|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Golf Talk With Tom Chillemi The new technology behind big drivers is designed to produce longer, straighter drives. A couple small adjustments will ensure golfers are enjoying all the benefits of these advances. The key elements in using big drivers successfully are proper tee height and ball placement in the stance. If the ball is teed too low and played in the middle of the stance two things will happen. The contact will be at the bottom of the downswing and too low on the clubface. By placing the ball off the left foot and using a 2 ¾ tee, the correct contact would be at the beginning of the upswing and a little above the middle of the clubface. The physics of this are simple. If a ball is struck high on the clubface it will fly forever. This is called "Vertical Gear Effect". If the ball strikes above the center of gravity of the club, it makes the top of the clubface move backward. In this instance, the clubface acts as a gear and the ball launches with reduced spin. If struck at a high enough launch angle it will come off with reduced spin giving it a "flier" or "knuckleball" effect. This is why the ball should be played forward in the stance. The shot will fly longer and have less sidespin, reducing slices and hooks. The ball teed too low will produce topped or low shots. Tee the ball as high as possible and put it forward in the stance. This will allow the ball to be struck on the upswing and produce longer and straighter shots. The photos below demonstrate the correct and incorrect teeing and placement for hitting big drivers.  Figure 1 Correct - Ball positioned off left heel and teed high  Figure 2 Incorrect - Ball too far back in stance and teed low Good Luck Golf Talk With Tom Chillemi Balance..Balance..Balance. Of all the things that make up a golf swing this is probably the most often abused. Forget the grip, straight left arm, head down, etc., etc. These are all important aspects but none more so than being able to take a full golf swing and keep your balance. I can't tell you how many times, in my many years of teaching and observing golfers, I have seen some really strange contortions when hitting a golf ball. One example is the notorious fire and fall back. This happens when the golfer, just as they are striking the ball, lets their weight lean or jump back toward their right or back foot. Another example is the famous reverse pivot where, on the backswing, the weight leans on the left leg and, on the downswing, goes to the back or, right leg. There are plenty of examples of what not to do but I'll continue by trying to explain what should be happening. I think most golfers realize that on the backswing, the weight should shift to the right foot and on the downswing, shift to the left side and remain in this position without falling off balance. The average golfer just doesn't know how to accomplish this and/or doesn't realize how absolutely critical this can be. Just watch the Pros any weekend on TV and tell me how many you see finish their swing leaning away from where they are hitting. The answer is none. They all finish in balance, with all their weight on their left side, right heel up in the air, right toe pointing down and their belt buckle pointing at the target. I find the best way to teach this is to start from the end. First, I place the student, without swinging back, in the correct finish position as I mentioned above. I then have them remain in this position for a few seconds to show them how a proper follow through should feel. Then the student would take a few easy practice swings and when the get to the follow through, if they have done it correctly, I have them hold it for a count of 10 seconds before starting again. Once they have mastered the follow through without a ball we begin to practice with a ball. This is the hard part. Automatically, they try and hit "at the ball" instead of "through the ball" and fall back. Finally, when they learn to finish properly, we work on holding the position until it is mastered. We all have our swing faults and all I can offer is this; If you can master the bane of the poor golfer, poor balance and weight transfer, I guarantee you will hit the ball much longer and straighter. I have inserted a picture of my son Tommy hitting a drive on the 18th hole at St. Andrews. This drive was in the heat of competition in a golf tournament and was struck with a smooth and powerful swing completely in control.  Notice the things I mentioned:
I hope these tips will help to make you a better golfer and please remember...Balance..Balance..Balance. Good Golfing Golf Talk With Tom Chillemi Today I'm going to pass on a few tips on these two shots that my Dad, Nick Chillemi, passed on to me. The lob and sand shot are very similar in technique.
Okay now that we know how similar the shots are what did Nick tell me to make it work. Even though all of the 6 tips above are needed to complete a successful shot the most important is #6. To execute correctly, the club MUST stay in an open position through impact. The SECRET is simple:
 Photo #1 Normal  Photo #2 Sand & Lob shot Now I'll tell you why: Good Golfing Golf Talk With Tom Chillemi This month we are going to talk about reading putts. Some of the things I’m going to tell you are going to be hard to believe but they are true. The main reason we miss putts is not our grip, stance, stroke or anything else. It’s that we DON’T PLAY ENOUGH BREAK. The average golfer misses 80% of his or her putts on the low side of the hole. I know you are probably saying that is a bunch of baloney but it is true. If you don’t believe it, go to the putting green and pick out a putt that breaks at least 6 inches either left or right. Hit 6 putts on what you think is the correct line. I’ll bet you leave at least 4 on the low side of the hole. If you keep them all either in the hole or above it you are a better reader of greens and putter than most touring pros. Next time you are watching a tournament on TV, either men or ladies, keep track of all putts over 6 feet for everyone and watch what happens. Just take a pad and put low on one side and high on the other and put a mark either way the putt misses. Count holed putts as the high side. I guarantee the majority of misses are below the hole. Putts that slide by on the low side aren’t going in but putts that come from the high side have a much better chance because they are coming into the hole from the right direction and have a chance to tumble in. If you realize this as a fact and have the will power to change the way you read the break on greens I absolutely guarantee you will make more putts, especially from 10 feet in. Here is what you need to do. Play DOUBLE the break you think it is. Hard to believe isn’t it? Try it on the putting green with a sloping putt 8 or 10 feet long and watch what happens. Keep doing it until you can putt 6 balls and either make them or miss on the high side. It isn’t as easy as you think but if you master it and are able to take it to the golf course you will be a better putter. Remember the touring pros haven’t mastered it completely and neither have I, but they miss less on the low side and consequently make more putts. This is one of the few things we can do like the pros since it doesn’t take strength, technique, etc., just will power. If you even get 50% more of your putts to finish on the high side you will be a much better putter and MAKE MORE PUTTS. Hope this helps and GOOD PUTT READING TO YOU. Golfingly Yours |
 |
||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||
