Back in Minnesota and the Warm Springtime

After an eventful winter of '11-'12 I am back in MN to enjoy the warm weather. Thanks to Mother Nature!

I spent most of the winter hitting balls in CA. Really. Gave myself plenty of time to experiment with different thoughts, moves etc. I think I hit about 200 balls (plus chipping and putting, of course) five times per week. A great opportunity that I've not had for soooo many years to delve into my golf swing.

It helped me physically by allowing me to stretch out, make a fuller turn, strengthen my legs. And after a couple months of work I settled on what I wanted to do with my positions. For instance, I was opening the clubface too much going back, forcing a strong rotation through the ball to get back to square. Since I teach that the clubface opens going back, and because of always working with people that bring the club back along the line, i.e., shut, I had developed a too open face.

The physical part was harder. Just turning the shoulders 90º was difficult. I was leaning left at set-up making things worse. My posture was bad; my back looked like I was slumped over the steering wheel. I would look at the video back home and go: Is this me?

The result of all this was a loose, sloppy swing with no repetitiveness. Most shots trailed off to the right. I was losing distance. Mis-hits were common.

Historically, I seem to always look for problems, and am always changing this and that.

So after 3+ months of hitting balls I feel I have a swing that I need not change. And I will not change! So now my thought pattern is sequence, timing, leg action, stay with the ball etc. These are the thoughts I need to play golf with. This is all I think about, and practice, now. What a relief to hit balls and not be burdened with positions, theories etc. I have found peace on the practice range.

Will I play better golf? Yes. Stay tuned.......

Frustration in Westlake Village

Hey, haven't posted in a loooong while. That's OK tho, because I'm not a real writer, just mimicking one.

I've moved to Malibu to hang out with my son Phil while trying to find a job here in SoCal. Seems like the last place to look for a job but I can't find anything ANYWHERE!

While looking for a job here, I sat in the parking lot of a driving range before going in to the golf shop and watched this pro trying to no avail to help a teenager with his swing. The kid wasn't allowing the clubface to rotate with the body thru the ball and was also flipping, noticeably, from the top. The 'pro' never addressed either issue, but was working on leg action, which the kid was good at anyway. Jeeez, frustrating to watch that. Doesn't anyone know basics such as clubface rotation, lead with the hips and pull the handle? [The Y Shape]

And this guy has a job.

"He isn't gonna be a caddie all his life, is he?"

So if you are one of the 47 subscribers in the whole world to my youtube/peejay3 channel and were wondering where I went and why there aren't any swing videos lately, it's because I'm caddying, not teaching.
I came up to Minnesota this spring after looking all winter for a good teaching job but found nothing. For whatever reason, the economy, maybe my age or I-don't-know, I came up empty. But I'm still looking around for a range to do more videos on chipping, an EZ slice fix, half shots, sand etc. And although I seem a little hesitant in some of videos, I enjoy doing them.
I first started caddying when I was 12 and I got into golf from the caddying perspective. It didn't take long, after just a couple loops, that I was begging my mom to get me some clubs. Well, the 'clubs' turned out to be only a 6iron and a putter for a couple months before I got a used driver and 3wood for $5 each. This was my set for my first season.
Caddying became a daily thing. There would be about 100 of us, hanging out in the caddie yard waiting for a loop, playing handball in an old garage on the site, losing your money in card games. The old thin strapped, heavy leather bags, and getting stabbed (no tip) were all part of the deal.
What is interesting tho are the post round critiques each caddie gives players and how each player stacks up re: playing to his/her ability, knowledge of the game, adherence to the rules, general coolness, rapport with caddie, confidence in caddie's read of the green, club selection etc. Because a regularly employed caddie sees so many different players they observe the game of golf from a unique position. Most play golf; some play golf well. They all love the game.

Progress

Progress! Well, 2 out of three anyway.
1) Shaft is so much more inline with my left arm. I keep the hands and arms tight with the body as I turn, resisting the urge to pick it up. Because of this former pick up move, I was rolling the hands too much to get the face back to square. 2) Better, but only slightly so. Noticed that I've been leaning left at set-up, the prime candidate for a weak turn. The problem is that from this position I tend to come over the shot – pushes or pulls result. 3) Because the face is more square as a result of #1, I can pull more aggressively thru the ball maintaining my Y Shape, thereby eliminating the extreme right hand rollover.
Going to LA, maybe post some pics of Junior in a couple days....
Check out all my videos at http://www.youtube.com/peejay3 and my website:http://theyshape.com.

Mobile Post

I had hoped to post three perfect-position pics to fix my little
problems but my takeaway is still funky. Picking it up; taking it
outside. My turn is better and I like my thru-the-ball move - a lot. I
have definitely figured out my first move and will post tomorrow.

iPhone Phil

Three Positions I Hate

1) With the clubhead outside hands way too long into the takeaway the right arm tends to block a pure left arm/shaft plane. The right is pulling the club back. The right arm is IN THE WAY. I want the backswing to be on the same plane as coming down; it's simpler that way. 2) A result of #1? Probably. The left shoulder and hip haven't rotated resulting in a 3/4 position at the top. 3) Have no idea why I throw the shaft to my left as I don't have 'the lefts'. Too much 'aroundness' I think. PUSH OUT down the line – FIRM UP through the ball.
Check back as I will attempt to fix these problems pronto... phil

Dial in those wedges

A short game practice range with 40, 60, 80 and 100 yd. elevated and bunkered targets, beautiful range balls, good turf to hit off, a nice day. "Aah, I can really work with my wedges today!"
For most of us, getting just the nice day to coincide with our free time for golf is all we can hope for. Most driving ranges don't have anything under 100 yds. to hit at. So how to practice the under 100 yd shot? By knowing 1/2 swing distances with your clubs.
If you know how far 1/2 swings with these clubs go, it's then easy to increase or decrease the swing to accommodate to the situation.
Say you have a 60 yd shot and you can't feel the correct distance. Pull out your 56º, make some 1/2 swings, feel the 50 yds that result from the half swing you've been practicing, then increase the swing length slightly and there you have it.
All these less-than-full swings require a way of reliably guessing the distance. By using any club's 1/2 swing distance, then adjusting to your practice swing, you'll be dialing in the correct distance in no time!

OK, so I was wrong about Tiger's return date. Like I didn't know he'd heal up so fast. Or maybe he's as itchy to play as everyone else is to see him play. Will he win? Hmmmmm, don't ever bet against Tiger, especially in match play.

But I'm not wrong about the angel, the Pro Wedge Angel, that is. Al Geiberger's angel. Probably the best training device ever! This thing aligns with my basic Y Shape philosophy of keeping the club in the same position relative to the body during the swing. Or maybe that's where I got the idea, whatever!
Anyway, I've had one in my teaching bag for years now and recently broke it out for a test myself and it's gorgeous! You can certainly hit balls with it and it keeps the hands in exactly the same place relative to the body. I swing with it at home. Now if I can just get my swing to look like Al's I'd be doin' great.

When will Tiger return to the tour?

Tiger fever will shortly be among us as the date Tiger finishes his rehab is fast approaching. When will that be?
A few of you have placed your guess in my recent but now taken down poll but only one is in agreement with me: The WGC Accenture in Miami on Mar9-15.
The WGC will give Tiger plenty of time to get in shape without missing anything 'major'. And he'll be able to take a week off before Palmer's tournament, one that he needs to play in as a warm-up for Augusta. Third, it's close to home, on a course he knows well (he seems to know most of them well, especially after each tournament win.).
So WGC it is! I'm sure. Yeah, real sure. Well, mostly..... And how about the crowds for whatever tournament is next?

"Nice drive." "What'd you say?"

.....from the BBC:
Keen golfers are being warned by doctors that they could be risking their hearing for their sport.
Players who use a new generation of thin-faced titanium drivers to propel the ball further should consider wearing ear plugs, experts advise.
Ear specialists suspect the "sonic boom" the metal club head makes when it strikes the ball damaged the hearing of a 55-year-old golfer they treated.
They outline the details of this case in the British Medical Journal.
The man had been playing with a King Cobra LD titanium club three times a week for 18 months and commented that the noise of the club hitting the ball was "like a gun going off".
It had become so unpleasant that he decided to ditch the club, but by this time he had already suffered some hearing loss.
Doctors at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital carried out tests on the keen golfer after he attended their clinic with unexplained tinnitus and reduced hearing in his right ear.
The tests confirmed that his hearing problems were typical of those seen with exposure to loud noises.
The doctors trawled the web for reviews of the King Cobra LD club and said they found some interesting comments.
One player reported: "Drives my mates crazy with that distinctive loud 'BANG' sound."
Another said: "This is not so much a ting but a sonic boom which resonates across the course!"
The doctors decided to recruit a professional golfer to hit shots with six thin-faced titanium clubs from manufacturers such as King Cobra, Callaway, Nike and Mizuno.
All produced a louder noise than standard thicker stainless steel drivers.
The worst offender was the Ping G10 at over 130 decibels.
Lead researcher Dr Malcom Buchanan, an ENT specialist and a keen golfer, said: "Our results show that thin-faced titanium drivers may produce sufficient sound to induce temporary or even permanent cochlear damage in susceptible individuals."
He said golfers should be careful when playing with these thin-faced clubs as they make a lot more noise, and suggested they could wear earplugs for protection.
Crystal Rolfe, an audiologist for the RNID, said: "Exposure to loud impulse sounds over time can cause damage. It is a short, sharp burst of very loud peak sound with this type of golf club.
"Earplugs would offer some protection and if someone was playing regularly with these types of club they might consider wearing them. But this is only one individual case so we need more research."
Dr Martin Strangwood, an expert in sports equipment engineering at the University of Birmingham, said manufacturers engineered the sound of the club to get a "good" sound for the player.
"There has been a tendency to make booming clubs for drivers. But if this were a problem it would be easy to remedy by filling the head of the club with foam to reduce the sound."
He said wearing earplugs was another solution, but said players use the noise as feedback to assess how they are playing and how well their equipment is performing. "So it might not work for all."

The Y Shape in Apple's AppStore

In January my book, "The Y Shape", will be available in Apple's AppStore. It's packed with swing philosophy, a build-your-swing guide, and plenty of exercises to help improve your game. Check it out.
And if that doesn't lower your score, instruction videos at youtube and google, under 'peejay3', will. Also, my website - http://theyshape.com - has all kinds of stuff to get into the swing, the Y Shape swing. You'll play better, guaranteed!

Importance of having a method

During a round of golf, the game allows the player few, if any, shots that turn out as planned. Also, golf gives the player plenty of time to think between shots. An unhealthy combination these factors can make your golf game miserable.

Prior to a round, we all have a positive sense that this will be our day, that we're going to have a good round. And why not?. It's why we play. Beautiful weather, lush surroundings and social company add to our optimism. But what we really want is to play well.

Trouble can emerge at any time during a round. A poor swing, lack of concentration, a management error can lead to a high score. What do you do after an errant shot, a bogey or worse?

'Importance of having a method' means that after a bad swing you can revert back to what you want to do, what you've practiced, what you know is the basic underlying concept of your method. You can stay with your method rather than searching for the reason the ball went astray. Golf balls go astray, it's what they do. You're human and golf is difficult, unmasterable.

Check out http://theyshape.com for my proven method that really works!

The first part of having a 'method', any method, is the idea behind it. Constantly adjusting to the last shot tends to pull you away from your method, away from the core idea, away from what you've spent the last week practicing. Why did you do all that work when you allow yourself to be drawn away from your method during the round? Well, golf can do this.

If you are firm in your conviction to your method, stay with it on every swing to the end of the round. I've found that when working with students on the range most can discern what they've been doing wrong by telling them what's right. I don't have to explain what they're doing 'wrong', they figure that out by themselves because it's at odds with what I want them to do, at odds with my method.

This is not to say that after three sliced drives you don't look for a reason, but the reason has to be contrasted with what's 'right'. Only after going back and finding the 'right' can the 'wrong' be felt and eliminated.

Feelings

Feel vs Reality is always a hot topic on the lesson tee. “I didn’t know I was doing that!” is usually what I hear when a student views his/her swing on video, and not just the first time viewing it. We tend to unconsiously manipulate the clubhead to suit our instincts. This is true regarding the action of the club through the ball.

The act of the clubhead lagging behind the hands allows power to be built up from the core outwards to the clubhead. The arms stay in plane longer into the downswing, preventing wayward shots. A solid hit at impact is virtually assured if you lag the clubhead.

If you are confident that your through-the-ball move allows you to hit the ball fairly straight most of the time, and you want to increase distance and have more consistency, try this thought: The left arm/shaft structure at the top includes a 90º angle which must be held as far into the downswing as possible. To accomplish this, picture the entire left arm/shaft structure simply revolving around your neck and maintain this structure to impact. That is, the ball is struck with the same structure present at the top of the backswing.

You’ll gain more distance if you don’t try to accelerate the clubhead into the ball. The feeling you want is to push out and generate power after impact so wait until impact to push weight off the right leg. 1) Revolve the left arm/shaft structure to impact then, 2) push off the right leg.

Lagging the clubhead is not a block; the clubface must eventually rotate through the ball. Let rotation be your intention as the downswing begins.

I want to see your swing

In Florida, between jobs, looking for work, bored, need to stay active with my swing analyzing skills or I'll go nuts. OK state, beaches and all but I can only ride the bike so much.

So, send me your swing video from a couple of different angles and you'll get my ideas on how to attain The Y Shape swing for FREE!


Go to http://www.theyshape.com/Private%20Instruction.html
WARNING!, practice required. Do the exercises. Do the exercises. Do the exercises. And, I guarantee you'll play better.

Justin

Justin... every round is an adventure when you're talented
and powerful.

Gone

Not too much call for a teaching pro in Loveland in the winter so I'm heading south, probably Florida. I'll miss lots of good people. Thanks for good times!

Be Prepared

At a bike shop in Loveland, waiting for a flat tire to be repaired. My son warned me about going for a ride without a spare tube and a pump. Luckily I was only a few blocks away from the bike shop when the tire blew.

On the course, 'being prepared' means having equipment, food and water which allows you to be comfortable for 4-5 hours. If you're wet, cold, hungry or thirsty you can't play your best golf.

If you're expecting to get a sandwich at the turn, they may be out. There may be a long line. Your group may be behind, causing you rush. "I've got to get my jacket out of the car. "

Be prepared, not necessarily for an emergency, but to maintain a
comfort level so you can concentrate solely on golf.

Roscoe the Rabbit

My fave rabbit, Roscoe, hangs around the range, usually appearing late afternoon or evening. Actually, he divides his time between the range and the nearby #4 tee box. He's smaller than those plump Minnesota ones I'm used to. Quite tame, I snapped this pic from about 6' away. He doesn't hoard his food but eats his fill then leaves the remainder for later.

How To #1: Feel the height of a teed ball

Note my ring finger, the only one touching the ground. I use this finger as my guide to feeling height as I start pushing the tee into the ground...

Leg Action -(mobile post)

Out on a morning bike ride -geez, I haven't ridden for a while - and
feeling my legs again.

Which reminds me that the legs are primarily 'foundations' for the arm
swing and body turn. Proper leg action requires a Catch-22 approach:
weight must shift and the leg must brace.

The left leg will feel all your weight at the finish, obviously, but
the right leg should bear 95% of your weight on a full driver swing,
less relative to other clubs.

Too often, in our attempt to brace the right leg at the top, we may
not shift any weight at all. This can introduce all kinds of problems,
particularly breaking down the "Y Shape" structure because poor weight shift = poor turn = breakdown.

Feel your weight shift during the first few warmup swings.
Continually monitor weight shift during your round.

The Y Shape.com

What do you think of my website http://theyshape.com? How can I improve it for you? More Problems/Fixes? What exactly is your swing problem? I can address it in a text post or video response.

New golfers: 1) Request my book. 2) Follow along to 'Build Your Swing'. 3) Repeat, repeat, repeat...

Experienced golfers: Take time to absorb The Y Shape's new perception of the swing. It WORKS with all levels...

2008 Ryder Cup

Just looking at the rosters: adding up each player's world ranking number (Tiger's still #1, believe it?) and the US totals 300, Europe 264. Home field advantage, I think, is thrown out the window as Europe plays such a variety of courses on their tour; they're used to 'whatever' conditions.

And our 2006 uniforms! How hideous! How could we win when our designer just stepped out of the North Woods? Go US, but I ... don't think ... so . . .

Time off

Taking a couple days off, even golf can get to you...

Sunday: to daughter Sara's 105º yoga class and lived! Stretch. Balance. Lots to work on... It's gotta help the golf game tho.
Anything you can do along these lines – look how much we turn in the swing. I have a 14" club I use for demonstrations and when someone swings that thing, they realize that there's more body turn than arm swing. Try it with a wooden spoon or anything – a stick? – and you'll see what I mean...

In the meantime, check out http://theyshape.com

First Post

I just feel like recording golf stuff – teaching ideas, teaching experiences, ideas gleaned from good players – anything that maybe others, like you, would enjoy. Random. Random...

How about you and your golf game? If you've been to http://theyshape.com let me know what you think of my site.

Playing today, talking about great swings: How about Gene Littler's move? Classic! There's only one vid on youtube, not great angles but at least it's something: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXCHxUPEaUI