John Lucas
Some golf games for rainy days
Published on Wed, Jan 27, 2010 by John LucasRead More Lucas
Here are some things one can do at home on these cold rainy winter days to improve one's golfing skills. They may seem dull and boring but are just as helpful (if not more) than the actual driving range.
Get a copy of any golf magazine with pictures of PGA and LPGA players at the address position. Note their posture and use a mirror as you try to copy that look. One cannot make a powerful proper swing with poor posture. Both men and women tour pros work constantly on this to assure they have the correct fundamental posture. They know the relevance and how vital it is.
Now to practice one's swing without a club. After making sure your posture is correct, let your arms hang loosely in front of you and simply turn back and through while letting your body swing your arms. In all sound swings, the body and arms work together. Make sure to keep your elbows facing your body and keep your weight on the insides of your feet while turning back and through. Do this slowly at first, then increase your speed while keeping the same tension-free feeling in your arms. Also be sure to let your arms go left through the impact position.
Next, take a piece of cardboard and cut a triangle from it with the base about the same dimension as your putter blade length. Then take a sharpie and draw a line from the center of the base of the triangle through the tip of the triangle. Place a golf ball about 10 feet away from you and one at your feet. Line up as if to putt the ball at the other ball on your carpet.
When you think you have aligned the putter head exactly 90 degrees to the object ball, have someone move the ball away from the front of your putter and place the base of the cardboard triangle against the face of your putter. Then step back behind your ball and sight along the line on the triangle and see if it intersects the middle of the ball you were aiming for.
This exercise, when practiced diligently, can do more for your putting than almost anything else. Because when golfers have the putter blade misaligned and they miss a putt to a side of the hole, they think they have either pushed or pulled the putt and change their stroke accordingly.
Doing this, one actually has to make an incorrect stroke to hole putts, which will frustrate one all through his golfing life. Or get a ball stripe maker from WalMart or Big 5 and practice making the putter head 90 degrees to the stripe. Aim correctly, then just let the putter swing back and forth. If one aims his putter incorrectly, he would be better off not practicing putting.
Rules teaser:
In match play, a player concedes a hole. After they tee on the next hole, the player realizes he had a stroke on that hole, allowing the hole to be halved, and withdraws his concession. Ruling?
Answer to last
column's teaser:
In stroke play, a bunker lies between a player and the hole. He removes a loose impediment in the bunker and tests the sand with his feet to see if he could putt through it. Ruling? No penalty.
John Lucas is the golf professional at Sky Ridge Golf Course and can be reached at john98382@olypen.com.
Get a copy of any golf magazine with pictures of PGA and LPGA players at the address position. Note their posture and use a mirror as you try to copy that look. One cannot make a powerful proper swing with poor posture. Both men and women tour pros work constantly on this to assure they have the correct fundamental posture. They know the relevance and how vital it is.
Now to practice one's swing without a club. After making sure your posture is correct, let your arms hang loosely in front of you and simply turn back and through while letting your body swing your arms. In all sound swings, the body and arms work together. Make sure to keep your elbows facing your body and keep your weight on the insides of your feet while turning back and through. Do this slowly at first, then increase your speed while keeping the same tension-free feeling in your arms. Also be sure to let your arms go left through the impact position.
Next, take a piece of cardboard and cut a triangle from it with the base about the same dimension as your putter blade length. Then take a sharpie and draw a line from the center of the base of the triangle through the tip of the triangle. Place a golf ball about 10 feet away from you and one at your feet. Line up as if to putt the ball at the other ball on your carpet.
When you think you have aligned the putter head exactly 90 degrees to the object ball, have someone move the ball away from the front of your putter and place the base of the cardboard triangle against the face of your putter. Then step back behind your ball and sight along the line on the triangle and see if it intersects the middle of the ball you were aiming for.
This exercise, when practiced diligently, can do more for your putting than almost anything else. Because when golfers have the putter blade misaligned and they miss a putt to a side of the hole, they think they have either pushed or pulled the putt and change their stroke accordingly.
Doing this, one actually has to make an incorrect stroke to hole putts, which will frustrate one all through his golfing life. Or get a ball stripe maker from WalMart or Big 5 and practice making the putter head 90 degrees to the stripe. Aim correctly, then just let the putter swing back and forth. If one aims his putter incorrectly, he would be better off not practicing putting.
Rules teaser:
In match play, a player concedes a hole. After they tee on the next hole, the player realizes he had a stroke on that hole, allowing the hole to be halved, and withdraws his concession. Ruling?
Answer to last
column's teaser:
In stroke play, a bunker lies between a player and the hole. He removes a loose impediment in the bunker and tests the sand with his feet to see if he could putt through it. Ruling? No penalty.
John Lucas is the golf professional at Sky Ridge Golf Course and can be reached at john98382@olypen.com.
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