It’s never too late to get your body in golf shape

This is probably what it seems like the golf experts are saying. Sounds like an awful lot of work that you have to do just to enjoy playing a round. In fact, work is exactly what it sounds like. Whether you are still in the corporate world or are enjoying the golden years of retirement no one wants to associate golf with work unless you are planning on competing for the next PGA championship.

So if you are not trying to be Tiger or Ernie then what is the point of spending time in a gym or working out at home? Working out or golf-related fitness cant really be all that important, right? If you want to go out with the guys or your spouse and have fun playing a good round of golf then why bother with all of these exercises promoted by every golf and fitness expert? You are not doing your body or your golf game any harm, right? Wrong.

Studies have shown that the aging population actually has a higher potential for strength gains than those in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. This is primarily due to a lower baseline activity level of the older group.

Compared with younger groups performing similar exercises over a one month period the aging population can achieve more than double the strength gains. You are never too old to start; the results can have a dramatic effect on your daily life and on your golf game.

If golf is your only form of exercise then you are doing your golf game and your body a disservice. Dont get me wrongthere are many beneficial aspects of the game of golf-including the physical aspect of just playing. However, a golf swing is a repetitive movement that puts unusual strain on certain parts of the body.Without undoing that stress-in other words specific strengthening and stretching to protect your neck, back, arms, and legs, you are placing yourself at risk of injuries.

Combine this risk with the normal effects of aging-decreased strength, decreased flexibility, decreased rate of healing of body tissues-and suddenly you are facing a rotator cuff or low back injury that keeps you on the recliner rather than on the golf cart.

Many of my patients come to see me with one problem or complaint, for example low back pain. However, once we get started with treatment, I discover that not only does that patient struggle with the low back, but he or she also cannot reach behind to tuck in a shirt or cannot squat down to pick something off of the floor.

When I question the patient about that limitation the usual answer is something such as, Oh, Ive had it forever or I just thought it was part of getting old or I didnt think it was important enough to tell my doctor about. Wrong again. These problems are not something that just occur with getting older and are important enough to tell your physician about. Below are some common benchmarks that we use to judge physical ability and fitness:

Are you able to reach overhead to put dishes away in the cabinet?

Are you able to reach behind to tuck in your shirt, get your wallet out of your pocket, or hook your bra?

Are you able to reach forward to put on your shoes and socks?

Are you able to squat down to pick up something from the floor (i.e. a golf ball from the bottom of the cup)?

Are you able to turn your torso or do you have to shorten your golf swing?

If you answered no to any one of those questions than you may have an underlying problem that could be treated by a physical therapist. Left untreated, these problems will worsen and lead to more limitations. To prevent that, your physician may want to refer you to therapy, where you can have a thorough evaluation.

By finding the underlying cause and treating that problem you may be able to resume the ability to perform these daily and golf-related activities without pain or limitations.

Here are a few facts:

Virtually everyone will experience low back pain at some point in his or her life. Low back pain is one of the top 10 reasons for people to see their primary care physician.

There are many causes for low back pain and each one is treated differently from a rehabilitation and exercise standpoint-in other words the exercises that helped your golf buddy get back to playing may actually be harmful for you!

Arthritis affects 50% of Americans over the age of 65. It is most common in the hips, spine, and knees. Along with medications that your physician may prescribe, healthy diet, and maintaining a low body weight, moderate exercise including appropriate strengthening and flexibility exercises are the best way to both prevent and manage arthritis.

In order to achieve a normal golf swing, you need good range of motion in you shoulders, spine, and hips. Limitations in any of these will place more strain on other joints and muscles eventually causing injury. Additionally you will try to compensate during your golf swing which may cause you to hit the ball fat, thin or just completely off course.

Here is what you can do about it:

Exercise: All of the exercises that you see out there can be intimidating and overwhelming. The good news is that it doesnt take much-usually just a few specific exercises-to get you back on track. The bad news is that aggressively performing the wrong exercises for your problem may actually cause more harm than good. You need to make certain you are doing what is correct for you.

If you need to increase your activity level with specific exercises, whether to prevent future problems, address current limitations, minimize the problems that you already have, or just fine-tune your golf game-then your best bet is to start with a gentle exercise program (always check with your physician before starting any new exercise program). Pick exercises that stretch and strengthen the area where you have the most limitations. Try to slowly build up more range of motion, flexibility and strength through increasing the amount of stretch and the number of times you perform each exercise.

Manual Therapy: Sometimes a problem requires more than just exercise to the muscles. Often times our joints become very tight and we need specific stretching to the joint and surrounding areas. Performing exercises along with specific hands-on techniques a therapist can provide often leads to the best and quickest recovery.

Hydration and nutrition are important regardless of age. Without the proper foundation of a well-balance diet and fluid intake your body cannot function at its best, regardless of your fitness level. Try eating a small, healthy snack (for example yogurt or a small apple with peanut butter) about an hour or two before working out to ensure you have energy to get you through your work out. Also make sure you drink plenty of water while on the course or driving range.

Prevention is always the best way to make certain that you are able to stay healthy and active as you age. Whether you are at the gym working out several days per week or a couch potato golfing a few times a month get up and get moving!

Doing just a little more each day will add strength, flexibility, and endurance to your game. Playing with more strength and less aches & pains, means lower scores and more enjoyment of the game for many more years to come.

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Its never too late to get your body in golf shape

Keeping in Balance

Frank,

Can you explain why some say face balanced putters are ill suited for someone using an arced putting stroke? Does the face of face balanced putter have a tendency to close with this putting method? If so why?

Thanks!

Kevin

Kevin,

There is a little confusion about face balancing, which happens to be a very good design for putters. If the putting stroke and face balancing were better understood there would be no question as to the benefits of face balancing.

First, let me explain exactly what face balancing is and then describe why it is the preferred design for a putter.

If you balance a putter between the arms of a chair, the center of gravity of the head will try to align itself with the shaft axis in a vertical plane. If the center of gravity is directly in line with the shaft axis the head will take on a random position each time you place it between the arms of the chair. If the putter is face balanced the face will point directly upward which means that the center of gravity is aligning itself with, but directly below the axis of the shaft.

When the putter is in this position and I apply an upward force to the shaft close to the head, the putter face will not change its orientation. This is good because when you accelerate the putter into the impact position, from the start of the forward swing, what you are trying to do is keep the face at right angles to the path. A face balanced putter will try to correct for an open or closed face relative to the path of the head.

A good putting stroke has a natural vertical and horizontal arc dictated by the axis of rotation and the plane of the swing. The horizontal arc is dictated by the plane of the swing, i.e. ball position (under your eyes), relative to the axis of rotation, which should be between the shoulders at the base of your neck.

In the forward stroke, the shoulders, the arms, hands and the putter are essentially one single unit. If the axis point of this unit, the ball and the target were all in a vertical plane then the stroke would be in a vertical plane like a true pendulum. If this was the case then there would be no horizontal arc that the putter head followed.

Fortunately, our personal physiology dictates the arc the putter head will follow. We should not fight or try to alter this natural arc. Knowing this and understanding that the putter face should always be at right angles to the arc, a face-balanced putter will try to align itself if it is slightly off during forward swing to arrive at impact in the correct position. This correction is due to the acceleration forces we apply to the shaft during the forward part of the putting stroke.

If the putter is not face-balanced toe down when between the two arms of the chair — there is a slight tendency during the forward part of the stroke for the face to open. These forces are very small but we dont want any sources of error to interfere with a perfect stroke.

Kevin, everybody should putt with the natural arc and a face-balanced putter is the best for this or any other style of putting.

Hope this helps.
Frank

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Keeping in Balance

What is Waggle Factor?

In this week’s Q&A, Frank explains swing weight and Waggle Factor and what they mean.

Hi Frank,

You recently talked about wearing a glove and how it can affect the swing weight of a club, and I imagine wearing a watch might do the same? But my real questions are: What is swing weight?How does it affect the quality of the swing or the results?And how do I know/figure out what is the proper swing weight for me?

Thank you very much

Brian

Brian,

To your first question; What is swing weight?

A great amateur golfer, Francis Ouimet, won various events which included the U.S. Open in 1913. He selected his clubs based on feel an undefined term but most of us seem to have a general idea what it means. If you waggle the clubs in your set, they should all feel the same, i.e. have the same waggle factor.

Because Francis Ouimet was such a good golfer, his clubs matched by feel– were used to develop a balance system. This was done by hanging a weight (approximately 16 ounces) on the grip end of each club and finding a common balance point (fulcrum) from the butt end for each club. This balance point was 14 inches from the butt. Thus, the swing weight system was born in about 1920 and still used today. The swing weight is not described as the amount of weight needed to balance a club but by an alpha-numeric table such as D2 or C9 etc.

Swing weight is a questionable system for several reasons. First, it implies a dynamic measurement which it is not. Second, it can be abused by back weighting or adding weight down the shaft purely to get the same or desired number. Third, it is not very well understood.

Having said this, it must be noted that pure swing weight variations in shaft length and head weight only is a good first step in matching clubs, as this is closely related to the waggle factor a term I coined because it is so descriptive.

This waggle factor should be called matching by moment of inertia (MOI). This is a much better method of matching clubs as it takes into account the weight, length and is a true dynamic measurement. If you hold a club at the grip end and waggle it, you will experience a specific resistance every time you change direction back and forth. This relates directly to the MOI of the club about the axis you are waggling it i.e. the grip.

Now turn the club around, holding its head and waggle it. You will find the resistance to changing direction is reduced significantly. The MOI has changed and it feels different. Francis Ouimet, unbeknownst to him, was matching his clubs by the MOI method the waggle factor.

Most of us know, having mentioned it several times in Q&As over the last year, that wearing a glove will alter (decrease) the swing weight of the club by about five points, but will not noticeably affect the feel of the club.
The glove will not change the waggle factor (MOI) measurably.

Brian, now that we are over that explanation, let me say that in general terms the higher the swing weight (pure swing weight), the heavier the head and the more resistance you will feel to swinging the club to generating the same head speed.

After about 400 years of trial and error we have found that a swing weight in the range of about D0 to D3 is a good number for most male golfers. Females generally migrate to about C6 to C9. This, in most cases, is because the shaft length is about 1-inch shorter than men but the head weight is about the same.

So Brian a good starting point for you as for most men — is about a D0 or D2.

I am sure we will soon be matching clubs by MOI, which uses a relatively simple scale and takes into account all those variables used in swing weight, but is a dynamic measurement and more meaningful.

Waggle your way around this one, Brian.

Frank

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What is Waggle Factor?

Too Much Right Side In Your Golf Swing?

Often times we hear right handed Golfers say that they have a problem of using too much of their right side in their golf swing. Left-handed Golfers just reverse everything Im saying. Im sure youre used to doing that when reading about golf.

Well, I dont want to disappoint anyone that has been hanging on to the too much right side excuse for years, however the issue most likely isnt using too much of your right side. The issue really comes down to not using enough of your left side.

We have conducted studies of Golfers and have found that many have been told that they use too much right side in their golf swing. Unfortunately, using that type of thinking will further damage your golf swing because youll be limiting how much the talented side of your body can do.

The real culprit in an inconsistent golf swing is probably the weaker side of your body your left side. We have found that most right-handers are significantly stronger and more coordinated with their right side vs. their left side. We have also found that because their left side moves slower than their right side they have the feeling that their right side is doing too much or overtaking their left side.

On the contrary, the real issue is probably that your left side isnt doing enough. So as your left side is slow to participate in the golf swing it often gives the Golfer the feeling that their right side is doing too much.

Heres an example to see how much more talented your right side might be compared to your left side: crumple up a piece of paper into a ball. Now, with your left hand, try to throw that paper as far across the room as you can. Now do it with your right hand. Which hand threw it farther and which hand felt more coordinated with the rest of your body?

Heres another: with your computer, move your mouse to the left side of your computer and try to use your mouse for the next five minutes with your left hand. Go ahead – try to highlight some text and then copy and past with your left hand. Try it!

What the first example above is showing you is that you probably have more strength with your right side. Not just your right hand, but the whole right side of your body working together to make a throwing motion. When you tried to throw with your left hand, if youre like most people, you probably didnt throw as well and had to think about how to move your body before throwing.

In fact, you mightve even stepped forward with the wrong foot when making the motion.

With the second example of using your mouse with your left hand, I would put money that if that mouse was sitting to the left of you, it would be upsetting you. Meaning, seeing it there will be a distraction. Why? Because you are so used to reaching to the right that you probably even position your body in your chair based on your mouse being to the right. When its on the left you might even feel yourself having to reposition your body. In fact, I believe it probably would throw off your timing when you type an email.

Now, how does this relate to your golf swing?

You probably use your left side in your golf swing with as much coordination as you used it to throw the paper. And with as much fluidity as when your left hand tried to control your mouse. The issue in your golf swing probably isnt that you use too much right side its that you probably do not use enough left side.

So the feeling of using too much right side in your golf swing is probably based on your left side hardly doing anything in comparison.

I guarantee that the winner of this past weeks PGA Tour event uses more right side in his swing than you do. Yet, youre trying to take your right side out of the golf swing? So how is it possible that hes using his right side more than you are yet youre being told to use less right side. It just doesnt make sense!

The important point, and what you probably shouldve been told to work on, is that the Tour Player is probably using his left side and right side more equally than you do. Whereas your golf swing might be broken down to having your right side being 80% of your golf swing and your left side being 20% of your golf swing. Hes probably a lot closer to 50% right side and 50% left side.

So some might still say that they need to use less right side so that both sides are equal. Okay . but if you do that what part of your body will swing the golf club. Because if you try to use your right side as equally as you currently use your left side youd hardly be swinging the golf club!

Now please dont read this and think that Im saying that your left side provides the power because Im not. What were saying is that youll gain power and accuracy in your golf swing when both sides of your body are working together to produce an efficient, connected, consistent golf swing. So what you should be working on instead of taking your right side out of the golf swing is getting your left side involved.

However, and this is important that doesnt mean that you should just pick up a golf club and swing it with your left hand.

That actually might make things worse. So we have developed a drill that we call the Symmetrical Drill that allows you to feel both sides of your body working together. We use this drill often during our 3 day programs. Because just swinging with your left arm doesnt guarantee that your whole left side is working with your right side. So drills like the Symmetrical Drill are critical!

To reiterate all that is written above – having one side of your body not doing as much as the other side of your body is one of the leading causes of compensations in your golf swing. And Compensations equal Inconsistency. The more you compensate the more inconsistent you are. The less you need to compensate for a weaker, less coordinated left side the more consistent you will become!

So as many Golfers are told to turn their shoulders more or turn their hips more or stop sliding their hips or cock their wrists or swing more inside to out or make a full follow-through one reason that you might not be able to accomplish those tasks consistently might be that both sides of your body arent working together. Or in-other-words: One side of your body might not be doing enough.

Yet, unfortunately many Golfers are then told to use less of their right side when the solution is probably to keep using your right side just as much as youre doing now, but to learn how to use your left side in coordination with your right side – so that both sides are working equally!

The Monkey is practicing to take away their Strengths

The Player finds their Weaknesses and improves them

Go ahead, be a Player!

Regards,

Marc Solomon -Your Instructor For Life

Original post:
Too Much Right Side In Your Golf Swing?

My Trip to Japan

I recently spent a few days in and around Tokyo. I was there on behalf of SeeMore and I gave a few clinics for their distributor over there. I found the Japanese people to be very receptive and gracious. I hope to return one day soon. Tokyo is a sprawling city of around 13 million people, yet it never felt crowded. It was very clean and well run. Here are some pictures and a Flip video of the view from Tokyo Tower. I will spare you the 2 minute 18 second video of me eating a mollusk. I definitely took one for the team there! A clinic at Mitsukoshi Department Store The Imperial Palace With My Hosts At a Beautiful Japanese Garden Video From Japan Tower

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My Trip to Japan

About those New Year’s resolutions… – www.texaslinksmagazine.com

Pat O'Brien – January '09 article in www.texaslinksmagazine.com As 2010 begins, undoubtedly there will be quite a few of us thinking about things we want to accomplish in the coming year. If that list includes getting in better shape and improving your golf game, I have some great news for you. You can kill two birds with one stone. If you will commit to improving your range of motion and strengthening your body in the correct ways, your golf game cannot help but improve. I guarantee it. I have been blessed to be associated with some of the best trainers in golf who happen to live in Dallas, TX. Two of them, Laci Weeks (pictured) and Damon Goddard of Synergy Golf Fitness , helped me put together this article. These pictures illustrates three simple tests you can perform to see if you possess adequate balance, mobility and stability. Mind you, we are not breaking new ground here, as the outstanding Titleist Performance Institute deserves a great deal of the credit. It has been one of the key pioneers in training people for rotational sports that require dynamic movements. The first one is the Single Leg Balance Test. This tests your proprioceptive ability. Proprioceptors are nerve endings that are found in muscles, tendons, joints and the inner ear. They let us know where our bodies are in space and time. Because the golf swing is a dynamic movement, balance is crucial in order for the proper weight shift and sequence to occur to produce a powerful swing. To improve this requires neuromuscular training, which in turn allows us to make changes more efficiently. To perform this test, stand with your feet hip-width apart, allow your arms to hang at your side. Lift one leg off the ground, balance and then close your eyes. You will soon appreciate that 25 seconds is aver for PGA Tour players to hold their balance. To Continue with Story and Learn More About Golf Fitness Download OBrien_Jan2010[1]

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About those New Year’s resolutions… – www.texaslinksmagazine.com

Will 2010 Be Your Best Golf Ever?

Will you allow 2010 to be your best golf year ever? If this is your goal then I have some suggestions for you:

1. First work on making solid impact with the golf ball before you start working on fixing your direction issues.

Solid impact supersedes everything else in the golf swing since it determines how the golf ball will fly. Often times Golfers are more focused on the direction they hit the golf ball. Which is understandable however, thats not the solution as far as becoming more consistent.

Too often Golfers are overly concerned with fixing their golf swing to eliminate slices and hooks. And yes, if you do have slices and hooks – you should gain better control of your ball flight. However, when trying to fix your golf swing for the sole purpose of stopping a slice you will usually just end up making even more compensations in your golf swing and causing even more inconsistency.

Have you ever went to a golf lesson to fix a slice or hook? Afterwards most Golfers are even more inconsistent or worse than before their lesson! Because trying to soley fix a slice or hook is usually based on new compensations trying to fix your old compensations. Which just means youre throwing even more compensations into your golf swing!

Trying to fix the direction you hit the golf ball before you start improving your impact will just keep you on the same merry-go-round you have been riding for the last ____ (fill in the blank) years.

However, once youre focused on learning to hit the golf ball more solid its so much easier to fix direction and gain distance. Golf Instructors often debate whether the most important part of the golf swing is swing path, swing plane or clubface. And during most golf lessons what you most likely will be working on, will be that Instructors preference. Yet, you should be working on all 3, along with your angle of approach into the golf ball at the same time if you want to improve.

Now some people might say that that is too much to think about at one time. Yet, I would passionately disagree with anyone that brings that up. Because you can work on all 4 of those points (without thinking of all those 4 points) if youre working on improving your impact with the golf ball.

How do we do it?

By helping you to control your Center of Gravity. Once you understand how important your Center of Gravity is and how it can guide all 4 of those points without you having to think about each one – you will start hitting the golf ball more solid which will allow you to start controlling your direction with much more ease.

The unfortunate thing is that most Golfers are not trained to do it that way. Theyre trained to think about each point individually. Thats one reason why the majority of Golfers do not ever improve their golf swing from year to year.

2. Make it a point to See it, Feel it, Do it before each shot.

The typical Golfer walks up to their golf ball, takes a couple of Ornamental Practice Swings, glances down the middle of the fairway and then swings.

That is poor, poor, poor!

Visualizing where youre going to hit the golf ball sets-up your entire shot. Now some people will say Well Marc, Im not good enough to visualize before each shot. My swing isnt consistent enough at this point and I need to be more focused on that, rather than visualizing. When I do get better, maybe Ill start to think about visualizing my shot.

If thats you I believe youre missing the point. Because being able to start to see your shot before you even swing will actually help you to improve your golf swing. By seeing it youre telling yourself where you want to hit the golf ball. Once you do that its amazing how your mind communicates to your muscles to make the proper golf swing movement. No, it doesnt guarantee all your shots will be great however Id wager a large sum of cash that youre going to hit more good shots than if you fail to See it first.

Because once you See it then youll be able to Feel it. Most Golfers just walk up to the golf ball and take an Ornamental Practice Swing. Why Ornamental? Well, the way most Golfers do it – theres no purpose to it – its just for show because everyone else does it, so you do it. Some might say that they use their practice swing to get loose. Well, if you need to get loose just stretch, itll do more for you than a couple of practice swings.

Some might say – I take my practice swing to get my rhythm. Well, youll get more rhythm by whistling a song before you swing than youll get from your Ornamental Practice Swings.

Wed rather you take a Rehearsal Swing rather than an Ornamental Practice Swing. Whats the difference? Well, with a Rehearsal Swing youre actually rehearshing the shot youre about to play. Youre preparing yourself for your next shot by rehearsing the actual swing youre about to make.

Most Golfers? Theyre just swinging at air! Accomplishing nothing except allowing themselves to ask the recurring question of: Why do my practice swings feel so good yet when I go to hit a golf ball it hardly ever feels as good? Why cant I just hit the golf ball with my practice swing?

To become more consistent – learn to Feel it before you actually swing.

The reason so many Golfers improve with GMS is because we help our Golfers with the total picture. First we work on improving your swing motion using some really excellent drills so that you can better understand your golf swing and improve it. And because of this improved motion – you start to develop a more solid, consistent impact. And its amazing how much easier it is for us to help you improve your direction and distance, once we have helped you with hitting the golf ball more solid!

As opposed to most Golfers/Golf Instructors that first work on direction and wait until they hit it straight before working on hitting it solid.

Then we use See it, Feel it, Do it to work on you visualizing your shots so that youre actually telling your brain what you want to do before you do it. Which will have your brain telling your muscles what they need to be doing. And your muscles will move the golf club correctly. Which will have the golf club telling the golf ball where to go.

And by incorporating an excellent swing technique with mental technique – our Golfers improve!

If you want to improve your golf swing you first need to get away from the style of instruction that hasnt been working for you. Then you need to understand why having a PLAN of using See it, Feel it, Do it will further improve your golf swing and overall game.

GMS is nothing like anything you have ever tried before. Maybe thats why so many finally improve!

The Monkey works on their golf swing with the sole purpose of fixing the direction they hit the golf ball

The Player first focuses on learning to hit the golf ball more solid and then is amazed at how that helps them to hit the ball more consistently

Go ahead, be a Player!

Regards,

Marc Solomon – Your Instructor For Life

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Will 2010 Be Your Best Golf Ever?

Golfers Are Funny About Golf Swings!

Ive tried video analysis, Ive tried Golf Tec, Ive even tried getting down on my hands and knees to pray.

Yet, I still have the same inconsistent golf swing. Ive spent hundreds well, thinking about it . Ive spent thousands . well, lets just put it this way . my kids inheritance isnt what it used to be trying to find something to help me become more consistent.

We live in a society that thrives on making things simpler. Perfect example: Would you rather use Microsoft Word or go back to loading paper into a typewriter and then having to go through the hassle of starting over after making a simple mistake. (Really, I tried to type mistake wrong to illustrate my point, but Microsoft wont let me make a mistake even if I wanted to).

Make Life Simple

Yet, the Golfer thats having a hard time on the golf course seems to be looking for more difficult. Were actually thinking of changing our company name to Golf Made Difficult, but we feel if we did there would be too much demand and we wouldnt be able to keep up with number of Golfers calling and emailing us to help them make complicated swing changes.

So well keep it Golf Made Simple

Why do most people today have their automobiles shift gears automatically as opposed to manually shifting? Why dont you have a rotary telephone in your house anymore? Do you know anyone that still fiddles with an answering machine thats hooked up by a cord to your telephone as opposed to voice mail?

Yet, the Golfer isnt happy until your Instructor sits you down to analyze every movement of your golf swing. The Golfer wants to know everything theyre doing wrong in their swing. You see my right elbow at the top of my swing, is that where its supposed to be? Well Mr. Lewis, youre right, according to our highly advanced technology that can analyze every movement in your golf swing, along with determining if youre getting enough calcium in your diet it shows that your right elbow is about 2.394 degrees out of place.

In every aspect of our life, were trying to make things Simpler. Were trying to use less thought to accomplish difficult tasks. Yet in Golf the so-called Swing Gurus are trying to make things more difficult!

An 8 Step Swing? I have difficulty walking and chewing gum at the same time.

To give you an idea on how embarrassed I am about this complicated is better philosophy that has hooked Golfers to the point of me relabeling it as Crack for Golfers somebody sent me this amazing comment they found on the Golf Tec website By primarily working in an indoor, controlled environment, clients can focus on the swing process as opposed to simply relying on ball flight. By ignoring ball flight in some of (the) lessons, clients can avoid reinforcing bad habits.

Ignoring your ball flight can avoid reinforcing bad habits? Is that a joke? Are they trying to be funny? Dont tell me theyre serious. That comment may be the #1 reason that video analysis will really mess up your golf swing!

Do I smell Snake Oil?

Technology has helped us create better golf clubs and golf balls. Its helped to make the golf club out of better materials (from Persimmon Wood and Hickory Shafts to Titanium and Graphite Shafts), along with allowing us to fit you to the correct equipment to match your golf swing.

All these other complicated swing techniques that are based upon you copying Jim McLeans 8-Step Swing or the Golf Tec model swing or the Stack and Shank ahhh, I mean the Stack and Tilt swing – hasnt helped anybody (I have ever met) swing better. It might make a Golfer feel better that at least theyre doing something to try to improve but has it helped your swing to improve to the point that your scores have gotten better?

So why have I gotten into the whole gimmick swing, video analysis, you better be careful what you do next to improve your golf swing – rap? Because its that time of year that millions of Golfers cant go outside to play so they feel the next best thing is to sign-up to take golf lessons at one of those video simulator places that you can get your swing analyzed, or wile away your time with a book that explains 8 different swing moves you need to master or get on a Golf Internet Chat room thats filled with closeted, anonymous Golf Gurus with nicknames such as Golf Genius that are looked up to like Rock Stars by frustrated, desperate Golfers that will do anything not to be frustrated anymore.

My question is Do you know anyone that has signed up for a 6 lesson Video Analysis series and taken all 6 lessons? On the other hand Do you know anyone that has signed up for a 6 lessons series and only taken 4 or 5 lessons? Why is that so commonplace? Well, they bait you in with promises of Glory and after the 4th week, when youre so confused that youre scared to swing the golf club back because youre thinking about everything youre doing wrong and how you want to make sure that you do it correct something deep down inside says to you this stinks!

This is too complicated, why am I making it so hard on myself?

The Monkey is constantly swinging from vine to vine looking for answers unfortunately they believe that the more difficult the vine is the better it is for their golf swing

The Player just Tick Tocks and smiles

Are you swinging vine to vine as you grit your teeth or are you smiling?

Marc Solomon -Your Instructor For Life

www.GolfMadeSimple.com

The Can’t Miss Golf Gift Issue!

The GMS Holiday Gift Issue Each week we write about improving your golf game. This week we’re going to change things up to speak about 4 golf products you might want to look at as a gift for yourself or someone else that will make the overall golf experience better. Each week, I’m approached by companies all over the world to introduce their products to the thousands of Golfers that read Golf Improvement Weekly (now over 24,000) and the over one thousand Golfers that come to see GMS each year. And while I turn down 99.9% of what I see as not being worth the plastic it’s made of – there are some great, great products out there for Golfers. So with this being gift buying season … well, at least for guys like me that wait till the last minute – I’m sure most of the smarter people have completed their holiday shopping by now. Yet, even if you’re finished holiday shopping –I highly recommend that you look at these products. They are just excellent products that I currently use, viewed or have tested. The Back Nine – This might be the most intriguing product of them all. It’s a movie about golf. But it’s not just any movie. It’s about a 40 year old that’s around an 11 handicap that has a family, a job and …. wants to see if he can make it on the PGA Tour. And it’s a true story. Now, this is intriguing because at least once a month we get a phone call from at least one Golfer that is in a similar situation and wants to make the PGA or Senior Tour. Yet, there’s no way it will happen for these Golfers. It’s not as easy as getting to a zero handicap to make it on Tour. For the Golfer that scores between 72 and 82 from 6,600 yards – you’re really not even close. Playing well with your friends – even scoring 72 on a 6,600 yard course is not the same as playing in a tournament from 7,200 yards. Plus, just to make it to the PGA Tour – you need to go to Q School where if you do make it through the initial qualifying sites to get to the finals – you then need to play 6 rounds of golf in 6 days and end up in the top 25 by scoring around 15 under par – from 7,200 yards in Tour conditions. You really have about the same shot of making the PGA Tour as you would have making the Yankees as a starting pitcher. Saying that – I do sincerely look forward to someone making it and proving me wrong. It would be an exciting story. However, Jon Fitzgerald wanted to see if he could do it. And during his journey of balancing family, work and golf – he found out a lot about himself. When I first received this DVD back in the summer – I wasn’t expecting much. I thought it would be just like another one of those phone calls we receive from someone in their 40’s that’s an 11 handicap and wants to try to improve so they can play on the PGA Senior Tour in 10 years. And although the movie is about golf – it turned out to be about much more than that. Go to their website to see a sample of the movie and possibly purchase it. When I told Jon that I would be writing about his movie – he offered to give a discount code that he’s extending to all our readers if you want to purchase the movie. It’s really straight forward how to use it. Go to their website ( http://www.thebacknine.com ) and select the single copy of the DVD. There is a box that will offer the option of entering the code – gms4tb9 . When you click submit, an 18 percent discount is factored in. The ClubGlider – As far as I’m concerned …. The best golf product I have ever used.

What I Look For in a Fitting

Based on the recent interview I did with thefantastic website Putter Zone.com, I decided to present some visual clues that help me whenI fit people for putters. I usually start with general information, like what the knuckles-to- ground length is when someone is standing tall with arms hanging to their side and making soft fists. Anything longer than 31 inches makes me lean towards a 35 inch putter or longer, and anything shorter than 31 leans me toward a 34 inch putter or shorter.

In thehundreds of fittings that I have done over the years, standard length for a putter to meshould be 34.5 inches. I have no science to back me up, just instincts. As I said in the interview, if I am going to err, it will be on the long side because I want people taller, more athletic and relaxed. Aside from static measurements, like the aforementioned, I also consider torso length vs. leg length and sleeve length. The measurements give me a base with which to start. As all fitters know, there can be a difference between static measurements and dynamic ones. So, off to the putting green we go armed with options.

I am 5′ 10″ with knuckles 32 inches from the floor. My pants are 32 inseam and my sleeves are 32. My golf clubs are 1/4 inch over Titleist standard length. Myputter is 35 inches and 69 degrees. I will touch on lie angle later.

In the first picture, I have a 34 inch putter.
What I first see is hands and arms too far underneath the chest, spine angle too tilted (40 degrees) and eyes too far over the ball. The angles I have created look to me like I am going to take the putter too straight back, maybe a little outside, and probably shut because my arms are stuck.

In this picture, I have a 36 inch putter.
While my posture looks better, my hands are just barely too far away from me, myeyes are a little too far inside the line andI am just a tad too tall (50 degrees.) My putter will most likely make too big of anarc, and I will have difficulty seeing the line.However, one of the reasons I sometimes err on the long side, especially when someone is coming from a severely bent over posture, is that I want to exaggerate the feeling of being up with freedom of movement. After a little while, I will back that person down to a properly sized putter.

Now, the correct fit.
My eyes are on the heel of the putter, my hands are hanging perfectly underneath my shoulders and my spine angle is a comfortable, athletic 45 degrees. I am free to move and the putter will swing on the correct arc because it is designed to. All I need from here is a good grip, good alignment and then get out of the way!

While I am looking at length, I am also checking the lie angle. The putter needs to fit the person, not vice versa. Because of the grip I advocate, with the left hand heel pad resting on top of the puttergrip, my lie angle fits tend to be a little flatter than industry standards of 71-72 degrees. What I have someone do is stand up straight, hold the arms out in front with the elbows resting on the rib cage and the putter parallel to the ground. Now, simply drop the putter down and let the body respond so the spine is around 45 degrees. If the toe is up, the putter is too upright and if the heel is up, too flat. Should be easy enough.

To get the correct grip size, please see my earlier post on how I believe you should hold the club and why. I hope this gives you a good idea of what to look for. I have people from around the world send me pictures to see if I like how their putters fit. I am happy to give it a go, so please feel free to do the same. Good putting is only a good setup away.

Here is the original post:
What I Look For in a Fitting

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