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Staying Centered

by | Beginners, Full Swing, Instruction

Staying Centered

 

Staying centered is very important to your golf swing.  Moving too much laterally can cause a multitude of problems.  First off, moving your swing center causes the bottom of your swing to be too far behind or in front of the ball.  I usually see two major faults that cause this to happen.

The first fault is ball position.  For example, if the ball position is too far behind where it should be, the player usually moves the upper body too far over the rear foot in an attempt to get behind the ball.  At times this causes the lead arm to run into the chest too soon and the lead elbow to bend.  A major power leak which can lead to casting the club. 

The second major fault I often see is the lateral motion of the hips.  The hips should turn and not slide on the backswing.  Sliding can cause many problems with weight shift.  It’s nearly impossible to get back to a proper impact position.  Most times it causes poor contact.

So stay centered and keep your hips and head between the lines! 

Please comment below!

Mike Fay

Mike Fay

PGA Director of Instruction

With over 30 years of teaching experience, it's easy to see why Mike has become a leader in the world of golf instruction. Everything from cutting edge social networking techniques to having his own podcast, Mike has helped to change the face of teaching golf.  He currently is the Director of Instruction at Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon, Michigan.

Email:  [email protected]

How To Stop The Flippers!

by | Beginners, Instruction, Short Game

How To Stop The Flippers

 

One common problem I often see when I coach the short game is something I call the “flippers”.  As I often say, Flipper lives at Sea World, not on the golf course.  The flippers is a dreaded disease that sucks the life out of any good short game. 

What are the flippers?

I often see the flippers on both chips and pitches.  The flippers happen when you “flip” your wrist through impact and let your top hand break down, all of a sudden FLIP.  This causes the club head to pass the hands, the shaft gets too vertical, and you stand up through impact causing both fat and thin shots.

What causes the flippers?

I think the biggest reason people do this is a lack of acceleration through impact.  You MUST accelerate the club to get spin and control your distance.  This brings me to the other reason:  FEAR.  The fear of hitting the ball thin or fat automatically causes the flippers. 

How do you overcome these mistakes?

Well, first you must keep your hands moving in front of the club head.  Not, the other way around.  Next, you must “rip” your chips and pitches.  I mean hit them hard.  Most people that I coach don’t hit the ball hard enough around the green to make the ball spin.  Once you learn to hit them solid and hard, then you can control your distance through spin and height of shot. 

I hope these tips help you overcome your fears around the green.  NO MORE FLIPPERS!

Mike Fay

Mike Fay

PGA Director of Instruction

With over 30 years of teaching experience, it's easy to see why Mike has become a leader in the world of golf instruction. Everything from cutting edge social networking techniques to having his own podcast, Mike has helped to change the face of teaching golf.  He currently is the Director of Instruction at Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon, Michigan.

Email:  [email protected]

Winter Golf Tip: The 52 Degree Rule

by | Beginners, Course Strategy, Instruction

Winter Golf Tip:  The 52 Degree Rule

 

Winter golf can be challenging to say the least.  The layers of clothes, lack of distance, cold and wet playing conditions make things difficult.  Here is general rule of thumb to help you play better in the winter months.

Some funny things happen at 52 degrees.  I give credit to my long time friend and PGA Professional Bryan Costello from New Jersey for this one.  If the temperature drips below 52 degrees, it is more likely that the ball won’t travel as far.  Since the ball won’t go as far, you must automatically add more distance to all your shots.  Try it!  I hope it works for you!

Mike Fay

Mike Fay

PGA Director of Instruction

With over 30 years of teaching experience, it's easy to see why Mike has become a leader in the world of golf instruction. Everything from cutting edge social networking techniques to having his own podcast, Mike has helped to change the face of teaching golf.  He currently is the Director of Instruction at Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon, Michigan.

Email:  [email protected]

Should I Chip or Pitch?

by | Instruction, Short Game, Uncategorized

Should I Chip Or Pitch?

 

One question that I am often asked is:  what club should I use around the green for a particular shot.  Which is usually followed by me asking them this:  Do you think you should chip this shot or pitch this shot?  The following are some tips on what you should do in certain situations:

The difference between a pitch and a chip is this:  a chip is where the ball is on the ground longer than it’s in the air, a pitch is the opposite:  the ball is in the air longer than on the ground.

Now, here’s the question:  which do I do when?  There are a number of factors that determine this:

  • Lie-The worse the lie the more you should pitch it.  That usually means using a sand wedge or lob wedge.

  • Space-How much room do you have to land the ball?  Pitch if there’s less room, chip if there’s more room.

  • Landing Area-Determining the flattest part of the green where the ball will roll straight when it lands.  The closer to the pin that is, the more you should pitch, the less you should chip.

The backswing is the only difference between a chip and a pitch.  The backswing in a chip has no wrist cock because you want the ball to run when it hits the green.  The backswing in a pitch has wrist cock because you want to add loft to the shot.

I hope these tips help you decide what to do.  Picking the right shot will get you closer to the hole and help you get up and down.

 

Mike Fay

Mike Fay

PGA Director of Instruction

With over 30 years of teaching experience, it's easy to see why Mike has become a leader in the world of golf instruction. Everything from cutting edge social networking techniques to having his own podcast, Mike has helped to change the face of teaching golf.  He currently is the Director of Instruction at Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon, Michigan.

Email:  [email protected]

Improve Your Contact Around The Green

by | Beginners, Instruction, Short Game

Improve Your Contact Around The Green

 

 

 

One way to better your short game around the green is to hit the ball more solidly.  Once you learn to hit the ball solidly, then you will be able to develop a feel for how far your shots will travel.   Here are four ways to hit the ball more solidly.  Whether chipping or pitching, these are easy, simple and effective ways to improve your contact around the green.

 

  • Your club shaft is FORWARD with the butt end of the grip starting and finishing in front of the ball.
  • Your head should be OVER of the ball position and should stay there through out the swing and doesn’t move up, down or sideways.
  • The back of the LEAD hand should face the target and the club face should face the SKY when the swing is finished.
  • Your club head should finish BELOW your hands.
Mike Fay

Mike Fay

PGA Director of Instruction

With over 30 years of teaching experience, it's easy to see why Mike has become a leader in the world of golf instruction. Everything from cutting edge social networking techniques to having his own podcast, Mike has helped to change the face of teaching golf.  He currently is the Director of Instruction at Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon, Michigan.

Email:  [email protected]

Hitting Approach Shots Over Hazards

by | Course Strategy, Instruction, Mike Fay Golf Channel

Hitting Approach Shots Over Hazards

 

Are you the person that has the “special” ball that you put into play when you are faced with an approach shot over a hazard like water?  Well, say goodbye to those old balls because with this video tip, you won’t have to do that ever again.

Knowing the golf course you are playing is very important.  The shape of the green and the yardage from the front of the green to the back plays a roll in how far you actually carry a golf ball in the air.  Now with Trackman and other ball launch devices, we can see how far golfers actually carry their shots.  Know your carry yardage and know the golf course.

Mike Fay

Mike Fay

PGA Director of Instruction

With over 30 years of teaching experience, it's easy to see why Mike has become a leader in the world of golf instruction. Everything from cutting edge social networking techniques to having his own podcast, Mike has helped to change the face of teaching golf.  He currently is the Director of Instruction at Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon, Michigan.

Email:  [email protected]

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