Tip of the Week
It’s time to check that grip again!! Every practice session should start by checking key points in your setup; the grip should always be the first.

Let’s Start With The Left Hand
• With the club correctly positioned in front of you, align the open left palm to the shaft so that the back of the left hand squarely faces the target.
• Close the left hand on the shaft. The thumb will be on top of the shaft at this stage, vertically aligned with the centre of the shaft.
• We now turn the entire left hand slightly to the right as illustrated, so that the left thumb moves to the right side of the shaft, just a little. This adjustment "firms up" the entire hand and wrist. You can feel this quite distinctly. The left hand and arm can now act as a single unit, swinging the club with control.

Now The Right Hand To Unify The Grip
• Place the open palm of the right hand alongside the shaft. The palm should be aligned with the face of the club. That is how it must stay.
• Close the two middle fingers round the shaft, with the upper of these two fingers drawn closely against the forefinger of the left hand. Now loop the right little-finger over the left forefinger, so that it rests in the space between the first two fingers of the left hand OR interlocks with the last finger on the left hand. The overlap grip or Vardon grip is the most common of the two, but both are just as good as the other.
• The “V” formed between your last finger and thumb should point between your right shoulder and ear.

Interlock Grip                         Vardon Grip

Pressure Points Of The Grip
The pressure points of the grip are with the last three fingers of the left hand, and the two middle fingers of the right hand. In other words, there is absolutely no pressure between the thumbs and index fingers of either hand. If there is, the wrists and forearms are stiffened, and the swing becomes inhibited.

Remember, we grip the club to swing it. We cannot swing anything effectively with a tight grip. Golf is not a game of force, so don't grip the club as if it were an axe. A sensitive, yet firm finger grip is what is required.

Once you have acquired the correct grip, stick to it! No matter what. If your grip is correct, and your shots are still going off-line you must look to your swing to find the fault.

You simply cannot cure a bad swing by making remedial alterations to a correct grip. In doing so you are simply compounding error! Get your grip right, and then leave it alone. Click here to book a lesson! 

From the Team
• Junior Coaching is every Tuesday 15:30 – 16:30 on the driving range. If you would like your kids to come please book your place by calling Justin on 042 2004500/ 084 556 4346.
• Please note that the driving range is closed on Mondays.

Regards,
Ryan

Titleist Promotion
This is an amazing deal not to be missed! Click here for all the information!

Auction Item This week we will auction off a SEEMORE FGP putter as seen in the picture on your right. This club is the model Zach Johnson used in his Masters triumph a few years back and currently retails for R2499. Start Bid: R500.00  -  Bid Increment: R100  -  No Reserve price set! To place a bid please email Ryan your bid amount on  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , he will notify you if your bid was successful or a higher bid was received.

Tip Of The Week Every now and then we need to get back to basics and check our golf swing from grip to posture to ball alignment. In the next few weeks this will be our focus. Many people I coach have pretty good golf swings but a poor or inconsistent setup prevents them from playing good golf.

From the Team
• Junior Coaching is every Tuesday 15:30 – 16:30 on the driving range. If you would like your kids to come please book your place by calling Justin on 042 2004500/ 084 556 4346.
• Please note that the driving range is closed on Mondays.

Regards,
Ryan

Tip of the Week

How to hook it 50m like Bubba! Now, although Bubba used a wedge to play this shot I am going to suggest that for starters you begin with a mid lofted iron (7 or 6 iron). The problem with using a wedge, and the reason Bubba’s shot was so good, is that the loft of the club tends to negate sidespin and thereby making it much harder to hook a wedge than any other club in your bag! Setup Close stance to target line. Strengthen your grip - turn grip to the right (for a right hander, left for a left hander). Close the clubface slightly.

Swing
A good shoulder turn with relaxed hands are key, we need the club to release through impact to impart the hook spin. You will need to try to hit the ball with an “inside-to-out” swing path, this can be achieved by swinging the club to the right of target on the follow through. Your closed stance will help you achieve this. (Note where Bubba’s feet are aimed in the above picture and where the club is headed)

The more you exaggerate the above the more you will be able to hook it. I suggest practicing this on the range a few times before taking it onto the course!

From the Team
• Junior Coaching is every Tuesday 15:30 – 16:30 on the driving range. If you would like your kids to come please book your place by calling Justin on 042 2004500/ 084 556 4346.
• Please note that the driving range is closed on Mondays.

Take My Short Game Survey Please take just 120 seconds and complete my short game survey. None of the information I am looking for is meant to be intrusive. I’ll also publish a summary of the results in a few weeks. So click here or click on the image to the right and leave me your answers and thoughts.   I have made a it a personal mission for 2012 to help golfers have a “better golf” year by improving short games (including Putting) and by improving Iron play. If the adverts are to be believed the manufacturers are doing the rest for us with metalwoods and golf balls that go further and straighter. However, scores still aren’t coming down, hence my focus on the approach shots and the scoring zone. I think I can help you have more fun and enjoyment by improving those aspects of your game.

Head Up!
If the only purpose to a practice putting stroke, when on course, is to help release tension and get a "feel" for the stroke you are about to make, then why do so many of us watch our putter heads moving backwards and forwards? We look at the putter and instinctively get technical as we watch the putter head wobble back offline as we make our practice stroke - now is not the time to analyse your technique, all you will end up doing is add extra tension and worry to the upcoming stroke.