Newsletter – January 2014
Upcoming events: I will again have my LADIES-ONLY CLINIC on 4 consecutive Sunday afternoons, JAN. 12, 19, 26 and FEB. 2. Each session will be from Noon to 1:00 p.m. and total cost is only $40. The next GET GOLF READY LADIES BOOT CAMP will be held on THURSDAY, JAN. 23 THROUGH SUNDAY, JAN. 26. There will be 4 hours of golf clinics: Thur. and Fri. from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sat. from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The clinics will be at the driving range and then we will finish on Sunday from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a fun experience on the golf course. Total cost is $99 and includes everything. These 2 Ladies clinics are perfect for beginners. I will conduct another TWO-DAYGOLFSCHOOL on Friday, Feb. 7 (4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) and Saturday, Feb. 8 (8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.) There is a limit of 3 participants, total cost is only $99, and this school is NOT for beginners.
Once again I will have a MANUEL DE LA TORRE ½ DAY GOLF CLINIC! Manuel will be here on Saturday, February 15. The morning session is from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. The afternoon session is from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is a limit of only 4 per session and total cost is $125. Please call me (727) 692-4679 or email, jh@johnhayesgolf.com to sign up for any of this golf clinics.
YOU CAN HIT YOUR SMALL PITCH SHOTS USING YOUR ARMS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. In the full swing you want to use your hands to swing the clubhead over your back shoulder because it is an efficient way to create a good coil so you can produce speed on the forward swing. In putting or in the small pitch shots you can swing backward using the arms only because you do not need to go back very far. Some people prefer this “putting feel” on the pitch shots. I mention it here because there has been some publicity recently about what is being called a “stiff-armed pitch shot.” I would prefer if they would just say that the golfer is using the arms to swing the club backward and forward rather than using the hands in the backswing and the arms on the forward swing, as is done on a bigger swing. There is a lack of wrist action in the so called stiff-armed pitch shot because you are NOT using the hands in the backswing so the wrist joint does not need to respond. You should not achieve this lack of wrist action by making your arms, forearms, wrist and hands STIFF with muscular tension! Muscular tension will only make you awkward and clumsy; it will not help you hit good pitch shots.
Using the arms back and forth on the pitch shots can be helpful if you have a tight or thin lie on dormant grass, sandy soil, pine needles, etc. This type of swing can have the club traveling very level in the ball-area so you can pick the ball cleanly off a tight lie. You may feel like you are putting the ball except with a lofted club with the arms back and forth on a pitch or chip shot close to the green. As always, the best thing you can do is to get around the practice green and try this technique and see how your touch is on the pitch shots.
Please call or email with your questions and comments and I hope to see you soon on the lesson tee at the Chi Chi Golf Range & Family Sports Complex in beautiful Clearwater, Florida.