Here’s Thursday with another Bobby Talks Golf! I talk about the tour, my pick to win the Riviera Tournament (hint: I’m taking Phil Michelson). I also give you a great fairway bunker golf tip, to get you out of those bunkers and down the fairway.
Written By
Bobby Eldridge
Founder of Golf Video Fixes
I often wonder when a person takes up golf if they think there is such a thing as “beginner golf swing instruction”. In other words do you think they take one look at Ernie and say to themselves “I can do that” I am going to cut through all of the red tape and go straight to the top.
Even if they think that, I believe there are some parts to the game that the new golfer has to learn and know why we do it. The single most important thing is for them to realize you have to aim in golf. You not only have to aim correctly, you have to aim the club and the body. You can not believe how difficult it is for a new golfer to aim the golf ball. Maybe I shouldn’t say new golfer. It is very difficult for someone like me to aim the golf ball where I want it to go. Trust me-parallel left is a concept from outerspace.
The next part that is on my list for beginner golfer is the grip. The new golfer really struggles with holding the golf club. It is awkward and the concept is foreign to them. The clubface has to open in the backswing and close in the downswing. If the grip is not correct the club will not open and close during the swing. The other part of the grip that is extremely difficult to learn is grip pressure. The new golfer feels as thou the club is going to fly out of their hands.
Posture, posture, posture. Oh my this is a top three for sure. The combination of measuring yourself from the ball the correct amount and then combine that with the correct amount of tilt at the waist and you have a real problem on your hands at the beginning.
Lastly, the golf swing. If you can remember back to the first time you picked up a club…you might recall the pain this game can bring. Let me get this right-you TURN your shoulders as the club swings UP and then you swing the club back DOWN as the shoulders TURN again. Don’t forget, that is the top half, you still have the bottom half to think about.
The next time your on the golf course with a spouse, friend or playing partner and they are new to the game, keep in my when you were a beginner. Golf swing instruction for them is much different than for you.
This is the initial launch of my new Bobby Eldridge Talks Golf Youtube channel.
The most common shot selection for amateur golfers when they are in between clubs is to take the longer one and swing slower. There is one big problem with that method.
If you’re normal clubhead speed is 75 miles per hour and you decide to take the longer club and swing 65 miles per hour, that takes a tremendous amount of practice to get the timing down. On the other hand if you decide to go with the shorter club and swing faster, you will be faced with the same challenges.
The method that I have taught for years and is easy to apply. All you have to do is choke down an inch or two on the longer club and make your normal swing. If you are faced with a 150 yard shot, slightly uphill and into the wind, you might pull your 5 and 6 out of the bag. You think to yourself that you could jump on a 6 iron or smooth a 5 iron. In both situations you have to change your timing, tempo and pace of swing to match the impact of the club and ball.
I recommend you take out the 5 iron and choke down an inch or two and make it a 5.5 iron. There is one final step, you have to stand an inch or two closer to the ball at address. Once you have done that you can swing away at the ball with your normal pace and tempo of your swing. The ball is not going to travel as far as your standard five iron but it will travel further than your six iron.
Keep in mind to choke down an inch or two, stand an inch or two closer to the ball and makie your normal swing.
