Sam Goulden Golf Blog

I was on the phone with “Kelly” from travelers insurance yesterday and she mentioned that she was having trouble getting the ball in the air - especially with her hybrids.

Well, there is a lot of psychology involved in getting the ball airborne.  The first thing we all try to do in getting an object to move “up” is to swing up at it.  This works just fine in sports like baseball and tennis.  When the ball is suspended in the air, we have no trouble getting the bat under the ball and swinging up at it.  However, in golf, the ball is sitting on the ground.  The trouble with a ball sitting on the ground is that if we try to get our club under the ball to hit up, we will bang the club into the ground.  This causes problem number two.  We now think that we swung too low so the next time we swing a little higher.  We graze the grass and then top the ball.  So, hitting it fat (hitting the ground before the ball) and hitting it thin (topping) are the same problem.. I’ll explain.  If I think that I must get the club traveling up at impact to make it fly, I will have a “bottom of my swing arc” problem.  That is to say that my club will reach its lowest point before striking the ball.  This will cause a club either missing the ground and then hitting the ball too high (thin) or hitting the ground and getting a fat shot.

So, to fix, the psychology of the hit is very simple.  Just remember that in order to hit the ball cleanly,  one must strike it very near the lowest point in their swing “arc”.  Bottoming out too early causes fat and thin shots.  ”Then how does it go in the air”?  The club has loft built in.  Just contacting the ball cleanly will ensure that the ball has loft.

Next time at the range, Kelly, focus on getting the bottom of your swing arc right at the ball rather than before it.

Let me know how you do!

Is it fair to say that we are all a little too caught up in swing plane?  I was working very hard to get my club on a plane that I thought was going to help me be more consistent. In fact, the last two years of practice have been devoted almost entirely to getting more “on plane”.  I have to say, I hit the ball so STRAIGHT with my driver it was sickening.  In my PAT I was -5 through 27 holes because I was in the center of the fairway all day long. That format is set up to play from about 6500 yards.  Distance was not a factor.  When I started playing in other tournaments, I noticed I was well behind my playing competitors.  I also noticed that I wasn’t hitting it far enough to even have a chance.

Over the winter I threw out swing plane and focused entirely on creating more speed through impact.  This did two things.  One, it gave me a 100 mph club-head speed with a 6-iron.  Two, it made me miss fairways. What I had gained in distance I had lost in accuracy.  So, needless to say, this season has been a learning experience.  I have been scoring better as I get more comfortable playing competitively.  But, I have decided that I must blend my need for length and my need for accuracy in order to reach my goals.

I have been working harder over the past few weeks to achieve fundamentally sound “dynamics”.  I am hitting my SW 100-105 yards with a 75% swing.  The great thing is, I’m flagging it!  I hit 2-iron, 6-iron into the bottom of the stick on my first hole last night.  Six inch tap in… Second hole was D, 5-iron to eight feet for birdie #2.  I nearly birdied 3 and I walked off #4 green 3 under wishing the sun would stay in the sky but knowing that my perfect round was coming to an end.

I have just Three very important words to wrap up… Dynamically Sound Fundamentals.

Comment or email for more insight and literature on these topics.

Well, we are on the brink of a new season and though the weather hasn’t exactly broken, the spring is just around the corner.  There have been some big changes in my life recently with starting a new position at Glen Echo CC in St. Louis.  As I’m sure many of you know, I have truly enjoyed the past four years at Wolf Hollow.  I hope that the relationships that have been such a staple in my life can continue.  I will have limited time in Washington but am offering golf schools at Big Driver that hopefully will allow us to maintain our growth as friends and players. 

As a new season starts, I invariably tend to think about my goals for the coming year.  One big change I will make this year is to practice more on short game and wedge play.  We talk a lot about getting our swings in good shape to avoid penalties and give ourselves more birdie opportunities.  This has been the theme of my practice sessions over the past few years and it has paid off.  I now feel very competent when making a full swing on even the tightest tee shot or longest par three.  The time to practice the short game is at hand.  Getting to the green in regulation is the first battle, getting it in the hole is the next priority.  Some of you are at this place now as well.  We have put in the time on the driving range and now need to focus on scoring.  Some of you still need to refine your swings to put yourselves in scoring position.  

This year I want to help you all get to the place where I am now.  It is a great place to be. Knowing that you can trust your swing and just go out and play. I will have video analysis set up to help with the full swing practice.  I have also created a tracking sheet to zoom in on the areas that need the most improvement. Tracking all stats is often an eye-opening experience and one that we can all benefit from. 

I look forward to working with you all this year and I can’t wait to help you reach your goals in 2009!  Please don’t hesitate to call or email to set up a lesson series.  Talk to you soon!

Everyday we are here on this earth we have options.  We can walk or drive, drive or fly, even go or stay home.  When the situation arises, recognizing these options is the first step toward making a decision.Golfers everywhere are so concerned with the aesthetics and technical aspects of their swings that they may miss out on some of the most enjoyable decisions out there.  Hit a six iron from 100 yards because it’s the only way to get the ball close to the hole.  This is the case today because the greens are frozen and if I hit a wedge it’s going to bounce over the green.  Granted, I don’t hit many 100 yard six irons, but that’s what is fun about it.  I’m trying to do something that may or may not work out.  I pulled it left but hit it the perfect distance and was pleased to know that I could do it.  Last time I missed a green from 100 yards, I think being pleased was the farthest thing from my mind.Remember in golf and in life all we can do is assess the situation, make a decision, and then move on.  Let’s try to keep our eyes open for these interesting and fun options in golf and in life!