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Post date: May 16, 2018 5:02:39 PM
Butch Harmon’s Playing Lessons by Butch Harmon with John Andrisani
Tee Shots (Par 4s and 5s)
A tee box set at a higher elevation will make the shot vary greatly depending on the wind direction. You need to know the true distances your shots fly in the air, with various clubs in varying conditions. Factor in the wind, elevation and lie on every shot.
With the wind at your back, the tendency is for the wind to straighten out any draw or fade, increasing chances of hitting the fairway.
Into the wind, hit a low controlled shot. Always make a controlled, balanced swinging action. If you think you have to kill the ball to reach an ideal landing spot, you’re better off clubbing up. On driving holes where accuracy is more important than distance, play the 3-wood ‘off the deck.’ Give yourself a slightly puffy lie. Into the wind, it is to your advantage to have just a little grass behind the ball. The grass will get between the ball and clubface and produce a ‘flyer’ that takes off like a rocket with very little spin on a shallow trajectory so you get some extra roll. The only setup adjustment is to play the ball 1-2 inches further back than a you would play a teed-up driver.
Crosswinds make it more difficult to hit the fairway. To play a low shot that won’t get blown away by the wind, choose a club that can keep it low and straight. Sacrifice distance for a shot from the fairway.
To correct a faulty flight path, take the club more inside and make a more rounded shoulder turn. Gripping too tightly on the club is a prime cause of the slice. A tight grip insures that the club will be open at impact even if the rest of the swing is sound. Hold the club as lightly as possible throughout the swing. Keep the grip tension free and let the club fly through the impact zone. Shots will fly longer and straighter.
Drill for grooving a light grip: Have a friend gently pull the club out of your hand If gripped correctly, very little resistance will be felt as the club is pulled out of the hand.
Don’t flirt with slopes. Land the ball on level areas of the fairway, even if it means playing a slightly longer approach into the green.Use a 3 wood off the tee if more control is needed.
Make a smooth practice swing, an exact rehearsal of the intended swing.
If playing a fade, set up on the right side of the tee box and aim for the left side of the fairway to give the ball more room to work left to right. Set up square to the left side and let the ball fade back into play. The feet, knees, hips and shoulders need to be set up square to the target.
Good habit: get set then look back and forth between the ball and the target a few times. This type of intense focus on the target area raises the player’s level of confidence and sends a positive message to the brain. Once the brain knows where we want to hit it, the body finds a way to swing the club correctly. It’s important to play a video in the head before we swing. This also discourages us from looking at trees, fairway bunkers, etc. in the way. Commit to the shot: swing nicely to the finish: accelerate nicely through impact and flow into a nice finish.
To carry the ball farther than normal off the tee, move the ball up in your stance, playing it off the let instep. Then widen the stance, moving the right foot back about an inch or two but keeping it parallel to the target line. Then take a normal swing. This position helps us to stay behind the ball a little longer, which is what gets the ball up into the air more, giving us the extra carry we want.
Relax and make a rhythmic swing. To promote the correct swing plane, bend from the ball and socket joints of the hips, never the waist. Stooping over encourages an overly steep plane. Relax the arms so they feel more like spaghetti and less like steel. Relaxed arms help to generate speed and power in the backswing. The pause at the top of the backswing should occur unconsciously and naturally as the club changes direction to avoid disrupting tempo. Think of the swing as one continuous uninterrupted motion. Concentrate on swinging into a full finish.
To cure the long pause problem: On the practice tee, as soon as we begin the downswing immediately rotate the stomach and belt buckle toward the target. This drill teaches the shifting and rotating actions to kick in automatically once we reach the top of our backswing. All of the sudden, the pause will be gone.
On a short dogleg right it is better to play a shot that gets us to where the fairway makes its turn. If playing a 3-wood, tee up the ball no more than a half inch and position it in the stance opposite the left heel, maybe an inch back from where we would play it with the driver. Keep the takeaway smooth and the head still. Concentrate on swinging around the spine on the backswing rather than lifting the club up. More important, maintain the flex in the knees.
Drill for staying down: Practice hitting shots off downhill lies. Swinging down the slope encourages maintaining the knees flexed.
Teeing the ball too low will promote a slice. The lower the ball is teed, the more upright the swing will be which promotes the clubface being open through impact. The higher we tee up, the more it will promote a swing around the body and will help bring the clubhead into the ball from the inside to along the line, giving a straighter ball flight.
For a difficult tee shot that requires a controlled draw (the wind blowing from left to right), it is better to choose a 3-wood, especially if it still allows for a short iron into the green.
Never rush on the downswing. Always keep in mind to swing the club at a nice even pace.
Drill for finding the ideal swing tempo:
Divide 30 balls evenly into six separate piles.
Hit all five in the first pile, noting the distance and direction of each ball's flight, and how well you stay balanced.
Move on to pile number two, trying to hit the balls five yards farther, keeping in mind that it’s a faster lower-body rotation (knees and hips) that generates additional distance, not a harder arm swing.
If the balls travel longer and stay pretty straight, and balance is retained, move on to pile three, and try to add another five yards.
If you are still in balance and you hit longer on-target tee shots, move on to pile four.
Once at the point where the body is out of balance and unable to control the the club, and shots are mishit, we have hit our wall. Back off one notch from there and that’s as hard as we can and should swing the ‘big stick.”
Always focus the eyes intently on the target area. Couple this positive pre swing routine, with a mental image of the proper release action to raise confidence levels and to promote a powerfully accurate shot.
Alignment is important and never more so than on an awkward winding hole. Aim to a spot in the fairway where we expect the ball to land, imagining the carry and roll in our visualization.
Always let the right forearm and hand release freely over the left through impact. Keep the right heel down through impact to help the arms release properly.
Start planning from the green and work back toward the tee to determine the best combination of shots to get a birdie putt. With good course management we can still be putting for birdie even if we don’t play our best shots.
If the shot calls for a draw:
Tee the ball up on the left side of the teeing area to help align the tee shot to start down the right center of the fairway, which is what is desired when trying to draw the shot for extra distance.
Tee the ball a little higher than normal, as this promotes a right to left draw.
Move the club from the ball back slowly, this is always good advice, but especially if trying to hit a powerful tee shot.
Swing on a rounded plane but be careful not to let the club get too far behind us. Taking the club straight back along the target line will keep it on plane.
Concentrate on making a fluid arm swing on the way down to tame the wrists and prevent a hook.
To avoid having the clubface open at impact, do not ‘grab’ the club tighter on the downswing. Keep the grip pressure light on the downswing and make a free flowing swing to allow the club to release properly.
Learn to hit a controlled draw, in practice first. The golf course is no place to experiment. Think with the head, not with the heart. Don’t try a shot you don’t know how to hit consistently at will. Once able to consistently hit a shot in practice, then we can bring that shot to the course. The secret to promoting a proper slightly inside path is making sure the shoulders turn in a clockwise direction on the backswing while keeping the hands quiet. By doing so, the club swing along an inside path all by itself, never entering the ‘danger zone’ behind the body.
If the fairway is wide and we can carry the driver at least 250, use the driver. It gives us the best chance to be able to go for the green in two. At the very least, a decent drive will put us in position to hit a second that sets up a relatively easy third shot. Stay smooth. Think of the driver as any other club and focus on putting our smoothest, best best balanced swing. Resist the temptation to hit the ball farther than we know how. Just try to swing smoothly, levely through impact.
To start the driver down the right side and turn it over from right to left so it works its way back to the center of the fairway with plenty of roll: make a conscious effort on the backswing to move the left knee to the right, so that it works inward and behind the ball at the top of the backswing. This move (1) gets the lower body weight loaded behind the ball so that more power can be delivered through impact and (2) working the knee to the right promotes a more rounded backswing, a flatter plane to more easily impart left to right draw spin to the ball.
If only able to reach the green in 3 with perfect shots, play it as a par 6. Playing smart golf is even more important for ‘C’ players because we lack score making ability to make birdies that make up for a bad hole. Never hit shots that we do not have in our bag right now. Our main objective is to avoid a snowman. Choose the club we are able to hit most consistently and most confidently and simply take a relaxed swing. Just put the ball in play. Work on all types of shots in practice first. But to lower our handicap, on the golf course only play shots we know we are capable of hitting consistently. To mature as a player, start thinking strategically and a lower handicap will follow. It is more fun as well to plan out our shots, like playing chess. Be an artist. Learn how far each club goes; how far the ball goes in the air, then rolls on chips; how the ball reacts in different types of sand, etc. The first step is to figure out how far our average shot goes with each club so we can put the ball in position with pinpoint accuracy time after time.
To groove a level swing through impact and hit the ball on a more penetrating trajectory:
Drill 1 - assume the address position but put the thumb of the left hand in the left pocket. Now pull on the pocket to encourage the hip to rotate or ‘clear’ to the left of target. This type of rotation is needed to return the club squarely and powerfully to the ball.
Drill 2-Imagine a second ball a couple inches in front of the real one. Swing, trying to hit the imaginary ball. This promotes an extended release of the arms, prevent the right hand from turning under left one.
The nearer the tee shot is aimed at the trouble, the easier the second shot will be. The safer we play the tee shot, the more difficult the second shot will be.
When playing short par-4s it is not worth it to gamble with the driver unless able to reach the green. Settle for a distance that leaves a full wedge shot into the green.
When hitting a wood, tee the ball up only about a quarter to ½ inch, just a touch higher than an iron. Keep the swing compact and smooth.
Play doglegs towards the center of the fairway (away from the dogleg), especially if we tend to fade shots. By giving the dogleg a wider berth, we can still end up in perfect position, even if we miss the ball slightly.
If we have the problem of hitting woods off the heel and blocking irons, we may be pulling the club down into a shallower slot. There should be no violent pulling action in the hands. Let the lower body lead the downswing and the arms, hands and clubhead will follow. Once the left hip clears, the sweet spot of the club, rather than the heel, will head to the back center portion of the ball.
Drill to correct heel shots: Practice hitting shots off sidehill lies. This drill teaches us to allow the toe of the club to lead the hill through impact, and train us to swing on an inside, to square, to inside path rather than an inside to outside path.
Don’t get lazy when playing a layup off the tee. Imagining playing a long par 3 and try to knock it at the center of the green. Set up carefully, focusing on the small target in the middle of the fairway, stay smooth and in rhythm, and trust the normal free release of the clubhead.
Drill for enhancing the release of the hands, arms and club: Take your address with a 5-iron, then drop the right hand down so that the hands are a few inches apart. Feel the correct sensation the right hand and forearm crossing over the left hand and forearm through impact. Then grip the driver normally and incorporate this releasing action into the swing. The result: more solid shots hit off the sweet spot of the clubface.
We don’t want to lay up too far back, especially if we know we are going to face a very tough shot into the green.
Bad shots are a part of the game, and the better we become at shrugging them off, the better golfer we will be. Learn to manage our mistakes well. A sound strategy will keep 8’s off our scorecard. To avoid closing the club at impact, be sure to shift the weight onto the left foot on the downswing. Also, strive for a high finish to discourage ‘flipping’ the club. Another thing that will discourage a left arm-chicken-wing position and a dominant right hand-and cure a hook-is to concentrate on finishing lower and more around the body.
It doesn’t matter how fast we swing so long as we stay balanced. However if we swing fast, use a stiff-flex shaft so the clubhead will stay behind the hands longer. The clubhead needs to whip into the ball after we have shifted the weight to left foot and have cleared the hips otherwise, the club will close too dramatically, causing a hook.
Difficult par 4s should be played as par 5s. Always visualize the shot, especially on intimidating tee shots. If there is any doubt in mind, have the courage to always back away and reset from the start of the pre-shot routine. Be sure to look at the ball then up at the target a few times before the swing. It’s important to see the ball land in it’s intended area before we even hit it. This healthy mental rehearsal improves the odds of hitting a solid tee shot.
Drill for intensifying mental focus and curing tee jitters: The next time you practice drives, imagine hitting into a practice net located a few yards directly in front of the ball. Doing this drill for a week will allow you to be more focused and block out any hazards. As a result, you’ll feel more confident, make a smooth on-plane swing, and hit the ball down the fairway.
Even if the fairway is generous, still pick a small spot near the center of the fairway and focus concentration on it. As always, keep the swing smooth, deliberate and try to swing the clubhead level through the ball.
To help put some draw-spin on the ball (as well as gain maximum distance,) remember to tee it a touch higher than you would normally. Stay loose prior to the takeaway, swing freely, and make pure contact.
To avoid chopping down on the ball with long clubs and costing a lot of distance, meet the back of the ball while it is traveling parallel to the ground. To have a better chance of sweeping the ball off the tee with a level blow, turn the left knee inward on the backswing. This allows the weight to shift correctly on the backswing, then onto the left foot coming down. This will also enhance the turning actions of the shoulders and stop the right one from dropping down dramatically.
On a hole that dog legs right, if capable of hitting through the dogleg, start the ball a little right of center with a slight fade. This allows the ball to land in the right half of the fairway so that even with the fairway bending right and the terrain sliding left, we can keep the tee shot in the fairway.
To hit the ball lower, so the ball runs farther once it lands, play the ball opposite the left heel. Only when looking to carry the ball longer in the air should it be positioned forward of that spot.
Dogleg-left holes require either a controlled draw around the corner or a power-fade that starts down the left side of the fairway and finishes in the center or right-center of the fairway. The priority is to hit the fairway. To help ensure that the ball is hit at the initial target, pick an interim spot along the aiming line, about three feet in front of the ball. Next, set the clubface square to it. Knowing that we are aimed correctly will also heighten confidence and help us employ a smoother swing.
When fighting a duck hook, the natural thing is to grip more tightly and fail to release the arms, hands and club fluidly. Instead of coming into the ball with the clubhead moving at maximum speed, the tendency is to decelerate and leave the clubface open. Make a habit of always planting a positive image or thought into the mind just before swinging. Imagine the ball curving around the dogleg, then landing in the short grass on the left side of the fairway. Always play the shot in your head before you swing.
The secrets to eliminating slices are concentrating intently and swinging smoothly. Drill for flattening out a steep swing plane:
Assume normal stance for a driver. Now, instead of grounding the club, hold it at chest level, then extend the arms outward. Swing, feel the flatness of the plane. Yes, it’s close to a baseball swing.
Next, lower the club a few inches, then swing.
Keep lowering the club, until the clubhead is at ground level, with its face square to the ball.
Swing, it will feel nice to swing the club on a more rounded plane, and on an inside-square-inside path, plus hit solid shots. Whenever we get into a slice slump, work on this drill. It will also help learn to rotate the arms in a counterclockwise direction through impact. This type of release will allow us to turn a slice into a draw, and pick up yardage rather than lose it.
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