Bobby Eldridge Golf

THIS IS HOW TO LET IT GO!!!

The lesson today is titled “Releasing the Golf Club in the Downswing”.  I was tempted to call it “You CAN NOT Release the Golf Club in the Downswing unless you are in the Correct Position at the top of the Backswing”.   I thought it was a bit long.

I know many of you have struggled over the years with releasing the golf club.  Furthermore I know how frustrated you are reading all of the articles that have been written on the subject.  The problem is simple.  You can not release the golf club if you are not on the correct plane at the top of the backswing. 

If you are not on plane and you do release it you will swing the club either into the ground or on the top of the golf ball.  The lesson I am going to share with you today is going to explain how you can release the golf club into the BACK of the golf ball.

Most of you don’t have to worry about turning too much in the backswing.  However if you do turn too much in the backswing when you release the club in the downswing you will swing over the top of the ball.

Let me tell you exactly how you can teach yourself the correct way to turn in the backswing.  If you are lucky enough to have a small slope on your practice facility you are in business.  I will give you a visual of what the slope should look like and how to use it.  When you address the golf ball on the slope it should be above your feet.  The ideal lie would be where the golf ball was between your ankles and your knees.  DO NOT USE A SLOPE THAT IS BELOW YOUR FEET. 

Once you have addressed the golf ball make sure you sit back on your heels slightly.  From this lie you will develop the feel of turning in the backswing.  As soon as you start the golf club back the right shoulder will turn out of the way and your arms will swing up.  This is what we refer to as staying on plane in the backswing. 

The first 25 shots will feel odd; you might top a few or hit the ground behind some of them.  Give it time and you will begin to see the results. 

If you don’t have a slope to hit from I have another idea.  Address the golf ball and then lift the club head off of the ground three or four inches.  From this position you can simple turn and swing the arms up. 

Isn’t it funny that I haven’t mentioned the release very much?  The reason is simple.  If you get yourself in the correct position at the top of the backswing most of the time the release happens naturally.   

Don’t forget if you have any questions feel free to contact me by opening the Contact Bobby tab.  Come back tomorrow and I will have the continuation lesson on backspin.

Golfingly yours,

Bobby

Tags: Driver, Full Swing, Golf Instruction, Solid Iron Shots by admin
No Comments »

Secrets to Backspin

Secret #6-#7-#8 

From the beginning the next three steps may not appear to be related.  However by the time you finish this blog you will see how they tie together.  When you combine the firmness of a green, how windy the conditions are and if you used a tee or not they will make sense.

Putting green surfaces have to be the most inconsistent part of the playing conditions in golf.  I am referring to how firm or soft they are.  Obviously if it pours the night before you play they are going to be pretty consistent.  On the other hand if it hasn’t rained in a month and the greens have to depend on the watering system to keep them alive they begin to live up to their own uniqueness.    

For example, if a green faces the sun at high noon versus a green that sits in the trees and faces the west you are going to see a big difference in the two.  This will play a huge roll in whether or not you can spin a ball on the green facing the noon sun.  Usually a green that sits in the trees and faces the west is going to get less sun light to dry it out.  As a matter of fact this is where it gets a bit complicated.  The green might be softer but it won’t grow as much grass so it is faster than most of the other greens. 

On a hot and dry day the greens are going to firm up and they will not accept a spinning golf shot.  When the golf ball lands on a dry green there is not enough traction to grab the ball and help it spin backwards.  The ball will take one big hop forward, lose its backspin and then roll to the back of the green. 

Now let’s move on to windy conditions.  Wind plays two rolls that affect backspin.  The windier the conditions the dryer the greens become.  The combination of a hot and windy day can play havoc on the greens.  The greens not only become bone dry they also become crispy to putt on.  The putting surface is mowed so low that once they dry out it makes scoring very difficult. 

The second role the wind plays in backspin is the impact it has on the golf ball.  If you are hitting a shot into the wind it exaggerates the spin on the golf ball.  (As long as we are at it I might as well tell you this.  It not only affects the backspin it has a tremendous affect on sidespin.   Any shot that has left to right or right to left curve on it will get out of control quickly in windy conditions.)  The key to hitting shots into the wind is simple.  The HARDER you hit it the more it will spin backwards.  If you really go after a pitching wedge into the wind (the higher it will fly-more backspin) not necessarily further.  Keep this in mind.  If you have a shot into the wind you might be better off using one club more so it won’t spin backwards as much.

Hitting shots downwind is pretty straight forward (no pun intended).  There are two things you can’t do to a golf ball downwind.  #1 You can create much backspin.  #2 You can’t curve the ball left to right or right to left very much.  You can try all you want but you are not going to back up a golf ball downwind. UNLESS…the green is soaking wet or you are VERY, VERY talented.

Let’s move on to a teed up shot.  If you tee the golf ball up just right, you can create a spinning iron shot.  If it is teed to high it will be more of a dead shot.  For the golf ball to spin you have to catch the ball in the center of the clubface, if you catch it to high there isn’t enough force to create backspin.  If you tee it just above the grass the club head will hit the ball clean and you won’t have any grass between the ball and clubface. 

At the beginning I told you secrets #6-#7-#8 are tied together.  Any combination can result in a ball with backspin.  However if you tee up a ball on a par three, into the wind doesn’t always result in backspin when it lands on a hard green.

Join me tomorrow for a lesson on releasing the club in the downswing.

Golfingly yours,

Bobby

Tags: Full Swing, Golf Instruction, Solid Iron Shots, Wedges by admin
No Comments »

Tags: Green Side Bunkers by admin
No Comments »

Secrets to Backspin

Secret #4-#5 

The next two secrets pertain to the conditions you are faced with.  Although they go hand in hand I want to keep them separate for the time being.  Not all greens are flat.  Not in Kansas, West Texas or Arizona.  Some have more slopes than others and there is one thing you have to keep in mind. MOST greens are designed with drainage in mind and most greens drain towards the front of the green.   

The nature of our sport is that greens have to accept shots that are hit to it.  In other words our game would be much more difficult if the greens were built high in the front and they sloped away from you (low in the back).  Ninety-five percent of all greens are low in the front and high in the back. 

That in itself is one of the 16 reasons you see shots on TV back up on the green.  With that being said you have to remember this:  the entire green isn’t always low in the front and high in the back.  Some greens have areas where they are designed to fall towards the back part of the green.  Sometimes you will see one ball land and stop and the very next shot will land three feet away from the first shot and back up off of the green. 

Some putting surfaces have so much undulation in them that two inches can make the difference between a shot that takes one hop and spins back off of the green or one hop and jumps over the back part of the green.  Most of the time were happy when our ball ends up anywhere on the green.  The tour professionals play at such a high level they have the ability to land a ball within a two or three foot area.

Let’s move on to the next secret, the speed of the greens.  This one is not rocket science.  If a golf ball lands on a green that is mowed really low 7-8.5 on the Stimpmeter, the golf ball is going to spin backwards more than if it lands on a green that is 4.5 on the Stimpmeter.  (The Stimpmeter is a device used to measure the speed of golf course putting surfaces.  During the U.S. Open the greens can run 10.5 on the meter.  I don’t care if Seve, Lee Trevino or Tiger hit a shot into a green that 4.5 it is NOT going to spin backwards. 

We have a long way to go for you to wrap your arms around the whole spin picture but at least you can start figuring out what happens when you hit a shot and it doesn’t spin backwards 20 feet.  Five down and 11 to go.

Come back tomorrow and I will have a lesson on why you hit thin BUNKER shots.

Golfingly yours,

Bobby

Tags: Full Swing, Golf Instruction, Pitching, Solid Iron Shots, Wedges by admin
No Comments »

CHIN UP FOR CRISPER IRON SHOTS

There could very well be 100 different ways to correct fat iron shots.  However I am going to give you a lesson that will help you instantly. 

The one thing that affects a fat iron shot is your posture.  When you swing an iron you have to swing the golf club on an arc.  Swinging the golf club on an arc means the golf club has to stay on the same plane in the backswing and downswing.  Let me assure you of one thing.  It is a whole lot easier said than done!!!

Most of the time you hit fat iron shots because you swung the golf club too vertical (too much above the correct plane) in the backswing and then you swing the club to steep in the downswing.  Let’s spend some time on the role the posture plays during the golf swing.  Now this part is really pretty simple.  If you bend over the golf ball too much you are going to swing the golf club too STEEP in the backswing.  Over and done with.  No questions asked.  Don’t even begin to think that you can swing the golf club on plane into the back of the golf ball if you are bent over too much or your chin is stuck in your chest. 

I know you are wondering how you can diagnose your posture in the address position when you are supposed to be looking at the golf ball.  The first thing you can do is have someone video you or have them take a still picture of you.  The next thing you can do is check your divots.  If they are too deep or going to the left after impact then your swing is too vertical. 

Now I believe it is time to fix your problem.  After you address the golf ball, take your right hand off of the golf club without looking up.  The next step is to ball your right hand up into a fist.  The final step is to place your right (fist) hand under your chin with your knuckles up against your throat.  BINGO…You have just improved your posture by two or three inches. 

Here comes the secret.  YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR CHIN UP DURING THE BACKSWING, DOWNSWING AND IMPACT. 

There is your lesson for hitting your irons fat.

Blog in tomorrow for the continuation of backspin.

Golfingly yours,

Bobby

Tags: Full Swing, Solid Iron Shots by admin
No Comments »

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I’m excited to announce my new Golf Swing Lessons Download site over at igolffixes.com. I recommend you take a look at my new Pulling Putts Module in the new Golf Putting section of the site.

START MAKING THOSE 3-FOOTERS

I am going to give you a lesson today that you are not going to forget for a very long time. When people come to me with their putting woes I always ask them one question, if they think putting is a game of distance or direction? Ninety-nine golfers out of a hundred have answered…direction.

By now you probably know I disagree 100%. I believe putting should have been called TOUCH. If I believe so strongly about this then why would I write a BLOG on STOP Pulling Short Putts. It’s simple. The one thing amateur golfers do not do is work on their putting touch.

There are only three things you have to work on to get this right. #1. I don’t care how good your touch is, if you don’t aim the putter where you want the golf ball to go you are never going to make it. The first step is to make sure you are aimed correctly. #2. You not only have to have the putter face aimed in the correct direction you also have to have your feet, knees, hips and shoulders aimed parallel to your target line. Most of the time when you pull your short putts-your shoulders are aimed LEFT of the hole. #3. Now here is the best kept secret in golf. After you are all set up and ready to swing the putter straight back-take a look down at the tips of both shoes. All you have to do is swing the putter parallel to your toe line.

Yes, you are correct. If your toe line is not aimed parallel to the hole it won’t work. However, it won’t take long before you will learn how to aim your toes parallel.

It will take about two or three rounds of golf and you will begin to fill the cup up with those three footers.

Golfingly yours,

Bobby

Come back tomorrow and I will have a lesson on how to stop hitting your irons fat.

Don’t forget: SWING THE PUTTER STRAIGHT BACK-PARALLEL TO YOUR TOE LINE.

Tags: Golf Instruction, Putting by admin
No Comments »

Secrets to Backspin

Secret #3

Now let’s spend some time on the conditions that the tour players are faced with when they approach the green with their iron shots.

Unless you have walked the fairways of a professional tour event you cannot believe how tight they are mowed.  All kidding aside they are in much better condition than the greens I grew up on.  Of course that was 40ish years ago but I am serious.  I will take it a step further. 

The fairways they play on are better than most of the greens we putt on today.  Let me tell you why this aspect of backspin is important to understand. 

When you contact a golf ball the ball rolls up the face of the golf club you are using and the dimples of the golf ball dig into the grooves of the golf club.  This action puts backspin on the golf ball.  The dimples not only dig into the club face but the dimples are also there to make the golf ball fly up.  That combination is great when a ball lands on the green.  BACKSPIN!!!

Now let me carry on about the length they mow the fairways.  At the moment of impact if there is any grass between the golf ball and clubface the grass fills in the grooves of the iron.  Do you get it?  The golf ball will not dig into the clubface.  If the golf ball doesn’t dig into the clubface the golf ball will not spin backwards as it leaves the club head. 

If this takes place the tour players will have a flyer shot.  A flyer is a shot that comes out HOT.  It acts more like a knuckle ball and it is out of control.  NO BACKSPIN!!!

Here lies (no pun intended) the problem you and I are faced with.  It’s a double edged sword.  It takes a tremendous amount of ability to swing the golf club into the back of the golf ball on a tight lie.  I mean it is really difficult.  The fairways that most of us play on have a little cushion so our golf ball sits up and not flat on the ground.  The tighter the lie the more backspin (if the contact is correct).  The fluffier the lie the more chance you will catch a flyer. 

It is a deadly combination for most amateur golfers.  Tight lie=can’t make perfect contact.  Fluffy lie=no backspin.

Remember even tour players find it difficult to hit a spinning shot out of the rough.

Come back tomorrow and I will give you a lesson on how to stop pulling your three foot putts.

Golfingly yours,

Bobby

Tags: Full Swing, Golf Instruction, Short game, Wedges by admin
No Comments »

Stop Slicing Your Driver…Today

Yesterday I told you there are two ways of slicing a golf ball.  Either the face is open at impact or the path the golf club is swinging on is coming to much from outside to inside.  Before I tell you how to fix this mistake I should tell you in a bit more detail what an out to in swing path is. 

When we address the golf ball we have to stand to the side of it.  If you draw a line on the ground from your target (the flag) straight through the middle of the golf ball and pass through it for three more feet that line is referred to as our target line.  It also represents one more thing.  When we swing a golf club back away from the golf ball the club head has to swing away from that line on an arc.  When you swing the club head back down to hit the golf ball it has to return on the exact same path back to the golf ball.  At the moment of impact it is square to that line (only for an inch or two) and then it has to swing past the golf ball on the arc again. 

If you swing the golf club back and forth on an arc (with a square club face) the golf ball will start straight and fly straight at your target.  However if you swing the golf club too far OUTSIDE the target line in the downswing the club head will swing too much to the INSIDE after impact imparting left to right spin on the golf ball.

That is exactly why your golf ball starts off in the left hand rough and ends up in the right hand rough.  OK, now how do you stop it?  #1. Check your ball position.  It is probably too far forward in your stance.  #2.  Check your shoulder alignment.  They are probably aiming too far to the left of your target.  #3 Check to make sure you swing the driver back down on an arc. Draw an arc on the ground behind the golf ball so you can follow it in the downswing.

There is one last thing to keep in mind.  Because the driver has a flatter faced club in your bag, it slices the most.  If you make the same swing with a five iron, the five iron won’t slice nearly as much as the driver.  If you make the same swing mistake with a five iron it will start left but it will fly straight left.  The five iron puts more BACKSPIN on a golf ball and not as much SIDESPIN.

Come back tomorrow and I will have the next couple of steps for creating backspin.

Golfingly yours,

Bobby

Tags: Driver, Fairway woods/Hybrids, Full Swing, Golf Instruction, Hybrids by admin
No Comments »

IMPORTANT UPDATE: I’m excited to announce my new Golf Video Tips site over at igolffixes.com. I recommend you take a look at my new Golf Driver Slice Module in the new Golf Swing Driver section of the site.

Stop Slicing Your Driver…Today

February 7, 2009

If you have struggled with slicing the golf ball with your driver I have something that is going stop it NOW. A slice is caused by an open clubface at impact, an out to in swing path or BOTH!!! Ouch. Let’s do some self diagnosis for starters.

I will describe some slices and you see if one them fits you. #1. Do you hit your driver down the center of the fairway and then at the last second the golf ball turns off to the right, hits the ground and spins further to the right? Sound familiar? #2. Do you hit your tee shots towards the left rough only to see it wind up in the right rough? Let’s spend a couple of minutes discussing these two very different swing mistakes.

The first mishit is a club face problem and the second one is a swing path problem.

When you hit your tee shot down the center of the fairway only to see it curve to the right that means the clubface was open at impact. There is some great news. There is nothing wrong with your GOLF SWING. However there is something wrong with the clubface. There are two different reasons why the clubface is open at impact.

#1. You are gripping the golf club too weak. A weak grip means your hands are too far to the left on the golf club. When you look down you can’t see any knuckles of the left hand at address. If you can’t see any knuckles of the left hand, simply turn both hands to the right and the face will begin to close in the downswing resulting in a square clubface at impact. #2. The second reason is called grip pressure. If you grip the golf club so tight you look down and your knuckles are white, the clubface is never going to close in time at impact. I have often said you should grip the club like you were holding a baby’s hand. The lighter the grip pressure the quicker the clubface will roll over in the downswing.

I know this will help you stop slicing the golf ball immediately.

If you know you slice the golf ball because of your swing path, come back tomorrow and I will have a great lesson that will help you.

Golfingly yours,

Bobby

Tags: Driver, Full Swing, Golf Instruction by admin
No Comments »

Secrets to Backspin

Secret #1-#2

Ok here we go again…Professional golf on TV.  And to make things worse for you it is in HD.  So why am I going on about this?  It is simple.  It seems like every Saturday when we sit down to watch a golf tournament the telecast starts off with a tour player hitting a really high shot that lands 30 feet past the pin takes two hops and spins back to within three feet of the hole.

And then…my inbox begins to fill up with “how do those guys do it”?  Well in the next few minutes I am going to tell you everything you need to know about backspin.  It will give you insight into how they do it and what you can do to improve your shots into the green.

Let’s start with equipment.  Most professional golfers play with golf balls that are softer than the balls the average amateur plays with.  The softer the golf ball the better chance you have of spinning your shots into the green.  Now combine the soft golf ball with a soft club head.  There are two types of metals that are used for making golf clubs.  You either have a soft forged club head or a harder cast golf club.  If you are using a hard golf ball with a cast club head, it is close to impossible to make a golf ball spin backwards when it hits the green.

Two secrets down and 14 to go.  Check back in a couple of days and I will walk you through the different playing conditions and how they affect backspin.

Golfingly yours,

Bobby

Tags: Full Swing, Golf Instruction, Solid Iron Shots, Wedges by admin
No Comments »