Deutsche Bank ChampionshipLEADERBOARD (after 3rd Round)
Much has been made of the 'Stack and Tilt' swing this year. Mike Weir is a big believer of this motion. Personally I feel that the description of the concepts have been over exaggerated to help players develop the feel for the movement. Over exaggeration of the movement is a common teaching technique to help players feel the movement they are trying to create. If you are trying to create better balance and consistency with your golf swing then watch Weir's swing. Pay attention to his left leg during his backswing. His leg stays in exactly the same position as it is at address. His left hip will rotate back, but his leg stays virtually the same as the start. Many players create movement by getting their back leg out of position. this creates side to side movement. That motion is hard to create consistent contact. The other great thing to watch in Weir's game is his swing rehearsal. He always makes a half back swing before he sets to hit his shot. No matter what swing he has been using, he has almost always had this routine. He tried changing it for a while, but quickly brought it back when it hurt his game. It is a great concept to copy, particularly if you are trying to change something in your backswing. The rehearsal let's you get a feel for the move you are trying to make before you pull the trigger for your shot. Camilo VillegasVillegas is a young superstar in the making. He has not had the tournament success of Anthony Kim...but it is coming. He has got great game, and certainly proved that he can go low. His 63 during the third round jumped to second place and a shot at the championship. He is using a great drill in the video above. If you find your ball starts left or right of your target then try this drill. It helps you develop a straight path through the ball. Your club path determined where your ball will start. He is practicing getting is ball to start at his target. When you watch Villegas this weekend, pay close attention to the length of his backswing. You may be surprised by how short it is. A long swing does not mean more power if it is not done properly. He averages 296 yards off the tee. That is plenty long enough! Using a proper shoulder turn, only turn as far as your flexibility will allow you. If you let your arms go farther than you turn you will lose both power and accuracy. When you practice think of stopping your hands at shoulder height. You will be surprised at the power you will create.
Singh finds himself atop the FEDEX CUP points standings. He has certainly done that with great play over the last 2 weeks. The greatest thing about Singh's swing is how relaxed he his. If you watch the video above, watch how his body propels his arms through the golf ball. With this type of swing, the more your arms are relaxed the more power you will generate. I like to demonstrate a drill when I teach that shows the difference between an arm swing and a body swing. First I show how fast I can swing using just my arms. Then I show the same thing using no arms and only my body. It is no contest...I can create way more club head speed with the body swing. The bonus is that the club also returns to the same place every time. Watch Vijay to get a sense of how relaxed his arms are and how that could benefit your game. I hope you enjoy the final round of the 2008 Deutsche Bank Championship. Good luck with your practicing, playing and watching. May you 'Play Your Golf Dreams' sooner with the help of free-golf-lessons.com. Deutsche Bank ChampionshipCopyright 2006-2012 Free-Golf-Lessons.com
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PGA Tour Winner Quick Lesson
Congratulations to Steve Stricker on his victory at the 2012 Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
I believe the commentators said he has won 9 times in his 40s. That is amazing!I also agree with Sir Nick and Johnny Miller that his swing will be copied in the future. Technology has reduced the need for hand action in the golf swing to generate power. Watch the old videos of Bobby Jones to see how much action he created compared to that of Steve Stricker.
A great objective for any player is to eliminate any unnecessary movement. Stricker does a great job of that. His hands stay very quiet on the backswing. His wrists hardly hinge at the top of his backswing. You can see from the above video that his backswing is all shoulder turn.
His downswing starts from the hips and he simply turns everything through the golf ball at the same time. His hands and wrists release naturally without any effort. This is a great way to have a consistent rhythm through the golf ball on every shot. This swing delivers enough power to win on Tour.
European Tour Winner Quick Lesson
Congratulations to Louis Oosthuizen and his victory at the 2012 Africa Open.
Louis burst onto the scene with his dominating performance at the Open Championship. Many have predicted multiple wins for this player. His victory this past weekend is likely one of many to come.
In the video above pay really close attention to when the video ends. Take a look at his left foot. Notice how all his weight his on his left heel. This is a great sign that he has cleared his hips properly.
One of the key reasons for starting the downswing with your lower body is to clear your hips out of the way to create more room for your arms to swing through impact. It is a great indicator as to how well you cleared your hips, when almost all your weight is on your heel.
If your weight is leaning on you toes or even the middle of your foot then you have not rotated and cleared your hips enough through your downswing and past impact. You really want to feel the pressure of your weight on your heel like Oosthuizen.
Make sure you start your downswing with your lower body. At the top of your backswing; either pull your left knee or your left hip (right handed player) towards the target. Also make sure your hips keep rotating through impact and into your finish position with your weight on the heel.