How to play out of deep rough

Everyone will get a first hand look from watching the US Open at Congressional this week at how hard it is to play a shot from very deep rough.  If it is difficult for tour players, which makes it even harder for the average golfer.

When you are assessing your shot you must first evaluate how bad the ball is sitting.  Think about as 2 different lies, if the blades of grass are lower than the top of the ball you shouldn’t have much trouble getting the ball out.  If the blades of grass are higher than the top of the ball (as shown below) we have some issues.

The key to playing the shot is in the setup.  The shot requires a steeper swing path than you would probably make for your normal swing.  Setup with an open stance(aiming slightly left) and place to ball in the middle of your stance.  When making your backswing you want to try to have your backswing consist of more arms taking the club away and less or your traditional shoulder turn.  This will make the club swing slightly on a steeper path or more upright and help get the club down on the ball and out of the rough.

Reminder:  The club still has to get lower than the ball in order for it to come out.

The difficult part about playing from the rough is that all that grass gets trapped between your club and the ball and wants to grab onto your club.  Your club starts to slow down because of all the interference of the grass, and the ball does not get a direct hit like you are used to.  If you believe you can still get to the green with the lie you have you will want to take additional club to offset the interference.  If you don’t believe you can get to the green you will want to choose a club with a lot of loft to help you get the ball up and out of the long grass as quick as possible.  Sometimes it makes more sense to get the ball back out into the short grass and have a slightly longer next shot than to be a hero and try for the green and end up still in the rough.

You will see these tips used at Congressional all week and they will help you when faced with the same situation.

Good Luck

Michael J Kenny, PGA

Needwood Golf Course

Feeling the Pressure . . .?

                                . . . Let it go

There are a lot of ways that pressure can creep into your otherwise enjoyable golf experience. Most of these pressures have a detrimental effect on your performance.

• Your opponents or playing partners are all safely on the green or in the fairway and you are the last to play.
• You need a few extra yards to carry a hazard or reach a green
• Your ball is down in some thick rough ( it can be quite healthy this time of year)
• You’re down a few strokes in a match or struggling to play up to your own standards.

Most often, these pressures manifest themselves in the way we grip the golf club. Fear and anxiety turn into Tension and Increased Grip Pressure. When we squeeze on the handle of a club,

·         we choke off the flow of energy to the club head and the ball ( slower swing speed )

·         put the brakes on the natural rotation that the face of the club, needed for a square impact with the ball

·         Decrease the effective mass of the club head. The harder you squeeze, the lighter the club head becomes.

Why spend $ 300 dollars on a golf club and then squeeze it until it performs like a $ 3 piece of lumber?

The next time you’re stuck in the rough, or need a few extra yards, or feel added pressure to make a good swing, go ahead and squeeze it as hard as you can. Then release the pressure until most of your fingers are at about half as tight as you could hold them; or “5” on a scale of 1 to 10.

For optimum club head speed, the only squeezing should take place as far away from the club head as possible; in the first 3 fingers of your top or gloved hand, and should decrease from finger to finger as you go down the club. So, on the 1 to 10 scale from the top of the grip, you should feel “9-8-7-5-5” on the top hand, then

“5-5-5-5-5” on the lower hand; freeing up the club head to swing while giving you plenty of control of the club face.

Feeling the Pressure . . .?

                                                          . . . Let it go

 . . . and dial 987-555-5555
                                            . . . for better performance

Martin Zadravec

Northwest Golf Course
Golf Professional, Instructor

How to Correct your SLICE

Before we correct a slice, it is important to understand what causes the slice.  Players that slice the golf ball are swinging too steep and coming from outside to inside which will leave the club face open at impact and will put a clockwise spin on the golf ball for a right handed player.   

                                                      A        B        C

                                                                        

 The following picture shows a swing from 5:00 to 11:00 which will leave the club face open at impact and cause the slice.

 The following picture shows a swing from 6:30 to 11:30 which will square the club face at impact and allow a straight shot.

The following picture shows a swing from 7:00 to 11:00 which will close the club face at impact and create a hook. 

 

            Now that we understand what causes a slice, here are some tips on how to cure it.  The first thing you want to check is your grip, the V’s on your thumb and forefinger on both hands should be pointing towards you right shoulder.  Next , check your grip pressure, light grip pressure is another way to help you hit it straighter.  On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being light and 10 being tight) you want to grip it with a 3 or 4.  Finally, your forearms should rotate counter clockwise and this will allow you to square the face of the club at impact.

           The following is a drill that I use with my students to cure a slice. 

1.     Take a club shaft and put it into the ground 1 club length behind the ball and one club head length outside the target line.  Make the shaft angle the same as the lie angle of your club head.

2.     Make practice swings that pass under the shaft

3.     Start hitting balls when the club passes under the shaft.

4.     Feel the swing working from inside to outside which will allow your club face to square up at impact.

I am confident that with these corrections you will enjoy the game much more.

Gary Kelley, PGA
Head Professional
Sligo Creek Golf Course

Bunker Tips - Learn to love the beach!

If you are like most amateur golfers, your reaction is one of disgust when your ball lands in a green side bunker.  Day after day I will look out and see countless golfers hacking away in sand traps, desperately trying to get the ball airborne and out of the trap.  Yet on the PGA Tour, most pros will tell you that they would prefer to be in a bunker then the long rough that surrounds most greens.  The problem is that most golfers do not know how to set up properly and seldom (if ever) practice bunker shots.  Here are some quick tips to help you become a better bunker player and improve your overall score. 

1.      Use a Sand Wedge!  This may sound like common sense, but many golfers will try to use a pitching wedge because they don’t have a sand wedge.  If you don’t have one, get one! 

2.      Open the club face and open your stance, with the club face aligned with the target.   

3.       Get a good solid stance by digging your feet several inches into the sand and use a shoulder width stance. 

4.       Place 60% of your weight on the left leg and leave it there throughout the swing. 

5.       The rules of golf prohibit grounding your club in the bunker (the bunker is a hazard) so address the ball with the club head slightly above the sand, about two inches behind the ball. 

6.       Play the ball off the left foot, forward of center.  Remember, the goal is to hit the sand, not the ball. 

7.       When playing your shot, hit the sand about 1-2 inches behind the ball.  It is imperative to keep your left arm straight throughout the shot and control it by rotating the body, not the arms, through the shot.  *** Focus your eyes at the spot 1-2 inches behind the ball.  The worst mistake you can make is to hit the ball first, instead of the sand. 

                            

Once you understand the basics and practice a little, bunker shots should not be feared – they’re a blast!

Matt Jarvis

General Manager

Poolesville Golf Course

Maximize your distance

As an instructor, one of my most frequently asked question is how can I hit it longer? I think most golfers would prefer hitting it longer as opposed to shooting lower scores. Well, it’s not one or two things but a list of things you must do to maximize how far you are capable of hitting the golf ball. Everyone is different when it comes to hitting it long off the tee. Age, strength, build and flexibility are some of the determining factors. Here are my three most important swing tips to help you hit it longer.

1. Back swing- I’m sure you have been taught to have your stance shoulder width apart, that should apply to your irons but not your driver. In order to create club head speed you must have a wide swing plane. Widen your stance so that your feet are just outside your shoulders. When you start your backswing keep the club low to the ground and rotate your left shoulder towards the center of your body while making sure your right knee stays flexed and does not change position. (Opposite shoulder and knee for lefties) To help create the proper shoulder turn it should feel like your back is facing the target at the top of your swing. We want to create tension from our lower body and upper body, so visualize holding the bottom of a spring, twisting the top and letting go.

2. Down swing- As I talked about earlier, there is a list of things you must do to hit it long, but if you asked me to pick the most important here it is. Have you ever heard of lag, do you know what it means? Lag is the retaining of the right wrist position (left wrist for lefties) late into the downswing. Most golfers do the opposite.

Releasing the wrist angle too early in the downswing robs them of power and causes errors like hitting behind the ball, slices, and even thin shots. Your body has a tendency to rise up to compensate for the early wrist release. A good practice drill is to stick a tee in the end of your grip, when you start your downswing maintain your right wrist position until the tee points at the golf ball, this drill will give you the proper feel when you should release the club and help you generate faster club head speed at impact.

3. Follow through- In my opinion, the follow through is one of the most important parts of the golf swing, even though the ball is well on its way to the target by the time the follow through occurs. In order to swing the club faster and finish in the correct position you must uncoil your upper body swinging against a straightened left leg which clears your left hip (right leg and hip for lefties). 

The faster your hips clear, the faster your shoulders will uncoil from the powerful position you created in steps one and two.  This maintains club head speed through the impact position. After impact, let your hips continue to rotate until your belt buckle faces the target. Your head should have come up and your body should be standing tall, facing the target, with all of your weight on your straightened left leg in a balanced position staring at a 270 to 300 yard drive right down the middle. 

I hope these tips help you hit it longer. Good luck and have a great golf season.

Bobby Ashton PGA

Head Golf Professional
Hampshire Greens Golf Club

Pre-Shot Routine

The pre-shot routine is one of the most overlooked aspects of the golf swing. Yes, I did say golf swing. A golf swing is only as good as your target line awareness therefore I consider your pre-shot routine part of your swing. Having been a PGA member for almost 20 years, I find it interesting that golfers tend to practice with out purpose. Most golfers never leave their mat and just wack away at 100 balls, which mean that more than likely the “ball” has been the target and not the flag stick. Listed are some easy tips to help you establish a solid pre-shot routine on and off the course:

 Visualize what you want the shot to look like.

 Always get directly behind the shot and walk into your stance with your hips and feet open to the target line.

 Do some waggles just like Arnold Palmer, he wasn’t just fidgeting with his pants that was his way of getting loose.

 Take in consideration all the outside variables such as weather conditions and type of stance you have these factors will effect the outcome of the shot.

 When practicing make sure you walk off the mat or behind the shot every other ball. If you don’t get behind it just make sure you are thinking target before your next shot.

 Clear your mind of all negative thoughts. Do not hit a golf shot unless you are committed and ready to execute the shot. This sounds easy, however, its one of the hardest things to do.

 Practice your routine at home and on the range. The more you ingrain your routine the faster and easier it will become.

I hope some of the listed “tips” will help you achieve better shots and better scores immediately. If you need personal help with the above information please see any of our MCG golf professionals for some advice or for a lesson.



Jon LeSage, PGA
Head Professional
Falls Road Golf Course

Swing Tip - Chipping

The most common problem with chipping that I see is that people do not hit the ball on the way down.  Sweeping, brushing or even hitting the ball on the upswing are common faults. 

A good drill to help you correct this is to place 4 balls down on the ground touching each other perpendicular to the edge of the putting green. Put the ball you are going to chip 1 grip length closer to the green and practice chipping balls onto the green from that location.

The key to the drill is to keep the handle of the club ahead of the ball and to strike the ball on the way down. Remember you should not hit the 4 balls on the back or forward swing!!

Start close to the green with an 8 iron and in no time you will understand the basics to a successful chipping motion.

Mike Kenny, PGA
Head Professional
Needwood Golf Course

Putting Tip

Generally the most overlooked aspect of the game is putting. All players constantly want to improve their ball striking but yet they wonder why at the end of the season their handicap has yet to improve. Below are two tips that will help shave some strokes on the putting green.

Tip #1
Most putters usually get in trouble because they are eager to see if they have made the putt and tend to pull their head up to early. A good method for keeping the head still during the putt is to pick a spot back center of the ball and then focus on listening to the ball go into the hole. So after you have contacted the ball your head remains still and the eyes should be focusing on the spot on the green where the ball was.

 Tip #2
Allow the shoulders to make the putting stroke. The putting stroke should mirror a pendulum on a clock. Allow the hands and arms to be an extension of the shoulders and then the shoulders rock back and forth in a smooth motion. The shoulders should move in a smooth and timely motion in order to keep rhythm in the putting stroke.

These two tips should allow you to begin making more putts.


Justin Keith, PGA
Teaching Professional
Falls Road Golf Course

Teaching Tip - Proper Impact Position

A very high percentage of golf students that I consult with for the first time do not know what proper impact position looks like. The unfortunate part about this is that many of these same folks have been playing without this critical information for many years. When I see a student with this type of problem, the very first thing we do is discuss good vs. poor impact position, and why it is so important.

Left Photo:
The player in this photo shows good position of the hands at the moment of impact. The grip of the club is leaning forward toward the target. The left wrist is flat and the right wrist maintains a bend. This bent right wrist will allow the club to strike the ball first and the ground second. It is also very important to turn the body towards the target and shift weight to the outside of the left ankle at the beginning of the downswing -- the correct wrist position would be difficult to maintain if both of these things did not take place, as well.

Right Photo:
The player in this photo shows poor impact position. We can clearly see how the player's left wrist is bent and the right is straight -- the complete opposite of the left photo. The club has bottomed out too early, which means that the head of the club hit the ground before it hit the ball. The reason most players bottom out early is because they are not properly turning and shifting their weight to their left foot. In most cases, they are swinging too hard from the top. In this photo, the player has hit so far behind the ball that his shot would likely not have gone very far.

In order to compensate from a club grounding behind the ball, most players will straighten up and hinge their wrists on the downswing, actions which will create a "sweep" or "scoop" reaction at the point of impact. Because of this, many players will label themselves as "sweepers" of the golf ball, when in fact their problem is poor impact position. Poor impact position allows for a very small margin for error, most especially from tighter lies and fairways.

The percentage of ALL players that have poor impact position is extremely high - I would venture to say that 9 out of 10 players I see at the range are making the same mistake!

Glenn C. Phillips, PGA

Teaching Professional
Falls Road G.C. & Learning Center

2011 Instructional Programs

Montgomery County Golf is excited to announce our golf instructional programs for the 2011 season.


Beginner and Introductory Programs
These are group classes which provide participants a chance to get out on the course during every class they attend. Both programs are available for just $99.00.

• Get Golf Ready is the first program and covers all aspects of golf in a 5 week program.

• Keep Golf Going is the second program which provides more specific instruction in the core areas of golf. This program is conducted in a 4 week program.

Both programs offer an affordable way to learn to play or to improve the skills you already have. For more information on these programs please click on the following link

http://www.montgomerycountygolf.com/pdf/MCG_2011_CampsandClinic.pdf

These programs are available at Falls Road, Northwest, Needwood, and Hampshire Greens.

Juniors
We are excited to offer 2 junior programs that will provide the opportunity for youngsters to make golf a part of their life from April through October.

• Junior One Hour Mini Camps – This program will be offered weekly and will alternate by day of the week and course. Each session will be from 4:30PM - 5:30PM and will cover a different aspect of golf. The class will include exciting games, contest and a fun learning environment. The class is only $10.00 per week and juniors can come to any or all of the classes.

• Junior Summer Programs – Our summer program has been revised to include two new exciting and affordable options.

• The ½ Day Camp is $99 and runs 9AM -11:30AM Monday through Friday. This camp covers all topics from putting to teeing off and has a 3-hole tournament on the last day.
• The Full Day Camp is $249 and includes everything in the ½ day plus the juniors get the opportunity to play each day after lunch. The on course time will be from 12:30- 4:00 all 5 days of class.

It’s a great opportunity to have juniors sign up for the ½ day class early in the summer and brush up on their skills and then sign up for the Full day later in the season to spend a week playing golf.  Please see our website for a detail schedule.  http://www.montgomerycountygolf.com/

Ladies
We are happy to offer programs specific to ladies at many of our facilities. Please contact a course near you for specific information regarding these great programs. Additionally we are offering a new Get Golf Ready for Women. The program is the same as described above and there is a new glass starting at Needwood in May.

Private Lessons
We are committed to making golf more affordable and that starts with our instructional program. Our pricing is now consistent throughout the MCG system and includes the following rates.

• Head Professional and Head Instructors are $80.00 for 45 minutes.

• Assistant Professionals are $65.00 for 45 minutes. Assistant Professionals now offer a new Junior Rate for all individuals 17 and under of $25.00 for a 30 minute lesson.

Stop by one of our golf shops for more information on our new programs or visit our website at

http://www.montgomerycountygolf.com/

Mike Kenny, PGA

Director of Instruction

Montgomery County Golf