Maintain the triangle for consistent chips

Another great chipping tip from the Golf Channel Amateur Tour! Enjoy! I totally agree with it. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images...couldn't resist putting a Rory McIlroy pic up. :) )

Maintain the triangle for consistent chips

Many chips are missed because a player tries to life the ball in the air by scooping with the right hand. The common result is to skull the ball across the green or to hit it fat. To end scooping, imagine that your arms and shoulders form a triangle, with the club an extension of your left arm. Maintain the triangle during the chip shot by using little or no wrist action. The clubhead's loft will propel the ball into the air and you will strike the ball crisply and more consistently.

Improve rhythm with a simple stroke

The Golf Channel Amateur Tour sends out weekly golf tips and I really liked this one and I don't think many people focus on the rhythm of their putting stroke so I thought I would share. I also just updated my site with pictures from my trip to The Masters.Enjoy!

Improve rhythm with a simple stroke

Timing and rhythm are important in all phases of one's golf game but especially in
putting, where rushing your stroke and thus pushing or pulling the ball off line is
just as costly as whiffing a tee shot. To retain good timing and rhythm on your
putts, avoid concentrating on the mechanics of the stroke during the actual play.
Such thoughts as taking it back with your right hand, or keeping the blade on line,
complicated your stroke and destroy timing and rhythm. Instead merely swing the
putter back and forward smoothly, rhythmically - and simply.

The Golf Swing

I have only been playing golf for 2 and a half years and I feel like I have gone through so many swing changes, as well as three sets of clubs, and finally I feel like I am getting to the point where my swing is comfortable and easy to remember. As in my previous post I have been working on keeping my hips quiet, which has resulted in more solid shot and more distance. Now that I have that down I have to implement two more things. One, start my down swing with my left side and not my arms. Two, I have to work on keeping my head being the ball longer. I found this great video of Ben Hogan demonstrating the mechanics of his swing. Check it out!

1. Conditioning

We finally made it to the number one tip! The last winter tip is about conditioning in the off season. This off season was great! This is the first time I haven’t been in school during the winter months and have been stuck in the office waiting for day light saving to come. Thanks to daylight savings I have not been able to get to the golf course as much as I would want due to the sun setting at 5pm, BUT I have found a way to work on my game without being on the golf course and that would be...EXERCISE! I have found two great classes in my area. The first class is Pilates Cardio Camp. It is a great class that combines core workouts with cardio and strength training. Three days a week we do thirty minutes of abdominal work and thirty minutes of cardio, while on the other two days we do thirty minutes of ab work and thirty minutes of strength training. The second class is a golf conditioning class at the Decathlon club in Santa Clara. It is only a 30 minute class, but man does it make you sweat. The class is conducted on the Kinesis machines and there are four stations and you do three different exercises on each station for a minute and a half. All the stations engage your core muscles and require rhythm and coordination in order for you to get the most out of the work out. After taking these two classes I have learned how weak my left arm truly was and by just taking these classes I have noticed a drastic difference in my power and distance with each club. I feel so much better about myself and my golf game is really improving. I hope you can find a strength training class that helps you boost your game and if you are in the bay area feel free to ask me any questions about these classes. Good Luck!!!

2. Practice Your Swing

Winter is a great time to just stick to the driving range and work on the mechanics of your swing. For those states where it snows I suggest going to an indoor driving range or find golf course simulators. I also suggest practicing in front of a mirror at home or at the driving range to see what position the club is at at the top of your swing and at contact. Visually seeing where my club is and how it should be helps me feel the correct club position when I am practicing without a mirror. One of the great things about the winter months is that you can practice your full swing and short game as much as possible without having to choose between practicing and playing with your friends. The more you practice your technique the better you will feel out on the course and will not have to think about mechanics when you play. This will allow you to play more freely and will most likely result in a better score. The first tournament I played in outside of school tournaments was on The Golf Channel Amateur Tour, which was very nerve racking because I had only been playing for about two years and I was playing with golfers who had been playing golf for a lot longer than I had. So, I went into the tournament not expecting to break any records and hoping not to embarrass myself too badly, but because I practiced so much and worked with my swing coach to prepare for the tournament I ended up winning my division. Every time I stepped up to a shot I did not have to worry about swing thoughts or wondering if I was going to have a bad swing, I just did my pre-shot routine, addressed the ball, and did my thing. It was one of the best feelings to not have to think about not swaying my body or making sure to rotate my shoulders. You could describe it as worry free golf. This mind set allowed me to focus on club selection and my yardages. Of course, my long game was great and my short game is where I made some pretty stupid mistakes, but some how I limited the mistakes and I ended up shooting my best round. Feeling comfortable enough with your swing is something that everyone should strive to feel and once you get there it will boost your confidence and improve your score. Let me know how it goes!

3. Bunker Shots

Here is some extra information about bunker shots as well as examples of various types of shots to try out. There are two major factors to note in bunker shots and they are the loft of the club and the bottom of the swing. Factor #1, The loft of the club face is very important and related to the launch angle, distance and direction the ball travels. It is important to keep a square club face through out the shot, the right hand and right wrist remain the same during the swing motion, which will allow the loft of the club to stay the same. Factor #2, contact between the club and the sand or the bottom of the swing. The first step to taking the guess work out of bunkers is to first and always analyze the situation and then decide what club to use and what shot you want to play. Most of us do the exact opposite. I usually just grab my sand wedge or my 60 degree and then hit the shot. Here are some interesting tips I found on this website I don’t recommend using any of these tips without practicing them or at least attempting them a few times before real round. I have not tried some of these shots so I cannot swear that they work, but it will definitely give you something to think about.

Putt it Out
First you must asses the situation and decide if using the putter out of a bunker is the right choice. Using the Texas wedge to escape a bunker should only be attempted when the sand is firm, the ball is not buried, and the bunker has a very small lip (if any) with a rounded edge. If you attempt this shot without these conditions be prepared to hit another shot from the bunker. Here we go, once you are ready address the call as you normally would with your putter on the green and with your standard putting grip. Play the ball back in your stance, which will allow the putter to not tough the sand and catch as much of the ball as possible through impact. The key to making this shot work is to catch all ball and no sand, so remind yourself to hit the ball above the sand in the upper hemisphere at contact with the face of the putter. Expect the ball to roll much like it would on the green and then pop over the lip. Since you are hitting all ball and no sand don’t be afraid to hit the shot harder than you would a normal putt from this distance. The off-center strike and spin from the hop will reduce the speed of the ball, so make sure to give it some extra speed. To find some more interesting bunker techniques go to the website above and hit away! Enjoy!

4. Short Game

Your short game is another aspect of your game which can make or break your score so be sure to not just work on your putting, but your chipping and bunker play around the greens. I am one of those players that believes I don’t need to practice my bunker shots because I never end up in them and when I do I don’t think my bunker play is too bad. But there are those times, for example last weekend, where I just get unlucky bounces and end up in bunkers and it will take me two or three attempts to get out of them. Just a few extra shots in the bunkers definitely dented my nine hole round. So, the only tip I have for you for practicing your bunker play comes from a lesson I took about a year ago. Draw a half circle (wide circle) in the sand and make notches about 12 inches apart or how ever far apart you like and take a swing at each notch like it is your golf ball. This will show you how much of a divot you are taking and how much the divot is behind or in front of the ball and how deep your divot is.

Tomorrow I wil post some general information of how to play a bunker shot as well as some cool other shots to try the next time you go out and play. :) Happy practicing!