"Does Poor Balance Cause Poor Golf Swings?"

Would a Golfer with poor balance have a better or worse chance of having a consistent golf swing?

The obvious answer seems to be that the Golfer that doesn’t have good balance would have a more inconsistent golf swing than the Golfer that employs good, solid balance. So if that’s true – why haven’t you worked on your balance? If true – should you be spending your time working on your swing path and swing plane or should you be working on your balance skills? Could poor balance be causing your swing path, swing plane and clubface issues?

We believe that much of the golf instruction (not all, but much) is seriously flawed and backwards in the way Golfers are taught. Meaning, for example: Many Golfers go to get a golf lesson (or read in a magazine or see on television) and are immediately admonished that their backswing is being taken too much to the outside. And that you need to work on taking it more inside.

Now, I’m not saying that your backswing shouldn’t go outside (and I’m not saying it shouldn’t come inside or straight back), however – maybe that flaw could be caused by something else. Maybe taking the club too far outside could be a compensation for another swing flaw.

For example: could poor balance cause you to take the club too far outside?

Unfortunately, many Golfers and Instructors only look at the effect (taking the club too far outside) and then teach you a compensation (taking the club more inside) to compensate for that first compensation (taking the club too far outside). So basically, you’re working on fixing one compensation with another compensation. And then you wonder why you can’t consistently take the club more to the inside while hitting a golf ball. Well maybe, just maybe – the club is going too far outside for a reason – maybe it’s compensating for poor balance?

To use the “taking the club more to the inside” example as an example – could bad balance cause you to take your club too far outside? Absolutely! If you’re not balanced at set-up – if your weight is too much on your heels – it could cause you to take the club too far outside in that Instructor’s eyes. Now, I’m not saying that taking the club too far outside is a bad thing (I’m not saying it’s a good thing either) – it’s just an example of something a lot of Golfers are corrected on.

The basis here is to talk about how bad balance could be affecting many of your so-called golf swing flaws. And how many Golfers are misdiagnosed - causing them to have to learn even more compensations to cover up other compensations. For example – learning to swing more inside to correct the outside swing path – yet never correcting the cause of the outside swing path (which could be bad balance).

If your balance at set-up is off – meaning too much on your heels – it could cause you to compensate by pushing your hands and arms away from your body because if they did come back more naturally – it might cause you to fall backwards. So to counter balance having too much weight on your heels – you push your arms away from your body on the backswing to maintain balance. So now you’re compensating for bad balance (which you need to do to remain standing), by taking the club outside.

Now, because of your bad balance – you’re told to change your swing path. Yet, the problem isn’t your swing path – your “poor” swing path is just an effect of your poor balance. Now a big problem arises when you start trying to bring the club more inside without correcting the bad balance. This will cause you to struggle on the golf course by hitting shanks and pulls and killer slices as you work on taking it more inside – which will cause you to add even more compensations to your swing to counteract those bad shots.

So now, when you go back for more help on your golf swing – you’re told that you’re now bringing the club in a little better – but to stop the shanks and pulls and killer slices, you need to stop coming over the top. You need to drop the club from the top of your golf swing into the slot so that you can bring the club more from the inside as you approach impact.

Yet, this happens even though you still haven’t perfected the more inside takeaway (which you can’t because your balance still hasn’t improved). And now, even though you don’t have the backswing, you have to learn how to bring the club down more on the inside as opposed to over the top. Yet, how can you bring the club more from the inside when you’re still don’t have good balance. With the weight too far back on your heels – you have a choice – throw the club to the outside on the way down (what you’ve been doing) or starting at the top of your backswing, move your weight to your toes for a counter balance so that you could drop the club down behind you (where your Instructor says it “needs” to be).

Regardless of which you subconsciously choose – you’re just adding another compensation on top of the other compensations that’s going to cause more problems in your golf swing. Without good balance, you’re like the people in a 10 story building with a wobbly foundation – when the building starts to lean to the front, you all run to the back of the building to counter the forward motion. And when the building now moves to the back, you all run to the front. Yet, nothing gets done in the office because everything is being affected by the bad foundation.

To give you a simple picture on how balance can affect your body’s movements – picture this: If you’re standing up straight, then lower your left arm down the side of your body to pick-up a heavy briefcase positioned to the outside of your left foot. How would you pull that bag up? Most likely by lifting it as you lean your upper body to the right – counter balancing the weight on your left. Then, as you walk with the heavy briefcase in your left hand (with your Blackberry held against your ear with your right hand), which way is your body leaning? Obviously to the right to counterbalance yourself.

Well, a similar thing could happen if you don’t have good balance in your golf swing. If your weight is too much in one direction – your body will compensate for it by moving in another direction. Yet, when similar balance issues happen with Golfers, they are often told that the compensations that they have created (because of the poor balance) are the problem with their golf swing. When in fact, that so called problem is just a compensation you created because of a far bigger issue. So now you’re taught another compensation to fix the compensation that was created by the cause. Yet, you never fixed the cause. And if you never fix the cause – you’re just going to start creating more and more compensations – so that your golf swing just becomes one big compensation.

And remember that - ‘Compensations equal Inconsistency’.

I can’t tell you how many thousands of Golfers unfortunately have to go through this every year – never getting to the cause of the problem, only being told how to fix the effect. Which is backwards because you should be working to fix the cause – yet most Golfers are only taught how to fix the effect by being given compensation after compensation. And that’s a big reason why so many Golfers never get better and swear never to take another golf lesson again because they only get worse afterwards.

Thank goodness for GMS!

How can you work on your balance? It’s easy. Get set-up like you’re ready to hit a golf shot, then pick-up your left foot so that you’re balanced on your right foot. Now to do this – you’re going to have to move your center of gravity over your right leg. See how long you can stay balanced on your right foot (while in set-up). And as you’re doing this – try to move your weight around your foot to feel where you’re the most balanced. After you can hold your balance for 30 seconds without having to put your left foot down or grab onto something – try it with your left foot.

Please remember, this isn’t as easy as it may sound – so don’t try this next to a glass table or at the top of a staircase – make sure you’re in a safe place. If you can only stay balanced for a few seconds on your first attempts – what is that telling you? It could be telling you that you don’t have great balance and that bad balance could be causing compensations in your golf swing that are causing you to create even more compensations and making you even more inconsistent.

The Monkey will continue to work on the effect by practicing taking the golf club to the inside without fixing the cause

The Player is always interested in fixing the cause because they know that if they fix the cause, they also fix the effect

Go ahead, Be a Player!

Regards,

Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life

www.GolfMadeSimple.com



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Are You As Consistent As A PGA Tour Player?

At the PGA Tour event in San Antonio a couple of weeks ago, an interesting thing happened. In round 2, one Tour Pro beat another Tour Pro by 18 strokes in that one round. For the mathematically challenged – that’s 1 stroke per hole. Now, that’s about the equivalent and what you might expect to see when a 2 handicap plays with a 20 handicap. Not when 2 PGA Tour Players are playing.

In the second round, JP Hayes scored an impressive 62; while Trevor Dodds endured through an 80. Nonetheless – that’s a 1 stroke per hole difference in score – not something you’d expect to see on that high a level of golf. I guess it just goes to show how consistency is tough for the best Players in the world to grasp day after day and week after week.

What also illustrates this point is that Dodds isn’t a hack. In the first round he shot a very nice 70 – which was one shot better than Hayes’ 71. Which highlights even more inconsistency: Dodds played 10 shots worse on Friday than he did on Thursday. And Hayes played 9 shots worse on Thursday than he did on Friday.

So if the best Players in the world have scores that have 9 or 10 shots swings from Thursday to Friday – I guess for a regular Golfer, it shouldn’t be a big deal if you shot 92 on Saturday and 102 on Sunday! Because these guys have much more consistent golf swings than rest of us – and their scores vary 10 shots from round to round – how can you expect yours to have less of a variance?

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GMS Bonus Material

For Anyone Considering Video Analysis - We have added our report on: "Using Video Analysis To Improve Your Golf Swing" to the Golf Made Simple website for you to download and view.

Just click here to be taken to the download page on the http://www.GolfMadeSimple.com website. It's easy, it's free and it's a pretty extensive report on our findings.

Indoor Putting Drill - If you'd like for us to email you a special Indoor Version of an excellent GMS Putting Drill that you could spend hours on - email us at IndoorPuttingDrill@GolfMadeSimple.com and put 'Blog' in the subject line.

Tour Putting Square - Use the Tour Putting Square inside your home to improve your scores. Just send us an email at TourPuttingSquare@GolfMadeSimple.com with the subject: 'Blog' – and we'll email you how to use this game changing drill.

Swing Drills & Core Training - To view a segment that covers 2 swing drills you can practice inside, plus 3 exercises to strengthen your core - email us at: PushUp@GolfMadeSimple.com with the words 'Blog' in the subject line to receive a link and password to access the video segment from our DVD - 'How To Improve Your Golf Swing Indoors'

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"Are Double Bogeys In Your PLAN?"

Excerpted from Classic GIW Issue 241 from May 28th, 2008

"It's so easy to lose your focus and PLAN after making a Double or Triple Bogey on the golf course. For most Golfers, a Double or Triple is often followed on the next hole with another Double or Triple. And that's precisely why you constantly hear Golfers saying things like - 'Ohh, I could've broken 90, but I had a 3 hole stretch where I went Double, Triple, Double. If I could've just limited those to Bogeys, I'd have scored in the 80's!'

"Yet, with the Player - when they experience a Double or Triple - they often follow it up with a Birdie, Par or at worst a Bogey. Why is this?

Well, I believe it's easier ....."

Continue reading the rest of this Classic GIW - Click Here

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Almost Halfway Through 2009?

Is it almost June already? There’s no way! Wasn’t it just March … like just 2 weeks ago? I don’t know about you – but it’s been so busy around here. Time is just moving too fast.

And when I say busy, I mean busy. It’s been borderline crazy with all the inquires and sign-ups we have for our new Virginia location just outside Washington DC at Lansdowne Resort. Wow, we knew this was going to be a popular location. How could it not be with over 25 million people living within a 4 hour drive or 45 minute flight away.

And with 45 holes of phenomenal golf in the Virginia countryside – right on the Potomac River and just about smack in the middle of Virginia wine country – and the accommodations right on property at Lansdowne Resort – how could it not be successful? As I say this – June dates are just about sold-out. We have two spots available on June 16th to 18th; only two spots for the 19th to 21st – yet besides that, there’s not much more available for June. If you’re thinking about July – start thinking hard – because it’s right around the corner.

Regards,

Alex - Director

Toll Free - 1-888-580-3635<

International - 001.904.460.8355

Email: IWantToBe@GolfMadeSimple.com

Labels: Golf DVD, Golf Instruction, golf instructor, Golf Lessons, Golf Schools, Golf Swing, Golf Travel, golf vacation, Golf Video, Marc Solomon, swing plane, Tiger Woods, Video Analysis

Labels: Golf DVD, Golf Instruction, golf instructor, Golf practice, Golf Schools, Golf Swing, Golf Travel, golf vacation, Golf Video, swing plane, Tiger Woods, top golf school, Video Analysis

We interrupt our regularly scheduled golf instruction to make a special announcement. GMS is proud to announce the opening of 2 new GMS locations. We normally reserve this space to speak about ways to improve your golf game (and we’ll get back to that next week). However, every once in a while we need to make a special announcement.

GMS has primarily been based in Florida (4 locations), California (2 locations) and Arizona (1 location). 6 of those locations could be called Winter locations for Golfers coming south to escape the cold – the exception being our Lake Tahoe location – which is open from June 8^th to October 15^th.

Why have we chosen these two locations? You mean besides having the best practice facilities around, excellent golf courses and having a hotel either on property or within just 2 miles away (with free shuttle service)? Or that both are just 15 minutes from major airports or within just a few hours drive from areas with many Golfers?

Maybe the details below can answer some of these questions for you:

Washington DC - Lansdowne Resort

First - Accessibility: Lansdowne Resort is 15 minutes from Washington/Dulles Airport. Right on the edge of Virginia wine country. With shuttle service available from the airport - there's no need to even rent a car - you don't need to leave the resort. And it's within a few hours drive of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, etc.

Second - The Golf Courses: Lansdowne Resort has 45 holes of golf (27 holes by Greg Norman and 18 by Robert Trent Jones Jr.) and an excellent practice facility. And what's also great is that each hole is bordered by nature and the Potomac River - not houses - it's absolutely beautiful! A double-sided practice range and dedicated short game facility. Although it's all about the golf - I have to say that the clubhouse is also fantastic!

Third - The Accommodations: Lansdowne Resort has been named a AAA 4 Diamond Resort with 296 rooms on property, 5 restaurants, a full service spa, 5 swimming pools, tennis courts and an excellent exercise facility, etc. So once you're there - there's no reason to step off property.

Fourth - Additional thoughts: If you're a Golfer, it's obvious why this is such a great facility to have a GMS program. However, an additional bonus is what's available if you want to bring a non-golfing spouse or children. With the fantastic pools on property, the historic sites of the nation’s capital just down the road, full service spa, wineries, Friday Night Concerts on property, etc., etc. The rest of the family will have plenty of activities to occupy their time.

Denver, Colorado - Green Valley Ranch Golf Club

First - Accessibility: Green Valley Ranch is 15 minutes from Denver International Airport. And our two hotels - The Hyatt Place and the Marriott are just 2 miles from the golf course. Plus, both hotels provide complimentary shuttle service from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the golf course each day - with restaurants at or next to the hotels, there's no need for a rental car.

Second - The Golf Courses: Green Valley Ranch has 27 holes - an excellent 18 holes by Perry Dye (it’s the site of the Colorado Open), and it also has the coolest 9 hole short course I've ever seen, along with having the best practice facility out of all our GMS locations. First, to hold the State Open Championship tells you it's a great golf course. Second - you're in Colorado. Of course it's a beautiful setting. Third - It was voted the best practice facility in Colorado!

The practice facility is as good as it gets. Private range area, an excellent private short game area and a dedicated instructional building. This really is a first rate facility - it's no wonder it was voted as the best practice facility in the state.

Third - Accommodations: At Green Valley Ranch, we're using two hotels - the brand new Hyatt Place and the Marriott. Both are pretty much right next to each other and are just 2 miles from the golf course. Both hotels offer free transportation to and from the airport, along with to and from the golf course, free wireless internet, both have pools, exercise facilities and the Hyatt has complimentary continental breakfast (at the Marriott you can upgrade your room to the Concierge Floor for $20 a night which gives you access to the Concierge Lounge and includes breakfast, night time appetizers, etc.)

Fourth - Additional thoughts: Again, if you're a Golfer, it's obvious why this is such a great facility to have a GMS program. Plus, just look a few miles to the west and you're in the Rockies. You can actually see Pike's Peak from the golf course. During your GMS program, there won't be much time for exploring the area - though if you have a couple extra days, go and enjoy the Rockies and all the activities they provide.

More information and pictures:

http://www.golfmadesimple.com/Washington-DC-Golf-Lessons.html

http://www.golfmadesimple.com/Denver-Colorado-Golf-Lessons.html

And as part of the 10 Year Anniversary of GMS, along with the opening of these 2 new locations – we’re holding 2 Special Programs to celebrate. Do you want to be a part of the action – then read more in The Buzz.

Regards,

Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
http://www.GolfMadeSimple.com

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GMS Bonus Material

For Anyone Considering Video Analysis - We have added our report on: "Using Video Analysis To Improve Your Golf Swing" to the Golf Made Simple website for you to download and view.

Just click here to be taken to the download page on the http://www.GolfMadeSimple.com website. It's easy, it's free and it's a pretty extensive report on our findings.

Indoor Putting Drill - If you'd like for us to email you a special Indoor Version of an excellent GMS Putting Drill that you could spend hours on - email us at IndoorPuttingDrill@GolfMadeSimple.com and put GIW in the subject line.

Tour Putting Square - Use the Tour Putting Square inside your home to improve your scores. Just send us an email at TourPuttingSquare@GolfMadeSimple.com with the subject: Tour Putting Square – and we'll email you how to use this game changing drill.

Swing Drills & Core Training - To view a segment that covers 2 swing drills you can practice inside, email us at: PushUp@GolfMadeSimple.com with the words 'Golf Improvement Weekly' in the subject line to receive a link and password to access the video segment from our DVD - 'How To Improve Your Golf Swing Indoors'

Labels: driving range, g, Golf Instruction, golf instructor, Golf Lessons, Golf Video, Marc Solomon, swing plane, Tiger Woods, top golf school

Why do some Golfers improve while others are stagnant for years? How is it possible that one Golfer that has been playing for 15 years has been a 21 handicap for 13 of those years and another Golfer that has been playing for 3 ½ years is already down to an 11 handicap. And the kicker is that they practiced just as much, they're both in good shape, they both want to improve just as much as the other and they both have bought new equipment in the last couple of years.

Why such a difference?

I had some detective work to do to find out why these 2-Golfers are going in opposite directions. Do you know anyone going in the wrong direction with their golf game? And worse than that, not knowing how to stop from going in the opposite direction. So I went out on the golf course with one Golfer at a time to watch them play 1 hole. And what I found was incredibly interesting. They had totally opposite styles of playing.

This is what happened -

I first went out with the 21 handicap to watch him play and before each shot I would ask him some questions about his strategy. On the 1st hole, a 379-yard Par 4 that is pretty straight with a bunker on the left side at about 245 yards and out-of-bounds running all the way down the right side - I asked him - What are you going to do here?

He said "Marc, I'm going to hit my Driver." So I said where are you aiming? He said "Well down the middle, where else would I aim? That's where I want the ball to go." I said "Cool, let's see a good drive." So the 21 handicap got up, aimed down the middle and hit a big slice to the right that went about 190-yards and almost went out-of-bounds. So he said "Dang it, I hate this Driver, all I ever do is slice it."

We get to his golf ball and he had an OK lie about 189-slightly-uphill-yards to the hole with a sand bunker that protects the right-side of the green and a small opening on the left side of the green if he wanted to bounce the ball onto the green. The 21-handicap looks at the pin position chart in the golf cart and says "It's pin position 3 today, so that means the flag is back right. I'm going to use my 3-iron." Where are you aiming? "At the green." Where on the green? "Well that's a sucker pin placement so I'll just aim for the middle of the green."

He hits a really good 3-iron that goes pretty much where he aimed, but it comes up about 5-feet short of the green and lands in the sand bunker. We get up to the golf ball, he takes out his sand wedge, aims for the flag and hits it - the ball, not the flag - and the ball goes screaming over the green. "These sand traps are so inconsistent. I hate them!" He then takes his 8-iron, 9-iron, pitching wedge and putter out of his bag and walks over to his golf ball on the other side of the green. After about 15-seconds of debate with himself over which club to use, he selects his 9-iron and hits a pretty good shot that ends up about 9-feet away from the hole. He then leaves his first putt about 1-foot short and looks at me as he picks up his ball and says "Is that putt good? I always double bogey this hole. It must be muscle memory."

Just from watching that hole I could tell why he was a 21 handicap, but I could also see how he could cut at least 6-strokes off his game instantly. He hit a pretty solid drive, he hit a really good 3-iron towards the green and he hit a pretty good shot from off the green - but he ended up with a double bogey - hmmm. The worst part of this situation is that he pretty much wasted 3 good golf swings on making a double bogey. So now as I pondered his situation, I wanted to see the 11-handicap play to compare their two styles of play - so I met him on the 1st tee.

The 11 handicap and I are standing on the 1st tee. He takes out his Driver and stares down toward the green in deep thought. I ask him what's he going to do? He says "Marc, I'm going to hit Driver down the left-side because of three reasons. One is that there's out-of-bounds down the right and I've been fading the ball a little lately and I don't want to be standing over my tee shot worrying that I might hit one to the right. Two - that sand bunker on my left is basically ornamental. Meaning that even if I aimed at it, I can't get there unless I hit my best shot ever and even if I do end up in the sand - I rather be there after making the perfect shot rather than aiming down the middle and putting pressure on myself to make the perfect shot so I don't flirt with the out-of-bounds on the right."

"I see so many Golfers aiming down the middle that have a tendency to slice the ball, and then get so mad when they do hit one out-of-bounds. Almost as if they think that magically their slice is going to disappear on that tee shot."

"Also by aiming down the left side, if I do hit a good tee shot, it leaves me a great angle towards the opening on the left side of the green." So the worst thing that could basically happen to you on this tee shot is that you'll hit a great Drive and end up in the fairway bunker? "Yea, you can say it like that. And if I do hit that bunker - I'll only have 134-yards with a great angle to the green. Some people look at fairway bunkers and are scared to hit into them. Well, they aren't my favorite place to hit out of, but I'd rather be in a fairway bunker as opposed to hitting out of the trees or worse yet, taking penalty strokes for hitting into the water, lost balls or going out-of-bounds. Since I've started this style of playing, I've cut down the number of lost balls during my round. When I used to aim down the middle in the past, I would lose 3 to 4 balls per round. Now, I might lose 1 if I hit a terrible shot."

"And even if I make what I would describe as a bad shot, I'm still keeping the golf ball in play!"

So the 11 handicap gets behind his golf ball and again surveys the hole. He walks up to the golf ball, aims down the left side and swings. He hits it pretty well, not great, but with a good slice on the ball. The ball lands just right of the center of the fairway and rolls off into the right rough. "Well, I had a feeling that might happen. I'm glad I aimed left." Isn't that kind of negative to think that you might slice the ball like that? "Some people might call that negative thinking on my part - but after practicing yesterday and warming up this morning - I call it reality! That's my ball flight right now and it will be until I can get a chance to work it out on the practice range after the round. But, I'm on the golf course now and this is the worst place to try and work it out. So instead of "Fiddling" with my golf swing today - I'm just going to dance with what I got."

We get up to his golf ball and he has about 196-uphill-yards to the hole. He surveys the situation and takes out his 6-iron. I look at him and ask - Can you hit your 6-iron that far? 196-yards? That's a big 6-iron. "I wish! There's no way I could hit it that far unless I hit a sprinkler head. I hit my 6-iron on average between 155 to 165 yards, depending on how good I hit it. I'm going to again aim down the left side to give myself a good angle to the flag for my 3rd shot. There's no reason to take out a 3-iron or fairway wood to go after that flag. If I did, I'd be lucky if I ended up on that green 2 out of 10 times. And some Golfers are satisfied with those 2 miracle shots. I'm more worried about where the other 8-shots end up and then struggling from there and making double bogey or worse!"

I've seen that happen. Have you?

So he goes behind his ball - takes a rehearsal swing - walks up to his ball - looks down the left side - looks at the ball and swings. He hits an OK shot that doesn't go very high, but goes straight towards his target down the left side and ends up 41-yards short of the green. I say - You still have 40-yards to go on your third shot. He replies "Well yes, but look at the angle I have. There are no obstacles in front of me, I've taken that bunker in front of the green completely out of play - It's now an Ornamental Bunker and I should easily be on the green on my next shot. If I can get that shot close enough, maybe I can sink a putt for par or at worst, I'll 2-putt for bogey. And after the tee shot I just hit and this second shot that I completely missed, I won't be too upset with bogey."

But don't you want to try to make Pars? "Well yes, I'd love to make more Pars - but what I've found out in my short time of playing golf is that kind of thinking is the downfall of many Golfers that can never break 100 or even 90. They're always trying to make Pars when you sometimes should accept bogey. It's like the old Kenny Rogers song the Gambler - 'You gotta know when to hold em and when to fold em, when to walk away and when to run' - The average Golfer that struggles is always playing for the Royal Flush and when they don't get it, they end up with a double or triple bogey that kills their score. I know that even if I'm not hitting the golf ball great on a given day, that if I play smart, I can limit my worst score to bogey and I'm going to have a good round of golf without hitting the golf ball well that day. Most Golfers just keep raising their bets and are continually going bust!"

So he finds his yardage of 41-yards and takes out his sand wedge - stands behind the golf ball and makes his PLAN. "I'm going to hit a medium high shot that's going to land about 5-steps onto the green and let it roll to the hole." He gets up next to the golf ball, looks at the target and rehearses his swing. After 2-swings while looking at his target, he says "That's it, that feels good." He swings, hits a pretty good shot that lands about 2-steps onto the green and starts to roll towards the hole. It ends up about 9-feet short of the hole. He looks at me and says "Just missed my spot by about 3-steps, but I'm on the green and even though I have yet to hit a shot exactly like I've wanted to, I still have a 9-footer for Par."

He walks to his ball. Then he walks past the hole and then back to his ball. I say - What were you doing, looking at the putt from both sides? He says "Yea, but I was mostly feeling the putt." He goes behind his ball, lines it up, sets his putter behind the golf ball, looks a little past the hole, looks at the ball and strokes it. The ball just skirts the right edge and goes 1-foot past the hole. "I thought I had it." He goes up to the golf ball and casually knocks in his 1-foot putt for bogey. "Oh well. Almost had Par, but at least it was a Bogey. It could've been a lot worse the way I hit the golf ball on that hole!"

So the 21-handicap makes a double bogey hitting some pretty solid shots and the 11-handicap makes bogey without hitting one solid shot. And the funny thing is this is just one hole of 18. I'm sure this scenario is repeated often throughout the round. What do you think? Was there a difference between how they both approached this hole? Don't you think that if they approached each hole like this that there would be a continual difference in their scores? Which Golfer does your game most resemble?

If you see a similarity between the 21-handicap's strategy and your strategy on the golf course - you may want to think about establishing a new PLAN before your next round of golf.

The Monkey blames their golf swing for their bad scores

The Player knows that two Golfers with equally as good golf swings can have different experiences on the golf course because of their PLAN (or lack of)

Go ahead, be a Player!

Regards,

Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life

www.GolfMadeSimple.com


New Bonus Material For Anyone Considering Video Analysis - We have added our report on: "Using Video Analysis To Improve Your Golf Swing" to the Golf Made Simple website for you to download and view.

Just click here to be taken to the download page on the www.GolfMadeSimple.com website. It's easy, it's free and it's a pretty extensive report on our findings.

Past Indoor Practice Drills

If you'd like for us to email you a special Indoor Version of an excellent GMS Putting Drill that you could spend hours on this Winter - email us at IndoorPuttingDrill@GolfMadeSimple.com and put GIW in the subject line.

To view a segment that covers 2 swing drills you can practice inside, email us at: PushUp@GolfMadeSimple.com with the words 'Golf Improvement Weekly' in the subject line to receive a link and password to access the video segment from our DVD

Labels: Golf, Golf DVD, Golf Instruction, Golf Lessons, Golf practice, Golf Schools, Golf Swing, Golf Travel, golf vacation, Golf Video, swing plane, top golf school

Listen to this Issue! In the story below, you'll hear the interaction between Henry and Marc in a way that you can't get by just reading it - click here »

"I hate this game! I hate it! Why do I play this stupid game? I quit - I'm never playing again!" Henry blasted himself.

I heard Henry as he was walking to his car and wondered why he was so down on himself. Henry is a hard worker, I see him at least once a week hitting balls on the practice range. I'll be going to the first tee with a Golf Made Simple class to do our on-course Instruction and there will be Henry banging balls on the practice range - one after another – "looking for the magic".

I approached Henry and asked -

"What is wrong? Why do you hate golf? The last time I saw you practicing on the range, you had a smile on your face and you gave me the thumbs up." Henry says, "Marc, I'm so frustrated with this game. I put everything I got into trying to play better. And just when I think I got it, I go out on the course, like I did today.

I...I...I...I go out and embarrass myself. I get so mad by the 7th or 8th hole that I can't even bring myself to play the back 9 holes."

"Henry those are the words of a frustrated golfer - or should I say - The words of a frustrated golfer that knows he could do better than he is doing. Do you really hate golf?

Or are your expectations too high for your present skill level? I find it extremely important to truly know what your skill level is and then understand – 'OK, this is what I score, at this point if I get upset at myself for every little mistake I make, I will never allow myself to get better!"

Henry usually scores between 92 and 102 (except for the occasional 'blow-up round' where he scores around 107, but he also has rounds where his 1 mulligan a side allows him to stay in the high 90's). Henry has a deep desire to break 90 for the first time. And on top of that, he has the desire to score in the low 80's every time he plays. These are very admirable goals.

So I said -

"Henry, these are fantastic goals. And I know you'll achieve them. First, we need to outline what aspects of your game you need to improve to reach these goals. Too many times Golfers feel as though if they go to the driving range once a week to hit golf balls, they should expect to get better."

"But Marc," Henry said, "Isn't hitting the ball better, the key to lower scores?" If I go to the range once a week, I should be able to hit one or two buckets and learn to hit the ball straight. This way I will soon be in the low 80's."

"Henry, how long have you been trying to score in the low 80's?"

"For about 5 years", Henry answered.

"Henry, how long have you had the routine of going to the range and trying to hit the ball straight?" I could tell Henry could see where I was going by the bashful smile on his face. "Well Marc, I've been doing this on and off for 2 or 3 years. Is this not enough? Do I need to go to the range more often?"

"Henry, before we say you need to go to the range more often, tell me what you do when you go to the range? What's your routine? What's your PLAN?" Henry looks at me and with a confused look in his eyes and says, "What do you mean by PLAN? I go out and hit golf balls and try to make them go straight down the middle. If I want to hit the ball better, I need to learn to hit the ball straight! If I can't do that, I'll never score in the low 80's."

"What I mean by PLAN is – what are you doing to learn to hit the ball straight? The key to playing better golf has many factors involved. And consistency is a factor."

"Yes, that's what I want – consistency! That's what I'm practicing – hitting the ball consistently straight. That's why I go to the range!" Henry interrupted.

"OK Henry, I understand. But, let's look at a way we can put some consistency into your practice time. Many Golfers feel that if they pound ball after ball after ball, they will get it. I wish it were that easy. I've been around many great Players in my life and if there's one thing they all have in common, it's that they come to the practice range with a PLAN in their head on what they want to accomplish.

"See most Golfers expect to go out to the range and learn to hit the ball straight in that one session. The better Players know that isn't going to happen. They go to work on one thing at a time. They go to the range with the thought of working on one small aspect of their swing only – and it isn't just trying to hit the ball straight."

I continued -

"And the most important part of this routine is they do not venture away from their PLAN for that day. Most regular Golfers will go out to work just on hitting the ball straight. They might magically find something that works for a few swings and softly say to themselves 'I got it, I got it', and then just as fast as it appeared, it disappears. Henry, what does this Golfer do next? He starts to tinker with other things to try and recapture those straight shots. Then after a half-hour of tinkering with diminishing results, he leaves the range in frustration hating the game."

"That's me! That's me! Have you seen me at the range practicing and getting frustrated?" Henry asked. "Each time I go out to practice, I get 'it' - for a few swings. Then it disappears. I hate that!"

"Well Henry, this happens to everybody - even the best Players. Though, you know why it doesn't happen to them as much? Because they come to the practice range with a PLAN and they don't venture from that PLAN. They stick with it and they don't expect miracles. They know if they get just a little better every time they practice, that after a few times to the practice range, they will be that much better. But the average Golfer goes to the practice range thinking and expecting to solve all their swing flaws within hitting a few buckets of balls. So they always leave frustrated.

How do the best Players leave each practice session? They leave like they accomplished something and can't wait to practice again. They feel so much more satisfied with themselves than the regular Golfer. And that satisfaction turns into confidence on the golf course!"

"I want to practice like that! I want to feel like I am getting better every time I'm on the practice range! I want to become more consistent!" Henry said with so much hope and energy.

"Well Henry, first you'll need to ..."

Look for the solution that will help Henry become more consistent in next week's Golf Made Simple – Golf Improvement Weekly – as we outline what it takes to become more consistent and confident.

What points were made in this Chapter of "Why Henry Hates Golf!"

Set realistic expectations:

If you're scoring between 95 and 105 - it's great to want to break into the 80's, but first you need score a 93 before you can score an 89.

If you put too much pressure on yourself to have to score 44 on the front nine, you'll end up with a 49 instead. And knowing that you scored a 49 on the front nine might lead to put too much pressure on yourself to score a 40 on the back. What will happen on the back? Well, by the 15th hole when that 40 is out of reach ... you'll be happy to be walking off the 18th green with a 50-something for the back nine.

Strive for small improvements week after week – rather than trying for huge improvements every time you play or practice.

Go ahead, be a Player!

Regards,

Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life

Are You Ready To Sign-up For GMS?

Then Click Here To Start Improving Your Golf Game

A Special Bonus!

This week we're giving you a link to watch a segment of the GMS DVD – How To Improve Your Golf Swing Indoors – which is now the "#1 Selling Golf Swing DVD on Amazon.com".

And as we know that many of you have already purchased this DVD – and some may have actually taken the plastic wrapper off the case and popped it into your DVD player – it would be a good refresher to watch this clip again. This clip shows two GMS Swing Drills – The Belly Swing Drill and the Modified Belly Swing Drill. Then, after the demonstration of the two swing drills, we go into the exercise that accompanies these Drills - push-ups for 3 different levels.

In fact – Dr. Z, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada (he's traveled to see GMS in Palm Springs twice), recommends the DVD to his patients even if they're not Golfers. He tells them – “Listen, since you don't play golf – just fast forward through the golf drills. The exercises are excellent and they will really strengthen your core and relieve a lot of your back pain."

To view a segment that covers the Belly Swing Drill and Modified Belly Swing Drill, along with 3 different levels of Push-ups, email us at: pushup@golfmadesimple.com with the words 'Golf Improvement Weekly' in the subject line to receive a link and password to access the video segment from our DVD.

"#1 Selling Golf Swing DVD on Amazon.com"

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Labels: driving range, Golf, Golf DVD, Golf Instruction, golf instructor, Golf Lessons, Golf practice, Golf Schools, Golf Swing, Golf Travel, golf vacation, Golf Video, swing plane

The Driver is the name of the game. There's nothing more satisfying than walking off the 18th green knowing that you hit your Driver well all day. In fact, there are times that I play golf just because I want the adrenaline rush that accompanies hitting great drives on the golf course.


To put it bluntly – you need to hit your Driver well to have fun on the golf course. Yes, you can hit your Driver well and still not score well on the golf course. Though, it's very difficult to score well if you're hitting your Driver poor - tee shot after tee shot.


So saying that – let's talk about your Driver and how you can start experiencing the euphoria of great drives. Let's start out with a little quiz:

When hitting your Driver – should you try to:

A) Swing harder than you swing your pitching wedge

B) Swing easier than you swing your pitching wedge

C) Swing with the same amount of effort as you swing your pitching wedge

Answer C


So, if your Driver is holding you back – it could be caused by the effort you're putting into swinging your golf club. We often have many Golfers coming to see us either swinging way too hard with their Driver or (and this may surprise many of you) we see almost as many Golfers swinging way too easy with their Driver.

We see the greatest improvement from our Golfers when they learn and understand that if they put the same amount of effort into swinging your Driver as you do with your pitching wedge – that you'll see incredible improvement in a short time.


Why is this?


Well, let's start with the swinging too hard problem that many face tee shot after tee shot. Listen, everybody at one time or the other has been accused (or self-accused) of swinging too hard at the golf ball with your Driver. "Oh, dang it – I just tried to kill that golf ball!"


I'm sure Tiger has done the same – so you're in good company.


It's frustrating that you know that you shouldn't swing so hard at the golf ball, yet time after time, slice after slice – we continue to do it! Believe me, there isn't any way to guarantee that you'll never swing too hard ever again. Though, there are proven ways to make sure you swing smoother most of the time – or at least 9 out of 10 times.


Though, what about the swinging too easy issue you might be experiencing? There's a lot more of these type's of Golfers out there than you may have thought. You actually maybe doing this and not even know it because many times Golfers are swinging too easy – yet it appears to others that you're swinging too hard.


I guess a simpler way of saying it is these Golfers decelerate their swings when swinging their Driver. Which may come as a shock to many because deceleration is often pegged to other clubs such as wedges (around the green) and putting strokes. Many Golfers can't imagine that they're decelerating with their Driver – yet many of you are.


The question that is often asked when this subject is brought up is – "Why would anyone decelerate their Driver?" And the best answer I can give you is that it's probably because you've been accused of swinging too hard too many times. And we all know – it's been pounded into our heads – that swinging too hard with your Driver is one of the '7 Deadly Sins' we can commit on the golf course. What's another 'Deadly Sin' on the golf course – 'Thou shall not use your ball retriever to fish for more golf balls after you found yours!' Once you find it, drop it, hit it and move along. Amen.


So the affect of constantly being told that you're swinging too hard is that you end up standing over the golf ball wanting to hit a good tee shot, while at the same time you're convincing yourself to "swing nice 'n slow, swing nice 'n slow, swing nice ‘n slow". It's almost like you're trying to hypnotize yourself.


And using the philosophy of – if you hear the same thing over and over, you'll start believing it – you start to be more and more cautious about swinging too hard.


So to give you a better picture/understanding of what I'm speaking about: There are two ways to decelerate – you could be decelerating your body so that your arms are out racing your body to the golf ball (thus becoming disconnected) or you could be decelerating your arms and having your body out race your arms to the golf ball (also becoming disconnected). Either way – you're becoming disconnected and causing yourself to lose control of your club, your club face and thus ... your golf ball.


Either way – it'll appear to others that are watching you (and to yourself) that you're swinging too hard because you lost control. Yet, is it that you're swinging too hard? Or is it that since your arms are out racing your body (which had decelerated) – it just appears as if your arms are swinging too hard.


Think of it this way - if you're body didn't decelerate and was moving along with your arms – you'd hit a great shot and it would appear as if you had made a smooth, fluid, easy golf swing. Yet, because your body slowed down – it makes it appear as if you were swinging your arms too fast. When in reality, your arms were moving at the proper pace.


And the same is true vise versa: if your arms slow down and your body continues to move as it should – others will be telling you that you're swinging too hard and that "you're getting way too far ahead of the ball".


Yet, in reality, all that's happening is that your arms were decelerating. And because you looked so discombobulated – it appears as if you were swinging harder than you should.


Do you want to become more consistent with your Driver? Learn to control your Pace of Swing. GMS uses more than a few Drills to help Golfers to become more consistent with their Driver. The Golfers that continue to practice these Drills see tremendous improvement off the tee with their Driver. Tremendous Improvement!


Now, I obviously can't get into great detail here in this format – so I'll go through a few fairly quickly. The first is almost always mentioned in the Testimonials we receive and display on our website and in Golf Improvement Weekly – simply "Tick Tock". The Golfers that are serious about "Tick Tock" – improve dramatically. The Golfers that aren't committed about it still improve – though maybe not as much as the ones that are serious about it. So simply – get serious and stay committed to your "Tick Tock".


The second is the Half Swing Driver Drill. I can't think of a better way to warm-up than Half Swing Drivers. The control that you achieve over your Driver using the Half Swing Driver Drill when it's a part of the 29 Ball Warm-up is incredible. In fact, I know one Golfer that has improved dramatically that says that he attributes the 29 Ball Warm-up to being one of the main reasons he was so much more consistent in 2008 than ever before. And he maybe the world's biggest advocate for the Half Swing Driver Drill!


The third is the Alternating Clubs Drill. What we have found is that Golfer's that are constantly practicing with their lower number clubs and then gradually moving up to their longer clubs and eventually to their Driver – get into the habit of swinging each club harder and harder. And then after they discover they're swinging their Driver too hard – they move into the decelerating debacle I mentioned above.


The Alternating Clubs Drill allows the Golfer to feel as if every club is being swung with the same amount of effort. It's amazing how this Drill allows a Golfer to swing the club more controlled in a short period of time. And because of this, its fun to watch our Golfers smile again as they walk up to the 1st tee in anticipation of hitting a good Driver as opposed to glum and hesitant about hitting another you know what.


And it's even more fun watching that same Golfer hit a fantastic Driver, and then walk off the tee feeling great about their golf game, their golf swing and their Driver – as opposed to you know what.


Saying that – It's amazing to me that with the success that Golfers see with the GMS program – that people choose others methods. When other programs are struggling so badly that they are constantly lowering prices to get customers because they never have any returnees – GMS had a record 2008. And that record can be attributed to the hundreds of returning Golfers and the friends they brought back with them.


And there's nothing more rewarding than seeing a Golfer that comes back to see us and who says something along the lines of – "I had so much fun playing Golf this past year and I attribute it all to GMS, the Drills and the PLAN you gave me."


So if you come to see us in what remains of 2008 or in 2009 – we're continuing our commitment to helping Golfers continually improve their golf games. You can trust that in addition to all the GMS Drills (some mentioned above), we're still leading the Golf Instruction Industry in developing and improving our program so that our Golfers continue to improve at the fastest rate in the business.


Our belief at GMS is – 'When you succeed in Golf – we succeed in Golf!' Therefore we want to see you play your best golf ever!


The Monkey swings too hard, then swings too easy, then swings too hard, then …


The Player finds consistency with their Driver by swinging all clubs the same


Go ahead, be a Player!


Regards,


Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life


Are You Ready To Sign-up For GMS?

Then Click Here To Start Improving Your Golf Game

#1 Selling Golf Swing DVD on Amazon.com

By the way – thank you for helping our DVD – How To Improve Your Golf Swing Indoors become the #1 selling Golf Swing DVD on Amazon.com. There are more golf DVD's being sold on Amazon.com than you can ever imagine and yet – ours is #1. Thank you – for those who have purchased the DVD – I know you're enjoying it. Keep using it and you're going to continue seeing improved Results!


To purchase the DVD click here »

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Labels: Arizona, driving range, Florida, Golf, Golf DVD, Golf Instruction, golf instructor, Golf Lessons, Golf Video, swing plane, Video Analysis

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Here we go again with Driving Accuracy. As this may come as a shock for any Golfer that has been diligent in trying to keep their golf ball on the short grass – Driving Accuracy when it comes to simply hitting Fairways is the most overrated stat in all sports. Now, I know that reading this information probably upsets many Golfers whose battle cry on the links is simply – "if I could just hit more fairways I could …!"

And I know that I risk you canceling your subscription to GIW if you read this and say – "Marc, you're a complete idiot. Hitting Fairways is the most important thing in golf." But if you could just leave your preconceived notions in the next room for a few minutes – you might actually see something you've never thought of before.

When we're speaking about Driving Accuracy – yes, you need to keep your golf ball in play to have fun on the golf course. There's nothing worse than hitting your tee shots into the trees or water or losing golf balls. It's incredibly upsetting to always be taking penalties or having to chip out of the trees.

We all want to be in position to have our next shot have a chance of getting on the green – so being out of play with your tee-shot is down-right frustrating. And frankly – I've seen Golfers quit the game over the agony of not being able to keep their tee shots in play. I'm sure we're all in agreement that nothing causes more frustration than errant tee shots.

Though, as you'll see - the top Golfers aren't worried about hitting Fairways and if you watch their games and then look at their stats – this can be backed up. The top Golfers keep their golf balls in play, hit the golf ball far, are very good around the green and make putts. Whereas the average Golfer trying to break 90 or 100 is overwhelming consumed with hitting Fairways (and is often not happy hitting 8 out of 14) – the best Players in the world (that score in the 60's) hit the same 8 out of 14 Fairways you're not happy with.

We see it week after week, year after year, Tiger win after Tiger win. What do we see? We see that the winner is "almost never" the most accurate Driver. And the only reason I say "almost never" is because it will happen once a decade – so I can't just say "never" because someone will send me an email saying – "Well, Harvey Bufufneck won the 1998 Camden Society of Urologists Tournament and he led the field in Fairways Hit."

I'm not just saying this because it's my opinion. I'm stating the facts based on Results. GMS is a Results Based Program. Everything we do is based on having our Golfers see Results – as opposed to most Instruction that's built on Theories and Assumptions. We determine if a Golfer is doing better based on their Results and we have found that Golfer Results don't improve even 1 stroke solely based on hitting Fairways.

Yes, Golfers will improve dramatically by learning how to keep the golf ball in play – but they don't improve one stroke by hitting more Fairways. We have conducted tests with Golfers that have backed this up. For example: We have a test where we play the 220 Yard Game. We assume the Golfer hits a 220 yard drive on each Par 4. We put one ball 220 yards from the tee in the middle of the fairway and we put another golf ball the same distance, but to the side of the fairway.

The Golfer then plays each ball until they get it into the hole. The Results show that the scores stay the same regardless of whether the ball was hit from the Fairway or from the rough. Yes, sometimes the Golfer's score on one hole will be better from the Fairway vs. off the Fairway – but on the next hole it maybe the opposite. All in all – the scores after playing 12 Par 4's come out to be the same. Try it yourself.

Now let's go to the Pro's on Tour. Let's start with the Nationwide Tour – at the Nationwide Tour Championship a couple of weeks ago: The winner (1st) was ranked 39th out of 58 Golfers in Hitting Fairways. The guy in last place (58th) was ranked 6th in Hitting Fairways. The Winner was ranked 12th in Greens in Regulation. The guy ranked 6th in Hitting Fairways was ranked 45th in Greens in Regulation.

This goes against the beliefs of many struggling Golfers. The struggling Golfer wants to hit Fairways because they believe it will lead to more Greens. The Results show that's not the case. Read the above stats again to get an even clearer picture. This is happening week after week, year after year, Tiger win after Tiger win.

Which just shows that hitting Fairways has very little to do with hitting Greens. Though, to clarify – missing the Fairway and being in the rough is very different than hitting into the trees or water or losing golf balls. But, this is to show that the Golfer with the singular thought on the tee being Fairways, Fairways, Fairways – might be holding themselves back from better scores.

More proof? The guy leading the PGA Tour in Driving Accuracy (Olin Browne hitting 80% of the Fairways) is ranked 165th in Scoring Average. While the guy leading in Scoring Average (Phil Mickelson) is ranked 181st in Fairways Hit (hitting just 55% - meaning Browne is hitting 25% more Fairways). The difference in the amount of Fairways hit is staggering, but so is the difference in their winnings (which tells the story of how well they score week after week).

We're not saying for you to be wild off the tee. You need to keep your golf ball in play. But, too many Golfers are so worried about hitting Fairways that they don't allow themselves to make a free flowing swing. The tension that you're creating (by feeling you need to hit your shot in the Fairway) is doing more damage than good. The tension you're creating is actually causing you to hit drives out of play. The worry you're creating about hitting your tee shots in the Fairway could be causing you to lose 20 to 50 yards off your tee shots!

On the other hand – take Mickelson – there's little regard in his game for hitting Fairways. His game is about keeping it in play (with the occasional ball out of play), getting good distance from his tee shots (to allow for easier clubs to the green), having a strong wedge game and then making putts. And as much as Golfers believe that Mickelson and Woods have different styles of play – they don't. They both use the same PLAN mentioned above!

I'm not saying that your style should be like Tiger's or Mickelson's style, but look at the top Players in the game according to best Scoring Average: Mickelson, Garcia, Singh, Harrington, Kim and Villegas. They're ranked: 181st, 153rd, 150th, 154th, 159th and 166th respectively as far as hitting Fairways. While all these phenomenal Players are averaging only hitting around 55% of the Fairways – they are still achieving better scores than other Golfers hitting 80% of the Fairways.

Yet, you're styling your game around 80% of Fairways. If so, you're playing golf like the bottom half of the Players on Tour. Golf Made Simple believes that your PLAN should be based on the Top Players on Tour – Keep your ball in play, improving the distance you hit the golf ball (without causing anymore inaccuracy), having a strong wedge game and then making putts. This formula works – we have the stats from our Golfers to prove this.

Why anyone would even consider taking any other Instruction is mind boggling to me!

GMS would like you to improve your scores by helping you to improve your golf swing to strike the golf ball better. This will help you to keep more golf balls in play as well as hit your Drives farther. Which will help you to have shorter clubs to the green. Which will allow you to be more accurate and have shorter putts. Which will allow you to have better scores.

That's how the top 6 Golfers mentioned above do it year after year. Oh, and that other guy seems to be doing the same thing – you know who I mean – some guy named Eldrick. Or better known as Tiger Woods – the guy that this year was ranked 169th in Driving Accuracy and 1st in Greens in Regulation.

Improve your golf swing so that you hit the golf ball more solid and keep it in play. Don't improve it just for the sake of hitting Fairways. The Results show that Fairways Hit is extremely overrated. The Results show that the stat of "Keeping Your Golf Ball In Play" is far more important for you if you want to play consistent golf.

The Monkey is so worried about hitting the Fairway that tension leads to inconsistent golf swings

The Player is too focused on their Tick Tock to worry about the Fairway

Go ahead, be a Player!

Regards,

Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life

www.GolfMadeSimple.com


By the way, last week’s offer for the GMS Indoor Putting Drill was a major success. With over 1,000 requests last Tuesday alone – as well as 100’s of requests each day through the weekend - including many from people who weren’t even subscribed to GIW (the offer was forwarded from Friends). It has been both borderline overwhelming as well as very rewarding to be able to have so many requests – as well as GIW readers forwarding the offer to friends.

So, just in case you missed last week’s GIW or are new to GIW – you can still receive the Indoor Putting Drill by emailing us at IndoorPuttingDrill@GolfMadeSimple.com and put GIW in the subject line.

We hope you enjoy the drill – but more importantly – we hope you practice the drill.

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Labels: Arizona, driving range, Florida, Golf Instruction, golf instructor, Golf Lessons, Golf practice, Golf Schools, Golf Swing, Golf Travel, golf vacation, Marc Solomon, swing plane, Video Analysis

Everybody wants more distance with their Driver. How can you get more distance?

The old joke goes that if you want more distance with your Driver – move to Denver, Colorado. Where the air is thin and you get an extra 10% on your drives because of it.

Yet, that's not reality for most of us – plus the golf course architects have gotten smarter lately by making the golf courses out there – 10% longer. So the old joke doesn't work anymore – it all equals out in Denver nowadays.

What can you do to hit your Driver farther?

You can learn to speed up your golf swing. The faster your golf club is moving as it hits the golf ball – the more potential you have of hitting the golf ball farther. Please note that I say ‘potential' because faster club head speed doesn't guarantee farther golf shots.

You can learn how to hit closer to the center of the club face on your golf club. The closer the golf ball makes contact with the center of the club face – the farther the golf ball will travel. To see for yourself, you can do the test by bouncing a golf ball on different areas of the club face of a Driver and see how high it bounces from each spot.

You can change the characteristics of the Driver you use. Meaning you can purchase a Driver with a longer shaft, more or less loft, or one that's more forgiving than your current Driver.

All three of these Result Based Approaches can and will help you to hit your Driver farther.

Now you must decide which to work on because you shouldn't work on all 3 at once. That's just too much to do at one time. Jack of all trades – Master of none. Become a Master of one before you try to become a Master of all.

Or in other words – You might be able to multi-task in the office, but you can't multi-task with your golf swing!

So which one will you work on first? That's up to you to decide. Though if you're going to do it on your own - be careful. Because I know many Golfers that have tried to work on increasing the distance they hit the golf ball that have botched up their golf swing beyond belief. You must do it correctly or there are consequences.

Swing speed isn't just about swinging harder. Yet most Golfers that try to hit their Driver farther on a long par 4 or Par 5 – usually try to swing harder (most of the time with poor results). And along those same lines - more club head speed isn't about trying to swing the club head faster. There's more that goes into increasing your club head speed than those two thoughts.

Saying that, even if you did increase your club head speed, but you're not hitting the golf ball closer to the center of the club face more consistently – increased swing speed isn't going to help that much. Actually, increased club head speed without better control over your club head will create worse golf shots.

The first thing you should really be working on is improving your Centerness of Hit.

This is how GMS does it: GMS Level 1 is about Centerness of Hit. Learning to control your golf swing so that you hit the center of the club face more often. GMS Level 1.5 is about continuing to improve the consistency of hitting closer to the center of the club face by reviewing and perfecting Level 1 drills, along with adding more advanced drills to increase your feel of the golf swing. GMS Level 2 is about further improving the results you see in your golf swing by helping you to increase club head speed (while maintaining and increasing your control of the club head) which is possible because of the improvements you made in GMS Level 1 and GMS Level 1.5.

Why does this process work so effectively?

Let me answer that by describing what the normal Golfer does to improve. They try to work on everything at once. They try to turn their shoulders more, they try to turn their hips faster, they try to shift their weight with more aggression, they try to increase the lag of their club head on the downswing, they try to swing harder on their follow-through. They try kooky Theories like trying to decide between a one plane golf swing and a two plane golf swing; they then get so confused while working on which plane or planes to swing on, that frustration carries them over to trying something called a stack and tilt. A stack and what?

Frustration can be the greatest motivator for a Golfer to try something new and there’s not a better merchant of the latest, most outrageous swing Theories than the golf magazines that prey on the weak.

Bad Golfers are like sheep – they flock together on the driving range and have conversations such as – “What are ewe working on?” “Oh, I'm working on trying to bah, bah, bah as I bah, bah, bah.”

There's no PLAN in any of the above. It's like these Golfers use the ‘throw it all against the wall and see what works' Theory. No wonder so many Golfers never improve – even after taking the typical run of the mill golf lesson. Because regardless of all the Theories and Assumptions they attempt, there's still never any consistency or there's the once in a while magic you get from that lesson that sticks around for two weeks and then mysteriously disappears just as fast.

GMS has so many Golfers that instantly see success and because of the PLAN we use – that success continues and their improvement will actually accelerate once they get back home!

Or you can be like 98% of the Golfers that are playing golf that haven't improved their handicap in 5 years because they either have given up trying to improve because of frustration or are still jumping from tip to tip and from one plane swing to two plane swing to stack and tilt to who knows what's next.

The Monkey wants more distance and will try anything to achieve it

The Player wants more distance also, though they focus on a PLAN that's based on proven Results

Go ahead, be a Player!

Regards,

Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life

www.GolfMadeSimple.com

*Look below this week's poll for last week's results.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

Turning Your Slice Into A Draw

What's the best way for someone who continually ‘Slices' the golf ball to learn how to ‘Draw' the golf ball? Or in other words – how can a right handed Golfer whose ball curves right learn to curve it left?

- CLICK ON THE BEST ANSWER -

A. Roll your wrists (or forearms) over at impact

B. Set-up with a closed stance

C. Swing from the inside to outside

D. Become more connected

*Please note: The results of this poll will be announced in next week's issue!

Last Week's Poll Question Results:

Who won the 2008 PGA Tour Event played on the Copperhead Golf Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club?

The answer was B – Sean O'Hair won his 2nd PGA Tour Event over a golf course that played very tough against an excellent field of PGA Tour Players ... click here »

Votes received by the readers of GIW:

A) Boo Weekly – 962 votes (45%)

B) Sean O'Hair – 931 votes (44%)

C) Ernie Els – 181 votes (8%)

D) Retief Goosen – 43 votes (2%)

E) Davis Love III – 16 votes (.7%)

Maybe Davis Love III saw the early returns (exit polls) and became motivated by only having 16 people out of over 2,000 thinking he could've won a tournament in early 2008. I say this because he went out this past weekend and won the last PGA Tour event of the year - which just so happens to be the first tournament he's won in two years. To read more about this past weekends PGA Tour Event - check out the Stat Of The Week in this issue.

Labels: Golf, Golf Instruction, golf instructor, Golf Lessons, Golf practice, Golf Schools, Golf Travel, golf vacation, Golf Video, Marc Solomon, swing plane, Tiger Woods, Video Analysis

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The golf course may be the one place that we can all congregate and be on the same side – supporting to each other after bad shots and cheering one another after fabulous drives. It's the place that a Democrat can give a pat on the back to a Republican and a Republican can high-5 a Democrat. It's the place that Conservatives can say “Alright, awesome shot – that was fantastic” to a Liberal and a Liberal can say "it was a pleasure to play with you" to a Conservative.

On the golf course it's ‘all for one and one for all' – enjoyable golf is a bipartisan initiative.

On the golf course - political views are often not exchanged. The talk is about golf and being around people you enjoy. It's the one place that we're all supporting the same agenda – ‘the search for consistency on the golf course'. And when a Golfer that's been struggling all day – finally hits a good golf shot: we all get excited for that person – regardless of political party, skin color, religious background or even if they live in New Jersey - and that's the way it should be. The golf course is the Green Zone – it's the place where we can get away from all the nonsense.

Sure, you might be unlucky every-once-in-a-while to get stuck with a jerk – but that's just the way it is. The good people that you meet and the friendships that you create – far out-weigh the occasional annoying Golfer you're stuck with for 18 holes.

Whenever I open up the newspaper – all I read about is war

Whenever I switch-on the television – all I see is Democrats hating Republicans and Republicans hating Democrats

‘At least we have Golf'

Whenever I turn on the radio – all I hear is that we're going from recession into depression

And whenever my computer finally comes up and Internet Explorer goes to Yahoo – all the intellectual chatter is about Brittany Spears or Paris Hilton

‘At least we have Golf'

Have you ever played 9-holes and walked into the clubhouse before going onto #10; passed through the bar area where the television has some sort of news on? Have you ever felt the shock of coming back into the real world after spending 2 utopian hours on the golf course with nothing to think about besides golf and friendship?

Being able to focus on your golf game for 18 holes (4 hours or so) without talk of bail-outs or Vice Presidential candidates or political emails putting the other-side down – being able to get away for 18 holes may be more important now than I can ever remember. Well, at least for me it is. During these tense times – let golf be your outlet to get away from it all. This maybe the one time that if the pace of play is slow – it may be a blessing in disguise!

In this time of many questions – the tendency is for people to stay away from the golf course. It's my belief that in these times – you should spend a little more time at the golf course. Get away from everything that's out there – and get back to what makes you happy.

One side says we shouldn't be there – the other side says we need to be there

One side says that it's their fault we're in this mess – the other side says it's not us, it's you

‘At least we have Golf'

One side says we need a bail-out – the other side says don't give away my money

And I don't give a rat's butt about Brittany Spears or Paris Hilton!

‘At least we have Golf'

In these uncertain times when many people are worried about tomorrow – let alone next week or next month or next year … At least you have Golf.

In these times where many people are scared for their money and nervous about their jobs and worried about who's going to be the next President … At least you have Golf

And tonight (October 2nd, 2008), during the Vice Presidential Debate – with a 100 million people watching here in the US and probably millions more in other countries around the world – when you hear either of the candidates give an answer that you disagree with, don't get upset, don't let it affect your blood pressure, don't say anything hateful – just roll your eyes, rotate your head from side to side and look at whoever's in the room with you and say: ‘At least we have Golf'.

Then wake-up Friday morning, ditch work and get in 18 holes!

The Monkey gets sucked into ‘the sky is falling' philosophy

The Player tees it up!

Go ahead, Be a Player!

Regards,

Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life

www.GolfMadeSimple.com


PS – We’ll be back to golf improvement stuff next week. I just needed to get that off my chest after a crazy week where a lot of people I’ve come in contact with weren’t themselves because of all the crazy news. Go out this weekend and find some happiness on the golf course!

‘At least we have Golf’

Labels: Golf Instruction, golf instructor, Golf Lessons, Golf Schools, Golf Travel, golf vacation, swing plane