Posted by Charlie King on Fri, Dec 19, 2008 @ 05:46 PM
Custom golf clubs can make a huge difference in performance. If you ever wanted to see if the clubs you have are right for you, I recommend going through a Professional Club Fit. Listed below are some of the variables that make up a custom fit, and why you should get one done.
- Shaft Length- Among other things, shaft length will impact where on the clubface the ball is consistently struck.
- Lie Angle- This is the angle formed by the shaft and sole of the club. Having a correct lie angle will cause the center of the clubhead to touch the ground. If the toe of the clubhead is down, it means your clubs are too flat and if the heal of the club is down, it means your clubs are too upright. A club that is too upright could cause the ball to go to the left and or hook and a club that is too flat can cause a push or a slice.
- Shaft Flex- The shaft flex impacts things such as trajectory, accuracy, distance and consistency. A shaft that is too flexible could cause a hooking shot. A shaft that is too stiff can leave the ball out to the right. Ex: Push, Slice
- Shaft Type- Steel or Graphite
- Grip Size- The right grip size can impact the ability to return the clubface to a square position and release the club probably. There are many different types of grips. Personal preferences come into play. Ex: Brand, Looks, Feel
- Clubhead Design- Blades, Cavity Back, Muscle Back, Forged,
- Set make up- The new hybrid and rescue clubs have given you a wider range of choices in the clubs you carry in your bag. It is your set to make up. Do you need a 3 Iron? Are your wedges nice to you? How many wedges do you need? Do you want fairway woods?
Also, during a fit you we will be told your clubhead speed, ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, carry distance and total distance. The actual fit we do at our TaylorMade Performance Lab is done indoors and then you are able to go outside with some clubs that were built for your specs so you can give them a try. For more information on Club Fitting you can go to http://www.reynoldsgolflab.com/ .
Posted by Charlie King on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 @ 06:28 PM
| Courtesy of Athlon Sports |
|
Watching the ball until it comes to a rest is a great learning experience, but too few amateurs take the time to do it. Be patient.
Short chips and 4-foot putts tend to be difficult for golfers because of the perceived severity of the consequences of a miss. Golfers tell themselves, I shouldn't miss a 4-footer; I should get my chips and pitches really close. When that doesn't happen, they beat themselves up, adding to the struggles.
I want you to become a patient chipper. You can do this by chipping and counting.
Hit a chip shot, and as the ball travels toward its final destination, I want you to count how many seconds it takes the ball to come to rest. This will bring you to the realization that you can't get an immediate result.
When I see people chop and stab at their chip shots, they're trying for the immediate result - the ball close to the hole, right now.
Chip the best you can, then stand there patiently counting as the ball rolls, rolls, rolls and comes to a stop. Take that time as an opportunity to learn.
Charlie King is the Director of Instruction at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga.
Del.icio.us | Digg it |
Posted by Jason Murray on Fri, Dec 12, 2008 @ 04:41 PM
Last week we had Dr. Ramona Warren as our third guest speaker for the Member Coaching Program. She is a Chiropracter who is well versed in nutrition and holistic solutions to health. She started off by talking about the muscles that we use in the golf swing and how that relates to our posture, swing, flexibility, balance, etc.
She had us stand up and balance on one foot and then switch to the other foot. Everybody in the room had no problem doing this, and then the fun came. She had us do the same thing only this time she had us close our eyes. I have done this before, and it is interesting how wobbly you can get.
Dr. Warren pulled a couple people from the audience to come up and do a demonstration. Prior to this she pulled out what looked like a ping pong ball. There were two spots on this ball for your fingers to touch, and when you touch both spots the ball would light up and make noises. She did this to show how much electricity we conduct as human beings. We then made a big circle with everyone holding hands, with one person touching one spot and the person next to her touching the other. Let's just say there was a lot of electricity in this room.
Dr. Warren also demonstrated how nutrition makes a difference in your strength by having an attendee hold their right arm out and how she couldn't push it down. Then she showed how a less than nutritious food option would weaken you immediately.
We then talked about carbs, protein, vegetables, fruit and a couple other things. In this hour and a half talk, everyone who attended took away some good information.
The better shape we can get ourselves into, the better chance we have at not injuring ourselves in golf and playing this great game for a long time.
Posted by Charlie King on Thu, Dec 11, 2008 @ 04:46 AM
I didn't give it. I took it! This story is the impetus to the development of the teaching philosophy at Reynolds Golf Academy:
In 1987, I decided to try to be a Tour player. This may have been a far-fetched goal for a person who didn't play golf until he was 19 years old with a two handicap, but that was my goal. To fast forward my progress I decided to do something I had never done before: Take a golf lesson.
My first lesson with a professional was a disaster. I was given the 'one size fits all' method. My stance was widened and my legs were straightened to an exaggerated level. I was then told to make a one-piece takeaway.
This sounded reasonable until he explained his version: ‘A one-piece takeaway is where the upper spine, the lower spine, the triangle and the club all move to right post, which is the right leg,' he bellowed.
He might as well have been speaking GREEK!
I attempted his move and proceeded to hit the worst 30 shots of my entire life! 'You're exaggerating this move to get me in another habit aren't you?' I inquired. He said, ‘No. This is what all the great players do.' (This, was his answer to everything!)
This pattern continued for a dozen more principles each of which was so exaggerated that I felt like Quasimodo. I protested, but all my protests were explained away by him saying ‘All the great players do this.' Three weeks later our relationship ended with an embarrassing confrontation on the range as he got me to try yet another move that would mold me into his
system.
This was followed by a series of tips from various golf instructors who showed no real commitment to my game demonstrated by constant interruptions and habitually glancing at their watches. My game floundered though I worked extremely hard. As often happens in life these experiences put me on a different path. I changed my focus from trying to make it on Tour and went on a mission to find better ways to teach golf so that golfers get the results they deserve for their efforts.
I've made a 20-year study of why some people get better and some don't. It's not just talent. I've had talented people come to see me who, when
they first came, were not very good golfers. It's not just the equipment.
We've all seen golfers who tried to buy a good game, but their latest, greatest golf clubs could not make up for their lack of skill. And notice I said skill. Talent is your ability; skill is a sum of your habits. So what is it that determines if golfers get better? I'll let you in on the key. First and foremost it is the concepts and ideas you've picked up that have shaped your game.
As a teacher, I can watch you swing and then tell you the main things that you think about to try to hit the ball. I'll show you the "Three Deadly Instincts" and the "Myths of Golf" that are hurting your game - and the profoundly different ideas that will put you on track to your best golf ever.
- Charlie King
Posted by Charlie King on Thu, Dec 04, 2008 @ 05:05 AM
One of the reasons I focus on this topic as a teacher, is because here we are centuries after golf was invented and this misguided advice is still the #1 diagnosis in golf.
I wrote a book in 2000 called You're NOT Lifting Your Head to dispel this myth and contrast the difference between a poor instructor and a great instructor.
I've decided to offer this book to all golfers as a free e-book download on our website. Go to www.reynoldsgolfacademy.com and look to the right side of the page. You will see a link for the download.
Download the book, read it and follow the advice. Also, send it to your friends who say they are looking up.
P.S. Watch my video Golf's Most Important Lesson and do the drills and you will become a better ball-striker.