Golf Performance Academy-Hilton Head

How to Practice/Prepare for Tournaments

2012-02-01T08:40:00.003-05:00

With a tournament on the horizon, most golfers go about their preparation incorrectly. In the months prior to the event they continue to play their weekly rounds with friends, and the week or two prior to the event they spend all the time they can on the practice range working on mechanics. This is the worst way to get ready for a tournament. Why? Because it prepares your mind for mechanical thinking and not for scoring and playing your best.

Most golfers follow the preparation mentioned above which is completely backwards. Let's say you have 6 weeks until your next event. The first two weeks, we will call this Phase I, should be spent working strictly on swing mechanics; full swing, pitches, chips and putts. In this phase the mind works very analytically and playing should be reduced to a minimum. Phase II, or the second two weeks, should be dedicated to implementing the changes/adjustments you made to your strokes. Range time should be reduced to half of your practice time with the other half on the golf course. Phase III, the two weeks leading up to the event, is spent almost entirely on the course so your mind is focusing on scoring. Range time, and mechanical thoughts, are reduced to a minimum.

By preparing yourself in this fashion, not only are you working on your physical game but you are also training your mind to play golf, not play swing. This is done by getting all the mechanical thinking done early in the preparation while working towards playing and scoring just before the event. By doing so you are peaking at the right time, physically and mentally. Too many golfers work on mechanics just prior to the event then try to switch gears at the drop of a hat. The mind is overloaded because of this rapid change and often gets confused, mechanics or score? Before you know it you are on the sports psychologists couch wondering why your brain goes haywire when you play tournaments.

Try implementing this periodization into your preparation for your next event/tournament. You will see that the proper preparation will not only make your game better but you will have more fun in the process.

How To Choose a Golf Instructor

2011-12-14T16:48:00.001-05:00

More has been written about how to swing a golf club than has been written about how to bake an apple pie. All sorts of Pros, ex-pros, great champions and even opinionated amateurs with a link to a publisher, have advised the golfing world on how to swing a golf club, play the ‘mental game,’ chip, putt and do everything else one can imagine doing to become a better golfer.

The newsstands are full of golf magazines with “Tips of the Month’ on how to play from sand, rough, fairways and even ‘make more putts.’

Strangely, most serious golfers discover in a very short time that these “Cure-all” promotions are geared toward selling magazines (i.e. advertising space) more than they are geared to helping the individual golfer play to his or her potential. In fact, many if not most ‘professional’ instructors simply adopt the methods of ‘standardized’ teaching manuals written by individual- or committee-opinion.

In light of the above, how does a golfer separate the ‘average’ teacher from one who has studied for years on his own, tested his knowledge, then learned to apply that knowledge in a serious manner that never failed to improve the games of those who came to him for help?

A great way for a golfer looking to separate the average from the above-average teacher is to ask a few simple but meaningful questions, either of him or herself or of their current ‘teacher’ or ‘pro’ :
　
1. Is your teacher able to watch you swing and see, somewhere in that constant motion, the individual parts of your NATURAL swing?
2. Is your teacher able to recognize how (or IF) your shafts fit your natural swing?
3. Does it take more than a single visit to your teacher before he can identify and correct your swing problem? (Repeated trips should be minimal if necessary at all.)
4. Is your teacher able to explain the “WHY?” of your swing problem,
5. Is your teacher able to explain "HOW" he corrects the problem?
6. Is your teacher able to explain the above two items in whatever detail you need to PERSONALLY UNDERSTAND them?
7. Is your teacher able to not only tell you, but SHOW you how to get your natural swing back on track?
8. Is your teacher able to cure the root cause of your swing problem rather than simply work on the symptoms?
9. If your shafts do not fit your swing (which is extremely common) can your teacher fit you to the RIGHT shaft for your swing?
10. Why is the ‘lie board’ NOT the best way to determine the proper lie for your irons?
11. How can having your clubs fit by a “launch monitor” actually hurt your golf swing?
12. Is your teacher able to fit you through your bag - from driver to putter and from setup to ball position with each club - so you experience immediate improvement?

Go wherever you care to go and ask whomever you care to ask the above questions. Then bring the same questions (and answers if you choose) to us @ the Golf Performance Academy-Hilton Head. We are the most thorough and detailed teaching facility in the area. And the only one to GUARANTEE YOUR IMPROVEMENT

Does Technology Always Help Your Game?

2011-11-29T10:51:00.002-05:00

There is no doubt advances in technology have helped golfers of all skill levels improve and enjoy the game to a greater degree. Improved technology comes in a variety of ways such as equipment, better technique, sport specific workouts, etc. However, advances in technology do not always aid the golfer in their quest for lower scores. In fact, it can hinder it.

One example of this is the launch monitor. This device gives you feedback on club head speed, ball speed, launch angle, ball spin rate and ball flight. All of these things are valuable in determining if the golf club(s) were built correctly. They do next to nothing to tell you how your club(s) should be built. It does not take into account the golfers swing characteristics; load value, wrist lag, or tempo. Because of this the club fitter could easily recommend a shaft or club head that is not compatible with your swing but allows the numbers on the launch monitor to fit into the recommended range. This might work for numbers on a machine but it could well be a hindrance to your improvement and lead to higher scores.

A second example would be the electronic putting stroke measuring devices. These devices measure your stroke pattern, face angle during the stroke, putter path at impact (descending or ascending), time of stroke, etc. Just as with the launch monitor these are all important parts of the stroke but knowing if you are coming into the ball too steep or cutting across the ball slightly does not tell you how to fix the problem. It only tells you what is wrong and often times the diagnosis is of a symptom and not the problem. If you do not know the cause of the problem how can you fix it?

Having access to technology is important and can do great things for your golf game. However, utilizing the proper technology for what is needed for your game and finding a competent person that knows how to interpret this information and utilize it in the correct way to your particular swing is very important. Running out to see the newest technological toy at your local club might be fun and exciting but it might just be the worst thing you could do for your game, especially if you do not have the right person helping you.

Practicing vs. Playing? Which one is right for you?

2011-11-03T14:25:00.004-04:00

Too often the advice given to golfers is incorrect and lacks any significant justification. Advice is often given as a result of reading a national golf publication, what someone watched on the Golf Channel the night prior or what theory a teaching professional adheres to. A perfect example of this is whether a student/golfer should spend more time on the range; hitting balls while doing drills, or more time on the course playing shots. The answer is not a straight forward one in that two questions must be answered first; 1) What type of learner is the student? 2) What is the cause of the problem the student is working to correct?

In order to best help a golfer, the way their brain processes information must be determined. Are they Linguistic, Logical, Spatial, Musical, Bodily, Interpersonal, or Intrapersonal? Once this is determined the course of action, as well as the type of language used can be determined.

For example, if a student is more mathematically inclined they will do well with drills as well as shafts on the ground showing lines and angles. However, a golfer that is a Spatial learner would learn best by hitting shots to the fairways and/or greens on the course. One processes information one way and one processes it the other. Making sure they are put in a situation that works well with their way or learning and understanding is just as important as what they are working on.

The cause of the problem is the second part of the solution and this should be diagnosed by the instructor and relayed to the golfer in a way their brain can process it, as stated above.

In answer to the title of this blog, Practicing or Playing? You must first find out how you learn the most efficient and once that is determined finding the answer to the question of Play vs. Practice becomes evident.

Are you swinging too fast?

2011-10-22T09:16:00.002-04:00

Many times our playing companions tell us our tempo is much too fast and we need to slow our swings down. However, if you do not know what is causing you to swing too fast you might not know how to slow down your swing. Identifying the reason why your swing has gotten to fast is the first step; i.e. identifying the problem and not the symptom. Addressing the problem and knowing how to fix it is the second step.

Golfers typically get quick in their tempo for a couple of reasons. These reasons, and how to correct them are as follows:

Tension in the body- Most often if there is tension in the body at set-up, or while addressing the golf ball, the swing will start off much to quick as the body look to relieve the tension. This is usually the result of the right side (for right handed golfers) riding to high to the lead arm and/or shoulder. The secondary tilt of the spine is limited, meaning the spine angle is too vertical causing the plane of the arms to be left of the body's plane. Since the body is not in equilibrium; the right forearm, shoulder and trapezius will have built up tension, the body will look to relieve this tension as soon as the swing starts. The body seeking to relieve this tension and the start of the swing both contribute to the start of the swing happening to quickly. As a result your swing starts to quickly and because objects in motion tend to stay in motion the result is a swing that is too fast.

Nerves- Getting nervous is a part of the game that brings excitement, fear and other emotions out in all golfers that keeps everyone coming back again and again. When the nervous system is excited your internal mechanism is running at a much faster speed than normal. If your nervous system is running at a higher speed than normal; and we know the nervous system control our motor movements, your swing will tend to move at a much fast pace than normal. Why do you think when a golfer gets under pressure the first thing they are told is to take a deep breathe and relax? They are trying to calm down their nervous system so they can swing at the speed that will give them the precision they are looking for.

Tempo- Some people by their nature have faster tempo's than others. Nick Price and Lanny Wadkins have a much faster tempo than Ernie Els or Fred Couples. Their tempos also fit the golfers personality. If you have ever seen Nick Price interact around the golf course you will notice he moves at a quicker pace than Ernie Els who is much more mellow and laid back. If you are a high energy person chances are your swing will be quicker than most and vice versa if you are a laid back person. The key is to swing the way you are.

Keep some of these things in mind the next time someone tells you your swing is too fast. First understand if your natural tempo is quick. Then ask yourself if you were overly nervous. If those two check out take a look at your set-up, it must might be causing your problem.

Belly and Broomstick Putters: Why they're better for your game, or are they?

2011-08-21T15:20:00.002-04:00

The latest craze on the PGA Tour is longer putters; Belly Putters and extra long putters (broomsticks). There has also been a lot of talk about younger players using Belly Putters and Long Putters. But what is it that allows someone to become a better putter, almost overnight, by using one of these longer putters?

Contrary to the popular opinion of most so called putting guru's, the biggest reason Belly Putters and Long Putters allow you to make more putts is it gets the eye plane and the head plane together and on the same plane. Typically with conventional length putters the head is set on one plane that is too far beyond the ball. With the head plane beyond the ball the eyes are forced to look down the face, instead of straight out of the head, and puts the eyes in a different plane. This might not seem like much to the average Joe but consider when the golfer turns their head to look at the hole they see multiple lines; one from the head plane and one from the eye plane. The confusion comes in which line of sight do you follow? This leads to confusion in the brain, albeit small, because your eyes are sending multiple messages to your brain and your brain doesn't know which one to follow.

What the Belly Putter and Long Putter do is set the head in such a position as the golfer is almost forced to look straight down at the ball with their head position. Their head is put into a position that is virtually parallel to the ground. This allows the eyes to look straight out of the head putting the eye and head plane in one. Now when the golfer rotates their head to look at the hole they see one path for the ball to follow.

Before you go out and spend the money on a new Belly Putter or Long Putter have someone check your eye and head position. The plane of both, should be the same. If they are not, it doesn't matter what type of putter you use, the result will be the same...missed putts.

British Open Struggles

2011-07-15T15:51:00.003-04:00

Why is it that some prominent players struggle at the British Open, despite their stellar play on the PGA Tour, year after year? As you watch the British Open telecast you constantly hear this question over and over. Especially when talking about Phil Mickelson and to an extent Steve Stricker. A number of theories have been presented with some of these theories listed below.

High Ball Hitters- This could be the worst theory of the bunch. Jack Nicklaus hit the ball as high as anybody and won the British Open three times ('68, '70 & '78). Tiger Woods is a high ball hitter and also won the British Open ('00, '05, '06). Needless to say this theory holds no water.

Creative/Feel Players- Another theory that is completely without any validation. Ever heard of Seve Ballesteros? Seve was the winner of the British Open multiple times ('79, '84, & '88) yet his creative/feel never got in his way. Being over creative? Is there such a thing. If anything being creative at an event that requires you to have more variety in your repertoire than most events is a good thing.

No, the real reason players such as a Mickelson or a Stricker have trouble playing in the British Open is their shafts, particularly their iron shafts. The iron shafts used by these players are not conducive to controlling the ball in the wind largely in part because of the shafts design. They are very firm from the butt end to 3/4 of the way down the shaft, or 1/4 of the way up from the tip making the last quarter of the shaft; i,e the tip, very soft. This very soft tip allows the players to get the ball up in the air easily but makes it difficult to control the spin. Anyone that has played in the wind knows that the key to good shots is being able to control the spin of the ball. Going to a firmer shaft of the same make, a route Mickelson has attempted, firms up the tip of the shaft but it also firms up the upper portion of the shaft. In order to compensate for what is now too stiff a shaft, adjustments to the swing must be made to compensate for the extra stiffness. Don't believe me? Then ask yourself what happens when a shaft is too stiff? The ball is hit to the opposite side the player is standing on; i.e. right handers hit it high right and left handers hit it high left. And where does Mickelson miss most of his shots, especially under pressure?

This shaft might work well here in the states where weather conditions are mostly benign and hitting a high ball is rewarded. However, it is our opinion that if these players would change to a shaft that allows them to hit it high as well as control their spin, all while staying within the correct flex, they would see an improvement in their scores, especially at the British Open.

What type of practice benefits you the most?

2011-05-25T13:48:00.005-04:00

If an elite player could double their accuracy, in any part of the game they desired, what part would benefit them the most; putting, chipping, irons, fairway woods, or drives?

Surprisingly to most, the answer is iron play. The improvement comes out to almost 5.5 strokes per round. Most people think that doubling the accuracy of the putting stroke will yield the best results. However, doubling the accuracy of putting will only yield a 4.2 stroke per round improvement. Improving wedge distance (i.e. short iron play) would only yield a 1.7 strokes per round improvement.

Before you go to your nearest edition of a Pelz book remind yourself that we are not saying doubling the accuracy of your shots/strokes is equally easy to achieve. However, please note that iron shots are not effected by irregularities in the green surface as much as putts are. A solidly struck full iron will end up closer to the hole, almost every time, than a poorly struck one. But, a perfectly struck, and aimed putt, does not always end up nearer the hole (due to irregularities on the greens surface) and finish up no better than a poorly struck putt.

How does this help the average golfer?
This information can be useful for the average golfer in that the time allowed for practice is often limited. If there is a small portion of the day allotted for practice, the average golfer would be much better off practicing iron shots and leave the putting to carpet practice on the family room rug. In relationship to the rest of the average golfers game their putting is of a far higher calibre than the rest of their game anyway. Don't believe me? Ask yourself if you have putted well enough in the past to be a scratch golfer? Then ask yourself if you have ever hit your irons well enough to be a scratch golfer? The answers to these two questions is where you should spend your valuable time.

Teaching Women the Golf Swing

2011-03-26T19:40:00.003-04:00

For reasons other than Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus, women's golf instruction needs to differ from that of men. Many of you reading this are probably saying 'Ya, no kidding. I have been telling everyone that for years.' The question that needs to be asked is 'Why does women's golf instruction need to be different?' and 'How is this accomplished?'

The answer to 'Why women's instruction needs to be different?' is women's arms, their elbows in particular, are quite different then men's. When a woman's arms hang down in front of her body (palms up), the 'carrying angle' (the angle formed at the elbow) is larger for women then it is for men. In other words, women's arms will appear to bend out towards the sides of the body while men's arms will appear to hang straight down. This is one reason women have trouble throwing overhand. The larger the carrying angle the more difficult it will be for a woman to be taught in a conventional manner.

The answer to the second question 'How is this accomplished?' is done by seeing an instructor that understands these differences and can work with your body type in order to improve your game and more importantly do it in a manner that will be gentle on your body.

If you are a female golfer and are struggling with elbow pain, or any other kind of pain, and would like to play golf pain free, with lower scores and more enjoyment read our article in CH2 & CB2 www.celebratehiltonhead.com/article/1908/golf-tips-from-a-pro-pete-popovich-golf-instruction-for-women-children or call the Golf Performance Academy-Hilton Head today.

Will Tiger Woods return to dominance on the PGA Tour?

2011-03-22T13:50:00.002-04:00

There is much speculation about whether or not Tiger Woods will return to the dominant form he showed during his major runs of yesteryear. From T.V. announcers to arm chair swing guru's the theories are endless. I would like to offer a different perspective on what is happening to the swing and mind of what many consider the best golfer on the planet.

Tiger's recent swing overhaul is the result of his desire to 'own' his swing. Tiger has always been the type of person that wants to understand what is happening in his swing and why. His latest instructor, Sean Foley, has a more technical, or analytical, approach to his method with his theories based in science. Foley's theories, as well as any teachers, can be made to sound like they are the the last thing any golfer would ever need (remember the popularity of David Leadbetter in the late 80's, Butch Harmon in the 90's?). Foley's explanation might quench Tiger's thirst for knowledge for the time being but I believe there are a couple of factors working against Tiger's search for answers.

1. Tiger is, and always has been, a creative minded person while Foley is a technical/analytical person. Foley has acknowledged this in his explanation of his teaching philosophy and is correct in saying different people have to be taught different ways. However, Tiger having a creative mind does not process analytical things as well as an analytical type; i.e. Nick Faldo, or Jack Nicklaus. By attempting to understand his swing in technical terms he could be limiting his ability. Even if Foley explains the swing process in a creative way the message can easily get lost in translation. It is the equivalent of you taking years of a foreign language and then attempting to explain something to a person from that country. You know the language very well but not the nuances of their language. Different regions might speak the same language but have different meanings for words. Another example would be someone from New York talking to and explaining something to someone from Alabama. Somethings might not be conveyed in a manner the other can grasp. Ever tried to understand everything Boo Weekley says?

2. It is a point of contention to say Tiger would have won just as much had he stuck with one swing and one teacher throughout his career. Much like Nicklaus/Grout. With only one teacher the teacher/student line of communication is better as each learns more and more about the other over time. All the great ball strikers in history; Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, and Lee Trevino, to name a few rarely used instruction from an outside source if they used any at all. Through years of their own trial and error they gained control and eventually 'owned' their swings because they found what worked for them. They knew their swing better then anyone else and were able to 'fix it on the run' as Tiger calls it. It might have taken them longer to attain the success they wanted but once they knew their swing they never forgot it. The legends of their ball striking are talked about to this day.

3. Tiger's past swing changes were made when he was much younger when the ability to change is easier. This is due in part to the neurology of the brain and its ability to alter neuron/synapse patterning. The older we get the more ingrained our patterns are and as we age altering our patterns becomes more and more difficult. In fact, we even lose the ability to recruit old neurons/synapses making it difficult to pick up new things. This will be the biggest hurdle for Tiger to over come. He has overcome quite a bit in the past, but this one maybe out of his control as it relates to his bodies composition and not susceptible to change once past a certain age. At least not at the level of a world class athlete. Only time will tell.

I wish Tiger Woods all the best in his efforts to return to past glory. We all like to see people recover from a set-back. Even if the set-back was self imposed like Tiger's. If he and Sean Foley are able to bring his swing, and game, to dominate the PGA Tour once again I will be the first to stand corrected in my assessment. Tiger is one of the best golfers to ever play the game and he has done things others look at and say "How?" If he is able to take his swing and game to higher heights than it was in the past we will shake our heads and once again say "How?".

Is your golf swing really a result of muscle memory?

2011-03-01T14:28:00.003-05:00

In our schools we often hear our students say 'As soon as I get this ingrained into muscle memory I will have it down.' Many times I have to explain it is not muscle memory they are working on, but a restructuring of their neural paths. Once this restructuring is accomplished they are able to perform their swing changes with success. Let us explore this further.

Muscles, in and of themselves, do not necessarily have a memory. Muscles receive messages from the brain and these messages contain the directions for how the muscle moves; i.e. how much the muscle contracts, at what speed to contract, when to stop, etc. These messages are sent via our neural pathways. Because there are thousands of neural pathways in the human body, the path a message takes is virtually unlimited. As a result, it takes time for the brain, message and body to learn the most efficient path to take.

What I am saying in English is when you perform a physical movement, such as your golf swing, you have programmed/learned a specific neural path. When you make a change in your swing, hopefully for the better, this path is adjusted. At first, because of this adjustment you are not able to perform the act as efficiently as you would like. However, as your brain and body become more efficient at sending messages through the new neural path (this is what happens when you practice) the more efficient you become at moving your body this way. Your muscles haven't remembered anything. Your brain and body have just found what neural paths to take to get the muscle to move in a different, efficient way to get the result you desire.

The next time you are on the driving range, or golf course with your friends and one of them says they have to practice more so they can get the muscle memory required to hit the ball well you can tell them muscles do not have a memory, and explain why.

Do Ultra Light Shafts & Clubheads allow you to hit the ball further?

2011-02-22T11:52:00.003-05:00

The new buzz in the golf industry is ultra light weight drivers (club head and golf shaft). Many golfers believe they can hit the golf ball further by using an ultra lightweight driver (a <45g>

A lighter overall club will allow you to swing the club faster and increase club head speed. But, what that faster club head speed does to your swing is what hinders your ability to increase distance. You might be able to move your hands and arms, thus the club/club head faster but your body also must be able to move at this faster speed. For example, if you are able to swing your arms/club 15% faster you must be able to move your body 15% faster. If you cannot move your body faster, in unison with your arms and golf club, hitting the ball on the center of the club face becomes very difficult. Each time you miss the center of the club face you are losing yards off your drives, approximately 5 yards for every 1/4" you miss the sweet spot (dependant upon swing speed the yardage lost will vary). If you are thinking 'I will just workout more to get my body to move faster' think about this before killing yourself in the gym. Your swing speed has a maximum speed which is determined by your central nervous system (CNS). Your central nervous system can only work so fast regardless of how strong your muscles are. You are much better off using a driver that fits you properly; length, loft, shaft flex & weight, as opposed to randomly purchasing a driver because it is ultralight and is the newest fad in golf or working yourself to death in the gym.

Keep this in mind the next time you think of purchasing a new driver because you saw an ad on the recent golf publication.

Does the Head Stay Still in the Golf Swing or Does it Shift Laterally?

2011-01-28T13:41:00.006-05:00

Sean Foley, and his theory on how to swing the golf club, has become one of the hottest topics in the golf world the past 6 months. His affiliation with Tiger Woods and their work in reconstructing Tiger's swing, has received a tremendous amount of coverage. This particular swing theory, which is similar to the Stack & Tilt theory, is based around no lateral head movement and most of the weight staying on the front leg during the back swing.

This theory is in complete contrast to a theory that was very popular not that long ago, which is Jimmy Ballard's. Under the Ballard approach the stance is wider resulting in the golfer having a lateral shift to the rear leg in the back swing then back to the front leg in the forward swing. This theory was quite popular in the 1980's and worked very well for the #1 golf in the world at that time, Curtis Strange. It is currently being used by Rocco Mediate.

So which swing theory is better, Sean Foley's or Jimmy Ballard's? Another way to ask this might be 'Does the head move laterally in the swing or does it stay in one place?' Proponents of each camp have their reasons for their theory but we offer a different perspective. Our perspective is each theory has its place. Let us explain.

If you look at the high profile students of Sean Foley; Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Sean O'Hair, Hunter Mahan, all of them are thin and not very thick through the trunk. They do not have as much girth which allows them to make a full body rotation while simultaneously keeping the head steady. In our opinion, if you attempted to get a thicker person to swing this way; i.e. Jason Gore, Graeme McDowell or David Duval, it would be very difficult. Thicker chested golfers need to have a lateral move in their golf swing to allow for the thickness of their body. To the viewer this appears to be a lateral move in their swing. However, having a slight lateral move is required for these players and does them little to no harm so long as their shoulders and hips stay in plane to themselves.

The next time you read a golf publication and you see a theory make sure you are similar in body type to the players using that theory. It just might save you a lot of time and frustration.

Impact and Reaction Time in the Golf Swing

2011-01-12T14:54:00.005-05:00

For those of you that think you can alter the outcome of a golf shot by 'feeling' what the club head is doing at impact, and making a change in the club face thus altering your golf shot, keep the following information in mind.

A golf club accelerates from the top of the back swing to impact approximately 100 times faster than your brand new BMW can accelerate. The time it takes for a golfer to get from the top of the back swing to the moment of impact with the golf ball, takes approximately 1/5 of a second (This is for a swing traveling approximately 100 mph).

Any attempt to alter your hands, thus the club face, will be of no use. By the time the message goes through your brain and down to your hands, the ball is already 12-15 yards away. In fact, by the time you feel the club and ball at impact the ball is already 1/2"-1" off the club face and in flight. The reason for this is that it takes approximately 2/3 of a millisecond for the vibration and shock of impact to travel into the club head, up the shaft and into the hands. It takes approximately another 10 milliseconds before the message gets to your brain and the brain to process the 'feel' (at this time the ball is around 1 foot away from the clubs face). It takes another 1/5 of a second before the brain can get the hands to make an adjustment in the clubs face angle. Because of the time it takes to relay all this information and implement a change you are only doing so in vain.

The next time one of your golfing buddies tells you how he changes his face angle at impact you can tell him how off base he really is.

Altering your swing: When does it happen?

2010-12-20T20:44:00.005-05:00

From beginner to PGA Tour pro, eveyone has made changes in their swing once the swing has started. I'm sure you have done this a time or two while playing with your local group on a Sunday morning. But when does a change in swing happen and why?

The answer to 'Why?'; i.e. why do we feel the need to change our swing, is after thousands of balls at the practice range and hour upon hour of practice we develop a certain 'feel' of what our swing feels like, start to finish. If somewhere during the back swing we feel something is out of place; club face open/shut, path too inside/outside, etc., we will make adjustments to get it back to what we feel is correct.

'When' the change happens is a topic for deeper discussion. If you ask any golfer, PGA Tour pro or novice, when they feel they make a change to their swing they almost always say 'on the downswing.' However, altering your swing on the downswing is not possible, that's right I'm saying it is not possible to alter your swing once you have transitioned into the downswing and started your forward stroke. It takes .2 - .25 seconds for the down swing to happen. (Down swing is defined as the moment you stop taking the club back and begin to move it forward/down in the forward swing) It takes a minimum of .25 seconds for your brain to realize you are 'off', send a message to the body and get the body to implement a change. By the time you realize you are 'off' in the downswing you have already hit the ball!

Let me clarify this a bit. Any change to your swing is change is felt, and changed during the backswing, regardless of skill level. When tour pros hear a camera 'click', it's on their back swing. Because it was during the back swing, unbeknownst to them, it allows them to stop on the downswing. The message to 'stop' their swing was sent BEFORE they reached their transition of back swing to downswing. Allowing them to stop their swing.

So the next time one of your friends says you disrupted their downswing you can tell them 'No, I disrupted your back swing.'

The Putting Stroke - Straight Back Straight Thru vs Arcing Strokes

2010-11-19T14:23:00.004-05:00

In past blogs we have talked about set-up and eye positioning. However, if you do not have an efficient stroke just having your eyes in the proper positions and setting up correct will not magically allow you to make more putts. Having an efficient stroke to match a good set-up and correct eye positions is the ideal situation. Remember the goal of putting is not to get the ball into the hole. It is to get the ball into the hole with the least amount of strokes.

In this blog we will discuss the Straight Back Straight Thru (SBST) and Arcing Strokes. For years there has been a debate over whether the putting stroke should be SBST or Arcing. In blogs to come we will answer the questions of 'What stroke is best?' and explain why. Before we do that we must discuss each stroke in more detail.

Straight Back -Straight Thru (SBST) Putting Stroke - SBST is nothing new in the game of golf. However, SBST has become more popular in the past two decades. The problem with SBST is it is not possible to take the putter head straight back on a line then straight forward on a line without moving the putter's shaft off plane (Swing Plane, or plane of motion, can be defined as the angle the golf club sits while at address which extends towards the target and away from the target, while remaining parallel to the target line, indefinitely).

Once the shaft of the putter is off plane it is very easy to push or pull putts. In attempting to move the putter's head SBST the putter is manipulated by the hands, arms or body during the course of the stroke. This manipulation leads to inconsistencies throughout the stroke making it more difficult to make putts consistently. The only way for a putter to move SBST directly on the target line AND stay on plane is to have a putter with a lie of 90* which is not allowed under the rules of golf.

Inside-Square-Inside (Arcing) Putting Strokes - The difficulty in trying to forcibly make your stroke an arc stroke is that the ball position needs to be played in exactly the same position and at the apex of the arc if this method is to be effective at making more putts consistently. If the ball is not put in this exact position each and every time, the golfer's ability to hit the ball with a square club face while the putter is moving square to its intended path becomes significantly reduced. typically, golfers attempt to obtain an arcing stroke by rotating their hands and forearms rotationally throughout the stroke. This only exacerbates the problem of contacting the ball squarely and typically leads to more missed putts. The other way golfers attempt to achieve an arcing stroke is to rotate the shoulders. By rotating, they move the right shoulder away from the target line and the left shoulder toward the target line on the back stroke and vice-versa on the forward stroke. Once again, this makes it difficult to contact the ball and start it on the intended line consistently.

So why do people believe their stroke to be SBST or Arcing? It is because of the vantage point from which they are viewing the movement of the putter head. If the vantage point, or where the putter head is viewed from , is a) looking from above directly onto the target line (think of the sun at high noon) or b) looking from behind the ball; toward the hole, aiming directly down the target line, the putters path will appear to have an arc. If the vantage point is inside the plane line (typically where your eyes would be), the putter head would appear to move SBST.

If you would like more information as to why a putter head appears to move SBST or Arcing, and how you can achieve an optimum stroke, feel free to contact the Golf Performance Academy-Hilton Head at 843.338.6737.

Exercising and Golf - 101

2010-09-30T13:02:00.005-04:00

In the past 10 years the worlds golf and exercise have become synonymous with each other. Prior to that a golfer did not dare to go anywhere near a dumbbell or weight room. In the modern era if you aren't doing some type of exercising to enhance your golf game you are going to be left in the dust by your competition. I am often asked: 'What type of exercises should I do?', 'How should I go about setting up my exercise routine?', 'How often should I exercise?'. All of these are fundamental questions which I will answer in the paragraphs below, as well as give you exercises to do for the next 4 weeks.

Any fitness trainer will tell you the most important thing in any one's training is 'core' training. Golf is no different than any other sport in that the core plays a vital role in your stability and ultimately your ability to swing the club effectively. Without good core strength and stability your full potential cannot be attained. That being said, the 'core' exercises commonly prescribed to golfers are often not exactly what they should be. For example, most of us assume a posture, throughout the day that is bent forward; sitting, hitting golf balls, etc. This is called flexion and it leads to protracting (rounding out) of the shoulders, forward head posture, tightening in the front of the hips, abs and legs. Yet, most golfers are told to do sit-ups, leg lifts, or v-ups all in an effort to strengthen the 'core'. True, these exercises will strengthen your abdominal wall and your core but for someone looking to improve their game it is not always the best place to start.

As you know from previous blog posts, your central nervous system plays a major role in your golf game. Therefore, re-establishing neurological communication between the nervous system and the muscles is of great importance. Because of this a golfer's conditioning program must be designed to integrate the entire body. Your nervous system is like a computer and if you program it incorrectly you will get incorrect results with your body and on the golf course. Performing the exercises described below will allow your body to function with optimal joint alignment. This will allow you to have a base of movement skill from which your brain will draw information as you progress into more exercises. What you are trying to accomplish with these exercises is neuromuscular isolation and strengthening the muscles that allow you to hold posture better, ultimately allowing you to swing better.

Program #1 - If you have only a few minutes a day, perform one of the following exercises each day of the week.

Program #2 - If you have more time to, do two of the following exercises per day for four days working up to two sets of each.

Program #3 - If you have the time to implement another 30 minutes into your raining routine try doing all five exercises four days a week.

HORSE STANCE - VERTICAL

Kneel on all fours; hands directly under the shoulders and knees directly under the hips with the back parallel to the ground, maintain your posture while lifting one hand and the opposite knee just high enough to slip a piece of paper under. Hold this position, while maintaining postural alignment, for 10 seconds then switch hands/legs and repeat. Work up to 3 sets of 10 reps per side.

HORSE STANCE - HORIZONTAL

(Similar to Horse Stance Vertical) The difference is you are now lifting your arm out at a 45* angle while lifting your opposite leg straight up and back. Hold this position, while maintaining postural aligment, for 10 seconds then switch hands/legs. Once you can do 3 sets of the Horse Stance Vertical you can progress to this exercise. Work up to 3 sets of 10 per side.

SWISS BALL NECK TRAINING

Place a ball next to a wall and walk forward until your head touches the ball. Push your head against and hold the position for 30 seconds in each position at 40% effort. Do this for the left & right sides, forward & back, and rotating left & right.

PRONE COBRA

Lie face down. In hale as you lift your upper body off the ground using the muscles in your upper back while pulling your arms behind you and rotate your palms forward. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for 30 seconds and lower resting for 15 seconds. Repeat 10X.

SWISS BALL HYPER EXTENSION

Brace your feet against a wall and lean over a training ball. Inhale as you raise yourself (3 seconds up), using your glutes, hamstrings and lower back. Hold for 3 seconds at the top and exhale as you lower yourself down (3 seconds down).

Not only do all of these exercises put your body in functional aligment but they also work the back side of your body which is opposite of what you do on a daily basis. Remember we need the body in physical and neuromuscular symmetry to play our best.

By doing these exercises for the next four weeks you will integrate your neuromuscular system. Once this is accomplished you will be ready for the next step which will be neuromuscular integration, or as I refer to it Exercises and Golf 201.

5 Fundamentals of the Golf Swing

2010-09-24T16:43:00.000-04:00

Why taking a lesson when on vacation can benefit your golf game.

2010-09-24T15:56:00.003-04:00

All of us that have played golf for any length of time know that the game has its ebbs and flows. The same is true for our golf swing and from time to time it is necessary to have a 'check-up' by a 'fresh set of eyes' to ensure all the parts of the swing are in tune. In this respect, it is best to have a golf instructor that can see and identify the causes of your swing faults as opposed to the effects of those faults.

Most golfers that visit the Low Country are golfers that have been playing for some time and have a teacher they are comfortable with in their home area. However, Hilton head Island has long been a 'hot bed' for golf and the variety of visiting golfers offers a wide range of experience for an instructor who takes this teaching and each student seriously instead of teaching a 'one method fits all student's' approach. This is not to say that your golf professional at home is not an adequate instructor. However, we at the Golf performance Academy-Hilton Head are privy to research that greatly benefits our students and we are devoted to applying such knowledge, whereas a hometown or club professional might have a multitude of different responsibilities: making tee times, checking inventory, attending meetings, etc. We at the Golf Performance Academy-Hilton Head have studied and worked with leading professionals in club fitting, physiology, neurophysiology, ophthalmology and bio mechanics to ensure that all our students improve upon completion of a lesson.

Compared to other golf instruction, instruction at the Golf Performance Academy-Hilton Head is geared to discovering, working-with and enhancing your natural swing versus trying to force you into a 'model' swing and we stand on our proven ability to achieve positive results with this approach from set-up to ball striking to putting. Tell us where you need improvement and we will see that you get it - guaranteed!

If you are on vacation as a beginner, a three times a week veteran, an accomplished amateur, or even have ambitions of playing professionally and are looking for a new and honestly productive golf experience, contact the Golf Performance Academy-Hilton Head.

You will not only learn the science behind playing better golf, but how to apply that science on your way to lower scores.

Choosing a Golf Instructor

2010-07-26T12:39:00.002-04:00

Choosing a competent golf instructor can be a difficult task. The right instructor can raise your game and lower your scores. The wrong instructor can lower your game and raise your scores. A competent instructor should be well versed in a number of ways that make your game better. Much like sound fundamentals in the golf swing, an instructor should have fundamentals of teaching. These fundamentals would be swing mechanics, club fitting, basic physiology, and communicating in a way each student can understand. Let's discuss each of these in more detail.

Swing Mechanics: Almost all instructors are aware of basic golf swing 'mechanics'. However, just because someone is aware of swing mechanics does not mean they have a thorough understanding of the mechanics. There are certain things that are 'musts' in the golf swing.. If a teacher cannot see what 'must' happen for your particular swing to improve, their teaching will not match the student and you will be working on the wrong 'mechanics' thereby limiting your progress. Further if a student does not think in 'mechanical' terms, dwelling on mechanics can have a negative effect. Too often, especially in the modern era, teachers and ultimately their students get caught up playing 'swing mechanics' instead of playing golf and confusion ('paralysis by analysis') results. A good teacher fits the mechanics and the student to each other so the swing becomes second nature and not contrived.

Club Fitting: If you are having trouble with your swing mechanics chances are your clubs do not fit you properly. No matter how many lesson you take or how hard you work, it will be difficult if not impossible for you to improve if your clubs are not fit to you. If your teacher does not understand how golf clubs should be fit, then all their knowledge of swing mechanics is worthless. The golf club will determine how a person sets-up, and ultimately swings, and if you cannot set-up properly your potential is compromised even before you start your swing. Club fitting goes beyond handing you clubs from a 'fitting cart' that contains a few clubs with a limited amount of shaft and head options and offers a limited range of fit. These carts are what many teachers at most facilities consider 'club fitting'. This is definitely not the case and if you do not fall into the narrow range of options offered by the 'fitting cart,' your ball-striking potential is never realized. A knowledgeable teacher, in regards to club fitting, knows this.

Basic Physiology: Physiology plays a major role in golf . A competent teacher should have a detailed understanding how the body works. A good teacher understands that not all golfers bodies work the same: men differ from women, adults differ from children, young differ from the elderly. There are certain things the body can do and certain things the body cannot do. A teacher who does not understand this can put you in harms way by having you swing in a way that your body cannot handle. This typically produces discomfort, eventually leading to pain and, in severe cases abandonment of the game. A good teacher can recognize a student's physical limitations and adjust the student's mechanics so that improvement is not made at the expense of comfort. Physiology especially dictates a proper set-up. Once the set-up is correct (anatomically balanced) the club can properly be fit and the mechanics can fall into place.

Effective Communication: Even if your teacher is an expert in swing mechanics, club fitting, and physiology, if they do not know how to communicate in a way you understand, it does you no good. It is the equivalent of someone speaking to you in French when you speak English-knowledge cannot be exchanged. A good teacher knows how to find the cause of the problem by noticing the effects. In order to fix or cure that problem they must be able to translate the fix/cure to you in a way that you can understand. If you are a mechanical person they should be able to explain it to you in 'mechanical language'. If you are an artistic person who learns better with pictures or images they should be able to explain it in that manner. Don't ever be afraid to ask for explanations. The best teachers are eager to answer. You can ask teachers from grade school, to high school to college professors around the globe and the ones who are dedicated to their students will tell you that effective communication could possibly be the most important part of teaching.

Golf Shafts-What you might NOT know.

2010-06-10T16:12:00.003-04:00

It has often been said that the golf shaft is the engine of the club. We have talked about fitting an individual for a shaft in prior blogs but would like to educate our students/readers on how shafts are manufactured and some common myths concerning what should be done with shafts.

The three most common types of shafts in play today are: table-rolled graphite, filament-wound graphite, and steel. Even though graphite has come a long way since its introduction to the golf industry, steel remains the most consistent and most reliable in terms of controlling distance and direction.

This is the main reason you see a majority of today's touring professionals playing steel shafts in their irons, where control is most important, and graphite in woods, where distance is most important . Why is this so? Graphite, as a material, takes a longer time to "load" during the back swing. Your hands travel a certain distance during the swing, and the club head travels approximately three times farther. When a swing is shortened, i.e. half swing or 3/4 swing, graphite has not had enough time to respond, the shaft is now "confused," it cannot properly release the energy you have given it, causing you to catch fliers and/or misdirection. I am sure some of you who are playing graphite shafts in your irons have trouble controlling distance? This is the major reason why wedges have steel shafts.

HOW SHAFTS ARE MANUFACTURED

Table-rolled graphite shafts are manufactured just as their name suggests. The graphite is rolled much the same way a cigar is rolled. When the rolling is done, the shaft is stored vertically, still wet, until a specified amount of shafts have been produced, 500 shafts for example. Once 500 shafts have been rolled, they are then put into a kiln/oven, it is still wet and under the pressure of its own weight. Because of this, it begins to warp, ever so slightly. The second shaft warps a little less and so on and so on. This warping can, and will, cause inconsistencies in the way the shaft functions and can lead to mishits, misdirection and a multitude of other problems. It is blind luck that you get a shaft without any warping when you purchase a table rolled graphite shaft.

Filament-would graphite shafts are manufactured in a much different way. The graphite is braided, or would together. It often produces a much more consistent shaft that is void of any seam and minimal, if any, warping. This allows for a tighter shot dispersion as well as more consistency in distance control.

Steel shafts are manufactured by either stretching a solid piece of steel or by rolling a flat strip of steel. In the stretching process, a solid piece of steel is actually stretched then put through a series of squeezing processes in order to form the steps of the shaft. In the rolling process, a flat strip of steel is rolled into a tube then welded. However, the welding is not done in a traditional manner. As the two ends come together, they are fused without the presence of a second material.

A COMMON MYTH

One of the biggest myths regarding shafts is that having them "spined" will correct all your problems. Steel shafts have a seam where they were fused, holding the shaft together. Table-rolled graphite shafts have a seam where the graphite has been rolled. This seam is the weakest part of the shaft. It has become common for people to claim that "spining" the shaft, or putting the seam in a certain position, can help make the shaft perform better. We disagree with this for good reason. The seam represents a weak spot in the shaft that will be present no matter where you put it. If the seam is put at 12 or 6 o'clock, you gain in your ability to control distance but sacrifice in your ability to control trajectory. If the seam is put at 3 or 9 o'clock,m you gain in your ability to control trajectory but sacrifice in your ability to control direction. Keep this in mind the next time someone tells you to have your clubs "spined."

If you would like to know more about golf shafts or are tired of taking lessons that do not get the results you want, contact us at (843) 338-6737 to improve your game today.

How Golf Shafts are Manufactured

2010-05-07T15:43:00.004-04:00

Depending upon the type of golf shaft being manufactured there are a number of ways golf shafts are made. In today's game the three most played shafts are steel, table rolled graphite and filament wound graphite. Below is a brief description of how each of these golf shafts are manufactured.

Table Rolled Graphite shafts are manufactured just as their name suggests. The graphite is rolled much the same way a cigar is rolled. When the rolling is done the shaft is stored vertically, still wet, until a specified amount of shafts have been produced, 500 shafts for example. Once 500 shafts have been rolled they are then put into a kiln/oven for drying. The problem here is as the first shaft is waiting to be put into the kiln/oven it is still wet and under the pressure of its own weight. Because of this it begins to warp, ever so slightly. The second shafts warps a little less and so on and so on. This warping can, and does cause misdirection and a multitude of other problems. It is blind luck that you get a shaft without any warping when you purchase a table rolled graphite shaft.

Filament Wound Graphite shafts are manufactured in a much different way. The graphite is braided, or wound together. it often produces a much more consistent shaft that is void of any seam and minimal, if any warping. This allows for a tighter shot dispersion as well as more consistency in distance control.

Steel shafts are manufactured by either stretching a solid piece of steel or by rolling a flat strip of steel. In the stretching process a solid piece of steel is actually stretched then put through ha series of squeezing processes in order to form the steps of the shaft. in the rolling process a flat strip of steel is rolled into a tube then welded. However, the welding is not done in a traditional manner. As the two ends come together they are fused together, without the presence of a second material.

We hope this will give you some idea as to how golf shafts are manufactured. If you would like to know if your shafts are properly fit for you, or if you are having trouble with your game and are tired of taking lessons that are not getting you the results you want, feel free to contact the Golf Performance Academy-Hilton Head to improve your game today. Let our 20+ years of experience save you valuable time and money.

Golf a Game for a Lifetime

2010-04-30T09:48:00.004-04:00

What is it about the game of golf that makes it endearing to so many? Is it the fact that you can play it at almost any age, whether you are a young child of 5 years of age or a grandparent in their 70's? Maybe it is because you are outside, enjoying all that nature has to offer for hours on end, while breathing in fresh air. Or perhaps it is you can either play with a group of friends or family; creating memories that last a lifetime, or you can play alone allowing you to clear your head and refresh the brain for all that life brings upon us.

Whatever you reason the most important thing is that you enjoy your time spent on the golf course. Whether you are at your local municipal golf course or at one of the worlds most renowned venues, time spent golfing is time well spent.

Aside from the quality time spent with friends or family while playing, golf offers many health benefits. Walking being the biggest. If you play and walk you are doing so for 4 hours which equates to approximately 5 miles. Golfers, in an attempt to improve, often engage in a stretching and sometimes weight program which has countless benefits.

Whether you are a weekend warrior or a die hard 4X a week golfer, a youngster just starting out or an experienced pro golf is a game you can play, and enjoy for a lifetime.

Golf vs. Major Sports

2010-04-23T09:38:00.003-04:00

Imagine it is overtime in the NBA Finals and Kobe Bryant has the ball with 3 seconds left. He makes a move to the basket and shoots over his defender for the game winning basket. No whistle is blown as the ball arcs towards the basket. Just as the ball is about to go in for the game winner Kobe stops play and tells the referee he thinks he pushed off his defender and should be called for a foul.

Now imagine an NFL playoff game. It is overtime and on the last play a running back all of a sudden sees a large hole in the offensive line and makes a dash for the end zone. As he heads for the game winning touchdown an offensive lineman stops play and says 'Bring the ball back, I held the linebacker.'

Or how about the NHL? It's game 7 of the first round of the playoffs and Sidney Crosby has a breakaway to score the game winning goal. Just as he is about to shoot, one of his teammates tells the referee to stop play that he 'hooked' one of his opponents to steal the puck and should be penalized.

It is likely we will never see any of these scenarios take place in one of the major sporting events. However, that is just what Brian Davis did last week at the PGA Tour's Verizon Heritage here on Hilton Head Island. In a sudden death playoff, Brian called what he 'thought' might be a breach of the rules. He wasn't sure if he committed a foul or not so he asked the walking official to watch a replay so if he did break the rules he should be penalized.

This would never happen in any other sport and just goes to show the integrity of not only Brian but what it takes to be a touring professional on the PGA Tour, or a golfer. Of all the sports played, golfers are the only ones to call penalties on themselves. It shows the type of character and integrity required to play this great game. It is probably why professional golfers, for the most part (Tiger Woods excluded) avoid scandal. In golf you govern yourself and protect the integrity of the field. Imagine trying to explain that to Terrell Owens, Michael Vick or any of the high profile athletes that are constantly in the headlines for the wrong reasons.

The next time you are playing, whether by yourself or against your friends, and are unsure whether you commited a rules violation, do what Brian Davis did and ask for a ruling. You will become a better person, and golfer, because of it.

Verizon Heritage Golf Tournament Schedule

2010-04-12T12:10:00.003-04:00

It's Spring on Hilton Head Island and that can mean only one thing, The Heritage!!! In order to help our readers and students plan their schedules for this years event we are posting the schedule of events for this years Verizon Heritage Golf Tournament. Please see below.

Monday, April 12

Pro Practice Rounds
Opening Ceremonies-18th Green 12:00 pm
Harbour Town Cup Pro-Am 12:00-6:00 pm
Starting on 1st & 10th holes

Tuesday, April 13

The PGA TOUR Professionals are invited to play at their discretion. No advance starting times area available. A pairings board is located by the 1st tee and is continually updated as players begin their rounds.

Coca Cola Youth Day-All Day
Putting Contest-Putting Green 3:00-5:00 pm

Wednesday, April 14

Verizon Heritage Pro-Am
Starting on both 1st & 10th holes 7:00 am - 6:00 pm*

Thursday, April 15 & Friday, April 16

First Round & Second Rounds
Starting on both 1st & 10th holes
Morning Starting Times 7:30 am - 9:00 am*
Afternoon Starting Times 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm*

Saturday, April 17

Third Round
All players start on 1st hole
Starting Times 8:30 am - 1:30 pm*
Tartan Day - Judging in the tent by the Clubhouse 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Sunday, April 18

Church Service -18th Green
Final Round
All players start on 1st hole
Starting Times 8:30 am - 1:30 pm*
Trophy Presentation - 18th Green 7:30 pm

* Times are approximate. All times are subject to change.

Hilton Head Island Golf Instruction-Weekly Clinics

2010-03-29T12:08:00.004-04:00

Join the Golf Performance Academy-Hilton Head for our weekly golf clinics, Saturday 12-1pm and 'Happy Hour' Clinics every Monday evening from 5:30-6:30pm. Classes are open to anyone wanting to improve their golf game and are conducted at the Old South Golf Links.

Our golf clinics have consisted of everyone from beginners to accomplished touring professionals. Our golf instruction is simple, but extremely effective. We guarantee you will improve and enjoy yourself in the process. Weekly golf instruction varies from week to week but covers full swing as well as trajectory control, chipping & putting, and pitching & sand.

The cost of each golf clinic is $30/person and includes golf balls, golf instruction, and a drink of choice. We only allow a maximum of 10 people so be sure to reserve your spot by contacting The Golf Performance Academy-Hilton Head at 843.338.6737.

We look forward to seeing you out on the course.

The Great Groove/Wedge Debate

2010-03-15T18:28:00.002-04:00

In our short game schools we are often asked about wedges and how to create more spin. We reply by educating our students as to what causes spin and how it can be applied to their game. Once someone has an understanding of spin on a golf ball it becomes much easier to apply.

What causes spin?

To answer this question all you have to do is remember back to your physics class in high school. The answer is friction. The more friction produced between a golf ball and a club head the more the ball will spin. The more loft a club has; i.e. wedges, the longer the ball stays on the club face, the more friction is produced, the more spin it has. Faster swinging players also cause a ball to spin more because their clubs are moving faster at impact causing the ball to roll up the club face at a faster rate, again causing more spin. Steep swingers also cause more friction.

The role of grooves?

Grooves on a golf club perform the same way as tread on a tire. They both move debris away so you get the most contact between the road/tire or in our case the ball/club face. The role of grooves on a golf club is to disburse water, grass and debris that gets between a golf ball and the club face. The more debris between these two the less friction you get resulting in less spin, i.e. the 'flier' lie. Traditional U and V grooves do not have as much room as box grooves thus could not move as much debris away from the club face/golf ball contact. Out of a tightly mown fairway, where there is minimal debris between the golf ball and the club face, the difference between a U or V groove wedge and a box groove wedge is minimal at best. In fact, according to some studies out of rough the difference is a mere 12%!

Groove Edges.

New rules have also changed the radius that can be on a grooves edge. No longer are grooves allowed to be 'sharp'. Each groove edge must now have a specified radius. With more of a radius, thus less of an edge, there is less surface area for the ball to contact the club face. With less ball/club face contact there is less friction and less spin.

When you sit down and think about it, it is really quite simple. The question we have is with such a simple concept why is there such a large debate?

Drop Your Handicap Challenge

2010-03-08T13:41:00.007-05:00

Spring, with its warm weather, green grass and blooming flowers is among us. The journey of winter is coming to a close and now is the time to get the rust off your golf game. The winter of 2009/2010 has been a long one with colder than average temperatures across the country. This has made it difficult for everyone to keep their golf game in shape. However, now that we are beginning to see warmer temperatures, and are over the hump, there are no more excuses not work on your game.

The Golf Performance Academy of the Low Country is committed to helping you blast the rust off of your game and get it in shape for the 2010 season. We have come up with the 'Drop Your Handicap Challenge'. This 'challenge' is open to anyone that is willing to take part and interested in lowering their handicap this year.

We are so confident in our ability to help you improve our slogan is Guaranteed Results! If you would like to take part in the 2010 Drop Your Handicap Challenge contact us at the Golf Performance Academy, 843.338.6737. You will be glad you did.

Physical Fitness and Your Golf Game

2009-11-21T17:11:00.004-05:00

In the modern era the golf ball seems to go astronomical distances compared to era's past. There are various reasons for this increase in distance; shaft and club head technology, golf ball technology, improvements to course conditions and maintenance and last but not least physical fitness.

In past blogs we have discussed how properly fit shafts can help golfers improve their game and increase their distance. Today we will discuss physical fitness in golf and exactly what it is that causes you to hit it further and straighter as a result of working out.

A Brief History

It was once believed that lifting weights was detrimental to a golfer. The thought was 'bulking up' would hinder a golfers ability to properly swing the club. It was also believed that if you wanted to hit the ball further; flexibility, and only flexibility, was 'the' answer. Contrary to popular opinion, Tiger Woods was not the first person on the PGA Tour to incorporate a steady workout of weight training, stretching and cardio into a golfer's preparation. The pioneer on the PGA Tour is Gary Player. Gary Player would relish in his feats of strength, and rightfully so. Not only was he one of the shortest (in terms of height) on the tour at the time, he was also one of the longest hitters. He discovered early on that through the help of a physical fitness program he could keep up with the tours longest hitters. To this day, when asked, Mr. Player is happy to demonstrate his ability to do finger tip push-ups.

The next PGA Tour professional to take physical fitness seriously was Nick Faldo. However, he had a different fitness goal, control and endurance. Because the tour had an elongated season he wanted to have the endurance to be as strong at the end of the season as he was at the beginning. For those of you that remember, his game focused on precision and you cannot have precision, especially over the course of a 10 month season, if you do not have exceptional endurance. He did lack in one department, length. In our opinion, if he would have spent a bit more time on strength training, he possibly would have won more majors.

From Mr. Faldo we move into the modern era and a Mr. Eldrick Woods, most commonly referred to as Tiger. Tiger has taken weight training, as far as PGA Tour golf is concerned, to another level. Gone are the theories that 'bulking up' will impede your swing. One has only to look at Tiger when he came out on tour and look at him now. There is little in common, physically. He combines strength training (weightlifting) with cardio and stretching. He is the culmination of the years of trial & error and study before him, and he has taken full advantage of this knowledge.

The 3 Things that allow a golfer hit it further, as it relates to the the human body, and in no particular order are:

1. Flexibility

2. Strength

3. Speed

Flexibility- Without good flexibility it is almost impossible for a golfer to hit the ball further. Good flexibility allows a golfer to have separation of the upper and lower body, the so called X-Factor. The greater the separation someone can achieve the more torque they can produce. With this torque comes more speed, hopefully. We say hopefully, because if a golfer is not able to stabilize themselves, during this wider range of motion, then being more flexible does them no good. Stabilization comes from being stronger.

Strength - Now that you have worked on your flexibility you have to be able to stabilize yourself with this new range of motion. This is where core strength and joint strength come into play. Strong core muscles and joints keep you stabilized and aide in keeping your swing in check. Otherwise, with all your new flexibility you would be like the rubber man and wobbling all over the place.

The stronger a person is, not only in their core and joints, the further they can/will hit the golf ball. Stronger pectorals, lats, biceps, triceps, forearms, wrists, calves, hamstrings, glutes, etc. all help you to hit the ball further. How, you may ask? The stronger someone is, in all areas, the better they are able to hold the club in position throughout the swing, allowing for better Center Hit Contact. The closer you hit the ball to the center of the club face the further you will hit it. Thus being stronger makes you more efficient by transferring more energy from the swing/club into the ball. For example, if during the course of your swing you are 1/4" off plane you will be strong enough to not allow the club to get 1/2" off plane. Because of this you will hit the ball closer to center which equals more distance. (For every 1/4" you hit the ball off center with your driver you lose approximately 5 yards.) Do you still think strength training is not important?

Doing high reps, low weight will help you with your endurance and a little bit with your distance. To truly see large gains in distance, it is recommended you incorporate low rep, high weight training into your workout.

Speed - Speed is the most difficult to obtain for the simple reason that swing speed is innate and built it. Our swing speed is determined by our central nervous system. We all walk a certain speed, talk a certain speed, etc. Because of the way you are built you will max out at a certain swing speed. Most people will say "If I get a lighter shaft I can increase my swing speed by 10%." That is true, but remember in your golf game you are looking to optimize distance and control. If you increase the clubs speed by 10% you must be able to move your body 10% faster too. If you cannot, which is often the case, your direction and center hit will suffer. If you are looking purely for distance (this is what the long drive contestants practice), increasing the speed of your hands, arms and club head is something to practice.

Through practice, as well as a physical fitness routine that incorporates stretching and weight training, you too will be able to make gains in the distace you hit the golf ball. Just like the tour pros.

If you would like to know which of the above ways you could use to increase your distance, and how to go about effectively applying these things, please contact the Golf Performance Academy at http://www.golfacademyhiltonhead.com/ or 843.338.6737.

Putting and Eye Positioning

2009-10-28T21:01:00.004-04:00

In the game of golf, putting is an art unto itself. It is often referred to as the 'Black Art' because attempting to improve one's putting can lead down roads you don't want to go. There have been many books written, studies conducted and tests run making it difficult to know what is good and what is bad. We will show, over the next few posts, traits common to all good putters and what it takes to become a great putter.

At the Golf Performance Academy we differ than most 'conventional' golf instructional schools. We like to find the root cause of a problem, not the effect. Often we are asked 'How do you know how to identify the cause, where most people identify effects?" The response is simple, fundamentals. The putting stroke, much like the full swing, is dictated by set-up; set-up determines motion. If the set-up is not correct; regardless of your desired stroke type; i.e. straight-back & straight-through or an arc stroke, errors occur.

The most important part of one's set-up, as it pertains to putting, is the eyes and their positioning. Most people believe there is one eye position that is a must, which is eyes over the ball. There are really four eye positions you should be aware of if you wish to be a great putter. We will get into that shortly but first a brief explanation.

The eyes are the cameras to the brain. The image(s) our eyes see are transferred from the eye to the optic nerve to the back of our brain and the Occipital, Parietal, and Temporal Lobes. While in these lobes, perceptions of auditory, visual and spatial awareness are processed and determined and messages are sent to the front of our brain and the cortexs' (Prefrontal, Premotor, and Supplemental motor area). The cortexs' are where the brain tells the body which muscles to use and how to use them; i.e. which muscles fire first, second, third, etc, how much strength to use and so on. When we read a putt from behind the ball we get an idea, or a picture of the path the ball will take to the hole and how hard to hit it to go the prescribed distance. When we stand over the ball and look at the hole we get another view of the hole. If the image of the balls path from above the ball does not match the image of the balls path from behind the ball we get two images. Two different images will cause the brain to give the body two different messages on which muscles to use and when to use them. Because the body and brain are not working together a golfers stroke will suffer and a missed putt is often the result. Usually a golfer will sense something 'doesn't feel right' but doesn't know why and either putts anyway or starts to second guess their read. The read was not the problem the placement of the eyes, giving distorted, or incorrect images, was the problem. In order to become a great putter a golfer needs to have their eyes in the proper position/place to give a consistent and correct image of the putts path and where the hole is located. Once this is done properly then and only then, will you become a great putter.

The four eye positions, or eye factors, that have to be considered are 1) eye dominance 2) eye tropia 3) eye gaze 4) eyes over the ball.

If you would like to know more about how these eye positions effect your putting and how you can become a great putter, regardless of your perceived skill level, please contact the Golf Performance Academy of the Low Country at http://www.golfacademyhiltonhead.com/ or 843.338.6737.

Golf Shaft Flex and/or Frequency

2009-10-05T17:15:00.004-04:00

The shaft is the engine of the golf club. It is the most influential factor influencing club performance and, ultimately, the golfer's performance. Even so, it is the most misunderstood and most neglected factor. The majority of people that play golf have no idea how shaft flex and/or frequency of the shaft effects the function of the shaft. Most people know only what they are told by assistant pros, amateur club fitters, and shaft companies.

A simplistic explanation of shaft flex and frequency and how it applies to shaft function is: "Flex" in a shaft is the ability of the shaft to "load" during the back swing and "frequency" is the ability of the shaft to "unload" during the forward swing.

The flex and frequency must match the physiology of the individual. During the back swing, elasticity allows us to pull or stretch our muscles to the point commonly referred to as the "top of the back swing" or the "transition point." At the point of transition, it is imperative that the shaft is fully loaded and ready to go forward at precisely the same moment we are physically loaded and ready to go forward. The forward motion of "downswing" occurs as the body physically unloads itself at a level of power and rate of speed unique to each golfer.

During the downswing, the shaft goes through a series of movements. For each movement the right hand (for right-handed golfers) makes in the forward motion, the shaft MUST move in a direct correlation and ratio. When a shaft does not have the ability to load and unload at the same rate and power level as the golfer, swing flaws will occur.

I hope you have enjoyed our three part series in club fitting and now have a better understanding of how precisely clubs can be fit to an individual, how the body and club work during the golf swing and how clubs that are truly custom fit improve the interaction between the body and the club.

To learn more about club fitting and golf instruction contact the Golf Performance Academy at 843.338.6737 or visit us on the web at www.golfacademyhiltonhead.com.

Length, Loft & Lie

2009-09-14T16:53:00.003-04:00

Many golfers, or their instructors, do not realize, or acknowledge the importance of proper club fitting. Their belief is that instruction is the only way for a golfer to improve. The reality is improper fit golf clubs can and do cause numerous problems for golfers.

Length
Most club fitting outfits assume that height and gender play a major role in the fitting process in regards to length. It is of the utmost importance that men and women be viewed as people when fitting clubs. Gender does not dictate length nor does height.

A persons physiology is what determines club length, not false assumptions. False assumptions that the only good players are those over six feet tall, or taller. Males today are only about one quarter of an inch taller than fifteen years ago and there are many good players, professional and amateur, less than six feet tall. But most major golf manufacturers have increased their 'standard' length by an inch or more!

Through studies we have been associated with more than 65% of golfers are playing with a length that is wrong for them. If a club is the wrong length it does not allow the golfer to set up properly and the Setup determines the motion. Without being able to set up properly, our range of motion is negatively affected and swing faults occur.

Some of today's OEM's (original equipment manufacturer's) fit clubs too long or too short and try to adjust the lie angle to make up the difference. As a result, the golfer is out of position; standing to close or to far from the ball. This improper set-up results in shots hit thin, fat, right, left, etc. Some companies believe all clubs should be longer, regardless of physical characteristics. Neither of these beliefs is logical, much less scientific.

If you see a golfer who is stiff and uncomfortable at address, chances are their clubs are the wrong length.

A qualified teacher and club fitter must carefully consider all possibilities and be able to identify the cause of setup and swing problems. For instance, if a golfer has a tendency to decelerate on the forward swing, chances are the club is to long. Physically, we reach maximum speed when our arms are extended and straight. If a club is too long, our arms never get to straighten and we are unable to accelerate through impact or square the club face at impact.

Lie Angle
Most of today's OEM's promote and sell clubs with very upright lie angles in an attempt to cure slicing when, in actuality, setting lies so upright causes a myriad of swing problems including slices. Some reports have shown up to 80% of golfers are playing with clubs to upright, yet the industry continues to turn them up even more!

To make matters many club fitters and teaching professionals have no idea how to set lie angles. The biggest mistake made is the use of a lie board. Use of tape on the bottom of the club, indicating a strike near the heel or toe is a common misconception and completely erroneous. The more upright a club is the more the right hand (assuming a right handed golfer) is bowed upwards at setup. This bowing causes an improper takeaway leading to an improper swing plane. On the downswing, the excessive bowing results in contact marks near the toe of the club. These contact marks on the tape, and swing flaws were created because the hands were too high at setup in an attempt to accommodate the extremely upright lie angle.

Turning the toe up to reduce slicing is another misconception. Before a club head is shafted it has a sweet spot. When it is shafted the sweet spot changes. When the club is in motion, the laws of physics determine the 'new' balance point for the center of contact. Since the club head rotates around the center of the axis of the shaft, and the head is designed with specific lie angle parameters, turning the toe beyond those parameters causes the club head to be imbalanced when in motion. If the weight is not distributed properly, the toe of the club will lag when in motion and the club will not square at impact resulting in a slice or a thin, weak hit.

Loft Angles
All club heads are designed with specific loft angle tolerances. Most mistakenly believe there are no limits to how weak or strong loft can be set. The fact is, adjusting loft angle affects the weight distribution of the club head. When the weight distribution is changed, and the physics of motion come into play, the odds of solidly striking the ball are reduced. If a club head is turned to a stronger loft than its design tolerance, distance can actually be lost! The weight balance and the impact angle may cause excessive topspin rotation at impact which reduces the 'lift' required for proper launch angle. In other words, the excessive topspin rotation does not allow the ball to stay in the air long enough to achieve maximum distance.

We hope you enjoyed learning more about club fitting these past two weeks and hope you are able to join us next week as we discuss flex (frequency). If you have questions on this blog, or any of our instructional schools please contact us at http://www.golfacademyhiltonhead.com/ or 843.338.6737.

Clubfitting-The Proper Way

2009-09-08T17:20:00.009-04:00

Clubfitting can be a very confusing endeavor for those looking to improve their golf game. The desire to improve is the catalyst that leads people to be fit for clubs. However, more often than not, their improvement falls short of its potential. The biggest reason for this short fall is a lack of knowledgeable clubfitting/clubfitters that really know what they are doing. To often people try to utilize their clubs assistant professional, most often taking time away from the golf shop, to be fit. Another common mistake is being fit at a golf school using a 'fitting cart' where the customer hits various 5-irons or 7-irons until the desired club is found. To truly be fit, it is recommended that golfer's be fit by a knowledgeable clubfitter that makes their living doing so. There is a major difference between custom fit and custom screwed.

In the clubfitting process two areas need to be optimized; control and maximizing distance. In order to accomplish these objectives many variables must be considered in the clubfitting process. In order to properly fit an individual it is necessary to consider many variables besides length, grip size and lie angle. Some of these variables include club head gram weight, true center of gravity, shaft weight, finished club weight, shaft flex, shaft kick point, raw frequency, finished club frequency, swing arc, swing tempo, club head speed per club, and swing style characteristics.

A true clubfitting provides the correct information to the central nervous system. Our central nervous systems plays a vital role in everything we do. Our ability to perform the golf swing is due, to a great extent on how the messages are being received and interpreted. During the golf swing, the central nervous system receives information form the feel of the shaft, the overall weight of the club, length of the club and size of the grip. If the characteristics of the club do not match our individual physiological characteristics, the messages received from the club, while it is in motion, will be confusing and incorrect. The result is a manipulation of the club during the swing. The manipulation will vary from swing to swing making consistency impossible with improperly fit clubs.

Messages are received by the central nervous system during the entire series of movements which comprise the golf swing. A proper club fitting, provides a properly fit club that transmits the correct information through the central nervous system which then allows the individual to truly feel how the golf swing should be executed. A result of a proper club fitting is a properly fit golf club that becomes an extension of the hands.

Often we hear the phrase 'I am not good enough to be fit for clubs' or 'I must fix my swing before I get fit'. On the contrary, a proper club fitting will only enhance a persons game and a high handicapper will benefit from a true custom fitting at least as much as the single-digit player and/or Tour player. True custom club fitting allows you to improve your swing and achieve your potential. For those that are 'fixing' their games first, the reality is the more they swing with clubs that are not fit to them, the more they ingrain the swing flaws their clubs are causing.

Please visit us next week for the continuation of 'Club fitting-The Proper Way' as we discuss the finer points of length, lie, loft and flex (frequency). For more on this blog or golf instruction contact us at www.golfacademyhiltonhead.com or 843.338.6737.

5 Fundamentals of the Golf Swing

2009-08-24T15:23:00.004-04:00

Like anything else in life, you must have good fundamentals in your golf swing or you will find it very difficult to achieve the results you desire. Fundamentals are the foundation for everything we do and without good, sound fundamentals anything built on top of them will topple easily.

There are 5 Fundamentals of the Golf Swing. They are; Grip, Stance, Posture, Alignment & Ball Position. If one of these 5 Fundamentals are off it is difficult to have a consistent swing. In fact, 90% of all swing problems can be attributed to a problem somewhere in the set-up. This is where the cause of the problem is, not the effect.

If the body is set-up properly; it will be in balance, anatomically and dynamically. From here you can swing in balance, the entire swing! There is no worrying; is my right arm bending soon enough, is the toe up half way back, etc. A balanced set-up = A balanced swing.

Welcome to the Golf Performance Academy of the Lowcountry Blog!

2009-08-19T15:00:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the official blog of the Golf Performance Academy of the Lowcountry. We would like to thank you for taking the time to visit our site and hope you enjoy reading our posts. Located in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, just off of Hilton Head Island, we aim to provide the ultimate in instruction and service. We take great pride in improving the games of all our students; beginners, junior, high handicap, mid-level handicap, scratch golfer and touring professionals. We are so confident in our ability to help our students that once you attend one of our schools you are guaranteed to improve. We are the only golf instructional facility in the Lowcountry to offer such a guarantee, and deliver on that guarantee!

Our belief is that everyone is unique and has a golf swing that is their own. Sometimes they just do not know ho to find it. We take what can be a very complex motion and make it simple and easy for the student to understand and apply. We do not try to fit everyone into a system, or mold, and do not get caught up in the latest trends. Simply put, we make you a better golfer!

If you are serious about improving your game, or are looking to get started in this wonderful game, please take a moment to visit our website, http://www.golfacademyhiltonhead.com/. If you do not find what you are looking for, feel free to contact us anytime for a free no-obligation consultation.