PGA Master Professional HOTLINE: 612-720-8550
- Home
- Adult Lesson Packages
- Junior Lesson Packages
- Student Guidelines
- Biography
- Teaching Philosophy
- Golf Tips
- Tips & Commentary
- Testimonials
- Online Gift Certificates
- Contact Us
Tips & Commentary
Vijay needs a swing change (seriously)
Vijay Singh's timing is impeccable. He couldn't have picked a better or more profitable time to get hot.
Let's check off his recent achievements: He won the World Golf Championship in early August and then notched back-to-back victories at the Barclays and Deutsche Bank Championships just a few weeks later. That's a total of three out of six for a .500 average, good enough to make any big-league ballplayer jealous. Heck, some NFL teams would take it too. (Isn't that right, Lions fans?)
He has wrapped up the FedEx Cup — that's another cool $9 million. If that weren't enough there is an even-money chance that
he'll win "Player of the Year" honors after surpassing Tiger Woods on the money list. (The other players pick Player
of the Year, and there's nothing they respect more than the money list.)
But what's going on with Vijay's left arm? You've probably noticed that during the last three events Vijay has been sporting a white wrap that extends along his left arm from wrist to elbow. A difficult interview in the best of times, Vijay has been reluctant to discuss his injury. However, Vijay talked about it briefly after he won the Barclays.
Q: And the arm?
A: "I don't know what happened. It's been coming along, it's been two weeks. It's tendons and tendinitis and I haven't been hitting that many balls and it still hurts, so maybe I should go back to hitting a lot of balls. It just hurts, and wrap it up, it just takes away the pressure. It helps when I wrap it up."
Q: So it doesn't hurt while you're playing?
A: "No, it doesn't hurt when I hit it."
Vijay's obsessive practice habits are legendary. He reminds me of Ben Hogan, who found his swing secret "in the dirt." In the sheer number of balls hit Vijay probably surpassed "The Hawk" long ago.
So why has Vijay suddenly developed a case of tendinitis now? In the interview he speculates that perhaps he's just been practicing too much. This would seem to be a plausible theory as tendinitis is an overuse injury.
But I think that there is another underlying reason for his injury — the action of Vijay's right hand through impact. As many observers have noted, Vijay's right hand momentarily flies off the grip through impact and then reconnects with his left hand post-impact.
As a teacher, I have seen this "wrap-around" move before. It is unique to better players whose release is right-side dominated. But make no mistake — this is a swing fault which would result in a vicious hook for most players!
In fact, it was this same tendency that Hogan fought in his swing. Hogan discovered that if he supinated his left wrist at impact he could effectively hold off the toe of the club. This move, together with a series of other measures, mitigated the hook that plagued Hogan in his early years.
Vijay employs a different approach from Hogan to fight the same swing fault. Instead of supinating his left wrist, Vijay uses his left forearm to block the rotation of the club through impact and into the finish. And yes, there is no question that he does it well. Very well!
But there is always a price to pay for compensations (which incidentally require constant practice to manage and depend on impeccable timing and tempo). I believe it's this compensation that has led to Vijay's mysterious case of tendinitis. While his injury may subside during the off-season with rest and medication, the central question is: What about the future?
Will the tendinitis resurface again when he resumes his former practice regimen? While I wish him the best, I'm afraid that it might. As the 45-year old Fijian moves forward he will undoubtedly find that his body is not as resilient as in the past -- injuries take longer to heal and are more likely to reoccur — the curse of advancing age.
Should Vijay consider eliminating this swing fault? The answer to that question is a resounding "yes" -- especially if his injury moves to the more serious category of chronic. We'll just have to wait and see what the mercurial Vijay does next. If he needs help I'm always available. Vijay, just pick up the phone -- I think you can afford my rates!
Guaranteed! Lower your score by 5 strokes right now
Would you like to shoot a lower score the next time you play? I don't know a single player who wouldn't emphatically answer "Yes!"
Here's the challenge: Play just one round of golf strictly adhering to my plan and if your handicap is 15 or higher, you will instantly lower your average score by a minimum of five shots. My plan will also work for you if your handicap is below 15 but the results might not be as dramatic.
In general I've found that people attempt to make up for their poor shots by attempting shots that a professional wouldn't even consider. As a result they put themselves into situations that almost ensure a higher score.
The key to lowering your score is to manage the level of risk that you take on every shot. Here are eight simple keys to lower your score right now:
1. When approaching the green with an iron take one more club, especially on par 3s. Typically people overestimate the distance that they can hit the ball and come up short of the green by 10 or even 20 yards.
2. On your approach shots aim for the center of the green regardless of where the hole is located. In most cases you'll never have more than a 20-foot putt, and you'll avoid short-siding yourself or leaving the ball in an adjacent bunker.
3. When you have a putt of more than 15 feet, forget about trying to make it. That's when you most often run it past the hole and miss the comebacker. Be content with lagging the ball near the hole so that you can be assured of making your next putt. And guess what? From time to time the ball will actually fall in.
4. Don't try to cut the corner on a dogleg hole. This is a low-percentage play at best and if you make a mistake it can be disastrous. Instead, play a shot to the corner of the dogleg so that you have an unobstructed shot to the green, even if it's a little longer.
5. You're playing your tee shot on a short par-4 with bunkers on either side of the fairway. You could reach both of the bunkers with your drive if you miss the fairway. Don't just pull out your driver and hope to thread the ball down the middle of the fairway. The smarter approach is to select a shorter club and take the bunkers out of play. While you will have a longer shot into the green you won't have to negotiate a difficult bunker shot if you make a mistake.
6. At some point you will hit a tee shot into serious trouble on either side of the fairway. The best approach is to pitch the ball back into the middle of the fairway without attempting to advance it forward. We all hate to "take our medicine," but it's often the smartest play.
7. If you play par 5s with the hope that you can reach the green in two, you'll often leave yourself with a difficult approach shot of 40 yards or less -- one of the most challenging shots in golf even for a very accomplished player. A better strategy is to play your second shot to a comfortable distance where you can hit a full shot into the green.
8. Leave your lob wedge in the bag when you're approaching the green from the fairway because it is difficult to predict the exact distance that your shot will fly. With the lob wedge, you may make the occasional great shot, but more often than not you'll find yourself well short of the pin. Your sand wedge is a better choice than your lob wedge because it is easier to find the right distance with less loft rather than more. Plus, the sand wedge has more bounce, which will gives you an increased margin of error should you hit it fat.
Try my plan the next time you play and let me know how it goes. If you don't shoot five strokes lower than your normal score, I'll refund the cost of this column!
Lorena Ochoa's big swing flaw (and maybe yours too!)
As a loyal Minnesotan, I went to the U.S. Women's Open at the Interlachen Country Club outside Minneapolis
during the Tuesday practice rounds. You can't skip a major championship when it happens in your home state.
Plus, Interlachen is an important course in the game's history –- it's where Bobby Jones finished the third leg of his Grand Slam in 1930.
It was a great tournament, the course was in pristine condition, and a great opportunity for me to see the swings of the top women golfers up close, and of course I took particular notice of the swing of the world's No. 1 women golfer, Lorena Ochoa.
There's no question that Ochoa is a great player and a solid ball-striker. The average golfer would do well to copy the fundamentals of her powerful swing with one major exception -- the position of her eyes and the angle of her head throughout the downswing and at impact.
When Ochoa begins the downswing she cocks her head and her eyes to the right. As a teacher, I have seen this move before in less accomplished golfers who are attempting to swing more from the inside on the downswing. This move gives them some level of comfort, changing their perspective of the target line.
While these players may succeed in swinging more "inside-out" there are some negative consequences:
1. The body is in balance only when the ears are level so when you cock your head, you lose balance.
2. When the head is cocked to the right the rear shoulder naturally drops and the front shoulder is elevated. The head is the heaviest part of the body, so when it is out of position it effects the balance and structure of the rest of the body.
3. In a target sport the eyes play a key role in where the propelled object is delivered. Ochoa's eyes probably point 20 yards to the right of the target.
People who are very talented can do things that other people can't. In this regard, Lorena breaks all the rules – she's a clear example of how sheer talent can overcome even the worst swing flaw. I can't imagine anyone else doing what she does -- to be that much to the right and that far off balance -- and come through with the right structure and balance on her feet. She succeeds despite making these mistakes.
If you think you might have the same swing flaw -- a good indication is that your most common mis-hit is a weak flare to the right -- the brim of your cap can help you fix it. When you swing, try to keep the brim of your cap level with the horizon throughout the swing. If your brim stays level, that means your head stayed level.
But don't feel too bad if you have to work on this: you're obviously in excellent company!
Vijay Singh's timing is impeccable. He couldn't have picked a better or more profitable time to get hot.
Let's check off his recent achievements: He won the World Golf Championship in early August and then notched back-to-back victories at the Barclays and Deutsche Bank Championships just a few weeks later. That's a total of three out of six for a .500 average, good enough to make any big-league ballplayer jealous. Heck, some NFL teams would take it too. (Isn't that right, Lions fans?)
But what's going on with Vijay's left arm? You've probably noticed that during the last three events Vijay has been sporting a white wrap that extends along his left arm from wrist to elbow. A difficult interview in the best of times, Vijay has been reluctant to discuss his injury. However, Vijay talked about it briefly after he won the Barclays.
Q: And the arm?
A: "I don't know what happened. It's been coming along, it's been two weeks. It's tendons and tendinitis and I haven't been hitting that many balls and it still hurts, so maybe I should go back to hitting a lot of balls. It just hurts, and wrap it up, it just takes away the pressure. It helps when I wrap it up."
Q: So it doesn't hurt while you're playing?
A: "No, it doesn't hurt when I hit it."
Vijay's obsessive practice habits are legendary. He reminds me of Ben Hogan, who found his swing secret "in the dirt." In the sheer number of balls hit Vijay probably surpassed "The Hawk" long ago.
So why has Vijay suddenly developed a case of tendinitis now? In the interview he speculates that perhaps he's just been practicing too much. This would seem to be a plausible theory as tendinitis is an overuse injury.
But I think that there is another underlying reason for his injury — the action of Vijay's right hand through impact. As many observers have noted, Vijay's right hand momentarily flies off the grip through impact and then reconnects with his left hand post-impact.
As a teacher, I have seen this "wrap-around" move before. It is unique to better players whose release is right-side dominated. But make no mistake — this is a swing fault which would result in a vicious hook for most players!
In fact, it was this same tendency that Hogan fought in his swing. Hogan discovered that if he supinated his left wrist at impact he could effectively hold off the toe of the club. This move, together with a series of other measures, mitigated the hook that plagued Hogan in his early years.
Vijay employs a different approach from Hogan to fight the same swing fault. Instead of supinating his left wrist, Vijay uses his left forearm to block the rotation of the club through impact and into the finish. And yes, there is no question that he does it well. Very well!
But there is always a price to pay for compensations (which incidentally require constant practice to manage and depend on impeccable timing and tempo). I believe it's this compensation that has led to Vijay's mysterious case of tendinitis. While his injury may subside during the off-season with rest and medication, the central question is: What about the future?
Will the tendinitis resurface again when he resumes his former practice regimen? While I wish him the best, I'm afraid that it might. As the 45-year old Fijian moves forward he will undoubtedly find that his body is not as resilient as in the past -- injuries take longer to heal and are more likely to reoccur — the curse of advancing age.
Should Vijay consider eliminating this swing fault? The answer to that question is a resounding "yes" -- especially if his injury moves to the more serious category of chronic. We'll just have to wait and see what the mercurial Vijay does next. If he needs help I'm always available. Vijay, just pick up the phone -- I think you can afford my rates!
Guaranteed! Lower your score by 5 strokes right now
Would you like to shoot a lower score the next time you play? I don't know a single player who wouldn't emphatically answer "Yes!"
Here's the challenge: Play just one round of golf strictly adhering to my plan and if your handicap is 15 or higher, you will instantly lower your average score by a minimum of five shots. My plan will also work for you if your handicap is below 15 but the results might not be as dramatic.
In general I've found that people attempt to make up for their poor shots by attempting shots that a professional wouldn't even consider. As a result they put themselves into situations that almost ensure a higher score.
The key to lowering your score is to manage the level of risk that you take on every shot. Here are eight simple keys to lower your score right now:
1. When approaching the green with an iron take one more club, especially on par 3s. Typically people overestimate the distance that they can hit the ball and come up short of the green by 10 or even 20 yards.
2. On your approach shots aim for the center of the green regardless of where the hole is located. In most cases you'll never have more than a 20-foot putt, and you'll avoid short-siding yourself or leaving the ball in an adjacent bunker.
3. When you have a putt of more than 15 feet, forget about trying to make it. That's when you most often run it past the hole and miss the comebacker. Be content with lagging the ball near the hole so that you can be assured of making your next putt. And guess what? From time to time the ball will actually fall in.
4. Don't try to cut the corner on a dogleg hole. This is a low-percentage play at best and if you make a mistake it can be disastrous. Instead, play a shot to the corner of the dogleg so that you have an unobstructed shot to the green, even if it's a little longer.
5. You're playing your tee shot on a short par-4 with bunkers on either side of the fairway. You could reach both of the bunkers with your drive if you miss the fairway. Don't just pull out your driver and hope to thread the ball down the middle of the fairway. The smarter approach is to select a shorter club and take the bunkers out of play. While you will have a longer shot into the green you won't have to negotiate a difficult bunker shot if you make a mistake.
6. At some point you will hit a tee shot into serious trouble on either side of the fairway. The best approach is to pitch the ball back into the middle of the fairway without attempting to advance it forward. We all hate to "take our medicine," but it's often the smartest play.
7. If you play par 5s with the hope that you can reach the green in two, you'll often leave yourself with a difficult approach shot of 40 yards or less -- one of the most challenging shots in golf even for a very accomplished player. A better strategy is to play your second shot to a comfortable distance where you can hit a full shot into the green.
8. Leave your lob wedge in the bag when you're approaching the green from the fairway because it is difficult to predict the exact distance that your shot will fly. With the lob wedge, you may make the occasional great shot, but more often than not you'll find yourself well short of the pin. Your sand wedge is a better choice than your lob wedge because it is easier to find the right distance with less loft rather than more. Plus, the sand wedge has more bounce, which will gives you an increased margin of error should you hit it fat.
Try my plan the next time you play and let me know how it goes. If you don't shoot five strokes lower than your normal score, I'll refund the cost of this column!
Lorena Ochoa's big swing flaw (and maybe yours too!)
It was a great tournament, the course was in pristine condition, and a great opportunity for me to see the swings of the top women golfers up close, and of course I took particular notice of the swing of the world's No. 1 women golfer, Lorena Ochoa.
There's no question that Ochoa is a great player and a solid ball-striker. The average golfer would do well to copy the fundamentals of her powerful swing with one major exception -- the position of her eyes and the angle of her head throughout the downswing and at impact.
When Ochoa begins the downswing she cocks her head and her eyes to the right. As a teacher, I have seen this move before in less accomplished golfers who are attempting to swing more from the inside on the downswing. This move gives them some level of comfort, changing their perspective of the target line.
While these players may succeed in swinging more "inside-out" there are some negative consequences:
1. The body is in balance only when the ears are level so when you cock your head, you lose balance.
2. When the head is cocked to the right the rear shoulder naturally drops and the front shoulder is elevated. The head is the heaviest part of the body, so when it is out of position it effects the balance and structure of the rest of the body.
3. In a target sport the eyes play a key role in where the propelled object is delivered. Ochoa's eyes probably point 20 yards to the right of the target.
People who are very talented can do things that other people can't. In this regard, Lorena breaks all the rules – she's a clear example of how sheer talent can overcome even the worst swing flaw. I can't imagine anyone else doing what she does -- to be that much to the right and that far off balance -- and come through with the right structure and balance on her feet. She succeeds despite making these mistakes.
If you think you might have the same swing flaw -- a good indication is that your most common mis-hit is a weak flare to the right -- the brim of your cap can help you fix it. When you swing, try to keep the brim of your cap level with the horizon throughout the swing. If your brim stays level, that means your head stayed level.
But don't feel too bad if you have to work on this: you're obviously in excellent company!