PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Be Safe on the Golf Course with your Children

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:

I have noticed during the last few days more parents bringing their young children to the golf course.  This is due to more parents working from home and school not being in session. Yay!!  It is a great way to spend quality time with your kids away from the computer.  With the COVID 19 shelter in place order, you have to get out for fresh air and most golf courses are remaining open.

BUT, I would like to provide a couple of simple rules to make this time safe for all.

First, if only one parent is present in the golf cart, please take the key from the cart with you when you step away to hit a shot or look for a ball.  It only takes a second for your child to either slip and fall or just be curious and step on the accelerator in the cart.  The golf cart would become a run away train and could crash into a tree, roll over on a slope, speed down a ravine or into a lake.  This would be catastrophic and cause serious injury.  This can be avoided by simply removing the key and making sure the parking brake is set.

Second, if you are looking for your golf ball in high grass or in a bluebonnet patch, remember this is natural habitat for snakes.  Rattlesnake sightings are happening almost daily on central Texas golf courses.  Now is not the time to go on an Easter Egg hunt looking for a $2 golf ball.  Besides rattlesnakes, there are copperheads and coral snakes hiding out of sight.

The bottom line is have fun with your kids on the course.  Introduce them to this great game, but do it safely by adhering to these simple rules.

Thank you!

How to Make an Impact in your Golf Swing!

This is another lesson with high school junior, Jordan Reed.

This lesson was about getting in a stronger impact position for improved ball striking.  The main focus was learning to strike the ball first then take a divot with iron shots.

The first video was her golf swing at the beginning of the lesson.  She has a beautiful golf swing with great speed.

When we took a snapshot of the impact position, her hands were aligned with her right leg behind the golf ball.  In a strong impact position, the hands would be slightly in front of the ball or in alignment with the left leg.

We used the impact bag to help exaggerate the feel of the hands leading the clubhead into impact.  In this video her hands are definitely leading and the clubface is striking the bag squarely.

 The end result is Jordan's impact position improved significantly and her irons shots were crisp!

My Newest Student

My newest student, Sanjana (age 9) is really progressing nicely in a short time and I predict she will be winning junior events this summer!

In the top layer of this picture is lesson #1.  She was standing a little too far from the ball and in the backswing she was allowing the arms to move farther away from her torso.  At the top of her swing she is too upright or steep.  The result is unsolid golf shots hit to the right.

In the middle layer of this picture (lesson #3), we adjusted her set up so her arms could hang a little closer to her torso.  We used some alignment rods to help direct the backswing which helped her be a little more on plane and not so steep.

In the bottom layer of this picture (lesson #3) is the end result with no alignment rods.  She was hitting some gorgeous 7 iron shots with a little draw.

What you can't see in this photo is the great speed she has for a 9 year old.  

Get the Ball Rolling!

The Slo Mo Screen developed by Eyeline Golf is a cool tool which allows you to see how the golf ball reacts after being struck with a putter.  In the slow motion video you can see how the ball is bouncing a bit and rotating in mid air.  I use the two tone Tru Roll golf balls also from Eyeline Golf to make it easy to see how the ball reacts.  Watch the video in full screen mode for a closer look.

In the pictures below, it's very obvious just how this ball is air born and rotating.  When putting we want to get the ball rolling and not hopping!  There are a couple of fixes to help you get the ball rolling sooner.  The idea is to have a little forward shaft lean at impact and have the feel you are striking the ball on a level or slightly upward stroke.  This will help you achieve a truer roll.  As a certified "4 Elements of Putting" instructor, I use many tools from Eyeline Golf to help you become a better putter.