The Magician Known as Woods

There's something about Tiger's current struggles that makes his game more fascinating and quite frankly...scary! 

The fact is Tiger's driver hasn't been this erratic  since his rookie year on tour. 4 shafts, new heads, the list of mechanical and technical woes goes on but there's that majestic wand he carries that saves him from the depths of golf hell- his wedge!

I don't know if it's just me, but lately he's been phenomenal with his approach shots-regardless of the level of difficulty. From your basic fringe shot chip, all the way down to the hardest shots in golf (i.e., high soft FLOP)- Tiger pulls a rabbit out his hat and everyone's stunned and yet not surprised- knowing that the Magician did it once again.

The European player Alex Cejka's currently in the lead in the 2009 Player's Championship with a 5 stroke lead on Tiger and Co...Can he hold on? Or will Tiger do something brilliant, memorable and magical?

El Pato's Swing

Angel Cabrera finds himself in the hunt to win another world-class event THE PLAYERS and I'm not surprised. The Argentine's fearless of the tee and has a beautiful short game- one that reminds you of another great, Seve (Seve, get better soon!). 

I thought it'd great to analyze his swing and see what he does so well and try to incorporate it into my own game. 

My Observations on El Pato's Swing:

(1) Strong Base (Right leg): His setup is impeccable and the right leg appears to be braced extremely well. Notice that his hips don't swing all over the place (avoid too much lateral movement)

(2) Wide Takeaway: This is a huge source of power for Cabrera. There is no real wristcock at initial takeaway and he takes the club out wide and straight back. Helps create arch and length in his swing

(3) Steady Head and Amazing Rhythm: Pato stands up relatively upright but he maintains his balance beautifully and has great tempo. It seems no matter how hard he swings the club, his tempo is dead on (Notice his Happy-Gilmore-like swing in the video below and compare it to his iron shots; almost the same no?)

Masters Week!

I know this site's dedicated to tips but I'll never get sick of this video. What a shot! Hope Sergio could win that money Green jacket this year...

 

Tip of the Day: If you're in between clubs, it's sometimes better to use the shorter club and put some extra juice into (*but only if you're taking high backspin and pin placement into account)

Importance of a Strong Base

*Image Source:www.saveamillionshots.com

Just finished up a round of golf at the local municipal course in Davis and wow...it was rough. 30+ MPH winds can make you look foolish out there (anyone else lose a cap in the lake?)

Anyways, I'd vent about my crappy round but I'm trying to take some positive out of the situation. TIP OF THE DAY: LEGS BABY!

Whether you're on the tee box or the putting green, it's important to maintain good balance and stability in the lower legs. 

There's 2 views on the use of legs in the swing: 

• (1) Old-School (i.e., Ben Hogan, Johnny Miller): The legs are extremely active and a source of power-not just stability. Swing finishes high and the arching reverse-C.
• (2) Contemporary (i.e., Tiger Woods, Boo Weekley, Justin Leonard): Legs are less active and not the source of power but strong base required to maintain quiet lower body. Shoulders create the torque.

Regardless of your swing thought/theory, I believe strong legs are a must! 

Also, check out this great article by Tom Watson. Outdated but thought it could help! 

setup...SETUP...SETUP!!!

*Image sources: pga.com and perfectgolfswingreview.net

You approach the one- the drivable short Par 4. Bunkers left, water right...long bomb down the middle is what you're thinking.

Well before you could rip it and tap one in for eagle, don't be so quick to just swing harder. One of the most important things in any great driver is THE SETUP. The following are the keys to a solid setup and the benefits that come with it:

•  Widen your stance to at least shoulders width: While some golfers get away with having narrow stances (i.e., Miguel-Angel Jimenez and Sergio Garcia), most amateurs don't have the rhythm or balance to pull this off. Make sure your stance is at least shoulders-width to maintain proper weight transfer. Too wide of a stance will restrict your body rotation

•  Maintain SPINE ANGLE and BUTT CHEEKS! At address and throughout the swing, your spine angle should be at 60-70 degrees (Stand up straight but maintain bounce in lower base). Big problem I see with many golfers is the tendency to get up quick. Good tip I got from my old coach was the following:
  
• -Backswing: You want to feel like your right butt cheek (or left for lefties) is slightly turning outwards (*but maintain flexion in your knees and stay over the ball)
  
• -Downswing: Now you want to feel like your left butt cheek (or right for lefties) is rotating towards  your target line (*again, make sure to stay over the ball and make that slight lateral movement prior to the quick rotation of the hips)
  

Summary of Lesson:

- Widen Stance

- Butt cheeks out!

Weird blogging...but hope it helps!

 

Hybrids to the Rescue!

So my latest posts have been about chipping and that's because I can't seem to find consistency in making good contact between the club face and the ball. I tend to come down either too steep onto the ball or thin it. As a result, the HYBRID TO THE RESCUE!

Choke up the club and address the ball as if you were putting. Regardless of the lie, the club head seems to do the work and will penetrate the grass (*unless its REALLY thick, then a wedge is more ideal)

Gauging Chip Shots

*Source: Mel Sole, Ritson-Sole Golf School

Chipping's definitely my achilles heel...

While I'm fully aware of the technical aspects of chipping , I tend to say "SCREW IT...Let's Mickelson it up". 

Take out the 60 degree and check it next to the pin with some spin action

The only problem with this method is...it's extremely difficult and inconsistent (unless you're a greenside magician like Phil)

I really need to start believing in fundamentals and one of the greatest/basic tips anyone's told me is the "6-8-10 Ratio". The chart above pretty much lays it out for you! The golden rule: "Fly the ball as little as possible and roll the ball as much as possible"