Fundamentals of Driving
FUNDAMENTALS OF DRIVING
Definition: A shot hit off a tee to start a hole. Usually this shot is hit with a driver, although some may prefer to hit with a 3-Wood. This swing is more rounded sweeping the ball off the tee unlike an iron swing that strikes the ground.
Goal: To maximize distance without giving up accuracy.
Setup:
- Place feet a couple of inches outside your shoulders
- Have slightly more weight on your back leg, about 55%
- Ball position is about one inch off your left heel – this can vary as some prefer it slightly up or back from this spot
- With the wider stance, the end of the grip will point towards your belt buckle – allow your arms to hang naturally under your shoulders, not pressing them forward (pressing them forward delofts the driver = bad)
- Have square shoulders – with the wider stance and the ball up, it’s easy to have open shoulders so you may have to practice squaring up your shoulders
Execution:
- Make a full backswing feeling that your swing is wide and round
- With the wide setup, you only have to turn on your backswing – a shift of your weight is not necessary
- On your downswing, try to swing back to the ball from the inside – feel like you’re swinging in-to-out keeping your hands in close to your body
- Keep your head behind the ball until after impact to ensure you’re getting the proper launch on the ball
- Hold a balanced finish until the ball lands
Fundamentals Of Iron Play
FUNDAMENTALS OF IRON PLAY
Definition: A full swing with an iron using about 80% of your maximum effort to maintain balance and control of the club.
Goal: The goal of an iron shot is accuracy and distance control. Accuracy is achieved by having a repeatable golf swing that goes back and through on a similar swing path. Distance control is achieved by striking the ball in the center of the club using a controlled swing. Strike the ball with a descending blow from the inside allowing the clubface to hit the ball first, then the ground about an inch ahead of the ball.
Setup:
- Ball position should be placed about 2 balls off your left heel.
- Stance is shoulder width apart (outside of shoulders over shoe laces) with your 6 iron. With your longer clubs, your stance will increase a half an inch per club, and it will decrease a half an inch per club with your shorter irons. This is based on the half-inch increments in length in your irons.
- Flare your feet out about 20 degrees to allow your body the ability to turn correctly.
- Bend over from your hip joints (waist), not from your knees, so the end of the grip points to your belt-line.
- Your balance should be equally distributed on your feet. If done correctly, you should be able to wiggle your toes at address without feeling your weight shift back.
- Your arms should hang comfortably below your shoulders.
- Your hands will be positioned slightly ahead of the golf ball to simulate the impact position.
Execution:
- Start your backswing with your center turning back. Turn don’t shift.
- Allow your wrists to hinge up creating a 90 angle between your left arm and the club shaft.
- Keep your right knee flexed and stable on the backswing.
- Stop your backswing where you have the most control.
- Swing down from the inside to allow you to release the club properly. You can achieve this by keeping your hands close to your body on your downswing.
- Strike the ground about 1 inch after the ball to achieve correct contact with the ball.
- Turn all the way through to a full finish. Your shirt buttons, belt buckle, right knee, and shoe laces should be facing the target at your finish.
- Hold your finish until the ball lands.
Fundamentals Of A Bunker Shot
FUNDAMENTALS OF A GREEN-SIDE BUNKER SHOT
Definition: A shot hit out of the sand near the green. Typically, this shot is hit with a Sand or Lob Wedge.
Goal: The goal is to hit the sand about 2 inches behind the ball allowing the sand to carry the ball out of the bunker. The Sand Wedge is designed to strike the sand first with the trailing edge of the club in order to help the club bounce off the sand instead of digging into the sand.
Setup:
- Open the clubface of the club, then take your normal grip (if done correctly, the lines/grooves on the clubface will point to your toes of your left foot, give or take a bit)
- Place ball off the inside of your left heel
- Take a wide stance to stabilize your base
- Aim slightly left of your target to offset the open clubface
- Weight should favor target-side foot
- Keep hands behind the ball to allow the trailing edge to hit the sand first
Execution:
- Take a swing that is about the same as your normal swing (you do not need to cut across the ball)
- Strike the sand about 2 inches behind the ball
- Resist the urge to help the ball in the air (the sand wedge will do the work for you)
- Feel like you’re slapping the sand with the sand wedge instead of hitting or digging (you’re looking for the club to slide through the sand making a 4-6 inch divot)
- The longer and faster you swing the farther the ball will come out
- Accelerate all the way through to the finish
The three most common errors I see in the bunker are:
- Square clubface at address – Squaring the clubface at address makes the sand wedge dig into the sand.
- Deceleration/not swinging hard enough – Decelerating or not swinging hard enough makes it very difficult to get the ball out of the bunker and/or all the way to the pin. With the added loft from the open clubface and the resistance of the sand, it takes quite a bit of effort to get the ball out of the sand all the way to the pin. Go ahead and swing aggressively at it.
- Cutting across the ball too much – Cutting across the ball too much puts a lot of side-spin on the ball and it can cause the dreaded shank because the hosel of the club is leading the way too much. This is why I recommend swinging normal and aggressively out of the sand.
Drill: This drill will help you get out of the sand every time and up-and-down more often. Here’s what to do: draw a line in the sand about 10 feet long. Take your stance in the sand with the line placed at your left heel. Practice swinging at the line in the sand trying to hit the sand about 2 inches behind the line every time. This drill is pretty cut-and-dry. At first, you may miss the line by a lot, but be patient with it. Practice this drill as much as you can to get consistent with it. The more consistent you are with this drill, the better you will be in the sand.
Also, it is against the rules of golf to test the sand before you hit your shot. This means you’re not allowed to ground the club in the sand or take practice swings striking the sand.
The 9 Shots In Golf & How Learning Them Can Improve Your Game
THE 9 SHOTS YOU CAN HIT
Believe it or not, there are 9 different types of shots you can hit on a golf course. Some of you may be laughing to yourself thinking that you can hit plenty more than that, right? Hooks, slices, pushes, pulls, tops, shanks, etc. So many shots! Allow me to explain what I’m talking about.
When you swing the club, you can either swing inside-to-out (push), square, or outside-to-in (pull) equaling 3 total swing paths. With these 3 paths there are 3 different angles your clubface can be: open, square, or closed. 3 swings multiplied by 3 face angles equals 9 shots. Even if you shank, top, or duff the ball you still fit into one of these 9 swings. Normally, you only hit 3 different types of shots. Most likely, you only have one swing path, but you change your face angle which produces a variety of 3 different shot patterns.
Examples
Now, let me explain some examples. If you swing outside-to-in with a closed clubface your ball will start left then hook. This is called a pull-hook. If you swing inside-to-out with an open clubface your ball will start right then slice. This is called a push-slice. If you swing square with an open face your ball will start straight and tail off to the right. This is a slice, or a fade (small version of a slice). Generally, the ball will start where you swing while the curvature of the ball is determined by the clubface at impact. The clubface will have more impact on where your ball goes compared to the swing path.
Sidenote For Slicers
There’s an important note I need to make. Slicers pay careful attention! Sometimes you can swing outside-to-in and the ball will actually start right. This is due to a very open clubface. Sometimes the face is so open the ball deflects off the face to the right. This could possibly deceive the golfer. This is pretty typical for golfers that slice the ball. The majority that slice the ball swing outside-to-in with an open clubface. Sometimes their clubface is so open that the ball starts right of their target and slices more to the right. Unaware of what causes this, the golfer may then try to swing more to the left which would exacerbate the slice even more.
Keys
The key is learning from your mis-hits. Easier said than done, but if you learn what causes a shot it’s a lot easier to start fixing it instead guessing all the time. This may take a lesson or two with a PGA Instructor to figure out. If you’re pulling the ball left try to swing out to right field more. If you’re slicing the ball, try to rotate the clubface over sooner on your downswing. Practice in slow-motion to see what you would have to do to fix your tendency. Then gradually swing faster and hopefully better results will come shortly.
Good luck and practice smart!
Pinch Pennies For A Better Grip
PINCH PENNIES FOR A BETTER GRIP
Here’s a quick tip to grip the golf club better. Grab a couple of pennies. Place the pennies between your thumb and index finger on both hands. You don’t have to squeeze the pennies real hard, just enough to keep them in place. Next, grip a golf club keeping the pennies there. After gripping the club, check to see where pennies are aligned.
Where should they be aligned? I like to see the pennies parallel to each other pointing towards the right shoulder area. Some people prefer a slightly stronger or weaker grip than this, and that’s ok. You’re grip is generally a function of your golf swing. The key, in my opinion, is that the pennies are parallel to each other. This means your hands are working together. Golf is hard enough as it is, you don’t really want your hands fighting each other during your swing.
Why will this help you? One, this will get your grip more in the fingers of your hands. Two, having the area snug between your thumb and index finger allows your wrists to hinge better. And three, it’s easy to see if the pennies are aligned together (You may have heard about the “V’s” in your hands pointing to the same area. This is same thing. The “V” is your thumb and the area half way up your index finger that forms the letter V).
To summarize, grab a couple of pennies and work on your grip prior to the season. This tip is both simple and cost-effective, and can certainly go a long way towards making you a better golfer. Give it a shot!
Tip-Of-The-Month February ’10: Correct Alignment
ALIGNMENT KEYS
Aligning yourself correctly to your target is one of the most important and overlooked fundamentals in the game of golf. Professional golfers check their alignment on a consistent basis, sometimes every day. Amateurs, however, seldom check their alignment. I’d like to explain the importance of alignment in golf, what can happen if it’s off, and most importantly, how to line up correctly every time.
The Importance of Alignment
In general, if you can get your upper and lower body in sync you’re going to be a more consistent golfer. The more square (parallel) your body is to the target line the easier it is to repeat your golf swing.
I want you to think of a bunch of dominoes lined up in a straight line. If you knocked down the first one the rest would fall accordingly. Now, I want you to imagine the 3rd and 4th dominoes were taken out and put off to the side. What would happen now? The remaining dominoes would act accordingly and stay up. The analogy is that your golf swing is a domino effect of how you set up. One of the most important things in your setup is your alignment. If your shoulders are open, your feet closed, or whatever else may be off, then you have to compensate for that during your swing. Wouldn’t it be easier if everything was lined up correctly at the start?
Incorrect Alignment Compensations
One of the most common errors I see with amateurs is open shoulders. What that means is the shoulders are aiming left of the target. Arms will swing where the shoulders are aiming. So, if your shoulders are aiming left, your arms will swing left. In golf, when you swing too much to the left, you will either hit a pull or a slice.
Another error would be aiming your feet too far to the right. When you do this, you’ll subconsciously swing over-the-top because your eyes will be looking left of where you’re aimed. Your eyes are very powerful and have a great influence on how and where you swing your club.
There are many others ways to line up incorrectly. I’m not going to go through them all, but I hope you can see how lining up poorly can lead to inconsistent results.
Basics
Now, we get to the meat and potatoes of this article. Let me start by going over the basics of alignment. First, let’s assume you’re going to try to start the ball at the target. Visualize a straight line going from the ball to the target. Then, visualize another line along your toe line PARALLEL (not at the target) to the ball line. This is very important. You’re creating a small railroad track to the target. Next, you’ll want to have your shoulders, hips, and knees parallel to your toe line (if you flare your feet out it will be more accurate if you base this line off of your heels). Everything will be aligned together. The closer you can get to this position, the more consistent you’ll be.
Step-By-Step On How To Line-Up Correctly
This is how to align yourself correctly every time. This takes practice to get it down, but it’s well worth it. I’ll go over each step:
- Stand behind the ball and choose a target where you want the ball to start whether it’s a tree, the pin, etc. (notice I chose where you want the ball to start. If you play a 5-yard fade then you should be aiming 5 yards left of where you want the ball to finish).
- Pick out an intermediate target in front of your ball to line up to. I recommend something close about a foot or two away.
- Steps 3 and 4 go together. Walk up to your ball and step into the shot with the club face and your right foot. Keep your left foot back. Then, line your club face to your intermediate target, a foot or two away. This is very simple, but don’t take it for granted. Once your club face is on the ground, you know that it’s lined-up correctly. Leave it there. Try not to wiggle or adjust the club head anymore.
- After aligning the club face, match the inseam of your right foot to the leading edge of the club face. Make them parallel. Another way of thinking about this is you want your club face and right foot perpendicular to the target line (many times I see the right foot aiming left or right of the club face which causes the left foot to align improperly). Also, it’s important to note that this is not your final position of your right foot. It just helps with the next step.
- Once your club and right foot are in line, look at your target. Take your stance looking at your target. Step with your left foot, and then adjust your right foot comfortably to its position. Looking at the target when setting your feet will initiate your hand-eye coordination. Your feet react to your eyes just like your hands do. It doesn’t make any sense to stare at the ground when setting your feet. If you stare at the ground, your feet will be clueless as where to go and will line up differently almost every time.
Hopefully, this will help you line up parallel to your target every time. This does take some practice. Remember to line your club face first, then look at the target while setting your feet. To check if you’ve done this correctly, have someone lay a club along the back of your feet and along your shoulders. If both of those clubs are parallel to your target line, then you’ve done it correctly.
Thanks for reading and good luck!
Kyle
Fundamentals Of Pitching
FUNDAMENTALS OF PITCHING
Definition: An abbreviated version of the full swing that produces a higher flying shot that lands softer and rolls less than a chip shot.
Goal: Using a pendulum-type swing (equal back/equal through), this mini-version of the golf swing produces a shot that lands softly on the green.
Setup:
- Foot separation is narrow, 6-12 inches apart depending on the length of the shot (wider stance for longer pitches)
- Ball placement near the center of your stance
- Hands/Handle of the club positioned approximately equal with the ball (more forward = lower trajectory and vice versa)
- Weight should slightly favor target-side foot
Execution:
- Hinge the club up and open with your wrists on your backswing – you must get the club head up in the air in order to hit down on the ball
- Allow your shoulders and chest to turn back as well
- On your forward swing, hit down and through the ball taking a small divot
- Turn your body through the shot so your hands don’t flip at impact
- At your finish, your shirt buttons, belt buckle, right knee, and right shoe laces should all point to your target
Fundamentals Of Chipping
FUNDAMENTALS OF CHIPPING
Definition: A low-flying shot that will tend to roll more than it flies. Primarily used for shots close to the green, this shot is usually hit with the 8-iron through Lob Wedge, although longer clubs can be used. The longer the club/less loft of the club, the lower the ball will fly and more it will roll.
Goal: Land the ball about 2-3 paces onto the green and allow for roll like a putt. Choose a club that will carry the ball comfortably onto the green.
Setup:
- Feet close together, almost touching
- Ball placement off the toes of your back foot
- Weight should favor your target-side foot
- Stand close to the ball to make this shot similar to a putt
- Forward press the club by leaning the handle towards the target – this sets your hands well ahead of the ball
Execution:
- The motion used should be similar to a putting stroke
- Allow the loft of the club to get the ball in the air – trying to help the ball up will tend to cause topped and duffed shots
- Finish low with no wrist breakdown – left arm and club form a straight line
- Allow for roll as the ball will fly low and roll more than it flies
About
KYLE VOSKA, PGA PROFESSIONAL
I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated from St. Michael’s, St. Xavier, and Miami University. After graduating from Miami with a Finance degree, I moved to Florida to pursue my professional golf dreams. After a few successful years and a couple of difficult years, I stopped playing full-time. After a year of caddying on the LPGA Tour for Young Jo, Kim Williams, and Angela Stanford, I moved back home to Cincinnati. Currently, I live near Sharonville with my lovely wife, Lindsay, our kids, Maclin and Ellie, and our dog, Nora.
Teaching golf for over a year in Florida and having taken and watched many lessons from PGA Certified Master Teaching Professional Carl Rabito, becoming a golf instructor was something I really wanted to do. Fortunately, I was able to find a home at Sharon Woods Golf Course in Cincinnati, my old home from the 90′s, to further this new career path. As I enter my 6th season as a golf professional, I’m excited how my role is taking shape. I assist in managing and supervising a staff of nearly 40 while teaching golf lessons to over a 100 students. Hopefully, someday I’ll have the opportunity to mentor some future golf professionals like myself.
Email: kvoska@hotmail.com
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- PGA Member – June, 2009
- 2008 PGA National Assistants Champion
- 43 Professional Tournament Victories
- 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Section Player-of-the-Year
- 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Southwest Chapter Player-of-the-Year
- 2009 Cincinnati Chapter Match Play Champion
- 2009 Southern Ohio PGA Assistant’s Champion
- 2001 and 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Open Champion
- 2000 PGA Buick Open Contestant
- 1998 Miami Athlete-of-the-Year
- 2-Time NCAA Division I All-American
- Mid-American Conference Sportsman and Player-of-the Year (1998)
- 2-Time Cincinnati Met Amateur Champion (1997, 1998)
- Cincinnati Met Amateur Medalist and Runner-Up (1996)
- NCAA low scoring average on Par 3′s (2.91) in 1998
- Low competitive round – 62 (3 times): Four Bridges CC (’01), Oasis CC (’09), and Juniper Hills GC (’02)
- Low non-competitive round – 61: Browns Run CC – White tees
- Won a 54-hole Developmental Players Tour event by 9 shots shooting 19 under par with no bogies (64,64,69)
- 4 career Holes-in-One and 3 career double eagles
MY PGA MENTORS:
Tom Bach – Head Professional at Sharon Woods Golf Course
George Long – Kenwood CC PGA Professional/Head Pro at The Mill Course (17 Years)
Carl Rabito – PGA Certified Master Teaching Professional (Top 100 Instructor)
Mike Bender – 2009 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Craig Shankland – 2001 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Jim Suttie, Ph.D - 2000 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Bill Madonna – Bill Madonna Golf Academy (Top 100)
Andrew Park – The David Leadbetter Golf Academy
Chris Toulson – Jim McLean Golf School at Doral
As you can see, I’ve been very fortunate to have learned from some of the best PGA Professionals in the country. I feel privileged to pass on the wealth of knowledge I’ve gained from spending time with these great gentlemen.
