Insight from Frederick Elliott on Backswing.com:
Treat the cause, not the sympton.
Posted on: 22 Mar 2024
Chicken-winging is the body’s natural self protection from what could happen if the the club is approaching the ball at an extremely steep angle. The fear (probably sub conscious) is injury to body parts because of such steep impact. The brain compensates by shortening the lever (the left arm) to try to create contact with […]
Not just yardage
Posted on: 06 Jul 2023
Getting the actual yardage is just the first step in determining what club you choose. Wind , type of lie (flier, bare lie , uphill, downhill,etc., air temperature, how the golfer feels that day, firmness of green, etc. Obviously not a simple process; but miss- clubbing usually can be traced to ignoring a factor that, […]
Time is not on your side
Posted on: 29 Mar 2023
Aging alone will shorten one’s backswing; shortening one’s swing should be undertaken only if your are trying to repair a swing fault. Creating consistency in your short irons could be another reason. If shortening happens because you are trying to create more rotation and less lateral motion in your backswing, trying to flatten a left […]
Small adjustments get good results
Posted on: 14 Feb 2023
Unless you’re on the tour ,small adjustments can create lower and higher trajectories without risking miss-hits. To bring your ball flight up simply moving the ball forward( if the lie allows) should create some elevation; If you definitely need some more height and it’s necessary to “just get out of jail” opening the face some […]
Old and New
Posted on: 16 Jan 2023
Garmin R10- Launch monitor that gives the 20 most important parameters for just $600, not thousands. Seems to be accurate, a great help to giving a quality tech-driven lesson. Orange whip- an old favorite that seems to definitely help beginners and high handicappers; jury is still out on whether it is much of a help […]
Nicklaus and Twitty did it even better
Posted on: 09 Dec 2022
Most good putters have eyes over the ball (or a little inside). Nicklaus and Twitty did it even better; they positioned the head so that the neck and back of the head were parallel to the ground. Their eyes were not only over the ball,but also at 90 degrees to the ground. This sights in […]
Proper unload
Posted on: 27 Oct 2022
Practice starting the forward swing by shifting “weight” or “pressure” from the rear foot to the forward foot while keeping the front hip basically “closed”. The “step” drill basically promotes this move. Club is halfway down and the hips have squared with knees flexed. No hyperextension or “standing up”.
Length, loft, and look.
Posted on: 06 Jul 2022
Find the putter length that allows you to have your eyes over the ball and also the arms to hang freely (with minimal elbow bend), If correct also lines up theforearms with the shaft Experiment with changing loft if the boll is not rolling smoothly ( bouncing) off the clubface. Finally pick a head shape […]
Spin a Factor
Posted on: 20 Apr 2022
All premium balls are as long as legally possible; many of the second level balls are also. However, almost all have different spin rates.Choose the one that assists your short game. If you have trouble stopping the ball choose the one that has the most spin on pitch and chip shots. Choose one that spins […]
Observe from a distance
Posted on: 28 Feb 2022
Two things that many great putters do innately that seemingly have basically gone unnoticed over the years are observation from a distance of green contours and close inspection of the path of ALL shots hit onto the green surface. A player (particularly if walking the course) from 50-100 yards out can not help but notice […]
Less loft,focus on top of flagstick
Posted on: 13 Feb 2022
Envision the club you would use if the lie were flat. If the uphill is not too extreme take one club stronger than if the lie was level; 2 clubs more if the lie is extreme. Remember to tilt your shoulders at the same angle as the slope and focus on the top of the […]
Info about past greats was invaluable.
Posted on: 12 Jan 2022
I actually had 3 mentors; all had been involved with great players. Their insights into what made those great players tick and how they( Ken Venturi, Patty Sheehan were 2 of the players) acquired their skills was incredibly insightful. The knowledge I gained was very helpful later when working with exceptionally talented players. I consider […]
Emphasize low point
Posted on: 19 Nov 2021
There could be several causes for a player “fatting” the ball. Rather than going the mechanical route, something that seems to often work is explaining to the player that the low point of the swing is 3-4 inches on the target side of the ball. They are usually conceptual victims of trying to scoop or […]
Little One training club
Posted on: 28 Oct 2021
Strongly benefits improved face contact; but turns out it is just as beneficial for chipping and pitching.
Not impact; a "ready" position.
Posted on: 01 Oct 2021
Stand perfectly erect, with knees straight and extend the arms so the club is parallel to the ground; then lower the club to the ground by bending at the WAIST. Bend the knees moderately so you feel “athletic” balance. Remember this is not the impact position- do not put the hands markedly ahead, weight is […]
Using binocular vision is important
Posted on: 12 Jul 2021
Start by facing the target ( using your binocular vision) and then use either an intermediate target, an imaginary line to the target, or a very distant target to acquire a ball-target relationship. Set feet parallel to this and fire away. If your subconscious minutely adjusts your set-up let it be. Our subconscious is a […]
Most important fundamental
Posted on: 28 May 2021
Simplest approach to a sound grip is to have the left palm parallel to the angle of the left arm and the right palm parallel to the angle of the right arm and then grip the club with thepalms keeping their position and after gripping be parallel to each other. Should produce a neutral or […]
one-man scramble & worst ball
Posted on: 06 Jan 2021
Once the player has achieved a reasonable level of consistency on the range I explain hitting balls on the range (even if they have progressed away from block practice to variability practice) is different from the the actual playing of shots during a round. The success rate of range versus actual play is usually lower. […]
80 degree lie angle,why not?
Posted on: 15 Oct 2020
The lie angle must deviate by 10 degrees from vertical, good for Bryson for noticing. The more vertical the stroke ( a shaft plane deviation of only 10 degrees) the more margin for error. Why haven’t the putter companies featured more models with that shaft angle? Coupled with the arm lock Bryson has created a […]
Adam Scott
Posted on: 16 Sep 2020
Driving will be a big factor as the rough at Winged Foot is brutal;Scott has streaks where he drives the ball beautifally. Maybe like the victories of Orville Moody and Ed Furgol, it might not be short game artist that wins.
Explain path and face
Posted on: 10 Sep 2020
The most efficient way to help a player hit a draw is to explain how the relationship of path and face creates the shot. The next step through drills or the use of tech is to establish path. Divot feedback for irons and obstacle feedback for woods create feedback for the player. The final step […]
Parallel palms
Posted on: 06 Aug 2020
Swing the arms (no club) with the palms parallel (not touching) from hip high to hip high,allowing body movement to accompany.