Resistance Training: Power and Swing Fundamentals

Resistance training can play a very important role in a golfer’s performance on the course. Here’s an easy exercise to build a more powerful swing.

• Take two or three clubs and hold them in your hands as you would a single club. You won’t be able to hold them with an interlocked grip, but hold them with one hand over the other as you normally would.
• Make your normal swing. The extra weight will force you to begin the swing correctly, and your shoulders will turn away to start a normal swinging motion.
• Once the momentum of the clubs takes over, the clubs will automatically swing through the proper position.

 

Improving Your Grip

Make the V’s!

The most common cause of a slice is an incorrect grip. To correct your grip at address, make sure that you can see the first two knuckles of your left hand and that a “V” is formed between your thumb and first finger that points to your right shoulder.

Keep a light grip with the right hand!

Usually, you have to keep the right side of your body solid to hit a good shot, but loosen up on your grip.  Some golfers grip the club too tightly with the right hand, creating unnecessary tension.  Over-gripping can cause you to hit over the top of or across the ball.  To correct your grip strength, check it before each swing.  On a scale of 1 to 10, you should have muscle tension on the right side at a 6 or 7.

Forearm Strength

If your left wrist breaks down through impact and is dominated by the right arm, you top, pull, and lose distance on shots.  To fix this problem, try this drill: hold the club straight out in front of you using the last three fingers of your left hand.  Using your wrists, lift and lower the club 10-12 times.  Repeat three times without bending your arms and it will train the appropriate motion to your muscle memory.

Try a Crosshand Grip

Wrists should never breakdown and should always work together.  If you have problems in this area, use the crosshand grip.  Place the left hand on the grip where the right hand would normally be and put the right hand at the top of the grip.  This forces your hands to work together and is essential for good putting.

Best Golf Clubs for Beginners

Beginners have a hard time making consistent contact with the ball.  Usually, you top the ball or hit the ground first ( or miss it altogether).  You also have trouble hitting the ball square with your clubhead which causes  you to slice.  You rarely hit the ball with the center of the clubface and your swing is slow.  Don’t get discouraged, though.  Everyone faced the same issues when they were learning to play golf.  You’ll get better with time and practice, and finding clubs that fit your skill level will help tremendously.

You want to look for a set of clubs that takes the aforementioned problems into account and allow maximum forgiveness.

Use these tips to pick out clubs for a beginner:

• When choosing a driver, try ones with larger heads to increase the hitting surface. Try one with a 440-460cc titanium head.
• Invest in oversized clubheads.  These have a larger hitting area that will minimize mishits.
• When choosing irons, remember that perimeter weighting will send the mishits you still have a little straighter.  This way, your shots hit off the heel and toe of the club will be a little more solid.
• Using a wide sole helps by sliding through the turn easier to get the ball higher into the air.
• Slightly shorter clubs can also help with shot accuracy, and an offset clubface will help you hit the ball square.  It’ll also keep your hands a little in front of the clubhead to reduce fat shots.
• Using a club with adjustable weights can help you mold the club to your particular swing pattern.
• Choose woods and hybrids that have a low center of gravity with the most possible loft.  This will make it easier to get the ball into the air and it will most likely travel farther.  It also creates more backspin which will counteract the side spin and keep them from curving too far.
• Super Game Improvement (SGI) irons are excellent in the forgiveness department.  They offer maximum perimeter weighting, wide sole, low center of gravity, and a larger offset.  You can choose 6-iron thorugh pitching wedge.
• You want a sand wedge with extra bounce that will help it glide easily through sand and rough.
• You can carry 14 clubs in your bag, but you don’t really need all of them as a beginer.  Start with a 5 or 6 iron and go up to the sand wedge.  Use the 5,7, and 9 lofted woods and 3,4,5 hybrids.
• Slightly shortened versions of 3, 5, and 7 woods (-.5″) are highly recommended for all beginners.
•  Try a large-headeded mallet putter.  They have a greater moment of inertia and they have alignment aids that make short putts easier.

 

Correcting Your Swing Plane

The plane concept can be confusing, and many golfers are unclear about what it is and its affect on your golf swing.  To keep it as simple as possible, the swing plane is the path the shaft of your club travels as you swing.  There are several reasons for swinging off plane, but the most common reason is using the wrong spine angle at address.

The spine angle creates a sort of natural axis around which your shoulders pivot.  The spine angle you set when you address the ball decides the plane of your swing.  If you lean too far over at address, your shoulders will tilt during your swing, causing your left arm to come off your chest.  This will create a plethora of problems–pulls, slices, deep divots, fat shots, etc.

If you lean too far back, your shoulders will flatten, pushing your left arm too tightly against your chest.  Thin shots, loss of power, and hitting behind the ball are all results of hitting on this shallow plane.

In a good backswing, your left arm is on a higher plane than your shoulders.  This allows you a direct line to the ball on the downswing.  If your left arm swing isn’t correct, you’ll be on the wrong plane and your swing will be off.

To check the accuracy of your plane, take a club and assume your normal setup posture.  Take a swing to the top and hold that position for a second.  Then loosen your grip and let the shaft drop.  If the shaft hits the top of your right shoulder, your swing is on the proper plane.  If it hits you on the head or neck, your plane is too steep.  Your plane is too shallow if it falls behind you without hitting your body at all.

To correct this, try a simple move at the top of your backswing.  When you begin your downswing, shift your weight onto your left foot while bringing your right elbow down to your body–just make sure you’re keeping your wrist angle the same since that’s where your power and distance come from.  As the weight shifts, the club will automatically fall into the correct swing plane and brings the clubhead squarely to the ball.

This creates a shot using two separate planes: one for the backswing and one for the downswing. This is critical for a shot with a square clubhead and good power.

Impact Drill Golf Lesson

We found this great drill from internet golf pro Mark Crossfield for making better contact with the ball.  The range will be open all weekend, so come on out and get some practice in!

See you next week!

Preview: FedEx St. Jude Classic 2012

When: June 7-10

Where: TPC Southwind

Defending champion: Harrison Frazar

Purse: $5.6 million (with $1,008,000 to the winner)

Players of note: #1 Rory McIlroy, #17 Zach Johnson, Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love, John Daly, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington

Stories to follow:

Scott Verplank: Verplank has battled wrist issues that have forced him to withdraw from 2 tournaments last month and has only made 2 of 6 cuts this year.

Rory McIlroy: Rory is participating in the FedEx St. Jude Classic, just a week before he defends his Open title and has missed cuts in the last two starts.

John Daly: Daly, a native of nearby Arkansas, is always a player to watch.  This party guy will probably not be playing at 100% with all the nightlife surrounding the Classic, but he’s guaranteed to produce some sort of drama whether it be on or off the course.

Phil Mickelson Withdraws from Memorial Because of Fatigue

Image via Lyons/Getty Images

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Phil Mickelson hit the wall and then headed for the exit,  withdrawing from the Memorial after a 79 on Thursday because of mental  fatigue.
Mickelson said it was more important for him to be rested for  the U.S. Open in two weeks than to finish Jack Nicklaus’ tournament. He  attributed the fatigue to playing three straight weeks, and then going to Europe  to celebrate his wife’s 40th birthday. He returned home to play a corporate  outing Tuesday in New York, flew to Ohio for the pro-am and found his head  wasn’t in the game.
“The course here is in such great shape. It’s a  beautiful way to get ready for the U.S. Open,” he said. “But I’m hitting it so  poorly that … I have to look at what’s best for me to play in the U.S. Open,  and I’m going to take the next few days to kind of rest up.”
It’s not  unusual for players to withdraw after a high score – it was Mickelson’s worst in  the 13 trips to the Memorial – and three other players withdrew Thursday. But  it’s rare when the player is of Mickelson’s stature, a four-time major champion  inducted this month into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Mickelson could not  think of another time he withdrew without physical injury.
“I feel like  it’s the responsibility of a player to see through your commitment and finish  the tournament and so forth,” Mickelson said. “And I’m kind of overruling that  just a touch, because I’m trying to think big picture on what’s the best way for  me to get ready for the Open.”
The last time Mickelson withdrew was also  at the Memorial in 2007, only then he had injured his wrist while practicing out  of the rough at Oakmont for the U.S. Open, and he stopped after 11 holes.  Mickelson wound up missing the cut at Oakmont.

Read more: http://www.golf.com/ap-news/phil-mickelson-withdraws-memorial-because-fatigue#ixzz1wYjDg22w

Improve your Club Head Speed

Want to know the key to greater distance and solid ball striking?  Club head speed.  Try these tips to revamp your swing and improve your game.

Proper Grip

The V’s between your thumbs and forefingers should point toward your back shoulder.  Make sure you always grip the club lightly; gripping the club too tightly is the biggest reason that most average golfers struggle with club head speed.

Arm Extension

Extend your arms through the impact area. When the club head strikes the ball, your arms should be fully extended.  Average golfers have a tendency to pull the club in toward their bodies as they strike the ball, which slows down your swing causing distance loss and mis-hits.

Proper Hip Movement

As your front hip clears properly in your downswing, the club will act as a slingshot, creating and releasing energy with strong centrifugal force during ball impact.

 

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Don’t give your mom the shaft this Mother’s Day. Try one of these great gifts from the Ole Miss Golf Course!

Tervis Tumblers

The Ole Miss Golf Course Tervis Tumblers just arrived! These 24 oz. condensation-reducing cups are perfect for hot and cold drinks, are dishwasher and microwave safe, and fit in most cupholders. They’re also made in America!

 

Rebel Black Bear Headcover

With the Rebel Black Bear headcover, Mom can show her team spirit on the course!

 

Gift Certificates

What do you get the mom who has everything?  A gift certificate to the Ole Miss Golf Course, of course!  They come in $25, $50, $75, and $100 increments and can be purchased online and in the pro shop!

A Day of Golf

Bring your mom out for a round at OMGC!  What’s more enjoyable than a round of golf on the loveliest course in North Mississippi on a beautiful Sunday afternoon with your kids?! You can make a tee time online or call the pro shop at 234.4816.

Weekend Motivation: The Key to Success

Welcome to the weekend, golf fans!  It’s time to get out on the course and MAKE. IT. HAPPEN. And since your mental game is just as important as the physical aspect, here are some great quotes on success that are certain to inspire greatness.

“Seventy percent of success in life is showing up.” -Woody Allen

“Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand.” -Bruce Barton

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” -Mario Andretti

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.” Vincent T. Lombardi

“Unless you’re willing to have a go, fail miserably, and have another go, success won’t happen.” -Phillip Adams