Golf Tuition - Hints,Tips and Instruction (Archive)

[Mike Probert]

Mike Probert joins the Escuela de Golf at San Javier

In an attempt to further develop the services that can be offered to his clients Mike has now obtained a teaching post at the Escuela de Golf based at San Javier.
The Escuela de Golf Complex is situated just off the AP7 at junction 777 in the vicinity of the Dos Mares commercial centre and is currently being developed to include a new par 3 golf course, practise bunker, putting green and two new levels of practise bays.
They already have excellent practise facilities, four fully qualified golf professionals and club making and repairs by Neil Robinson who also helps to run the friendly and popular clubhouse bar restaurant with his partner Nike.
Mike is delighted to join this team and his expertise as a psychology advisor is in making the link between the technical aspects of the golf swing with the mental thoughts necessary for golfers to perform to the best of their ability.
These techniques were developed over a 25-year period playing scratch golf as an amateur and during this time Mike was the Staffordshire Team Captain for 5 years and he played with and against the like of Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, Peter Baker, David Gilford, Lee Westwood, David Lynn and the former PGA champion Scott Drummond.
During this time he became aware of the development within golf of the introduction of support to golf swing tuition, namely physical and mental conditioning.
The mental aspect of golf is now a major factor on the PGA tour but which is also important and vital to all keen amateur golfers who wish to understand and improve their golf.
The principles include, relaxation techniques, concentration, visualisation, course strategy, etc.
The methodology can be applied to all categories of golfer from the low handicap player to the beginner who wishes to fully understand the game that they are undertaking.
Mike, who also writes for the Golfers link magazine and who has appeared on local golf radio programmes, states that tuition can be given on a one to one basis or to groups without dilution of the basic principles and written notes are made available to all students.
This mental aspect to golf tuition can be used to support and underpin the tuition given to pupils in respect of the correct swing techniques.
Tuition can be provided by Mike in both these aspects of the game and for further information you can contact him on 966 704 752 or 661 345 931 or alternatively by e-mail on michael.probert@terra.es
Mike can also be found at the Escuela de Golf San Javier, which can be located by using the following directions:
Exit AP7 (to Cartagena) at junction 777 in the direction of San Javier and at the first roundabout turn right and go past the Dos Mares commercial centre and then go over the next two roundabouts until you see the BMW garage on the left and then turn right at the Campillos sign (picture of pig), go over the motorway and we are located on the left at the bottom of the hill.
The Murcia-Golf.co.uk would like to wish both Mike and Escuela de Golf San Javier a successful partnership for the future.

[Mike Probert]

Golf Article 1 by Mike Probert

‘PGA’
Those of you that know a little about the game of golf will understand that this T.L.A (Three Letter Acronym) stands for Professional Golfers Association.

However it also stands for three of the key fundamentals of a successful golf swing, namely:

a)   Posture
b)   Grip
c)   Alignment

In my considered opinion a good golf game consists of 80% key swing fundaments, 10% touch and feel and 10% mental control and application.

This article is going to concentrate upon the PGA elements of the golf game.

Posture

Just how do you attain the correct posture when playing golf?

Keep your legs straight and your body perfectly upright, extend your arms and club directly out in front of your body with the butt end of the club level with your belly button.

Now gently angle the top half of your body forward by bending from the hips (not the waist) until the club meets the ground and then very gently flex from the knees.

You should have the feeling that the weight is positioned across the balls of your feet rather than the heels or the toes.

As a quick check to see if you are too close or too far away from the ball, assume the address position and let the butt end of the club fall against your left leg and if it hits your leg approx 3-4” inches above the knee you are the correct distance from the ball.


Grip

The grip is by far the most important key fundamental in the basic golf swing.

The hands must operate as one in the golf swing BUT they do fundamentally different things, the left hand provides the strength and resists the impact on the ball and therefore the club is held in the palm of the hand and the right hand applies the ‘hit’ and therefore the club is held more in the fingers than the palm of the hand.

Keep things as natural as possible on the golf course as you do in life off the course.

For example with the grip if you let your arms hand naturally by your sides, bring them up simultaneously until they are at chest height and then bring them together will give you the ideal grip when applied to the club.

By far the most common grip fault is to have the right hand too much under the grip promoting hooks, pulls, tops and the dreaded shank.

Alignment

It is essential that your feet, knees, hips and shoulders should align with each other and point parallel to the target, NOT at it.

One of the biggest misconceptions in golf is that they should point at the target.

It may be easier for you to visualise two railway tracks with the club head passing down the line of the outer track which is pointed at the target and the feet being positioned on the inner track aligned parallel to the target line.

The majority of club golfers do not know where they are aligned with the most common fault being aligned to the left resulting in the slice but those who involuntarily aim to the right require an over the top move to get the club back on the target line resulting in pulls, hooks, tops, etc.

If these sound PGA fundamentals are used in conjunction with a good ball position and takeaway a good swing with tempo should result and be repeatable.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as gifts or birthday presents.

                             
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es
                 
Mike can also be located at the Escuela de Golf at San Javier, which is located close to the Dos Mares Commercial Centre after leaving the AP37 via junction 777 and also at the Fairwayz Golf Academy in Dolores.

[Mike Probert]

Golf Article 2 by Mike Probert

'Trouble Shots - Part 1’

No matter how hard you practise you will be confronted on the golf course by interesting circumstances caused by outside influences or just plain bad luck.

How do you react?

Do you moan and curse your bad luck, give up and wish that you were not on the golf course at all or do you make the best of the challenge facing you and try to get the best result that you can?

If you are armed with adequate information on how the ball will react in these circumstances you will be better prepared from a mental perspective to play the shot with more confidence.

Let us consider just a few of these interesting scenarios:

Ball in a sanded divot on the fairway

You will be left scratching your head when a perfect drive finishes in a divot but you must have a positive outlook on a negative situation.

The sanded divot is just a mini bunker on the fairway and the shot should be executed as a bunker shot.

Take one extra club, swing smoothly, play the ball slightly further back in the stance, swing slightly steeper on the backswing and concentrate on keeping the lower half of your body quiet through the shot.

Mud on the ball

Even if you have played the game of golf for a long time you should not question the fairness of this situation.

However the key to handling this event is to understand how the mud affects ball flight.

As a rule of thumb, the ball will go in the opposite direction to the mud.

If the mud is on the left of the ball it will tend to go to the right and visa versa

The added complication is that the harder you hit the ball the more it spins and will veer even further off line.

The answer is to allow for the change in flight with your alignment, take one extra club, swing smoothly and do not quit on the shot.

Partially submerged ball in a water hazard

If your ball is in a hazard and under water take your medicine, the penalty shot and get on with the game.

However when the ball is only partly submerged, you will have an urge to play it from the hazard but this usually end with you soaking wet and the ball still in the water.

It is not the most difficult shot if you apply the correct technique.

Take off your shoes and socks, put on the waterproof suit and play the shot like an explosion bunker shot.

Open the stance and club face, position the ball forward in the stance, hinge the wrists early on the backswing, focus on a spot one inch behind the ball and swing 50% harder than normal and do not quit on the shot.

If you follow these simple instructions the shots will not appear quite as daunting and can even appear fun at times.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per hour and gift vouchers are available which are ideal as birthday presents.

                             
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es

                   

[malcolmandjane]

Hi Dave,

Reading through the comments on various posts, it would appear that there are quite a few people who would be interested in   lessons.

Would you consider group lessons, on the basis of "if you can't beat 'em join 'em"!,for total beginners so that we can laugh at each
other's efforts,and learn together.

Malc and Jane

[Sandra]

Count me on on this one too please.  We are determined to master at least a rudimentary grasp of this game - let's face it ,  you can't own a property on a golf resort and not play the game, can you?!!!

So that's 4 of us now!

Sandra & Allan

[Mike Probert]

To all Property owners

As part of my collaboration with murcia-golf.co.uk i have agreed to provide all
members with golf lessons at discounted rates.
The lessons can be given on a one to one basis or i groups depending upon
the number of people requiring lessons and their travel arrangements and schedules.
If a number of owners plan to be in Spain at the same time group sessions can be arranged BUT alternatively it is no problem for me to fit in individuals on an ad-hoc basis.
If you call or e-mail me in advance of your trip we can plan accordingly to provide you with the best value for money and also to allow me to control my time efficeintly.
My contact details are contained in the main topic headers.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

Regards
Mike

[Mike Probert]

Golf Article 3 by Mike Probert

‘Four Out Of Five Ain’t Bad’

For those of you that love rock music you will know the song by Meatloaf entitled two out of three ain’t bad.

For those of you that hate rock music bear with me and refrain from turning the page over.

What I am talking about here is a useful practise exercise for improving your short game around the fringes of the green only my version is called four out of five ain’t bad!

So what is it all about?

Firstly you need access to a chipping green with nine flags, which you play to from the same position on the fringe or you have a chipping green with one flag but YOU play from nine different positions around the green.

Please check that this is a chipping green and not a putting green to avoid upsetting the green keeper or other club members.

The aim of the practise game is to putt, chip or pitch five balls to hole number one and hole out at least four of the balls in a maximum of two shots before moving to hole number two and onwards taking the same approach until you complete hole number nine.

Seems simple eh!

Oh no it isn’t! Because as in all things YOU have to have some games rules and strictly apply them so that you are true to yourself.

The rules of this game are:

1)   No placing allowed, you play the ball from where you throw them to ground on the fringe.
2)   No gimme putts from ANY distance, therefore all putts must be holed out.
3)   If you hole out any chip shot you automatically move to the next hole.

However the real killer rule is:

4)   If you fail to hole out four out of five balls on ANY hole in less than two shots then like snakes and ladders you go all the way back to hole number one and start the whole process again.

That really hurts does it not!

Imagine getting all the way to hole nine and failing the test and having to go all the way back to hole one.

This would certainly catch your attention and focus your attention on the task at hand would it not!

So just what is the point of all of this?

Well other than being good fun and entertainment for the dedicated golfer it also has practical merit both physically and psychologically.

If you practice this exercise strictly to the rules it will sharpen up your short game from around fringes of the green and when faced with any similar situation during a round of golf on the course you will not be so ‘phased’ by the situation and will have both the confidence and an enlarged range of shots that you can play resulting from playing this practise game.

Go on give it a go, the worst that can happen is that you enjoy yourself!

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as Christmas gifts or birthday presents.
             
           
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es
Mike can be found at the Fairwayz Golf Academy on Avenida Alcalde in Dolores and at the Escuela de Golf San Javier, which can be located by using the following directions:
Exit AP7 (to Cartagena) at junction 777 in the direction of San Javier and at the first roundabout turn right and go past the Dos Mares commercial centre and then go over the next two roundabouts until you see the BMW garage on the left and then turn right at the Campillos sign (picture of pig), go over the motorway and we are located on the left at the bottom of the hill.
         

[Mike Probert]

Case Studies by Mike Probert

Money spent on golf tuition can appear at times to be expensive and just what do you get for your money?

There is no easy way to a good golf swing it needs concentration on the basic fundamentals and the pupil to have confidence in the coach and patience to allow any necessary swing changes to be implemented.

Unfortunately during this period the pupils golf game may get worse before it gets better.

Below you will see a number of actual case studies of my recent pupils and their experiences:

Brian

Brian came to me with both his physical and golf games in a total mess and was shooting scores in excess of 110 which is difficult to accept for a guy who used to play off 16 handicap 20 years ago.
By concentrating on the fundamentals of posture,grip and alignment we recently played at La Torre and he played to 18 handicap.
The work is not finished because he still fails to take good shots from the practice range to the course and this is mainly due to being over aggressive for his current playing ability BUT we will sort this one out shortly.

Rob

Rob is brand new to the game having only started playing for 3 months but does have a nature aptitude for the game although somewhat raw with a swing that is too loose.
We have only had four sessions together with the majority of the work being applied to the grip and alignment BUT guess what he played at Greenlands last week and had a hole in one on the 7th hole!
There is still a lot of work to do here BUT what a start!

Bill

Bill has to go down as my pupil of the week and i was recommended to him by Paul a long term regular pupil of mine.
The problem that Bill was experiencing was that despite playing off a handicap of 12.8 he was having difficulty getting the ball off the floor and into the air and from scoring 36 points plus was now in the high 20 point range and was concerned about his swing and clubs.
Having convinced him that his clubs were fine (but needing regripping) we concentrated on his swing which has a 'loop' built into the back swing which can not be taken out in one session.
The 'loop' was being exaggerated by poor alignment leading to too much upper body movement and a poor swing tempo.
We only had one session together BUT he phoned me after his game a day later to inform me that he had scored 45 points!
Bill have a further session on two weeks and we will use the simulator to assist him to determine the distance that he hits each club  and the ball speed

Paul

Paull first came to me one year ago and was suffering with interference to his golf game by the outside influences caused by his match day role of being the society handicap secretary.
We worked on methods to prevent these 'hassles' impacting on his enjoyment of the game and then concentrating on his swing.
Paul is an established Vega Baja league golfer with a handicap of 10.8 so can play this game.
Having not seen Paul for a number of months,which is normal,he came to me in distress because he had not scored more than 30 points for 3 months.
A quick look at his posture and set up revealed a few flaws which we corrected and  he went on to win the next two medal competitions.
We will have a regular get together in a few months to give him an MOT.

The above are just a few examples and if you see yourself in the same position the give me a call to see if we can turn your game around.

Call Mike on 966 704 752 or E-mail michael.probert@terra.es

[Mike Probert]

Article 4 by Mike Probert

Unmentionables

So what do you call them?

The J.Arthur Rank, the Lucy Locket, the socket or the shank.

Whatever it is, forget the top, the hook, the slice or the total miss because the shank is the most destructive shot in the golfers armoury.

Why is this?

Well the answer is simple not only does the shot ruin any chance that you have of having a good golf score on the day but it immediately impacts on your confidence.

Everyone that has had a shank will know the feelings that you have as a golfer when you try and play the next shot with an iron club.

This affliction is not limited to the amateur because you may recall that at a recent British Open Championship at Troon Darren Clarke hit a shank with a 2- iron on the second hole which ended up on the beach and he was leading the tournament at the time.

Similarly in the Volvo Masters at Valderrama in 1987 Sandy Lyle shanked his 3rd shot to the notorious 17th hole while also leading the event.

He did however go on to win the event after a play-off with Colin Montgomerie.

So what causes a shank?

Let us remove one misconception before we start.

It is stated that a shank is almost a perfect golf shot.

What a load of rubbish, there are technical reasons within your swing that causes you to shank the ball.

Let me get the technical bit out of the way first.
A shank is usually caused because the golfer is standing too far away from the ball and this has the impact of throwing you forward on to your toes during your downswing, especially if you are also throwing your shoulders at the ball and coming over the top.

The first thing to do is to stand a little closer to the ball and a simple method is to ensure that your shoulders are over your knees, which in turn are over your shoe laces.

Additionally there is a simple practise method, which involves playing a few shots with something under your left toe, a ball or a club shaft will do.

This will help you to turn through on your left heel because you can’t fall forward if you put your weight into your heel.

To overcome the mental problems cause by the shank you should start by having trust in the technique to overcome the shot and play with a positive intent and commit to all iron shots.

It is vital that you start to visualise shots flying onto the green and landing softly.

You must stay in the present and forget the bad shots that have happened and you will find that this bad shot disappears as quickly as it arrived.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per hour and gift vouchers are available which are ideal as birthday presents.

For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or michael.probert@terra.es

Mike can also be found at the Fairwayz Golf Academy in Dolores and at The Escuela de Golf at San Javier.

[Mike Probert]

Golf Article 5 by Mike Probert

The Hidden Enemy

Even on the best of putting surfaces have you ever been baffled by the way in which the ball has moved off line and gone in the opposite direction to what you thought?

Other than a total misread on your behalf the answer will almost certainly be the grain, which is evident on almost all greens.

Just what is the grain and how does it impact on your putt?

The grain is formed by the direction in which the grass is growing or more simply is the way that the grass tips point.

If the grass tips lie to the right or left of the of your intended line of putt the ball will roll towards them and you must allow for this when choosing your line.

If the grass tips face you the putt will be slower and if facing away from you the putt will be faster and again you have to allow for this.

How do you identify the direction of the grain?

Looking from behind you ball if the grass looks ‘shiny’ the grain is away from you and the putt will be faster but if the grass looks ‘dull’ or ‘darker’ then the grain is towards you and the putt will be slower.

There are other geographical elements that can help you to identify the direction of the grain.

If there are ponds, lakes or streams close to the green the grain will face in that direction because the grass grows towards the water source.

Should there be no water source close to the green look at the hills and mountains close at hand because grass usually grows away from the slope of a mountain and towards the setting sun.

So whenever you play golf that seems to involve hours of inactivity and waiting to play your shots use your time wisely and keep your eyes constantly sweeping the greens and local geographical area for key information to assist your golf game.

However remember that you can do this while your partners are playing their shots so do not wait to start this process when it is your turn to play.

This will help with the pace of play for everyone.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per hour and gift vouchers are available which are ideal as birthday presents.

For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es or at the Escuela de Golf,San Javier and the Fairwayz Golf Academy in Dolores.

[Mike Probert]

Golf Article 6 by Mike Probert

Barefooting

For the more mature reader amongst you and particularly those with nimble feet this article is not about a dance from the 60’s or about Sandie Shaw who won the Eurovision song contest singing puppet on a string wearing nothing on her feet.

This article is for those weight watchers amongst you and I do not mean those of you who pile on extra pounds simply by looking at a gateaux.

We are talking here about the positioning of your body weight through your full golf swing.

To re-confirm what many of you already know, at the address position your weight should be evenly distributed between both feet but then moving more to your right foot on the back swing and transferring to more to your left foot at the point of impact and to the follow through.

Clearly these instructions apply when you have a perfectly flat lie on the tee or through the green.

However course architects have this habit of putting slopes, hills, humps and hollows in your way and these can affect your weight distribution.

For example if your ball is on a lie above your feet you must place more pressure on your toes at the address position to prevent you ‘falling’ back down the hill during your swing.

Obviously for a lie with the ball below your feet you do the opposite and place more weight on your heels to prevent ‘falling’ forwards down the hill during the swing.

For uphill and downhill lies it is most important that your posture is correct and that you keep your body perpendicular to the slope and try not to ‘lean’ towards or backwards from the slope.

Then of course there are the uphill and downhill cross-hill lies…….

Just where do you put your weight then?
One of the best golfers of all time was Sam Snead and to gain a better understanding of where his weight was located during his swing he used to practise barefooted.

Obviously this is better conducted off grass rather than those horrible mats at the driving range but give it a try off various type of lie and you will notice that you have a heightened awareness of your body weight position and distribution during the swing.

Go on give it a go what is the worst thing that can happen, ant bites or blisters maybe but what happens if your golf gets better?

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as Christmas gifts or birthday presents.
             
           
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es
Mike can be found at the Fairwayz Golf Academy on Avenida Alcalde in Dolores and at the Escuela de Golf San Javier, which can be located by using the following directions:
Exit AP7 (to Cartagena) at junction 777 in the direction of San Javier and at the first roundabout turn right and go past the Dos Mares commercial centre and then go over the next two roundabouts until you see the BMW garage on the left and then turn right at the Campillos sign (picture of pig), go over the motorway and we are located on the left at the bottom of the hill.
         

[Mike Probert]

Golf Article 7 by Mike Probert

Plumb Bobbing

In previous articles I have discussed the hidden enemies that can be faced by all golfer on the putting greens, in particular the impact of ‘grain’ on a putt.

One of the other problems faced by golfers is the slight slope or break on a putt that just can’t be seen by the eye.

There is one method that can be of assistance to many golfers in this instance, namely ‘plumb bobbing’.

Now I am not talking here about the games you play at Halloween where you put your face in a bowl of cold water and try to grab apples and oranges with your teeth.

Correctly practised the ‘plumb bobbing’ technique will establish for you a true vertical line to the green and indicates the amount of break present on the putt.

Before you use this technique you must know which of your eyes is dominant, the eye that looks straight ahead.

How do I know this I hear you scream!

Simply keep both eyes open and hold a thumb up at arms length and ‘sight’ along it to a target in the distance.

Now close one eye and if the target remains in line with the sighted target then you have identified your dominant eye.

To correctly ‘plumb bob’ on the golf course you should stand approx 10 ft behind the ball and in direct line with the hole.

Hold the putter up at arms length using the arm that corresponds with your dominant eye (left eye, left arm and visa versa).

Looking with your dominant eye, line the putter shaft with the ball and then look at the hole.

If the shaft, line and ball are all lined up then there is no break in the putt.

However if the hole appears to the left of the putter shaft then you must aim to the right of the hole to allow for the break on the putt and visa versa of course.

You will of course need to practise the technique to determine the amount of break to allow but as usual practise makes perfect.

From a psychological point of view this action or routine takes your mind from the putt at hand and temporarily with your conscious mind occupied you forget all of the things that can go wrong or the importance of the outcome of the putt.

If you are having difficulties in determining the amount of break on a putt why not give the ’plumb bob’ technique a try.

What is the worst thing that can happen?

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as Christmas gifts or birthday presents.
                     
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es

Mike can be found at the Fairwayz Golf Academy on Avenida Alcalde in Dolores and at the Escuela de Golf San Javier, which can be located by using the following directions:
Exit AP7 (to Cartagena) at junction 777 in the direction of San Javier and at the first roundabout turn right and go past the Dos Mares commercial centre and then go over the next two roundabouts until you see the BMW sign on the left and then turn right at the Campillos sign (picture of pig), go over the motorway and we are located on the left at the bottom of the hill.

[Mike Probert]

Article 8 by Mike Probert

Rhythm

To improve your golf you must develop and understand your own personal swing TEMPO or RHYTHM because this will reduce the impact of your bad shots when you are not playing well and increase the number of good golf shots that you hit.

In my experience a golfers natural swing rhythm should reflect their personality so if you are a fast talking, walking, hyper-active person your tempo will be fast (like Nick Price) but if you are a more laid back, relaxed character (like Ernie Els) your natural swing will be slow and languid.

Don’t try to be something that you are not because you can’t change what is natural to you without bad consequences for your golf game and be careful when you play that you do not pick up on the swing tempo of your opponent if it is the opposite of yours.

To give you an indication of this have you ever watched live golf on the T.V. for a few hours and then gone to your own course and found that your swing is good and with an even tempo?

You will be almost unique if you have not and the reason is that your brain has picked up on the swing rhythm and tempo of the players that you have been watching.

Rhythm and tempo can not be captured in a photograph but only my moving images and is best explained by a few key examples or swing thoughts as follows:

Swish That Shaft

On the practise area it is easy to retain rhythm because you may hit 20 consecutive shots or more with the same club but this does not happen on the course.

If you feel that you have lost your rhythm on the course simply hold your club by the head and make a few swings with your normal rhythm and listen only to the sound of the ‘whoosh’ of the shaft as it cuts through the air.

Now flip the club back the correct way and after taking a tension free grip of the club and swing as normal and you will be more aware of the club head and of your pace of swing.

Swing at only a % of your full power

To determine the % swing speed that best suits you to get a pure strike of the ball and the best results practise on the range with an intent.

Try and hit 10 shots with a mid iron at what you FEEL is 65% full power and then follow these with 10 more shots at what you FEEL is 70%, 80% and 90% full power and select a remember the FEELING that gave you the best results and take this to you to the golf course.

Easy as 1,2,3

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that this is too simple to work because it is a method deployed by Ernie Els.

For laid back characters as you start your takeaway say ‘one’, when you get to the top of your back swing say ‘two’ and as you swing down say ‘three’ and the moment that you feel that you are striking the ball.

For more hyper characters simply say ‘one’ upon takeaway and’ two’ at the moment of impact with the ball.

Mirror the back swing and follow through

This is yet another excellent way to develop and determine your own personal rhythm of swing.

Very simply if you only swing the club to waist height only follow through to waist height.

If you have only a three quarter back swing then have a three quarter follow through and similarly if you have a full back swing then have a full follow through.

One or a combination of these techniques or thoughts will assist you to determine and understand your own personal swing rhythm BUT what is vital is that you find a swing speed with which YOU are comfortable and which works for YOU.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as Christmas gifts or birthday presents.
             
           
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es
Mike can also be found at the Fairwayz Golf Academy in Dolores and the Escuela de Golf San Javier, which can be located by using the following directions:
Exit AP7 (to Cartagena) at junction 777 in the direction of San Javier and at the first roundabout turn right and go past the Dos Mares commercial centre and then go over the next two roundabouts until you see the BMW garage on the left and then turn right at the Campillos sign (picture of pig), go over the motorway and we are located on the left at the bottom of the hill.
         

[Mike Probert]

Article 9 by Mike Probert

‘Trouble Shots – Part II’

Have you ever wondered why you can’t take your good swing on the practise range and apply it on the golf course?

In previous articles we have discussed some of the reasons why this occurs but there could be one very simple reason above all others.

On the driving range you are usually playing on a flat surface (either grass or a mat), which is aligned, in accordance with your target.

There are two things that happen here, firstly subconsciously you align your self with the mat and this ‘assistance’ you do not have on the course.

You should also note that on the course you will tend to align yourself with the tee on which you are standing so check carefully when you walk on the teeing ground that it is actually aligned with your target line on the fairway or green.

The second thing to recall is that on very few a occasions on the golf course will you have a flat lie to play from.

You need to understand how these different lies impact upon the shot to be played and below are a few quick tips to assist you with these eventualities.

Downhill lie

The ball will generally fly lower and further than normal and so you can use one club less for the shot.
Always keep your body perpendicular to the slope and keep your weight a little more on your back foot because as you swing and follow through you will tend to fall down the hill as your weight transfers through the ball.
In general because of this the ball tends to fly with more left to right spin and fade if anything so allow for this in your alignment by aiming a little to the left.

Uphill lie

The ball will generally fly higher and shorter than normal and so you can use one club more for the shot.
Always keep your body perpendicular to the slope and keep your weight a little more on your front foot because as you swing and follow through you will tend to fall back down the hill and it is difficult to transfer your weight through the ball.
In general because of this the ball tends to fly with more right to left spin and hook if anything so allow for this in your alignment by aiming a little to the right.

Ball above the feet

You will find circumstances on the golf course where your ball is positioned higher than your feet.
From this position the ball will usually fly with a right to left hook spin and so allow for this by aiming a little to the right of your target.
To reduce the impact of this difficult ball position you should also go down the grip slightly and move your weight more onto your toes to restrict the amount that you fall backwards down the hill as you transfer your weight through the ball.

Ball below the feet

Conversely there will be times when the ball is positioned lower than your feet.
From this position the ball will usually fly with a left to right slice spin and so allow for this by aiming a little to the left of your target.
To reduce the impact of this ball position you should also go up the grip slightly and move your weight more onto your heels to restrict the amount that you fall forward down the hill as you transfer your weight through the ball.

Obviously there will be occasions where you have a combination of cross hill, down hill and uphill shots but by practising these techniques you will be able to determine the amount of allowance and adjustment that you have to make for your swing to operate in these circumstances.

Practise does make perfect here but just by understanding how the ball will react in these circumstances and how you can tackle the shots will provide you with extra confidence and will restrict the impact on your golf score and how you think.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as gifts or birthday presents.

For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or E-Mail
michael.probert@terra.es
Mike can also be found at the Escuela De Golf at San Javier and at The Fairwayz Golf Academy in Dolores.
                   

[Mike Probert]

Article 10 by Mike Probert

Practise Putting

Most golfers visit the putting green for a few minutes to pass the time before a round of golf or for hours when they have serious putting problems.

Like every form of practise, putting practise is important and should be taken as so.

However that does not mean that you can’t have fun or be imaginative with your practise.

Here are a few examples of putting drills or games that you can adopt into your practise regime to make it more enjoyable.

Plant Pot

Similar to a ‘plant’ in a game of pool or snooker, simply place one ball approx 3 inches from the hole and try to ‘pot’ it by striking another ball into it from approx 2-3 yards directly behind and on the same line.
If you strike the putt correctly the ‘target’ ball will go into the hole and this method will help you to be more positive with your stroke, particularly around the hole.

Through the Gate
Put two tee pegs into the ground four inches apart and both approx three feet from the hole and place a ball them a putter head length back from the tee pegs and try to hole the putt without the putter head following through far enough to strike the tee pegs.
This technique will bring back a confident rap into your putting stroke,

Leapfrog
This is a good but difficult exercise in distance control.
Position a ball approx 6 ft in front of you and attempt to hit a putt which JUST passes the first ball and continue working your way across the putting green hitting each putt just past the previous one until you fail to hit past the last ball or if you run out of room.
If you fail to hit a putt past the previous ball go back to the start and begin again.
For fun you can keep a record of how many you fit in across the putting green and try to beat your best score.

Tee Time

When practising your putting immediately prior to a round of golf use a tee peg in the ground as your target because once you get onto the course the hole will appear to be the same size as a ‘Kentucky bucket’ and will assist your confidence because your mind will not register it as a ‘miss’ if you don't hit the tee peg.

Boxing Day
The most frustrating fault of all is leaving putts short and this method will assist to eliminate this problem.
Simply place two three-ball golf ball boxes approx 18 inches directly behind the hole and ensure that if you miss the putt that you at least hit the boxes.
When you play on the golf course the boxes will make a good mental ‘image’ when you are putting.

Pencil Push

If you are consistently short or tentative on ‘tiddler’ putts then this method can assist you with this problem.
Place a long pencil approx 4 inches from the hole and directly across the line of the putt and hold it into position at each end with two pitch mark repairers.
Place your ball approx 18 inches from the hole and try to hole the putt by hitting the ball hard enough to go over the pencil and into the hole.
This will promote a firm positive putting stroke.

Euro for Euro

The purpose of this exercise is to place a euro coin on the back of your putter and to keep it there on the back swing and through to impact and this will help to maintain a smooth putting action.

No matter how good a golfer you are, at some time you will experience problems with your putting and as this represents at least 40% of your game these techniques will help you get through these frustrating times.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as gifts or birthday presents.

                             
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or 661 345 931 or
michael.probert@terra.es

Mike can also be found at the Escuela de Golf in San Javier and at the Fairways Golf Academy in Dolores.