Digital Instruction Guide 2011

Digital Instruction
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Guide 2011
Basics Driving Bunkers Short game

Putting Game management Mind Nutrition
Health Fitness Drills & Quick tips The Croker System
www.insidegolf.com.au
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Contents
Contributors
Basics
6 Back to basics
8 The angle of attack
Driving
9 Longdrive power tips
10 Driving your score down part 1
12 Driving your score down part 2
13 Attention all faders and slicers
Bunkers
14 Bunker shots made easy
15 Bunkers basics part 2: poor lies
16 When it comes to bunkers, make
a splash
18 Greenside bunkers
Short game
20 5 greenside shots every golfer
should know
23 Bump and run
24 Chip better to putt better
26 Pitching tips
27 H.O.W. to chip
28 Watch and learn
Putting
29 Long putt drill
30 Putting with less technique
31 The keys to being a great putter
32 Reading a green
34 Improving distance control
when putting
35 The highs and lows of putting
36 Reading slopes on greens and
the key drill
A U S T R A L I A S
Fitness
Game management
69 Aerobic fitness is good for golf
37 Your checklist for success
70 Getting to the core of it
38 Trouble shots part 1
71 You are what you do
40 Trouble shots part 2
42 Assess, decide, rehearse, commit 72 Exercising: take it one leg at a
time
44 Fairway woods and hybrids
46 Its what you measure that matters 73 A fitting start to the new year
74 Take your medicine (balls)
Mind
75 Your mum was right: good
47 The power of the mind
posture is everything
48 Overcoming the fear to succeed
76
Russian twist
50 Is this Tom Watsons mental
77 Post round recovery tips
game secret?
78 Better safe than sorry
51 The $11m mental lesson
52 Poulter twitters mental toughness 79 Sit-ups and dumbbells
53 Free your mind and the putts will 80 Warm up for the winter stretch
follow
Drills and Quick tips
54 Your go-to swing key
82 Drills 1: Full swing technique
55 The switch to success
84 Make the hole look as big as a
56 Practice, patience and persistence
bucket & Ladder and compass
57 Controlling your emotions on
drill
the course
85 The pros putting drill & Pitch it in
the air every time
Nutrition
86 Ball sitting in long grass, Chipping
58 Battling dehydration
drill: The Ladder & Dont look at
59 What is the shot cost of your food?
the ball in the bunker
60 Fuelling up for the round
87 Are you a slow starter? & Where
Health
should your ball positions be?
61 Fix your slice before you swing
88 Pitching
62 Golf and low back injuries
89 Dont keep your head down, Your
64 Six principles of health to lower
credit card can earn you $$$ &
your scores
Balance and the right shoes
66 Thinking outside the box
90 Tips for senior golfers
68 Does stretching provide control
92 Junior golfers - their first steps
for your swing?
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Biomechanics
93 Muscular loading
94 Ground forces and lower body
mechanics
The Croker System
95 The grip
96 Stance
98 About hitting a golf ball
100 The hit: part 1
102 The hit: part 2
104 The hit: part 3
106 Building a backswing: part 1
108 Building a backswing: part 2
110 The hit: part 5
111 The hit: part 6
112 The hit: part 7
113 The hit: part 8
114 The hit: part 9
115 Hit freely - dont steer
116 Source of structure
117 Building structure
118 Source of time
119 Sources of motion in golf
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
Greg Ashton
Greg Ashton has been a PGA

Professional for 35 years. He plays
the PGA Legends Tour whilst living
and coaching at Palm Meadows on the Gold Coast.
Greg works with golfers of all skill levels from very
experienced players to intermediate golfers and
newcomers to the game. He coaches local and
international golfers at the Gold Coast Golf School
where Greg can be contacted on: 0414 660 030 or
greg@goldcoastgolfschool.com.au
Mike Bury
Mike Bury is an Australian PGA professional, living

in Dallas Texas. Mikes proven coaching style has been
extensively crafted through his exposure to some of the
greatest teachers in the world including Dale Lynch,
Steve Bann and Jim Mclean.
www.mikebury.com
Darren Chapman
Darren Chapman is a AAA Member of the

Australian PGA, and teaches at The Ridge Golf
Course and Driving Range in Barden Ridge, NSW.
www.theridgegolf.com.au or (02) 9541 4960
Peter Croker
Peter Croker has been a PGA member

since 1971 and has given lessons with
his Croker Golf System to professionals
including Vijay Singh, Arnold Palmer, Roco Mediate,
Fred Funk, Olin Browne, and Bob Charles. Based at
The Dunes Golf Links, he also runs a unique online
golf academy: www.crokergolfsystem.com
Brent German
Brent German is an AAA Accredited

PGA Golf Teaching Professional at
Albert Park Driving Range in Melbourne.
Visit www.BrentGermanGolf.com or call Brent on
N E W S
Featured contributors
L E A D E R
0412 533 555 for more infor mat ion.

For online bookings visit:
http://ignitegolf.com.au/brent_german
Jamie Glazier
Jamie Glazier is a Practioner of NeuroLinguistic Programming. Through

his business Dare2Dream Peak
Performance based in Melbourne, Jamie works as
a Mental Conditioning coach to some of Australias
up and coming professional and amateur golfers such
as Adam Bland, David Lutterus, Steve Jones, Stacey
Keating, Bryden Macpheron and Grace Lennon.
For more information on the Dare2Dream Video
Coaching Program, you can visit their website at
www.dare2dream.com.au
Lee Harrington
Lee is a PGA Member and is also

the Development Officer at Golf
Queensland. Her passion for
teaching and an eye for detail is recognised in
her reputation as a leading female teacher in
Australia. Lees experience in teaching provide a
basis for programs delivered The Golf School, a
Queensland-based teaching facility. Lee teaches
at both the Gold Coast Carrara and Oxley
facility weekly. www.thegolfschool.com.au.
Email: admin@thegolfschool.com.au, or phone
(07) 5596 3373.
Dr Mike Martin
Dr Mike Martin is a golf psychologist

who works with middle and low
handicappers who struggle with loss of
focus, self-doubt and inconsistency in their game.
He has worked at the US Masters and British Open.
Mike teaches at The Ridge Golf Course. To get a copy
of his FREE mental game report Five Embarrassingly
Simple Secrets go to www.mentalgolfer.com
Richard Mercer
Richard Mercer has been a member of the Australian

Professional Golfer Association since 1977. For
the past seven years, he has served as the Head
Golf Professional at The Vintage Golf Club in the
Hunter Valley.
www.richardmercergolf.com
Lisa Newling and Loraine

Lambert
Lisa Newling and Loraine

Lambert are the club professionals
at Eden Gardens Country Club as well as Bega
Country Club on the far South Coast of NSW.
Both Eden and Bega have beautiful 18-hole
Championship Golf Courses and the area is a
great holiday destination. Lisa and Loraine have
extensive Playing and Teaching experience. For
more information, phone: (02) 6496 1054 or visit
sapphirecoastgolfschool.com.au
Richard Nizielski
Richard Nizielski is a Brisbane-based

golf fitness expert and the Director
of Golf Fit Solutions. A three-time
Olympian and medallist in the sport of short
track speed skating, Richard is a qualified sports
and personal trainer designing individual fitness
and nutrition programs for both professional and
amateur golfers here in Australia and overseas.
Richard Nizielski from Golf Fit Solutions can
be reached on 0438 027 768 or richard@
golffitsolutions.com. golffitsolutions.com
Anne Rollo
Anne Rollo is an ALPG golf

professional residing in Sydney.
She is a European Tour tournament
winner and record holder, and she teaches golf at
Muirfield Golf Club. www.fixmygolfswing.com.au
Kurt Stegbauer
Kurt Stegbauer is the 2009 NSW

PGA Coach of the Year, and is the
Head Professional and Director
of Coaching at The Ridge Golf Course and
Driving Range. Ph 02 9541 4960 or visit
www.theridgegolf.com.au
Mark Victorsen
Mark Victorsen is the Senior Teacher

at Pacific Golf Club Brisbane, and was
QLD PGA Teacher of the Year in 2008.
www.pacificgolf.com.au
Glenn Whittle
Glenn Whittle is a AAA PGA

Member, and is the Head Coach of
the NSW Institute of Sport. He was
the 2008 NSW PGA Teacher of the Year and
is currently the coach to over 20 elite amateur
and professionals. Glenn gives golf lessons to
players of all skill levels at The Ridge Golf Course
and driving range (near Menai in Sydney). To
book a time please phone (02) 9541 4960. For
more information visit www.whittlegolf.com
David Williams
D av i d Wi l l i a m s i s a P G A
Professional, and Manager of
Lang Lang Golf Club. He is also
the Director of Willow Golf (willowgolf.com.
au) and Master Instructor of the Medicus
Golf Institute. He can be contacted at david@
willowgolf.com.au, or at (03) 5659 6284.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Contents may not be reproduced without written

permission. All material Inside Golf 2011.
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The basics
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Back to basics
CarlieButler
I SEE a lot of amateur golfers warming up on
the range and even working on their technique
without putting a club down or alignment
sticks to help them aim in the direction of
their target. Many right-handed amateur
golfers tend to aim to the right of their target.
This creates faults in the golf swing. When Im
practicing on the driving range, you will see
my alignment sticks lying on the ground in
front of my toes, pointing towards my target.
I do this religiously, because I want to stand
up and hit every shot where I want to. Most
of the problems in my swing were caused
by neglecting the basics, like alignment and
posture. If I started to aim a little to the right,
I found I would overcompensate and hit the
ball straight left.
One of the first things I look at when I
start to veer off track are my fundamentals.
This includes the grip, stance, posture and
alignment.
The grip
Ben Hogan wrote, Good golf begins with

a good grip. How you grip the club can
determine the club face at impact. Start with
your left hand. The grip should run from the
base of your little finger diagonally across the
palm to the first joint of your index finger.
Once you have your left hand on the club,
your thumb should run straight down the grip.
Now its time to add your right hand. Rest the

club along the base of your middle two fingers
and close your hand around the grip as if you
were shaking hands with someone. Your right
index finger and thumb should almost touch
and the base of your right thumb sits snugly
over your left thumb. I like to use a neutral
grip where a V is created by the thumbs and
index fingers of each hand. The V on your
right hand should point between your chin
and right shoulder.
Stance
The width of your stance is very important

in creating a solid foundation at address to
support the swinging motion of your upper
body. The longer the club, the longer the arc
of your swing will be therefore the wider
your stance must be. The shorter the club, the
shorter the arc, the narrower your stance will
be. With my driver, fairway woods and long
irons, my feet will be about shoulder width
apart (measured from the inside of the heels
to the outside of the shoulders). For my short
irons, I will take a narrower stance (the outside
of the feet the same width as the outside of my
shoulders. The stance for my mid irons will
vary between the two outlined.
Your ball position will vary depending on
the club you are using. When using my driver,
I play the ball from the inside of my left heel
(for left handed golfers, the inside of your right
heel.) For my fairway woods and long irons,
The grip (inset: left hand position)

my ball position will be between the middle
of my stance and my left heel. My mid irons
will be an inch or two forward of centre and
for my short irons and wedges, I will play the
ball in the centre of my stance. I also like to
have my right foot turned out slightly so that
I feel that I can turn onto my right side better.
Posture
The correct posture gives you the ability to swing
the club on the correct plane. A great drill for you to
use while on the practice range will be to stand up
straight with your feet in the correct stance position
and your arms out at shoulder height with your
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
The basics
L E A D E R
Driver stance and ball position
Mid iron stance and ball position
Alignment
palms facing away from your body. Move your

arms down to your side making sure your back
is still straight. Bend from the hips approximately
30 degrees, sticking your butt out as if you were
perching on the edge of a chair. Flex your knees
slightly and let your arms hang down naturally
and then grip the club. This drill will help you to
get into the correct posture position. You can also
do this drill at home in front of a mirror so that
you can see exactly what good posture should

look and feel like at address.
ball and your feet and parallel to your target.

I will always set up my clubface to my target
and then I would take my stance and align
my body (shoulders, hips, knees and feet) on
a parallel plane to the left of my target line.
Many players take their stance first before
aiming the clubface. When doing this, you
will find you align your body to the target but
when it comes to lining up the club face, you
Alignment
Ok, we now have a good grip, stance and
posture, now we need to get properly lined
up to the target. Put a club, alignment sticks
or an umbrella on the ground between the
will be set up to the right of your target line.

If you aim correctly, you have a better chance
of hitting your ball a lot straighter.
The basic fundamentals of the golf swing
should not be taken for granted. Try not to
fiddle with your golf swing when things arent
going well. Go back to the basic fundamentals
and always remember that practice doesnt
make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.
The basics
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
The angle of attack

CarlieButler
THE average golfer tries to get the ball in the air
by lifting it. In iron play, you must hit down on the
ball to make it go up. A descending blow into the
ball makes the ball rebound off the clubface with
a tremendous amount of backspin which makes
the ball rise. Youll notice that all good players
divots are always on the target side of the ball.
When the average golfer tries to scoop the ball
up, the clubhead will bottom out too soon, and
the shot will come out heavy more often than not.
If you want a more descending blow we will
have to start with ball position. As discussed in
last months instructional piece, I play the ball an
inch forward of the centre of my stance with mid
irons and between the centre and my left heel for
my long irons. Each position represents the low
point in my golf swing, which is where the club
should bottom out. If youre not sure where the
low point in your golf swing is, take note of where
your divots are on the driving range and adjust
your ball position accordingly.
Another way to get a more descending blow
is the step drill. The step drill helps you to shift
your weight more onto your left side on the
downswing and through swing, which will stop
you bottoming out too early. Using a mid-iron,
put your feet together and swing to the top of
your swing. Your next move will be to step out
with your left foot making sure you are in the
correct stance position, and then swing through
to the finish. Make sure on your finish position
Step drill position 1
Step drill position 2
Impact position
that your weight is all on your left side and your

body has rotated round to your target.
my body and club (particularly my left leg, left arm,

hips and my weight) are at impact.
At impact, the majority of my weight is on my
front foot; my hips are open, my left leg is braced
for the hit and my left arm and shaft are nearly in
a straight line. When I say nearly in a straight line,
the shaft is actually leaning slightly forward, towards
the target. The club is moving down into the ball,
accelerating forward and applying maximum force.

The sequencing of the downswing is so
important. If you try and lift the ball, your wrists
will unhinge early and the clubhead will lose
speed which will result in a weak strike. This is
why the impact bag is so important. Hitting into
the impact bag will help you strengthen the most
crucial moment in your golf swing.
Impact Position
The impact position is the moment in the golf

swing that matters the most. On the practice range
I use an impact bag to simulate impact positions.
By using this training aid I get a better feel of where
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Driving
L E A D E R
Longdrive power tips

Grab these secret tips from former
Australian Longdrive Champion John Noble
JasonGruber
YOUVE heard the saying Drive for Show, and
Putt for Dough?
Well in the sport of Longdrive Golf, theres
no putter to be seen, nor do you have to remain
absolutely still while the golfer addresses his shot.
Its a sport of loud grunts and blaring music.
Yeah, if you love Twenty20 Cricket youll love
Longdrive Golf. (By the way, in this sport we
Drive for Dough! )
The place to watch this sport is at the RE/MAX
World Longdrive Championship Australia
(www.longdrive.com.au); with an extensive
2010 schedule there will be an event coming to
your city soon.
Former Australian Longdrive Champion
John Noble has always been known for being
the most consistent Longdriver in the country,
when the pressure has been on, hes been there
to take the title.
If you want to become the next RE/MAX
World Longdrive Championship Australian
Champion or if you simply just want to get
a few extra metres off the tee read these tips
from John on how to turn that 280m bomb into
a 350m monster!
Longdrive Tip No. 1

Balance
The key to hitting the ball a long way is to make
sure you hit the centre of the clubface. I achieve
this by having good balance and great tempo.
Quite often at golf days, I see people who swing
it well all day, yet when they stand on the tee of
the longdrive hole they try to swing it 20kph
faster than they have all day. The result being a
wayward tee shot. Maintaining good balance and
tempo throughout the swing will help towards
hitting that sweetspot and creating more distance.
Longdrive Tip No. 2

Weight transfer and club
release
Former Australian Longdrive Champion John Noble
You dont need to have an aggressive swing to hit

it long you just need a strong swing. By using
the transfer of weight during the downswing and
the late release of the club through impact you
can achieve good distance with minimal effort.
At the top of the backswing I like to see the
weight stored on the right side with a shoulder
turn that has my back facing the target. From this
position you can now fire your weight forward

by clearing the left hip away. This will create lag
in the hands giving you extra speed at impact.
Through impact your hips should almost be
facing the target and left arm and the shaft should
be in a straight line.
I believe when the left arm and the shaft first
make a straight line that this is the fastest point
of clubhead speed. So if you can achieve this at

the point of impact you should gain maximum
distance with minimal effort.
For more info on the RE/MAX World Longdrive
Championship Australia, or to ask John a
question, visit: www.longdrive.com.au, or email
info@longdrive.com.au
10 Driving
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Driving your score down part 1

GregAshton
WE all know that a sharp short game
is a key to getting lower scores but
if you have to start using your short
game too early on a hole, your score
will blow out. In other words if you
have to chip the ball sideways to get
your drive back into play a few times
per round, then it is difficult to achieve
the scores you want.
The thing that gets me is that,
despite the incredible advances in
golf driver technology, they have
not largely improved the normal
golfers performance -- just as the
major improvements in automobile
technology has not reduced the road
toll, in fact it has probably increased
it. The question is, WHY?
New technology, old skills!
Here we have equipment designed
and crafted for high performance,
so you have to design and craft your
skills to suit. Just like jumping into a
high-performance motor vehicle and
driving it to the cars capabilities would
be dangerous if you did not learn to
handle that performance.
Firstly, get your hands on a driver
that suits you. In nearly all cases, offthe-shelf drivers are too long at 45+
Pic 1
inches. The average driver length for the
top tour players is between 43.5 inches
to 44.5 inches. Sergio and Tiger use
43.5 inch drivers, so if these guys cant
use 45 inch plus drivers, how can you?
Personally, since I went back to a 43.5
inch graphite shaft with a 460cc head, I
hit my drives longer and straighter now
Pic 2
than any time in my past (Pic 1: driver
length comparison).
The second thing to look at is
the connection between you and
your driver. Hold the club in the
power position with your left hand by
positioning the handle of the club in
your fingers with the heel pad sitting
Pic 3
on the top of the handle. When you are
in your address position you will see at
least 2 or 3 knuckles on your left hand
and the line formed by your thumb
and forefinger will line up with the tip
of your right shoulder.
Try this, pick up a bucket by the
handle and note where the handle
sits in your hand, thats right, across

the fingers where your driver should
be. (Pic 2) Now lay your driver on the
bucket and pick up your driver the same
way in the fingers, its a very natural
action (Pic 3).
Finally, fit the handle of your golf club
into the fingers of your right hand with
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Driving 11
L E A D E R
Pic 4
Pic 5
Pic 6
the lifeline of your right hand fitting

over the thumb of your left hand.
This will keep the line formed by your
thumb and forefinger pointing straight
up your right forearm to the tip of your
right shoulder (Pic 4).
In the December issue, I showed you
the basics of setting up and posture for
your driver, now in addition to that,

set the bicep of your left arm on top of
your chest, not on the side of your chest.
This will help you get your shoulders
and spine at the correct angle and also
allows your left arm to slide across
your chest as you take your backswing
instead of around your chest. If you
start your swing with it to the side of

your chest your arms tend to swing
outside the line (Pic 5).
Now you are ready to address the
ball.
For the last bit of part 1, lay 3 clubs
on the ground, the first one just outside
your golf ball on your target line and
Pic 7
the second one on your toe line parallel
to your target line, with the third one,
an extension of the second club (Pic 6).
The clubs on your toe line will help you
get the club away on line. With the clubs
lying on the ground in this position
you can easily see whether you are
swinging the club back correctly. Your
hands will swing down your toe line

on the takeaway, not outside it (Pic 7).
Next month, well cover keeping
your driver on the right path with
the clubface at the correct angle and
moving the clubhead at a high speed.
That is how you make a good impact
with the golf ball.
12 Driving
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Driving your score down part 2

GregAshton
HERE we are at the moment of truth, getting
the club path, face angle and club head speed all
working together at the same time. So what is
the most important part of executing a golf shot?
The setup? The backswing? The downswing?
All these things are important, but IMPACT
is definitely the most critical. That is the only
time the club has an influence on the golf ball.
After you have started the driver back, it starts
elevating when your left arm gets to about 45
across your chest. With your left arm extended
and parallel to the ground your hands will be
in front of the centre of your chest and the butt
end of the shaft will point down to the target
line of your golf ball. Also in this position you
will have a 90 angle with your left arm and
club shaft. (Pic 1)
Keep both feet firmly on the ground, this
helps you get good coil, building resistance
between your hips and shoulders your hips
should ultimately turn half as much as your
shoulders which helps with the storage of
power. When your left heel lifts up and the
left knee moves behind the ball you will tend
to overswing and lose a lot of power. (Pic 2)
Start the downswing with a simultaneous
dropping of your arms and loading of the left hip
with a feeling of downward pressure through the
middle of your left foot your left leg should
be perpendicular to the ground. When your
arms drop into the slot you will be able to
pic1
pic3
pic2
maintain the 90 angle between your left arm

and shaft you set up on your backswing, this
creates lag, the power position (Pic 3). You will
also note in this picture that the butt end of my
driver shaft is pointing at the ball.
When your hands start swinging the club
pic4
at the ball from the top you will lose that 90

degree angle and the club will start outside
your swing plane and outside the target line
with a great loss of power. (Pic 4)
At impact both feet will remain flat on the
ground even though your weight is now in your
pic5
pic6
left hip and leg which is now set as a solid wall

ready for impact. (Pic 5)
Now as both arms straighten to a full
extension just after impact the right foot is
pulled off the ground as you rotate to an upright
follow through. (Pic 6)
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Driving 13
L E A D E R
Attention
all faders and slicers
KurtStegbauer
SPENDING hours out on the teaching tee
allows the coach to improve players faster.
The best coaches use the least amount of
words, yet bring forth the biggest amount
of improvement.
I once heard how 80% of the worlds golfers
are faders or slicers. Now, a lot of golfers
dont think they fade or slice, however they
really do. The best way to figure out if you
are a fader or a slicer is to hit 20 golf balls
with a 5-iron and write down what each
shot does, I guarantee you that there will
be a pattern to your 20 shots, and this will
allow you to see what your shot pattern is.
A great drill to get a player hitting the
ball straighter or even to understand how
to hit a draw or hook is to have a player
grab a tennis racquet and take a golf set up
position. If youve played a couple of games
of tennis then the concept should be fine. If
you dont have a tennis background, then
you may need your local golf pro to assist.
The concept of hitting the ball with a draw
or hook is very similar to hitting a topspin
forehand, you will feel as though you are
hitting the ball to the right and then have
the ball curve back in. Looking at pictures 1
and 2 you can clearly see the correct images

for a top spinner, these then relate back to
how you can hit a draw or hook shot.
Looking at pictures 3 and 4 will show
you how these match up to a player who
cut-spins the ball an out-to-in shot that
relates to hitting a slice or a fade.
In teaching students of all levels, I insist
that to be the player that you want to be
you need to be able to hit a ball deliberately
with a fade or draw at will. Using the tennis
racquet and adopting a hybrid tennis/golf
swing will allow you to achieve shaping your
golf shots at will.
And finally, a short story to finish with.
A client of mine (well call him Fred)
has recently been on fire, dropping 8 shots
from his handicap in a couple of months.
I used the tennis racquet concept a couple
of times with Fred during a lesson. Fred
now has regular warm up sessions in his
garage using the tennis racquet to get the
feel of a top spin/draw shot. Fred now hits
the ball further and straighter, partly by
using this drill.
My suggestion is that if you are a fader
or slicer, dig out the old tennis racquet and
practice some top spinners to achieve a draw
or hook shot.
To hit a draw, imagine hitting a topspin forehand shot in tennis (i.e. in-to-out, with a roll)
Faders and slicers tend to hit shots similar to a cut-spin stroke in tennis (i.e. out-to-in)
14 Bunkers
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Bunker shots made easy

KurtStegbauer
WHILE giving short game lessons, I often watch
other golfers practicing in the bunker and think to
myself, If they only knew the concepts about these
shots, they would play these shots a lot easier.
I look at the amount of effort people put into
the shot for such little reward. When I hear a
golfer say I just want to get the ball out, I realise
that they havent got the basic fundamentals for
these shots.
Heres how bunker shots can be made easier.
The first thing that we are going to look at is
the set-up position for a bunker shot; namely
the clubface and the body position. As the lie in
a bunker dictates how we play these shots, we are
going to assume that we have a good lie in the
bunker (in the next issue we will look at how to
play from a poor lie in the bunker.)
Looking at the clubface, we need to make it
more user friendly for the bunker shot. To do
this, we need to change the way the club sits,
thereby creating more loft and more bounce. In
picture 1, you will see how the clubface normally
sits; in picture 2 you will see how it should sit, with
the face more open. Doing this will allow the club
to move through the sand easier, taking less sand.
Next, lets look at our body position. Our aim
is to have the club taking a small amount of sand,
thus allowing the ball to come out high and soft-and even with some spin. Ensure that the ball is
forward in our stance, and that our pressure is
forward on our front leg.
Get your body lower to the sand. This will

allow the club to swing shallower. You will
notice in photo 3 that my bum is closer to the
ground than for a normal set-up. This gives me a
shallower shaft position. From here, a shallower
swing will help you take a shallower divot. A
shallow swing will allow the ball to come out
high and soft.
Have you noticed that I havent talked about
aiming your body away from the target? Thats

because I personally disagree with this method,
and in fact I believe that most problems are
caused by aiming your body away from the target.
Next time you are out practicing, ensure that
you have these basic fundamentals, and Im sure
that you will notice a difference.
If you still have issues with bunkers, why
not contact your local pro? Or, if you are really
interested in short game improvement, we have

just launched our own Short Game golf school,
which will certainly unlock your short game
scoring potential, for more information go to
http://www.theridgegolf.com.au/coaching/
short_game_golf_schools.html
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Bunkers 15
L E A D E R
Bunker
basics
Part 2: Poor lies
KurtStegbauer
IN the last issue we looked at how to
play a bunker shot from a good lie.
This month, we are going to explore
a couple of options of playing from
poor lies in the bunker. As the lies
in bunkers can vary dramatically
dependent upon what course you
play, we will look at how to play from
a plugged lie, a downhill lie and an
uphill lie.
The first lie that we are going to
consider is a plugged lie in the bunker.
This lie can often make a grown man
cry. While there are some limitations
as to what you can and cant do from
one of these lies, with a sound concept
of how play these shots, Im sure that
we can make them easier for you.
From a plugged lie it is almost
impossible to get any spin on your
ball. The key to these shots is to have
the club come from a steep path into
the ball. To do this, place the ball in
the middle of your stance. The club
face doesnt have to be open; it can be
straight onto the ball. When making
a swing at this lie you need to pick
the club up on the back swing, which
will enable the club to have steep
downswing path into the ball. The
A plugged lie
path of the club will feel as though it
is chopping into the sand as you can
see in picture 1. If you get a chance
to practice this before you play, that
would certainly help.
The second lie that we are going
look at is the downhill lie in the
bunker. These shots can be extremely
difficult to get good height and spin
on the ball. The first thing to look at
is the angle of your body in relation
to the slope. Most players tilt their
For a downhill lie, match your shoulders to the

downhill slope
body the wrong way for these shots.
The key, I believe, to these shots is
to make your shoulders match the
downhill slope as seen in picture 2.
Matching your shoulders to the slope
will ensure that the path of your club
will hit the sand where you want it to.
Most players tilt their shoulders the
other way which makes them hit
way too far behind the ball.
And finally the last lie that we are
going to look at is the uphill lie. These
For uphill lies, match your shoulders to the uphill

slope and take a full swing
lies tend to be the easiest of the three

mentioned, however a lot of golfers
can get themselves into a real mess
with these shots.
The first thing to know about these
shots is that the ball will fly out on a
very high flight as the angle of the
uphill lie will cause this. As we did
in the downhill bunker lie, we need
to match our shoulders to the slope
as seen in picture 3. Matching your
shoulders to the slope will ensure that
the path of your club comes through

the sand on a good path. If you dont
have your shoulders matching the
slope, the club will tend to dig into
the sand too much. When you play
these shots you will need a full swing
to help you get the distance required.
I hope these pointers have helped
you with your bunker shots, if you
are still having some difficulty contact
your local OnCourse professional for
some more assistance.
16 Bunkers
A U S T R A L I A S
When it comes to bunkers,

make a splash
Youve heard it before but Im going to say it again:
even though the greenside bunker shot causes
enormous anxiety among amateur players, it is
actually one of the easiest shots in golf to play. Once
you understand and feel some of the things required
to ensure the ball comes out of the sand every time,
youll be amazed at how quickly your confidence will
grow. One good practise session, keeping in mind
some of the things Im going to point out over the
next two pages, should see not only your bunker play
improve dramatically but your scores as well.
ScottCubis
AS a golf professional you get to see lots
of students of all different abilities and
over the years you start to see patterns
emerging in areas where people seem
to go wrong. I couldnt tell you how
many times over the years Ive had a
golfer come and ask me for help with
their bunker play and when they show
me their technique, its immediately
apparent why they have so much
trouble. Even otherwise quite capable
players sometimes struggle with their

technique in the sand.
The first thing to remember about
sand shots, and the reason theyre one
of the easiest to get competent at, is that
the club (which is specifically designed
for the purpose) never touches the ball.
The whole idea of a bunker shot is to
send the ball out on a cushion of sand.
The flange on the bottom of the sand
wedge glides under the ball and throws
out sand and ball together.
Pic 1
Pic 2
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Bunkers 17
L E A D E R
1
2
3
Pic 3
One of the great things about this is
it gives you a margin for error. If you
hit a little bit too far behind the ball it
will still come out and the same if you
hit a little too close to it (to a point).
However, this knowledge has also
led many people astray and one of
the most common problems I see
with amateurs is digging the club
into the sand (PIC 1). This player has
probably heard exactly what I outlined
above (that the club doesnt need to
Pic 4
touch the ball) but has neglected the
vital piece of information that you
also need to follow through.
The results with this technique are
erratic at best. The ball will sometimes
come out of the sand and sometimes
not. Either way, youll never play a
controlled bunker shot if youre a
digger.
The second most common mistake
I see with amateurs is the player who
feels they need to scoop the ball
out of the sand. In an effort to do this

they get their weight on the back foot
(PIC 2) and have almost no chance
of delivering the club to the ball in
a controlled fashion. The result for
the scooper is invariably a bladed
shot that scurries across the green
(often into another bunker on the
other side).
With these two main problems in
mind Im going to show you a couple
of easy drills to break these habits.
Pic 5
First, you need to understand the
concept of an open club face. The
easiest way to do this is to draw some
lines in the sand to guide us (PIC 3).
The first line shows where your
feet will aim. The second shows the
line you will swing the club along
(the same direction as the first)
and the third line shows where the
clubface will aim. This is as simple
an explanation of an open clubface
as youre ever likely to see.
Pic 6
Take your set up using these lines
as a guide (PIC 4) and your weight
favouring your front foot. It will
probably feel uncomfortable so a great
exercise to learn what to do from here
is practise without a ball. I get all my
students to get the feel of splashing
the sand out of the bunker (PIC 5)
and following through (PIC 6).
After a while introduce the ball
and see what the results are like. You
might be amazed at how simple it is.
18 Bunkers
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Greenside bunkers
LisaNewling
LoraineLambert
MANY amateur golfers fear bunkers, thinking

things like what if I cant get my ball out? or
what if I hit it over the green? Often golfers are
very annoyed about hitting the ball in the bunker
in the first place; they storm over to the bunker,
mutter a few words and start thrashing at the ball.
This is usually dominated by the arms, causing
a very steep angle of attack taking too much
sand. The other thing we often see are golfers
swinging so hard trying to lift the ball out of the
bunker, falling backwards striking the ball first
not the sand. This causes a low thin shot catching
the lip of the bunker or sailing over the green into
another bunker!
The next time youre in the bunker, take a
moment outside the bunker to have a practise
swing and think about which of the following
techniques suits your lie. Give yourself a consistent
pre shot routine to rehearse your shot and feel
the correct tempo. The aim is to slide the club
through the sand taking a shallow divot.
Do I open the clubface or not?
An open clubface doesnt suit everyone. We

prefer our students to learn to play a square
clubface shot first and then advance to playing
an open clubface shot. Many people are put off
by the look of the clubface lying open.
Do I look at the sand or the ball?
Many amateur golfers are told to hit behind the

ball; This is inconsistent. We encourage people to
watch the ball and change the ball position to vary
the amount of sand they take. To hit a high soft
shot - play the ball off your left heel this will allow
you to take some sand. To play a longer bunker
shot - Play the ball further back in your stance to
take less sand. It all depends on the lie you have
and how far you need to hit the shot:
Just get the ball onto the green Square clubface
technique.
High short shot Open Clubface.
More Distance Square clubface, play the ball
middle to back in your stance, depending on how
far you wish to hit it. The further back you play
the ball the less sand will be taken, this will also
cause a lower shot and the ball will roll more.
Square clubface basic bunker shot (right
handed golfer)
Feet slightly wider than your shoulders or hips.
Establish firm footing.
We like to see 60% of weight on left side
Ball position left heel.
Lower body needs to stay stable, feeling like
you are going to stay low with the knees flexed.
Allow wrists to cock early in the backswing.
swing or hands shoulder high on the back
swing.
Maintain your wrist cock as you rotate your
upper body on the follow through.
60% weight to the left side of the ball position

Tempo is important, slow back swing and
accelerate through the sand.
Open clubface.
All principles apply as described in the basic
bunker shot, with the addition of the open
clubface and open stance swinging along
your toe line, outside the target line to inside
the target line.
Opening the clubface - Hold the club lightly
in your left hand with and the clubface square.
Use your right hand to rotate the club in your
fingers, so the clubface aims to the right of
your target. Look at the leading edge of the

club or the bottom groove on your club to
determine how far open the clubface is. The
higher you wish to hit the shot the more open
the clubface.
Swing path This is a common mistake. You
must swing along your toe line, out to in like
you are trying to slice the shot. Often we see
golfers setting up open and using a normal
back swing. This can be disastrous.
Follow through Rotate upper body, clubface
should be facing the sky on the follow
through.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
Shoulder high on the backswing

Sand texture
Depending on where you play golf, the sand
can vary quite a bit. In fluffy bunkers with fine
sand the club head tends to dig.
Fluffy bunkers - Open the clubface as this
helps to slide the club through the sand using
the bounce on the sole of the club.
Hard bunkers with not much sand or wet
sand - The club tends to bounce when it hits
the sand. In hard bunkers keep the clubface
square, and use the square faced technique.
This will help the club dig, and in really
bad lies you can close the club face slightly
N E W S
Bunkers 19
L E A D E R
Swing along your toe line

to help the club dig even more. With this
technique you will get less height and the
ball will roll further.
Equipment, loft and bounce
Loft - There are different degrees of loft on a
Sand Wedge most commonly ranging between
55 degrees and 60 degrees depending on what
you intend to use the club for. The loft of the
club is usually written on the sole of the club.
Bounce - Bounce is the angle of club heads
sole, measured from the trailing edge of the club.
Bounce helps the club slide through the sand.
The bounce is usually written on the back of the
Momentum drill
club, the higher the number the greater the angle
of bounce ranging from 4 degrees to 14 degrees.
8 -14 degrees of bounce suits most bunker play.
If the courses you play regularly have fluffy
bunkers you would be better to have a Sand
Wedge that has 10 14 degrees of bounce.
Ask your local PGA Professional for advice on
what kind of Sand Wedge best suits the courses
you play.
Women looking to buy a new Sand Wedge
should try a light weight steel shaft in a standard
head or even a graphite shaft. Many female
golfers arent strong enough to generate enough
club speed through the sand as the club is too

heavy for them.
Bunker drill to help with momentum
Draw a line in the sand about 6 meters long
parallel to the green, place 10 balls along the line
about 50cm apart. Place the balls on the target
side of the line, in other words the line should be
behind the ball. Line your left heel up with the
line in the sand, set up as if you are going to play
the shot, with out stopping walk your way along
the line hitting each shot. This is a great drill for
freeing up tension and feeling a good tempo.
20 Short game
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
5 green-side shots every golfer should know

DavidWilliams
THE short game makes up the majority of shots in
our overall score. Learning to play 5 different shots
around the green will give you the ability to get up
and down from just about any situation. Playing
the most efficient shot when required should yield
the most consistent results. The following shots
can be played with a 7 iron down to a 60 degree
Lob Wedge; they will all just fly and roll different
distances and have a different amount of backspin.
Firstly, learning the 5 shots in order will ensure
we know how to impact the ball properly. A
downward blow on the back of the ball ensures we
compress the ball on the sweet spot of the clubface.
Once that is achieved and then maintained for each
of the shots, we should be able to perform all of
the shots with consistency.
Shot 1: The Bump and Run
A shot which flies low, carries less than 3 metres

and has little backspin on the green is the most
useful shot when close to the greens edge. The
ball carries the uneven ground and lands on the
putting surface rolling.
The Set Up: With a narrow stance and the front
foot turned out, the ball is positioned toward
the rear of your stance. Your weight and hands
forwards so the club is de-lofted. You should feel
like your head, hands and weight are directly over
your front foot.
Shot 1: The bump & run
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Short game 21
L E A D E R
Shot 2: The carry & run

The Swing: Maintaining the angle of your
wrists and keeping your body and head nice
and still, draw the club back and hit down
on the back of the ball. The hands always
stay well ahead of the clubhead. It will not
require much power to get the ball rolling all
the way to the pin.
When to use: When you are within 3 metres
of greens edge when there is a fair distance
between you and the hole. If putting from off
the green, the ball can be affected by the longer
grass and uneven ground so hitting a low shot
Shot 3: The pitch

which lands just on the green and then rolling
can be much more effective.
Shot 2: The Carry and Run
A shot which flies higher and longer than the

previous shot but still has little backspin and
will roll when it lands on the putting surface.
The Set Up: With a narrow stance and the
front foot turned out, the ball is positioned
toward the front of your stance. The weight
and hands forwards but now the club has more
loft than the previous shot.

The Swing: Like the last shot, maintain the
angle of your wrists and keep your body and
head nice and still, draw the club back and
hit down on the back of the ball. The hands
always stay well ahead of the clubhead. The
ball will now take off higher than the previous
shot but still roll.
When to use: When you are 3 10 metres
from the greens edge and when there is a lot
of green to work with. This is basically the
same as the previous shot but with a forwards
ball position the ball will fly higher and a little

further to carry the longer grass but then still
roll up the length of the green.
Shot 3: The Pitch
A shot which has a mid-trajectory but will

have a moderate amount of backspin when
it hits the green.
The Set Up: The stance is now a little wider
than the previous two shots and the front foot
is still turned out, the ball is positioned toward
22 Short game
the middle of your stance. The weight and
hands forwards a little to ensure a downward
hit on the back of the ball.
The Swing: Instead of maintaining the
angle of your wrists like the first two shots, we
now cock and roll the wrists so the clubhead
travels a little further around the swing arc.
Still keeping our body and head nice and still,
hit down on the back of the ball. As the wrists
uncock through impact you will impart more
backspin on the ball as long as you hit down.
The result should be a flighted shot with spin.
When to use: With a lofted club, you can
use this with a small swing from close range
to produce a shot which checks up or from
further out with a bigger swing to achieve
some distance which should also check up.
Shot 4: The Lob
A shot which flies high and short and will

have a fair degree of spin.
The Set Up: The ball is positioned toward
the front of your stance. The weight is forwards
a little but the hands will be central. The shaft
will be vertical, not leaning forwards. The club
face can be square or open but aiming left if
the face is open.
The Swing: For this shot we are thrusting
the clubhead well past our hands through
impact and making sure the clubface points
toward the sky on the follow though. The idea
is to use the bounce of the club on this shot.
We need to try and thrust the back edge of
the bottom of the club down into the ground
under the ball. Remember: As long as you are
A U S T R A L I A S
hitting down to a point under the ball, you will

not blade this shot across the green.
When to use: I only ever use this when the
only way is up and I have to stop the ball fairly
quickly. Over bunkers or mounds close to the
green.
Shot 5: The Delicate Shot
A shot which comes off the face very soft and

with maximum spin. Not for the feint-hearted,
it is quite a difficult shot but one that can get
you out of a very tight situation.
The Set Up: Similar to the Lob Shot. The ball
is played forwards but this shot does require an
open face. The shaft is kept vertical so there is
maximum amount of loft.
The Swing: To execute this shot we play with
dead arms. If I take my backswing and then
let the hands drop as if I had dead arms the
clubhead would hit the ground a foot behind the
ball, there is no arm thrust at all. We simply now
turn the body and feel like we are dragging the
clubhead through the ball while my arms just
drop. The hands will end up leading the clubhead
thus the feeling of dragging the clubhead.
The clubface needs to remain open through
impact and the clubhead will not follow through
much at all. If executed correctly, the result
will be a mid trajectory ball flight that stops
pretty quickly.
When to use: If you have short sided yourself
and have very little green to work with this shot
can work wonders. The downside is however
that it takes a lot of practice and precision to
get it right.
Shot 4: The lob
Shot 5: The delicate shot
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Short game 23
L E A D E R
The bump and run

LisaNewling
LoraineLambert
EVERYONE should have this shot in their bag.
Bump and Run is a similar shot to a Chip and
Run, the difference between the two shots is that
in a Chip and Run, we land the ball on the green
and it will roll up to the hole. Converseley, in the
Bump and Run we land the ball before the green
and let it roll up to the hole.
When to play a Bump and Run:
If you are in a position that is a similar distance

to a Pitch Shot, but because of your lie or your
position it would be difficult to stop the ball
on the green.
If you are in a situation where the ground is very
firm with not much grass under the ball. Its easier
to play a running shot than risk trying to play
a lofted shot and the club bounce on the hard
ground, resulting in a shot flying over the green.
If you are buried in the rough and it would be
difficult to get height and back spin.
If you have missed the green and there is a tree
obstructing your pitch shot and you need to
keep the ball low under the branches and let it
roll up to the green.
Technique
It is best to use 8, 7 or 6-iron, some people also

have success using a hybrid.
Start with an Open Stance This means
your feet knees and hips aim left of target. If
you are a beginner you can use your normal

square stance.
Grip the club a little shorter for better control.
Ball Position keep the ball back in your stance.
Hands ahead of the ball or level with the inside
of your left thigh.
Weight Distribution 60% of your weight
should be on your front foot. For right handed
golfers this is on your left foot.
Lower body stays very stable.
Back swing Shoulders and arms need to move
back together there should be a small amount
of wrist hinge.
Low follow through Keep the wrists firm
through impact and the club going through
to your target.
High flop shot
Bump and run
In many cases, a high flop shot can have a low percentage of success with a small landing area or
the potential of a hard bounce. The Bump and Run can have a higher success rate by punching the
ball on/into the bank, and leaving yourself a definite putt
Tips
Use your imagination; look at your lie and

where the hole is, look at the lie of the land,
look at your landing area and choose your most
confident option.
The further you want to hit the shot the longer
your swing.
If you are in the rough and the ball is sitting
down in the grass take a more lofted club to
help it get up out of the grass, play it back in
your stance, allow your wrists to hinge on the
backswing and hit down into the grass with a
short follow through, in other words punch
it. When you play this shot a hold the club
a bit tighter, so the club doesnt twist in your
hands.
When playing a Bump and Run, play the ball back in your stance, hands forward
24 Short game
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Chip Better to Putt Better

One of the most common questions I am asked when I
play golf with amateurs after a few nerve induced errant
shots is what am I doing wrong? I immediately say
Why do you want me to tell you that? How is that going
to help you? Then I think back to my school days where
there was a bigger emphasis on what I got wrong rather
than what I got right and I got far greater recognition at
home for what I did wrong. It is far more productive to
know and understand what to do right than what you
are doing wrong.
Then there is the I cant putt and I am a terrible
putter outbursts sometimes followed by what do I
have to do to be a better putter? Now we are getting
somewhere. Wanting to know what to do right is a far
better place to start the improvement cycle.
GregAshton
THE first thing to do to be a better putter is get
the ball closer to the hole before you have to putt.
Have you ever had the experience of getting the
ball three metres from the edge of the green for
two and walking off with a six or seven? I think
everyone has done that and it is usually a result of
poor chipping rather than poor putting.

Remember, in chipping the ball spends less time
in the air and more time on the ground.
Some of the most common faults in chipping
is your weight being placed more on the back
foot, the ball positioned off the front foot, the
shaft of the club leaning backwards away from
your target and choosing the wrong landing zone.
Pic 1
Pic 2
(Pic #1) This setup causes a scooping or lifting

action of the club thinking it will get the ball in
the air much easier when in fact it is a downward
path of the clubhead to the ball the elevates the
ball into the air.
Ok, Ok I know, Im telling you what you are
doing wrong but most of the time that is all you get.
Now the right stuff.
Place your f ive iron on the ground

perpendicular to your target line, put the inside
of your back foot against the shaft, now position
the ball 10cm off the end of the shaft. This will
help you get the ball in the correct position for
a good chipping technique.
Feel your weight more on your front foot by
keeping your front foot firmly on the ground
A U S T R A L I A S
Pic 3
G O L F
Pic 3a
and tilt your back foot up on your big toe. I call

this the stork drill. (Pic #2)
By keeping your hands about 10cm to 12cm off
your front thigh and the cludhead behind the ball
(Pic #3) you will see that the shaft is now leaning
towards your target, the club is now in the right
position to swing down to the ball. (Pic #3a)
Make sure you maintain the angle created by
N E W S
Short game 25
L E A D E R
Pic 4
Pic 5
your lower wrist throughout the stroke, it is very

important that you do this. There is no wrist
movement in your chip shots.(Pic #4)
Last but not least is the landing zone. For the
benefit of learning this skill practice this with an
eight iron two metres off the edge of the green
and choose a landing zone between one and two
metres onto the green surface. Place two clubs
on the ground a metre apart parallel with your

target line. Land the ball in this zone allowing
the ball to roll about eight metres to the hole.
(Pic #5)
To get the feeling of this action use a piece of
timber (70 x 35 x 200mm) and place it about
15cm behind the ball on the target line. This
will tell you immediately if the club is on the
Pic 6
correct path or not. If its not you will make
contact with the timber. (Pic #6)
You can practise all this at home, at the office
or at the range. When practising at home, use a
soft or aerated practice ball for safety.
Working on these basic steps for your short
game will definitely get you closer to the hole
and improve the amount of putts you have.
26 Short game
A U S T R A L I A S
Pitching tips
LeeHarrington
MANY people attempt to pitch like
they are taking a small version of
their full swing. This is not correct
and will lead to poor contact,
distance control and directional
issues.
The lofted pitch shot is played with
a lot less moving parts than the full
swing. The main points to consider
next time you practice are:
Setup
1. Your weight starts and stays on the
front leg during the entire shot.
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Tee off to success

MarkVictorsen
2. The left hand is in a weaker

position (left thumb pointing
down shaft as shown) to stop the
club head releasing and closing.
3. Align body open to the target,
clubhead remains pointing at
the target. Ball position is inside
left heel (which is where your
body centre of gravity is situated
through weight being forward
in setup).
The Pitching Action
1. The Club path travels parallel to
your body alignment, which is left
of the target.
2. In the takeaway, check clubface
at about hip height to make sure
you have not shut the loft down
(this will lead to shots going low
and left).
3. In the downswing the club head
trails the shaft, which comes by
clearing the left hip as the first move
back to the ball.
A good way to think of the finish
is to see if you can sit a glass on the
clubface at the finish. This means you
have created the right angles to slide
the clubface under the ball and achieve
I MANAGED to interview Steve

Williams when Tiger Woods came to
Australia in 2009 and Steve had some
very interesting things to say about
how Tiger plans his way around the
course. He said that Tiger plays the
course the way the designer had
intended. That is, if the hole requires
a draw off the tee he hits a draw; if
the hole needs a fade tee shot thats
what he tries to do.
To hit a draw/hook tee shot, tee
the ball up higher than normal, play
the ball more forward (i.e towards
the target) and get the feeling that
you are keeping the body well
behind the ball through impact.
This will allow the arms/clubface
to cross over early through impact
a soft high pitched shot.
and produce hook or draw spin.
Short game skills can save you
Remember to adjust your aim to
many shots so do not neglect this
allow the draw to finish at your
target.
part of your game when practicing.
Getting a short game lesson from
To hit a fade/slice tee shot, tee
your local professional will make
the ball much lower than normal
(this will force you to keep the
putting all these angles into practice
a lot easier.
face open) as the instinctive thing
to do is add loft and the open the
clubface, creating the shot shape
you need. Try to resist the rotation
Proudly
supportingthrough
the benefits
of the arm/clubface
impact of golf c
and remember to aim and allow for
Tel:the
(07)
3252 8155 | Email: info@golfq
fade.
Golf Queensland
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Short game 27
L E A D E R
H.O.W. to chip
ScottSimons
WHEN chipping, I see a lot of players trying
to scoop the ball to try and get it into the air.
One of the main reasons people tend to chip
poorly is because they tend to flick their wrists
or try and scoop the ball into the air. When
teaching students, the one thing I tell them
all to remember is DOWN = UP. To explain
this, if you try and keep a firm left wrist and
hit down on the back of the ball, the loft of
the golf club will lift the ball into the air. The
method I like to use with juniors in particular
is called the HOW method, and we use the
letters H.O.W. to help them remember the
chipping technique.
First of all you can chip with any club you
like but make sure you practice with the
technique and clubs before you take it onto
the golf course.
Choose a club that you feel comfortable with,
and start chipping with that. When chipping,
place the ball in the middle of your stance and
stand with your feet a little closer together.
They do not need to be shoulder width apart.
The HOW method works as follows:
ands Forward - your hands need to be
forward of the ball. For right-handed
players, your hands will cover your left knee.
pen stance - you should open you stance
and body to the target just a little so you
can see down your target line better. This will
give you a better feel for the chip shot.
H
O
eight forward - for right-handed players

you should have about 60% of your
body weight on your left leg so feel like youre
leaning towards your target just a little bit.
Once you have run through this sequence
your arms and your golf club will create
the letter Y. Without moving your wrist,
rock your letter Y backwards and forwards.
Remember we are only chipping, so the golf
club should not go backwards or forwards any
more than your hip height.
As explained earlier, you can chip with any
golf club you like. The only thing to remember
is that each club will give you a different result,
depending on the chip shot you are playing, i.e.
a 7-iron will result in the ball running along
the ground a lot more (perfect for the chip and
run) whereas using a sand wedge will result
in the ball moving higher in the air and not
running as much (perfect for trying to chip
the ball over a bunker.)
Remember, you need to practice this
chipping method and use different clubs to
see what results each club produces. If you
practice this method it will allow you to take
an easy but effective chipping method out
on to the golf course and will help you lower
your scores.
If you are still having problems with
your chipping, please go and see you local
PGA Golf Professional and they will help
you out. So until next time, see you on
the fairways!
Weight forward
Firm left wrist

Hands cover the
forward knee
Open stance
Ball in centre of stance
28 Short game
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Watch and learn

DarrenChapman
HOW often have you hit a chip shot and said
that felt great, yet it ended up nowhere near
where you expected it to?
Ask yourself: did you have a definite area
where you wanted to land the ball, allowing
for roll? If you answered no then you are
missing out on one of the best aspects of golf,
the opportunity to learn from each shot you
play and then improve with the knowledge
you have gained.
The best way to learn is from experience.
To get the most out of your practice time,
you need to be very specific. Set up a landing
area on the practice green and then practice
hitting different clubs from the same position
into this landing zone. With each club, watch
how the ball lands and then watch it until it
finishes rolling. By practicing with a landing
area, you can better understand how the
bounce and roll of the ball will contribute to
the end result.
All you need to set up your landing area
is four coins. Any coin is fine but if you use
twenty-cent or fifty-cent pieces, they are easier
to see on the green. Depending on your skill
level, start by creating a square with each side
around one metre, then practice trying to get
each shot to have its first bounce in the box.
Once you can consistently land each shot in
the box, make the box smaller, even if it is
only by 10cm on each side.

The best thing about practicing this way is
that you learn so much from each shot. By
consistently landing the ball in the box you
will discover how to control the length of your
swing to achieve the desired distance. Then
by varying the clubs you practice with, you
will learn how far each shot will go and where
best to use these shots on the golf course.
When you take this knowledge onto the
course and set a definite landing area, you
can evaluate each shot by where your ball
lands and where it finishes. If you land the
ball short of your target and it finishes short
of the hole, then you know the landing area
was a good one. The chances are the shot
will still have finished in a good spot and
you can aim to execute better next time
around. If you land in your selected landing
area and the ball doesnt roll to where you
thought it would, then you can store this
experience.
Next time you have a similar shot you can
make the necessary adjustments for success
by either shifting the landing area or using
a different club.
The biggest adjustment for most people
in to have the landing area as your chipping
target instead of the hole. This simple target
change will improve your consistency and
ultimately lower your scores.
Aim to get the most out of each shot. Select
Place four coins on the green to make a Landing Zone. Try to get each chip to have its first bounce in the box
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Putting 29
L E A D E R
Quick
Tips
with Richard Mercer
Playing a side-hill lie
Long putt drill

GregAshton
PUTTING makes up a large part of this game
so lets get good at it.
When you consider that the average length
of the first putt on each hole for a tour player is
around 30ft, this means that we as amateurs are
going to have a lot of really long putts.
The ladder drill is all about speed. There
are many factors that make up a successful putt
but none more important than speed, especially
on long putts.
For this drill you will need 7 long tees and

five golf balls of the same make and model.
Stick a tee in the practice putting green and
step out 8 metres from that tee and stick
another tee in the green. Continue the line
of tees down the green now at 1 metre apart
so you end up with an 8 metre space and five
1 metre spaces.
Your first putts will be between 8 and 9
metres, your second putts between 9 and
10 metres and so on till your fifth putts are
between 12 and 13 metres.
Your first drill is to putt all five balls to the first

distance then five balls to the second distance
and so on to all five distances. That is five sets
of five balls to each distance.
Your second drill is to putt one ball to each
distance in succession, repeating the exercise
five times.
When you get good at this drill you will see
your scores improve out on the course. Most
golfers have 3+ putts on greens because of a
mis-judgement in the speed of the putt not so
much from mis-reading the line of the putt.
When the ball is below your feet

When you get in a position where the ball
is below the level of your feet, it will generally
make you slice or fade the ball. First, make
sure to aim your feet to the left of your target
if you are a right handed golfer.
Secondly, you must bend your knees more
than normal to get the desired shot from
this awkward stance.
When the ball is above your feet
When you get in a position where your
feet are below the position of the ball, it
will generally cause you to create a draw
or a hook. The first thing to do is grip the
club lower down on the grip which will
nullify the slope. Secondly, it is best to aim
to the right of the target (if you are a right
handed golfer) with both your feet and the
club face.
For more tips, visit:
www.richardmercergolf.com
30 Putting
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Putting with less technique

Straight back and
through or rounded?
Wrist hinge or stiff?
When putting, its usually
best to keep it simple.
Here are some quick Dos
and Donts to improve
your performance with
the putter
KurtStegbauer
THERE are dozens of putting
techniques, grips and styles out
there from the claw grip to reverse
overlap and everything in between.
With so many choices, its easy to
become so engrossed with technique
that you can effectively overthink
it all.
Instead, when analysing your
putting technique try to focus on
being less technical. To begin with,
take a look at the following dos and
donts for putting; they may surprise
you, but they will give you a better
understanding on why some of the
worlds best putters are so successful.
The best putters arent technical at all;
they are simply trying to putt the ball
on a good line at a good holing speed.
Here are three things that I believe

you should and shouldnt do as a putter:
The Dos
Do allow your wrists to release/hinge

on the way back and through
Do have your eyes inside the ball
Do let the putter swing with roundness
The Donts
Dont keep your wrists locked

Dont have your eyes directly over
the ball
Dont swing the putter straight back
and straight through
Now, these points may surprise

you. But some of the Tours great
putters including Tiger Woods,
Aaron Baddeley and (for the older
guys out there) Ben Crenshaw all
follow these points. They all possess
the dos: they do have their eyes
inside the ball, they do putt with
roundness and they do have some
release/hinge with their wrists.
To help you achieve these 3 dos,
here are a couple of simple drills
that should help you.
1. Sp e nd 1 0 mi nute s a we ek
practicing your putting with a

3-wood. This will show you that
you can putt well with your eyes
well inside the ball, while it will
also show you that putting with
roundness is quite effective. Once
you get over the fact that you may
get some odd looks from other
golfers, you will soon notice how
well you can putt with a 3-wood
and then take this and apply it to
your putter.
2. Another drill that will teach you
to hinge/release the putter head is
to practice some longer putts over
30 feet using only your bottom

hand on the putter. This will give
you an enormous amount of feel
and control. This was a drill that
we used to do at The Australian
Institute of Sport, it will allow you
to see that having your putterhead
release a small amount on the
backstroke and through-stroke
is beneficial.
The next time that you are out on
the practicing putting green give
these drills a go. Im sure that you
will notice an improvement.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
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Putting 31
L E A D E R
The keys to being a great putter

Part 1: Reading a green
KurtStegbauer
ONE saying I teach my juniors is: to
be a great putter, you have to putt the
ball on a good line at a good speed
In this coaching instruction piece we
are going to look at how we can get a
good line. To do that, we need to know
how to read the green.
Reading the green properly is
something that I dont see players
do enough, I think too many players
spend too much time practicing
their technique and not enough time
learning how to read a green.
Below are my top 7 pointers to help
you get a better understanding of how
to read a green.
1. Reading the green starts the moment
your ball is on the green which
may be well before YOU are on the
green. Most greens are raised higher
than the fairway, so when you are
approaching the green your eyes
will be the same level as the green.
This is a great opportunity to get a
good understanding of the slope on
the green. When walking onto the
green take a moment to observe the
undulations: this is the starting point
for getting the correct line.

2. Once you are on the green, have an
overall look of the entire green to
identify the general slope, this will
help you have a better feel for the
overall green. Note any high points,
low points or slants.
3. Some things to look out for: most
greens often slope towards water.
Also watch other players in your
group who are further away to see
what their ball does once they have
putted or chipped onto the green; if
another player is in similar position
they can often show you if there is
any break or slope.
4. Good putters always look at the
putt from more than just behind
their ball. In fact, good putters
circumnavigate the putt trying to
get as much information as possible
about their putt. I realise that doing
this is quite time consuming, so
I encourage you to be busy while
you are on the green: look at your
putt while other players are putting
(instead of simply waiting for your
turn to begin reading the break)
5. Another tip that may help is to look
to see which side of the hole is higher,
Walking to the green is the first (and maybe the best)

opportunity to check out the slope of the green, and identify
any undulations that may affect your putt
it may only be subtle but sometimes
one side of the hole is higher than
the other.
6. Getting down low so your eyes are as
close to green level will help you see
the undulations better, obviously the
best example is Spider-man Camilo
Villegas. But for those that cant do
that, crouching down on both knees
DRILL: at the practice green, a simple game of lawn bowls

golf can help you get a feeling for reading breaks during
a putt.
should be sufficient.
7. And finally, a simple practice
drill to really give you a better
understanding of slope is to play a
game on the practice green called
lawn bowls golf where you simply
roll balls underhand as if you were
bowling them towards the hole. As
seen in the picture, this simple drill
allows you to solely focus on the

line and allows you to get a better
understanding of what the green
does.
Next time you are out playing,
try and adopt some of the following
techniques and I am sure that you will
hole more putts.
32 Putting
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Reading a green
Part 2: Speed
KurtStegbauer
IN the last issue, I spoke about the
two keys to becoming a great putter
which are: 1) Putting the ball on
a correct line, and 2) hitting it at
the correct speed. Now that you
know how to read the green to get
the correct line, we can move on
to speed.
There are a number of factors that
make a putting green faster or slower.
Knowing these things before you play
a round will help you know what to
look for when you are heading out
onto the course.
The first factor that influences the
speed of a green is the type of grass.
Golf courses use different types of
grass based on the different types of
climates or weather conditions. As an
example, golf courses in Victoria
where the climate is generally cool
tend to use more bent grass greens,
as bent grass grows better in cooler
conditions. As the bent grass has a
finer leaf, it is naturally easier to get
up to a faster speed.
In Queensland, however, where the
climate is warmer, they tend to use
more couch-based greens, as couchs
broader leaf can better handle the
heat, but it is, however, harder to

keep at a fast speed like bent greens.
So knowing what type of grass you
are putting on will allow you to gain
an understanding if it will be faster or
slower. Next time you are about to play
ask your local pro what type of grass is
on the greens to help you get a better
gauge of the speed.
The next factor that we are going to
look at is what type of look the grass
has. By this, I mean is it shiny or is it
a bit dull? If you have ever watched a
Golf tournament played in Victoria the
commentators often talk about how
the grass is starting to look shiny; the
shiny look on the green comes from
the greens being cut low and they are
also starting to dry out and when
it is dry it tends to be faster.
The classic example of shiny dry
greens was during the 2002 Australian
Open at Victoria Golf Club won
by Steve Allen. The first round was
cancelled due to the greens being too
fast. Remembering the footage from
that day the greens looked shiny, brown
and dry, some of the golfers were unable
to keep the ball on the green due to the
conditions.
When the greens are a bit slower they
will tend to be duller which is due to
the grass leaf being longer. Also, if there

has been a lot of rain, the greens will
generally be slower as they are holding
a lot of water (and because the greens
are often not cut when it is raining.)
Dryer conditions, however, do allow
the greens to be faster.
Another factor affecting the speed of
the green is simply how low the green
is cut. Group 1 or private courses tend

to have better greens as they tend to
have less traffic and they can also spend
more money maintaining the greens.
Conversely, public courses have more
traffic and have to keep the grass longer
to sustain the amount of wear and tear
from having so many players. So the
height of the grass definitely does affect
the speed on the greens.

The final factor that we need to look
for is whether you have an uphill or
downhill putt on a green. Most greens
slope from the back to the front. A
technique that I use when I have a
downhill putt is that I will putt the ball
from the toe of the putter (pictured
here). Putting the ball from the toe of
A U S T R A L I A S
the putter deadens the putt and makes

it come out a lot slower and softer.
Next time that you are on a practice
putting green, find a quick downhill
putt and have a try of putting the ball
off the toe of the putter to see if you
like it.
Now that we have an understanding
on what affects the speed of a green, I
would like to show you some simple
drills that will help you develop a better
understanding for getting a good speed
for your putts.
Firstly, getting the correct speed does
take practice and patience, however I
believe if you can practice these next
two drills regularly, you will get a better
understanding of how to properly putt
the ball at different distances when you
are required during a round.
The first drill that I would like you
to consider is a drill that I call The
speed drill. To practice this drill you
will need four balls and four tees.
Simply place the four tees as seen in
picture 1 roughly four -metres apart
on the green. Then, practice putting
each ball to a different tee. Do it from
both ends a couple of times. Try not
to be too concerned with the line of
the putt, simply try to get the ball the
same distance as the tee.
Once you have developed a good
feel for each putt, then mix it up by
putting to the first tee and then the
fourth tee. Doing this will help you
get a better feel for longer and then
shorter putts. Before you finish doing
G O L F
N E W S
Putting 33
L E A D E R
this drill you can challenge yourself by

only finishing when you have done four
great putts to each tee from both ends.
If you can practice this drill for only
20 minutes a week, Im sure that you
will have more confidence at putting
the ball at a good speed once you are
out playing in your next event.
The second drill that will help
you is very simple one. I call it the
Goldilocks Drill Simply line up to a
putt from over two metres, and then
have a practice stroke that you think
would make the putt go too far past the
hole. Next, have a practice stroke that
you feel would make the putt go well
short of the hole. For the third stroke
I want you to line up to the ball and
have a stroke that you feel will be in
the middle of those two strokes and
then putt the ball to the hole. Quite
often your putt will roll very close to
the hole.
This drill reminds me of the story of
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where
Goldilocks tries each of the beds; one
is too hard, the other is too soft, but
the third is just right (can you tell that
I have kids?).
If you can practice this drill from
different lengths on the putting green
Im sure that you will gain a better
understanding of getting the speed
correct.
So, the next time you are out
practicing on the putting green try
these two simple drills and Im sure
that they will help you improve.
The Speed Drill will help you generate a good feel for putts of different lengths and speeds
Too long
Too short
Just right
The Goldilocks drill will help you develop the right stroke for longer putts
34 Putting
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Improving distance control when putting

BrentGerman
THERE is nothing worse than having your
putt start out on line, set to go in but then
coming up short. As they say, the only bad
putt is one that comes up short.
Here are some putting tips which will help
you focus on getting better contact with the
ball and therefore improving your distance
control.
Watch the 10 cent coin
This is to encourage you to keep your head

still during the entire stroke. If you tend
to watch the putter face go back into the
backswing, and then thin the putt by catching
the putt off the bottom of the putter face (and
thus consistently leave the putt short), this
drill will help.
What to do: Place a 10 cent coin on the
putting green, without a ball. Make some
strokes watching the 10 cent piece only. Then,
when you feel comfortable, place a ball on
top of the coin approximately 8 feet from the
hole. Hit some putts, and be sure to focus
on watching the coin for 3 seconds after the
ball has been struck. You will find that your
contact will improve when you focus solely
on the coin.
Golf ball against forearm
This is used to eliminate the wrists from

the putting stroke.
What to do: Take your stance and grip the

putter. Place a ball between the butt of the
club and the inside of your leading arm (i.e.
for right-handers: your right forearm). Hit
several putts focusing on keeping the ball
in place throughout the entire stroke. This
drill will help promote a unified upper body/
hands/arms stroke.
Hit the sweet spot
A putt that comes out of the centre of the putter

will improve your distance control.
What to do: Apply masking tape, rubber bands
or Blu-Tak on the toe and heel end of the putter.
Test it is in the correct spot so the ball can be
cleanly hit without touching the tape or Blu-Tack.
Hit some putts simply trying to find the centre
of the putter face do not worry about distance

when starting with this drill, pure contact is the
key. Putts that are hit off-centre will either stick
to the Blu-Tak/tape, or kick off the rubber bands.
If you are a beginner golfer, I would suggest a
wider gap between the tape/rubber bands/BluTack. You can then begin narrowing the gap as
you get better at the drill.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Putting 35
L E A D E R
The highs and lows of putting
KurtStegbauer
THERE are so many things that I enjoy about

coaching. One of those is that I am continually
learning and improving on how we can make
golfers better.
Just recently in between lessons I decided to watch
a few groups putt out on the last hole to see what
were the common denominators for them on the
putting green. After watching four groups it was
clear that the common denominator for them all
was that they missed more putts on the low side of
the hole than on the high side. Now Im sure that
you have all heard the saying of Pros miss on the
high side of the hole, while amateurs miss on the
low side of the hole. What this is referring to is that
better putters take into consideration the slope of the
green more, while those that arent as good putters
dont use as much slope and aim more at the hole.
This in turn led me to think of how can players
be more aware of why they are missing on the low
side and how can they improve.
In looking at why players miss on the low side of
the hole, I believe the reason is that we are taught
to aim at the flag or the hole, which makes perfect
sense. However, on the putting green we need to
learn that often we aim away from the hole with
the end result of wanting the ball to finish in the
hole. This is a challenge for most golfers as the lure
of putting at the hole is so strong.
A couple of strategies to help you develop a
better understanding of what are your common
denominators on the putting green are:
1. A lot of golfers count how many putts they have
for a round. Another way to measure putts is

to count how many putts you miss on the low
side of the hole and how many putts you miss
on the high side of the hole. This will show
you what are your common denominators on
the putting green, high or low. Once you have
done this you can then develop a strategy of
how you can improve your putting based on
your common denominators.
2. Secondly, if you are like most golfers and your

putts do finish on the low side of the hole you
should consider where the centre of the hole
actually is for your putt. If you look at the
pictures on this page you will notice that the
centre of the hole is not in a straight line; in
reality it is on the high side of the hole, as this
putt was on a side slope on the green. Thus,
when visualising the putt, you should think of
the high side as the centre of the hole. This

is critical to sinking more putts, especially on
sloped greens.
Once again I hope that these pointers will
improve your putting.
36 Putting
A U S T R A L I A S
Reading slopes on greens
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
The Key drill
Target line
Actual ball
path
Aiming point
4 feet
30 feet
25 feet
20 feet
15 feet
10 feet
A
A downhill putt will break more than an uphill putt, as

gravity affects the ball earlier in the putt
BrentGerman
HAVE you ever wondered why some
putts turn or break more than others?
Here are a few quick tips to help you on
your way to reading the greens better
and improving your score.
Uphill versus Downhill
Downhill Putts (Less speed equals
more break)
With less momentum on a downhill
putt, gravity acts upon the ball sooner
and forces the ball down the direction
of the true downslope. On downhill
putts, therefore, we need to allow for
more break.
Uphill Putts (More speed equals
less break)
Uphill putts break less when the ball is travelling faster, and
then gradually break more as the ball slows down
Uphill putts are a lot easier than

downhill putts as they have less break.
This is because we are hitting an uphill
putt much harder than a downhill putt,
and thereby eliminating the break in the
early part of the putt.
The ball will take any break when it
starts to die (i.e. loses speed). Gravity
starts to take over and the ball will follow
the true slope.
Side Slope Putts
Putts hit across any side slope are
generally uphill on the first part of the putt,
and then downhill on the second part.
Once you have assessed whether
the put is uphill or downhill (to help
you determine the pace of the putt and
initial starting line), then focus on the
area around the hole where the ball
will die. This will help you to gain an

understanding of the direction of the true
downslope; as this is where the slope will
have the greatest influence on your putt.
By building up a picture of the contours,
you will build up a picture of the line and
pace you will need to hit the ball on for it
to go in the hole.
Summary
If you practice reading putts and build
it into your pre-shot routine and practice
putting from different spots on the green
on your home course, it will help you to
assess the effects that different slopes
and speeds have on your putts. Building
up such experience will make you more
decisive and improve your confidence
and putting on the course and hopefully
improve your score.
MikeBury
You Need: 2 golf balls
The Set Up: Place 8 tees in the
following positions:
One level with the hole, 3 feet
from the cup (A)
One 4 feet behind the cup (B)
One 5 feet level with the cup (C)
Five in a straight line at 10, 15, 20,
25, and 30 feet
The Drill
Start with the 3-foot putt. You

must finish within the semi-circle
twice to move on. If only one putt

finishes within the semi-circle, stay
on the same tee.
Next, move to the 4-foot and
5-foot putts. You must make both
twice to move to the 10-foot putt.
The putts from 10 to 30 feet must
finish between the cup and the 4-foot
tee (B). If you are short or past the
tee, you are outside the range. You
must make both putts to move to
the next tee, if you miss both you
go back to the previous tee. If only
one putt finishes within the semicircle, stay on the same tee.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Game management 37
L E A D E R
Your checklist for success
MarkVictorsen
MOST golfers are in search of the perfect swing,

but as we all know thats an impossible ask.
Stats show that the best ball strikers on the PGA
TOUR last year only got it right 71% of the time
so most of us who play only once a week are probably
going to have stats significantly lower than that!
Golfers wanting to lower their scores can achieve
this through things like fitness, mental preparation
and better course management as the number of
wasted shots in a round has a significant influence
on your handicap.
In order to start bringing that handicap down,
and getting your game into gear, here is my
9-point checklist for success. By following this
checklist prior to every round, you will likely
see significant improvement in your overall
game.
1. Warm up properly
Many golfers arrive at the course and rush to the
first tee with very little time for a proper warm
up. So be sure to always hit a few warm up shots
at the range/net, work on chipping and have
some putts on the putting green to get a feel for
the green speed.
2. Plan your round
Have a plan for your game and allocate your
handicap shots in a realistic fashion. For more
on this see last months article on Course
Management.
3. Energise
Have two bananas (one on the 6th tee and
another on the 12th tee ) so you dont Hit the
wall and run out of energy during the later
stages of the round. Most importantly: NO
BEER OR PIES! (Have that post round!)
4. Hydrate
Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout
the round, as well as a hydrating drink like
Gatorade (sip this dont guzzle as it has a
high sugar content )
5. Carefully plan each hole
Look at each tee box strategically prior to teeing
up. Identify any trouble down the fairway.
Position your ball on the tee on the same side
of the tee as the trouble (i.e. if there is a bunker
or OOB on the left, then tee up on the left so
that you are hitting away from trouble and
not towards it) Remember golf is like Tennisthe game doesnt start till the ball goes in!
6. Be realistic with approach shots
Take one more club with your approaches. Most
golfers have a habit of selecting a club based on
their longest ever shot with that club (Chances
are, you wont hit it that far again!)
7. Avoid Sucker Pins
Aim for the middle of the green as its never
far from a front or rear flag. Unless you have
excellent control with your irons, going for a
Warming up is critical to success. Tour pros like Tiger Woods spend an hour or more in the practise
area prior to a round. You should too.
tight pin placement is asking for trouble.
8. Stay Positive
Keep your eyes above the flag as you walk up
the fairway so you dont engage the negative
self talk! A positive attitude will do more for
your game than you might expect.
9. Stay in the present
Resist the temptation to add up your scorecard
mid-round as this has little benefit: If youre

doing well, you may get overly excited; If youre
playing poorly, it will only add to frustration.
By staying in the present, you can more easily
focus on each shot at each hole. The time to
see how you went is at the end of the round!
This all probably sounds like straightforward
common sense, but the great thing about common
sense is that its not very common!
38 Game management
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Trouble
shots
How to tackle
the dreaded (and
misunderstood)
uphill, downhill and
sidehill lies
LisaNewling
LoraineLambert
WOULDNT it be great if we had
a perfect lie every time? This rarely
happens, of course, so its important
to know how to play a shot from lessthan-perfect conditions.
This month, we look at how to play a
shot from a sidehill, uphill or downhill
lie. While these tips should be very
helpful for your next comp or social
round , we strongly recommend that
you practice these shots prior to being
faced with them on the course. We
suggest you go to your driving range
and try and re-create these lies or, even
better, go to your golf course where
you are faced with these shots and,
at a quiet time, practice these shots.
The two most important things to
remember when you are hitting from
a hill are: 1) Maintain your posture
With a downhill lie, adjust your hips and shoulders to match the slope of the lie.
Take a more lofted club, and aim a bit to the left of target
and 2) Stay balanced. Remember that
gravity will want to pull you down the
hill thus throwing you off balance
and resulting in poor shots. So it will
be important to have a solid stance
with plenty of balance to counteract
gravity.
Uphill lie
When faced with an uphill lie, the
ball will fly higher, so make sure you

take an extra club or two depending
on how much slope you have. In
other words if you normally hit
a 7-iron that particular distance,
take a 6- or a 5 iron to allow for
the higher ball flight off the slope
of the hill.
The ball will fly right to left; so, aim
your shot to the right of your target
to allow for this.
With an uphill lie, adjust your hips and shoulders to match the slope of the lie.
Take a less lofted club, and aim a bit to the right of target
This part is crucial: make sure your
shoulders and your hips are sloping
the same way as the hill.
Widen your stance slightly for better
balance.
Keep your knees bent.
Keep your weight on the inside of
your right foot (for right-handed
players) as you take your back
swing, if you allow the weight to
shift to the outside of your foot you
will get stuck on your back foot and

probably hit on top of the ball.
Use a length swing it will help
you keep your balance.
Downhill lie
The ball will fly lower, so make sure

you take a more lofted club. In other
words if you normally hit a 7-iron that
particular distance, take an 8- or a 9iron to allow for the lower ball flight
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Game management 39
L E A D E R
When the ball is above your feet, shorten your grip, take a more lofted club and aim to the right
from the slope of the hill, and the ball

will a roll a bit further too.
The ball will fly left to right, so aim left
of your target to allow for this.
Like the uphill lie, the following is
crucial: Make sure your shoulders and
hips are sloping the same way as the
hill; you will probably feel like you have
slightly more weight on your front foot.
Use a length swing to help you keep
your balance.
Sidehill lies
(ball below your feet, or ball above

your feet)
An important point to note is that a
sidehill lie will affect the flight of your
ball either right-to-left or left-toright. If you forget which way the ball
is going to move in the air for your
sidehill shots, imagine rolling your
ball along the ground from the lie you
When the ball is below your feet, aim more to the left, keep your knees bent, and push the weight onto
your heels
have. Your ball will move the same way

in the air as it would rolling your ball
along the ground.
Ball above your feet
The ball will fly right to left (for

right-handed players), so aim your
shot to the right of your target to
allow for this.
The ball will often fly lower, and run
further. Take a more lofted club to

allow for this.
With the ball above your feet, the
ground is now closer to you; grip
the club slightly shorter than you
normally would to avoid digging into
the ground.
Use a length swing it will help
you keep your balance.
Ball below your feet
The ball will fly left to right (for righthanded players), so aim to the left of
your target to allow for this.
To keep balanced, keep your knees
bent pushing the weight into the
heels; this will help you maintain
your posture throughout your swing,
(Remember: gravity will want to pull
you down the hill.)
Use a length swing it will help you
keep your balance.
40 Game management
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Getting out of trouble

LisaNewling
LoraineLambert
LETS face it, were not always fortunate
enough to play from a nice, clean
fairway lie all the time. In fact, for many
of us, were more used to playing out
of thick rough, in the trees or other
off the beaten track locations. The
next time you find yourself in a bit of
a pickle, use these tips to get your game
back on track.
90% chance
10% chance
Ball in the rough
1st Cut of rough: If youve just

missed the fairway and your ball is
sitting down in the light rough, take
a more lofted club to help you get
the ball up and out. Quite often, you
will get a flyer from this type of lie
this is where grass gets between the
clubface and the ball and thus prevents
backspin. The ball will usually travel a
bit further because of this (often about
one club further).
2nd Cut of rough (thicker stuff): if
you are deeper in the rough, and the
ball is sitting deep in the grass, dont get
greedy; just get the ball back in play:
Choose a more lofted club like a
pitching wedge or 9-iron; the deeper
the ball is buried, the more lofted
In the rough (left), in a grass tussock (inset) and from the trees (right)
club you should use to get it out.

Remember: when you strike the ball,
the grass will tend to grab the club
and twist the clubface.
When you start your backswing,
cock your wrists a little more than
normal and chop down, keeping
your wrists firm through impact. The
steeper backswing will help you hit
down on the ball, making it easier
to get the ball up in the air.
Grass Tussock
The way you play this shot depends

on how the ball is sitting. If it is difficult
to get the club to the ball (i.e. if the
grass will stop the club before impact)

you will risk hitting the ball deeper
into the tussock (and a wasted shot).
So we would suggest you take your
medicine and take a penalty drop. If,
however, you can make solid contact,
then proceed with caution: your aim
should be just to get the ball onto the
fairway.
Low shots under trees
When you are stuck in the trees,

its always best to take the easiest way
out, and just get the ball back in play.
I know you see professionals like Phil
Mickelson on TV playing miraculous

shots through tiny gaps in the trees;
but remember that they do this for a
living, and they are extremely accurate.
For the average golfer, trying to play a
miracle shot will often compound your
situation and result in wasted strokes.
Instead, take the safer option:
Have a good look at your options;
your best bet may not necessarily
be towards the pin. Pick the biggest
gap that will allow you the highest
percentage chance to get the ball
back onto the fairway.
Choose a club that will help keep
the ball low, like a 5- or 6-iron. Play

the ball back in your stance (towards
your right foot for right-handed
golfers). Playing the ball back will
help take loft off the club at impact,
keeping the ball flight low under
the branches.
Hard pan, soft soil or sand,

hitting out of a sand-filled divot
With all of these types of lies you
need to hit the ball first before the
ground.
Play the ball back in your stance.
Keep your hands ahead of the ball
A U S T R A L I A S
or level with the inside of your

left thigh.
Keep your wrists firm through
impact.
Hitting out of an unfilled

divot
If you are unfortunate enough to
land in an unfilled divot, dont let it
beat you. It is really rewarding when
you play these shots well.
Depending on the distance you
are trying to hit the shot, choose
a club that has enough loft to get
you up and out of the divot.
You need to hit the ball first before
the ground. To do this, play the
ball back in your stance.
Keep your hands ahead of the ball
or level with the inside of your
left thigh.
Have a slightly steeper backswing
and keep your wrists firm through
impact.
The ball will fly lower than normal
because the ball is sitting down and
you are playing the ball back in
your stance. Allow for a bit more
roll or run.
Hitting off pine needles or

sticks
Move whatever you can without

disturbing the ball, or breaching
the rules (i.e. if you are in a
hazard).
Play the ball back in your stance
to ensure you hit the ball first.
G O L F
N E W S
Game management 41
L E A D E R
Swing easy, and keep your tempo

smooth.
Tree roots
Be really careful when your ball is

resting on or near a tree root. I know
several golfers that have seriously
injured themselvesusually their
wriststrying to play these shots.
Have a look at the angles you can
get club to ball without hitting the
tree root. Make sure you consider
what will happen after impact
with the ball.
You may even be able to use your
putter, and putt the ball away from
the tree root back into play.
If you cant come up with a safe
solution, take a penalty drop and
accept the fact that you probably
shouldnt have been there in the
first place!
Shot Shaping
When shaping your shots (i.e.

to bend a shot around a tree or
obstacle) always remember to aim
your feet where you want the ball to
start and your clubface where you
want the ball to finish. Then, simply
swing along your toe line.
Low Draws
Aim your clubface to your target
and aim your feet to the right
of your target (for right-handed
golfers). This will ensure your ball
flight starts to the right.
Swing the club along your toe line,
with a more in to in swing path.
(Clockwise from left) In a sand-filled divot; near a tree root; in an unrepaired divot; in the sticks
In other words, a flatter swing

plane around your body.
Keep your wrist movement loose
and allow your wrists and hands
to release.
Low Fades
Aim your clubface to your target
and aim your feet to the left of
your target, (for right-handed
golfers). This will ensure your ball
flight starts to the left.
Swing the club along your toe line,
with a more out to in swing path.
When you start your downswing,

keep your wrists firm; feel like
your left side is doing more work
pulling the club through impact,
keeping the clubface open.
Playing in the wind
When its breezy swing it easy.

The reason we say this little mantra
is because when we are playing in
the wind, it is harder to keep your
balance and tempo. The worst thing
you can do is to try and hit it harder
when playing in the wind.
Grip the club slightly shorter for

better control.
Take an extra club or two and
swing with the same tempo as you
normally would. Use a -length
backswing to help keep your
balance and ensure a low followthrough.
A tip for putting in the wind:
widen your stance for better
balance, and remember the wind
will influence what your ball does
on the putting green.
42 Game management
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Assess, decide, rehearse & commit

GlennWhittle
GOLF is difficult enough as it is, we need to
do everything we can to make it easier to play
consistently and score well.
The four step process below is related to what
I suggest you do prior to each shot. Note that
this is NOT a pre-shot routine (which focuses on
the physical things you do at the ball, like aim,
adjust your posture, look at the target, number
of waggles, etc) but instead, these are the things
to do before you hit any shot on the golf course.
Lets take a closer look at these steps and how
they can increase your confidence and help you
play better golf.
The first step is to ASSESS things such as:
Distance you are from the hole
The lie of the ball
The wind
The pin position
Where the trouble is near the green
Next, you should DECIDE on which shot
you are going to play, i.e are you going to hit
your normal fade or are you going to try and
hit a draw against the wind? A very important
question to ask is:
If I were to hit ten balls right here right now,
which shot could I safely hit eight out of ten
times?
From my experience too many players question
the shot they are playing when they are over the
ball about to take the club away. Thats too late!
Lets be honest, how can you commit to a golf
shot if you have not made your mind up as to

which shot you are going to hit? In the photos
above, I am assessing my shot ahead, thinking
about my lie, the wind and deciding between
my 8, 7 or 6-iron.
Now an important step: I encourage you to

REHEARSE what you have decided to do. There
are two steps to rehearsing:
1. The physical rehearsal where you make a
few swings trying to improve your feel for
the shot, and

2. The mental rehearsal where you stand behind
the ball and visualize (mentally rehearse) the
shot, the more vivid the rehearsal the better.
Picture yourself in the clothes you have on
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
today, the wind, hear the sound of the ball

hitting the centre of the clubface and see
your playing partners telling you how good
of a shot it was.
Now you have assessed, decided and rehearsed
both physically and mentally so you are ready to
use your PSR (pre shot routine) and COMMIT
to the shot at hand.
If you have done the previous three steps
correctly the commitment stage should be a little
easier. Commitment means using your pre-shot
routine, which should include a deep breath
and a few soft waggles of the club at address to
release the tension from your body and mind.
The auto pilot then kicks in and, before you
know it, you are watching that round white
N E W S
Game management 43
L E A D E R
missile flying towards your target.

It may seem that this is a lot of work to
go through prior to hitting each shot, but I
can assure you that if you want to play more
consistent golf you need to follow this process
every time. If you are anything like me you will
notice, when breaking down a round on the
way home, that you wasted several shots not so
much due to execution (even if they were less
than desirable shots) but because you chose the
wrong shot to play in the first place.
The Knock Down

One of my favorite shots in golf is the knock
down. To be honest I dont know why more
club golfers dont practice and use it during a

round. It requires a shorter swing, which makes
it easier to repeat, while the clubhead speed is
normally slower than a full shot, therefore ball is
less likely to slice or hook as much as a bad shot.
Lets take a closer look at how we set up and
swing to hit this shot effectively.
SET UP Hands ahead of the ball, ball slightly
back from centre, approximately 60% of your
weight leaning into your target side (left for a
right hander)
IN SWING Feel like your weight stays
forward on your target foot even though you
turn your hips and shoulders, swing your
hands back to approximately chest height in the
backswing and hip height at the finish position
One thing I really like about this shot is if

the player has poor impact alignments (hand
and club head position when you contact the
ball) then finishing with your hands low (hip
height) is virtually impossible, but the positive
is if you practice these shots in between rounds
your impact position will improve and your
ability to hit this shot should also improve
therefore increasing your confidence
KEY POINTS Swing slow, the slower you
swing, the lower the ball will go and the less
the ball will spin off line (slice or hook). Also,
try to feel like your hands finish low to the
ground. Also notice in the last photo that my
club face is square to my body and has not been
flipped over.
44 Game management
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
De-mystifying fairway woods and hybrids

For most golfers, they are a godsend. For others, they are a
conundrum. This month, we look at the right and wrong ways to hit the mysterious fairway woods and hybrids
LisaNewling
LoraineLambert
FOR many club golfers its important to be able to
play fairway woods and hybrids, as proper distance
is often required for a second or third shots into
the green. Modern technology has changed the
shape and weighting of these utility clubs, making
them much easier to hit.
When purchasing a new Fairway Wood or
Hybrid, lofts can vary between companies and
models, so be sure to check the loft of the club
not just the number of the club has on it.
Many people get confused about where the
hybrids fit in to their bag. Here is an outline of
which clubs are equivalent.
How the lofts equate with Fairway Woods and
Hybrids (Note: Womens golf clubs usually have
a extra degree or two of loft)
DEGREE
15
18
21
24
28
32
HYBRID
1-iron/hybrid
2-iron/hybrid
3-iron/hybrid
4-iron/hybrid
5-iron/hybrid
6-iron/hybrid
WOOD
3/4-wood
5-wood
7-wood
9-wood
In theory, the 3-Wood should go the furthest,

but this is not always the case. There are several
things besides the loft of the club that can influence
your ball flight.
Your Lie: When you decide to hit a fairway
shot you must consider your lie first. Your
3-wood may not always be the best club for
your lie. A way you can check this is to place
your club behind the ball: if the top of the ball
sits below the top of your club, then dont hit
with that club. Go back to your 4- or 5-wood.
With a bit more loft, these are more forgiving
and will have a higher success rate. When you
think about it, there is probably only going
to be about 10-15 meters distance between a
well-struck 3-wood and a well-struck 5-wood
anyway but the risk of mis-hitting or flubbing
the shot with your 3-wood is higher.
Your swing: Do you have a swing that de-lofts
the club at impact?
This can be caused by grip, ball position,
aim and other swing fundamentals. If you are
having trouble with only your 3-wood off the
fairway this could be the case. You are probably
better to hit a 4- or 5-wood. If you hit all of
your other clubs well, then maybe get rid of
your 3-wood. Its easier than reconstructing
Bend forward from your hips; knees slightly flexed, weight on the balls of your feet. Your hands should
hang underneath your chin. Keep your arms and shoulders relaxed. (Dont stand too upright, nor
should you be reaching for the club)
your swing for the sake of one club.
Swing speed: Many golfers over the age of 65
dont generate enough speed in their swing to
hit a 15-degree 3-wood off the fairway. If this is
the case, stick to your 5-wood or 7-wood off the
fairway. Or purchase a more modern fairway

wood that has more than 15 degrees of loft.
Fairway Wood Technique:
The length of the shaft and the shape of the

clubhead encourage you to sweep the ball off
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
If the ball is sitting down below the club, take a more lofted club
the ground rather than hit down on it like an iron
or hybrid. Having consistent posture and set up
routine is extremely important.
Posture is critical to help achieve the correct
swing plane and maintain your balance. You
must bend forward from your hips; knees
slightly flexed. You should feel balanced with
your weight on the balls of your feet.
Your hands should hang underneath your chin.
You shouldnt be reaching for the ball as this
will make your arms tense. Keep your arms and
shoulders relaxed.
Game management 45
L E A D E R
Play the ball ahead of centre in your stance, with the shaft level with the ball (not slanting forward, or behind)
Ball position. Play the ball ahead of centre in your

stance; this will help the sweep the ball off the
ground and have a square club face at impact.
When you set up, the club shaft should be level
with the ball, not behind and not in front.
Tempo is crucial; if you try and swing too hard
you will lose your balance, and the ball could
go anywhere.
Make a good turn to the top of your swing,
swing through to your target and finish in a
balanced position.
NB: A common mistake we see is golfers standing
too upright, this restricts your turn and forces you
to lift your body up and down to try and get any

power. This is very inconsistent.
Hybrids
Hybrids are great clubs to have in your golf

bag. Hybrids most commonly replace your long
irons, especially the 2, 3 and 4-irons. The hybrids
are much easier to hit because of the design of
the club head. The club face is wider and the sole
of the club is deeper than an iron. There is more
weight further back in the head of the hybrid
helping you get the ball in the air. Hybrids have
similar length shaft to your irons; having a shorter
shaft will encourage a steeper angle of attack.

Play the hybrid the same way you would play
the equivalent iron. The ball position should be
just ahead of centre in your stance, for righthanded golfers this is towards your left foot. If
it is a 6 or 7- hybrid, play it more in the centre of
your stance like you would a 6 or 7-iron.
For golfers with a slower swing speed, hybrids
can be a great benefit. Often golfers who feel
their woods are too long and harder to control
will have more success with a shorter club with
more loft.
46 Game management
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Its what you measure that matters

MarkVictorsen
GOOD course management is an area that I
see a lot of amateurs struggling with. Too often,
golfers are having a great round and when told
at halfway that they are going really well today,
they fall in a heap on the back nine! Or they get
off to a bad start and then try every risky shot in
the book for the rest of the round trying to shoot
a decent score.
If you fall into this trap, try the following:
Budget your handicap strokes effectively by
splitting the 18 holes into 6 sectors of 3 holes.
Look at every 3-hole sector and devise a plan
for each of those holes within that sector and
allocate your strokes by the degree of difficulty
you experience on those given holes.
The idea is to break down the course, and then
STICK TO YOUR PLAN!
All the sport psychologists say to Stay in the
present and that is a very hard thing to do when
your mind is trying to work out your acceptance
speech on the 15th tee!
Stick to your game plan, and dont get ahead
of yourself (i.e. thinking If I can just play like
this for the next 9 holes I will have my best ever
score.) And dont dwell on the past we have all
been guilty of thinking how we screwed up the
8th when we are walking up the 12th.
STAY IN THE PRESENT!
I interviewed Steve Williams (Tigers caddy)
last year and it was very interesting to hear,
for example, how they worked out how to play
Hoylake in the British Open (which Tiger won).

Hoylake has these little pot bunkers in the fairway
that mean instant bogey or double bogey if you
go in one. Tiger hit his driver only 3 times in 72
holes and showed the rest of the golfers how to

dissect a course and manage the trouble.
I think its nice to plan for success but we all
need to be realists as well.
This plan has helped many of my members

reduce their handicaps and plot their handicap
reductions.
Hope it helps!
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Mind 47
L E A D E R
The power of the mind

JamieGlazier
GOLF is one sport that is highly
dominated by your mind and the
thought patterns that are created
within that weird and wacky few inches
between your ears. Some people think
that our golf is affected by our minds
more than any other sport, and I would
have to agree.
We have seen it with Tiger time
and time again. Whenever he is in a
pressure situation in a tournament,
its like he switches into a trance and
begins to play unbelievable golf under
the most extreme circumstances.
That is because his subconscious
floats up images and memories of
pulling off these shots under extreme
pressure. Tiger is one of the best at
emotionalising the positive aspects
of his game.
Conversely, lets look at the 2006
US Open, the final hole of the last
round with Phil Mickelson leading by
a shot over Geoff Ogilvy. When Phil
teed up the ball, he looked almost the
opposite of what Tiger would look in
that position. Phil looked a little uneasy
and lacked the self belief that he could
finish it off. It was no surprise that Phil
ended up hitting the shot that has been
plaguing his career for quite a while.
This has a lot to do with how Phil has

emotionalised some of the collapses
that he has had in the past with major
championships.
The brain stores images and
memories in the front of the brain,
like stacking dominoes. The events
and experiences we emotionalise the
most are the images that get stacked at
the forefront of the brain. Therefore,
when we are put in a similar situation
in the future, the subconscious will
float up the experience you have
emotionalised the most.
When I first work with athletes,
one of the first things I notice is how
athletes have been conditioned to
amplify the negative results and to
almost ignore the positive aspects of
their performance.
Their reasons for doing this are
many and varied. Sometimes it
might be to ensure that the people
watching, including coaches and
playing partners, know that the way
they just performed was less than
satisfactory and that they are a much
better player than what they have just
demonstrated. Other times, they think
that showing negative emotion to an
unsatisfactory result is what they have
to do in order to demonstrate their
disappointment.
Tiger Woods is a master of the mental game

Take the example of a player driving it
into the trees or missing an easy 3-foot
putt. Generally speaking, the players
natural response is to react in ways that
show the world how unhappy they are
with the result. Its a reaction we see
from players ranging from club level all
the way through to the top of the game.
Now, what do you do when you drive
it in the middle of the fairway or hole
a good putt? Most of the time players
just let it go without emotionalising

the situation. This can be for a variety
of reasons; including an effort to show
playing partners that hitting that shot
was no big deal.
But by choosing not to react, you
miss an opportunity to stack a positive
experience and emotion in front of the
many negative images that are currently
sitting at the forefront of the mind.
So you are in control of what domino
you stack in the front of your brain, and

by having control over that, you will
also be in control of what memory your
subconscious chooses to recall in future
situations on the course. This is one of
the most powerful tools to have available
to you as a golfer, so emotionalise the
positive, learn from the unsatisfactory,
and you will be on your way to controlling
the images that just seem to pop-up in
your brain before pressure shots.
48 Mind
A U S T R A L I A S
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Overcoming the fear

to succeed
MatHowe
WE often hear about the fear of failure
but the fear of success does as much
damage if not more to the aspiring
golfer. Most people are unaware that
they have problems in this area until
someone comes along and points it
out to them.
What is the fear of

success?
The Fear
of Winning
affects even
elite athletes
like Annika.
Firstly, let us get clear on what fear

is. False evidence appearing real is a
great way to remember what it is most
of the time. Fears tend to lurk behind
the scenes in the subconscious part of
our mind and come up to greet us right
when we dont need it the most. Fear
can also be from a physical danger like
seeing a shark in the water! This type of
fear is helpful because it makes us take
action and maybe swim out of the water
quickly so we are not eaten for lunch.
Mainly though, most of mankinds fears
we face in todays times are mentally
based. E.g. Fear of not being able to
pay the bills, fear of what others will

think of you etc.
The fear of success can be seen in
someone being afraid to win. People
who experience this describe it as being
like a force that overwhelms them and
they lose control of the situation. In the
golfing world this relates to events such
as someone doing all the right things
with their preparation physically but
then mentally folding just as they
look like things are starting to go
their way.
Some past champions like Annika
Sorenstam and Sophie Gustafsen
apparently were so afraid of giving
winning speeches that they would find
themselves consistently performing
poorly towards the end of a great
tournament.
For the social golfer, it could be
things like not putting in practise
because somewhere in their mind
they have a belief that if they get their
handicap down too low then they will
have to put in more work to keep it
there and that will take away time from
other things they enjoy in life.
How does it differ from

the fear of failure?
Fear of failure works its destruction
by having you not taking the risks
you need to take to get the job done.
Because you are so afraid of what
might happen you never really have
a go. This can be seen from the golfer
that has desires of being great but
never really fully commits so that they
can say to themselves oh well I wasnt
even giving it my all so it doesnt really
matter I could do it if I tried.
The main difference is that the
fear of success is a serious concern
about being recognized and praised
for all you can do. Some people
fear that if they achieve all their
goals it will still never be enough
and they wont ever truly be happy.
A few of the things that a fear of
success may look like in your golf
game are:
Sabotaging your momentum of
when you do have a win by not feeling
like you deserve it and stuffing up the
very next round.
A U S T R A L I A S
Being an underachiever for the

work youve put in over a long period
of time. Maybe youre a 12 marker
but really you think you should
realistically be a 6 marker.
Not being able to accept praise for
good rounds and your work ethic. E.g.
You shoot 40 points and someone says
great round and instead of saying
thanks, you go on to talk about all
the things you stuffed up.
A few of the thoughts you might
experience frequently while playing
or practising golf if fear of success
has got you in its grip are:
How can people like me if

I succeed in reaching my
goals in life?
E.g. The tall poppy syndrome of
people wanting to see you come back
to the pack.
There are always more demands and
more needs that have to be met in order
for me to be successful, no matter what
I do it will never be enough.
G O L F
N E W S
Mind 49
L E A D E R
when you do succeed be the first

one to reward yourself so that your
brain remembers a strong positive
experience for next time.
Asking yourself better questions
is a really good way to change
your thinking, habits and actions.
Some great questions for this topic
that I found from psychologist
James J Messina, PhD, Director of
Psychological Services at St. Josephs
Childrens Hospital in Tampa, Fla.
are:
What do I think will happen if I
achieve success here?
What are my biggest concerns
about succeeding in this area?
What evidence is there that I
have not sustained enough effort
to achieve my goals in this area?
Have I ever feared losing peoples
attention, sympathy or concern if
I achieved success here?
Have I ever put myself down for
achieving success in this area?
How to overcome the fear

of success?
How can you turn

your fear into a mental
strength?
The main thing you want to

work on is learning to accept that
everything that comes along with
success is a good thing! It may not
actually be that way in reality but
that is a belief you need to lock into.
Start accepting praise more and
One of the greatest things you can

do for your mental bank account is to
turn a weakness into strength.
It may be time to look into
subconscious tools of mental
improvement such as: visualization,
hypnosis, affirmations, neuro
Imagine yourself taking the bikkies, and feeling comfortable with the praise that comes with your success
associative conditioning, one-on-one
coaching and self image remodeling.
These terms may sound complicated
and awkward but there are technologies
out there to help you work on your
mind just like there are better mobile
phones these days.
You will know when your turnaround
will be complete when your results are
different and you feel normal in how
it all happens. Thats when you know
fear is not living in your mind and
body any more.
In the short term, some good
questions to reflect over are:
How can I improve the ways in which

I reward myself?
How can I eliminate all excuses for
being unsuccessful?
How can I monitor my level of
commitment and motivation to
succeed?
How can I improve the ways I
visualize what it will be like when I
achieve my goals?
How can I improve my self-talk to
assist me in achieving my goals?
How can I learn to accept the
compliments and recognition of
others for my success?
3 things to overcome the

fear of success!
1. Get all the excuses out of the way
before you tee off
2. R e m i n d you r s e l f re g u l ar l y
throughout the day of why you
deserve to play well.
3. Imagine yourself succeeding and
being comfortable with all the little
things that go with that.
50 Mind
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Is this Tom Watsons mental

game secret?
DrMikeMartin
ON the Turnberry links at the 1977 British Open,
Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus 10 strokes
ahead of the field and paired together for the
final two rounds had an epic shot-for-shot
battle for the claret jug.
The Duel in the Sun ended in a one stroke
victory to Tom after Nicklaus went 65-66 against
Watsons 65-65.
Thirty-two years later and back at Turnberry,
Watson needed only par on the 72nd hole to
capture a sixth Open title. A bogey sent him
into a playoff with Stewart Cink, who eventually
prevailed.
But along the way, Watson had marched into
the history books as both the oldest golfer to
lead after any round of a major, and the oldest
player to lead a major going into the last round.
59-year-old Watson has an artificial hip and
can reasonably expect to be outdriven by young
players, but it is his irrepressibly positive attitude,
developed over four decades that keeps him in
contention.
Lets have a look at Watsons mental game
secret.
He is a master at focusing on what is working
in his game. This is one of the most important
ways to build self-belief and playing confidence.
Heres an example of Watson demonstrating his

focus on the positives approach in part of his
interview after the 3rd round of the Open this year.
Frankly, when I finished the practise round on
Wednesday, I really felt good about my chances to
do well in the tournament. And so far so good.
Ive played well. Ive kept the ball in play off the
tee. I was driving the ball in the fairway and,
you know, the most important thing is to drive
the ball in the fairway. Tiger is gone because he
couldnt drive the ball in the fairway; he couldnt
get it there. But for some of us its been a good
week that way.
See how Watson supports his self-belief by
finding evidence of what is working in his game?
Read it again and see if you can count at least
four pieces of positive evidence that he uses in
this interview snippet.
One he had a good practise round on the
Wednesday. Two hes been playing well in the
tournament over the last three days (so far, so
good and Ive played well.) Three Hes kept
the ball in play off the tee. Four - Hes been
driving the ball in the fairway.
Even when asked about his one over for the
front nine that morning (a birdie and two bogeys)
Watson focuses in on what is working in his game,
and he even reinforces his mental philosophy
no negative thoughts!
Accentuating the positives helps keep Tom Watson mentally strong

Well, what I did today, you know, I scrambled
really well today. And when you have that feel
around the greens, that keeps you going. You
know, youre not thinking any negative thoughts.
If I hit it in a bad place Ill get it up-and-down.
Again Watson refuses to accept the negative
implication in the journalists question and goes on
to talk about what is working his feel around the
greens, and the need to avoid negative thoughts.
So next time you play, take some mental game
advice from Tom Watson. Before you tee it up,

spend a little time reflecting on what is working
and what youve been doing well. Once you are
on the course think about whats working in your
game. Not only will it improve your game and
your attitude, but it will also help you defend
yourself against others disparaging criticisms
and your own negative thoughts.
Photo: Copyright USGA/John Mummert
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
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Mind 51
L E A D E R
The $11million
mental lesson
DrMikeMartin
WHEN Jim Furyk won the season-ending Tour
Championship at the East Lake Golf Course in
Atlanta, Georgia, he pocketed the $1.35 million
first prize. For winning the season-long point
score, the FedEx Cup, another cool $10 million. His
$11-million-dollar-plus pay day revolved around
an up-and-down from a green side bunker on the
72nd hole.
Furyk splashed out to four feet and knocked in his
par putt to do the job, overcoming some emotionally
crippling pressure and self-doubt along the way.
Furyk had come close to winning at the East
Lake course before:
I missed a playoff when Hal Sutton won here
by one, was second to Adam Scott here one year.
Ive had my opportunities and havent got over the
hump, he said.
No doubt Furyk was pondering if this was going
to be another failure. Especially when his earlier
three-shot cushion dissolved in just three holes.
Still, Furyk had a one-shot lead coming down
17 when he fatted his chip right of the green. He
got up-and-down for bogey.
I was pissed at myself going to the 18th tee
making bogey on 17, Furyk said.
Now he had to make par to win, and the weather
was only making matters worse.
There was a lot riding on my round today,
a lot riding down the stretch in some terrible

weather... The rain threw me for a loop, he said.
When Furyk stood up on the 18th tee the
demons really kicked in. This was the exact hole
and the exact situation he was in when he missed
the playoff with Hal Sutton.
I had to make a par to get in a playoff, and
I hit it too hard and it ran through the back left
of the green and youve got nothing there, and
I remembered that from probably six, seven,
eight years ago.
Furyk ended up hitting it weak right and into
the greenside bunker.
Just to add a little more pressure to the occasion:
Coming up 18 I assumed I was playing for the
FedExCup, Furyk added.
Does it get any tougher than this?
How do you deal with all that pressure and selfdoubt? Terrible weather... a history of failure at
this exact hole... a tournament in the balance...the
chance to win the season point score and pocket
an extra $10 million...
...and the ball in a bunker, requiring an upand-down to win.
I knew I left it in a spot that I could get the
ball up-and-down, Furyk said.
But why was Furyk so confident he could do
the job from the bunker? He simply searched his
mind for answers. How could he do it? He found
plenty of reasons to believe.
Jim Furyk
This was probably my best bunker week of
my career this week. I dont know what I was
in up-and-downs, but I bet I was probably 80
percent or more. (Actually he was nine from
nine, 100%.)
Walking into the bunker, Furyk let all the
pressure and self-doubt go. He just looked for
reasons why he could play the shot. He intuitively
knew his up-and-downs were good and so he
was confident to play the shot for what it was.
If you take the situation out, the sand is nice
and firm, ball is sitting up perfect, I had plenty
of green to work with. You know, it wasnt an

overly hard shot.
This was textbook mental toughness! He
stayed focused on the job and kept looking for
reasons why he would deliver. Typically most
players with no mental skills training tend to do
the opposite. They focus onand are haunted
bytheir mistakes when they go to play critical
shots. Well heres Jim Furyks battled-tested $11
million mental skills training lesson so you dont
make that error... and you can get it for free.
Photo courtesy USGA/Steve Gibbons
52 Mind
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Poulter Twitters
Mental toughness
DrMikeMartin
IF you are a golf fan who uses Twitter, then you
should check out @ianjamespoulter. In between
Ian Poulters funny quips, family anecdotes and
English Premier League fanaticism you get an
insight into the mind of a top flight professional.
The day after the US Masters, where Poulter
finished 6 shots behind Mickleson and tied 10th,
he tweeted that he was very, very disappointed
with that finish.
At Augusta, Poulter was disappointed with
his driver which was surprisingly going left all
weekend. I felt my golf game was in shape
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday of Augusta. I
played great Thursday (68), Friday (68), and
then hit a tee shot a little left off the 1st, which
is really unusual for me. And from that point
I wasnt happy with the driver. Not that theres
anything wrong with the driver, but I wasnt
comfortable standing on the tee. And from
that moment on, it starts playing in your mind.
A few minutes after Poulter tweeted his
post-round disappointment, he tweeted again
but I guess you learn from mistakes made.
For many players you learn from your
mistakes is just a feel-good statement to give
hope for the future when youre feeling down.
But for Poulter it began his fact-finding mission
to rebuild shattered confidence.
I go to the range (the next week)... and

I look on video at a number of things very
closely, and I wasnt happy with a couple of
segments. I found something on camera...
my left heel was coming off the ground at
the top of my backswing, so, therefore, I felt
I was unstable. I couldnt then plant it and
transfer my weight onto the left side properly...
And by feeling that left heel on the ground
for longer, Ive got more height at the top of
my backswing, Im releasing the club better,
and my whole golf swing feels better, feels
more solid.
Within 15 minutes, Im hitting the ball as
good as Ive ever hit it. I mean, it can be that
quick! So it literally could be within three
shots you can find something which takes
you through a week or takes you through six
months or the whole season.
Poulter understands something that golfers
intuitively know confidence is based on
competence. That is, if you cant consistently
start the ball out where you want it to go,
then it is impossible to feel confident in your
ability. So the question every player needs to
ask is how hard am I going after that swing
competence. Admittedly, when youre hitting
balls all day every day its easier to feel and
understand your swing, but that doesnt stop
every golfer from making a concerted effort
to identify a key swing thought.

That key swing thought allows you to be
focused and confident. Its your mental game
blueprint for every shot you hit and an anchor
in the storm when your game is falling apart.
Its your go to thought that works!
Heres Poulter again:
You know, the discussion four weeks ago
would have been how poor a season Mickelson
had had to that point, which everybody was
talking about... Mickelson has turned his year
around very quickly. He found something in

his swing on the range, and he goes out and
wins the Masters.
You mightnt be able to turn your swing on
as quickly as Poulter or Mickelson. However
if you are committed to working with your
teaching professional on identifying your key
swing thoughts, then you are in the process
of building self-confidence. This confidence
will flow and every part of your game will
improve!
A U S T R A L I A S
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Mind 53
L E A D E R
Free your mind and

the putts will follow
DrMikeMartin
IT was a choke pure and simple when Miguel
Angel Jimenez squandered his two-shot lead with a
double-bogey six on the 72nd hole of the European
PGA French Open. Jimenez admitted Well, you
know, we are human, and I feel a little pressure
there and I feel tense and maybe I swing not like
Im doing all day long.
Under the pressure of winning, the top-flight
Spaniard knew what to do, but he just could not do it.
The only thing I needed to do is hit a good
shot there. I feel like the pressure is getting to me
and I say, have a good swing... But we are human,
I made the shot... I lose my rhythm... I hit the ball
a little bit behind and hit into the water and thats
what happened... Thats probably the very bad shot
I hit all day.
That tighten-up-and-stabthe-ball happens to
everyone at some time. Just ask fellow Spaniard,
Alejandro Canizares who, after 72 holes, had tied for
the championship at 11-under with Italian Francesco
Molinari and Jimenez.
Canzinares folded under the pressure of the threeway play-off. He triple-bogeyed the par-4 after twice
finding the water.
In the playoff, I just didnt play the way I should
have played Carnzinares said.
While Canzinares was racking up his seven,
Jimenez and Molinari had a championship to

fight. Jimenez was under pressure again, with the
playoff being run on the 18th the hole he had
just double-bogeyed. After his playoff drive and
a wayward 7-iron, Jimenez was left with a very
tough chip, which he played into the bank and
ran 10 feet past the hole. It was a critical chip,
but Jimenez did not make the mistake of losing
focus a second time.
The ball is below my feet. Im thinking, go
through the ball, have a good contact with my
hands. And after, I hit a good chip. Its not easy
there because the ball is very close to the semirough there, I had to pitch the ball from the semirough to the green.
Jimenez coached himself through the pressure,
telling himself exactly what he needed to do to
get close to the pin. A perfect lesson in focus
under pressure.
Molinari sank his 15-footer for bogey, leaving
Jimenez a 10-footer for par and the win. Here
Jimenez revealed a putting mental game secret,
learned from 22 years experience on Tour:
Sometimes you try to push and get the ball in
the hole. But no, the main thing when you are on
the greens is focus, and whatever you see there, hit
to there, and free your mind. Sometimes its very
difficult. We are not machines, and sometimes
you start trying to put the ball in the hole and
you start pushing too hard and go on the other

side. The most important thing is to have a good
swing, keep in the moment and see what happens.
Have a look again at what Jimenez says see the
putt and hit it there. Simple and sweet, but as he
says itsnot always that easy. Sometimes overly
keen to get a result you want to steer the ball.
So how exactly did Jimenez free his mind to
play that right-to-left 10-footer... that never looked
like missing...right into the centre of the cup... to

win the Open de France?
One of most important things is keep breathing
and tell yourself to relax, breathe.
So there is the Jimenez putting mental game
strategy, breathe, see the putt and hit it. Twentytwo years of tour experience and 17 European Tour
wins cant be wrong!
Photo: USGA/John Mummert
54 Mind
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Your go-to swing key

MichaelMartin
STRUGGLING with golf s mental game? Rather
than spending your money on another golf
psychology book, your first stop should be your
local PGA teaching professional.
Why? The bedrock of conquering your mental
game is your golf swing. And you need to be
creating consistent ball flights if you are to have
any chance at confidently dealing with golf s
emotional roller coaster.
If your swing cant get the ball consistently
flying in one direction, then you have no basis
for predicting where your next shot will go.
Therefore, you have no reason to feel confident
in the shot you are about to play, and that is not
how you want to feel standing over the ball.
No amount of golf psychology, positive talk,
use of routines, smart course management
or emotional control strategies will help you
overcome the confidence-sapping inconsistency
of poor swing mechanics.
From a mental game perspective, the goal of
your golf lesson is to walk away with one main
swing key. Something that you can focus on that
will build some consistency and confidence into
your swing, and ultimately your game.
Recently Tiger Woods made the mistake of
focusing on too many things at once with his
swing. According to Woods, his triple-bogey
3-wood on the first tee of the third round at The
Barclays PGA event in New Jersey probably cost
me the chance to win the tournament.
I got caught between two swings and I wasnt

committed to what I was doing, Woods said.
I wasnt focused on exactly what I should have
been doing; what Ive been doing on the range;
what Ive been doing for the last couple of weeks.
And it backfired.
Even for golf s rock stars, a simple swing key
is the start a great mental game.
So once youve got your swing key, then you
need to make sure that you actually use it. That
is, you need to try to focus on using your swing
key when you play just like Woods was trying
to do. For example, if your teaching professional
wants you to get wider at the top of your swing,
then make sure you are working on that while
you are playing.
In between shots, take time to do a few practice
swings, just focusing on using your swing key
youll not only increase the likelihood of a better
ball strike, youll also increase your confidence
when you are standing over your shot.
Once Woods got clear in his mind about
his swing key, his confidence and consistency
returned. He rallied after his poor start and
finished with a 1-over 72.
Im pleased how I sucked it up and got it back
the rest of the day, when it easily could have gone
the other way, he said. Hitting a ball like that
can derail you. And it didnt. I got it right back.
Why wasnt Woods derailed by his wayward
drive? Because he knew his swing key the one
hed been working on at the range; the one hed
been playing with the last few weeks. It was
Even for golf s top players, a simple swing key can help you refocus after a bad shot and avoid
derailing an entire round
possible for Woods to suck it up because he
knew what he was doing. Sure it was a costly
mistake, but he was able to mentally get it back
on track because he knew what he needed to
focus on.
So if you start spraying the ball, do you

have your go-to swing key to get refocused
and back on track? If not, then its time to
call your local PGA teaching professional and
book a lesson.
A U S T R A L I A S
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Mind 55
L E A D E R
The switch to
success
JamieGlazier
IT has long been said that Tiger Woods

is one of the most focused athletes the
world has ever seen. I believe that there
are few athletes that have the quality of
focus that Tiger possesses, and he is
obviously in a class above all amateur
golfers that enjoy the challenges that
the game of golf offers.
But what if I said that it wasnt the
quality of focus where Tiger stands heads
and shoulders above his competitors;
but rather it is his ability to switch his
focus ON and OFF during the course of
a round. This enables Tiger to have the
same quality of focus for the last 6 holes
of a round that he had in the first 6 holes.
During Tigers teen years, he learnt
to be able to switch his focus ON and
OFF for each shot, helping him stay in
the present and give himself the best
possible chance of hitting a great shot
right now.
A lot of players believe that switching
your focus ON is the most important
aspect to achieving a consistent high level
of focus. This couldnt be further from
the truth. The switching OFF after each
shot is the most important component
to being able to store enough focus

for the latter stages of a round so that
you can eliminate those late round
mistakes.
Tiger worked extensively with a
Sports Psychologist in his teen years
and one of the important mental game
components that helped Tiger store
this much needed focus, was to create
what he called the Ten Yard Line.
The Ten Yard Line came from the
National Football League (NFL) in the
US, whereby there are incremental
lines on field every 10 yards. When
Tiger was on the course, for every
shot he would visualize his golf ball
in the middle of two Ten Yard Lines.
When he walked over the first line
heading toward the ball, this would
be his mental trigger to switch ON for
the shot he was about to play. Once
he had finished his shot, he would
cross the second Ten Yard Line, and
this would be his mental trigger to
switch his focus OFF and enjoy the
time in between shots, not analyzing
or worrying about the next shot until
it was time to switch ON. This is where
Tiger has an edge over the competition
in being able to sustain a high level of
SWITCH OFF
SWITCH ON
YOUR BALL
Using the Ten Yard Line method can help you control your focus while on the course (Photo by Andy Shaffer)
focus on the last 9 holes on Sunday as
this is generally where his competitors
begin to run out of that all-important
focus energy.
If the gridiron image isnt to your
liking, there is an even easier trigger
to help you switch your focus ON and
OFF during the round.
The golf glove has been used as
a trigger to help golfers all over the
world switch on and off, as it is the
one piece of equipment that a high
percentage of golfers use for every
shot. Another aspect to why the golf
glove is a great trigger is that it uses 3
out of the 5 different sensory systems,

which means it can be developed as an
extremely powerful trigger: you SEE,
FEEL and HEAR the glove being put
ON and also taken OFF.
The next time you head out to the
range or practice fairway, I want you
to use your glove as a trigger to switch
your focus ON and OFF for every shot.
A great exercise to help you achieve
this is to pretend you are playing the
first 6-9 holes of a course, changing
clubs for each shot until you have
reached the green, and then moving
onto the next hole. This exercise will
help you to create the golf glove as

a specific trigger to help you switch
your focus ON and OFF for each
shot, as well as helping you to better
prepare for what you will experience
in competition.
If you can train your mind to use
the golf glove to be a trigger to switch
your mind ON and OFF for each shot,
you will begin to see the quality of
your focus be sustained and available
to you over the crucial finishing holes
that seem to play an enormous role
in whether your handicap drops, or
your frustration levels rise!
56 Mind
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Practice, patience and persistence

Unlike PGA Tour players, the average golfer
cant afford to spend hours at the range every
day. So what can we do to get the most out of
our limited practice time?
RichardNizielski
I AM sure we all agree that every avid
golfer desires to spend more time at
the golf course practicing and playing
golf. Imagine having more time to
iron out the swing faults, perfecting
the putting routine and working on
aspects of the short game. Imagine,
all that extra time at the range and
on the course would make a major
difference to the way we play, right?
Well it might, however that luxury
is not a reality for many of us and
until that day comes, well, the truth
may never be known.
Time spent at the driving range
is precious, so arriving with an
idea of what needs to be worked
on is important. Many of the golf
professionals on the tour make sure
they are aware of how long they are
practicing and what they are there
to practice.
As well, professional players are
working as hard off the course as
on it.
Like athletes of other sports, they

spend considerably more time training
with other methods (vs just playing
golf) than previous eras of the game.
Every year the tours become more
competitive and the need to stay in
shape and compete well every week
is paramount to all the players. Just as
important to the players is the ability
to keep improving and have a long
and successful career.
While many of us dont have to rely
on our golf swing to provide us with
an income, we do all want to keep
improving.
Identifying what needs to be done to
make improvements is often the easy
part of the equation, finding the time
to work on the solution is a lot harder.
When you are time constrained
for your golf fitness there are steps
to take which can help save time and
produce results.
Focus on the areas which are the
most needed and the most beneficial.
For example: If its flexibility that is
holding back your improvement, try
You dont need to be at the course to work on your golf game. Whether at home or at work, there is always time to focus
on golf fitness
to incorporate simple stretches into
your daily routine or while you are at
work. Stretching while watching tv
offers a great opportunity.
If its your golf-specific strength
that is lacking, then modifying gym
exercises that require weights by using
stretch/resistance bands at home or
work during lunch time for a few
minutes each day can be an easy way

to exercise.
Wi t h o u t t r y i n g t o s o u n d
obsessive (and honestly, what golfer
isnt obsessed?) there are ample
opportunities to incorporate an activity
or two into the daily routine that can
help with your golf. Just think of how
many times you have caught yourself
practicing an imaginary golf swing

or putt at some point during the day.
So whether an amateur or a
professional, improving takes practice,
patience and persistence and paying
attention to what needs to be done and
what can be done will help to make the
journey easier.
Happy Golfing.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Mind 57
L E A D E R
Controlling your emotions on the course

JamieGlazier
IN just about every round of golf you
play, you will at one time or another
react to the result of one of your
shots. A high percentage of times
when you experience these reactions,
it will be in a negative form after an
unsatisfactory shot.
These reactions can be on a variety
of emotional levels, which will have
an immediate impact on the state of
mind, as well as state of physiology that
you will experience over the following
5-10 minutes.
If you look closely at those golfers
that are perceived to have the best
emotional control in the game-players like Ernie Els, Retief Goosen,
Fred Couples and the like --you will
notice that they have a great ability to
be able to show NO reaction to shots.
No matter how severe the result is, you
very rarely see them react, which helps
them greatly in being able to stay calm
and free from negative emotional states
over the following few holes.
I perceive this to be one of the
biggest factors in players getting on
the bogey train during a round, as
they hit one poor shot, react to it and
then find it difficult to recover before
their next shot.
One thing that you can do in 2011

to help lower your handicap greatly
is focus on what I call Not Reacting
To Stimuli.
Stimuli are the large number of
internal and external factors that
triggers us to react in a negative way.
Stimuli such as:
Bad Lie
Bad Bounce
Missed Putt
Poor Shot
Playing Partners
Course Conditions
Weather Conditions
And the list goes on and on!
One of the important aspects in
regards to staying in control of your
emotions during the ups and downs
of a round of golf is being aware of
specifically which triggers seem to have
the biggest influence on your ability to
show no reaction to the result of a shot.
Most players will have between 1-3
triggers that seem to consistently pop
up during a round of golf; the first
step is to learn specifically what your
triggers are.
These triggers are the beginning of
the negative process that places you
in a disempowering emotional state
that gets in the way of you being able
to play your best golf, so what we
Good shot or bad? Great players like Ernie Els stay in control of their emotions throughout the round, and dont dwell on the negatives
are wanting to do is to re-program

your neural pathways to create new,
empowering behaviors when these
triggers are activated.
The best way to begin the reprogramming process is to put aside
set time each week that will help train
new behaviours. Time is spent on the
practice facilities, focusing on showing

NO reaction at all to the result of a
shot, as well as time spent playing
holes showing NO reaction at all,
will help create and strengthen new
behaviors that will help you stay in
a more empowering emotional state
during the round.
The more time you can spend

focusing on standing there after
every shot, with no verbal or physical
response, will help you maintain a
more empowering emotional state
during rounds and give you the best
chance of staying off the dreaded
Bogey Train!!
58 Nutrition
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Battling dehydration
RichardNizielski
A GAME of golf should be a relaxing and
enjoyable day spent in the great outdoors,
particularly when you are hitting the ball well
and sinking putts. However many players give
themselves an uphill battle in their round by
neglecting some of the simplest of fundamentals.
One such fundamental is not drinking enough
fluid something that is exacerbated by the fact
that golf is played outdoors and more often than
not, in warm temperatures.
Dehydration can have a dramatic effect on
both your physical and mental performance.
Just a loss of 2% of the bodys optimal fluid
levels is considered dehydration in its
mildest form. This small amount of
dehydration can cause a player to
experience physical discomfort, fatigue
and drop in judgment and concentration
none of which are ideal when
trying to aim at the flag and
improve your handicap. If you
are someone who does not
drink much fluid while on
the course, try weighing
yourself immediately before
and after your game - the
drop in weight due to a loss
of body fluid may surprise you.
Because even a small loss of
water can be destructive to an
athletic performance, a good
hydration plan is vital. Dehydration occurs when

the bodys fluid loss exceeds the fluids being taken
in, and, apart from an illness, the most common
reason for dehydration is not drinking enough
fluids or drinking the wrong types of fluids.
Everyone is different when it comes to hydration,
however here are some simple strategies that may
help you:
An easy calculation to work out your minimal
daily fluid intake (when not engaged in physical
activity) is:
Body weight in kg x 0.03 = Litres of water
per day.
Avoid drinks which have a diuretic effect
on the body. These include drinks that contain
caffeine, including the so-called energy drinks
and alcoholic drinks. Both of these will cause
you to go to the toilet more often, resulting
in a quicker loss of fluid. Approximately
half an hour before Tee-off have a drink of
around 300 500ml. Most sports
drinks and sports waters are ideal
as they contain approximately
6-10% of carbohydrate and
are convenient. (But watch
the sugar!)
Take enough water with
you to last the whole round,
and aim to drink a minimum
of 250ml per hour as you move
around the course.
Every third hole, have a small
amount of sports drink. This will
Keeping hydrated on course is critical to your performance

provide a source of carbohydrate fuel and water
and also help replace the electrolytes that have
been lost. The sodium in these drinks encourages
fluid intake by stimulating the thirst mechanism
and enhances fluid absorption and retention.
Following your game, make sure you keep
replacing the fluids and the carbohydrates which

will assist in refueling the body and aid recovery.
Many players like to enjoy a relaxing beer or
two after the game, and this is fine as long as
you remember to drink a glass of water between
each beer.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Nutrition 59
L E A D E R
What is the shot

cost of your food?
What you consume on
and off the course can
significantly affect your
performance and score.
Here are a few tips.
PeterMcConnell
MOST golfers I know have a keen interest in
finding ways to improve their game and score. I
have been fortunate enough to play golf in many
areas of Australia, the USA, and even Scotland. I
have noticed that regardless of where I play, the
food selections are relatively very similar.
Understanding that the topic of Nutrition is
both enormously diverse and mostly confusing,
I will put some concepts forward here with the
intention of showing that what you consume
on and off the course will directly affect your
performance, and then you can try some things
out for yourself.
Firstly, the quality of what you eat is at least as
important as the quality of any other product you
choose to buy. Routinely, the majority of people
will be very careful in choosing a car, a house,
a computer, and obviously their golf clubs. Yet
choosing food is mostly around whatever is

cheap and filling. If I suggested you could shoot
consistent scores using the cheapest, lowest-quality
clubs and balls you could find, youd probably
laugh. So why think any differently about the
food you eat?
In the same way that alcohol has an obvious
effect on the body, regular food and drink also
affect the bodys systems, but in a far more subtle
fashion. Nevertheless, they still play a strong role in
determining your mood, energy level, focus, blood
sugar balance, and ultimately, your performance.
For example,
if you stimulate
your system by
consuming too
much sugar, good
decisions become harder to make, you will tend to

over-swing the club, and then react more strongly
to your poor play than you normally would, which
then affects your next few shots as well. After the
sugar rush you will go into an energy slump and
find it difficult to concentrate for a while, also
adversely affecting your performance. Generally
people reach for more sugar, and the process starts
again. This doesnt sound like a great platform to
shoot a good score from.
We all know golf is a fine mixture of power,
finesse and patience. Eating just any food will
give you the same inconsistent result as playing
with just any club or ball.
Here are a few simple rules to eat by:
1. Drink lots of water if you are concerned
about electrolyte loss, simply drop a pinch of
Celtic Sea Salt in a litre of water. Though I can
assure you the dehydrative effects from a lack
of water are far more severe than the effects of
less electrolytes. Water is the only fluid that will
reverse dehydration. I drink at least 1.5 litres
through a round, more on hot days.
2. Eat balanced portions of foods e.g. if you
have an apple, eat some cheese or nuts
with it, same for a
The good, the bad and the ugly - how does your diet really affect your game?
banana. The idea is to keep the blood sugar

levels constant to maintain a consistent swing
and thinking pattern. The game is difficult
enough without compromising your mental
and emotional balance.
3. Bring your own home-cooked food with a
similar balance of Fat / Protein & Carbohydrate
(Fat content generally comes with the Protein).
I like to eat things like chicken or lamb with
brown rice or sweet potato. Each person has
their own ideal fuel mix that suits them, but
a 50% Carbs to 50% Fat/Protein ratio is a great
place to start.
4. Become more aware of how your body feels
an hour after consuming anything on the
course you will see what foods you do not
react well to.
60 Nutrition
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Fuelling up for the round

RichardNizielski
IT happens to so many golfers while
playing a round of golf. A great start
for the first few holes, then it all starts
heading south. The technique becomes
harder to maintain, straightforward
shots get fluffed and easy putts are
missed. It was all working so well on the
driving range and the practice green,
so where did it go wrong?
So many golfers spend countless
hours and dollars to get the best out
of their game, but often neglect the
simplest, most important contributing
factor to improvement nutrition.
It is easy to see how energy-intensive
sports like road cycling or marathon
running require athletes to eat well, but
golfers often overlook their needs to do
the same. The nutritional requirements
for golfers are no less important than
athletes pushing the boundaries of
human physical limits. They are just
different.
Golfers can benefit and improve their
performance from a good nutrition
plan. Here are some simple and easy
ways to help fuel up and blast through
your next round.
1. Eat smaller, balanced meals spaced
about 3 hours apart: Eating smaller

meals helps to keep enough fuel in
the body to keep going throughout
the day.
2. Have a good breakfast: What you
have heard and read is true, breakfast
IS the most important meal of the
day. Well actually, to be precise,
a GOOD breakfast is the most
important meal of the day. Having
a good breakfast will kick-start the
metabolism, get the body moving
and provide the initial fuel for the
days activities. It doesnt need to be
big, something like a couple of boiled
eggs and whole meal toast and some
fruit is good. If you like cereal in the
morning, then try to pick one that
is low in sugar and fat, add some
protein powder to give your cereal
a more balanced nutrient content.
3. Before the round: Depending on
your tee off time you might want to
eat a sandwich for a mid morning
snack. A sandwich made with whole
meal bread, a lean protein like
chicken, tinned tuna or salmon with
some salad is a good choice.
4. On the course: Bring snacks with you
to take on the course. Some good
choices are fruit, mixed raw nuts
and seeds and snack bars, theyre
easy to carry and are a great energy

source. Another easy way to take a
snack on the course with you is a
meal replacement powder mix, its
easy to carry and easy to eat. Make
sure you get something into you
every 4-5 holes.
5. Playing through the last nine holes:
Quick energy-releasing foods like
bananas, raisins or quick energy
food bars are good for giving you a
boost through the last hour of play

6. After the game: Its not over yet.
Exercise breaks down muscle and
uses up energy stores. A good post
game meal will help you recover
from the days efforts, and if you
are playing the following day a good
meal will give you the nutrients
to repair and prepare for the next
days round. Include proteins like
lean meats or fish and complex
carbohydrates such as vegetables

and whole meal pasta in your meal
Golf is challenging enough, it places
demands on a players endurance and
stamina both mentally and physically.
Dont make it any tougher through
something as simple as food. A good
golf nutrition plan just may be the
break-through you need to tackle the
back nine.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
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Health 61
L E A D E R
Fix your slice

before you swing
MichaelJones
FROM a fitness aspect, the golfers slice may
be a direct result of the body being too strong
on one side and too weak on the other. Most
right-handed golfers show adequate strength on
their dominant side but have trouble activating
their less dominant left side.
The right-handed golfer is generally too
strong on one side and as a result their setup usually has the right shoulder taking over
the address position. The left shoulder is then
shoved to left side producing an open set-up.
As a result, the club path works outside and
across at the impact position.
To combat this, many say to just move
your left shoulder across. This is easier said
than done. The physical problem is the left
side of the right-handed golfer is less active
and often has limited strength. Therefore it is
often spun out of the way on the downswing
or impact position.
To change the technique of your swing you
have to change the physical fault. This doesnt
mean complete postural analysis but just
pinpointing the weak area. Slicers have weak
left side muscles, so we design single-side
exercises to help balance the equation and
improve the functionality of both sides of the
golf anatomy.
With todays lifestyle of sitting for long periods,

driving your car for hours to-and-from work,
etc., there is little chance that your posture will
be perfect. To change what you have developed
over your lifetime is a tall order, especially through
generic stretches and exercises. So pinpointing
specific strength limitations in your golf swing
is the way to go.
Many of my first-time clients look at me very
sceptically when we start exercises to re-train
those left side muscles. But they are usually
shocked when, after a few minutes of exercises,
their set-up position has started to show signs of
improvements.
All golfers, regardless of age, can complete
exercises to improve their strength and golf
muscles. Its just a matter of adjusting the intensity
and type of exercise.
A good exercise at the range is to hit some balls,
analyse ball flight and swing path, then activate
your dormant muscles which are causing your setup to be open at address. After 5 or 10 minutes of
exercise, check your address position again, then
hit some balls to reassess the flight and swing path.
This exercise-based solution to establishing
improved address position will give you instant
feedback pertaining to ball flight and path, and
will also change the neurological signals from
the brain to the weak muscles, and tell them to
wake up!
This exercise involves activating the left side muscle groups and works the balance on the right side.
Keep hips square/level, chest up and right leg straight behind you (not across). Try to keep the left knee
behind your toes. This exercise focuses on those less dominant slice happy muscles. Beginners: 1 to 2
sets and 6 to 10 repetitions with a light band tensile.
Advanced: 3 to 4 sets and 8 to 12 repetitions with medium to heavy band tensile.
When pulling up the band, maintain good posture and do not straighten your body or lean back.
Maintain good stability with both sides of the body but intentionally try to be more active with the
left. Beginners: 1 to 2 sets and 6 to 10 repetitions with a light band tensile. Advanced: 3 to 4 sets and
8 to 12 repetitions with medium to heavy band tensile.
62 Health
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Golf and low

back injuries
Lower back injuries are a common ailment for many

golfers. Here are a few general tips and stretches to help
you prevent injury, and develop a spine-friendly golf
swing.
Dr.MarkDimotsos
GOLF is fast becoming one of the most commonly
played sports in the world and whether you
play golf on a social basis or are working
enthusiastically to lower your handicap, suffering a
low back injury is one sure way to slow you down.
Common low back ailments that occur during golf
include musculoskeletal sprain/strain injuries and
spinal disc lesions. Most sprain/strain injuries
occur due to overuse of the spine and involve
damage to the joints, muscles and tendons that
support the back. Whilst disc injuries can occur
during golf, they are often exacerbations of preexisting disc lesions that become inflamed due
to poor preparation and incorrect movements.
When looking to prevent low back injuries,
there are 4 key areas that should be addressed.
1. Warming up and stretching prior to the first tee.
2. Utilising the correct golf swing.
3. Understanding spinal function.
4. Carrying your golf bag correctly.
Warm up
Arriving at the first tee and trying to hit the cover
off the ball without warming up is just asking for
back pain to pay you a visit and most likely set up
camp for a while. Stretches for your shoulders,
torso, hips and hamstrings are imperative before
every game. Simply placing your club behind your
neck and shoulders and gently rotating your torso
will start to loosen stiff joints and tight muscles.
Rolling your shoulders forwards and backwards
with your arms by your side will also facilitate your
warm up. Bringing your knees to your chest one
at a time will help to mobilise the hips and gently
bending forward from the hips whilst seated will
give the hamstrings a good stretch.
Every warm up would not be complete without
performing some easy swings of the club to allow
the body and spine to prepare itself for the force
and torsion required during the golf swing. Make
sure that you stay flexible throughout the swing
motion and remember that gentle motion is far
safer to begin with.
Keeping your posture nice and tall, place a club along your shoulders and gently rotate your torso to
loosen stiff joints and tight muscles. Be sure to keep your head and neck in line with your torso
In either a standing or sitting position, bring your knees to your chest one at a time mobilise the hips.
Keep your posture tall, and your shoulders square.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Health 63
L E A D E R
In either a standing or sitting position, gently bend forward from the hips to stretch the hamstrings
Correct swing
The objective of the golf swing is to provide
clubhead speed and accuracy when making
contact with the ball. This action places pressure
onto the low back muscles and joints and correct
technique is imperative to minimise excessive
joint stress.
The initial setup for a golf swing involves
correct balance. This is achieved by utilizing a

slight bend in the knees, keeping feet shoulder
width apart and placing pressure more towards
the ball of the feet. The spine should remain
straight, and a slight forward bend from the hips
will place you over the ball in a stable position.
Maintaining a smooth rhythm during the
swing is far safer than a forceful, stressful swing.
With a proper swing there should be rotation of

the shoulders, hips and middle back to enable a
more even distribution of the force and torque
during the swing phase. Utilising shoulder and
hip rotation with a controlled wrist snap will
produce far better clubhead velocity than a
stiff back and arm swing. Whilst most golfers
understand the benefit of a healthy golf swing
to the value of their game, very few understand
the importance it provides to their spinal health.
Working with a golf pro or investing in some
lessons would be a wise choice.
Spinal function
Some of the most commonly affected regions
of the spine during golf involve the L5/S1 (lowest
disc joint in the spine) and the sacrum (base of
the spine). Whereas most of the low back joints
have good flexion/extension capabilities, L5/S1
is responsible for most of the low back rotation.
As a result, a poor or stiff swing will cause
uneven pressure on the facet and disc joints
of L5/S1 and result in torsion of the sacrum
and pelvis. Anyone who has suffered an acute
low back injury will understand the pain that
can be associated with musculoskeletal distress
of the spine and involved nerve compression
and irritation.
Golf bag
Whilst carrying your golf bag around for 9 or
18 holes may seem like an easy way to exercise,
it can place uneven stress on your body and
spine. It is recommended to use a golf buggy
to assist you around the course and to swap
arms whilst guiding it. If you need to carry a
bag, choose a bag that has dual straps that can
place the bag evenly onto your back and avoid
carrying the heavy bag on one shoulder. It is
also advisable to select a bag that can stand open
by itself and therefore minimise the need for

repetitive bending to select appropriate clubs.
As with any sport and exercise, regular
stretches will promote further spinal health and
partaking in programs such as Gym, Pilates or
Yoga will strengthen the body to cope with the
forces encountered during golf. In the event
of a painful acute low back injury, an ice pack
to the affected area can reduce inflammation
for the first 24-48 hours. Chronic low back
pain may benefit from the application of a
heat pack but, as with the ice pack, this needs
to be used safely.
If you experience pain whilst playing,
dont try to push through the pain barrier
and continue as your body is sending you a
signal to stop and listen. When low back pain
is persistent or recurrent, it is important to
consult a musculoskeletal professional such as
a Chiropractor, Physiotherapist, Osteopath, etc
to assess the cause of the pain and seek advice
regarding treatment and further prevention.
A note on antiinflammatories
With the easy access to anti-inflammatories,

some golfers are taking tablets before a round
as a presumed preventative measure. This
practice should be strongly discouraged as
anti-inflammatories can have many sideeffects and regular or consistent usage may
lead to various health concerns. Taking antiinflammatory tablets should never replace an
effective warm up.
64 Health
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Six principles of health to lower

your scores
PeterMcConnell
THERE are six Foundational Principles of
Health to improve anything you do. This,
unequivocally, includes golf. The following
principles play a vital role in determining a
good day or a not-so-good day:
1. Thoughts
2. Breathing
3. Hydration
4. Nutrition
5. Exercise
6. Sleep
These principles are in hierarchal order.
As you can see, as important as exercise and
sleep are to our state of mind, they are also
at the mercy of the 4 Principles above them.
For example if your mind is running nonstop and you breathe through the mouth in
an inverted pattern, known as chest breathing,
its quite likely your sleep quality will be
severely compromised. Similarly, if you want
to exercise to feel better, but your hydration
and nutrition are of a poor standard, then
your ability to exercise safely, recover well,
and not injure connective tissue will also be
severely compromised.
Exercise and sleep are important, but in order to get the most out of your game, you must focus on other factors first
The body is a system of systems, and everything
affects everything. In golf, you can now imagine
how your swing may be affected by an unrelaxed
mind, incorrect breathing, dehydration and
malnutrition, poor muscle function and little
sleep! You can also see how stress in any
combination of these principles lead to stress of
the other principles.
There are some golfers on the professional
circuits who have much less than optimal
conditioning in these areas. They have a great
game, but all things being equal, if thats ever

possible in golf, in my opinion any golfer who
also addresses these principles will have a far
better chance of winning.
Simple ways to start addressing each of the
Principles:
Thoughts
Rather than thinking about where you dont

want the ball to go, focus on what line you want
and what the shot will look like.
Stay in the present by focussing on the shot at hand

rather than being dictated by your expectations
and the after effects of any poor shot you may
have just played.
Breathing
Breathe through your nose breathing through

the mouth causes the body to prefer a forward
head posture to increase airflow. Forward head
posture decreases the rotational ability of the spine.
Breathe diaphragmatically - where the tummy
expands and contracts. This is easiest to do at
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first by laying on your back and relaxing with

the hands on the tummy. Practice this way
until you can breathe with ease. The chest
should never rise.
Hydration
Drink filtered water regularly rather than soft

drinks, sports drinks, coffee, or alcohol these
actually have a dehydrative effect. Also the
sugar content of these other drinks can spike
your blood sugar levels which will adversely
affect your decision-making and consistency.
I drink between 2 to 4 litres a day depending
upon the weather and my activity levels. Golf
and water go really well together.
Nutrition
The number one priority for food is the quality.

I wrote about this in the january 10 issue. The
better quality food you eat, the better your
brain works, the better your game goes. The
opposite is also true. For me, quality food
means organic free of chemicals, additives,
sweeteners, colourings, flavourings, and toxins.
The next important issue is balancing fats,
proteins, and carbohydrates. As a starting rule,
have equal proportions of carbohydrates to
proteins and fats. Personally i love snacks like
an apple and some nuts on the course. If i eat
meat, i want some potatoes and other vegetables
to balance the meal out. The whole idea is to
keep your mind at an even temperament. I do
this best through water and balanced food.
Exercise
Like it or not, the golf swing is vigorous exercise

with high precision. The more you can stabilise
the body in movement, and keep a good
balance of strength and flexibility, the more
consistently you will play, and the longer you
will play. Again, aside from the odd examples
on tour, the best golfers are training in the

gym as much as possible. Some programs are
great, some not, but the point is they recognise
the necessity of a strong stable body for golf.
Sleep
Sleep quality is dependent upon the quality of

the five factors above. You can also improve your
sleep quality by not having the TV on in bed, or
working on the computer late at night, or even
exercising late at night. These activities stimulate

cortisol production when the body needs to
increase melatonin production. They cant both
happen simultaneously. Reading before bed is
a great way to relax into a good sleep.
I have just touched on these diverse but
important subjects with the intent of shedding
a little light on areas rarely considered as
fundamental or even consequential in their effect

on golf. Hopefully now you can see how all these
principles can greatly vary our scores, not just our
swing problems or club manufacturers.
As always, if you have any questions in the
realm of golf fitness you would like me to discuss,
please email me at the address below and I will
endeavour to answer you in a future issue.
Healthy Golfing!
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Thinking outside
the box
From juniors to amateurs to seasoned Tour pros

warming up for a round should be more than just the lazy
first-tee stretch and a cup of coffee. Golf-specific exercises
will help get your body in tune while helping your
balance, coordination and swing adaptability.
MichaelJones
WITH the exception of technique advice, many
tour pros seem reluctant to try something
different maybe out of fear or being told
by coaches not to step out of the controlled
environment. I think in any professional sport
athletes need to take some control of their
own destiny; if its not working or if you do
not seem to be improving, then maybe look
at things from a holistic approach.
As a tour pro there are so many variables
you must consider: mental training, technique
training, organizational training etc. I think
golf fitness is just another variable that tour
pros should consider when they have a
schedule for tournaments and travel. Even the
greatest sceptic of golf fitness would have to
acknowledge that if you are in better shape then
you travel and recover better, your immune
system remains active and you handle those
4am wake calls with more of a positive attitude.

Some of the pros I speak to at tournaments
tell me they think theyre doing ok even if they
dont train. My response is usually maybe
youre not working towards your optimal
potential. Theyre happy with that, but who
knows: they may be a major winner in the
making if they just started to think outside
the box.
It seems like golf is such a conservative sport:
tour pros may think completing golf fitness
training or any kind of non-traditional training
which is not encouraged by coaches may result
in them being seen as not part of the norm;
and this may have an effect on their image or
popularity. They have failed to consider that
the top ten players in the world could not give
two hoots if theyre doing training thats not
trendy its the result theyre concerned with
at the end of the tournament.
Static stretching is archaic, and there is lots
Push up on two Swiss Balls: Some exercises stimulate the mind or create a positive distraction for tour
pros while at the same time work at improving balance, strength, stability and co-ordination.
of scientific evidence and studies that prove
that static stretching in relation to golf can
have a negative impact on the golf swing.
Studies completed by human movement
and bio-mechanic professionals support this
opinion. It is crazy to think that, as a leading
nation in many world sports, the science
behind optimizing an athletes ability always
encompasses physical development through
some overloaded training regime outside the
play aspect of the particular sport.
Golf, on the other hand, still relies on
repetitive swing training which is the biggest
cause of injury in the game. It then relies on
non-specific stretching to neutralise the hours

and hours of unilateral non-symmetrical swing
action which builds one side of your body more
than the other side. Considering the money
involved in the sport, its astonishing to see it
so far behind all other sports.
If stretching is so important to tour pros
and their coaches, why dont coaches get their
students to stretch while theyre having a lesson
instead of just hitting balls? I have watched
lots of tour pros for years for many of them,
their physical game preparation was minimal.
Some did static stretching but no warm-up.
Others started by drinking a coffee or energy
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Kevin Morley is a well-known PGA teaching professional who looks after tour pros and many talented
juniors. He agrees with the new ways of including golf fitness training into teaching and developing
new skills as a result
Daiki, Jayson and Mitch are all 16-year-old juniors with lots of talent and are a part of EGFAs Junior
Golf Fitness Squad. They all agree by completing individual activation golf-specific exercises and
related stretches, their swing adaptability, balance and sequencing skills have improved
drink or even light up a cigarette. Of course,

they can do what they like, but it was hardly
inspiring. This may be a contributing reason
why they are still playing the same events
and have not moved on to bigger and better
tournaments.
I know some players think the world is
against them and they should get more
breaks. I think the evidence put forward is
that we seem to base all of our standards on
the abilities and results of players like Adam
Scott, Robert Allenby or Geoff Ogilvy. But
middle-of-the-road players trying to get up
the ladder must use every option available
EGFA has started junior golf fitness classes

with positive feedback from students and
parents. We cover all requirements juniors
need to develop physically and create positive
patterns to reduce risk of injury and enhance
weaknesses. I have been to a junior tournament
in the last week and conducted dynamic
warm-ups for our students plus golf specific
stretching the looks were surprising but
many parents who talked to me afterwards
commented that they thought juniors should
complete golf fitness training.
EGFA is slowly trying to change this way of
thinking. Within the next 3 years our target
to them to make up for their lack of natural

ability others possess. Golf fitness can be one
of those options. Unfortunately many pros see
the examples like John Daly or Jarrod Lyle who
do things their own way but these guys may
possess so much natural ability or DNA, that
they find the competitive nature of golf easy.
If you go to the footy, you see the teams
warm up and complete dynamic stretching
and activation exercises for around 20 to 30
minutes before the game starts. In golf, we
see the old stretch on the first tee or nothing
at all. I think its rife right through from tour
pros to juniors.
is give tour pros and their coaches the most

practical scientifically-proven information
in an effort to at least encourage players of
all levels to not have so much tunnel vision
when assessing their own abilities or creating
development or practice programs. I believe
the next generation of 16-year-old golfers are
creating new systems and activating them to
enhance their physical strength and technique
improvement.
I think some tour pros should have a look at
the new ways of doing things and see whether
they are really putting their best efforts forward
and thinking outside the box.
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Does stretching provide control for your swing?

Stretching is an important part of your golf routine but
it must be specific to your swing issues. Adding a specific
strength training routine for your swing issues is the first
step in reducing that handicap and playing at your best.
MichaelJones
AS a golf fitness trainer I am amazed by students
I teach when they ask why they are not more
consistent and are not hitting it further, despite
lots of stretching but not necessarily using golfspecific activating exercises.
For decades, health professionals have
saturated us with the idea that stretching is the
main priority for all golfers. While stretching is
important, when it comes to developing control
and muscle endurance, golf-specific exercise is
the key to changing your swing dynamics and
performance results.
When you look at a golf swing as a whole, its
a dynamic movement that roughly takes only 1
second, so you need your golf muscles to activate
quickly. Stretching can make you feel loose or
relaxed but sometimes can upset your normal
golf swings range of motion or affect your
timing mechanisms. If you were to combine the
stretching and golf-specific activating exercises
(vs stretching only as a form of pseudo activating
golf exercises) you would find vast improvements
in swing control and muscle endurance.
Think of the benefits of going to the practice
range or sitting in the locker room and completing
a 15 minute combined strengthening and

stretching program, all based around your
swing faults and focusing on balance and coordination.
Touring professionals under the tuition of
Elite Golf Fitness Australia do most of their
warm-up and activation exercises on the same
spot where they hit balls and then return to the
locker room to stretch once the previous tasks
have been completed. While their practice time
has been reduced, their quality of work has
improved. Remember golfers usually spend 4
to 5 hours out on the course so I would rather
have strong muscles and endurance versus soft
and fatigued muscles.
Simply stretching your muscles physiologically
provides increased range of motion, guards
against injury and is essential in your warm up
and cool down routines in your golf performance.
However, long loose muscles do not provide
control if not strengthened. In fact stretching has
the opposite effect, producing less control and in
the golf swing provides more chance of error. To
obtain the best result, a specific exercise routine
for your swing problems should be combined
with a stretching routine that enhances your
swing rather than changing its swing pattern.
Lunges on Bosu: Stretching groin and hip

flexor trunk. Strengthening Legs hips back abs
shoulders. Beginner: 1 to 2 sets, 8 to 10 reps.
Intermediate: 2 to 3 sets, 10 to 15 reps.
Bosu squat and rotate: Stretching gluts and

hamstrings, strengthening legs back shoulders
abs, Beginner: 1 to 2 sets, 8 to 10 reps.
Intermediate: 2 to 3 sets, 10 to 15 reps.
Stretching alone will not increase power by

increasing your ability to produce more club
head speed through a larger swing arc. Without
increasing the strength of the muscle, you provide
less muscle control and stability compounding
any existing golf swing issues you already have.

By complementing your stretching with muscle
activation or muscle endurance exercises, you
can increase strength and control in your golf
swing and extend your longevity in the game.
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Aerobic fitness is
good for golf
RichardNizielski
LAST week I was on the golf course watching
a friend play in a tournament. While her coach
and I walked the course together, it struck me:
of all the areas of golf fitness, the one area that is
often the most neglectedand may seem the least
importantis aerobic fitness. Generally, all the
sporting activities I have previously participated in
have been largely influenced by the need for good
aerobic capacity and recovery, but to what extent
does aerobic fitness influence the ability to play golf?
I had my thoughts on the subject, but walking
the course with a leading PGA coach who works
with several professional players both here and on
the international circuits, I really wanted to know
what his thoughts were.
Generally, the golfers I work with are concerned
about golf-specific fitness issues such as flexibility,
stability or strength. Aerobic fitness often runs a
distant last on the list.
The question is then: what benefit, if any, does
aerobic fitness have for a golfer?
Aerobic capacity is the ability to transport
oxygen around the body and to the cells to
produce energyparticularly in activities that
require prolonged levels of elevated energy output.
In addition, having an efficient aerobic system
increases the ability to recover from activity.
So the more efficiently the body can do this, the

better the body can function.
Of course, some sports need this more than
others, and golf is one of those activities at the low
end of the scale. For sure, playing the game of golf
will never require the same aerobic capacity as
would playing tennis or marathon running, so why
then would training for better aerobic capacity and
reserve help with playing golf?
As a trainer, I advocate fitness and health for
everyone, so while watching the players tee off
and walking up the fairway, I asked the coach if
he thought golfers benefit from aerobic fitness
training and why.
Here is his answerwell, more or less.
Golf requires a relaxed concentration while
playing a shot. Imagine teeing off last, walking up
an uphill fairway and then being the first in your
group to play the next shotessentially giving you
the shortest time between shots.
The brisk walk uphill has contributed to elevating
the heart rate and raising the blood pressure. Now
the challenge is to get the heart rate back down
to a suitable rate conducive to performing the
required golf shot.
Couple this with the need to concentrate on
making the next shotplus a drop in energy as
the round goes onand it becomes apparent that
appropriate training of functional aerobic capacity
Aerobic fitness will not only boost your energy levels on the courseaiding in quicker recovery
between shotsbut it can also improve your overall ability to play better golf
to aid recovery between golf shots will play a part
in playing good golf.
This explanation made me smile. I thought to
myself about the many golfers I see who want quiet
around them so they may concentrate on playing
the shot, but at the same time are struggling to
recover from the walk.
There is plenty of evidence available that
confirms having a healthy cardiovascular system
and aerobic function will boost the ability to
perform everyday tasks, so perhaps an increase

in aerobic fitness may then help with producing
better golf.
If you regularly play eighteen holes in a golf
cart, and the longest walk is from the Pro-shop
to the car-park, you may not see the value or need
for aerobic fitness. Though I am sure you could
find another area in life just as important as golf
that would benefit from being fit and healthy.
Happy golfing.
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Getting to the core of it

PeterMcConnell
FOR many years, the ubiquitous finale to any exercise
program was all about training your abs. Actually, it
still is but now its more commonly referred to as
training your core. In reality, theres not too much
that has changed in my opinion.
This observation is particularly important when it
comes to golf. If you are diligently working on your
fitness and strength, and you diligently complete your
ab workout at the end by doing sit-ups, crunches,
leg raises, obliques etc, then you may or may not be
improving your golfing body.
Hopefully I can impart some knowledge here that
will improve and streamline your workouts. Although
there are various ways of teaching the golf swing,
and there are a great variety of successful swings
out on tour, they will all have certain characteristics
in common.
For example:
1. All good golfers rotate around their body to create
the coiling effect.
2. All good golfers strive to achieve the same position
at impact.
3. All good golfers drive their weight through the ball
and finish their swing on the front foot.
In terms of abdominal training, the core section
of the body is crucial to golf for natural swing
consistency and power. The drum of the torso links
the arms and legs and is therefore responsible for
upper and lower body co-ordination and timing.
So when you compare these observations with the
standard core training which is mostly bashed

out on the floor you will see the limited benefit
and even detriment to regulating your swing patterns
properly.
When training clients, I prefer to challenge multiple
areas of the body at the same time. This is more
beneficial to training for golf, it greatly challenges
the nervous system, and in todays world, it can save
you precious time to complete your other daily tasks.
If you look at the bench press, which is the
standard chest exercise in gyms, you will notice
most of the body is not doing much at all. I see
golfers doing this in order to get stronger for golf,
but what are they really accomplishing? Does having
bigger stronger pectoral muscles improve your
swing? Perhaps. Its definitely not guaranteed and
in many cases can change your whole swing plane.
The idea is to get the whole body stronger, and
in a way that forces it to work as a combined unit
rather than performing several isolated and simple
movements. So, by changing the bench press to
a more complex exercise, you will gain far more
benefit for your nervous system, co-ordination,
stability and core power.
Firstly, there is no point in making something
stronger if you do not also increase its stability
its akin to getting something like a Ford Fiesta and
shoving a V8 in it and hoping it will hold together.
So while working on your strength and power, lets
practice stability at the same time.
Secondly, always know that although the exercise
shown here is relatively difficult, there are always
versions of all exercises to make them easier or
harder. The idea is that you can make any exercise

as challenging as possible in its complexity rather
than simply settling for very simple isolated
exercises that are strongly derived from bodybuilding techniques.
In the photo I am doing a challenging version
of the bench press:
I have chosen a single arm chest press on the
ball with a rotational drive upwards. Although the
weight used here is less than I may use on a bench
or a regular press on the ball with 2 dumbells, I am
forcing my body to stabilise while I rotate. In order
to complete this properly, I have to drive up from
my right foot and through the hip, drive the left
elbow into the ball, rotate the shoulders and press
the weight up and then stay balanced in that position
for a second or so before returning to my starting
position, which is slightly to the right of centre
with the apex of the ball at my shoulder blades.
This may sound more difficult than it is the
really important ingredient here is stability. You
will notice in my explanation that I have almost
described the downswing in golf. I suggest you see
where you are at before attempting this version
as its value lies in the ability to get up onto the
elbow while maintaining good shoulder position
and keeping the torso from collapsing.
So to simplify this exercise, I suggest you start
by laying on the ball with the apex between the
shoulder blades so your head can rest comfortably
on the ball. Using one dumbell, keep hips and
shoulders stable while pressing the dumbbell
upwards. You may notice a pull on your opposing
oblique abdominal muscles this is your torso

trying to stabilise as you change your centre of
gravity.
To make it a bit harder, if you are holding the
dumbbell in your right hand, shift a few centimetres
to the right and perform the same exercise you
will notice more of a pull on your left side. The idea
here is to keep the body completely still just like if
you were laying on a bench, except you are forcing
your body to do the work rather than the bench.
When you feel like tackling the harder version,
practise the motion first without weight and get
used to the rotation and balance.
As a side note, its also important to train the
abdominals in a more explosive pattern, as that
is what you will do when you swing a golf club.
So aim to use a weight that allows you to do 3
to 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions on each side with
one minute rest. Always complete one side first
do not alternate each repetition.
Remember that to get up onto the elbow properly,
you must be slightly off centre towards the side you
are pressing up.
I can promise you this exercise is very taxing on
your body and brain!
Have fun!
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You are what you do

RichardNizielski
THE first half of this year has been a busy one
for me; new clients, new business ventures, extra
travel overseas and working on a university
degree have filled my days and often my nights
as well. Needless to say, I let a few things slide
while taking on these extra activities, my own
fitness training being one area. So, while my
mind has been busy, my body has not. And it
shows. I had become a victim of the use it or
lose it syndrome
Just as much as I believe you are what you
eat, I also believe you are what you do, and
having not done much for the past 6 months
I have been given a taste of what many of my
clients experience: a body that just wont do what
it was once able to do.
This was really brought home to me when
I went to demonstrate a functional exercise
to one of the players I work with and had
trouble doing it.
So many times I have heard my clients say,
I have no flexibility, or Im not as strong as I
once was and I cant believe how unfit I am!.
Well, now it was me saying this.
Its a fact we cannot ignore (and obviously
I did): what we do in our daily lives -- or in
this case what we DONT do -- will affect our
body. A daily routine of hours spent sitting at
an office desk and not moving too much will
affect our ability to perform a powerful and
complete golf swing.
I am sure you are aware that inactivity such

as sitting for long periods of time contributes
to muscle shortening and joint stiffness. This is
not so bad if it is only occasionally; but day in
and day out it can really create some problems.
Short, tight muscles make a short, tight
golf swing. And this makes us more prone to
injuries. But, there is another real problem
that you should be aware of. If your muscles
are short and tight it wont matter how many
golf lessons you have, your golf coach will be
fighting an uphill battle to get you to swing the
club the way you want to unless you address
the problem.
Just like all other sports, golf is no different
in that it requires a certain skill set and
physical ability to perform well. Incorporating
stretching into your daily routine is something
I would recommend for everyone and a good
place to start, though having a sports-specific,
individualised fitness program is the most
efficient way to improving your golf.
For my clients I have them perform a Physical
Competency Test to assist in assembling a
picture of the golfers movement competency
and identifying problems in their Fundamental
Movement Skills that may require further
investigation. The Fundamental Movement
Skills underpin the physical literacy essential
for technical development of golf-specific skills.
Matched with an individualised training
program, consistency and little bit of work,
everyone can improve their golf fitness.
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Exercising: take it one leg at a time

Squats and leg presses are
fine, but single leg exercises
are equally important for
building functional lower
body strength for golf
RichardNizielski
FROM my perspective, it is wonderful to see golfers
improving their performance through strengthtraining programs. However, strength training
is only effective if it produces the desired results.
Strength for golf doesnt necessarily require lifting
like a body builder, what should be a priority is how
functional the exercise is to the activity.
The majority of the time in golf we stand on two
feet to play a shot, so it may make sense then to
train leg strength the same way, using both legs at
the same time with the weight evenly distributed
between both feet. More than likely you would
have seen or done many of the traditional leg
workout exercises, squats and leg press are two
that come to mind straight away, both are great
for building leg strength and have a place in golf
strength training. However, often neglected for
building functional lower body strength for golf
are the single leg exercises.
Whichever method or system of golf swing
you use, inevitably somewhere in there you
will put more weight on one leg than the other,
The single leg box squat

accelerate the club through from the back swing
to the follow-through and come to a stop poised
on the front leg.
Having stronger single leg strength can enhance
your ability to shift and control the weight transition
and help generate speed for the golf swing.
The single leg box squat is an effective and simple
leg strength exercise that will increase lower body
strength, control and stability. All of which help
to create a stronger base for you your golf swing.
To perform this exercise you will need a box,
step or bench thats about knee height that you
can stand on.
Stand on the bench or box on one foot and hold
your arms out in front of you. Keep your torso
A lunge squat
as upright as possible and bend evenly from your
hip, knee and ankle slowly lowering your body.
Keeping your knee and foot aligned, lightly touch
your heel to the floor or as far as your knee and foot
remain aligned. Pause for 1 second, then return to
the start position.
If you are struggling with keeping your balance,
you may like to start this exercise by lightly holding
onto the wall or a pole. Progressively, as you get
stronger, you can move away from the wall and
begin to increase the range of movement, getting
into a lower position.
For those who have knee injuries or damage
that causes pain when doing this exercise you may
find a static single leg squat helpful. Put yourself
A static single-leg squat

into the squat position and hold for 5 -10 seconds,
maintaining alignment and control. Again, if you
need to use the wall for assistance, do so.
Alternatively, a split squat with the rear foot
on a bench or box will help with taking some of
the weight of the working leg and provide extra
stability. As with the single leg box squat keep your
torso upright and the hip, knee and foot aligned.
Whatever your golfing ability, strength training
can aid in your quest to be a better player. With
just a few pieces of equipment, your game can
benefit from a functional fitness and conditioning
program. Happy Golfing!
Images provided by The Golf Athlete
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A fitting start to the new year

RichardNizielski
WELCOME back! I hope you all enjoyed the
Christmas break. So, how many of you are looking
in the mirror and contemplating all that Christmas
cheer? Have you made a New Years resolution to
get to the gym, get fit and shed the extra kilos?
If so, thats great, but before you go charging to the
gym ready to sign-up for the too good to believe
post-Christmas deals being offered, contemplate
this: 80% of people who join a gym in January
dont keep going regularly much past February.
For whatever reason, this is what happens. And
after 29 years of training and working at gyms, I
can confirm that this statement is still true.
Getting to gym and training will take up your
time, so if you are still keen to get fit for your golf,
then a simple home-based gym set-up may be an
alternative to consider.
Many of my clients train effectively in their
own home, with great results. For most of my
clients I recommend they need to complete their
training program at least three times a week to see
benefits and improve. Training at home makes that
commitment so much easier for them.
A basic home gym set-up doesnt require
too much equipment or space. Here is what I
recommend as a starting point for a home gym.
All of the equipment can be purchased at a fitness
or sports store.
1. Set of spinlock Dumbbells and 35 kg of
weight plates: There is enough weight here
for the majority of resistance exercises for

golf and using spinlock dumbbells saves on
storage space. You can buy these as a prepackaged set.
2. Straight spinlock barbell: Make sure the
barbell you buy is compatible with the
weights set as some of the bars and weights
wont fit with each other.
3. Adjustable weights bench: A weights
bench is a necessity if you are going to
train effectively. Having a bench with an
adjustable backrest increases the range of
exercises your can do in your home gym.
4. 2kg and 3kg Rubber Med-balls: Golf has
really embraced the medicine ball as a
training tool. They are particularly useful
for sequencing drills and increasing power
for the golf swing.
5. Fit ball: Sometimes called a Swiss ball, it
is commonly used for core stability and
abdominal exercises. The Fit ball is a great
tool for adding another element to challenge
traditional exercises. My advice is to get a
good quality Fit ball, one that is anti-burst
and holds its shape under load. As a rule,
when I buy a Fit ball for a client I order it
through my sport physiotherapists clinic to
make sure I get a quality product.
6. Gym mat: You want to be comfortable while
doing floor based exercises, a yoga mat is
great as it provides the comfort and rolls
up for easy storage
One other item I would include is a mirror for
checking form when performing the exercises.

Do the sums and weigh up your options;
perhaps a home gym set-up combined with a
golf fitness training program suitable for your
needs will be just the thing needed to achieving

your New Years resolution.
Happy golfing
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Take your
medicine (balls)
RichardNizielski
LAST month I gave a rundown of the gym
equipment I recommend to my clients if they
are doing their golf fitness training at home.
Amongst the equipment listed, I mentioned
medicine balls as part of a home gym set up.
Medicine balls or medballs have become
increasingly popular with golf fitness training
and can be used for a variety of exercises and
drills.
Medballs come in a variety of sizes and
constructions. The type I find particularly
good are the rubber live medballs; live
because they have air inside and rebound off
a hard surface when thrown against it. That
quality makes this type of medball great for
throw and catch exercises and these types of
exercises are great for increasing power in
the golf swing.
Here are a several medball throwing
exercises to help develop power in your swing.
Depending on your experience and strength,
a medball of between 1-4 kg will be sufficient
for the majority of the throw and catch
exercises shown here. You can purchase a
medball from most sports equipment stores
or ask a physiotherapist clinic if they have can
order one for you. If you still have no luck then
feel free to email me and I will send you the

details of some suppliers I deal with.
The first two exercises require you to kneel,
this will isolate the lower body, demanding the
muscles of the mid-section to do the majority
of the work in the throwing action. If kneeling
is a problem, these exercises can be done from
a seated position on a chair or bench.
1. Kneeling alternate side throws:
In a kneeling position facing the wall, hold
the ball with two hands on one side of your
body. Rotate the waist as if making a back
swing, Begin the throwing action releasing
the ball at the wall in front of you. From the
rebound, catch the ball on the opposite side of
your body (like in a follow-through) and repeat
the movement from the opposite side. Repeat
for 10 repetitions.
2. Kneeling lateral throws:
In a kneeling position hold the ball out in
front of you and rotate from the waist into a
backswing. Without hesitation move into the
throwing action and release the ball so it hits the
wall on your side. Catch the ball on its return and
immediately go into the backswing again. Repeat
the catch and throw action for 10 continuous
repetitions. Repeat on the opposite side.
3. Lunge lateral throws:
Assume a lunge position parallel to the wall.

Holding the medball in both hands rotate from
the waist and move into a backswing. Begin the
throwing action releasing the ball at the wall.
From the rebound, catch the ball and repeat the
movement for 10 repetitions. Repeat the drill facing
the opposite direction.
Taking a lunge position narrows the base from
which you are performing the throwing action
which challenges your balance and stability muscles.
Single leg exercises add another element to
exercises including balance and add requirements
of stabilisation and control.
4. Single leg lateral throws:
In a golf posture stand on one leg holding

the ball out in front of you. Rotate from the
torso into the backswing. Throw the ball at the
wall and from the rebound, catch the ball and
return to the backswing position. Repeat for 10
repetitions continuously. Switch to the other foot
to repeat the exercise once completed, face the
opposite direction and repeat the repetitions
on each foot.
These are just a few of the exercises I use with
my clients to develop swing power.
As with all exercise, start easy while focusing
on good form and control.
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Your mum was right: good posture is everything

RichardNizielski
HANDS up all of us who were ear-bashed by
our parents for slouching. My mother would be
giving gold stars out to the golfing community
if she knew how important good posture is to
the golf swing. You only have to watch the PGA
television coverage to see how important a good
posture is, nearly all the top professionals look
like they have had a straight edge surgically
fused to their spines when they are over the
ball at address.
We often term this spine position neutral
spine or neutral posture. This position is not
only a basic requirement for golf, it features in
many golf fitness drills and exercises as well.
Dead-lifts, good mornings, bent over flies and
rows are a few that rely on good spinal alignment
and postural control. All of these exercises can
be a benefit to your golf fitness yet unless you
maintain a good posture and support it with
the correct muscles, you may do yourself more
harm than good.
To help my clients with understanding the
term, neutral posture and how to find it, I use
a step-by-step procedure they can follow when
they are in the gym or at the golf course.
Doing the following procedure in front of a
full-length mirror really helps so if you can get
in front of one then do so.
To find neutral posture:
Stand with your feet hip/shoulder width apart
and with your weight evenly distributed on both
feet. Look forward at the horizon, lifting your
head up from the crown and drawing your

chin slightly in. Imagine a string attached
to the crown of your head (the soft spot on a
newborn) that is lifting you up.
Next, place your hands on your hips and
begin to rock your pelvis back and forth creating
anterior and posterior pelvic tilt. Imagine inside
the pelvis is a bowl of water. As you rock back
and forth the water splashes out the front and
back. You should be using only your lower
abdominal muscles and lower back muscles to
create this movement, so try to keep the rest
of your body fairly still.
Once you have found the extremes of the
pelvic tilts, begin to rock less each way until
coming to a stop equidistant to both extremes.
In your mind see the bowl becoming still,
balanced and the water in the bowl coming
to rest.
When you have found this halfway point for
the pelvis it should feel like you have partially
engaged your tummy muscles. To help with this,
imagine doing up your belt buckle one extra
notch by drawing in your lower abdominal
muscles slightly.
Once you understand where this position is
and what is feels like, try reproducing it bent
forward in golf address posture.
Maintaining posture and control of the golf
swing relies on optimal control of the tummy
and low back muscles, without this, stability
and weight transfer in your golf swing is that
much harder, and robbing you of power and
distance.
Posterior tilt
Neutral position
Anterior tilt
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ussian twist
PeterMcConnell
THERE are literally dozens of good
exercises for golf. However, those
exercises are not all necessarily good
for all golfers. Conversely, some
exercises are wonderful for all golfers,
but unfortunately their power is lost
in the translation from observation to
execution. This can occur from lack of
body awareness from the exerciser, or
from lack of attention to detail from
the teacher, or both.
One of these special exercises that
is good for all golfers is the Russian
Twist on an exercise ball. I have
seen this exercise demonstrated and
performed many times by Personal
Trainers, Golf Coaches and golfers,
but rarely have I seen it executed in
a way that would allow the exerciser
to gain any real benefit.
The issue arises in the springloading and torque creation of the
body, and subsequent acceleration,
uncoiling, and deceleration of the
movement. As all golfers are aware,
the angular change between hips and
shoulders from address position to
the top of the backswing creates that
coiled feeling to then unwind in all
sorts of manners and styles. If you
excessively turn your hips in the

backswing you will lose both power
and consistency. The same goes for
the Russian Twist.
As you can see in the photo of the
Starting Position, I have maintained a
strong triangle shape of my chest and
arms; the centre of my chest points at
my hands; and my hips have turned
relatively little. This will give you
the same coiled feeling as the top of
the backswing. The next movement
is derived from driving through the
right foot and rotating the hips. This
creates good acceleration for the
torso and ultimately the hands to
sling over the ball 180 and just as
importantly, decelerate to a strong
finishing position on the left side.
Then you proceed as a left-hander and
accelerate to the right and decelerate
to the original starting point.
The other 2 photos show (1) a weak
upper body position where the arms
have collapsed across the chest, and
(2) a weak position for the hips to
gain proper rotational drive from
the right foot.
Hold as heavy a dumbbell as you
can without losing form and position.
This gives maximum ability for
power generation. If you are new to
Starting position
Finishing position
Collapsed arms
Over-rotated hips
an exercise ball, practice the feeling

of rotating over the ball from side to
side without trying to generate speed,
but making sure you hold your upper
body triangle correctly; youll get
the feel of coiling the body by only
having a small rotation in the hips.
Your starting and finishing positions
are mirrored images of each other.
If you have used an exercise ball to
a moderate level, then start by using
something like a 4kg medicine ball in

your hands and practice the rhythm
of moderate power generation from
the right foot and hip turn. Get the
feel of what its like to have the lower
body drive the upper body and arms
from side to side. Always practice
the deceleration as well this is
an integral part of consistency and
longevity for power movements, and
the golf swing.
Once you feel comfortable with this

movement, find a weight where you can
complete 2 4 sets of 6 10 repetitions
on each side. Remember the most
important condition of any exercise for
any reason is the quality of movement.
If you sacrifice quality by instilling only
quantity, you will most likely train your
body to perform incorrect movement
patterns which becomes detrimental
to whatever you are doing.
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Post-round
recovery tips
RichardNizielski
SUMMER is back! Personally, this is my favorite
time of the year. Its a great time to get outdoors
and onto the golf course; but all those extra rounds
can be taxing on the body. Recovery from exercise
is an important aspect of an overall health and
fitness program that should be considered, if you
want to get the best out of your golf game.
There are a variety of ways to help in recovering
from a day on the course.
First and foremost, how you fuel your body
will greatly affect how you recover. So getting
enough fluids and having a good diet is important.
Its not necessary to be pious in your approach,
but rather give consideration to having a wellbalanced meal plan and plenty of variety. That
and plenty of water to replace what you have lost
from being out in the hot weather.
After a round, many players feel the benefits
of a warm-down and a stretch. Just 5-10 minutes
of regular stretching after a round will help the
muscles relax and increase mobility. Concentrate
on the big muscle groups like the legs, back, chest
and neck, holding each stretch for around 20-30
seconds or until you feel a change.
Massage is a great way to help tired muscles
relax and recover. The pressure of the massage on
the muscles helps flush out built-up waste products
and make way for a fresh blood supply. If you

can afford a therapeutic sports massage once a
week you will really feel the benefits for your golf.
Alternatively, if a massage every week is too
much on the hip pocket, try using a foam roller
and doing a bit of self massage.
Foam rollers are relatively cheap; you can order
one from a physiotherapist or try your local
sporting store. They come in a variety of lengths
and diameters and using them on tight muscles
much like you would a rolling pin on dough
can really help work out the knots.
A versatile piece of equipment, foam rollers
can be helpful as a stretching aid as well. A simple
relaxing stretch is to lie on the roller lengthwise,
let the arms hang and focus on deep relaxed
breathing. With each breath let the chest open
and the shoulders sink back further. Adding a
gentle rock side-to-side will help to relax the
muscles along either side of the spine.
Hot/Cold hydrotherapy has been a favorite of
many athletes for a long time. The theory is that
rapidly warming and cooling the muscles will
cause vasodilatation and constriction, which
assists to push out wastes and bring in a fresh
blood supply to the muscles. I have seen a variety
of protocols used for this recovery method, but
somewhere in the vicinity of 2-3 minutes of hot
and then cold repeated 4-6 times is good. The best
method of rapid warming and cooling is sitting
Working with a foam roller is a great way to work out knots and stretch your muscles
in a hot spa bath followed by getting into an ice
bath for the required time. If this isnt available,
then alternating between hot and cold showers
works pretty well.
Lastly, Epsom salts is a proven effective way of
relaxing tired, overworked muscles and aiding in
recovery. Adding Epsom salts or Radox as some
may know it, to a hot bath replaces many of the
mineral salts need to aid recovery. Epsom salts can
be bought at most chemists with the instructions
on how to use them on the packaging.

Recover and relaxation is essential to any fitness
program, as you can see it doesnt have to be
complex nor does it have to be time consuming.
Some of the methods listed here are merely an
extension of a daily routine, but with a bit of
modification and regular, consistent application,
they can provide powerful benefits for recovery
and for your game of golf.
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Better safe
than sorry
RichardNizielski
THE majority of the time, the articles
we write are aimed at improving
golf fitness. We aim to point out the
importance of increasing overall
specific golf strength, stability and
flexibility to improve the golf swing.
By now I am sure you get where we are
coming from, that being the healthier
you are the better you can enjoy your
golf game and lessen the chance of
injury.
However, so many players I meet
professionals and amateurs alikehave
had or currently have an injury of some
description. The most common golf
injuries are of the back and neck, which
you would expect, given the nature of
the sports one-sided rotational, wound
up action.
Another common injury for golfers,
especially those who hit off mats the
majority of the time, is the wrist and
elbow. The use of mats doesnt allow
a divot to be taken during the ball
strike; instead the action sends a jarring
reverberation back into the joints of
the arm, leading to a higher chance
for injury to those joints.

Having injuries of any type
whether they be from golf or other
activities are not going to help your
golf swing. Injuries tend to make people
favour that area and modify their swing.
This generally compounds the problem,
opening another can of worms and the
possibility of more injuries occurring.
What may seem to be a fix, then, may
be more harmful in the long run.
So what should you do?
Well, firstly, if your livelihood is not
dependent on having to play every
day, then stop and rest the injury. That
sounds like sacrilege to some of you I
know, but wait and hear me out.
Rest the injury and seek professional
advice. It is important to talk to the
people who know what they are doing
and have experience with golf related
injuries.
Believe me when I say Australia
has some of the best allied health
professionals in the world that specialise
in the sport of golf. These include Sports
Doctors, Sports Physiotherapists,
Exercise Sports Physiologists and
Trainers, which are all accessible and
A healthy body is a happy body

all wanting to get your body right and
pain free.
I recently visited a country where
the game of golf is exploding but the
willingness to get proper advice on
swing technique and golf fitness is
next to nil even though it is right
there for them.
I witnessed so many unorthodox
(by that I mean dangerous to ones
health) golf swings, all self-taught and
all bordering on a physical disaster.

What makes it worse is that the coaches
available to these golfers are all PGA
certified and not being utilised!
It doesnt take a crystal ball to see
the future pain and misery many of
these golfers will have through a lack
of improvement and injuries occurred
from golf.
If you are experiencing pain or have
a reoccurring injury, perhaps then you
need to get in touch with one of the

aforementioned specialists and get
some answers.
Golf should be an experience where
you learn and challenge yourself,
not one where you worry if you can
function without pain the next day.
You may be surprised as their advice
may just be the thing.
Happy Golfing, Richard
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Sit-ups and
dumbbells
RichardNizielski
RECENTLY I was at the driving range with a
college mate and we got into a conversation with
a fellow golfer about functional exercises for
golf. The topic turned to chest muscle exercises
in particular push-ups and their place in
developing a golf-ready body.
His address position was typical of what I see
with many of my clients, rounded upper back and
shoulders forward, which in this case indicated
tight, short chest muscles and some stiffness in the
upper-back area, both of which were hindering
his ability to perform a full backswing and follow
through. I asked what he did for a living and what
he did for improving his golf fitness? The answer
was a common response I get from many of my
clients: A predominantly desk-bound career and
I do some cardio training as well as some pushups and some abs training.
Without getting into a full on training session
with him, I suggested incorporating some
stretching for his chest and upper back area and
dropping the push-ups.
Now please dont misunderstand, push-ups
are a great exercise perhaps even a classic when
it comes to general fitness training, but are they
for everyone? Well, like most things there is not
a yes/no answer to this question.
Push-ups as I mentioned are a great exercise,

they practically incorporate the whole body;
strengthening the muscles of the chest and
the front of the shoulders, the anterior deltoid
muscles and can be modified for a variety of
ability levels. However, for some players they are
just not the right exercise to do when it comes
to improving their golf swing.
Generally, many of the players I work with
dont need more chest strength to improve their
golf swing. More often, it is mobility and stability
that is needed. In fact, very little chest strength
is required when swinging the golf club.
A great exercise for encouraging more
mobility and stability in the chest and anterior
shoulder muscles as well as improve functional
strength is the Dumb-bell Chest Fly exercise.
This exercise provides not only a strengthening
element, but a functional stretch component
as well.
Lie on a flat or incline bench with the dumb
bells above the chest. Due to the nature of the
movement the dumb bells do not have to be too
heavy. Engage the shoulder blades down and
slightly back holding them flat to the bench,
stabilising the shoulders.
With your arms slightly bent at the elbows,
lower them out to the side, keeping your elbows
slightly bent as you do. Go to your full range of
motion and, as you do this, you will more than

likely begin to feel a stretch in the muscles of
the chest and front of the shoulders.
At the bottom of the movement, hold for
a moment and begin to return to the start
position by squeezing the chest muscles
together while keeping the shoulder blades
flat on the bench.
Note: When you have completed the exercise
repetitions, lower the weights to your body and
sit up before placing the weights on the floor; its
a safer way to get the weights back to floor and
to save your shoulders from any excessive strain.
A couple of other points: Start with a
relatively light weight and work on increasing
your range of motion, if that is your area of

need, and work slowly to avoid injury.
It goes without saying that any exercises and drills
you adopt for your golf fitness should aim to have
a positive impact on your ability to perform your
golf swing. As I mentioned, push-ups are a great
exercise, but perhaps not for everyone, however
neither is the dumbbell chest fly exercise. It is merely
an alternative and a possible solution to a problem.
Often it is not so much the exercise that is the
problem; it is whether that particular exercise
is helping achieve a positive change in the golf
swing.
Happy Golfing.
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Warm-up for the

winter stretch
PeterMcConnell
THERE are many views regarding stretching
and warm-up routines for golf and every other
sport. However, one thing that is universal is
the fact that performance and longevity require
sensible physical preparation prior to playing
any game. Golf is especially important because
the seemingly simple motion of the swing can
mask the true physical load on the body.
There are also many reasons for stretching.
These include warming up, warming down,
correcting muscle imbalances, relaxing an overfacilitated muscle, or gaining greater overall
flexibility. The techniques required for any of
these are quite varied, so the term stretching
refers to many different methods just as exercise
encompasses a tremendous range of training
systems.
During our winter months, its vitally
important to make sure your body is fully ready
to swing the club properly. This will reduce the
risk of injury, improve performance, and make
your golf more enjoyable. You can accomplish
this by spending 5 to 10 minutes doing some
dynamic stretches that cover all your golfing
muscles. Dynamic stretching (as opposed to

static stretching) is necessary for warming up
to awaken the muscles and stimulate the brain.
If you simply stretch statically, you are helping
the muscles shut down further into a slumber,
which certainly does not help your chances of
firing a solid drive off the first tee.
You can see from these photos that I am
covering muscle groups throughout the whole
body. Rather than stretching one muscle in
isolation (which also takes longer to complete
the whole body), you can stretch lines of muscles
or muscle slings that are connected by their
role of creating any position or motion for the
body. There are 3 stretches in this program, each
to be completed on the left and right sides. By
doing this program you will actually feel like
you have exercised more than stretched, and
you will be ready to start your game in good
stead even if you cant access a driving range.
With all the following stretches it is very
important to move smoothly and effectively
through the full ranges of motion. If you feel
like holding any end range positions, do so for
no more than 3 to 5 seconds. Its preferable to
keep moving, completing 3 to 5 stretches on
Stretch 1
Stretch 2 Extension
each side.
Stretch #1 is a lateral motion: When stretching
to the right, you will be targeting your right inner
thigh and the left side of your torso, all the way
up through to your left tricep. To accomplish
this you must have your feet a bit wider than
shoulder-width apart or you will not feel the
inner thigh stretch. Notice the direction my
left forefinger is pointing this is the direction
you must reach for. If you just allow your arm
to relax rather than reaching away from the

body, you will only feel a moderate stretch in
the mid-torso area. Move smoothly from side
to side reaching out each time.
Stretch #2 is a flexion / extension movement
that requires good focus and control of your
end positions. Start with one foot forward,
arms in the air. The flexion portion requires
you to bow down while rocking back on your
back foot and lifting the toes of the front foot.
A U S T R A L I A S
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Stretch 2 Flexion
Reach back with your hands as though you
are getting ready to dive into a pool. This
position should give you stretches from the
front calf and hamstring, up through the back
and into the arms. Notice the direction of the
fingers again. As you rise up into the extension
position, rock forward onto your front foot,
raising the back heel, and driving the hips
forward similar to the finishing position of
a swing. You can see I am now reaching up
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Stretch 3 Finish
Stretch 3 Start
as high as possible while also reaching back.
In the correct position, you will feel stretches
in the front of the hip of the back leg, up
through the abdominals and perhaps into the
shoulders. Move through these positions with
care and strength. If you only lean back without
reaching up, you will feel far more pressure
on your lower back, which is not advisable.
This is a very powerful stretch.
Stretch #3 is a combination of the first two.
You can see my starting position has a split

stance at about 45, weight on the back foot
with opposite arm reaching around the back
leg. This is similar to the top of the backswing
except for the squat. Drive across and up onto
the front foot, reaching all the way around and
most importantly, up into the air as high as
possible while still rotating. This is also a very
powerful stretch when done correctly. You
will feel this all the way through the rotational
sling you have moved through from the back

hip, through the abdominals and back and
into the arms. Again, notice the direction of
the fingers.
If you do not feel the power of these
stretches, please make sure you look at
each position carefully and follow the most
important rule: Always reach out and away
from the body, not around the body you
will feel the difference if you try them both.
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Drills
Part 1: Full swing technique

LisaNewling
LoraineLambert
DRILLS are used to improve specific areas of your
technique; they can be used for full swing technique,
pitching, chipping, bunker play and putting. There
are hundreds of drills you can use; you just have to
use the drills that you can relate to, to give you the
correct feeling and correct positions.
Over the next few months, we will demonstrate
some of the drills that we use at Sapphire Coast Golf
School to help our students improve their technique.
Problem: Poor posture & set up
If you have poor posture, it is hard to maintain

a repetitive swing and good balance. You need a
consistent routine to help you set up correctly.
Watch your favorite players on TV; their swings
might vary but they will all have a consistent
setup routine.
Many players have had tips from friends about
setting up, like sit on the bar stool or stick your
backside out. We find that people who sit on the
bar stool are more likely to become too vertical
with too much knee bend. As for the stick your
backside out; this can cause a tilt in your pelvis
and a bad arch in your spine, locking your vertebrae
together. These tips have been around for years
and can be dangerous as they can cause injuries
to your body.
Fix: Posture drill
Here is a routine to help you achieve the correct

posture:
Stand up tall with your feet together, holding the
club in front of you.
Bend forward from your hips about 30 degrees;
allow your arms to hang down in front of you, your
hands should be hanging underneath your mouth.
Allow your head to sit in its natural position.
Take a sideways step with each foot so that
your feet are shoulder-width apart. If you are
female, quite often your hips are wider than your
shoulders; if so have your feet hip-width apart.
This will help with your balance, giving you a
stable base for your swing.
When you move your feet apart, this is where
you need to have a slight knee bend and feel the
weight distributed towards the balls of your feet.
This helps with balance and the transfer of your
weight during your swing.
Once you are in position, tilt your spine slightly
away from your target. Be very careful you dont
move your weight onto your back foot. You should
start your swing with slightly more weight on
your front foot.
Keep moving either with a waggle of the club or
moving your feet in your shoes, or very slightly
moving on the spot. Be careful not to change
your aim whilst doing this. This movement or
waggle is important as it releases tension in your
hands and body.
Your mates advice to get your Backside out (left) or Sit on a bar stool (right) can actually be
dangerous to your body.
Club down your back drill
Use this drill to check your posture:

With a club in your hands stand up tall and
dangle the club down your back, in line with
your spine.
Hold the grip end of the club against the back
of your head and the club head against your
tailbone.
Tilt forward to look at the ball without the
club coming away from your spine, allow your
head to sit in its natural position; you should
be able to fit 2 or 3 fingers between your club

and your head.
Problem: Poor shoulder turn
Many players make the mistake of turning

down towards the ball instead of across. An
incorrect shoulder turn makes it impossible to
make consistent contact with the ball.
Fix: Shoulder turn drill
Without a club take your set up and place your

arms across your chest.
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Drills 83
L E A D E R
Club path
inside the
toe line
Club path
outside the
toe line
Clubface pointing
forward
Correct
swing
plane
To check your posture, hold a club along your spine and tilt forward slightly, without the club coming
away from your spine
Keeping your knees bent, try and turn your
will be making compensations throughout your
left (or front) shoulder towards your right (or
swing making it difficult to consistently square
back) toe.
up the clubface at impact.
If you arent that flexible, just turn as far as
you feel comfortable, some turn is better than
Fix: Square club face drill
none at all.
This is our favorite drill; it has helped so many
Problem: Inconsistent swing plane of our students when they leave us to go and
As you start your backswing and your upper
practise by themselves. It gives you a visual
body starts to rotate back, your wrists need to
guide to where the club should be positioned
early in the backswing.
hinge, (cock or bend whichever term you
Using a mid-to-short iron, pick a target on
have been taught it just means adding movement
the range.
to the wrists to allows you to lever the club and
Place a club along your toe line to help you
keep the club on the correct swing plane). If you
aim.
have an incorrect start to your back swing, you
Early in your backswing, your shaft should be parallel to your toe line, with your clubface pointing in
front of you
Start your swing and stop when your hands
Problem: Strangulation of the club
are level with the outside of your right (or
We all know what it feels like to strangle
back) thigh.
the golf club with your arms and shoulders so
If you are on the correct path the club shaft
tensely that you can hardly take the club away.
should be parallel to your toe line, with the
As stated earlier, this can cause tension and
clubface facing out in front of you.
thus hinder the effectiveness of your swing.
Feet together drill
To practise the path of the back swing, use

the feet together drill.
Using a 9-iron, stand with your feet together
and knees slightly flexed. Hit some half shots.
If you get a good ball flight with this drill you
will know you have the club on plane.
Fix: Grip pressure drill
When you are set up over the ball and

you can see your knuckles turning white,
try this tip.
Squeeze the club as tight as you can, then
relax and give it a waggle.
This is a good release of tension.
84 Drills
A U S T R A L I A S
Make the hole look as

big as a bucket
KurtStegbauer
AS a junior golfer I once read an article
written by Colin Montgomerie about
how he practices putting with a tennis
ball. The very next day we had junior
pennants on, so what do I do? I got
out onto the practice putting green
using a tennis ball to warm up with.
Little did I realise that my fellow junior
golfers were looking at me oddly and
wondering if I had mistaken the golf
clubhouse for the tennis clubhouse. Not
knowing what other golfers were saying
I continued to practice and then went
back to the golf ball. On going back to
the golf ball I was pleasantly surprised
to see that in fact the hole did look
bigger and that I was putting better.
During the round, I holed a number

of putts with ease as the hole looked
huge in comparison to my tiny white
golf ball.
Doing the drill is quite simple. All
you need to do is take a tennis ball out
onto the practice putting green, from
inside 6 feet practice hitting 40 putts
with the tennis ball from different
positions around the hole. After 40
putts with the tennis ball go back to
using a golf ball from the same distance.
The reason that Montgomerie
practiced with a tennis ball was so
that when he went back to a golf ball
it made the hole look bigger. Now, we
all know that the hole isnt bigger, it
simply appears that way. Doing this
drill will give you confidence to putt
the ball with purpose.
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Ladder and Compass drill

MarkVictorsen
PUTTING is 46% of the score, but if
you go to most golf clubs the driving
range is full and the putting green is
empty!
Ill bet if Kerrie Packer was designing
a business deal like the game of golf he
would look at this statistic and marshall
his troops to focus in on the biggest
profit centre: putting!
The problem with putting is that its
not as much fun as hitting!
To get over this boredom set the
putting green up with many drills and
change activity after 5 minutes.
Try these drills:
Ladder drill:
Use golf tees to create 5 boxes that

look like a ladder laying on the ground
(About 300x300) and hit balls from 5
meters into the first box (dont proceed
till the ball finishes in the box!), then
the second box and so on. This will
give you good distance control and you
can put some pressure on yourself by
working your way up the ladder and
see if you can consecutively work up
the ladder without missing. If you do
miss, its back to box 1!
Compass drill:
You need 13 tees needed for this drill.

Determine the 4 points of the compass,
Compass drill
with the hole in the center. (To do this,
measure with the putterhead in the
cup and place the first tee at the end
of the grip at n/s/e/w). Then measure
off and set a second tee a grip length
further, then repeat for number 3 tee.
Number 13 tee is placed so you know
where you started! The task here is to

hole 12 putts in a row without missing!
If you miss its back to your starting
point and the score is reset!
As you get better, you can start
extending the length of the compass
points further from the hole.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
AnneRollo
The pros putting drill
WOULDNT you love to know how the pros

putt so consistently well?
The bottom line is, of course, they spend so
much time practising. But they have a few tricks
that can help you improve your own putting,
particularly the short ones.
Most problems with short putts come from
poor alignment. Poor alignment causes you to
compensate by swinging across the line of the
putt to get the ball into the hole. This drill fixes
N E W S
Quick tips 85
L E A D E R
both the problem and the compensation because

it gets your clubface aligned well and if you cut
across the line you will hit the clubs, providing
instant feedback.
This putting drill is one the pros use in their
hotel rooms each night. This is a short putt drill
so set your target (an upturned cup is a good
one) about one metre away.
Put two of your longer irons (say a 3-iron and
4-iron) on the ground parallel slightly wider than
your putter so that the putter can move freely
back and forth (about one cm of leeway on either
side is sufficient).
Line the clubs up straight at your target and

place your golf ball in between the clubs.
Practise using this drill for 10 minutes a day
and in a couple of weeks your putting will have
improved out of sight especially those short
knee-knocker putts.
Pitch the ball in the air every time
Do you create the V on your backswing?

A lot of golfers dont have enough wrist break
on their backswing when pitching. A proper
backswing will create a V shape between the
left arm and the club (see photo)
The wrist break on the backswing encourages

you to hit down to the bottom of the ball which
lifts the ball into the air. If you dont get wrist
break on the backswing you will struggle to lift
the ball and then try and scoop it up instead.
The biggest mistake you can make when
pitching is trying to scoop the ball up into
the air. The more you try and scoop the ball
up the more you will hit it along the ground...
generally straight over the back of the green.
So, check your backswing for the V next
time you are pitching to help you hit DOWN
to the bottom of the ball.
86 Quick tips
A U S T R A L I A S
Zone 1
Zone 2
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Zone 3
Start
1 yd
Ball sitting in
long grass
Dont look at the

ball in the bunker
RichardMercer
AnneRollo
WHEN the ball is sitting in long grass

and you can only see half or just the
top of your ball, the following tips will
help get you back into play.
First, make sure to select a lofted club
that will get you out of the trouble and
get the ball back on the fairway.
Next, move the ball back in your
stance and lean a little onto your front
foot. During your swing, try to make
your wrists break earlier than normal.
This will make the club move away from
the ball on a steeper angle, allowing the
club to come down and slice through
the grass.
WHEN playing bunker shots, do you

tend to send the ball straight over the
back of the green? More often than not,
this is caused by hitting the ball first,
rather than splashing down into the sand.
To fix this, try this quick tip: Next
time, dont even look at the ball. Instead,
concentrate on a spot about 2 inches
behind the ball. Splash down into
the sand and make sure to FOLLOW
THROUGH.
(Remember: The number-1 reason
for poor bunker shots is failing to follow
through!)
Chipping drill: The ladder

About 20 golf balls
4 rods or shafts
Create a ladder on the green using

the rods or shafts. The first rod
should be on the green about a yard
from the edge
Place the remaining rods at 1-yard
intervals
The Set Up
The Drill
MikeBury
You Need
Place your balls on the fringe of the

green, approximately 2 yards from
the edge
Begin by chipping to Zone 1. Your

ball must land in the zone. (It wont
stay there)
You must land three balls in a row

to move on to the next zone
Once you have moved through all
three zones, work your way up and
down the ladder with one ball. (Land
the ball in Zone 1, then Zone 2, Zone
3, Zone 2 and back to Zone 1)
Try the drill with various clubs
Taken From Train Like a Champion:
15 Drills and a Practice Plan to Keep
You on Target
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Quick tips 87
L E A D E R
Are you a slow starter?

MarkVictorsen
IN todays busy world, we often get

to the course, go straight to the first
tee and hit off without any warm-up
whatsoever.
If this is the case for you, 9 times out
of 10 you will spend the first 3-5 holes
finding your rhythm and by then your
chances of a decent round are over!
To get your body (and mind)
prepared for a round, make provision
to do some stretching to get the muscles
to wake up, and then be sure to hit
some balls before play.
At the range, start with some small
pitch shots to get your rhythm started,
and to get the feeling of solid contact.
Follow this up with some full wedges
be sure to aim at a target, versus just
hitting blindly. After the wedge shots,
hit 2-3 shots each with an 8-iron,
6-iron, 3-wood and finally your driver.
As you hit your last drive, visualise
the tee shot you will encounter on
the first tee.
Then go to the chipping green (if
your club/course has one). Hit a few
chip and run shots, a few lob shots and
a couple of bunker shots to dial in your
touch around the greens. Finish with
some putting to get a speed for the
greens, as they change from day to day
Your ball position is different for each club...but not that much
Quick tips: Where should

your ball positions be?
AnneRollo
To get the most out of your game especially the first few holes make sure you
do a proper warmup at the range and chipping area
and morning to afternoon.
I like to do this drill before play: hit
all your short putts to a tee and all your
long putts to the greens edge. Leave
the holes for the other folks who seem
intent on practicing missing before

they play! Putting is 46% of the score
and confidence plays a huge part in
your success on the green. Wait and
see how big the hole looks on the first
DRIVER Ball Position is in line with

the inside of your left (or front) heel,
this helps sweep the ball up and away
which is suited to the driver swing.
Fairway woods: about half an inch
closer to the middle than the driver as
you are still sweeping with this club.
Iron Ball Position: This varies. The
4-iron (commonly the longest iron
most people carry) is played about
two inches left of centre as seen in the
picture; all the other irons are placed

progressively back until you hit the
9-iron which is positioned in the centre
of the stance.
With an iron you are ideally hitting
down onto the back of the ball so
having it more centred suits this type
of shot.
Quick Tips:
Never play your wedge any further
forward than the middle of your stance.
For Putting, the ball should be just
left of centre, this allows your shoulders
88 Quick tips
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
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Pitching
AnneRollo
Start with a basic pitching
distance
WHEN the pros pitch, they have a different
length swing for each distance. From 20m to
about 100m, the pros are dialled in with an
exact swing for that distance.
This is obviously impractical for most club
golfers, as they simply dont have the time it
takes to practise this kind of accuracy.
Heres a way of using this method but
simplifying it to suit your own game: Instead of
having a different length swing for each distance,
pick one distance and then get extremely good
at that.
For women, I would suggest 30 metres and
for men 50 metres.
If you practise this distance and get to know
what length swing you need (say...hands level
with your hips on the backswing) then you
can go up or down from there as the distances
change.
So, ladies, if you find yourself at 40 metres,
then swing a little longer...or if at 20 metres
swing a little shorter.
Once you master the one distance you can
use it as a starting point and vary the length of
your swing up or down from there.
Quick Tip:
It is very tempting to try and scoop the ball
Finding an ideal swing length for your pitches is critical to improving

around the green
when pitching. If you do, it will often run across
the green and over the back.
Instead, focus on hitting down to the bottom
of the ball and brush the grass under the ball.
And be sure to keep the left wrist straight as
you sweep through the shot.
Do you finish with your weight

on your back foot?
Finishing with your weight on the back
foot is a very common fault and causes you
to mis-hit shots, lose distance and even skull
the ball over the green.
Its basically caused by physically trying to
Placing a golf ball under the outside of your back heel is a great drill to help
you keep your weight on the front foot
lift the ball in to the air instead of allowing

the loft of the club to do the work for you.
Unfortunately the higher you try and hit the
ball, the lower it will generally go leaving
your weight back will cause you to top the
ball along the ground.
A quick way to get the feeling of keeping
your weight on the front footespecially on
the short ones like chips and pitchesis to
put a golf ball under the outside of your back
heel when practising.
This forces you to keep the weight forward
during your shot. After a while you can remove
the ball and you will know the correct feeling
of the weight staying forward. Try it first in
the back yard; it feels a bit awkward to start

with, but it will soon work a treat.
Quick Tip:
If you finish your long shots on the back

foot too, you can also use this drill for your
longer shots. Try it with a 7-iron but keep the
swing down to a half-length swing, because
your weight should first be centred for your
long shots. Hit some half shots off a low tee
and really feel the weight finishing on your
front foot.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
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Quick tips 89
L E A D E R
Your credit card can earn you $$$

BrentGerman
WHEN you are out practicing an 8-foot putt,
line up a dead-straight putt. When you think
you have aimed correctly, get a friend to place a
credit card under the ball in parallel alignment
with the putter face on your initial intended
line of the putt.
The card gives you direct feedback on where
you have aimed your putter face. Then when
striking the putt, place the credit card under
the ball.
Balance and the right shoes

DONT keep your head down
AnneRollo
ILL bet you have been told, more than once,
that you lifted your head during a shot or
youve been given the advice to keep your
head down.
Next time you hear it, ignore it. Its basically
an old wives tale and an old-fashioned piece of
advice that causes more problems than it fixes.
Most golfers do not lift their heads as they hit
the ball. In fact most are so conscious of keeping
their heads down they often keep it down so
much that they get crumpled up over the ball
causing the arms to bend to create space, thus
MarkVictorsen
promoting a topped shot.

The more you try and keep your head down
the more likely you are to top the ball as your
arms collapse to give you room.
Instead, follow the Stuart Appleby example.
He sees the ball being hit and then slightly turns
his head as his shoulders turn, allowing him to
keep his arms straight and extend beautifully
out after the ball.
Notice that Apples is turning his head towards
the target as he hits the ball, allowing his body to
turn and accelerate through the shot.
So the key is to SEE the ball being hit but
then come up and through to a nice full high
I DONT know any sport where the most

powerful and skilful players are out of balance.
Golf, like all games, requires a solid base so
you can transfer the energy developed in the
swing to the ball.
We all tend to focus on the swing styles of
the great players but one element very rarely
spoken of is the players footwork. Force or
balance plates can now give us an indication
as to weight distribution front foot or back
foot. With these balance or force plates a
measurement can also show the balance be
it toes, ball of foot or heel both at address
and during the swing.
The example I use is a tug-of-war stance.
Analyse how you stand when you are pulling

on the rope. Most people say they can really
feel themselves gripping the ground when
force is applied to the rope. This connection
with the ground allows the upper body to
transfer the energy to the rope. Martial Arts
exponents take great care with the stance and
understand the importance of a solid base.
Most club golfers have very poor control
over their feet and as a consequence roll all
over the place during the swing. Good golf
shoes also help in giving stability during the
swing. A good pair of shoes should offer
little twist laterally but of course be flexible
enough to be comfortable. Ask your PGA
pro what he uses and follow his lead! Take a
video of your feet and compare with a tour
90 Seniors
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
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Tips for senior golfers

LisaNewling
LoraineLambert
ITs important to keep playing golf throughout

your senior years; golf has huge health benefits,
both physically and mentally.
Some golfers play for the challenge of
competition and some play for exercise and
social interaction.
In a perfect world it would be great to be able
to change our bodies to become more golf fit;
some golfers will work on becoming stronger
and more flexible and some wont.
Strength and flexibility deteriorates as we
age. Old injuries from other sports and arthritis
inhibit movement, and many have had some
form of major operation.
When a golfer comes to us for help we look
to make sure there arent any movements in
the swing that could cause an injury. We look
at the swing to see what kind of ball flight they
have and how repetitive the swing is. The swing
doesnt have to be textbook perfect, but it needs
to be repetitive with consistent contact to the
ball and a consistent shape in the air. We look
to see what is causing the biggest problem,
and we fix it!
The most common problems we see that
affect our senior golfers are: Not warming
up, Posture, Balance, Stability, Tempo and
Equipment. Here are some tips on how you
can improve these areas.
A balanced swing is important for golfers of all ages, but as we get older it becomes more critical to success (Top right) Stretching and warming up is
very important prior to your round (and can save you many shots especially in the first few holes) (Bottom Right) The Squashing a grape between your
shoulder blades stretch helps open up the muscles in your chest and shoulder area
Warm up
Before you hit off, allow some time to warm up.

It is best if you can go for a brisk walk to get the
heart rate up a little, maybe a walk to the driving
range? Stretch and hit some shots either in the
practise nets or on the range. This will help you
get your body moving, rather than using the first
five holes to warm up and damaging your score!
Posture
In very simple terms, as we age our posture
changes. We become more curved in the upper

part of our back, detrition often occurs in our
spine, we can be carrying a bit of extra weight
around our tummy and our butt, and our leg
muscles arent as strong as they used to be.
Some golfers will be able to adapt to improve
their golf posture through strength and stretching
programs, others will struggle.
Try this simple stretch: stand tall with your
arms close to your side, keeping your arms close
to your side and your palms facing out, pretend
you have a grape between your shoulder blades

and try and squash it, drawing your shoulder
blades closer together. This is a really nice stretch
to help open up the muscles in your chest and
shoulder area.
Balance and stability
A good golf swing has a stable base. It is

very important to feel balanced throughout
the swing. If you take your golf seriously we
would strongly recommend you take the time
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
to work on your strength and flexibility. We

will always recommend you to go and see your
physiotherapist first, tell them that you want to
improve your golf and have a screening so that
you dont work on the wrong things. This will
help you use your time effectively.
If you dont wish to exercise to improve your
golf or you have injuries that limit what you can
do, try this little drill. Balancing on one foot with
your other knee flexed in the air try and stay
balanced (without wobbling) for 30 seconds (or as
long as you can). Swap legs and do the same. One
side will always be better or stronger. You can use
a wall, golf club or a friend as help until you can
balance on your own. When you think you are
really good at this, do the same but SHUT your
eyes. Wow, what a difference then! Professional
golfers generally can balance one legged, eyes
shut for 30+ seconds. Many amateurs are lucky
to make 5 seconds.
Tempo
The quicker the swing is the harder it is to keep

your balance. If you find it hard to keep your
balance when you swing, try having a slower
three-quarter-length back swing, in other words
your hands should be about shoulder high at the
top of your back swing. This can help reduce
the amount that your body lifts up and down in
your swing, allowing you to have better control
over your movements and make it easier to keep
your balance.
Equipment
Having the correct equipment is very

important. Technology has certainly made golf
a lot easier for people with a slower swing speed.
N E W S
Seniors 91
L E A D E R
(Left) Balancing on one foot with your other knee flexed in the air is a great drill to improve your your overall balance. (Right) A three-quarter-length
backswing can give better control over your movements and make it easier to keep your balance.
High launch drivers and hybrids in particular
have allowed much more forgiveness and
helped increase the distances hit compared to
the older clubs.
We strongly recommend when you buy clubs
that you are correctly fitted for them. Your
local PGA Professional can help you with this.
Alternatively keep an eye out for Demo Days.
All major companies have these days (check out
the Demo Day Guide in every issue of Inside
Golf), they are a great opportunity to speak to
an expert about their product and discuss what
would be suitable for you.
Loft
It is important to consider having more lofts

in your driver, fairway woods and hybrids. These
lofts will vary between golfers depending on their
technique. The slower someones swing speed is
the more loft required to help get the distance.
Shaft Flex
There are many golf shafts on the market.

Choosing the correct shaft really depends on
your swing speed and ball flight. Golf shafts have
different weights, flexes and kick points. Senior
shafts are generally lighter in weight and more
flexible than a mens regular golf shaft. You can
really see a difference in your ball flight when you

have the correct shaft to match your swing speed.
Length
If you have back problems and you cant bend

forward into the correct golf posture, having
longer clubs will make it much easier for you to
strike the ball more consistently. Just make sure
you are fitted correctly.
Grip thickness and grip type
Did you know there are different grips on the

market? Rubber, cord, multi compound, junior,
Ladies, size 58, 60, midsize, oversize and even
92 Juniors
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
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L E A D E R
Junior Golf Series their first steps in golf
1
LeeHarrington
The Grip
IF an adult golfer wants to teach a junior to play golf,

and they want them to develop and enjoy hitting
the ball well, they must encourage the junior to grip
the club in the right way.
When young kids first pick up a golf club they tend
to place their hands apart on the grip. This creates
two levers and no control of the club for the junior.

Do not be too concerned with a perfect grip
but do encourage their hands to be touching and
together. Some kids can also do better with a twohanded, ten-finger grip rather than learning the
overlapping or interlocking finger grip. What is
important is the palms of each hand face each other
to create a neutral grip.
It is also well worth investing in a junior golf
club to get the right grip size. Cutting down your

old golf club will not allow the hands to get in this
position on the club as the thickness will be too big
for their little hands. In addition, the club will be
out of balance, and the heavier weight may be an
additional burden.
Swing Routine
Developing a solid practice routine with Juniors
gives them fantastic structure with their golf at

an early age. A simple routine I use for Juniors
starting out is:
1. Grip the club (as in tip 1 above), Club face behind
the ball, feet together
2. StepStep (to position their feet apart)
3. Bounce knees keeping weight on balls of feet
4. Turn your back to the target as you swing
5. Swing through to finish, facing the target, with
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
Biomechanics 93
L E A D E R
Muscular loading
ScottBeaumont
IN last months issue we wrote about the physics
and physiology behind generating optimal
power and efficient movement in the golf swing.
This month well focus on physiology of the
muscles and the laws of physics.
When we amateurs watch a professional
golfers swing, we often marvel at how
effortless the motion seems and how far the
ball travels. Regardless of the size and shape
of the professional golfer or his/her personal
style, the swing we see and the ball flight
is something all amateurs endlessly strive
to achieve.
What most of us dont realise is that one
of the primary reasons the golf professional
is so proficient is that his/her body works
in complete coordination, optimizing the
physiology of the muscles and the laws of
physics. Underneath all the variances we
see from swing to swing, each professional
optimizes his/her kinetic link.
How power is generated in the golf swing is a
combination of two things: 1) Conservation of
momentum and 2) Muscular loading. Muscular
loading refers to the stretch-shorten effect of
producing potential energy by pre-stretching
(or eccentrically firing) the muscles prior to
shortening. This stretch-shorten action creates
potential energy which is then used to enhance
the muscular contraction.
During the kinetic link, this action plays two

import roles: the first is to provide more energy
to the muscular contraction that will accelerate
body segments, and the second is to act to
decelerate the heavier adjacent body segment in
the Kinetic Link; thus facilitating momentum
transfer at the lighter body segment next in
the chain (for more on this, see last months
issue, available online at insidegolf.com.au).
In order to effectively utilize both of these
benefits, muscular loading or stretch-shorten
must occur as a function of the bigger/heavier
body segment accelerating while the lighter
adjacent segment momentarily lags. The stretch
occurs as a function of the resulting separation.
Once the muscles begin to shorten the potential
energy created in the eccentric stretch is then
used to enhance the contraction, which in turn
accelerates the lighter segment. AND at the
same time this action decelerates the heavier
segment facilitating momentum transfer to
the lighter segment and promoting segmental
summation of speed.
Applying this to your golf swing
How this applies in the golf swing is on the

downswing: the hips generate anti-clockwise
acceleration around the axis of the spine towards
impact, creating dynamic loading of the muscles
of the upper body. These muscles are stretched,
creating energy that is then used to transfer
energy to the shoulder segment. The shoulder
Professional like Steve Elkington make their swings look effortless by generating anti-clockwise
acceleration of the hips (red) around the axis of the spine, thus creating dynamic loading of the
muscles of the upper body (blue)
segment then follows the lead of the hips in
an anti-clockwise motion. At this time the hip
segment begins to decelerate. This action passes
energy as the muscles of the upper body contract
to accelerate the shoulder segment. The result
is the creation of power and rotational speed of
the shoulders which is twice that of the hips.
The same applies for the upper body and arms;
the muscles in the arms and lats are stretched,

creating energy that is then used to transfer
energy to the arms. The arms begin to follow
the lead of the upper body anti-clockwise. At
this time the upper body begins to decelerate.
This action passes energy as the muscles of
lats and arms contract to accelerate the arms
into impact. The result is creation of power and
94 Biomechanics
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Ground forces and lower body mechanics

ScottBeaumont
IN last months issue we explained muscular
loading. This month we are going to explain the
most important foundation of the kinetic link
which initiates muscular loading: Ground Forces.
No singles link in the process of creating
clubhead speed is considered more important
than any other; however, your swing is only as
strong as your weakest link. During the golf
swing, the transfer of energy and power from
the lower body to the upper body is certainly
the most pivotal, and thus the most common
weakest link.
The role of the trunk musculature in the golf
swing is the same as the role of a crank shaft in
an automobile. Just like the crankshaft turns
horsepower created at the drive wheels, the trunk
musculature turns energy created by the lower
body into power at the upper body. This in turn
creates clubhead speed. With maximum energy
transfer comes maximum power.
Just like a house, a solid golf swing must be
built on a solid foundation. That foundation
is lower body mechanics or ground forces.
The movement of the lower body is composed
of both Linear components and rotational
components. It is this proper interaction between
the two that creates a stable basis for the rest
of the swing.
Your feet generate forces when they push
against the ground. These forces act to propel
your body and create motion. There are two
the golf swing and can be the most directly related

to ultimate clubhead speed.
Faults in Energy Transfer
Fig A: Normal forces
Figure B: Shearing forces
kinds of forces that are important to the golf

swing: Normal and Shear forces. Normal forces
are used to define the linear component of the
swing. Shear forces are used to define rotational
forces of the swing.
the linear component of movement. The linear

component of the lower body during the swing
is very important, because from this movement
that the body develops momentum and enhances
the rotational speed and power the hips.
The Linear Component
Rotational Forces
Normal force is applied by the feet downward

or perpendicular to the ground (see Figure A).
Weight is transferred to the back foot during
the backswing and to the front foot during the
downswing. When weight is shifted to one foot,
the amount of normal force applied by that
foot increases, while the normal force applied
by the other foot decreases. This action defines
Shear force is applied by the feet along the

surface or parallel to the ground (See Figure B).
Throughout the swing, shear forces are being
applied by both feet. These shear forces create
torque that turn the hips around the axis of the
trunk. This defines the rotational component
of the lower body movement. The rotational
component provides the basis for power during
The most two common breakdowns in

transferring energy from the lower body to the
upper body originate with the hip segment.
The first of these is called sliding hips, which
occurs when the hips move laterally to the left
without rotating. No rotational speed is created.
Muscles arent properly loaded and there is
diminished energy created to be passed to the
upper body. In many cases, sliding hips also
indicates an excessive spine tilt. When the spine
tilts, muscles that work to rotate segments around
the axis of the spine become asymmetrical in
that one shortens and the other side lengthens.
This asymmetry cause inefficient generation of
power or speed and can cause increased stress
on the back and joints, resulting in back injuries.
The second is called spinning hips which occurs
when the golfer forces the hip segment through
the swing too quickly. This creates excusive lag
between the lower body and the upper body. The
upper body typically never catches up. The trunk
musculature is never used to pass energy created by
the hip segment rotation to the shoulder segment
which means lost power and lower club head speed.
By building a solid foundation from the ground
up, and then working on the efficient transfer of
energy from the lower body towards the upper
body, you can effectively increase power, distance
and accuracy throughout your game.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
The Croker System 95
L E A D E R
The complete golf swing

Part 1: The grip
This month Inside Golf begins a comprehensive
instructional series on the complete golf swing, from
start to finish. Were thrilled to have Peter Croker 2007
Victorian PGA Teaching Professional of the Year
deliver this in-depth series.
PeterCroker
TAKE the time to learn and understand the grip
and it will be one thing that will totally help your
game, promoting the accuracy and distance of
every shot.
Left Hand
1. Allow the end

of the club to
protrude to the crease
where your hand meets
your wrist.
2. The grip of the club runs
diagonally across the left
hand from the crease in
your palm between your
little finger and heel pad
of your hand to the second
knuckle joint of your index
finger.
3. The fingers, not

the palm, wrap
around the grip.
4. The grip wedges
under the heel
pad of the left
hand. The left wrist
is vertical and on top of the grip.
5. Left thumb is positioned on the
top right hand side of the grip at
1:30. (1:30 refers to time position
on a clock).
6. The V between your thumb and index finger
points at
your right
shoulder.
Right
Hand
1. The middle fingers and forefinger wrap
around the grip

predominantly in
the fingers.
2. The little finger of
your right hand can
either overlap or interlock the left forefinger
(depending on which feels more natural).
3. T h e h o l l o w
of t he p a lm
of t he r ig ht
hand along
the lifeline, is
directly behind
your left thumb.
4. The right thumb sits on the top left hand side
of the grip at 10:30.
5. The V between your thumb and index finger
points at your right shoulder.
push & swing the club up in front of you

and place your right hand on the grip. You
communicate to the club through your hands.
An improper grip will lay in future failure until
the mystery is traced back to an improper grip
and corrected.
Left hand exercise
Gripping the club
1. Standing straight with your weight

resting on your left leg, let your
left hand hang down beside your
left hip. Take the grip of the club
in your left hand.
2. With your left hand,
Grip the club in your left hand only and swing

it with a vertical chopping motion, up and down
in front of you.
When going from cocked to fully uncocked,
the left wrist and the heel pad of the left hand
must be vertical and on top of the club. The club
is wedged between the fingers and the heel pad.
This would be a very secure and strong, anti-slip,
left hand position.
Work through this exercise with the left hand
only and then later with the right hand on the
club to see how the right hand supports this.
Watch a free video clip on The Grip at
www.crokergolfsystem.com/free_first_step.htm
96 The Croker System
A U S T R A L I A S
The complete golf swing

Part 2: Stance
PeterCroker
Alignment
Three point set exercise
Starting from an erect & good posture:

Point 1 - Bend at hips (not waist) allowing
buttocks to push out, then
Point 2 - Unlock knees, then
Point 3 - A) Slide hips slightly left
B) Tilt backbone (not just
shoulders) slightly right.
N E W S
L E A D E R
Ball position exercise
Inside Golf continues our comprehensive instructional

series on the complete golf swing.This month Peter Croker
delivers an in-depth look at stance.
Feet, knees, hips & shoulders should be

parallel to the target line.
Periodically place a club across your toes
after you have set up for your shot. Then step
back and check this alignment. Keep at it until
you can get it right.
Have someone else check your shoulder
and hip alignment by placing a club across
your shoulders and then hips. You could
sometimes swear these alignments are parallel
to the target line, only to find them not even
close!
G O L F
Foot and Ball Position
For a golfer who is 5 foot 8 inches tall, stance

measured from outside the heels may vary from
about 20 inches (shoulder width) for a driver down
to about 16 inches apart (hip width) for shorter
irons. For a taller golfer these measurements
might be a bit wider, for a shorter golfer these
measurements might be a bit narrower. Your
feet would be toed out a bit (about 15 degrees).
Because you are pushing through impact
and will therefore get more extension, the ball
is played opposite the toe side of center of your
clubface. This will allow you to be just that bit
more aggressive through your shots.
Ball position is critical and can vary a bit for

different golfers and maybe for an individual
golfer over time. Hit a ball off a tight fairway lie
(very closely cut grass) and then note where the
ground has been first contacted in relation to
your stance. It may be a couple of inches inside
of your left heel, or vary from this. Repeat the
process placing the ball immediately behind
where you first contacted the ground until you
find the location where you are able to reliably
hit crisp shots, striking the ball first and ground
immediately afterward. This is where you should
position the ball for your future shots with
that club. This position may vary a bit from
long irons to short irons. Perform this test to
determine ball position for chipping as well.
After completing the above, you could also
place some powder on your clubface and make
some shots, ensuring you are striking the ball on
the center of the clubface. You might find that
you have to correct the ball position in terms
of how close you stand to the ball.
Hands & Arms
You have bent over at the hips so that your

shoulders are over the balls of your feet and
your buttocks is out for balance. Your hands
should hang straight down. Now when you
hold a club as the clubshaft lengthens your
hands will ride a bit higher to accommodate
the additional length. For structure, your hands
would be pushing downward and out the
clubshaft, but not so much that this pressure
would move your hands any further out in
front of you.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Extra Tips
Your Head
Because of your tilt, your right forearm

would be a bit lower than your left forearm
and your right elbow is pointing down at
your right hip - not out. Your left arm hangs
extended and your right arm is bent.
For a standard full shot the butt of the
club will be pointing at your belt buckle
(center of your body). This will place your
hands level with the clubhead to just behind
the clubhead when you are using your
driver.
Athletic Feeling
A basketball player, a wrestler or a football

player, ...all take a similar athletic neutral
position. This position allows them to move in
any direction: left, right, up, down, backward or
forward. Have this feeling in your stance.
Your upper body is loose & relaxed. Lower
body has a heavy/springy feeling. Your weight is
distributed evenly between your heels and the balls
of your feet. You can easily tap your toes. Your
body feels in an athletic & balanced position.
your hands pulled in a bit or pushed out a bit at

address and you are asking for hidden swing
problems from the start.
Looking from the front, have someone check

that your neck & head is in line with your spine.
Another factor to consider is that your head is
pretty heavy and you do have to compensate
for its weight leaning forward. Your buttocks
should feel stuck out further than you at first
think would be correct.
A stance that is too wide will tend to restrict

a natural body turn and reduce the amount of
power you can generate.
Clubface Alignment
Hunch
Always aim the clubface first and then align

your feet, knees, hips and shoulders to fall in
line parallel to the target line.
Dont Reach / Dont Pull In
The section Hands & Arms is exact. Have
Too Wide a Stance
Your shoulders and back must not hunch

over to compensate for standing too upright.
Correct shaft length is imperative. For instance,
if your clubs are short, it can make for a very
awkward setup indeed.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
About hitting a golf ball

While building solid grip, stance, and backswing forms
the foundation for hitting the golf ball effectively, you
will not arrive at consistent hitting of the ball without
understanding and applying the following concepts as
defined in this lesson.
PeterCroker
INTENTION is senior to mechanics and you
need to intend to hit (compress) that ball - even
to Enjoy the Hit!
Please relax and test drive the following and be
patient and kind to yourself as the process will
require you to be comfortably there, hitting that
ball shot after shot.
There are three key principles you need to
understand about hitting a golf ball, before you
can have success learning how to hit a golf ball:
1. Deliberate Hit ( A to B) - You are not for
instance, trying to make some lower body
motion first or delay the hit or other such
action. You are just hitting that ball.
2. Direction of The Hit - You are throwing the
clubhead down, out and through the ball and
to the right of the target line. Golf is a two target
game - The Club heads target is the ball and the
balls target is the flag or other intended target.
3. Follow Through - It is interesting to note that

seemingly correcting what you do just after
you have struck the ball is the key to striking
the ball well. Tiger Woods is constantly
making practice swings where he maintains
the thumbs down attitude well into follow
through and thus maintains full extension
of both arms and the club shaft in line with
the left arm for much of the follow through.
The actual action of hitting that ball will be
made easy for you, through a full understanding
of these three principles.
1) A Deliberate hit
You Hit That Ball

Never, Never, Never forget that you are hitting
that ball.
It is a very deliberate (A to B) action like hitting
a nail on the head.
You are not getting into positions or making
some motion near the ball in

the hope that all will go well.
Work on what you like
when making practice
swings, but any and
every time you hit
that ball, you are hitting that ball, not turning

your hip,. keeping your foot down, etc ... you are
there and doing nothing else but just plain and
simple, hitting that ball!
A to B
Hitting That Ball as outlined, is a very deliberate action that when viewed with stop action
would reveal a beautiful golf swing with loads of
things to analyse on the way down.
A) The top of the swing
B) The ball (impact)
Take the clubhead back and just hit that ball.
Throw the clubhead directly into the back of it.
A to B.
Play Golf
You are playing golf when your entire attention
is solely on hitting that ball. Putting something
extra into a long drive, finessing an approach shot
into a tight pin placement, and so on ...
You are not playing golf if you have any
attention on swing mechanics.
Think about what you like during
a practice swing, but starting right
now, never again think about swing
mechanics when you hit that ball.
You must confront that what you
are doing is hitting that ball.
At the start and throughout your
entire career as a golfer, you must
make the decision that whenever you
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
hit a ball, what you will be doing is hitting that ball.

The game of golf and the fun of golf really
begins when, what you naturally do to hit that
ball long and straight actually works.
There is no time to make an indirect motion
before you hit that ball.
Working with any indirect motion or position
on the way down is always destructive.
2) Direction of the hit
It is interesting to note that the clubhead

begins inside the target line and if you do not
have an orientation to push (throw) it down
and out through the ball and to the right of the
target line, you will end up in a very difficult
and un-natural situation indeed.
Because the clubhead is
attached to you via the
clubshaft, when the
clubhe a d has
been thrown
down and out
across the
target line, it
will then
pull
you
up
N E W S
L E A D E R
to a full finish.
You will think that the ball would go to the
right of the target, but you will soon find that
it goes straight and long!
3) Follow through
It is interesting that the key to learning

how to hit the ball well is contained in a full
understanding of what happens just after the
ball has been struck. There is a condition just
after you have struck the ball that is called
Follow Through:
You have pushed the clubhead deep out past
your left shoulder*
* This is a feeling and relative position.
What will characterise
Follow Through is:
1. B o t h a r m s a r e
straight.
2. Both wrists are fully
uncocked.
3. Clubshaft is in a
straight line with the
left arm.
4. The left wrist is flat to
slightly arched (like
Ben Hogan).
5. Shoulder line about
parallel to target line.
6. The clubface will have
been pushed slightly
closed (as a result
of both wrists being
fully uncocked).
There are two pulling
conditions that can
stop you from hitting
through to Follow Through Position:

1. Your hands have pulled ahead of the
clubhead, blocking any Follow Through.
2. Your hands have pulled back, stop-ping the
clubhead from being pushed out deep.
Every shot is hit down and out through
Follow Through.
You dont try and hold this position but it is
a position you will pass through just after you
have struck the ball. It represents a condition of
having pushed everything totally into the shot.
Anything less than this is an indication of some
pulling or bailing out of the shot.
Follow through exercise
Take some shorter shots

and then, as you gain
proficiency, gradually longer
shots. Keep at it until your
whole full swing is a smooth
unencumbered motion.
Work to see that each swing
contains a full and complete
Follow through.
Tiger Woods practices
this as an exercise often
while waiting to play his
shot during play on the
course. If it is good enough
for Tiger, it is worth doing besides it helps stretch the
muscles to avoid hurting
your back or other body
parts.
Once you fully appreciate
and understand hitting out
through Follow Through,
any mystery to the game will have ended. The

natural way you would hit the ball will now
work. Commit to the HIT!
Staying in The Swing or Bailing Out
To really stay in the swing: Extend deep down,
out & through into Follow Through away from
the right hip and right knee which get pushed
back. To the degree you fall short of this, you
are bailing out of the swing.
The anatomy of any Bailing Out of the shot
is Pulling and a lack of resolve to push (uncock
fully) deep into Follow Through and Complete
The Swing.
A U S T R A L I A S
The hit: part 1
1) Power Exercise
The Hit Exercises
PeterCroker
AS pictured above, it would be a workable
analogy to regard the clubhead as rocket driven
and your body as the launch pad. You throw the
clubhead down, out and through the ball to a full
finish using your body as a base to release down,
out and away from. The hips and shoulders will
respond to this throwing action by the hands and
add power and control to support this hand
action for all shots from chip to pitch to full
swing. This is a viewpoint we will be building
on when working through the exercises in the
lessons that follow.
In the golf swing you want Clubhead

Awarenessnot Hand Awareness. But, since
your hands are the Source of Motion for your
golf swing, it is the means through which you
will learn to reliably hit that ball. Educated
hands will be needed to develop clubhead
awareness and control.
Learning how to hit a golf ball will now be
accomplished through a few exercises. Each
exercise is designed for you to learn something
and build on what was learned in the previous
exercise(s). It may take some a bit longer and
some shorter, but with honest work, at the
completion of these exercises you will know
how to effortlessly hit a golf ball long and
straight.
The 4 Hit Exercises for this lesson
1. Power Exercise
(How to generate Power in the golf swing)
2. Accuracy Exercise
(How to guarantee Accuracy in the golf
swing)
3. Power &Accuracy Impact Push Exercise
(How to apply Power & Accuracy in the golf
swing at impact)
4. Impact Exercise
(Defining and drilling in the impact area of
the full swing)
Purpose: To show you how to generate power

in the golf swing.
Take a golf club and stand opposite another
person. Hold the club about chest high:
1. Place the clubhead against the chest of the
person standing sideways to you and push to
the left. Not much power there.
2. Place the clubhead pointing directly in front
of you against the chest of a person facing
you. Have some bend in your arms. Now push
forward on the club. Some real power there,
and you could do some real damage.
This is to demonstrate the all important
principle that for power in golf, you must push
out down the clubshaft. Your hands, by pushing
out down the clubshaft, push the clubhead.
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
1. Assume position (B) and Pull the club back

into position (A).
2. Assume position (B) and Pull the club forward
into position (C).
3. Assume position (A) and then Push the club
into a straight line with your left arm, position
(B).
4. Assume position (C) and then Push the club
into a straight line with your left arm, position
(B).
The above 4 examples are to demonstrate how
the club will push straight, for an accurate shot.
3) Impact Push - Power &

Accuracy Exercise
2) Accuracy Exercise
Purpose: To show how to generate accuracy

in the golf swing.
It is interesting that what guarantees power is
also what guarantees accuracy in the golf swing.
Just after impact you want your left arm to be in
line with the clubshaft (Picture B). Pictures (A)
& (C) demonstrate impact positions that would
cause you to A) hit the ball to the left and C) hit
the ball to the right. Picture (B) would demonstrate
a straight hit.
Purpose: To give you the feeling for how to

apply Power & Accuracy at Impact.
Taking a club, set up with the clubhead a few
inches behind the ball position and get someone
to hold firmly onto the clubhead. If necessary,
move your hands back a bit (but not behind the
clubhead) and really get the feeling your hands
are behind the clubhead. Then, pushing out down
and against the clubshaft, push the clubhead
through impact.
This is a short exercise but absolutely essential
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
that the golfer get it exactly right before continuing

on. It is the precisely completing of this exercise,
that will lay in the foundation for success in the
Impact (Gradient) exercise.
4) Impact (Gradient Exercise)
Purpose: To get comfortable with and learn

how to execute the impact part of the golf swing
flawlessly.
Action Definition of Impact
The clubhead stays on the ball less than one
thousandth of a second, but it is unworkable
to regard impact as merely this small instant.
This results in golfers hitting atthe ball and not
throughthe ball. This produces glancing blows
and not compressing the ball.
The only really workable viewpoint is to
regard impact as the point from when the ball is
first contacted until Follow Through. Instead of
hitting at the ball, this will result in you hitting
through the ball.
It is interesting that what happens after the
ball has been struck determines how it will have
been struck. If you do not hit through to Follow
Through, you will have not first contacted the
N E W S
L E A D E R
ball solidly. This is a highly workable viewpoint

and the defining of impact follows.
In order to make the above an Action
Definition, the word Impact is further defined
through a brief exercise so that you can get the
proper feeling of it.
Drill this in until it becomes second nature. This
is what you are doing and how you feel through
impact in all of your shots:
With a 3 iron (or least lofted club), set up to
a ball at address and place the clubhead directly
against the back of the ball. Your left arm is
straight and the right arm is slightly bent with
the elbows pointing down at your hips. Your right
shoulder is slightly lower than your left (for right
handed golfers). Place all your weight solidly on
both feet. The action of your
hands uncocking (thumbs
pointing downward)
and pushing the
clubhead down, out
and through the ball
will turn the left hip
and the weight will
move towards the
left heel while the
right foot remains
planted and heavy
in the ground. You
will feel the full
extension of both
arms as the clubhead
moves deep down and
out away from your
right shoulder and your
steady head. The shoulders
remain square and parallel to
the target line at this stage of the
drill. This expansion through the ball here helps

produce the compression on the ball and is defined
as the Impact Zone.
Your left shoulder is not turning with the shot
at this stage. You are attempting to push the ball
to the right of the target line. Start very slow,
and gradually build up the speed at which you
can drive the ball forward. You are attempting to
keep the ball against the clubface for as long as
possible. The club shaft will move fully into line
with the left arm and remain in line with the left
arm as you extend deep into impact and beyond.
As you move further into Follow Through the
club shaft remains fully in line with the left arm
and the shoulders turn, releasing the right foot out
of the ground and up on the toe. The right knee
and hip also move as you
come up to balance on
your left side. The right
knee moves in to touch
the left as the left leg
fully straightens. You
will extend deep into
Follow Through.
This exercise will help
get you through the shot
from pitch to full swing
and is well worth the
effort to get it right as
it helps build a positive
hit, more control, and
consistency.
You are trying to do
something that will
never happen.
You are trying to Push
the ball to the right of
the target line. The club
has a hook face designed into it that will cause

your attempt to push the ball to the right, to result
in the ball going dead straight - so long as you
push into Follow Through.
Work with the above until you really gain a
feeling for impact.
Impact (Gradient) Exercise
You can learn anything if you break it down
into small enough pieces, where you move at your
own pace and gradually acquire personal certainty
in the action of hitting a golf ball.
When you work with a short stroke, the impact
action is just as it is with a full swing. Once you
learn how and get comfortable with the hitting
action around impact, your entire stroke becomes
far easier to learn and it becomes far easier to drill
in consistency with a full swing.
A full swing is just a bunch of activity tacked
onto this exact action, with the aim of making
this action more powerful. But it is still the same
simple action. Remember and apply precisely
the Action Definitionof impact from the start
of this step.
No matter what the length the swing is,
you must accelerate through that ball - never
decelerate. Begin this exercise with a Pitching
Wedge. When you have completed steps A &
B - move on to a 9 iron and move through the
same steps. In this way, continue on with your
8, 7 and 6 irons:
A) Hit a ball 3 yards (distance in the air).
B) Gradually increase the distance you hit the
ball until your backswing will go back as far as to
where your right forearm is parallel to the ground
at the top of the backswing.
Get so you can reliably execute impact in this
exercise and you will gain a feeling for impact,
to build a full swing around!
A U S T R A L I A S
The hit: part 2
This month in our continuing series on the complete golf

swing, Peter looks at the part 2 of hitting the golf ball. To
read more, or to catch up with the rest of the series, visit
our website.
PeterCroker
THE Hands are the Source of Motion in an
efficient and orthodox golf swing. Golf is also a
two handed game. Therefore both hands need
to do their fair share of the work.
If one hand is uneducated or wrongly
educated it will negatively impact what the
other hand can do.
In this issue we are going to look more closely
to the role of the right hand in the golf swing.
Right Hand: Swoosh Exercise
Purpose: 1) To demonstrate the great amount
of clubhead speed that can be generated with your
right hand. (Listen to the sound of the swoosh)
2) To show how your right hand can direct your
body in the golf swing.
You can use a clubshaft with a grip but no
clubhead for this exercise. You can hold a regular
club by the shaft near the clubhead end, but it
is best to execute the exercise properly, using a
clubshaft with no clubhead.
Part 1
Much of the mystery of the mechanics of golf

will fade away when the right hand participation
is understood.
Hold your right arm out in front of you and

do the following:
1. Bend your right hand back (it does not cock
up). This is the work your right hand does in
the backswing.
2. Uncock your right hand - resisting any
unbending as long as possible, This is the work
your right hand does in the downswing and
follow through.
3. Repeat 1 and 2 above until it becomes
natural.
Part 2
This part of the exercise is performed while

keeping your left arm extended out in front of
you. This will give you the feeling for what it
is like to swing the club with your right hand
and arm with your body turned back & left
shoulder out (very important!).
Hold the grip in your right hand only and
stand at address position. Tum your right hip
and push your right hand bent to a correct
position at the top of the backswing. Now,
swing down very slowly (stopping at impact)
with your right hand, keeping your left hand
out in front and your body turned away from
the target.
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
Your right hand works exactly as in Part 1 note

how the right elbow moves down in front of the
right hip as the arm moves in close to the body.
Repeat this exercise until you groove in the
feeling of your right hand and arm hitting toward
impact with your shoulders remaining stationary
with your back facing the target.
As a final action, continue to push out down
the clubshaft deep towards the ball and note how
the hips rotate through and the shoulders rock
with the right shoulder moving in the direction
of the ball.
N E W S
L E A D E R
Continue to push out down the shaft to a

full finish over the left shoulder. Note how the
body responds to this right hand continuous
pushing action.
Part 3
Same as Part 2 but leave your left arm at your
side and swing and swoosh the end of the shaft
as fast as you can. Your body stays back and
your left shoulder out until you push deep into
impact, then your body is carried forward by the
momentum of your right hand and arm to a full

face the target finish.
It is as though there are 3 stages in this motion:
1) Swoosh, 2) Pause at the end of the Swoosh
(you have pushed the clubhead deep, down into
impact and away from you as far as you can), 3)
Momentum of the Swoosh (clubhead) carries the
body forward to the finish.
Notice from the sound of the swoosh the
incredible amount of clubhead speed that can be
reliably generated using your hands. This is an
extremely important exercise that will get your
body moving correctly as dictated to by your hands.

You could work with this exercise a lot, until you
really groove in the feeling of 1) then 2) and then
3). Remember in 1) you are pushing against and
away from a very quiet body.
WARNING: Be careful not to overdo this exercise
so as to protect your shoulder and arm!
For a video demonstration of the Right Hand
Swoosh Drill, visit:
http://www.crokergolfsystem.com/Right-HandSwoosh-Drill.wmv
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
The hit: part 3

PeterCroker
AS mentioned in the previous article - The Hands
are the Source of Motion and are the key in
turning on the power, control, and consistency
in an orthodox golf swing.
In this issue we will study How the left hand
works in the golf swing?
As the leading hand for a right handed golfer,
the left hand has several important functions to
perform during the swing and when combined
with an educated right hand bring control and
structure to your swing.
Purposes of the left hand:
1. To give structure to the left arm and help

maintain the maximum radius in the golf swing.
As you push down on the club shaft with the
left heel pad and rotate the left forearm in the
backswing the left arm locks into an extended
position which is maintained throughout the
downswing and into impact by the completion
of the thumbs down - uncocking action of
the left hand. Towards the end of the impact
zone the left wrist rotates anti-clockwise and
both wrists remain fully uncocked well into
the follow through.
2. To control the left shoulder from the start
of the golf swing through impact.
Your left hand pushing the handle back in the
start of the backswing causes the left shoulder

to rotate backward without any dipping
down and in turn promotes a flat rotation of
the shoulders and hips without swaying. On
the downswing the left hand uncocking the
clubhead down through the ball causes your
left shoulder to support this pushing action by
working up and back as the left wrist uncocks
and rotates through the impact area and into
follow through. This can be felt when you do
the drills with the left hand and arm only action
3. To control the club shaft from start to finish
in the golf swing.
Study the illustrations of the left hand and arm
action to see how the club shaft works into line
with the left arm through the impact zone.
4. To control the opening and closing of the
club face throughout the swing.
Note the open and closing clubface in the
illustrations.
5. To help the hip turn through impact by
providing a firm left hand and left side to
hit against.
The left hand maintains a fully uncocked action
while rotating anti-clockwise through impact
and follow through. This structure helps push
the left hip through the ball ahead of the hands
and clubhead.
Part 1
A balanced hit will force your left shoulder up and back toward your chin
Hold a club at the top of a one third backswing
position in your left hand only. Another
person will push the clubhead forward in the
throughswing. At the same time they will apply
light pressure up the clubshaft toward you. You
must keep a light pressure against this push, going
out down the clubshaft for structure.
To maintain a position of power, you must not
allow your hand to pull forward or pull backward.
You must push from your centre right out in front
of you for the entire throughswing.
Part 2
At Address Position, hold a club in your left
hand only. Imagine the dial of a clock, where 6
oclock is right in front of you. Allow the club to
swing back and forth in front of you from about
8 oclock to 4 oclock. Get so that what generates
the motion on the downswing, is your left hand
uncocking and pushing the clubhead on the
forward part of the swing.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Pushing the club

by uncocking the left hand (thumbs down)
produces a constant rate of clubface closing
Thumbs down Toe down for solid Impact
Toe Down
Thumbs down
hand position
Your left thumb pushing the toe of the

clubhead down as you drive the clubhead
through the ball on the throughswing, will force
your left shoulder up and out through impact.
Here we are referring to the toe of the club and
when you maintain the thumbs down action
throughout the down and out hitting action,
the left shoulder remains stable and out as the
clubshaft moves into line with the left arm and
as the club face squares up and closes through

impact and into follow through.
Pushing out the clubshaft is what causes
the clubface to have a constant rate of closing
through impact. There is no need to attempt
to roll the club face closed with the right
hand when you maintain the thumbs down uncocking action with the left hand through
the ball.
Consciously pushing with your left thumb is
not something you think or worry about when

you play golf, but working with pushing the
toe of the clubhead down and through impact
is the most successful feeling you can initially
acquire as you learn golf.
To gain further understanding of the role of
the left hand in the golf swing please view this
video - http://www.crokergolfsystem.com/lefthand.htm
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Building a
backswing: part 1
PeterCroker
THE Backswing is the key to power, control,
and consistency. When done correctly, it sets
the golfer up to execute a golf shot of effortless
power not powerless effort.
The word Backswing is what it says it
should be - A swing back.
To have a clear picture of backswing let
us further define both back and swing.
Back is the direction directly opposite
the balls intended line of flight.
Swing is to move to and fro or rotate
about a fixed point.
The backswing is a composition of body
rotation and hand and arm wind-up and for
ease of learning; it is best done by drilling in
separately the body pivot and the hand and
arm actions and then blending them together
into one integrated whole.
Ultimately it becomes a seamless part of
the complete swing but when building a
swing you will need to separate out and to
drill in the backswing and its component
parts.
At the start we need to look at the simple

basic structure and what follows will give
you the foundation of a solid and repeatable
backswing.
Get set at the top
For ease of learning, the backswing is broken

down into two separate exercises: - one for the
body pivot and one for the hand and arm action.
1) Body Pivot Drill
2) Push Your Right Hand Bent
Once both drills are completed to a high level of
accuracy, you can blend them together in sequence
to create a powerful, yet effortless, backswing.
The purpose of the Backswing is for you to Get
Set At The Top. You will be fully and comfortably
turned, with your back facing the target. You
will know right where the clubhead is and will
be Set to push (throw) the clubhead down and
out into the ball.
Body pivot drill
For this exercise you will need a table with a

flat edge that is about hip high:
1. Take your 3 Point Set Stance. Move so
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
that your right foot is just under the table

and your hip is against the table edge.
The table edge is angled at about 20 degrees
to the target line - the same as the right foot
is open to that line.
N E W S
L E A D E R
2. Practice making a complete 30 to 40 degree

hip turn keeping your right hip against
the table edge, to a position where you are
sitting comfortably on both legs. Your right
knee remains flexed as at address position.
The left knee bends out towards the toes, but

no further. This helps anchor the feet and
legs to coil the hips and shoulder against.
3. As in 2, except have your arms folded out in
front of you as above. Beginning with a full 30
to 40 degree hip turn, allowing the shoulders

to out turn the hips to a position where:
a) A line through your elbows would be
approximately parallel to the ground and
b) would be at right angles to the target line.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Building a backswing: part 2

Following on from developing a powerful and balanced
body pivot, the golfer is now ready to build a correct
hand and arm swinging motion to help fully load the
backswing to help launch the downswing release into and
through the golf ball.
PeterCroker
STAND at address with a club. Pushing your right
hand bent will provide the impetus (momentum)
to reach the following position. Do not allow your
hips or shoulders to turn. You will end up in the
following position:
1. Your hands are as high as and opposite the
inside of your right shoulder (maximum).
2. The dynamic part is your right palm heel pad
pushing out and bending your right hand
back fully.
3. There is no right wrist cock but the right hand
has pushed bent with your right elbow pointing
down in front of your right hip.
4. The butt of the club is pointing at the target line.
5. The clubshaft is leaning about 45 degrees away
from the target.
6. Pushing out with your right hand has fully
extended your left arm.
7. Both wrists will rotate clockwise approximately
45 degrees.
8. Your left wrist is fully cocked and slightly bent.
clubhead back - Then (2) Push is completed.

The momentum completely created by the
Turn will allow Push to occur easily.
These two parts will flow into a single natural
motion after you work with them for a while.
A successful viewpoint for learning to apply
the backswing would be in 3 parts:
1. Pushing against the clubshaft turns your
responsive hips. Your hip turn then causes the
clubhead to drag back.
2. Continuing to push against the clubshaft,
along with the momentum of the swinging
clubhead, bends your right wrist back early
in the backswing rather than late .
Putting It All Together
The two parts of the backswing as outlined are

initiated in sequence.
1. Turn - The Hips Turn a full 30 to 40 degrees.
2. Push - Following the initial push back of the
hands in the takeaway to initate the hip and
shoulder turn, apply the Push Your Right
Hand Bent action. Left arm remains straight
& left hand fully cocks
(1) The hands initiated hip turn, swings the
3. Continuing to push against and out on the

clubshaft completes the backswing. Soon this
1,2,3 will blend into just (1) of - Backswing.
For a really full and complete backswing, push
out with the heel pads of both your left and right
hands. At the completion of your backswing
your hips have turned a full 40 degrees and your
shoulders have made a full 90 degree turn so that
your back is facing the target.
You are just getting the clubhead into a position
where you can directly push (throw) it into the
back of the ball.
Your hands are still the source of motion during
the backswing and your hips, shoulders, and arms
move in response to the intended hand motion.
The source of control in the backswing is
knowing exactly where the clubhead is the entire
backswing. In a correct backswing, a heavy
clubhead is felt via the pushing hands all the
way to the top. You will know exactly where the
clubhead is, giving you good control.
There is no way around the fact that you will
have to make a slow, deliberate and comfortable
backswing, so as to get set at the top. It is not
difficult when you drill in the component parts
separately to start and then blend them together.
Drill your backswing
Drill your backswing until it becomes one fluid

motion. Again the two parts (Turn & Push) must
be properly sequenced.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
Occasionally hold your hand and arm position

at the top of the backswing and turn your hips
and shoulders back parallel to the target line.
Your hands, arms and club should be in the same
position as you would be at the end of the Push
Your Right Hand Bent Exercise.
You can also go from the end of the Push Your
Right Hand Bent Exercise and turn your right
hip to get a better idea of where you should be
at the top of the backswing.
Overswinging
In the Croker Golf System, hitting that ball

is essentially a pushing or throwing action. You
are throwing the clubhead through the ball. The
N E W S
L E A D E R
backswing is simply taking the clubhead back so

that you can throw it through the ball.
Overswinging will put you out of position for
the throw. Overswinging occurs because, at the
top of the backswing:
1. Your right hand is pulling in instead of pushing
out.
2. Your right hand is cocking instead of just
bending backward.
In the backswing your right hand only bends
backward and never cocks upward. The right
elbow bend supports and adds to the cocking
of the left wrist upward in the backswing. The
right hand does not cock and it is not this action
that cocks the left hand. The important action
of the right hand working to bend back is what

keeps the right elbow pointing downward in the
backswing.
Overswinging is a collapsing caused by cocking
your right hand and pulling in on your right
hand in a misguided attempt to get a bigger is
better backswing.
It is the attempted cocking of the right hand that
is the source of left arm bend in the backswing.
The heel of your right hand providing constant
pushing out structure, operates with the clubshaft
as a lever assembly:
1. Straightening your left arm, and
2. causing the momentum of the backswing to
add to the upswing part of the backswing.
It is interesting to note from the Push Your
Right Hand Bent Exercise, that it is in fact a
backswing and not an up-swing or cross-swing.
There is no attempt to swing your hands above
your right shoulder (up-swing) or past your right
shoulder (cross- swing) .
Working with the Push Your Right Hand Bent

Exercise, demonstrate these points to yourself.
This is an extremely important little section of
information; one that opens the door to a new
world of golf. A half hour spent really getting
these points can save you a lifetime of hassle.
You will know where you are going so you can
easily get there.
Set Yourself Up To Win
There is no place in the grip, stance, or

backswing for any tension:
Any Tension Destroys Any Mechanics Stay Fluid
The importance of the Grip, Set-up and
Backswing is that they put you in a position to
hit that ball . A great amount of research and
technology has gone into these simple steps.
Allow our research to save you a tremendous
amount of time and trouble and make the Grip,
Stance and Backswing as outlined your own.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
The hit: part 5

PeterCroker
THIS drill defines the downswing path best and
how the hands direct not only the clubhead, but
also the arms and body on the A to B path
towards the ball.
This exercise has been the most effective
in helping golfers remove the Outside - in
downswing, and replace it with a powerful and
direct hit of the ball.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Hands direct clubhead and body

exercise
Purpose: To remove any illusions as to how the
hands direct the clubhead and the body.
Uncock the clubhead under (not over) your
hands from the top. You are pushing the clubhead
directly at the ball (A to B). Work with both to
know right from wrong. Un-cocking under has a
very distinct feeling.
Uncocking in line with Left Arm. Do this very
slowly to start and you will see how as the thumbs
move downward, the clubshaft wants to move more
in line with the left forearm and under the right
forearm. (Fig 1)
Part 1
Freeze your body at the top of the backswing

position and do not let it move at all through this
part of the exercise.
Attempt to uncock your hands under, pushing
the clubhead directly at the ball. Because you are
Figure 4
Figure 3
pushing out down the clubshaft, your hands will
automatically uncock over through impact. Drill
this in.
It is the thumbs down - uncocking action first
beforethe left wrist and forearm rotate squaring the
clubface to tand maintains the pressure from the
heel pad area against the thumb-pad area of the
left hand. (Fig 2)
Part 2
Without a club, freeze your body at the top of the
backswing position and do not allow your body to

move at all during this part of the exercise.
Uncock your hands directly at the ball. Drill
this in. (Fig 3)
Part 4
Part 3
Hit some balls retaining the feeling you had

from Part 3.
This exercise in total really develops Path and
Power and the feeling of a free wheeling and
complete release of the clubhead down, out, and
through the golf ball. Enjoy the Hit!
As in Part 2 above - with your body frozen

in position. But after impact, allow the
momentum of your hands to pull your body up
to a full finish. Drill this in with a really aggressive
swing. (Fig 4)
Take some full practice swings with a club

retaining the feeling you had from Part 3.
Part 5
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
The hit: part 6

Clubhead and body release
exercise
PeterCroker
FOLLOWING on from the last lesson
this exercise promotes freedom to go
after the shot and get body, hands and
arms accelerating when they should.
Purpose
1. At start of downswing, it is the

primary purpose of the hands to
release the clubhead on the correct
path with an accelerating throwing
action.
2. Through the Impact Zone, it is
the primary purpose of the hands to
release the clubhead, clubface, arms,
and body so that the clubhead release
assists in the complete release of
hands, arms, and body to a balanced
finish position.
You need to get through every shot.
This exercise gets the clubhead down
and out past the head so that you
can get the correct feeling for hitting
through every shot.
Push
Address a ball with an 8 iron. Make

gradually fuller and fuller swings. Do
not allow your shoulders to turn past
parallel to the target line. This is just
a hands and arms hit. Look at the
following picture. We typically call
this the Propeller Exercise.
Pull
As in the above Push section of

the exercise, only allow the clubhead
to pull you up to a full finish after you
have hit deep, down and out through
impact and well into follow through.
Feel how the hips and shoulders snap
up to a full rotated and balanced finish.
There should be little stress on the back
or any other body parts.
This is not a sloppy exercise, but
designed to get you through every shot.
For any golfer that experiences
difficulty in releasing the clubhead on
the correct path, this exercise will help
build a positive A to B downswing
and a free wheeling swing.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
The hit: part 7
The slow swing exercise
PeterCroker
FOLLOWING the step by step process
to build certainty in your swing, the
Slow Swing Exercise is a valuable drill
to perform for the following reasons.
1. It dispels any illusions as to how the
hands direct the body as well as the
golf club throughout the swing.
2. Doing such a motion with the hands
controlling the club, arms, and body
develops an accurate use of the hands
in moving the club on the right path
from start-up, through transition,
start down, impact, and all the way
through follow through to a complete
finish. (see the video on YouTube to
clarify this)
It was this exercise that helped us
realize how to use the hands plus the
speed of the swing that created the lag
of the clubhead in the downswing and
the illusion of a pulling motion in the
downswing.
The reason the golf swing has been
so difficult to understand and teach is
because:
1. What happens in the downswing and
follow through is not what you are
trying to do.
2. What it looks like you are doing is
not what you are really doing. A high
speed camera gives a pulling illusion
in the downswing when you look at
slow motion or stop frame images of
the swing of good players.
3. What you feel is going on in the hitting
action is not what is happening.
When you attempt to hit the golf
ball with some force, the weight of the
clubhead creates a pull on the muscles
and joints of the lead arm and body.
This pulling feeling has then been
interpreted as a pulling action when it
is in fact a pushing - throwing action
from the hands that is the cause of this
body feeling.
The best way to overcome any illusions
in hitting a golf ball is to swing the club
slowly. Then, when you gradually increase
the speed of the swing, the dynamics
and what happens in the swing begin
to make sense.
Through this exercise you will be able
to see for yourself how it is that your
hands direct your arms and body in the
golf swing. It is in this exercise that you
can re-orient and re-educate yourself into
Left is the slow swing. Right is the full speed swing. In both swings you are trying to
do exactly the same thing (push the clubhead directly into the ball) but the dynamics
created by the speed of the faster swing make it appear totally different
a natural ability to hit a golf ball.
Two key points learned from previous
lessons presented in Inside Golf are 1. It is the principal responsibility of
your left hand to push out down the
clubshaft.
2. It is the principal responsibility of
your right hand to push against the
clubshaft.
From the top of your backswing, very
slowly push the clubhead down and
out through Impact and into Follow
Through and then to a full finish over
the left shoulder.
You are trying to throw (push) the
clubhead first down and out through the
ball and to the right of the target line.
Initially it can be helpful when working

through this exercise to alternately
concentrate on your right hand and then
your left hand, per the above statements.
Once you see for yourself how both
hands work in the shot, you can then
forget this distinction and just with
your hands, push the clubhead through
the ball.
This exercise is done without a ball,
by very gradually increasing the speed at
which you execute the downswing until
you finally reach full speed. If you begin
to have any trouble, back up to a very
slow swing and work your way forward.
The set of pictures demonstrates first,
a full swing done slowly and then a swing
done at full speed. You are still trying to
L E A D E R
do the same exact things in the swing but

it is the speed that changes the whole
dynamics. People get into trouble trying
to do at a slow speed, what it looks like
a golfer is trying to do in a full speed
swing. But, what it looks like you are
doing is not in fact what you are trying
to do. The faster you swing, the later your
hands uncock. The slower you swing,
the earlier your hands naturally uncock.
In the series of pictures in this section,
you are trying to do or it feels like you are
doing the action in the top set of pictures.
What naturally happens as you increase
the speed of the shots is that you end up
looking like the last set of pictures when
captured on a high speed camera and then
replayed in slow motion or stop frame.
You are not trying to get into these
positions, it is just a natural result of your
hands throwing (pushing) the clubhead
in the correct direction down and out into
and through the ball. One of the things
you will come across as you graduate
from a slow swing is:
When you swing slow the clubshaft
and your left arm will go into a straight
line well before impact.
As you swing faster, the clubshaft will
begin to retain a 90 degree angle with
your left arm much deeper into the shot.
With no deliberate attempt of your
own, as you increase the speed of trying
to get rid of the clubhead and push it
over your left shoulder to a full finish,
the deeper the angle will get (the longer
the left wrist remains cocked prior to
impact).
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
The Hit: Part 8

Full Swing/Release Exercise
PeterCroker
Purpose: To build a positive on path release
of the clubhead for the full swing.
What we want is a natural hit of a ball. A
good analogy to throwing the clubhead at
the ball would be throwing a ball at the ball.
When you throw something (ball, clubhead)
you are trying to get rid of it. A consistent hit
requires educated hands and the following
drill helps develop this.
Throw the Ball Drill
From a standard address, throw the ball as

outlined below:
1. Left Hand - Leave your right hand at your
side and from the top of the backswing
position, throw a ball at the ball in front
of you (Ball First - Body Second). The left
hand action from the start of the downswing
has the wrist uncocking (fingers and thumb
down) practice this action in slow motion
to start. Following a positive and smooth
start down with the left hand and arm; allow
the left wrist to full rotate anti-clockwise
once the wrist has full uncocked. Aim the
left hand at the ball on the ground with the
thumb ending up pointing at the ball as you
throw the ball to hit the ball on the ground.

This is how the left hand works with the club
in the hand as well.
2. Right Hand - Leave your left hand at your
side and from the top of the backswing
position, throw the ball at the ball on the
ground. Similar to the left hand action;
throw by uncocking the wrist (fingers and
thumb down) towards the ball. Follow this
thumb down uncocking action by allowing
the right wrist and forearm to rotate fully
anti-clockwise - the thumb ending up
pointing at the ball as you throw the ball
to hit the ball on the ground.
3. From now on, when you are hitting a ball
you are trying to get rid of the clubhead:
You are trying to throw the clubhead down
and out into the ball with of your hands!
You are attempting to drive the clubhead
first ahead of the hands but it is not possible
to do so while the direction of the throw is
A to B, but trying to do so will give you a
nice aggressive Clubhead First hit through
the ball. Instead of throwing a ball at the
ball, you are going to throw the clubhead
at and through the ball. Now just hit a ball
Clubhead First.
The Hit: Part 9
The Full Swing / 1, 2, 3 Exercise

PeterCroker
FROM a stable stance and grip make
a slow and smooth practice backswing
and transition into a downswing. This
transition into the downswing has the
hands and arms releasing downward and
then outward towards the ball as the hips
and shoulders respond to this hands
initiated action.
The wrists fully uncock and the
clubshaft moves fully into line with the
left arm. Make sure the arms drop down
close to the body as the wrists fully uncock
(feel the gravity). Repeat this abbreviated
practice swing two times. On the third
practice swing make a full release of the
clubhead through the ball to a complete
and balanced finish.
Repeat this 3 practice swing set
several times before introducing the
ball. When the ball is introduced hit the
ball on the count of 3 after the first two
abbreviated swings.
How to Complete the Full

Swing / 1, 2, 3 Exercise
How you do this full swing exercise is
almost as important as what you do in
this key exercise. It is through this exercise
where you finally discover a Natural Swing

for yourself. There are 5 principles that you
need to apply in order to ensure success
with this exercise.
1. Keep Your Attention Out There
When you hit a ball and it does not
go perfectly, the wrong thing to do is
put your attention on yourself and get
analytical and try and work out what
went wrong. Keep your attention out
there (on clubhead and ball not
hands, arms, or body) and just hit
another shot and dont allow your
attention to come off of what you are
doing (hitting that ball) and back onto
yourself. Providing you have been
following the previous Croker Golf
lessons and done the drills at each
step it is now time to make that leap
of faith and complete this exercise
fully. The way out is not to figure out
what went wrong in any missed shot.
The way out is to fire the clubhead to a
complete finish over your left shoulder
until it is a smooth unencumbered
motion and put that same swing on a
ball. You just step back and fire some
more practice swings in one attention
span and then walk up to a ball and
fire the clubhead the same way. Keep
at it until the balls just start going well.
A U S T R A L I A S
2. You have to be willing to Miss It to

Hit It
In this exercise you have to be willing
to miss the ball in order to learn to hit
it solidly and with authority. If you are
not willing to miss the ball you will get
careful and manipulate the clubface
around impact. When the Croker Golf
basics are in and this section describes
how you work through this exercise,
sooner rather than later the balls will
just start going straight on their own.
But initially it requires you have this
leap of faith here. You have not seen
this swing really work and this exercise
does not benefit from any doubts,
carefulness or lack of confidence you
may have. Dont be positive about it.
Dont be negative about it. Just keep
throwing the clubhead and in the end,
without any conscious manipulation,
you wont believe your eyes at the
incredible results.
Golfers typically slow down and
analyse their mistakes. They start
analysing their elbow position, turning
their hip, etc... That is the exact opposite
of the emphasis of this exercise - there
is nothing to analyse on the way down
to that ball. There is no holding on to,
there is only getting rid of
3. Dont Change When the Result is Poor
Initially when you learned to ride a
bike, you didnt get all analytical. Just
by keeping at it, you got it naturally.
The responsibility of this exercise is to
get you riding the bike. Get analytical
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
about it and you will never make it.

You are not going to analytically figure
out how to ride a bike, you are going
to keep at it until it comes straight of
its own accord. And it will. The same
applies here:
Anatomy of Failure
1. Mistake
2. Doubt - attention on swing mechanics
3. Figure out why and make some
adjustment
4. Try again
Anatomy of Success
1. Mistake
2. Back up & fire the clubhead until you
expect the next one to go well
3. Fire the clubhead through another ball
to a complete finish.
4. Complete Every Shot

Every full shot should finish with you
having fired the clubhead over your
left shoulder and you looking out over
your right arm, watching the ball fly to
the target. It may seem that the reason
the shot didnt finish is that you didnt
hit it well when in actual fact, the only
successful viewpoint is just the opposite
- the shot didnt go well because you
didnt finish it!
5. Bullet Out of a Gun
You are firing the clubhead like a bullet
out of a gun. Fire the clubhead (bullet)
and keep your body (gun) stable and
acting as a base to hit down, out, and
away from.
Please visit our YouTube video
demonstrating this exercise to gain
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Hit freely dont steer

PeterCroker
THE pressure of playing a tee shot down a tight
fairway unfortunately can place a golfer in a frame
of mind of trying to steer the clubhead rather than
hitting freely.
The Croker Golf System lessons as have been laid
out in previous issues will give you a very reliable
way of hitting that ball with power and accuracy.
You can break any habit of steering once you
recognise that any remnants of this killer habit
is what now stands between you and a consistent
ability to play the game in the real world - out on
the course under varying degrees of pressure. The
action of hitting a golf ball should be a smooth
unencumbered motion.
Remember that golf is a Two Target Game
1. The clubheads target is the ball.
2. The balls target is the fairway or hole.
You simply must be able to:
Throw the clubhead down, out, and through the
ball without concern over the outcome.
Warning! Do not try to make the clubhead
or clubface go towards the balls intended target!
This is steering and will not give you the accuracy
you are looking for.
Following are two Exercises that are designed
to get you through any tendency that you may
have to steering the ball and help build trust in
your swing.
Hit That Ball Anti-Steering

Exercise
When on the practice fairway or driving range
line up a number of balls in a row (say 5 to start).
1. Take a short iron (9 or wedge) and make a few
practice swings where you focus on an easy
swing with complete release of the clubhead to
a full and balanced finish where the clubhead
releases fully over the left shoulder.
2. Now with this easy and balanced feeling for
the swing step up to the first ball and without
concern for the outcome fire the clubhead down
and out through the ball to a calm and balanced
finish. See the ball land and finish rolling and
without further delay step up and do the same
for the remaining balls. Stay hitting the short
iron until you feel good about the outcome.
3. Repeat this exercise with a mid iron (5 or 6),
fairway woods, and finally driver. Continue

hitting balls in this manner until you feel relaxed
about the outcome and feel you have little to no
thoughts on swing mechanics.
4. Next take this feeling and non-thought to the
golf course and Enjoy the Hit! with no concern
over the outcome.
Warning! if the ball is not going within an
acceptable tolerance range for you, return to
polishing your swing mechanics as laid out in
previous lessons. It is recommended to visit your
PGA Instructor/Coach for hands on coaching
to help build these basics.
Power Swing or Swing Kite

Exercise
The Power Swing/Swing Kite is a teaching aid
that offers more resistance the faster you attempt to

swing it. At the same time it only offers resistance
to the amount of effort you push against it as
you swing and therefore is safer to use in building
swing strength than using a heavy club. The
added benefit is that it helps overcoming any
tendency to steer throughout the swing as you
fire the clubhead end down and out through the
impact zone and all the way through to a full
finish over the left shoulder.
Take the Power Swing/Swing Kite and in a
full swing, attempt to throw what would be the
clubhead end first, pushing it aggressively deep
through the impact area to a full finish.
The Power Swing/Swing Kite works magic in
unlocking and freeing up a students motion and hit
through the ball. It just peels away any carefulness
and leaves a fearless ability to just hit that ball and
complete the swing to a full finish.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Source of structure
The first two pushes
PeterCroker
SETTING up and maintaining strong body structure
throughout your shots is a very important factor in
building a stroke that produces big distance and real
accuracy with a high level of consistency. Learn all
about golf and play with poor structure and you have
entered a wild variable into your game.
In this lesson you will find out about 2 of the major
areas of structure that will allow you to naturally
acquire strong structure and a more consistent strike
on the ball:
1. Push down on the grip
2. Push out down the clubshaft
Controlling these two will help prevent chicken
wing either in the backswing with the right elbow
or down through impact and into follow-through
with the left elbow.
This will have a major influence on the building
of a consistent and solid impact.
When you are swinging with these 2 points of
good structure as outlined in this lesson, you are
really protecting your elbows and shoulder joints as
the arms stay more closely connected to the body
throughout the swing.
1) Push down on the grip
By pushing down (against) at all times on the grip,

you are guaranteed of having good arm structure.
Your left wrist is located vertically on top of the
grip so that when you push down on the grip of the

club the left arm is straight.
At address, pushing down on the grip is the
oppositie of pulling up on the grip.
Down vs Up:
Pulling on the grip at any point in the shot with
either hand will collapse any arm structure.
Rope exercise:
Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to give
you the feeling for the source of good arm structure
in the swing.
Address position:
Take a length of rope and tie it around your left
shoulder or top of your left arm.
Wrap the other end around the grip of a club and
with your right hand, hold the grip with the rope
stretched in place.
Place your left arm at your side and assume
address position.
Continuously push down and against the side of
the handle as you push outward down the clubshaft
towards the clubhead.
Backswing:
Allow your right hip to turn back as you
continuously push the handle out and up in front
of your chest.
Hitting that ball:
Continuously push against and out on the handle as
you push the clubhead down and through the ball and
through the follow through position - thumbs down.
Push out structure exercise:
Take some practice swings and then hit some

balls concentrating on having good extension at
address, during the backswing, on the way down
and when hitting that ball through to the finish.
2) Push out down the clubshaft
Pushing out down the clubshaft is the key to

consistency, distance and accuracy.
At address your hands are exerting a bit of
pressure, pushing out down the clubshaft. This
pressure is maintained throughout the shot. This
is a major factor in maintaining good and strong
structure throughout the swing.
Pushing out down the clubshaft is the opposite
of pulling on the clubshaft.
Out vs In:
You hit a golf ball while pushing out down the
clubshaft the entire time from address, through
the backswing and throughout the downswing
all the way through followthrough to the finish.
Push out down the clubshaft exercise:
Make some practice swings, maintaining
pressure pushing out down the clubshaft
throughout the entire swing - from address

through to the finish.
Now, make some swings and at various points
deliberately pull on the clubshaft with your hands.
At the points where you do this, your swing will
collapse and you will lose any sense of where the
clubhead is in a swing.
3) Push your knees apart
Your knees should have a light pressure pushing

them apart, so as to have a more solid base to hit
from. At setup and throughout the swing, this source
of structure is fundamental in providing a firm base
to hit from.
Knees apart exercise:
Take some practise swings with your knees bowed
in a bit from setup and throughout the swing. Notice
the wobbly feeling this generates.
Now take some practice swings with your knees
having a light amount of pressure pushing them apart.
Notice the greater feeling of power and stability: 1) At
setup, 2) In the backswing, 3) On the way down to the
ball. This is the feeling you want in your golf swing.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Building structurePart 2
PeterCroker
ADDING to our last lesson on Building
Structurewe are starting from the ground up
and once we have all points of good structure in
at address we will see how important these basics
are in building a consistent and powerful swing.
The ADDRESS POSITION:
1. The feet flat and heavy in the ground, toes

pointing out 2030 degrees
2. Knees slightly flexed,
3. Pelvis tucked under slightly to create only a slight
arch in the lower back.
4. Note in this illustration the straight back and
the arms hanging extended down.
5. The balance is even in both feet.
6. While you will feel solid and heavy in the feet
and springy in the legs, the chest is comfortably
out and the muscles in the arms and back are
soft and relaxed. There is extension but little
tension in the arms.
This is structure in the stance.
Push Back from the Hips for Good

Posture
Pulling your hips up and in at set-up restricts
you and makes turning very cumbersome.
By pushing your hips back a bit, you are really
ensuring that you bend at the hips and not at the
waist.
This is paramount in maintaining a straight spine
during your swing and promoting good structure.
Bending at your hips, not your waist and

allowing your buttocks to go back for balance
and equilibrium, is another way of saying: Push
Your Buttocks Out.
You will feel a hollow at the base of your back
when you are set up correctly.
Initially setting up like this may feel awkward,
but surprisingly soon this position will become
very comfortable and natural.
Address position
Incorrect posture,
shoulders hunched
Correct posture,
swing proud!
Push Your Buttocks Out Exercise
Take some practice swings with your buttocks

pulled in under you. Notice how awkward it is to
turn back and forward in your swing.
Now, push your buttocks out and notice how
much easier and more natural it is in allowing
your body to turn back and forward.
Shoulders Pushed Back
The stance is begun from a position of good

posture,which is then maintained throughout
the swing.
Posture is defined in Croker Golf System as
both:
1. Shoulders Comfortably Back
2. Bend at Hips Not Waist
You should not allow your shoulders to be
hunched forward.
By bending from your hips it promotes having
your shoulders comfortably backnot hunched.
Maintaining balance goes along with this posture.
Try hunching your back and your shoulders.
Now by bending from the hips, it is not easy to
maintain good balance without having this action
at the same time push your shoulders back and

un-hunch them. This is what comfortably pushes
your shoulders back.
Swing Proud
The pictures depict good and bad posture in

the golf swing.
Good posture is a key to the dynamics of a
powerful and accurate swing.
Good posture is Pushing Out. Bad posture
is Pulling In.
Swing Proud, have good posture the entire
swing.
Swing Proud Exercise
Stand at address totally collapsed:

1. Pulling in on the clubshaft
2. Pulling up on the grip
3. Pull your knees in together
4. Pull your buttocks in

5. Shoulders hunched
Take a couple of practice swings
from this position. Now:
1. Push down on the grip
2. Push out down the clubshaft
3. Push your knees apart
4. Bend at the hips
5. Shoulders should be comfortably pushed back.
From and maintaining this strong structure,
take a practice swing.
You may additionally try just collapsing one of
the 5 points of structure and then alternately try a
practice swing with that point collapsed and with
that point fully in.
Note the difference in fee1 for yourself so that
you get the feeling for each of the 5 points of good
structure and then acquire naturally good structure.
Swing Proud!
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Source
of
Time
(An un-rushed Swing)
PeterCroker
Left Shoulder for the Downswing
It has been remarked by a great baseball slugger

that when he was in the zone it was as if the ball
was being pitched slowly and it was about the size
of a watermelon (making it easy to hit). Another
remarked that he could actually see the stitches
on the ball as it was being pitched to him.
For these great athletes it was not so much that
they had incredible speed but that from their
viewpoint, everything was just moving slower.
Thus, they seemed to have more time.
For a duffer, the shot is almost over before it
has even started. For a pro like Sam Snead or
Ernie Els, they seems to have all the time in the
world. If there was a part of your body which
defines time, it would be your left shoulder. You
can waste the time you have or you can acquire
more time for your swing, depending on how
well you employ the following fundamental.
Source of TimeExercise for the

Downswing
Take a golf club and go to the top of your
backswing.
With an absolute minimum of turn in your left
shoulder, using your hands, very slowly push the
clubhead down towards impact by uncocking the
wrists (thumbs down).

OK.
Now do the same as above only as your hands
bring the clubhead down into impact, pull
your left shoulder back. Feel rushed? See time
disappear?
Pulling on the left shoulder to generate speed
(spinning out), generates a false sense of power.
A rushed swing by definition is one where
the left shoulder is pulling your hands forward
and not allowing them to release the clubhead
down and out through impact You have no time
hit the ball!
Source of TimeExercise for the

Backswing
If you find yourself rushing the backswing
then there is one sure way to help slow the start
of your swing down and that is to PUSH on
the handle with your left hand (for right hander
players) at the start of the Takeaway while
the right hand provides a slight resistance to
PUSH against.
This action will cause the Handle end
of the club to start away first, dragging the
clubhead back low and straight for the first 30
centimeters. From here the clubhead takes on

a swinging motion and a smooth and slower
backswing will result.
Using the hands in a correct PUSHING
action both at the start of the backswing and at
the transition from backswing to downswing is
at the source of giving you all the time you need
to hit long and straight on a consistent basis.
Walter Hagen once said: Never hurry and
never worry and take TIME to smell the
flowers along the way. Time is on your side
and the ball is not going anywhere until you
hit it.
A U S T R A L I A S
G O L F
N E W S
L E A D E R
Sources of motion in golf

PeterCroker
SOURCE is a word that identifies where

something comes from. In golf, if you took the
viewpoint that there are actual sources for the
following important parts of the golf swing,
you can gain a more professional viewpoint and
natural understanding of the action of `Hitting
That Ball:
Motion (Source of Motion)
Stability (Source of Stability)
Control (Source of Control)
Time (Source of Time)
Power (Source of Power)
Balance (Source of Balance)
Structure (Source of Structure)
By clearing up and understanding the
definitions of these words, you will really be in a
position to appreciate the importance of building
a Grip, Stance, Backswing and Hit.
Please review the past lessons as set out in
Inside Golf in a new unit of time and I am sure
you will gain much more from these lessons now.
They are all available now on the following
link: http://www.crokergolfsystem.com/media_
center.htm
Hands
Improper use of hands in golf is what is causing

the game to be so difficult. Golfers are trying to
fix everything under the sun, but the real cause
the use of their hands is rarely in question.

In sports, more feeling more easily emanates
from your hands. Your body naturally adjusts to
support and align with the action of your hands.
You hit with your hands.
A golfers hands are what direct their body
and the club in the golf swing. The clubhead
is something the hands use to hit the ball with
and the body is something that aligns with and
supports the action of the hands. This is true
in tennis, hockey, baseball, eating spaghetti...
it is also true in golf and is the key to playing
good golf!
Your body should remain as inactive and as
quiet as possible throughout the downswing.
Your body may appear to move first, but it is
a result of first trying to hit with your hands.
The whole idea is not to allow the body to react
independent of the movement of your hands,
but support that movement naturally and work
in harmony with it.
Throw a Ball Exercise
Pick up a ball and throw it using each of the

following procedures :
1. Turn away from your target. Now plant your
left heel hard, and allow your hips to slide
and turn forward towards the target. Make
sure your right elbow gets to a position deep
ahead of your hand as you pull the ball forward.
Allow your hand to be dragged ahead of your
head. As soon as your hand passes your head,
open it to release the ball.
Fig 1 Hand positions

2. Pick up the ball and throw it at a target with
your hand.
This exercise is not as ridiculous as it may
seem. Example 1) above is typically how golf
instruction can end up being received by the
student, whether the instructor meant it that
way or not. Example 2) is the correct orientation
and shouldnt be considered novel, but in todays
world is all too often New News!
Fig 2 Body follows hand exercise
Hand positions
Figure 1 above defines right hand positions

that are used in the Croker Golf System program
when discussing the work your hands do.
Body Follows Hands Exercise
Stand at address without a club, but with

your palms facing each other. Now move your
right hand to the top of the backswing position.
Then move your left hand to top of backswing

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Digital Instruction

Basics Driving Bunkers Short game

Greg Ashton has been a PGA

Mike Bury is an Australian PGA professional, living

Darren Chapman is a AAA Member of the

Peter Croker has been a PGA member

Brent German is an AAA Accredited

0412 533 555 for more infor mat ion.

Jamie Glazier is a Practioner of NeuroLinguistic Programming. Through

Lee is a PGA Member and is also

Dr Mike Martin is a golf psychologist

Richard Mercer has been a member of the Australian

Lisa Newling and Loraine

Lisa Newling and Loraine

Richard Nizielski is a Brisbane-based

Anne Rollo is an ALPG golf

Kurt Stegbauer is the 2009 NSW

Mark Victorsen is the Senior Teacher

Glenn Whittle is a AAA PGA

Contents may not be reproduced without written

Ben Hogan wrote, Good golf begins with

Now its time to add your right hand. Rest the

The width of your stance is very important

The grip (inset: left hand position)

Driver stance and ball position

Mid iron stance and ball position

palms facing away from your body. Move your

you can see exactly what good posture should

ball and your feet and parallel to your target.

will be set up to the right of your target line.

The angle of attack

Step drill position 1

Step drill position 2

that your weight is all on your left side and your

my body and club (particularly my left leg, left arm,

accelerating forward and applying maximum force.

The impact position is the moment in the golf

Longdrive power tips

Longdrive Tip No. 1

Longdrive Tip No. 2

Former Australian Longdrive Champion John Noble

You dont need to have an aggressive swing to hit

position you can now fire your weight forward

of clubhead speed. So if you can achieve this at

Driving your score down part 1

sits in your hand, thats right, across

the lifeline of your right hand fitting

your driver, now in addition to that,

start your swing with it to the side of

hands will swing down your toe line

Driving your score down part 2

maintain the 90 angle between your left arm

at the ball from the top you will lose that 90

left hip and leg which is now set as a solid wall

all faders and slicers

and 2 you can clearly see the correct images

Bunker shots made easy

Get your body lower to the sand. This will

aiming your body away from the target? Thats

interested in short game improvement, we have

For a downhill lie, match your shoulders to the

For uphill lies, match your shoulders to the uphill

lies tend to be the easiest of the three

the path of your club comes through