JohnHayesGolf.com Newsletter Golf Tip – September 2015
For your golf game: If you find you are getting a trend of hitting the ground behind the golf ball then I have 3 things for you to try to eliminate this disheartening shot. 1) Check your ball position at address to be sure you do NOT have it too far forward. If you drop a vertical line from your center (midpoint between the shoulders) then check that your club is in the center and not ahead of center. If you have the club and ball too far forward then you may find you hit the ground before you reach the ball. If you would happen to have the club too far back of center then you may miss the shot to the right and you will hit the shot lower, if your swing is correct, but you will not hit it “fat.” 2) Keep your weight equal, 50% forward foot and 50% back foot, from the beginning of the backswing until impact. After impact you should allow the weight to go forward with your swing. Many golfers shift a lot of weight to the back foot during the backswing and now they are forced to shift that weight forward before impact in order to reestablish their center so the club will be square. If you do leave your weight on the back foot after you have shifted then you may well hit the ground behind the ball. Observe that your weight is equal at the end of the backswing; this may be a very different feeling for you if you have been in the habit of shifting a lot of your weight backward during the backswing. 3) If you hit the ground behind the ball with just your short irons and pitch shots then the main thing I want you to do is to change your MENTAL PICTURE of the shot. Visualize all your shots flying very low – lay your golf bag on the ground a few yards ahead and perpendicular to the target line and picture you want to brush the grass and have the ball roll into the side of your golf bag. This should get you to swing the club more forward. Your problem here is that you are picturing your ball going up high so your swing bottoms out behind the ball, this is in an effort to help you get the shot up high to match your mental picture.
As with all things with your golf swing – try them out and carefully observe yourself at the address position and during the swing. We can all get into some bad habits so you have to go back to sound principles and then carefully OBSERVE YOURSELF during the swing. This is fun to do and it is a great feeling to solve a challenging problem!
Upcoming clinics and events: I will conduct a GET GOLF READY LADIES BOOT CAMP on Thur., September 10th through Sunday, September 13th. There will be 4 hours of golf clinics (Thur. & Fri. from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Sat. from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.) and then we will finish on the golf course on Sun. from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is perfect for beginners who want to feel comfortable on the golf course in a short time. Total cost is only $99 and includes everything!
My next LADIES-ONLY GOLF CLINIC will be held on 2 consecutive Weekends – October 3, 4, 10 and 11 from Noon to 1:00 p.m. on all four days (Sat., Sun., Sat. & Sun.) Cost is only $40 total for all 4 sessions! It is good for beginners or newly dedicated golfers.
My next specialty clinic will be a SHORT GAME BOOT CAMP for 2 hours held on Saturday, September 19th from Noon to 2:00 p.m. I will cover pitching/chipping, bunker play, putting, and fun games to practice effectively! Men or Ladies welcome. This is NOT for new beginners. There is a limit of only 3 students so call or email to sign up. Total cost is only $55.
Please call (727) 692-4679 or email, jh@johnhayesgolf.com, to sign up as space is limited for all clinics. Go to www.johnhayesgolf.com for more details.
I have uploaded some swings of Manuel de la Torre on the Homepage of www.johnhayesgolf.com. Click on the link, “Manuel de la Torre Golf Swing – 1990” to view. As always, please contact me with any questions or comments and I hope to see you soon on the lesson tee at the Chi Chi Golf Range & Family Sports Complex in beautiful Clearwater near Tampa, FL.