Ask the Top 100 Live: Brady Riggs helps lower your score
Top 100 Teacher Brady Riggs was online Tuesday to review your swing videos, answer questions and offer tips.
THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THE GREAT QUESTIONS AND FANTASTIC VIDEOS. THIS IS THE KIND OF BLOG WE ARE LOOKING FOR EVERY WEEK. DON'T BE AFRAID TO SEND IN YOUR SWING WITH A LINK TO YOU TUBE, IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE TO SEE YOUR MOTION. HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND GO FOR EVERYTHING, NOBODY WILL REMEMBER THE PAR 5 YOU CHICKENED OUT ON AND MADE PAR.
Alex asks at 1:30:
Now that my golf season is almost over I was wondering what exercises I can do to be in shape for next season. I know I need a lot of core workout as well as legs for stability but I was wondering if you knew any specific workouts that would help me.
There is so much great information out there on the internet that can help. I would recommend finding someone in your area that works with high-level golfers. The more golf specific your workout can BECOME, not begin, the better off you are. If money is a huge issue, check out Paul Chek online and research his material. I have over a dozen of my players working with a certified Chek guy that have had great results.
Paul asks at 1:20:
Can you clarify: In order to control distance in greenside bunkershots, do I shorten my backswing or follow-through ?
Neither. I would have you change the speed of your swing to change the distance of the shot. Think of a second baseman throwing to first versus a third baseman. The throwing motion looks the same, it is the speed of the arm swing that changes the throw. To make golf more athletic think of just changing how much energy you put into the swing. On a shorter shot, swing easier; for a longer shot, swing harder. Remember that the sand under the ball moves the ball out of the bunker. If the sand comes out slower and shorter the ball won't go as far as it would if the sand comes out faster and farther.
One last thing about this method. You will see an obvious change in the length of the swing, especially the follow-through, when changing the speed. This happens because there is less momentum in the shorter bunker shot. Be an athlete and don't overthink this.
JJ at 1:18 posted swing video:
If I were to recommend some changes, it would start at your address. Get into a more neutral posture so your hands aren't so close to the ground. Take the club back with your upper right arm and chest maintaining their connection while you keep some bend in the right wrist. This will help the club into a more square position at the top allowing you to release fully through impact. The final thing I would recommend is to look at the pictures of Tiger, Annika, Adam Scott, etc., at the finish position and try to copy that as best you can. Chances are your flexibility will limit you from getting as around as the swings I mentioned, but it will go a long way to helping you get where you want to go.
Bob Featherstone asks at 1:05 p.m.
I video my swing and noticed that when I started on my down swing from the top my right heel started to come up should that happen?
It
all depends on how your heel comes up. If your right heel is coming up
immediately as the downswing begins then their isn't enough weight in your heel at the top of the swing. This will make it very difficult to
attack on the ball on the proper path. In the best-case scenario, the
right foot will come up later in the downswing as the club is
approaching impact. The foot should be leaned toward the inside of the
sole. In other words, you don't want the entire front of your shoe on
the ground with the heel coming up. The "pinky" toe should come up, not
the "big" toe. This may seem like an overanalysis of the weight in your
feet but after your clubface position and your swing path, your weight is
next in the order of importance.
AFTER LOOKING AT THE VIDEO:
My earlier suspicion about the weight not being in your right heel at the top of the swing was correct. Go to my website www.redgoat.smugmug.com and check out the section on Redgoat fundamentals, Tush Line. This will give you some great visuals about the issue. The fact is that if you draw a line vertically down touching the tush at address you will see by the time you reach the top of the swing the right cheek has lost contact with the line. At impact, your tush is nowhere near the line and your spine angle has changed dramatically.
To fix this you must change your address position. Start with your weight toward the balls of your feet. During the backswing make sure your weight moves into your right heel at the top of the swing and then into your left heel at impact. This will help you maintain your forward lean and significantly improve your ball-striking. You will also notice that your right heel will remain in contact with the ground much longer on the downswing.
Conrad asks at 10:00:
Brady, a lot of players on Tour swing with a shut face at the top, and hold on through impact, and they have a lot of success this way. Zach Johnson, Paul Azinger, Fred Funk, etc. have all had a lot of success this way. How come teachers don't teach this swing? The majority of teachers out there only teach the "textbook swing" yet this swing obviously seems to work for a lot of players.
That is a great point, Conrad, and I couldn't agree more. I have a saying that I have adopted over the last decade or so and that is "Greatness is unique." The fact is that if a player comes to you in control of the ball with some strange mechanics you have to be very careful how much you mess with their motion. If you are fixing things because you don't like the way they look instead of because they don't perform then you're making a grave mistake. On the other hand, I wouldn't start out a player with unusual alignments just to see if they will work. I figure if I can make a player as neutral as possible they will add their own unique wrinkles to the motion and make it their own.
Jim asks at 9:55:
Hi Brady, I hit my mid and short irons a decent way (7 iron 165) but have a real problem consistently hitting anything below a 6 iron. Should I just switch to hybrids for my long irons, or is this a drill I can work on to help?
Jim, I could give you a long, complicated answer as to why the longer irons are more challenging to hit than the hybrids, but why bother? They just are! Tour professionals don't do anything with their equipment that doesn't make it easier to score. Look into the bags on the Champions Tour and LPGA Tour and you will seen more headcovers than irons. This is also becoming more typical on the PGA Tour as well. Get a couple of hybrids to demo and see what you think.
Shayne asks at 9:50:
Hi Brady
When Eddie Merrins has answered swing questions on Ask the Top 100 he
puts significant emphasis on using the forearms to square the club face
through impact. I have been focusing on this for a number of weeks and
have found that it works very well for a straight ball flight. However I have found that the ball trajectory is much lower than before. I
guess the wrists are a little quiet when doing this would that be an
explanation for the change in ball flight?
This is probably a question you should ask Mr. Merrins. We all have different styles of teaching and methods to help our students get the results they are looking for. Mr. Merrins has been a heck of a teacher for a long time and would be a better source of information about that style of teaching. I would say that if your hands and arms are more passive it makes sense that the ball flight would come down a bit.
Marc asks at 9:38:
Hi Brady
I posted my swing a couple of weeks ago and you said I needed to get the ball up in my stance and cover it more with my left shoulder at impact. Here are some swings from the weekend working on that.
I am also trying to shift my weight in the downswing correctly. In the down-the-line swing, I am holding a range bucket between my knees and starting the downswing by keeping my right knee in place while moving my left knee away and toward the target so the bucket falls straight down.
Let me know how it looks and if I am on the right track.
Marc, thanks for sending in the swing. I think your lines are quite good from down the line. The ball position looks better and overall the swing has great potential. Here is what I think you should do. Go to my website www.redgoat.smugmug.com and use the password bluegoat. Go to the Tour swings section and look at the swings of Anthony Kim and Tommy Armour III. The thing you should be watching is when they initiate the forward motion toward the target with their body during the swing. In your swing, you don't get moving with your body until your arms and club have reached the top of the backswing. This is not as athletic as it should be. Think of throwing a ball while stepping and throwing simultaneously, it would be very ineffective. This is how you are swinging the club. When you look at the swings of AK and TAIII you will notice their body begins to move towards the target well before the backswing finishes with the arms and club. The only way this move works is if their is a significant move off the ball to begin the swing. This is something you do already and fits perfectly into this swing style.
Give this a try and send me the new move as soon as you can. I think your swing can be phenomenal if you add this piece to your motion.
Gene Lund asks at 9:20:
Due to arthritis and muscle strains etc. my left arm can't extend all the way (about a 15 percent difference from my right). I think this causes me to top the ball a lot. Any suggestions?
Back in the 80s, Calvin Peete led the tour in driving accuracy multiple times and won several events. His left arm was unable to straighten as well but it didn't hurt his ability to score. If you are topping shots, try to maintain your forward bend throughout the shot. Chances are your body is becoming more upright at impact than it was at address making it impossible to make solid contact.
Sorry for the late start, let's get going!
Posted by: Gene Lund | Nov 2, 2009 11:13:39 AM
Due to arthritis and muscle strains etc. my left arm can't extend all the way (about a 15% diff from my right). I think this causes me to top the ball a lot. Any suggestions?
Posted by: Bob Featherston | Nov 2, 2009 3:47:13 PM
I video my swing and noticed that when I started on my down swing from the top my right heel started to come up should that happen?
Posted by: Marc | Nov 2, 2009 9:11:24 PM
Hi Brady
I posted my swing a couple of weeks ago and you said I needed to get the ball up in my stance and cover it more with my left shoulder at impact. Here are some swings from the weekend working on that.
I am also trying to shift my weight in the downswing correctly. In the Down-The-Line swing, I am holding a range bucket between my knees and starting the downswing by keeping my right knee in place while moving my left knee away and toward the target so the bucket falls straight down.
Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyIrESTWpgg
Let me know how it looks and if I am on the right track.
Appreciate the help
Marc
Posted by: Shayne Bernard | Nov 3, 2009 4:52:19 AM
Hi Brady
When Eddie Merrins has answered swing questions on Ask the Top 100 he puts significant emphasis on using the forearms to square the club face through impact. I have been focusing on this for a number of weeks and have found that it works very well for a straight ball flight. However i have found that the ball trajectory is much lower than before. I guess the wrists are a little quiet when doing this would that be an explanation for the change in ball flight?
Thanks
Shayne.
Posted by: jim | Nov 3, 2009 8:36:27 AM
Hi Brady, I hit my mid and short irons a decent way (7 iron 165) but have a real problem consistently hitting anything below a 6 iron. Should I just switch to hybrids for my long irons, or is this a drill I can work on to help?
Posted by: Bob Featherston | Nov 3, 2009 9:53:16 AM
Here's the video, in reference to the previous question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG7e0latDIA
Posted by: JJ | Nov 3, 2009 10:21:25 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXxqGy-7zk4
Posted by: Paul | Nov 3, 2009 10:36:51 AM
Can you clarify: In order to control distance in greenside bunkershots, do I shorten my backswing or follow-through ?
Posted by: Alex | Nov 3, 2009 11:36:01 AM
Now that my golf season is almost over I was wondering what exercises I can do to be in shape for next season. I know I need alot of core workout as well as legs for stability but I was wondering if you knew any specific workouts that would help me.
Posted by: Conrad | Nov 3, 2009 12:24:08 PM
Brady, a lot of players on tour swing with a shut face at the top, and hold on through impact, and have a lot of success this way. Zach Johnson, Paul Azinger, Fred Funk, etc. have all had a lot of success this way. How come teachers don't teach this swing. The majority of teachers out there only teach the "textbook swing" yet this swing obviously seems to work for a lot of players.
Posted by: dday39 | Nov 10, 2009 8:23:33 AM
Brady-
So what's your beef with stack and tilt? Really, I guess my question is: What is more important in the golf swing; hitting the proper positions or having a repeatable swing with predictable results? On Tour there are so many different swings. I think the only thing they have in common is the impact position. With a conventional swing, I sliced the ball like crazy. With a S&T swing I hit a 4 yard draw consistantly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4ur_c2BMFk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrf0X_2uZP8
Posted by: Matt | Nov 10, 2009 9:25:58 AM
Here is my swing,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSzVQsKZjRw
I am about a 10 handicap, and my swing is one plane with the target line view. What can you tell me on how to fix my weight shift, especially that hip movement.
Thanks
Posted by: Matt | Nov 10, 2009 9:30:25 AM
My swing is not one plane, its on plane, thats a typo, sorry
Posted by: BK | Nov 10, 2009 12:14:16 PM
I am a weekend golfer with 12 Handicap. My biggest problem with the game is the Tee Shots. My nice shots are draws but most of the time they are hooks and I see lots of out of bound shots (left). Once in a while, I push them straight to the right. Slices very rarely happen to me and I am not worrying about it. Sometimes, I lose balance on my follow through and need to take a step or two backwards to maintain the balance especially with the driver. I usually play in 80s but never broke 80. If I cure my hook (that is costing me about 5-6 shots per round), I think, I can break 80. I have included a couple of clips of my swing. Do you have any suggest for me to try? Also, am I changing my spine angle (standing up a bit) on the down swing? Can that be recipe for the hook? If so what can I do to fix it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zcs0Mk_fP4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX-UXBwvA6s
Thank you for addressing the questions in advance.
Posted by: BK | Nov 10, 2009 12:20:45 PM
I am a weekend golfer with about a 12 Handicap. My biggest problem with the game is the Tee Shots. My nice shots are draws but most of the time they are hooks and I see lots of out of bound shots (left). Once in a while, I push them straight to the right. Slices very rarely happen to me and I am not worrying about it at this point. Sometimes, I lose balance on my follow through and need to take a step or two backwards to maintain the balance especially with the driver. I usually play in 80s but never broke 80. If I cure my hook (that is costing me about 5-6 shots per round), I think, I can break 80. I have included a couple of clips of my swing. Do you have any suggest for me to try? Also, am I changing my spine angle (standing up a bit) on the down swing? Can that be recipe for the hook? If so what can I do to fix it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zcs0Mk_fP4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX-UXBwvA6s
Thank you in advance for addressing my questions.
Posted by: dru | Nov 10, 2009 12:29:50 PM
Dru from Annapolis writes: Here is a video of my swing. Been meaning to put it on here for viewing over the past couple weeks. My ball flight tends to be a fade and from what i have been told i am swinging with my arms too much. I shoot low 80's usually. Looking to break that next barrier.
I got this response from Eddie a few weeks ago. Was hoping to hear your thoughts as well. Really appreciate the blog each week!
You have a great swing and good rhythm. A perfect combination. Your arm swing is precisely what you want, so don’t change that!
To affect a draw versus a fade just time the movement of the club through the ball so that the club face touches the outside portion of the ball to create a draw, or the inside portion to cause a fade. It’s like touching a pool ball on one side or the other to impart a curve spin.
Eddie Merrins
Posted by: dru | Nov 10, 2009 12:31:38 PM
and here is the link.. whooops! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v05_PsHSAeQ
Posted by: Tim Fox | Nov 16, 2009 5:03:42 PM
Hi, Brady. I golfed with my 92 year old Dad the other day, and took some video of his swing. He was a scratch golfer in his day, and still enjoys playing. Since he had a stroke in his left eye, his game has become inconsistent. He still has good flexibility (for a 92 year old!), and good rhythm. I made the following video with a few examples of when things go well, and a few when they go bad. Please take a look, and help us with what's going wrong. Thanks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6JR4Pp3OZE
Posted by: Brett Stillwell | Nov 17, 2009 3:49:01 PM
I have noticed that you utilize a ten finger grip in your swing instead of an overlapping or interlocking grip. Why do you use this grip and how does it affect ball striking and ball flight. I assume that this allows a stronger right hand influence in the swing and produces a draw flight.
Also, I am a left hander who plays right handed. Is this also the case with you and did this affect the choice of the ten finger grip?