Change the meaning of "golf" to help with Juniors

When we hear the word "golf" we may think many of different things.  Golf may mean trying to beat a certain score, hitting great shots, making a putt to beat our friends, or simply taking a leaisurely stroll with our friends on a warm afternoon.  To juniors it may mean something entirely different.

The best way I can describe what I mean is to discuss my friend's child and their love of the game.  The child is 8 years old is fairly athletic and involved with dance, gymnasitics and the such.  They has been coming to the golf course since the child was 18 months old.  Yet when the child comes to the course today they may play only one hole the entire day.

To the child"golf" has meant something entirely different than what any of us have previosuly thought;

• At 2 years old "golf" meant to throw a bunch of range balls around (actually more like 2000) and play in the sand trap. 
• At 5 "golf" meant to pile a lot of those golf balls into one pile and sit on top of them and roll down the hill.
• At 7 "golf" meant to drive the golf cart while on the parent's lap.
• At 8 "golf" means to drive the golf cart around, see all the holes, caddy during the round, get hot chocolate at the turn, see friends at the golf course, pick up range baskets, and, sometimes make announcements on the PA.

Throughout the child's life "golf" has been seen as many different things.  But, there has, and always will, be two constants when they come to the golf course.  First, it will be FUN.  No matter what they are doing the second the child stops having fun they change activities or leave the golf course.  Second, and most importantly, the child sees "golf" as time the child gets to spend with their parent.  The child knows that time spent on the golf course is time spent with the parent.  And that is one commonality with many of the people who play golf as a lifelong passion.  They fell in love with the game because of the time they spent with a family member doing it as a child.

Any serious technical instruction should wait when the junior comes and asks, "Daddy, how do I make the ball go in the hole in less shots?"  Ahhh music to a teachers ears.

If you have any questions or comments please do not hesistate to contact me at: john.grothe@gmail.com
Your friend in golf.
John Grothe, PGA

FEEL versus REAL

The most destructive element to learning...

I am too old...
I am not flexible enough...
I don't have enough time...
I am not athletic enough...

These are all excuses than we, as teachers, have heard from our students for their inability to perform a swing or make a swing change.  I say HOGWASH!  These are EXCUSES and not reasons.

Now those may be limiting factors that prevent someone from becoming a PGA Tour Player or reach a goal that is out of their reach.  But as a teacher I am confident that no one is too old, too inflexible, doesn't have enough time or is un-athletic to get better and/or enjoy the game more.

As an instructor my concern, and I feel, the most limiting factor is the players ability to understand that what they FEEL is happening in their swing is not necessarily what is REALLY happening.  Please let me explain.

Allow me to tell a story.  I was giving a lesson to a woman a number of years ago.  Her swing was too long.  This length of swing was allowing the club to get "stuck" too far behind her.  She was coming out of her posture and sliding off the ball.  In a word she was a wreck.  Roughly 30 minutes into the lesson she looked at me and said "John, my swing is short!  I can feel it."  With nothing else to do I proceeded to go back into the golf shop, I picked up the video equipment, took it back out to the range, set up the equipment, calibrated the system, recorded her taking one swing and replayed it for her...  Her next commend was as telling as it was simple.  She said, "John I never KNEW I was going back that FAR!  My swing feels so short but it actually isn't!!"

If you have seen your swing on video I am sure you have had a similar moment.  "Is that how I look?!?!"

The ability to go outside one's own feeling is a critical yet difficult skill that must be mastered to improve your swing.  In the golf swing your "feeling" of what you are doing can be destructive to the learning process.  As a teacher I attempt to have students focus on positive feelings that create different and effect the swing in a desirable fashion.  The player can then take this feeling on to the golf course and use it as a positive re-enforcement and player better.

Here are a couple of examples of what I have come across that is destructive and, where applicable, a positive alternative.

Negative Feelings                                Positive Alternatives
"Shift your weight"                             "Rotate"
"Help the ball into the air"                  "Use loft and leverage"
"Close the club face"                              "Square the Club face & release UP"
(generally through forearm rotation)            
"Turn your shoulders behind the ball" "Rotate shoulders on top of the ball"
"Don't lift your head"                          "Maintain your spine angle"

If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me at: john.grothe@gmail.com.

Your friend in golf...
John Grothe, PGA

Developing "TOUCH" in Putting (week 3 of 10)

Are you a Tiger or a Crenshaw Putter?

Tiger Woods and Ben Crenshaw are both considered great putters with a great amount of touch.  But the two are COMPLETELY different in their approach to putting. Who are you more like?

Developing your touch around the greens, much like green reading, is a life long pursuit.  Here is a great drill that will help you stay interested in your putting, help you work on speed control and help you with your touch. 

SET UP:

• At your local putting green find a fairly sloping putt of 10-15 feet.  Preferably down hill and breaking a minimum of 2 feet.  Both right to left and left to right breaking putts will work. 
• Set up shop with 5-6 balls from one position. 
• Before you hit your first putt read the putt from 360 degrees around the hole.  Up hill, down hill, down the line etc. 
• Place one tee at the lowest possible line you can stoke the putt.  This is the TIGER LINE.
• That is the closest to a straight putt as you can while still being able to hit the hole with the ball. 
• This line of putt may be so low that it requires a high rate of speed that the ball will not fall into the hole. 
• Place a second tee at the higest possible line while still being able to reach the hole with a slower paced putt.  This is the CRENSHAW LINE.
• This putt should be the highest and slowest you can strike the putt with it still reaching the hole.  

DRILL:
Taking each of the 5-6 balls pick a different starting point within the two tees.  Work on matching the correct speed at which to roll the ball into the hole.  Take at least 10 different lines to putt.

OBSERVATIONS:
You will notice that the higher the line the slower the putt.  The lower the putt the faster the putt. 
You will also notice that there are multiple lines in which the putt may be stuck (as long as the speed matches) to have the ball roll into the hole.  There is, in fact, many ways to strike the ball.

Tiger Woods attempts to putt the same way he lives his life.  He tries to control everything.  He tries to will the ball into the hole.  He hits it firm, agressively on a low line taking as much break out of the putt he can.  He figures his style will allow him to make a higher amount of his first putts.  Taking this same approach on his second putt means he may make many as well.  He accepts 3 putts as a product of that agressiveness.

Ben Crenshaw is the complete opposite.  Mr. Crenshaw generally putts on a higher and softer line.  He feels that the best putt is one that dies into the hole from the high side.  He makes a fair amount of them because he gives it enough speed to get to the whole but not too much to have a putt of any significant length remaining.

Which one are you?

If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me at: john.grothe@gmail.com
Your friend in golf,

John Grothe, PGA

High Fives for Colton

http://www.highfivesforcolton.org/

"not another thought, moment or memory lost to a seizure..."



Short Game Practice Drills

Try these drills to keep your short game practice fun and mentally engaged!

PUTTING

Clock Drill – Place one ball 3 feet away at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 o’clock.  In a counter clockwise direction putt all the balls in the hole.

a)     Do this first on a flat surface – goal; make 100%

b)     Second done on a slightly sloping surface – goal; make 85% (10)

c)      Finally do this on a very sloping surface – goal; make 75% (9)

Speed clock drill – Place 3 balls 3 feet away at 12, 3, 6, 9 o’clock.  In a counter clockwise direction putt with 3 different speeds…

a)     Speed 1 – ball barley reaches the hole, hovers on the lip and falls into the hole

b)     Speed 2 – ball falls into hole without touching the sides at all.

c)      Speed 3 – ball hits the back edge of the hole, pops up and then falls into the hole.

(This drill can be done on 3 different surfaces as the clock drill)

Ladder Drill – place a ball on the same line at 1 foot increments (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7… 15 feet).  Make as many in a row as possible.  Alternate this drill from a fairly straight line to an aggressive slope.

Distance Latter Drill – Lay a club at 30 feet.  From one spot putt as close as you can to the club.  Progressively shorten the next putt until there is no more room.  Count the number of balls that fit within the 30 feet.  Reverse this drill by hitting a ball as short as you can and then progressively lengthen the putt.

Bump Ball Drill – Hit the first ball as short as you can.  With the second ball tap the first ball forward.  Continue to tap the first ball forward as far as possible with following balls.

Hide the Hole – On a 10 foot long breaking putt place a one tee on the low side of the hole.   This will "hide" the "amateur" side of the hole and promote a higher and softer line for made putts. 

50 Putt Drill – take 5 balls at first from a very short distance (say 2 feet) and make all 5 of them 10x for 50 putts total.  The progressively move ball back 4-5 inches each time until you reach 4 feet.

CHIPPING

Box Drill – Put 4 tees in the shape of a box less than 1’x1’.  From various positions hit 10 shots attempting to land the ball in the box.  Observe and record the distance each shot rolls out.

Up & Down Game – With one ball chip/pitch on to the green and play the ball into the hole.  Alternate from easy to hard positions each time.

Chipping Ladder Drill  -Similar to the putting ladder drill. Place a few club on the ground at incremental distances apart, similar to a ladder. Number the clubs starting with 1 as the closest club and count so the second club is number 2. Find a starting point a few yards away from club #1. Your goal is to chip the balls so at least two land between clubs 1 and 2 and progress to the next distance between clubs 2 and 3. Repeat this drill until you completed the ladder. For a challenge reverse the procedure or call your target in the ladder and chip the ball there.

Basket Drill - Place a bucket of balls on the ground and a basket at 3, 6, 9 and 12 yards away. Practice chipping the balls into the baskets with all the clubs you might chip with during a round. Keep track of the percentage of balls you hit into the baskets and try to progressively improve your score over time.

Go through your entire - PRE SHOT ROUTINE!

If you have any questions please do not hesistate to contact me via email at: john.grothe@gmail.com
Your friend in golf,
John Grothe, PGA



Get your kicks...

Tyler has not shot above 75 in a tournament in 2 years.  As you can see Tyler has a terrific move at the ball.  We have been discussing his swing, one plane, two plane stack and tilt... and his swing.

I cannot stress this enough to a student.  The aspects I value in a golf swing are (in order); TRUST and REPEATABILITY.

Keep swinging well Tyler!

If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me via email at:
john.grothe@gmail.com.
Your friend in golf.
John Grothe, PGA