The Station
Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Looking out the windows, we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village hills. But uppermost in our minds is the final...
The Delicate Subject of Cheating
Yes, it’s a delicate subject, and certainly no one ever wants to be accused of committing this inappropriate act. On occasion, however, the “C” word can take place without intention, which of course is an entirely different scenario from an intentional violation of the rules. A number of years ago, back in 1999, I met a group of veteran golfers, and there was a discussion in the clubhouse about cheating. One of them said, “You see...
Golf is an Approach Shot Game
The title of this article goes against much of what conventional thinking says about success in golf. Most teachers and students are under the impression that the short game is the most important phase of the game, while others might say the ability to drive the ball long and straight is. Some will say it is putting, since research shows putts make up about 43 percent of all strokes taken. I want to make the case that the approach...
The Modern Swing: Tiger’s Modern Backswing and Downsizing
Previously, I brought to your attention something that had previously gone unnoticed by golf experts, yet it is something so groundbreaking for the world of golf instruction and how the game is likely to be taught in the future. It was the discovery that Tiger Woods changed his swing once again, likely this time forever, since the new Modern Swing he employed helped him hit the ball so powerfully, so accurately and, moreover, on such...
The Modern Swing: Tiger’s Modern Swing Setup
I consider myself a golf historian, though admittedly my interest leans mostly toward the realm of golf instruction. In fact, in my library I’ve got over one hundred how-to books, my at home office walls are covered with swing sequence photographs of golf greats, and my desk drawers contain golf videotapes and electronic media of all types, plus binders containing instruction articles cut out of major golf magazines. On top of that,...
Boosting Your Teaching Business
You’ve done it. You’ve passed the USGTF certification course, you get hired at a driving range or golf course as the head teaching professional, and you can’t wait to get started. You hang out your shingle and wait for the students to come… except that they don’t come in the numbers you envisioned. What’s going on here? There are certain locations where all you have to do is hang out the proverbial shingle and students will come. If...
Unique Rulings in Golf
Recently, in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Steward Cink was disqualified for testing a bunker prior to hitting a shot from a bunker, and failing to add the two-stroke penalty to his scorecard. What made this ruling unique is that Cink not only didn’t know initially he violated a Rule, but that the bunker he “tested” was a completely different bunker than the one from which he hit his next shot! His ball was just outside a fairway...
More Questions From Regular Clients
How do I approach playing out of a fairway bunker as opposed to a greenside bunker? From a fairway bunker, you want to hit the ball first. In a greenside bunker, you want to hit the sand first. For a fairway bunker shot, take one more club than you would for a fairway shot of the same distance, play the ball one ballwidth farther back in your stance, and keep the lower body quiet during the backswing. If you dig into the sand a little...
Strategies On The Lesson Tee
There are a lot of unspoken expectations when a student first comes to you for a lesson. The student sees you as the golf professional, teacher, and expert. How you use your expertise is very important in developing success for your teaching profession. Students expect that people who have developed expertise in particular areas (such as the golf swing) are, by definition, able to think effectively about problems in those areas....
What is the Best Putting Grip
It seems, since golf began some 600 years ago, players have argued whether the straight back-straight through putting stroke, preferred today by putting expert Dave Pelz, is better than the inside-square-inside stroke recommended these days by another short game guru, Stan Utley. Well, surely these arguments will go on for a long time, yet one thing will stay the same: most USGTF and WGTF members believe the Pelz type stroke works...
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