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!

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.

In golf, the pursuit of happiness is why we play.  We hit one shot that encompasses everything we know we are capable of achieving.  We play one round or maybe just nine holes that shows us our ability.  Does this mean that the goal of golf is to achieve the perfect round of golf?  Does the perfect round even exist?  And if we were to play that perfect round, is that true happiness?  

I believe that those of us that pursue golf happiness are actually already happy.  I feel that as long as we are able to correct our mistakes, we are happy.  Does this mean that we will always hit perfect shots or play perfect rounds and thus attain golf happiness?  No, this simply means that we have the golf specific knowledge that allows us to pursue that perfect round of golf.  Golf is “not a game of perfect”, as Tom Watson once famously stated and Bob Rotella made famous.  If this is the case, let’s realize that it’s the pursuit of happiness that makes the game enjoyable.. not “happiness” in and of itself.

In your game, remember that it is the pursuit of the perfect shot that makes the game fun.  Not the perfect shot.. If you hit all perfect shots, it would not be so enjoyable to do so.

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!