vol. 5, number 9                               

 

In This Issue
Golf Grip Comfort RULES!
A Work In Progress: My Short Game Practice
The New Mizuno Irons Are Here!
Game Improvement Golf Newsletter

Information to Improve YOUR Golf Game (OCTOBER 2015)



STEM and Golf!

I am sure that if you have children and grandchildren they are - like mine - the most amazing and wonderful people who have ever inhabited the earth.  It might also be that they have some interest in golf, and perhaps science and math.  Well - you are in luck!  I recently found a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math publication (STEM) about Golf.  It is loaded with fun facts and puzzles related to golf.  Hope you and those amazing kids enjoy this...

 

     STEM News Golf Publication  

 

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Thanks to Roy Nix, AGCP Founder, for sending me this link to a video that illustrates the effects of Dimples on Golf Ball Flight...

 

     Dimples and Golf Ball Flight Video

 

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I have published articles in past newsletters about how increasing the Angle of Attack (AoA) of your driving at impact can lead to significant increases in total driving distance.  Here is a link from Adam Young at Adam Young Golf where he shows some actual test results he did on himself - pretty amazing!

 

     Adam Young - Gaining 56 Yards With One Swing Change 

 

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One more thing!  There is a great article in the November issue of Golf Digest by Cameron McCormick, on working with Jordan Spieth.  If you get the magazine I hope you read it, if you do not get the magazine consider buying one to read it - thought provoking! 

 
Golf Grip Comfort RULES!      
    
Many of you have heard that grip size can affect if you slice or hook the golf ball - smaller grips promoting a hook, larger grips promoting a slice.  At first glance, it sounds like this would make sense.  This month I spent a good bit of time looking to find any testing data to either support or refute this statement.  And the overwhelming conclusion that I have found is this:

Grip Size Should Be Chosen For Comfort - To Allow The Golfer To Create His Or Her Most Natural Golf Swing.

I asked my AGCP club fitting friends to weigh in on this question, and all of them agree with the above conclusion.  Some of them said they actually have done some personal testing to see if grip size has a significant effect on your ability to hook or slice the golf ball - and that they do not see a correlation.  I also asked Tom Wishon about this, and he agreed that I could provide you this reply below....

"This is one of the many myths that has been around for a long time - grips too small and you hook or enhance a hook and grips too large and you cause a slice or make one worse.  Not really true at all.  If grip size is not COMFORTABLE to the golfer such that they can maintain a relaxed, light hand pressure while keeping the forearm muscles relaxed and not contracted, then the golfer cannot achieve whatever his or her most natural release is on the downswing.  Now that release might be such that they close the face and hook/pull the ball.  ...  But these reactions are completely random and in no way are tied exclusively to the grip size.  We're all different in terms of how we react to grip sizes.  But the one thing we know is that if the grip size is such that the grip pressure is lighter and the arm muscles are more relaxed, that's better for every golfer." (Tom Wishon)

Tom also did an article on grip size in GolfWRX and it is a good read, here is the link...

     Tom Wishon - Getting The Right Golf Grip Size

Playing with the right golf grips for you and your game is important - and it is worth your time to find grips that will work best for YOU!
 
A Work In Progress:
My Short Game Practice     

I usually play golf on Friday afternoons, and also spend at least an hour practicing some part of my short game.  I am attempting to implement some of the new skill-practice concepts I have discussed in this newsletter - so thought I would let you know about my most recent session...
  • One of my biggest potential areas for improvement is chipping and pitching around the green.  I would say my typical up and down percentage when I play is 30% or less.  So this is the area I concentrated on.
  • I have 50, 54, and 58 degree wedges.  I started out the session with about 5 to 10 minutes of what I would call "Block Practice."  There are some specific swing mechanics I am working on based on reading James Sieckmann's Your Short Game Solution book.  So I spent a few minutes with each of my wedges working on these basics.
  • Then, instead of simply hitting balls from one location to the practice green, I set up a 12-ball test to 3 targets on the green.  I threw the 12 balls to different locations off of the green, and rotated the club and target that I used for each of the 12 shots.  The goal - hit chip and pitch shots that within 3 feet of the target.
  • Midway through this practice, I had a thought - "pick a landing spot first, then take a practice swing to match the feel for hitting this landing spot."  Hum.
  • Total practice time about 40 minutes.  Results - 1 shot of 12 within 3 feet.  That is OK - a work in progress, right?  But I felt energized by practicing this way.  And I plan to continue to practice this way for the near future.

And when I played that day, I had 3 up and downs from off of the green.  I felt more comfortable over all of my short game shots too.  Coincidence, could be.  But maybe not!  

 

10th AGCP Roundtable - Nov. 11-14!

In mid November, I will be traveling to Columbus, GA for the 10th Annual Assn. of Golf Clubfitting Professionals (AGCP) Roundtable.  I am looking forward to some great learning sessions there, and I am also hopeful that I will record at least one Podcast Interview while at the Roundtable.  I will report on some of the highlights of the Roundtable in next month's newsletter.

Finally - congratulations to Des Mahoney, my partner at the Centennial Golf Academy.  Des was listed as one of the Top 10 Golf Instructors in Tennessee in the 2015-2016 Golf Digest Top Instructors list (published in the November issue).  Good going, Des! 
 
Taking YOUR Game To New Heights!
 
Tony Wright 
GAME IMPROVEMENT GOLF
Oak Ridge, TN
The TRUE Custom Club Fitting Center in East Tennessee!