Don't Make the Adjustment

I've had many players lately ask me about proper ball position. My answer to them is always there is no proper ball position, and I like to tell them a story about an interview I was apart of during a local radio show. We interviewing Don White a famous club maker who worked for MacGregor and has fitted and made clubs for some of the greatest players to have played the game. During the interview the questioned was raised, "who was the most difficult player to make clubs for?". He answered, "Jose Maria Olazabal", he went on to tell us that Jose wanted a particular shot, a high fade, and wanted his clubs to provide that shot with the way he swung the club. Jose did not want to have to hit a high fade, he wanted to swing the club the way that was natural to him and have the club produce the desired effect. By adjusting the club for his swing instead of adjusting his swing to hit the shot, he could rely on the shot and be more consistent. I tell the players I coach to place the ball where it will get in the way of your swing instead of adjusting your swing to a particular ball placement. By doing this, you can now rely on consistent contact and enable you to place your focus away from the ball and onto the target. Next time your out on the range raise your awareness of where your club bottoms out and adjust the ball placement accordingly, DON"T MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT to the ball!

Speed it up by slowing down

At last weeks Golfer Development Academy, relaxation became one of the topics for exploration. We talked about why Olympic sprinters when they were interviewed after races regularly judged their performance by their ability to be relaxed. When the muscle becomes tense two things happen; first, tension is using the muscle for something other than its intended use. In the case of the sprinter the muscle is being used by tension instead of sprinting. In the case of the golfer the muscle is being used for something other than swinging the golf club. Secondly, tension changes the way movements would naturally happen. We talk to many players about allowing the club to move forward instead of making the club transition at the top of the swing. By allowing the club to make the transition you will allow the club to pick up speed and thus pick up some valuable yards. Raise the awareness of the tensions in your body and you will be taking a page from the great Olympic athletes as well as the great golfers.