Golf Tips & Quips

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I just got back from practicing and the loop is still there. Last night while I was watching television, I was practicing the hanger drill which Michael Breed demonstrated on The Golf Fix. This drill is supposed to help put the swing on the proper plane. It felt good as I was practicing in my living room, but it did not transfer to my practice today.

Actually, I started off pretty good, but the loop crept back in slowly but surely. I quickly became frustrated and packed it in after about an hour and a half. Plus it is brutally hot and humid today. Nothing positive was going to be accomplished today, so no use practicing bad habits.

Since writing a post about needing "Medicus" attention, Mike Southern of the Ruthless Golf blog and I have been talking back and forth about the solution to my problem. He said that he needed to see a down the line shot of my swing to make a positive assessment of what the problem is in my swing.

I posted a few videos a couple of days ago for scrutiny and Mike said he would get back to me. Today I was pleased to see that he had posted this article about my swing. He posted these stills of my swing and the results are very telling.

I have been trying to fix a loop that has crept into my swing. When I first started playing, I did not have it. I have tried everything and nothing seems to help. I shared video of my driver swing from the front on position in a prior post. I received some great feedback. Mike Southern of Ruthless Golf and others seem to think that it may be something in my takeaway.

In order to be sure I was ask to post video of my swing from down the line. Well here it is. And I still need a fix. This footage is from my round on Sunday with my buddy Marc. Yesterday I posted video of us mimicking Happy Gilmore, but today it's time to get down to business. I need a fix. A golf fix that is.

I played pretty well. I have been struggling with a groin injury and had not played since returning from Hilton Head Island. I just wanted to take it easy as it was still kind of sore. The injury is on the left side, so it was difficult to finish on my left side with a balanced finished. After a few holes though, I warmed up and it was hardly noticeable.

After posting a triple bogey on the first, I settled down and played pretty well for my standards. I am a bogey golfer right now, but I feel I can improve my distance if I can get rid of my loop. There are so many moving parts, that I know I am sacrificing a lot of distance off the tee and from the fairways.

The first video is of my tee shot on a par 3 with a 7-iron. I Came up about ten feet short of the green. Again, I feel like I am not getting the most out of my clubs because of the loop. The second and third videos are with my driver. I hooked both of them. I do have footage of a drive that was perfect and the loop was barely noticeable but I can not post it due to the fact that Marc likes to do commentary, and sometimes said commentary is filled with colorful language if you know what I mean.

I actually drove the ball well hitting 10 of 14 fairways. We just happened to catch the my worst swings. Isn't that always the way. Whenever you do something good, no one is around to see it. With my luck I will probably get my first hole in one when I am out on the course by myself.

I need to work on my greens in regulation. My best rounds have been when I hit a lot of greens. I am mostly shooting in the 80's now, and when I shoot in the low 80's, it is due to the fact that I am putting for birdie instead of trying to save par with an up and down. I know this aspect of my game will improve if I rid my swing of the loop.

So here it is. What's the fix? I need to change it so that I can take my game to the next level. My goal at the beginning of 2010 was to break 80 and get down to a 12 on the handicap index. To date, my best round is an 81 and I currently have a 13.3 handicap down from 17.0 at the beginning of the year. I still have some work to do.

Well, I am off to go practice. Hopefully I can conquer this thing soon. I have about three and half months to break 80. I am close. A few better approach shots, and a few more made putts and I am right there. And then what...? Set new goals and work from there. Golfers are always trying to get a little bit better. It is what draws us to the course. The quest for the elusive perfect round. Have a good round and always hit your target.

Miami Springs Front Nine Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out Par 4 4 4 3 5 4 4 3 4 35 7 5 5 3 7 4 5 3 6 45 FIR: # Putts: 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 16 Back Nine Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Par 4 4 3 5 4 5 3 4 4 36 4 5 4 6 4 5 4 6 5 43 FIR: # Putts: 0 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 14

If you have ever visited this blog before you know that I love The Golf Fix with Michael Breed. He has been like my personal instructor, via television, for the past two years. I never miss an episode on Monday nights. I make sure I have everything in order by 7:00 PM to insure I get my weekly lesson.

Today begins the 92nd playing of the PGA Championship and The PGA is broadcasting live from their website. They have several features to help enhance your golf viewing experience.

They have a par 3 cam which features the par 3's on the course at Whistling Straits. They also have a picture-picture option for people like me who just can not get enough . If they had an option to follow each group, I would opt into it. Then again...maybe a bit much.

GolfTraxx is a GPS hole tracking system which allows the viewer the ability to see the ball flights of the players. The simulation of the course is great. It looks like the real thing. This is a good feature if you are interested in how the pros shape their shots. Navigating this difficult course successfully will require working the ball around the bunkers and into the tough pin placements.

The 3-D feature highlights the 12th and 17th green(that's the two holes on the right). You will have to download some software and purchase the glasses. If I had known about this beforehand, I might have downloaded it. It would be kind of interesting to see the ball coming into the green in 3-D action. The landscaping will probably look amazing as well.

The whole experience is centered around the Marquee Group. Each round will feature a group that they will follow for their entire round. Today's group includes, Vijay Singh, Y.E. Yang, and Tiger Woods. There is some history between Tiger and these two talented players. It will be interesting to see how this group does playing together for the first two rounds.

As an added bonus, viewers can send in their questions to Breed via email, twitter, or facebook. This is great because, so far, Breed has been going though each shot step by step. It is a great way to get a little insight into how the pros play the game from a course management aspect.

There is a lot of golf to be played over the next four days. It may go even longer if the mornings continue to start out as foggy as it did today. Continued delays will make it hard to finish on time on Sunday. I would not mind. It would be more golf to watch. TNT and CBS will be splitting the television coverage duties. If that is not enough for you, now you have another way to get your golf fix. Have a good round and always hit your target.

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I think I need some "Medicus" attention. Is there a doctor in the house? Infomercials for the Medicus Dual-Hinge Driver have been on The Golf Channel for years now. The people at Medicus boast that the "Medicus Driver has been chosen by golf pros as the #1 swing trainer club in the world." And that "it is the best selling golf training aid ever!"

The Medicus Driver is supposed to improve all aspects of your swing from the takeaway to downswing. The Medicus will break if there is an error in your swing, which is instant feedback as to which part of the swing you need to work on. Lately, I have developed some bad habits and I'm wondering if this device can help me.

When I first started playing golf, people used to compliment me on having a nice, natural, smooth swing. Lately, I'm not so smooth. Well...I'm still smooth, but the swing is not so pretty. I have developed what some are calling a reverse Jim Furyk swing. It has all kinds of loops and swing plane changes, it is a wonder I can even hit the ball.

I don't know how it started. I don't know where it came from, but it is here and looks like it is here to stay if I do not do something about it. I have been working on trying to correct it on my own. To date, I have still yet to take a formal lesson. The Golf Fix, videos on youtube, and golf related websites have been my instructors.

I got rid of "the loop" for about two weeks. I figured out that I was taking the club back way too far to the inside. This happened because I started my backswing with my arms instead of with my body. I worked on feeling as if my left hand was pushing back at the start of the swing instead of the feeling of my right side pulling to start the swing. This seemed to help me make a good full turn on the proper plane

It did not last though and I have fallen back into the bad habits. It does not happen all the time, but every now and then, I get real loopy. It seems to happen the worst when I have too long a backswing. Taking less of a backswing seems to help take out some of the loop.

Some of my buddies are saying that I should embrace my swing. In the movie "The Legend Of Bagger Vance", Bagger tells Captain Rannulph Junuh that he had lost his swing. He said, "each of us has an authentic swing". Maybe this is my authentic swing. Maybe I should just embrace it. Maybe...but I don't like it.

I do pretty well with my swing. I am averaging about 260 to 270 off the tee, but where I think it is hurting me the most is with my mid-irons. I get away with it using my wedges, but I know I am losing distance with my irons.

I have way too many moving parts. As you can see in my picture, I do get back to a pretty good position at the top of the swing. Still, I feel I need to get to where Jack Nicklaus is in his picture. That's the problem with so many moving parts. My timing has to be perfect in order to be successful. If I can stay on one plane, I know I would strike the ball more consistently and generate more distance.

My buddy has one of the original Medicus iron. Maybe I'll demo that first before I get the new driver addition. I hope it will work for me. I need help. Unfortunately with my swing, it will probably collapse on it's own when it sees me coming. Ugh!

Instructors, feel free to critique my swing. I can use all the help I can get. I wish I had footage of my swing down the line. This would really reveal my loop. More video to come as I work on my swing. Have a good round and always hit your target.





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The Golf Channel(TGC) is now available online through Veetle. Veetle is a Web TV platform which was created by Stanford University graduate students. Here, you have the ability to watch and broadcast video in TV and High Definition quality.

Some cable and satellite providers do not offer TGC as part of their package and golf fans have to wait for updates via the internet or maybe ESPN. Also, TGC is not available everywhere internationally. A lot of our oversea golfing friends are missing out live tournament action. I would be lost if I couldn't watch Michael Breed and The Golf Fix on Monday nights.

Thanks to Veetle, that has all changed. Just download the software and you have TGC live 24/7. The stream quality is subject to the broadcaster's computer and internet speed, which is very good. There is no lag and the picture is always clear.

I have added TGC to the sidebar on the right. For of those you who do not have TGC through your local provider, you can visit Golf Tips & Quips everyday to get your golf fix. Everyone deserves the right to watch golf whenever they want to. Have a good round and always hit your target.

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I just finished viewing the latest episode of The Golf Fix with Michael Breed and this is what I learned. GOLF IS REALLY HARD! I mean, I already knew this, but after watching tonight, it is easy to see why so many people struggle to improve their handicap. Golf is really really hard.

Breed explained how to play a variety of shots around the greens using his wedges. As we have discussed before, most of the shots during a round happen from 100 yards and in. It is important to learn many different shots around the green in order to be successful.

Golf is really a game of inches. There are so many variables that can make a difference from stroke to stroke. If your ball rolls one more inch it can go from being a good lie to becoming a bad lie. That inch changes everything about your next shot. The club selection. The trajectory. How hard you hit it. Where you want to land the ball. How far will it run if I hit that spot.? If I miss the spot, then what? Then, depending on the weather conditions, everything changes.

My goal for 2010 is to break 80. I have come close, and yes it was a matter of inches. I missed a few putts during a round in which I shot an 81, but those putts were not the reason I did not break 80. It was the ugly chip shot the only went a foot. It was the shank out of the sand bunker that ended up in the bunker on the other side of the green.

The difference between me and the pros is that they make mistakes but they do not compound their mistakes. They may hit an errant approach shot into the bunker, but more than likely they get it up and down to save par. Myself on the other hand...Like I said, sometimes the balls ends up clear across the green and now I am hoping for a two-putt to save double bogey.

I was a fan of the last Haney Project with Ray Romano because Ray and I have similar games and similar goals. Breaking 80 for a double digit handicapper is difficult. Everything has to go perfectly. When I shot my 81, I definitely got lucky with a few chip-ins and a couple of long putts. I want to get from shooting lucky 81's to shooting consistent 81's.

According to Tinou Bao, Ray and I have no chance. Just substitute my name for Ray's name and you will get the idea. This is what he had to say:

Romano(Dexter) claims to be a 15-18 handicapper(I'm currently at 13.7). The odds of 15-18 scoring 79 ranges from 1 in 1,138 to 1 in 37,000. On a typical course (say 71 rating/125 slope) Romano would need a net differential of 8-10 to score 79. Base on this USGA chart the odds of that happening are not good.

I think the biggest misconception about the golf handicap index is it represents some kind of average or typical score. But you only shoot to your index 20% of the time. So if Romano's index is 15 he scores 87 only 20% of the time. If Romano averaged 87 then breaking 80 wouldn't be that big of a deal. But when he only scores 87 20% of the time taking 8 strokes off (even for just a single round) becomes very unlikely.

Well...I don't know about the best but he is certainly the hottest player on the tour right now. Justin Rose goes into the final round of the AT&T National with a four shot lead. Barring a meltdown like the one at the Travelers Championship, Rose could notch his second victory on the PGA Tour.

What has impressed me the most over this stretch of good play is the skill he has showed on the putting green. Rose has not had a three-putt in over 250 holes. I average three, three-putts a round. This is an unbelievable stat.

Three-putts are round killers. Hank Haney said of Ray Romano during filming for the Haney Project, "...the day Ray breaks 80, will be the day he looks at his scorecard and doesn't see any three-putts." Lowering your putts per round is one of the quickest ways to improve your handicap.

Tiger Woods, host and defending champion of the AT&T sits at three over par after shooting a second consecutive even par round. Woods has been struggling since his return but is showing glimpses of his old play. His ball striking has improved and he said that he "found something" during the third round.

With that being the case, Tiger still knows what it takes to win a tournament. He had this to say about his play. "I'm driving it on a string right now, and that's fun," Woods said. "But if you don't make putts, no matter how good you hit the golf ball, you're not going to shoot good scores."

Back to Rose. He is putting lights out. This may be due to the fact at how much work he has dedicated to his short game, both with the wedges and his putter. Rose was on the practice greens two hours before his third round today working on his chipping and putting. It was reported that he just hit chip after chip out of the tall rough in preparation for what he might encounter on the course. His hard work is definitely paying off.

Rose always gives himself a chance at par. If he misses his birdie putt, he lags it up to a comfortable position for a tap-in. Even when he is in trouble, his solid wedge play has bailed him out.

So, is Justin Rose the best player in the world? That remains to be seen. There are a lot of golfers who will be doing everything in their power to make that answer a resounding "no". All of the players are gearing up for the (British)Open Championship. Nick Faldo has already eluded to the fact that the players will be facing thirty foot birdie putts at St. Andrews. Good lag putting will be necessary to post a good score on this difficult links style course.

Say what you will, Rose has impressed me this season. The golf world has been waiting for him to fill the expectations that were placed on him as a youngster. His time has arrived and he is taking advantage of the moment. With a money list exemption looming for Rose, it looks like the hottest player in golf may get a chance to make a putt to win and have his name etched into the Claret Jug.

Have a good round and always hit your target.



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