JohnHayesGolf.com Newsletter Golf Tip – January 2016
For your golf game: What is the direction for your backswing? It is a circular direction toward your back shoulder. When you swing something, in this case a golf club head, it will describe all or part of a circle. As you already know, there are no straight lines in a circle so you should NOT swing the club head back in a straight line from the ball. The club head should swing in a circular direction over the back shoulder. If you do swing the club head back in a straight line then you will have to reroute the club during the forward swing so you can swing the club in the direction of the target. Fred Couples and Ryan Moore are a good examples of this as they swing the club head back on or outside the target line but then they reroute the club as they swing forward so they can swing it in the direction of the target. I would advise you to make your job a little easier by not having to reroute the club during the swing. Just swing it backward in a circular direction so the shaft of the club is parallel to the target line when horizontal during the backswing.
What is your main job in the backswing? You job is to wind up the coil, so to speak, in the backswing so you will have some energy stored up that you can spend on the forward swing to produce club speed that will send the ball to your target. When you set up to the ball your arms and the club are hanging in an extended line. There is no wound-up coil at this point. So your job in the backswing is to use both hands to swing the club head around you over the back shoulder in order to wind up the coil. If your personal flexibility does NOT allow you to swing the club head all of the way over the back shoulder then you should still swing the club head in the direction of the back shoulder. If you came upon a rattle snake would you prefer the snake be laying on the ground in a straight line or laying on the ground wound up in a tight coil? I hope you picked the straight line because the coiled snake can spring at you and strike you more quickly!
So swing the club head directly over the back shoulder in the backswing and you will wind up the coil of the golf swing in a very simple and effective manner. And in a manner that will make it easier to swing the whole club forward in the direction of the target. So do NOT try to push and stretch the club straight back to begin the backswing. First of all, this is not a swinging motion and it also delays the start of a simple and effective winding up of the coil of the backswing. And remember, there are no straight lines in the arc of a circle.
Upcoming clinics and events: I will conduct a GET GOLF READY LADIES BOOT CAMP on Thur., February 4th through Sunday, February 7th. There will be 4 hours of golf clinics (Thur. & Fri. from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 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, January 23rd 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 new pricing 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 in the Tampa, FL area.