"It is not the will to win that matters, everyone has that.
It is the will to prepare to win that matters." - Paul "Bear" Bryant
Tom's Featured Tip: Approach Shots - Choose The Right Club
Lesson Comments: What Students Have To Say
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Use your club or hand to re-set the board after your strike
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Approach Shots - Choose The Right Club
For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.
The Divot Board
This is the most useful ball striking development training aid that I own.
Approach Shots - Choose The Right Club
Every golfer needs to know how far their stock swing for a specific club makes the ball fly in the air - it's carry distance - in order to select the correct club for their approach shot to the green.
My definition of a stock swing is a full shot swing that is executed with a comfortable amount of effort. Not overly fast, not overly slow, just a comfortable amount effort that can be repeated reasonably. It's a swing that should produce a carry distance with each club that you can count on when you play.
That's obviously a skill set all of us need to develop in order to choose the right club for our approach shots to the green.
The problem is that most of us, myself included, have an inflated idea of how far our stock swings make the ball travel for our irons. I personally believe that this comes from practicing at the range and noting the maximum distances our irons fly when we are warmed up, have a perfect lie, and swinging as well as we can at the ball.
I really believe that it influences our perception of the true carry distance of the club. And that's not even taking into account that on the course we will usually have a less than perfect lie, probably a little wind, and a little pressure to perform.
Being human, we tend to be optimistic with ourselves when we gauge our distance, and ego can definitely come in to the equation.
The reason I'm addressing this topic is because of a recent eye opening experience I had at a golf weekend with old friends.
About two weeks ago, I had been nursing a bulging disc problem in my back for about two weeks prior, and I had a weekend trip coming for a golf outing that I have been attending for 28 years straight.
Bulging disc or not, I was going even though I hadn't swung a club seriously for about five weeks.
It was a three day event, five rounds of golf, three rounds of playing your own ball and two scrambles.
I loaded up on Ibuprofin and gave it a shot.
My driver swings were great, no stress on the back there, but the irons were problematical. I was hitting one to two clubs more per iron swing than I normally would.
The results were a little different with the swings with those irons than they would have been with the irons that I would have normally used with a good back. I usually play my shots to end up below the hole, which is great for par if you are a good putter, but it probably gives you less makable birdie putts.
By taking one or two clubs more that I normally would use, I was actually getting the ball a lot closer to the hole than normal, and shot some really good scores.
So here's the advice that I firmly believe will help you score better.
- If your approach shots are consistently hole high or close to it, you probably have your stock carry distance dialed in.
Change nothing.
- If you - like me - rarely carry your approach shots past the pin, you are probably over-estimating your carry distance
for your irons.
When you actually play, make your default approach iron choice one club longer than usual and swing comfortably. Try it for a few rounds - actual play, not the range - and observe the results. I think you'll end up with the ball consistently closer to the hole than it has been for years. One caveat - be judicious when the pin placement is at the rear of the green, use you head and be a little safer with that club selection.
Swallow your pride and take enough club.
It reminds me of when I was playing with one of my sons and he hit a PW to about 20' from about 150 yards. I had about the same distance and stuck my shot inside of his. He saw that I was using a lot more club than he did, and he said "I used a pitching wedge, what did you use?"
I said "I used my 150 yard club", and he shut up 😀.
Comments: TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
Love your practice, own your swing, own your health,
Tom
Golf Lessons
I conduct lessons at The Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility
there's a link for Plum Creek info here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/
Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact
me - Tom Tucker - at (716) 474 3005 or email me at TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
for more information.
Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates:
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Sponsors and Affiliates
Buying a sponsored product through any of my affiliate links helps support this free newsletter, and I only affiliate with excellent products that I use myself. Thanks, Tom
Train with a Rypstick to improve your swing speed and gain more distance off the tee. If the versatility of three different swing weights in one club appeals to you, this is your swing speed training aid of choice.
Click here Rypstick.com to buy now, and make sure that you enter TOMTUCKERGOLF (case sensitive) in the Discount code box when you check out to receive a 5% discount.
Click here to buy your Divot Board to drastically improve your ball-striking. Combine your Divot Board practice and putting practice with the included putting lesson drills, and watch your scoring improve!.
Use your club or hand to re-set the board after your strike
Click here to buy now for outstanding Ball-Striking practice feedback
BONUS: when you buy through the newsletter link above, you'll also receive free access to my Putting Lesson Videos ($50 value) which cover: The Elevated Aimline Drill, The Squareness Awareness Drill, The Aimline Accuracy Drill, The Stock Putting Stroke Drill, The Barrier Drill, The Short Putt Channel Drill, and more.
Click here SuperSpeedGolf.com to buy this swing speed training aid and increase your distance off the tee.
SuperSpeedGolf.com Buy now and get to work on increasing your swing speed now.
Club Champion Don't waste another dollar on clubs until you've gone through a fitting at Club Champion, 1669 Pittsford Victor Rd., Suite 400, Victor NY 14564. Call Master Fitter & Builder Jeff St. John. PGA work: (585) 978-8513, cell: (585) 831-2292 to schedule your fitting today! Mention my name and you'll get special attention.
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Pop it up in 45 seconds, fold it down and close the weatherproof box lid when you're done. Click Through for the exclusive TomTuckerGolf Crocbox Discount .
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All the best,
Tom Tucker
Teaching Pro, Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility
WGTF ' "Top 100 Golf Teacher"
USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
IGPA Certified Golf Psychology Coach
Cell: (716) 474-3005
Email: TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com
"There are no substitutes in the quest for perfection!"
~ Ben Hogan