Golf Levels News

I had the great opportunity to travel to Pebble during the U.S. Open a few weeks ago. Most of my time was spent at the driving range watching golf’s best players work on their games. The thought that there was a player that could make all of those fine golfers look bad was simply unthinkable. After watching Vijay Singh hit, you would swear that it couldn’t possibly be done better. Wrong.

Now he’s had the chance to rewrite the record books again with his runaway victory at St Andrews, the site of the game’s origin. Not to take all of the credit…nor any of the credit for that matter…but I did call both victories weeks before they were played. Many people did, but I really spouted off on the Radio Golf Pro show that he would run away and hide in both events.

What made me so sure? I heard before the U.S. Open that they weren’t going to make the rough as punishing as it had been over the years. That would mean that he could still play to the greens from the rough, and his length was going to allow him to hit short irons from wherever he was. The other players were going to have to come in with 5 or 6 irons, which are much more difficult to control from the tall grass. Tiger also has the ability to hit the ball so high, which gave him a huge advantage on holes like 9, 10, and 12. It was just too good on paper!

How about the call at St Andrews? Hitting the ball long at St. Andrews is a big advantage. Look at the game’s champions who have won there: Nicklaus, Palmer, Watson, and Ballesteros. All very long hitters. The second element required at St Andrews is a great short game. Is there anyone better than Tiger around the greens? As long as you don’t hit the ball to the right (Tiger sometimes hits a hook), you’ve got it made. This one’s a slam-dunk. If they played there 10 times, Tiger might win 7 or 8 of them. Again, too good on paper!

What about the PGA at Valhalla? My prediction: Tiger will finish between 5th and 15th. Why not victory? A couple of reasons: First, Valhalla is not supposed to be particularly friendly to the exceptionally long hitter, which Tiger certainly is. Second, Kentucky in the summer will probably be experiencing afternoon showers each day, which will keep the greens from getting brick hard. Tiger has a huge advantage when the greens get impossibly hard, so there will be no advantage there. Lastly, Tiger is not the most accurate iron player on the Tour. Valhalla requires pinpoint accuracy on the approach shots, not a weak point for Tiger, but there are other players that are more accurate. There it is! Write it in stone…No victory for Tiger in the PGA.

All Good Players…

Most golf fans enjoy watching the game’s best players battle it out on TV. There’s nothing quite like watching those effortless swings and the incredible shots they produce.

However, what most people miss is the opportunity to learn from those great players on a weekly basis! Instead of just kicking your feet up with a soda during the next telecast, break out a notebook and a pencil. Here are a few things to look for that all good players do in their games:

1. All good players take a divot when playing iron shots from the ground!

The reason this happens has to do with the "sweet spot" of the club. The "sweet spot" (where you want the ball to hit the club) is usually right in the middle of the clubface. To hit the "sweet spot", the club must be all the way down to the ground. Good players hit with a slightly descending blow, so they can hit the ball clean, just before the club enters the ground. This descending blow necessarily sends the club into the ground, and therefore, a divot!

2. All good players pass the club above the ground when hitting a Driver!

The "sweet spot" of a driver is also in the center of the clubface. Now place that spot against the ball when the ball is sitting on a tee. Can you see that the driver has to be in the air at impact? That’s why you never (and I mean never) see the Tour Pros take a divot with a driver! That also means that they don’t take a divot on their practice swings with a driver either. Many amateurs take substantial divots with their drivers on both the practice swings, and the real shots. A bad policy to say the least!

3. All good players stay still when putting!

Watch the lower bodies of the Tour players when they putt. There is virtually no movement from the waist down. The motion is a pure arm swing. Too much lower body movement adds power where it is not needed, and often breaks the club away from a consistent path. If you really struggle with speed control, double check that you’re not moving your lower body too much during the stroke.

4. All good players "blast" the ball from greenside bunkers!

Many amateurs, for fear of going too far, will try to "chip" the ball from greenside bunkers, much like they would from the grass. The problem is, if you get more than one or two grains of sand between the clubface and the ball, the ball will stay in the bunker! That’s why all good players deliberately hit behind the ball in greenside bunkers. They make a strong swing with lots of clubhead speed, splashing the club down 3 or 4 inches behind the ball, letting the ball ride out on a cushion of sand. You’ll never hear the ball making contact with the club on this shot; you can only hear the sound of the club hitting the sand!

5. All good players finish the swing with their weight on the front foot!

On every full swing, you should notice that all good players finish on the front foot, or the foot closest to the target. The game’s best players have powerful shoulder turns, and they all hit the ground after the ball. The momentum of going from a full wind-up to a position where they’re making a divot after the ball sends them through onto their front foot. They can’t help it! Just try to hit the ground after the ball with your weight on the back foot, the club won’t reach! Many amateurs finish with much of their weight still on the back foot. This makes consistent contact virtually impossible.
It’s easy to notice the differences in the game’s best players. Aesthetically, their swings look so different! What we want to do is focus on the elements that they all have in common. If you find an element that all the game’s best players have, then there’s a strong possibility that it might be a good idea to incorporate it into your game too!

If you’re apprehensive about working on a certain move, or you can’t seem to get the hang of it, then ask your PGA professional. There’s a strong possibility that he or she might be able to help you with those moves that All Good Players Have!

See you next Time!

Golf Levels.com Comes to Life

New Media Gateway in Dallas will be completing the Golf Levels.com website over the next few weeks. Featured will be Golf Levels Minute clips, and a new Pro Shop. I will keep you posted on the launching of the new site.

It's also possible to get your level of "Taking it to the Next Level in Golf", for a 30 day free trial. You can get both the short game and long game DVD or VHS, in your handicap, and all you have to do is pay the shipping and handling. If you like what you see, you'll be charged just $29.95. If you don't love it, just send it back. We'll even refund the shipping and handling, so you can't lose! In fact, if anyone receiving the newsletter would care to get their level, just click on "The Series" page at www.GolfLevels.com and follow the directions. This is an offer that’s an absolute winner!