Insight from Frank Panetta on Backswing.com:
Eye on the prize...
Yes, an eye on the ball and an eye on the hole…Putting is 51% luck!
Trust your eyes or a machine?
No doubt about it, launch monitors are here to stay…I wonder if Ben Hogan or Jack Nicklaus needed one?
Stand tall at the address position.....
One issue with this problem is bad posture at the address position…Standing over the ball like at senior citizen…Stand tall with an athletic posture…This will keep you centered a bit better throughout the swing…
It's not about money...It's about results....
You don’t always get what you pay for…However, if you find a qualified and dedicated teacher…If he or she is good and expensive don’t worry about it…
Punch down on the 7 iron...
A good way to create a divot but first hitting the golf ball is to get the student to choke down on a 7 iron and hit punch shots…A easy way to create a divot…
It's not hard you hit it...It's how well you hit it!
Overswinging is the “cancer” of the golf swing…The best way to fix it, is to swing the club like a 90-year-old person…The only way to stop it…It’s going to take some patience and discipline…Find a PGA instructor and tell them what I just told you…
To divot or not to divot that is the question....
Yes, with your wedge….No with your 1 iron….
Lesson are not to take the place of practice...
Harvey Pinick : “Lessons are not to take the place for practice”…..Drive for show, Putt for dough: You need to do both!!!
It's not the arrow, it's the Indian...
Putters are bought not sold…Eye appeal and feel are very important factors…However, if your stroke faulty, then it really doesn’t matter, Scotty Cameron vs. Miniture putting putter!
If it works...Don't fix it!!!
It’s all about ball flight…Sway, turn away or whatever, this may be the most comfortable movement for the student…
PGA all the way.........
Make very sure they are a PGA member…No exception!!!
Your suit is fitted...Why not your clubs...
Club fitting is very important…In the summer of 1964 I was given a set of clubs as my first try with golf…It would have been nice to seek out a PGA member who could have flatted the iron lie and trimmed a 1/2 inch off the woods…I was blind…Now I can see, however, it’s too […]
The club moves through the ball...Not at the ball...
We see all different swings…They have one thing in common=they swing through the ball not at the ball…
Hold that finish...
Hold your finish for 3 seconds that will help complete your follow through…
One ball for life......
One wife, pet, house, car, jewelry, clubs and ball!
Bump and run when you have firm conditions...
Bump and run is famous in the British Isles…Not here…However, with firm conditions on the course it is a good shot to hit…The best way to improve is try the following 9, 8 or 7 iron and see which one performs the best for the course conditions you are experiencing…
Turn...Slide...Twist...
Turn away like someone is calling you from the back (stolen from Harvey Penick) …Slide back into the address position…And twist for the finish, hold that position to show you completed your swing…A good rotation will produce a good finish!
Forget it!
It can’t be done for the average player…Too difficult!
Swing the club like you are 90 years old...
Tempo is related I think to your personality…The best drill is trying to practice by swing the club like you 90 years old….Second, get into the habit of watching the LPGA go on UTube and pick out a LPGA player a study their swing and tempo…Lastly, listen to Classical music (waltz tempo)…
It's a ball position...
On a short bunker shot place ball inside left heel (right-handed golfers)…Longer bunker shots move ball to the middle of the stance and keep the club low on the take-away instead of the normal “picking it up” on the backswing of a shorter bunker shot…However, this is all meaningless if the student doesn’t spend a […]
The Art and Science of reading greens...
I think the best way to learn how to read greens for speed and break is by trial and error…
Keep working at it...Everything will come together with good hard work...
I’ve heard that before and you know it doesn’t work…You have it, or you don’t…As golf professionals we need to get realistic and tell golfers that you probably will not improve that much and don’t worry about it…Just enjoy each shot with your family and friends…
Downhill lie use less club
Use one less club…Place the ball a bit back in your stance and don’t look up!
Uphill lie near the green...
Uphill lie near the green can be tricky if you don’t practice this type of shot…Just stay away from your 60-degree wedge…
Don't be afraid to release the club!
A fear of the duck-hook and a failure to release the club will result in the so-called block shot…Building confidence with your clubs in the range should eliminate this horrible shot…It’s seen on the PGA tour because of the high velocity swings that can produce the horrible duck-hook!
Shape with your swing...
Shaping the ball comes from shaping your swing…Inside out…Outside in…Hit it straight and you don’t have to worry about shaping the ball…
Clean grooves...Clean shots...
You brush your teeth and floss…No different with your irons!
From Tour Stars to Driving Range Pro's....
My golf career has been impacted by many…Very grateful to see and learn from all of them…For playing: Tom Kite and Corey Pavin: You don’t have to be BIG to have a big bank account!…On the instruction side: Harvey Pinick: Keep it simple…On the business side: Just act with Integrity and common sense: No names […]
Hit down...Not up!
They try to help the ball up instead of hitting down on it…”hit down to get the ball up!”
Keep your hands to yourself!
Hitting behind the ball, hitting it fat (PGA of America Instructional Professor’s prefer “chunking” ) are all the result of throwing the club from the top of the swing to the impact position…The golfer is too “handsy”…The hands must stay out of the shot…Shoulder and arms swing the club…The hands must stay quiet!…To correct the […]
This reminds me of the Beach Boy's song in the 1960's: "The Man with all the Toy's"
This reminds me of the Beach Boy’s song in the 1960’s: “The Man with all the Toy’s”…A Christmas song about Santa Claus…I think that’s what we have today…Toys that try to help us play golf…The range finder is good…Hand warmers…Is all that I can come up with now…
Be like Tyra....
Perfect full swing address position: Stand tall or envision yourself as a model walking down the cat walk…Good posture is the key to perfect address position…If Tyra Banks could play golf, I think she would have the all time set-up position by far!
Short club = Accuracy...
Don’t we hit are 9 iron better than are 2 iron?…3 wood is shorter than the driver, that’s why we hit the 3 wood better…Down wind the 3 wood is better than the driver…Also, the driver phycology binds you up…you over swing and do other messed up things with the “Ferrari” of golf clubs!…Fred Couples […]
Get a second pair of "Eyes"
Find a PGA or LPGA instructor to stand behind you to check out your: eyes, feet, shoulders, arms, hands, ball position and then don’t leave it short!!!
Iron out your swing with the Driver...
We have been told to “hit down” on the irons and to “sweep or hit up” on the Driver…I remember Arnold Palmer in 1965 at the Crosby Golf Tournament on the 1st tee at Monterey Peninsula Country Club the old Shore Course hitting down on his driver…Few hours later saw Jack Nicklaus do the same […]
Beating balls...Not beating your body!
There is NO substitute for hitting balls…The golf game is learned on the range not in the gym…Who cares if you can bench press 200 pounds…You just missed a short putt!…Or, better yet, because you are so strong you drove into some ones back yard!…Exercise fitness in your swing…not weights!
Swing easy and hit it hard!
The way to increase swing speed without losing accuracy: 1. Proper club fitting 2. Proper club face alignment 3. Proper body alignment 4. Swinging as fast as you can without losing your balance However if you would spend more time chipping and putting to the point of tour quality, you don’t have to worry about […]
Everything on the target..
Align (right-handed golfers) left shoulder, eyes, hands and ball on target and trust your swing!
"Looking for love in all the wrong places"
Driver is the only club that is worth looking at yearly…
Good Grip, Good Golf...Bad Grip, No Chance!
Good Grip, Good Golf…Bad Grip, No Chance!…Couldn’t be any simpler!!!
Impolite to tap someone on the head!
It’s not topping the ball…It’s tapping it on the head…You need to spank its bottom!!!
Ricky Fowler is ready...
Ricky Fowler is an excellent putter…You need to be an excellent putter for 4 days!
Spin to Win.........
Open up your 56 degree wedge and hit it off the toe of the club hitting across the ball…
"Hands touch the sky"
Backswings can be short and quick at times…Let’s all of us get our hands to touch the sky on the top of the backswing…Jack Nicklaus in his prime did this the best!
Back in the fairway for a one putt par...
Take your wedge out, put it back in the fairway and get the next shot close for your one putt par…
16th hole at Cypress Point : On the rocks!
Been playing Cypress Point Club since 1975…This was a tough day to get to the green on 16…On rocks with a bad 5 wood…Made a 4 and did not get carried into the ocean or attacked by the male seals!…My favorite hole good days and bad!
Drive for show...Putt for dough!
No training aid…Just hit 200 to 300 putts a day plus putt against someone better than you…
Don't aim at them!
Don’t hit your driver if you think you can reach the fairway bunker…If you do get in just hover your club over the ball and hit down on it…Hybrids are the best out of fairway bunkers…
Chip, Sand, and Putt.......
Get them to fall in love with chipping, sand bunker and putting…
Don't believe your eyes!
Good alignment is the result of having your left shoulder a little bit left of the target(right-handed golfer)…Eyes, hand and ball are on the target…Very simple…
When it's breezy...Swing easy!
Take one more club into the wind and stay in balance…Down wind, take one less club and stay in balance…
Tiger's final major....
Tiger Woods…
Utube Time...
Get on Utube and watch smooth swinging professionals…No Tiger, Rory, Dustin, Bryson, Jason, and the rest of the over-swingers!…Nice LPGA smooth swing video’s should help the overly amped up male golfer!( No, Alexis (Big Al) Thompson either!
Fit for Golf...
Sooner the better…Experience is not necessary….
Robot vs. Mozart
Bryson DeChambeau is too mechanical for the average person…However, there are some you could teach this method to…I want a free flowing motion in putting , I call it classical or putt like Mozart would have putted…He would have very good technique and be graceful on putts 10 feet and in!
Don't tap it's head...Spank it's bottom!
The student loves to help the ball up…In doing so, they top it or as I like to say: “you are tapping it head”…You need to spank it’s bottom…Position the logo of the ball near the right bottom part of the ground and get the student spank or hit down on the logo part of […]
Short game is not on their radar...
What is a go-to short game shot for amateurs?….There is none!!!…They like ball in the air not ball on the ground!!!
Grand Slam for Phil...Fairways only!!!
I think Phil will win…He will forget about 2006 and do what he needs to do to win…Put that Driver in the trunk and 3 wood it around Wing Foot…He is long enough not to use driver…USGA does not care about your fairway wood shots, irons, chipping , bunker, or putting…All they care about it […]
Swing the club at 1 O'clock...
Tell the student to imagine at the address position they are standing on a giant clock (right hand golfer)…The ball is at 3 O’clock…They need to swing the club pass the 3 O’clock position to the 1 O’clock position…Then tell the student 1 O’clock is are favorite time of day!
San Juan Oaks in San Juan Batista in Northern California
You get what you pay for or do you? San Juan Oaks in San Juan Batista in Northern California is the best course for the price…Not overly priced this golf course is a masterpiece!
Nothing worse than a 3 putt!!!
The golfer must have desire, discipline and dedication to practice putting…30 footer and in…30 minutes a day…That should do the trick!?
Short swings, built long swings....
Want more distance? Get more efficient with your swing mechanics!….Good working mechanics are achieved buy a rock solid short game swing! When your swing mechanic’s are improved, then distance will be gained by swinging the club faster…However, if your mechanic’s are sub-standard, then you have no chance!…Sorry….
Best course in San Francisco, period!
I have played Harding Park many times…From the late 1960’s to the 80’s in the San Francisco City Championship…Why it’s my favorite and I have played all the big names in San Francisco is because of the variety of different type’s of holes…Not all the same in your face hard like the Olympic Club…It has […]
Think of your hands in the address position...
With an impact bag get the student to swing the club into it and hold that position so they can see and feel what their hand should be doing…Ideally, hands should be in the impact position, as they are in the address position…
Monkey see...Monkey do...
I think an amateur can emulate an attitude that a players has…He will not be able to emulate the tour player’s swing…So if the amateur can concentrate on attitude and composure that would be the start to a bit more success on the golf course…I think all tour players exhibit this trait, so my answer […]
Start from the bottom...Up...
Pre-round warm-up is: Five ball from Sand-wedge to Driver…Then back to sand-wedge for about twenty-five forty yarder’s and one last driver and that will do it…Fifteen minutes on the putting green and we are ready for SLOW PLAY!!!
I just called to say: how are you?
A simple call, text or email can go a long ways…It’s doesn’t have to be about instruction…You could offer to help out in other ways…
Time out to reflect...
Being indoors for the past 10 days when you are use to being out doors is a challenge…The golf industry is in neutral now and I’m sure when this issue passes, the industry will pick up where it left off and most likely have an upswing (no pun intended) that will be very positive…
Toy's vs. Fundamentals...
How about your eye’s….Any good teacher or fitter can see the ball spinning in the air….Too much spin stiffer shaft…Low spin a more flexible shaft….Lastly, this obsession with these “toys” really takes away the true issues of the student trying to find the correct shaft or club: Poor swing fundamentals!…
Yes...However...
Yes…However, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and who’s next???
Rickie Fowler...No fear style of golf
Rickie Fowler…No fear style of golf…Good attitude never loses temper…Nice golf swing…Best putting stroke of all time!!!
Have them swing the golf club...You can see immediately their physical limitations...
Have them swing the golf club…You can see immediately their physical limitations…
no video...old school instruction
no video…old school instruction look with your eyes and feel with your swing…
Overrated....Harvey Penick did just fine without it
Overrated….Harvey Penick did just fine without it…I can see if someone needs steel or graphite on one shot…
Without doing the "math" I think it was a very exciting event...
Without doing the “math” I think it was a very exciting event…
Seek out your local PGA golf professional that is specialized in club fitting...
Seek out your local PGA golf professional that is specialized in club fitting…
You want a new set of clubs? Get them re-gripped you will have the new club feel!
When the grips start getting slick and your shots are less consistent…Lastly, you want a new set of clubs? Get them re-gripped you will have the new club feel!
Harding Park in San Francisco
Pebble Beach does not count,,,Even though it”s open to the public for 525.00 it’s really a resort…So, I would say, Harding Park in San Francisco would be my choice…Old school public feeling behind it…Plus 18 excellent holes…Only downside is bad weather, sometimes you need two sweaters for the day…That’s in July!
The Impact Bag
Not a big fan of training aids…I’m more old school: beat balls!…However, if I were to pick one: The Impact Bag…It builds strength in the impact area…It teaches the student to return the club to the address position…All the others are distractions and gimmicks!