JohnHayesGolf.com Newsletter Golf Tip – December 2015
For your golf game: You should come up with some games to play when you practice. You can do TECHNIQUE GAMES or SKILL ASSESSMENT GAMES. These are great for keeping your mind in a sharp focus during a practice session and it makes your practice feel like a real round of golf on the course. In my SHORT GAME BOOT CAMP I recommend a Bunker TECHNIQUE GAME where you play a bunker shot and score your swing. You score 1 point if you 1) scrape through a line (perpendicular to the target line) that is 4 inches ahead of the ball, 2) score a second point if you let your back heel come up in response and 3) score a third point if you let the club finish swinging all the way over your front shoulder. See how many 3-point swings you can make when playing your bunker shots.
Once you have been building your bunker swing technique for a while then you can play a Bunker SKILL ASSESSMENT GAME where you hit 4 bunker shots and you score 1 point if your ball flies and lands between 5 yard and 10 yards from where you began (short bunker shot). Then 4 more bunker shots where you score 1 point if your ball flies and lands between 10 and 15 yards (medium bunker shot) and finally 4 more bunker shots where you ball must fly between 15 and 25 yards (long bunker shot) in the air to earn a point. Keep track of your scores and try to beat your personal best!
I have also given a putting SKILL ASSESSMENT GAME to many students to sharpen their focus during putting practice. Putt 4 balls from 20 feet from the hole and 4 more from 40 feet. You score 1 point if your putt stops within 1 club-length of the hole and you score a bonus point if your ball rolls into the hole (lag putts). One junior golfer has scored 11 points for just these 8 lag putts! Now putt 4 balls from 3 feet and 4 more from 6 feet and you score 1 point if your ball rolls into the hole (short putts). It is best on the short putts to putt from all 4 different directions (north, south, east and west) so you practice all possible breaks. Again, try to beat your personal best, and the average golfer should score 10 points or more for the total putting SKILL ASSESSMENT GAME or you need an immediate putting lesson.
Obviously, the more times you can play the games, with correct technique, the better your skills and touch will be in the short game. The best golf game inventor that I know is Jerry Tucker, PGA golf teacher in Stuart, Florida. His Tucker Short Game Test is known by many top teachers and is a more involved short game workout and skill assessment tool. Go to www.jerrytuckergolf.com to learn more about this and let the golf short-game games begin.
Upcoming clinics and events: I am currently running my Holiday GIFT CERTIFICATE Promotion through December 24th. When you buy a Lesson Gift Certificate for either 1) a series of 4 one-hour lessons for $210 (a savings of $30 from regular hourly rate) or 2) a series of 6 half hour-lessons for $200 (a savings of $40), you will receive my golf instruction book, Learning Golf with Manuel, for FREE!
I will conduct a GET GOLF READY LADIES BOOT CAMP on Thur., December 10th through Sunday, December 13th. There will be 4 hours of golf clinics (Thur. & Fri. from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. and on Sat. from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.) and then we will finish on the golf course on Sun. from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is perfect for beginners who want to feel comfortable on the golf course in a short time. Total cost is only $99 and includes everything!
My next LADIES-ONLY GOLF CLINIC will be held on 2 consecutive Weekends – January 9, 10, 16 and 17 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on all four days (Sat., Sun., Sat. & Sun.) Cost is only $40 total for all 4 sessions! It is good for beginners or newly dedicated golfers.
My next specialty clinic will be a SHORT GAME BOOT CAMP for 2 hours held on Saturday, December 19th from Noon to 2:00 p.m. I will cover pitching/chipping, bunker play, putting, and fun games to practice effectively! Men or Ladies welcome. This is NOT for new beginners. There is a limit of only 3 students so call or email to sign up. Total cost is only $55.
There will be a price increase for ADULT and JUNIOR SEMI-PRIVATE GOLF LESSONS only beginning in 2016:
ADULT – ONE HOUR 1 LESSON SERIES OF 4 SERIES OF 6
2 People $80 ($40per) $300 ($150 per) $400 ($200 per)
3 people $90 ($45 per) $330 ($110 per) $450 ($150 per)
4 people $100 ($25 per) $360 ($90 per) $500 ($125 per)
JUNIOR – ONE HOUR 1 LESSON SERIES OF 5 LESSONS
2 Juniors $50 ($25 per) $220 ($110 per)
3 Juniors $60 ($20 per) $270 ($90 per)
(Juniors are age 17 and younger.)
Please call (727) 692-4679 or email, jh@johnhayesgolf.com, to sign up as space is limited for all clinics. Go to www.johnhayesgolf.com for more details.
As always, please contact me with any questions or comments and I hope to see you soon on the lesson tee at the Chi Chi Golf Range & Family Sports Complex in beautiful Clearwater near Tampa, FL.