PRE - SHOT ROUTINE

A pre - shot routine is a consistent set of actions and thoughts carried out before each shot. If the golfer is not consistent in thought and action then he/she does not have a pre- shot routine. It is important because it allows the golfer to retain control during pressure situations. It is helpful to develop and practice the same routine, you can do this on the driving range and take it onto the golf course.

I see this often on the driving range where golfers are just striking the ball anywhere, not using the targets on the driving range and not using a pre- shot routine. No wonder they can't see consistency on the golf course! This pre - shot routine should continue right through your game, even your putting. All players you watch on T.V have a pre - shot routine so if it's good enough for them.

Here are a few tips for you to try,

1. Stand behind your ball to target line and pick a spot inches away from your ball looking down the target line, this will help you zone in on your target and take dead aim!

2. Make a couple of practice swings as you visualise the shot.

3. Walk up to your ball to address it, keeping your eyes over your aim line.

4. SWING TO YOUR TARGET!

A pre - shot routine will lead to concentration. Concentration cannot be forced, so just let it happen. Having a consistent pre - shot routine and imagery of the shot will develop concentration naturally.

Uphill, downhill and sidehill lies

Some golf courses are more hilly than others, so you need to understand how to play those awkward up hilly lies. When you are on the driving range you are always practising from a flat lie so it can be difficult to put it into practice.

On the course you have to make sure you align your body up with the slope or down with the slope always making sure that you are level with it. Making the correct choice of club is also important, for example:

UPHILL LIE - This will increase the loft of the golf club. Take less lofted club. Ball position forward in your stance.

DOWNHILL LIE - This will decrease the loft of the golf club. Take more lofted club. Ball position back in your stance.

UPHILL SIDEHILL - Make sure your golf club swings level with the ground, you will more than likely have to hold further down the shaft than usual. Aim further to the right as the ball will fly to the left because of the slope.

DOWNHILL SIDEHILL - You will have to bend more in your posture and aim left as the ballflight will go to the right.

Make sure you take plenty of practice swings so you can maintain good balance This will also help you feel where you are going to make contact with the slope and the ball.

The benefits of new grips

If you are looking for an improvement in your game, check your grips on your golf clubs. They are often ignored, but it is one of the cheapest options for better play. Your old grips could be a major hindrance to your game, they gradually wear and go unnoticed. Golfers slowly adjust to worn out grips, the grips gets shiny and slick, so your grip pressure gets tighter and once there is tension in the wrists, elbows, arms, shoulders and neck it is virtually impossible to make a smooth and controlled swing.

A new grip will eradicate this problem and help with longer straighter shots. You can even have the right size fitted for your hand, if done properly, for example if the grip is too thin for your hands, you will only grip it tighter resulting in too much tension and you won't be able to release the golf club very easily. The same applies if the grip is too thick for your hands. You can even have lighter grips if you prefer to 'feel' more weight in the head, this also applies for putting.

The grip is what you are in contact with, which makes up all of your 'feel' through the golf club.

SO CHECK YOUR GRIPS AND 'FEEL' THE BENEFIT.

Please contact me at the Pro shop or email me and we can get those new grips fitted. They will be ready for you the next day.

Weighted club

Do you struggle with hitting all your clubs the same distance? This generally happens with women and older golfers who let their muscles get out of shape. They generally don't hit the ball hard enough for the loft to make any difference. That's why the 4 iron goes as far as the 8 iron.

To stretch the muscles, for more distance you should practice swinging with a weighted club 5 minutes a day, in a couple of weeks you will see a big difference in your club head speed. There are lots of training aids on the market to add weight to the golf club. Contact me if you need help.

The Powersleeve weighted training aid is perfect for this purpose and is available at my Pro Shop to buy where I will give a demonstration of how to use it effectively.

In just 15 minutes I can improve the dynamics of your golf swing.

THE VALUE OF TUITION

Improving your golf game cannot be underestimated, yet the percentage of golfers who have regular lessons is extremely low. Instead many players try to work out their faults themselves, take advice from playing partners, or look at the latest instruction from magazines and tips from You Tube.

All golfers are trying continually, striving for improvement but are ignoring the single most effective way of solving a re occurring problem. Unlike other sports golf has such a tiny margin of error that even the slightest change in the grip, posture, alignment feels awkward. These are fundamentals that never change. Often awkward is right when instructed by a pro!

Every top player has a coach they can turn to. Club golfers tend to look elsewhere always hoping for something better from someone else. They also look upon lessons as just for beginners which is why most only get to a certain level and stay there with little improvement. You are not just paying for tuition, you are paying for RESULTS! Experience and knowledge from your PGA Professional. It is important you find a Professional you can gel with and is a good communicator, this will always bring great achievement to your game. Elite amateurs and all Professionals are continually striving for improvement and recognise the benefits as they realise it is holistic, mind , body and swing.

If you can afford golf tuition, one or two lessons a month is ideal and can transform your game, just to keep you topped up without falling into those natural tendencies and having a good practice plan in between. Even when you are playing well it is important to go back to your Professional for the feed back and the confidence aspect. This is not a lot to ask for if you want improvement. At the end of the day, you want to enjoy the game don't you?

The quickest way to improve your scores is to work on your short game. I see so many golfers heading for the range with their driver's, beating balls but never do I see as many on the short game area and they wonder why they are not scoring.

I learnt golf from the green backwards and have always enjoyed the short game. It requires the most feel, touch and tests your skills ultimately. If I could teach everybody that way first, what a bonus it would be!

Custom Fit Testimonial

Here is a testimonial from a very happy customer who has just been custom fitted for a full set of Tom Wishon golf clubs. He was very pleased with the fitting experience and particularly with his new clubs. As a professional I can see that the Tom Wishon Your Fit Programme benefits players of all ages and abilities.

David's new Wishon clubs have improved his game in a number of ways. I would say the benefits to David are:

His distances have increased
His accuracy has improved
His clubs are more suited to him and therefore they feel easier to use
He is enjoying his game more.


Read his testimonial below:

A Golfing Problem Solved

I wonder how many older players are finding the last few holes of each round hard work! Osteo-arthritis of neck, stiff shoulder joints and a jerky swing result in a feeling that one is swinging lead weights by the end of the round. In my case, a condition of the hands called Dupuytren’s syndrome is gradually stiffening the finger joints. It is painful, though for others this is not always so. I felt in simple terms, I needed clubs that were lighter in weight and which transmitted less “reaction” through the Regular shaft to my painful hands, forearms and shoulders.

I went to discuss these problems with Carla White, WPGA professional at the Sycamore Golf Centre at Golborne. She recommended that I study the Tom Wishon Golf technology web site to gain some knowledge of golf club design and technology. Impressed I returned to Carla to be “measured” using the latest technology. This includes swing speed, ball flight and direction and spin. As important, the professional can assess or in my case knows after a number of years, the type of game I play.

The details were sent to Tom Wishon and his recommendations were received within a week. In my case these were for a driver, two fairway woods (5 & 7), two hybrids (5 & 6) and 8& 9 irons and three wedges. I was able to choose and try three of these clubs on the course before purchase. The whole process took about four weeks from start to finish.

Was it worth it? The significant reduction in club weight and the almost zero reaction to my painful hands and shoulders is very real. I have no doubt that that my playing lifetime will be increased! Of greater interest to all golfers are the greater distances that I am achieving with all clubs and with greater “feel” with the wedges.

Why buy clubs “off the peg” when you can be” fitted” by a professional who will assess your game and use modern technology to design a set of clubs especially for you. These clubs will be designed to suit the characteristics of your physique and game. A little more expensive probably: it may not turn you into the club champion but it will help the development of your golfing skills and certainly increase your enjoyment of this wonderful game.

David Bowden

PGA GRADUATION DAY

I finally finished my PGA Advanced Diploma to be awarded as an Advanced Professional at Birmingham University on Friday, 19th, April. I was very honoured and it was worth all the hard work. It was a great sense of  personal achievement and it just goes to show that you should never stop learning.

G.O.L.F. - Great Opportunities Lifelong Friends  

Me with Beverley Lewis, the first and only  Female Captain of the PGA.

All graduates, I'm in there somewhere!

Me with Sandy Jones, Chief Executive of the PGA

Me with guest speaker Naga Munchetty, a very keen 11 handicap golfer herself