Thursday, May 13, 2010
Solid Chipping Shown Down The Line
Ok, this is the first video I have posted to my blog of myself doing the work. I wanted to do it to provide quality instruction and now the weather finally got good enough to do it. Anyhow, here is what I want you to take from this video.
#1. At address, my arms and hands are far enough away from my body that they have room to swing yet not so far that it makes me off balance, out of sync, or causes me to swing the club back inside behind me. Sometimes bad chippers are bad chippers because they merely have this part of their set-up goofed up.
#2. When my club reaches parallel to the ground on the backswing there are a couple of good things happening here. First, when my club is parallel to the ground, the shaft is parallel to the target line. Second, at this point of parallel to the ground and parallel to the target line, my clubface angle should match my spine angle. Mine does, and that means my clubface is square in consideration to my body which means I have a great chance of returning it to square at impact and the ball will go in the direction I hope it will.
#3. Ok, for you shankers, toppers, skullers, TC Cheners, etc. HERE IS THE BIG TICKET Item.
My clubhead moves back and around in the backswing. When the club moves back and around with the proper amount of both this is what we call being on plane. Now on the through swing, my club moves up and around as well, this is ultimately a perfect path and what we call an inside to inside path. Unfortunately shanks can happen from clubpaths that are either way to much inside out or outside in, shanks can also come from a few other things as well. Anyway, when we are chipping, we want to keep the clubface down by the ball as long as possible and we don't want to flip the clubhead up or release the clubhead like we would in our full swing. We want solid contact and a square clubface and this happens by holding the grip ahead of the clubhead coming into the ball at impact. So, if we are holding the angle of our hands ahead of the clubhead at impact then there is only one way that the clubhead will continue to move through and also move up and to the inside and that is if we pivot our hips and rotate our body through the shot. Since you don't release the club with your hands, wrists, and forearms the way you would with a 5 iron, you have to release your body through the chip. This is essential. This is the secret to chipping that many folks don't know ... Coming into impact and through impact you want to release your body, not your hands, but this is not what most people do and that's why their chipping includes too many undesirable results.
So for review,
#1, Set-Up - Make sure your hands are not too far from your body and really make sure they are not tucked in too close.
#2, Takeaway Position - Make sure you reach the 2 points of parallel and the clubface angle matches your spine angle.
#3, To help you with holding your hands but releasing your body, feel your right leg drive towards the target while you keep the handle of the club ahead of the clubhead coming through the ball.
Good Luck, God Bless, and Have a Fantastic Weekend.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Compliment Guys at Purdue University
How good is this? I really appreciate you checking out my blog, I think you are fantastic and hope you have a great day. Check out this You Tube Clip and see the Compliment Guys spreading the smiles around.
Have a great day and great golfing to you!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
How To Build A Reliable Swing
I wrote the following Lesson on how to Build a Reliable Swing for what I am calling a Parent Junior Clinic at White Eagle Golf Club where I am The Head Golf Professional. The lesson itself in total is direct and certainly does not have a F.A.Q. section to it. This lesson is more about how to do things right vs. how to fix what's wrong. I've written this lesson and have planned the Parent Junior Clinic so that children (could also be an adult beginner) get off to a good start with a good game plan. I'm doing it for children and their parents, so that Parents have something to reference to be Good Golf Coaches to their kids. Parents will always care for their kids more than anyone, with this they can be caring and helpful.
The parts of the lesson in BLUE are for Novices and all of us. The parts in RED are intended for you once you have surpassed the novice level.
• Grip – Interlock Grip … For a Right handed golfer, right pinky and left pointer link up your two hands together for control and power.
• Set Up Position – Balanced in all respects.
• Ball position - varies from long irons to short irons … just ahead of the center of your stance to just behind the center of your stance. The Driver should be played off of the inside of your left foot.
• Takeaway Position – Check to make sure the club is moving both “Around” and “Up”. When the shaft if parallel to the ground in the takeaway position the shaft should also be parallel to the target line.
• We want “coiling” of the body in the backswing not leaning or swaying.
o Timing for the Coil
Hands and wrists begin to lever the clubhead back while the forearms help the clubhead “swing” back and open.
Arms Swing the club back up and around on plane.
Arms engage the shoulder turn.
Shoulders turning initiates the torso to twist
Torso Twist fires up the big motor … the hip turn and leg muscles.
o Reverse order for the timing of the downswing, the body works from top down in the backswing, hands to feet. The timing is from the bottom up in the downswing, feet to hands to swing the club through.
• Everything keeps pulling, rotating, and whipping the clubhead through all the way to the finish. The body pulls and rotates, the hands and forearms whip the clubhead.
• Practice Good Arm Extension & Release … Think of the effect that Centrifugal Force and the Momentum of the Swing has on swinging the club through impact. See picture below.
• Above All Else … Keep it Fun. For you, your friends, your family; whoever you are helping or is being helped. Practice games that reward distance control and solid contact, allow throwing the ball once per hole (it’s fun), friendly competitions, and recognize Progress not just Success.
Great Golfing To You and Your Family!
The parts of the lesson in BLUE are for Novices and all of us. The parts in RED are intended for you once you have surpassed the novice level.
HOW TO BUILD A RELIABLE SWING
By: Brian Soczka
• Grip – Interlock Grip … For a Right handed golfer, right pinky and left pointer link up your two hands together for control and power.
• Set Up Position – Balanced in all respects.
• Ball position - varies from long irons to short irons … just ahead of the center of your stance to just behind the center of your stance. The Driver should be played off of the inside of your left foot.
• Takeaway Position – Check to make sure the club is moving both “Around” and “Up”. When the shaft if parallel to the ground in the takeaway position the shaft should also be parallel to the target line.
• We want “coiling” of the body in the backswing not leaning or swaying.
o Timing for the Coil
Hands and wrists begin to lever the clubhead back while the forearms help the clubhead “swing” back and open.
Arms Swing the club back up and around on plane.
Arms engage the shoulder turn.
Shoulders turning initiates the torso to twist
Torso Twist fires up the big motor … the hip turn and leg muscles.
o Reverse order for the timing of the downswing, the body works from top down in the backswing, hands to feet. The timing is from the bottom up in the downswing, feet to hands to swing the club through.
• Everything keeps pulling, rotating, and whipping the clubhead through all the way to the finish. The body pulls and rotates, the hands and forearms whip the clubhead.
• Practice Good Arm Extension & Release … Think of the effect that Centrifugal Force and the Momentum of the Swing has on swinging the club through impact. See picture below.
• Above All Else … Keep it Fun. For you, your friends, your family; whoever you are helping or is being helped. Practice games that reward distance control and solid contact, allow throwing the ball once per hole (it’s fun), friendly competitions, and recognize Progress not just Success.
Great Golfing To You and Your Family!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Big Wins for Rory and Alvaro this weekend.
The Ryder Cup this year will be held October 1-3 at the Celtic Manor Resort, in the City of Newport, Wales.
I am really looking forward to this Ryder Cup more than any Ryder Cup before. Especially after this weekend.
In the 2008 Ryder Cup, the USA won convincingly at Valhalla. It was nice to see USA victorious since the Europeans had been dominating this competition winning in 2002, 2004, and 2006. So now the Americans are coming off of an '08 victory which is good for us but the Europeans are coming off of one heck of a weekend for them. Rory McIlroy or Ireland won at The Quail Hollow Championship on the US PGA Tour, and Alvaro Quiros of Spain won the Spanish Open.
The Euros have really gotten some new fire power which adds to the excitement of it all. Go to www.rydercup.com/2010 for information on this year's Ryder Cup.
Go to the Global Golf Post for more information on this weekend's wins of Alvaro and Rory.
Global Golf Post - May 3, 2010 - Page 9
Have a great week!
I am really looking forward to this Ryder Cup more than any Ryder Cup before. Especially after this weekend.
In the 2008 Ryder Cup, the USA won convincingly at Valhalla. It was nice to see USA victorious since the Europeans had been dominating this competition winning in 2002, 2004, and 2006. So now the Americans are coming off of an '08 victory which is good for us but the Europeans are coming off of one heck of a weekend for them. Rory McIlroy or Ireland won at The Quail Hollow Championship on the US PGA Tour, and Alvaro Quiros of Spain won the Spanish Open.
The Euros have really gotten some new fire power which adds to the excitement of it all. Go to www.rydercup.com/2010 for information on this year's Ryder Cup.
Go to the Global Golf Post for more information on this weekend's wins of Alvaro and Rory.
Global Golf Post - May 3, 2010 - Page 9
Have a great week!
- Great Retention of his spine angle from the address position into his backswing.
- Great Shoulder Turn.
- Great Positions of his right arm and left arm.
- Beautiful Swing Plane, not too much Up and not too much around ... just the perfect combination of both.
- Looks like Great Balance and Great Concentration on the ball.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
From the C.H.O. - A Great Video to Make You Feel Good ... Which Might Make You Play Good Too!
A big part of having success in golf is being happy and confident. When you feel good physically, and you feel good in your heart and in your head, and when you have a smile on your face ... who cares what your score is right? I know when I am smiling, I am happy, relaxed, and confident. If I am smiling and relaxed the odds are great that I will hit it close, make the putt, or hit a really nice long drive. So either way you win right - If you are happy your score does not matter and if you are happy most likely your scores will be better. Win Win!
So, watch this video. It will make you smile and make you feel good. Click the Friday Spoing Link Below.
Friday Spoing!
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Sunday, April 25, 2010
Kodak Swing in HD - Callaway Golf:en-US:Special Offers:Kodak Swing in HD
This is the greatest deal in golf right now for sure. My two favorite things (Callaway Drivers and my Kodak Pocket HD Video Camera) in a buy one get one free deal.
If you scroll down in my blog to the post that shows my driver swing, the still frames of my swing were taken with my Kodak Pocket Video Camera that I bought in December. I bought one of these Kodak HD Pocket Video Cameras when my daughter was born to capture her and her brother smiling, laughing etc. I thought it was the greatest thing I ever bought, now you can get one free. This camera is really awesome because it is so super easy for me to take pictures or video my kids when I am at home or golfers during a lesson. It is super easy to download the pictures and videos to my computer ... super easy, and like I did, you can actually take a video and break the video down frame by frame to analyze your swing. So the free part of this deal is super good, the part you pay for is even better. The Callaway Driver line up this year is not only the best Drivers that Callaway has ever made but also the best line up of drivers on the market right now from any manufacturer. So, if you are thinking about upgrading your driver this year, you are lucky because you truly can't beat this deal. Click on the link below and let me know if you need help getting one these great drivers and taking advantage of this great offer from Callaway.
Have a great day!
Brian
Kodak Swing in HD - Callaway Golf:en-US:Special Offers:Kodak Swing in HD
If you scroll down in my blog to the post that shows my driver swing, the still frames of my swing were taken with my Kodak Pocket Video Camera that I bought in December. I bought one of these Kodak HD Pocket Video Cameras when my daughter was born to capture her and her brother smiling, laughing etc. I thought it was the greatest thing I ever bought, now you can get one free. This camera is really awesome because it is so super easy for me to take pictures or video my kids when I am at home or golfers during a lesson. It is super easy to download the pictures and videos to my computer ... super easy, and like I did, you can actually take a video and break the video down frame by frame to analyze your swing. So the free part of this deal is super good, the part you pay for is even better. The Callaway Driver line up this year is not only the best Drivers that Callaway has ever made but also the best line up of drivers on the market right now from any manufacturer. So, if you are thinking about upgrading your driver this year, you are lucky because you truly can't beat this deal. Click on the link below and let me know if you need help getting one these great drivers and taking advantage of this great offer from Callaway.
Have a great day!
Brian
Kodak Swing in HD - Callaway Golf:en-US:Special Offers:Kodak Swing in HD
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