*Short Game is all in Your Hands*

Swinging the golf club and hitting the ball is where the BIG muscles are used, but not in the short game.   The short game is ALL FEEL = SOFT HANDS.  On and around the green keep your grip very,very soft.   You must feel the clubhead and the ball to get the distance correct.

With putting and chipping there is no leg or torso movement = keep the body and especially the head still.   Feel the putter head roll the ball, feel the clubhead chip the ball and  this can only happen with soft hands.  Do several practice strokes or chips and feel the putter/club head = you are striving for the feel of the distance – how much backstroke or back chip do you need to roll the ball just past the hole.

In David Pelz’s book ‘The Putting Bible’ he says that rolling the ball 18 inches past the cup is optimal.  This will apply to chipping as well.   Naturally on a steep uphill putt or chip do not go past by too much – the downhill or sidehill putt is always more difficult.

Copy the best!  With chipping you will see all the pros grip way down, bending their knees more and moving very close to the ball – this will give way more feel and control.   I have the shaft of the club only several inches from my legs. The closer you are to the ball the more feel and control you will have.  Build a close personal relationship with the ball for chipping.  Putting is slightly different with the posture since the shaft is straight, here you want your eyes over the ball.

 

 

 

Focus more on your Target with Short Game

With putting i am looking at the hole and the putt line way more than at the ball.  Does a billiard shooter just stare at his stick and cue ball?  Does a dart thrower look at his dart?   Basketball players do not look at the ball when they are throwing it.

DO NOT GET BALL BOUND with your focus!!!

Yes i will look at the ball as i execute my stroke.  I am glancing back and forth from the ball along the intended putt line to the hole and then backwards.  I will do this as many times as needed until i feel that i can rock it in.

Then after my last look i will bring my eyes back to the ball and roll it within several seconds.  Watch the best putters on TV or even better, in person – watch their eyes and where they’re focused.   Look intently at an object across the room, then turn your head away or close your eyes – you can still see/feel the object for several seconds afterwards – you know where it is.

This same technique applies to chipping and other short shots also.   Further away as in a short pitch or chip/bump and roll, i will look at the whole distance/line and the hole, but my primary focus is on where i want the ball to land – so that will be my last look before i initiate my movement.

 

Sand Bunker Play

Many golfers feel anxiety when they hit into the sand, they approach the bunker with trepidation and fear.  They avoid the bunker at all costs.

The green side bunker ‘explosion or splash shot’ from the sand is THE EASIEST SHOT IN GOLF !!!   Why?, because we don’t even hit the ball.   We can hit anywhere from 2 or 3 centimeters to 8 or 9 centimeters behind the ball and it will pop out!   We MUST accelerate the club head thru the sand.

We simply open the club face slightly to expose the bounce of the bottom of the club and then stand a little open to square the club face to the intended target.  Then we take the club back on a steeper angle with our foot line creating an out to in swing path.  I like to feel the toe of the club go up and out on the same angle as the loft of the club face outside the target line and parallel with my lower body.   A smooth 3/4 back swing – then use your weight transfer as in a normal pitch shot and accelerate the club head down and thru the sand to a high finish.

If you are turning your hips and moving your lower body weight to the left as in a normal swing and accelerate the club head – the ball will pop right out of the sand and onto the green.

Efficient Practice Time !

How you practice will show on the golf course.   Let’s find a way to practice quality shot making with good ball striking.   I tell all my students to take their time at the range and try to produce good shots by focusing on what they are doing with every single ball.

I have watched too many ‘wanna be better players’ go to the practice ground and load up the ball machine with a hundred balls to whack them out as fast as they can till they get tired and sit down for a break.   What a load of garbage!   They probably told their spouse “Honey I’m going to the range to bang some balls!”.  That is exactly what they do – like a machine gun mike.  They will probably become a better ball striker, but never know where it’s going – shotgun effect when they play.   Maybe they want to see the whole course and explore places they have never been.   Haaaa

Take out 10 balls from the tray and focus with every ball “as if you are on the golf course”.  When i was playing i used 12 balls with each set and hit 10 or more quality shots flighting the same distance and spinning and turning the way i wanted it to fly, high/low  draw or fade.   With 10 you can easily look at your %’s of good shots.

It is not difficult to take your time and produce quality.   I would suggest a good coach to show you what to work with.   It’s very easy;  if i show you a better grip or stance or posture or ball position with your set-up check it and adjust it.  Then forget about it and focus on one or two swing keys i tell you for the movement = pretty simple.  It does not take long before you start setting up automatically the better way and the body will get used to it.  You will also start moving my concepts/words into bodily feelings and it will  feel natural. to start swinging the club better and producing more quality golf shots.

***THEN LOOK OUT GOLF COURSE***

Play with a Swing Key or 2*

Even a touring pro may play with a swing key or two.  For example i may have a ‘key’ for my backswing and then another for my downswing.   I’ve begun playing again and my badshot is an ‘over the top move’ = where i start with my hands at the same time that I’m driving forward with my legs(weight shift).   This will cause my club to go out ‘over the top’ and i will attack the ball from outside to in.  Not a good move which many golfers have, usually making a big slice.  In my case i pull the ball to the left because i get the clubface square, but my hips haven’t yet cleared and the out to in clubhead will launch the ball left.

So i will set up with a slightly narrower stance and put some weight in my right inner thigh and instep.   I will make the backswing with the thought of adding more of my weight to my right instep – and once i feel the top of my windup(backswing) i will then dynamically push off of my right instep (the ball joint under my big toe) trying to get my weight to my left heel as fast as possible.   This keeps my lower body initiating my downswing and the hands and clubhead will drop inside allowing the left hip to clear first as the club meets the ball square for a straight launch.

Practice Correctly

A great quote from legendary Lee Trevino “The more i practice the luckier i get”.   I will add correct practice helps you play better.

I’ve watched too many golfers at the driving range load 120 balls in the machine and then rapid fire till they get tired.  They helped their ball feel but added nothing to consistency, control or their swing!

Take your time when you practice.  Take a set number of balls out onto the matt and take your time with whatever you are working with on your swing.  Then take a short break, have a drink – review what you are doing.  Then repeat with each ball “as if you were on the golf course”.  The old adage “One shot at a time” will bring your consistent ball striking to the golf course.

I encourage my students to practice correctly at least once between coaching sessions. Bring a notepad during lessons and write down what you need to work with – then take it out and review before practice.

Developing and building a good swing is easy!   Address the ball the same way and check posture, grip, ball position and what ever your pro shows you for improvement. Then it’s done, and now you can work with one or two swing keys that will improve your swing and ball striking.  If this is repeated with each ball you are on your way to playing better and having way more fun!

 

 

LEARN TO PLAY BETTER FASTER!

Hello and Welcome!

If you really want to learn some great golf you have found a good coach.  Golf is the only thing that I’ve ever passionately been involved with since I turned 13 years old.  56 now and teaching this game for more than 35 years.  I’ve competed with the best on the world stage, veteran on the PGA TOURS of Asia, Europe and Japan.

My focus now is helping all golfers achieve their full potential to enjoy this great game as much as I have.  Whether you are a complete beginner, intermediate player, or an aspiring ‘tour pro’ I can help you achieve all your golf goals.

My students are surprised how quick we can fix their swings and eliminate the ‘bad shots’.  My goal is not only to create solid swings, but pass on the knowingness of how to control the ball flight and self correct.

I was a master with scoring shots, short game and putting – which everyone must also improve!

I have all the knowledge, experience and skills to expedite your golfing performance and pleasure with your  game!

Simply email me at:  ghanrahan@gmail.com  or call 081-300 7224.

 

Thank you,

greg

A Biomechanically Repeating Swing !

I lost my playing rights in Asia, Europe and Japan year of 2005 building this correct swing. Now i got the swing and no place to play, but i can write about it and teach it. I’ve studied and practiced everything there is about golf, but pushing the club back versus lifting or pulling creates an effortless repeating swing for all levels of ball strikers!

Pushing maintains structure + power – pulling destroys it. Your car runs outta gas – gonna pull it to the petrol station? Engineering buildings or bridges is the same with a golf swing, pushing is paramount. Pushing the club back instead of pulling or lifting puts the club always into the same place on the backswing – and then with a proper wrist load the club goes on plane and squares automatically. It’s great because it is always in the same place on the (backswing)*. How many players even some playing pros keep looking at their backswings trying to put the club in the ‘good place’. It will also develop width – that thing in the news about ‘Tiger’ working on width, in the late 90’s. You bet he was being taught pushing!

With the old ‘classical’ Jack Nicklaus type swing which most pros still teach, there is the movement right and left/up and down. This doesn’t fare well in getting the club head back to the ball when the whole machine is moving around. The body doesn’t go right or left – the hips turn and the shoulders turn with balance on both feet.

Simply push the club head slightly away from you – in and down – no tightening of arms – feel it as one unit, a triangle ( shoulders, arms and wrists) – hands always gripping, but soft for feel. You just turn! No right or left weight shift like ‘classic golf’. Turn – load – fire! You even push the club in and down – direct to your target = THE BALL! It is similar to firing an arrow (the clubhead) with the bow (body) in a straight line directly to the ball.

Many people believe that the back swing is backwards away from the flagstick on a straight line. We want to strike the ball with all the force so our ball is the target and 180 degrees is at our backs. We wind up and load then fire, using the ground as leverage.

Good grip/setup/posture etc….it works with proper wrist release at impact…..but that’s another power package….later

Visualization is The Key

I am very sure that there are numerous individuals here that are successful with what they do. How did you achieve it? Perhaps desire was the first movement (from heart) and with that would come along the intellect, counterpart (imagination)! We have all created where we are and we’ve used visualization to create all of the phenomenon that we now experience. Even if we try to deny this – it’s because we are letting run the past pictures that build our futures and we wonder why ‘it’s always the same shit”.

Let’s take making a golf shot – it is never the same shot, ever. We are making that new creation of a 7 iron, pin in the middle – i know the green slopes towards the front and so, i don’t want to be long. We are imagining the green because we know it – so why not the fresh new shot as a ‘repeat’ picture of a pure 7 iron from before. Imagine that perfect 7 you hit 3 weeks ago or from your 7 iron range practice. Sure, use a physical swing key or two, but the overriding energy ‘awareness’ needs to be on what you are creating. That ball flight trajectory (nice picture), even the feel in the hands – along with that crisp sound.

With many people it’s that ‘fear factor’ filing the brain – repeating that terrible shot froom hole 2 or a fear of the water on the left. This i called ‘the mole crickets’ invading my brain and i would hit it off the planet away from the water or strait in it. When you see your shot and make a small target for the ball to land you will be surprised how good you get.

Now that’s all great if you can swing in a repeatable fashion. Pushing certainly helps in repeatability, not to mention power……another start of an article.

I never had a ‘sound’ swing when i was playing – it was ALL pure imagination & feel – maybe a swing key or more……