"The Zone" - Rhythm and Tempo

A golf swing is like a fingerprint, no two are the same. And some days when we hit the links it all comes together, we call that being in the zone. But what exactly is “the zone?’
It’s a hard thing to explain and I bet if you ask 20 pros you’d probably get a variety of answers. My take is that it’s a combination of rhythm and tempo which are two separate things. Rhythm is the fluidity of the backswing and downswing and how it all moves as one motion while your tempo is the amount of time it takes to make the actual swing. When these two entities work together we enter the “zone.” Most amateur golfers have too much fluctuation between the two which causes inconsistency. Swing path and club face are the two most important factors in consistent ball striking and having good rhythm and tempo allows us to keep our swing path moving in the right direction while allowing the club face to properly square up through impact.
Now the question is how do we develop proper rhythm and tempo? First, its understanding what both represent and second it’s putting that knowledge to good use through proper practice. This can be achieved a couple of different ways. 1) Devote some of your practice time to swinging a heavy or weighted club. This forces the golfer to swing easier and develop the rhythm we spoke about earlier. 2) Another option is to use a metronome. Yes, we have all heard about this for putting but it actually works for full swings as well. And if you can get a friend to video tape your swing (make sure the metronome is positioned so it can be seen as well in the video) that’s even better. A good tempo to aim for is somewhere in the neighborhood of 0.7 to 1.0 seconds although every swing is different as there is no one size fits all.
And finally, have you ever gone to you local range or your clubs range and watched the golfers come and go? 8 out of 10 start with and spend a majority of their time hitting the driver. Not a good idea if you’re trying to develop good rhythm and tempo. If you are a low handicap golfer, professional or you aspire to be either… a good start would be to focus on rhythm and tempo which may also mean changing your practice habits.
Give these suggestions a try, and with good discipline and stick-to-itiveness I guarantee you will find yourself in “the zone” more often!

 Blog written by Vince-Director of Instruction at VJF Golf Academy

Holiday Golf Gift Ideas for the Golfer Who Has Everything!

The Butt Putt Game: Give your boss a gift this holiday season and let him/her know what you’re really thinking. A backhanded compliment maybe?

Golf Puzzle Cube: Just when you thought golf couldn’t get any harder!

Golf Drinking Game: I thought that’s what the 18 holes on a golf course were for. Golfers will find any excuse to drink!

  The Tree Surgeon: A hatchet that doubles as a putter…genius! Way easier that trying to learn a knockdown shot! Clear the way and be done with it!

No Slice No Hook Golf Tees: I was reluctant to put these on the list because of the fact that 9 out of 10 golfers who come to me either slice & hook and this might cut into my business. I’ll take one for the team to help grow the game!

Thought I’d have some fun with the blog seeing how we are so close to Christmas and people are asking me all the time what can they get for the golfer who has everything? Of course LESSONS are my first answer especially with me! However, if you are looking for something different this may be the way to go.

Got these from the website http://www.golfun.net/ and thought what great ideas for that golfer that doesn’t need another $400 (which by the way can slice a ball just as good as the last $400 driver). Nice little website with some rather unique gifts! HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE PRO!

 Blog written by Vince-Director of Instruction at VJF Golf Academy

Better Putting Equals Lower Scores

By now, if you're a golfer you have probably heard this stat before; 70% of all shots made in a round of golf are from 100 yards or less. In addition, 40% of all those shots are putts....that's a large percentage! Yet why do a vast majority of golfers spend a majority (if not all) of their time on the range? Worse yet, a large majority of those people focus primarily on the driver. Again, the question is why. A driver is used  approximately 14 times per round (18 holes) and your putter at least double that.

As someone who works with players of all ability levels on a daily basis, the rule of thumb I preach to all my students is this; for every 30 minutes you spend on the range you spend that times two (30 min on range = 60 min on the green) on your putting. Think about it, if nothing about your game got better EXCEPT your putting you would instantly score better. So now, if you're with me and you have conceded the fact that putting truly is "where its at" the next step is how/what to practice. Below is a list of a few practice drills I suggest to help you start putting better and lowering you scores.

1. When making your putting stroke try and keep both your back swing and follow through equal distant. So if you bring the club back two feet, only follow through two feet and so on.

2. During your pre-shot routine take a few practice strokes looking at the hole, this will allow your eyes to gauge the distance and send a message to your arms as to how hard/soft your stroke needs to be to cover the distance to the hole.

3. A more advanced drill is practice putting while looking at the hole from various lengths. As you stroke the putt, keep your eyes fixed on the hole, this will quickly start to hone your distance control. I know you may be thinking how do I hit the ball if I'm not looking at it which is a valid question. However, the nature of a putting stroke which should keep the club head close to the ground will make it rather hard to miss the ball.

4. Spend a good 5 minutes putting from 4  to 7 inches from the hole...that's right gimmee distance. Why? Because the eyes get use to seeing the ball fall in the hole and the ears get use to hearing the ball fall in the hole and the mind gets use to those senses being stimulated in a positive way and it becomes contagious! Sounds silly I know but it works and you will soon be making many more of those "testers" we all hate standing over!

I could spend days talking about putting and the short game however these are a few of the drills and techniques I teach to my students while working on improving putting skills. So if your looking for a scoring edge (and who isn't) keep the driver in the bag and get to know your way around the practice green, you'll be glad you did!

Alignment

Whether you're a seasoned golfer or a rank beginner the key to long term success and a repeatable golf swing is learning the "Art of Alignment" which should be learned, developed, and viewed as one of the most important aspects of a golfers success. Having taught the game of golf for over 20 years and given thousands of golf lessons it is no secret that bad golf shots come from poor swings. But...where do poor swings come from? If you said poor alignment you would be correct! Alignment is a skill with the same level of importance (or maybe even more important) as any swing fundamental we try to master.

Believe it or not about 8 out of every 10 golfers that come through my door have alignment issues which ultimately ends up being the root cause for the problems they are having. And don't think this problem is reserved for the high handicapper. Problems with alignment is not reserved for the bogey, double bogey or triple bogey golfer. I see a number of single digit players that struggle with this issue which is why they are putting for birdie from 30 feet rather that 12. Or why their GIR (greens in regulation) is  at 50%.

Most amateur golfers who struggle, immediately look to their swing and begin the tinkering process in their quest to "fix the problem" that plagues them. More times than not, they need look no further than down at their feet. Ever go to a PGA or LPGA event and watch the pros on the range before their round. If you haven't you should. Clubs, alignment sticks and other various items laying on the ground at their feet. The reason; they understand the importance of precise alignment and what it means to their golf swing and the overall success of their game in general.

So next time you're struggling with your swing, can't seem to figure out why you can't correct your slice or hook or you are having some other issue that seems to be holding you back from success, revisit your method of how you line up, chances are your problem is right at your feet you just don't know it! And if you can't seem to figure it out, see your favorite pro he/she will be able to set you on a path to better golf!

 Blog written by Vince-Director of Instruction at VJF Golf Academy