Although hand and arm action seems important, it has less to do with distance than you might think. Many players believe that if they swing fast with their hands and arms that they will hit longer and gain much more distance. Seldom does this actually help.

The truth is that if you rotate your body and especially your hips fast just prior to and after ball contact that you will gain much more distance. Also, if you rotate your shoulders at a good pace and do not slow down until the finish, your hands and arms will be propelled faster than you could ever do it consciously.

I sincerely believe that if you  let your body take command of your swing you will have more distance and accuracy than your hands and arms could ever provide.

—————————————————————

Note: In Lesson # 5 of Easy 80 Golf, we provide a simple drill that teaches you how to rotate your body faster and more powerfully than you probably ever have - all without thinking about it.

Happy Golfing,

Bob

PS. Don’t Miss Next Week’s Tip: Why Do We Resist Change?

Easy 80 Golf

Next time you are tempted to go for the flag on a par three, you might want to think about this.

Which holes have the highest overall scoring average on the pro tour - par 5’s, par 4’s or par 3’s? By scoring average, I mean which holes have the least amount of birdies and eagles?

Well, on the professional tour the most birdies and eagles are on the par 5 holes, followed  by the par 4 holes and lastly by the par 3 holes. Can we learn something from this?

Sure we can.

If the pros have the fewest birdies and eagles on the par three holes, chances are, we will too. So, when you face that par three hole - remember this fact and just shoot for the center of the green - especially if the flag is near the edge of the green. Then two putt and take your par.

Save your birdie and eagle attempts for the holes where it makes the most sense - usually the short par 4’s and par 5’s. Remember, a double bogey on a par three can’t be erased by a birdie on a par five, but a bogey can.

Happy Golfing,

Bob

PS. Don’t Miss Next Week’s Tip: Hit Longer Using Body Rotation!

Easy 80 Golf

The reason is this: In hard sand, you want to hit close to the ball and just slide the club under it and you will need quick hand action to accomplish this. In soft sand, you need more power to get the club under the ball to assure that club face does not open or close and that you do not get “stuck” in the sand, so here you need more power than in hard sand.

Tip #2) A couple of times each year, most greens will be top dressed with a layer of sand. While your first instinct may be to think that your puts will run slower, and you need to putt a little harder to reach the pin, actually the opposite is true. The sand raises the level of the putting surface so the grass has less influence. Also, the sand particles act much like little ball bearings, so there is usually less resistance on your putt.

Did either of these tips help you?

Happy Golfing,

Bob

PS. Don’t Miss Next Week’s Tip: Learn From The Professional Tour!

Easy 80 Golf

Many of us have a tendancy to set up to our ball, look at the target and take our alignment. But are we sure that we are aimed correctly? Often, we are actually aimed to the right of the target. I see this a lot with fellow golfers; they look where they want the ball to go and just assume that their feet, hips, and shoulders are aimed correctly.

To be certain that you actually are aimed correctly, go behind your ball and visualize a line running from your ball to your target. Find a spot on this line a couple of feet in front of your ball (a blade of grass, a twig, etc.). As you approach your ball continue to look at this spot. Then place your club face behind the ball, perpendicular to this line. Now, take your alignment  parallel or slightly open to this target line. Look back at your target, visualize your ball flight, look back at your ball and just let it rip.

Make this a habit and you will see your distance and accuracy improve.

But, this is only half the story.

As you set up to your ball, keep this line between the ball and the target in your mind.

As you swing, let your club move from the ball to a point a little outside of this line - not down the line. In other words, swing in-to-out. You will increase distance, and if your clubface is square to the target line, you will promote a slight draw on the golf ball.

Also, when using your irons with a full swing, your ball will come to rest quickly (or back up) which will allow you to aim for the pin on most greens.

———————————————————————————

Note: In Lesson # 1 of Easy 80 Golf, we teach you how to swing in-to-out naturally - every time - without having to think about it.

Happy Golfing,

Bob

PS. Don’t Miss Next Week’s Tip: Two Tips Concerning Sand!

Easy 80 Golf

To be certain that you actually are aimed correctly, go behind your ball and visualize a line running from your ball to your target. Find a spot on this line a couple of feet in front of your ball (a blade of grass, a twig, etc.). As you approach your ball continue to look at this spot. Then place your club face behind the ball, perpendicular to this line. Now, take your alignment  parallel or slightly open to this target line. Look back at your target, visualize your ball flight, look back at your ball and just let it rip.

Make this a habit and you will see your distance and accuracy improve.

Happy Golfing,

Bob

PS. Don’t Miss Next Week’s Tip: Check Your Alignment on Every Shot - Part # 2!

Easy 80 Golf

The beginning outcome is this: You are going to double-bogey each of the first three holes and be 10 strokes off of the lead at the end of these holes! This is a foregone conclusion - no matter what anyone else does, you are going to be behind by these ten strokes. How would you feel at this point? What would happen to you mentally? What would happen to your mood and focus?

But the rest of the outcome is this: After these three holes you are going to eagle the next four holes and birdie all of the rest. You are also going to tie the course record and win the tournament, hands down! How is your mental attitude now?

Of course this is fantasy, but it brings up a good point. Would you let the double bogeys bother you if you knew the outcome in advance? Of course not. You would probably just laugh and forget them immediately, looking forward to the rest of the day.

Well, this is what we need to do when we are having a bad round. We need to just forget the bad holes, laugh, relax, and trust our swing to bring us success very soon. If we can program ourselves to think like this, our mental attitude and focus will improve greatly, which will pay huge dividends in the long run.

Remember, golf is a game. Have fun, no matter the outcome. Relax and just enjoy the day.

Happy Golfing,

Bob

PS. Don’t Miss Next Week’s Tip: Check Your Alignment on Every Shot - Part # 1!

Easy 80 Golf

In case you missed it, here it is again:

Many of our pitch shots are missed because we have too much hand and wrist action in our short swings. This wrist action causes our  club face to open and close, making accuracy very uncertain. 

Did you know that most  golf professionals do just the opposite. They hit most of their pitch shots with “dead hand” action. In other words, the professionals do not move their hands or wrists during the swing. They simply turn their shoulders and allow their arms to move as a result of the turn - much like a long putt.So next time you practice chipping, try this: Get your set up position, and turn your shoulders back and forward naturally. Keep your hands and wrists still and just let the club make contact with the ball. Take small swings, and don’t try to manipulate the club in any way. You may be pleasantly surprised by the ball flight, and gain added distance and accuracy on your short pitches.

But there is actually more to this tip. (I didn’t want you to try this part until you had learned part one, so I held it back until this week.)Here is part two:

Don’t limit this feel to chipping only. Try to get the same feel in your long shots and full swings.  Do as you did in part one - start the club back with just your shoulder turn. Don’t be rigid, just let the club position remain as it started until you are about waist high on your backswing. Then allow the club to flow to the top naturally.

On the downswing try to feel the club returning to this same position as it approaches waist high again. Let your shoulders turn the club through impact and just beyond, while you retain this ”dead hands” feel. Then allow your club continue to the finish naturally.

I know that you may think that you will lose yardage swinging this way, but I think you will be surprised how far you hit your shot and how accurate you will become, especially if you have fast hips and shoulders.

Please let me know if this works for you.

——————————————————————————–

Note: At Easy 80 Golf this action is learned in Lesson # 3. Fast hips and shoulder movement is learned in Lesson # 5. Both are learned by feel so that you learn to do them automatically, without thinking about it.

Happy Golfing,

Bob

PS. Don’t Miss Next Week’s Tip: A “Magic” Day!

Easy 80 Golf

Did you know that most  golf professionals do just the opposite. They hit most of their pitch shots with “dead hand” action. In other words, the professionals do not move their hands or wrists during the swing. They simply turn their shoulders and allow their arms to move as a result of the turn - much like a long putt.

So next time you practice chipping, try this: Get your set up position, and turn your shoulders back and forward naturally. Keep your hands and wrists still and just let the club make contact with the ball. Take small swings, and don’t try to manipulate the club in any way. You may be pleasantly surprised by the ball flight, and gain added distance and accuracy on your short pitches.

Let me know if this helps.

Happy Golfing,

Bob

PS. Don’t Miss Next Week’s Tip: Dead Hands - Part Two!

Easy 80 Golf

This is a tip that we all can use, especially if we “block” some of our shots (hit them to the right).

So, next time you hit your driver, notice your finish. Does your right shoulder aim at the target line at the finish of your swing? If not, you are probably not making a full shoulder turn and losing potential yardage and accuracy on your swing.

So, the next time you are at the practice range, try to remember to keep your shoulders turning until your right shoulder aims at or very near the target line and try to never restrict this movement. You will probably find that you have just added even more power to your swing.

——————————————————————————–

Note: In Lesson #5 of Easy 80 Golf, we teach you how to do this, while using your hips properly at the same time - without thinking about it - all in one easy drill.

Happy Golfing,

Bob

PS. Don’t Miss Next Week’s Tip: Dead Hands - Part One!

Easy 80 Golf

So, to correct this, the next time you stand on the tee box, simply tee your ball just barely above ground level with all of your clubs (other than your driver) and, as we learned last week, remember to look at the ground, not the ball as you swing.

Try to make the same swing as you did when you made your practice swings. Also, don’t forget - with your woods, you can’t bury the club in the ground as you can with your irons, no matter how hard you swing, so don’t be afraid to “let it rip” when using a wood from this tee.

Happy Golfing,

Bob

PS. Don’t Miss Next Week’s Tip: Where Does Your Right Shoulder Finish?

Easy 80 Golf