RSS

The real fundamentals of golf!

23 Apr

When you ask the question, “what are the fundamentals of golf?, you inevitably get some of the following answers. The grip, stance, posture, alignment, tempo, square at impact, etc. These answers are in fact elements of the golf swing. When you take a lesson, these elements will certainly be on the agenda as some of the “basics” you must learn to successfully swing your golf club.

However, the real fundamentals of golf, the things that all the great players do, are the following 3 things:

1. Hit the back of the ball first, creating a divot in front of where the ball was played.
2. Create a consistent ball flight, either right to left or left to right.
3. Hit the ball a sufficient distance to negotiate the golf course when playing from the proper teeing ground for your ability level.

If you can do these things, you can play golf! It doesn’t really matter what you look like as long as you don’t have any of what I call “killer moves” in your swing.

In the book, “The Stack and Tilt Swing”, Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer start out with this position concerning “fundamentals”. There is no standard in any of the variables that are provided to new players as ” THE fundamentals”.

“We believe that a fundamental is something links all the great players together, something that transcends individual setup and swing positions”.

What makes it a fundamental then is not how a great player does it, but that they are able to do the 3 things listed as the “real” fundamentals above.

As a beginner or developing player, you should work on chipping and pitching first until you are able to hit the back of the ball first and strike a correct divot, then develop your unique full swing, built around your ability to consistently strike the ball.

Please practice your chipping and pitching slowly and deliberately!

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on April 23, 2013 in playing the game, Swing Basics

 

Tags: , , ,

Moving the club away

01 Apr

The more I look at the swings of the greatest players, the more I am convinced that getting the club to the end of the backswing in a correct, advantageous position is accomplished by feeling the left shoulder move downward. This allows you to do two things, first, it helps keep your swing on an effective plane and second, it increases your ability to fully load your swing with your back and chest muscles while decreasing the potential for only using your hands and arms to get the club to the top. Some time ago, I spent some time with Mr. David Lee who is the creator of “gravity golf”. David is a man of few words and teaches the golf swing by getting his students to “feel” the golf swing not analyze it to death. David coined the term “heave” to start the move away of the club in the backswing. I like the term because it seems to me to be the opposite of “takeaway” which gives me the impression of using hands and arms which is diametrically opposed to using back and chest muscles. I often now refer to the first move in the backswing as a “heave”.

Regardless of which term you use, the movement is downward as well as back utilizing back and chest muscles as the first “in swing” movement.

20121206-063321.jpg 20121206-055034.jpg

Starting your golf swing correctly definitely increases the potential for the correct first move in the downswing and later a great impact position.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on April 1, 2013 in playing the game, Swing Basics, Uncategorized

 

Tags: , ,

Is your “pelvic thrust” adequate in your golf swing?

27 Mar

Lately, when I am trying to get my students to understand how important the legs and hips are during the downswing’s pivot I talk about the pelvic “pistol”, and the “Fosbury” flop. Mr. Fosbury was the creator of the modern way to successfully execute a high jump. Here is a quote from the book “Stack and Tilt” that addresses the issue of “pushing hips through” during impact! If you understand this statement, you are on the way to creating power in your golf swing!

“→ Champion golfers use the ground for power by straightening their legs and tucking the butt under the torso, which allows the spine to extend.”

Look at these pictures and see how the “pelvic pistol” is fired to produce power!

20121214-080549.jpg

20120819-084848.jpg

Email me at jkhpro@pga.com to improve your “pelvic pistol” and create more power in your golf swing!

Excerpt From: Michael Bennett & Andy Plummer. “The Stack and Tilt Swing.” PENGUIN group, 2010-03-15. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-stack-and-tilt-swing/id362445414?mt=11

 
1 Comment

Posted by on March 27, 2013 in swing analysis, Swing Basics, Training Aids

 

Tags: , ,

Information about the Amazing Angle golf swing trainer

19 Mar

Recently I was asked by a potential purchaser of the Amazing Angle to summarize the reason for its development. This was my explanation.

The Amazing Angle was founded on the principle that by performing many repetitions of a specific training action, that action will eventually be habituated.
When habituated, the action, a position or movement, can then be incorporated into the whole golf swing.

The Amazing Angle is a HEAVY WEIGHTED Swing Trainer. It is to be used in an intentionally slow routine. You must learn new efficient movements and positions, slowly, at 25 mph. for example, then increase the speed to 100 mph.

The Amazing Angle swing training system identifies 7, “in swing positions” and “movements”, P-2 through P-8. In addition, there is one “pre swing” position, Address, P-1, that you should focus on. Any of the “positions” can be “chunked” together to form separate segments of the swing. The most important three segments are, for example, P-1, P-2 & P-3 “chunked together” to practice the “backswing” segment. P-3, P-4, P-5 & P-6 “chunked together” to practice your “downswing and impact” segments, and finally, P-6, P-7, & P-8 “chunked together” to practice “impact to finish” segment.

My research proves that to be successful, each segment must be practiced “slowly and deliberately”, in sets of 10 repetitions, at least 6 times per day. The improvement of your swing, is a direct result of how well you can execute “high quality” and “consistent” repetitions of each “movement and position”.

Pictured is an example of position P5.20121214-090611.jpg

This picture represents a successful “transition” from the end of the backswing to downswing. The Amazing Angle “contact ball” is still connected to the left arm at this point which helps the player culture the feeling of “sustaining lag” or maintaining the “power angle” to impact.

America is discovering the benefit of improving golf swings anywhere and anytime with the Amazing Angle. Please send me an email if you would like more info. Always practice slowly and deliberately.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on March 19, 2013 in swing analysis, Swing Basics, swing traing systems, Training Aids

 

Tags: ,

Vintage Golf Clubs

09 Mar

I have just acquired a collection of old hickory shafted golf clubs. Some have been found to be of the 1880s era. Some were made in Scotland. After some serious research have found a rare “blacksmith” made iron, possible mid 1880s. Checkout the pictures below.

20130309-084341.jpg20130309-084445.jpg

Will be trying to sell in sets for decoration of rec rooms and restaurants and businesses. If you have any questions email me at jkhpro@pga.com !

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on March 9, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Pelvic Thrust, an important key to starting your downswing correctly!

07 Mar

Here is something for all you players out there to think about. The “pelvic thrust” is a huge dynamic factor in the efficiency of your swing whether you are a scratch player or a high handicap beginner. It is without a doubt one of the most important elements of the swing that produces power and accuracy when executed correctly.

The following article is from Golf Magazine. The topic is “the pelvic thrust”. Read it. It may be the most important information about your golf swing you will receive this year!

“When amateurs release their pelvis on their downswing, if at all, they tend to thrust straight out toward the ball or simply turn in place. These moves are big time no nos. Good players release their pelvis on their downswings by firing to the right of the target, approximately 15 yards to the right of the flag on a 150 yard shot, and then halting this action until momentum drags the pelvis to the left of the target. When seen in regular action, this movement gives the impression that good players only “turn” from the top.”

When using V1 video analysis with my students, they become aware that the downswing does not include a continuous rotation of the hips on the downswing as deceiving as this might be. When students become aware of the correct motion, their ability to strike the ball really improves. If you are consistently topping shots and slicing the ball, you may not understand how to begin your downswing correctly.

Please think about a visit to the Golf Center at Sports Ohio in Dublin for a quick video review to start the season right. Call me, Keith Haley, PGA teaching professional, at 614-738-1851 for more info.

Always remember to practice any new positions or movements in your golf swing slowly and deliberately.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on March 7, 2013 in swing analysis, swing traing systems

 

Tags: , , ,

The Amazing Angle golf swing trainer and winter practice !

15 Feb

I always get the question, why should I purchase the Amazing Angle and how can it help my game?

As the developer of a swing trainer for golfers, you might think that my response would be that the Amazing Angle is the greatest swing trainer in the world! Of course I think it is.

But how will it help ME?, you would say. My answer is this, all golfers have individually unique looks about their swing. Some swing look good, some swings look bad. Some swings are effective, some are not! As a golf instructor I know that even swings that don’t look graceful may produce good golf scores.

Here is the thing, if you are not able to strike the ball effectively right now, there is probably something wrong with how your swing functions.

I have identified 7 parts of the golf swing, that when any or more of these parts are not executed correctly during your swing, positive results will be disturbed on a scale of mediocre results to catastrophic results.

I think that golfers have become desensitized to instruction by the overwhelming amount of information about degrees of angles and minute positionality, when basic positive changes in fundamental positions and movements could really help their ability to hit the ball farther and straighter.

The Amazing Angle training system helps you identify and correct problems in the 7 most important positions and movements in the golf swing. The Amazing Angle trains you slowly and deliberately to improve these basic elements of the golf swing. Check out the pictures below. Improving your swing is as easy as seeing, doing and improving! Your progress will be determined by you.

Top of the back swingSustaining the lagImpactRelease of hands

It’s almost time for spring golf! You can start your program of improvement right now in your living room and be more prepared than ever to start practicing with a purpose when it’s time to hit the practice range.

Contact me soon at jkhpro@pga.com

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 15, 2013 in playing the game, swing analysis, Swing Basics, swing traing systems, Training Aids

 

Tags: ,

← Older posts
 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

%d bloggers like this: