“Activating the Glutes” is Michelle Wie’s way of hitting it far!
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!
Michelle Wie has always had loads of talent, right from the first time she burst onto the golfing scene. At the time, I said that Michelle would be the first female to play in the Masters at Augusta. She never lost faith in her coach David Leadbetter and is now showing her real potential.
Like Tiger Woods, Michele Wie relies on her strong legs for her power. The glutes are a big part of that. Both Tiger and Michelle have learned the secret of activating the gluts for that extra boost of power!
Hitting it dead straight is just as important as raw power!
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 I have grown older, like a lot of golfers, I have lost some distance.
I have come to realize that hitting the ball from the fairway still allows me to keep my scores at a reasonable level. To lose clubhead speed and be hitting from the rough is no fun! Check out these great tips from Michelle Wie, assisted by GOLF Magazine instruction editor David Denunzio on how to keep your drives in the short grass!
Michelle Wie: 3 Swing Thoughts for Better Drives.
Hitting it dead straight is just as important as raw power!
2014 U.S. Women’s Open champ Michelle Wie shares three things she focuses on to improve her drives.
Golf is a lot more fun when you’re splitting fairways. These four driving secrets helped me win last year’s U.S. Women’s Open. Use my moves to blast it farther and straighter than ever.
I’ve been driving it past most of the girls I’ve played against (and some of the boys) since I was 13. I’m 25 now, and my tee game has gotten better as I’ve grown older. At six feet tall with long arms and legs—my body was built to create swing speed. But you have to be long and straight to make it as a pro.
I’ve worked hard on improving my accuracy without sacrificing much distance.
A 26 percent increase in fairways hit since 2012—and a U.S. Women’s Open trophy—prove that I’m where I need to be.
My big secret to straight drives that soar over 250 yards on average? Leg power. I’m in the gym six days a week doing lower-body exercises. Strong legs help me minimize my hip turn in my backswing, creating more coil at the top. That coil is key. Hitting solid, accurate drives is like shooting an arrow: Pull the bowstring back taut and let ‘er rip. It’s as simple as that—and easier than you think.
You don’t need a lean, lanky frame to be a good driver. You just need to achieve four fundamental swing positions that, with a little practice, automatically increase your speed and improve your accuracy. So follow my step-by-step checklist and you’ll see that when you’re driving it far and straight, golf isn’t just more fun—it’s downright Wiesy.
1. Address: Don’t just set up to the ball – build a “power plant”
When weekend players stand at address, they usually think about the target, or more likely, the pond lurking on the right. Me? I think about my legs. I want them as sturdy and steady as possible, from my glutes to my calves. This lets me limit my hip turn when I start rotating my shoulders, maxing out my coil.
To start, do what I do: Take an extra-wide stance and plant each foot well outside your shoulders (photo, above). This broader base further restricts your hip turn. Then push out your knees so you look a bit bowlegged, like I do, and squat down a bit, pressing your spikes into the ground. Your legs are now engaged—the tightness signals that you’re ready to start your backswing.
“Activating” your legs this way helps you swing like an athlete. If your legs are as limp as noodles, they’ll collapse under the force of your motion. Even for non-power hitters, loose legs sink swings!
2. Backswing: Move everything except your lower body for a power-packed turn
Last season I hit nearly 67 percent of my fairways. That’s huge for me. And I found the short grass 70 percent of the time on my way to winning the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst last June. The big difference has been simplifying my backswing. I used to try to turn everything going back. Take my advice: Simply turn your upper body and let your arms and hands come along for the ride. This makes it almost impossible to get off plane. That’s why activating your legs at address is so important; without a solid base, your lower body turns in sync with your upper, no matter how hard you try to stop it.
In my backswing, notice how my lower body (above) looks compared with its position at address (in Tip 1.). It’s a carbon copy! The Nike logo on my left quad hasn’t moved. And look at the coil (the difference in hip turn and shoulder turn) I’ve built up just halfway into my backswing. That’s power I’ll put to good use at impact.
Great Stories at Women’s Open . . . Trump not one of them!
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 weekend at Trump Turnberry Resort in Scotland, Inbee Park continues her quest for a career Grand Slam.
Young star Lydia Ko is trying to win her first Major, and Michelle Wie is bravely competing for the win with an injury to her left foot and other health issues.
Steve Douglas for Yahoo Sports says that “Trump will bring a circus some players would prefer not to see.”
For Michelle Wie’s comments on the ‘Donald,’ check out this story:
TURNBERRY, Scotland (AP) — Donald Trump turned a brief trip to a golf tournament in Scotland into an extension of his presidential campaign trail when he attended the Women’s Open at his plush Turnberry Resort on Thursday.
The first round of one of the high-profile events in women’s golf wound up being a mere sideshow from the moment the Republican arrived at the course with family members in his private helicopter, declaring “the world has asked me to be here.”
Questions to Trump were restricted to golf and his future plans for Turnberry, the world’s media had been warned.
It didn’t turn out that way.
Wearing a red hat emblazoned with his campaign slogan “Make America Great Again,” the billionaire celebrity businessman spoke of how he would “get along very well” with Russian President Vladimir Putin and make the U.S military “so strong that nobody would mess with us,” if he became president.
Trump, whose grandmother was born in Scotland, also weighed in on British politics, saying he hoped there would not be another independence referendum in Scotland for 50 years because of the “bedlam and confusion” with last year’s vote.
Trump’s provocative comments on topics like immigration have commanded lots of media attention and attracted rising poll numbers, and he said he would continue stating his strong views because “we’re so politically correct in our country that people are sick and tired of things not getting done.”
For the golf industry, though, his comments have been problematic.
The Women’s British Open, the fourth of five major championships, is the biggest event to stage a tournament at one of Trump’s 18 golf properties since his disparaging comments about Mexicans during his presidential campaign announcement last month. Trump said that some Mexican immigrants bring drugs and crime to the U.S., and some are rapists.
Golf authorities have distanced themselves from his remarks and an October tournament on one of Trump’s courses in Los Angeles — the Grand Slam of Golf — The organizers decided to move the tournament.
It was too late, though, for a potential change in venue for the Women’s British Open, and Michelle Wie — one of the stars of the women’s tour — said this week she believes Trump’s presence at Turnberry will distract from the competition.
Important Questions on this week’s Women’s British Open!
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 Women’s British Open is being played at Turnberry this week.
Turnberry is a great golf course set on the Ayshire Coast and instantly recognizable by the iconic lighthouse out on the course’s far side. Several great storylines are developing, and Bill Fields of espnW.com asks 5 important questions to figure out the final outcome!
Getty Images – Michelle Wie matched her best result of the year in the U.S. Women’s Open, and Lydia Ko is coming off a fourth-place finish in Scotland.
The fourth of five 2015 LPGA major championships. The Ricoh Women’s British Open will be held Thursday-Sunday on the Ailsa course at Turnberry Resort on Scotland’s southwestern coast.
It is the second time play in this event has been at Turnberry. Best known as the site of Tom Watson’s stirring victory over Jack Nicklaus in the 1977 Open Championship. And Watson’s second-place finish in the 2009 Open at age 59, when he led going to the final hole. Australian Karrie Webb won the Women’s British at Turnberry in 2002. A year after the championship made the change to a LPGA major.
Established stars and upstarts have made an impact so far this season on the LPGA Tour.
Here are five questions in advance of the Women’s British Open. American Mo Martin will defend her inspiring victory of a year ago.
(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Bothered by bursitis in her left hip and a bone spur in her left foot, Michelle Wie sat out the last two tournaments to rest.
1. What can we expect from injury-riddled Michelle Wie?
Wie, 25, matched her best result of the year in the U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club, finishing 11th despite continuing to play with injuries that caused her to limp noticeably at times. Wie did not play in the past two events, the Marathon Classic and Meijer LPGA Classic, in an effort to recover from bursitis in her left hip and a bone spur in her left foot that have been plaguing her for several months.
She seemed in good spirits during a Monday morning practice round in Scotland, tweeting, “Team Wie is loving Turnberry so far!!”
It will be interesting to see if the rest has helped Wie, who also has dramatically revamped her stance with instructor David Leadbetter — making it much narrower — to take stress off her left side. Wie has shown an admirably gritty spirit in competing while she has been hurt. But she needs to heal to play the kind of winning golf she did in the first half of 2014.
2. Do those who played last week in Scotland have an edge?
Much is made each summer of the men who do or don’t play in Great Britain the week prior to the Open Championship. By winning the Claret Jug two weeks ago on the Old Course after competing at the John Deere Classic in Illinois, Zach Johnson offered a rebuke to those who say arriving earlier abroad is a plus. (Two years ago, Phil Mickelson notably won the Scottish Open the week before capturing the Open at Muirfield.)
The debate about which strategy is best is relevant this week, too. While the Meijer LPGA Classic was on in Michigan last week, the Ladies Scottish Open, a Ladies European Tour stop, was held at Dundonald Links in Scotland.
Two LPGA stars, World No. 2 Lydia Ko and No. 6 Suzann Pettersen, passed up Michigan for Ayrshire and had good weeks — Ko tying for fourth place and Pettersen finishing second.
For Ko, it was her third top-six finish in her last four tournaments — she tied for 12th in the U.S. Women’s Open in the other — which should give her some confidence at Turnberry. When Ko won her seventh career LPGA title the week she turned 18 earlier this year, a major victory seemed imminent. But she went through a rough patch going into the Women’s PGA. She missed the first cut of her LPGA career. Her game is trending in the right direction again now. She could be a serious factor this week.
Next month, a victory at Turnberry or in the Evian Championship would make Ko the youngest winner of an LPGA major.
14 Golfers in their Fantasy Character Roles – I Love #2!
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!
We have all been linked to some cartoon or TV character in our lives either by friends or family.
Sometimes not so flattering, but still in jest! I was once told I looked like James Coburn in “Our Man Flint” Go figure! So Golf Swing by Swing has put together 14 PGA and LPGA Tour players and linked them to a matching cartoon character. What do you think?
Have you ever picked up a comic book, watched a cartoon, a fantasy TV series or caught a movie and thought that the hero or villain reminded you of somebody, but you were frightened to say anything out loud?
We think that some of them are very familiar indeed. See what you reckon…
The $6m Man – Tiger Woods
“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world’s first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better… stronger… faster.” And Oscar Goldman was right. He was better, stronger, faster – and just as lovable as ever.
Golf’s own bionic man HAS TO BE Tiger Woods – he has had his left knee reconstructed, he’s had back surgery, he’s had surgery on his right ulterior cruciate ligament, he’s had stress fractures to his left tibia, damage to his right Achilles tendon, neck pain, and elbow problems. But they have rebuilt him. Time and time again.
Will he ever be better, strong, faster? Probably not. But the $6m man? That’s about the amount Tiger earns every week.
Jessica Rabbit – Natalie Gulbis
Jessica R was the femme fatale who had tough-guy actor Bob Hoskins under her spell in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Lest you forget, Jessica had long flowing locks, long flowing legs, huge pouting lips, and two ample assets. She may only have been a cartoon character, but don’t tell that to the men who fantasized about her – or the women who had operations to look like her.
Long flowing locks? Long flowing legs? Pouting lips? Two ample assets? Yes, Natalie Gulbis is Jessica Rabbit!
The Terminator – Phil Mickelson
When Arnold Schwarzenegger returned in the second Terminator movie, he was a good cyborg, sent to Earth to protect John Connor, Sarah’s son, whom he had been sent back to kill in the first movie. Everywhere, the Terminator goes, chaos, mayhem, and destruction follow.
And people are none too impressed when he keeps telling them: “I’ll be back!”
But he gets the job done, the baddies are vanquished, and everybody lives happily ever after – sort of.
So, have you ever watched Phil Mickelson play golf? Chaos, mayhem, and destruction usually follow. But he gets the job done, the baddies are vanquished, and he lives happily ever after (apart from at the US Open). Well, every hero is fallible.
Olive Oyl – Michelle Wie
Olive was Popeye’s girlfriend. Thin as a pencil, she was always getting into scrapes. Am I the only one who ever noticed that Miss Oyl towered over her boyfriend? Thin, tall, and getting into scrapes – that could only be Michelle Wie.
Getting into scrapes? You’ve got to remember all those attempts to make the cut in men’s PGA Tour events. You will remember the loss of form and how long it took to finally win. And you will have noticed that she towers above everybody. She’s a strong woman (physically and mentally)…
For goodness sake, do NOT give this woman any spinach.
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 70th U.S. Women’s Open is being played from July 9-12 at Lancaster Country Club in southeast Pennsylvania.
The LPGA is the fastest growing tour in sports right now. The number of new and exciting young stars is fantastic. Stacy Lewis, Paula Creamer, Lydia Ko, Michelle Wie, Lexi Thompson, and Inbee Park are on that list. Many new tournaments have been added, and some include additional features like the KPMG Tournament’s Women’s Leadership Summit, a great inspirational experience for young women.
The women’s tour is very fan-friendly, so plan to take your kids to one of these events where they interact more with youngsters.
The world’s top female golfers and some very talented amateurs will compete at the U.S. Open, as it continually reigns as the world’s greatest women’s championship. Tune in and enjoy the excitement!
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Jessica Korda, Michelle Wie, and Charley Hull are young stars in the women’s game.
The LPGA Tour has rebounded from the doldrums of 2008 and is one of the best tours in the world right now.
There are young stars ready to win, and the veterans are still competitive.
Even though Michelle Wie has been around the ladies game for nearly 10 years, she is finally maturing and already has a win on the LPGA Tour this year.
Through 13 events in 2014 only one winner is over the age of 30. Thirty-nine-year-old Karrie Webb won both the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open and the JTBC Founders Cup.
Jessica Korda (21), Anna Nordqvist (26) and Stacy Lewis (29) are the other multiple winners this season.
Lewis won the Shoprite LPGA Classic this week and will reclaim the No. 1 spot on the Rolex Rankings.
Youngsters Lydia Ko, Lexi Thompson and Lizette Salas have also won this year and seem to challenge every week.
The LPGA Tour is deep with talent, and every tournament offers exciting action for golf fans.
Check out the slide show to see why you should watch the LPGA Tour!
Two of the best male and female swings in the game today!
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!
Ernie Els’s swing, aka “The Big Easy,” has been called the smoothest swing in golf!
I don’t think anyone would argue with that statement. Michelle Wie is also not called the ‘Big Wiezie” for nothing. She also has a beautiful easy swing. When you put these two swings side by side as progolfswingvideos.com has done, it is amazing how similar they really are. Watching two of the best swings in golf is watching pure poetry in motion!
The resurgence of American Women on the LPGA Tour.
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!
For almost 2 decades, we have seen the LPGA Tour dominated by Asian and European players.
But now, it seems as if American golfers have found their games, their guts, and their fearless play. In 2014 there were more American Winners on the LPGA Tour than in 2012 and 2013 combined. Americans won 13 of 32 tournaments, with other Asian, European, Australian, and South African winners.
I love this trend where spunky players like Stacy Lewis, Michelle Wie, Lexi Thompson, and Jessica Korda are duking it out with Europe’s and Asia’s best. This is a great thing for the LPGA, women’s golf, and the game in general.
Michelle Wie leads the charge of American women on the LPGA who are now winning again.
The resurgence of American Women on the LPGA Tour.
If you’ve been watching any women’s golf lately you might have noticed a nice trend for our homegrown gals. The American women have found their games and are firing on all cylinders. It seems to be spreading like wildfire amongst the Americans too. If you watched the last 9 holes of the Airbus LPGA Classic this week you could see Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda, and Michelle Wie all duking it out with 2 of Europes best in Anna Nordqvist and phenom Charley Hull.
In the end it was Korda delivering a back nine 30 that was exhilerating to watch as she poured every putt in from everywhere. Besides scoring a ho-hum Par on the reachable par 5 13th she hit sensational approaches and her red hot putter was there to finish the job. This was Jessica’s second win on tour this season making her the 3rd two time winner on the LPGA tour this year.
Michelle Wie almost had her second win this year in hand but for the buzz saw Korda.
Michelle had a few balky putter moments down the stretch and missed opportunities on par 5’s where she usually dominates. With all that she still finished with a strong final round 67 and it’s a great thing for the LPGA, women’s golf, and the game of golf in general when she’s in the mix. Michelle is on pace to have one of her best seasons on tour thus far, one we all hoped would come way back when but better late than never!
Lexi Thompson has continued to roll on in her consistent manner. Including her first major victory at the Kraft Nabisco she has finished in the top 10 in her last 4 events. Lexi’s improved putting and overall game management has really taken her to then next level and she has shown she has the game to beat anyone. With her length off the tee and impressive ball striking she has to be a favorite at Pinehurst next month.
With Korda, Thompson and Wie playing like they are, its hard to discount any of them on any given week, and we haven’t even mentioned Stacy Lewis or Paula Creamer.
Stacy seems to spoil us consistently with how steady and amazing she is.
With 6 top 10’s in the last 7 events it’s no wonder she leads the Race to the Globe and is only a top 5 away from becoming #1 in the world. Paula also seems to be back on track with her game, with her first win in a while coming at the HSBC Championship earlier this year. She hasn’t lit up the field since then but has made all but one cut. We can never count her out as she is one of the most passionate players on the LPGA and always a crowd favorite.
These American girls are showing guts and fearless play as they have taken their games up a notch. They seem to be feeding off of each others games. So far in 2014 we have more American winners on tour than we did in 2012 and 2013 combined. 7 out of 12 events this year have been won by Americans. Lizette Salas has been another star on the rise as she mowed down Kingsmill two weeks ago. With players like Cristie Kerr, Angela Stanford, and Morgan Pressel representing the veteran group, they are great mentors for rookies like Amy Anderson, Kim Kaufman, and Jaye Marie Green who are all showing great promise in their rookie seasons.
So the present and future looks very bright right now for US women’s golf. We can only hope it continues on this trend and that these girls can get some redemption next year at the Solheim Cup.
Michelle Wie’s Secret to Winning – Are you listening Tiger?
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!
High hopes and disappointments have been heaped on Michelle Wie since she was a teenage golf phenom.
She suffered through alienation by other Pros for playing in men’s events, there were high caddy turnovers, rules infractions, injuries, serious playing slumps and more.
Michelle Wie has always stuck with her coach David Leadbetter through thick and thin!
But one constant in life is always been her coach, David Leadbetter. Wie has worked hard with him, and only him, since her career began. She started winning in 2009 and hasn’t looked back.
When golfers change coaches, as Tiger Woods and others have, multiple times, they can become confused on many levels. One can even suffer injuries, with the different demands on the body by each new teacher.
If they have a great coach and have won together, they should stay with that coach and persevere through slumps. There are no magic bullets…….only hard work with proven teachers.
Wie is all grown up now and won 2 events in 2014, including the U.S. Women’s Open. She has contended well in the early 2015 season, and I predict more wins for her this year. She now has close friends on both the LPGA and PGA Tours and says, “I feel fortunate!”
The Top 5 LPGA Players to watch in 2015 – What’s in their bag?
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!
I have always been interested in what type of club setup the top players in the game carry.
If you have that same interest, here is a list of all the LPGA players and what’s in their bag.
1 Stacy Lewis – Taylor Made Driver, Mizuno fairway woods and irons, Taylor Made Putter and Titleist ball
2. Inbee park – Dunlop driver, Taylor Made fairway woods, Dunlop irons, Dunlop and Cleveland Wedges, Odysee putter, and Srixon ball.
3. Michelle Wie – Diver, Fairway woods, irons, wedges, putter, and ball…….All Nike.
4. Lydia Ko – Calloway Driver, fairway woods, irons, wedges, putter, and ball.
5. So Yeon Ryu – Honma Driver, Calloway 3 wood, Honma hybrids, a mix of Honma and Calloway wedges, Odessey putter, and Titleist ball.
For a complete list of clubs of all LPGA players, click here.
Last season I hit nearly 67 percent of my fairways. That’s huge for me. And I found the short grass 70 percent of the time on my way to winning the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst last June. The big difference has been simplifying my backswing. I used to try to turn everything going back. Take my advice: Simply turn your upper body and let your arms and hands come along for the ride. This makes it almost impossible to get off plane. That’s why activating your legs at address is so important; without a solid base, your lower body turns in sync with your upper, no matter how hard you try to stop it.
By 
