Last evening I decided to go practice with a Golf Talk club that has been in my golf cabinet in the garage for three years. It had been spanked and put in the dark for being a really naughty club - it never allowed me to hit good shot. It's a 60 degree wedge.

For some reason, I thought this was the time to make up with the 60 and learn how to hit it. So, out to the golf course we went. The first shot from in front of the practice green was a disaster. The hole was about 20 yards uphill at the top of the green, and I hit the ball with the leading edge of the club - rocketing it completely over the green.

On the second shot, I reminded myself to just take a half swing with this devil of a golf club, and to keep my left arm and wrist straight. The club pitched the ball up into the air, as I watched it go through contact. My brain exploded with "YES!", then I looked up to see the golf ball coming back down to earth about seven yards in front of me. My only thought was "How the hell do you get any distance with this thing?".

The next tactic was to move the golf ball either forward or back in my stance during set up. Taking smooth half swings with as little wrist action as possible, I discovered that with the ball forward toward my lead foot I could hit it almost straight up in the air with the 60 degree. Wow, that'll really come in handy...Yeah, right!

Moving the ball back toward my trailing foot, the 60 lifted it beautifully into the air, but I couldn't hit it more than 30 yards toward the target. Keeping the ball back in my stance, and adjusting my swing to about three-quarters put the ball up really high, and out about 40 yards. Then, I decided to try a full swing, and skulled the ball about 100 yards over the green.

After about seventy or eight shots with the 60 degree, I was able to hit the ball 35 to 40 yards with some consistency, and some accuracy, using a three-quarter golf swing. I won't even think about using a full swing with that diabolical little B#@$&*D!

Can't swing it inside that dark cabinet, anyway.

Thanks for visiting Golf Talk.

Hit ‘em long, straight and often!

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Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf course, golf club, golf swing, practice green, talk about golf, golf talking

It's difficult to Golf Talk without discussing the importance of having a solid foundation to support your golf swing.

The Natural Golf wide stance, single plane setup always reminds me of Moe Norman. As we said in our earlier post Tuning Up The Natural Golf Swing For Accuracy And Distance , Moe spent his life striving to hit a golf ball to a target consistently, and is considered to be one of the two best ball strikers in the history of the game. To achieve this, he created his own golf swing - the single plane swing - which became the Natural Golf swing.

The single plane setup starts with a wide stance. In order to swing a golf club on one plane consistently or repeatably, we need a solid foundation from which to swing back and forward through the golf ball. That solid foundation comes from a wider stance than in a traditional golf swing. In the single plane swing the feet are placed just outside the shoulders, setting up a strong triangular base with the feet, legs and torso.

Over this foundation, or golf stance, the arms and shoulders can be rotated into the back swing without throwing the golfer off balance. By keeping the lead arm and wrist straight with the club becoming an extension of the arm, and folding the trailing arm toward the body as the club moves into the back swing, the lead arm and club stay on one plane traveling around the golfers torso.

See if you can visualize this: The club head behind the golf ball is facing directly at the target, the players arm and the club stay on one plane through the back swing, that single plane is maintained through the forward swing - bringing the club face precisely back to the same position facing the target when it goes through the ball. That's what gives Moe's Natural Golf swing so much consistency. In fact, once you are comfortable swinging the golf club this way, you can actually hit the ball with your eyes closed!

It all starts, however, with that solid foundation. You will be pleasantly surprised how sturdy you feel by simply moving your feet further apart when swinging the golf club.

From this wide setup we are able to turn the shoulders to begin the back swing without turning or "winding up" the hips. With the single plane swing, the lower body remains relatively still and parallel to the target line. No swaying, and no "coiling" of the body to produce torque or club head speed. Club head speed and torque comes naturally with a single plane golf swing on a solid foundation.

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Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf club, golf swing, natural golf, talk about golf, golf talking

We know that we promised that the next Golf Talk posting would be about the Natural Golf wide stance setup, but yesterday my buddy Jack Challender and I had such a great day at the Frys.com Open in Scottsdale, Arizona, that I decided to jump in here and tell you about it.

If you haven't been to a PGA tournament, you owe it to yourself to do so. We have been going to the Frys.com Open for the past few years, and every time I come away with a deep appreciation for the talent and discipline these players have. It is so much better to see them perform in the real and beautiful surroundings of Grayhawk Golf Club than to watch it on television. Television coverage is wonderful for watching the entire tournament. The producer, director, camera operators and announcers all deliver a terrific story of the event, the place and the people. But, it is still not like being there and seeing the real people hit the golf ball.

The day started on an up beat for us when a fellow passenger on the shuttle bus from the parking lot held out two tickets to the Open and asked if I knew anyone who could use them. I politely reached across the aisle to grasp the ducats (worth $50) without pulling his arm out of its socket, and then genuinely thanked him for the courtesy. I told Jack "It's a good day. Maybe, we should buy a lottery ticket."

As we walked along the cart path leading to the clubhouse area - clustered in the center of the 1st tee, the 9th green, the 10th tee, driving range, practice green and all the vendors and food caterers - we were surrounded by fans, players and caddies. What other professional sports event can you think of where Aaron Oberholzer says "Excuse me" as he crosses in front of you on his way to the driving range? We stood for a while watching Oberholzer, Mike Weir and Nick Watney hit five irons out to the 200 yard marker. Drivers put the ball out of sight...and every shot hit clean and to the same place. Great stuff.

Our next stop was the 1st tee, where we sat in a small grandstand directly behind the teebox...about 15 feet from the 16th pairing of Steve Flesch, Jeff Magggert and Rod Pampling waiting to tee off. Close enough to hear them talking with their caddies, and close enough to watch each player's golf bag being inventoried before play began.

Until a few years ago, I never knew that everything in a pro's golf bag was inventoried as he starts the golf tournament. It makes a lot of sense, though. The sponsors have a right to know that the player they pay is actually using their golf ball, putter or golf shoes. Believe it or not, there have been golfers play tournaments with equipment other than their sponsor's.

It happens in other arenas, too; Barbara, my wife, recently told me about a lady singer who had photos taken for some event wearing a wrist watch other than the one she had been paid a million bucks to advertise and wear. When the sponsor saw the pictures in a magazine - bye, bye contract.

After lunch, Jack and I found a fabulous spot under a shade tree on the shore of the water hazard directly across from the 515 yard 18th fairway and green. What a spot! The teebox was hidden behind a stand of mesquite trees on the left, but we could see the tee shots land 250 or 300 yards out, depending on the player. That left another 250 or 200 yards to the green. It was like watching a huge 3-D screen as the players set up to hit their approach shots onto the green...or in the water...or into the crowd at the back of the green. Steve Lowery got two wet before struggling to the green.

The best example of how good these guys are was Davis Love III. His tee shot on 18 went a little left, landing in a fairway bunker about 220 yards from the green. He hit a beautiful second shot out of the sand that had to have 15 seconds of hang time, sailing into a greenside bunker on the left - releasing a loud groan from the grandstands.

Davis, looking like he was strolling through the park from our vantage point, walked down the fairway, climbed into the bunker and hit an amazing sand shot into the air, trickling to within 6 inches of the hole. He tapped in for par 4 - after hitting into two bunkers! Unreal.

Don't ever let anybody tell you these guys are like the rest of us. Although, if I had hit a million golf balls in my lifetime, I probably could have been that good, too. Nah!!

Do yourself a favor...get out there with the Big Dogs, where it's up close and personal. It really makes golf come alive again.

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Hit ‘em long, straight and often!

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Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf course, golf club, golf swing, golf tournament,grayhawk, natural golf, talk about golf, golf talking

During the past year, in addition to writing articles for Golf Talk Club, one of my goals has been to improve on hitting the golf ball where I want it to go…and a little farther out. In order to do that I decided to examine the basic fundamentals of my golf swing – the Natural Golf swing.

With the Natural Golf swing created by Moe Norman, one of the all-time great ball strikers and historical Canadian pro, the club swings on a single plane, and the lower body stays still. Moe developed the swing in his life-long quest to simplify the golf swing, and make it extremely repeatable by any player. Being human, however, means that we do things imperfectly; and over time my brain made little changes that were mucking up my swing. It was time for a tune-up.

The first step was to analyze my performance of the four characteristics of Moe’s golf swing: natural palm grip, wide stance, single plane swing and facing the ball at impact. Today, we will take a look at the natural palm grip.

The golf club is gripped by the lead hand in a very natural way - with the shaft nestled in the crook of the first knuckle of the index or first finger and extending across the calluses at base of the fingers, pushing up on that little pad of muscle on the heel of the hand when the fingers close around it.

This probably sounds a bit strange, but it is very similar to reaching out and picking up a long twig by one end. I wouldn’t grip the twig across the “lifeline” in my palm, I would grasp it with my thumb compressing it across the middle of my index finger, trailing back across the heel pad. That’s Moe’s natural palm grip.

It was obvious, upon paying a little attention, that I was allowing the butt of the club to drift up too much into the center of my palm, which would affect the angle of the club extending from my hand.

Remember, Moe’s idea here was simplicity. The golf club shaft is supposed to be the natural extension of the lead arm, with the arm and club making a straight line from the shoulder down to the golf ball. If I maintain that line, I can swing the lead arm back across my body and, then, back with the face of the club in the same position to the ball every time.

My sloppy grip was putting a slight angle in that arm-club line…just enough to create a small slice. The slight correction of gripping the club across the callus line on my lead hand would immediately bring the ball back on target.

A little drill that helps to get the arm and club lined up correctly is to grip the club with my lead hand as described earlier, grip the club with my trail hand (I use a baseball style, 10 finger grip) with the palm pointing to the target. Holding the club straight out horizontally in front of me, I make sure the club face is aimed directly at the target, and then lower it down behind the ball.

Next time, we will dissect Moe’s wide stance set up. Until then, thanks for visiting Golf Talk.

Click on the “COMMENTS” button above to post your golf tips and thoughts on the game.

Thanks for visiting Golf Talk.

Hit ‘em long, straight and often!

Contact: darabbitt@gmail.com

Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf course, golf club, golf swing, natural golf, , moe norman, talk about golf, golf talking

OK, let's Golf Talk about how badly golf is being beat-up by the fiasco on Wall Street and in Washington.

In my opinion, this mess is going to impact the golf world like a sledge hammer. I could be wrong, but I don't think so. The reason I am pretty sure of this is because there are no golf balls in my back yard.

We live on the 15th green of Sidewinder, one of the most beautiful public golf courses in Arizona. It is ranked #4 in the state for courses open to the public, and its sister course - Dinosaur Mountain Course - a few blocks up the stree is ranked #1. Obviously, these are very popular golf courses. Players normally fly in from all over North America to stay at the Gold Canyon Golf Resort that owns both courses.

Until a few weeks ago, we would sit out on the patio and watch a party of golfers putt out the 15th green, while another group was teeing off over at the 16th tee box. There were usually other golfers back up the fairway, waiting to hit their approach shots to the green. But not so much now.

Now, there are at least 20 to 30 minutes between golfing parties parked under the trees at the rear of our property next to the cart path. Estimating the cost of the workers it takes every day to cut the grass, groom the green and the surrounding bunkers, fertilize, water and trim shrubs and landscaping; the long silence between players is very expensive. Observing what they have to do every day to keep a top-ranked golf course top-ranked leaves no question about why their green fees are top-ranked, too.

A lack of players equals a lack of golf balls in our yard. No shanked approach shots, no skulled chip shots - no golf balls in the yard. Last year we had about 260 balls deposited over or through the wrought-iron fence. I keep and play all the good Titleist Pro-V1's that aren't knicked or scuffed up. All the others go into a pot on the patio, and I sell them to a golf ball recycler not far from our house.

A neighbor down the street, about 150 yards in front of the 15th tee box, had over 1000 balls per year sail into their yard until they erected a screen to catch and drop them to the ground inside their fence. They paid for the screen by selling all of the golf balls to the recycler. But not now.

It's not my intention to bum you out with all this. Actually, I think it is very similar to the stock market. When everyone else is panicked and selling at a loss is when smart investors are buying. This winter we should all be watching the market for fire-sale deals on those golf clubs we've been dreaming about...or scouring the local papers for killer green fee offers at golf courses we normally can't afford.

This whole mess will eventually blow over. In the meantime, remember there is always an opportunity in every crisis.

Thanks for visiting Golf Talk.

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Hit 'em long, straight and often!

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Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf course, golf club, golfer, golf resort, talk about golf, golf talking

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to Golf Talk with a young golfer – 12 years old – who was wondering if shooting 85 on a par 72 course with one and a half years experience was a good score. My response to him was that it was FANTASTIC. In fact, I told him, most amateur golfers around the country would kill to shoot 85. Too many consistently score over 100 for 18 holes, no matter what they say when they talk about golf.

My new friend was delighted to hear that those few “stats” probably placed him in the top 20% of amateur golfers. The whole conversation illustrated to me, once again, how few statistics most of us know about the average golfer. That keeps us from having a realistic perspective on our own game. So, I decided to do a little research.

In 1990 L.J. Riccio, Ph.D., a statistical analyst in New York, analyzed golfers ranging in ability from Jack Nicklaus to players with a 35 handicap. His findings are very enlightening. If you are willing to risk brain warp, you can actually predict your average score by the number of greens you hit in regulation (GIR). For example, if you can reach 5 greens out of 18 in regulation consistently, you will have an average score of 85, like my young – 12 year old - friend. Do you know how many people who have been playing for 20 years would LOVE to shoot 85? And he’s doing it at 12!

In case you don’t know what hitting greens in regulation means, golf courses are designed for two putts on the green. That means that on a par-3 hole you are expected to put the ball on the green with your tee shot, leaving you two shots or putts to get it in the hole. If your tee shot lands on the green, you “hit the green in regulation”. On a par-4 hole, you need to put your second – or approach – shot on the green in order to hit it in regulation, and have two putts to hole it for par. A par-5 hole would, of course, require your third shot to land the green to be there in regulation.

According to Dr. Riccio, a player who has a GIR average of 12 (being on the green in regulation on 12 of 18 holes) is going to score 71 consistently. (They are usually called Pro’s.) Those of us who never hit a green in regulation can expect scores of 95 and up.

Want to lower your scores? Hit your tee shots straight enough - and long enough - to give yourself a chance at landing your approach shots on the green in regulation. That doesn’t mean we have to crush a driver 250 or 300 yards out, but we do have to keep it in the fairway to be close enough to reach the green with an iron or hi-brid. Sometimes, we can actually make up for a weak drive with a strong approach shot…if the tee shot stays on the fairway. Straight is a good thing.

Oh, yeah, in order to score that 85, my friend had to keep it in the fairway 46% of the time, be accurate with one out of three iron shots (33%) and have an average of 34 putts for 18 holes. That means he hit it straight on 8 or 9 fairways, hit 5 greens in regulation, and had fourteen 2-putts and four 1-putts for the round. (Don’t doubt yourself on those 1-putts – Remember, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.)

By the way, it really helps to know how far you hit each of your irons or fairway woods. If you don’t, how will you know which golf club to pull to go for the green…in regulation?

So, what is Dr. Riccio telling us? My interpretation of his study is that we really need to focus our golf time and energy on getting as good as we can with our short irons and putter. How many times have you given back the drive of your life with three more shots to reach the green and, then, have a two or three putt? Personally, I can’t count that high.

As much as we all hate it, the answer is practice, practice, practice.

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Hit ‘em Long, Straight and Often!

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Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf course, golf club, golf swing, golf statistics, golf tips, golf practice, talk about golf, golf talking

The Ryder Cup golf tournament was a very enjoyable surprise and has generated a lot of Golf Talk .

Based on comments made before the tournament was played, I think it was a huge surprise for a lot of golf fans. The gist of opinion, of course, was a giant question mark: What kind of competition will it be like without Tiger? The answer turned out to be: Terrific!!

What happened, I believe, is that Tiger’s absence gave the U.S. guys the chance to star on an international stage that will highlight their careers forever. It gave the TV viewers and fans a glimpse of just how talented some our players really are. After all, it’s pretty tough to grab the spotlight when you’re on-stage with the greatest golf player in the history of the game. Being on that stage without Tiger presented the opportunity to step into the light.

Anthony Kim exploded onto that stage. His refusal of a two-foot “gimme” to Sergio Garcia was like hanging up a banner that said “There WILL be Blood!” Then, when Sergio was negotiating with a tournament official to create some kind of improvement to his lie deep into the hillside rough, Anthony inserted himself into the discussion, putting Sergio on notice that this was not going to be a walk in the park. His swagger and parting comment to Sergio to “Do what you have to do.” was not only dismissive, but also conveyed the unspoken message that “I’m going to kick your butt, anyway.” Sergio never recovered.

Great theater…great golf!

And, how about Kenny Perry?! Playing like a surgeon with a brand new scalpel. Talk about precise skill with a golf club. He was, as the younger folks like to say, AWESOME. "I said this was going to define my career, but you know what, it made my career," he said after the U.S. team captured the Cup. Doing it with another Kentucky rising star, J.B. Holmes, made it even more spectacular. Turns out, Kenny told coach Paul Azinger he wanted to be paired with J.B. When Holmes drove the green on 13, Perry said he just couldn’t believe it. Neither could that screaming hometown Kentucky gallery.

With Boo Weekly playing incredible golf – and having fun doing it - and Jim Furyk redeeming himself with the Ryder Cup winning hole, the crowds got a little too American for the European team, it seems. Some of their comments after the tournament, revealed that they thought we were too raucous and loud...and a bit rude.

Welcome to the Colonies.


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Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, anthony kim, golf club, tiger, ryder cup, kenny perry, paul azzinger, talk about golf, golf talking

Yesterday was one of those days that had me golf talking to myself.

It started when I pulled the first tee shot left. The golf ball bounced on the cart path and went further left into the purple sage and bougainvillea growing on the hillside below the homes bordering the fairway. That was going to be a bugger to find, so I decided to hit a provisional ball (It would become my primary ball if I couldn’t find the first shot). This little beauty went left, as well, trailing off into a sand trap behind three trees shielding it from the green - about 150 yards away.

Three of us looked without luck for the first one, so I climbed into the bunker and set up to hit the provisional to the green. The six iron picked the ball off the sand cleanly, and it shot over the lip, out of the bunker, right into the middle tree. My heart sunk as I watched the ball drop out of the tree to the grass below – lying 4 - about 100 yards from the hole. Not a good thing on a par-4 hole.

A pitching wedge to the green, and two putts, got me out of there with a triple bogey. I could feel the collar on my shirt getting very warm.

The second hole, a short par-3, was more of the same. Two over.

When the par-5 third produced another double bogey, I was ready to start shortening clubs.

Miraculously, a voice in the back of my mind began to coach me - “Settle down, go back to basics, make sure you’re setting up correctly”.

On the fourth tee I did just that, methodically checking each aspect of my Natural Golf set-up: ball placement, grip, posture, spine-tilt, etc. Then, as I brought the golf club back and began my downswing to the ball, I felt my shoulders turning ahead of the club. Shoulders went left, golf ball went left as the club went over the swing plane and back down into the ball.

The negative emotion began to melt away as I focused on what needed to be corrected. Concentrating on doing things properly took the focus off being angry and upset, allowing me to get back into the golf game. That old saw that says "When emotion walks in the door, Logic jumps out the window " is so true. I could either let the emotion run or deal with my game...not both.

Our minds can really only deal with one thing at a time. I can have a lot of things “floating” around in there, but I can only laser-in on one at a time. Both of us being human, I’ll bet you are probably the same.

The next few holes produced a par and a bogey, as I continued to pay attention to what I was doing. The rest of the round became very enjoyable because I was having fun again…which is why we’re out there, isn’t it?

That round of golf was not among my personal best, but I sure felt good walking toward the 19th hole.

Thanks for visiting Golf Talk.

Click on the "COMMENTS" button above to post your golf tips and thoughts on the game.

Hit ‘em Long, Straight and Often!

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Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf course, golf club, golf swing, golf game, talk about golf, golf talking

You have, no doubt, heard this old Golf Talk expression: Drive for show, Putt for dough. Have you ever really thought about what it means? After all, if you are teeing off on a 300 yard, par-3 hole and hit a 150 yard drive, you are already half way to the green. What’s wrong with a drive like that? Nothing.

The problem is that 80% of our golf shots are taken from 150 yards in to the hole. Applying that stat means that you will take 4 more shots to get the golf ball in the hole – maybe, a nice second shot onto the green, and a three-putt…or, two more shots to the green and two putts. Either way, according to the statistic for most amateur golfers, you just got a double bogey. Having personally experienced this scenario on the golf course, I can assure you that it is really tough to get low scores shooting doubles.

If that’s the case – that most of us shoot 80% of our golf shots in the last 150 yards of the fairway – why in the world do almost all of us go to the driving range and pull out a driver, the golf club we are only going to use 20% of the time? Because, it’s the Big Bertha, the Hammer, the Slammer, the BIG DOG! It does feel good when you hit that golf ball cleanly with that long stick. Unfortunately, the driver is one of the most difficult golf clubs in the bag to hit, so we may not hit the ball cleanly very often.

The most important thing with the driver is to keep the golf ball in the fairway. If you can do that, you are swinging that club beautifully. Forget about distance. Distance can be your enemy if you are hitting the driver 100 yards out into the forest. We’ve all seen Tiger do that, haven’t we? So, expect yourself to do that once in a while, too. If you try to hit it really hard, that driver can be very humbling. Just hit it easy and straight, the distance will take care of itself.

But, let’s get back to the subject for today.

As the title above promises, how can you take 3 to 5 shots off your golf score fast? I did it by taking one golf club to the driving range until I could hit that club pretty cleanly, consistently. Very important word "consistently". It is one of the most important words in playing golf. Setting up to hit the golf ball the same way – consistently. Swinging the club the same way – consistently. That’s why I decided to take only a nine iron to the range to practice – to become consistent with a golf club that could help me lower my scores.

A nine iron is one of the most forgiving clubs in your golf bag. It’s one of the shorter golf clubs, but long enough that it won’t kill your back bending over to hit 50 or 60 golf balls. The nine has a nice large, lofted face with a big sweet spot. That helps you get the ball in the air without toeing or shanking too many.

Taking only one club to practice was very enlightening. For one thing, the other golf clubs weren’t sitting in the bag behind me, beckoning me to come get one of them every time I miss-hit a ball. It was just me and number nine. I could either become its friend and partner, or it could continue to humiliate me into submission.

Amazingly, once I decided to relax and get to learn more about my new friend, it became easier and fun to hit number nine. At first, there were line-drives off the edge, or squirts off the toe. As I paid closer attention to hitting the golf ball cleanly and squarely, though, they began to go straight at my target. The ball was lofting beautifully into the air – and flying farther than I had ever hit a nine. Starting out, I was hitting the nine iron about 80 yards. Over the course of several practice sessions, however, I learned to swing number nine more consistently and cleanly, and the ball was flying 100, 110 and, finally, 120 yards out…and right where I wanted it to go. What a club!

Now, I had a friend that could help get me on to the green with most of my approach shots. Back on the golf course, my scores became consistently 3 or 5 shots lower than usual. Then, they started going even lower as I began concentrating on swinging the other irons the same way I swing old number nine.

So, stop just talking about golf, pull that nine iron out of your bag and head over to the driving range. Swing that beauty until it begins to love you, and you will always have a partner to help you get on the green with fewer shots.

Thanks for visiting Golf Talk.

Click on the "COMMENTS" button above to post your golf tips and thoughts on the game.

Hit ‘em Long, Straight and Often!

Contact: darabbitt@gmail.com

Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf course, golf club, golf swing, talk about golf, golf talking

Golf Talk is launching a new feature today by inviting our good friend and golf coach, Jack Challender, to share his monthly Newsletter with us. Jack is a Natural Golf Certified Instructor and teaches the Natural Golf single-plane swing and philosophy in Gold Canyon, Arizona, in the winter season, and in the Seattle, Washington, area during the summer.

I have always enjoyed Jack's Newsletter and hope you do, too. If you would like to know more about Natural Golf, contact Jack Challender at http://www.wanaturalgolf.com/.


Newsletter for August 2008

From: Jack Challender, NGCI

All of a sudden as I look at the calendar, I realize that I am in the last month of my visit to Washington State this summer. I wish I could say that it has been a really productive trip this year, but with the weather as iffy as it has been and the gas prices so high, I am sure that these factors contributed to a rather mediocre lesson load this summer. One thing for sure is that I did meet with some wonderful people and if nothing else, that made this summer worthwhile. Additionally, I was able to go fishing when ever I wanted literally right out my front door. How could anything be better than that?

Our golf play day on July 26 was attended by 9 players and I assume from all the smiles I saw, everyone had a great time. I answered some swing questions from those attending and then we went out and played 9 holes of golf. I played 3 holes with each group of 3 and then we adjourned to the putting green. I did a short clinic on how to improve putting using several drills and then presented attendees with a nice gift of one of our CD's which were very well received. The highlight of the evening however, is when I presented one our students Mr. Tom Dyer with a 2008 460cc driver. Tom was selected for the gift, because of all the golfers in attendance; I believe that Tom is the most improved over the last year. He has worked hard on his game and it really shows. This new driver will add some new wrinkles to his game, I am sure. Congratulations Tom and enjoy.

I am planning another event for this month that will take place on Sunday, August 24 at 5pm. This will be a putting clinic designed to help you all become better putters. The site will once again be Battle Creek GC in Marysville. The putting green there is quite large, has good speed and will accommodate a good sized group. The event will look like this; at 5pm, I will go through a series of drills that will show you how to improve your putting. Each of you will then participate in those drills as I watch. By the end of the program, you will know how to become a better putter. If you are already a good putter these drills will help you to get better. If you appear to need some help, you will certainly become at least an average putter very quickly using these drills.

As you know, when I do clinics, I donate my time and knowledge and receive no fees. That will not change for this event but I am going to have to charge $5 per student, in order for me to pay a fee to the golf course for the use of the putting green. This is only fair as the course should not be asked to donate their facility for my instruction. I hope that does not scare any of you away.

Now, you may be asking, how can you determine if you even need this instruction? This is not as easy as it appears, because you will first have to admit that yes, you would like to be a better putter. So, here is a good benchmark. If you are taking more than 36 putts in a round of golf, you can use some help. In order to score where you should be, you need to be down to about 30-32 putts per round. That means you should make nearly every putt inside 4 feet and you need to make a 10 footer or so once in awhile.

I will also have a variety of putters available for you to try, including the latest from Natural Golf. What I have found over the years is that players tend to fall in love with their putters and their drivers. If you are happy with yours, then there is really no need to change, unless, the newer version feels, looks, or performs better than the older version. I have not been what you could call loyal to any single putter for very long over the past 10 years. There once was a time when I used the same putter for over 5 years. The putter I am using now has been in the bag since last November and appears to want to remain there for a longer period, thus far.

In the next few days I am going to be meeting with Ken Martin, the director of instruction from Natural Golf headquarters at Eaglemont Golf Course in Mount Vernon. We will be working on company procedures, lesson plans and teaching methods in the morning and playing golf in the afternoons. I really enjoy playing golf with Ken as it is fun to watch how he manages a golf course. The CI's in attendance will be from Canada, Washington and Oregon so it will be fun to see what the other CI's are doing and watching how they play. I am always looking forward to learning as much as I can, so this will be a fun filled couple of days for me.

Unless the lesson/school load picks up here in Washington, we will begin to pack things up and head south on or about August 26. This will put us in Arizona prior to September 1 and give me an early start on my teaching season in Arizona. I need to find a way to get in front of more new students to introduce the Natural Golf single plane swing method.

I will be spending Sept. and Oct. learning some different marketing techniques that hopefully will drive some new students to my classes. To this end, each of you can help by giving my email address to some of your friends and if they email me, I will send them a free video of the golf swing so they can get started and be on their way. Of course, the problem with that is that your friends may have a chance to start beating you. That should also give you the impetus to go out and practice more in order to keep your advantage. Anyway, bring your friends to your swing and let them get in on the fun.

Let's talk about the Natural Golf Hall of Fame for a bit. First, if there are any of you, who have previously qualified for the HOF and have not received a certificate, please contact me and we will work to get you your certificate. I apologize for any inconvenience but there have been a couple of ownership changes and this program sort of fell between the cracks during the transitions. Natural Golf intends to revive this program and get it up and running again. The certificate looks really nice up on the wall (got mine for winning a tournament). There are several ways to qualify for this program and here they are:

1. make a double eagle (very rare);
2. make a hole in hole;
3. win your club championship or a flight in your club championship (gross or net);
4. win a tournament played under the rules of golf (no mulligans etc.);
5. reduce your handicap by one half (keep your handicap cards);
6. shoot your age. (first, it helps to be old)

Do you know that we will do a free golf school for any returning Iraq or Afghan veteran? All you need to do is let us know who they are and we will try to find a spot for them in a school. This is a great way to get started in golf.

Also, I am on a list with the USGA to teach handicapped people. Sometimes we can do a lot more than people would think toward getting a person started in golf. All I need to know is who these people are. I have even taught a blind person and then played 18 holes of golf with him. That was quite an experience, ask me about it sometime.

Ok, how about a swing tip? The other day, I was on the range taking some swings and even though I was hitting the ball very solid, I noticed that my balance did not feel all that great and my finish was a bit forced. It wasn't off much but it was off enough that I could feel it. I am not even sure why I noticed where the weight was because I am notorious for not knowing where my weight is because of the neuropathy in my feet. I started to pay particular attention to making sure that the weight was evenly divided between the heels and toes of my feet, which gave me a feeling that I was actually leaning forward and about to land on my nose. I wasn't, but it just felt that way. After a few swings making sure that my weight was ok, I started feeling that my finish was a lot smoother and my shots went more to the target without any pull to the left, which is what happens when the weight is back toward the heels.

What you might try is this. Get into your setup position and see if you can feel where the weight is being distributed. Your hips should be back, your knees slightly flexed and you should feel weight toward the balls of your feet. If you can pick your toes up off the ground you might be too far back on your heels. This is really something that is easy to check and you might be surprised at how it affects your swing.

OK, so that was a really easy swing tip wasn't it? As long as we are keeping it easy, here is a really good tip to check your grip. The second knuckle of your index fingers (from the fingertip) can tell you if your grip is properly neutral. With both hands on the grip, these knuckles should be directly under the club looking down to the ground. If they are looking to the side, the hand is rotated too much. Give me a call or email about this one if you are not sure.

I suggest that you take a good look at the http://www.moenormangolfacademy.org/ website. You will see the grip the way it should be and then take a look at the getting started video with Ken Martin. This is great stuff. For you lefty's out there, there is also a left hand version. Of course the sound is backwards but what the heck! Just kidding!! You can also get to the Moe Norman golf academy website through my website at http://www.wanaturalgolf.com/. Please feel free to do just that and browse around awhile.

Jack


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Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf course, golf club, golf swing, natural golf, talk about golf, golf talking

One thing I’ve noticed when we are all talking about golf is that we hardly ever talk about practicing golf. Do you practice, or, do you do what I used to do – just whack the hell out of a bucket of balls at the range? Well, sorry, but that’s exercise, not practice.

Practice is attempting to play exactly the same way you want to play out on the course. It doesn’t matter what sport or activity you’re involved in, that’s what practice is. Drop by a local high school football team’s practice session some time and watch what they do. They’ll usually start with warm-up exercises and calisthenics, running, bump and runs and throwing or hiking the football. Once they go through all that preliminary stuff, however, they separate into teams, and the real practice begins. That’s when they run the same plays and strategy that they are going to use in their next scheduled game. If a play doesn’t come off well, they rerun it and rerun it until it does. Ideally, the plays become so impressed in their minds that they don't even think about how to run them as they run them. The ball is snapped, and they just play.

They do the same thing in basketball or baseball. Basketball players don’t just stand in one place and shoot the same basket over and over. They try to replicate what they are going to do when it’s “Showtime!”. Then, when they are in the real game and need a particular move or shot, the subconcious takes over and runs the play. They’ve been there and done that – in practice. They don’t “practice” while they’re performing, the practice allows them to just perform.

Give this a try. When you’re on the driving range, always hit the ball the same way you do when you’re out on the fairway. On the course, you always pick a target to hit the ball to before swinging. So, do exactly the same thing on the practice range. I don’t know how you do it, but I stand behind the ball and visually line it up with a target, e.g. the yardage marker or a place out on the range I want to hit it to. Then, I find something like a spot, a twig or a divot just in front of the ball - maybe three or four feet - that is directly in line between the ball and my target.

When I address the ball, that spot or twig becomes the virtual target for the club face. I look at the spot, out at my actual target and back to the spot and the ball. When the club face is pointed right at the virtual target, I take the practice shot. My buddy Jack Challender, a Natural Golf Certified Instructor, taught me that several years ago, and I use the same process every time I hit a golf ball. I’m “playing” golf every time I swing at a ball, no matter where I’m standing.

In an earlier post, we talked about golf and The Mental Putting Game, this practice technique is also a mental process. If you practice “playing” every shot on the driving range, you’ll develop a routine that will give you confidence when you step up to the ball out on the course. You won't have to think about what you are going to do. You've done it a thousand times "playing" in practice. Just step up, go through your routine and make the shot.

Moe Norman, the famous Canadian Pro who Lee Trevino said was the greatest ball striker in the history of the game and creator of the Natural Golf swing , used to say that the longest walk in golf is from the driving range to the first tee. Practicing like you’re playing can make that walk an exciting one, and make you Golf Talk for a long time.

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Hit ‘em Long, Straight and Often!

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Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf course, golf club, golf swing, natural golf, talk about golf, golf talking

My good friend, Jack Challender, and I always Golf TAlk. Jack is a Natural Golf Certified Instructor and is a member of the Natural Golf Hall of Fame. To say that he is one hell of a golfer is really not being fair to Jack. When we play at our home course, Mountain Brook Golf Club in Gold Canyon, Arizona, Jack is the guy that everyone around the tee-box watches as he tees it up. It is not unusual to watch his drive almost go out of sight when it rockets beyond the 250 yard mark. You should see the looks on the young guys’ faces when a guy old enough to be their grandfather knocks it 50 or 75 yards past their ball, right where he was aiming. That’s fun to watch!

Jack’s short game is even more impressive to me. He consistently chips and pitches within putting distance of the hole, then, putts in more than any player I’ve ever been around. So, when he offered to help me with my putting game, I jumped at the chance to do more than just talk about golf with him.

When we got to the practice green, I was all set to start draining some balls. Jack, however, started talking about the speed of the green. He had me put down three golf balls, then pick out a spot on the green – not a hole – to putt the first ball to. As I addressed the ball, he said to just make a “pendulum” type of swing, drawing the putter back about eight or ten inches, then swing the club past the ball the same distance by rocking my shoulders – no wrist action or arm action – allowing the ball to get in the way of the putter. When that ball stopped rolling, it became the target for the second and third putts. That really helped me get a “sense” or “feel” for how far the ball was going to roll on the green that day.

Then, he told me to putt one ball to each hole around the practice green, with the goal of no more than two-putting each hole. He said to address the ball with my head bent over, looking directly down on the ball. With the putter soled behind the ball, I was then to turn my head and look down the line directly at the hole, focusing in on one particular spot on the back rim of the hole - a blade of grass or a dark spot, for example - focusing on that spot for two or three seconds. Then, Jack said to turn my head back to the ball, while following the line from that spot on the hole to the ball with my eyes. Now, do not think, just grip the club lightly, rock my shoulders and allow the golf club to swing through the ball.

The first ball stopped dead-center in front of the cup about 5 inches from twelve feet. The tap-in gave me a two-putt for the hole, and I just looked at Jack and smiled. I two-putted or aced each of the other 5 holes on the green – without consciously thinking about how many feet to the hole or how hard to hit the ball. Just stepped up, looked at the spot on the hole, looked back to the ball, rocked my shoulders and watched the golf club go through the ball.

Jack emphasized that when we are talking about golf, we should be talking about the mental process when we are playing. We hear Johnny Miller talk about golf being a mental game all the time on TV, but what does that really mean? Jack says that once we have “grooved” our swing, we need to let our mind take over and do what we have trained it to do – hit the ball to the target. If I start talking about golf to myself while I’m putting – you know, saying things in my mind like “It’s uphill, so I better hit it hard” or “Don’t hit it too far past the hole” – that’s trying to direct the ball to act a specific way. What I have learned from Jack is that once I focus on the target I need to consciously get out of the way and let my sub-conscious mind take over. In other words, I need to stop mentally talking about golf and just play it. Try it. It works!

Thanks for visiting Golf Talk.

Click on the "Comment" button above to post your comments and thoughts about golf.

Hit 'em long, straight and often!


Contact: darabbitt@gmail.com

Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf course, golf club, golf swing, putt, putt mentally, talk about golf, golf talking

While waiting for Barbara, my wonderful wife, at the doctor's office the other day, I ran on to a subject we should all bring up when we Golf Talk. It was in an article entitled "Do you know the symptoms of strokes?" in the May, 2008, issue of Lovin Life After 50, written by Holly Towne. According to the article, May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and the Arizona Department of Health Services is urging everyone to learn the warning signs of a stroke. So, let's do our part and discuss it here at the Golf Talk Club.

As I read, the question came to mind of what I would do if suddenly struck by the symptoms of a stroke while playing golf. Like many players, I probably would not recognize the onset of a stroke, but, just as importantly, I wouldn't have a plan for what to do if confronted by such an event out on the golf course. Here is what Holly says we all need to be aware of when we're out there trying to wack the cover off that maddening little sphere or just hanging around talking about golf:

"A stroke can occur when the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked, or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, causing damage to a part of the brain. Symptoms may include:

• Sudden confusion or difficulty speaking or understanding what is being said to you.


• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.


• Sudden difficulty walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination.


• Sudden severe headache with no known cause."

The most important thing for all of us to know is that action must be taken IMMEDIATELY to have a chance at reducing or limiting the damage to the victim's brain. Getting treatment soon after the symptoms are demonstrated can actually help the stroke sufferer to avoid loss of speech, paralysis, eyesight, etc.

If anyone in your golf party displays ANY of these symptoms, take action - don't just try to make him or her comfortable. Call 911 if you have a cell phone, or use a golf course field phone to call the clubhouse. Many cell phones have Global Positioning (GPS) capabilities, and 911 will be able to determine exactly where that phone is at that moment. They can either dispatch an ambulance or a helicopter to your location on the golf course, as well as give you instructions how to care for the victim while waiting for help.

A recent study of the incidence of death on golf courses has determined that there is no more correlation between the occurance out there than in a mall, taking a walk, playing tennis, having a beer, talking about golf, etc. However, a great many of us golfers are seniors with a higher risk of stroke or heart attack, and we need to listen to what our bodies are telling us while we're playing. The most important thing, again, is for the people on the scene - including the victim - to take action quickly.

Thanks for visiting Golf Talk.

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Hit 'em long, straight and often!

Contact: darabbitt@gmail.com

Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf course, golf club, golf swing, natural golf, talk about golf, golf talking

This Golf Talk blog is the result of my decision eight years or so ago to buy a used set of golf clubs, and then show up at an executive golf course in Van Nuys, California, looking for a game. Little did I know that was going to be a life-changing event.

I hadn't had a club in my hands since vowing never to caddy for anyone again at the age of 12, which was almost 50 years earlier. At 125 pounds, I didn't weigh much more than those damned old leatherbags crammed with as many clubs as the country club members in Ladue, Missouri, could shove into them. After 18 holes, it took all I had left to peddle my bike home across St. Louis. A year and a half of that - too often with no tip at the end - was all I could handle. I never wanted to pick up a golf bag or talk about golf again in my life!

When I got into my 60's, however, my attitude was changed by my friend Dick Mainwarring's incessant golf talking , and I started scowering the local paper for a set of used clubs. If I was going to play golf with Dick, I needed to get the equipment and some experience. Within two weeks, I was the new owner of a set of Wilson Tour irons and woods, with a bag, for $100. All that was needed was a putter, which they had on sale at a local pro-shop for $20.

The Van Nuys, California, executive course looked like a good place to start. It is only 1600 yards long, with three par-4 holes. Shouldn't be too difficult to get around without looking like a total idiot. So, off I went to see if I could get into the game.

That entire process turned out to be one of my best and worst decisions, because it was the beginning of my love-hate relationship with golf.

The Starter paired me with another player who appeared to be in his 80's, named Jim. Jim was a small man, maybe five-six and 140 pounds. When I walked up to the first tee and introduced myself, I thought I had better let him know that he was playing with a "newbie". He asked me how new, so I told him I hadn't really hit a golf ball in almost 50 years. He looked up at me for a moment, and then he said: "Well, I'm in no hurry. Just do your best, and have fun. Let's see what you've got."

Then, the most incredible thing happened. I stepped up to the tee on the first hole - 93 yards - and hit the shot that would keep me coming back for a long time. The ball stopped two feet from the hole! After a moments silence, Jim said "Not bad", and we started walking down the fairway. I still remember that moment when I'm searching for my swing.

Jim and I played together and talked about golf every Sunday morning for the next six years, until cancer ended our wonderful friendship. It's amazing how much we learn about people walking around a golf course. Turned out Jim had been a widower for two years when we met, with two great kids and three grandkids. He had been playing golf for 65 years and had the sweetest, easiest swing I have ever seen. It was jaw-dropping how he could put the ball right where he wanted it to go, most of the time. When it didn't, he would say "Bless you, Jim!". Don't remember ever hearing a curse word pass his lips.

He was a quiet guy, but over the years he revealed more of himself and his experiences. He served in the Navy during WW II, but didn't say much about it. The Navy sent an Honor Guard and Firing Squad to his burial ceremony, presenting an award to his family that said he had been on two ships that were both sunk by the enemy in the South Pacific. Jim spent over twelve hours floating in the middle of the ocean before being rescued. Perhaps, that was why he was so patient playing with a "duffer" every week.

Jim called and asked me to come over to his house a week or so before he died. We sat outside golf talking, and talking about our good friend Dick (who joined us in the second year) and the other guys we had played with on our Sunday strolls. Then, he said he wanted me to have his White Hot putter. He hit a lot of beautiful putts with that club...and he thought it might help my game. It's amazing how often I think of him when I pull that club out of my bag.

So, this blog is dedicated to Jim's memory, and I'll share more golf stories of him and our good buddy Dick with you as they arise from time to time. They are part of the "love" side of this relationship with golf.

The "hate" side began with me finishing with 55 on that first par 31 round!

Thanks for visiting Golf Talk.

Click on the "Comments" button above to post your comments and thoughts on golf.

Hit 'em Long, Straight and Often.


Contact: darabbitt@gmail.com

Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf course, golf club, golf swing, natural golf, talk about golf, golf talking

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