Hurley Golf

2011-07-24T19:07:00.002-05:00

I'm back.

It has been a long, busy, and hot summer. I have never been busier with lessons. Hence the lack of posts. This is the start of several posts.

While watching the Canadian Open, the golf course reminded me of courses in Michigan. Tree lined, dense woods, gentle movement in the land. These courses force you to hit it straight and play golf shots.

The winner was Sean O'Hair. His goal this week was to play golf and stop playing golf swing. I can relate. I want my students to be focused on their set up, posture and alignment. Part of the alignment process is target orientation. The golfer should be looking at their target when they step into the shot.

Watch a video of Jack Nicklaus at the Masters in 1975 or 1986. During his set up, the only time he moves and steps into the shot is while he is looking at his target. He never steps into the shot or moves while looking at the ball. As a left eye dominant player, Jack's target was on the ground within a couple of feet from the ball. Right eye dominant players will be looking at a target in the distance.

I often tell my students to move around and get comfortable while they are looking at their target. If they are not comfortable, they are instructed to begin their preshot routine again.

Thanks.

2011-01-31T11:39:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year

Hope the year is starting well for you. This post is related to a television infomercial and a television show.

The infomercial is the one with Jimmy Ballard and Rocco Mediate. There is a lot of good stuff in the segment with Rocco swinging the club and Jimmy commenting. The comments were loading into the right leg on the back swing and keeping your elbows pointing at the ground on the back swing and the follow through. These are very good swing thought for golfers of all skill levels.

The television show is the Haney Project with Rush Limbaugh. Watch Rush' back swing and see where his right elbow is pointing at the top of his swing. The elbow points behind Rush. From this position, the human body is going to have a tough time returning the club squarely to the ball.

The "flying right elbow" is a criticism of Jack Nicklaus from years past. Why did Jack "fly" his right elbow? If you answered because he's left eye dominant, go to the head of the class.

There is a good chance Rush is left eye dominant. Another clue is what Rush said when he was on the green. He stated he had a hard time seeing break and lining up. If your dominant eye is closer to the target than your hands and/or the ball, you've got problems seeing the line. If sometime in the show Rush looks through a range finder, we'll know.

Until next time,
Mike Hurley
PGA Professional

2010-12-06T07:12:00.002-06:00

Greetings

Can you remember a golf tournament held in December with the excitement and meaning of yesterday? A normally non event suddenly became very important.

What is the state of Tiger's game? He has come a long way but, he's not all the way back. He still has issues with his set up which causes the occasional bad shot. What is new is the putting issues.

He has always set up with the ball and his hands slightly forward of his left eye. It looks like he needs to make the gap larger in his set up.

During the week, I caught a few swings from Padraig Harrington. His posture at address was poor. His back was rounded and his balance was off. He is another left eye dominant player.

Recently, I purchased a book by Esther Gokhale called "Eight Steps to a Pain Free Back". I had read a raving review on the internet of her book and I can wholeheartedly agree with the reviewer's conclusion. I purchased my copy at Half Price Books.

Thanks for your attention.

Mike Hurley

2010-11-08T06:38:00.002-06:00

Winter Golf

With the shorter days and cooler temperatures, there is less time to play and practice. Here are some tips to get the most out of your time.

On the course options;

Play the course differently.

One of the many things I enjoy about the GCC course is the different ways and the shorter increments it can be played. You can play 1, 8 & 9 or 1, 6, 7, 8, & 9 or 1, 6, 7, & 18. There are even more ways to play the course by starting on #10, #14, or #16. All these holes are in close proximity to the clubhouse.

Make up your own holes.

I often begin by playing 10 & 11 as normal. After 11, I go behind the green about 30 yards and play back to 10 green. I then go 30 yards behind 10 green and play back to 11 green. I then follow that with going to the back tee on 12 and playing to 13 green which is by the clubhouse.
Or I play 12, go to the back of 12 green and play to 14 green. Then play 13 or 15 which go back to the clubhouse.

This only works if the course is not crowded. If the course is crowded and play is slow, there are options.

Play a scramble by yourself. Hit two shots and play the best one. Continue until you hole out.

Play a worst shot scramble. Hit two shots and play the worst one. Continue until you hole out twice from the same spot. This is time consuming and I usually can play only 3 holes in a row this way. However, it will show where you have a weakness.

Use a different club than normal from the tee. Use a 7 iron to tee off on a Par 5, or a driver to tee off on a Par 3.

Play using only irons or using only hybrids and woods.

These are not the only options. Use your imagination and have fun.

Thanks,
Mike Hurley

2010-09-02T08:38:00.002-05:00

Notes from Summer 2010

It is hard to believe it's already September. Where does the time go? It has been a good year for me. I have learned so much about golf, health, and life. My students have been very dedicated and motivated. Significant progress has been seen in most.

In Real Estate the three most important things are; location, location, location. In golf, the three most important things are; set up. set up, set up. If a person can set up correctly for them, the game becomes much easier. Your pre shot routine must reflect your nature and must insure your fundamentals are established for each shot.

It is stunning to still see golfers give the advice of keeping your head down and keep your left arm straight. One more time; your head should be on top of your spine at address. Your left arm extends on the backswing because of momentum and centripetal force. The left arm should be relaxed enough that the elbow could bend if you wanted. This will allow the left arm to extend without tension or effort.

With a little luck, I will be posting much more in the next four weeks.

Thanks,

Mike Hurley
PGA Professional

2010-07-20T09:24:00.002-05:00

Comments on Recent Tournaments

Watching the Women's U.S. Open last week was painful. Those slow motion replays of Paula Creamer made me wince. She is so steep coming into the ball her wrists take a beating. I don't see a long career on the golf course unless changes are made. Do not try to copy this golf swing.

Another swing you should not copy is Natalie Gulbis. It is amazing she is successful using the motion she does. She must have excellent hand eye coordination.

The best way for a person to swing a golf club is to have the path of least resistance be on plane with the club face square at impact. This is the purpose of getting your grip, stance, set-up and alignment correct for you.

I have figured out that when I set up with the face looking closed, I actually am aiming correctly. I know this because before I bend over to address the ball, I hold the club in front of me making sure the grooves are vertical. I then simply bend from the hip joint to set the club face behind the ball. It looks closed.

Back in college, I was playing a tournament in Florida and set up to try and hit a hook off the 15th tee. I thought I closed the clubface and aimed right of target. Much to my surprise, the ball flew straight. I continued this for all shots during the rest of the round.

I carried this over to the next week's tournament. We played the University of Miami (FL) Invitational at the Costa del Sol golf course. The course was very tight with water and out of bounds everywhere. I shot rounds of 68 - 70 -70 - 72 = 280. This was good enough to win the individual title by 18 shots. This is not a typo. 18 shots.

I have a facebook page which I hope to post pictures of good set-ups and show the difference between a set up with the dominant eye closer to the target, and a set up with the dominant eye farther from the target.

Stay tuned.

Mike Hurley

2010-05-08T19:11:00.003-05:00

Set up is Key

I am watching the Golf Channel Live from the Players. They continually talk about the golf swings of the different players. If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you know it is all about the set up. The set-up determines the swing.

The proof of this is the #1 player, Tiger Woods. His set-up has gotten worse. He can't load on the backswing and he's hitting pop-ups off the tee. His left knee is probably hurting. His ego is bruised. He is not true to himself.

I had a lesson today with a 10 year old girl who is left eye dominant. Her first swings were closed faced backswings. Once she understood how to set up, the clubface was square and the ball striking got much better. She was excited!

My choice for tomorrow, Lucas Glover. He is the closest player to his true self than any of the other leaders. Phil is true to himself as well. I'm not sure about Westwood or Allenby. Tim Clark is not true to himself.

Are you true to yourself?

Thanks,
Mike Hurley
PGA Professional

2010-04-14T07:15:00.002-05:00

Notes from the Masters

It was an exciting weekend. There were lots of action in a short amount of time on Saturday and a finish which was a bit anti-climatic.

It was good to see Phil win in the fashion he did. His attitude and demeanor have changed since his wife's and mother's illness. We all mature at different rates and ways.

It is amazing how far Phil is hitting the ball. He used an 8 iron for his second shot on #15 Sunday form 207. It is downhill but still. His posture is better and he sets up perfectly for his dominant eye being closer to the target than his non dominant eye.

If your dominant eye is closer to the target, you need to set up like Phil. His front shoulder is much higher than his back and his spine has a lot of tilt away from the target. If he didn't set up like this, you would have never heard of him.

My students are often surprised how little we work on their swing and how much we work on their set up and grip. If the foundation is correct, the swing happens.

Until next time,

Mike Hurley
PGA Professional

2010-02-11T13:13:00.002-06:00

Notes from the Texas winter wonderland

It's snowing again. We've had the first White Christmas in memory, now at least 3" on the ground. Thank goodness it's above freezing so it's not turning into ice yet. Forecast is for temperatures to stay around 32.

After my last post about Tom Watson's putting, Johnny Miller and Gary Koch were commenting on Steve Stricker's putting. They were talking about the putter going straight back and straight through.

All putting strokes have some arc to them. To test this simply grab you putter and set up with the toe of the putter head touching a wall or straight edge. Swing the putter back and forth. What do you notice?

To keep the putter going straight back and through, your arms will move away from your body on the backswing, move closer to your body going forward, and then move away from your body on the follow through. Can you imagine relying on this stroke in a high pressure situation?

Watch tour players and see if their arms swing away from their bodies when they putt. The motion most players use is more of a movement of the shoulders around the top of the spine. Keep a close eye on good players for this movement.

Stricker's movement appears more straight back and through because he holds the putter with the shaft more upright with the toe up in the air. The flatter the lie angle, the more the arc of the putter stroke.

I encourage you to try putting with different lie angles. As you experiment, trust your instincts.

Thanks,

Mike

2010-01-26T07:56:00.002-06:00

Tom Watson's putting woes

Watching Tom putting on Sunday illustrates the ups and downs of playing golf for a living. We all can sympathize with missing short putts under pressure. However his putting problems are caused by his technique.

The young Watson was a very aggressive putter. He would often hit putts four and five feet past the hole. His technique had the face of the putter looking at the target throughout the stroke. To do this, you must manipulate the putter with your hands.

This technique has been used by some very good putter through the years. The best I can remember was Billy Casper. If you watched the replay of the 1960 Masters, you can clearly see Casper closing the face on the back swing and opening the face thorough impact using his hands and wrists. When greens were slower, you had to make a longer stroke with some hand and wrist involvement. This allowed time for the manipulation to take place.

These days green speeds have increased, making the putting strokes shorter with less wrist movement. As the length of the putt increases, Tom has time to make a longer stroke with his manipulation. On the short putts, this movement causes problems.

Most pros let the putter swing which lets the face open on the back swing and close through impact without using the hands. This technique uses the shoulders to rock back and through. A mini full swing. This is much more reliable in pressure situations.

Try putting using only one hand. As you swing the putter watch the natural arc the putter swings on with the face opening going back and closing coming through. No manipulation required.

If I were Tom's coach, I would change the way his hands attach to the putter. It looks like the putter is too much in his fingers. This encourages the hands and wrists to move. Having the putter more in the palms will retard the hand and wrist movement, requiring the shoulders to do more work.

Of course, Watson has had a very successful career using his present method. At this later stage in his life, it is great to see him still compete and win. I would guess he will not change.

Until next time.

2010-01-05T09:20:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year

It is very hard to believe it is 2010. Where has the time passed?

An update to my last post. After a few days, my left wrist was sore. In a few more days it hurt. What was going on? My idea to move my left side out of the way on the forward swing was creating more clubhead speed, but my wrist wasn't holding up. Or maybe my wrist wasn't working correctly. I have come to the conclusion my wrist wasn't working correctly.

When I work with a student, it is imperative to have the student understand the way the body works in the golf swing. This movement should not cause pain. Part of the understanding is learning the correct way the arms, wrists, and hands work.

In a proper golf swing, the elbows and wrists always hinge upwards towards your body, much like the action of bringing a drink to your mouth. My old swing* relied on my hands holding on through impact. If I did not hold on through impact, the ball would hook. With the increased clubhead speed, this made my left wrist hurt. Once I figured this out, the wrist doesn't hurt anymore. Nor does the ball go left.

This past Christmas, my daughter got me a Bosu Ball. I had seen them but had never tried one. The Bosu Ball has proven to be very effective. There are several different movements which can be done while standing, sitting, or face down on the ball. I get a really good core workout using the ball. The ball is also good for balance work. This goes really well with the Iron Gym she got for me last Christmas and the Perfect Pushups my son got for me the Christmas before. Who needs to go to a Gym?

Until next time,
Thanks

*My old swing was a closed faced, outside plane, reroute the club inside, and hold on through impact movement.

2009-10-26T13:54:00.002-05:00

Greetings from soggy Texas

El Nino has struck in our area of the world. Rain, rain go away, come again another day. We typically have 42-43 inches of rain in a year. This year we are up to 70" with over two months to go. It has been frustrating.

During times like these, I try to keep active in mind and body. So I went to an old standby, Shawn Clement golf. Watched several videos with emphasis on what the body does in a golf swing. Then I began swinging indoors feeling the back shoulder and hip (the right side shoulder and hip for a right handed player) move out of the way on the backswing. I have been trying to incorporate this move into my swing recently. While practicing a thought came into my head from David Lee. You may remember David from Gravity Golf. He believed that at the beginning of the forward swing, the torso should move away from the ball to counter balance the arms and club going toward the ball. This led to the idea of my left shoulder and hip moving out of the way going forward. The immediate feeling was one of freedom, balance and speed. The club felt and sounded like it had sped up with out any extra effort.

Now I had to hit a golf ball to see if a) this would work with a driver? and b) would this work with a shot off the ground? I started with hitting a driver. The sound of impact and the sight of the ball against the sky left me in disbelief. I couldn't believe I had hit this booming tee shot. I continued hitting drivers with the same result. Consistent, balanced, and very solid. Now it was time for a ball off the ground.

I started with a 3 metal. I have had difficulty with this club over the last several years. Contact was spotty and the results were less than satisfying. With some anxiety, I set a ball on the ground and swung. The same balanced and solid contact. I tried other clubs with the same satisfying results. It was late in the day and I decided to wait till the next day for conformation on the course. Little did I know this wouldn't come for another week.

Finally, Saturday afternoon the 17th, I took my clubs out on the course. I played the first five holes with same result. Birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie. I had never started a round with five consecutive birdies. Unfortunately, I couldn't play more than two more holes before I had to leave. What surprised me was the effect this movement would have on my chipping, pitching and putting.

I have had trouble with putts less than six feet. Any putt with a left to right break would often break too much and miss on the right. This has been extremely frustrating. When I would let my left shoulder move out of the way, the ball really kept the line. Chipping and pitching has been equally effective.

The next step is tournament play. I'm not sure when this will come but I will report on the results.

Thanks for your attention

Mike Hurley
PGA Professional

2009-08-03T11:41:00.002-05:00

Finally someone has the right diagnosis for Tiger Woods

Yesterday I was home watching the Buick Open and heard Peter Kostis say that Tiger's problems are in his grip and set-up. Welcome to the party. Tiger sets up wrong for his left eye dominance. At address, his spine angle is far too upright and his shoulders do not have enough tilt. This causes him to not get behind the ball at the top of his swing. From there he has to manipulate the club to make solid contact.

Lately I have been hitting ball left handed to test my eye dominance theories. If I get my front (right) arm and the shaft in a straight line tilted toward the target, I hit nice shots. I hit a left handed drive that actually hooked. My left handed set up is different than my right handed set up. I have more shoulder tilt, aim my club at a spot on the ground, and my front (right) arm in line with the shaft of the club. I hope to take pictures of my left hand and right hand set ups and reverse the left hand image. The set ups will not look the same.

My golf right handed golf swing has really improved lately. While giving a lesson the other day, I had the student swing the club back to the point where the shaft of the club was parallel to the ground. At this point, if the grooves of the club are vertical, the club will feel light. However, if the grooves of the club are horizontal, the club will feel much heavier.

As with most of my lessons, I demonstrate the position. I noticed the feel when the grooves were vertical. This was not the sensation I normally felt. I have been paying attention to the lighter feeling as I swing the club. My balance has improved. My ball contact has improved. It has also made a difference on my chipping and pitching. This light feeling should also be felt on the follow through when the club shaft is parallel to the ground.

Until next time.

Mike

2009-05-11T07:31:00.002-05:00

Notes on the Players Championship

With all the rain the last 11 days, it gave me a chance to watch a lot of the tournament. I was impressed how Henrik Stenson responded to his poor finish in Saturday's round. He bogeyed #16 from the middle of the fairway, and then 3 putted from 7 feet on #17. However, on Sunday he was by far the best player.

A few words about his caddy, Fannie. He has now won the Match Play and the Players with her on the bag. Being able to converse in your native tongue has to be comforting. Plus, she has won majors with Nick Faldo.

Tiger is definitely struggling. His knee does not allow him to make his old swing. If you watch Tiger from the 97 Masters, he played with a shut face with the club going across the line at the top. To be successful from here, you must be more open at impact in your lower body. Trevino and Duval were both shut faced players. To keep the club face from closing at impact they would move their left hip very open. Tiger gets to the open lower body position by snapping his left leg straight. This really stresses the knee. To maintain this swing requires a lot of work and great timing.

Did you notice how well he swung the club left handed? His follow through looked far more natural than his right handed swing. His right handed swing looks forced. He must munipulate the club to keep on plane and square.

The solution? Tiger must set up with more sideways tilt in his spine. His shoulders will be more tilted. This will allow his right shoulder and hip to rotate around his body. Then he can simply rotate his body through impact without having to snap his leg straight or use his hands to square up the face.

This was the first opportunity to see Ian Poulter play. I was suprised how laid off the club is at the top of his swing. He swings a lot like Jerry Kelly. Ernie Els has a similar look at the top of his swing. In Ernie's case, his grip is too weak. Poulter and Kelly have something in their grip, set-up, or alignment which does not fit them.

I know this sounds like a broken record but, your grip, set-up and alignment must be right for you.

Thanks,
Mike Hurley

2009-04-22T07:38:00.002-05:00

Notes on the Masters

What a great tournament. Several players had good chances to win. Only Angel Cabrera answered the call.

How about Phil Mickelson? On Tuesday I watched a highlight special from the 2004 Masters and his then coach Rick Smith was talking about the 12th hole. Smith was saying the key to his victory was the 12th hole. Phil had learned to play the hole with a cut shot from the tee with either an 7 or 8 iron. On Sunday, the announcer said Phil had chosen a 9 iron. When I heard that I knew he would not win. The only way for him to get that club to the hole was to hit a hook toward the water. Bad choice.

On Sunday morning, I enjoyed a brunch with my family. My son asked who I liked to win. I replied Angel Cabrera. He had two things in his favor. #1, he had won a major before. #2, his swing was the soundest of the three leaders.

If you get the chance to watch the Masters in High Definition, do so. The detail was amazing. If you get the chance to go the Masters, do so. I have not been but, everyone who has been says the colors are beautiful and the elevation changes are very dramatic.

Thanks,
Mike Hurley

2009-03-30T13:00:00.002-05:00

Product Review - Taylor Made R9 Driver

Three weeks ago I had the opportunity to test the new Taylor Made R9 Driver. It is an interesting concept that has been several years in the making.

The premise of the driver is the ability to change the angle of the face from 1 or 2 degrees open to square to 1 or 2 degrees closed. There are also weight ports in the heel, back and toe of the club. I believe the weights are from 2 grams up to 10 grams each.

The shaft and head connection is made using a screw which tightens the shaft and head together. To change the angle, you simply unscrew the screw, move the head to the new face angle, and re tighten. The weights can be changed the same way.

The different weight and face angle were tested on a machine. The machine made the same swing with the weights and face angle different on each swing. There was as much as an 81 yard difference from left to right.

Taylor Made staff professionals use different face angles and weighting depending on their preferences. Pat Perez has the face 2 degrees open with the heavier weighting in the toe. Scott McCarren has the face 2 degrees closed with the heavier weighting in the heel. The other Taylor Made pros were somewhere in between.

This technology is also available in the fairway metals and hybrids.

This also gives the options of putting different shafts in the same head to see if any benefits are attained.

I believe Nike has similar technology in one of their drivers. I haven't seen it.

If you get a chance, check it out.

My preference was 2 degrees closed with the weighting in the heel.

Mike Hurley

2009-01-18T11:05:00.002-06:00

Mapping Your Golf Course

Have you tried Google Earth? It is a marvelous piece of technology. While using it the other day, I looked over the GCC Golf Course. It turns out me directional abilities are over rated. Several holes I thought went a certain way, actually are not the direction I thought they were.

Where this comes into play is when the wind blows from a certain direction, I can plan ahead to how the hole will play with that particular wind direction. There are several holes I thought would were downwind with a south wind are actually somewhat cross wind. This is important when planning the shots needed for different holes.

In what direction is your course laid out? Check out Google Earth and see.

Mike

2009-01-11T11:21:00.002-06:00

Thought from the Mercedes Championship

I've watched most of the coverage of the Mercedes and several things have caught my attention.

Ernie Els looks confused. He is thinking way too much. He is playing golf from the analytical (left) side of his brain instead of the creative (right) side. His swing flaws tell me his set-up or grip or both are not suited to him. His grip is way too weak and it looks like his clubs may be too short for him.
It is sad to watch Ernie putt. You can see the lack of confidence.

D.J. Trahan is a hands player. He must be too close to the ball which forces him to pick the club up on the take away.

Boo Weekley sure can hit it. A simple, free flowing motion. If only his putting was the same. I watched his five putt on the 18th hole Friday. Can't figure out why he does what he does with a putter. As he hits the putt, the putter comes up and out instead of flowing through to the finish. This leads to off center hits and little distance control.

Geoff Ogilvy is a great wedge player. He has hit some marvelous shots from all sorts of lies and situations. I don't think he has putted all that well and he's leading by six. He has hit good putts but, he hasn't always got the right line and/or speed. When you hit every wedge it inside three feet, you don't have to putt well.

Notice when the camera is showing a full swing face on how the player's spine is tilted away from the target and his head is over the inside of the right knee. This starting position is crucial to good ball striking.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Mike Hurley

2008-12-31T08:00:00.002-06:00

Winter Check-up

The winter is a great time to incorporate changes into your game. Here are set-up keys you can practice now and use when the weather warms up.

Forward Bending
Tour players average 34 degree forward bend from the hip joints. What is your forward bend?

Side Bending
Tour players average 9 degree of side bending away from the target. If you play right handed, your right hand fits below your left, which drops your right shoulder and tilts your spine away from the target.

Shoulder Alignment
Tour players average 5 degree open to the target. Most golfers will have their shoulders even more open. If you slice the ball, set up with your shoulders square to the target. If you are not sure about your shoulder alignment, check your forearms. Imagine a board laying across your forearms being parallel to the target line.

Ball Position
Tour players average 3 inches forward of their sternum. With the proper side bending, the ball should be forward of your sternum. This allows the club to square up before impact.

Preshot Plan
Tour players have a preshot routine they execute before each shot. What's yours? Here's mine.
Once I've chosen the type of shot and the club I want to use I do the following;
1. Face the target with the ball between me and my target.
2. Choose an aiming point. My aiming point is usually a distant point. If your dominant eye is farthest from the target, use an aiming point close to your ball.
3. Place my hands on the grip.
4. Walk up to the ball, bend over from the hip joints, and place the club behind the ball, aiming the club face at the target.
5. While looking at my target, move my feet and settle into my stance.
6. Double check the aim of my club face.
7. At all times during my preshot routine, something is moving. It is either shuffling my feet, waggling the club or checking my target. Once I stop moving, I begin to swing the club.
This entire routine takes about 10 seconds.

Feel free to personalize it to focus on areas you struggle with, being careful not to make it more complicated (or slower) than necessary. Rehearse your routine until it becomes second nature.

Thanks,
Mike

2008-12-08T05:19:00.002-06:00

How to adjust to fast greens

While playing a quick nine yesterday afternoon, I realized how much different it is to play during the winter. The lies are tighter and the greens are much quicker. Here are the adjustments I make to compensate.

1. Soft Hands
Whenever I give a putting lesson, I show the student how tight I hold my putter by holding their arm with the same pressure. The student is always surprised how lightly I hold their arm. Fast greens require attention to speed. The softer my hands, the better I can control speed.

2. Play more break
As I watch amateurs putt, they never seem to play enough break. As the greens get faster, the more the putt will break. Yesterday I had a 6 ft. putt and I played 12 inches of break. Get on the practice green and hit some putts. Pay close attention to how your ball reacts to slope.

3. Play your putts to die at the hole
A putt which runs a foot by the hole in summer, may run 5 or more feet past in the winter. Now we pay attention to stopping the ball as close to the hole as possible. You can practice this on the putting green by hitting putts from outside of 10 feet and seeing how close you can get to the hole without going in. Sounds crazy to try not to make a putt, but it will really help you control your speed.
On really fast putts, I will choose a spot short of the hole and try to stop the ball on that spot. This really helps those who tend to hit putts past the hole. On really slow putts, this spot moves beyond the hole.

4. Plan ahead
Every shot I hit, I'm always thinking of where I want to play my next shot from. There are times when it's better to be 30 feet short than 4 foot long. When greens are fast. you want to be below the hole as often as possible. Earlier I told you about a 6 foot putt with 12 inches of break. I didn't tell you I was trying to be short of the hole and didn't execute.

Hope you find this helpful.

Mike Hurley

2008-12-05T12:28:00.002-06:00

Greetings
Hope your Thanksgiving was joyous. I noticed the 50th anniversary of Ping is coming next year. Have you wondered what golf would be like without the input of Karsten Solheim?
If you play with a set of perimeter weighted clubs, thank Karsten. If you putt with a putter with heel and toe weighting, thank Karsten. I remember seeing the original Ping putters and irons and thinking they were the ugliest things I'd ever seen. However, I have come to tolerate and use clubs which follow his design principles. I used a Ping Rite-In putter to win several college tournaments and the 1976 Michigan Amateur.
The Ping website has a complete history of Karsten and his road to changing the way Golf is played.
Until next time, thanks.
Mike Hurley

2008-11-24T16:39:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving

Back by popular demand, the hurleygolf blog. I know it's been a while since you've heard from me. My dad always said, "If you don't have anything to say, don't say anything.". Now I've got something to say.

Favorite Websites.

pandora.com.
If you like music, you must try Pandora. Right now I'm listening to Tony Bennett while I type. You can set favorite types of music or favorite singers and listen to them and others of a similar genre.

instapundit.com.
Eclectic topics while a tilt toward the conservative.

mises.org.
The Ludwig Von Mises Institute. The best economics site in the world. If you want to understand the current economic mess and what is needed to correct the problems, this is your place.

aldaily.com.
Arts and Letters Daily. Another site with varied viewpoints and topics.

shortarmguy.com
Short Arm Guy from Minnesota. This site is the writings of a computer geek with a penchant for the weird and entertaining.

ted.com
Site with lectures from many areas of interest. You can spend days listening to some of the best presentations you'll ever watch. My favorite so far; Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor.

google.com/maps
Amazing site with maps of any place on the earth. I've used this site many times.

If you have any sites you think I should look at, let me know. I am always looking for new sites to peruse.

Thanks,

Mike Hurley

2008-07-02T11:05:00.002-05:00

Tournament Update
Since my last post I have played several events. Played in the NTPGA Senior Event at Tangle Ridge G.C. in Grand Prairie, TX. Got lucky and won in a playoff with rounds of 68 & 72.
Next event was the NTPGA Eastern Championship at Sherrill Park G.C. in Richardson, TX. Didn't play well. Shot 75, 75 and finished 20 something.
Next I went to Georgia for the PGA Professional Championship. It was played in Greensboro, GA at Reynolds Plantation. A very nice facility. Shot 75, 72 and missed the cut by one.
Monday I played the qualifier for the Senior Open at Dallas Athletic Club. Shot 73 and missed a playoff for the last spot by 2.
Nothing in my game is hitting on all cyclinders. Wish I had a solution.
I have been busy with lessons this year and have had some interesting students. For the first time ever, I have told three different students to tighten their grip. Holding the club too loose is just as bad as holding it too tight.
As you play your round, there will be times when your grip pressure will be tighter than others. If you are playing a shot from deep rough, you will instinctively tighten your grip pressure. Shots taken from the fringe of the green and putts will have a much lighter grip pressure.
One final thought on your grip. The hands should never change position on the club at any time during the swing. When you finish your swing and your hands are not on the club the same as they were at address, something is wrong.

Thanks for your time,
Mike Hurley

2008-05-27T11:56:00.002-05:00

Random Thoughts

Is Sergio Garcia left eye dominant? While watching the Players Championship, I noticed Sergio was tossing his ball for cleaning to his caddy with his left hand. He repeated this several times during the tournament. Made me wonder if his putting problems are caused by the ball and his hands being too far from the target in relation to his dominant eye.

I played a Senior Associates Tour tournament at Tangle Ridge in Grand Prairie two weeks ago. I was fortunate to come out with a win. During the tournament, I did something I have never done in a tournament before. I intentionally put a song in my head while I was putting. Why would I do this? I believed I was getting too technical while putting and music turns on the right side of the brain, the creative side. Since you can't think of more than one thing at a time, I never worried about anything technical while putting.

It's time to reveal a secret. For the past six months, I have been watching golf instructional videos on You Tube. The pro is Shawn Clement from Canada. I found him on You Tube back in late November. He has over 100 videos on every aspect of golf. This guy is the best instructor I've ever read or seen. Check him out.

Next month I travel to Georgia for the National Club Professional Championship. The tournament is at Reynolds Plantation. The top 20 places qualify for the PGA Championship in August at Oakland Hills. The tournament will be broadcast on the Golf Channel.

Mike Hurley

2008-03-15T14:53:00.002-05:00

More about Eye Dominance
Played a senior tournament last week. The first round I played with a pro whom I have known for 15 years. This pro played on the PGA Tour for five years and is currently trying to play Senior events. His ball striking was good, but his putting was not.
After the round was over, I asked if he would like me to look at this putting. We went to the putting green and he hit some putts. (I knew what the problem was when I first saw him putt on Hole #1.) I then tested his eye dominance. Guess what? Another right handed golfer with a dominant left eye.
I simply moved his hands and ball closer to the target than his left (dominant) eye. Bingo! His stroke improved dramatically with improved contact.
Next day he puts the new putting method into play for the final round. He shoots three shots better and wins the tournament.
This player is currently working with a putting instructor who works with several PGA Tour players. Until we talked he had never heard about eye dominance. I mentioned it also affected his full shots too. (His swing is full of compensations for the his faulty set-up.) I'll let you know if anything comes of this.
I played the second round with another pro who displayed similar left eye dominant putting woes. After the round we talked. He assumed he was not gifted, lacked ability to putt, etc. We did the eye test and sure enough left eye dominant.
After correcting his set-up he hit a putt. His eyes lit up after he hit the ball. His stroke was as smooth as glass. He couldn't believe it. He hit several more with the same flawless stroke.
I will see both of these pros in the near future and I will report back on the results.

Until later,
Mike Hurley

2008-03-09T12:29:00.003-05:00

Today I awoke with an upset stomach. What is unusual about this is I can't remember the last one. In previous times my stomach would growl and ache several times a week. I credit the improvement to the switch to drinking kefir. I mix kefir with a raw egg and yogurt for my morning meal. The digestive enzymes in the kefir have really helped.

The upset stomach was probably due to missing four days of kefir due to travelling to a tournament in Shreveport, LA. Monday was rained out and the tournament was shortened to 18 holes on Tuesday. The results are available at www.ntpga.com.

Whatever happened to Global Warming? It snowed twice in one week here in Sherman. About 5" Monday night, and 9" on Thursday afternoon. I missed the first one because of the tournament, but the second was a full fledged blizzard. Had to abandon my truck by the side of the road because I couldn't make it up a small hill. Fortunately it was near the GCC main campus. I walked to my wife's office at the GCC gym and tried to get out with her front wheel drive car. Didn't work. Had to call a friend with a four wheel drive vehicle. No problem for him. Went out the next morning and retrieved the vehicles.

The down time enabled me to extend my normal exercise routines. Did my yoga poses more often and did extended body weight exercises. No use wasting valuable time. What would you have done during the down time?

Until later,
Mike Hurley

2007-12-02T09:23:00.000-06:00

Greetings from North Texas
As winter approaches, it's time to get ready for the 2008 golf season. Have you made plans for improving physically, mentally, or emotionally? Do you have goals for 2008? Have you accessed your 2007 season to discover what were your strengths and weaknesses?

Today's post will cover my golf goals and physical plans.

Here are my goals for the 2008 golf season.
1. Finish in the top 20 at the National Club Professional Championship. A top 20 finish puts me in the 2008 PGA Championship.
2. Win a NTPGA major individual championship. I've won team events and senior individual events, but never a major individual championship.
3. Qualify for the 2008 U.S. Senior Open.
4. Qualify for the 2008 U.S. Open.
5. Win the 2008 NTPGA Player of the Year award.

What are your goals for your golf in 2008?

Physical plans for 2008

Most of my physical work involve areas of the body not mentioned by most trainers. It all started with an episode of TPI. It was mentioned during the show how we lose the ability to go backward as we age. This got me thinking. What can I do to thwart this change?

Whenever I have had a physical evaluation, they always tell me how bad I do back extensions. Since I have had my two back operations, I have been fearful of bending backwards. It's a fear of having my spine break in two if I move incorrectly. Therefore I have tried to keep my spine rigid as I move.

I had to come up with a plan for increasing my backward bending in a controlled way. I started by laying on my back on the floor. This straightened and relaxed my spine. After a minute or so, I extended my arms to the side like I'm making a T. Again holding this position for a minute or so. Then I extended the arms upward making an I. After a minute, I extended both my arms and legs making my body into an X. There was no pain while doing this.

After this movement I rolled over onto my stomach. I either had my chin or my forehead on the floor. I then repeated making the letters T, I, and X.

The next step was to lay on my back in bed with my legs below the knee hanging off the end of the bed. After a minute or so, I reversed my body with my head and neck hanging off the bed. As I have become more relaxed, I now have my head, neck, shoulders and shoulder blades hanging off the bed.

As this laying in bed got easier, I added a pillow under the lumbar area of my back. I use the pillow while my feet are off the bed and when my head and shoulders are off the bed. I now use to two pillows.

These simple passive stretches have helped my posture and my movement. I feel much more flexible and don't have the same rigid feel when I move about.

After reading an article on the Biomechanics of the Golf Swing, I now focus on the back of my body when exercising. The lower back, the glutes, and quadriceps play a huge role in the golf swing. Each of these muscle groups will fire at or near 100% through impact.

To work these muscles, I lay face down on the floor. I raise each limb by itself, then pair a leg with an arm, then raise them all at the same time. I can only hold these positions for a few seconds. I do these movement while making the letters I, T, and X. I then rest my upper body on my elbows and bend my legs at the knees like I'm trying to kick myself. When I was younger, this was a favorite position to watch TV.

This focus on the back of my body and backward movement has enabled me to set up with better posture, have more rotation, and maintain my posture through impact. This has happened without any emphasis on rotational stretching .

Try these passive stretches and simple exercises. Let me know if or how it works for you.

Thanks

2007-07-02T20:46:00.000-05:00

Check your putter grip

If you are having problems with your putting, check the alignment of your putter grip to the putter face. Often the two don't match. Whenever I change a putter grip, I will check the alignment before I remove the old grip. Some golfers want to keep the mis-alignment. Others wish to correct the problem.

I watched the pro tours on television yesterday and it struck me again how many pro golfers are not efficient in their golf swings.

Case in point is Lorena Ochoa. Watching her head turn down and to the right when she hits any shot tells me something isn't right. Could she be left eye dominant? She has hit the same shot under pressure in two of the last three U.S. Opens near the end of the last round.

The men are no better. There were several shots of Scott Verplank and none of them were good fundamentally. He hit several putts on the bottom of the putter and the putts veered off line. Plus his golf swing is off plane and the club doesn't appear to be square. Did I mention he won the Byron Nelson this year? These guys and girls are very talented. The hand eye coordination required to make a living swinging the club where they do is amazing.

In my last post I mentioned some drills to feel the dominant arm swing. The best drill is using only your dominant hand/arm and swinging a club. When you use only your dominant arm, you will extend your arm as you swing the club. This is the natural reaction to the swinging action. As the momentum of the backswing slows, the wrist will hinge. If your dominant hand is lower on the club, your elbow will also bend.

Now put both hands on the club and swing the club using only your dominant hand/arm. The other arm is along for the ride. I recommend this action on all your shots.

Thanks,
Mike

2007-06-29T07:46:00.000-05:00

What is your type?

All golfers must know their dominant characteristics. Do you know yours? Using the legend below and find out where you fit.

LA - left arm/hand dominant
RA - right arm/hand dominant
LE - left eye dominant
RE - right eye dominant
LH - left handed dominant swing
RH - right handed dominant swing

Persons I know for sure
Mike Hurley - RA, RE, RH
My son - RA, LE, RH
Golf Course Employees
SB - RA, LE, RH
JF - LA, RE, RH
DS - RA, LE, RH

The players listed below are my best estimate

Tiger Woods - RA, LE, RH
Jack Nicklaus - RA, LE, RH

Phil Mickelson - RA, RE, RH
Phil began swinging the golf club at a very young age left handed. By starting so young, he overcame most obstacles associated with using non dominant characteristics.

These dominant characteristics determine how you look at the ball and your target, which are controls the swing, and which side of the ball to stand. Once these things are in place, along with the proper grip and set up, good things happen.

Some players will take longer than others to accomodate the changes. Most players will still try to turn, shift their weight, keep their lead arm straight, etc. The simplicity of the swing is hard for most to get right away. Old habits die hard.

Next post will cover swing drills to get the feel of the dominant arm swinging the club.

Thanks,
Mike

2007-06-27T18:48:00.000-05:00

Another Rainy Day in Texas

As I type the rain continues to come down. This June will be the wettest in history for this area. In June of 2004, the course received 13 inches of rain. Yesterday's rain put the total for 2007 over 13 inches.

Despite the rain, I have been working with students. This morning is a good example of finding the dominant characteristics and having the student use them when swinging a golf club. In this case the club was a putter.

The student is left hand dominant, right eye dominant, and wants to swing right handed. The first use of the left hand to swing the putter produced good results but, the putter was not swinging on plane.

We next moved to letting the leading side (his left) slow throught impact. When this happened, the putter began to release and the putter began to swing on plane.

Two posts ago, I talked about the heel of the club and the leading side of the body slowing as the club goes through impact. You may feel the toe of the club going faster than the heel through impact. This also happens with the putter. The same thing also happens when you chip and pitch.

The student began to hit very solid putts. The ball also rolled smoothly. The key to consistant putting is solid contact. After several minutes of practice, the student was showing signs of becoming an excellent putter.

In today's earlier post, I mentioned several PGA Tour players who were inefficient in their swings. The poster boy for inefficiency is Jim Furyk. The level of hand eye coordination required to find the golf ball with his swing is beyond anything I can muster. It is hard to imagine what records Tiger Woods would post with an efficient swing.

Thanks,
Mike

2007-06-27T13:29:00.000-05:00

The Aha! Moment

On May 8th, I experienced an Aha! moment. The moment where everything comes together and you know things have changed for the better. Mine happened on the lesson tee at the golf course while giving a lesson. Actually it was my second lesson of the afternoon.

I had earlier played in the U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Sherrill Park Golf Course in Richardson, TX. I shot 82. I left wondering what was happening. I knew I was close, but I was frustrated. This was the low point.

That afternoon during the second lesson things changed. My student was not letting his trailing elbow or wrist bend during the backswing. He could have hurt himself playing that way. I demonstrated how the elbow bendsand the wrist hinges. Then I demonstrated this action while swinging a club. Then I hit a ball. Wow! My most solid shot of the day. To prove it wasn't a fluke, I hit another. Same result. I was on to something.

After the lesson, I played a few holes and the results were spectacular. Solid shots with a straight or slightly left to right ball flight.

I have never hit a left to right shot with any kind of repeatable action before. And the divots were going at the target or slightly left of target. 43 years of right to left and divots going right were gone in 10 minutes.

The divots going right has plaqued me for years. I've tried everything and even asked Jim McLean for advice. Nothing worked. Now in ten minutes it's gone.

You might be thinking, how is this possible? It is possible and with accurate information, I can help anyone begin to their journey to excellent golf. A bold statement.

If you know your dominant eye, your dominant swinging side, and your dominant hand/arm, you will get better. This not only works with full swings but also with chipping, pitching and putting. The difference is dramatic.

My earlier posts on placing the club in the fingers properly, setting up and alignment are still sound. Add the dominant characteristics and things change.

I am still dumbfounded when I see someone with major swing faults begin swinging the club on plane and square. This usually happens within 30 minutes. It seems to simple. Am I the only one to think of this?

It has changed the way I look at tournament golf. I see most tour players do not swing the club in a manner which is the most efficient for them. This translates into the club not swinging on plane or being square. If the club is on plane and square, they are manipulating the club to make it happen.

Players who are not efficient;
Tiger Woods
Ernie Els
Jay Williamson
Nick O'Hern
Jack Nicklaus
Zach Johnson

Players who are efficient;
Angel Cabrera

There other players in both camps and I will add to the list as I see more players.

Aha! I now understand.

Thanks for your attention
Mike

2007-04-15T07:50:00.000-05:00

What do I work on?

Depends on what your ball flight is. If you slice the golf ball, you need to make sure your hands are on the club properly for you (we have covered this in previous posts) and the toe of the club is moving faster through impact than the heel of the club. Another way to say the same thing is to have your bottom hand on the golf club moving faster through impact than your top hand.

If your ball flight has minimal curvature, then you need to work on how your body moves. You need to proceed to Golf Magazine online and check out the O Factor. The instructor's name is Angus Murray. This is the best discription of how the body works in the golf swing I've ever seen. Study it and do the drills.

I have mentioned previously how I have been working on getting the clubface square or neutral going back. Whenever I feel that I am adding loft to the clubface going back, I hit solid shots with the divots going at or slightly left of target.

While practicing Friday, I made it a point to feel the additional loft as the clubface swung back. I really started hitting solid shots with a slight fade. I had to try this on the course so off I went. Played our back nine and shot 4 under 32. Actually missed two birdie putts inside 10 feet. Went to the mirror and checked where the clubface was going. Perfect.

Yesterday was cold and windy so I made lots of swings with the weighted club. With the clubface moving correctly, the swings were powerful without effort. My balance is so much better. I'm excited!

Thanks,
Mike Hurley

2007-04-12T07:47:00.000-05:00

Thoughts from the Masters

I never thought I would ever say the phrase, "Zach Johnson, Masters Champion." However, he played the best down the stretch and was victorious. Congratulations.

Saturday was a tough day to watch.
They have changed the course so much in the last ten years it has made the course unplayable at times. When the winds came up and the course became even faster and firmer, scores went up, way up. Why do tournament officials set the course up so difficult? It didn't look like fun and it sure wasn't fun to watch.

My favorite memories of the Masters are the ones where Jack shot 30 on the back nine to win in 1986, and Palmer birdies the last two to win in 1960. Sandy Lyle making birdie from the fairway bunker on #18 to win. Larry Mize's chip in, Tiger's chip in on #16. Mickleson birdies #18 to win. All these were great shots to win.

They did set the course up much fairer for Sunday's round and it did produce some fine golf. Johnson made four birdies on the back nine, Tiger had his chances, Retief had a chance, Justin Rose had a chance.

What can you learn from this years' Masters? Set a game plan which fits your game and your strengths. Johnson never went for a Par Five in two. On the surface you would think this plan had no chance for success at Augusta National. His plan results in 11 under on the Par Fives and a Green Jacket.

What are your strengths? Once you identify them, are you using them to your advantage? Take some time to consider your game and make some honest assessments.

Mike

2007-02-15T13:59:00.000-06:00

I Strongly Dislike Cold Weather

Another cold, windy day in North Texas. Probably the coldest winter we've had in the last 10. The answer to the weather problem is to make lemonade from the lemons. It's been a perfect time to work out, swing the heavy club and visualize playing. Have you improved during the down time?

Phil surprised me with his victory at Pebble Beach. I didn't think he would win again after last summer. However, he worked hard over the break and has won my respect. Without Tiger in the field his victory is somewhat diminished, but a win is a win.

I am often asked what golf websites I frequent. The Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and Golf Channel sites are good. The instruction parts are good but be careful about trying to put them into your game. At best the instruction is more a band-aid then a cure. However, I find the fitness and health parts to be very helpful. The information is good and you can use the info and get better. The Geoff Mangrum putting website is the best golf site. You can spend weeks on his site.

Don't forget to get your mental game going as well. Dr. Rotella and Dr. Coop are time tested mental game coaches. The guy from Trust It Golf spoke at the NTPGA Annual Meeting on Monday. He had some good information, but I haven't taken the time to check out the website.

Also check out the website Deep, Slow, Easy Breathing. Excellent site with many avenues to explore. The family story is interesting along with the health and well being information.

If you have a favorite website, send an e-mail and let's check it out.

Thanks,
Mike Hurley

2007-02-06T07:38:00.000-06:00

Notes from the Weekend

Lots of golf this weekend. Watching Tiger botch #10 and #11 in Dubai was amazing. I've never seen him look so normal. I saw parts of every round and in his defense he looked tired and lethargic the entire tournament.
After the fiasco to start the back nine, he finished 5 under the last 7 to end up in third. The guy never gives up. A lesson we can all learn.

The FBR Open was really wild. Most golfers will talk about Quinney's tee shot on #17, but I think he lost it on the greens. He missed four putts under 8 feet on the back nine after not missing any the first 63 holes. Not to mention the good opportunity on #12 he missed.

Aaron Baddeley was very impressive on the weekend. His swing is so much better than even last year. He missed two tee shots on the back nine and both missed right. Quinney missed three tee shots on the back and two of them went left. Top players avoid missing left like the plague.

Hank Haney says Tiger is paranoid about missing left. He could miss 10 shots right, miss one shot left and he will talk about is the one miss left and ignore the misses right.

My misses have always been left and it costs me dearly. I've learned why and am working on having my misses going right.

I have always tended to take my hands and the club away down the target line and away from my body instead of letting them swing in and up on the backswing. When this happens the face is closed and I have to reroute the club going forward. This brings the club into the ball too far from the inside and shallow. If you do this with the face closed you get a hook. My divots have always gone to the right of the target.

Working with the weighted club I've been swinging my hands in and up on the backswing and the face is no longer closed. The divots are going at or slightly left of the target.
This also makes it easier to maintain the loft of the club in the backswing on chips and pitches. This is very helpful on tight lies around the greens.

Here's a drill for you to try. Set up to make a practice swing. Have a club on the ground lying parallel to the target line just in front of your toes. Swing the club until the shaft is parallel to the ground. Look at the shaft and compare it to the club on the ground. It should be parallel to the club on the ground and close to being directly over it. Next check the grooves on the club. The grooves should point between 11:00 and 12:00 (If you are left handed, the grooves should point between 12:00 and 1:00.).

This is an excellent drill to do in the evenings. Make no more than 10 repititions at any one time. As with everything you do, do it with attention and intention.

Thanks,
Mike Hurley

2007-02-03T19:56:00.000-06:00

Notes from North Texas
Yesterday was my parents' 58th wedding anniversary. I am blessed they are still alive and in good health. They escaped the cold of Michigan and moved to Bryan, Tx over 25 years ago. Can you see yourself selling your business, house and possessions and moving away from the only placed you've ever called home? They recognized the worsening economic conditions in Michigan and moved to a state with better economic prospects.

This year is my 35th high school reunion. Seems like a lifetime ago. Don't know if I'll make it back for this one. It's a long trip and I really don't keep in touch with anyone from high school.

Last Sunday and Monday I was at the Hank Haney Teaching the Teachers Seminar at the Hank Haney City Place in Dallas. I left with a new found respect for Hank and his approach to teaching. Both days were filled with instruction and Tiger Woods stories.

My favorite story is from last year's tournament in Boston. Tiger was not happy with his ball striking and called Hank after the third round. Hank gave him some advice and Tiger spent an hour and a half that evening practicing with a weighted club in front of a mirror. Sometime around 3:00 A.M., Tiger woke up and couldn't resist swinging the weighted club for another hour. After waking at 6:00, he spent another hour and a half in front of the mirror. He caught Vijay after three holes and won the tournament.

Tiger is all about improvement. Money is not his motivation. Listen to his comments from San Diego. Never mentions the Tour winning streak. It's about him getting better. He's just following a plan. Do you have a plan?

With the bad weather I've been working with a weighted club making slow swings. As Hank said, "If you can't make a slow swing, how are you going to swing fast?". Bad weather is a great time to work out and do cardio. Take advantage.

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl. Prediction: Colts 16, Bears 14.

Later,
Mike

2007-01-21T13:25:00.000-06:00

Another Left Eye Dominant Player?
I forgot to mention something I saw last week at the Sony Open which leads me to believe we need to add another player in the left eye dominant category. During the second round, Paul Azinger was in a green side bunker and set up to hit the shot. He then turned his head cockeyed and hit the shot. No wonder he uses a strong left hand and takes the club back closed.
When you see something that looks out of the ordinary, chances are good something is amiss. It also validates my belief the tour players are on a different level when it comes to athletic ability.
If you don't have tour level athletic ability and you wish to improve, make sure your grip, set-up, posture, and alignment are tour level.
Never forget, set up determines motion.
Thanks,
Mike Hurley

2007-01-20T14:01:00.000-06:00

Notes from the Sony Open
It certainly was exciting watching Tadd Fujikura play. This young man has excellent fundamentals and has a promising future. I loved his attitude. He was having fun. Do you have fun when you play?
Watching Paul Goydos play was enlightening. If you have any questions about the athletic ability of all the tour pros look at his set-up. Most players could not make good contact from his starting posture. His shoulders are rounded forward and his head was down. He has great hand/eye coordination. Because of his posture, he is not a long hitter. Of course, he may have health and other issues which do not allow him to have good posture.
On the other side of the coin is Charles Howell III. His posture is perfect and he hits it a long way. He always looks too technical. I would have hit take three clubs to the course and play 9 holes with only the three clubs. I wouldn't let him take a putter or driver among the three clubs. He would do this at least twice a week.
My first set was a driver, three wood, 3-5-7-9 irons and a putter. I really believe the small number of clubs made me use my imagination and invent ways to get the job done.
I would encourage you to do this on regular basis. If you can get only three or four holes in, use just three clubs. Make your time on the course count.
Thanks for reading,
Mike Hurley

2007-01-14T06:41:00.000-06:00

Confessions of a Thief

I am a thief. I am not only a thief, but I steal habitually. I can't help it. Fortunately, I don't steal things which would land me in jail. Let me explain.

I enjoy watching infomercials on tv. I seek them out. Sounds like I've gone off the deep end but, I watch the ones pitching exercise equipment or systems. They are showing off the routines being done with the equipment or the "new" style of movement.

While I watch, I get new ideas. I then incorporate them using available items. There is an infomercial for the fluidity bar. Looks like a nice piece of equipment and the movements done on the bar look helpful. You can do the same or similar movements using the back of a chair, the kitchen counter top, or anything similar. I've added five new exercises thanks to watching the fluidity infomercial.

I've gotten several more exercises from the P90X infomercial. The P90X system looks really intense and would get a person in shape. They do several exercises in ways I've never seen.

How many different ways do you exercise? Since the first of the year, I've kept a list of what I do and when I do it. I didn't realize how many different things I do until I wrote them down. Having the list has focused my attention on exercise and I haven't missed a day. It also lets me know if I am overdoing or not doing an exercise.

Make your own list. Keep track. It will help keep you focused and healthy.

Mike Hurley

2007-01-12T17:08:00.000-06:00

Long Weekend in North Texas
Happy New Year. We have freezing weather coming with a chance of ice. Yippee! Upon arriving at the course this morning, the weather was warm and I couldn't resist getting on the course. Wound up playing 27 holes before calling it a day. Finished at 1:00 and the front arrived around 1:30.

The other day we were discussing tour players and what if anything we would change in their games. Got me thinking. Who would I change and why?

I've always thought Ernie Els needed a stronger left hand. At the top he has a funny hitch which makes the clubhead look toe down or open. It's a compensation. And as you now know, any compensations are caused by faulty grip, set-up, or both.

Watching the Mercedes Championship last week, I noticed Vijay Singh's posture was not as good as I have seen. His upper back and head were rounded forward. He had a good putting week and won, but it looked like he was fighting his swing. Yesterday he shot over par at the Sony Open first round. Coincidence?

I would love to work with him on his putting. His putting set up is not conducive to making an on plane stroke. Last week he used a belly putter and finished first in putting for the tournament. Can it last?

Looking forward to 2007. I have made some goals for the year. I made a point of making the goals process oriented and not results oriented. For instance, I am going to hit all shots with a purpose. This should lead to fewer errant shots and lower scores.

Until next time,
Mike

2006-12-02T11:56:00.000-06:00

Since my last post, I've been busy with lessons, play and work. I have been blessed with a good job, a great family, and the good fortune to play the greatest game.

In reviewing past posts, I need to restate the importance of set-up in playing golf. I can sum it up in the phrase, "Set-up dictates motion". When I see a player with bad posture and/or a bad grip, I look for the compensations needed to move the club back and through. There are patterns I have noticed which repeat in player after player. If a player has bad posture, the player can not rotate their body and will be unable to swing the club on plane.

Head position is an area I have covered for left eye dominant golfers but not right eye dominant golfers. As a right eye dominant golfer, I need to set-up with my head on top of my shoulders and my eyes level to the intended line of play. You can do this by standing up in front of a vertical line on the wall or the edge of a door. As you bend forward from the hip joint, trace the vertical line downward with your eyes. This will help set your head in the proper place.

Just like a left handed golfer, I need to have the ball and my hands closer to the target than my dominant eye. When I hit putts, chips, and pitches, I imagine my hands and the ball making a straight vertical line which goes through my left eye. Since I made the change, my chipping, pitching and putting have been outstanding. I never realized how often I mishit these shots. With solid contact has come better distance control and the ball rolls end over end which helps direction.

I have also been doing more dynamic flexibility training. I still do static stretching, but have included the dynamic stretching. There will be more on dynamic stretching in the future.

That's all for now.
Mike

2006-10-03T10:10:00.000-05:00

I'm Back.

It's been a long, hot, and busy summer. Things are finally slowing down which let's me go back to posting. What a summer in golf. Tiger Woods has finally figured out how to set up and swing correctly for his dominant eye(Tiger is left eye dominant). If you have read this blog before, you know what I think about the dominant eye. The results speak for themselves.

Have you wondered what the topic of conversation would be if Phil Mickleson had made a par on #18 at the U.S. Open? It would have been three majors in a row heading into the British Open. Since the Open, Phil has been toast. Will he recover? I think not.

The Ryder Cup was a disappointment from the American side. The Americans had better get used to getting beat. The Europeans have many more good young players than the Americans. Tiger was the youngest player on the team.

Speaking of Tiger; he is the wonderful blend of talent and desire. His mental and physical discipline is outstanding. And he has the desire to improve. His parents did a wonderful job of raising a talented and gifted child. If you get the chance, read the book "Raising a Tiger" by Earl Woods. Very interesting and informative book.

If you have any questions or topics for future posts, e-mail me at hurleygolf@cableone.net.

Thanks,
Mike Hurley

2006-06-21T09:32:00.000-05:00

Spent Tuesday morning in Dallas at the Body Balance for Performance and finished my certification as a Certified Instructor. It's a direction I've been persuing for some time now and this is another step toward being a better teacher.

Now that I'm much more aware of the role the body plays in movement, I notice the general population as they go about their business. I'm amazed that some people can even move, let alone function. The next time your out and about check out the posture on most folks. You'll see rounded shoulders and forward leaning heads. Good posture is rare.

So far, my students tend to have posture problems and hamstring tightness. With bad posture you limit the amount of rotation going back and through. Tight hamstrings will not allow you to set up properly and will cause change in posture during the swing.

In previous posts I've detailed how to improve your posture and there are several good hamstring stretches you probably already know. Daily attention to the problem will resolve this issue and improve your movement.

Until next time, thanks.
Mike

2006-06-17T10:26:00.000-05:00

Good day from North Texas

Was doing some closet cleaning the outer day and ran across an old photo album. These pictures were circa 1976. Had to look at the pictures and reminisce.

Among the phots were pictures of me teeing off on the first hole of the University of Miami Invitational and a picture of me hitting my final putt of the tournament. Why is this important? I had a great tournament. Shot 68-70-70-72 and won the individual part of the tournament by 18 shots. That is not a misprint. I won by 18. Needless to say, I was playing quite well.

The tourney was at the Costa Del Sol resort just down the road from Doral. I recall the course being very tight with out of bounds and water on most of the holes. I played one of the Par 5's with a 7 iron, 7 iron, and a 6 or 7 iron to the green. In four rounds, I made two pars and two birdies on the hole. The hole had water on the left and out of bounds right and the only fat part of the fairway was where I hit it.

What is neat about the pictures is they are a record of what I looked like when playing at a high level. When you play your best, do you have pictures or video of your set up and swing? Since seeing the old photos, I have changed my set up to hit full shots and changed my putting set up to match the photos. I will let you know how the changes are working.

Have you ever condisered taking a lesson when you are playing well? Case in point is the story from last years Las Vegas Tournament on the PGA Tour. The winner was Was Short, Jr. What you may not know is Wes is friends with PGA Professional Bruce Smith. They has played together several times at different events through the years and had become friends. They ran into each other just before the Las Vegas Tournament. During conversation, Wes told Bruce his game was not what it could be. Bruce offered to watch and help if possible. During their time together Bruce noticed several things Wes had changed. Bruce had a picture of the old Wes in his mind and got him to return to that set up and motion. The results were his first PGA Tour win.

One regret of mine is I don't have any record of how I looked in the summer of 1981. I had a stretch of six weeks where I holed out from the fairway several times on Par 4's, had a hole in one on a Par 3, and had a double eagle on a Par 5. The worst round I had during that time was a 71. I lost the feel on the 9th hole during the final round of the Michigan Open in Traverse City. It would be really nice to have a picture of video of what I was doing then.

Do you have a record of you at your best?

2006-06-07T07:56:00.000-05:00

Summertime in North Texas

Summer is my favorite time of the year. Long days, warm weather and no school. Kids are free to play and enjoy life. When's the last time you were free to play and enjoyed life? Most adults need to play golf with the fun and abandonment of a child. Take in the learning of new ideas and new movement patterns.

If you have children interested in playing golf, here are my recommendations for starting. Make sure the child has proper equipment. Do not cut down adult equipment! Cut down clubs are too heavy and the shafts are much too stiff. Children need to play with age apprpriate clubs. We sell junior sets from Wilson for less than $100.00.

Invite the child to go with you to the course. Never make the child go with you. Make sure the child understands it's O.K. not to go if they do not want to. Keep the invitation open.

At the course, begin the child at the putting green. Start with the ball close to the hole and let them make short putts. Eventually, move further from the hole and emphasize watching the ball roll. As they keep watching their putts roll, they will learn distance control.

Next step, chipping and pitching. Have them begin by tossing golf balls underhand toward a target to get the feel for distance. Then begin swinging the club with the same motion. Look at previous posts on placing the hands on the club and set-up. Let them hit pitch shots toward a target(the target does not have to be on a green). This is where to introduce them to hitting shots under a string or crossbar.

Now is the time to begin hitting full shots. Again, always insist on having a target. Once they can hit the golf ball with regularity, move to the course. Begin by playing a scramble with them or let them tee off from the 100 yard marker. As they get better, move the tee further from the hole. You can begin deminstrating the etiquette inheritant with golf, staying still while others play, hitting when it's your turn, etc.

Follow these steps and you hook a kid on golf.

Mike

2006-05-31T10:49:00.000-05:00

2006-05-06T10:52:00.000-05:00

Better aware in putting.

Being aware is a favorite saying on this blog. It is crucial to understanding the factors leading to better putting. The two biggest factors in putting improvement are tension in the hands and poor dominant eye set-up.

This fall I had the privilege of teaching a series of clinics on putting. Every 25 minutes I had 20 new people in front of me so I had to keep it short and simple. I started by holding everyone's forearm with the same grip pressure I use to putt. All were startled by how little pressure they felt.

How much tension is in your hands when you putt? Can you feel the texture of the grip on your putter? Remember that you putt by feel. Is your feel better with lots of tension or very little
tension? Experiment. Find out the right amount of tension for you.

I then tested everyone for dominant eye. As stated before on the blog, your hands and the ball need to be closer to the target than your dominant eye. This applies to all full swings, chips, pitches, and putts.

I touched upon the next step to better putting in last week's blog. Simply putt out on every hole. Seeing the ball drop into the cup gives your brain a positive picture to use on your next putt.

One final thing. As the ball leaves the putter face and begins rolling, watch the ball roll. Use your eyes to track the ball as it rolls. Notice how the ball reacts to the different types of grass, the slopes, and gravity. With practice, you will notice these grasses, slopes, and gravity when you line up a putt. This knowledge will help you with the line and distance of your next putt.

Use this information to improve your putting and shoot lower scores.

2006-04-30T06:53:00.000-05:00

Do you play Golf?

Sounds silly. If you're reading this blog chances are you think you play golf. However, most people on the golf course are not playing golf. The first four years I was on the golf course, I played the same game most of you are playing today. It wasn't golf.

July 1968. Clarkston, Michigan. Spring Lake Junior Invitational. My first tournament away from my home course. It was my first tournament I was required to hole out all putts. No big deal. Right? Wrong. I missed several putts under three feet. Since that tournament, I putt out everytime. No gimmes.

Why is putting out important? In every stroke play tournament you will be required to putt out. If you are used to putting out, it's not a big deal in tournament play. A better is reason is your brain seeing your golf ball go into the hole 18 times during a round. If you take gimmes, how many putts do you see actually go in? The more putts you see go in, the more putts you'll make.

Forward to September 1972. Freshmen at Western Michigan University. Qualifying for the golf team. Not only do we putt out, we also play the ball as it lies. Now we're having fun. Another shock to my golf system.

I found out by always playing the ball as it lies, it gives me an advantage over the other players. Bad lies don't upset me. It taps into my creative side. I have always played and practiced at public golf courses which tend not to be as manicured as country clubs. The lies I encounter every day are usually much worse than I see in tournament play.

I do take relief where allowed by the rules. Drainage, hole made by a burrowing animal, immoveable obstruction, cart paths, aerification holes, and areas marked as ground under repair.

In tournament play, if I get a bad lie, it's not a big deal. Knowing what kind of shot is possible from the lie and that I have hit the shot before, is a great comfort under tournament pressure. Would you have the same comfort?

Know the rules. Unplayable lie, out of bounds, lateral water hazard, regular water hazard and obstructions. Do you know the proper procedure for each?

When you begin to play golf, your handicap may go up. Don't sweat it. You will be prepared for any circumstance you will see in tournament play.

On the PGA Tour, any record round shot while playing perferred lies is not put in the record book. Why? Because the course was playing easier. Scores are lower. If you play golf, your scores will be better under preferred lies. Would that be advantageous?

2006-04-23T09:39:00.000-05:00

Things women golfers need to know.

Golf is counter-intuative. The information your brain sends you about putting your hands on the club and getting the ball in the air is wrong.

Always have a target. Playing golf without a target is like driving across the country without a map.

Free advice is harmful. If you have heard keep your head down, keep your head still, keep your left arm straight, follow through, hit down, or shift your weight, you've been harmed.

The golf swing is an athletic movement. You don't have to be athletic to make an athletic movement.

Golf is a physical, mental, and emotional experience.

Play golf. Most people play what will my (friend, spouse, others) think of me, or I hope I don't (whiff, top, shank, look silly, etc.). Remember, most people don't care what you do and the others wish the results were worse.

What to do?

Seek competent instruction. The instruction should focus on the best way for you to choose a target, place your hands on the club, set-up, aim, and a pre-shot routine to bring it all together. You must do this in the way best for you. Other people may look similar, but it won't be the same as you.

Play and practice hitting shots under real and imaginary objects. That's right under. Your instinct will tell you to hit up to make the ball go up. Unfortunately, this will keep the ball on the ground. Tie a piece of string to two stakes and stretch the string out three feet towards the target and one foot off the ground. Take your wedge and try to hit a ball under the string. What happened? I'll bet the ball goes over the string. This technique works wonders for your chipping and pitching. Move the string further toward the target and higher for other clubs.

On the course, imagine a paper banner two feet high and 10 feet towards the target. Hit your shot through the banner making it tear open. Or imagine a gate similar in shape to a croquet gate in front of your ball toward the target. Hit your shot through the gate.

You will get nervous and anxious on the course. Your job is to recognize your physical, mental, and emotional state and consciously shift into your hitting a golf shot state. It's often helpful to take one or two deep breaths from your diaphragm before hitting a shot. We often forget to breath properly when dealing with stressful situations. Hitting your first tee shot of the day in front of others is stressful.

Practice your pre-shot routine away from the golf course. Correct repetition will help you take your new grip, set-up, aim and routine to the course. When practicing away from the course, make no more than 10 full pre-shot routines in any one session. When you feel competent, do your pre-shot routine with your eyes closed. Use your other senses. Feel your movements, listen for your movements, and any other signals your body sends you.

Finally, when confronted with free advice, run.

2006-03-13T11:50:00.000-06:00

Your goal from reading this blog is to become aware of your body, your thoughts and your emotions. How can you change anything without becoming aware? Let's begin today's post with posture.

Check your posture. Place your heels against a blank wall or a door or a door jam. Place your buttocks, the mid part of your back, and the back of you head against the wall, door or door jam. Are your ears and eyes level or is your head tilted back? Does it hurt or is it uncomfortable? Ideally you can do this without pain or discomfort. If you do experience pain or discomfort, your posture needs work. Simply do the wall/door exercise on a regular basis and you will feel a difference.

If you have a full length mirror, look at yourself in the mirror and notice if your shoulder joints, hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints are stacked on top of each other in a straight line. Then turn 90 degrees from the mirror and see if your ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle are in a straight line. If you are congratulations! If not you have work to do.

On a regular basis, stand against the wall as described above. You can also lie on your back flat on the floor. Again, if you feel pain or discomfort be gentle and do this slowly. Once you can lie flat without pain or discomfort, put a small pillow under your back and lie on the floor. Listen to your body. If a small pillow is too much, use a rolled up towel. Your goal is to be able to lie on a pillow or pillows without pain or discomfort.

Since I began checking my posture, my overall health has improved and I can move freely with a greater range of motion. It also feels really good.

If you work on your posture on a regular schedule and listen to your body for any signals of pain or discomfort, you will reap the rewards of better health and motion.

2006-02-20T07:47:00.000-06:00

Good morning from North Texas. With the weather keeping everyone inside, what have you done to improve yourself and/or your golf game? Here's what I did.

I did some reading, watched some golf on television, and exercised. From the last post I explained my philosophy of exercising during commercial breaks while watching television. During Survivor Man (My favorite show), I did 40 slow push-ups from 4 different positions. During Desperate Housewives (Guilty Pleasure), I did passive stretching during the entire show. I rotated between sitting cross-legged on the floor, the Z stretch, hip flexor stretch, and lying on my foam roller. During Grey's Anatomy (Another Guilty Pleasure), I did crunches from four different positions. I also gave foot and calf messages to my wife and daughter.

On Saturday, I spent the morning at the golf course clubhouse. Some of you know of the exercise options which I have brought to the clubhouse. We've got an exercise ball, 10 lb. medicine ball, chin-up bar, 15 lb. dumbbells, ab dolly, broom, and weighted club. Imagine the possibilities.

A friend loaned two audio CD's from Bob Rotella, The Golfer's Mind and Putting Out of Your Mind. I've enjoyed Dr. Rotella's previous work and these CD's are a continuation of that work.

How was your weekend? Are you closer to where you want to be as a golfer?

Until next time
Mike

2006-02-17T15:16:00.000-06:00

Thoughts on a cold windy North Texas day. Looking at many golf instruction sites, I am struck by how many sites are dedicated to finding ways to fix your swing. My site is dedicated to helping you find you fundamentals so you can swing the club to the best of your abilities.

All the fundamentals are equally important. Review how to connect to the club (grip). I've seen some sites stating the grip is not important. It is your only connection to the club. It is vital! Your posture is important. Your alignment is important. Your thought process is important. And finally your equipment is important. If one of these fundamentals are not right for you, you have made more work for yourself.

I am often asked what kind of swing aids should be used. I highly recommend two different swing aids. The first aid is a poor man's swing stik. It cost less than $5.00 and can be bought at a grocery or hardware store. You probably already have one at home. It's a simple broom. A broom with a small diameter handle and a small bristle head are best. Simply assume your golf posture and grip and begin swinging. Listen to the sound the broom makes as you swing it. The louder the noise, the higher the clubhead speed. The second swing aid is a weighted club. I prefer a weighted club with a normal grip. This allows you to take your grip on the club without having to conform your hands to a training grip.

If you follow professional golf, you are aware of how many players are engaged in a fitness program of some kind. Are you? I believe all golfers can benefit from improving their physical fitness. What's the best way? Depends on your level of fitness and your fitness goals.

My fitness regimen includes posture, balance, strength, and flexibility. I do all these without going to a gym. I've tried the gym but, I prefer the solitude of working at home or here at the golf course clubhouse. While I am exercising, I pay attention to my breathing and how my body is reacting to the movement. I don't want to listen to someone talking or loud music while I'm engaged in movement. My fitness goal is functional strength.

There are plenty of different types of movement which are beneficial. Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Aikado, Ballet, etc. I have found it is more important to change the intensity and form than to work to exhaustion. Let's look at the simple push-up. You can vary your hand position (wide, narrow, high, low, staggered, one-handed, fingertips, or knuckes) and/or your feet (knees, feet wide, narrow, one foot, feet elevated). If you're watching television, during commercial breaks do push-ups. Change how many you do and how you do them. By the end of the evening, you may have done 100 push-ups and used 10 different ways to do them.

If the weather is acceptable, walking, hiking, bicycling, or running are all good. I like doing short bursts of sprints while I walk. Seems to do an effective job in a short amount of time. It is not important what you do. It is important to do some kind of beneficial exercise which you enjoy.

That's all for now. Until next time, good golfing.
Mike

2006-01-29T07:56:00.000-06:00

Again, sorry for the delay in posting. I have been busy with other things and have neglected this blog.

Some more thoughts on set-up before we continue. The purpose of this blog is to make you aware of what you do, how you do it and what you feel when you do it. At the NTPGA annual meeting, one of the speaker was Bobby Lane, a PGA Professional and a Physical Therapist. He made some interesting points about muscles and joints and how they work in a golf swing. I hope to attend a work shop sometime next month to get more details.

One thing I have been feeling in my set-up is the upper back. The scapulas are lower and closer together than I can ever remember at set-up. This leads to the shoulders being lower and back. Once this happens, I feel the lats in my upper back engage. This causes a change in posture in the upper back. Looking in a mirror, I can see my spine is straight at set-up and my head is on top of my spine. This leads to increased torso rotation without trying to increase rotation.

You can check your posture by standing with your back to a wall or door. Put your heels, butt, upper back, and head against the wall or door. Does this feel comfortable? If not, you have posture issues which need to be addressed.

For more information, I suggest reading any book by Pete Egoscue. He worked with Jack Nicklaus back in the late 80's and early 90's. He has some self tests you can do in the privacy of your home to see where and how you stand. There are exercise plans to help you self correct. Both Egoscue books are available in the Sherman Public Library. I have his book "Health Through Motion". I still refer to it often.

That's all for now. Thanks for your attention.

2005-11-27T10:49:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. Got busy with other things and holiday events. Today's post covers set-up and alignment.

Set-up determines where you swing the club. Alignment determines the direction the ball begins it's flight. Clubface alignment determines the shape of the ball flight. Having the correct grip for you takes care of clubface alignment. Let's take care of set-up.

Set-up is putting the body in position to swing the club the most efficient way. Set-up is made up of balance, posture, and ball position. Begin with your hands on the club, standing straight and tall, arms extended with the club level to the ground and the club shaft point at your belt buckle. Your spine should be straight from your tail bone to the base of your skull. This posture does not change during the set-up. Notice the distance from the end of the grip to your belt buckle. This is a benchmark we will check later. Now look at the crook of your elbows. They need to be level. The back arm should not be higher than the forward arm. If you look at yourself in the mirror, your shoulders are tilted with the back shoulder lower than the front shoulder. Make sure the groove in the clubface are vertical.

From this straight and tall beginning, bend forward from the hip joint until the club meets the ground. The club and your spine should be at 90 degrees to each other. Your head should be on top of your spine, not leaning forward. The distance from grip end to belt buckle should be the same. Your knees should be relaxed, not bent or locked. If the ball is not in front of the clubface, move your feet. This foot movement may be toward the target, away from the target, toward the ball or away from the ball. To check your ball position, do the set-up procedure with your eyes closed. This will tell you if you change body position when you bend forward. You have answered two questions. How far from the ball should I be? and where should the ball be in my stance?

A great set-up means nothing if your alignment is off. How is this accomplished? I will reveal the secret to alignment in one sentence. Aim the clubface at the target. So simple yet so difficult. You will be tempted to aim your body at the target. Unfortunately, this will aim the clubface away from the target. The clubface is aimed correctly when the grooves in the club face are perpendicular to the target.

Once you have bent forward and set-up, rotate your head to see where the club is aiming. If the aim is incorrect, move your set-up until the club is aimed at the target. Do not change the characteristics of the set-up.

Once you are set-up double check your clubface alignment. As you are looking at the target, feel free to shuffle your feet, waggle, and get comfortable. Warning, do this only while looking at the target. Which brings me to the one thing I would tell all players; Stare at the target, glance at the ball. When a player is playing well, the target's the thing. When a player is playing bad, the ball's the thing.

Next time: How to begin the swing.

2005-11-13T07:26:00.000-06:00

How your club, arms, and hands react when swinging.

Here's the facts:
-The clubhead rotates around the shaft during the swing.
-If the hands and fingers are on the club properly for you, the forearms will rotate during the swing and release the energy stored during the swing at impact.

I spent so much time on the grip in the last post because without the proper grip, the clubhead and the foreams will not rotate during the swing. This rotation is the result of the swinging of the club with the proper grip. It should not be something you intentionally make happen. The instinct grip will make this action difficult if not impossible.

Look at any tour player swing sequence in any golf magazine. When the club is swung back, the toe of the club is pointing up when the club shaft is parallel to the ground. As the club moves forward before impact, the toe of the club is pointing up when the club shaft is parallel to the ground. As the club moves forward after impact, the toe of the club is again pointing up when the club shaft is parallel to the ground.

Look at the club face when the camera faces the player. When the club shaft is parallel to the ground before impact, you can see the club face. After impact when the club shaft if parallel to the ground the club face you see the back of the club. This implies lots of rotation and momentum. Hence the term release to describe it.

In your forearms are two bones which help make our hands the wonders of nature they are. The radius and the ulna bones allow our elbows to point at the ground while our palms can rotate up and look at the sky or rotate down and look at the ground. In medical terms this phenomenon is known as pronation and supination. Hogan talked about this in his writing.

A warning. Even though your grip is correct for you, if your grip pressure is too high, it will interfere with this rotation. Feeling the movement of your club head, hands and arms is something most humans resist. The club doesn't feel as secure and you might lose control. Hence the tension. Please understand this freedom of movement needs to be allowed.

Next time another building block, Set-up and alignment. Until then, thanks.

2005-11-06T10:21:00.001-06:00

Putting your hands on the club correctly for you.

This tutorial is the most important part of your learning. If your hands and fingers on not on the club correctly for you, you will not reach your potential.

Facts about your grip:
-Your top hand should be turned away from the target an amount equal to the amount it is turned away from the target when your arms hang to your side. The thumb of your top hand will be on the side of the grip away from the target and the thumb of your bottom hand will be on the side of the grip toward the target.

-The fingers of both hands are on the club, not the palms.

-The palm of the bottom hand should point at the target matching the club face.

-Your grip pressure should be light. How light? Sam Snead used the analogy of holding a small bird. I don't know about you but I've never held a small bird. Use your right hand and place it on your left forearm so you can feel the hair on your arms and the texture of your skin. Now you have an idea of the amount of tension. What part of your hand did you use to feel the hair on your arm and the texture of your skin? If you said fingers, move the top of the class. We feel with our fingers and fingertips not our palms.

Why is getting a correct grip so difficult? I believe it's instinct. I've never seen a beginning golfer with a correct grip. They use what I call an instinct grip. Their hands are turned with the palms facing each other, the grip in their palms, and their thumbs on top of the grip. A great way to hold the club if the object is to pull the club. A lousy way to hold the club if you wish to swing it.

The instinct grip feels secure with little or no movement of the club or hands and arms. When you have the correct grip for you, the club feels less secure and you feel the movement of the club and your hands and arms. This does not mean the hands and fingers move off or around the grip when your swing the club.

Take the time and effort to put your hands and fingers on the club correctly for you. It will pay off handsomely.

Next time: How the club and your hands and arms move when you swing.

2005-11-03T08:27:00.000-06:00

Using your dominant hand and eye to improve your game.

At the end of the previous post, I asked two questions; Which hand is dominant? and which eye is dominant? Hopefully you are now aware of the answers.

As this blog goes ahead, you will notice a pattern. I will ask questions designed to make you aware of your own body and mind. These are questions are important for you to begin using your mind and body in the most productive way. You must know yourself before you can improve.

Dominant Hand

Many years ago, Tommy Armour made a lot of money telling his students to "hit the hell out of the ball with the right hand". If you are right hand dominant, I heartily agree. If you are left hand dominant, hit the hell out of the ball with the left hand.

I have heard many students tell me that they use too much of their dominant hand. If your hands and fingers on the grip properly for you, I do not think it possible to use too much dominant hand.

Dominant Eye

I have not heard many teaching professionals talk about a student's dominant eye. You now know yours. From now on, for 99.99% of your shots, your hands and the ball must be closer to the target than your dominant eye. Include putts, chips, and pitches in there too. Those of you whose dominant eye is closest to the target will feel this change dramatically.

Most of you have seen Jack Nicklaus hit a golf ball. You probably noticed before taking the club away he turns his head away from the target. If your dominant eye is closest to the target, you should copy this move. As a young golfer, I tried to copy this move. Unfortunately, I am right eye dominant and the experiment was a total failure.

Use your dominant hand and eye when you play and see a change for the better.

Next time: Getting your hands on the grip properly for you.

2005-10-31T06:50:00.000-06:00

This blog is intended to inform and educate those interested in golf. From time to time I will enter thoughts on the state of the game and the instruction I use to help my students learn. Who knows where this will lead. This will be a learning experience for myself and those who read and follow the advice in this blog. Feedback is always appreciated.

Playing History
First Round - July 4, 1964 Ella Sharp Park Golf Course, Jackson, MI
Played 3 years Albion (MI) High School.
1971 Michigan Class B High School Champion
Played 4 years Division I College Golf at Western Michigan University.
1974 Mid-American Conference Champion
1976 Michigan State Amateur Champion
Turned Professional January, 1977
Attempted Tour Qualifying 3 times.
Played in 1987 Tucson Open. Missed Cut
Played in 1995 Byron Nelson. Missed Cut
Won 1993 NTPGA Pro-Pro
Won 1993 & 2000 Metro Chapter PGA Pro-Pro
Won 2004 NTPGA Senior Club Pro
Won 4 times on FINA NTPGA Senior Associates Tour.
Have held course records at 3 different courses.

A brief history of where I've been as a player. Much more importantly to you is where I have been and where I'm at now as a instructor.

It all began in the Mid 60's when the neighbor paid me a dozen golf balls to help his son with his game. Throughout high school and college, my teammates would often come to me for help. After college I worked as a club pro, giving lessons and working in the pro shop. My first lessons were somewhat helpful, but I didn't know much. It took time for me to find the passion and drive to become a first rate instructor.

Over the coming weeks and months I will post information on how you can make the most of you and your abilities to play this challenging game. The first thing to realize is you are a unique individual and should approach golf and life in a way to maximize your abilities. You must understand the players on the all the professional tours are very athletically gifted. All of you have some athletic gifts. How to put yourself in a position to use your gifts is the question you must answer.

My teaching philosophy is simple. Bad results are caused by;
1. Grip incorrect for the you.
2. Set up incorrect for you.
3. Equipment used incorrect for you.
4. Thought process incorrect for you.
5. Any combination of the above.

Once these things are correct, most swing faults and bad results disappear.

Let's begin to correct previous damage.

Things you need to eliminate from your thought process when you play.
1. Keep your head down.
2. Keep your left(right if you play left handed) arm straight.
3. You have to get under the ball.
4. You have to get the ball up.

Things you need to know about yourself.

Which eye is my dominant eye?
The easiest test to determine your dominate eye is to extend your arms and make a small triange using the thumb and forefinger of each hand to make the triange. Look at yourself in a mirror. Whatever eye you can see in the mirror is your dominant eye. This is one of the things you will need to know when you set up to hit any shot.

Which hand is my dominant hand?
The hand you use when eating with a fork.
The hand you use to wipe yourself after a bowel movement.

That's all for the first post. Thanks for your attention.

Mike Hurley
PGA Golf Professional