Interesting Approaches to Using the Driving Range (No. 20)

Having played in five Sr. PGA Monday Qualifiers I have had many fascinating experiences to valuable to ignore or fail to mention to other new golfers.Having been tutored and advised by very good mentors also has produced valuable information that should be shared.

When I began my quest for the Tour the cost for entering was $165. About a year later they raised the fee to $325. which brought an end to my endeavors. I believed the stimulating competition would improve my game, concentration and enhance the discipline. I expected to play much better. The results were far different. Playing at Tampa Palms, Horseshoe Bend (Atlanta), Sleepy Hollow (NY) and courses in Jacksonville and Cincinnati, Ohio did not seem to bring sufficient improvement. The learning experience was in many other ways superb. I was in the company of many who were knowledgeable and very experienced.

Arnold Palmer calmly approached the driving range and began to hit short irons in an almost unbelievably relaxed mode. His swing was easy and he was consistantly straight; not long but incredibly straight.Watching Arnold and others, I learned "These guys are good!"

On my first day at my first Monday Qualifier I was hitting balls and working to correct a fade. There was a man standing behind me watching me. He continued watching as I continued to hit fades. I was actually quite embarassed until I realized "Oh well, I could be practiciing my fade, for all he knows." I don't hit fades any more. I hit the ball straight. I just wish they would move the pins a little further to the right.I could be a scratch golfer without a doubt if I would open my stance and aim left.My irons are consistantly accurate to the same spot, slightly right.

Our club pro (Walter Smith) begins on the range with his pitching wedge, swings easy and gradually moves on to the longer irons. He is very good and a frequent winner at the N. Florida Golf Assn. tournaments. His recent advice to me was to turn the shoulders early in the back swing. It sure helps to stay over the ball and adds distance too.

At another Monday Qualifier (Griffen-Gate, Lexington, Ky.) that I did not play in, merely visited, another Sr.Tour player advised me to use a ten finger grip. When my club loosens or waffles in the back swing I always remember his advice and take a stronger grip.

At the same venue another player said, "At our age we need to hit 100 balls before we play." Today, at age 67, I think maybe that is too many.  Often I see club pros, before their area tournaments, hitting a half bucket or less before they play. Take your choice.

Here are some "Always Do" commandments.

1. Always hit a few wedges, middle, long irons and driver before playing golf.

2. Always toss down a few balls and practice several  chip shots before playing. Always!

3. Always finish up with a few long putts, medium putts and short putts.You won't be sorry when you reach the first green.

4. Always do stretching exercises before you leave home or in the locker room before playing an important round of golf. That way you can have your game before the fourth hole.The time required is merely minutes and worth the small effort and you will feel surprisingly better!.

5. Always go to the range when you finish a round and work on whatever failed you or needs improved reminders.

I have been advised to keep a small note pad in my pocket and record any necessary reminders as I am playing my game. You can refer to those notes in subsequent rounds of golf. The advice proves to be excellent.

From this Lesson you should remember two words:

1. Always

2. Reminders

RHE

Fatigue Can Be An Important Factor (Lesson No. 19)

Fifteen years ago Orville Moody (the Old Sarge) won a Sr. PGA Tour event in Memphis (as I recall) with 23 under par.The Old Sarge was Director of Golf Operations for the U. S. Army before he retired to the Sr. Tour. He was in charge of all U.S.Army golf operations (world wide). Golf commentators said he was coming to the Sr. Tour and he certainly did.

After winning the event he was being interviewed on TV and asked how he managed to play so well. I remember his reply. He said, "I really don't know why I played so well. I did not sleep well for the last two nights." I also remember him hitting to the green on the final hole; a beautiful shot that rendered a birdie at the close. The cameras panned in on him after the masterful shot and he just shook his head as in disbelief. I believe the Sarge was in his own private zone which probably led to a 90% effort that worked extremely well.

Often I find that after playing and walking nine holes I am tired. Sometimes I say, " This is a lot of effort. I'm going to have a Diet Cola and go to the range relaxed and hit some balls." it always works surprisingly well.

The smoothest golf shot I ever hit was totally effortless. I was never sure why or how I hit the shot. Later I worked on the so called effortless golf swing and occasionally duplicated the easy effort. My swing thought was to relax my shoulders, arms and back muscles before the take away.An easy turn is far better than a big or strong turn away. Easy arms or soft arms is often the advice. It seems to work very well.

Lastly, when tired, another tip helps improve the home stretch holes coming in. If you feel fatigued remember the effect is more evident in your hands. Therefore, I try to quicken my hands at the take away late in my round of golf.I am older and my advice may be specific for older golfers, but quicker hands in the take away often helps my game late in the day.

The Old Sarge played easy and therefore masterfully well.

RHE

 

Band-Aids For Your Golf Swing (Lesson No. 18)

A few weeks ago I noticed, after many trips to the practice range, callouses forming on the knuckles of both forefingers. Band-Aids were applied.

I have often thought about Band-Aids when teaching golf and when working on my game.Thus, my idea of Band-Aids for your golf swing. At least once, you should try the following Band-Aid applications:

(1) Place a Band-Aid on both forefinger knuckles to remind you that those knuckles turn back or away early in the back swing.Naturally, they return in the down swing.

(2) Place a Band-Aid on your right shoulder blade to remind you that the right shoulder comes back early in the back swing.

(3) Place a Band-Aid on your forearms to remind you that they must rotate into the back swing and returning in the down swing.

(4) Place a Band-Aid on the right side of the right knee to remind you to never straighten that knee (or leg) out in the back swing.

(5) Place a Band-Aid on the left side of the left knee to remind you to forcefully straighten that leg in the down swing as your club head approaches the ball.

One swing thought? I don't think so. Always one swing thought at a time.You will need reminders if you are forgetful.

RHE

The photo was taken at the beautiful Mission Inn & Country Club at Howie-In-the-Hills, Florida.

 

Correcting the Slice (Lesson No. 17)

Leaving the ball out to the right or having a curve slice is a very common problem that has solutions and perhaps more than one.

Logic works very well in golf as in other areas of life. One should realize that (1) the club face is open towards the right and (2) the golfer is bringing the club shaft and face of the club across the ball during the downswing or at impact. The first can lead to a straight shot out to the right. The second leads to the "slice". Often both are happening at the same time.

Depending on how athletic you are and how fast your swing speed is, the remedy can vary. Therefore we will discuss the various remedies that will lead to a correction of both problems.

(A) If you are lifting the club too early in the back swing you will fail to give sufficient time for the release to happen and the club face will remain open. You need a larger arc or longer back swing.To achieve the remedy, as you turn away in the back swing, pull low with the right hand and follow low with the left a slightly longer period than before.This will be a good start on the problem.

(B) Secondly, do not be afraid to use a little extra lift with the right arm as you get into your back swing. This also widens the arc and adds good distance with little effort. Again, more time for the club face to close.

(C) Thirdly, a good turn away is not complete until the left shoulder comes across obviously under the chin. Dipping the shoulder under the chin is usually a mistake. Simply bringing the left shoulder across is sufficient if you have a good posture with a slight bend at the waist. 

The reason, or one good reason for the body turn away is to position the club properly above the right shoulder at the top of the back swing so the descent is from the inside in approaching the ball. By bringing the left shoulder across under the chin the same idea is accomplished.

(D) Lastly, if you want to evaluate your release, try a practice swing with a bent left elbow at address and watch where the release happens. Almost always it happens after the club head reaches the ball. Then try a practice swing with a straight left arm with two knuckles on the left hand  showing at the address of the ball. Keep the left arm straight in the back swing or be sure to straighten the left arm before the down swing and see where the release happens with respect to the ball. Properly done, the release should happen much sooner, hopefully closing the club face for a straight shot.

In my travels and on TV I have often heard it said after a good shot, "He turned the screws on that one!" I was never sure what they meant by that comment until I understood how the arms rotate in the swing. They are like turning a screw driver with both hands (and arms) to the right in the back swing and then left in the down swing.(E) Load your address of the ball with preparation for that big "screw driver" move; first clockwise and then counter clockwise.

These concepts should help to straighten out your shots that go right (for right handers).

RHE

PS - Sometimes we see ladies on the LPGA slightly lift their hands before the take away. I do not know why this helps, but I've tried it and it definately does help!!

RHE

Enjoyable Oddities in Golf (Lesson No. 16)

The game of golf provides fantastic memories for all of us, over the years. Some of those oddities may have a lesson in them, though perhaps not obvious when they happen. My first such recollection happened over twenty years ago when I was a beginner and playing at the Rennassiance Pine Isle Golf Resort on Lake Lanier, near Atlanta, Ga.

I was playing alone as I often did after leaving work that day. My game was in the early learning stages. On the sloping up hill No. 7,  I was on a side hill up hill lie near the green when I chipped some thirty feet right into the cup! On the next hole (No. 8) I was at an uphill lie near the green perhaps 20 yards from the pin when I chipped up and the ball landed softly and rolled right into the cup. I had holed out two chip shots in a row. When I returned to the pro-shop I walked into Randy Mosely's office and proudly stated that I had set a record in the game of golf. Randy, knowing the level of my game,  looked at me with a dubious eye and asked what record I had set. I said I believed I was the first golfer to ever hole out two chips shots in a row for two consecutive double bogies!

A year or so later while playing with my brother Bob Englefield, who is an optometrist near Springfield, Ohio, I stood on the tee at the dog leg par five, No. 17 and said, "Bob, I am going to aim at the tall tree on the right at the dog leg (right). I then hit a very good drive that hit squarely the trunk of the large Oak tree on the right  side of the dog leg, perhaps 220 yds. away. I am still wondering if I should  pick a spot in the fairway when I hit my tee shots with my driver.

While playing in a PGA Sr. Tour Monday Qualifier at Horseshoe Bend C.C. in Atlanta, Ga. back in 1987 I will never forget my great hopes and excitement at merely being there. On the third or fourth hole I was one over par and my ball was on the green far away perhaps sixty feet from the pin. It was an undulating green and there were at least two bends in the very long putt. I could not see the cup, only the flag over the hill of the green. A caddy was  tending the flag as I stroked my putt to a hole I could not see. As I began my walk toward the hole a ball came rolling back towards me. Surprised, I looked to see who had hit the ball when the caddy explained my 60 ft. putt had rolled into the cup. I said, "It did?" The other pros all nodded in the affirmative. In those early days it seemed I made more long putts than short ones. Probably not, but I did make a large number of long putts early in my golfing career which is partly why I continued to this day. I make far fewer now that I am an experienced golfer at age 67.

I am sure I have previously mentioned the sand shot with my ball an inch from the lip of the bunker near the flag. I could only level my club head (sand wedge) and swing mightily. It flew about twenty feet high and dropped squarely into the cup for a slam dunk birdie!

I have never made a hole-in-one in 30 years of playing golf. I have hit the pin, had ball marks an inch from the cup, had par three iron shots stop within inches from the pin, but never a hole-in-one. Maybe if I adjust my grip I'll get one.................but I now believe it is unlikely. It is surprising how many golfers have had a hole-in-one. Pro shops, country clubs and resorts are filled with plaques with numerous names of individuals having made a hole-in-one.

The stories goes on but I have a tee time this afternoon and must take leave. I realize we all have stories to tell. And we all keep telling them. It is fun to stand on the patio at our club and listen to the stories being told nearly every day as the members come into the 19th hole for food and refreshments after their game. 

I just ordered a (nearly) new R-7 Taylor Made driver from my friend Jim Butler at Table Rock Golf Club in Centerburg, Ohio. Jim has a very unique shop with many hundreds of used clubs of every type imaginable. New or used, Jim probably has it or can find it for you. I once asked Jim, who is in his fifties, if we older golfers can improve our game. He said it not likely that we can improve very much. He may have been right but I can attest to the fact that being retired and playing golf nearly every day has improved my game in all areas where I previously did not practice. I now know how to handle side hill lies, up hill lies and up hill chip shots which I never had a clue about in previous years. I have lost distance off the tee but, occasionally hit one 280 yds. Most often 240 yds.; sometimes less.

Of one thing I am absolutely certain. Time and again I have helped seniors who are just retired and learning the game to a vastly improved game with merely good fundamentals. The same is true with young beginners. It is a fact that new golfers need tips at whatever age and such help can significantly improve their game.

Now, I'm headed for the range and a game. I will today work on the low & slow back swing. It nearly always fixes my shots to long and straight.

RHE

Richard Englefield

 

 

 

Thoughts on The Masters (Lesson No. 15)

Azaleas & Dogwoods in Full Bloom Everywhere

1. Never before has the viability of the short game been better demonstrated than in this years Masters.

2. Chris DiMarco has arrived and will be one of the top players in the days and years to come. His game is solid and most reliable. Putting needs a little work. His take was 3/4 million dollars.

3. Ryan Moore, one of several amateurs playing, served notice that he is just around the corner and ready to compete on the PGA. Calm and cool, he was superb.

4. Interesting how much money they made that shot no better than par ($112,000.) Interesting how much money the leaders made, also.

5. Even the greatest golfers chunked a few chip shots.

6. Interesting that Rod Pampling (finished third) was playing on the Nationwide Tour two years ago. Also, Chris DiMarco.

7. At age 64, Jack Nicklaus played superbly well and probably good enough to return next year considering all the younger players he out performed under difficult course conditions.

8. Despite inclement weather, week after week, this year the theater of PGA golf has been absolutley terrific.

9. Will we ever forget Tiger Woods chip shot on 16? I didn't know a ball could stop and then start again! I guess the grass was withering under the weight of the golf ball.

RHE

 

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Lady Luck Plays a Role (Lesson No. 14)

One of the young ladies on the LPGA Tour was being interviewed on the Golf channel a few weeks ago and she made a surprising statement. She said, "I mostly practice my short game. I spend comparatively little time on my irons and driver." Most of the pros on both tours hit 50-70% of their greens in regulation. Only the very best are in the 70% categaory. At 60%, that means in their rounds they are hitting only 10-11 greens. They are chipping to 7/8 greens every day.

Statistically, we hit 14 drivers, 8 chip shots (or more considering par fives) and approximately 30-35 putts per round. Pros do better than that. Ideally, those chip shots, well placed, can mean 8 pars or maybe a birdie now and then.

At my golf course I sometimes work as a Marshall. I see mostly retirees playing golf and they are surprisingly good at their short game. From thirty yards in they are hitting their chip shots close to the pin. At Augusta, this week we are seeing fabulous short games. Some of what we see is incredible.

At another club where I play golf, the high school girls teams come to practice.  Their coach has them all working constantly on four foot putts. At a driving range where I once worked in Venice, Fl. the owners son was consistantly working on making ten foot putts. He said you should learn to make ten in a row from ten feet.

My recent experience with the chipping game has revealed that I was bending my left arm somewhere in the back swing which led to some frustrating skulls. I learned to form a solid triangle with both arms and when I held the triangle consistantly throughout the shot I did remarkably better. The same triangle works admirably well in putting.

The next time you go to your golf course simply remember the words "four", "ten" and "triangle". Go early and practice the putts and chips remembering those three words (4, 10 & Try).

RHE

PS - The high school girl's team coach and I were talking one day about my short game and she said, "A long time ago I learned to take my right thumb off the club when chipping." I tried it and it worked amazingly well. That thumb tends to drive the club head into the turf. Lifting it during the back swing helps  immeasurably!

RHE

A Bunker Shot Can Be Quite Easy! (Lesson No. 12)

There are several things you need to know when learning to hit from a green side bunker. With a little practice you can become surprisingly good at this shot. The first thing I would suggest, from my own experience, is to purchase a good new or used sand wedge. Always have a new grip on any used clubs you buy.

Playing from a green side bunker requires that you plant yourself firmly in the sand before the shot. Your stance should be open to your target and knees flexed to a greater degree than normal. This insures that you will take sand and let the sand force or push the ball from the bunker. We do not want to fly the ball over and off the green.

Secondly, to that end, you should also address the ball with your hands low and having an open club face while aiming left of your target. The sand will tend to open the club face which is why we aim  left.

Typically, while hovering the club above the ball your take away should be with extension or fairly strong and being sure not to lift the club too soon. The shot is a combination of sweep and splash. The swing is as if you were splashing in a pond of water! Your wrists should be very active coming through the ball. I like to compare the shot to swinging a sickle when cutting tall grass; the right hand is cutting through the sand with help from the left.

If the ball is plugged, as in fried egg, The club head should be closed and the back swing needs to be taken up quickly. A great deal of force is required for this shot.

While visitng a famous golf resort  near Tampa, Fl. one day I observed a fellow practicing from a bunker at the driving range. I was amazed to see that his back swing on bunker shots all had the same back swing which was very high! He varied his distance by taking more or less sand. He was exceptionally good and he later told me he was a golf professional from Chicago.

I personally use more or less back swing for more or less distances. If the flag is close I am sure to take more sand by keeping my hands low and knees well flexed thoughout the shot.

I like to tell of my best sand shot in my forty odd years golfing career. My approach shot arrived in a green side bunker on an up slope an inch or two from the lip or edge of the bunker. Obviously I had to open the club face to near horizontal to be certain to send the shot high to avoid the lip. This was not a shot I had practiced. I swung hard and the ball flew very high and slammed dunked right into the cup for a birdie. It was lucky but also the correct way to deal with the difficult situation.

RHE

 

 

The Masters - What to Look For (Lesson No. 11)

Weather permitting, we are going to be treated to the most exciting and famous golf tournament of the year - The Masters. The flowers and views will delight us all.

If you are working to improve your own game, here is what to look for as you watch this great event. Pay close attention to the lower body during the swing. The hips and legs are very important to the swing. These profesionals are surprisingly different, as some say, due to individual personalities. This could be very important to you as we are all quite different. What style best suits you!

Watch the take away. Notice how straight the right arm is in the early stage of the swing. See if you notice a slight pause at the top of the back swing. Watch for what initiates the downswing. Which comes first.

Be sure to notice the wrists and hands (and arms) in the short game; putting and chipping. Ball position is always important. I always like to see where the top of the back swing is in relation to their right shoulder. Where is the right elbow at the top of the back swing? Very interesting to watch the left hand early in the take away.

Most of us will be watching ball flight. Sometimes, we should watch the above mentioned references, if we are working to improve our game. This Masters is going to be a very good one. I hope each of you watch it.

Back in 1989 (?) a Cardinal flew onto our window sill in Atlanta. He stayed there for a very long time. I turned to Joan as we admired the  big red bird resting on the sill. I said, "This is an omen. Jack Nicklaus will win the Masters!" Jack is from Columbus, Ohio and the Cardinal is the State Bird.

And win the Masters he most certainly did!

RHE

 

 

Can Golf Instructors Play Golf? Lesson No. 10

The pictures above shows how big birdies are in your golf game. Very big!

Twenty years ago I was at a driving range in Atlanta, Ga. watching a golf Instructor give lessons. I remember two things in particular. The instructor tapped the student on the upper right arm and advised him to relax his right arm. Superb advice.

The second thing I remember was asking the same  Instructor to give me a lesson (my first experience with a paid instructor). I just had to find out, so I asked him to hit a shot with my 7 iron. He did quite well with the shot. I had to find out if he could play the game.

My next experience was in 1991 with Randy Mosely, Head PGA Professional at Stouffer's Pine isle Resort near Atlanta. I was playing a round on the fabulous lake side course when Randy drove up on a cart and stopped to watch me hit my approach shot. My ball was on bare ground (dirt) hard pan. I hit fat and short of the green 165 yds. up hill. Randy said, "Give me your 7 iron and a ball." He then placed the ball on the hard pan and hit the same shot to 4 ft. from the pin. He was my mentor and he was very good.

I am 67 years old and giving golf lessons. Knowing I may be asked to hit a demo shot I always tell my students I am, at age 67, not quite as good as I was formerly. Sometimes I hit an iron and thus far they have been exemplary, which means I know technique, with a little good luck tossed in.

Today, my course was quiet after the busy weekend and after hitting a few on the range I went to the first tee. After playing nine holes from the white tees (mostly), I tallied up my score; something I almost never do when I am working on my game. The sum and substance of it all (the round) I had two birdies, three pars, three bogies and a double bogie -39. The birdies were very big.

I was curious about this Instructor too (Me!!!). Could he play golf and score reasonably well? The best of it was an up hill chip shot (lofted) on a par three where I missed the green to the left, carelessly failing to turn adequately in my take away. I chipped (lofted) to three feet and holed the putt for an admirable par. I turned and tipped my hat to the twosome on the tee behind me.

The worst of it was not the double bogie. It was my  2 iron shot on the 205 yd. (blue tees) par three. I have worked for a year on that shot going from utility iron to 3 iron and finally to my old and respected 2 iron. I hit it straight and long and walked confidently from the tee box and began my happy walk toward the green. It was late in the day and the sun  was in my eyes. I could not see where the straight shot landed.  As I approached the green I discovered my ball plugged at 25 yrds. short of the flag  on the apron. The ground was soaked from yesterday's rains. It was a well struck 2 iron that on any other day would have rolled up onto the green for the birdie putt. Was I angry or disappointed? Not at all. I know the game and the conditions that impaired my shot. I will simpy wait for a better day (conditions) and try again, with confidence that I can make the shot.

Other best shots were birdie and par Putts of 15 and 10 ft. respectively.

Last year I took a rather expensive lesson from the beautiful Cindy Reed Head Golf Instructor at the famous Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Florida. I had to find out and asked her to hit an iron shot during our session. She picked my 4 iron and hit a masterful shot far down the range precisely on target.

Just like the PGA advertisement on TV says, "These guys (and girls) are good!"

What about me, the one writing these articles? Tonight, I stopped  by to watch a young fellow on the range before I went to the parking lot. I asked if he wanted a few tips. He said, "I sure do!" After about fiften minutes of observation and advice he turned to me after hitting several beautiful golf shots and said,"I am sure you glad you stopped by!" His comments were similar to many others that I have helped without charge at my course in Chiefland, Florida. Also those that have paid for lessons.

My conclusion is simply this. Your instructor need not be a scratch golfer.It would be well if the Instructor was someone that had to work to develop his or her game. Intinctively good golfers probably do not make the best Instructors.

Birdies are indeed Very Big!

RHE

 

Lesson No. 9 - Dealing With Discouragement

Sometimes we should plan to not play golf. There is frustration in learning to play a rather complex game. Yesterday, when I arrived at my club to play, I learned there was a tournament going on and the course would not be available until late in the afternoon. I then went to the practice range.

After hitting a large bucket of balls, I was quite pleased with my results. I was actually happy!  My 2 iron was adequate at replacing my errant 3 wood. Much straighter and often beyond 200 yds. I had purchased a used Taylor Made gap wedge that worked much better than my old one, for reasons I would not understand. My success came from "cheating" just a little by shifting my weight slightly to my right foot before taking the back swing. It worked perfectly and was so easy to do.A little more grip pressure with my right hand made a gratifying difference at the top of the back swing. I was hitting the ball straight, for a change.

I then walked over to the practice green and tossed out twelve nearly new balls for a chipping session (Lesson No. 4 & 7). I placed the balls on a slope adjacent to the green and put my weight forward, hands forward with some  degree of determination. I then concentrated on my hands rather than the club head and began to chip quite well. For distance control I used the left, center and right side of my right foot (shoe). I was not perfect, at first, but I was vastly better.

We do not know if that session will transfer to the golf course. From past experience I know it will (at times) and will not (at times).  But, it is fun to imagine hitting a 2 iron 220 yds. to a long par 3 or straight on a long par five. Even more fun to imagine chipping close on long par 4s and maybe even a short par 5. Scores can improve considerably.

Practice is for the purpose of discovering what does not work and more importantly what does work well. As for taking it to the course, I am not sure except to say I am hitting more good shots today than in previous years. I enjoy the science of improvement. I always say, "I will be satisfied with small improvement today and a little more tomorrow."

RHE (See Post Scrip below taken from an AOL news account) - A bad day can get better:

"Olazabal had a 40 on the front, including a triple bogey on the 248-yard, par-3 eighth when he had a two-shot penalty. He shot a 29 on the back, including an eagle 2 on No. 13 when he chipped in from 15 yards and three straight birdies to end his round."