No Time? No Problem!

“I DON’T HAVE TIME” worst excuse I hear every day. The best part of the swing analysis, is the practice secret on how to improve faster, without going to the golf course in 10 minutes per day!

After you receive your swing analysis back through edufii, PLEASE, PLEASE work on your changes WITHOUT hitting a golf ball.

FACTS

1. The golf swing is muscle memory
2. It is going to be uncomfortable
3. You make changes, ONLY when you perform slow rehearsal swings
4. You can buy the heavy club to change your muscle memory faster buy purchasing the heavy club.

Down the Line View

This view is used to find the cause of the direction of your golf shots and the curve

1. Place phone behind you, directly down the target line
2. Make sure the phone is in line with your hands, in a straight line in the direction you intend to hit the ball. The camera should be at the same height that your hands are hanging.
3. You can have some one hold the phone, prop it up on a bag or purchase the craddle here (gadget I’m using in picture to hold phone on alignment stick)
4. Make sure the camera is set back far enough to get the entire swing (top of swing) in the video

Face On Video

This view is used to see your weight transfer and impact positions

1. Place camera directly in front of your chest
2. Make sure it is in line with your sternum (middle of chest)
3. Camera height should be at the level of your hands as they hang.
4. Make sure the camera is set back far enough to get the entire swing (top of swing) in the video

Solid Contact with Good Impact

Consistent contact with the golf ball is priority #1  Created through proper set up fundamentals and swing sequence positions that we address below. In addition to these basic fundamentals, you need to develop instincts that allow you to hit the ball before the grass each and every time.

You will see these set up positions stressed over and over because it is the key to hitting consistent shots. Get these dialed in, practice in your living room, when you wake up, before you go to bed, and when you are on the driving range!

1.  Posture – slight knee flex, bend from the hips
2.  Stance – proper width and balance in the middle of your feet
3.  Ball position – PW, middle | 7 iron, one ball forward of middle | Driver inside left big toe
4.  Alignment – use a stick on the ground to have good alignment each time

Drill 1 Door Frame for Impact

Ingrain Proper Impact Position You cannot change impact going full swing and hitting a golf ball. Learn how to feel and implement the proper impact position by doing this at home drill.

• Door Frame Impact Drill

Step 2. Pitch Shots

Short, Small Swing Pitch Shots are the best way to spend your time at the golf course to improve your ball striking while also improving your short game around the greens. Never hit longer than a 30 yard (carry) pitch shot, if you are expecting to change your impact.

*Add the impact ball for faster results!

Here is a drill for developing impact at the golf course with pitch shots

1. Pitch Shots for Power

Tempo & Sequence

If you look back to the intro for building a solid golf swing on this page, you will notice that I discuss 3 things –

1. Impact
2. Tempo
3. Key Swing Positions

You can not leave out any of these 3 elements and be consistent. #2, Tempo is the key that creates number #1 and #3. If you are missing step 2 – tempo, which sequences all the key swing positions together in one fluid motion, you will never have have proper impact and never play consistent golf!

Note, this step becomes before the swing positions because I want you to develop a smooth, effortless tempo without any swing thoughts. It will make it much easier – trust me! In step 3, you will add in a few key swing positions then quickly get back to working on the tempo to piece them altogether into one smooth, effortless swing!

How to Work on Tempo

Tempo is the easiest thing in the world to work on! Not only is it the easiest, but it is probably the least practiced and most important aspect of playing consistently well! Do you wonder why PGA Tour players have different looking swings, but all seem to hit the ball well consistently? Because they all have great, consistent tempo!

FIND YOUR TEMPO some players have slow tempo (Ernie Els) others have fast tempo (Kevin Chappell). Regardless if you are a fast paced golfer, or slow paced, just find what you are and repeat it every time! A couple tips on how to find your best tempo.

1. Are you fast or slow paced naturally? If you walk fast, talk fast, move fast….then you are probably a faster tempo than normal in the golf swing. Go with it!
2. When trying to find your tempo when swinging, be as relaxed as possible and make effortless swings. This does NOT mean be lazy, just effortless – still accelerating through to a full finish.

I like a few different training tools to work on my tempo. Before the blast motion sensor, we did not have any feedback to show us if we were working on our tempo correctly. Before you use the modern device such as Blast motion sensor, try a couple of these drills first.

1. Feet together drill cures all
2. Tempo practice for great transition

Step 1. Set up for success

Control your set up each time you hit a ball. You can control this every day and do it properly!

1. Stance – proper width and balance in the middle of your feet
2. Posture – slight knee flex, bend from the hips
3. Ball position – PW, middle | 7 iron, one ball forward of middle | Driver inside left big toe
4. Alignment – use a stick on the ground to have good alignment each time

Step 2. Take away

The first move when swinging the club is the take away. Great golfers have different swings, but they all error on the “safe” side of certain positions. For the take way, you want to make sure that the club head never gets inside the hands when the club is hip high, you can over do it and have them outside the hands, but never inside!

Step 3. Transition

After the take away position, the transition is at the top of the back swing. Keep your arms connected to your shoulder turn allowing you to properly load to eliminate any weight transfer issues and generate speed through impact.

1. Make sure to keep turning your shoulders to the top of the golf swing
2. Your arms swing up as your shoulders turn, NEVER let your arms/ hands get behind your body during the back swing
3. At the top of your swing, the “transition” is when you complete the back swing to starting your down swing. Fill like you pause for 2 seconds in order to fully “load” and generate more speed to the ball, it will also allow you to swing the club consistently on the right “swing plane” on the down swing.

Here are a couple drills for transition and turn.

1. Gabe Trainer 
2. Turn in Posture

Practice Effectively

Write out a detailed plan each practice session, prior going to the golf course. It sounds tedious and simple (which it is), but it makes a huge difference! Its as simple as pulling out your smart phone and writing it on the notepad!

Benefits of Practice Planning
1. Time management
2. Practice exactly what you need to work on
3. Gather feedback
4. Stay on track with your goals

Follow the 60/40 plan we used with the Ohio State Golf Team

Warm Up Like Miguel

Pictured left is Miguel Angel Jimenez, most famously known for his funny warm up routine on the range. Truth is, he is warming up perfectly before he hits balls by activating all of the golf muscles properly.

“Warm up to hit balls. Do NOT hit balls to warm up.”

This is a common term used by golf fitness professionals. You need to get your body loose through dynamic stretching, not static stretching

Dynamic – stretches that have continuous movement
Static – Hold the stretch for a certain length of time in one position

Learn more here

Pre Round at PGA Championship

Fans asked what music I was listening to as I sat there with my ear phones in, preparing to hit my first tee shot in a major championship. There was no music, I was just copying Jason Day’s exercise so I could perform at my best when the stakes were at the highest! You can too, do the next exercise so you can try a simple exercise that will change your game.

Visualize Like Jason Day

Yes, I worked with Jason Day’s Performance coach for 4 years and he still mentors me to this day.

Its not rocket science, click this link to access a typical performance exercise to improve your visualization and relaxation skills.