Newsletter – February 2014
Upcoming special events: I have a TWO-DAY SCHOOL on Friday, Feb. 7 (4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) and Saturday, Feb. 8 (8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.) for experienced golfers where we cover all aspects of the game with specific goals for your swing and your practice. Cost is only $99 total. The LADIES-ONLY GOLF CLINIC will be held on 4 consecutive Sunday afternoons, Feb. 23, March 2, 9 and 16 from Noon to 1:00 p.m. Cost is only $40 total. My next GET GOLF READY LADIES BOOT CAMP will be held on March 6 through 9. Four hours of instruction plus a final session on the golf course! Thursday and Friday (5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.), Saturday (2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.) and Sunday (2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.) at the golf course. Both Ladies clinics are perfect for beginners or newly-dedicated golfers. Space is limited for all clinics so call (727) 692-4679 or email: jh@johnhayesgolf.com, to sign up.
For your golf game: I want to give you a temporary fix for the problem of SHANKING. Sorry to mention that word in golf but February is the shortest, coldest month of the year. So, if you get into that problem, or if your iron shots are going very low and squirt off sharply to the right (for a right-hander) and you are confused and depressed by your golf then I have something you can try! Take your normal set up position with an iron and then look at the grass just inside (between the ball and you) of the golf ball. Set your purpose to brush the grass that you are looking at that is just inside the golf ball. Understand that the impact on a shanked shot is on the hosel of the clubhead so the club is going out away from you during the swing to cause the problem shot. Looking at and brushing the grass inside of the golf ball is not a permanent fix so you must discover why the club is going out away from you during the swing. In Manuel de la Torre’s great book, UNDERSTANDING THE GOLF SWING, he mentions a few common causes of shanking and it is worth a read if you have that problem.
You should start to make impact with the clubface (not on the hosel) again right away using this brushing-grass-inside of the ball technique and you will probably notice that your shots are flying pretty straight or are going to the left. This will show you that shanks are not hit to the right because the blade is open at impact. Usually the clubface is closed or square but impact on the round part of the hosel is what sends the ball directly off to the right. This is important because, if you feel the clubface is open, you will tend to try to close it around the outside of the ball and this will cause the impact on the hosel. If you do not have this problem then swing the whole club forward at the target and brush the grass in front of the ball and practice your short game!
I hope to see you soon on the lesson tee at the Chi Chi Golf Range & Family Sports Complex in beautiful Clearwater, Florida.