VISUALISATION

Whether you consider yourself as a visual person or not, the fact is we are continuously responding to and acting upon, mental pictures.
When you are making changes to your golf game, being able to visualise is so important. Once you have visualised what is required, it is not too difficult to imagine what it will feel like. Then once you can physically see and feel the correct move in your golf swing you need to own that move by constant repetition.
Golfers are almost mesmerised by the golf ball that's why the players practice swing is usually much better than the real swing hitting the ball. The focus has to be on the action and the ball then gets in the way! Using a swing path aid when practising will distract your thoughts from the golf ball so give it a try and watch that ball fly!

Coaching and Club Fitting Testimonial

The secret.... An excellent teacher (with the patience of a saint), regular lessons and a proper set of custom fitted (Tom Wishon) clubs. No surprise – just common sense I suppose.

I always wanted to play golf and just before I was 50 made a decision to take up the game in preparation for retirement. A good friend and work colleague, who is a well known local amateur playing off a 1 handicap, recommended that I go and see Carla at the Sycamores golf range. Here I was provided with a 7 iron complete with training grip and the first lesson in “throwing the ball”.

Within a few months I had progressed to a beginners set of clubs procured from Carla for under £100 (which she got most of back for me later by re selling) that I proudly thwacked round some local courses, and even some prestigious venues such as Macclesfield (under the watchful eye of Carla) in the illustrious company of all who make up CCGS. (The members epitomise what the game is about – fun, sticking together to further enjoyment and improving our standards as a group).

After a couple of years Carla was reasonably satisfied that my swing had developed and stabilised sufficient to warrant an investment in some new custom fitted clubs, which would last me a lifetime. Various options were discussed but I had seen the response of others at the range that had selected Tom Wishon so it was an easy choice (and surprisingly one of the least expensive).

A custom fit form (which is golf’s version of anthropometrics) is produced, but luckily all you have to do is stand, be measured and drink coffee as Carla completes all the entries, and at the same time notes preference for grips and so forth, aided by the wide variety she holds in stock. Then it is onto the range where swing speed , angle etc etc (all technical stuff) is determined. Two weeks later a club arrives for trial and approval. In my case it was a seven iron. Once Carla is happy you are striking consistently bits of tape are attached to the head and various measurements taken for adjustment. About 2 weeks after that the full set arrives. They then become part of you and would never consider changing. However if the worst should happen Carla and Tom Wishon retain a copy of everything and an exact replacement can be readily obtained.

Since starting I have undertaken a regular weekly lesson – or in my case corrective therapy. This is something I would do anyway as it makes sense, and when the weather is unfavourable you will always turn up for a lesson whereas can easily put of going to the range or the course to re- enforce the bad habits that I naturally (to Carla’s despair) seem to pick up. In hind sight it is also probably much more cost effective than aimlessly hitting 400 balls to try and correct something that is not happening but you don’t know where it is going wrong. Many a time I have had a lesson where a minor issue has been corrected that I would not attribute to the cause and hey presto away we go again until the next lapse. On the positive even my bad shots I now regularly get lucky. With lessons you also get to try all the latest training aids (and there are many of them).

I actually look forward to the lessons as Carla is an excellent coach and they are undertaken in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere with plenty of laughter, and you always leave feeling you have achieved something. Not so sure Carla shares this experience, but the above shot was only possible because of her dedication to her profession and her proven teaching skills.

So thanks again Carla,

John S.

Nearest the pin and I even managed make the putt to take the “two’s.

Look at that - July 30th 2014, St Annes Old Links, Hole 9, Par 3, 164 yards, wind blustery, with a headwind at approximately one o-clock direction.

Putting Tips

Most golfers with 15 handicap or more never count the number of putts in a round. 80% have 36 putts or more.
Majority of 3 putts are caused by being too short or too long.One of the reasons for this is by off centre strikes and variations of dynamic loft at impact. Putters on average have 3 degree of loft so if when you strike the ball your loft has decreased or increased the result will be variations in pace. A combination of these factors can affect the distance a putt travels by up to 20%. A good pace exercise is to make a few putts just looking at the hole. Once you get used to this you will be very close to the hole, even sinking a few!

PUTTER LENGTH

One of the main reasons for putting consistency is checking the length of your putter. Shops are full of putters with manufacturers lengths from 34" to 36." The average length on professional tours are 32". A putter that is too long prevents the eye getting over the ball at address which makes it hard to see down the line, it also promotes a smaller bio-mechanical arm arc during your stroke, making it more difficult to arrive at impact square to the intended direction. It is probably the most important club to get fitted for as you use it the most!By having a putter made to the correct length your eyes are looking along the line of the putt, not across and the bio-mechanical arm arc is longer and straighter so the margin for error at impact is reduced considerably.

GRIP

There is no rule what grip you choose to use as long as you are keeping the putter face square to your target line and the wrists are firm. The new thicker grips can help with this as you are seeing more and more of these used to eliminate too much wrist movement. You have to experiment with different sizes and different grip styles till you find the one you are really comfortable with. The lighter you hold it the more feel you have. There are lots of putting aids which are great for finding feel and helping alignment. I use lots of these in my tuition and find they help give instant feedback to my player.

BALL POSITION

Only when your stance, posture and length of putter is correct we can consider ball position. first we need to determine which is your dominant eye. If it is your left eye then the ball position is better forward of centre and if it is your right eye then the ball positon would be better towards the centre.
Grip your putter and hold it in front of you so the shaft is parallel to the ground then allow it drop naturally to the ground in your address position, check where it is in relation to your feet and keep to this position, this is known as the 'drop point' it is purely a tip to show you where you are most likely to return the face of the putter to.

BALANCE

Your weight should be even in both feet - between toes and heels. if your weight moves backwards and forwards you will have lots of miss hits and the dynamic loft at impact will vary. The consequences of any movement in the knees, thighs or backside will promote inconsistency. You will find if you can do this it keeps everything still, including the eyes! Try practising this with your bottom on the wall, you will soon notice any movement!

OBSERVATION

When walking up to a green look at the general lie of the land to give you a feel of the overall slope. Watch your playing partners putt if he/she putts first and learn from it. It gives you a clue of the speed and borrows of the green. Remember slower putts take less break than faster ones.
Grass on greens do not always grow the same it tends to grow towards the light and the grain has an affect on the pace of the putt. Prevailing wind can also make the grass grow with the wind direction. Depending on how the greens are cut sometimes you will see a lighter stripe and a darker stripe. Putting on the lighter stripe will be faster than on the darker stripe.
If you are playing in a competition later in the day after everyone else, this will have a significant difference in the greens, there will be a lot more wear around the hole between 3ft and 5ft as the surface will be a lot more bumpier where feet marks will have trodden during the day. So always an advantage to play earlier for a smooth surface!
Always make time to get to the putting green early before your round, just to test the speed of those greens and stick to your routine.

Choosing the right putter depends on your putting stroke.

Face balanced - straight back to straight through stroke

Toe hang - inside to square stroke

Centre shafted

Length

Head weight

Grip

Loft

Lie Angle

Offset

Counterbalancing.

SINKING THOSE PUTTS WILL LOWER YOUR SCORES

Finding the right driver

It never fails to amaze me the amount of money a golfer will spend on a new driver with little thought whether it is right for them. Even better having a lesson or a fitting with one that suits their swing characteristics.

The modern standard driver length off the shelf is 45" long and is too long for the majority of golfers, which is why golfers create a more out to in swing path. On average 5% of carry is lost for every 1/2 inch off centre of the club face you strike, that means 200 yards becomes 190 yards etc. If the golfer has a shorter shaft the golfer with definitely hit the middle of the clubface more often. How many golfers do you know that hit a 3 wood further and straighter than their driver? Another factor is golfers don't use enough loft on the driver misunderstanding that less loft gives you more distance. Your club head speed has to be over 100 mph for such lofts. Majority of golfers are between 70 mph and 90 mph, this is why they need higher lofted drivers to increase more optimum carry. More loft has less sidespin imparted on the golf ball and controls that dreaded slice!
Most people come to me for a lesson to fix their driver because they have the most trouble controlling this golf club, instead of hitting the golf clubs they are most consistent with and can score with. REMEMBER - average distance is what is important, not the longest drive which is never on the fairway! A good thing to do is go out with your favourite three clubs and a putter and see how well you score!

You will always have a better chance going to a club fitter to get the equipment to suit your game, not a bargain off ebay or the internet!

Any questions? Just drop me an email carlawhite2@gmail.com. Always happy to help.

PERFECTIONISTS

Golf can make people too much of a perfectionist. We know that golf can never be perfected, it is a 'game of mistakes and unpredictable fortune', words of Bob Rotella. Yet golfers beat themselves up because they can't achieve perfection. The root of the problem starts with faulty assumptions and irrational beliefs. If you are hard on yourself, realise that humans are not perfect and failure is a natural part of sport.

Perfectionists think they have a great attitude, but they don't!

Emphasize fun and the process of performing.

Don't dwell on mistakes, mistakes happen.

Be more patient with yourself.

Play within your capabilities.

SWING, DON'T HIT

Guaranteed you will hit the ball further when you don't try and hit it. We all hit our best shots when we focus on making a good swing. The act of hitting implies force - this leads to muscular tension, which destroys your golf swing.
Achieving the correct timing for the most efficient delay in your release of power is a very subtle thing. It depends heavily on the sequence of your body movements, that is what timing is all about. You cannot achieve this if you are hitting at the golf ball.
You always notice your practice swing is smoother, flowing and rhythmical compared to your real swing, the tension is worse when the ball is added, making a quick, jerky movement.
Try and remember, LESS IS MORE.
The main thing is to have a good time, with a good attitude. If you come off the golf course angry or upset, 'grow up or quit!' Learn to enjoy the game for what is has to offer, beauty, companionship, exercise, competition, fun. We get great satisfaction from playing well and we try to do so, that's the element of the challenge that makes golf so fascinating.

CHECK YOUR FUNDAMENTALS

Poor shots begin with a poor grip, aim and set up. The root cause is pure carelessness and the results are very costly. It takes experience to learn this.
Preparing properly for each shot, just means you have to pay attention and it doesn't take long. Almost any golfer can physically complete a good grip, aim and set up, it really doesn't need any physical effort. So few players accomplish this, they lay most of the blame for poor shots on other reasons! The fact is, in a high percentage of cases the shot is missed before the swing ever gets in motion!