Top 100 Teacher holding web instruction seminar

On Monday, August 17, at 3:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher Laird Small will be taking part in an online seminar to help you improve your golf game.

Small, who is the director of instruction at the Pebble Beach Golf Academy and was the 2003 PGA of America Teacher of the Year, will be joined by Ingrid Gudenas, president of Effective Training Solutions in Silicon Valley, Calif.

Topics that will be discussed include:
·     Improving your consistency
·     Creating more power
·     Distance and directional control
·     Developing a sound pre-shot routine

Each session will last one hour and space is limited. The cost is $125. For more information and to sign up, go to http://www.trainingsuccess.com/golf/

Get more tips from Top 100 Teacher Laird Small

How to get your swing back after a long layoff

It’s that time of year – the weather is 80 degrees one day and 35 the next. It’s difficult to get on the course consistently, and we’re all rusty from lack of play over the winter. So what can you do to start the season fresh and knock that rust off? I recommend the following game plan to help get your season off to a good start.

Get your clubs ready for the season
If your clubs need to be re-gripped, do it at the beginning of the season.  If you are looking at a new set of clubs now is the time to buy them.  By all means if you are looking at getting a new set, get a club fitting.  The price is the same as if you buy them off the rack.  And remember, if your buddies are selling you their old set, try before you buy!  They may be a good deal, just not for you.

Play!
Get out and play a few rounds  After a long, cold winter your body is stiff and needs to move. The first time you swing after a long time away is the hardest, so make sure you get to the course early enough to warm up your full swing and short game to give yourself the best chance at making a good score. Play a few rounds, see what your swing and game are like, and then develop a plan for improving your game.

Goal Setting
What would you like to accomplish this season in your golf game? Maybe you would like to lower your score 10 strokes, or add distance to all your clubs. Perhaps you want to play more golf and learn to practice correctly. Whatever your goal may be, you need to sit with your instructor and plan out your year.

Lessons
Taking golf lessons early on in the season is a great start to accomplishing your goals for the year. An instructor can help direct your game and help you understand how you are going to reach your goals.  They will also keep you on task. If your goal is to lower your score by 10 strokes, and your short game is the place you need the most help, your instructor will keep your focus on that part of the game.

Schedule
If golf is your serious hobby you should plan time for it. You will want to plan your practice time, your playing time and your lesson time. If you know your schedule at the first of the season you will stick to that time. Planning is the key for improvement.

Balance
Just as you need balance in your life, your game needs balance also. If you play too much and never practice, your game will stay the same. If you practice your driving and never practice putting, then your game will be unbalanced. Your game needs a good balance of practice on all parts of the game. You need to play different golf courses to give your game a different look. Do something different for your golf game this year to keep improving.

Practice
Practice days need to be structured. I see golfers get a large bucket of golf balls and work only on the driver. If the driver is what you wanted to work on, then great. But if you wanted to practice a consistent swing, then a mid-iron would be best. Give some direction to your practice and watch your game improve.

By developing a plan for your golf game early in the season, you will see the pay off all year round. Good luck!

Ask the Top 100: How to use lead tape to fix your slice

Where should I put lead tape on a driver to correct a wicked slice?
John B., via email

Great question, John. I asked Craig Allan, our club fitter at Sea Island Golf Club in Georgia, for help with this one. Here’s what he had to say:

Within every clubhead design there is really only one optimal CG (center of gravity) position, so it is probably best to get fit to a clubhead that creates the ball flight you desire. That is why equipment makers intending to help golfers improve their ball flights are designing drivers with shafts that insert at different positions instead of drivers with adjustable weights.

That said, it is possible to slightly adjust the CG and bias of a club with some specific placement of weight. This type of "tweak" is sometimes necessary when your club is close, but not perfect.

For…
 
More Draw/Less Fade = Weight on heel
More Fade/Less Draw = Weight on toe
 
Adjusting the vertical trajectory is more difficult as loft is really the primary factor, but here are some guidelines…
 
Higher with more draw or less fade = Weight on low heel
Lower with more draw or less fade = Weight on high heel
Higher with more fade or less draw = Weight on low toe
Lower with more fade or less draw = Weight on high toe

Good luck,

Gale

Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Gale Peterson teaches at the Sea Island Golf Learning Center in St. Simons Island, Ga.

Weekend Fix: Set Your Weight for Pure Contact

You know you’re supposed to be in an athletic position at address, but what you might not know is that you’re not always supposed to have a 50-50 weight distribution on your right and left legs. In fact, to smash drives like the big hitters you may want as much as 70 percent of your weight on your back leg, while for soft short irons you might place 60 percent of your weight on your front leg.

So how do you know how much weight goes to each side? Use your club as a guide.

SWINGING YOUR DRIVER

The driver swing is much different than your swing with your irons. For example, the driver swing demands a slightly ascending approach angle with a shallow and wide bottom to it. To encourage this wider, shallower bottom for the driver, you should set up with about 60 to 70 percent of the weight on your back leg at address. Your stance should be wider than your shoulders to ensure that your center of gravity (the middle point between your hips) is behind the ball at address. This wider stance also puts your head and spine slightly behind the ball at set-up—another power key—and will encourage you to naturally make an ascending blow to the ball at impact.

Did you know that virtually all the long drivers in the National Long Drive Championship set up this way? They even appear to leave 60 to 70 percent of their weight on their right leg at impact. The most accurate drivers (players like Fred Funk, K.J. Choi  and Kenny Perry ) all have very wide, shallow downswings. Next time you’re watching a tournament, watch how these players set up with their weight back and even look as if they are releasing the club a little early from the top of the swing. This almost imperceptive move tends to widen out their downswings and makes them very accurate drivers of the ball.

SWINGING YOUR IRONS

The iron swing is very different than the driver swing so you need a different setup. For iron shots, you need to make a descending blow, hitting the ball first and then taking a small amount of turf just in front of the ball. To ensure a descending blow, you should set up with 50/50 weight distribution with the medium irons and hybrids, and 60/40 (front/back) distribution for the short irons. A good rule to follow is the shorter the shot, the more your weight should favor your front leg. Your stance should be narrower than your driver swing, with your center of gravity positioned directly over the ball. The best iron players tend to have higher golf swings with a steep and narrow approach to the ball. Jack Nicklaus in his prime is a great example.

Great iron players all have two things in common: 1.) They all get their weight to their front leg before impact; and 2.) They all have their hands in front of the clubhead at impact. This is easier to do if your weight is distributed slightly to the left leg at address.

DRILLS

To get a feel for the correct weight distribution at address, try this drill. For the driver swing, find a slight upslope. Take your right shoe off and take your driver setup. It will feel like you are hitting up the slope with the weight on the right leg at address and through impact—that’s the feeling you want on the tee.

For the iron swing, find a slight downslope. Take your left shoe off to feel the correct weight distribution for the iron swing. It will feel like you are hitting more down and getting your weight aggressively to the front leg at impact.

If you watch your weight distribution at address, it won’t be long before you are hitting both your irons and your driver with confidence and consistency.

Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Jim Suttie, Ph.D., is director of instruction at the Suttie Academies at TwinEagles in Naples, Fla. You can read more tips from Jim at www.jimsuttie.com.

The Tour-player secret to easy bunker escapes

Many PGA Tour pros will tell you that the bunker shot is the easiest in golf. This is a pretty demoralizing statement when you are having difficulty getting the ball out of the sand much less near the hole.

The truth is that for amateurs the bunker shot is the hardest shot in golf. Our short-game testing data proves it. So what’s the Tour-player secret that makes bunker shots so simple? You're about to find out.

First, you need to understand that your sand wedge is designed differently than any other club in your bag. The back of the bottom of the club is lower than the leading edge. This allows the club to skid through the sand and not dig too deep. The secret to hitting consistent bunker shots is to take long, shallow divots and hit the sand in the same spot each time.

Sure, it sounds simple, but this approach can make a profound difference in your bunker play. Find a practice bunker and knock some sand out of the bunker. Notice how far the sand flies, where the divot starts and the sound of the club hitting the sand. Ask yourself these questions: Was the divot long and shallow? Are your divots starting back of the center of your stance? Does the contact with the sand sound like a "thump" or a "thud"? (You want to hear "thump.")

Once you are controlling your divots, place a ball slightly forward of the middle of your stance. Stay focused on the divot of sand as if the ball was a large speck of sand. Make the same swing as before, taking a long, shallow divot. This swing will explode the ball onto the green. Your bunker success depends on your ability to take the same long, shallow divot and start the divot in the same place every time.

Distance control is relatively easy. Just hit the sand short, medium and long to hit short, medium and long bunker shots. You can control the distance with the length and speed of your swing. Put these ideas into practice and maybe you too will be able to proclaim the bunker shot the easiest shot in golf. Watching this video will help too:

Golf Magazine Top 100 Charlie King is director of instruction at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga. He is the star of the most-popular video in golf.com history, "The Proper Way to Throw Your Club," which has been viewed more than 1.8 million times. You can also read his golf tips blog here.

How to prepare for a tournament

After several years on Tour, and many years as a golf instructor, I have played in my fair share of competitive tournaments. Most recently, I participated in the Champions Tour Qualifying School. I'd like to share with you my preparation routine before I enter into competition. It starts long before you arrive on the course, and doesn't end with your first tee shot. The following can be helpful whether you're playing in a match with friends or a club championship.

A good night's sleep is very important, but it's not the night before that matters most--it's two nights before. Sleep tends to have a lag time of about 36 hours. That doesn't mean you should skip sleeping the night before all together, but if you do have a restless evening, don't let it faze you as much. It's that sleep from two nights before that will carry you through.

When the day arrives, start your day with a good breakfast. Eggs are a great source for protein, and eat something like oatmeal and some fruit for energy. Also, don't forget to drink lots and lots of water.

The first thing you should do when you arrive at the course is stretch. Make sure to loosen up the muscles in your calves, hamstrings, hip flexors, lower back (especially if you have back problems), shoulders and neck.

As your warm-up continues, leave at least an hour of preparation, so you have time to hit full shots with several different clubs. I would suggest starting with a short iron, work your way through the bag, and then wind up again with the shorter iron to finish with a good tempo and rhythm.

Next, hit some chips. Don't just stay in one spot and aim for different holes - throw some balls in the rough and see how they come out. How do they land on the green? How much do they roll? Then hit some bunker shots and get a good feel for the kind of sand the course has. Again, how does the ball react when it hits the green?

Also, work on your putting. The most important thing is getting a feel for the distance putts. Take putts with some uphill, downhill and side-hill breaks. Really get a feel for speed of those putts. Right before you finish, take a few two or three footers to build your confidence right before you hit the course.

Be sure to keep your energy level high during the round. Keep some snacks in your bag: a snack bar, almonds or raisins. I highly recommend that every two or three holes you eat something. And even more importantly, drink lots of water - preferably on every hole. Research has shown that the body loses a lot of energy when it is not properly hydrated.

Remember: Every round has its ups and downs. You're going to hit your good shots and your bad shots. The most important thing is to stay in the present. You can't control what happened on the last hole, whether it was a bogey or an eagle; you have to focus on the next shot.

Stay committed and focused on the shot you're playing. Commit to your shot selection, and you focus specifically on your target. Make your focus as narrow as possible. Don't just aim for the fairway, pick a specific spot. If you're not aiming for the flagstick, and playing more conservative, choose a specific spot on the green. Keep your focus as narrow as possible.

My last piece of advice: if the tournament is lasting for more than one day, determine what your weakness was during the round and spend some time working on that area of your game before heading home. You don't need to spend four hours, but spend some time working on your weak spot to try to gain some confidence for the next day. Then go home and get some rest!

Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Paul Trittler teaches at the Kostis/McCord Learning Center in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Ask the Top 100: Are hybrids good for everyone?

Our Top 100 Teachers are here to save your next round. E-mail askgolf@golf.com to cure what's hurting your scores with advice from the very best teachers in the game. Please include your name and hometown. Or post your question in the comments section below.

Do you have a video of your faulty swing? Upload the video from your digital camera to a service like YouTube and send us the link. We'll send it off to a Top 100 Teacher for help ASAP.

I have a 3- and a 4-hybrid and simply have not figured out to hit this club from a good fairway lie.  Can you help me?
Keith H., Ogden, Utah   

Hey Mr. H,
A hybrid is just that -– a combination of an iron and a wood. But not all hybrids are the same. Some are more like irons with flat faces while others have some bulge and roll on the face. Some have fade built in, while others have a bias for the draw. The length of the shaft is shorter than a wood but longer [by a half-inch to one-inch] than a long iron.

A hybrid gives you a higher trajectory and more distance on your long shots. And they are easier to hit out of bad lies. But they aren't for everyone and I don't want you to be coerced into using them just because they get rave reviews

Here's why they aren’t for everyone. Some golfers have iron swings and some wood swings -- some golfers swear by their 3-iron and some swear at it. If you have trouble hitting your hybrids you have three choices: 1.) Make sure you have the "iron" hybrid to match your iron swing type (ask a clubfitter). 2.) Change your swing so you can hit the "wood" hybrid; 3.) Go back to a muscle-back 3- and 4-iron rather then change your swing.

I'd try options one and three before I take on the horrors of option two.

Dear T.J.,
Last week I was on the first tee and I didn't have a glove in my bag. I'm a big Freddie Couples fan so I decided to play without one, like Freddie does. I thought I got a better feel of the club. So why do people wear a golf glove? Is this some sort of FootJoy conspiracy?
Eric K., Sacramento, Calif.

A glove is suppose to do two things 1.) Increase the stability of your grip and 2.) Increase the revenue of an optional accessory.

The most important thing to remember is that "feel is real," so if you feel better without a glove, don’t wear one.

Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher T.J. Tomasi, Ph.D., a Class A PGA professional, teaches at the Nantucket Golf Club in Massachusetts. You can learn more about TJ at www.tjtomasi.com

Our Top 100 Teachers are here to save your next round. E-mail askgolf@golf.com to cure what's hurting your scores with advice from the very best teachers in the game. Please include your name and hometown. Or post your question in the comments section below.

Do you have a video of your faulty swing? Upload the video from your digital camera to a service like YouTube and send us the link. We'll send it off to a Top 100 Teacher for help ASAP.

The secret to making pure contact every time

Have you ever been told that your left arm bends too much? Have you ever been told to keep it straight? Do you notice that you take really inconsistent divots (some that are really deep and sometimes none at all)? If this sounds like you, I have a concept that will really help.

When you watch PGA Tour stars, you’ll notice they all keep their left arm pretty straight during their takeaway and downswing. There are two reasons for this: 1.) Their bodies are flexible enough and trained to coil properly, and 2.) More importantly, their RIGHT arm works correctly. In truth, your left arm must be very soft and free of tension in the backswing if you are going to get any speed and release in the forward swing. But if your left arm needs to be relaxed, how can it still keep its width? Answer: When the right hand pushes the grip away from your shoulder at the top of the swing, your left arm will look straight, and still be relaxed.

Picture your arm as it swings away from the ball. It starts with a slight bend at address and then folds into an "L" position (like the old image of a waiter holding a tray of food) by the top of your backswing. See this picture of Tiger at the top [right]. If your right arm can create an "L" at the top like Tiger, rather than a "V", you will have plenty of width and the result will be a straighter left arm. Keep in mind that your left arm should be long, but most Tour players do not have it perfectly straight. A rigid arm is never the goal.

Remember, your right arm controls your width, not your left. Once you train your right arm to work correctly, your left will followed perfectly. When you learn how to get in this position every time, you’ll start hitting the ball better than ever before.

Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Jason Carbone teaches at the Jim McLean Golf School in Litchfield Park, Ariz.

The least-expensive slice-fix aid ever

Many golfers believe their first move in the downswing should be a body turn.  It may look that way when you watch Tour pros at normal speed.  But watch those players in slow motion. You'll see a lateral movement of the body in the downswing that happens a fraction before the turn: a sideways brace of the left leg.  This left-side brace "buys you time" to allow your arms to drop the club in the slot before you start your turn. 

The clubhead travels in three dimensions in the downswing: down, out and forward.  If you turn too soon your body invades the space where your arms should be. The club then goes out first, making its movement out, down and in.

Your teaching pro calls it over-the-top or outside-in.  You know it as a slice.

The Fix

I get my favorite image from my favorite breakfast: Cheerios. Place a single Cheerio down the target line, 2 inches in front of the ball and parallel to the outside edge of the ball.  In your downswing make sure you hit the ball, and then the Cheerio, to ensure you are hitting down and out.  If you struggle doing this, it's time to hit some half-swings (hands hip-high in your backswing ). Start the downswing by bracing your left foot. Then slot the club so that the shaft is aiming toward the ball or target line.  Focus on the clubhead hitting the ball and Cheerio.  When your divots are straight and the Cheerio is gone, you are on the right path to success.

The Feel

To start the downswing, your body should bump left while your arms drop. You should feel like you are "backing into the target" with your body, giving your arms a lane to drop those precious few feet. Then you can turn, as hard as you want.

Want to stop slicing? Be Federer not Tiger

Golf is a hard game to learn. If it wasn't, I'd be out of a job. But even though the game is hard, some people make it harder by treating the golf swing as an entirely new motion. Instead, amateurs would find the game easier if they realized that the motions they make in other spots have applications for the golf swing.

Take a player with a nasty slice. The problem is that he's keeping the clubface open through impact. However, if he plays tennis, then he already knows the motion he needs to close the clubface through impact, he's just not used to doing it with a golf club. What I do is place a tennis racquet in his hand and ask him to hit a forehand with topspin and I take a video of it. When we watch the video, he sees that he swung the racquet open-to-closed. Then I show him his golf swing, where he doesn't rotate the clubface closed. It's a very effective way to illustrate this key swing move.

Then I have my student get in his golf position with a tennis racquet and make that same topspin-forehand swing. After a few of those, he switches to a golf club. Then finally we tee up a ball. First hit: You guessed it, snap hook. For many of my students, this is the first time they've really hooked the ball. After hitting more hooks (this move takes awhile to "own"), I see students finally hitting their first true draw. It feels more powerful, too, since before they only had a glancing blow and now they are experiencing compression for the first time.