Symptom: Your fairway wood distance is almost as good as your driver distance.  Plus your fairway wood goes a whole lot straighter.

Yet, as if by some sort of brainwashing ordeal suffered early in life, you pull out the big stick on every tee, hoping that “the next one” will be crushed down the middle.

Erratic drives are costing you strokes and causing you to venture far from the short grass.  What’s worse, in order to “keep it in play”, you find yourself being tentative with your driver, leading to drives that are both short and erratic.  And so the round gets less and less fun by the hole…

Overview: Put away your driver. Hit a fairway wood off the tee instead.  You fairway wood distance won’t hurt you too much.  Ignore any taunts hurled in your direction by your playing partners, and ask them to check the scorecard.  You might also ask if this is a game of golf, or some sort of long drive competition.

Why it works: Most people’s fairway wood distance is not too different than their driver distance.  And, they swing their fairway woods with much more confidence, and hence the shots go much straighter.  So if your driver isn’t working, why not just use your fairway wood?

Your Fairway Wood is Sublimely Easy to Hit

Justin Rose tees off with a fairway wood to put the ball in play.

The driver is a very difficult club to hit, because it has the longest shaft and least loft of all the clubs in your bag. The newer drivers are much more forgiving, of course.

Still, many Occasional Golfers will tend to slice their driver, because they have insufficient lag on the downswing, possibly caused by gripping the club too tightly, a poor setup, or any number of swing faults.

You can work on all these things the next time you are at the driving range.  But, when you are playing a round of golf, you need to play with the game you have, not the game you wish you had.

Feel the Joy of Attacking the Pin from the Fairway

We all know that it’s more fun and much easier to play from the fairway.  Personally, I would trade 30 yards of distance to be in the fairway.

Of course I’d rather be long and straight, but if a choice must be made, straight is better.

Even if your driver works pretty well for you, you might consider hitting three wood off the tee, like Justin Rose does here:

I love Justin Rose’s wide arc and aggressive move through the ball.  Maybe you should give this a try too the next time you play!

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The post Golf Strategy: Your Fairway Wood is the Immediate Path to the Short Grass appeared first on Golf Tip Reviews - PGA Tour Inspired!.

In this article, we take a look at two very different approaches to the golf swing plane, especially the backswing plane, as demonstrated by Matt Kuchar and Fred Couples.

Undeniably Different Backswing Planes: Freddie vs. The Kuch

Matt Kuchar has one of the flattest swing planes on the PGA tour.  He wraps the club around his body on the backswing, comes at the ball from the inside, and tends to play a draw.  Freddie, on the other hand, has one of the most abrupt and upright takeaways on tour.  His backswing and swing plane is mostly “up”, not “around”, and he tends to play a fade.

To compare the two, we have video from the 2010 Masters, from the par three 16th hole (see the Master’s scoreboard in the background?).  Both are probably hitting about a seven iron. The pin is in the same place, since the video was shot on the same day.  They also are standing in almost identical parts of the tee box (but at different times of the day, note the shadows are a bit different).

The point is that these guys are attacking the exact same pin on the exact same day, and our vantage point is almost identical.  So it’s a very fair comparison.

Have a look, here is Matt:

And here is Freddie:

Backswing Planes are Polar Opposites

Matt Kuchar has a low, shallow takeaway and a flat backswing plane.  Freddie Couples has a high, abrupt takeaway and an upright backswing plane.

To compare the two swings, run these videos until the shaft is parallel to the ground. Then have a look at the important angles relative to the target line.  This gives a good indication of their respective backswing planes.  I have put Fred and Matt side-by-side for easy comparison:

Several things stand out.

• Matt is lined up at the target or slightly closed, Fred is lined up open to the target (alignment shown with the blue line).
• Matt’s takeaway and backswing plane is low and flat.  Fred’s backswing plane is high and upright.  The shaft is highlighted in green.
• Both Matt and Fred have the clubface (in yellow) slightly closed at this point in their swings.

Overall, you would have to agree that their swing planes look quite different at this point in their swings.

Downswing Planes are Conclusively Similar

Now we fast forward to the downswing.  At the point where their clubs are once again approximately parallel to the ground, they look a lot more similar than different — see below:

Despite their very different takeaways, Matt and Fred have their clubs in similar positions as they attack the ball.

Despite their very different backswing planes, their clubs are now in very similar positions.  Matt is still a bit more inside than Fred because he is playing a draw.

Fred has cleared his hips a bit more than Matt because he is playing a fade.  But, overall, despite the differences in their swing planes, these guys look a whole lot more similar than different at this point!

What can the Occasional Golfer learn from this comparison?  Mostly, I think, that you don’t hit the ball on the backswing, so your positions and backswing plane are not nearly as important as many people would have you believe.

Backswing positions are important only to the extent that they enable you to have a powerful, correct, and reproducible downswing plane that allows you to release the club down the target line.

Finally, if you are more upright and outside the target line than Freddie or flatter and more inside the target line than Matt on the backswing, you are probably not in a very good position.  Check yourself out at the range by making a video on your smartphone.  Or find a ground floor window at your house and use it as a mirror to check your position.

Copy Kuchar For More Swoon-Worthy Shots

Most Occasional Golfers will do better with a Kuchar-like swing than Couples-esque swing.  Kuchar’s backswing plane and downswing plane are similar, often referred to as a one-plane swing.  Most high handicappers fight a slice, and Kuchar’s swing plane promotes a draw.  On most courses, most of the time, you are better off with a draw.  Indeed, the best way to not slice is to learn to hit a draw instead.

Did you like this side-by-side video comparison of Matt and Freddie and their very different backwing planes?  Then tell your friends!  Like, Share,  Tweet or Email below!

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The post Golf Swing Video: Backswing Plane Secrets Exposed | Flat vs. Upright | Kuchar vs. Couples appeared first on Golf Tip Reviews - PGA Tour Inspired!.

In this video post, we take a look at Justin Thomas and how his golf aim arises from his alignment method before he addresses the golf ball.

Mundane, you say?  Hardly.  Very few things can help you improve faster than getting into the proper golf address position with proper golf alignment on each and every shot.  Believe it.

Justin Thomas aligning himself to his distant target before he addresses the ball.

I often see my playing partners neglect this part of the game.  It is a shame.

If you don’t get your golf setup, golf alignment, and golf aim right, you cannot possibly execute your best swing at your intended target.  It is the tried and true Aim->Align->Execute method.

You will hardly ever see a pro skip this step.  But, you also seldom see this shown on TV.  The cutaway shots only show the swing and the result, not the preparation that led up to the swing.

Maybe this is a good call for the television audience.  But it tends to give us a distorted view of reality.  Don’t be fooled by the TV producers!  Know that every pro, and every player of any ability, focuses hard on their golf aim.

The Crucial Key:  Golf Aim Precedes Golf Alignment!

Watch Justin’s setup and preparation to hit this golf shot.  It is a practice round, or a pro-am, or something (see the golf cart?  Note that there are no spectators).

Seems like a chance to have a few frosty beverages, horse around, hit the ball, find it, hit it again, maybe make a few bucks in the process.  Certainly all true.

But this does not deter Justin from going through his routine, because you do it every time. Even at a pro-am.  Even at the driving range.  Yes, even at the driving range.  How else will you improve?

Have a look:

The #1 Key:  Golf Aim Before Golf Address Equals Golf Alignment

Notice how Justin picks a definite, distant target to aim at.  Once he finds his close-in spot he aligns his clubface and builds his stance around this spot.

To repeat:  The clubface is aimed at the close-in spot first.  Then the stance is built.  This gives proper alignment.  Not vice-versa!

He checks his distant target a couple of times after building his stance on his intended line.  His stance is athletic as if he about to sit on a bar stool.

Then he finally pulls the trigger (0:25) and executes his shot.

His alignment and setup routine is methodical, repeatable, and meticulous.  This, plus a whole lot of talent and hard work, surely contributes to Justin’s success.

But the clubface is aimed first, then the body is aligned to the target.  Don’t confuse these two things!

You probably can’t generate the clubhead speed that Justin does.  But you can surely copy his setup, aiming, and alignment routine before addressing the ball the next time you play at your home course, or at the local driving range.

Give it a try, I guarantee you will bring more consistency to your game!

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The post Golf Swing Video: Painless Golf Aim for Deadly Golf Alignment appeared first on Golf Tip Reviews - PGA Tour Inspired!.

Symptom: You are topping, thinning, and scooping the golf ball despite all your best efforts to stop.  You try to stop topping the golf ball but can’t seem to get it done.

Your send another thin golf shot low and fast over the green.  Why can’t you stop topping and hit the ball in the graceful arc you had hoped for?

Overview:  At the range, or on the tee box at a par 3, put the ball on a tee and push the tee all the way into the ground.  It should be as if the ball is not teed up at all.  Now, focus on hitting the tee with the blade of your iron, not the ball, on the downswing.

Why it works:  If you are topping the ball it means you are not hitting down on the ball, with a descending blow.  You are certainly not taking a divot either.

You simply cannot hit a good iron shot without a descending blow.  Aiming at the tee instead of the ball gives you the descending blow you seek.  Once you get the feel of the descending blow you will say “ah, so that’s what it is supposed to feel like.”

Painless Visualization to Help You Stop Topping

Phil Mickelson hitting down on an iron shot, and taking a divot, off the tee. No topping here.

Fortunately, it is very easy to get the feel of the descending blow and the solid contact that comes with it.  Just make yourself hit the tee that you know lies beneath the ball.

This is not a strange or esoteric situation, of course.  You have several par threes per round where you get to hit the sunken tee.

And on the short par threes, you will be teeing your ball low.  Again, teeing the ball low is important, because it encourages a descending blow, which is what most Occasional Golfers struggle with.

Have a look at Phil Mickelson’s iron shot below, taking note of the descending blow he puts on the ball.  The ball is struck first, then the ground in front of the ball.

You can see the turf flying in the picture at the right. Note also how the clubhead is pointed skyward on the follow-through, indicating a full release down the line.  This was a well-struck iron, not a thin golf shot.

Have a look:

Banish the Thin Golf Shot

The “ball on sunken tee” trick works because you know that there is a tee underneath the ball (you just put it there, after all), and your mission is to hit the tee, not the ball!

In order to hit the tee, you will naturally hit the ball with a descending blow, which is the very thing you are after.  Do this, and you will have no trouble taking your divot in front of the ball, where it belongs.

Once you get the hang of this, test yourself with a ball on the ground.  It should look exactly the same as the ball you just hit off the (embedded) tee.  You can even set two balls side by side at the range, one with, and the other without a tee underneath.

Just imagine the tee is there even though it is not.  No problem!  You will no longer be hitting thin golf shots if you can clip that imaginary tee beneath the ball.

Did you like this article? Think you can stop sculling those expensive ProV1x balls and start landing them on the green now?  Then tell your friends!  Like, Tweet, Pin, or Email, below!

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The post Golf Swing Drill: The 1 Unexpected Fix to Stop Topping the Golf Ball – Hitting the Sunken Tee appeared first on Golf Tip Reviews - PGA Tour Inspired!.

Symptom:  You can’t forget that last bad golf shot.  You take several shots, or even several holes, to recover from one bad swing or errant shot.

So, you end up with a scorecard with mostly good scores, but a few really big numbers on a couple of consecutive holes.  And so your handicap stays stubbornly high, even though most of your shots and holes are quite good.

Description:  Forget the bad golf shot you just hit.  The shot you are about to hit is a new shot, unrelated to your previous bad golf shot.

Actually, your upcoming shot is similar to a great shot you have hit in the past.  This is where the selective amnesia comes in — forget the shot you just hit, and remember the great shot from the past.

This will evoke a positive memory, and give you a good vibe, before you hit your next shot.  You will be calmer, more relaxed, and guess what — much more likely to hit a good shot!

Why it Works:  Golf is a unique game, in that we (hopefully) don’t hit the same shot twice in a row.  That is, you may hit a driver off the tee, but your next shot is a mid-iron into the green, not another driver.

And your next shot is a putt, not another mid-iron.  The point is that the shot you are about to hit is NOT RELATED to the shot you just hit.  The only linkage is in your mind if you can’t Let it Go.

Let it Go, Let it Go (Cue the Music)

But most Occasional Golfers let the emotion from a bad drive, or a bad mid-iron, or a bad putt, color their thinking and spill over into their next shot. This is a surefire way to limit your performance on the course.

Phil Mickelson hit a bad golf shot to wind up in the stands, but hit a great recovery chip.

So, when you are preparing to drive, forget about the putt you left short for bogey on the previous hole.  Instead, remember the last time you hit a great drive.  On your mid-iron shot, remember the last time you stuck it close to the hole.

On the green, remember the last time you made that putt for birdie.  Those memories are a whole lot more relevant, and positive, to the shot at hand.

Forget the Bad Golf Shot, No Matter Where You Lie

Easier said than done?  Of course!  But look at the pros — they have bogeys on their scorecards (analogous to a double-bogey for Occasional Golfers) but always seem to bounce back with red numbers on subsequent holes.

The point is that even the best players have bad holes.  The key is the fast bounce back, and a big part of this is selective amnesia!

Phil Mickelson knows how to forget a bad golf shot.  In this clip, he’s at least 50 yards left of the green.  Trust me, to get here, he. hit a really bad golf shot by any standard.  He has an unobstructed shot, but from a very tight lie, and has a big elevation change to contend with.

Also, there’s some commotion and attention, some people jostling about, and other distractions.  There’s more going on here than there is in your foursome, for sure.

But Phil executes a great recovery shot and moves on with the round.  Have a look:

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The post Golf Strategy: Erase that Lame Bad Golf Shot with Selective Amnesia! appeared first on Golf Tip Reviews - PGA Tour Inspired!.