Joe, does golf give you a peaceful feeling?
Answer: The geese laugh at you, the trees taunt you, the sand mocks you, the water calls your name – there is no peace. This is war.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Joe,
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
1. WHY I TEND TO HIT THE BALL "THIN" OFF MY IRONS.
2. WHAT DRILLS CAN I DO TO HELP THAT.
3. I HAVE A REAL HARD TIME GETTING THE CLUB BACK TO PARELLEL AND INOTONLY WATCH THE PROS BUT SOME GUYS AT DRIVING RANGES DOING ITEFFORTLESSLY. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP MYSELF WITH THAT?THANKS,Rob Wing
Hello Rob,
I think your number 3 might have something to do with your number 1. You might be so concerned with getting the club back to parallel, that you ball striking may be suffering because of that. Although it looks like the classical thing to do, it is not absolutely necessary. Some of us are not built the same as others so we cannot swing the same way. Look at how short the backswings are for Dana Quigley, Allen Doyle, Jim Thorpe, and several others, they do not even come close to parallel, and yet they are very successful. As for your number 2, I would recommend the drills shown on the Body Golf videos, such as the double clubber and the toe drag drills. You may also find that the Body Golf drills and exercises might result in your getting closer to parallel without having to concentrate on that.
Joe
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
1. WHY I TEND TO HIT THE BALL "THIN" OFF MY IRONS.
2. WHAT DRILLS CAN I DO TO HELP THAT.
3. I HAVE A REAL HARD TIME GETTING THE CLUB BACK TO PARELLEL AND INOTONLY WATCH THE PROS BUT SOME GUYS AT DRIVING RANGES DOING ITEFFORTLESSLY. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP MYSELF WITH THAT?THANKS,Rob Wing
Hello Rob,
I think your number 3 might have something to do with your number 1. You might be so concerned with getting the club back to parallel, that you ball striking may be suffering because of that. Although it looks like the classical thing to do, it is not absolutely necessary. Some of us are not built the same as others so we cannot swing the same way. Look at how short the backswings are for Dana Quigley, Allen Doyle, Jim Thorpe, and several others, they do not even come close to parallel, and yet they are very successful. As for your number 2, I would recommend the drills shown on the Body Golf videos, such as the double clubber and the toe drag drills. You may also find that the Body Golf drills and exercises might result in your getting closer to parallel without having to concentrate on that.
Joe
Monday, October 25, 2004
Joe,
Thank you for accommodating me in your golf tips. I've been playing for almost six months now but I still could not break 100 on my games. Could you also help me cure my left arm to be strait during backswing up to impact on the ball and slice.
Respectfully yours
Alex Ricohermoso
Hello Alex,Keeping the left arm straight (assuming you are right handed) accomplishes two good things. It assures the widest possible arc, and the wider the arc, the higher the clubhead speed. It assures a more consistent arc, for example, if you allow the left elbow to bend, you have to be consistent in how much it bends or else the arc will be inconsistent, and therefore your ball striking will be inconsistent. Of course you should not make too much of an effort to keep it perfectly straight or else you might restrict your natural swing, just keep it comfortably straight. If you are slicing, there are probably other reasons at play, possibly your grip or your weight shift, or your swing plane.
Joe
Thank you for accommodating me in your golf tips. I've been playing for almost six months now but I still could not break 100 on my games. Could you also help me cure my left arm to be strait during backswing up to impact on the ball and slice.
Respectfully yours
Alex Ricohermoso
Hello Alex,Keeping the left arm straight (assuming you are right handed) accomplishes two good things. It assures the widest possible arc, and the wider the arc, the higher the clubhead speed. It assures a more consistent arc, for example, if you allow the left elbow to bend, you have to be consistent in how much it bends or else the arc will be inconsistent, and therefore your ball striking will be inconsistent. Of course you should not make too much of an effort to keep it perfectly straight or else you might restrict your natural swing, just keep it comfortably straight. If you are slicing, there are probably other reasons at play, possibly your grip or your weight shift, or your swing plane.
Joe
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Joe,
What about the head during a Golf swing? There are some people that say that the head has to be absolutely still and the eyes have to be on the ball during the swing until the follow through. Contrary to this, there is a school of thought that the head being still is a myth. This states that if the head is still, it robs the power that the body can generate. Surely, Golf instructions are more difficult than the game itself. Would appreciate your insight and advice in this matter. Regards,Vinodh.
Hello Vinodh,
Absolutely still is incorrect. Steady is correct, meaning that the head can rotate a little bit. It is true that you can get more power by allowing the head to move sideways during the backswing, but that is only for people who have no problems with good ball contact. If you find yourself hitting shots fat or thin or wild, then I would recommend keeping the head more steady and avoid the sideways movement. As we said to Sid from Australia last week, Jack Nicklaus’ instructor used to grab the back of his hair to prevent too much head movement, and I think you will agree it worked for Jack, he had a “fairly nice” career, right?
Joe
What about the head during a Golf swing? There are some people that say that the head has to be absolutely still and the eyes have to be on the ball during the swing until the follow through. Contrary to this, there is a school of thought that the head being still is a myth. This states that if the head is still, it robs the power that the body can generate. Surely, Golf instructions are more difficult than the game itself. Would appreciate your insight and advice in this matter. Regards,Vinodh.
Hello Vinodh,
Absolutely still is incorrect. Steady is correct, meaning that the head can rotate a little bit. It is true that you can get more power by allowing the head to move sideways during the backswing, but that is only for people who have no problems with good ball contact. If you find yourself hitting shots fat or thin or wild, then I would recommend keeping the head more steady and avoid the sideways movement. As we said to Sid from Australia last week, Jack Nicklaus’ instructor used to grab the back of his hair to prevent too much head movement, and I think you will agree it worked for Jack, he had a “fairly nice” career, right?
Joe
