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We’ll start this with imaging the outcome and thinking of the best case scenario for your round.  This should begin a few days before the event so that you have time to build on these positive images.  The point of this imagining is to anticipate it happening so that when it does happen, you’ll be more prepared for that moment.  This really is just day dreaming.  Some call it meditation.  All you want to do is play golf in your mind, preferably the course you are preparing to play, but any course is fine.  Over your 3 days of prep, you may play over 100 holes, picking targets, going through your pre shot, and hitting towering shots and holing putts from all over.  The more real you can make these rounds of golf in your mind, the more you’ll benefit from this exercise.  At the end of your first mental round, take out some paper the size of a business card and write your Outcome Goal at the top.

Golf’s same mental coaches consistently advise to stay in the moment, in the now, and just one shot at a time.  Personally, I think they are cliche and the reason this advice hasn’t caught on is because there is no real definition for these terms.  What does Stay in the Moment mean?  How can we not be in this moment?  I’m right here!  With a stronger game plan, golfers can get back to their process at the beginning of every shot, so long as they believe in their game plan.  I mentioned above that the way to better golf may be simple, and so for through this exercise it’s been pretty simple.  The competitors that I’ve had the chance to work with have all been great people with tremendous swings and have plenty of shots around the green yet they cant seem to break the trend of a similar score.  There must be something else going on, so in this stage of this exercise, I want you to take a second piece of paper and write out anything and everything that you feel is the reason that you’re not scoring the way you want.  Write them all down, the more the better because we want them all out. These are your Challenges and Hurdles and as long as you think they need work, they need work.  You are who you think you are.

This last part is my favorite.  It’s the game plan. The action plan that is going to help you conquer those challenges and get you ready to accomplish your Outcome Goal.  Take a look at that list you wrote.  Circle the one that is the most important which I hope is the biggest shot spoiler.  Next, box in the second score killer, and finally, underline the third.  Now flip the page over and write these down, 1, 2, 3.  Now that YOU have written the things down that YOU feel YOU need to improve to be great, we have our weekend action plan.  If you wrote down putting, then Saturday is all about putting.  The whole day.  Putt from all breaks, distances, and slopes and make them from all over until putting makes you feel great.  It may take an hour or it may take all day, just make this your top priority.  Choose 3 games and accomplish those goals, for instance “Make 25 putts from 10 feet.”  Build the belief in your putting by beating YOUR games.  From the second and third challenge on your list, choose one and spend Sunday morning working on this. If any of these 3 are swings, related, like wedges, driver, or long irons, be sure to place your range focus on targets and ball flight.  In terms of ball flight, work on controlling the height to start rather than the curve, and choose a distance to hit to with each shot.  Pre-comp is about preparing for shots on the course so change your lie, club, and target fairly frequently.

So now that you have completed your action plan for the few days leading up to the event, the night before your event should have created some incredible visuals of awesome golf.  This next visualization is going to prepare you for the other side of the coin – what if something goes wrong.  What if I double the first hole?  What is I three putt the first 6 holes in a row?  These situations happen to all of us but the better players have little mental weapons of their own.  By putting yourself into these situations by day dreaming, you can think of the best thing to do while you’re calm and not in the moment and maybe panic has kicked in.  Think of anything that could go wrong and come up with a great solution to that problem.  The more mental arrows you have, the more prepared you are.  Remember, you could also be 4 under through 5, so think of what you would do in this situation.  Play another few rounds in your mind before the day of the event.

Its the morning of your epnd you are psyched to play.  The right amount sleep and a great breakfast is crucial to your body holding up to your mind.  Make sure you have food and water for the course as well.  Take out the piece of paper with your outcome goal and remind yourself of what you’re going to do today.  Since this will be our outcome, we need a Performance Goal which is something we can take to the course.  What is going to let you accomplish your goal today?  You’ve beat your 2 ‘issues’ over the past 2 days so now what can you do to perform your best?  Will it be targets, tempo, rhythm, or something to make you calm?  The Performance Goal can be kept with your score card which will remind you of what performance tip you have to pull off this next shot.  Use your own words, believe you can do this, and now you are ready for the tournament – with alot more in your pocket than anyone else out there.

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The D-Plane is not easily found, however.  The new Flightscope X2 launch monitor measures the D-Plane which takes the guessing out of the swing analysis and gives the instructor or fitter the necessary tools to give an accurate evaluation.  There are other products available which measure and calculate the same data but what the user does with this data is quickly becoming the go-to form of swing improvement, as witnessed on the world stage with Tiger Woods.

Here is a screen shot from the Flightscope iPad App showing valuable information to an instructor.  The 4 variables that we look at are the Horizontal Swing Plane, the Angle of Attack, the resultant Swing Path and the Face Angle (only the last is calculated and not measured).  These 4 variables are primarily responsible for the flight of the golf ball so rather than creating a swing that is supposed to look right, we can tweak smaller things to achieve an anticipated ball flight.

To define these 4, lets start with how the launch monitor collects data.  Through Phased Array radar, the club head is tracked from approximately waist high on the downswing to waist high on the follow through where hundreds of data points are collected.  The monitor can recognize the collision of the club and ball and from there can extrapolate these 4 necessary swing components.  The Horizontal Swing Plane, sometimes referred to as the baseline, is basically the base of the plane as it lies on the ground… sort of.

Most of us have seen a plane board which has been used as the swing’s geometric model over the years.  This HSP baseline is at the bottom of the swing arc, so the base of this plane board and the bottom of your divot are at the same depth.  The HSP baseline is actually lower than where the ball started on top of the grass.  This tells us that the club is working down when it hits the ball.  Have you ever asked a player to hit down on the ball?  Now we really know why and how this Angle downward affects the rest of the swing components.

The Vertical Swing Plane (vsp) is also shown here as the plane angle in relation to the ground. This changes based on the length of club where a short iron may be closer to 60 and a driver near 45 so these relationships change slightly based on this VSP.  You can see how this can change the clubheads Angle of Attack.  Commonly referred to as the AoA, this is the measure of the clubheads downward angle at impact and has a great effect on the resultant swing path.  See this chart which can help show numbers consistent with finding a zero swing path using the HSP, VSP and AoA.

To help make all these points here come together, lets call the impact collision between the club and ball Spot #2, and the reason its Spot #2 because Spot #1 is the point the club head is captured directly before the collision.  The Angle measured between Spot #1 and Spot #2 of the club head is called the Angle of Attack.  With an iron, we hit down, out, and forward so the resultant club path at impact will always be to the right of this HSP baseline at the bottom of the divot.  Refer back to the plane board image.  If the ball is hit on this board before the bottom of the board, the club must still be travelling from in to out AND down, right?  If Spot #3 could be called the lowest part of your divot, the path that the club travels from Spot #2 to Spot #3 is the swing path, which we would like to make as close to the target line as possible for the straightest shot!

Back to Tiger now… We have recently seen him making practice swings where commentators are saying that he is swinging left and that his great big divots are pointing left.  Well, Tiger knows what he’s doing.  He knows that the more Angle of Attack he creates and the more he shifts his HSP baseline to the left gives him the best chance to hit a shot with a ZERO club path with minimal curve.  He may start to think that he has an ‘up’ on the field again.  What the old school isn’t seeing is the 3D relationship because it was always “face and path”.  The DOWN part affects the path more than the feeling of swinging in to out so even when video shows something we’ve thought was “over the top”, the real result is not what we thought.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is just part of the challenge.  Since every swing pattern is a little different, the instructor now can use their system to change one or two numbers in a positive way without negatively affecting another.  We’re in a 3D era with so many tools available to collect and interpret the data that perhaps we can start to eliminate the cosmetic lesson and get players to hit the ball better now, so we can spend some time on their performance factors.

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1.  Video Camera – Whether you choose a camcorder or a digital camera, I would recommend purchasing something to video tape your swing so that you can look for the changes you want to make and then re-record to measure your progress.  For camcorders, I have been happy with Panasonic models and for digital cameras, the Casio are a proven success.  A tripod would be useful to keep it still while you record but also to make sure the angle is consistent.  For setup, I prefer the camera about chest level aimed down the players toe-line.

2.  Video Software – Some computers are now equipped with software to view your videos where you can draw lines and make side by side comparisons.  With my PC’s, I have used Cswing and V1 software to mark and make comparisons, with the ability to email swings and screen shots to people for their own personal libraries.  With tablets, the V1 app is very user-friendly and for Mac users, there’s no program which tops the Analyzr Golf software.

3.  Tour Striker 7 Iron Pro & SW – These 2 clubs are designed to give the player feedback from their contact and impact position.  Regardless of the style of swing you play with, the impact conditions of striking a ball do not change, and this club has made it easier for players to see and feel what a golf club must do at the moment of truth – when it hits the ball.  The Tour Striker comes in a variety of options, from 5 irons to wedges, both in steel and graphite and in ladies and mens options.

4.  Swinkey - this innovative training tool has been called the Golfer’s Toolbox since it has tremendous variety for your practice session.  It comes with 2 alignment sticks, a stretching and weighted bar for warmup, string for creating a putting line and a monopod camera attachment for video recording.  If you travel, the Swinkey is light weight and is slightly longer than your driver, protecting it from damage.

5.   Compression Board -  A simple design for a simple concept.  The club must be working downward with a iron in order to hit the ball solidly, which is why this product is great for practice.  It will give you immediate feedback as to whether your club hit the board and where your divot started – hopefully in FRONT of the golf ball.  It’s versatile where it can be used for chipping as well as putting.

 
6. Balance Discs – To truly understand the weight shift and lateral movement and to strengthen the legs during the swing, these balance discs help create an incredible sense of proprioception.  After a few swings on these, golfers will be more aware of imbalances in their swing and have a better concept of the role of the ankles, knees, and hips during the swing.  Whether the goal is distance or accuracy, these should be part of most golfers training tools.  There are different models available which can be purchased at your local fitness store or online here.  The progression with these is to build your strength and stability so that you can work your way from practice swings to driver swings.

7.  Powerchute - If you’re looking to increase your swing speed without complicated positions and mechanics, this product can help you feel what your body has to do to keep the acceleration going.  It attaches very quickly to your driver and within a few swings, most players are better able to feel how much the body is involved compared to the arms.  For my students, it’s a great way to work their pivot in terms of speed production and sequence through feel and you can read a further review in this edition of Golf Scene on page 48.

8.  Medicus 7 iron – if people were to ask me about my philosophy on the golf swing, a simple answer would be Sequence and Rhythm, which is why I have had a Medicus practice club for as long as I can remember.  The new 7 iron gives the feedback necessary to realize that the swing has become out of sequence because the shaft will bend at the hinge located toward the bottom of the shaft.  From a technical aspect, this club doesn’t allow for the clubface to get too far out of position in relation to the shaft, so for those looking to square the face to their path and reduce the curvature, this club may help.

9.  Swing Gyde – this device can help improve the sequence of the backswing and the follow through by providing feedback of when the Swing Gyde connects on the backswing and then reconnects on the follow through.  For players confused about what to do in the backswing, this tool is simple and effective to make your backswing a little less mechanical.

10.  Power Click – with the Power Click attaches easily to the lead wrist with velcro and while hitting shots, golfers can listen for the click which will tell them that their lead wrist bent and broke down during impact.  This device is also great for the short game.

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$100 (taxes incl) online funds transfer and this certificate will be emailed to you and registered to your email address.  Lesson must be used by July 1, 2012.

Email – nick@nickstarchukgolf.com

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During the day, you’ll be able to have a personal discussion with us regarding your swing, and using Casio High Speed cameras and Flightscope ball flight technology, we’ll help improve your flight without changing too much, and most importantly, giving you multiple swing thoughts.  We’ll have a short game station to show you NEW shots without changing your current ones, and show you some green reading skills used by more and more PGA Tour caddies.  Just when you thought you couldn’t have taken a bigger step in such a short time, you’ll go out and play 9 holes with a pro – a REAL pro who plays a competitive tournament schedule.  Between our collective groups mini-tour and Canadian Tour players, you’ll be able to see how the pros look at the course from preshot routine to shot selection.

Our first school is MONDAY MAY 30.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

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Some of these physical principles are laid out in the here with the 3D Linking but to the average player, this might not be practical.  For the student of the game, I encourage you to read everything you can, and for the player, look for feelings that accomplish the principles first and the ‘look’ second.  I have one principle for the backswing – Create Width.  ’Width’ is a term thrown around like spine angles and shaft lag that are impractical at best, however when defined, described, and demonstrated, I hope you can understand what it’s all about.

Width is the bodies ability to create space between the hands and chest, and no better way to do it than with Long Arms.  When your arms are long, your arms are close together, and when they are close together, you will have better rhythm with your body (chest/shoulders).  Somewhere along the way, golfers were taught to lift their arms and hinge the club up which created a bunch of slack in the arms which will be come useless if your body acts accordingly on the way down.  Think of the water skier waiting the water for the slack in the rope to tighten so that he can be pulled by the boat.  Ideally this works a slow speeds but you can imagine what would happen at high speeds!  The same theory can apply to the golf swing.

One of the staple Tips we’ve heard over the years is “Keep your left arm straight.”  By trying to do this, you could be preventing rotation and stalling your arm speed so why don’t we take the water skiing example and think of the lead arm like a rope where the roll of the right arm is to keep it tight – for the whole swing. There are a lot benefits to this including maintaining width in the arms, sequencing the arms with the chest, preventing the clubface from rolling open on the backswing, and creating just the right amount of lag on the downswing.  Amateur golfers dream of lagging the golf club and in doing so create angles that are too much to control and ultimately can’t control them leading to the exact opposite at impact.  Try going for an inch of lag instead of a foot.

When working on this backswing, the trail arm will stay longer than you may be used to and have the feeling like it stays ‘above’ the lead arm.  When you’re in a position to apply a tighter ‘length’ to the lead arm, you may notice that you begin to push on your glove thumb.  This pressure button is a sign that you’re doing things well.  You may feel like your arms are closer together than what you’re used to and it probably feels different! But the elegance of the golf swing is that it is unique to the individual where the golfer has the ability to choose how much and when.   There is a difference between pressure and tension – the first is physical and the second is emotional.  Pressure in the golf swing is Good.  Tension, a result an uncomfortable scenario, is not good.  Don’t relax.  Get ready for battle.

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