10/9/08
By Butch Bundy
It can become difficult writing articles on golf instruction without being too repetitive. Sometimes I rely on my experiences on the golf course to help both my readers and my students. I figure if I struggle, I can’t be alone. What have been my biggest adjustments in my recent rounds? That was easy, it has been quite windy my last few times out and one of those times it blew over 15 miles an hour. That can really hurt if you don’t understand how to change things a bit.
1.) Ball position: If you play your ball position in the right place to begin with and have it towards the front of your stance, moving the ball back to the middle is the first change that needs to be made. This tends to take loft off of the golf club at impact and keeps the ball down provided you do the next couple of steps properly.
2.) Change clubs: A huge mistake that most golfers make is that they take their normal club for a certain distance and make a harder swing and try to fight the wind. Taking 1-2 more clubs (depending on the strength of the wind) and making a smoother golf swing will help keep the ball down too. Swing speed and club selection are probably the two biggest elements to having more control in the wind. Hitting the ball hard imparts more spin and makes the ball go even higher which is never a good thing whether you are hitting directly into the wind or into a cross wind. 3.) Choke down on the golf club: Choking down on the golf club after taking the extra club will keep the ball down. Shortening the length of the golf club as well as taking less loft will give you even better control of your trajectory.
4.) Practice: I advise you to try these adjustments in practice. What I have found is that even on non-windy days, hitting a shot with a lower flight is the better option. You also need to have an idea of how far the ball flies and reacts once it comes down. Be patient when these kinds of conditions happen. Even if you have a good plan and you are hitting shots properly, it is still just a guess as to how much the wind will help or hurt shots. This is also when it becomes even more important to pay attention to where you want the ball to end up if you don’t hit it perfectly.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Some Common Swing Reminders
8/8/08
By: Butch Bundy
True recreational golfers almost all make the same adjustments when the going gets tough and they lose their confidence. Teaching beginners is a good way to help me keep my teaching methods very simple. If you do several key things right, no matter what your skill level might be you will see noticeable improvements in your game. Here are a few things that I always look at when I’m working with my students.
Balance: This is always number one on my check list no matter what a golfer’s skill level might be. When I say balance, I am looking at whether your weight is towards your heels or your toes. This is a must to make a consistent golf swing. If your weight is towards your heels, which in my experiences is far more common, you will tend to get the club going too much around you on the back swing which will encourage you to either push the ball to the right or to "come over the top" and pull the ball to the left. It can also cause consistently thin or topped shots. If your weight is towards your toes, it will cause you to get too steep on your take away and will lead to pull slices or fat shots. In either case, you can’t properly time your body rotation with your arm swing.
Distance from the Ball: This is directly related to balance. Players that are too close to the ball are typically on their heels, while players that are too far away from the ball will tend to be on their toes. Most of the time when I change balance it is also necessary to change distance from the ball.
Ball Position: Again, this directly relates to the first two. Players that are too close to the ball and have their weight on their heels will tend to play the ball too far back in their stance. These types of players are making the compensation that they will not use their body rotation and will not shift their weight to their forward foot. Players that are too far away will tend to play the ball too far forward and will look as though they are reaching for the ball. These players are making the compensation that they will get ahead of the golf ball on the downswing. The proper ball position for all full swing shots is in the front half of the stance.
Golfers don’t always have all of these faults, but the tendency is to develop them over time if you have one of the above problems. This is also why if you don’t have someone watching you while you try to change your golf swing, you will get a bit lost and will change things that probably aren’t the true cause of the problem. These three flaws when corrected will almost instantly clean up off center hits and wayward direction of shots.
Professional Golf in a Dangerous Place
6/26/08
By: Butch Bundy
All seemed to be right with the golfing world last weekend. Here was Tiger making putts from everywhere, one of which was a downhill ten footer to get into a play off on the 72nd hole. Seemingly like always though in a major, the putt to get into a playoff wasn’t to tie one of the world’s other great players. It was to tie what would have been the highest ranked player to ever win a major since the Official World Rankings were introduced in the mid nineties. Don’t get me wrong, I have long been a fan of Rocco and his great attitude on the golf course. Frankly, he deserved to win the tournament based on his consistent brand of golf during the week as compared to Woods. However, it isn’t realistic to think that a 45 year old with 5 career wins, who almost gave up competition due to back problems, can play at the level to be a consistent challenger to Woods. What we are missing are other top players in the world consistently challenging Woods week in and week out, especially in the major championships. Woods not only was rehabbing from knee surgery back in April and hadn’t played a tournament since the Masters, he had a torn ACL and two stress fractures in the most important leg in a right handed player’s golf swing. Throw in also that he has been privately hurt for most of the year and had to drastically cut back his practice and there should be room to close the gap, right? Wrong.
He has entered 6 tournaments on tour this year, won four of them and finished second in the other one which was the Masters and that isn’t counting the win in a very good field in Dubai. His first tournament back is the U.S. Open which is the most grueling test even if you are competitively sharp which he wasn’t and the closest any other member of the top 10 in the world can finish is 5 shots back (Geoff Ogilvy at 5 over par)? That isn’t good for the tour no matter how good Tiger is for golf.
I love the fact that golf has a dominant player that is a great role model due to his hard work on and off of the golf course, but the rest of the tour, especially the other top players, need to close the gap and challenge him consistently. The game can’t be all about one guy when the tour consists of hundreds of players.
By: Butch Bundy
All seemed to be right with the golfing world last weekend. Here was Tiger making putts from everywhere, one of which was a downhill ten footer to get into a play off on the 72nd hole. Seemingly like always though in a major, the putt to get into a playoff wasn’t to tie one of the world’s other great players. It was to tie what would have been the highest ranked player to ever win a major since the Official World Rankings were introduced in the mid nineties. Don’t get me wrong, I have long been a fan of Rocco and his great attitude on the golf course. Frankly, he deserved to win the tournament based on his consistent brand of golf during the week as compared to Woods. However, it isn’t realistic to think that a 45 year old with 5 career wins, who almost gave up competition due to back problems, can play at the level to be a consistent challenger to Woods. What we are missing are other top players in the world consistently challenging Woods week in and week out, especially in the major championships. Woods not only was rehabbing from knee surgery back in April and hadn’t played a tournament since the Masters, he had a torn ACL and two stress fractures in the most important leg in a right handed player’s golf swing. Throw in also that he has been privately hurt for most of the year and had to drastically cut back his practice and there should be room to close the gap, right? Wrong.
He has entered 6 tournaments on tour this year, won four of them and finished second in the other one which was the Masters and that isn’t counting the win in a very good field in Dubai. His first tournament back is the U.S. Open which is the most grueling test even if you are competitively sharp which he wasn’t and the closest any other member of the top 10 in the world can finish is 5 shots back (Geoff Ogilvy at 5 over par)? That isn’t good for the tour no matter how good Tiger is for golf.
I love the fact that golf has a dominant player that is a great role model due to his hard work on and off of the golf course, but the rest of the tour, especially the other top players, need to close the gap and challenge him consistently. The game can’t be all about one guy when the tour consists of hundreds of players.
Summertime is for Junior Golf
May 22, 2008
By: Butch Bundy
I remember getting my first set of golf clubs. I didn’t ask for them and as an avid baseball player I thought it was a stupid waste of time. As most 10-12 year old kids tend to do, I rolled my eyes when my dad told me that I would one day pick the game up because I couldn’t play baseball forever. Funny how things work out isn’t it? I actually quit baseball a year or so later and took up golf. A little later it took me to college and now I teach the game for a living. All that my dad did was introduce the game to me and let me make my choice as to when I took it up. Summer is a great time to introduce the game. Kids have free time and the days are long enough so that parents can go after work to the golf course with them. Also, take advantage of the opportunity to let your junior participate in summer golf camps whether it is mine or someone else’s. I enjoy working with kids because you never know which ones will turn out to be life long golfers. The key for me is to make learning the game fun and not to muddle them down with 20 different thoughts on how to hit the ball. Showing them how to hold the club, how to address the golf ball and how to keep their feet still can be plenty in most cases. There is always time to fine tune the golf swing as the child develops.
Beyond that the only thing I am pretty intent on is teaching them how to act on the golf course. Teaching them where to stand when others are hitting, how to take care of the course and when to hit their ball is as important as making them a good player skill wise in my opinion. It doesn’t take a bit of skill to act like a golfer. I look forward to seeing some of you at the golf course this summer.
By: Butch Bundy
I remember getting my first set of golf clubs. I didn’t ask for them and as an avid baseball player I thought it was a stupid waste of time. As most 10-12 year old kids tend to do, I rolled my eyes when my dad told me that I would one day pick the game up because I couldn’t play baseball forever. Funny how things work out isn’t it? I actually quit baseball a year or so later and took up golf. A little later it took me to college and now I teach the game for a living. All that my dad did was introduce the game to me and let me make my choice as to when I took it up. Summer is a great time to introduce the game. Kids have free time and the days are long enough so that parents can go after work to the golf course with them. Also, take advantage of the opportunity to let your junior participate in summer golf camps whether it is mine or someone else’s. I enjoy working with kids because you never know which ones will turn out to be life long golfers. The key for me is to make learning the game fun and not to muddle them down with 20 different thoughts on how to hit the ball. Showing them how to hold the club, how to address the golf ball and how to keep their feet still can be plenty in most cases. There is always time to fine tune the golf swing as the child develops.
Beyond that the only thing I am pretty intent on is teaching them how to act on the golf course. Teaching them where to stand when others are hitting, how to take care of the course and when to hit their ball is as important as making them a good player skill wise in my opinion. It doesn’t take a bit of skill to act like a golfer. I look forward to seeing some of you at the golf course this summer.
My Take on the Masters
Congratulations to Trevor Immelman first off. I am a huge fan of guys in their twenties winning major championships, especially when Tiger Woods is at least in the hunt. I think golf is to the point where it has its dominant figure, but now it needs young challengers to step up and knock him down so it doesn’t get common place to have Woods winning without a fight. This article however isn’t about who wins or loses, but more about how the powers at Augusta have seemingly changed what made this the best tournament in the world.
As a 34 year old my first real memory of the Masters is Jack Nicklaus shooting 30 on the back nine in 1986 to charge from behind to win. Next up for me is Nick Faldo shooting 65 in the final round in 1989 to come from behind and beat Scott Hoch in a playoff. After that it is Tiger Woods making history in 1997 in every way imaginable. When Mark O’Meara won in 1998, he was at even par after Friday and shot 9 under on the weekend to win. Sadly, it looks like those days are over.
I’m sure they won’t call me for my opinion, but they have taken away what made this tournament great. As a kid I was drawn to golf by watching the Masters and the drama that almost always unfolded on the weekend at Augusta. The back nine on Sunday was when the tournament really got going because anyone within five shots was still in the hunt due to the opportunity to make eagles and birdies on holes 13-17. If we fast forward from 1986 to this past Sunday and put Nicklaus on the tenth tee five shots back, could he shoot the necessary score on Sunday to win? Not on this golf course today he couldn’t. Will the average kid look back one day and say that watching these last two Masters tournaments drew them to the game? It might get a few, but the drama of Sunday at the Masters has certainly been changed for the worse in my opinion.
As a 34 year old my first real memory of the Masters is Jack Nicklaus shooting 30 on the back nine in 1986 to charge from behind to win. Next up for me is Nick Faldo shooting 65 in the final round in 1989 to come from behind and beat Scott Hoch in a playoff. After that it is Tiger Woods making history in 1997 in every way imaginable. When Mark O’Meara won in 1998, he was at even par after Friday and shot 9 under on the weekend to win. Sadly, it looks like those days are over.
I’m sure they won’t call me for my opinion, but they have taken away what made this tournament great. As a kid I was drawn to golf by watching the Masters and the drama that almost always unfolded on the weekend at Augusta. The back nine on Sunday was when the tournament really got going because anyone within five shots was still in the hunt due to the opportunity to make eagles and birdies on holes 13-17. If we fast forward from 1986 to this past Sunday and put Nicklaus on the tenth tee five shots back, could he shoot the necessary score on Sunday to win? Not on this golf course today he couldn’t. Will the average kid look back one day and say that watching these last two Masters tournaments drew them to the game? It might get a few, but the drama of Sunday at the Masters has certainly been changed for the worse in my opinion.
Learning Distance Control
By: Butch Bundy
One of the things that the better players truly excel at is hitting their approach shots the correct distance. Outside of hitting short shots around the green so consistently solid, the thing that I am amazed at by tour players is how often they hit the ball pin high.
Here are a couple of tips on how you can figure out distance control.
Nick Price once made a comment that stuck with me. He said that he didn’t care if he could occasionally hit his 7 iron 165 yards, but that he was more interested in hitting it 155 yards every time. Obviously having better swing fundamentals is the first step, but there are some pretty good players that have trouble controlling distances because they don’t practice hitting shots to yardages. I encourage the average player to start with their wedges learning to fly shots 20, 30 and 40 yards. I do this by actually walking off the yardages and dropping towels at each number. I then work on hitting shots to those different targets by adjusting the length of my swing, not by changing speeds. That is the key to hitting these short shots the proper distance while also hitting the shot consistently solid. Most average golfers try to slow down their swing instead of shortening it to hit these shots, which leads to deceleration.
Once you have gotten the hang of the wedges, move on down through the rest of the irons in the bag. Almost all driving ranges will have distances measured to the targets on the driving range. Step these off and see how far you are hitting each club. What I find the most reliable though is to actually play practice rounds and drop balls down by the different yardage markers and the sprinkler heads that are marked. This gives you a very precise idea while using you own type of golf ball. Sometimes range balls don’t give a very good idea of distance because they might be worn out or they aren’t the same type of ball that you use on the golf course. A good tip is to use one kind of golf ball consistently instead of just playing random ones. The few yards difference might not sound like a big deal, but when you are hitting to a tight pin with trouble short or long it can make a huge difference.
One of the things that the better players truly excel at is hitting their approach shots the correct distance. Outside of hitting short shots around the green so consistently solid, the thing that I am amazed at by tour players is how often they hit the ball pin high.
Here are a couple of tips on how you can figure out distance control.
Nick Price once made a comment that stuck with me. He said that he didn’t care if he could occasionally hit his 7 iron 165 yards, but that he was more interested in hitting it 155 yards every time. Obviously having better swing fundamentals is the first step, but there are some pretty good players that have trouble controlling distances because they don’t practice hitting shots to yardages. I encourage the average player to start with their wedges learning to fly shots 20, 30 and 40 yards. I do this by actually walking off the yardages and dropping towels at each number. I then work on hitting shots to those different targets by adjusting the length of my swing, not by changing speeds. That is the key to hitting these short shots the proper distance while also hitting the shot consistently solid. Most average golfers try to slow down their swing instead of shortening it to hit these shots, which leads to deceleration.
Once you have gotten the hang of the wedges, move on down through the rest of the irons in the bag. Almost all driving ranges will have distances measured to the targets on the driving range. Step these off and see how far you are hitting each club. What I find the most reliable though is to actually play practice rounds and drop balls down by the different yardage markers and the sprinkler heads that are marked. This gives you a very precise idea while using you own type of golf ball. Sometimes range balls don’t give a very good idea of distance because they might be worn out or they aren’t the same type of ball that you use on the golf course. A good tip is to use one kind of golf ball consistently instead of just playing random ones. The few yards difference might not sound like a big deal, but when you are hitting to a tight pin with trouble short or long it can make a huge difference.
Focus on Balance for a Consistent Golf Swing
February 14, 2008
By: Butch Bundy
The biggest difference between a good golfer and a novice golfer is pretty easy to see. Watch the amount of effort that each one exerts when hitting a shot. The bad golfer is seldom in balance and looks to be working much harder than the good golfer. A basic teaching tool of mine is to get a player to hold their finish. Where your balance and momentum goes after the swing will go a long way in telling you what went right or wrong in your golf swing.
A common drill that I use is to have players hit balls with their feet very close together. I am a firm believer that if a golfer can’t feel what they are doing wrong, they will never get better. This does a few things, it makes the player use the right tempo and it also encourages the right muscles to move the golf club to start the golf swing. For a player that overuses their lower body, it will quickly give them the feel of allowing their arms to get more involved. Conversely, if a player uses only their arms or torso in the golf swing it will encourage the golfer to use the proper leg action.
Start out with the ball slightly teed up with an 8 iron. Put your feet about 3 inches apart and place the ball off of your front foot. Begin by making very short swings from about waist high to waist high at about 50% of your maximum effort. As you get comfortable, add length to you swing, not speed. As you do the drill get into a habit of holding your finish. You will quickly be able to feel what parts of your swing are out of sorts.
By: Butch Bundy
The biggest difference between a good golfer and a novice golfer is pretty easy to see. Watch the amount of effort that each one exerts when hitting a shot. The bad golfer is seldom in balance and looks to be working much harder than the good golfer. A basic teaching tool of mine is to get a player to hold their finish. Where your balance and momentum goes after the swing will go a long way in telling you what went right or wrong in your golf swing.
A common drill that I use is to have players hit balls with their feet very close together. I am a firm believer that if a golfer can’t feel what they are doing wrong, they will never get better. This does a few things, it makes the player use the right tempo and it also encourages the right muscles to move the golf club to start the golf swing. For a player that overuses their lower body, it will quickly give them the feel of allowing their arms to get more involved. Conversely, if a player uses only their arms or torso in the golf swing it will encourage the golfer to use the proper leg action.
Start out with the ball slightly teed up with an 8 iron. Put your feet about 3 inches apart and place the ball off of your front foot. Begin by making very short swings from about waist high to waist high at about 50% of your maximum effort. As you get comfortable, add length to you swing, not speed. As you do the drill get into a habit of holding your finish. You will quickly be able to feel what parts of your swing are out of sorts.
Posture is the Key
January 24, 2008
By: Butch Bundy
There are a number of things that have to happen in a golf swing for a good shot to occur. Solid contact has to be made, the right amount of arm swing and body rotation has to be used and the clubface has to match the path of the golf club. Good posture in the set up is what makes all of these things happen more consistently.
After the grip, posture is the next most important aspect of the golf swing. Achieving good balance and creating the proper angles at address is the key to consistency. In my teaching, the first question that I ask a student as I watch them hit balls for the first time is "where do you feel like you bend from?" Most people bend either too much from the knees or they reach for the ball by arching their back which creates rounded shoulders or in most cases both. As a result of poor posture, players tend to get most of their weight towards their heels or their toes both of which cause swing problems. I encourage players to bend very slightly at the knees and then to tilt down to the golf ball from the hip sockets while keeping the spine as straight as possible. This helps to ensure the proper blend of arm swing and torso rotation and also gets the player balanced throughout the swing. It also helps the club to stay on the proper path and plane. Swing flaws are almost always the result of poor posture or a poor grip no matter the skill level of a player. Even tour players spend a majority of their time working on set up and balance. It is always funny to me that people who are struggling with their game only come to me when they have exhausted every swing thought or quick fix they can think of. It often comes as a surprise that it only takes a change in the set up to get back on the right track. Start here before trying to change the motion.
By: Butch Bundy
There are a number of things that have to happen in a golf swing for a good shot to occur. Solid contact has to be made, the right amount of arm swing and body rotation has to be used and the clubface has to match the path of the golf club. Good posture in the set up is what makes all of these things happen more consistently.
After the grip, posture is the next most important aspect of the golf swing. Achieving good balance and creating the proper angles at address is the key to consistency. In my teaching, the first question that I ask a student as I watch them hit balls for the first time is "where do you feel like you bend from?" Most people bend either too much from the knees or they reach for the ball by arching their back which creates rounded shoulders or in most cases both. As a result of poor posture, players tend to get most of their weight towards their heels or their toes both of which cause swing problems. I encourage players to bend very slightly at the knees and then to tilt down to the golf ball from the hip sockets while keeping the spine as straight as possible. This helps to ensure the proper blend of arm swing and torso rotation and also gets the player balanced throughout the swing. It also helps the club to stay on the proper path and plane. Swing flaws are almost always the result of poor posture or a poor grip no matter the skill level of a player. Even tour players spend a majority of their time working on set up and balance. It is always funny to me that people who are struggling with their game only come to me when they have exhausted every swing thought or quick fix they can think of. It often comes as a surprise that it only takes a change in the set up to get back on the right track. Start here before trying to change the motion.
The Golfer’s New Year’s Resolutions
January 10, 2008
By: Butch Bundy
As the New Year has rolled around once again, I decided to come up with a short list of things that all golfers need to do to make their golfing lives a little better. A lot of folks tend to put the clubs in the closet during hunting season, during the cooler months or during the busy holiday season. Some of these you have seen me address in my articles before.
The first thing is to reevaluate your equipment. This doesn’t mean to throw away your golf clubs and go buy new ones. The biggest thing is to check your grips. I always like to make sure my grips are changed at least once a year. For the golfers who play 3-4 times a week, you might even need to do it more often than that. This may seem a bit unimportant, but at the end of the day the grip is your only connection to the golf club, it needs to be tacky and not slick or worn down. I also encourage those that have never done it to go through a club fitting. Length, lie angle, driver loft and grip size are more vital than buying the latest and greatest clubs. Secondly, set aside some time each week to practice.
Even if it is only one hour per week or if it is getting to the golf course 30 minutes early to hit balls and practice putting, there will be a noticeable difference over just showing up and expecting to just be good without any effort. Dedicate at least half of your practice time to the short game. Taking a bucket of 50 balls to the driving range and hitting your driver as hard as you can isn’t practice. Taking those balls and chipping them to different holes, putting for 10 minutes and then going to the range and working your way from your short irons through to your driver is practice. Lastly, take a golf lesson. It doesn’t matter how good you think you are or how much you think you know. Watching the golf channel or reading a book doesn’t give you a specific lesson. Having someone to tell you how to practice and what you need to work on to get rid of certain problems in your game is important no matter the skill level. It would shock a lot of novice golfers that even some really good players don’t know why they hit good shots or bad shots. The more you can learn about your tendencies and how to correct them, the better and more consistent golfer you can become.
By: Butch Bundy
As the New Year has rolled around once again, I decided to come up with a short list of things that all golfers need to do to make their golfing lives a little better. A lot of folks tend to put the clubs in the closet during hunting season, during the cooler months or during the busy holiday season. Some of these you have seen me address in my articles before.
The first thing is to reevaluate your equipment. This doesn’t mean to throw away your golf clubs and go buy new ones. The biggest thing is to check your grips. I always like to make sure my grips are changed at least once a year. For the golfers who play 3-4 times a week, you might even need to do it more often than that. This may seem a bit unimportant, but at the end of the day the grip is your only connection to the golf club, it needs to be tacky and not slick or worn down. I also encourage those that have never done it to go through a club fitting. Length, lie angle, driver loft and grip size are more vital than buying the latest and greatest clubs. Secondly, set aside some time each week to practice.
Even if it is only one hour per week or if it is getting to the golf course 30 minutes early to hit balls and practice putting, there will be a noticeable difference over just showing up and expecting to just be good without any effort. Dedicate at least half of your practice time to the short game. Taking a bucket of 50 balls to the driving range and hitting your driver as hard as you can isn’t practice. Taking those balls and chipping them to different holes, putting for 10 minutes and then going to the range and working your way from your short irons through to your driver is practice. Lastly, take a golf lesson. It doesn’t matter how good you think you are or how much you think you know. Watching the golf channel or reading a book doesn’t give you a specific lesson. Having someone to tell you how to practice and what you need to work on to get rid of certain problems in your game is important no matter the skill level. It would shock a lot of novice golfers that even some really good players don’t know why they hit good shots or bad shots. The more you can learn about your tendencies and how to correct them, the better and more consistent golfer you can become.
Putting – Focus on Your Eye Position
December 13, 2007
By: Butch Bundy
The position of your eyes as it relates to the putting line is critical. There are a couple of set up issues I always check when I’m having trouble starting the ball on the right line consistently. I always like to have my eyes directly over the top of my target line. This ensures that my posture is solid and that my distance from the ball is correct. If I am going to make an error, I will want my eyes to be inside of the line or between my feet and the golf ball. In all of my years of playing competitively and teaching, I have never seen a consistently good putter who had their eyes on the outside of the target line.
Secondly, I like to have my ball position in the front half of my stance. This does two things for me. It keeps my eyes behind the ball and allows me to see the target line easier. It also gives me the assurance that I am hitting up on my putts slightly. The worst thing a player can do is to hit down on a putt. This makes the ball leave the ground more than normal and makes it almost impossible to roll the ball consistently with no sidespin. As a teacher and a club fitter, the first thing that I look at is the length of the putter. This can drastically affect a player’s ability to set up properly.
The best way to check these positions is to take your putting stance and drop a golf ball from your right eye. It should land directly behind the golf ball in your stance or hit the back of the ball.
By: Butch Bundy
The position of your eyes as it relates to the putting line is critical. There are a couple of set up issues I always check when I’m having trouble starting the ball on the right line consistently. I always like to have my eyes directly over the top of my target line. This ensures that my posture is solid and that my distance from the ball is correct. If I am going to make an error, I will want my eyes to be inside of the line or between my feet and the golf ball. In all of my years of playing competitively and teaching, I have never seen a consistently good putter who had their eyes on the outside of the target line.
Secondly, I like to have my ball position in the front half of my stance. This does two things for me. It keeps my eyes behind the ball and allows me to see the target line easier. It also gives me the assurance that I am hitting up on my putts slightly. The worst thing a player can do is to hit down on a putt. This makes the ball leave the ground more than normal and makes it almost impossible to roll the ball consistently with no sidespin. As a teacher and a club fitter, the first thing that I look at is the length of the putter. This can drastically affect a player’s ability to set up properly.
The best way to check these positions is to take your putting stance and drop a golf ball from your right eye. It should land directly behind the golf ball in your stance or hit the back of the ball.
Adjusting Your Game to the Season
November 29, 2007
By: Butch Bundy
We are pretty lucky to live in a place where we can play golf year round. With that said, we still get enough of a change in the weather that there are some things that we need to keep in mind as we play in the winter. It can range from club selection to shots around the green. The biggest thing you need to remember is when we get in to the cool days that the golf ball won’t go any where near as far as it normally does during the summer months. I won’t bore you with a lot of technical nonsense, but the golf ball just isn’t able to be compressed as well when the air is cool. This causes the golf ball to not stay in the air nearly as long as it does during the summer months. In short, you need to make yourself hit an extra club in most cases and sometimes you need to hit two extra clubs. For example I normally hit my 8-iron 150 yards. Right now I hit a 7 iron from that distance and just accept that the ball won’t fly as far as normal. It can truly mess with your golf swing and your mind set if you walk up to your ball pull out your normal club, hit the shot as well as you can only to come up short and panic that you are somehow all of the sudden losing a bunch of distance. This will cause you to try and hit it harder and harder. Before you know it, you have messed up the tempo of your golf swing and then you begin to have more non-solid contact.
Not only does the ball not fly as far, but this time of year the greens and fairways will tend to be wet due to the golf courses putting out their winter grass. Golf course superintendents have had to put a lot of water on the playing surfaces to get the grass to come in properly. Not only does the ball not fly as far, but any bounce or firmness that we depend on when selecting our clubs is gone. Keep this in mind also when hitting the short shots around the greens and play for the ball to hit a bit softer. This all sounds fairly obvious, but there are a lot of people who don’t take this into account when playing this time of year.
By: Butch Bundy
We are pretty lucky to live in a place where we can play golf year round. With that said, we still get enough of a change in the weather that there are some things that we need to keep in mind as we play in the winter. It can range from club selection to shots around the green. The biggest thing you need to remember is when we get in to the cool days that the golf ball won’t go any where near as far as it normally does during the summer months. I won’t bore you with a lot of technical nonsense, but the golf ball just isn’t able to be compressed as well when the air is cool. This causes the golf ball to not stay in the air nearly as long as it does during the summer months. In short, you need to make yourself hit an extra club in most cases and sometimes you need to hit two extra clubs. For example I normally hit my 8-iron 150 yards. Right now I hit a 7 iron from that distance and just accept that the ball won’t fly as far as normal. It can truly mess with your golf swing and your mind set if you walk up to your ball pull out your normal club, hit the shot as well as you can only to come up short and panic that you are somehow all of the sudden losing a bunch of distance. This will cause you to try and hit it harder and harder. Before you know it, you have messed up the tempo of your golf swing and then you begin to have more non-solid contact.
Not only does the ball not fly as far, but this time of year the greens and fairways will tend to be wet due to the golf courses putting out their winter grass. Golf course superintendents have had to put a lot of water on the playing surfaces to get the grass to come in properly. Not only does the ball not fly as far, but any bounce or firmness that we depend on when selecting our clubs is gone. Keep this in mind also when hitting the short shots around the greens and play for the ball to hit a bit softer. This all sounds fairly obvious, but there are a lot of people who don’t take this into account when playing this time of year.
Evaluate your Equipment this off Season
November 15, 2007
By: Butch Bundy
I can’t tell you how many lessons that I give to people who have clubs that they either can’t hit or shouldn’t be hitting. It ranges from guys that are 6’5", playing with standard length clubs or ladies playing with their husbands hand me down driver that has 9 degrees of loft and a stiff flex shaft. In fact, 90% of my students even have putters that are not the right length. In short, if you take a lesson from me we won’t change your golf swing until you have the right equipment. What I will normally do is put the student in the right set up or have them make the right swing to show them just how poorly suited their clubs are for them.
The one thing I have learned during my career in teaching lessons and fitting golf clubs is that the two are extremely intertwined. If you have golf clubs that are the wrong length, the wrong weight and flex or in a driver’s case the wrong loft, your chances of being able to repeat any sort of consistently good golf swing pretty much goes out the window. The first thing that I look at when seeing a student for the first time is what clubs they have in their bag. I won’t bore you with the details but, it would amaze you what sort of compensations you make if you have the wrong golf clubs. You spend more time trying to make your swing fit the clubs than you do making a golf swing to hit the proper shot. It doesn’t always mean that you need new golf clubs. Sometimes it can be as simple as changing shafts, changing length or even changing grips. As the holiday season rolls around and we start taking orders from our favorite golfers about what new toys they want, do them a favor and either talk to their teaching professional or get them set up for a fitting for their new clubs. Going to the store and buying them a club that isn’t right for them is like giving them a lump of coal in their stocking, as they will end up with a nice club that they can’t hit. Golf clubs are too expensive to not get the right ones.
By: Butch Bundy
I can’t tell you how many lessons that I give to people who have clubs that they either can’t hit or shouldn’t be hitting. It ranges from guys that are 6’5", playing with standard length clubs or ladies playing with their husbands hand me down driver that has 9 degrees of loft and a stiff flex shaft. In fact, 90% of my students even have putters that are not the right length. In short, if you take a lesson from me we won’t change your golf swing until you have the right equipment. What I will normally do is put the student in the right set up or have them make the right swing to show them just how poorly suited their clubs are for them.
The one thing I have learned during my career in teaching lessons and fitting golf clubs is that the two are extremely intertwined. If you have golf clubs that are the wrong length, the wrong weight and flex or in a driver’s case the wrong loft, your chances of being able to repeat any sort of consistently good golf swing pretty much goes out the window. The first thing that I look at when seeing a student for the first time is what clubs they have in their bag. I won’t bore you with the details but, it would amaze you what sort of compensations you make if you have the wrong golf clubs. You spend more time trying to make your swing fit the clubs than you do making a golf swing to hit the proper shot. It doesn’t always mean that you need new golf clubs. Sometimes it can be as simple as changing shafts, changing length or even changing grips. As the holiday season rolls around and we start taking orders from our favorite golfers about what new toys they want, do them a favor and either talk to their teaching professional or get them set up for a fitting for their new clubs. Going to the store and buying them a club that isn’t right for them is like giving them a lump of coal in their stocking, as they will end up with a nice club that they can’t hit. Golf clubs are too expensive to not get the right ones.
Proper Attire Needs to be Addressed
November 1, 2007
By: Butch Bundy
As a Golf Professional for the past 12 years, I have been responsible for everything from giving golf lessons to inventory control of golf shop merchandise. Unfortunately, I have also been responsible for having to tell an adult that they are not properly dressed for the golf course. Most golf courses will have a posted dress code that prohibits jeans and shirts without collars. Some of the private clubs I have worked at even had a code on the length that shorts could be and one of them didn’t even allow the short sleeved mock turtle necks that have become popular as of late. Most of the local courses we play don’t have a posted dress code because they don’t want to come across as being too rigid in their rules and want to encourage a laid back and casual atmosphere. While all of that is fine and understandable, coming to play golf in blue jeans with an un-tucked tee shirt isn’t quite what they are encouraging either. Even worse than that is wearing to the golf course what you would wear to the gym to work out in. Even if the management at your club doesn’t have rules in place to prohibit some types of clothing, they are probably hoping that you will take it upon yourself to look like a golfer.
Let’s be honest, we all have collared polo shirts and either a pair of slacks or polo shorts in our closet. Every golf course that you go to has collared shirts for sale and most will even have shorts or pants too. What you won’t find is tank tops, blue jeans and gym clothes on the shelf. Golf is and has always been a gentleman’s and a ladies’ sport. That goes from players enforcing their own rules, taking care of the golf course and wearing the proper attire on the golf course.
By: Butch Bundy
As a Golf Professional for the past 12 years, I have been responsible for everything from giving golf lessons to inventory control of golf shop merchandise. Unfortunately, I have also been responsible for having to tell an adult that they are not properly dressed for the golf course. Most golf courses will have a posted dress code that prohibits jeans and shirts without collars. Some of the private clubs I have worked at even had a code on the length that shorts could be and one of them didn’t even allow the short sleeved mock turtle necks that have become popular as of late. Most of the local courses we play don’t have a posted dress code because they don’t want to come across as being too rigid in their rules and want to encourage a laid back and casual atmosphere. While all of that is fine and understandable, coming to play golf in blue jeans with an un-tucked tee shirt isn’t quite what they are encouraging either. Even worse than that is wearing to the golf course what you would wear to the gym to work out in. Even if the management at your club doesn’t have rules in place to prohibit some types of clothing, they are probably hoping that you will take it upon yourself to look like a golfer.
Let’s be honest, we all have collared polo shirts and either a pair of slacks or polo shorts in our closet. Every golf course that you go to has collared shirts for sale and most will even have shorts or pants too. What you won’t find is tank tops, blue jeans and gym clothes on the shelf. Golf is and has always been a gentleman’s and a ladies’ sport. That goes from players enforcing their own rules, taking care of the golf course and wearing the proper attire on the golf course.
Learn Different Shots around the Green to Save Strokes
October 18, 2007
By: Butch Bundy
Most of us love to watch the tour players take big swings with their sand wedge and loft the ball way up in to the air stopping it right next to the hole. While it is certainly a cool shot to hit, the odds of it coming off properly even half of the time are pretty small. The big difference between you and me and those players is that they hit that shot hundreds of times a week in practice and we try it on the weekend or whenever we get a chance to play. There is an old saying that I tell students during a short game lesson; Putt whenever you can, chip when you can’t putt and pitch when you have to.
I am and have always been a big fan of getting the ball on the ground and rolling as soon as possible when hitting shots around the green. It is much easier to figure out how far a ball will roll than it is to try to fly a ball the right distance and then gauge how much or how little a ball will spin when it does hit the ground. Even if you miss a green and have short sided yourself, the correct shot doesn’t always have to be to pull out your sand wedge and try to put the ball in the air. Some times taking an 8 or 9 iron out and bumping the ball in to the bank in front of you is the safer and better play. It is also much easier to hit this hot solid since the swing is not as long. The most important thing to take into account to ensure solid contact is to make sure that your ball position is off of your back foot and that your feet are only a few inches apart. Choking down on the golf club an inch or two also helps. It is essential that any chip or bump and run be hit down and through in order for the ball to react the same way and to release quickly. You never want to hit up on this shot and if the ball is not back in the stance it will tend to make you hit up on the ball which will result in either hitting behind the ball or hitting it thin.
As the saying implies, if the grass between you and the green is not too high or wet I always encourage a putter. I thought this might help some of you especially as we go into a time of year when the Bermuda grass goes dormant and the areas that are not over seeded with a winter grass become firm. Bumping the ball or putting from off of the green becomes the better play when the lies around the green get firmer in the fall and winter months.
By: Butch Bundy
Most of us love to watch the tour players take big swings with their sand wedge and loft the ball way up in to the air stopping it right next to the hole. While it is certainly a cool shot to hit, the odds of it coming off properly even half of the time are pretty small. The big difference between you and me and those players is that they hit that shot hundreds of times a week in practice and we try it on the weekend or whenever we get a chance to play. There is an old saying that I tell students during a short game lesson; Putt whenever you can, chip when you can’t putt and pitch when you have to.
I am and have always been a big fan of getting the ball on the ground and rolling as soon as possible when hitting shots around the green. It is much easier to figure out how far a ball will roll than it is to try to fly a ball the right distance and then gauge how much or how little a ball will spin when it does hit the ground. Even if you miss a green and have short sided yourself, the correct shot doesn’t always have to be to pull out your sand wedge and try to put the ball in the air. Some times taking an 8 or 9 iron out and bumping the ball in to the bank in front of you is the safer and better play. It is also much easier to hit this hot solid since the swing is not as long. The most important thing to take into account to ensure solid contact is to make sure that your ball position is off of your back foot and that your feet are only a few inches apart. Choking down on the golf club an inch or two also helps. It is essential that any chip or bump and run be hit down and through in order for the ball to react the same way and to release quickly. You never want to hit up on this shot and if the ball is not back in the stance it will tend to make you hit up on the ball which will result in either hitting behind the ball or hitting it thin.
As the saying implies, if the grass between you and the green is not too high or wet I always encourage a putter. I thought this might help some of you especially as we go into a time of year when the Bermuda grass goes dormant and the areas that are not over seeded with a winter grass become firm. Bumping the ball or putting from off of the green becomes the better play when the lies around the green get firmer in the fall and winter months.
It All Starts with the Grip
September 13, 2007
By:Butch Bundy
As golfers we all have a long checklist of things that we try to do in order to make that little ball go in the right direction. Your golfing buddies (or spouses, which aren’t always good golf buddies) tell you to keep your head down, to keep your left arm straight, to shift your weight or even to cock your wrists. While on some level all of these things need to happen, none of them are things that should be forced to happen. They are mainly results of a proper grip.
Not enough attention is placed on gripping the golf club properly. A poor grip can cause a large number of swing flaws. It can cause a poor weight shift, bad body alignment and more importantly it controls the clubface throughout the golf swing. The biggest fault I see is that players tend to grip the club too much in the palms of their hands. If you can’t make it to a teaching professional for a lesson, the best advice I can offer in writing is to keep the club more in the fingers, especially with the top hand or left hand for right handed players.
This ensures that the club will be in the proper position in the hand and it will also help keep your grip pressure a bit lighter which is another big problem for most players. Secondly, I have a saying that there are no gaps in a good grip. This mostly applies to those old baseball players that tend to have their hands split a bit as they hold the club. If you are a new golfer and just picking up the sport make sure that your hands are touching and that both thumbs are on top of the club as you look down at your grip. This will also help to keep the hands from fighting each other during the swing.
By:Butch Bundy
As golfers we all have a long checklist of things that we try to do in order to make that little ball go in the right direction. Your golfing buddies (or spouses, which aren’t always good golf buddies) tell you to keep your head down, to keep your left arm straight, to shift your weight or even to cock your wrists. While on some level all of these things need to happen, none of them are things that should be forced to happen. They are mainly results of a proper grip.
Not enough attention is placed on gripping the golf club properly. A poor grip can cause a large number of swing flaws. It can cause a poor weight shift, bad body alignment and more importantly it controls the clubface throughout the golf swing. The biggest fault I see is that players tend to grip the club too much in the palms of their hands. If you can’t make it to a teaching professional for a lesson, the best advice I can offer in writing is to keep the club more in the fingers, especially with the top hand or left hand for right handed players.
This ensures that the club will be in the proper position in the hand and it will also help keep your grip pressure a bit lighter which is another big problem for most players. Secondly, I have a saying that there are no gaps in a good grip. This mostly applies to those old baseball players that tend to have their hands split a bit as they hold the club. If you are a new golfer and just picking up the sport make sure that your hands are touching and that both thumbs are on top of the club as you look down at your grip. This will also help to keep the hands from fighting each other during the swing.
Shorten your Backswing to Achieve Distance and Consistency
August 30, 2007
By: Butch Bundy
The most common question in golf is "How do I gain distance?" People go from trying to buy the newest big headed driver to essentially falling down when they swing due to trying to hit the ball as hard as they can. It usually comes as a pretty big surprise when I tell players to shorten their swing to achieve not only straighter shots, but more distance.
When I hear a student ask why they don’t hit it further, I always ask if they feel like they hit the ball solid consistently. The answer is usually no. There is absolutely no substitute for solid contact when trying to achieve distance and accuracy. Shots that are not hit in the center of the clubface will always have more sidespin, which robs any shot of achieving its proper distance or direction. The biggest misconception is that distance comes from either swinging harder or by taking the club as far back as possible. In fact, the opposite is true. Most decided that John Daly’s golf swing was the best for hitting it the longest, but when you look at the longest players on tour they don’t even reach parallel on their backswing. Whether it is Tiger Woods or Ernie Els, it looks as though they are making not only a very smooth swing, but a shortened backswing also. I always point people to look at J.B. Holmes. He is third on tour in driving distance and his backswing rarely gets to the height of his shoulder going back.
Next time you are on the driving range try to make a bigger shoulder turn and a shorter arm swing going back. Try to turn your shoulder under your chin and stop your arm swing when your left arm (for right handed players) is parallel to the ground. The key to length and consistency is to time the arm swing and the body rotation. You will be surprised at how this helps you to hit the ball more solidly.
By: Butch Bundy
The most common question in golf is "How do I gain distance?" People go from trying to buy the newest big headed driver to essentially falling down when they swing due to trying to hit the ball as hard as they can. It usually comes as a pretty big surprise when I tell players to shorten their swing to achieve not only straighter shots, but more distance.
When I hear a student ask why they don’t hit it further, I always ask if they feel like they hit the ball solid consistently. The answer is usually no. There is absolutely no substitute for solid contact when trying to achieve distance and accuracy. Shots that are not hit in the center of the clubface will always have more sidespin, which robs any shot of achieving its proper distance or direction. The biggest misconception is that distance comes from either swinging harder or by taking the club as far back as possible. In fact, the opposite is true. Most decided that John Daly’s golf swing was the best for hitting it the longest, but when you look at the longest players on tour they don’t even reach parallel on their backswing. Whether it is Tiger Woods or Ernie Els, it looks as though they are making not only a very smooth swing, but a shortened backswing also. I always point people to look at J.B. Holmes. He is third on tour in driving distance and his backswing rarely gets to the height of his shoulder going back.
Next time you are on the driving range try to make a bigger shoulder turn and a shorter arm swing going back. Try to turn your shoulder under your chin and stop your arm swing when your left arm (for right handed players) is parallel to the ground. The key to length and consistency is to time the arm swing and the body rotation. You will be surprised at how this helps you to hit the ball more solidly.
Maintain Spine Angle for a Better Golf Swing
August 16, 2007
By: Butch Bundy
There are a lot of important keys to having a consistent and repeating golf swing. Balance has to be good, the right grip must be taken and the arms and the body must work together. The better players all achieve these goals, but sometimes it looks like they all do it very differently. In fact almost all players have different postures, different swing speeds and different grips. So a good question is what can you learn from watching good players swing a golf club that can help your game? Watch how they maintain their spine angle from the start of their golf swing into their finish.
In my opinion this is the main key that we all need to work on in our golf swing. One thing I have learned in both teaching and playing the game is that the torso can’t go up and down and rotate at the same time. If the body lifts the rotation in the golf swing is over and the arms will take over and lift the golf club into poor positions. I have a practice drill that I use in almost every lesson that gets golfers to stay still without making them think too much.
When you take your set up position with a 7 or an 8 iron, lay a golf club on the ground a few inches from your toes and right underneath your hands. You then want to make what I call a 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock motion. In other words the back swing and the follow through never go past waste high. The goal is not to hit this shot very far at all, but more to keep your hands traveling on top of the club on the ground and to keep your arms in front of your body. If the hands stay on top of the club and the body turns, this makes it almost impossible to move or lift your body. This also tends to help balance and gets the body and the arms working together during the golf swing.
By: Butch Bundy
There are a lot of important keys to having a consistent and repeating golf swing. Balance has to be good, the right grip must be taken and the arms and the body must work together. The better players all achieve these goals, but sometimes it looks like they all do it very differently. In fact almost all players have different postures, different swing speeds and different grips. So a good question is what can you learn from watching good players swing a golf club that can help your game? Watch how they maintain their spine angle from the start of their golf swing into their finish.
In my opinion this is the main key that we all need to work on in our golf swing. One thing I have learned in both teaching and playing the game is that the torso can’t go up and down and rotate at the same time. If the body lifts the rotation in the golf swing is over and the arms will take over and lift the golf club into poor positions. I have a practice drill that I use in almost every lesson that gets golfers to stay still without making them think too much.
When you take your set up position with a 7 or an 8 iron, lay a golf club on the ground a few inches from your toes and right underneath your hands. You then want to make what I call a 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock motion. In other words the back swing and the follow through never go past waste high. The goal is not to hit this shot very far at all, but more to keep your hands traveling on top of the club on the ground and to keep your arms in front of your body. If the hands stay on top of the club and the body turns, this makes it almost impossible to move or lift your body. This also tends to help balance and gets the body and the arms working together during the golf swing.
How Young is too Young?
August 2, 2007
By:Butch Bundy
A question often asked to me by parents is when to start having their children take lessons. The answer is that there is no magic age. I’ll offer a couple of ways to introduce the game to see if your child is interested.
If one or both of the parents are golfers, taking them on the course for a few holes to watch you play is a great way to gauge their interest. If they ask questions or want to try and hit a shot then you can go from there. Most kids, especially if they are very young (5-6 years old) will do better if introduced to the game by a parent or a relative that they know and trust. This is especially true if they have never seen the game or if they tend to be shy around strangers. If the parents aren’t golfers, something as simple as going to the driving range or to the practice putting green is a good start. Even playing putt-putt can sometimes be a good start if the parents are not golfers. In short, anyway that they can watch you or others hit balls is a good way to show them the game.
If you want to introduce a young child to the game through instruction, I will usually recommend a private lesson over a junior clinic. That way you are ensuring that they are getting one on one instruction without having a lot of kids around to take their attention away from the teacher. Junior clinics are great and a lot of fun, but if the child is too young or a bit shy they might not be as attentive which might turn them off to the game.
If they are interested, finding a set of clubs for them is a lot easier now that companies like US Kids are specializing in building clubs for juniors. Cutting down one of your clubs is not the answer due to the club being too heavy and the shaft being too stiff. This can build swing faults right from the start. I’m always happy to answer questions when people are looking to introduce the game because when it is done the right way, it is a game that they can always play. See you at the course.
By:Butch Bundy
A question often asked to me by parents is when to start having their children take lessons. The answer is that there is no magic age. I’ll offer a couple of ways to introduce the game to see if your child is interested.
If one or both of the parents are golfers, taking them on the course for a few holes to watch you play is a great way to gauge their interest. If they ask questions or want to try and hit a shot then you can go from there. Most kids, especially if they are very young (5-6 years old) will do better if introduced to the game by a parent or a relative that they know and trust. This is especially true if they have never seen the game or if they tend to be shy around strangers. If the parents aren’t golfers, something as simple as going to the driving range or to the practice putting green is a good start. Even playing putt-putt can sometimes be a good start if the parents are not golfers. In short, anyway that they can watch you or others hit balls is a good way to show them the game.
If you want to introduce a young child to the game through instruction, I will usually recommend a private lesson over a junior clinic. That way you are ensuring that they are getting one on one instruction without having a lot of kids around to take their attention away from the teacher. Junior clinics are great and a lot of fun, but if the child is too young or a bit shy they might not be as attentive which might turn them off to the game.
If they are interested, finding a set of clubs for them is a lot easier now that companies like US Kids are specializing in building clubs for juniors. Cutting down one of your clubs is not the answer due to the club being too heavy and the shaft being too stiff. This can build swing faults right from the start. I’m always happy to answer questions when people are looking to introduce the game because when it is done the right way, it is a game that they can always play. See you at the course.
Learn Golf Etiquette before Going to the Course
July 19, 2007
By: Butch Bundy
The one topic always covered in my junior’s or beginner’s clinics is how to actually play golf. Oddly enough it doesn’t have a thing to do with what score they shoot or how good they can hit their shots. Bad golfers are generally pretty nervous about playing with people that are better than them, but truth be known a golfer’s skill is not what maddens regular golfers. It is people that don’t know the etiquette of the game. Let’s go over a couple of things to help you and the other people on the golf course have a better day.
First, allow faster groups to play through or on a very busy day keep up with the group in front of you. Nothing is more maddening than to sit behind a slow group and they never acknowledge that a group is sitting behind impatiently waiting on them. Instead of rushing, simply let the group behind play through. That way groups can play at their preferred pace.
Secondly, take care of the golf course. If you are a smoker, don’t throw your cigarette butts on the ground. If you hit your ball in a sand bunker rake it smooth after hitting out of it. If you take a divot in the fairway, use the sand on your cart to fill it. When you hit your ball on the green, fix your ball mark and a couple of others. When there are cart paths available use them and don’t drive your cart too close to the green.
Finally, here are a couple of unwritten rules. Always be ready to play when it is your turn. When other players in your group are hitting, try to stand so that you are out of their line of sight and don’t talk or move when they are hitting their shot. When on the putting green, always mark your ball with a coin or a ball marker and don’t step between another player’s ball and the hole. At the end of the day the people that don’t do these things are the ones who stick out, not the ones who shoot the worst score.
By: Butch Bundy
The one topic always covered in my junior’s or beginner’s clinics is how to actually play golf. Oddly enough it doesn’t have a thing to do with what score they shoot or how good they can hit their shots. Bad golfers are generally pretty nervous about playing with people that are better than them, but truth be known a golfer’s skill is not what maddens regular golfers. It is people that don’t know the etiquette of the game. Let’s go over a couple of things to help you and the other people on the golf course have a better day.
First, allow faster groups to play through or on a very busy day keep up with the group in front of you. Nothing is more maddening than to sit behind a slow group and they never acknowledge that a group is sitting behind impatiently waiting on them. Instead of rushing, simply let the group behind play through. That way groups can play at their preferred pace.
Secondly, take care of the golf course. If you are a smoker, don’t throw your cigarette butts on the ground. If you hit your ball in a sand bunker rake it smooth after hitting out of it. If you take a divot in the fairway, use the sand on your cart to fill it. When you hit your ball on the green, fix your ball mark and a couple of others. When there are cart paths available use them and don’t drive your cart too close to the green.
Finally, here are a couple of unwritten rules. Always be ready to play when it is your turn. When other players in your group are hitting, try to stand so that you are out of their line of sight and don’t talk or move when they are hitting their shot. When on the putting green, always mark your ball with a coin or a ball marker and don’t step between another player’s ball and the hole. At the end of the day the people that don’t do these things are the ones who stick out, not the ones who shoot the worst score.
Change Your Practice Habits to Improve Your Golf Game
July 5, 2007
By Butch Bundy
One of the biggest things that I notice about most golfers is that they don’t know how to practice. They go to the putting green, drop 3 or 4 balls and just putt to random holes. They go to the driving range and beat golf balls, usually only with a driver and an occasional iron aimed towards nothing but a big open field. If you are warming up that is fine, but don’t confuse practice with getting loose. If you don’t know where you are aimed and how far you are hitting the ball, then you cannot practice and expect to get consistently good results.
The one thing that I have learned through playing competitive golf and by watching tour players hit balls at an event is that they always know where they are aimed, they always know the distance to their intended target and they know what club or motion will hit the ball that distance. The next time you go out to practice lay a club down on the ground to ensure that you are aligned properly for your full shots and try to have some idea of how far you can consistently hit each club. I encourage you to do the same on the putting green. I always use a carpenter’s chalk line both in my teaching and in my own practice sessions. I find a straight, 6 foot putt and hit putts on top of this line to rehearse a perfectly aimed putter and a perfect path. It becomes much easier when you go the course to aim if you have practiced it.
When you are watching a tour event on television next time, note how deliberate the players are in aligning themselves to hit a shot or a putt and how much effort they put into controlling their distances. If the best players are putting that type of emphasis on something as simple as alignment, it can only benefit those of us that play for fun.
By Butch Bundy
One of the biggest things that I notice about most golfers is that they don’t know how to practice. They go to the putting green, drop 3 or 4 balls and just putt to random holes. They go to the driving range and beat golf balls, usually only with a driver and an occasional iron aimed towards nothing but a big open field. If you are warming up that is fine, but don’t confuse practice with getting loose. If you don’t know where you are aimed and how far you are hitting the ball, then you cannot practice and expect to get consistently good results.
The one thing that I have learned through playing competitive golf and by watching tour players hit balls at an event is that they always know where they are aimed, they always know the distance to their intended target and they know what club or motion will hit the ball that distance. The next time you go out to practice lay a club down on the ground to ensure that you are aligned properly for your full shots and try to have some idea of how far you can consistently hit each club. I encourage you to do the same on the putting green. I always use a carpenter’s chalk line both in my teaching and in my own practice sessions. I find a straight, 6 foot putt and hit putts on top of this line to rehearse a perfectly aimed putter and a perfect path. It becomes much easier when you go the course to aim if you have practiced it.
When you are watching a tour event on television next time, note how deliberate the players are in aligning themselves to hit a shot or a putt and how much effort they put into controlling their distances. If the best players are putting that type of emphasis on something as simple as alignment, it can only benefit those of us that play for fun.
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