and power for the putt.

  • Then get alongside the ball several inches away from it, and while looking at the hole take three more practice strokes feeling the correct stroke length and power for the stroke you want to execute.

  • Now set up over the ball and carefully align your putterface behind the ball aimed at the spot 16 inches ahead of the ball on your aimline.

  • After the putterface is lined up perfectly with the aimpoint 16 inches ahead of the ball, take care to not twist the putterhead and then forget about your aimline. You heard me correctly, your aimline is now set so forget about it.

  • Next,
      Stare at the spot that represents the distance you want the putt to roll out to for three seconds,
    • Glance down at the ball for one second,
    • Stare again at the spot that represents the distance you want the putt to roll out to for three seconds,
    • Glance down at the ball and execute your stroke in 1.5 seconds, no longer than that.
    • Make sure that you stay in posture for a second or two after impact to get the full rollout distance value from your stroke.
When I said "stare at the spot that you want the ball to roll out to" I mean the spot that represents an 8" to 10" distance past the hole. That spot may be 3 feet past the hole for a very slow uphill putt, or three feet short of the hole for a very fast downhill putt. Or, it may be 8" to 10" past the hole for a normal speed, neutral grain flat putt. That's a calculation you have to make.

Follow this routine and you won't have "line lockedness" again.

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

Do you want one of these in your own back yard?



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: Short Game Quick Tip

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

"Handsy" swings pretty much guarantee poor results.

Try to keep the strong muscles of the forearms, wrists, and hands out of your short game swings as much as possible.

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.
Free Carts for the rest of the 2016 season for pre-paid 2017 season pass holders.
Beginning September 19th - 18 holes riding Mon - Fri $19
Sat - Sun $25 before 11 am, $20 after 11 am

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
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