At the United States Golf Academy our approach is simple. We are going to do what ever necessary to help you lower your scores. While the how and why of swing technique is important, even a perfect swing will not automatically help you shoot lower scores. Why? Because of the importance of the short game, the shots inside 100 yards, shots played around the green and putting. The fastest way to lower scores is improvement in these areas.
A basic problem in creating a short game strategy is understanding the difference and relationship between air and ground. How far should the ball fly and how far will it roll? Too many of our students consider only the distance between themselves and the hole and that is not enough. The following are some steps to follow that might help you get closer to the hole.
Does the upcoming shot require a low or high trajectory? Look at the shot and try to imagine the best way FOR YOU to get the ball close to the hole. What would the shot look like if you hit it high? What would the shot look like if you came in low? Obviously there will be some bias based on your preference or ability. Some prefer to carry the ball to the hole, some have more success playing lower shots that roll out more. ONE CHOICE IS NO BETTER THAN THE OTHER!! What matters most is you make a choice.
Once you have made a trajectory choice you must now choose the spot where you need the ball to land. This is critical. Whatever club you choose will have a ratio of air to ground. For example my 52 degree gap wedge on a level surface will roll just about as far as it flies. My pitching wedge is closer to 1/3 air to 2/3 ground and my 58 degree wedge is more like 2/3 air to 1/3 roll.
Knowing what club to play and where to land it a personal decision, so when you get a chance to practice try the following experiment. Without any target hit some shots with different clubs using the same length swing and tempo. Watch how the ball reacts. How far did it fly and how far did it roll. This will go a long way to helping you choose the right club and spot to land the ball to improve your short game.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Golf Swing Speed
In our initial interview with the students of the United States Golf Academy we ask a number of questions about the new student’s goals. Without exception the most common request is for more club head speed. Longer drives and using shorter clubs into the green is the desire of just about every player we meet. While finding more club speed is a good thing, I normally suggest it is easier to be more efficient with the speed they create.
Using the data from our Trackman ball flight monitor we know at sea level, with no wind and normal ground conditions a player with 90 mph of club head speed under optimal conditions can hit a golf ball 256 yards with a driver. It is a very rare occurrence that the average player comes anywhere close to that distance. In other words they can generate the club speed just don’t use it very well.
A great measuring stick to check the efficiency of your swing is to find a facility that can accurately measure the golf ball speed at impact. The ratio of club head speed to golf ball speed is commonly called the smash factor. For example, at 90 mph the fastest ball speed obtainable is 135 mph. The smash factor is then 1.5 as 135 is 1.5 time faster than 90. Under perfect launch conditions this would create the 250+ yard drive. However, the average smash factor at the Academy is probably closer to 1.4. So the 90 mph player with a smash factor of 1.4 creates a ball speed of 126 mph rather than the 135 for a distance of 239 yards or 11 yards shorter with the same club head speed.
The slower ball speed can come from a variety of reasons. But all of the reasons come from what is most simply described as a glancing blow at impact. The clubface is open to the path, the angle of approach is too steep, or you just don’t hit the ball with the center of the club or any combination of those factors and others.
So the solution is not to look for more club speed
Using the data from our Trackman ball flight monitor we know at sea level, with no wind and normal ground conditions a player with 90 mph of club head speed under optimal conditions can hit a golf ball 256 yards with a driver. It is a very rare occurrence that the average player comes anywhere close to that distance. In other words they can generate the club speed just don’t use it very well.
A great measuring stick to check the efficiency of your swing is to find a facility that can accurately measure the golf ball speed at impact. The ratio of club head speed to golf ball speed is commonly called the smash factor. For example, at 90 mph the fastest ball speed obtainable is 135 mph. The smash factor is then 1.5 as 135 is 1.5 time faster than 90. Under perfect launch conditions this would create the 250+ yard drive. However, the average smash factor at the Academy is probably closer to 1.4. So the 90 mph player with a smash factor of 1.4 creates a ball speed of 126 mph rather than the 135 for a distance of 239 yards or 11 yards shorter with the same club head speed.
The slower ball speed can come from a variety of reasons. But all of the reasons come from what is most simply described as a glancing blow at impact. The clubface is open to the path, the angle of approach is too steep, or you just don’t hit the ball with the center of the club or any combination of those factors and others.
So the solution is not to look for more club speed
Friday, June 5, 2009
A Plan for Better Scores.
In this day and age of endless information we realize our students come to visit us at the United States Golf Academy as much for clarification as information. They have read and watched and listened to a point of confusion. “I am thinking too much,” is a common complaint. Our answer is usually the same, “It is not that you are thinking too much, it is that you think at the wrong time.” Way too many missed shots are caused not from a lack of talent or skill, but a lack of planning. The following is basic guideline on how to plan for more successful golf shots.
Where?
Before you ever strike a shot there are a couple of questions you have to answer. The first is quite simply; “Where an I going?” Make a conscious effort to choose the place you want your golf ball to be to play the next shot. This is rarely the flag!!! When playing a hole we need to know how many shots it is reasonable to expect to reach the green. If you miss a spot then begin a new plan. We then need to know the expected landing area for each shot and once those decisions are made we can ask:
How?
So we now have a basic plan to play the hole. Now, how do we deal with the shot at hand? To answer this question we need to know the distance to the target, and then chose the club and type of shot that will best get us to our destination. This choice can be as simple or as complicated as your skill level allows. Regardless, you need to make a choice and stick with it.
So we have described the task at hand and how to complete it, now is the time to just do it. Set the chosen club behind the ball, point the club the direction you would like the ball to travel; set your feet and swing the club. In that order! Don’t think about where and how as you have already decided that when you step up to the ball. If there is anything we know for sure is that you can’t make any of the prior decisions while you are in motion. Just trust your judgment, and swing the club.
Where?
Before you ever strike a shot there are a couple of questions you have to answer. The first is quite simply; “Where an I going?” Make a conscious effort to choose the place you want your golf ball to be to play the next shot. This is rarely the flag!!! When playing a hole we need to know how many shots it is reasonable to expect to reach the green. If you miss a spot then begin a new plan. We then need to know the expected landing area for each shot and once those decisions are made we can ask:
How?
So we now have a basic plan to play the hole. Now, how do we deal with the shot at hand? To answer this question we need to know the distance to the target, and then chose the club and type of shot that will best get us to our destination. This choice can be as simple or as complicated as your skill level allows. Regardless, you need to make a choice and stick with it.
So we have described the task at hand and how to complete it, now is the time to just do it. Set the chosen club behind the ball, point the club the direction you would like the ball to travel; set your feet and swing the club. In that order! Don’t think about where and how as you have already decided that when you step up to the ball. If there is anything we know for sure is that you can’t make any of the prior decisions while you are in motion. Just trust your judgment, and swing the club.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Advice for the Ladies
The majority of the golfers we work with at the United States Golf Academy are female. Our female students are players of all types; some are competitive, some social, some are young and some are like me who have been young for a long time. With the exception of some political issues which many of us in the industry are diligent about changing, golfers are golfers and their problems are the same.
1. Their clubs do not fit their posture or swing. Easily the most common problems we address are club fitting issues. Too long and too heavy being the most frequent. Unfortunately, many women play with “hand me downs”, which are often old technology and much heavier than we play today. We have seen some miraculous results for players by just changing equipment.
2. More club speed. I am “gender blind” when it comes to golf swings. Every player I work with man or woman has problems that are unique to them. So for every player there are two ways to develop more club speed. Physical strength or better technique. Technique is what holds most players back and so time spent to improve technique is valuable, especially when combined with a proper club fit.
3. Neglected short games. Physical strength or stature has very little to do with shots around the green. Putting and chipping are learned skills and have the most influence on our final score. Again you want to make sure you have equipment that fits your stature. Especially when it comes to a putter. There is very little room for error when it comes to shots around the green making our equipment choices much more important than shots form the fairway or off the tee. Simply put, for shots around the green, you need a club that lofts the ball in the air, one that you hit on a lower trajectory that runs out, and a putter that fits your posture.
4. Find your favorites. For less experienced players, we encourage them to find their favorite clubs and use them. You need a favorite from off the tee. You need a favorite for longer shots from the fairway, for shorter shots from the fairway and clubs for around the green. As you get better you will add more favorites to your bag, expanding your options, but for now don’t hit a shot with a club you don’t like. It takes the fun out of the game.
1. Their clubs do not fit their posture or swing. Easily the most common problems we address are club fitting issues. Too long and too heavy being the most frequent. Unfortunately, many women play with “hand me downs”, which are often old technology and much heavier than we play today. We have seen some miraculous results for players by just changing equipment.
2. More club speed. I am “gender blind” when it comes to golf swings. Every player I work with man or woman has problems that are unique to them. So for every player there are two ways to develop more club speed. Physical strength or better technique. Technique is what holds most players back and so time spent to improve technique is valuable, especially when combined with a proper club fit.
3. Neglected short games. Physical strength or stature has very little to do with shots around the green. Putting and chipping are learned skills and have the most influence on our final score. Again you want to make sure you have equipment that fits your stature. Especially when it comes to a putter. There is very little room for error when it comes to shots around the green making our equipment choices much more important than shots form the fairway or off the tee. Simply put, for shots around the green, you need a club that lofts the ball in the air, one that you hit on a lower trajectory that runs out, and a putter that fits your posture.
4. Find your favorites. For less experienced players, we encourage them to find their favorite clubs and use them. You need a favorite from off the tee. You need a favorite for longer shots from the fairway, for shorter shots from the fairway and clubs for around the green. As you get better you will add more favorites to your bag, expanding your options, but for now don’t hit a shot with a club you don’t like. It takes the fun out of the game.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
No Bad Shots
The first point we try to make when we work with a new or inexperienced player at the Academy is the idea that you will never hit a “bad” golf shot. Now I am sure you are thinking, “Of course I hit bad golf shots; in fact I hit more bad than good.” In reality that might be true but there are a number of reasons for you to not judge every result.
1. The difference between a great shot and a poor one is very small. Take for example a topped shot that just runs along the ground. The difference between hitting the ball on the bottom of the club and the one you strike in the center of the club face is at most about ½ inch. Let’s say you have a golf club that is 42 inches long. To miss by ½ inch is less than a 2% error. You were 98% correct.
2. It is human nature to try to fix the previous shot on the next attempt. We see it all the time. The ball goes into the woods on the right. I promise you on the next shot the player will aim a little farther left to make sure they don’t repeat the same mistake. The shot goes off without a hitch, they hit the ball where it was aimed and the target is now missed to the left. Next shot goes right to fix the left and now we are a mess. There is a name for this phenomenon, it is called Army Golf. Left, right, left right.
3. Good shots can produce bad results and bad shots can go in. My only hole in one bounced out of a tree and off a bank at the back of the green. Awful shot – great result.
The only way your game is going to get better is to be consistent. In order to achieve this consistency you have to do things the same way for every shot, regardless of result. Create a routine, use the same grip on every shot. Align yourself to the ball in the same manner every time. Swing the club the same length back and through. Try to swing each club and make each swing with the same tempo and rhythm. If you do this you will find your ball striking will become more consistent as well. The results might still be “bad”, but the mistakes will be similar. It is easier to fix one miss than many different ones.
1. The difference between a great shot and a poor one is very small. Take for example a topped shot that just runs along the ground. The difference between hitting the ball on the bottom of the club and the one you strike in the center of the club face is at most about ½ inch. Let’s say you have a golf club that is 42 inches long. To miss by ½ inch is less than a 2% error. You were 98% correct.
2. It is human nature to try to fix the previous shot on the next attempt. We see it all the time. The ball goes into the woods on the right. I promise you on the next shot the player will aim a little farther left to make sure they don’t repeat the same mistake. The shot goes off without a hitch, they hit the ball where it was aimed and the target is now missed to the left. Next shot goes right to fix the left and now we are a mess. There is a name for this phenomenon, it is called Army Golf. Left, right, left right.
3. Good shots can produce bad results and bad shots can go in. My only hole in one bounced out of a tree and off a bank at the back of the green. Awful shot – great result.
The only way your game is going to get better is to be consistent. In order to achieve this consistency you have to do things the same way for every shot, regardless of result. Create a routine, use the same grip on every shot. Align yourself to the ball in the same manner every time. Swing the club the same length back and through. Try to swing each club and make each swing with the same tempo and rhythm. If you do this you will find your ball striking will become more consistent as well. The results might still be “bad”, but the mistakes will be similar. It is easier to fix one miss than many different ones.
Tips for the Ladies
Article
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The majority of the golfers we work with at the United States Golf Academy are female. Our female students are players of all types; some are competitive, some social, some are young and some are like me who have been young for a long time. With the exception of some political issues which many of us in the industry are diligent about changing, golfers are golfers and their problems are the same.
1. Their clubs do not fit their posture or swing. Easily the most common problems we address are club fitting issues. Too long and too heavy being the most frequent. Unfortunately, many women play with “hand me downs”, which are often old technology and much heavier than we play today. We have seen some miraculous results for players by just changing equipment.
2. More club speed. I am “gender blind” when it comes to golf swings. Every player I work with man or woman has problems that are unique to them. So for every player there are two ways to develop more club speed. Physical strength or better technique. Technique is what holds most players back and so time spent to improve technique is valuable, especially when combined with a proper club fit.
3. Neglected short games. Physical strength or stature has very little to do with shots around the green. Putting and chipping are learned skills and have the most influence on our final score. Again you want to make sure you have equipment that fits your stature. Especially when it comes to a putter. There is very little room for error when it comes to shots around the green making our equipment choices much more important than shots form the fairway or off the tee. Simply put, for shots around the green, you need a club that lofts the ball in the air, one that you hit on a lower trajectory that runs out, and a putter that fits your posture.
4. Find your favorites. For less experienced players, we encourage them to find their favorite clubs and use them. You need a favorite from off the tee. You need a favorite for longer shots from the fairway, for shorter shots from the fairway and clubs for around the green. As you get better you will add more favorites to your bag, expanding your options, but for now don’t hit a shot with a club you don’t like. It takes the fun out of the game.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The majority of the golfers we work with at the United States Golf Academy are female. Our female students are players of all types; some are competitive, some social, some are young and some are like me who have been young for a long time. With the exception of some political issues which many of us in the industry are diligent about changing, golfers are golfers and their problems are the same.
1. Their clubs do not fit their posture or swing. Easily the most common problems we address are club fitting issues. Too long and too heavy being the most frequent. Unfortunately, many women play with “hand me downs”, which are often old technology and much heavier than we play today. We have seen some miraculous results for players by just changing equipment.
2. More club speed. I am “gender blind” when it comes to golf swings. Every player I work with man or woman has problems that are unique to them. So for every player there are two ways to develop more club speed. Physical strength or better technique. Technique is what holds most players back and so time spent to improve technique is valuable, especially when combined with a proper club fit.
3. Neglected short games. Physical strength or stature has very little to do with shots around the green. Putting and chipping are learned skills and have the most influence on our final score. Again you want to make sure you have equipment that fits your stature. Especially when it comes to a putter. There is very little room for error when it comes to shots around the green making our equipment choices much more important than shots form the fairway or off the tee. Simply put, for shots around the green, you need a club that lofts the ball in the air, one that you hit on a lower trajectory that runs out, and a putter that fits your posture.
4. Find your favorites. For less experienced players, we encourage them to find their favorite clubs and use them. You need a favorite from off the tee. You need a favorite for longer shots from the fairway, for shorter shots from the fairway and clubs for around the green. As you get better you will add more favorites to your bag, expanding your options, but for now don’t hit a shot with a club you don’t like. It takes the fun out of the game.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Choosing the Correct Golf Ball.
One of the most productive services we offer at our Academy is to help our friends find the right golf ball for their game. For most, the first choices are the golf balls we receive as gifts or those we find on the golf course. It is hard to argue with this plan but the reality is that all golf balls are not created equal, and if you are looking to improve there is a better golf ball for you.
Step one in finding the right golf ball is to answer the following question, “Do I need more distance or do I need a golf ball that improves my performance around the green?” Think hard about this. It is easy to say we want more distance but what will help your score the most? When considering your short game. The important question is whether you use spin or loft and trajectory to control the golf ball.
Step Two. Spend some time getting an accurate appraisal of how fast you swing the golf club. The latest generations of golf balls are tweaked to perform best at certain speeds.
Step Three. How much are you willing to spend? Golf balls come in three basic prices, $20.00- $30.00 per dozen, $30.00 – $40.00 per dozen and more than $40.00. There are some that think like to buy recycled premium golf balls, but I can’t recommend it. You never know where they came from and if they have been sitting in a pond they are sure to be duds.
Step Four. Find a knowledgeable person to help. Let’s assume you have determined that you while you could always use more distance, your short game is better when you use a lower trajectory shot around the greens. This requires a ball that spins. Let us also assume your swing speed is around 85 mph with the driver. Not all high spin golf balls perform well at speeds of less than 100 mph, but every manufacturer makes a golf ball for this speed without sacrificing distance. Finally, your budget demands a ball in the moderate price category. When a salesperson is presented these facts they should be able to make a recommendation. Once they make the recommendation be sure to ask what it is about the construction of that particular ball that makes it best for my game. If they don’t know why, they might be recommending a ball they need to sell. An educated sales person will be able to tell you why.
Step one in finding the right golf ball is to answer the following question, “Do I need more distance or do I need a golf ball that improves my performance around the green?” Think hard about this. It is easy to say we want more distance but what will help your score the most? When considering your short game. The important question is whether you use spin or loft and trajectory to control the golf ball.
Step Two. Spend some time getting an accurate appraisal of how fast you swing the golf club. The latest generations of golf balls are tweaked to perform best at certain speeds.
Step Three. How much are you willing to spend? Golf balls come in three basic prices, $20.00- $30.00 per dozen, $30.00 – $40.00 per dozen and more than $40.00. There are some that think like to buy recycled premium golf balls, but I can’t recommend it. You never know where they came from and if they have been sitting in a pond they are sure to be duds.
Step Four. Find a knowledgeable person to help. Let’s assume you have determined that you while you could always use more distance, your short game is better when you use a lower trajectory shot around the greens. This requires a ball that spins. Let us also assume your swing speed is around 85 mph with the driver. Not all high spin golf balls perform well at speeds of less than 100 mph, but every manufacturer makes a golf ball for this speed without sacrificing distance. Finally, your budget demands a ball in the moderate price category. When a salesperson is presented these facts they should be able to make a recommendation. Once they make the recommendation be sure to ask what it is about the construction of that particular ball that makes it best for my game. If they don’t know why, they might be recommending a ball they need to sell. An educated sales person will be able to tell you why.
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