Jim Hardy

Longleaf Golf & Family Club

Senior Director, Academy Development U.S. Kids Golf, Longleaf Golf & Family Club

James Hardy

Senior Director, Academy Development
Longleaf Golf & Family Club
Southern Pines, NC

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Insight from James Hardy on Backswing.com:

3 ways to top a shot

The topped shot is usually followed by someone saying “I came out of it” or “I lifted my head”. Those things might be true but if you focus on what the club head is doing just before & after the offense, maybe you can solve the problem better. Top #1 is the shallow top. This […]

Little step, big step.

For Drivers, long irons and hybrids, we usually simply say, ball in the front of your stance. Not everyone will be the same but basically if you set up to the ball with your feet together and the ball between your big toes, now take a small step wider with the target side foot and […]

"You don't hit the ball with your backswing sonny!"

Pretty funny story about a tour pro that was new on the Ben Hogan staff and asked Ben to watch him hit some balls. Ben watched and gave him a tip that had to do with something in the down swing. The player though, asked a question about his backswing….”You don’t hit the ball with […]

Think Ferris Wheel

The term “Bomb & Gouge” was used a lot a few years back when describing the games of tour pro’s like VJ & Phil. The idea came from the tactic of bombing the drives as far as you could not worrying about hitting it into the rough because you were close to the green and […]

What did Lee know?

“Wood in the bunker, wood in the head” Lee Trevino. That was one of thousands of Lee Trevinoisms. He thought any person trying to hit a fairway wood out of the bunker had lost his marbles. This was back in the day when woods were wooden and shafts were steel, and sweet spots were pee […]

Play the game, in front of you!

At its best, golf is played in front of the golfer, meaning the golfer doesn’t have to think of their swing other than a simple trigger or thought. Playing the game in front of you means you are focused on what you want the ball to do and you have the confidence that you can […]

Ready, Fire, Aim!

I love the way my mentor taught me to teach…he drilled it in to me that a person can only miss hit a ball 3 different ways. Too Shallow, (usually in to out) Too Steep, (usually out to in) and a missed radius. Everything in golf can be explained looking at the swing from this […]

Make the wind your friend!

We’ve all probably heard the old saying, “Swing easy when it’s breezy” and I would have to say I’d agree with that most of the time. The tendency into the wind is to tense up and swing harder but that only adds backspin and makes the ball shoot upward into the wind and come down […]

Work out, improve speed and balance!

If you have to put the clubs away for the winter, don’t stop swinging. Use some swing speed trainers or an Orange Whip to enhance your speed. A short 10 minute session once or twice a day can improve your speed so when it thaws out your ready to outdrive your couch potato buddies. You […]

Depends....

It depends. In my world of junior golfers, the right fit is key because trying to play golf with clubs that are too long and too heavy usually creates a non-golfer. Almost completely gone are the days when dad takes a hacksaw to his old set so that they are close the right length but […]

Feel and React vs. Measure and Execute

I’d categorize Bryson DeChambeau’s putting technique as perfect for him but not for everyone. What I mean by that is, his method of gathering data like the distance, the gradient of the slope, the speed of the green etc. then making a back and through swing measured by distance works for him. It wouldn’t work […]

The Return of the Chip

A great go to shot around the green for any player is a chip with a 9 iron. First, let me explain why a 9 iron…you see, a 9 iron will have around 45 degrees of loft. This is important when you think about ball contact and control. If you consider the equator of the […]

Kuuuuch!

My pick for this years U.S. Open is Matt Kuchar. The biggest reason why is because Winged Foot is a good course for average length players, and the rough looks, well, rough! Matt has been solid throughout his last several years with his performance largely due to the fact that he doesn’t hit many foul […]

3 Ball Drill

The 3 ball drill will not only help a player hit draws & fades on demand but it can also help you make your swing more dependable. Line up 3 balls in a triangle pattern with 2 balls on your toe line about a club length outside each foot and the point of the triangle […]

Distance control!

In my world of teaching kids golf, I can say without a doubt that, a new golfers first big leap in scoring is when they stop 5 & 6 putting and begin 2 & 3 putting. This occurs when they figure out how to hit the first putt close to the correct distance. The two […]

Play the right tee!

Extra distance is something that everyone wants but few can deliver. I usually make the case for players to work on increasing their distance through club fitting, exercise and practice….But, while your doing those things play the tee that scales the course in such a way that you get the “Tour Experience”. That simply means […]

Games Based Learning

The ideal learning environment for junior golfers is FUN! At US Kids Golf we teach coaches to operate using 6 keys: 1. Teach Lightly – This means no lectures, no sitting around. Teach a new skill in 60 seconds then… 2. Play a game that increases the skill your introducing – After a short 60 […]

Make it a game with consequence.

An ideal pre-round warm up should get you ready to play your best today. You’ve practiced, you’ve been doing this a while, and you know that if you’re looking for that magic bullet on the range right before you play, you’re in trouble and in for a long round. However, if you hit a few […]

The Best Defense against Nerves

The best defense against nerves anywhere on the course is a great pre-shot routine. With our young students at the U.S. Kids Academy we say; “Plan, Set-up, & Play” To help them develop a repetitive routine. The “Plan” includes picking the target, then picking the club based on distance, wind and deciding if it’s up […]

Still Teaching

In North Carolina we are still able to teach in person using precautions but some of my students choose to send videos, launch monitor data or scorecards rather than meet in person. I use a really simple app called Coach’s Eye to create a lesson voice over drawing lines etc. I will also film myself […]

Still looks like golf

Our golf course is still pretty busy, although we closed the grill. We’ve made the standard adjustments like; turning the cup upside down (so you don’t have to reach into the hole), removed the rakes, made checking in easier, only reason to come inside is to use the restroom, etc. etc. As far as teaching […]

Understanding impact & ball flight

Before trackman & foresight, there was John Jacobs who said the sole purpose of a golf swing was to produce a correct & repetitive ball flight… he went on to say the method employed was of no consequence as long as it was correct & repetitive. When I started teaching I was fortunate to be […]

The Backswing Fix

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