Newsletter – February 2013
I have another Get Golf Ready Ladies Clinic on Feb. 27 through March 3rd. It is 5 consecutive days with one-hour clinics on Wed. through Sat. with the final day on Sunday on the golf course for only $99. I will have the next Junior Skills Challenge on March 3, 10, 17 & 24. The clinics will run from Noon to 1:30 p.m. on these 4 consecutive Sundays. Each session will consist of 4 contests to train proper technique to produce the golf swing for various shots. Cost is only $44 total for ages 8 – 14. I will also conduct the Ladies-Only Golf Clinic on March 5, 12, 19 & 26. It will be 4 consecutive Tuesday evenings from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with a total cost of only $40. Space is limited with all of the specialty clinics so please call (727) 692-4679 or email, jh@johnhayesgolf.com to sign up.
There has been some interest in doing clinics for couples. What I have done is to have the couples simply split the private hourly lesson rate of $60 total. They can then set up the dates and times that will suit them the best. I think having couples, family or friends who play together taking a lesson together is very helpful so they are aware of what the partner is working on in the golf swing and can be more helpful.
Now for some help for your short game. To achieve the correct distance on pitch shots and putts you must have good basic swing mechanics so your impact is in the center of the face but after that you must use your mind correctly or your ability to roll the ball close to the hole may still suffer. You have to hold the location of the hole in your mind as you swing the club with a pitch shot or a putt. To fine tune this ability I like to see people practice a “guessing game.” In putting, please keep your eyes on a patch of grass between the putterface and the ball during the stroke and keep looking at this grass after the stroke is finished. Now guess if the ball will end up short, even with, or past the hole when it stops. You make your guess before watching the ball roll. The mind is forced to hold the location of the hole so an accurate guess can be made.
If you are leaving a lot of your pitch shots short of the hole then you may be focused on the spot that you think the ball should land before it rolls to the hole. Just use the landing spot to select the appropriate club to play on the shot at hand, whether a lofted wedge or a less lofted iron for a running shot. Once the club has been selected then forget the landing spot and visualize the ball rolling as far as the hole. So let the hole be the last thing you look at before you look back at the ball and begin the backswing. You can do the “guessing game” on the pitch shots also. After making the swing have your eyes stop on the grass a few yards in front of the ball and guess whether you think the ball will be short, even with or past the hole when it stops. You need good mechanics to get good impact but you still have to use your mind correctly to get the proper distance on these partial shots.
As always, email, jh@johnhayesgolf.com, or call, (727) 692-4679, with your questions or comments and I hope to see you on the lesson tee soon at the Chi Chi Golf Range & Family Sports Complex in beautifulClearwater,Florida.