Bobby Eldridge Golf

Written By
Bobby Eldridge
Founder of Golf Swing Instruction

The best kept secret in golf is to make sure you aim your golf club first then your body.  This game is tough enough without making it more difficult by aiming your body first.  Let me explain what happens when you aim your body first.

When you walk up to the golf ball and plant your feet in the ground and aim them AT the target, along with your knees, hips and shoulders, from the get-go, you are in big trouble.  Everything would be OK, except, you have to place the club behind the ball.  When you sole the clubhead it is going to be aimed MILES to the right of the target.

Now let me tell you what is has to happen from here.  You will have to compensate in order to get the golf ball to fly towards your target.  You will have to hook or pull it back on target.  That my friend is one tough way to play golf.  Don’t get me wrong, it can be done that way but it is very difficult.

Now I am going to tell you an easier way to play golf.  When you walk up to the golf ball you should sole the club first, aiming it at your target. 

Once you have done that you can begin to grip the club.

As you grip the club you can walk into the shot with your right foot behind you and then swing your left foot around so it is parallel to where you want the ball to start.

Once you have placed your feet parallel to the intended target line then your knees, hips and shoulders will follow.

From this position you look down the target line and “See” the target instead of turning your head back to the left to see it.  From this position you NEVER have to compensate during the golf swing.  You can make a full turn in the backswing and smash it from there. 

SO, repeat after me…golf club first then your body when you address the golf ball and not…body first, then golf club.

Tags: address golf ball, golf swing setup// Category Driver, Fairway woods/Hybrids, Full Swing, Golf Instruction, Golf Lesson, Hybrids, Solid Iron Shots, Trouble Shots

Written By
Bobby Eldridge
Founder of Online Golf Lessons

In order to hit the golf ball further and more consistent, after you grip the club-check your knuckles EVERY TIME.  I have a question for you that you have to answer in two seconds.  Is gripping the golf club an art or a science?  Think about it for 10 seconds if you want to.  Do you know why I am giving you 10 seconds to think about it?  Ten seconds is longer than you take to think about gripping the club when your on the golf course.

When most amateur golfers struggle with their golf game it can be traced right back to the grip the golf club.  What I have heard for the past 35 years is “I am really struggling with my swing”-DON’T TOUCH MY GRIP.  “I keep coming over the top”-DON’T TOUCH MY GRIP.  “I can’t stop hooking the ball”-DON’T TOUCH MY GRIP.

Here is the problem.  Changing your grip can be a nightmare.  I don’t care if you have played for six months or 30 years, for you to make a grip change, it can be a long and painful process.  I started playing golf when I was 2 years old, by the time I was 13 I was bigger and stronger and I had a very strong grip.  I hooked the ball way too much.  My mom told me it was time to weaken it, It was the longest year of my life.

I am going to let you in on two little secrets that nobody talks about.  If you slice the golf or if you hit weak fades to the right, changing your grip will be the most exciting and rewarding thing you will do for your golf game.  You will fall in love with me in five minutes.  (OK, maybe a little overboard-can you tell I am excited)?  On the other hand.  If you hook the ball you will want to wrap that driver around my neck for about three months AND then you will also fall in love with me.

That is secret number one.  Now for secret number two.  Whether you are a slicer or hooker of the golf ball, changing your grip can be very uncomfortable.  I have a saying that I have used with my students for 20 years.  As soon as they change their grip and make solid contact they always say to me “it doesn’t feel good”.  And I always say to them “you have a choice, you can either hit it poorly and feel good or hit it great and feel poorly”.

Let me tell you why the knuckles are so important.  Let’s talk about slicing first.  After you grip the golf club and address the golf ball, when you look down at your left hand, you probable don’t see any knuckles.  of the left hand.  You see the top of the left thumb.  The problem is the clubface will not close in time for you to hit a draw.  This next part is really important.  Before you start your backswing, simple turn BOTH hands to the right the same amount. Do it in baby steps.  Turn the hands on the club so you can see one knuckle, and hit some balls from this position.  If you get rid of your slice then stop.  You have hit gold, that is the correct grip for you.  This is a very powerful change, that is why you will love it.

On to the golfers that hook the ball.  After you grip the club and address the golf ball you will look down and see three or four knuckles of the left hand.  The clubhead will close way to fast in the downswing from with this grip.  You have to move BOTH of your hands to the left the same amount. Do it in baby steps, one knuckle at a time.  The reason this is more painful than the grip change above is because you are going from a stronger position to a weaker position.  You will not feel the love for some time.  I know you can do this, I did.

In closing after you grip the club-check your knuckles EVERY TIME and you will begin to see the ball start flying straighter and further.

Tags: proper golf grip// Category Golf Instruction

Written By
Bobby Eldridge
Founder of Golf Swing Fixes

If you want to add 15 more yards to your tee shot-in three months, do what I did.  I have a confession to make.  Less than 24 months ago, my great friend Harvey Mackay asked me if I wanted to play 18 holes the following week.  I had cut way back on my golf both playing and practicing for the past couple of years and I was not looking forward to this round of golf.

By the time I reached the 12 hole he (74 year old) Harvey had outdriven me four times.  Harvey was playing to a 9 at the time and he is a great driver of the golf ball.  I should say straight driver of the golf ball with an average of 225 yards.  If I hit it well I was maybe 15 yards past him.  However if I missed the tee shot a tiny bit, I was hitting first onto the green.

When I walked up to the 13th tee, I remember it as thou it was yesterday, I decided that I was going to do something about my golf game.  The first thing I needed to do was start practicing and the second thing was to CATCH UP with the game.  It was passing me by.  The game was changing (getting longer) and I was stuck in neutral.

The next moring I ordered a Momentus Heavy Hittable Driver off of the internet with overnight delievery.  I could hardly pick it up.  I took it to the range, swung it five times and almost feel over.  That is when I decided that I needed to come up with a routine so I could take advantage of my new club.

I decided that I was going to swing the club 25 times, three days a week whether I was at the golf course or not.  In the backyard I went every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Once I started using it at the practice facility I then came up with another way to use it.  During practice sessions I swung it three times for every six balls I hit.  I like to hit three draws, three fades, three straight shots and then three swings with the heavy driver.

On days that I play, I have another routine that I have used for years.  I hit three shots with every club in my bag.  Now my routine includes swinging the heavy driver one time every time I change clubs.

OK, I know you are dying to hear the results.  The only reason I am not going to tell you how much further I am hitting the ball is that everybody is different.  The one thing I will tell you is that I am back.  I have caught up with the sport and…well ok, I am at least 20 yards further off of the tee and 1.5 clubs longer with my irons.  BUT, I have been VERY committed to this process.  I have not missed a day in two years.

VERY IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

#1.  Warm up before you pick up a heavy driver and start swinging it

#2.  Even thou it says it is a HITTABLE club, make 200 practice swings with it before you start hitting balls.  You have to get use to it first.

#3.  This is NOT an overnight fix for short tee shots.  Stay committed to see results.

#4.  I added 15 yards in the first three months, I kept going so I can keep what I have!!!

#5.  Harvey Mackay (USE YOUR HEAD TO GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR) is a genius at dishing out great business advice.  I took advantage of his lesson to me.

Start using a HITTABLE HEAVY DRIVER today and you will add 15 more yards to your tee shot-in three months, like me.

Tags: golf driver, golf driving distance// Category Driver, Fairway woods/Hybrids, Full Swing, Golf Fitness, Golf Instruction, Golf Training Aids, Hybrids, Solid Iron Shots, Training Aid

I’m working with a golf student giving him a lesson on golf swing alignment.

Tags: Golf Lesson, golf swing alignment// Category Full Swing, Golf Lesson

Written By
Bobby Eldridge
Founder of Online Golf Videos

I think the hybrid golf clubs are going to wind up being a better invention than the sand wedge.  I have to ad one more thought.  IF you buy the right one for your game.

Can you believe how incredible it is to stand in the middle of the fairway 200 yards from the green and you get to pull out one of those beautiful replacement clubs instead of a 3 iron?  That is exactly where the problems begin.  You better hope that you bought the correct 3 iron replacement.  From the minute I heard about the hybrids I have referred to them as replacement clubs.

Of course I have a reason why I call them replacement clubs.  I bought three of them before it dawned on me that I was just buying them because I liked them, not because they were correct for my game.  That is when I did some research that I will share with you.

The Rules of Golf states that you are allowed to carry 14 clubs in your bag.  Let’s do some math.  You probably use a driver, putter, pitching wedge, sand wedge and LOB.  That’s five golf clubs and nine to go.  Most of you have a 9-8-7-6 irons.  Now we have nine clubs and four to go.

You have to make sure of two things when you are replacing your longer irons.  If you don’t buy the hybrids in a set you are going to get different shafts from different companies.  Even thou you bought a regular shaft from one company that doesn’t mean it is going to be the same regular shaft of another company.  The second thing you have to be careful of if you don’t buy your hybrids in a set is the loft on the clubs.

That is where my problems began early on.  I was buying different hybrids and the lofts were too close together.

The following chart will help you understand what you have to purchase for a replacement club:

17 degree hybrid would replace a 2 iron or 5 wood

20 degree hyrid would replace a 3 iron or 7 wood

23 degree hybrid would replace a 4 iron

27 degree hybrid would replace a 5 iron

31 degree hybrid would replace a 6 iron

In closing I have to explain one last thing to you.  Not all companys have the same degree of loft.  Some companies might make a 24-28-32 degree set of hybrids.  The one thing to keep in mind is that you are REPLACING a club in your bag.  You don’t want two clubs with the same loft.

I hope this helps you out the next time you head out to buy a couple of hybrid golf clubs for your game.

Tags: hybrid golf clubs// Category Fairway woods/Hybrids, Golf Instruction

Written By
Bobby Eldridge
Founder of Golf Swing Downloads

If I had an opportunity to to stand up in front of the entire golf world and I was only allowed to say one sentence, what would it be?  “EVERY PUTT IN GOLF IS A STRAIGHT PUTT”…Since I would only be allowed to say one sentence, maybe the powers to be would let me repeat myself, “EVERY PUTT IN GOLF IS A STRAIGHT PUTT”.

If there is one thing that I am 100% sure of it is this.  Most amateur golfers have acceptable putting strokes.  Keep in mind that there are two parts to our sport.  One part is in the air and the other is on the ground.  The one on the ground (putting) is so precise at times that it can drive you up a wall.  It is kind of line the Red Zone in football.  You go 85 yards in two plays and then it takes four plays to go one yard.  You hit a towering tee shot, followed up by the best 5 iron of your life, and then you 3 putt from 10 feet.

The reason I say acceptable putting strokes is because you don’t do this for a living and the putting strokes that most of you have is good enough for you to shoot lower scores.  The problem begins after you read a putt.  This article is all about matching your putting stroke up with reading the green correctly. 

No questions asked, the number one putting mistake that I see amateurs golfers make is they don’t aim the putter where they want the ball to start.  Most amateur golfers that struggle with their putting, aim the putter at the hole and then they either swing out-to-in (pull) or roll the face closed for putts that break right and in-to-out (push) or roll the face open for putts that break left. 

Therein lies my favorite quote in golf “EVERY PUTT IN GOLF IS A STRAIGHT PUTT”.  If you have a putt thay breaks 10 inches right to left, you have to aim the putter face 10 inches right of the hole and swing the putter straight back and straight through to that exact spot.  You have to start that putt STRAIGHT and allow the ground to curve the ball from left to right into the hole.  You can not start that putt at the hole and then swing the putter in-to out and push it on line. 

Of course this applies for putts that break left to right.  You have to aim the putter left of the hole, swing the putter straight back and straight through, allowing the ground to curve the ball, not your stroke or clubface. 

The next time your struggling with your putting, remember this mantra:  WHAT DOES YOUR PUTTING STROKE AND GREEN READING HAVE IN COMMON-EVERYTHING!!! 

Tags: golf drill, golf putting tip// Category Putting

Written By
Bobby Eldridge
Founder of Online Golf Instruction

One of these days I am going to send out a survey to all golfers and it’s going to ask one question, “What starts the downswing?”

You can not believe some of the answers I have heard over the past 30 years.  Today I will tell you my answer and then I will tell you why I believe it to be.  The first thing you have to remember is that before you finish your back swing the golf club is already beginning to swing back towards the ball.  That is a fact.  I have a camera that takes 1000 fps and I have seen it on new golfers and Tour Professionals.  It is really cool.

Let’s put that fact aside and talk about the question as it relates to our swing thoughts.  No matter who you ask they will give you an answer.  The answer might start with the feet, ankles, hips and work it’s way up to the shoulders or chest.

You either believe that it is the upper body and arms or the lower body, the hips, knees, legs, ankles or feet.  Somewhere in the back of your mind you believe one or the other.  Upper body or lower body.

My take on it is a little different.  It has everything to do with your own golf swing.  If you are someone that hits a large number of pulls and hooks, you are going to have to move the bottom half of your body first.  If you hook or pull the golf ball the golf club is arriving at the bottom of the golf ball sooner than your body.  Instead of slowing down your arm swing you should speed up OR start your bottom half of your body first.

On the other hand.  If you are someone that hits pushes or slices, you are someone that is getting the body to active to soon in the downswing and the golf club is falling behind you.  Instead of changing your body action, try speeding up your arms and hands OR start them first.

Lastly, if you are someone that hits most of your shots in front of you.  STOP READING THIS ARTICLE.  It is not for you.  Seriously, if you are hitting the ball solid and you don’t struggle with shots to the right or left, then your timing is great.

If you stop and think about it, if the club arrives before you, your shots will start left, most of the time.  If the club arrives after you, your shots will start to the right, most of the time.  The next time someone asks you what starts the downswing, you can tell them-it all depends.

Tags: golf downswing, golf swing sequence, how to golf// Category Driver, Fairway woods/Hybrids, Full Swing, Golf Instruction, Hybrids, Solid Iron Shots

This was an exciting weekend with the Pebble Beach Tournament, and I also wanted to give you a good tip on putting. Enjoy!

Tags: golf putting tip, golf video tip, pga tour news// Category Putting, Videos

Written By
Bobby Eldridge
Founder of Golf Lessons Online

How important is it to have the proper stance for your golf swing?  Certainly not one of the top 10 topics in golf but you can not downplay the importance of a proper stance.  Footwork in golf is vital to hitting accurate and powerful shots.  Great footwork comes from a proper stance.  If your stance is either too narrow, too wide or not parallel to your target line, you will have to compensate during the golf swing to make up for it.

The easiest thing to remember about your stance is that both feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width.  Once you have addressed the golf ball all you have to do is place the shaft along your shoulder line, pinch the shaft at both shoulders and bend over to check your stance width.

If your stance is too wide you will have a tendency to to slide in the backswing.  You won’t turn around your spine.  If you slide in the backswing it is difficult to build up torque and your impact will be weak.

On the other hand if your stance is too narrow you will have a tendency to not turn in the backswing and you will wind up with an arm swing.  An arm swing will produce very little clubhead speed. Keep in mind that the shorter the club the narrower the stance.

The second part of the stance that is equally important is the aim of the feet.  Remember to aim the clubhead first before you plant your feet.  Once you have soled the clubhead you have to place your feet parallel left of your intended ball flight.  If you aim your feet too far to the right of the target you will have to either hook the ball or pull it back to the target.   If you aim your feet too far to the left of the target you will either have to push the ball or fade it back to the target.

In closing there is one last step to a proper stance.  If you point your right foot at address out to the right you will have an opportunity to make a bigger turn in the backswing.  If you open up your left foot a bit at address you will have an opportunity to turn through easiert.

The next time you are on the practice tee going through the motions don’t forget that there IS a proper stance for your golf swing.

Tags: golf swing consistency, golf swing fundamentals, proper golf stance// Category Full Swing, Golf Instruction

Written By
Bobby Eldridge
Founder of Golf Swing Fixes

If you haven’t read Part I, you can at How Can I Improve My Golf Swing?

Tags: how to golf, improve golf swing// Category Full Swing