TomTuckerGolf.com
 
Golf Tips Newsletter - Issue 444 - Wed. March 8th, 2017
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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: Amateur Driver Distance Stats
Tour Greens: Tour Quality Synthetic Greens
Tom's Bonus Tip: Debunked - How High To Tee It Up
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:
Amateur Driver Distance Stats

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


I received a question from a female golfer regarding how far she hits her driver in relation to her other clubs. I sent her a few questions so that I can give a comprehensive answer next issue. In the meantime, I discovered some interesting stats on how far amateur players hit their driver.

We all watch the pro's regularly smashing it 300 yards and beyond down the fairway, and there is a correlation between distance off the tee and the player standings on the money list. But how far should an amateur reasonably expect to hit their driver?

Golf Game Live,  a wearable shot tracking system, provided data from amateur golfers across the world from rounds played between April and September 2016.

The test data didn't say whether the results were from male or female players, but from my personal experience they seem to represent male amateur players. No offense to female amateur players - I hope you are hitting it that far, I'm just trying to keep it real.

These results will probably make you feel pretty good about yourself, if they don't, come see me for a lesson:



The percentage refers to what percentage of that group hits the ball that distance.

Other interesting stats from the study were that:
  • the median driving distance was 219.55 yards
  • the median 3-wood distance was 186.89 yards
  • the median 7-iron distance was 133.48 yards
  • the median pitching wedge distance was 73.97 yards
  • and that golfers found the fairway 46.46 percent of the time
We all realize that the number that counts the most is the one we put on the scorecard, but I hope that the distance numbers above may allow your brain to settle in to a comfortable swing mode the next time you tee it up.

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: Debunked - How High To Tee It Up

I recently saw some advice in an online golf tips newsletter on " the right height to tee up your driver" that was so far off base that I felt obligated to debunk it.


The article stated (I'm paraphrasing)
  • that you should tee it low when you’re hitting hybrid clubs, or when you’re hitting a wood and into a strong wind to lower your launch angle and to prevent you from "skying" the ball.

  • that you should tee it up medium when you are teeing off with fairway woods in normal conditions to ensure the optimal launch rate, minimize spin, and maximize carry and overall distance.

  • and that you should tee it up high when you are hitting one of today’s big 460cc drivers in normal playing conditions. Just be sure that the bottom of the ball is even with the top of the driver - if you tee it any higher you’re likely to sky the ball and leave a big ugly scuff on the top of your club.
Some of these thoughts are actually widely held, but they are wrong in that they imply that the tee height is the cause for the launch angle, spin rate, carry, and skying the ball.

Teeing the ball high or low can influence the curvature of the shot. A ball teed high makes your swing plane more horizontal than a ball teed low, and that can make it easier to draw the ball (teed higher) or fade the ball (teed lower).

Here's the major error that's being propagated by the advice in question: that it's the tee height that causes launch angle, spin rate, carry, and skying the ball. That's a major conceptual flaw.

Launch angle, spin rate, hitting the ball squarely on the face, etc are all influenced by a proper swing and proper ball position in relation to your swing arc for what you want to accomplish - not the tee height.

Will a high teed height make it easier to hit the ball on the upward part of your swing arc with a big headed driver? Probably; but the tee height does not cause the result.

Will a lower teed height make it easier to hit a smaller headed club (or even a larger headed club) and produce a lower flighted shot? Maybe; but the tee height does not cause the result.

As I've said before and will probably say again, don't believe everything you read online as gospel.

Check the credentials of the author.

Know why you are doing what you are doing, don't just blindly do it.

As far as your own swing goes, stand for something or you'll fall for anything.

OWN YOUR SWING

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.

BCC will be OPEN with carts for play Wednesday Februray 22nd and Thursday February 23rd, and possibly beyond - weather permitting. Not taking tee times, open play after 8:30 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