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The first reason we're looking at as to why a golfer leaks power is through the poor use of their feet and the ground in the back swing. A golfer may not be very flexible, or perhaps they feel that they need to plant their feet in the backswing for control. By having static feet in the backswing, and throughout the golf swing is a sure fire way to leak power. Static feet will lead to a golf swing which relies heavily on the arms and upper part of the body, in turn creating a slower swing speed when compared to a swing utilising the lower half of the body. | 
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 | If you look closely at this photograph of Rory McIlroy you will be able to see the ripples in his sweater. The ripples indicate a well coiled backswing and a storage of energy. Your average golfer commonly has the notion that to store energy and create power in the backswing they must shift their weight/pressure to the trail side in the backswing. This simply creates a sway off the golf ball with very little actual power, and to make matters worse this shift away from the golf ball makes it much more difficult to get the body in to a solid impact position at impact. |
UPGRADE #2 - COILED UP BACKSWING
Here's how to create an improved coil in the backswing. When you start to take the golf club back feel like your trail hip moves back as much as comfortably possible, whilst not worrying if the trail leg straightens a touch. If you get this to happen then you'll feel very coiled up in the backswing, a very different yet powerful feeling than what you may have currently.
Leak #3 -CUPPED LEAD WRIST
Now this may not be the case for every golfer, however if you're a golfer with a cupped (extended) lead wrist at the top of the backswing, there's a good chance that the club face may be open throughout the golf swing or at impact. If your golf swing does feature this cupped lead wrist position, and you are struggling with an open club face at impact this can be seen as a power leak.
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CALLAWAY APEX PRO '21 IRON REVIEW
Our latest blog features a club review for the new Callaway Apex Pro '21 Irons. In this blog post Dean reviews the Apex Pro iron, discussing his thoughts and feelings, as well as what type of golfer may benefit from this iron and how well it performs.
The Apex Pro Irons feature a forged design, along with A.I cup face technology for increased club face flexing and faster ball speeds through centred and miss hit shots. The clubs profile is compact and neat as you can see by the pictures above. This club is going to almost certainly appeal to many mid-low handicap golfers, or competent ball strikers looking for some forgiveness in a smaller club head profile. To enquire about a custom fitting with the new Callaway Apex Pro Iron or Online club fitting consultation please click here
It's 2021 and the golf season is approaching fast. Some of us are still in lockdown due to Covid 19, others are not. Regardless of this however, being prepared for the 2021 golfing season can see you reach your golfing goals sooner, as well as enjoying the game further. Who doesn't enjoy lower scores hey? With this in mind we've decided to compile a list of our top training aids currently on the market, and what's even better is that all of the training aids on this list each retail for under £70. A training aid; especially the right training aid can help offer you as the golfer not only valuable feedback but a consistent reinforcement to help you groove a swing change. We continuously see top tier golfers utilising training aids in their practice routines, with many going on to win tournaments whilst using training aids throughout their times at tournaments as well as prior. Martin Kaymer & Louis Oosthuizen spring to mind straight away, so without further ado here's our list in no particular order.
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#1 Champkey Pro Impact Hitting Mat £36.99
This training aid acts as a multiple fault corrector. The surface of the mat leaves an impression whereby you can see at which point the clubhead interacts with the ground. This is something that we often see with our clients, and is often the key to better strikes, eliminating fat and thin shots. This aid also helps with analysing your club path. For £36.99 this training aid represents great value for money. #2 Champkey Pro Impact Hitting Mat £69.99 Just sneaking in under the £70 mark is the Albatross Golf Swing Speed Trainer. You may well have seen Superspeed golf sticks, this is a system very similar at much less cost. The Albatross speed stick much like Superspeed offers the golfer a selection of weights, instead of three separate weighted clubs, this system uses removable weights on one shaft which is a nice handy idea making it very handy to pop in your golf bag, making it the perfect tool to warm up with before your round of golf, or trip to the driving range. By using the Albatross speed sticks in conjunction with an overspeed training programme as seen in our eBook or widely available online you can see clubhead increases in a matter of weeks. #3 PuttOut Golf Pro Putting Mat £69.99
Again only just under the £70 mark but worth every penny is the PuttOut Golf Putting Mat. You can set this up in your kitchen, hallway, garage or maybe even in your hotel room. Having the ability to practice your putting easily and conveniently will help your golf game inevitably. The PuttOut mat features lines for pace control, as well as reading realistically on the stimp meter for an authentic putting green experience. There's now really no excuse not to touch up on your putting skills! #4 Hit Your Irons Further eBook £0.00 Ok so perhaps we're being a touch biased here, and our eBook in essence is not a training aid, it is however packed full of tips and drills to help you improve your iron play. If you'd like to strike it purer, hit it further then this is the book for you. #5 Callaway Golf Alignment Stix £14.95 And to round off our list we have the humble alignment sticks. These made by Callaway are premium grade quality and are such a versatile training aid that in our opinion every single golfer should have a set. Practice your alignment, stick one in the ground to work on your swing plane or even put one out in front of you to work on manipulating trajectories. There's so much you can do with these inexpensive alignment sticks. If you're not using alignment sticks in your practice, then you're simply missing out on a valuable training aid that can really help improve your golf in many ways. |
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Check out our latest video 'What's in my Bag'. Alternative Golf's Head PGA Professional Dean Beaver talks through what is in his golf bag, from the clubs he plays as well as added extras. In this video you'll also gain an understanding as to the decisions/processes that are made when making adjustments or adding new additions to your golf bags.
If you like the video please like, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and share. If you would like any advice with your own golf bags please leave a comment in the comments section of this video.
DOES SHAFT FLEX MATTER?
A question that i'm often presented with, 'does shaft flex matter?'. I'll answer this for you right now; YES it does matter! However do not leave this page just yet, there's a complexity to this question, and I have broken this down through my own testing.
THE TEST
I used the same club head Srixon Z Forged blade 7 iron with 5 different flex shafts as follows:
- Miyazaki Ladies flex
- Miyazaki Seniors/A flex
- Nippon Modus 120 Regular flex
- Nippon Modus 120 Stiff flex
- Nippon Modus 120 Extra flex
I hit a series of five balls with each shaft set up, and recorded the data samples on GC2 HMT, below are the findings followed by my thoughts on the results.
THE TEST
I used the same club head Srixon Z Forged blade 7 iron with 5 different flex shafts as follows:
- Miyazaki Ladies flex
- Miyazaki Seniors/A flex
- Nippon Modus 120 Regular flex
- Nippon Modus 120 Stiff flex
- Nippon Modus 120 Extra flex
I hit a series of five balls with each shaft set up, and recorded the data samples on GC2 HMT, below are the findings followed by my thoughts on the results.
THE DATA
As you can see from the L flex and the A flex the miss is left (draw/hook spin) both these shafts performed very similar, and for me felt very similar when hitting the shots. I could feel the club actively bending throughout the swing and in order to hit the ball straighter, the picture in my mind would be to wait for the shaft a lot longer and try to hold off my release. In the instance of this test i just hit shots like i would usually do and not adjust to the change in shaft flex.
Moving in to the regular shaft we see something very interesting, I have actually hit the ball further left than the two other softer shafts. The regular flex is the most wayward of all the results, however we need to delve deeper in to this. The flex profile is stiffer in the regular as ooposed to the L & A flex so why should I be hitting this further left? The answer to this is the drastic change in weight of the shaft - and from here this is where we start to get a true picture of the differences a shaft can make. A shaft can change impact conditions through the timing of the shot, the feel in the golfers hands from the shaft will influence the timing and therefore affect the result (impact & ball flight). Moving to a much heavier feeling shaft really threw my timing off.
The final two shafts; stiff and extra stiff flexes really tightened up my dispersion pattern, I was now used to the extra weight, and could really begin to control the clubface at impact because the feel of the shafts helped me to time my release. I had the awareness of the club head, and the results speak for themselves. Throughout this test you can see the following trends:
- Distance was similar throughout the shafts
- Launch angle was similar when compared
- Peak height was within 3 yards of each other
- Descent angle was within 3 yards of each other
- Distance was similar throughout the shafts
- Launch angle was similar when compared
- Peak height was within 3 yards of each other
- Descent angle was within 3 yards of each other
CONCLUSION
My final thoughts on this test were something that i've been aware of for quite some time, it's also something that i continuously to state to golfers who i work with. Shaft flex can indeed make a difference, however it is by nowhere near the sole contributor to making a golfer improve or harm their ball flights. When choosing shafts do not define the shaft by flex, for instance with the regular shaft in this test you could see a major drop off in performance, this was due to shaft weight or 'added heft' from changing from a light shaft to something much heavier. There is no industry standard for flex, this makes it difficult when comparing shafts, and swing speed should not solely be chosen as the factor to base recomended flex off. You simply can't choose a regular shaft and a ladies flex and compare them like for like. The reason for this is they will vary in many other attributes such as: torque, balance point, weight etc. These other attributes play their own roles in how the shaft would feel or be percieved to feel for a golfer. All in all, shaft flex matters however look at the whole shaft and its attributes rather than just flex. A shaft will generate a feel for the golfer, and that feel will therefore influence how the golfers swing reacts to that feel, in turn creating the impact conditions and then the ball flight. Feel will equal how easy or difficult it will be for the golfer to 'time' the shaft, seek advice from a PGA professional or club fitter to help guide you on the correct shafts for your game. If you would like any further advice on golf shafts please do direct your enquiries to me here.
Happy golfing
Dean Beaver
PGA Class AA Professional
Alternative Golf
HEAVY ROUGH BASICS
 | Golf is back up and running, the lockdown rules have been relaxed and many golfers may have noticed their courses rough has grown up. First of all I think we need to have an acknowledgment of the phenomenal jobs our greenkeepers across the country have done to keep our courses in the fantastic condition. I can say first hand that Shaw Hill where I'm based is in pristine condition. |
Many courses will have had to adapt, and therefore implemented a skeleton staff of greenkeepers to carry out essential maintenance to their courses. Fairways and greens will be great, as will tee boxes, however the rough may have grown up due to reduced staffing measures, along with essential course maintenance guidelines. With this in mind it would be useful to know how to play the ball when it is nestled down in heavy rough, so let's break it down with some basic adjustments we can make to help us advance that ball from the thick stuff.
- The grass when thick will likely wrap around the hosel (neck) of the golf club, with this in mind we can therefore open the clubface to help keep the loft on the clubface at impact
- To also help with the open face, it would be a good idea to use a high lofted club, we need to have a good amount of dynamic loft through impact, this will only further help your attempts of advancing the ball.
- Hold the club tight, you guessed it, this again will help with keeping the loft of the club at impact, this whole process is about enabling yourself to have enough loft on the clubface at impact to get that ball advancing; heavy rough wants to take loft away.
- My final point is to make a steep swing, this will help gouge that ball out from these tricky lies.
So there you have it, embrace the challenge of your courses rough which has grown since lockdown, and remember this the heavy rough shot is all dependant on having enough loft to get that ball out.
Good luck!
- The grass when thick will likely wrap around the hosel (neck) of the golf club, with this in mind we can therefore open the clubface to help keep the loft on the clubface at impact
- To also help with the open face, it would be a good idea to use a high lofted club, we need to have a good amount of dynamic loft through impact, this will only further help your attempts of advancing the ball.
- Hold the club tight, you guessed it, this again will help with keeping the loft of the club at impact, this whole process is about enabling yourself to have enough loft on the clubface at impact to get that ball advancing; heavy rough wants to take loft away.
- My final point is to make a steep swing, this will help gouge that ball out from these tricky lies.
So there you have it, embrace the challenge of your courses rough which has grown since lockdown, and remember this the heavy rough shot is all dependant on having enough loft to get that ball out.
Good luck!
HOW TO HIT THE GOLF BALL
FURTHER
In this new series 'Lockdown Tips', I discusses how you can hit the golf ball further through increasing club head speed. If you're a golfer who struggles with creating distance, watch this video. This episode will help you to learn how to create more club head speed through speed training. Featuring straight forward, simple to follow advice designed to help all levels of golfer create increased distance with all their golf clubs. If you like this video be sure to like, share, subscribe and follow.
HOW TO PLAY GOLF
WITH A STRONG GRIP
In this new episode of 'Lockdown Tips', I discuss how you can play golf with a strong grip. If you're a golfer who struggles with missing the ball to the left, or often misses the ball to the left once the pressure is on, then make sure you watch this video. Simple to follow advice designed to help all levels of golfer create a more consistent ball flight.
Happy Golfing!
Happy Golfing!
CUSTOM FITTED OR
OFF THE RACK
Let me start by saying this, you can play good and enjoyable golf with golf clubs that are not custom fitted. In an ideal world however i'd be absolutely confident in saying that every golfer would benefit from golf clubs that are custom fitted to some degree. As you may know there's many facets to custom fitting a golfer, for instance length of club as well as lie angle are of absolute importance to the golfer. A golfer of 6 foot 4" would be highly unlikely to perform to optimal using a standard length set of golf clubs (there is no standard specifications for golf clubs throughout the industry, however each manufacturer will designate their own 'standard' specifications throughout their own particular models). Lie angle can affect initial direction of the golf ball, and length of the golf club can affect speed of the golf club, as well as the ability to strike the golf club efficiently; can you see why i'd say these two facets of custom fitting are of absolute importance now?
Over the years in the golf industry (and there's been a fair few of them, 20 in fact) I have learnt and understood more and more about custom fitting through what i like to call being on the 'front line'. Having fitted thousands of golfers there's one thing that i've noticed throughout every session. Every golfer has an awareness about certain aspects of golf clubs that they like or dislike, or are sensitive/un-sensitive to without realising. I'm often told by a golfer:
'I can't tell the difference between clubs'
'I have no preference'
'I don't know what i like'
Now sitting here today typing this i can categorically tell you that those statements above are absolutely nonsense! A good club fitter must - understand ball flight, and they must also have the ability to filter through all of the white noise produced by the golfer in front of them, and probe deep enough to gain an understanding what makes that golfer tick. This is why the questioning process during a fitting is essential, and it must be ongoing as well as in depth. Far too many times i've seen custom fittings performed like this:
* Quick introduction
* Warm up with own club(s) and capture data
* Give golfer a club(s) to try
* Proceed with a recommendation
Now if you've ever had a fitting like this it will have likely been free, and you've been done a disservice. Back to my point about the golfer having an awareness about certain aspects of golf clubs that they like or dislike without realising. Case in point, our new assistant at Shaw Hill; a good golfer and plays off 5. Now I know what you're thinking, this lad is a good golfer, he's bound to have an awareness or know what he likes or doesn't, however i'm here to say that he had very little understanding of what he likes or dislikes. When first asked about his clubs, this was his reply:
'I just hit them, club's a club to me', don't know the difference'
So with very little to go on, it was time to start extracting more information, we talked about his strengths & weaknesses etc. His irons comprised of a combo set, cavity long irons, blade mid/short irons. However these weren't a combo set per say, these were merely just two sets put together from different models (same brand), however the specs when i measured them were off the scale literally! I measured them for swingweight and what i found was that the long (cavity) irons came in much, much lighter than the bladed mid & short irons. Now whilst i'm measuring and still questioning him, he tells me he absolutely detests his mid & short irons, he doesn't hit them consistently but he hits his 4 & 5 iron better, coincidence? I think not, so this is the first nugget i've extracted, he likes a club to feel lighter in the swingweight. Now i won't go through the whole fitting process, however for someone so convinced that he didn't have any awareness or preferences in golf clubs, he left with a clear understanding of what makes him tick, what specifications of club will work for him, as well as a new found confidence in his equipment. This rings true for every ability of golfer, with so many variables that go into building a set of golf clubs, it's essential that you start to embrace the thought that your equipment can make a difference. Through my own experience i know exactly what specs suit me, i know what swingweight i like in all my clubs, length of clubs, lie angles, loft angles, grip types and sizes, shaft flex and weight, as well as bend profiles. So the next time you're looking at changing your golf clubs, whether that be new or second hand, make sure you get a fitting. We offer a pay for fitting service for this very reason, it's not about selling the clubs, it's about you paying for a service to better understand which route you need to go down when choosing a new set of golf clubs. If you'd like any more information on club fitting or need any advice, i'd urge you to either contact us here, or complete our online iron selector tool, whereby we can set you on the right path, The online tool will give you a starting point to look at, it is not a final recommendation.
As always, happy golfing.
Dean
Over the years in the golf industry (and there's been a fair few of them, 20 in fact) I have learnt and understood more and more about custom fitting through what i like to call being on the 'front line'. Having fitted thousands of golfers there's one thing that i've noticed throughout every session. Every golfer has an awareness about certain aspects of golf clubs that they like or dislike, or are sensitive/un-sensitive to without realising. I'm often told by a golfer:
'I can't tell the difference between clubs'
'I have no preference'
'I don't know what i like'
Now sitting here today typing this i can categorically tell you that those statements above are absolutely nonsense! A good club fitter must - understand ball flight, and they must also have the ability to filter through all of the white noise produced by the golfer in front of them, and probe deep enough to gain an understanding what makes that golfer tick. This is why the questioning process during a fitting is essential, and it must be ongoing as well as in depth. Far too many times i've seen custom fittings performed like this:
* Quick introduction
* Warm up with own club(s) and capture data
* Give golfer a club(s) to try
* Proceed with a recommendation
Now if you've ever had a fitting like this it will have likely been free, and you've been done a disservice. Back to my point about the golfer having an awareness about certain aspects of golf clubs that they like or dislike without realising. Case in point, our new assistant at Shaw Hill; a good golfer and plays off 5. Now I know what you're thinking, this lad is a good golfer, he's bound to have an awareness or know what he likes or doesn't, however i'm here to say that he had very little understanding of what he likes or dislikes. When first asked about his clubs, this was his reply:
'I just hit them, club's a club to me', don't know the difference'
So with very little to go on, it was time to start extracting more information, we talked about his strengths & weaknesses etc. His irons comprised of a combo set, cavity long irons, blade mid/short irons. However these weren't a combo set per say, these were merely just two sets put together from different models (same brand), however the specs when i measured them were off the scale literally! I measured them for swingweight and what i found was that the long (cavity) irons came in much, much lighter than the bladed mid & short irons. Now whilst i'm measuring and still questioning him, he tells me he absolutely detests his mid & short irons, he doesn't hit them consistently but he hits his 4 & 5 iron better, coincidence? I think not, so this is the first nugget i've extracted, he likes a club to feel lighter in the swingweight. Now i won't go through the whole fitting process, however for someone so convinced that he didn't have any awareness or preferences in golf clubs, he left with a clear understanding of what makes him tick, what specifications of club will work for him, as well as a new found confidence in his equipment. This rings true for every ability of golfer, with so many variables that go into building a set of golf clubs, it's essential that you start to embrace the thought that your equipment can make a difference. Through my own experience i know exactly what specs suit me, i know what swingweight i like in all my clubs, length of clubs, lie angles, loft angles, grip types and sizes, shaft flex and weight, as well as bend profiles. So the next time you're looking at changing your golf clubs, whether that be new or second hand, make sure you get a fitting. We offer a pay for fitting service for this very reason, it's not about selling the clubs, it's about you paying for a service to better understand which route you need to go down when choosing a new set of golf clubs. If you'd like any more information on club fitting or need any advice, i'd urge you to either contact us here, or complete our online iron selector tool, whereby we can set you on the right path, The online tool will give you a starting point to look at, it is not a final recommendation.
As always, happy golfing.
Dean
PRACTICE WITH A PURPOSE
This is the second feature of our new series 'Lockdown Tips'. In this feature I discuss how to practise your golf with a purpose. I also document my own experience of having an online golf lesson with the highly decorated Master PGA professional & Golf Channel Academy Coach Martin Hall. You get an insight in to what it's like from a golf professionals perspective on having lessons, and also see how a lesson can be implemented in to practice afterwards.
Practicing your golf throughout this difficult period in time, will prove to be invaluable when you're finally back on the links. This doesn't mean that you need to set up a home studio or net, just swinging a club without a ball can provide great feedback for you whilst you're away from the course or range, however there's a caveat to this. Whenever you practice it should be with a purpose, if not then you're just going through the motions. In my instance i've taken an online lesson, I have a few key swing points to work towards, and this will stand be in good stead ready for when i'm back out playing. Online lessons are a great way of developing a blueprint towards working on the weaknesses of your game whilst you're away from the course, think about the jobs around the house that you've done so far with this new found time. I've certainly noticed i've improved my garden because i've invested this new found time. I could have just cut the grass, however as stated previously that'd be going through the motions. Instead i've frequently cut the grass, fed the lawn, seeded it, patched up the bare parts of the lawn, dug up the soiled bedding area, and planted. I've invested my time to improve the garden to make a marked difference rather than just a slight difference. Wouldn't this thought process serve to help improve your golf game?
Happy Golfing
Dean Beaver
PGA Professional - Alternatuive Golf
THE REAL GAME OF GOLF
The game of golf can be split into two parts if we strip it all back. The technical element, and the playing element. In this blog we're going to focus on the playing. Below i've embedded a YouTube video from the European Tour YouTube channel. The reason i've featured this video is to highlight something often overlooked by golfers when they're watching golf coverage on television. The typical notion from golfers is that the worlds best players hit great shot after great shot; and continue to shoot insanely good scores time after time. This is quite simply too much of an unrealistic way to view things. Let me start by saying that even the best players in the world cannot sustain perfect golf time after time. Their games peak and flow, you'll often see a win followed by a missed cut, or a slump and then a really good performance. It's really fine margins in this game when looking at the highest level. Don't worry about charts, pages and pages of data in this blog because it's not required. I just ask for one thing, watch this video (the video shows footage of every top tracer shot recorded on the European Tour this year). Now concentrate on some of the golfers featured and watch their shots, the footage is showing several players being recorded on the same rounds of golf then look at the following:
*Their own numerous ball flights*
*Their own reactions/body language*
You'll notice that their ball flights differ, there's some wild shots in there and there's some reactions that will be similar to what you'd see in the weekday chuck in, or weekend comp. What these talented golfers can do though is to play the game well with what they have on the day. Yes they'll make bogeys, however if they make more birdies than bogeys then they're ahead of the game. The average golfer often subscribes to hitting the perfect shot, and trying to play to par even if their handicap is someway off scratch. These golfers don't, they simply pick the right shot more often than not, play the averages in their favour mostly and don't rely on hitting their country best time after time. Now i'm not saying don't be positive, i'm saying be realistic with what you bring to the table. This video highlights perfectly that the game of golf means you need to take the rough with the smooth, don't think about golf as a game of perfection, treat the game like this: Realistic expectations along with keeping the big numbers off the card. If you start to free yourself up from hitting the perfect shot each time, and start to just play golf when you're on the course with some good thought processes and maybe a simple single swing thought, you will start to play better golf. There's a huge difference in being able to hit a golf ball, and playing the game itself. Many golfers learn to swing a club, yet they never learn how to play the game. Take a playing lesson from your local PGA Professional, you'll undoubtedly learn how to shave strokes off your game without you even worrying about technique. As always if you have any questions feel free to comment or email us.
Happy Golfing
THE SECRET TO THE
PERFECT GOLF SWING
The answer to this is easy, there is no one secret to the golf swing, however do not dismay, there is hope. If you can understand why there is no one secret, you can start to improve. Let’s start with noting that the way the ball flies are caused by how the golf club is delivered at impact. These are known as the impact factors, and they are:
- Centeredness of Strike
- Clubface Orientation
- Club Head Direction
- Club Head Speed
By understanding that the ball behaves the way it does due to the impact factors, we can then start to create a golf swing that can facilitate efficient & consistent control of those impact factors. The world's best players do this over and over, whereas the weekend golfer cannot. Not only that, most weekend golfers do not understand why the ball behaves the way it does; even if some club golfers have some kind of grasp of why the ball has flown the way it has, they cannot get past this to find the route cause or causes. As a side note this is the perfect time to endorse golf lessons, a good golf professional can analyse your ball flight and begin to work back to then help create a better golf swing.
As noted, the world's greatest golfers throughout the years to current day have all had the ability to control their impact factors efficiently & consistently. Here’s the kicker, you'll often hear that ‘all tour professionals are the same at impact’, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Tour professionals can differ greatly in their impact factors - delivered loft at impact, club paths, club head speeds, angle of attacks, you get my gist. The common denominator for tour professionals is that they can:
- Control their impact factors efficiently & consistently
- Align their Swing Principles with their own Preferences
So this is the secret……… Align your swing principles with complimenting preferences in your golf swing.
This will result in efficient & consistent impact conditions thus creating consistent ball flight.
Below is a simple case study to show this in practice
| Golfer #1 (Weekend Warrior) This golfer has a neutral set up but with a weak grip, the golfer continues their swing and has an open club face at the top of their backswing (this means very little for now), however as this golfer starts in transition and reaches impact, the club is delivered with the club face open to their club path and target. This results in a right miss as shown in the data below. In this example the golfers grip is a principle, however the weak nature to the grip is a preference. This preference is causing this golfer to have poor outcomes with their ball flight (right miss). This golfer has options in which to improve, the weak grip itself is not exactly a fault, however as the swing doesn’t feature one or more preferences to help align or compliment the weak grip the functionality is severely compromised. |  Weak Grip Pictured |
Golfer #2 (The Pro)
This golfer has the exact same neutral set up and weak grip, the same open clubface position at the top of their swing, however as this golfer starts in transition then reaches impact the club is delivered with the clubface that is not open in relation to their path, resulting in straighter shots. In this example the golfers weak grip again is a preference, however this golfer has aligned another preference within the golf swing to offset the open club face, in this instance it is the release of the golf club. Through an improved release of the golf club through the utilisation of greater forearm rotation this player is able to create a closing of the clubface (in relation to the club path) resulting in straighter shots.
As you can see from this simple example complete with complimenting data, a fault caused by a particular preference for one golfer maybe a standout feature for another golfer which is just deemed as a trait (in this case a weak grip).
There really is no secret to the perfect golf swing, there’s merely many variations that can be applied to a golf swing. If you can create a golf swing where your preferences begin to align then you can create a very solid and repeatable swing that performs again and again.
There really is no secret to the perfect golf swing, there’s merely many variations that can be applied to a golf swing. If you can create a golf swing where your preferences begin to align then you can create a very solid and repeatable swing that performs again and again.
HOW TO CHIP
FROM TIGHT LIES
This is often a tough time of the year for golfers when they transition from soft winter ground conditions to firmer spring/summer conditions. Some golf courses may have enforced a 'winter mat' rule whereby golfers would play through winter using a small piece of astro turf to play from as opposed to the fairways. This ultimately offers you the perfect lie to play from throughout winter. As soon as the golfer comes to play from a drier/firm lie, this is where I often see problems occur with striking their chip shots.
To help i've produced a short video detailing how to play the chip shot from a tight/bare lie, and i've provided you with two techniques to choose from.
To help i've produced a short video detailing how to play the chip shot from a tight/bare lie, and i've provided you with two techniques to choose from.
Technique 1: Arguably the more difficult option, this shot will produce the softest flight with the most stopping power. Being able to play this style of chip shot is a great option to have in your locker. The setup to this shot is fairly standard for a chip shot. Narrow stance, choke down, 50/50 weight distribution, and ball position in the middle of the feet. However, both techniques will concentrate on ground interaction in order to pull them off. The first technique the idea is to just brush the top of the turf, utilising the bounce of the golf club. In order to help produce that we need to pay attention to the shaft lean we produce at address. In this instance the shaft should not have any forward lean. This will make for a slightly shallower angle of attack, and if we also try to keep as much loft on the clubface as possible through the hit, we will create nice crisp strikes and a higher spinning chips that will settle down sooner.
Technique 2: Set up remains standard as with technique 1, however with this one we're going to lean the shaft forwards, this in turn should reduce the dynamic loft, and therefore the ball will come out lower and running. We want to utilise the leading edge of the club more with this technique. We don't want to brush the top of the turf this time, we want to get that club in to the ground after the ball. This technique is particularly helpful for golfers that are 'back foot scoopers' as it will really steepen your angle of attack and get ball turf contact more often.
Give both techniques a go, and look forward to revitalise your chipping.
Technique 2: Set up remains standard as with technique 1, however with this one we're going to lean the shaft forwards, this in turn should reduce the dynamic loft, and therefore the ball will come out lower and running. We want to utilise the leading edge of the club more with this technique. We don't want to brush the top of the turf this time, we want to get that club in to the ground after the ball. This technique is particularly helpful for golfers that are 'back foot scoopers' as it will really steepen your angle of attack and get ball turf contact more often.
Give both techniques a go, and look forward to revitalise your chipping.
WHAT'S IN THE BAG
The back end of the 2019 season I partnered with Yonex Golf to become a brand ambassador. This is a relationship that I have had in years previous, so it's really great to be back on board with them and part of team Yonex. What I like about the Yonex brand is that the company makes solid products at various price points, there's something for everyone. If you haven't seen my video on the best value irons on the market, check it out here (spoiler - it's the Yonex Elite 2). The company is more like a family; they're extremely helpful from area managers to the customer service representatives. Anyway back to the 'What's in the Bag'. My bag is mostly made up of Yonex products with the exception of only three clubs.
Driver - Yonex GS 9 Degrees (playing 7.5 degrees) Aldila Rogue Silver 60x Flex
Midsize Half Cord
D5 Swingweight
45" Length
Driver - Yonex GS 9 Degrees (playing 7.5 degrees) Aldila Rogue Silver 60x Flex
Midsize Half Cord
D5 Swingweight
45" Length
| 3 Wood - Adams Insight Hybrid 14.5 Degrees Mitsubishi Tensei Blue 75tx Flex Midsize Half Cord D4 Swingweight 42.75" Length Irons - Yonex (3) CB 501 Standard Loft Standard Lie Nippon Modus 120x Standard Length Midsize Half Cord D4 Swingweight Wedges - Yonex WS1 52 & 60 Degrees Standard Lie Nippon Modus 120x Standard Length Midsize Half Cord D4 Swingweight | Driving Iron - Lynx Stinger 16 Degrees Mitsubishi Tensei Blue 80x Flex Midsize Half Cord D3 Swingweight 40.5" Length Irons - Yonex (4-PW) CB 301 Standard Loft Standard Lie Nippon Modus 120x Standard Length Midsize Half Cord D4 Swingweight Putter - Odyssey Stroke LAB #10 Slant Neck Standard Loft Standard Lie 34" Length Odyssey Standard Pistol Grip Standard Swingweight |
Every club in my bag serves a purpose and it's worth recognising that when you go through your own bags. How do you play the game, and what clubs can help you to do this?
I've always been a pretty poor fairway wood player, but strong driver of the golf ball. Launch monitor data helps back this up because I hit up around 6 degrees with the driver, it makes me a bit shallow with the fairway woods. For that reason i've moved to a strong lofted hybrid to play as my 3 wood, the shorter shaft allows me to steepen my angle of attack and the head shape allows me to make more of an iron swing with it. 3 woods in recent years have just been decoration in my bag, however I often pull the hybrid out now and it's turned out to be a really good decision to move away from a 3 wood.
The driver is always a straightforward fit because lofting down always helps me to get my natural draw shot shape under control. When you loft a driver down you open the clubface at the same time, and with my attack angle being aggressively upwards the lower loft always helps me flight the ball better. I just need to steer away from drivers that are too low spin. I use the same shaft that i've used for years, Aldila really work well for me in the big stick.
As for irons I always combo them, almost always playing a slightly bigger 3 iron, i've mixed that up in the past however recent times the 3 iron is always a bit bigger, it offers me a little more confidence from the bigger footprint. I always play a 2 iron or driving iron, driving irons are the current norm these days however i always flight them a little too high. The lynx stinger however ticks the bill for this, I can flight it high and low when required. If you'd like to know how to play the stinger shot you can check it out here.
As always if you have any technical questions about your set make up, looking to upgrade your clubs or need advice configuring your golf bag then drop us an email or use our iron selector tool.
Happy Golfing
Dean
I've always been a pretty poor fairway wood player, but strong driver of the golf ball. Launch monitor data helps back this up because I hit up around 6 degrees with the driver, it makes me a bit shallow with the fairway woods. For that reason i've moved to a strong lofted hybrid to play as my 3 wood, the shorter shaft allows me to steepen my angle of attack and the head shape allows me to make more of an iron swing with it. 3 woods in recent years have just been decoration in my bag, however I often pull the hybrid out now and it's turned out to be a really good decision to move away from a 3 wood.
The driver is always a straightforward fit because lofting down always helps me to get my natural draw shot shape under control. When you loft a driver down you open the clubface at the same time, and with my attack angle being aggressively upwards the lower loft always helps me flight the ball better. I just need to steer away from drivers that are too low spin. I use the same shaft that i've used for years, Aldila really work well for me in the big stick.
As for irons I always combo them, almost always playing a slightly bigger 3 iron, i've mixed that up in the past however recent times the 3 iron is always a bit bigger, it offers me a little more confidence from the bigger footprint. I always play a 2 iron or driving iron, driving irons are the current norm these days however i always flight them a little too high. The lynx stinger however ticks the bill for this, I can flight it high and low when required. If you'd like to know how to play the stinger shot you can check it out here.
As always if you have any technical questions about your set make up, looking to upgrade your clubs or need advice configuring your golf bag then drop us an email or use our iron selector tool.
Happy Golfing
Dean
MASTER THE STINGER GOLF SHOT
A Stinger is a shot hit which features a low trajectory, usually from a tee with a long iron, fairway wood or hybrid club. The stinger is designed to increase the golfer's chances of getting the ball into the fairway and/or penetrate a strong headwind or crosswind such as on a links course. A simple concept which isn't so easy to produce but we will help you!
What to do:
Set the ball back in your stance (roughly 1 or 2 golf balls) - this allows you to create a steeper angle of attack into the ball helping with the low trajectory.
Keep your weight on the side closest to target throughout the swing.
Wrists stay firm and complete a punch-like-follow through (hands should finish level or lower than shoulder height).
Practice these techniques on the range and on the course to have the ' stinger' in your arsenal to improve your score and impress some friends.
how to strike your irons pure
Find out how you can start striking your irons better than ever before with this quick and simple tip from PGA Professional Dean Beaver. The greatest ball strikers of the game throughout the years have all had this one thing in common; the ability to control low point and compress the golf ball. This leads to consistent ball flights featuring a strong trajectory.