This month’s tip will help ease the frustration of the transition from the summer grass to the winter grass. The good news is that the grass growing during the winter is much less abrasive than the grass of the summer season. Here are a number of tips that will help you transition easier.

1. When driving, especially on the fairways that are overseeded, tee the ball higher. You want the ball to stay in the air for as long as possible.

2. Fairway shots should be positioned more toward the front of your stance. This will enable you to sweep the ball and launch it in the air.

3. Pitch and chip shots are very difficult; tend to position the ball further back in your stance. This will eliminate the tendency for the golf ball to squirt off of the clubface.

4. Putting is always a matter of feel. Work on your feel by putting to smaller targets like a tee or a coin from various distances. Stay away from the hole when practicing and you will improve your game faster.

Keep all of these simple tips in the forefront of your practice and playing time and you will ease through the transition period.

This month’s tip will help you chip the ball closer to the hole when you miss a green. I don‘t know about you, but I miss at least half of the greens that I attempt to hit. The short game, specifically chipping is the cornerstone of low scoring. That is very evident when we watch the pros on television. Follow the guidelines below, practice each step and you will chip closer to the hole and therefore lower your score and handicap. Good luck and practice!

1. Position the golf ball opposite your right big toe.

2. Position the grip end of the club in front of ball.

3. Position the majority of your body weight on your front foot.

Those are the three mechanical pre-shot requirements for successful chipping. The ball position ensures quality contact. The positioning of the grip in front of the ball creates the proper angle on the downswing into the back of the ball. The placement of the majority of your body weight keeps you stable throughout the shot. Please keep in mind that your must keep your body weight on your front foot throughout the entire swing. Do not shift your weight!

If you follow these tips you will create a more consistent short game which in turn will allow you to be aggressive and score better.

This month’s tip will help you gain a few extra yards. Most of us are using our practice time to get more distance. The following instructions will help you gain a few yards and make better contact with the golf ball.

Begin by addressing the golf ball, now move the golf ball opposite your left big toe. Next, slightly raise your hands. This will create an arch in your left wrist. Grip the club firmly in your left hand and almost as firm in your right hand. Do not make the mistake of using extra light grip pressure with your right hand. If you make that mistake you will always grab the club coming back to the ball. That is an unrecoverable error!

Start your swing extra slow; try to take as much time as possible to the top of your backswing. Ease through the transition, keeping your arms as far away from your face as possible. Do not force the acceleration until you feel contact. After contact, swing the club as fast as possible to a balanced finish. A good thought is to keep your right thumb as far away from your face as possible throughout the entire swing. Good luck!

Drill of the Month

This month’s drill will help shallow out your downswing. The advantages of a shallow downswing are many. A shallow downswing enables better contact with the golf ball. A shallow downswing allows the golfer to swing the golf club faster, later in their swing. Please follow the drill outlined below and the benefits of a shallow downswing will be evident.

1. Take your normal address position. Position the golf ball opposite your left big toe.

2. Move the golf club to a position opposite your right big toe.

3. Begin your swing from this position.

This is a very simple drill that will have an enormous impact on your golf game.

This month’s tip will allow you to hit a draw. A draw allows the golfer to keep the ball a little lower and gives the golfer more roll and an increase in distance. Follow the procedure outlined below and you will be hitting a draw in no time.

1. Take your normal address position.
2. Position the golf ball off of your left big toe.
3. Drop your right foot away from the target line about three inches.
4. Swing the club straight back along the target line.
5. Swing the club back very slow.
6. Begin the downswing with your arms and swinging them as fast as possible.

If you begin the downswing with your arms and follow the previously outlined procedures you will hit a consistent draw. Good luck and good golfing.

This month’s tip will help you chip the ball closer to the hole when you miss a green. I don‘t know about you, but I miss at least half of the greens that I attempt to hit. The short game, specifically chipping is the cornerstone of low scoring. That is very evident when we watch the pros on television. Follow the guidelines below, practice each step and you will chip closer to the hole and therefore lower your score and handicap. Good luck and practice!

1. Position the golf ball opposite your right big toe.
2. Position the grip end of the club in front of ball.
3. Position the majority of your body weight on your front foot.

Those are the three mechanical pre-shot requirements for successful chipping. The ball position ensures quality contact. The positioning of the grip in front of the ball creates the proper angle on the downswing into the back of the ball. The placement of the majority of your body weight keeps you stable throughout the shot. Please keep in mind that your must keep your body weight on your front foot throughout the entire swing. Do not shift your weight!
If you follow these tips you will create a more consistent short game which in turn will allow you to be aggressive and score better.

September Bonus Tip for September 2007
By: Bob Schade

This month’s tip will focus your game on putting. There are several drills that you can do very easily to improve your chances at making more putts. Practice these drills and you will increase your ability to roll the ball into the hole.

Drill #1 – Find a vacant area of the green and place a tee in the ground. Move twenty feet away and place another tee. Practice putting from one tee to the other. This drill narrows your focus and allows you to concentrate on distance control and accuracy.

Drill #2 – Place a tee in the ground fifteen feet away from a hole. Place another tee one grip length past the hole. Practice putting the ball between the front edge of the hole and the tee beyond the hole. This will lead to more aggressive putting which will guarantee more made putts.

Drill #3 – Align two clubs towards a hole about ten feet away. Position the clubs apart with enough distance to fit your putter. Practice without a ball, swinging between the two clubs, without hitting the two clubs. Then put a ball between the clubs and try the same drill. You will be amazed at how consistent your stroke will become if you spend a little time with this drill.

GOLF TIP OF THE MONTH

August’s tips will help you make the summer golf season one of your best yet. Follow the tips outlined below and you will enjoy summer golf and possibly lower your handicap.

Tip #1 - Getting out of the sand can be a challenge. Especially, when the sand here is inconsistent with some bunkers hard and wet while others are soft and dry. The key is developing a method for each circumstance.

Wet Sand – Position the ball in the center of your stance. Do not open the face of your desired club. The club choice should be a sand wedge or pitching wedge. Position and keep your weight on your left foot throughout the entire swing. Choke up on the club and make a decisive blow about ½ inch behind the golf ball.

Dry Sand – Position the ball in the front of your stance. Open the face as much as you want to. You should be using either a lob or sand wedge for this shot. Position and keep your weight on your left foot throughout the entire swing. Choke up on the club and hit approximately 1 inch behind the ball. The key to getting out of dry sand is to accelerate through the sand and ball keeping the club face at the same angle is was at address.

Practice these two tips at our short game practice area and you will be successful at both of these, sometimes, stressful shots.

Tip #2 – Chipping and pitching from the around the green can be very difficult this time of the year. Even though the rough around the greens is mowed at least twice a week the grass is very thick during the summer months. Here are a few suggestions to make it easier to hit quality shots.

Chipping – Position the ball back in your stance. This will promote solid contact and therefore more consistent shots. The key to solid contact is to keep the grip end of the club in front of the club face throughout the entire swing. This action is short and crisp both back and through.

Pitching – The positioning of the ball in your stance varies depending on the desired trajectory. Back in your stance will produce a lower flying trajectory, the ball in the middle of your stance will produce a medium shaped shot, and a ball placed adjacent to your front big toe will produce a higher shot. You must keep the grip end of the club in front of the club face throughout the entire swing. This action is long, slow, and flowing. Think of a slow motion replay in your favorite sports programming.

Drill of the Month

Feet Together Drill

1. Put the golf ball on a tee using a middle iron.

2. Take your normal stance.

3. Slide your feet together keeping just an inch or two of separation.

Start this drill by swinging half way back to half way through. Swing very slowly just trying to make contact with the golf ball. Gradually build up your speed until you reach your maximum desired speed. You will know when you are swinging too fast when you lose your balance. If you are losing your balance, slow down your swing until you regain your balance. Then try to again gradually increase your swing speed. This drill can be done as much as you want, with and without a club. Be consistent and your results will be positive.

It seems like I get questions on sand play everyday and I had several people ask me to do a tip on getting out of our bunkers. Here is a procedure for extracting the ball from the sand.

1. Position the ball in the front of your stance adjacent to your left big toe.

2. Position the majority of your weight on your left foot and leave it there throughout the entire swing.

3. Aim at a spot about ½ inch behind the ball.

4. Swing the club through that spot keeping the clubface below your hands after hitting the golf ball.

5. A big follow through is not necessary.

This is a very simple procedure for the easiest short game shot. It is made even easier by our firm sand.

This month’s tip will help you get more air time with your driver. Most of us are accustomed to the 50 yard roll we get from the dormant grass conditions in the winter. During the summer in Florida, the Bermuda grass stays wet longer into the day. All of us must adjust our trajectory in order to maximize our distance potential. Follow these simple tips and you will have the tools necessary to have enjoyable summer golf experience.

Tip #1 – Reposition the ball in your stance. During the winter our tendency is to position the ball more to the middle of your stance. During the summer the ball must be pushed forward in your stance. I generally tell my students to position the ball off the pinky toe of your lead foot. Bonus tip: Use the tallest tees you can find.

Tip #2 – Slightly lower your right shoulder at address. This will make your shoulders a little more steep. This should create an angle that allows the golf ball to climb faster and farther.

One of the most confusing and misunderstood parts of the golf swing is weight transfer. Most of my students have no conception on how the weight transfer and more importantly when it transfers. First of all, you must position your weight 50% on each foot with the weight under your ankles; not on or toward your toes. Next, understand that your weight moves to the inside of your right heel on the back swing and then transfers to the inside of your left heel on the forward swing. Stand up from your computer and try that without a club. Cross your arms touching your left shoulder with your right hand and your right shoulder with your left hand. Keeping your position simulate the back swing; trying to feel the weight transfer to the inside of your right heel. Do that at least 5 to 10 times. Next, simulate the forward swing. Try to feel the weight begin on the inside part of the heel of your right foot and move to the inside part of the heel of your left foot. That is a completely different feel, but the correct way to transfer your weight during the golf swing.

Now when do you transfer the weight in relation to the swinging of the arms. First of all, a myth buster! The arms move the body, not the other way around. 80% of all of your power comes from your shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, and fingers. Only 20% comes from the trunk of the body! The back swing is really easy to understand; the weight gradually builds into the right heel as the club is swung to the top of the back swing. At the top of the back swing you should have approximately 70% of your weight on your right heel. The forward swing begins with the swinging of the arms and the weight of the body follows the arms. Here is the key, two feet before you strike the golf ball the weight is still more on the right foot than the left foot. Two feet after you strike the golf ball the weight is on your left foot. Please reread the last two sentences; it is the key to power producing golf!

This month is another distance tip. There seems to be a huge number of my clients that are asking for more distance off the tee. The first thing you need for more distance is the ability to turn your shoulders. If you are not physically able to turn your shoulders then gaining distance should not be your primary goal. The next item of the agenda is the ability to swing your arms with force. If you think that you are going to hurt the golf ball then distance should not be your primary concern. Okay, seriously here is an exercise and a tip for everyone should give a try.

Exercise

Take your normal set up position. Now grab your club at the hosel and the grip. Make your back swing and hold the top of the back swing position for ten seconds. Do that twenty (20) times. Please remember to go slowly and do not go forward past the impact position coming back down.

Tip

Follow the instructions carefully and you will gain many yards of distance. Good luck.

1. Take your normal address position.

2. Swing the club back slowly to the top of your swing.

3. Turn your left shoulder over your right knee.

Now the easy part: Just swing the arms as fast as possible from the top of the swing. Do not try to delay or hold back anything. You need that arm speed in order catch up to the turning of your body. That is the key to hitting the golf ball long and with a slight draw.

Lately I have been asked repeatedly about tips for getting out of the bunkers. My response is to first ask them how much they practice the shot. The second question is to ask how many bunker shots they get during their round. Next, I relent and give them a tip that will get them out of the bunker. Below is the procedure for getting out of the bunker each and every time. Also, there is a quick tip to add an element to your bunker play that will impress your friends.

1. Position the ball in the front of your stance adjacent to your left big toe.

2. Position the majority of your weight on your left foot and leave it there throughout the entire swing.

3. Aim at a spot about ½ inches behind the ball.

4. Swing the club through that spot keeping the clubface below your hands after hitting the golf ball.

5. A big follow through is not necessary, but the entire club face should be pointing at your target.

Here is a quick tip to add an element to your sand play that most amateurs do not have; putting enough spin on the shot to make it dance. All you have to do is drive your knees toward the target when your hands reach the top of your backswing. Just remember to swing your arms with force.