There was rain predicted, but we got lucky and dodged it. In its place we had to deal with wind gusting up to 20 mph, left to right from where we were hitting on our practice tee. This created a real rest of the ball striking ability of these students on their second full day of instruction.
The morning session I always use as another private lesson for each of the students where I give a complete diagnosis, prescription evaluation. The key to the second day is that we're checking to see how well they adapted to everything we worked on in the first day. I use this to identify the major things that I'm going to write up for them to focus on in terms of their set up and swing when they go back home.
The second day, the things that were still hanging for the first day lead me to determine that these are what I like to call their Achilles' heel. If there is anything going to come back bite them, it's going to be these points. We identified them on the first day, worked really diligently on them and made good success in changing their setup and swing and the adjustments we needed. So these things that pop back are likely going to pop back again.
All of them did a great job in the setup and swing adjustments. We found minor problems with each of them, identified those, and really gave more consistency to their setup, swing, and especially, their ball striking. The key for this day, in terms of their ball striking was, as it improved, with really shallow divots and more solidness in contact, even in a serious left to right cross wind that they were able to hit the ball with good penetration where it was really holding its line against the wind. That's when you know you're hitting the ball well, especially with the left to right cross wind with these mid-teen handicappers. We worked on our alignment to set up left and started left so the wind would blow towards their target. Still, the ball was holding the line very well which shows they were hitting the ball solid and with good control.
The second part of the morning we got them hitting their woods, their hybrids, and ultimately their driver. When we got the drivers each one was swinging a minimum of at least a 45 inch driver. Naturally, in this cross wind, they were having more control problems in terms of holding the line and letting the ball fly too far right. I told them 45 inches was way too long for them and I tested this by getting them to choke up. Each one of the, by choking up at least an inch, were getting more control and hitting the ball more solid and ultimately a lot straighter because the impacts were more solid and the ball flights were much more penetrating, with better spin and were holding the line a lot better. We brought their drivers in and we got them all cut down and they were ready for the afternoon session.
After lunch we took their newly cut down and re-gripped drivers to test them and see how they worked. Every one of them, just like every school we've done so far, every player that cut their driver down to about 44 inches was absolutely amazed at the difference at how much easier it was to swing the driver with control and hit the ball more solid and much straighter. All because we just shortened up the driver. That is a big issue.
If you're having trouble hitting your driver, go to as club fitter, have him check you, make sure the shaft is correct and determine if you drivers are over 44 inches, in most cases, you've got to be really tall and really strong to be swinging a driver over 44 inches. One of the greatest things you could do for yourself is getting your driver back to more manageable and closer to the length of your 3 wood. Many players who are having problems with their driver are hitting their 3 wood pretty good.
We then went back and worked on the short game. Short game is where you score. We did a little check up on the putting. They really did great on the tests we did on the first day and we all decided that, as well as they did, we'd spend more time on the chipping, pitching and bunker shots.
The remarkable thing was how well they maintained the setup and swings of the chipping and pitching. We did a lot of what I call situational chips and pitches. We took a few clubs and walked around the green and O.K., here's the shot for that hole and what club are you going to use and how are you going to hit the shot.
We actually had a little contest amongst us, including me, we were chipping to and hitting shots with the clubs we chose. The technique was so much better they were developing better touch. The key was they were hitting much more consistently solid shots and starting them on the line they wanted to. That was the essence of hitting, chipping and hitting bunker shots, making better contact and starting the ball on the line you want. Especially on the pitch and runs from about 30 yards out from the green, those shots were really just fantastic ball striking and control of the ball.
We went and did some long, 30 yard bunker shots. I try to get my players to hit more of a chip shot out of those bunkers if you have a manageable lip, one you'll have no problem getting over, instead of a blast out shot where you take out a lot of sand, like in a regular bunker shot.
All of them really loved that approach. We were about 25 yards out with a little run up on the green. All of them chose a pitching wedge to hit it with their pitch and run setup and swing. They barely nipped the ball off the sand and got good solid contact and hit it on the green. They liked that better than hitting a blast shot where you could flub it into a bunker or sculling it over the green. Nipping the ball was a much more manageable shot. A pitch and run shot out of bunkers 20 or 30 yards from the green is a safer shot.
Overall, great session. All the students are members of the Inner Circle and all are schooled and aware of the Peak Performance Golf Swing and the issues that we teach and the theories we learn, with the limited turn, standing the club up. They were all ready for the school. We saw such tremendous improvement in all aspects of the game, especially the short game.
I can't say enough about the short game. In the end, golf is about scoring, getting the ball in the hole. It's about how well you can play 50 yards in. It doesn't matter if you're a Tour player or a 20 handicapper, you'll save more strokes by getting proficient and getting deadly in terms of getting the ball up and in from 50 yards in. In the end, nobody hits 18 greens. If you're really going to start lowering your score, work on your short game.
(Golf School Note: Look for details soon on our California PPGS schools at Talega Golf Club in beautiful San Clemente, May 17 – 19 and 20 – 22. It's going to be one heck of an experience. Call: 1-888-84SWING[79464] or 1-864-525-7336.)
The Surge!