Insight from Patrick O'Hara on Backswing.com:
Things Have Changed Over the Years!
Posted on: 27 Mar 2024
From an instructor using eyes only to decipher a golf swing to currently having high speed cameras, launch monitors and force plates, the last 20-25 years have really changed how golf is being taught. Some of the so called “absolutes” in golf have been proven wrong with modern technology. How the golfer’s body needs to […]
Play the percentages
Posted on: 06 Jul 2023
As humans, we don’t do everything perfect every single time. Be it driving a car or shooting pool, we make mistakes. The golf swing/shot is no different. We would like to think we hit every 6-iron the same every day of the week but that is just not true. When selecting a club to hit, […]
The Best Golf Gadget in the past 20 years...
Posted on: 28 Oct 2021
IMHO, the best gadget in the past 20 years has been the creation and refinement of range finders for both the amateur and professional golfer. It has taken out any guess work on yardage and being fooled by optical illusions during the round of golf. Golfers of today can practice precise distances and carry that […]
The 3/5-wood is your FRIEND!
Posted on: 20 Sep 2021
We all need to think more about using the correct club for our tee shots on each hole . Just because it is a par four or five, doesn’t mean the driver is the best play. Completing 18 holes with the lowest score possible means playing the percentages. If using a three wood off the […]
Grip and Balance are Key
Posted on: 05 Feb 2021
To promote a stable face at impact when putting, as well as any other shot, your grip needs to be secure and correct and your body needs to be in balance. Although a putt may not be the biggest swing you bring to your golf game it still needs to be correct. What is correct? […]
Back, Up, In and Down, Out, Forward
Posted on: 08 Oct 2020
A couple things come to mind on this. Having the student explain their thoughts on impact positions and what they perceive is happening during the impact interval. Are they trying to “help” the ball into the air by flipping their wrists at impact? It is usually a good discussion and leads to my explanation that […]
Putt, Chip and Pitch - in that order
Posted on: 02 Oct 2020
The short game in golf simplified – is having the golfer play the odds. The quicker a golfer can get the ball on the ground and rolling towards the hole the better. So with this in mind, the process for evaluating / deciding the shot to hit around the green should be as follows: Evaluate […]
Practice with clubs and shots you will be using that day
Posted on: 16 Jul 2020
Need to adjust your pre-round warm up to mimic the clubs and shots you will be hitting that day. If it is windy, knockdown shots, If the course is wet and playing long, more fairway woods, hybrids and long irons. The short game becomes more important if the conditions are such that hitting greens in […]
Preparation is Key!
Posted on: 15 May 2020
I always found that if I put in the time and the effort to prepare for the event I always did better on the first tee. I would also remind myself that this shot carries no more weight than any of the other shot I would hit that day. They all count 1. Is it […]
IMHO I think it would be based on the player and the shot.
Posted on: 26 Feb 2020
IMHO I think it would be based on the player and the shot. I would respond better to length of swing while other players I know key on the speed. Higher speeds with the body will increase the spin on the ball…good for some situations but not all. Long back swing and slower rotation will […]
Too many to count!
Posted on: 09 Dec 2019
Too many to count! A lot of great golf is being played on both the PGA , LPGA and Champions Tour. The great thing about tournament golf is the fact that you play a different venue each week and everyone start off the week in the same position. Nothing more fair than that! Pat
Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you!
Posted on: 14 Aug 2019
It really depends on a few factors: How often you play, where you store your clubs when not in use and how much effort do you put into keeping the grips clean. If you play and practice 3 times a week or more, keep your clubs in the trunk of your car and never use […]