Great Golf Tip | USHandicap Classic

DavidHagen Professional Champion
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For those of you asking for the best tip on how to fix this, how do I correct that and read my response of "take a lesson from a Golf Professional" and want to tell me to shove it, go @#&% myself, etc. I have the following insight. Today I took my 15 year old daughter Courtney, a 9 handicap, to a lesson after a break from instruction since December. She has been practicing and going to junior clinics through The First Tee program but she has been having the same problem over and over, hitting the ball low and push/slicing. It's been frustrating watching her because I could see something wasn't "right" but was unable to help her correct it. At her lesson it took Tom Fisher all of 5 swings watching to tell her that her clubhead was closed at the top and her backswing had gotten too long. I knew the backswing was too long but when I had her shorten it didn't correct the problem. After the drill to correct the closed face she immediately started hitting every shot crisp and right on line, dead straight. Amazing. Tom pointed out to me exactly what to look for in her swing which made it crystal clear for me to see it. He also had her shorten the backswing which makes it easier to control and she didn't lose distance. So my point is I could tell her swing wasn't "right" but had her checking spine angle, grip, clubpath, shoulder turn and hip turn through impact. All it took was a Professional that does it for a living to see it was 1 thing and how to correct it. Now she has 2 thoughts at address, taking club back so club is in proper position and think 3/4 swing. Thanks Tom The picture below was taken pre lesson, you can see the closed club face at the top, also the picture was taken just prior to hitting the top of the backswing which Tom wanted to shorten to just a bit before where this pic was taken.
cogolfer1 LowIndex
# 1 3/6/2011 10:09:20 PM
Back In July I went to get my 1st lesson since I had first started golf and it was the best decision I made at anything in 2010. I was playing like crap on course and it was way too frigging embarassing to go on. I put the clubs away for a week and a half, considered quitting golf, but instead decided to get lessons from a pro for 4 weeks. By the time I was done with my 1st lesson I was hitting my sand wedge as far as my 8 iron at the start of the lesson. From that point forward I shot 37 on a very difficult Par 32, either 4 or 5 strokes lower than my previous best, and then broke 90 easily with 87 a week or 2 later which is the only time in my career where my driving, irons, short game, and putting worked at the same time for 1 round. Thank you Walter Schlomer, people who don't take lessons and want to get better, get a lesson.
DavidHagen Professional Champion
# 2 3/6/2011 10:12:37 PM
Good for you, just another example of how a trained eye can help. Hope you hit them well this year. Back In July I went to get my 1st lesson since I had first started golf and it was the best decision I made at anything in 2010. I was playing like crap on course and it was way too frigging embarassing to go on. I put the clubs away for a week and a half, considered quitting golf, but instead decided to get lessons from a pro for 4 weeks. By the time I was done with my 1st lesson I was hitting my sand wedge as far as my 8 iron at the start of the lesson. From that point forward I shot 37 on a very difficult Par 32, either 4 or 5 strokes lower than my previous best, and then broke 90 easily with 87 a week or 2 later which is the only time in my career where my driving, irons, short game, and putting worked at the same time for 1 round. Thank you Walter Schlomer, people who don't take lessons and want to get better, get a lesson.
LukeTuzinski Professional Champion
# 3 3/6/2011 11:19:09 PM
Good to hear. I'm still not sold on lessons though. I may be arrogant, stupid or a combination of both. If Ben can dig it out of the dirt so can I.

DavidHagen

Professional Champion

Go to Last Reply

130 Views 4 Replies 2 Likes

For those of you asking for the best tip on how to fix this, how do I correct that and read my response of "take a lesson from a Golf Professional" and want to tell me to shove it, go @#&% myself, etc. I have the following insight.

Today I took my 15 year old daughter Courtney, a 9 handicap, to a lesson after a break from instruction since December. She has been practicing and going to junior clinics through The First Tee program but she has been having the same problem over and over, hitting the ball low and push/slicing. It's been frustrating watching her because I could see something wasn't "right" but was unable to help her correct it. At her lesson it took Tom Fisher all of 5 swings watching to tell her that her clubhead was closed at the top and her backswing had gotten too long. I knew the backswing was too long but when I had her shorten it didn't correct the problem. After the drill to correct the closed face she immediately started hitting every shot crisp and right on line, dead straight. Amazing. Tom pointed out to me exactly what to look for in her swing which made it crystal clear for me to see it. He also had her shorten the backswing which makes it easier to control and she didn't lose distance.

So my point is I could tell her swing wasn't "right" but had her checking spine angle, grip, clubpath, shoulder turn and hip turn through impact. All it took was a Professional that does it for a living to see it was 1 thing and how to correct it. Now she has 2 thoughts at address, taking club back so club is in proper position and think 3/4 swing. Thanks Tom

The picture below was taken pre lesson, you can see the closed club face at the top, also the picture was taken just prior to hitting the top of the backswing which Tom wanted to shorten to just a bit before where this pic was taken.

cogolfer1

LowIndex

# 1 3/6/2011 10:09:20 PM

Back In July I went to get my 1st lesson since I had first started golf and it was the best decision I made at anything in 2010. I was playing like crap on course and it was way too frigging embarassing to go on. I put the clubs away for a week and a half, considered quitting golf, but instead decided to get lessons from a pro for 4 weeks. By the time I was done with my 1st lesson I was hitting my sand wedge as far as my 8 iron at the start of the lesson. From that point forward I shot 37 on a very difficult Par 32, either 4 or 5 strokes lower than my previous best, and then broke 90 easily with 87 a week or 2 later which is the only time in my career where my driving, irons, short game, and putting worked at the same time for 1 round. Thank you Walter Schlomer, people who don't take lessons and want to get better, get a lesson.

DavidHagen

Professional Champion

# 2 3/6/2011 10:12:37 PM

Good for you, just another example of how a trained eye can help. Hope you hit them well this year.

Back In July I went to get my 1st lesson since I had first started golf and it was the best decision I made at anything in 2010. I was playing like crap on course and it was way too frigging embarassing to go on. I put the clubs away for a week and a half, considered quitting golf, but instead decided to get lessons from a pro for 4 weeks. By the time I was done with my 1st lesson I was hitting my sand wedge as far as my 8 iron at the start of the lesson. From that point forward I shot 37 on a very difficult Par 32, either 4 or 5 strokes lower than my previous best, and then broke 90 easily with 87 a week or 2 later which is the only time in my career where my driving, irons, short game, and putting worked at the same time for 1 round. Thank you Walter Schlomer, people who don't take lessons and want to get better, get a lesson.

LukeTuzinski

Professional Champion

# 3 3/6/2011 11:19:09 PM

Good to hear. I'm still not sold on lessons though. I may be arrogant, stupid or a combination of both. If Ben can dig it out of the dirt so can I.

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