When to leave your driver in the bag, how to pick the right club for downhill shots and when to pull the trigger (Part 1) Q: I know I don’t need to hit driver on every hole because I hear good players saying it all the time. But I don’t know when to leave it…
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Set the order of your students’ priorities for more effective golf instruction (Part 2) Continued from blog entry – “The Six-Spoke Approach, Set the order of your students’ priorities for more effective golf instruction (Part 1)” . Spoke No. 2: The mind and the athlete’s thought process. Many people today consider this a fad. When you…
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Set the order of your students’ priorities for more effective golf instruction (Part 1) A few years ago, I decided to evaluate my teaching program. While I felt that I effectively diagnosed my students’ mechanics, something still seemed to be missing. Some students never seemed to improve as much as I hoped. I realized that…
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Believe it or not, you need a long swing for this short shot lt’s one of the prettiest shots in golf, and one of the toughest. Here’s how to play high, soft lob shots that settle tight to the pin. . Weaken your grip. A strong grip tends to release the club face and negate…
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Hey everyone, love to hear your comments on the article below. I have mixed feelings. What do you say? GREENSBORO, Ga. — Golf holes the size of pizzas. Soccer balls on the back nine. A mulligan on every hole. By BILL PENNINGTON, April 18, 2014 These are some of the measures — some would say…
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(by Tom Patri) If someone had told you 10 years ago that a player in The Masters was going to hit wedge into 15 on Masters Sunday, oh and one more thing, it was a wedge second shot NOT a third shot to the famed Par 5, what would your response have been? Crazy stuff!…
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Fault: Staying on back foot Michael’s problem was poor weight displacement in the downswing. He hung back, trapping his arms behind the body. This caused an excessive in-to-out swing path with little chance of squaring the clubface at impact. As a result, he hit push-slices: The ball started right and curved farther off line. Fix:…
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It seems that as I look around my industry, the art of teaching golf has turned into a technology-based science project. So many of the younger teachers today would say that without a Trackman®, KVest®, HD video, or any number of other techno gadgets available today, a sound teaching session is not possible. Now let…
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(From a 2007 golf column by Tom Patri) Part 2 (Conclusion) Continued from blog entry – “Looking to improve your game? It’s never too late (Part 1)” . Please allow me to make a suggestion: Have a game plan. Make it real. Address your weaknesses first. Do your best to find a teacher who you…
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As the first major of the year draws ever closer at least three of whom would surely be on most favorites lists are in real question. Tiger is of course out having serious back surgery. Phil is hurt as well and he also has shown little major-like form thus far this season. Of course I…
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(From a 2007 golf column by Tom Patri) Part 1 This past week I had an experience that someone who does what I do for a living dreams of every day we go to the practice tee. Often you can go years without the experience I’m about to describe. Here comes Bunny MacAlpine from New…
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. WHO: Mike Weir WHAT: Nine-iron tee shot to 10 feet WHERE: 160-yard, par-3 17th hole at Royal Montreal Golf Club WHEN: Presidents Cup singles match against Tiger Woods . WHY Weir’s exquisite nine-iron could be the spark that reignites his career. To come back against Woods in Canada, and to do it by stuffing…
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(From a 2005 golf column by Tom Patri) As each teaching season draws to a close, only for the next one to open up, I often look back to see if there was a theme, or common thread that existed in my messages through my teaching. This year there was and it will continue to…
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Start your swing with the clubhead leaving late for longer, more consistent shots (Part 3, Conclusion) Continued from blog entry – “Lag Behind to Get Ahead (Part 2)” . Learning to lag Have a friend put his foot behind your club (as shown in the photograph) while holding your head steady. This prevents swaying to…
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. WHO: Ben Crane WHAT: 25-foot birdie putt WHERE: Par-4 17th at Brown Deer WHEN: Final round of the U.S. Bank Championship . WHY Despite intense criticism of his slow play from the media, fans and his fellow pros, Crane has been smart not to speed up. Having and following a preshot routine is integral…
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Start your swing with the clubhead leaving late for longer, more consistent shots (Part 2) Continued from blog entry – “Lag Behind to Get Ahead (Part 1)” . Tension reducer Tension in the golf swing is fatal, and where do you usually feel tense when holding a club? In the small, rapid-fire muscles of the…
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Start your swing with the clubhead leaving late for longer, more consistent shots (Part 1) . If you want to increase your clubhead speed while reducing tension, learn to lag―swinging the clubhead away from the ball last. Begin the backswing by rotating the upper body, while keeping the hands and arms passive. If the arms…
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Tom Patri improved business by starting his own (Part 2, Conclusion) Continued from blog entry – “Trends in Teaching: Company Man (Part 1)” . What required more work was to build up a client base. Patri kept his eyes open and his nose to the ground – and he got organized. His efforts have resulted in…
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Tom Patri improved business by starting his own (Part 1) . “In 10 years time, there will be very few great club pro jobs left as we know them today,” says Tom Patri, director of instruction at the famed Westchester CC, Rye, N .Y., since 1990. “Young golf professionals need to look at how they can…
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Longer Drives May Be All in Your Head (Part 2, Conclusion) Continued from blog entry – “Longer Drives May Be All in Your Head (Part 1)” . DRILL: FACE OVER FOOT Feel how the head and upper body should move with the swing by practicing the correct finish. To do that, think “face over foot.”…
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