Tip of the Month

October 2007

By John Pallot
Director of Instruction

As a teacher of the grand old game of golf I believe it's incumbent upon teaching pros everywhere, as the 2007 golf season wanes, to begin considering new and better ways to teach each student to play better golf in 2008.

In this spirit the South Florida PGA Teaching Symposium recently took place at the Weston Hills Country Club in Weston, Florida. The speakers, four of the top fifty teaching pros in America, were Mike Malaska, John Elliot Jr., Craig Shankland, and my mentor Bob Toski. Speaking to 100 of South Florida's PGA teachers, these respected professors of golf graciously devoted their valuable time to the good of the game. They shared knowledge, spoke openly and clearly, their remarks dealing with the physics and psychology involved in playing well. Here's a synopsis of what each presenter said.

MIKE MALASKA. Suggested sequence and rhythm as the most important elements of the golf swing. Recommended practice swinging with a tennis racquet because he says it lends to better understanding of the club-face functioning. The raquet face points down after the strike.Making a practice swing that takes two minutes to complete is very popular in Japan, Korea and Australia.Malaska recommends this very disciplined exercise.

JOHN ELLIOT JR. Every time you take a practice swing be aware of where the bottom of your swing is. It must be in front of the ball, real or imagined. Use "God's" grip. That is your left thumb lies across the lifeline of your right palm. Most amateurs have too much wrist or elbow bend at top of backswing. Practice swing pointing the shaft at the sky.

CRAIG SHANKLAND. Practice punch shots for more control and shape shots(high draw, low fade) to feel your hands controlling the club-face. Short game practice is a must for lowering scores.

BOB TOSKI. Your hands control the club-face. Speed is the power in the golf swing. 85% of the speed in your swing comes from your hands and arms. 15% from your body.To improve hand-eye coordination, address the ball with your normal golf posture. Hold the ball in your right hand(left for lefties). Now throw the ball at the ball on the ground. With a little practice, you should be able to hit the ball on the ground.Aim and swing on the line of play. Swing in an oblique plane. Oblique is a 45 degree angle. This is today's modern swing. The left arm is the lead lever in a right handed golfer. It is the straighter of the two arms, it travels further, and it is on top of the right. Practice swing with your left arm.You might even hit a few balls left hand only.

Sponsors for this event also deserve special mention and thanks for helping to make it all possible. They were there with us not only financially but in the flesh and had important information to impart, as follows: BEAU OBLINGER of Sundog Eyeware . Talked about the importance of good eyewear and his company's commitment to the latest and most stylish shades for golf.
DAN HELLMAN of Holistic Health . Discussed the importance of fitness. How to stretch properly. Correct techniques and exercises for working out and nutrition on and off the golf course. Hellman suggests before a round of golf avoid anything that raises blood sugar like... breakfast cereals, bagels, toast, pancakes, waffles, and muffins. Eat eggs and bacon or leftover protein from the night before instead of processed carbs. At the turn or during the round: nuts, seeds, fruit, hard boiled eggs, or Coco Chia Bars. Energy bars and high carb sports drinks are terrible foods for athletes. Remember to stay hydrated on and off the course. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day. Nerves have to conduct efficiently and rapidly. Efficient nerve conduction depends on adequate hydration.

This month's tip is a compilation of ideas from me and the panel. I'd like to relate hitting a golf shot to chopping a tree down, hitting your golf bag, hitting a pitch in baseball and swinging a tennis racquet. At impact, the moment of truth, the striking implement must arrive squarely to the object being struck. Look at the pictures. The left arm and implement form a straight line. After impact the hands, wrists and arms rotate over or supinate.This creates speed. Notice how the racquet is pointing down. Tap your golf bag, hit a baseball off a tee, tap the tree trunk and your moment of truth will improve greatly. Practicing your golf swing is easier than you think. Take it from the pros and you'll be hitting them straight down the fairway.