I hear it all the time ..I can’t take my range game to the course. Well, maybe you have some swing flaws that depend on a great deal of timing to strike the golf ball consistently. It may be on one shot and off the next. When you are hitting a pile of balls on the range you have no pressure and can simply grab another ball from the pile and rip it out there. Eventually you will find a groove and you think the answer has been discovered. Only when you play do you discover it was a temporary and band-aid’ish fix. Here is a way to simulate pressure and prepare you for playing the golf course.

I always practice in a manner which gives a barometer of how well I am swinging the golf club. First, practice long irons and you can truly see how well your swing is performing. After you do this, play a couple of holes on the driving range. This will really test your technique. I suggest (after a brief warm up ) hit a driver, going completely through your pre-shot routine. Wait a couple of minutes just as you would do if you were on the course. Next take the club you would hit to the green on this imaginary hole you are playing. You get the idea. Don’t just sit there and pound 7 iron after 7 iron. Switch clubs frequently, helping you learn to move with ease through all the clubs in your golf bag while maintaining your technique.

I know you will find this drill challenging. It will sure test your patience and ability to hit the shot now, not one out of five. Try it and I know you will find a definitive conclusion regarding the state of your ball striking.

Rick Woodson

This time of the year is tough for many of us as winter starts and the golf game seems to be placed on the backburner. When I lived in Orlando( 14 years worth) during the bulk of my  Touring days, the weather was not an issue. Now it is!! I think many of you should use this as an excellent time to actually take lessons and work out the neccessary changes that will make you better when the season kicks off next spring. I can assure this is what all Touring Professionals try to accomplish during the down time. I have heard many times ” I don’t want to swing like a Tour Pro” . What a cop out !! An excuse to not get better at the game. That is like saying I don’t want to win the lottery !!!

You would be surprised at what you can achieve from working on the swing in front of a mirror. This gives you immediate feedback and verification that you are actually doing what you think you are doing. Your body does not know you are not hitting a ball, only your mind !! Believe me you can train your body very effectively with this process if done several times a week. I am also happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your game !!.

Keep on swinging !! Rick

I recently gave a golf lesson to one of the longest hitters I have seen in my 24 years of professional golf.  He won the local long drive competition and is attempting to advance to the nationals in Las Vegas this year. His clubhead speed approaches 160(Tiger Woods..probably 125-130) Average driver carry is 345-360 for this guy. Quite remarkle, but certainly easier when you are 6′8″ and about 230!! What did we work on ? The same information that applies to any golfer seeking to strike the ball more consistently. More specifically we addressed clubface angles and its affect on his swing path.

After taking several videos with irons as well as driver swings I began the analysis. One awesome sight to see at 90 frames per second was how extreme all power levers are maintained which allows for an easy explanation of where the power is generated along with where it is released. All these long drive participants have what I call the”jump” of the torso through impact.  Absolutely necessary for these guys to create the speed needed to hit it that far. I you care to study the longest hitters on the PGA Tour or professional long drivers you will notice how much the belt buckle elevates in the hitting zone and post impact positions.

Remember one thing: Golf is a game of power. Power is a by-product of proper technique. NEVER believe you will loose accuracy for the gain of power. They go hand in hand if you develop the swing correctly, the speed and leverage needed to hit the golf ball correctly will also lead to more distance.

We are working to develop an ebook that will clarify and introduce new and important revelations in what you need to become as good as you want to be. I have seen a lot in my 35 years of golf (twenty - four as a professional) and I wish I had this information when I was first learning the game!! Stop the confusion and the illusions now! Exactly what we intend to do with the upcoming ebook!!

It utterly irritates me to see the handicaps actually rise over the last twenty years with the high tech equipment and hotter golf balls we all play. The bottom line is that golfers have all fallen in the rut of accepting where they are score wise. This has been because of overwhelming mediocre and conflicting information  they are receiving. When was the last time you had someone tell you EXACTLY WHY the ball does what it does when you make the strike? There are causes and effects that you need to understand to properly diagnose the flaw and then have drills prescribed to directly effect the issues to make the changes occur.

So go ahead…fire away!!