Next Up: The Ocean Course at Kiawah

Next up for the 2012 major championships is the PGA Championship at the Ocean Course at Kiawah.

I played the course during the summer of 2009 on a perfect day and still left feeling like it was a 'two sleeve' golf course - and that's only if you're a fairly accomplished golfer.

Take a look and see what the PGATour's best are in for...

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For the best possible viewing please take a minute to download PicLens here.

Have you ever played the Ocean Course? Thoughts.....?

The Facts on Shaft Flex

In the last decade all club manufacturers have invested heavily in club fitting and customization.  Each company offers a fitting cart where  golfers can decide on the clubhead, shaft and specifications that work best for them - in a very short amount of time.   They have stressed the importance of having equipment that fits along with building fitting carts that make it easy to find the right match.   The real question is - "How serious are the club companies about getting you into equipment, and more specifically a shaft, that fits your game?"

At Atlantic Golf Club we do a tremendous amount of club fitting.  So much so, that we have our own DigiFlex machine, which allows us to test each shaft to find it's frequency.  For years we have known that you simply cannot trust what the shaft label indicates - if it says its an S (stiff) flex, it could be anything other than an X (extra stiff) flex.  In fact in all our testing over the years we have only found one shaft that was actually stronger than it showed - a TaylorMade fairway wood.  All the other non-matches have been weaker.  Each year we test the new demo clubs and shafts and label them accordingly.  This year I have decided to share our findings with you.

It is important to keep in mind that each company has their 'stock' shaft offerings and various 'upgraded' or non-stock options - our results include both.  Our results also include tests done on 'whole' clubs and the individual shafts that can be interchanged with certain heads.

The Club Manufacturers we tested:

• 34 Titleist golf clubs and shafts: 10 (29.4%) matched the stated flex and 5 out of the 10 matches were non-Titleist shafts
• 6 Cleveland golf clubs: 0 (0%) matched the stated flex
• 7 Ping golf clubs: 1 (14.3%)  matched the stated flex
• 6 Cobra golf clubs: 2 (33.3%) matched the stated flex
• 56 TaylorMade golf clubs and shafts: 10 (17.9%) matched the stated flex and 5 out of the 10 matches were non-TaylorMade shafts
• 32 Callaway golf clubs and shafts: 11 (34.4%) matched the stated flex and 5 out of the 10 matches were non-Callaway shafts
• 5 Adams golf clubs: 0 (0%) matched the stated flex

Steel vs Graphite:

• Steel shafts won this showdown easily, albeit only with a 40% match rate, while graphite shafts only matched a woeful 20% of the time.  It seemed that when a steel shaft did not match it was off by only a few cycles per minute (CPM), whereas the graphite shafts seemed to range from a stiff flex that was truly a regular, all the way to a stiff flex that matched a ladies flex.  A shaft that performed remarkably well was the Memphis 10 steel shaft from Callaway and made by True Temper - it had 6 out of 7 matches.  If you want to be certain of what you're getting (or at least in the ball park) go with steel.

Stock vs. Upgraded

• In both the steel and graphite categories the overwhelming winner here was the "upgraded" category.   An upgraded shaft almost always costs more and their match rate was above 50% - in fact most often when they did not match they were almost always a few CPM's from being where they had indicated on the shaft label.  When it comes to graphite try to stay away from shafts that include both the club manufacturer and shaft maker's company name - this is invariably a lower quality shaft and is thus substantially cheaper for the manufacturer to install.  Get the real deal and always upgrade.

The overall findings showed that only around 25% of the time are you actually getting what you think you're getting when it comes to the flex of your shaft.  Chances are that if you're looking for a regular flex, then you are more than likely going to receive a senior flex and so on.  So what can you do?  The first option is to visit a world-class fitting operation like Hot Stix or Cool Clubs and have them fit and build you a set - not necessarily

the easiest or most cost effective way to get the job done.  The second option involves talking to the better golfers in your area and asking who they would go and see locally regarding club-fitting.  They will most often send you to a trustworthy fitter in your area.  The third option (and while I'm not a fan of this you'll certainly improve your odds) involves purchasing clubs that indicate they are stiffer than what you really need - hey, they have a decent chance of matching your required flex.

So, while the club companies appear to be concerned with ensuring a proper fit, the results of our little study indicates they might not be as concerned as we would like them to be.  My advice is that when you are ready to purchase new clubs, find the best fitter you can, go with steel shafts for your irons (and they do make viable lighter weight options these days) and always upgrade on the graphite options for the bigger clubs.  This way you can be fairly comfortable that you are getting what you paid for.

I would like to thank Patrick Bindel, Joe Downey, Matt Foster, Patrick Carter and Robby Fenton for their help with this article.  Great stuff guys!

No Major for The Players

The article below is an one I wrote two years ago expressing my concerns about the golf course at TPC Sawgrass and how worthy it is of hosting a "major championship".  My sentiments have not changed....

When was the last time the top 10 players in a major were a combined 55 under par after one round?  When in a major have 57 players shot under par on any day?  The PGA Tour is trying to buy their way into a major championship by touting The Players as the "5th Major".

Not many people are aware that the PGA Tour does not operate or run a single major championship. The Masters is run by Augusta National, The US Open by the USGA, the British Open by the Royal and Ancient and the PGA by the PGA of America.  With the Players Championship the PGA Tour is making a vain (in my opinion of course) attempt to get into the mix.  From the monstrous clubhouse, to the monstrous purse, to the monstrous public relations spin they put on the event - they are eagerly attempting to join a closed club.

My primary reason for voting out the Players is the golf course!  Sure the holes we see all look frightening, with tremendous risk and reward, but what about the rest of the course.  Ever notice how much the Tour focuses on the closing holes?  Please don't get me wrong - you must be a ball striker to do well here, but this is simply Harbourtown where rough has replaced trees.  Distance does not make a great course , but give the best in the world ten opportunities from inside 140 yards and look out.  There are 10 short, legit birdie opportunities on the course (holes 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17).  Holes where every player in the field, from the longest to the shortest, should be thinking birdie or par at worst.

I have taken the rounds of two players, the longest and the shortest, namely Bubba and Fred Funk and broken them down for your perusal.  Let's start with Fred Funk who played earlier this morning.  When it comes to driving distance Fred Funk is currently 62nd on the Champions Tour with an average drive of 265.9yds.  That would leave him at 183 out of 185 on the PGA Tour ahead of only Faxon and Pavin.  His driving distance was 260 today and he scored a +1 /73.  The following numbers indicate the yardage he had into each of the 10 selected holes in regulation:(They include all four par fives and a par three)

1-156yds, 2-82yds, 4-115yds, 6-115yds, 9-87yds, 10-146yds, 11-101yds, 12-81yds, 16-4yds, 17-137yds for an average of 102.4 yards.

The shortest player in the field averaged just over 100 yds into 10 holes on a major championship course?

Now let's check in with Bubba Watson who played nicely and shot -5 /67.  He is currently the longest hitter on the PGA Tour at 313.8 yards per poke.  Today he averaged 318 yards off the tee.  His yardages into each of the ten selected holes were:

1-90yds, 2-53yds, 4-91 yds, 6-104 yds, 9-76 yds, 10-139 yds, 11-29 yds, 12-92 yds, 16-3 yds, 17-137 yds for an average distance in of 81.4 yards.  I wonder how many drivers Bubba used on these holes?

The facts indicate that every player in the field is faced with 10 holes on a supposed "major championship" course where the longest shot they are required to hit is approximately 140 yards.  And this is with a rainy night before the tournament got under way.  What major course has a four hole stretch (9-12) where no approach shot of over 125 yards is required?

In 2008 the greens had just been reshaped and surfaced and as a result were rock hard.  The wind blew between 15 and 25mph each day starting at 10 am.  In other words conditions were as tough and challenging as they could get and yet, the playoff number was -5.  Can you imagine conditions being brutal at Winged Foot or Carnoustie and -5 playing off...?

Grow all the rough you want, make the greens rock hard and roll at 13 on the stimp, but my belief is this - if they have soft conditions and windless days the winning score will be lower than -15.  You heard it here first - this is no major, just an over-sized, over-hyped attempt by Tim Finchem to create a PGA Tour major.  Sorry Tim, I vote NO!

That being said it should be a fun-filled event with a fantastic field - enjoy!

Bubba's Pink Driver

The pink driver used by Bubba Watson to win the Masters is going to market.

Two days after Watson won the Masters, Ping said it would sell 5,000 limited-edition G20 drivers with the pink shaft and head. The drivers sell for $430, and Ping said it would donate 5 percent to a fundraising campaign called, "Bubba Long in Pink. Driven by Ping."

As part of the campaign, Ping donated $10,000, along with $300 for every drive Watson hits over 300 yards this year.

Watson, meanwhile, launched "Bubba & Friends Drive to a Million" in January with hopes of raising $1 million for charities this year.

The club is a pink Ping G20 (7.5°) with a tipped extra stiff Grafalloy Bi-Matrix shaft. The grip is a jumbo Ping with a reminder that is set 20 degrees open!

I handled a replica of Bubba's driver at the PGA Show earlier this year I had never held a golf club that was this "big"!  Even if it was rightie I would never have been able to hit this behemoth of a club - particularly with the grip set so open.

Masters 2012 News and Notes

Here are a few newsworthy items to help you get prepared for the week that lies ahead:

Here are the Pairings

I'm looking forward to tracking the following groups:

Immelman/Fowler/Rose - a few guy who might do something...

Kuchar/Ogilvy/Yang - a real "sleeper" group here

Toms/Choi/Garcia - one of these guys will be in the mix

Cabrera/McIlroy/B. Watson - the winner perhaps...

This is what Charl Schwartzel had the Augusta National serve at the Champion's Dinner:

A few real traditional South African menu items! Biltong is akin to American beef jerky and "Monkey Gland Sauce" is primarily tomatoes and onions and you'll be pleased to know has nothing to do with primates or their glands.

Heard the story about the guy whose dog ate his Masters tickets? Well it's true - read on...

The weather seems to be as much of the story this week as any particular topic. Each of the last two nights have seen strong thunderstorms move through the area and the par 3 Event has just been cancelled due to another storm moving into the area.

Based on that information the Sub-Air System installed under all the greens will be working overtime to create optimal air/water ratios in the turf. The vacuum system can actually remove excess moisture from the putting surface through the soil profile to quickly firm and speed up the greens.

As far as I can tell this might be the best way to get a golf course in major championship condition after an overnight storm - quickly! Most of the people in this picture are volunteer superintendents and are not employees of the club.

Enjoy the golf and be sure to follow me on Twitter or Facebook for late breaking news and notes from Augusta! Enjoy the golf....

Masters Week 2012

The cream of the crop always rises in golf's major championships and nowhere is this more true than at Augusta National for the Masters.  Here are a few interesting notes to help get you prepared for the event:

If you, like me, are filling out a Masters pool keep the following in mind:

• Phil Mickelson has only finished outside the top 10 in twice in the last 13 years
• Graeme McDowell, outside his tie for 17th in 2009, has missed the cut in his other three Masters starts
• Martin Kaymer is 0-for-4 in getting to the weekend at the Masters (despite his Monday hole in one) and Louis Oosthuizen is 0-3 in cuts made
• Geoff Ogilvy has six Masters starts, has never missed a cut, and counts three top-16 finishes, including a T4 last year
• Ian Poulter’s T27 in 2011 was his worst showing in the last five years. He tied for 10th in 2010
• Justin Rose has never missed the cut in six starts at Augusta. He tied for fifth in 2007, was T11 a year ago, and rolls in with a good dose of confidence
• David Toms has bounced back with three top-24 finishes in his last four starts
• Lee Westwood has three top-11 finishes in his last four Masters starts, his best showing being a solo runner-up two years ago
• Remember what Rory McIlroy did through the first 63 holes last year...and how he recovered from that final nine at Congressional
• Tiger Woods has won one green jacket in the last 10 years. Yet, dating to his last Masters victory in 2005, he has not finished worse than T6.

If I could pick any three golfers I'd have to go with (in this order) Rory, Phil and Tiger (yes, I know I'm going way out on a limb here)! My sleepers would be Cabrera, Ogilvy and KJ...

I am surprised and disappointed that the Augusta powers have failed to extend an invitation to Ernie Els. Ernie is currently playing beautifully, having finished outside the top 20 only once in his last 5 events. He is 34th in the Fedex Cup and ranked 58th in the world. Not to mention that he has often (albeit, not often enough) contended for the green jacket.  Is Ryo Ishikawa really better than the Big Easy? Or does he just command a greater Japanese television audience?

That being said here is the FIELD and how they qualified.

Full TV Schedule (information found at Masters.com)

Par 3 contest

Wednesday, April 4 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET on ESPN

First-round coverage

Thursday, April 5 from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

Second-round coverage

Friday, April 6 from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

Third-round coverage

Saturday, April 7 at 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET on CBS

Final-round coverage

Sunday, April 8 at 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET on CBS

As always the premium at Augusta is on the shortgame. Here is Geoff Ogilvy talking about the two toughest chips that almost all golfers will face during the week:

One of the toughest chips you can face on the course is from right of the 11th green, a spot where it seems at least one player in every group is playing from during the tournament. Bailing out away from the water is very tempting but no bargain. It is almost impossible to land a chip short on that green with any confidence; you just don’t know what the ball is going to do after it pitches. Then when it does get on the green it invariably races away. It’s such a subtle test, but one that gives the course much of its character.

The same is true behind the 15th green. It is so difficult to judge how much forward momentum the ball will have after it bounces and how fast it needs to be moving once it gets onto the sloping putting surface. And again, it is a shot that tends to come up a lot over the course of the tournament. Go for that green in two every day and you are likely to finish over the back at least twice.

Having had the opportunity to play both of these chip shots I can second his thoughts. I would almost always go for the front portion of the green at 11 rather than bail out right - water or not. Very tough approach from the right side there.

Here are a few sites that do a fantastic job covering the event:

GolfDigest.com

GeoffShackelford.com

Golf.com

Golfweek.com

To see unique photographs from a few of my previous visits to Augusta National click HERE and HERE

Have a fantastic week and enjoy the golf!

TrackMan University Master

I was informed earlier this week that I have been nominated as a TrackMan Master. There are only nine Masters in the world and only five in the US - needless to say I am very excited to be a part of this elite group.  Other Masters include Jim McLean, Brian Manzella and James Leitz.

Thank you so much to all of my supporters and students - without your interest and passion what I do would be pointless.

An Interview with Yours Truly

I was recently interviewed by social media guru, Ricky Lee Potts.  Ricky really did his research and asked some interesting and different questions. I thought you may want to give it a read:

He lives down in South Carolina, and teaches at the Berkeley Hall Golf Club. Oh, and he went to Harvard. (He didn’t go to Harvard… but we will get to that later.) Did I mention he drinks wine? Anyway, I met this guy on Twitter and we have stayed in touch ever since. I love working with the PGA teaching professionals because they all teach folks how to play golf… but they all have their own approach. Did I forget to mention he is from South Africa? There are some pretty big PGA TOUR players from South Africa including Ernie Els. He has actually played with Ernie… but we will get to that later. I am pretty excited to be sitting with Andrew Rice. He is all about impact… and in the game of golf, impact is pretty important!

Here is an excerpt....

A lot of guys are getting away from teaching, and bridging the gap to coaching. Is there a difference to you personally? If so, what do you think the difference is?

I too am trying to become more of a coach and less of a teacher/instructor. In my opinion, a coach is there for the long haul – they cover all the bases from swing to fitness to nutrition to equipment, the mental side and even scheduling. Coaching is so much more than golf instruction.

What’s in your golf bag?

I’m a Titleist guy and use all Titleist clubs except my 10 year old 36” Odyssey 2-ball putter. I love the Titleist D3 driver…

Do you ever do playing lessons with your students?

All the time! There is so much that golfers can learn in a playing lesson that saves strokes automatically. Course management (or lack of) is a big reason why many golfers have the handicap they do.

You went to Harvard. Tell me about that experience… that’s not an easy school.

(Laughs) You must have been on my personal Facebook page. I went to Central Florida, but with Facebook I can be a graduate of any school in the world in less than a minute! I have had some fun with my friends with that one…

What’s the best round you have ever shot?

I have shot 63 on numerous occasions, but the problem was that it was always in the pro-am before the real event!

Who is in your dream foursome?

I’ve thought about this many times – Seve Ballesteros (my favorite player), Bobby Jones (IMO the best of all time) and Arnold Palmer. I think my Dad would understand…

I am Tiger’s biggest fan. Honestly, do you think he will break Jack’s record?

I like to say this concerning Tiger, “The genie has left the lamp!” I think Tiger will win another major or two, but will ultimately fall short of Jack’s record. His greatest challenge is that he, and all the other players, realize he is fallible. When he dominated in the past, both parties thought he was indestructible.

There are a lot of young guys out there giving Tiger a run for his money. Who are some of your favorite players to watch?

You’ve got to love Rory and his wholesome vibe – just a good, talented, hardworking kid whose making the most of his opportunity.  I also like Charl Schwartzel. He performed the best in the majors last year and I look forward to seeing how he handles things at Augusta in a couple of weeks.

I read Golf Digest, Global Golf Post, Golf Magazine… they all promise to help “fix my slice” in 5 minutes or less! Do tips like that help or hurt an average player? Do you read any of those golf publications?

I do and I believe the quality of information they provide to their readers has improved dramatically in the past few years. The world has changed and many people no longer have the time to spend 15 minutes reading an in depth article to help them improve. Quick tips like that, while not optimal, work for more people than not. We’re all looking for something to give us a little hope for this weekend’s upcoming round…

You use TrackMan?

Yes, and it is worth every penny!

When I play, I play by “winter rules”. If we played 18 together, would you let me roll the ball or would we stick to the USGA rules of golf?

We’re out there having fun, Ricky – whatever your pleasure! My father emigrated to the U.S. a few years ago and was taken back with the way many Americans played the game – they didn’t know the rules and seemed to not even try to follow them. It took him a while, but now he loves it. People are out there just having fun. That’s the way it should be, shouldn’t it?

Speaking of the rules, there have been some changes to the rules of golf lately. What are your thoughts with all the recent changes?

The powers that be are doing all they (legally) can to protect the game. I would like for the powers that be to consider changing the rule that eliminated Brian Davis from the playoff at HarbourTown in 2010.

What are you doing when you are not playing or teaching?

I have two fantastic young sons (11 and 13) who play baseball. I coach a team and most of my evenings are spent at a ball field somewhere in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

Read more....

Rory is Number 1!

Welcome to the future because you're going to be seeing this face for a long time. Did it not seem like a lifetime ago that Rory and Rickie Fowler battled it out for Rookie of the Year honors on the PGATour? How far this young superstar has come - and how far can he go? Was this weekend perhaps a changing of the guard? Similar to the US Open at Cherry Hills when Jack (the future) defeated Ben (the past) and Arnie (the present) in an epic battle. In my opinion I believe this young man is going to rule the world of golf for many years to come. To the tune of 6-8 lifetime majors!

Here is an in depth look inside Rory's bag of Titleist clubs- no matter what golf clubs you happen to play, I think you'll find something of note. I was interested to see that he has only three wedges and he has separates them by 6 degrees - 48-54-60. The same as what I carry in my bag and apparently not a bad way to select your wedges (Stay away from the 60 degree one with 4 degrees of bounce though!). I also noted that he has used the same shaft in his driver since 2008. How many of us can say that?

Enjoy the future folks...

What Makes You Golf Happy?

What type of shot do you need to hit to be happy? Or even satisfied? Many golfers, as they strive to improve correctly set their standards high. However, these high standards will eventually corrupt their mental approach as they can only be satisfied with a perfect shot followed by a perfect outcome. They only accept perfection! Not a recipe for cultivating a positive attitude.

Having read about Hunter Mahan's change in attitude over the past few months that culminated in his victory yesterday over world number two Rory McIlroy at the WGC Accenture Match Play, I thought today would be an opportune time to share an approach I recently learned from Dr. Morris Pickens.

During the course of a round, any shot you play can only have one of four outcomes: a good shot with a good result; a good shot with a poor result; a poor shot with a good result; or a poor shot with a poor result. Four possible combinations! How many of these four cause a negative reaction from you?

The above chart illustrates the four possible combinations.  We can all deal with quadrant 1 and we should be upset with quadrant 4, but how do you respond to quadrants 2 and 3?  When playing golf we all prepare and work toward good shots and good results, yet we know that will never always be the case.  In fact, there has never been a round of golf played where every shot and result has been good.  We will always encounter adversity at some point and need to be accepting of certain results that are less than perfect.  A perfectionist only accepts one option - that quickly leads to frustration and one unhappy and disgruntled golfer.

I am not advocating that as golfers we should never get upset - quadrant 4 will take care of that.  I do believe however, that with a better understanding of the big picture, we must learn to accept less than stellar shots that work out (quadrant 3) and good shots that don't (quadrant 2) as part of the game that we play.  When you can do that you are growing and improving, as a golfer.

Comeback for Kyle!

Kyle Stanley did something very few golfers ever get to do - he turned the tables. And the amazing thing is he did it all in the span of eight days. After losing at Torrey Pines after having a seven shot lead, he righted all his wrongs on Sunday, by negating Spencer Levin's eight shot lead to win his first PGA Tour event.

Kyle is the touring professional for my home course, Berkeley Hall, where he is also a resident. He takes full advantage of our amazing practice facility and plays with the members whenever he is in town. We are all so proud of "our man"!

This is what was in the bag for the victory week:

• Driver: Titleist 910D3 8.5 degree with Mitsubishi Diamana Kai'li 70X
• 3-wood: Titleist 910Fd 13.5 degree with Mitsubishi Fubuki 83X
• Irons: Titleist 503i 2-iron; MB712 4-P with Project X 6.5
• Wedges: Vokey Design 52.08, 56.14, SM4 60.10 with TT Dynamic Gold S-400
• Putter: Scotty Cameron Timeless (GSS)
• Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

An interesting note is that during the off-season Kyle switched from a 9.5 degree D3 to a 7.5 degree model. He could not get comfortable with the 7.5 and after testing on our TrackMan we found that he was a lot more consistent, and felt better, with an 8.5 degree model. Good to see he stuck with the 8.5.

Another interesting note - and this will tell you a little about his work ethic - his three wedges are each stamped with a word - DO WORK SON. One word for each wedge. He really does do work....

Kyle tweeted this after his victory yesterday:

"To do list on my week off: 1. Relax. 2. Work on my lag putting from 15 feet!!"

And a very classy tweet from playing partner and runner-up Ben Crane:

"As a fan of sports you have to love what @kylestanleygolf did this week. CONGRATS, Kyle. You earned this. The whole golf world is proud of u"

My sentiments exactly!

2012 PGA Show

I have just returned from the annual PGA Show in Orlando, Florida and I am pleased to share that the economic side of the game appears to be in fine shape. In previous years I have left the show feeling somewhat dejected, yet after this year's experience I am really excited for what 2012 holds.

Every year I look around for ideas that might be game changers - something fresh, new and different. I also keep an eye out for what I call "headscratchers" - something so far out it makes me wonder how it could ever help a golfer get better. Here are a few things that piqued my interest:

Swingbyte

This tiny, lightweight device attaches to the shaft of your club from where it captures your swing and transmits it to your smartphone (Apple or Android) or tablet. It offers relatively accurate data on swing path, speed and launch angle amongst others, but the developer did stress to me that once swing speeds exceeded 90mph the accuracy got a little "sloppy". It also allows you to share the information with your coach or golf buddies. This product comes highly recommended for the vast majority of golfers out there ($149; swingbyte.com).

Snag Golf

Face it - kids absolutely love to hit balls at a moving target and they love it even more if that moving target happens to be you. If you're looking to give your kids or grandkids a reason to play golf and have a ball while doing it - all you have to do is suit up in the sticky suit and let the fun begin. It's a velcro suit that, when used with Snag's sticky balls and plastic golf clubs, turns you into a moving target thats far more appealing than even the guy in the range picker. Big time fun factor ($230, snaggolf.com).

SuperFlex Bands

SuperFlex offers a great Golf Kit that includes five exercise bands made specifically for golfers Each kit includes an exercise program that's designed to help with mobility, stability, flexibility, core strength and more. Anyone here need that? ($99; superflexbands.com)

Iliac Leather Head Covers

These leather headcovers have been around for a while, but there is nothing that makes a statement quite like a customized set of these protecting your big sticks.  I have some (that I paid for!) and every round I play somebody asks about them. I love old school and these have old school written all over them. For the golfer who has almost everything (from $58 ea; iliacgolf.com)

How about these two items? I have a hard enough time making putts with a flat face - how does anybody suppose I'm going to make more putts with a putter that has a curved face?

This second "headscratcher" I simply called the Putting Guillotine! Is this device really going to help me on a downhill left to right slider on the final green for the win....? I rest my case. While I selected these two items to show you, there were many more instances where ideas, products and teaching aids caused me to simply turn and walk away.

The best booth at the show had to go to TaylorMade - again. Here's an interesting stat for you: TaylorMade currently controls a 55% share of the metalwood market. If you compare to when Titleist golf balls where at their peak - they only controlled a 48% share of the ball market! And remember - golf clubs cost a lot more than golf balls.

Best Clothing Booth - Travis Mathew - the old convertible was a great touch.

Best Hosiery (socks!) - Kentwool - they claim to be the world's best golf sock and I have no reason to dispute that. These socks rock!

Best Teaching Technology - Swing Catalyst - I may be biased here, as I own one, but this technology is ahead of it's time.

As per usual there were many golf personalities there and I happened to see Scotty Cameron, Michael Breed, Lee Trevino, Paula Creamer, Wally Uihlein, Gary Gilchrist and Erik Barzeski amongst others, but I'm still trying to figure out what Flava Flav was doing there? If that's not a "headscratcher" then I don't know what is?

If you have not had an opportunity to visit the PGA Show then this video might give you an idea of what the experience is like. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Amazing PGA Tour Stats from 2011

At the end of each year, with the help of ShotLink, the PGA Tour puts out a stat sheet that gives an in-depth review of various statistical categories. There are always some very interesting numbers - some of which I thought I'd share with you today...

Driving

• The PGA Tour average driving distance for all measured shots was 290.9 yards.
• The longest driver was JB Holmes at 318.4 yards while the shortest hitter was Brian Gay at 269.8 yards - that's almost 50 yards per tee shot!
• There were 21 golfers that averaged over 300 yards per tee shot. In 2000 John Daly was the first and only player to average over 300 yards.
• Rory McIlroy hit 51 out of 56 tee shots over 300 yards in the WGC-Bridgestone event.
• The longest drive of the year went to Dustin Johnson at 463 yards - it did involve a cart path!
• Joe Durant was the straightest driver hitting 75.65% of his fairways while Anthony Kim was the least accurate hitting only 46.99% of the fairways.
• No player led the field in driving accuracy en route to victory, while Bubba Watson led the field in driving distance for both of his victories.
• Seventy golfers had rounds where they hit every fairway  - a feat Joe Durant achieved four times!
• John Merrick had a streak of 36 fairways in a row!
• Darren Clarke only hit 41% of the fairways in winning the Open Championship.

Approach Shots

• Boo Weekley led the tour in greens in regulations (GIR) with 71.68% - that's just over 12.5 greens per round. Keep in mind the average golfer hits 4 greens per round.
• Robert Garrigus and Graeme McDowell both hit 92% of the greens at Kapalua - the easiest course on tour to hit greens.
• 15 players manged to hit all 18 greens in a round and no golfer accomplished this feat more than once.
• Webb Simpson had a streak of 32 greens in a row!
• The hardest green to hit on tour was the 6th Hole at PGA National (29.98%). The hole is actually a par five for the members and is truly frightening.
• The course with the most hole outs from off the green was Harbourtown GL at 101. Primarily because the greens are literally miniscule and very easy to miss.

Around the Green

• Brian Gay led the sand saves category with a 63.40 % up and down rate.
• Greg Chalmers led the scrambling category with a 65.17% up and in rate.

Note: I do have a problem with the PGA Tour scrambling stat in that they measure scrambling for any shot to the green that is one stroke higher than regulation. This means that tee balls hit OB should be up and downed from the tee to convert and that pitches and chips played to a par five in three are not counted...not too much sense in that.  (Thanks to Pete Sanders from ShotbyShot.com for pointing this out to me)

• Five players led the field in scrambling in the same week that they won.
• Jason Dufner was 23 out of 24 for scrambling in the Waste Management event.
• Brian Gay and Paul Stankowski each had 17 consecutive sand saves!

Putting

• Luke Donald led the tour in the best stat on tour in my opinion - Strokes Gained-Putting with +.844. That means he gained an average of .844 strokes on the most "average" putter for every round he played and has led the tour in this category the last three years.  Boo Weekley, for all his hitting prowess, was last on -1.102 and Luke gained almost two strokes per round on Boo - just with the putter!
• Luke Donald had 1 three putt for every 80 holes of golf he played.
• On average Tour winners out performed the field by +1.426 strokes per round with the putter. That's only +5.7 better than the field average in a four round event...
• 6 out of 38 winners in 2011 led the field in strokes gained-putting and 25 of 38 winners ranked in the top ten.
• Charlie Wi gained +12.68 strokes on the field in the Crowne Plaza Invitational.
• Hunter Mahan only managed to make 219 feet of putts in the 4th round of the Deutsche Bank Championship.
• Three players managed to have 15 one putts in a round!
• Luke Donald had 483 consecutive holes without a three putt and Kevin Na made 676 out of 676 from inside three feet!

Scoring

• Luke Donald led the adjusted (?) scoring average at 68.86 while Webb Simpson led the actual scoring averages at  69.16.
• Webb Simpson had 60 rounds of scoring in the 60's and 13 out of 98 rounds that were bogey-free.
• Four players had 11 birdies in a round and three players made 27 birdies in a four round event.
• 4% of all rounds on tour were completely bogey-free.
• Luke Donald had 17 consecutive sub-par rounds (I have those all the time!) and Briny Baird had 12 consecutive rounds in the 60's.

The PGA Tour currently keeps a total of 416 various stats on each player for every round they play and with the help of some very smart people each stat category is getting deeper and better as they move forward.  Ever read the book Moneyball by Michael Lewis? Well golf is finally starting to apply sabermetrics to the massive amount of data they collect every year - and they're better off for it.

You cannot improve upon something if you cannot measure it! I believe that statement to be true and I know that quality stats are vital in helping any serious golfer improve.  That is why I have aligned with noted statistician Peter Sanders and his fantastic site ShotbyShot.com. With this site you have the ability to truly assess your strengths and weaknesses. You even have the ability to judge your putting against scratch handicap golfers in a strokes gained type format - the only other way to get something similar is to become a Tour player!

To all my students: If you are serious, and I believe you all are, please contact me about a fantastic opportunity for us to participate at ShotbyShot.com. After all, if you want to improve something we have got to measure it....

Merry Christmas Y'all!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you all so much for your support and readership in 2011 - I could not and would not do what I love to do without you.

In just over 30 months this site has enjoyed over 350,000 hits! My YouTube channel has over 450,000 views and I have more than 450 fans on my Facebook page. Fantastic! Please feel free to let me know what you feel I can do a better job with...

My goals for 2012 are directly focused on improving your golf and I will attempt to do so by improving the following areas of your game:

• Driving - either straighter or further - you know what you need...
• Shortgame/wedging - get the ball either on the green or up and down...
• Putting - an easy way to trim 2-3 strokes off your score...

Next year I will provide technical and practical assistance to help you get better in each of the areas mentioned above. Give it a try, commit to it and I guarantee positive results. Keep an eye on this space starting next week...

Until then - relax, enjoy family and friends and keep in mind what the real reason for the season is.

Merry Christmas all y'all!

What I Learned in 2011

Around this time of the year I like to look back at the year and contemplate what I have learned as a teacher and coach that will make me better in the future. After much thought here is my list:

• Golfers too often lose sight of the fact that the game is all about scoring. It's not about style, or aesthetics, or form - it's about function. And scoring is function. If any golfer can go out and hit the ball the same as they always have and shoot five strokes lower they are very happy. No, this is not something new to me, but as I get older and hopefully wiser, I see way too many golfers who miss this point. They are searching for a swing, a technique, a "holy grail" that will upgrade their game. The answer lies in driving, wedging, putting and a hefty dose of hard work - period!
• Anybody can get better in twenty minutes. With the help of Trackman I have seen this time and time again. The challenge is taking "ownership" of the changes as this can only be done through practice. Through practice you get comfortable, you then begin to trust the changes, which in turn channel into confidence - the magic elixir of all sport.

• The driver works much better when it strikes the ball with an upward hit. If a golfer swings at 100mph and strikes the ball with a 5 degree downward hit, they will be 28 yards shorter than a golfer who hits the ball with the same swing, but a 5 degree upward hit! The launch angle goes up, the spin goes down and boom, you're not even swinging any harder.
• With an on plane swing, when the clubhead moves towards the ground the club path travels in to out and when it moves away from the ground it travels out to in. I know you're more than likely scratching your head over this one - watch the video and read the article and it'll make a ton more sense. This has been a game changer for me and I so wish I had knowledge of this information thirty years ago.
• Modern golf technology can do wonders for your game. From the latest drivers to launch monitors to pressure plates - there is new technology that can help you make real changes to almost any part of your game. Seek it out and take advantage...
• It is possible for every golfer to get longer - yes, I said every golfer. Even you! Most of the gains can be made simply by learning how to deliver the driver to the ball more efficiently. If you could learn what it takes to hit the ball 15 yards further (which is about my average for male golfers after a TrackMan session!) you have now made the golf course you play 200 yards shorter. Where do I sign up for that....?
• The weight transfer in the backswing is due to the swinging motion of the arms. There should be no conscious shift or lateral motion with the body. See the 84 degree secret...

Thanks for reading - I hope you have all learned at least something from my musings during 2011. If you remember one thing remember this: Nothing will ever take the place of hard work and heart - not talent, not finances, and certainly not coaching.

Oh, and if you haven't wrapped up your holiday shopping yet I have a smokin' deal for you. Buy one copy of It's All About Impact and I'll send you four - one for each member of your foursome.

I have big plans for upgrading the information and look of the site in 2012 so stick around and watch this space...

I Love These Golf Videos

Here is a collection of my favorite golf videos from the year. They all effected me in one way or another. This first video reminded me what a a great game we all pursue - it appeals to all people, of all abilities, in all corners of the globe. This swing is for real believe it or not and shows what lengths a golfer will go to in order to keep the ball in the fairway....

The next two videos have made more of a difference to my game than any video ever has. For the past few years I have been a horrible driver of the ball and the information contained in these two clips made all the difference for me - I now hit the ball higher, longer and straighter than I have in a long time. Of course TrackMan had a fair bit to do with quantifying the changes I needed to make. I hope they have the same effect on your game...

These next three videos are inspirational - they show what can be achieved with creativity and imagination. This is how golfers learn to hit amazing golf shots - they dream them up first! Enjoy...(BTW watch for Alexander Noren to start featuring on the European Tour in 2012)

The final video is a tribute to my favorite golfer of all time - the great Severiano Ballesteros. This year we lost a golfing legend way too early in his young life. I will always remeber his passion, competitive spirit and the cavalier manner in which he played the game. RIP Seve....

Impact Bonus

Okay seriously - I now realize I have printed way too many books and it's time to get them out of the house. In order to maintain the festive cheer in the Rice house over the holidays I have agreed (with much persuasion from my agent/wife) to sell them on clearance. If you buy one hard cover copy for $26.95 I will send you four signed books. Shipping for all four books is $12 which means you receive four copies delivered to your doorstep for under $40 (US orders only). You now have a tremendous resource to aid in your off season improvement and a gift for each member of your Saturday morning foursome. This way life is good for you....and for me! Please help. If you have enjoyed this blog over the years and still have not broken down and purchased your hardcover version your patience has finally paid off.

In case you hadn't heard about It's All About Impact read on...

This book will help you:

• Take care of the fundamentals
• Get your body in position for a world-class impact
• Take the correct divot (and plenty of them!)
• Regain control of your golf ball
• Create bite with your wedges
• Control distance on your putts (yes, that too!)
• Practice to actually get better
• Review and analyze your swing just like the pros do

With this book I have worked to separate modern day style from some all-important substance in the golf swing.  We are all different physically - there is no way we can all use the same swing. You will learn how to get the most out of your swing.

Make your purchase HERE

The eBook is also now available on eReaders (iPad, Kindle, Nook, Sony eReader, iTouch) for only $10 (and sometimes less!) at the following outlets:

Amazon Kindle

Download iBooks (You must first download the free iBook app to your Apple device and then go to the store to purchase the book)

Barnes & Noble Nook

Sony eReader

And please remember to rate or review the book if you have already read it.

Here is what Nick Price had to say about the book:

I have known Andrew Rice since he was a young man growing up in Southern Africa. I have always been thoroughly impressed with Andrew’s dedication and passion to play, teach, and constantly discover the intricacies of our great game. I know you will benefit from his diligent pursuit of finding the most efficient manner in which to play the game and produce results. The quest for improvement at every level of golf is never ending, but I am sure you will find Andrew’s thoughts to be an efficient way for you to achieve your potential.

Nick Price Three-Time Major Winner and Hall of Fame Member

I hope you have had a fantastic Thanksgiving and are looking forward to the Christmas season. I have big plans for all my students getting better in 2012 - watch this space.

The Golf Swing - Right or Wrong?

In 2010 the player on the left, Jim Furyk won the Fedex Cup and the player on the right, Matt Kuchar won the PGA Tour money list. Can you tell which arm position at the top is correct or better?

My opinion is that both are correct and neither is better than the other. The swing methodology a player uses means very little in my honest opinion - it's all about what the golf club makes the ball do. Does it work or not? These guys only split $20 million in 2010 so there is nothing wrong with what either of them are doing! Don't get caught up in what the arms or the legs or body are doing unless there is a problem with the ball flight. The swing may be unique, but if it works, keep it.

If either of these players came to me for a lesson I would find footage of when they felt like they played their best and work them back towards that particular swing.

Don't get too caught up in what the text book says you should do - work towards whatever results in better golf shots for you.  If you feel that you know will win the Fedex Cup next year and would like to place an online bet, visit TopBet Sportsbook. The swing that does not work is wrong and the one that consistently works is correct - no matter what it may look like.

Can You Get Better in 20 Minutes?

I recently ran an interesting promotion where I offered golfers an opportunity to gain 10 yards if they participated in a twenty minute TrackMan session. The cost was $50 and if they didn't gain the yardage their session was free. This meant I had to be on my game and I had to make simple and effective upgrades to get paid...it's not often a golfer can take a lesson and only have to pay for the lesson if they see immediate results!

My reason for running the promotion was primarily to create interest and excitement in the new TrackMan unit and to give the Berkeley Hall membership a peek at what this technology can do for them.

I had eighteen golfers, eleven men and seven ladies sign up and I encouraged each of the participants to focus on the driver. In case a participant wanted to work with an iron I had them each bring their driver and a seven iron along.

When hitting the driver I try to get my students to have an attack angle of somewhere from 1 - 5 degrees up along with a club path of somewhere from 1 - 5 degrees from in to out.  I prefer that most golfers hit out and up on the ball creating a high launch, low spin trajectory with the driver. We all could benefit from a few extra yards, no?

Here is a compilation of points of interest from the day:

• The average swing speed for the men with the driver was 83.9mph. The top speed achieved was 96.1mph while the slowest was 70.1mph. Keep in mind that this event was promoted as a "distance" event and as a result the golfers who came out tended not be the longest of hitters.
• The average speed for the ladies with the driver was 65.6mph with the top speed being 73.4mph and the slowest being 60.3mph.
• Before any changes were made 11 out of the 18 golfers hit down on the ball at an average of 1.6 degrees with the driver.  After the changes had been made the same 11 golfers averaged 0.6 degrees up on the ball. Not bad...
• Before any changes were made 7 golfers (a surprisingly low number in my opinion!) hit from out to in at an average of 3.3 degrees with the big stick. This means that their club path was travelling 3.3 degrees left (for a right hander) of the target at impact. After adjusting, the same 7 golfers averaged 0.8 degrees from in to out - a very positive change.
• Prior to any changes 4 golfers hit too much (in my opinion) from in to out at an average of 6.6 degrees. After the changes they averaged 2.2 degrees in to out - a far more respectable number.
• Not every golfer gained yardage, although the majority did.  A few golfers actually lost some clubhead speed while they were working on the changes which were primarily in the address position.  It was interesting to note how some golfers adapted and changed easily while others had a tough time.
• The golfers with slower swing speeds tended to be more efficient, something I had already noted from the PGA Tour stat on Total Driving Efficiency and as a result it was quite difficult to get them make the "required" yardage gains. They were quite close to optimal already...
• Similarly, I found the ladies to generally be more efficient in transferring the energy they created to the ball than the men. I've also noticed that LPGA golfers also tend to be more efficient than their PGA Tour counterparts, particularly with the driver. The mantra seems to be "the more energy you create, the more likely you are to waste it!" It does not have to be that way though.
• Every golfer who attended the event improved in an important area regarding how they deliver the club to the back of the ball. Quite a few golfers did not gain 10 yards, but they all left feeling like they had the knowledge and feel they needed in order to realize longer tee shots.
• One lady had a fantastic golf swing with very efficient numbers, but, primarily due to her petite size, she was unable to generate much clubhead speed. She had an older, heavy driver with a 70 gram shaft and so I spent most of our time talking to her about what equipment (lighter = faster) suited her best and what exercises (Momentus woosh) she could do to increase her speed with the driver.  I'll be interested to see how she does with the new club.
• Almost all the participants commented that while the "numbers overload" from TrackMan was overwhelming at first, once we had isolated a particular problem (attack angle, club path, spin axis etc.) it seemed very simple. They were able to key in on one area and get a feel for how much change was required in order to reach their goal - all without much in the way of complicated, positional swing changes.
• The twenty minute time format worked well for the students and for me. They did not get overloaded with information and I had be concise and clear (for a change!) in what they needed to upgrade.

So, back to the question, "Can you get better in twenty minutes?" I would have to say an emphatic yes. With the right feedback mechanism, which TrackMan certainly is, and a simple approach, you can make fairly substantial changes in a short period of time. The important thing moving forward is that you practice the changes in order to gain a measure of comfort and confidence in them - and as we know, that takes more than twenty minutes.

Thanks for reading.

Function vs. Form

 When I first got into teaching golf I learned a particular method of swinging the club - I was very much a method teacher.  I believed there was an ideal pattern to be followed and all golfers would have been better if they could learn to swing the club and move their body in this manner.  At one point I even went so far as to say that in a few more years there would never be another "homemade" golf swing on the PGA Tour!  There was only one, ideal way to swing a golf club and I wanted every student I taught to get to this ideal.

That phase of my teaching career came to an abrupt end five years ago when I started a self-education project to study the swings of golf''s all time greats.  As I researched and broke down these championship swings the very first thing I found was that not a single one of them had a swing that was similar to another.  How could this be?  I had spent the first fifteen odd years of my career teaching golfers a certain swing method and in the space of  one month had figured out that no great golfer used the same method as any other great golfer.  What did that say for my, or any other, method?

Think of the foursome you play golf with most often - there could be a multitude of body types, age groups, and personalities in every group on the course.  And I, in all my brainwashed brilliance, had been trying to get every one of them to swing in the same fashion.

Little did I know that my self education project would turn my teaching upside down.  I now know that there are many ways to swing, yet very few ways to hit - and all the greatest golfers employ those same narrow parameters to hit repeatable, quality golf shots.  My research project actually culminated in the book "It's All About Impact".

Early in my career I attempted to achieve function or peak performance by improving the look and form of a golfers swing.  Can you imagine what I'd have done if Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd, Nancy Lopez, Hubert Green or Jim Furyk had come to me for help early in their careers?  I'm thankful for their sake that they hadn't as you might never had heard their names.

In my teaching now, I work to get golfers to squeeze the most out of what their unique bodies, minds and experiences will allow.  It is all about function and very little about form.  I often say to a student, "If I could get your swing to look worse and have you shoot five strokes lower, we'd both be happy campers."  I will do whatever I need to do to get my student to get the club to do what they want the ball to do...regardless of how it looks.

We are all different physically, mentally, emotionally and experientially - how can we possibly swing a golf club with the same form?  The answer is - it cannot be done! Stop trying to swing like your favorite player and start learning how to hit like your favorite. Understand that you're different and unique and if you can deliver the appropriate set of physics (forces and angles) to the back of the ball with your swing - it will follow the desired trajectory to the desired location.  Isn't that what you're after?

I believe so strongly in providing my students with an understanding of what the "appropriate physics" at impact are that I have purchased a TrackMan unit.  TrackMan is the ultimate in functional teaching as it measures all the factors that lead to ball flight.  The radar unit tracks clubhead speed, swing plane, angle of attack, club path, face angle and dynamic loft all at the most important part of any golf swing - impact.  Now, as golfer, imagine being able to know which of the previously mentioned measurements are stumbling blocks for your golf game. Wouldn't it be great to know that you have to worry about nothing else other than the club path being too far from out to in? Or perhaps your attack angle is too far down and you need to feel like you sweep each iron off the ground?

My goal with any student is to change as little as possible and it often works that way, but sometimes we need to change quite a lot.  The objective is always the same - influence the club at impact in order to make the ball what we would like it to do.

If you come to me for a lesson you will not be taught a method of swinging a golf club, but you will be taught a method of hitting a golf ball.  None of my students will ever have golf swings that look similar, unless by accident, but many of them will hit shots that look and sound alike.  You will leave the lesson knowing what you need to do to hit better shots - and you will also leave hitting better shots.

TrackMan arrives in early October at Berkeley Hall.  Call Andrew at (843)247-4688 to book a lesson.