Grit, Pain and Determination

Winter... a time to celebrate the holidays, snow, ice and cold appendages. For those not fortunate enough to reside in parts of the world where golf can be played year round it can be a down time. The time when you sadly put away your golf clubs but you fondly recollect the shots that you pulled off... when you shouldn't have. The memories of being the first one onto the course or the last one off of the course as the Pro Shop anxiously awaits his or her departure for the evening. But then there are others that look at this time of the year to focus and address issues. I definitely fall into the latter.

I recently made a determination that I had to commence a legitimate workout regimen. Or should I say make a lifestyle change. For the longest time I fell into a rut where I would sit here at my laptop, open up a big bag of potato chips and unceremoniously eat the entire bag. Recently, I had a doctor's appointment and I stepped on the scale. I was mortified to see that I was tipping the scales at 230 lbs. The heaviest I have been in about 20 years and I clearly said to the nurse "I'm fat!" to which she said I wasn't. So I started to think about joining a gym and I did. World Gym in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

I started a regimen that included daily cardio and core and alternating days between arms and legs. It didn't take long to start seeing some results as I was gaining strength and losing weight. The funny thing about golf is that it so much resembles life. You only get out of it what you put into it. I've been working out in an almost religious kind of way and I joke around that I'm in "Beast Mode". I've been counting carbs, eating more greens and I started to drink protein shakes twice a day.

But changes like this don't come without a little pain and fighting your way to accomplish something. Again... so much like life. The other day I was doing my cardio and I was clearly not having a good day where I was "feeling it". I was gassed after 5 minutes and I told myself push through five more minutes. So I did and then I told myself... how about another 5 minutes. Mission accomplished! Then before I knew it I spent 45 minutes on the elliptical. The longest, best cardio workout that I have had in a very long time if not ever. Always remember this... "if you hit a wall... climb it". There is nothing that we can't do if we are determined.

So yesterday happened. As it turns out December 18th would be a day where I recognized some serious areas improvement that needed to be addressed. If not for the sake of myself then for the golf game. I was "fanaggled" into taking part in a Yoga session when I was checking out the basketball court to shoot some hoops. The instructor talked me into it (I tried getting out of it when I said I didn't have a mat... she located one). Yoga, something that I have more or less avoided. I tried it once before and left the class after 20 minutes. Anyways, I learned something about myself and yoga yesterday. Actually, I learned two things. The first is that you break into a sweat doing yoga (never saw that one coming). Secondly, I thought that for my age I was flexible or just flexible in general. Oddly and bizarrely enough I learned that I'm not. I am about as limber as a cement wall. I had no clue that yoga would hurt. Folks, I had no clue I was this "tight". Getting into some of the positions yesterday took serious work. My hips are pretty much frozen. If there is one thing I have to improve for golf it is definitely my flexibility. I'm floored by this epiphany. The other thing is that my arms although not totally necessary for getting distance are definitely a muscle group that needs strengthening. Okay, maybe vanity plays a small part too!

The moral of the story is this. When it comes to living in northern climates and golf there truly is #NoOffSeason. Instead... identify and address your deficiencies. Set a goal and strive to be better. Your body, mind and game will appreciate it. By the way my goal was to drop 20 lbs by my birthday in January... as of today I have lost 9 lbs and I already feel lighter on my feet. All of this can only help. Besides, a reward after a good workout is tanning, hydro-massage and sauna time. Definitely well worth it.

Until The Next Tee!

Make Spin

I think this might be my first tip that I'm posting here since I re-vamped things a little bit. Over the last couple of days here in Niagara Falls, Ontario we have been experiencing some gorgeous nice weather. For the first time in a while I found myself with time and feeling decent enough to get some practice in. A nice change... quality me time with different irons and a new driver. Both Tour Edge Exotics.My two sessions were a bit different than each other where yesterday I added some short game work to the 4 hours worth of practice I spent. With my lack of playing time this year I honestly feel like I lost another year and with a lack of play if one aspect of the game can go in downward spiral quickly it's green side play. Yesterday I was employing balls from OnCore Golf and a Cradlz by Stinger device that I received to test and review. Watching some video of my pitching I saw a mistake that I didn't feel like I was making. So I thought that since it was fresh in my mind I would talk about it.

Photo: alexandertothgolf.blogspot.com

It happens almost every round that you play. You've missed a Green In Regulation and what's worse is that you've short-sided yourself a little. If you're on the fringe things aren't so bad because you definitely have the use of your putter at your disposal to hole it out or get it close. But you aren't on the fringe and there is too much real estate between yourself to utilize a specialty shot like a "Texas Wedge". So there you are and you take a wedge... or iron (green side doesn't automatically make it a wedge shot) and you've seen the guys and gals on Sunday afternoon on the various tours chip and make the ball stop. You try the same thing but instead you hit your chip and run it well past the hole. What happened to the spin?

Photo Credit: alexandertothgolf.blogspot.com

In a lot of cases two things might have occurred. The first option is that your club head got ahead of your hands and you flipped. The second option is a very, very good possibility. You decelerated on the stroke. Regardless of the distance for the shot you have to make if there is one thing that you you should never do is decelerate or give up on the shot. This is what I observed on my play back. While there was no lack of enough "swing" to make the shots I was making... I was clearly tentative. In order to get the spin that you require you have to accelerate through the ball... much like a driver or any other full shot. The combination of "trapping" the ball by having your hands lead the way through the ball and acceleration is what creates the spin. A deceleration will put "lazy spin" on the ball meaning that it will want to spin but it's almost like the golf ball says "Ummm... no!" and upon hitting the putting surface it just skips along. Accelerate and make that ball check. Below is a quick list of the set-up to achieve the spin.

1. Open up your stance slightly.
2. Weaken your grip. (If you normally see 3 knuckles on your top head lean more towards 2 or less)
3. Your ball position should be off of your trailing ankle. If you need to pop the ball up a little bit place it more towards the lead heel.
4. Place 90% of your weight on your leading side.
5. Pre-set your hands ahead of the ball. Doing this programs the hands or handle of the club to get through first.
6. If the shot is your basic chip rock the shoulders like a putt. Do not let your bottom hand "take over the stroke". Light grip pressure.
7. See the shot... rehearse the shot  and get a feel for how much stroke you need. Practice the acceleration. (Pre-Shot Routine)
8. Reset... step in to the shot by repeating 1-6.
9. Make the shot.

Do not do this. Deceleration causes a lack of spin and makes you prone to chunking chips and pitches. Not to mention coming up short.

I hope that this helps you lower your score by a stroke or 3.

Until The Next Tee!

HoleOut Golf - AntiSway Pro

While in attendance at the 2016 PGA Show last January I walked more miles, covering more ground than I had in previous years The weird thing is that this time around it took me to parts of the show floor that I do not recollect ever seeing. When I attend the show, I try to take in as much as I can especially when it comes to equipment and training aids. The focus of this review is on one of many products that HoleOut offers.

HoleOut is a brand that brings both training aids and products to make the life of golfers near and far.Before continuing, I must add that while I was attending their booth last January I learned that Golf Channel selected not one but three of their "Absurdly Functional" products as "Favourite Thing of the Day" awards. In the case of the AntiSway Pro I found myself doubly intrigued. The AntiSway Pro has one goal in mind. Make you a better golfer. As a matter of fact, literature on the HoleOut Golf website (holeout.com) states that this product is perfect for every golfer who isn't #1 in the world. A pretty lofty statement but a statement that is very confident which is something that I admire and after talking to Mark and Dave of HoleOut you understand why they are so confident in their product(s).

The AntiSway Pro is designed to help golfers eliminate a "sway" (or lateral shift) while performing the backswing. The sway is an affliction in the golf swing that causes so many problems that I care not to really discuss them. But for the purposes of giving a full understanding of what the AntiSway Pro is truly intended for...I will. Through the five years of my swing reconstruction under the watchful eye of my coach I fought a sway. This was something he noticed the first time he watched me in the dome February 2011. As I progressed with my changes I had one "Achilles Heel" that would creep in... the sway (okay pulling the hands inside was one too). The primary root cause of a sway is that you have had a poor turn in the first place. You definitely have become disconnected and pulled the hands inside (refer to my above statement and the correlation is there) So now instead of getting back nicely and in synch you have picked up speed in the backswing. Now your weight is no longer kept on the inside of the trail foot and your weight has shifted to the out-step of your trailing foot. Now your trail knee has lost all stability and the fault is set. But we haven't even started the downswing yet. Our body (see brain) realizes that something is out and then the compensatory moves start. You try to get back into the hitting area and now you're on the down range side of the ball.You're shot is nearly finished now but you haven't even had the effect of the sway occur yet. You're either really fat, thin or you have sliced the ball. Worst case scenario.. two of three of those effects have happened and you're really on your way to frustration... and a big score. of course, the sway has also caused a lack of power and distance. As you can clearly see... there is no good that can come of this. So how does the AntiSway Pro fix this.

Well, for $59.95 USD you receive an implement that is constructed from a high impact plastic (or polymer) and it consists of two "posts", a lanyard (strap) and a couple of bolts that easily screw in and holds the components together. Upon completion of putting the AntiSway Pro together you simply attach it to your trail foot and wrap the lanyard around your ankle. The purpose of the two posts is that when you sway the back post simply makes contact with your lower leg. While the back post lets you know if you've straightened your trail knee (also the cause of a fat shot). All in all it gives the golfer very quick and effective feedback. The AntiSway Pro travels very well and fits easily into any golf bag (well maybe not a "Sunday Bag") and is very light.

Earlier in the testing phase of the AntiSway Pro my use was somewhat limited as I was not able to play too much. But regardless of that I would strap on the AntiSway Pro and work on my pivot. This is also the beautiful part of this "absurdly functional product" you don't even to make a swing to work on killing that sway. Improvement without hitting a ball you ask? Absolutely. HoleOut recommends using AntiSway Pro for five minutes a day for the purposes of reinforcing muscle memory. While you can definitely practice a proper one-piece takeaway with a club in hand I simply recommend to "dumb it down" just a little more. Place your arms across your chest like you're trying to hug yourself and pivot. Getting that lead shoulder down. Oops.. you felt the post? Well your swing got too much horizontal (false turn). Repeat the pivot and then an epiphany happens. No contact with the post!! Congratulations! You had a proper turn and you maintained your solid foundation that you had at address. Now you are on your way to striking that is both more solid and consistent.

Getting back to my coach and my sway struggles. On more than one occasion he referred to a device that he had that was intended for the same purpose. He simply called it "The Boot". I dreaded talk of "The Boot" being used on me and I actually feared it. Then I saw him use it on another student of his. It resembled a torture device from the medieval era more than something to help out the golfer. It looked like a walking cast that had a strap and then there was the metal spike in the bottom. In a word... cumbersome. The AntiSway Pro is definitely not cumbersome and as a matter of fact you can walk around with it on. I watched the chap at their booth in January walk around while wearing it. This is where I have my only negative feedback about the device. In my experiences walking around with the AntiSway Pro on the deviceconstantly rode up my shin sometimes twisting around said shin in the process. I'm hoping that it was me having a "mimbo moment" but I could not satisfactorily tighten the device. My solution if in the event that I was in fact not a mimbo is for HoleOut to include a velcro enclosure just to ensure a snug fit. Otherwise, I fail to have one beef against the device.

I recently found out about a match at the course that we have against another course from the United States. To be more precise, I found out that it was customary for the two Professionals to play against one another. Seeing that I haven't really played or practiced a lot I figured that I better get at it... it's on October 1st. So over thelast two days i had some serious and focused practice sessions on the range. During my 3 hour session yesterday I wore the AntiSway Pro just to reinforce everything going on in my takeaway. I was pleased and relieved to know that I had no sway. Ultimately, I was striking the ball very well and there is no doubt that the quick positive reinforcement and instantaneous feedback built my confidence. That carried over to today's session in a torrential downpour that was literally falling sideways. It was some kind of nasty. As I continue to prep for the event the AntiSway Pro will be integral and this device is even better when coupled with an Orange Whip Trainer. The AntiSway Pro has also been very effective when teaching my students.

If you happen to be like the vast majority of amateur golfers and struggle with a sway. Definitely give the HoleOut AntiSway Pro a serious look and serious consideration.

Until The Next Tee!

The Most Telling Training Aid That You Have... But Never Knew It

Truth be told, this first tip is so obvious that you might give yourself a smack of the forehead and think.. "why didn't I think of that". Have you been on the range working on your game and you're just randomly watching balls sail left or right? Sure, you might be striking the ball okay but that direction.. it's not even close. This tip is particularly great if you're a golfer who fights the slice.

If you were to line up 10 golfers I would almost guarantee that 9 out of 10 of them would be wearing something in common. Sure they are wearing shirts and bottoms but we have to look closer at the equator. Their belt. The belt is such an under rated piece of equipment and the fact is that our belts can tell us a lot about what's going on with our ballflight. Leaving shots out to the right? Hit your next shot and hold your finish and pay attention to where your belt or navel are pointing. Chances are it's pointing right in the general direction where your ball landed. If you have your belt pointing to the right (if right-handed or left for a left-handed golfer) chances are you slid (lateral shift) and you never cleared your hips. Keep this in mind.

Note: If your belt is pointing right and you hit a hook you have to know that you either lost connection, spun out of the shot or had a cast at the top.

Hope this helps.

Until The Next Tee

Fundamentals

Too often I've seen it or talked to golfers about their swing issues. Yesterday, while in a practice session I was working next to a 23 year-old athletic type that also works with my coach. He's a relatively new golfer but I think that he could be a terrific golfer. Unlike me, he's young and is not cursed with "T-Rex arms" but the struggle was definitely real yesterday. Thins and fats aplenty were his demise. Misses that I have struggled with at times as well. I was asked by my coach to keep an eye on him to make sure that he was getting enough down turn on the way back. His shoulder turn was definitely sufficient and for the most part he was staying "centered" throughout the swing and through the ball. So I'm watching him and then I saw something that I've struggled with until I really targeted the issue late this summer.

All too often golfers get caught up in trying to solve a miss that they're encountering, but they actually don't know what the real reason for the miss is. So they start searching for a fix, whether it's through watching Youtube or reading a golf publication. Suddenly, they are just inundated and develop "paralysis by analysis" often making things worse because they are looking for an issue that's far too grandiose. Frustration on most occasions sets in.

Always remember to check out your fundamentals. Fundamentals like grip, posture and ball position are three key fundamentals that if not paid attention to can most likely be the root cause of the miss. It's very easy to become complacent and not even think about them. In Brandon's case yesterday it was the grip. I noticed his grip in his top hand and he was very much in the palm. This issue causes a few things which really is a "Domino Effect".

1. Tightness of the hands creating a lack of wrist hinge
2. The same tightness makes you pull the club back with your hands as opposed to turning back with your shoulder.
3. Because you have pulled back with your hands, you now have made a bad situation worse by now introducing a "lateral shift" pulling you off of the ball.
4. Your brain and body react and now your shifting back towards the ball in an effort to compensate.
5. Now at the point of impact you either "flip" the club head as your bottom hand takes over causing a thin hit or more likely you hit it fat as your body is clearly on the "downrange" side of the ball.
6. You finish... not in balance.

Just think... all of this because of one fundamental being a little bit off. Golf is a constant reminder of "Newton's First Law of Physics"... For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. Remember golf is supposed to be fun and you can only have that if you have your... FUNdamentals.

Until the next tee.

A "68"

As I sit here reflecting on life in general... and of course golf I can't help but think that playing golf again is a lifetime away. At the moment, the temperature here is -20*C or with the exchange rate for my American friends and readers -4. Now that I think about it hmmm a "68"... Nice score!!! (see I told you that I was thinking about golf). So what is someone like me to do on a day like this?

I think that one option is quite obvious seeing that I'm writing this article as my Labrador "Muskoka" is uncontrollably whining after getting a scent and "the call of the wild". It's a day that sees me not heading to a dome to work on things and as much as I should go to the gym to workout I am choosing not to take part in that endeavour either partially because I need a rest. So what I will do today on a day that is neither fit for human nor beast?

Short game... I will work on my short game. As important as our full swings are, the short game is the money maker. Yes, we need to put the ball in play but when we're missing our targets we need the short game to be...as the cool kids say nowadays "on fleek". Truth be told, I cannot believe that I just worked that into one of my entries. I know that I have written on this topic before on my website (alexandertothgolf.com) and there is no doubt that it is an important topic. My point today however, is that no matter what... there's always a will and a way to work on this aspect of our games.

I am currently in the middle of testing a SeeMore Putters Corona Del Mar that I seem to be rolling better than anything I have rolled before. To do this mid-winter I am using a Big Moss Augusta Putting Green (review posted click on link below) that I was very fortunate to have tested and not only did it test well... it became an integral part of my practice regimen. They roll as true as a green... a well conditioned green. If you don't have one... look them up or roll putts on your carpet or alternative type of mat. They key is that you're putting time into your... putting. (see what I did there?). While you're at it... grab a wedge and spend time working on your chipping too...you'll thank yourself for it. If you have an impact bag (which I do not) work on your wrist angles going into the ball. You can do this also by gentling going into something firm (a pillow or a piece of wood or bottom of your sofa)  making sure that you're club does not get past your hands through impact. Don't be "flipping out".

Basically, the moral of the story is just don't sit on your "collective keesters" today or tomorrow. Even if you're housebound in -20* weather doing some "California Dreamin'" while watching the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am take some time during commercials and practice. Who knows... maybe you'll shoot a "68".

Until the next tee.

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