Part 5 of My 8 Part Series - How Do I? - Chip Shots

Chip Shot Definition: A chip shot should have less "air time" and more "roll time" which is the opposite of a pitch shot.


It's important to know the difference between these two shots.


 



 
What To Do:

1. Set up with your stance very narrow (feel close together).
2. Ball position should be off the inside of your back foot (right foot for righties).
3. Place about 70% of your weight on your front leg and 30% on your back leg.
4. Choke down to the bottom of your grip.
5. Press your hands forward slightly so you hands line up in front of ball.
6. The actual swing/stroke should be much like a putter. Very little wrist and body motion.
7. Try to keep your back swing and follow through equi-distant as this will greatly help with distance control.

It's important to know the difference between these two shots

Things To Remember: 1. Swing should have an even tempo, slow and controlled. 2. Deceleration is a killer so trust your swing. 3. use the 1/3 - 2/3 rule. That is, find a spot 1/3 of the way to the hole and try and land your shot around that spot. The ball should then roll the other 2/3 of the way to the hole. If you calculated and executed correctly, you will have a nice short putt remaining.
Club Selection: Some golfers use the same club for all chipping duties, other change it up depending on the shot at hand. Either method is acceptable and can be effective if practiced.
Recommendation: I tend to lean towards using multiple clubs depending on the shot. For example the less green you have to work with the more lofted club you should use (SW, PW, GW, LW). And the more green you have to work with use a less lofted club (mid to longer irons typically however we carry 14 clubs and most can be multi-functional....be creative.

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

Part 4 of My 8 Part Series - How Do I? - Pitch Shots

It's been a while and long overdue as I continue with my 4th installment of my 8 part series...How Do I? The purpose of this series is to give you an overview of how to hit a variety of golf shots. For beginners, this is a great way to learn some basics on proper set up, ball position etc. For more avid golfers it may serve as a refresher or a "tweak" to your current routine.

One of, if not the most important shots in golf are pitch shots. These are shots that can save us a bunch of strokes or cost us a bunch. And because 70% of all golf shots are from 100 yds or less it's crucial to devote ample practice time to pitch shots.

Pitch Shot Definition: A pitch shot should have more "air time" than it has "roll time" which is different than a chip shot.


What To Do:

1. Set up to the ball with the same ball position you use for all other iron shots.
2. Stance can be slightly more narrow than the standard shoulder width.
3. Grip the club about half way down the grip; this insures more control of the club and makes it easier to control distance.
4. It's important to keep you back swing and down swing with an even tempo. Your down swing should be slightly faster than your back swing but not by much.
5. In your set up place about 60% of you weight on you front leg (that's left leg for righties) and 40% on your back leg.
6. Swing down and through the shot and allow your club to clip the grass; this insures of getting a majority of the club face on the ball for better contact.

Things To Know: 

1. Never decelerate! It's one of the killers of a pitch shot. If your swing is moving at a slow to moderate speed the need to decelerate will be minimal. 2. Pitch shots are not full swings therefore we have to modify our swing to generate distance. If you have a certain club you like to pitch with it helps to practice swinging that club with varying length back swings. Get to know how far that club gives you when you swing it 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4. This will help you greatly in your distance control.

Keep in mind that pitch shots can be made with a variety of clubs particularly your wedges and it should also be mentioned that if your spending 50 - 75% of your time working on your driver, you'll be better served flip flopping that amount of time and devoting it to the shorter shots in golf.

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

3 ingredients I believe would help Tiger regain his edge!

The watch and wait game continues as the golfing world once again was left with more questions than answers regarding the future and direction of Tiger Woods. We listen to his press conferences and sound bites and you get the feeling that he is making strides in his progress yet come tournament time it continues to be much the same. A heavy dose of wayward shots, a poor short game sprinkled with a spattering of decent shots thrown in to further muddy the waters as to what exactly is going on.

Those of us who work with players of all ability levels on a daily basis know that the better the golfer you’re working with the more demanding and tedious the process can become. A rank beginner that doesn’t know what end of the club to hold can be a walk in the park compared to let’s say a +1 or +2 player. You would think it would be the opposite with the better golfers having  such a command of the game, but then again golf is a very counter intuitive game, meaning; what you think is logical is usually the opposite in golf.

Like so many professionals, amateurs and golf fan alike, I have analyzed this Tiger situation and have narrowed it down to 3 key elements that I believe would help Tiger re-establish himself as a force once again.

1]  Change his approach to his swing. Tiger must realize that he is not immortal and that father time stops for no one. He cannot swing the same now as he did at the age of 23. As fit as Tiger is, his back and joints can’t take the stress of such a powerful swing like they could 15 or 20 years ago. His swing changes should be geared towards swinging more efficiently and smarter with the understanding that distance begins to dissipate with age yet accuracy is something you never have to lose. Last I checked “Accuracy” is still pretty high on the list of things one must have to succeed at any level of golf competition.

2]  Stop over analyzing every little body movement and swing mechanic. Even the high handicappers of the world know that too much thinking is not a good thing. I believe he knows this as well but for whatever reason he won’t or can’t move away from this thought process. When he first started with his most recent coach Chris Como, he talked about going back through old tapes of his younger days and trying to move his swing in that direction. I consider that to be both good and bad. Good, because his swing was less mechanical and much freer flowing and that is a good thing. Bad, because again, he’s not 23 anymore and to make the body do at 39 (almost 40) what it did 15 years prior is like shoving a square peg in a round hole. I believe there are some past swing fundamentals he can carry forward but with that some modifications to lessen the punishment on his body.

3]  Employ 1 person to serve as your coach, caddy, guru and mentor. This is something I have not heard in anything I have read or seen regarding Tiger’s current situation. Some will probably find this idea ridiculous; however, from a professional standpoint it makes perfect sense.  There are a number of professionals on tour whose caddy is also their swing coach. If I’m not mistaken Jason Day’s caddy is a gentleman who has been a longtime mentor and swing coach to him. This to me makes perfect sense.  He doesn’t necessarily need a top 100 instructor but rather someone who understands golf from the inside out and backwards and let's face it, there’s more to golf than just swinging a club. Such a person could serve Tiger well and be at his side literally at the times he needs it most. But TW likes the spotlight squarely on himself and to employ such a figure may cause that spotlight to widen a bit and we know what happens when it does i.e. Fluff Cowan, Butch Harmon, Hank Haney. Ego can be a terrible thing.

If Tiger would put more of his energy into game planning a strategy for success and less into quantum physics and bio mechanics I believe he would come out much further ahead. But as the saying goes “A tiger never changes his stripes” and when change isn’t recognized as a necessity to further evolve, what follows is extinction.

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

TIGERS TRIBULATIONS

If you’re a golfer, most likely you’ve been asked the question, “Do you think Tiger is done” which is a direct reflection of his latest offering at last week’s Memorial Tournament. It seems everybody has an opinion and it appears until he starts showing signs of progress (which he claims he is making in his pressers) the questions and doubt will continue to linger. It is hard to fathom that a golfer with such raw natural talent could post a number remotely close to the 85 he recently posted.

I have had numerous conversations with both professionals and amateurs alike regarding this never ending topic and it seems people have strong convictions on how TW has fallen so far from where he once was as the #1 golfer in the world. Everything from the ordeal with his now ex wife to the numerous changes in his swing and swing coaches to having the “yips” as some of the most common themes I hear on an almost daily basis. And being a golf professional who makes a living at helping others play better golf I get the inevitable question (as I’m sure most golf professionals do) all the time as to what I think is wrong with Tiger’s swing and game.

Before I get to that, what I have found interesting and refreshing over the past several months is Tiger’s willingness to speak to the media after such debacles. Something he’s been reluctant to do in the past after poor performances. To that I give him kudos, and although his game is currently in limbo, it appears he is evolving as a more media friendly ambassador of the game even as the wheels continue to fall off. That also goes directly to his character....bravo!

As for the current “State of Tiger” I have looked at it much like I diagnose someone’s golf swing when seeing it for the first time. First, identify the swing deficiencies and then ultimately determine the “root cause” of those deficiencies. In other words don’t treat the symptoms, instead, attack the source. If you “cure” the source problem the symptoms will go away.

So if you apply that same logic to Tiger’s situation you need to ask yourself what are his deficiencies/symptoms? Inconsistency for sure, you can also throw in the inability to score and unfortunately without talking with him it’s impossible to know what his thinking process is at the moment but if this were a “real” player evaluation I would ask him a series of questions that would certainly shed some light on the situation. But given what we do know let’s delve a little deeper. WHY is he inconsistent and unable to score? By his own words, because he is “stuck” between patterns (that's not terminology I use on a daily basis with my students but I think I understand where he's coming from…). Ok now we ask why is he stuck between patterns, most likely because he has changed coaches a few times over the past several years. Ok, why has he changed coaches over the past several years? And that my friend is the million dollar question.

And in my most humble opinion, I truly believe it is the pursuit of perfection, and as we all know there is no “perfection” in golf. When Tiger admits to himself that there is no "perfect" in golf and the fact that he is no longer 25 years old and can’t move in the same way he did at that age, he will then be able to travel a path that is much less rocky and probably will yield more positive results.

It’s kind of like the alcoholic or drug addict syndrome; you can’t get better until you admit you have a problem. I see it much the same way, until Tiger admits there is no perfect, that it’s about getting the ball in the hole in the least amount of strokes and do it in an efficient yet different way than when he did in his 20’s, I believe things will continue to stay status quo.

It’s unfortunate that Tiger is blinded by science i.e. bio mechanics, because it is truly causing paralysis to his game. Back in the day of Arnie, Jack, Gary, Lee, Chi Chi and so on there was no talk of bio mechanics, quantum physics or anything else along those lines; it was about playing golf and putting the ball in the hole in fewer strokes than your competitor. Every watch Arnie’s swing? You certainly wouldn’t teach it but what a thing of beauty.

So, where does all this leave us? Only time will tell but as previously stated the current path doesn’t seem to be leading to greener pastures and Tiger assures us weekly that progress is being made. Now whether he truly believes it is another story.

Recommendation: If Tiger isn’t unwilling to return to Butch or Hank then I think he should go completely off the grid, do his homework, find himself a GOLF MINDED coach/instructor/teacher that deals with GOLF and disappear for a while. Will it happen, 99% chance it doesn’t but I am also 99% sure that he won’t be throwing in the towel any time soon but I do wish Tiger the best…..

To be continued 

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

Looking for a new swing philosophy? The golf swing simplified.

Have you ever wondered why developing a consistent golf swing seems so complex? Have you even taken a lesson and by lessons end you had a laundry list of 7 things you had to remember in order to produce an acceptable golf shot? Have you tried any of the multitude of swing philosophies or systems only to have them work short term before returning back to your old habits and form?

If you answered "yes" to any or all of the above questions then you may want to keep reading. If you are happy with your golf game and improvement isn't an issue...stop here because you have obviously found the secret to success, and you may well could have because our system of developing consistency is nothing new. What is new is what we actually focus on during the swing. This is why your swing is already perfectly fine with the exception of a few key areas. Our latest offering is the simplest and most effective way to start developing consistency once and for all.

If you've played golf for any length of time you already know there are many moving parts to a golf swing. You also know (or have learned up to this point) that all those moving parts need to work in harmony....repeatedly, to develop enough muscle memory which in turn will result in a consistent and repeatable golf swing. Well, that is only partially true. I do agree certain things need to work to together to develop consistency. However, we don't waste time on the insignificant things, yes there are things in the golf swing that are insignificant, yet to many, occupy hours of focus that could be directed towards what's really important. Have you ever heard the phrase "don't sweat the small stuff?" We have to, and we don't, because to us it is just energy wasted.

For example, during a typical golf lesson, your pro might suggest that your lead foot (left foot for us right handed players) is moving too much or raising up too much and may have you work on keeping it more anchored. That then gets added to "the list" of things you need to remember. Each time your pro corrects what he/she feels is an issue it gets added to "the list" and by lessons end you may have 6 or 7 things on "your list" that you need to remember while making a golf swing that lasts approximately 1 second. To me that seems unrealistic which is why I have developed a very simple approach to developing consistency. I personally don't care if you are standing on your toes, standing on one leg, or bouncing the club off your head during your back swing as long as you can execute a few simple "musts" that every productive golf swing exhibits. If you can then you "WILL" be successfully consistent.

My system and teaching ideology is rooted in a few simple "musts" and that's where the focus should be concentrated....period. The system is APF-Zone 20 which takes facts that we already know and places the focus on those areas and those areas alone. I'm not interested in making your swing look pretty, I'm interested in making your swing incredibly effective. I haven't reinvented the wheel and what I teach you've probably already heard in various forms. The difference lies in the fact that the APF - Zone 20 approach keeps your focus on the few important "musts" of the golf swing while not letting you get side tracked on "other" things.

So if you like to analyze what each and every body part is doing during your golf swing then this is definitely not the program for you. All that does is create "Paralysis by Analysis" which, in my opinion, is the single most reason why golfers can't level up, especially better players. The quest for perfection ultimately causes the golfer to get in their own way, thus preventing them for taking it to the next level.

APF - Zone 20 is based at the VJF Golf Academy in Cordova, Tennessee and was developed by Director of Instruction and academy owner Vince Fratercangelo. To learn more about the APF - Zone 20 approach and how you can actually take a lesson from anywhere in the world click on the title of this article and start developing the consistency you've been seeking.

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

       

Part 3 of My 8 Part Series - How Do I? - Fairway Woods

In this installment of "How do I" I will discuss proper technique for hitting fairway woods. What can make fairway woods difficult to hit is that visually it resembles our driver which, when set up to properly will allow us to swing up on the golf ball and golfers generally allow that philosophy to spill over to the fairway woods. When golfers get in to the habit of swinging a fairway wood like a driver, that's when the bad shots start to multiply. If anything, the mental idea of hitting a fairway wood should favor that of an iron, not a driver. Let me explain........

Of all the shots hit in golf (putting aside, that is another animal) the only time we should be swinging "up" on the ball is when we have a driver in our hand. Reason being is that the ball is sitting off the ground on a tee. The last thing we want when hitting the tee ball is club to ground contact.

All other shots however, are made off the turf and in such cases requires club to ground contact even if it is minimal (such as a fairway wood). For that reason alone, the mentality of hitting your fairway woods should more closely resemble that of hybrids and irons more-so than a driver. I can tell you from experience people who come to me seeking help with hitting their fairway woods inevitably are swinging too much "up" trying to help the ball get airborne. Remember golf is a very counter intuitive sport. So if you're having trouble with your fairway woods and looking to make a change for improvement here's what you want to do:

1. Set up with your stance about shoulder width apart.
2. Ball position should be moved about 2 '' in (moving towards center of stance) from where you position your drivers ball position.
3. Maintain your spine angle  for as long as you can through impact to insure solid contact.
4. Swing as if you are trying to take a shallow divot. Let the club do the work, don't try and swing up on the ball as this will greatly increase your odds of topping it or hitting a thin shot.

Things To Remember: 1. Swing down to the ball NOT up on the ball. Golfers generally try too hard to get shots airborne; let the loft of the club work for you, stay down and through.

Give it a try and with a slight modification in the thought process of how to hit your fairways, you'll soon be reaching those par 5's in two.

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

Part 2 of My 8 Part Series - How Do I? - Hit Irons

Welcome to the 2nd of an 8 part series "How do I?" which will examine set up & techniques of playing from tee to green in an easy to understand format. This installment will discuss set up for hitting irons. There are a variety of theories on how to hit your irons, especially when it comes to ball position. And as I always say if you do it another way and it works why change? But…..if you’re irons have been a source of inconsistency and you’re looking for a new approach, this might be the piece you need.

Remember: Taking a divot is a good thing. A good solid iron shot most times requires taking a swatch of turf!

What To Do:

1. Set up with your stance about shoulder width apart.
2. Ball position should be middle or just slightly forward of center (but not much) in your stance.
3. As you swing try and maintain your spine angle as long as you can which will increase your odds of staying down and through the shot. Let the momentum of your swing pull you up and through after impact.

Things To Know: 1. The divot, when hitting an iron, starts in front of the ball not behind. So hitting a solid iron shot requires you to hit ball first and ground second. 2. I recommend using the same ball position for all irons (either middle or slightly forward) This helps to maintain consistency. There are times to change ball position for irons (chip shot, knockdown shot, punch shot etc) but on a basic iron to the green (approach shot) stick with a consistent ball position for all irons.

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