Another Fundamental Golf Truth!

The follow through is simply the tendency of a weighted object in motion to stay in motion.

Another Great Truth From Harvey Penick!

Swing Speed vs Distance

Swing Speed vs Distance

I’m going to give you a way to drop your score without changing your swing.  This is something that all really low handicappers know that higher handicappers have trouble with.  When I was playing well enough to actually qualify and play in PGA Tour Events I had the lofts on my irons set so I had exactly 10 yard increments between clubs.

One of the fastest ways to improve your score and your enjoyment is to learn how far you actually hit your irons consistently so you can make the right club selection. 

In my previous article I stated that you should swing at about 75 to 80 percent of your max to hit the ball better.  Hold on to that truth because it is essential that you have some control over where the ball is going to land.  As effort and tension increase, accuracy drops dramatically.

With this in mind, go to the range with what you consider your 150 yard club and hit about 30 balls with it.  Eliminate the shortest 5 and the longest 5 and then measure how far it is to the middle of the rest of them.  That is how far you hit that club.  If the average is short of the 150 then park your ego and use one more club.  It is all about score.  There are no extra points for how far you hit it off the tee or what club you hit on your approach.

I have put together a little chart that may help you using swing speed and distance.  Club selections are based on what club to use to hit the ball 150 yards.  These are general numbers that don’t take in to consideration varying lofts and lengths of different models.  If you are hitting it farther than these swing speeds indicate, then you are playing with very strong lofts.

Swing Speed                                                      150 Club

60 mph                                                                 Driver

70 mph                                                                 3 Wood

80 mph                                                                 3 or 4 hybrid

90 mph                                                                 5 or 6 iron

100 mph                                                               7 or 8 iron

The next thing you need to do is figure out the distance gap between your clubs.  At 100+ mph swing speed that gap should be about 10 yards.  As swing speed slows down that gap narrows.  When you get into the slower speeds there is no need for a full set of clubs.  If the difference between your 6 and 7 is only 5 yards you can eliminate one of them.

Now you are in a situation where you can figure your distance from the 150 and add or subtract.  If you are at 175 and the gap between clubs is 8 yards then you need you are going to need two or three more clubs.  When in doubt take the longer club and choke down on it.  Making it shorter will take some distance off of it.

Here is a simple, inexpensive device for measuring swing speed.  Not a Trackman, but tells you what you want to know.

One other thing to factor in is how are you hitting the ball today?  How solid you are hitting the ball today and weather conditions can change club selection by as much as three clubs not counting wind. 

I hope this will help you to score better and I want to thank those that took me up on my offer analyze their swings.  Keep me posted and leave comments about any questions you have.

The R&A Has a Sense of Humor.

Royal & Ancient has fun with the British Open tee times

By Joel Beall

I am a frugal S.O.B. But I’m buying a drink for whoever constructed this week’s British Open tee times at St. Andrews, for they are doing the Lord’s work.
The Open announced its pairings for the Old Course, and to say creativity had a hand in the player groupings is an understatement. Here are some of the notable groups:

The Center Stage Group
 
Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama

Not sure if you heard, but Spieth has won the first two majors of the season (first time that’s happened since 2002), and arrives in Scotland after posting a career-low round at the John Deere Classic. Just spitballin', but folks might have an interest in following him around the course.

But this pairing is far from a one-man wonder. Johnson will try to put his missed opportunity at Chambers Bay behind him, which could be an issue, given that he’s playing with the dude that beat him. And don’t sleep on Matsuyama. The 23-year-old has eight top-10 finishes this season, including a fifth-place showing at Augusta.

The Coolest Trio of Golfers, Nay, Humans, To Ever Walk The Earth
 
John Daly, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jason Dufner

Dear Royal and Ancient: here is a blank check. Write whatever dollar amount you want to allow me to operate the on-course walking scoreboard with this group.
Possible group discussions: Diet Coke vs. Wine - The Great Debate; Daly and Duf arguing about SEC football, with Jimenez assuring both FC Barcelona would best both Auburn and Arkansas; Jimenez and Daly comparing rolling techniques for cigarettes and cigars.

C’mon Guy, Low Blow
 
David Duval, Stewart Cink, Ben Curtis
I’m assuming this group will have the sad Charlie Brown music following them around the links.

The Fan Favorites
 
Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson
Stenson has been in the hearts of the golf community since going down to his briefs at Doral in 2009. Coupled with Channing Tatum’s career resurgence off Magic Mike, let this be a lesson: if you’re ever in need of popularity points, stripping is your avenue.

The “Um, No Thanks, You Guys Go Ahead, I’ll Play As a Single” Threesome
 
Ian Poulter, Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel
Just like the Daly-Jimenez-Duf group. Only the polar opposite. Don’t expect many smiles from these fellas.

The Requisite Tiger Woods Pairing

Tiger Woods, Louis Oosthuizen, Jason Day
Oosthuizen grabbed the claret jug the last time the “Home of Golf” hosted the Open in 2010, with Day looking to build off his successful U.S. Open performance while continue to battle vertigo.
Oh, and Woods, who may have a few eyes on him this week.

The Requiste Rory McIlroy pai…
You’re right, too soon.

Golf Quotes of the Week in Pictures

Here are your golf quotes in pictures for the week.  Hope you enjoy and have a great weekend watching the U. S. Open.

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