Ronald Bruce Romberg Magazine

Ronald Bruce Romberg Sports
Start with a routine: Notice when you watch PGA Tour players, they have a routine for every shot, especially when it comes to putting. Better players know a routine is necessary for making consistent strokes.

First, start by looking at the putt from behind the ball, then halfway down the line and finally from behind the hole.

This will help you see the line, slope and speed of the putt. (To help speed up play try and do this part of your alignment while your playing partners are lining up their putts.)

Next, step up to your ball, make a practice stroke or two, and then hit the putt.

You can modify this routine to develop your own but don’t waste too much time (the routine should take 30 to 40 seconds at most) and always be sure to do it before every putt.

Practice the Short Putts: Practicing 30- to 40-footers may be fun but you’re not going to have many of them during your round. On the course the majority of your putts will be from within 15 feet, so before playing practice the short putts.

Start by taking four balls, making a circle approximately 5 feet from the hole. When you make three out of four from that distance move your circle outward a foot or two.

Keep doing this until you get about 12 to 15 feet from the hole. This drill will improve your speed control, help you read putts and give you confidence in your stroke.

Your Alignment is bad: Trusting your alignment helps you focus on your stroke which leads to solid putts.

Next time you play, have one of your playing partners help line you up on your putts. Have him stand behind you looking down your line. Once he lets you know you are aligned properly just stroke the putt.

This should help you relax and make a good stroke because you are not thinking about your alignment.

If your playing partner is constantly changing your alignment you should focus your practice time on this area of your putting.

Try different things: If you have putting problems, try different solutions. The key to good putting is confidence, and there are several ways to improve your confidence.

Try a new grip. When you see a golfer who is a good putter watch how they grip the club. Some overlap, some interlock, some have a split-hand grip or the claw. It doesn’t matter how you grip the putter as long as it works, so experiment next time you practice.

Next, try a different length putter or a different style. Almost all golf shops let you “demo” putters. Take a few out to the putting green and see if one is right for you.

About Bruce Romberg

Years ago, when I was VP of sales and marketing at Cleveland Golf, I had the opportunity to spend time with John Cook. Over the years John has played some fantastic golf, but many observers think he never reached his potential. One thing for sure is he is one of the nicest PGA Tour pros out there.

In January 1992 John stopped by the company to have his clubs worked on, and I asked him how he felt about the upcoming season. His response surprised me. He said his confidence was kind of low but improving. As Cook had just come off the best year of his career - three wins and near misses at the PGA Championship and British Open - I wondered how he could lack confidence.

That’s when I realized how important a positive attitude is to playing your best golf. Here are a few tips to help lock in that positive thinking during your round.

• As you approach every shot, think of where you want the shot to end up. Never think of where you don’t want the ball to go. Concentrate on your intended target, relax and hit the shot. A clear mind leads to good shots.

• Analyze each shot’s given circumstances and, depending on your ability, play the safest shot.

Take this situation: You’re teeing off on a hole that requires an extremely accurate drive, with water on the left, out-of-bounds on the right. The hole is a 300-yard par 4, and you’re a 20-handicap player. The yardage is saying you could drive the green, but your golf brain should tell you to hit a safe middle iron shot into the fairway, followed by a short iron approach. Easy pars are better than an occasional birdie and many double bogeys.

• Feel the shot before you hit it. Rehearsing a shot exactly how you want to execute it is an important part of building confidence in your swing. All too often, golfers take practice swings with little regard to the actual shot that is going to be played. A good practice swing creates a feeling of the shot at hand.

• Now the final step, executing the shot. Narrow your focus to a specific target, like a tree in the distance or a bunker in the fairway. Trust your shot, stay focused on your target and execute by just letting go. Again, focus on what you want the shot to do, not on where you don’t want the shot to go.

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I have recently seen an infomercial on TV for a training device to help golfers work the club from the “inside”. The cost of this device was $80. Here is a teaching aid that will cost you absolutely nothing and do the same job! Take two golf club boxes and tape them together with one overlapping the other by about 24 inches, as shown in picture #1 below.

Place the ball on the ground under the overhang at the very end of the top box.

Go to the top of your swing and hit the ball without hitting the box. By trying to get to the ball under the box, it will force you to keep the club head behind the hands on the downswing - an absolute must if you are to hit the ball from the “inside”.

This “inside out” motion will allow the club head to move down the line much easier, guaranteeing a straighter shot.

Make sure you follow through completely with your hips all the way through to the target and your hands finishing high.

If you make an “over the top” swing with this teaching aid you will knock the box over every time and your hands will finish low around your body.

Work with this for an afternoon and you will find the results quite amazing! Plus, you’ve saved $80! Say “Thanks Mel!”

Ronald Bruce Romberg

Various aspects of golf training have expanded rapidly, but one area of development that has caught on somewhat slowly is golf-specific strength training. This specific need had not been addressed until very recently.

As with many things, it started at the top with pros like Tiger Woods and David Duval and began to trickle down to the masses over time. Unfortunately, many golfers still live under the old assumption that strength training is detrimental to your game. The truth is that the days of simply practicing and playing to make yourself a stronger and better golfer are from a bygone era. Ultimately, golf skills are the most important aspect of golf, but improving your swing performance will only get you so far. If you want to develop into the best player you can be, you better get with the program - a strength-training program.

Let’s take a look at a few of the fallacies that may be holding some of you back from beginning a strength-training program.

Fallacy No. 1: Resistance training will cause a loss of flexibility.

Fact: Full range of motion resistance training will actually improve your flexibility.

Fallacy No. 2: Resistance training will result in “bulking up.”

Fact: Performing resistance training by itself will not cause the development of excess muscle mass; additional caloric intake is also required. Some individuals are under the impression that lifting heavier weights for fewer repetitions will cause this “bulking-up” phenomenon. This is also false. As a matter of fact, lifting heavier weights for fewer repetition is one way to gain strength without adding “bulk.” Therefore, if you are involved in a program designed to develop stability, strength and power specific to the needs of golf, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

Fallacy No. 3: Resistance training will have adverse effects on your swing.

Fact: Resistance training can actually have a positive effect on your swing because it helps develop what is known as kinesthetic awareness, the ability to detect body position, weight and movement of the muscles, tendons and joints.

Fallacy No. 4: Swinging a weighted club will produce more specific strength gains than performing a resistance-training program.

Fact: If anything, swinging a weighted club will produce an improper swing. The compensation required to swing the weighted club creates faulty swing mechanics and firing patterns. Also, most weighted club programs call for swinging the clubs at slow speeds. The problem with that is when golfers tee up, they are not trying to drive the ball with a 50 percent to 75 percent swing. They want to all-out blast it down the fairway with a powerful 100 percent swing. If the name of the game for golfers is club head SPEED, using a heavy club and a slow swing to gain strength won’t work. To gain strength and develop speed, you have to train for speed.

Fallacy No. 5: It takes too much time.

Fact: You can’t afford not to start a golf-specific flexibility, strength and conditioning program if you want to be the best golfer you can be. Depending on your individual starting point, you may be able to make progress by training as little as a 1½ hours per week. It is a small investment that will reap huge dividends on the course.

Hopefully, reading this article has shed some light on the benefits of strength training for golf and has helped you understand that it is NOT detrimental to your game, but, more than likely, it is very beneficial.

Bruce Romberg Info

As we all know putting is a very important part of the golf game. But it doesn’t get nearly as much time as the actual golf swing when we are practicing. Putting is a reflection of individualism. There are as many different forms of putting strokes as there are styles of putters But the basic fundamentals remain the same. Creating a routine with basic fundamentals will help in the execution of a putting stroke that should work for you.
Putting tip: Creating a routine

A. Read the contours of the green.
B. Think about distance of the putt.
C. Visualize the putt.
D. Align yourself, the head of your putter, and the name of your ball to your target.
E. Take the stroke.
Putting tip: Basic fundamentals

1. Grip the putter as if you are holding a soft-boiled egg.
2. Your stance should be about a foot apart with the weight equally distributed.
3. Point your knees in towards each other slightly.
4. Bend from your waist and allow your shoulders, arms, and hands to work together as one unit.
5. Keep your head as motionless as possible and keep your lower body stationary.
6. In the putting stroke, the follow through should be the same distance as your back stroke with the putter head low to the ground keeping the tempo steady.

“The USGA definition of a Putting Green is all ground of the hole being played which is specially prepared for putting or otherwise defined as such by the Committee. A ball is on the putting green when any part of it touches the green.”

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You have company spending two weeks with you this summer. One week down, one week to go. You long for your privacy, your own routine. Who’s house is this, anyway?

Your wife loves people and having “them” around. You, on the other hand, could be a hermit. Well, at least they are in town shopping and you have a rare opportunity to take that private shower, without little Billy knocking on the door.

You are in the hallway and you have just removed your shirt and pants and pitched them 10 feet into the hamper in the laundry room. What’s that noise!!!

The back door just opened. Your (your wife’s) company is back from town. Rats! You have to make a split second decision. No time to think it over. They will be around the corner in less than three seconds.

There are some people you would not mind seeing you naked but not this bunch. Why open yourself up to the brunt of dinner time jokes?

At super human speed, you balance yourself deftly on your right foot and yank your left sock off. You aim (under immense pressure) and throw your sock at the hamper. Bull’s eye!

Switching to your left foot, you balance yourself so gracefully that a ballerina would be envious, reach down and rip your right sock from your sweaty foot, shoot once again for the hamper. Swish! Dead center. Now, the moment of truth.

You flash back to the final game of the Bulls and Jazz. You are Michael Jordan. You, on the other hand, have less than one second to get your shorts off, shoot for the hamper, spin around and duck into the bathroom.

Your mind’s a blur. What if? No time to consider the consequences. Your left leg comes out, then your right, all too fast to see. You aim at the hamper and let ‘er fly. Perfect arc, no rim, dead center. You twirl around and duck into the bathroom. You made it!!!!!

You and Michael have more in common than you think. You were both under extreme pressure. You both shot at your target and you both made it. But the story only begins there.

What were you and Mr. Michael Jordan thinking about when you made these great shots? Position of your legs? Knee bend? Left Arm straight? Shoulder rotation? Hip rotation? Right elbow? Left Elbow? Pivot? The Ball? Your Shorts?

You were “seeing” your shorts fly through the air and hit the hamper. Michael was “seeing” the ball go directly into the middle of the basket.

You both “trusted” your minds and bodies to come up with a plan (without you) that would be successful. Any thoughts about the mechanics of your shots would certainly result in failure.

Why then, do YOU think YOUR golf pro’s advice about all the things you NEED to think about in your swing is going to help? The more you THINK, the worse you get.

The golf swing, throwing your shorts, and Michael’s successful shooting are a result of communication between the motor skill part of the brain (called the cerebellum, if you didn’t already know that) and your wonderful machinery called your body.

When you skip rocks on the lake what do you think about? The moment of release? Pivot? Knees?

Isn’t it about time you realized what creates a good shot, a good basket, or a good skip? Ask Michael or order “The Swings The Thing” or get caught with your shorts down around your ankles.

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In my first golf tips article, I explained what going deep with confidence was and I explained how you should set down different layers of confidence so that it becomes thick and resilient.

I also explained how this develops golf swagger, an inward sense of confidence that is with us all the time, not visible to the outside. In this article I’m going to outline how to add more layers of confidence and explain what you can do when your golf confidence goes in the tank. This will really create golf swagger.

Another level and type of deep golf confidence comes from having a significant person in your life that has an entirely supportive and non-judgmental respect for you as a golfer. These people are happy for you when you play well and they are there for you when you don’t. They certainly don’t treat you differently based on what you shot that day.

The problem is golfers don’t usually think this type of support affects their confidence, except in a warm-‘n’-fuzzy kind of way. Therefore, they don’t pay much attention to it. However, recent research on world-class athletes, including golfers, reports that this is a very important confidence factor for them.

Why would elite athletes say this? First, it’s because knowing we have that type of unmitigated support is deeply empowering and true empowerment breeds true confidence. Second, I think it’s important because having people who unconditionally support you is another layer of confidence that is not dictated by golf performance.

Therefore, your next task is to create confidence by consciously acknowledging a supportive person in your golf world. I get my clients to add it into their golf swagger because this will help them sustain their emotional balance for all 18 holes. It never goes away.

By now you’re probably thinking, “That’s fine Dr. Al, but what do I do when the wheels fall off and my confidence is shot to hell? C’mon, give me something I can use in an emergency!”

OK, fair enough. Your next task is to create confidence by building a “confidence vault.” This will involve using two very powerful mental tools that you already have: visualization and emotion. But because confidence is built in layers, I’m also going to ask you to incorporate one of your previous layers practice to help build the vault.

Now, wait! Don’t get cranky on me. This doesn’t mean more practice, but it does mean getting more out of the practice you have already committed to doing.

You build your confidence vault by making regular and systematic “deposits” of excellent shots that are then used when you need a confidence boost. I get players to think of these systematized deposits as multiple layers. The more they deposit, the thicker and more resilient their confidence becomes.

To make a deposit, simply visualize an extremely good shot you played before and recall the emotional reward you felt when it happened. Your smooth 4-iron from 185 arching gently over the water to a tough pin and that delicate chip under the pine branches and over the bunker are very confident images. Even if it’s a straight drive that is shorter than usual, it’s a positive image.

Now go over and gently tap your golf bag, depositing your positive images, emotions and confidence. Do this every time you hit a great shot, on the course or on the range. These deposits will build layer upon layer of confidence until you have a bulging vault of stored successes - just like a fat bank account.

Now, when the wheels fall off and/or you need to get your game and your confidence back, shot-by-shot of course, go over to your golf bag and mentally take out one of your successful deposits to match the shot at hand. It’s easy to visualize it because you’ve done it before. It’s easy to recall the rewarding emotions of the shot because you’ve had them before. Both of these active mental functions breed enormous amounts of confidence. Now, with your confidence in place, simply play away.

My clients say that the best thing about constantly depositing layers of confidence into their vault is that they have lots of confidence available, even after they use some of it up. And, if they need more, they say they just practice and make more deposits.

One player even stated that it’s almost cheating because he gets double bang for his buck out of his good shots. He gets the immediate benefit of the actual shot and a second benefit when he uses it to boost his confidence. I say he gets a triple bang because he often hits his next shot very well as a result of the first two.

Like the building process, the benefits of deep confidence also happen in layers.

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To hit more powerful and consistent shots, keep your body behind the ball before impact. Most average golfers have two common flaws: they either have a tendency to hang back on their right side upon impact; or they move their body ahead of the ball before impact. Both moves sap power, distance and control.

First, let’s talk about hanging back on the right foot at impact. Golfers do this to help get the ball airborne. As they swing the club through the impact zone they scoop up instead of hitting out toward the target. Getting your weight to the left side is crucial. It allows golfers to swing the club head out, down the target line, just as a baseball pitcher steps onto his front foot as he releases the ball toward home plate. The weight shift must be in the proper sequence to be effective.

The opposite problem is leaving your right foot too early, which moves your head and upper body in front of the ball before contact. This leads to miss-hits and sprays.

Here are a couple of practice drills for consistent, solid ball striking:

One, take a medium iron, like a 7 iron, and hit shots with your right foot flat on the ground until you have almost completely finished your swing. This move will help you stay behind the ball just before impact. (Next time you watch Ernie Els on TV notice how he does this on practice swings, especially on short iron shots). With your right foot anchored, you’ll be able to stay behind the ball and release your power like a baseball pitcher.

Another drill: get a beach ball half-filled with air. Swing at it with a middle iron, concentrating on keeping your weight on the right foot and upper body over the ball at impact. Hit the ball hard, feeling as though your left side is being restricted by a wall at impact. Your head and body should feel like they are just behind the ball at impact. Hitting the beach ball will give you a feeling of power and control.

Try these tips and see your ball striking improve.

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With today’s oversize drivers, it is much easier to hit the ball a long way. But if you suffer from a slice, that extra distance will probably have your tee shots not only missing the fairway but also rob you of your new-found distance.

A sliced shot is mainly caused by two factors: starting the downswing from an over-the-top move - causing an outside-in downswing - and a clubface that’s open at impact.

For a quick fix, start by gripping the club with a baseball grip, and address the ball as you would hitting a baseball. From this position, make a few full swings as though you were hitting waist-high baseball pitches. It’s important to keep the arms and hands relaxed so you encourage a full release (turning over) of the hands through the impact area. This drill will encourage your hands and arms to rotate as they pass the center of your body.

By taking these baseball practice swings, above the ball, you’re experiencing the feel of how your hands and arms should rotate though the hitting area. This release movement effectively helps speed up the hands through the impact zone enabling you to increase your power.

Try this drill as a practice swing before all your full shots the next few rounds, and you’ll see and feel longer and straighter tee shots in no time.

Ronald Bruce Romberg Magazine

The short game or the feel shots around the green and putting tend to be the most difficult to regain sharpness after a long winter or layoff from golf.

I feel that this is the first area to attack when you start to practice.

The advantages of building your game back up from the hole and working backwards is countless. The obvious high percentages of shots, some 60 percent that are taken within 100 yards during a round of golf are not the only reason. The short game or the less that full shots can help the not only the mechanics but the rhythm and tempo of your full swing.

When I am teaching short game, the most prevalent errors often come in the decision-making process instead of the execution of the shot itself. The decision process is comprised of what type of shot to hit (high or low), what club to use, and how to set up to achieve this. This installment is what I feel is important in the short game as you start to get ready for the golfing season.
Short game tip: Making sound decisions

Visualize: Can you see the proper shot for the current situation?

Jack Nicklaus called this technique “going to the movies”. He never hit a shot that he didn’t see in his mind first. This is very important in starting phase 2.

Recognize: Club selection for the shot at hand. A higher shot such as a lob or pitch would need a more lofted club than a chip and run, which would need less loft.

Execute: How set-up and ball position in your stance have to match the shot your trying to play.

Low shot: Position your sternum in front of the ball (weight shifts to the front of stance, about 80 percent). Ball is placed even with your rear foot.

High shot: Position sternum even or slightly behind the ball (weight only 60 percent to front of stance).

When making your decisions on what shot to play, always play the lowest shot possible with the highest percentage of success. Never play a shot that you haven’t practiced just because you saw a tour player do it on TV. Putt, Chip, Pitch, and then Lob in that order to higher rates of success.
Short game tip: The mechanics

Solid Contact on the middle of the clubface is paramount to being great with your wedges and around the greens. Without a solid impact condition, direction and distance control is not achievable. Understanding impact is knowing that the handle of the golf club stays in front of the clubface as you strike the ball, never behind. This is the most common mistake players, a lead wrist that is bent and a shaft that leans away from the target.

After you have achieved a proper impact condition and solid contact, swing length controls the distance of the shot. I like to see the short shots be symmetrical in length. This means the backswing length matches the forward swing.

Think of a clock face. If your arms swing to nine o’clock in the backswing, stop at 3 o’clock on the forward swing. This is on a basic chip or pitch, specialty shots are the exception. Always keep it simple, nothing fancy.
Short game practice drills

Hide the tee: Stick a tee in the top of your grip. Make practice swings and try to hide the tee behind your lead forearm. If you break down with your lead wrist, the handle will line up with your rear arm and the tee will be visible between your arms. Hit chips and pitches and check your finish to achieve a flat lead wrist and a bent rear wrist.

Stork drill: Hit chips, pitches and sand shots with your rear foot off the ground and up on your toe for balance. This places most of your weight on your front leg to give you a descending angle of attack, essential for solid contact. This is the best short game drill because most players hang back in an attempt to lift the ball in the air.

I would like to see golfers work on achieving a solid impact condition first then practicing different shots around the greens to develop your distance and trajectory control. Don’t put the cart before the horse, work on impact first and the rest of it will be much easier. Remember, nearly 60 percent of the shots in a round are played within 100 yards so it this area the proper practice time. Plan your shots carefully and you will have great success. Good luck in shooting lower scores.

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This is the age of reality shows and dramatic transformations. You’re never too old or too young to take care of your health and fitness, especially as it pertains to golf.

For those of you who have been exercising for years, it’s time to put aside those old routines in favor of what’s really “hot” as well as functional for golf. How you structure your golf fitness program is essential to your overall performance on and off the course.

Here are some ways you can ensure you are getting the most out of training program while utilizing the strength of your core as a building block for success. Use the following six tips and see a transformation in your game:

Specific to golf: Get rid of the traditional gym machines which focus on isolating specific muscle groups and require no stabilization work by additional muscle groups.

Integrate some old and new fitness tools which allow you to move your body in a more functional setting. These include cable machines, fitness balls, medicine balls, balance disks, traditional dumbbells and don’t forget about the power of using your own bodyweight.

Increase core stability: More efficient movement creates more efficient power.

Golfers maintain an athletic posture over long periods of time and require both trunk and core stabilization and endurance. By increasing your strength and endurance in the core region of your body, you provide both a solid base of support for rotation in addition to the proper transfer of power throughout the body.

Vary your planes of motion: A golf fitness program will have varying planes of motion as part of your weekly strength routine.

Planes of movement include front-to-back motions, left to right and rotational exercises. Some good examples include multi-directional lunges and medicine ball wood chops.

Integrate multiple elements into each exercise: Each weekly workout should address all of the important elements for golf including flexibility, core development, balance, strength and power.

Integrated training techniques will develop your skills in each of these areas and produce a whole new level of play. Examples of integration include a five-minute dynamic warm up, a 30-minute strength routine, followed by 10 to 15 minutes of stretches. Each workout can be broken down into strength development for several weeks, core stabilization for several weeks and power development as you move into peak season.

Progress from simple to complex: Begin your exercise program by mastering the simplest forms of exercises first.

Progress your golf training design to increase in complexity as your body grows and develops and as you learn proper stabilization of your core region. An example of progression for the legs may be to perform two-leg ball squats prior to performing the one leg version.

Progressive resistance: Strength should be developed in a progressive manner.

In order to get stronger one needs to progressively add resistance over time relative to previous workouts. Strength gains are made slowly, but consistently and you will see the difference in your game in no time. In the absence of progress with your program, you’re limiting your potential.

Now is the time to give your old exercise routine a new golf fitness makeover. Begin by implementing these simple strategies and you’ll see improvements in your golf game in no time.

Not only will you be using some of the same exercise tips as the top touring pros, but your body will feel the difference and your golf game will show it.

Ronald Bruce Romberg Sports

About Bruce Romberg
When the average golfer compares his swing to a PGA Tour player, you will notice big differences in each golf swing.

For example, the tour pro can achieve certain swing positions because he’s more flexible than the average golfer. In fact, flexibility and body shape prevent average golfers from reaching the same swing positions as the tour pro.

What I’m saying is that if you’re an average player, trying to copy the swing of a tour pro is going to make you worse. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t improve your swing and become a better ball striker and scorer.

At address

The tour pro works on restricting early body rotation by keep his knees flexed, his feet perpendicular to the target line and moving laterally during the takeaway (moving his body slightly toward his back foot) to restrict an excessively inside attack. This allows him to restrict his hip turn making it easier to swing the club in front of his body.

The average player will benefit from addressing the ball with his right shoulder lower than the left to produce a closed alignment with his feet. This upper body tilt makes it easier to turn properly and avoid a reverse pivot. Flaring your back foot out slightly makes it easier to rotate on the backswing.
The backswing

The tour pro restricts his hip turn, causing him to have a steeper backswing, which prevents the club from moving inside. (This is one of the most important things tour pros work on). Being inside on the take-away causes golfers to get the club stuck on their downswing. They work on getting the club out in front of their body by restricting hip turn on the backswing.

The average golfer needs the hips to turn from the beginning to assist in achieving a full shoulder turn. This will allow you to get the club back to the top of your backswing and eliminate lateral movement away from the target. The result will be your head will stay centered over the ball, which will help you make solid contact.

The purpose of the backswing is to set up a powerful, on-plane approach into impact. This can happen with the more restricted backswing of the tour pro and the free-turning move of the average golfer.

The tour pro produces amazing power by creating good tension, or torque. The tour pro works hard on their fitness, specifically core strength and flexibility. As a result, they can wind up their upper body against the hips, while the average golfer has to wind up their entire body against the ground because they lack the flexibility and body strength.

The tour pro benefits to an increase in control by having a reduced number of moving parts. This leads to a buildup in power during the swing.

Most average golfers have less flexibility in the body, so it requires them to have more active hands during the swing. Because the average golfer swings the club inside on the backswing, it will cause his upper body to lean back upon impact. The result will cause the club head to pass the hands producing increased hand action and clubface rotation.

When combined with the inside swing path, the typical ball flight produced is a draw. This is a good thing for the average golfer. If you slice it, it is because you are not turning the shoulders enough on the backswing, which could be caused by reduced flexibility. Turn the hips back with the shoulders to fix that slice.
The finish

It’s all about flexibility. The PGA Tour pro can finish with his right shoulder facing the target, while most average golfers lack the flexibility to rotate the hips and shoulders completely around to this position.

If you are not flexible enough to finish like the tour pro, concentrate on maintaining your balance into the finish position.

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Remember that little guy on the driving range from last tip - the one who was bombing his driver to the back of the range? Well, he wasn’t hitting the ball that far just by keeping his hips from over-rotating on the backswing.

Part 1 of this article was about the hip rotation at the top of the swing. I wrote about turning the hips too far on the backswing - a common fault I see when teaching. Over-rotation of the hips creates a loss of power because the golfer then has to un-rotate even more in order to get back to the ball at impact.

Part of the power in the golf swing comes from the shoulder rotation being greater than the hip rotation at the top of the swing. Known as the X-Factor, this difference in rotation creates a stretch or coiling of the body. That puts you in a powerful position at the top, but this is only one-half of the golf swing.

All of the golfers that can hit the ball a long way have one thing in common. They are firing their hips around on the downswing. Another common fault I see in teaching is the student’s hips not being open enough at impact. GolfTEC’s motion analysis computer measures how many degrees the hips have turned open (towards the target) at the impact position.

Our data shows us that the PGA Tour player’s hips are turned 40 degrees open at impact and most of the golfers I teach have only turned their hips 10 to 20 degrees open. This is typically the result of a lateral slide on the downswing rather than a turn of the hips. When the hips do not open through the impact area, there are usually several other reactions that amount to inconsistency and loss of distance.

As the golfer slides through the shot, inconsistencies and loss of distance arise from the bending of the left arm through the impact area (right arm for lefties). Ask yourself this question, “How consistent is ‘bent’ during a moving action?” As the left arm is bending, the club is being pulled away from the ball and inside the intended path.

Since the club is pulling in towards you, the ball is struck with a glancing blow and on the toe of the club resulting in a slice that doesn’t go very far. Does this sound familiar? It is a very common fault, so here is a three-part drill to get you on your way to correcting the problem.

Start by setting up to the ball. Your belt buckle is facing the ball - this is zero degrees of rotation. We are looking for 40 degrees or more at impact. Keeping the club on the ground behind the ball and your upper body still, start turning your hips open toward the target. Your belt buckle should now be turned so that it is facing out towards your left foot. Now reset up to the ball, this time take a 1/4 backswing and make a slow downswing, turning your hips and stopping at the ball.

Again, your hips should be turned open toward the target so that your belt buckle is turned out towards your left foot. You will also notice that your left leg is straight and not bent at the knee. The last part of the drill is to take the 1/4 backswing and swing through this time trying to turn the hips as much as possible. Repeat this three-part drill 25 times and really concentrate on turning your hips open.

Here are some swing thoughts that a handful of my students think of when trying to turn the hips more through impact.

“Fire the right hip around.”

“Fire the right knee towards the left knee.”

“Get my left leg straight and left hip turned behind me”

“Get my right pocket turned to the ball as soon as possible.”

“Turn my belt buckle towards the target”

“Hit the ball with my right hip.”

There is no right or wrong thought, just find something that works for you. Practice this in front of a mirror so you can see the hips turning through. If you are keeping your hips from over-rotating on the backswing and doing it correctly, you should start to see more consistent ball contact and greater distance. Stop by a GolfTEC location to get your hip rotation numbers checked.

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The first aspect of playing a wet bunker shot is to understand the function of both your sand wedge and lob wedge.

The sand wedge has a flange or “bounce” at the bottom of the club. In dry sand this helps the club slide through the sand and not dig in. However, in wet sand that same flange will cause the club to skid and bounce into the ball causing you to “blade” the ball, and the resulting shot goes screaming across the green.

The correct method is to use your lob wedge which has little or no bounce. Open the clubface slightly to take the leading edge out of play, and then just swing normally. The result will be a shallow divot, and the ball will come out with quite a bit of spin.

If you do not have a lob wedge, use your pitching wedge, with the same technique.

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Many of us at this time of year have put away the clubs, but this is a wonderful time of year to spend some time practicing! Hopefully on these warm fall days you can take advantage of the following hints. I truly believe any golfer must have a pre-shot routine and a “picture” of what they want to execute in order to accomplish their goal: to get the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible.

As I have said before, this game of golf is 40% physical knowledge and 60% mental imaging. I will help define what exactly a pre-shot routine is and help you image a “picture” before execution.

PRE-SHOT ROUTINE: We can’t just stand parallel to the ball and take a good swing and hope it ends up on the green. The process is much more detailed than that. What I tell my students is that if you have good practice skills, we then need to transfer it to the golf course.

Good practice skills begin on the putting/chipping green and the driving range. Begin by taking your bag of balls first to the practice green-spend at least one half hour practicing shots from all different angles.

While you do this, make sure you are standing directly behind the ball each time finding an imaginary line from the ball to your target, taking a practice swing, and then setting your hands on the club, your clubface lined to your target, and lastly make sure your body is parallel to your clubface.

After these check points are accomplished, execute your swing. Making this process a habit when practicing will enhance your ability on the course. After we have spent ample time on the practice green, we then take the balls to the driving range.

At this stage, many people just want to see how far they can hit their driver! Don’t start there-start with you nine iron and work through your bag! Have a target in mind and set your mind on that. I tell my students that you gain more practice by hitting twenty balls to a target and having a routine than hitting one-hundred out into the range seeing how far they will go.

We have the same concept for a routine here as we do on the practice green: find an imaginary line from the ball to your target and take a practice swing while looking at the target from this position. Let me clarify these two steps. When you find your imaginary line, that’s the line of flight you hope your ball will achieve.

To do this, find something ahead of your ball approximately four to eight inches to line your clubface with so once you are parallel to the target you don’t lose your line. I also recommend taking your practice swing while looking at your target to enforce this mental imaging. Then we set the hands properly on the golf club, set the face so it is facing my “spot” four to six inches ahead of the ball, set my body so I am parallel to my clubface-NOT the target.

Our body has to be slightly left of the target because our face is parallel to it. Lastly, swing through the ball. Remember that if you already have a routine you’re happy with-stick with it! However, I see a lot of people who don’t transfer what they do on the range to the golf course.

IMAGING: Now that we know how to practice and have our pre-shot routine, we are going to transfer that to the course and use our mental imaging! Whether I am putting or executing a drive-I am doing exactly what I did in practice. There is no difference between your swing on the practice range or in a tournament-it’s your state of mind.

When you have a routine for practice, there is not a day or situation that you come across that your state of mind isn’t the same as each day on the practice range, right? Well, it should be this way!

What I tell my students is that you groove your motor-muscle memory every time you make a correct swing-even if you are swinging at home! Once this “groove” is made, you can transfer it to both a leisurely game and a high-stakes tournament.

We image each shot, no matter where we are, to our target. This picture you create is the last thing your brain sees before you set-up to the ball. Don’t waver in that POSITIVE picture! For instance if you have doubts about going over a lake, picture going over it or play short! DO NOT let your fears enter your positive image before you execute your swing because your mind always plays out what you told it. Image the lake, and most likely you’ ll be fishing your ball out.

Basically, find a routine that works for you and use it all the time. This routine combined with picturing each and every shot will help you have a plan every day! This plan will enable you to lower your scores and feel confident about your game whether it be for fun or for money.

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There are better places to play from than the bunkers. But should the ball come to rest in a bunker, the type of sand can make a noticeable difference in play - especially on your scorecard.

Balls may form “plugged” or “fried-egg” lies in the bunker sand when the ball makes a crater in the sand on impact. Your golf course superintendent looks at several variables when selecting bunker sand to prevent your ball from being buried should your shot go astray.

The United States Golf Association specifies particle-size criteria for selecting bunker sand. Sand in the prescribed range provides the best all-around conditions in terms of ball lie, firmness of footing and ease of bunker maintenance.

For some golf facilities, bunker maintenance is an important aspect in sand selection. For example, a golf course that is subject to high winds would have to stay away from selecting sand that is too fine. If the sand is too fine, wind will displace the sand particles, causing a continual need for replacement.

The predominant particle shape of sand and its “sphericity,” - or roundness - also comes into play. A desired bunker sand shape is angular with a low degree of roundness. The sharp corners of an angular sand help it resist movement after impact from a golf ball, resulting in fewer “plugged” or “fried-egg” lies.

Truly round or “soft” sand requires a substantial amount of skill to play from. It’s like playing a shot in a pudding-filled pit. Round sand needs to be avoided because it shifts more under the weight of the golfer and can allow golf balls to bury and disappear on impact.

A hard, silica sand is often preferred in bunkers, since silica sand will resist weathering and retain its original shape longer. Sand such as limestone sand is more subject to weathering and the fine particles released in the process affect the playability and maintenance of the sand.

Limestone sand can “set up” or become “crusted,” because of the cementing action of finer silt and clay particles. Limestone sand requires more frequent raking to maintain a suitable playing surface.

Your golf course superintendent may choose to have a certified soils testing laboratory help evaluate sand when making changes at the course. The lab will check the sand’s particle-size, distribution, shape, color, crusting potential, hydraulic conductivity (ability to drain water) and its resistance to buried lies.

Bunker sand selection affects the condition of play as well as bunker maintenance. Always do your part to preserve favorable playing conditions by raking the area that you disturbed after hitting from the bunker. By doing so, you can help make the game more enjoyable for other golfers unfortunate enough to hit their golf balls into the sand.

When choosing a bunker surface, the varying skill levels of golfers must also be considered. A lower handicap player typically prefers a hard, smooth bunker surface. However, the higher handicap player prefers a softer surface that allows them to get their club through the sand. As a result, superintendents will try to provide a surface that satisfies the widest range of players.

Even though a golf course management staff devotes considerable time to bunkers, it is important to remember they are still hazards. It is not realistic for golfers to expect to hit shots with the same skill and accuracy as they do from turf.

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Confidence is one of the most important mental factors in golf. With it we perform well and without it, well - we just don’t perform.

While golfers know what confidence does, many golfers do not know what confidence is or how to get it. In this two-part series I’m going explain what it is and tell you how to go about developing the ultimate in golf confidence.

What is golf confidence? First of all, it’s not an on-off switch where you either have it or you don’t. It may feel like that some days, but a lack of confidence is not an absence of confidence, it’s not having enough or not having the right type.

I tell my clients to think of confidence as something that occurs on a continuum and develops in layers. The continuum ranges from low to high and the layers range from thin and fragile to thick and resilient. These two articles will outline how you can develop high confidence that is thick and resilient and works well under pressure.

In its simplest form, golf confidence is feeling good about your abilities and having positive thoughts when you play. Lots of golfers also try to “forget” about their shank or their quad with no penalty strokes, but they don’t. Why not? It’s because they have shallow confidence; mindset that is dominated by thoughts of whether they will play well.

The classic example is the golfer whose confidence is evident on the first tee but immediately disappears after one or two bad shots or holes and immediately reappears after good ones. Shallow confidence is at the lowest end of the continuum because it is only based on knowledge and it is thin and fragile because it is not based on active mental strategies. Golf confidence does not happen because we know about it, it happens because we work at it.

Golfers would be better off acquiring “deep confidence”; a stable, consistent and reliable mind set in which golfers believe they can play well. The classic example is the golfer who never lets one or two bad shots, holes or rounds affect them. Their confidence is built by active mental strategies and isn’t performance-dependent.

Deep confidence is demonstrated by how you think, what you do and how you react after an occasional gaff. It’s an overall and pervasive sense that you can consistently execute when you need to. It’s trusting your abilities and it’s disciplining yourself to have more confidence in your game than doubts.

Golfers with deep confidence play this way because they use specific strategies that make them feel totally secure on the golf course. I want you to go deep with your confidence and walk to the first tee thinking “I can play well!” rather than worrying “Will I will play well?”

There’s a hint on how to get it in the following comment by Phil Mickelson. After a terrible 2003 he won the 2004 Bob Hope Classic. In describing his change of fortunes he said, “Last year my confidence just slowly, slowly dwindled. After the time off I took and the work I accomplished on my conditioning and my game, I couldn’t wait to get out and start playing. I was just itching.”

I want your confidence to go deep, your scores to go deep, and I want you to be itchin’!
How can I go deep?

Deep confidence comes from carefully setting down layers of different types of confidence. These layers are interrelated and form a mental approach that is thick and resilient like rubber, not thin and fragile like glass.

Deep confidence is the psychological security that we can hold up under pressure and the physical security that we can perform skillfully. You can think positive but all is for naught if you can’t perform.

Therefore, to set down your first three layers, create confidence by setting and achieving personal golf goals.

Which goals? Well, nothing builds confidence more rapidly and sustains it like having reliable skills.

Imagine how confident you would be if you knew your good skills would be there every time you teed it up? Not your best skills, just your everyday skills and your normal game. If you’re like me, you’ll be smiling and taking all the bets your partners’ wallets could suffer! That’s deep! This doesn’t necessarily mean taking lessons, but it does mean practicing.

It’s faith in our respective golf skills that builds unshakeable confidence, not striving for perfection. I can’t guarantee that your regular game will always show up, but I guarantee it won’t if you don’t give it a chance!

Physically working on your game to build confidence is the first layer. Your second layer comes from your “positive decision” to work on your game. Don’t downplay your conscious and courageous decision to do the right thing. Give yourself credit for it and pump your confidence.

Your third layer is a product of the first two because having a plan and practicing engrains an extra deep order of confidence, one that comes from “sincerely knowing” you have done your homework. I call this golf swagger and all my clients love it.

Golf swagger is an unshakeable inner sense of confidence that’s with us all the time, not outwardly visible but realistic and tangible on the inside. It is not susceptible to performance. It’s there for the long haul.

In the next article I’ll tell you how to use more layers to develop ultimate confidence and I’ll outline what to do when the confidence wheels really fall off.

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According to Time magazine, 20 million Americans practice yoga on a regular basis, and this ancient tradition continues to be the fastest-growing form of exercise in the world. This same trend is also showing up on fairways. Professional and amateur golfers are embracing yoga as a proven physical and mental regiment that benefits the golfer - on and off the course.

Professional golfers such as Brad Faxon, Stewart Cink, Aaron Baddley, Jonathan Kaye, J.L. Lewis, Ty Tryon, Andrew Magee, Gary McCord, Gary Player, Julie Inkster, Betsy King and Jill McGill practice yoga. Tom Lehman said that a lot of golfers on the PGA Tour swear by yoga.

Why yoga and golf? Flexibility, strength, balance, conditioning in the core of the body and quieting an overactive mind are all necessary to be a good golfer. Physical and mental exercises are an integral part of the yoga sequence of exercises or poses. On the golf course, yoga will enhance flexibility and strength to improve many components of the golf swing. Shoulder turn, hip turn, extension, balance and increased club head speed will be enhanced.

In addition, golfers experience greater power, control, mental focus, reduced risk of injury and reduced recovery time when practicing yoga. Golf is often referred to as a one-sided sport, meaning the golf swing stresses one side of the body over the other. The repetitive nature of the golf swing creates an imbalance in the muscular skeletal system, but practicing yoga restores this imbalance.

Tension in the body and the mind is the No. 1 cause of swing flaws. Any time we experience stress on the golf course — during the first shot, tight lye, double bogies or any shot that creates anxiety — our breathing becomes erratic. When we are under pressure, the physiological effect of holding the breath is a “fight or flight response,” resulting in rapid uncontrolled breathing and a loss of blood flow to the extremities, including the brain. Physically, breathing sustains the metabolic processes of the body. Mentally, breathing keeps the mind calm and focused. When the body is relaxed, the lungs, the diaphragm and the muscles of the rib cage and the chest move in an unrestricted way.

Breathing awareness is the most important component of the practice of yoga. An effective tool for decreasing stress while on the golf course is the practice of slow deep-rhythmic breathing. Your breathing pattern is a direct reflection of the level of stress on the body and mind at any given point and is a mirror of your internal physical and mental condition.

Mastering yoga breathing techniques gives you more “feel” in your putting and tempo in your swing. Yoga incorporates the mind and body into a complete comprehensive workout, offering a unique approach to golf fitness.

The following poses provide you with a basic yoga practice specifically designed for golf performance. Inhale and exhale through the nose for 10 to 15 breaths per pose. It is acceptable to feel slight discomfort as the muscles stretch, but you should never experience pain.

These basic Yoga for Golfers exercises address flexibility in the hands and wrists as well as the muscles of the spine. The modified cobra pose will increase strength in the back. Practice these poses three days a week in order to increase range of motion in the torso and to reduce the risk of injury in the golf swing. This warm-up sequence is also beneficial as a flexibility routine before beginning a round.
Golf benefits of these Yoga for Golfers poses:

Strengthens back muscles, shoulder turn and supports core strength.

Increases your ability to keep the spine straight throughout the golf swing.

Reduces back fatigue.

Increases club head speed, extension and power.
Cat/cow pose

Place your hands directly under your shoulders, spreading your fingers wide apart and pressing your entire palm into the floor. Press the tops of your feet into the floor, creating more flexibility in the feet and supporting more push-off power in your swing. Inhale, drawing your navel toward the spine, with your spine toward the ceiling and chin into the chest. Exhale, pressing your spine toward the floor, rolling your shoulders away from the ears and gently lifting your head. Do not hyperextend your neck. Slowly repeat 10 times.
Dynamic eagle twist

Lie on your back, with knees bent. Allow your legs to fall to the right. Inhale and bring your left hand to meet your right hand, allowing your left shoulder to come off the floor. Exhale and bring your left arm back, perpendicular to the body. Continue for five to seven breaths and switch sides.
Modified cobra

Lie on your stomach and place your hands just below the chest, fingers pointing forward. Be sure your elbows are directly next to the body (like a cricket). Inner ankles should be touching with your legs pressed together. Inhale, engage the buttocks, tailbone presses down and begins to telescope the rib cage forward. Keeping the legs on the floor, exhale, slightly lifting the chest off the floor. Hold for five breaths.
Modified down dog

Begin on all fours with your hands on the top of the mat. Spread your fingers with your entire palm flat. Inhale as your shoulders move away from your ears. Forearms remain off the mat. Exhale and begin to move your buttocks toward the back of the mat. Note: Your buttocks should not touch your heels, and a 90-degree angle should be maintained at the knee joints.

Katherine Roberts is a nationally recognized writer and presenter on golf fitness and the founder of Yoga for Golfers.Because Your Body Doesn’t Get A Mulligan! She is a contributor to The Golf Channel. Katherine’s unique mind-body approach to golf fitness is available through her DVDs, workshops, retreats or videos online at yogaforgolfers.com. E-mail Katherine with questions or comments at katherine@yogaforgolfers.com or call (888) 313-YOGA.

GolfInstruction.com readers are invited to receive a 25% introductory discount on all Yoga Fitness products. Visit www.yogaforgolfers.com and enter the code PR25 in the mailer code to receive your automatic discount.

Ronald Bruce Romberg

Bruce Romberg:
By now it is common knowledge that improving flexibility will enhance golf performance. There are numerous programs (“golf-specific flexibility,” “yoga for golf,”) available. The problem with many of these programs is they address only static flexibility, which is great if you have some serious muscle tightness. What they do not address is the issue of functional flexibility (the ability to move through all planes of motion/direction while maintaining muscular control).

Golf requires a high level of functional flexibility. In order to swing a golf club, the hips, trunk and shoulders must move through extreme ranges of motion. Not only that, but the muscles of each body segment are required to work in conjunction, from the address to the follow-through, to produce a golf swing that is true, accurate, and powerful. Because flexibility is a foundational physical ability in golf, it only seems prudent to address flexibility with dynamic exercises that are specific to the movements required by golf.

Here are four dynamic exercises to improve flexibility:

Dumbbell PNF Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (shoulder flexibility/stability)

Total Body Extension (total body flexibility)

Pick-up and Rotate (trunk and hip flexibility)

Lunge with Rotation (trunk and hip flexibility)

In some of the pictures, you see me using a medicine ball or a dumbbell. If you are unable to use these pieces of equipment, don’t worry. Spend some time perfecting your form using just your body weight and then add some resistance. Possible options are a can of soup, water bottle, or a small child if you are really feeling good (just kidding!).

Exercise Protocol: Two sets of 10-15 repetitions of each exercise every day. Increase your resistance only after you have perfected each movement.

Note: On Pick-up and Rotate and Lunge with Rotation be sure to perform equal numbers of repetitions both directions.

Tips for making the exercises more effective:

• Always stand with good posture.

• Always slightly retract and depress your shoulders (press them down and back. Maintain this position throughout the movement.

• Practice the “Drawing-In Maneuver.” This is a function of the inner musculature of the torso, the Inner Unit muscles. One of the Inner Unit’s main functions is to stiffen the torso in preparation for work, e.g., lifting weights. The easiest way to learn to perform the “Drawing-in Maneuver” is to lie flat on your back, relax, and perform diaphragmatic breathing. When done properly, your stomach should rise when you inhale and fall when you exhale. When your stomach falls, you want to hold that contraction. This is the most basic form of the “Drawing-in Maneuver.”

• Always to try to maintain a neutral spinal curvature, meaning that you are neither over-arching or rounding your back.

• Always to try to keep your knees in line with the center of your feet. Don’t let your knees cave in or bow out.

• Start with no weight and perfect the movement, then choose a VERY light weight.

So there you have it. Four dynamic exercises for golf-specific functional flexibility that will have you well on your way to shooting lower scores! Enjoy.

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It happens to all of us, even though we don’t want to admit it. The reality is we all get older. Some of you may already know what I’m talking about and others may yet to have experience the phenomenon of aging.

For those reading this article that are no longer spring chickens, you get my drift. If you’re one of the lucky ones - still young, that is - let me fill you in on what happens as the body gets a few miles on it.

Probably the biggest thing that we all dislike when we creep into our 30s and 40s is the extra poundage we tend to put on (it’s also a lot harder to take off when we get older also). The reason for this is that our metabolism slows down.

Unfortunately, we’re unable to pound down a burger, fries and a couple Coca-Colas without the bathroom scale hitting “tilt” a few days later. That’s the most difficult adjustment we have to make; an adjustment in our nutrition intakes as we age.

The second most noticeable difference as we age, especially for the more active individual, is it becomes a little more difficult to get out of bed. The back is a little sore, the knees are a little creaky and if you work out, the soreness doesn’t go away as quickly.

This is a result of a few things that happen to our bodies when we get older. No. 1 is we lose a percentage of our muscle mass on a yearly basis. After the age of 25, about one percent of your muscle mass per year is lost. It makes sense now why we get a little sorer and getting out of bed is more difficult. We simply don’t have as much muscle to do the work.

In addition, as you get older you get less flexible. It takes you a lot longer to “limber up” for any sporting activity, whether it’s golf, tennis, or a pick up game of basketball.

Less flexibility predisposes you to certain movements becoming more difficult; touching your toes, rotating during a golf swing, or even reaching down to pick something up off the ground. Why does this occur? As a result of wear and tear, our bodies become more tight and wound up as we get older.

So there you have it: Some of the great things to look forward too as you get older (I’m kidding, of course). If you’re in your 20s and reading this article, enjoy it while it lasts because the road gets a little more difficult to travel as you get older.

I’m sure most golfers can relate to the general results of aging in relation to your golf game. Quite simply, the extra pounds decrease your stamina and may affect your swing plane.

Less muscle equals less distance off the tee and less flexibility tends to make the turn in the golf swing much harder to perform. It’s an unfortunate situation but the good news is that we can slow down the aging process. Limiting the effects of aging on your golf game.
Slowing the aging process

How can slow down the aging process? It’s actually quite simple and only requires about 15 to 20 minutes a day - and a little discipline. Sounds pretty easy when you consider all the benefits you could receive with the minimal time requirements needed.

What we’re going to do is provide you some answers on how to slow down the aging process. Remember we can’t stop the aging process, but we can sure slow it down.

The benefits of slowing down the aging process are evident, especially when you see guys in their 50s winning tour events. It just takes a little time, some knowledge and discipline.

If you don’t think you have the time, let me ask you one question: How would you like to feel 10 years younger and hit the ball farther then you did in your 20s? I imagine the answer to both of those questions would be a resounding, “yes!”

Let’s start with the first topic that we described when you get older, the additional pounds. Unfortunately as you age, your metabolism slows down. There are activities to speed that metabolism back up, however. The way to do it is performing some fitness activities. If you’re active and participate in some type of structured activity, your body will burn more fuel and elevate its metabolism during this time.

In addition, if these activities are resistance-training activities (i.e. weights, tubing, light dumbbells, body weight), then over time you will build some muscle. The great thing about that is the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be all the time (translation: you’ll burn more fuel all the time).

A secondary benefit of such activities will be greater stamina on the course. So rather than spraying your shots around on the back nine because you’re tired, you can have pinpoint accuracy going into the 18th.

Moving onto our second point: the loss of muscle mass as you age. This one is a tough one to swallow. Just think we actually lose muscle as we age. That’s pretty depressing, but the good news is it can be limited or stopped.

Before I give you the solution, let’s look at how this affects your golf swing. Essentially, in the golf swing you create clubhead speed. That clubhead speed is the result of creating rotational power, which we define as torque. To create torque, the muscles of the body have to be flexible, strong, and powerful.

Now guess what? If you have less muscle what do think is going to happen to your power outputs and club head speed? The answer: they will decrease.

It’s no wonder they make senior shafts with a lot of flex. This is the golf manufacturers’ attempt to deal with this problem. It helps to a point, but we have a better solution. How about putting something in your bag that gets you stronger, improves your power and gets back that lost distance?

Sounds good? Well, it can be done - if you implement a golf-specific strength-training program. You can get back that lost muscle mass, get back that power and improve your driving distance. This is what we call the development of “golf strength,” and it can be done with a program that takes just 15 minutes a day.

Finally, there’s also a flexibility issue. Our bodies loose flexibility as we age. Flexibility is a must when it comes to the golf swing.

Here’s what happens when you don’t work on your flexibility. A loss of flexibility in the golf swing limits the ability of the body to perform the correct actions to create the proper swing.

Essentially, your body won’t allow you to take the club back and through on the correct swing path. This leads to miss-hits, slices, hooks and a whole bunch of other shots that are very unpleasant.

So how do we fix this problem or not allow it to become a problem? The answer is to implement of golf specific flexibility program. This again requires a daily commitment, but the time frame is very little (about five minutes a day). Again, ask yourself: Is it worth spending five minutes a day on flexibility to have the golf swing you would like? I bet most of you would again answer, “yes.”
The magic pill

Well, there you have the pleasures, displeasure, joys and sorrows of the aging process. We all get older, but there are things we can do to prevent the displeasures and sorrows.

If we take a little time every day and perform the proper exercises and activities, we can reduce the effects of aging and have a great swing for as long as we like. That’s the only magic pill we know of.

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I have come to believe that the majority of modern day golf instruction is based primarily around instructor style preference. Jim Hardy has his own swing “style” with the One-Plane Swing, as do Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett with their Stack and Tilt.

These golf teachers and others have studied the swing and come up with their own interpretation of how it should look. Too much of the information being peddled today is “form” based versus being “function” based.

In studying the top golfers of all time, no two swings are alike. Who is to say Ben Hogan’s flat plane is better than Jack Nicklaus’ vertical arm move? Who is to say Sam Snead’s slight over-the-top move was better than Nick Price’s drop-down transition?

Impact is the moment of truth in the golf swing

At the end of the day it all comes down to impact! The moment of truth; the split second when the ball is “told” what to do and where to go. It is the one position in which all of the great players are decidedly similar. From Patty Berg to Nancy Lopez and Tom Watson to Bobby Locke - all these players are almost identical at impact. If this is the case - which, trust me, it is - then the look of the swing should play less of a role in a golfer’s improvement and the focus should be more on impact.

Here are the elements of a great impact position:

• The weight is noticeably on the front foot; 80 percent or more.

• The handle always leads the clubhead.

• The head remains over the ball, while the hips have shifted to the target; this creates what I refer to as body “curve.”

• The clubhead travels down (downswing!) into the ball; this includes fairway woods and the driver!

The next time you take a golf lesson make sure your teacher works towards getting you into a better position at impact. It is the only way you will start to hit better golf shots and to make the ball “sizzle” off the face!

About Bruce Romberg

For most shots out of the sand, use your 60-degree wedge unless the flag is across the green, then you might go to your 54-degree or pitching wedge. Start by addressing the ball with an open club face. Play the ball off your left heel and set about 60 percent of your weight on your left foot.

Next, pick a spot approximately an inch behind the ball, as this is where you want the clubhead to enter the sand. From there make an outside in swing, making sure to use a full wrist hinge on the backswing.

As you swing the club head through the impact zone let the club head release to create the proper speed through the sand. Most golfers don’t swing hard enough in bunkers to let the sand propel the ball out of the trap. Feel like you are pounding the sand and accelerating the club head through the shot to improve your bunker play.

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