PIN HIGH CLINICS IN ETIOLLES JULY 11th TO JULY 15th

 

AIM OF THE CLINIC :
- Improving your technical acknowledges or learn what to do in the future. The aim is not to change all you learnt before (advanced), but to show you the way towards a better swing.
- Personal adaptation to these technical drills because the bodies are not the same
- Set up of a more confident swing, to show you that you're able (beginners) to go on the course very quickly and avoid future physical problems 

 

DAY 1 : Monday July 11th
 
            MORNING :
 
AROUND THE GREEN :
    - Working on chipping with 9 iron.
        The aim is to feel that the way to hit the ball is the same whatever be the club. The angle of the club face makes the ball fly. The swing must be the same as with a putter. That means the width of the swing is the same on the right-hand side of the ball and on the left-hand side of it.
            
             Distance :
            Distance is given more by the width of the swing than by the speed. To send the ball further, you just widen the swing without changing the speed of your shot. The more important is to find the right speed, that means the one you control the best. We can say that the low part of the swing gives the directio and the high part gives the distance.
 
            Direction :
            Direction of the ball is controlled by the hands. Try to find if you do it better with the palm of the right hand or with the back of the left one.
 
    - In the rough
    The most important to consider is what we call "the 3 points". When you hit a ball, three "moments" happen. You touch the ball, you touch the ground and you have the lowest part of the circle. Those three moments happen at the same time just on the carpet on the driving range. That means that to make the ball fly from the rough, you must consider how deep in the grass the lowest part of the circle will be. That will help you to find and aim the point of entrance in the ground (on the right-hand side of the ball) .
    You can help the lowest part of the circle to be lower by spreading the stance in the deep grass. You will increase the speed of the club, and so the distance made by the ball, by using your knees for a weight transfer while hitting.
 
BUNKER :
The shot looks like the previous one in the deep grass. To play better in the bunker, you have to feel that there is no difference between deep grass and sand. We just make a difference between balls with the ground "under" and balls with the ground "around".
        
        Swing :
                    * The backswing is wide to have enough power to go through the sand and make the ball fly
                    * The club must enter the sand behind the ball
                    * You have to finish the swing to help the ball to fly
 
The fact is that you have to consider that if you send the amount of sand surrounding the ball on the green, the ball will get out of the bunker with this amount of sand.

 

LONG SHOTS ON THE DRIVING-RANGE :

PRESENTATION OF THE METHOD :
To hit a golf ball properly, you need to respect a few fundamental rules :
- The hitting posture is the same as the starting posture
- The swing is as symetrical as possible (The finishing posture is a consequence of the speed, not an obligation)
- The path of the club is the same during the backswing and the downswing

What is going to be important is the fact that you have to find the points you have to pass by, instead of the physical way you have to move .

Backswing :The hands are beside the head in front of the neck, and the shaft of the club is in the same position as it was on the aiming posture.
 
Downswing : The hands begin the downswing to send the club and the body back to the aiming posture.
 
Hitting area : The feeling to find is an association between the right hand and the right knee. That is going to help the upper body to be more steady.
 
Grip : We said that the grip is not very iportant in the fliht of the ball. Nevertheless, the club must be held in the fingers instead of the palms, to gain power and relaxation.

AFTERNOON :

 
        ON THE COURSE :
What I want to make you understand that you don't need to hit wonderfull shots to score the way you want. You especially need to avoid to miss two balls in a row, for example.
    To do so, you must be more "strategic" than "technical". That means that you should start with a 7 iron or a 5 iron, but not absolutely with a wood.
 
        Advice of the day :
                * Do some practice swings before playing
                * Test the grass (don't do practice shots without hitting the ground)
                * Beware your aiming posture
                * Put the ball higher on the tee to swing easier
                * Swing shorter whenyou are close to the green. Just try to send the ball on the green.
                * Don't think about the distance to reach, think about the impact area.
 

DAY 2 : Tuesday July 12th

 AROUND THE GREEN :

 Chipping with 9 iron or 7 iron :

    - The swing must look like a clock. We saw that you can imagine three widths for the swing :

                                        * 7 to 5
                                        * 8 to 4
                                        * 9 to 3
Posture :
            There is a difference between the posture of the long shots and the one on the short game. As you stand far from the ball on long shots and very close on putting, you have to adapt your posture (especially the distance from the ball) to the short game.
                                        * Hold the club shorter
                                        * Get closer to the ball
                                        * take a smaller stance
 
The width of the swing depends on the speed you hit the ball. If the swing is slow, it is better to swing 9 to 3. If the swing is faster, 7 to 5 will be enough.
    - The choice of the club depends on the trajectory you want to give to the ball. If you prefer to make the ball roll, 7 is better. If you prefer it to fly, 9 or even SW will be allright (PW too).
    - Remeber to deal with the slopes, as you do with putting.
          Beware the slopes

PUTTING :

    For the moment, the aim is to take an average of two putts per green. To be able to do so, you must respect a few elementary rules :
                                        * Eyes upon the ball
                                        * Legs stiff and steady
                                        * No wrists use
                                        * Slow swing (distance is given by the width of the swing)
Aiming is easier if you align the name of the ball towards the target (the hole or the slope)
        Our advice of the day is about the way to change the distance made by the ball.
        Two ways :
                    * According to the stance. That means you swing between or wider than your feet to make more or less distance
                    * Changing the stance so that you spread more or less to swing more or less wide.

 

LONG SHOTS ON THE DRIVING RANGE :
"ORDER OF THE THINGS" :
THE BACKSWING : We are going to build the backswing according to the impact zone, and the way we want the club to hit the ball. That means through the ball instead of downwards. The set up is the following way : PUTTER STARTING / SET UP OF THE CLUB PATH / RAISE OF THE HANDS.
Putter starting : We star the backswing the way we start the the putter shot, that means without wrists, not to load too fast. the fact to load the wrist makes the strike too much vertical (so you're going to hit the ground). That is better for short clubs.
Set up of the club path : After that putter start, we load the wrist to put the club parallel to the ground and towards the target. The club is so on the same line as the line followed by the hands during the "take away".
Raise of the hands : At this moment, you just have to raise the hands according to the shot you wish to involve the shoulders rotation.

Concerning the top of the backswing, I can give you a last advice.

The "important things" at that point of the swing are : left arm parrallel to the ground and the shaft making an angle of 90° with the left forearm.
 
AFTER THE BALL :
We'll find on the other side the same path as during the backswing. You're so going to hit the ball the "putter way", the wrist being unloaded during the downswing instead of during the strike because of the lack of power. The club will come back parrallel to the ground (as you did in the backswing), and you're then going to raise the hands to the "technical finish" (the right knee follows). The "Physical Finish" will follow, according to the speed of the swing. You don't have to do the physical finish. It is the technical finish (perfect symetry between the backswing and the follow through) which is important and on purpose. It will be so possible to increase the speed of the strike without increasing the width of the swing. 

The "important things" at that point of the swing are : right arm parrallel to the ground and the shaft making an angle of 90° with the right forearm. 

AFTERNOON ON THE COURSE :

 We saw that today was much better than yesterday because you began to trust yourself. Your swing is improving because of the details we've been working on since yesterday. Anyway, the most important is to keep on trying to feel that every shot is the same. You hit every ball the same way. Just the width and the speed of the swing change. You even tried the 4 iron, which is not a very easy club to use, because of its closed angle.

 

DAY 3 : Wednesday July 13th
The advice of the day was about the way to find the right "br(e)ak(e) point". You first have to look around the hole to know where the ball will come from to enter the hole. To pass by this point, you have to reach another point, more into the slope. That last point is the "br(e)ak(e) point".
        Put a coin down on the green to aim this point and forget the hole. Anyway, the target is almost never the hole itself. Most of the greens are too much sloppy for that.
 

AROUND THE GREEN :

            Chipping  from a longer distance:
    
Posture :
            There is a difference between the posture of the long shots and the one on the short game. As you stand far from the ball on long shots and very close on putting, you have to adapt your posture (especially the distance from the ball) to the short game.
                                        * Hold the club shorter
                                        * Get closer to the ball
                                        * take a smaller stance
 
The width of the swing depends on the speed you hit the ball. If the swing is slow, it is better to swing 9 to 3. If the swing is faster, 7 to 5 will be enough.
    - The choice of the club depends on the trajectory you want to give to the ball. If you prefer to make the ball roll, 7 is better. If you prefer it to fly, 9 or even SW will be allright (PW too). 

You increase the distance made by the ball by increasing the follow through (towards the target) more than the backswing.Try to work your aiming with putting two clubs on the ground in the direction of where you want to send the ball. You have to follow the line of the club shafts. 7 iron is the best club to play, because you don't need to make the ball fly. Beware the slopes because they change the angle of the club.

    
WARM UP :
            What is important in the warm up is to prepare your swing. That means you have to prepare some particular parts of your body to do the swing.
                - Shoulders (to help your arms to swing easier)
                - Neck (for the steadiness of the upper body)
                - Spine
                - Legs

ON THE DRIVING RANGE :

THE SIX PARTS OF THE SWING :
    Set Up :    * Bent forward
                     * Arms hanging
                     * Knees a little bent and weight on the toes
 
    Take Away :  * Club parrallel to the ground and the flight line
                          * Wrists almost loaded
 
    Backswing :  * Hands up
                          * Shoulders following
                          * Weight on the right foot
                          * 90° between club shaft and left arm
 
    Hitting :     * Club goes back to the ball
                        * Body goes back to aiming position
                        * Weight is back in the middle of the stance
 
   Follow Through : * Club parrallel to the ground in the direction of the target
                                 * Weight on the left leg
                                 * Right knee beside the left one
                                 * Right foot up on his toe
                                 * Arms straight
 
    Finish :     * Club falls on the shoulders
                     * Body turns toward the target

Remember that the distance from the ball is given by 3 ways :

            - Distance of your feet to the ball
            - Distance of your head to the ground (you can be more or less bent)
            - Distance of your knees to the ball. We saw that the fact to move your knees too much during the backswing changes your distance and so your posture. It will be so very difficult to find the ball on the downswing. So try not to move too much the right knee at the beginning, and turn around the left knee as you hit the ball and finish the swing.
About the speed, remeber that the wrists (or fingers) make the ball fly, the arms (bending and straightening) make the ball fly further, and the shoulders help to fly much further.
Exercise :
        - Take the position as if you want to hit the ball
        - Once you have found the right posture and distance, put your feet together (left one towards the right one), club in front of you
        - Swing the club back as a full swing
        - At the top of the swing, put your left foot back at its previous place (aiming posture)
        - Hit the ball
 
    After a few hesitating shots, you're going to feel what is the weight transfer.

 

DAY 4 : Thursday July 14th

WOOD ON A TEE :- The main difference is in the distance from the ball. As the swing will be wider and faster down, the strike will happen "higher" than usual, that means a few centimeters over the ground. If the club lies just behind the ball, you will hit the ball in the heel of the club. So you're going to miss the ball. You have to set up with the club "beside" the ball. Just lifting the hands up, you see that the club face is perfectly against the ball. So you can find it easier during the downswing.

- The rythm of the swing must be always the same. The fact to miss the ball comes more from an uncontrol of the impact zone than from a wrong swing. So don't try when you miss to analyse the way you moved your body. Try to think about the way your hands were during the impact zone. Correct by ajusting the height or the accuracy of the club path.
- The posture is your own. It depends on the size, the elasticity of the body, the weight and many other things.
- The notion of "throwing" or "hitting" give the height of the tee. The hitter will put the ball lower and less on the left-hand side, and the thrower will putt the tee higher and more on the left.
    We saw that the weight transfer is necessary to give power to the strike. You have to feel that the weight tranfer begins just at the moment you begin to swing your hands down back to the ball. That is going to help your body to turn while hitting.

 

DAY 5 : Friday July 15th
 
    Today is a relaxing day. We've been working a lot this week and I think that you all improved your acknowledges and your swing. Now you need to gain confidence in yourself by playing more and more.
    To finish our clinic, the best way is to have an individual report on what you're supposed to work in the future. So I hope these pictures will help you to do so.
       I think the main difference between those picture is in the importance of the weight tranfer on the first one, comparing to the others. Look at the way your body "follows" the shot and the position of your right foot. The fact ot to transfer enough prevents you from straightening your arms.
       Picture N° 1 and picture N° 3 are perfect. Your head remains at the same level while you swing, the weight is on the left leg and your arms are straight and far away. Try to work on the second picture. You see that you look like "falling" to the ball, as if you want the club to pass under the ball. That prevents you from straightening your arms and sometimes makes you top the ball.

     

 Big change in the last two days. You see on those pictures that now, you have a golf swing. Maybe on the second one you can improve the weight transfer (move the right foot faster), but your arms are straight. The main improvement is in the position of your right shoulder (under). The finishing position is perfect if your right foot moves up a little more.

   

The final position is perfect. Maybe you could improve the backswing by relaxing your legs so that the knees would be able to help the rotation of your hips and shoulders. But the position of your left arm (straight and 90° with the club shaft) is very good.
     The problem is in the steadyness of your head during the swing. As you can see, your head moves to the left during the backswing (instead of towards the right). The result will be a move to the right during the hit (that means no transfer and no straight arms). Nevertheless, I think you improved a lot during that week and you reached the aim of the clinic : being sure that you were able to play golf on a course.
      The first picture was the "model picture". You see that the third picture looks like a real consequence of this model. Your legs are in the same position, your arms could be more "straight towards the target". My remark would concern the second picture. As we said, your arms are straightening too fast, so that sometimes you bend them during the hit, or that makes you lose power. Work on this.
     On the seond picture, you see that your backswing position is quiet good. The club is on the same plan as it was while addressing  the ball. You just look like standing up a little (you are not bent any more). The correction should come from the third picture. Comparing with the first one, you can see your left elbow. That means your arms are not thrown towards the target. It is the only thing to work on.

   

 I think you could improve the position on top of the backswing. As you can see, comparing the two first pictures, you have a tendancy to "drop" the club behind you, instead of upon your neck. That makes you lower the head. The bottom of the body is perfect. During the impact (second picture), the weight transfer could be more important, and that would help you to straighten your arms (to gain distance). The final position is balanced, hands up and weight on the left. Good job !

I want to tell you that I enjoyed a lot to work with all of you (I repeat that every week, but I really mean it) and I hope to see you again in another PinHigh location

TOT ZIENST !

 

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