Phil’s favorite lag drill

FIVE IN A ROW: YOU CAN’T MOVE ON UNTIL YOU DO IT. YOU’LL FEEL THE HEAT.

By Butch Harmon
Photo By J.D. Cuban
May 2008

Here’s a drill I learned from Phil Mickelson to improve the pace of your putts. Take five balls to the practice green, and stick tees in the ground 30, 40 and 50 feet from a hole. Your goal is to putt five balls in a row from each tee to within three feet of the hole. (Use your putter — it’s about 36 inches long — to measure a six-foot circle around the cup.)
Start at 40 feet, then go to 30, and then 50. Mixing it up like this prevents you from just grooving a slightly longer stroke as you go. The trick is, you can’t move to the next station until you get five straight within the circle. It’s a real gut check: When you’ve got four in the circle and you’re going for five, trust me, you’ll be feeling it.
BUTCH’S BASICS
Most golfers putt a bunch of five- and six-footers on the practice green before heading to the first tee. Inevitably they have a 40-footer on the first green — and not a clue how hard to hit it. Take five minutes before you tee off to putt a few balls from one side of the green to the other. Then turn around and putt them back. You won’t be guessing so much on that first green.

The Grip!

By Jim Flick
Photos By Dom Furore
March 2008
LEFT HAND FIRST. . .
1. I ACTUALLY DRAW LINES ON THE GLOVE, WHICH IS LEGAL, BY THE WAY.
2. SIDE IS A REMINDER TO PUT THE SIDE OF THE GRIP AGAINST YOUR FINGERS, WITH THE TOE UP.
3. THE HANDLE RESTS JUST UNDER YOUR HEEL PAD AND RUNS TO YOUR INDEX FINGER.

Many amateurs — higher-handicappers and even really good players — are not precise enough when they put their hands on the club. In a sound grip, your palms should face each other, and your wrists should be able to hinge up and down. You want your hands to work compatibly, so one doesn’t override the other.
Place the club in your fingers to enhance your sensitivity for the weight and position of the club. For more feel, let your right index finger separate slightly from your other fingers.

. . . AND THEN ADD THE RIGHT HAND
4. THE GRIP TOUCHES THE MIDDLE JOINTS OF YOUR MIDDLE TWO FINGERS.
5. YOUR RIGHT-HAND LIFELINE FITS OVER YOUR LEFT THUMB.
6. HOLD CLUB AT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE TO FEEL WRIST HINGING AND PROPER GRIP PRESSURE.

Very few good players place the right hand on the club first. Always put your left hand on first, because it’s your guide to sensing the alignment of the clubface, then add your right hand. As you look down at your grip, make sure your left thumb rests slightly to the right of the top-center of the shaft.
Follow my six steps to create your own grip. Placing your hands on the club the same way every time will make your shots longer and more reliable.

Practicing out of the sand and a putting drill I do…

Learn how to grip the club correct first!

If you are just starting to golf make sure you’re holding the club correct. The grip is the first thing you need to learn and always monitor it. Keep a club in your house and practice holding the club a few minutes a day. If you don’t know how to hold the club, visit my web site and watch the video I created to get a general idea. You can also take a lesson with your local pro and specify to him or her that you want to focus mainly on your grip and grip pressure. To many pros start helping their students on the swing when they don’t even hold the club correct. If you still are not hitting the ball well with the correct grip and grip pressure, that’s OK and normal. At least now you’re gip won’t hold you back!

Sergio Garcia in slow motion!

Tigers swing in super slow motion!

Tom Watson explains the importance of good posture…

By Tom Watson
Photos By Stephen Szurlej
March 2008
We were told as kids to stand up straight. It’s good advice for our golf posture, too. I see many average golfers whose chances of making a sound swing are poor because they don’t set up to the ball properly. Correct posture is paramount to keeping your balance.
Step one: Stand tall, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your weight should be balanced on the balls of your feet, your toes turned out slightly.
Step two: Bend forward from the hips, keeping your back straight. No slumping!
Step three: Flex your knees a bit, and stick out your rear end for stability. You should almost feel as if you’re sitting down. Try to keep your back straight throughout your swing, the way Tiger and Adam Scott do.
I’d rather see you stand too tall than bend over too much because you still can go down and get to the ball. When you’re bent over too much, you’re prone to lift up.
THOUGHTS FROM TOM
Your quadriceps (the muscles on the front and outside portions of your thighs) support your swing. Here’s how to strengthen them: Put your back against a wall and slowly lower yourself into a sitting position. Hold this position for several seconds or until your quads start to burn. Do this exercise a few times a day, and you will build a stronger foundation for your swing.

DON’T SLOUCH: THE MORE YOUR BACK IS CURVED AT ADDRESS, A COMMON PROBLEM, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS YOU’LL HAVE TO LIFT UP TO HIT THE BALL WITH ANY AUTHORITY. KEEPING YOUR BACK STRAIGHT PROMOTES CONSISTENT CONTACT.

3 keys: Break up long putts

By Annika Sorenstam
Photos By Stephen Szurlej
October 2007
1. Dave Stockton taught me to divide long putts into three parts: The first part is the starting line, and break is minimal; the second is where the ball reaches the apex of its curve; and the third is when the ball is rolling the slowest so it breaks the most. I use this image on putts of more than, say, 30 feet.

2. Here I’m sizing up speed from the putt’s midpoint (see above), on the low side of the line. I’ve already read the overall break from behind the ball. If I can get a feel for how fast the ball should be rolling at this point, I’ll have a good idea of the overall pace. Making “air strokes” from this position helps me groove my feel.
3. Finally, I walk behind the ball and make a practice stroke standing perpendicular to my starting line. Looking down the line helps me visualize the pace. Don’t make the common mistake of getting caught up in break and ignoring speed. I imagine a ball sitting at the apex, and I try to putt through that ball with good pace.

Videos of classic golf swings

Hogan