A question we hear all of the time is When should we start golf lessons for our junior golfer? Obviously, there is no real answer. For example, you have Tiger that started at the tender age of three and other successful tour players started much later. With many differing opinions are out there, you must remember that opinions are like belly buttons and everyone has one Hale Irwin was once quoted as saying, If a parent brings a young child to a Pro and says I want him/her to be a Golf Professional, chances are they won’t be. The two most important part to the answer the question of When should we start golf lessons for our junior golfer? is that no matter what age your junior golfer is to make sure golf is something the junior golfer wants to do and to keep it fun for them.
First, you need to ask yourself some questions about what your motivation might be for getting their junior golfer lessons? Typically, there are four reasons that parents want golf lessons for their young child (under eleven):
1.Because of golf’s reputation for rules, fair play and self-policing, the parents have a genuine interest in seeing their children attempt to play the game.
2.A babysitting service, parents get a time out from their kids for a while.
3.Parents want to spend more time with their child and have decided that golf will be the vehicle to do this.
4.As so many do, parents feel that their children must be in as many activities as possible.
Again, whatever the reasons, the important thing is to let the kids have fun, enjoy themselves and let them decide for themselves whether they want to play the game of golf or not.
Regardless of how brilliant parents think their child is, young children (under eleven) do not have the attention spans. However, they do like to have fun and to some hitting balls is fun. As soon as you make it a chore by hovering over them with instructions, they will not want to play the game anymore. Think about it, would you?
If you want your youngster to enjoy golf, then don’t force the action. If they want to hit balls, let them. If they want to pick golf balls up and throw them, as long as they will not disturb anyone else, let them. If they want to hit their ball into the bunker, let them. When you think about it, a bunker is much smaller than the green and in theory, much harder to hit. Depending on their age, let them tee it up from 100 yards or 150 yards. Again, keep it a positive experience and fun for the junior golfer.
If you do decide to take lessons the Golf Professional should concentrate mainly on short game, putting chipping etc. The Golf Professional should show you as well as your junior many different games that you can play to keep it fun. In the meantime, the games will instill solid fundamentals which will help you and your junior to improve
IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –Thе Golf Swing Analysis App Receives end of Year Rave Reviews from the new York Times, TechCrunch, Apple and Apps Magazine
Tiger Woods: Mу Swing debuted іn 2011 tο much fanfare, and is now ending the year on an equally high note, receiving rave reviews from ѕοmе of the mοѕt prestigious mobile application critics including Apple, the new York Times, TechCrunch and Apps Magazine. Available for iPhone, iPod and mοѕt recently іn HD for the iPad2, Tiger Woods: Mу Swing, сrеаtеԁ bу the Tiger Woods Foundation and Shotzoom, helps golfers of аƖƖ skill levels improve their swing through video analysis and instruction from Tiger Woods.
“It’s awesome that Tiger Woods: Mу Swing hаѕ been selected аѕ one of the best iPhone apps for 2011,” Woods ѕаіԁ. “Proceeds ɡο tο the college-access programs of mу Foundation and I’m very grateful for the support.”
Tiger Woods: Mу Swing’s list of accolades continues tο grow wіth numerous “Best of 2011″ mentions including: the new York Times top 10 iPhone apps for 2011 ( nytimes.com/2011/12/22/technology/personaltech/ѕοmе-nеw-ƖіttƖе-treasures-fοr-thе-iphone.html ); TechCrunch’s 20 Best iOS Apps of 2011 ( techcrunch.com/2011/12/17/thе-top-20-best-iphone-аnԁ-ipad-apps-οf-2011/ ) and Apps Magazine’s “Best Apps іn Real life.” the app is аƖѕο featured аѕ number two іn the Sports Category on Apple’s own Best of 2011, the App Store Rewind.
Tiger Woods: Mу Swing is the perfect holiday gift for any seasoned or beginning golfer. Thіѕ one-οf-a-kind app wіƖƖ help any golfer improve their swing rіɡht from an iPod, iPhone or iPad. Tiger Woods: Mу Swing is the mοѕt advanced and user friendly swing analyzer application available, allowing the user tο record and assess their swing, assess through Tiger Woods’ tips and videos, and even compare their swing side-bу-side wіth Tiger’s. Mу Swing members аƖѕο ɡеt exclusive access tο “insider” videos from Tiger. make уουr golfer happy thіѕ holiday and give thеm the Tiger Woods: Mу Swing app!
for a limited time, Tiger Woods: Mу Swing for iPhone and iPod Touch wіƖƖ be on sale for $4.99 ( itunes.apple.com/υѕ/app/tiger-woods-mу-swing/id425808685?mt=8 ). Tiger Woods: Mу Swing HD is аƖѕο available for $9.99 іn the App Store ( itunes.apple.com/υѕ/app/tiger-woods-mу-swing-hd/id460151740?mt=8 ) and is compatible wіth iPad2 devices.
Abουt Tiger Woods: Mу Swing
Based on Tiger’s practice philosophy; Tiger Woods: Mу Swing allows golfers tο capture video of their swing ѕο thеу can analyze іt; compare іt wіth Woods and their friends; and see their swing improve over time. Woods serves аѕ a virtual coach, teaching golfers how tο υѕе swing-line analysis and providing tips on specific areas of improvement. the content-rich app аƖѕο includes exclusive personalized videos shot bу Woods which address fan questions.
Tiger Woods: Mу Swing continues tο integrate wіth the world’s Ɩаrɡеѕt active golf community — Golfshot.com — whеrе members share and compare scores and receive detailed insight іntο their performance over time. Shotzoom and the Foundation worked hand-іn-hand wіth Woods tο develop thіѕ unique app that wіƖƖ аƖѕο benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation and its mission tο provide college-access programs tο underserved youth. the app is available іn the following 12 languages: English, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.
Features of Tiger Woods: Mу Swing include:
Enhanced video capture
Side-bу-side swing comparison wіth Tiger Woods
Advanced swing analysis and hοw-tο demonstrated bу Woods
Swing comparisons, sharing and feedback tools tied tο friends and community members
Video updates from Tiger, exclusive for members οnƖу
SOURCE Tiger Woods Foundation
Copyright (C) 2011 PR Newswire. AƖƖ rights reserved
Best Golf App οf 2011 — Tiger Woods: Mу Swing
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Don’t be cheated, the Used golf club sales is on the very same level with the brand new club sales in both quality and class. In fact if you are keen in looking at the form of the used golf clubs you will notice that they have some form of experience. Yes, the used club has within it a spirit of use, somewhat, that makes it easier for a player to easily work with the club. This is unlike the new clubs that are only lab tested and have not carried with it the golf course experience. Of course the new clubs also perform the task, but as they say, old is gold.
There are so many websites that offer a wide selection of the used clubs that you will literally be spoilt for choice. Whether you prefer the putters or the irons, you will need not to look very far to get exactly what you want. The incredible thing about used golf club sales is, it is very pocket friendly, fitting well within your budgetary allocations while at the same time offering you the coveted chance to play good, if not excellent, golf. And by using the word used, it does not really mean old and worn out, in every sense of the word. Most golf club owners are very adept and careful about their clubs and as a result, even the used golf club sales show that the clubs are somehow very new.
The used golf club sales simply give you many options from which you can pick the very best. The most common of the used golf clubs are the Taylormade golf clubs and the well known and much coveted Cleveland used golf clubs. Within the best used golf club websites you will be able to get a glimpse of very affordable rates that will instantly endear you to some of the golf clubs; you may even buy more than you really budgeted for. The golf models on display will also give you enough reason to make the purchase and enjoy yourself in the golf course.
Tiger Woods himself also uses, occasionally, the used golf clubs and this should be much consolation for you in your bid to get one too. Your experience in golfing can be spectacular and so much fun only as you endeavor to engage the used golf club sales.
Golf club covers are those sock-like pieces of knitted material which are used to cover the heads of woods. They serve an important purpose – protecting the head of the clubs from nicks, dings, scratches, and the weather. An increasingly popular type of golf club cover is that for your irons, the purpose of which is to also protect these clubs, although they are far more durable. Covers, however, will keep the clubs from banging into each other, and in the case of irons, cause less noise as they are jostled about in a golf cart or to the tee box.
Where once golf club covers were just basic, knitted pieces with the number of the club, today’s sets can be customized to fit each golfer’s personality and come in a variety of materials, colors, patterns, and styles. For the ladies, there are feminine pink golf club covers, or those with characters. There are even sets of covers which resemble puppets, complete with faces, to form a family. Some golfers prefer cartoon characters to lighten up an otherwise solemn game, while others stick with the more traditional plaid.
It wasn’t until Tiger Woods came along, however, that the golf club cover industry would experience a real boom.
Tiger Woods and Frank
Tiger Woods is arguably the one player in recent history to breathe new life into the venerable game of golf. As he moved from amateur to victor in a number of tournaments, Tiger mania quickly spread.
Perhaps the most noticeable thing about Tiger Woods during play is his set of golf clubs – and the golf club cover on his driver which looks like a tiger head, complete with stripes and detailed face. It did not take long for sales of golf club covers just like Tiger’s to jump and soon they were appearing on golf courses all over America.
The story of Tiger and his driver cover didn’t stop there, however. His tiger driver cover was given the name Frank. Frank quickly rose to fame due to a series of TV commercials showing Frank giving advice to his owner.
No matter if you want to emulate Tiger Woods and use a fuzzy, striped animal head as a cover for your driver or you desire something that makes more of a personal statement, you can find a set of golf covers which will be perfect for you and your personality.
He also said he’s going to be an assertive captain and give more advice than he takes.
After Norman finished his final round at the Australian Open on Sunday with a 3-over 75, he hobbled into the media center on his blistered feet to say he learned from his losing experience as International captain two years ago in San Francisco.
“At the end of the day, I am going to say, ‘This is who you are going to play,’” he said about the team event that starts Thursday at Royal Melbourne. “I’m going to be a little bit more assertive, more of a captain instead of seeking advice.”
The potential Woods vs. Scott pairing, whether in the foursomes or fourball events or the singles next Sunday, is a delicate one. Scott’s caddie, Steve Williams, was formerly on Woods’ bag. They have had a fractious relationship since Woods fired Williams in July, and Williams made a racial slur against Woods at a caddie function last week in Shanghai.
“If it happens, it happens, it’s not going to be premeditated,” Norman said. “I talked to Adam about it, asked him if it works out that way, do you have a problem, and he said, ‘No, not at all.’”
“He might end up playing with him every day, who knows. I’d expect the two of them (Woods and Williams) to meet up face to face from Thursday onward.”
Norman said he remembers being told by then-captain Peter Thomson at the Presidents Cup in 1998 that he was going to play Woods in a singles match Sunday. The International team had a big lead going into the singles — and eventually won for the only time in the history of the competition — and Norman wasn’t happy with the decision, figuring it was something orchestrated for television.
“Peter and (Jack) Nicklaus (the U.S. captain that year) came up to me and said you are going to play Tiger tomorrow,” Norman said. “I said I didn’t want to make it a Norman-Woods show, and I rebelled against it. But Peter said, ‘You’re going to play him.’”
“In a situation like that, I learned if I am going to be the captain, the draw is going to be this way tomorrow and that’s what you are going to do.”
Asked if he felt whether television has that much effect on the pairings, Norman replied: “That was my assumption.”
Norman said one of his biggest dilemmas is the realization that that many of the American and International team members are good friends on and off the course.
All five Australian players on the International team play on the U.S. PGA Tour and own homes in the United States. Bubba Watson of the U.S. team and the International team’s Aaron Baddeley are best friends.
Norman said he was close friends with Seve Ballesteros when the two were young, with the Spaniard even staying at his house in Florida. The two often exchanged advice on the practice range, but their friendship suffered later in their careers.
“When he became No. 1 and I came knocking on his door and I became No. 1, all of a sudden there was too much pressure, and the friendship suffered,” Norman said. “I always believed in the world of individual sport, everyone was your enemy. You focus on the job at hand.”
He’ll expect the same from his International players at Royal Melbourne.
“Curtis Strange was probably the toughest one I’ve ever played against who had that ability to cut your heart out on the first tee and hand it back to you on the 18th hole,” Norman said. “I loved playing guys like that.
“I’ll tell my guys to forget all the other stuff that is going on around you, you’ve got to win that point. Instilling that in their heads is the way to go.”
LPGA
Wright donates mementos to USGA for museum
SYDNEY (AP) — The silver U.S. Women’s Open trophies. Her famous Bulls-Eye putter she used for all but one of her 82 victories. Rare video footage of her golf swing, which Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson once called the best they ever saw.
Matthew, the 42-year-old Scot whose last LPGA Tour victory came in the 2009 Women’s British Open, had a 12-under 276 total at Guadalajara Country Club and earned $200,000.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” Matthew said. “I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet. I got off to a good start and hung in there. I’m so exhausted at the moment, but I’m sure I will pick up after a margarita.”
She also won the Ladies European Tour’s Ladies Scottish Open in August.
“This is where all the best players in the world play and to win in such a limited field with all the top players playing, it’s such a boost of confidence,” Matthew said. “And even though it’s tough being out here now, I have two children at home, so I feel like I’ve got to be playing well to justify myself being out here and not being at home with them more, so it’s a bonus Christmas present now.
Anna Nordqvist and 2010 winner I.K. Kim tied for second. They each shot 71.
“She played awesome, you know,” Kim said about Matthew. “We didn’t really get any closer to her, so I don’t think she got much you know, any bit nervous or pressure. I think she had her own kind of momentum going, so I’m very happy for her. It was nice for her. … What can I say? I was in contention and I got to watch Catriona play, and I’ve learned a lot today.”
Nordqvist had her best finish of the season.
“I’m happy. I had a great week,” the Swede said. “Things are starting to fall into place.”
Matthew began the round with a three-stroke lead.
“I think in a way it’s just that much more difficult when you’ve got such a big lead,” Matthew said. “I didn’t know whether to keep trying to go for birdies or just play for pars and see if they make birdies, and in the end I kind of did neither and just kind of messed up a couple of holes there, but luckily I had a big lead.
“In a way it’s more difficult when you’ve got a big lead because you know it heats up at the turn and if you lose that, it’s not very good, so it’s more pressure.”
Tournament host Ochoa is expecting her first child next month. The 27-time LPGA Tour winner retired last year.
“Lorena is doing such good work with her foundation,” Matthew said. “You come and you think I’m not doing enough when you see all the things she does, so to have won her tournament is a special moment for me.”
Hall of Famer Juli Inkster had a 72 to tie for fourth with Ai Miyazato (71) and Hee Kyung Seo (69) at 5 under. Michelle Wie, the 2009 winner, tied for ninth at 2 under after a 71.
Top-ranked Yani Tseng shot a 72 to tie for 19th at 3 over.
International
Singapore Open playoff postponed until Monday
SINGAPORE (AP) — Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines and Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano will complete a playoff to decide the winner of the Singapore Open on Monday after rain forced play to be halted Sunday.
After tying at 14-under 199 after the third and final round, Pagunsan and Fernandez-Castano teed off on the playoff hole when play was suspended for 90 minutes because of rain and the threat of lighting. The storm let up briefly, allowing players to hit one more shot before more rain stopped play for good.
Officials said the playoff will resume Monday morning.
SAN MARTIN, Calif. – Rocco Mediate caused a stir in golf circles when he said he was “disgusted” with what’s going on with Tiger Woods’ swing, saying his physical motion is strong criticism of Woods’ most recent coaches, Sean Foley and Hank Haney.
Mediate didn’t back away from his opinion Tuesday, although he made it clear that few others are rooting harder for Woods to return to dominance. And he believes Woods will again get back to No. 1.
“If he gets his golf swing back, that game’s over,” Mediate said. “Because he knows that once he figures out where his ball is going, it’s over. He’s already proved it a million – how many times? – 71 times, and 14 majors. “If he can find his ball again, if he gets that club up where it belongs, trust me. He’s not done yet.”
Mediate said he has not spoken to Woods and didn’t expect to.
They are linked by their playoff at Torrey Pines in the 2008 U.S. Open, where Woods made a birdie putt on the last hole in regulation to force extra holes, then beat Mediate in a 19-hole playoff despite playing with a shattered left leg.
Mediate appeared to contradict himself at one point.
He said Woods’ problems are 100 percent physical, and that his sole problem is the swing.
“He owns the mental side of it,” Mediate said. “But on the physical side, here’s what I would say. You can mentally think certain things in golf, but if you physically can’t do it … if the club is in the wrong place, the ball won’t go where you’re looking.”
Later, however, someone asked about Woods beating him at Torrey Pines on essentially one leg. Woods made double bogey on the first hole three times during that U.S. Open.
“And if you think about it, how did he win that event? Did he win it physically or mentally?” Mediate said. “Think about what he did. I saw shots from that man at Torrey Pines that I couldn’t even imagine hitting. But he just kept walking, whatever. That’s greatness.”
BOO’S BACK: Boo Weekley is at No. 173 on the money list and in jeopardy of losing his PGA Tour card for the first time in five years. So why was he smiling when he registered for the Frys.com Open.
At least he feels good.
Weekley has been troubled by a sore left shoulder, courtesy of a cyst that was pressing into the bone.
He finally decided to have his dermatologist cut it out during a routine skin cancer check in July. He was supposed to be out for five weeks, but he played twice – the Wyndham Championship and on the Nationwide Tour – just to check it out, knowing he would get five weeks off during the FedEx Cup playoffs.
He tied for 29th last week in Las Vegas and feels his swing is coming around.
“It feels good,” he said. “First time since `09 that I haven’t felt any pain. And I’ve lost 15 pounds.”
But he hasn’t lost that Southern charm.
As he registered, the woman behind the desk asked Weekley if he wanted access to the spa facilities at CordeValle.
No, ma’am, but thank you,” Weekley replied. “Ain’t nothing in that spa that’s gonna make me no prettier.”
Then, she offered him a tour of the facilities.
“Locker room over there? Food over there?” Weekley said, pointing in two directions. “That’s really all I need. But thank you.”
TIGER AND THE AMATEUR: One guy has 71 wins and more than $90 million on the PGA Tour. The other is a UCLA sophomore with no wins and no official earnings. Tiger Woods and Patrick Cantlay have hardly anything in common – except for their tee time the opening two days of the Frys.com Open.
Woods and Cantlay will play together with former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.
What is an amateur doing in the same group as major champions?
The PGA Tour has been tweaking a few groupings this year to help make it more appealing for TV viewers. It starts with eight groups of three players – four groups in the morning draw, four in the afternoon draw. Twenty players are taken alternately from the world ranking and the FedEx Cup standings. The other four come from the winner’s category.
However, the tour now can have one “wild card” to swap out from the four players in the winner’s category. This week, Cantlay was chosen, and then put in the same group as Woods.
CLARKE’S CLARET JUG: Darren Clarke has had the claret jug for nearly three months, and he’s happy to report that the British Open trophy is still in one piece. That’s not to say it hasn’t had a few dings.
“I have not managed to drop it yet – myself,” he said last week at the Dunhill Links Championship. “But a few other people have. It can bend quite easily, believe it or not. I won’t tell you where it was, but it’s happened a few times. And it’s not my fault.”
Clarke has ordered the maximum three replicas of the claret jug. He has to return the real one next July, and it might not be in exactly the same shape as when he first held it at Royal St. George’s. But that’s probably true of past Open champions.
“Other people have obviously had a bit of fun with it before I got my hands on it, so I’m not the only one, I’m sure,” he said. “I did give it a bit of a twist to straighten it out a little bit.”
DIVOTS: With three tournaments left on the PGA Tour schedule, a record 21 players already have earned more than $3 million this year. … Adam Scott has signed an endorsement deal with Mercedes-Benz, which will start in 2012. … Luke Donald leads the worldwide money list at just more than $8 million. Next on the list is Webb Simpson, who has played two more tournaments, at $5.76 million. … Kevin Na drew attention to himself last week by purposely missing the ball so he could start over. The move is allowed in the Decisions on the Rules of Golf. It’s different from Tiger Woods, known for suddenly stopping his swing before impact if he doesn’t like it. “If Tiger is strong enough to do that, good for him,” Na said. “I’m not, so I’m going over it. But I definitely think he looks cooler stopping halfway down.”
STAT OF THE WEEK: There have been 28 first-time winners in the two years since Tiger Woods last won on the PGA Tour.
FINAL WORD: “If you look at the No. 1 ranking, the guys that are in there, I’m just trying to think if they won more majors than me. And I don’t think they did. That bothers me a little bit.”- Rocco Mediate, who has never won a major.
Golf has been one of the most favorite games in the world. It has now attained new dimensions and fame due to dynamic players like Tiger Woods. More and more people are being attracted towards the game and there are many schools offering their services for the new people coming up. One of these institutes is the PGA golf school. They are of two types. One is the Custom Golf Schools and the other one is the Long Drive Golf Schools. In both types of schools, training is given to small groups of people and to individual golfers in private training sessions.
The Custom PGA golf schools are offering customized or tailored programs. These are for people who have individual goals and aims in the game. These people have certain interests in the game and the programs are tailored specially for them. For example if a person is proficient in other aspects of the game and wants to attain proficiency in a specific area of the game then he can go for the custom schools program.
The other type of school is the long drive PGA golf school that teaches you how to hit the ball harder and longer. If you want to achieve more distance in your game then you should focus on learning from the long drive school. The school not only teaches you to bring long range in all your shots but also makes you proficient in long range off the tee shots.
You might be thinking that there are many other schools that provide same kind of facilities then why choose PGA golf schools. The reason is that the attention and focus you are given at these schools is unmatched. The main instructor provides you with guidance and direct instructions. This is the biggest and foremost benefit. Until the time proper attention is not given, you cannot learn properly. Then at these schools, you plan your programs and sessions.
May it be couples or family or individual students all prepare their programs according to their feasibility. This is a special thing about these schools. You are given more attention then you can handle. Being at these schools and learning from the golf teachers is an excellent experience. The other good thing is the private session. When you are learning in large groups then you cannot learn perhaps as quickly. On the other hand, if you are the only one to learn then you can think that what kind of instruction and attention you will be getting. The instructor at PGA golf school would give you all his or her attention.
PGA golf schools are located in San Francisco east bay area. The price varies for different sessions and is on per individual basis.
No matter how skillful or experienced someone may be at golf, there is always room for improvement in their swing. Even Tiger Woods has a coach which helps him improve his swing However, if you are just beginning to golf, then there are some basic fundamentals to the game which should really be looked into.
These basic fundamentals to a golf swing really are the ‘base’ of your swing, and getting them right will lead to great things. No matter how experienced a player may be, there is always faults in this basic swing structure. Here you can find some information about these points:
Grip – There is a very large range of grips which are used by golfers, and some range from a straight holding of the club, to a more advanced, and complete interlock of the fingers. The grip is probably the most important part of the overall golf swing, because after all, it’s your grip which actually contacts the golf swing itself With a bad grip, it can really have disastrous effects on the full golf swing itself.
Feet and Shoulders Positioning – The main point in this is that, your feet and shoulders should be aligned exactly in the same direction with each other. Most of the time a hook, draw, or slice on a shot is a result of the feet and shoulders being aimed in different directions. Although you may still feel a good strike with bad positioned feet and shoulders, you will almost certainly experience a bent shot.
Eyes on the Ball – Another common mistake made by golfers which results in a poor shot is because their eyes and head do not keep focused on the ball which swinging the club. The is a very common mistake, and many people look to see the golf club during their swing. Keep your eye on the ball in the whole swing to ensure great connection, and a nice strike of the ball.
Bent Knees – You must bend your knees slightly while conducting your golf swing. This ensures better stability, and power to the ball. However, don’t take it too far, as some people see ‘bend your knees’ and take it to the extreme. Look at a professional golfer, and look at their knees to see how much you should actually be bending them – only slightly
There are many more points to the standard golf swing, however getting the above points correct, really will work wonders in your game. Although these are basic, they are the real, and most important structure points to a golf swing. Learning these golf swing basics is a must to anyone who is keen on improving their golf game
Three things fall under this title: Rocco Mediate’s comments regarding Tiger Woods and the changes in his game (most predominantly, Tiger’s swing), the renewal (of sorts) of Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie, and Phil using a belly putter. Of course, it starts with the guy that “moves the needle”, Tiger.
Mediate “Disgusted”
You would guess by reading Rocco Mediate’s statements in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle that he’s rather upset at the state of Tiger’s golf game. It has nothing to do with the upheaval Woods had in his personal life that transpired almost two years ago. It has nothing to do with Tiger’s lack of playing competitive rounds. It has everything to do with the toying of the swing of the world’s former top player. And to make things a little more interesting, Rocco also took the opportunity to point the blame solely on the swing coaches employed by Woods. First, he took a shot across the bow at Sean Foley.
“The physical motion is wrong,” Mediate said. “To get that stress off his body is a piece of cake – the guys working with him just don’t know. Sean knows some stuff, but what’s going on with Tiger is not correct. That’s why he keeps breaking and that’s why the ball keeps going sideways.”
(Read more here on SFGate.com)
Not enough? Of course it wouldn’t be Rocco without totally getting his opinion in on this. He even looked Hank Haney.
“Starting with Haney until now, it was a complete and absolute destruction,” he said. “If it was me (as Woods’ instructor), I would say to Tiger, ‘Look, dude, I’m not helping you. You’re getting worse. You’ve broken down three times and you’ve had 57 knee surgeries. It’s not happening.’ “
You can guess what a reaction that brought from Haney, and he makes a valid point from his days of being Tiger’s swing coach (via Haney’s Twitter).
You hear this quite a bit: stats don’t lie and Haney provides those here.
And about Tiger’s golf issues? Haney knows he can fix them…and he adds that Tiger knows how to fix them as well. But Haney managed to take one jab at Rocco…
He just needs the V harness RT @bmoore_13: @HankDHaney Could you fix Tigers problems? – Hank Haney via his Twitter account.
Annika on Wie…again!
While watching Morning Drive on the Golf Channel, Annika Sorenstam was permitted the opportunity to “explain” her recent perceived criticism of Michelle Wie and Wie’s decision to pursue a degree in communications from Stanford University. This all stems from comments Annika made in early July previous to the US Women’s Open (Waggle Room).
“I think really her focus, in my opinion, should be more on the golf,” Sorenstam told reporters Wednesday on the eve of the U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. “She’s very distracted with school, doesn’t really play as much full time as I thought she would. I think she needs to come out here and compete more regularly.”
Wie defended her decision to enroll at Stanford to the Los Angeles Times.
“I’m making my own decisions, though, and going to Stanford was something I needed to do for myself. It was not a decision made for my golf career, it was really solely a decision I made. It’s been one of the first things in my life I did for myself.”
I believe the key aspect of Wie’s quote here is the last sentence. She did it for herself.
One thing no one should lose focus on here is that Wie is only 21. After March of next year, she will have time to devote to the LPGA…solely. I do think it will make her a better player and a lot of us will see the Michelle Wie we thought we would see a couple of years ago. I also believe that gaining a degree is a good thing. And she’s done that and founs a means to balance her golf game does say a lot about her mental makeup, something that was also questioned by Sorenstam.
Sorenstam, who did praise Wie’s potential and athletic ability, also said, “You wonder if she’s mentally strong enough to finish at the top.” – via LA Times
A Belly Putter for Lefty
This hasn’t exploded…yet. Or maybe it is as I’m typing this. At today’s Pro-Am for the Deutsche Bank Championship, Ron Sirak of Golf Digest reveals that Phil Mickelson surprised those in his group with a little something.
“Phil Mickelson’s pro-am group in the Deutsche Bank Championship played the back nine first Thursday morning at TPC Boston. Lefty missed the tenth green short, chipped up to two feet and then said to his amateur partners, “I’m going to give you a thrill.” He then reached into his bag and took out a Callaway Sabertooth long putter.”
Read More at GolfDigest.com
Wait. A long putter? And there are now numerous pics online displaying the proof.
On an episode of Ferehrty (which airs on the Golf Channel), David Feherty quizzed “Fluff” Cowan, caddie for Jim Furyk, and “Bones” McMackay, caddie for Lefty, what one thing would they change about the game of golf today. BOth answers are interesting.
Cowan stated that the pace of play needs to be picked up and that it should not take five hours to play 18 holes. Here’s the irony in Mackay’s answer. He feels they should be banned from the game. By now, this has created a bit of the stir. I know it has on Twitter.
It will interesting to see who wins this especially if Lefty commits to using it this week…or any other week.
This article discusses the importance of the pre-shot routine. Data recorded and analyzed from this years Tour Championship featuring the pre-shot statistics of Tiger Woods, Kenny Perry, and Phil Mickleson were used to demonstrate the impact on lower scoring from a solid pre-shot routine.
Before the data is presented I would like to congratulate Phil Mickleson, this years Tour Champion winner for his outstanding play during the tournament. His final round, five under par 65, is one of the best rounds played on tour this year. Whether you like Phil or not you have to be impressed with his exceptional play during the tournament, especially during the final round.
Thanks to FedEx we have a playoff system where the players are competing for a tremendous amount of money and prestige. The Tour Championship was played at East Lake Golf Course in Atlanta, Georgia, and featured the top thirty money leaders on PGA Tour this year. Congratulations Phil
The Pre-Shot Routine Is Your 15th and Most Important Club In The Bag
All great players have rock solid pre-shot routines. The pre-shot routine is the only aspect of golf where the player is in total control. The routine is comprised of two parts; analysis and the triggering mechanism.
During the analysis part of the pre-shot routine the player has a number of things to consider before attempting the shot. The player should assess the lie of the ball, identify playing conditions that could effect the ball in flight, yardage to the target, hazards, obstacles, risk/return, and the players physical and emotional state at the present moment. Based upon these factors the player visualizes the intended shot, selects the club to perform the task, and picks a target. These activities are approached as a process and should be repeatable, consistent, and meaningful. The number of steps in the analysis part of the routine should be kept to a minimum ensuring the players ability to complete the routine in about 30 seconds.
The second part of the pre-shot routine is the triggering mechanism. This is the final moment in time before the player initiates the golf swing. Once the player has formulated the strategy for the shot, picked a club and identified the target, a count down sequence is started. The more precise the count down sequence the better the results will be.
Imagine standing behind the ball while looking down the golf hole at your target. Many great golfers treat the area around the ball like a bubble that only they have access to. Inside the bubble, there are no distractions or mechanical swing thoughts. Once the player enters the bubble the only thoughts are about the desired feeling of the shot and the target. Many good players have a routine specific to entering the bubble and triggering the shot. Once you step into the bubble you want to limit the time before shot execution to about 10 – 15 seconds for full shots, and 6 – 10 seconds for putts and short game shots. The more consistent you make the time element the lower your scores will be.
Data From The 2009 Tour Championship
I wanted to measure the amount of time players spent during the triggering mechanism; defined as stepping into the bubble until the back swing was initiated.
I picked three players from this years Tour Championship; Tiger Woods, Kenny Perry, and Phil Mickleson, believing they would get the maximum amount of television coverage. Because of the way television coverage jumps from player to player it was impossible to record all of their swings. I was able to record at least 30 swings per player.
I used a stop watch and started timing when they moved toward the ball and stopped timing upon initiation of the back swing for full swing shots and putts. After the round I calculated the average time spent for each player for full swings and putts. I then compared individual times against their averages.
Full Swing Routines
The results showed that Tiger Woods average routine on full swing shots was 11.47 seconds. 61 percent (61%) of his shots were within .5 seconds of his average. More importantly, coming down the stretch he hit two poor shots; the tee shots on 16 and 18. The time for his routine on 16 was 2.5 seconds longer than his average and the time for his tee shot on 18 was 2 seconds longer than his average. That might seem insignificant to you however, we think it is very significant. Something caused a delay in his back swing trigger and the results speak for themselves.
Kenny Perry had an average routine of 13.19 seconds. Only forty four percent (44%) of his routines were within .5 seconds of his average. The numbers indicated a lot of variation; some slower, and some faster. The bottom line; this amount of variation has a significant impact upon the players ability to deliver a machine like performance. We are equating machine like to consistent and predictable.not mechanical.
Phil Mickleson had an average routine of 11.25 seconds. Ninety three percent (93%) of his routines were within .5 seconds of his average. He did not have any routines that were more than 1 second from his average. It was noticeable how in control and machine like Phil played on Sunday and we believe his routine made the difference and led to his victory. We also believe that for a brief moment of time during his round on Thursday, he abandoned his routine and paid the price when he made his quintuple bogie 8 on the par 3.
Putting Routines
Watching the putting routines for all three players was impressive.
Tiger’s average putting routine was 8.61 seconds and sixty percent (60%) of his routines were within .25 seconds of his average. Kenny Perry had an average routine of 6.25 seconds and eighty three percent (83%) of his routines were within .25 seconds of his average. Phil Mickleson had an average routine of 8.04 seconds and sixty seven percent (67%) of his routines were within .25 seconds of his average.
Statistical Conclusions
All of the players on the PGA Tour have solid routines. It is a very important aspect to playing great golf. The routine allows the player a safe haven from distraction and a consistent starting point on every shot. The numbers show that even the best players in the world can have variations in their routines resulting in a negative impact upon performance. Most amateurs do not play with pre-shot routines or have major variations in their routines, a significant contributor to poor performance.
Phil had a statistical advantage over Tiger and Kenny because of the consistency of his routine. He was very machine like in all of his shots. You could see it in the way he played. When Tiger has his A performances, his routine has very little variation and seems very machine like. The final round of the Tour Championship was not one of those days.
The other thing that was very impressive was the way all three players approached putts. They all have a unique approach to stalking putts and took a different number of practice swings, but when they made that final move towards the ball it was virtually the same every time, or at least within .25 seconds of the average. This was especially true on shorter putts.
Lessons Learned
So what can we learn from their example? Here are a few things to consider as part of your triggering routine:
Imagine a glass door between you and the ball that has a motion sensor. When you are ready to play the shot make a move toward the ball. The glass door opens automatically. Once you pass thru the door you have 10 seconds to start the back swing.
Make every routine exactly the same. This would include waggles, looks at the target, or any other movements or mannerisms.
NO mechanical thoughts are allowed. Think about the feeling you need for the intended swing and focus on the target.
Have a swing trigger to start the back swing. Many good players use this technique during the countdown.they start the routine with the word See it, then they say Feel It as they internalize the intended swing feelings, and then they say Trust It. Once they say trust it, the club starts back with no mechanical thoughts.
Reduce the steps in your routine to the smallest number possible. This will make consistency much easier to control.
Practice your routine. The only way to perform your routine within a one second variance is by practice.
Strategy, visualization, and the pre-shot routine are the three most important skills you need for significant improvement in your game.
