Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
This list put together by Golf Digest shows just how uneven the playing field is for men and women golfers! When a golfer like Jason Dufner (who is no slouch on the golf course) is ahead of World #1 Lydia Ko in earnings, that is just wrong! Folks, start watching the LPGA Tour on TV, and you will find these women can really play! Just as exciting and competitive as the men.
For the first 12 years of the Golf Digest 50 all-encompassing money list, Tiger Woods was No. 1, usually by a wide margin. But reduced play because of injuries and the loss of more than half a dozen A-list endorsement partners after the 2009 scandal caught up to him in 2016, when he fell to No. 3 behind Jordan Spieth and Mickelson. This year, Woods is No. 4 behind Rory McIlroy, Arnold Palmer and Mickelson.
10.) GARY PLAYER
Certainly surprised me!
PREVIOUS RANK: 10
ON COURSE: — $0.00
OFF COURSE: $15,000,000
TOTAL: $15,000,000
9.) ADAM SCOTT
Money does not seem important to him!
PREVIOUS RANK: 18
ON COURSE: $8,160,920
OFF COURSE: $6,900,000
TOTAL: $15,060,920
8.) JASON DAY
Has never quite fulfilled his potential!
PREVIOUS RANK: 7
ON COURSE: $8,845,112
OFF COURSE: $10,750,000
TOTAL: $19,595,112
7.) DUSTIN JOHNSON
Thought he would have been much higher.
PREVIOUS RANK: 13
ON COURSE: $12,664,185
OFF COURSE: $7,100,000
TOTAL: $19,764,185
6.) JACK NICKLAUS
Did not build an empire like Arnie!
PREVIOUS RANK: 6
ON COURSE: $42,000
OFF COURSE: $20,000,000
TOTAL: $20,042,000
Impact – The only position in the golf swing that really matters!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
With all that has been written, filmed, and discussed on how to swing a golf club to produce good shots……. the only position in the golf swing that really matters is IMPACT! Peter Finch of Peter Finch Golf explains this impact position. So pay attention. Once you understand this position, you will definitely improve your golf!
Additional Ingredients.
Delivering the clubhead path slightly for the inside and at the same time slightly upward, although not the be-all and end-all of gaining distance, it does help! Also into this equation would be the loft of the driver and the ball used as these two ingredients affect ball spin. The driver’s shaft is also important to allow the club to travel at its maximum speed for your golf swing. The final additional ingredient will be the angle of attack. To get the ball flying the furthest distance possible, there must be a positive angle of attack!
In the final part of this Smash It Long Series, we look at how to improve your impact and help link all the other areas of a powerful golf swing together.
Have you made your Golf New Years Resolutions Yet?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Here are a few New Years Resolutions from the staff of Hole19Golf.com to help you make your decisions. I really like #4.
It’s that time of year, a time to reflect and look back over the last year and plan (with unwavering dedication) to do things a little differently in the coming year.
Here at the Hole19 offices, we’re no different.
We’ve been asking ourselves how we’re going to level-up our games in the new year – here’s what we came up with:
1) “Spend less on golf balls.”
This is actually kind of a summary for the numerous “spend more time inbounds” and “avoid water like the wicked witch of the west” type resolutions we all seemed to have. For the most part, this is about knowing the course and playing percentage golf; looking at the shot, weighing up the risks and avoiding any kind of agony.
2) “Shake things up a bit.”
We’ve got some great courses nearby. It’s not that we’re bored, far from it. But we’re looking to 2017 as a year to broaden our horizons and play on pastures new. Thankfully, we’ve got our 40,000 strong, course database to help us pick from golf courses near and far.
3) “Dial it in within 120 yards.”
One from our CEO, Anthony. That’s not the only reason it made the list. It’s a darn good resolution.
It can be tempting (and fun!) to get to the practice range and just smash balls into the distance. Not all that productive though.
Spending a few hours a week honing that approach play on varying range targets will see you reap serious benefits on-course.
Here’s one drill from Peter Finch we’ll be trying out:
Thanks for watching – Have you made your Golf New Years Resolutions Yet? Make sure you don’t do the same old, same old in the coming year. Change it up!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Golf is like dancing. If you have no rhythm, you cannot do well. Of course, some people have better rhythm than others, as we can all see with golfers on the PGA and LPGA Tours. Golfers like Ernie Els, Freddy Couples, and Louis Oosthuizen make us all a little jealous. Today, Chris Ryan of ChrisRyanGolf gives uncoordinated golfers new hope!
Chris Ryan demonstrates a fantastic yet simple drill that can be done during practice to help with both rhythm, tempo and making and is also great if you are making any swing changes.
Acquiring the backswing and downswing sequence with David Leadbetter.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Understanding the “feel” of a proper backswing or a proper downswing normally takes many hours and days on the practice range. Yet, this is required to train your body in the right sequence of motion. Here, David Leadbetter for Golf Digest explains a simple drill using your golf towel to attain the feel in a fairly short period of time. Have your golf club handy, so as you acquire this elusive feel, you can pick up your club and put that same motion into practice as you make a full swing!
If I tossed you a golf ball and asked you to toss it right back to me, without even thinking, I bet you’d throw it with your dominant arm. What this should tell you is that even though you’ve got two arms, you feel more comfortable using one over the other.
Remember that when you swing the golf club. A good golf swing is a blend of coordinated movement from both sides of the body. But it’s really your dominant side that wants, and should, dictate the action. For most of you, that means taking a right-side approach to your swing. Grab a bath towel and I’ll show you how. – With Ron Kaspriske
BACKSWING: LOAD AND SEPARATE
Wrap a towel around your right arm at the elbow joint and hold it taut like I am here (above). Now mimic a backswing all the way to the top trying to resist the movement—just a little—while holding the towel with your left hand. You should feel like your upper body is coiling with the latissimus dorsi “lat” muscle really flexed on the right side of the back.
You’ll also notice that to swing to the top, you have to let your right arm separate from your upper body. I know you might have heard to keep that elbow tucked when you swing back, but letting the right arm “float” a little away from your trunk provides a nice, wide swing arc and puts you in position for the proper shallowing of the club on the way down. Essentially, you’re creating more room to swing from inside the target line. Couple that with the coiling the resistance of the towel promotes, and you’re poised for a powerful, right-side-fueled downswing.
The role of the upper and lower body in the transition of the golf swing!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
This great segment by Piers Ward and Andy Proudman of Meandmygolf explains the key role that the upper body and the lower body play in the transition between the backswing and the downswing. Understanding that there is a disassociation between the two will help you hit longer and straighter drives.
A considerable amount of flexibility is needed to get this motion really working. So if you are stiff in either the upper or lower body, check out the link below on what exercises to do to help your body get into the correct positions. This is an absolute must if you are going to gain more power in your golf swing!
In today’s Impact Show we discuss how to separate your hips from your upper body in the downswing and what can happen if you can’t disassociate your lower body from your upper body. We also show how other sports use disassociation so well. All this with the brand new TaylorMade M1 driver.
Who do you think has the best golf swing on Tour – Here are the Top 10! As chosen by Swing by Swing.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Here are the Golfers with the Silky Smooth Swings!
A smooth, consistent, and powerful golf swing is poetry in motion. While most pros are world-class athletes born with near flawless swings, the majority have spent years grinding to make them as perfect as possible. Here are 10 of the prettiest swings currently on tour.
10. Louis Oosthuizen
Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, has honed his swing to near perfect. With flawless tempo and effortless power, his swing is one of the nicest in the game today. On plane and smooth as silk – good luck trying to copy this one!
9. Tiger Woods (2016)
Tiger’s been through it all with his golf swing, but nothing will top his form in 2000. Unfortunately, father time hasn’t been too kind and plagued the 14-time major winner with well-documented injuries over the last decade. Obviously, another overhaul was necessary. Still, in our humble opinion, it’s one of the prettiest out there. (We’ll blame the club drop on rust.)
8. Sergio Garcia
The current number 13 ranked golfer in the world has exceptional posture at address. His takeaway is smooth and he really fires his hips through the ball at impact. Check out that angle of attack! Hopefully, El Niño can put it all together to bring home a major championship before his career comes to a close.
7. Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth employs a rather compact, simple swing that has allowed him continued success off the tee and finding the greens. What we’d like to focus on are the shoulders and hips which are in perfect synchronization for the entire swing. Add in the slightly bent left arm and hopefully, we’ll be watching this beauty for the next 20-30 years.
Will the Forward Press improve your putting stroke?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
The forward press has been around for many years, and Gary Player even uses it in his full swing. He kicks his right knee into the left knee to get his backswing started. Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth both use the forward press, and everyone knows how well those two putt! But what is important in the forward press is the forward shaft angle you need to create optimum roll off the putter face. Tom Stickney II for GolfWRX gives us his take on the illusion of the forward stroke.
Most Tour Players have their hands ahead of the Putterhead!
If you watch the vast majority of Tour players putt, you’ll notice that their hands start in front of the putter head at address, and this condition doesn’t vary throughout their stroke.
Most golfers don’t putt this way, though. Their hands start behind the putter head at address and tend to break down even more. They “slap” at the ball through impact and beyond, which is detrimental for both speed and direction control.
Golf instructors can agree that in order to be effective on the greens, golfers must have the putter shaft returning to neutral or even leaning forward at impact, allowing the hands to lead the blade throughout the stroke. Fundamentally, we know that the left hand controls the putter face and its direction, while the right hand controls the putter head and its effective loft (for right-handed golfers). These two factors together allow golfers to roll their putts more consistently.
The bottom line: if you do not lead the putter head with your hands on today’s fast green, you’ll struggle to be an effective putter.
The Illusion
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
Jordan Spieth keeps the back of his left hand stable and ahead of the putter head throughout his stroke.
So isn’t the solution as simple as forward pressing your hands during the address. Why is that so hard? Well, when most amateurs forward press it’s almost never enough. That’s because they’re fighting an illusion.
That’s right, there’s an optical illusion that occurs when golfers look down from address at their hands and their putter shaft angle. It influences the breakdown of their impact alignments, and promotes a “slapping” action of the wrists and hands. It also encourages the putter head to swing past the hands, leaning the shaft away from the target at impact adding loft to the putter — not something we want.
Try It Yourself
To understand how putters are designed, place your putter flat on the ground, and up against the wall as pictured below. You will notice that the shaft leans away from the target.
If you still don’t buy it, take your setup in front of a full-length mirror and look down at the shaft of the putter. From your address position, you will swear that your putter shaft is even or slightly ahead of the golf ball. But when you look in the mirror you will see an entirely different picture. The putter shaft will actually be behind the putter head.
Start the new year with an overhaul of your putting method!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Jordan Spieth is one of the best putters on the planet. So when his coach, Cameron McCormick, talks about putting, everyone listens. These are some beneficial ideas to retool your putting stroke if your flat stick behaved less than stellar last year. Cameron gives you 4 ways to reboot your putting game. I really like #2. Thanks to Golf Digest for this informative article!
Has your performance been slightly less than satisfying? I know it’s not enough to hear it happens to everyone from time to time. You want to shake off the year of stubs, lip-outs and three-jacks before golf season rolls back around and you’re racking up missed putts again like a kid catching Pokémon. Well, if you really want to fix this flat-stick fiasco, you’re going to need a bit more than a 30-minute session rolling balls into those tiny golf cups. I recommend a full reboot. Here I’m going to give you four ways to pull yourself out of that putting rut. Sometimes only one of these will do the trick, but be prepared for the reality that you might need all four. Best get started. —With Ron Kaspriske
1.) BENCH YOUR PUTTER
If you’re the kind of golfer who talks to a putter, gives it a good spanking when it isn’t performing, and even threatens to back the pickup truck over it in the parking lot, it’s time for the “we need to take a break from each other” conversation. Bench your putt-er for something different. Use a blade? Switch to a mallet. Always preferred heel-shafted putters? Try a centershaft. Everything from club length to grip circumference is up for consideration. Go get fitted (View: Your Ultimate Guide To Finding A Better Game). The big switch works for two reasons. First, there are no bad memories with a new putter. It’s a new day. Second, assuming the old one isn’t now residing in a scrap-metal yard, you’ll make it just jealous enough that it will perform its best when you rekindle your relationship.
2.) REALLY BENCH YOUR PUTTER
“It’s not you, it’s me” won’t fly as a break-up excuse after the second Tinder date, but it’s probably true of your relationship with the putter. It showed up ready to bury every five-footer—but sometimes you didn’t. You need a refresher on mechanics. So I suggest you practice putting with your sand wedge. It’s not as crazy as it sounds. A good stroke is propelled by the shoulders and requires minimal hand or wrist action. To get the ball rolling with a wedge, you have to make that kind of stroke hitting the ball at its equator with the leading edge (above). This type of practice elicits precision and is good for the ol’ ego. You’re more apt to forgive yourself for a miss, which helps reduce those anxious feelings that turn you into a puddle of goo when the putts actually count.
For the 31 we lost in 2016 – Thanks for the Memories!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
As each year passes, we mourn the loss of loved ones. People we knew, or people we did not know personally but knew through the magic of television. Many became heroes, some became legends! To all of those who touched our lives in more ways than they will ever know, thank you so much! RIP, 2016! Thanks also go to Cliff Schrock of Golf Digest, who reminds us that all things must pass.
For the 31 we lost in 2016 – Thanks for the Memories!
Arnold Palmer.
Thanks for the memories, Arnie!
A King, a General, and a Bull died in 2016. But he was one and the same with a distinctly singular name, Arnie. Known by those titles (yes, Bull was early and lesser known), when golf immortal Arnold Palmer passed away on Sept. 25 at age 87 from heart issues, it was more than just the death of the year. It was the end of the game’s focal point for the last 60. If golf history ages well from this point on, Arnie will certainly remain as vibrant. And as much of a measuring stick of how a pro golfer interacts with the public as he ever did. Yet it is a real dilemma we are just now starting to comprehend: How will golf go forward without the Golfer of the People and what his presence meant to the game?
Arnold Palmer was the common man’s pro!
A seven-time major champion, Palmer was the reason golf exploded out of the elitist realm it lived in to be a populist sport. He did it by a combination of a bold, spirited performance on the course with a touchy-feely hold on the fans. He made the game feel fun because you could sense he felt it permeate his spirit right down to the blood rush he’d get on both great and poor shots.
Palmer was iconic in so many ways: his connection with the Masters, his place among the Big Three and his 1960 U.S. Open charge. He was Ike’s pal, an expert pilot and an advertising giant, a matinee idol, a course designer and a charity leader. Arnie helped revive the Open Championship and made hitching your pants a thing. Proudly called Latrobe his home and Winnie his wife, had a drink named for him and an Army that stood at attention wherever he played.
All of it is familiar because he let it be so, his openness to the world a result of traits he learned from his mother but the toughness and determination from his Pap. Palmer enjoyed it all and wouldn’t have changed his life path to gain a few more majors if it meant losing fans. He will endure in the minds of all golfers present and future as the most beloved golfer in history. A king whose realm wasn’t walked but felt in the heart.
Other deaths of notable golf personalities in 2016 include:
Jules Alexander.
90, Aug. 19: The notable golf photographer whose best known images were of Ben Hogan, beginning with the 1959 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, but whose career also lasted through Tiger Woods.
Phil Cannon.
63, Oct. 27: Volunteered at the Memphis PGA Tour stop at age 14 and stayed involved with the event for much of his life, working as tournament director from 1999-2015.
Dawn Coe-Jones.
56, Nov. 12: An LPGA player from 1984 to 2008, Coe-Jones won three times on tour, had 44 career top-10 finishes and is a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
Left us far too early!
Steve Cohen.
76, Aug. 12: Founder of the Shivas Irons Society nearly 25 years ago, created based on the book Golf in the Kingdom.
Bob Cupp.
76, Aug. 19: A former president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and the 1992 Golf World magazine Golf Architect of the Year, he designed courses for 40 years, including Liberty National, Pumpkin Ridge and Old Waverly.
Jack Davis.
91, July 29: A prolific illustrator who worked for decades at Mad magazine and who did work for magazines such as Time and Golf Digest, where his style was used to illustrate unusual feats.
Manuel de la Torre.
94, April 24: The Spanish-born teaching legend and son of Spain’s first golf professional, Angel de la Torre, Manuel was a constant presence on the Golf Digest list of 50 Best Teachers since the inaugural group in 1999. De la Torre attended Northwestern and settled in as a longtime fixture at Milwaukee Country Club, becoming well known for teaching amateurs and stars alike, notably Carol Mann and Loren Roberts. He is a member of the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame.
What a legend!
For the 31 we lost in 2016 – Thanks for the Memories!
Dwight Gahm.
96, March 7: The founder of Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, who hired Jack Nicklaus to design the course and has a statue of himself and the Golden Bear at the club.
Rudolph (Hubby) Habjan.
84, July 5: A PGA member since 1955, he was the noted golf pro at the Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, Ill., and the creator of highly sought custom-made golf clubs.
Thomas Hartman.
69, Feb. 16: The monsignor, who with Rabbi Marc Gellman was part of “The God Squad,” often appeared at golf events, he would be the straight man in their religious dialogue.
Peggy Kirk Bell.
95, Nov. 23: One of the greatest women’s figures in golf history, she starred as an amateur standout before becoming a renowned teacher, owner of the Pine Needles resort and an advocate for women in the game. Among her honors was the USGA’s Bob Jones Award in 1990.
Peggy Kirk Bell became a legendary teacher after a stellar playing career!
Bill Kratzert Jr.
87, Aug. 21: A PGA member since 1960, he was the father of tour players Bill Kratzert III and Cathy Kratzert Gerring and was the longtime head pro at Fort Wayne (Ind.) Country Club.
John Margolies.
76, May 26: A legendary photographer of vernacular architecture, his 1987 book Miniature Golf is a treasure of golf nostalgia.
Hubert Mizell.
76, March 3: Writer and columnist who worked for the St. Petersburg Times for 27 years, and in 1973-1974 was an Associate Editor at Golf Digest; he wrote 23 pieces in all for the magazine.
