What's the Best Golf Tip you ever Learned?

[cmartingolf]

Hello Folks,

Brian Manzella here.

I edited this thread to remove the blatant rules violations and some reaction to those.

Let's make this a good solid thread.

Thanks,

BManz



Below is the first one from Martin Chuck:



Never ground the club!

While I've been couped up all fricken winter (Bend, OR) and haven't been teaching (I'm having withdrawls), I love getting newbies and better players to get the club off the ground. The only time is should touch the ground is during when the ball is gone.

Take notice: Not many good players rest the club on the ground. They waggle, find their measure and hit it. No static resting of the club.

My mentor, George Knudson, painted a great picture. Imagine standing on the edge of a skyscraper and the ball was hovering in the air even with the soles of your feet. You COULDN'T rest the club on the ground or you would fall off the building. Great thought for balance and grip pressure (no regripping Charles Barkley).

I have more, but my brain is mush with work and my 2 y/o!!!

 

[vjsinger]

Never ground the club!

While I've been couped up all fricken winter (Bend, OR) and haven't been teaching (I'm having withdrawls), I love getting newbies and better players to get the club off the ground. The only time is should touch the ground is during when the ball is gone.

Take notice: Not many good players rest the club on the ground. They waggle, find their measure and hit it. No static resting of the club.

My mentor, George Knudson, painted a great picture. Imagine standing on the edge of a skyscraper and the ball was hovering in the air even with the soles of your feet. You COULDN'T rest the club on the ground or you would fall off the building. Great thought for balance and grip pressure (no regripping Charles Barkley).

I have more, but my brain is mush with work and my 2 y/o!!!

I like this one, makes sense, keep it free and athletic. Im trying that right away. Thanks.

 

[Guitar Hero]

Never ground the club!

While I've been couped up all fricken winter (Bend, OR) and haven't been teaching (I'm having withdrawls), I love getting newbies and better players to get the club off the ground. The only time is should touch the ground is during when the ball is gone.

Take notice: Not many good players rest the club on the ground. They waggle, find their measure and hit it. No static resting of the club.

My mentor, George Knudson, painted a great picture. Imagine standing on the edge of a skyscraper and the ball was hovering in the air even with the soles of your feet. You COULDN'T rest the club on the ground or you would fall off the building. Great thought for balance and grip pressure (no regripping Charles Barkley).

I have more, but my brain is mush with work and my 2 y/o!!!

Never ground the club! How true this is. Thanks Martin for posting this.

 

[braveheart]

Not grounding the club is a good tip. It works well for less tension and less fat shots by me.

 

[kc8kir]

I have lots of good tips for people, most of which I have aquired through a lot of golf reading.

Putts and Chips: Don't be to hasty to look up and see where it went. Once you hit it, it's going to go where it goes. So give the strike all your attention.

Driving: Commit to it and stop trying to steer the golf ball. The best drivers trust their swing and live with the result.

Iron shots: Stay down on it. (I like this much better than the old "keep your head down"... because it makes me get into much better impact alignments rather than coming up and out of the shot).

The game itself: This is my own idea. Golf is a game of planning and execution. You see the situation, plan a course of action, step up and execute. Any self doubt in the execution process leads to bad shots. Play golf with confidence in your planning.

On every shot: Line it up from behind. Binocular vision is superior. (for me, a properly lined up shot looks left of target from the address position... but it isn't)

 

[tobell]

Putting tip...imagine the shaft is a chain.

 

[blehnhard]

Not Grounding

I was doing a 4 spot for the Sr Tour Event in the St Louis area in either 96 or 97 (1st year of the tourny at Boone Valley).

Was struggling with my game at the time. On Sunday before the Mon qualifier, I spent some time on the range with not grounding the club. Played a practice round on Sunday doing the same.

Shot 66 on Monday for low qualifier - 1st practice round at BV was 68, shot 68 in the Thurs Pro Am and had one round in the 60's during the tournament.

Wonder why I don't do that now. Who said golfers were smart.

Bruce

 

[cmartingolf]

I was doing a 4 spot for the Sr Tour Event in the St Louis area in either 96 or 97 (1st year of the tourny at Boone Valley).

Was struggling with my game at the time. On Sunday before the Mon qualifier, I spent some time on the range with not grounding the club. Played a practice round on Sunday doing the same.

Shot 66 on Monday for low qualifier - 1st practice round at BV was 68, shot 68 in the Thurs Pro Am and had one round in the 60's during the tournament.

Wonder why I don't do that now. Who said golfers were smart.

Bruce

I know what you mean!

Knudson swore by it... I make all my newbies do it and TRY and get my ALL my students to understand it.

I always say, "You can touch the grass, but you can't touch the ground" (until you take a divot)

 

[Wallop]

Never ground the club!

While I've been couped up all fricken winter (Bend, OR) and haven't been teaching (I'm having withdrawls), I love getting newbies and better players to get the club off the ground. The only time is should touch the ground is during when the ball is gone.

Take notice: Not many good players rest the club on the ground. They waggle, find their measure and hit it. No static resting of the club.

My mentor, George Knudson, painted a great picture. Imagine standing on the edge of a skyscraper and the ball was hovering in the air even with the soles of your feet. You COULDN'T rest the club on the ground or you would fall off the building. Great thought for balance and grip pressure (no regripping Charles Barkley).

I have more, but my brain is mush with work and my 2 y/o!!!

This is the best kind of tip. It gives you a great visual image to help you feel the difference in your setup. This one goes on a post it and out to the range this weekend. Thanks.

 

[curtisj76]

Gonna give the "no grounder" a try. Wonder what the Zman thinks about it??

 

[aaron_lohan]

Never ground the club! How true this is. Thanks Martin for posting this.

Sam Torrance tried this in the 80's (hovering the club) he ditched it on the grounds that everytime he setup the club might be different height above the ground, whereas if you ground the club it will be in the same position relative to the ground each time.

On the other hand I think Nicklaus hovered the club, can someone confirm or deny it?

 

[pecky987]

Sam Torrance tried this in the 80's (hovering the club) he ditched it on the grounds that everytime he setup the club might be different height above the ground, whereas if you ground the club it will be in the same position relative to the ground each time.

On the other hand I think Nicklaus hovered the club, can someone confirm or deny it?

i believe nicklaus said he never grounded the club with ANY club.ever

 

[cmartingolf]

Sam Torrance tried this in the 80's (hovering the club) he ditched it on the grounds that everytime he setup the club might be different height above the ground, whereas if you ground the club it will be in the same position relative to the ground each time.

On the other hand I think Nicklaus hovered the club, can someone confirm or deny it?

A dude that goes by the name Tiger, doesn't ground his club either.

I'm not saying the club can't touch the grass. Most players have the club touching the grass, not resting on the ground.