This past week as the Masters ushered in the official beginning of the major golf season and spring in my part of the world, all eyes were on Tiger Woods. As I’m starting to put the finishing touches on this article it’s 1:20 PM on Sunday April 11th, forty minutes before the final round TV coverage begins. Even though Lee Westwood leads by a shot over Phil Mickelson, who lit up the course on Saturday with two straight eagles and under a foot from a third, the talk and all eyes are on Tiger who’s in a tie for third. Since I finished this article after the conclusion of the tournament, now it’s appropriate to say, all eyes are on Phil Mickelson. Congratulations! You deserve to be this year’s champion.
As a follow-up to my last article “Copy a Pro”, I’ve provided these three one minute swing sequences to highlight what the best player in the game actually does. They feature what I believe is the portion you (and me) as recreational players need to copy. In the first one you’ll probably watch in awe as I did how perfect everything is. I highly suggest you just appreciate the first ¾ of Tiger’s swing and don’t feel discouraged if you can’t copy it. Instead, focus in on the portion of his downswing when his hands reach around waist height (the impact zone) and continue towards the ball into impact. Watch as the wrists begin to unhinge, then see how the hands rotate onto the ball at impact, then continue rotating beyond impact into his follow-through. Pay close attention during the first foot after he makes contact with the ball how his energy moves on a line toward the target. This is the portion of the swing where all the best players look almost identical. It’s the most important split second of the golf swing; the portion of a pro’s swing we need to copy and execute like they do. As we know, prior to the impact zone every player does it differently. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C80TQtE203Y&feature=related
On the second video you won’t clearly see Tiger’s hand movement. As you watch the ball compressing in super slow motion, pay attention to the club’s position and how it squares. Also, see how the toe returns to its original starting position, then turns slightly past square as it continues toward the target. This microscopic view shows the club getting into the ideal hitting position. It reveals where to focus as the top priority in order to hit longer, more accurate shots, more often. Fortunately, thanks to Thumbs Down The Power Move, mastering this is easier than you ever imagined.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3tazW9h7do&feature=related
The third video from behind reveals the next elements to copy in a pro’s swing they all do the same, for increased distance and improved alignment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp1BvVQbUTQ&feature=related. The first obvious one is how they all accelerate and hit down on the ball. Next, look at his setup position and especially his hands. See how the arms drop straight down on a line with the front of his shoes and how close to his body his hands are and stay during the entire swing. This puts you closer to the ball than most recreational players are used to, which helps in two ways:
1. Increases power, by keeping the arms and upper body connected as one piece
2. Improves alignment, by swinging along your body line
As Tiger takes the club back see how the left shoulder comes straight back to his chin. Pause the video there and draw a line straight down to the ground. Watch during the downswing into impact how the right shoulder returns to that line and continues toward his chin again as he follows through to the target. This is the simple secret for improved alignment and more accurate shots that I learned after watching dozens of these slow motion sequences on TV from behind. At regular speed it looks like the best players bring the club straight back, then straight forward, never leaving the target line. The beauty is that the shoulders and lower body turns as recommended, but everything stays on the line to the target.
One afternoon in 2004 in my backyard I tried this while hitting balls into a practice net. In the process of striking the ball online to my target as perfectly as I can, I created a training aid that I’ve used ever since. What makes it unique from other training aids is that it’s virtual, which means you can practice with it, then bring to the course and use as you play, legally under the rules of golf. It provides a virtual swing guide and it’s included in the back nine section of my book, as part of the Pro edition. I’ll be happy to explain it in detail and teach this to you as part of a virtual lesson that comes with the Pro edition of Thumbs Down, Golf Instruction Made Simple. To order visit www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/Products/Products.htm
In sharp contrast I’ve included this video swing sequence from an expert, which describes in detail Tiger’s alignment problem http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1OJElUMOrw. It explains how he often looks perplexed when his drives go off into the right rough. Technically, it measures a 267% increase in his front spine angle between address and impact, which opens his clubface, pushing the ball to the right. It shows how this problem can be avoided simply by changing the downswing sequence and maintaining a constant spine angle. Oddly enough as I watched his exit interview with Peter Kostis, Tiger sounded equally angry about all the pulled shots left during his final round at the Masters.
Once again my thanks to the creator of this video for its quality and detailed information. Tips like this only re-enforce my simple messages for recreational golfers like you and me, that a pretty swing don’t mean a thing and that if the club isn’t square, the ball can go anywhere. My direct comment is, “GIVE ME A BREAK”. It’s one thing for us observers to think of Tiger Woods as a machine, but this video literally compares him to a machine, which he’s not. Personally, I believe what we saw during the weekend at the Masters was the rust that developed in Tiger’s game after five months of layoff. Let’s not forget that Augusta National is one of the most difficult golf courses in the world. Although I expect his public image to take another beating because of his newest Nike commercial, there’s no doubt that his golf game is still golden.
After watching the video and watching Tiger struggle at the Masters I wonder if the spine angle recommendation that would fix his pulls is the same that fixes the pushes. Either way, it’s anything but Simplicity at Last. In my opinion this is way too technical and would cause a high percentage of negative results if applied by most recreational golfers. What do you think? I’d welcome your feedback.
Lastly, although I glanced over the importance of hitting down on the ball, it’s a vital part of the golf swing you need to master. The expert on this subject is Clive Scarff and his Hit Down Dammit products, which include DVD's, videos and eBook with simple drills and lessons. All are focused on the importance of hitting down on the golf ball, a fundamental "must do" for better ball striking, practiced by all great players. To learn more and receive a discount if you order visit http://www.string-thing.com/thumbs_down.htm
April 13, 2010
March 13, 2010
Tiger's Tale
If you’re a golf and/or sports fan the odds are high that you either watched, read or heard about the 13 ½ minute press statement given by Tiger Woods on Friday February 19. In probably the most anticipated, highest rated TV news coverage since the OJ Simpson verdict some fifteen years ago, Tiger finally appeared in front of a worldwide TV audience.
Did he wait too long to come forward? Did he reveal enough detail? Rather than ask all the other million “did he” questions I’m coming out of my own self induced silence to tell my story and give my own 2 cents on what I saw and some of what I think. For starters, I believe Tiger put himself in a no win situation, at least from an announcement perspective. Also, from an article I read in January, Tiger lied about what didn’t happen on Thanksgiving night, when he said his wife Elin didn’t hit him.
Before I watched the speech, I had already pre-named the title of this article ‘Lip Service”, because I expected it to be nothing but a bunch of doubletalk he needed to say to pacify everyone. Tiger stood nervously in front of his mother and a worldwide audience hungry to learn the details of his infidelity and when he would return to the world of competitive golf on the PGA Tour. What they got was neither.
Instead, he delivered an emotional and carefully selected collection of words that told us things we never heard from him before. He revealed that for 45 days from the end of December to early February, he was in inpatient therapy receiving guidance for the issues he now faces. With lots of conviction, Tiger appeared to be sincerely sorry as he apologized to his family, friends, fans, and business partners about his irresponsible and selfish behavior.
He pointed out that his real apology to his wife Elin will not come in the form of words; it will come from his behavior over time. As Tiger looked directly into the camera he told the media that although the couple has a lot to discuss, what we say to each other will remain between the two of them. He explained that he has a lot to atone for and there is one issue he really wanted to discuss. Then he made an error, that might end up becoming his eventual public downfall when he delivered this statement; “some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever.”
I want to be clear when I say that I really don’t care about Tiger’s personal life and that what happened between him and his wife has nothing to do with the enjoyment I get from watching him play golf. But, his comment completely contradicts an article that appeared on January 6, 2010 by Pat Burns the former NHL coach and Florida police officer. After Tiger crashed his SUV into a tree in late-November, Burns reached out to his local police buddies to get the inside scoop on what really went down that night. According to Burns, Tiger was knocked in the face with a golf club by his wife and was left with a deep cut on his cheek. Apparently, he went to watch television ... then suddenly, bang! A nine-iron in the face!
As he left the house running without shoes, Elin followed him with the club. After he drove off in his Escalade she broke two or three windows. That's why he hit the tree. She took him by ambulance to a hospital in Orlando where she called his agent, who suggested that they meet. Once there, the doctors said he needed plastic surgery to repair broken teeth, but only one institution could do it, in Phoenix Arizona. They flew to Phoenix for emergency dental and plastic surgery, making him unavailable to local police after the news broke. This explains Tiger’s absence when the police wanted to meet him the following days.
During his speech, Tiger became very self-critical, revealing how he stopped living by the core values that he was taught to believe in. He knew his actions were wrong, but convinced himself that normal rules didn't apply to him. He never thought about who he was hurting, instead thought only about himself. He ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by and thought he could get away with whatever he wanted to. Tiger went on to say that he had worked hard his entire life and was entitled to enjoy all the temptations around me. As the rock band Queen wrote in their song “We are the Champions”, thanks to fame and fortune and everything that goes with it, he didn't have to go far to find his temptation.
Tiger admitted he was wrong. He was foolish and that he doesn't get to play by different rules. “The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me. After a lot of time to think about what I've done, it’s time to make amends and start living a life of integrity.” He made it a point to explain how he drifted away from Buddhism, which teaches how to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. He lost track of what he was taught, then went on to say how hard it was to admit that he needed help, but realized he did.
Tiger repeated that the issues between he and his wife were their business. He appeared upset that the media made up things that never happened; like that he used performance-enhancing drugs. Also, he didn’t appreciate things written about his family and how his children were followed to school. Unfortunately, this is the price and everything that goes with fame, that celebrities often have to pay. Nick Faldo, commented on the Golf Channel during the Accenture Match Play how the British tabloids treated him similarly after his divorce many years ago.
Finally, the question about when Tiger would return to the PGA Tour was explained with this comment; “I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game.”
Now that it’s several weeks later, we’ve learned that Tiger has returned home from more time in therapy and has started working out and hitting balls. The speculation is that he’ll return in time to play in The Masters, in his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major titles. My guess all along was that he’d play at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill tournament, so he’d have a few tournaments to prepare for The Masters. Since there’s been no official announcements, it’s only a guess.
60 Second Golf Tip:
Hitting down on the ball is probably the most important ball striking fundamental and probably the most misunderstood, especially with the driver. In his March 3 Hit Down Dammit newsletter, Clive Scarff a teaching professional from BC Canada (where they recently held the Olympics) gives a simple explanation with pictures to one of his subscribers.
Here’s the question from his Letter of the Week, that I often hear from my customers. “ I am now hitting down well with my irons, but struggling with the driver. I think I am having trouble with the bigger transition a driver requires - can you help?” Here’s the beginning of the answer. “I get a lot of letters about troubles with the driver, and in my experience especially on the teaching tee, it is because people treat the driver as a different animal. Even though they struggle with the driver, most golfers insist on treating the driver differently, and when success is not found they don't think to mimic their iron swing, they look for an even more different remedy for their driver.”
For me, hitting down on the ball always came naturally. Although it’s a more controversial subject with the driver, I found that accelerating into the drive with my Thumbs rotating Down at the ball on a descending angle, returns the best results. It’s also why I’m good with my fairway woods. For beginners, hitting up seems to make more sense, but it’s not the correct way to hit a golf ball. Simply put; for better ball striking, combing the Thumbs Down rotation with hitting down on the ball squares the club and produces more powerful, more accurate and controlled shots, more often.
If you want to improve your ball striking and improve your game, I highly encourage you to sign up for Clive Scarff’s “Hit Down Dammit” newsletter and purchase his DVD series. You can do both and receive a $10 discount at http://www.string-thing.com/thumbs_down.htm. For another great game improvement value, the Pro edition of Thumbs Down, Golf Instruction Made Simple costs less than a dozen premium golf balls. “Teach Yourself” the same ball striking POWER MOVE used by all the best players in the world at http://www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/Products/Products.htm. It includes 2 videos, drills, do’s and don’ts, plus a one-on-one virtual lesson with me. The Pro Plus System includes the Impact Bag, with 3 hours of personal instruction. I look forward to working with you.
Did he wait too long to come forward? Did he reveal enough detail? Rather than ask all the other million “did he” questions I’m coming out of my own self induced silence to tell my story and give my own 2 cents on what I saw and some of what I think. For starters, I believe Tiger put himself in a no win situation, at least from an announcement perspective. Also, from an article I read in January, Tiger lied about what didn’t happen on Thanksgiving night, when he said his wife Elin didn’t hit him.
Before I watched the speech, I had already pre-named the title of this article ‘Lip Service”, because I expected it to be nothing but a bunch of doubletalk he needed to say to pacify everyone. Tiger stood nervously in front of his mother and a worldwide audience hungry to learn the details of his infidelity and when he would return to the world of competitive golf on the PGA Tour. What they got was neither.
Instead, he delivered an emotional and carefully selected collection of words that told us things we never heard from him before. He revealed that for 45 days from the end of December to early February, he was in inpatient therapy receiving guidance for the issues he now faces. With lots of conviction, Tiger appeared to be sincerely sorry as he apologized to his family, friends, fans, and business partners about his irresponsible and selfish behavior.
He pointed out that his real apology to his wife Elin will not come in the form of words; it will come from his behavior over time. As Tiger looked directly into the camera he told the media that although the couple has a lot to discuss, what we say to each other will remain between the two of them. He explained that he has a lot to atone for and there is one issue he really wanted to discuss. Then he made an error, that might end up becoming his eventual public downfall when he delivered this statement; “some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever.”
I want to be clear when I say that I really don’t care about Tiger’s personal life and that what happened between him and his wife has nothing to do with the enjoyment I get from watching him play golf. But, his comment completely contradicts an article that appeared on January 6, 2010 by Pat Burns the former NHL coach and Florida police officer. After Tiger crashed his SUV into a tree in late-November, Burns reached out to his local police buddies to get the inside scoop on what really went down that night. According to Burns, Tiger was knocked in the face with a golf club by his wife and was left with a deep cut on his cheek. Apparently, he went to watch television ... then suddenly, bang! A nine-iron in the face!
As he left the house running without shoes, Elin followed him with the club. After he drove off in his Escalade she broke two or three windows. That's why he hit the tree. She took him by ambulance to a hospital in Orlando where she called his agent, who suggested that they meet. Once there, the doctors said he needed plastic surgery to repair broken teeth, but only one institution could do it, in Phoenix Arizona. They flew to Phoenix for emergency dental and plastic surgery, making him unavailable to local police after the news broke. This explains Tiger’s absence when the police wanted to meet him the following days.
During his speech, Tiger became very self-critical, revealing how he stopped living by the core values that he was taught to believe in. He knew his actions were wrong, but convinced himself that normal rules didn't apply to him. He never thought about who he was hurting, instead thought only about himself. He ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by and thought he could get away with whatever he wanted to. Tiger went on to say that he had worked hard his entire life and was entitled to enjoy all the temptations around me. As the rock band Queen wrote in their song “We are the Champions”, thanks to fame and fortune and everything that goes with it, he didn't have to go far to find his temptation.
Tiger admitted he was wrong. He was foolish and that he doesn't get to play by different rules. “The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me. After a lot of time to think about what I've done, it’s time to make amends and start living a life of integrity.” He made it a point to explain how he drifted away from Buddhism, which teaches how to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. He lost track of what he was taught, then went on to say how hard it was to admit that he needed help, but realized he did.
Tiger repeated that the issues between he and his wife were their business. He appeared upset that the media made up things that never happened; like that he used performance-enhancing drugs. Also, he didn’t appreciate things written about his family and how his children were followed to school. Unfortunately, this is the price and everything that goes with fame, that celebrities often have to pay. Nick Faldo, commented on the Golf Channel during the Accenture Match Play how the British tabloids treated him similarly after his divorce many years ago.
Finally, the question about when Tiger would return to the PGA Tour was explained with this comment; “I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game.”
Now that it’s several weeks later, we’ve learned that Tiger has returned home from more time in therapy and has started working out and hitting balls. The speculation is that he’ll return in time to play in The Masters, in his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major titles. My guess all along was that he’d play at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill tournament, so he’d have a few tournaments to prepare for The Masters. Since there’s been no official announcements, it’s only a guess.
60 Second Golf Tip:
Hitting down on the ball is probably the most important ball striking fundamental and probably the most misunderstood, especially with the driver. In his March 3 Hit Down Dammit newsletter, Clive Scarff a teaching professional from BC Canada (where they recently held the Olympics) gives a simple explanation with pictures to one of his subscribers.
Here’s the question from his Letter of the Week, that I often hear from my customers. “ I am now hitting down well with my irons, but struggling with the driver. I think I am having trouble with the bigger transition a driver requires - can you help?” Here’s the beginning of the answer. “I get a lot of letters about troubles with the driver, and in my experience especially on the teaching tee, it is because people treat the driver as a different animal. Even though they struggle with the driver, most golfers insist on treating the driver differently, and when success is not found they don't think to mimic their iron swing, they look for an even more different remedy for their driver.”
For me, hitting down on the ball always came naturally. Although it’s a more controversial subject with the driver, I found that accelerating into the drive with my Thumbs rotating Down at the ball on a descending angle, returns the best results. It’s also why I’m good with my fairway woods. For beginners, hitting up seems to make more sense, but it’s not the correct way to hit a golf ball. Simply put; for better ball striking, combing the Thumbs Down rotation with hitting down on the ball squares the club and produces more powerful, more accurate and controlled shots, more often.
If you want to improve your ball striking and improve your game, I highly encourage you to sign up for Clive Scarff’s “Hit Down Dammit” newsletter and purchase his DVD series. You can do both and receive a $10 discount at http://www.string-thing.com/thumbs_down.htm. For another great game improvement value, the Pro edition of Thumbs Down, Golf Instruction Made Simple costs less than a dozen premium golf balls. “Teach Yourself” the same ball striking POWER MOVE used by all the best players in the world at http://www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/Products/Products.htm. It includes 2 videos, drills, do’s and don’ts, plus a one-on-one virtual lesson with me. The Pro Plus System includes the Impact Bag, with 3 hours of personal instruction. I look forward to working with you.
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