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30 April 2012
April 29th will here-to-fore be known as Jason Dufner Day on the PGA Tour. On that date, 35 year old Jason finally caught lightning in a bottle. This well experienced journeyman at long last, via tremendous personal fortitude and self belief, captured his first tour title. A BIG CONGRATS to the very likable Jason Dufner on his first trip to THE WINNERS CIRCLE.
Dufner’s “waggle until it feels right” trademark sets his swing apart on tour. Yes, most all the other players use a waggle to: a) relax the tension that tends to creep into their hands and forearms; b) feel the motion they intend to deliver (path and face in rhythm); and c) feel the footwork that will deliver that swing motion. But Dufner’s waggle is different. I’d love to have the conversation with Jason regarding the feels his particular waggle produces that provide his confidence to simply GO THERE!
It has been fun to watch Jason grow as a player these past two years. Three runner up finishes in 2011. Two of them by play-off losses. Contending in the Majors, where he lost a heartbreaker to Keegan Bradley in the 2011 PGA Championship. Leading the Masters this year going into the weekend. Two more recent weekend leads only to stumble down the stretch. And finally bringing home the bacon in a playoff victory over the winner of 62 titles worldwide, the Big Easy, none other than the highly popular Ernie Els – the guy who is bringing Autism awareness to us all.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to Hall of Famer Ernie Els. Its been heartbreaking these past three years to watch Ernie struggle on the greens only to lose opportunity after opportunity to jump back into the Winners Circle. Winless for way too long, Ernie is still one of the best ball strikers on tour. His timeless swing is sound. His rhythm is seldom rushed; though he is now missing more greens from scoring position than in his heydays.
Els resisted going to the belly putter for a long time. As a traditionalist, he, like Tiger, would like to see “anchoring a club” outlawed. But for the time being Ernie is taking advantage of the “fixed fulcrum connection” he is now feeling in his putting stroke.
The interesting thing about belly putting is that the belly is the wrong the FIXED FULCRUM for the best of consistency in putting. Anchoring the putter to the belly requires the player to use an “arc” rather than an on-line stroke. Learning to swing from a fixed fulcrum with an on-line stroke is the true art of putting, and what I have as yet, found, no other putting coach teaches.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
23 April 2012
It seems all are weighing in on the Hank Haney/Tiger Woods saga. So I will be no exception.
In my opinion, Hank has stepped well beyond the bounds of the conduct of a “gentleman.” What’s done and said in private, should remain private – particular in a teacher/student or coach/player relationship. Furthermore, Hank’s comments regarding Tiger’s family were totally out of bounds.
Golf is supposed to the “THE sport of gentlemen.” It is here, in THIS game that integrity and etiquette still have meaning. It is here where principles and honesty reign in the place of officials.
While we can all agree that Tiger himself violated ‘the code of conduct’ off the battlefield and is trying hard to live up to the dear price he has paid, and continues to pay for his conflagrations, it is Hank Haney who has, in the eyes of this ‘gentleman’s world,’ betrayed his membership rights – by severely overstepping his bounds, and who therefore, can no longer be found to be an acceptable member of the golf fraternity.
As for Tiger, I really don’t like the artificially manufactured, non-fundamentally sound method of releasing the club that Sean Foley and Tiger have been trying so desperately to perfect. As I said in my ‘2012 Masters Preview,’ the only reason I can think of, as either a player or a teacher, that you would work on such a manipulated way of delivering your motion; is that you simply don’t know any better!
For the most part Butch Harmon’s most recent comments are right on: Tiger needs to quit listening and go find the feel required to produce shots – on command. The problem Tiger currently has with doing that, is that he, much like Faldo in his prime, has gotten so mechanical in his processes, routines and motions; that to simply “go naked” at this point puts him between a rock and a hard place.
Golf is such a mental game that for Tiger to move in the direction Butch suggests, requires that Tiger have a mind set that promotes motion building – in proper rhythm – at his own natural tempo, that indeed, does produce desired and intended ball flights.
Over the six years that Tiger was working with Hank Haney, I wrote Tiger no fewer than 11 times, suggesting he was barking up the wrong tree. While Foley has done some better things with Tiger, I still believe his approach to shot shaping is way too complex and just simply wrong for Tiger.
A good, simple and fundamentally sound verbal/mental session with Tiger would put him on the right track. If you are a fan of Tiger’s and would like to see him back on top of his game, and a fan of what you are finding here at Golfstruck, you would do well to put us together. I believe, following his discouraging exit from the Master’s, Tiger could use a boost right now.
To contact Ozzie, simply click on the “Contact Us” button at the top of the Golfstruck Home Page.
Golfstruck – Better Golf Right Now!
23 April 2012
This admittedly tough Greg Norman designed course in San Antonio won again. In “normal Texas winds” the players had difficulty shaping their shots. The average score this week was 74+.
While there is always a tendency to compare generations of players, which is tough because of the advancement in the technology of both equipment and the golf ball, I truly believe the art of “Shot Shaping” is nowhere as good as it was 25 years ago when virtually all of our great players hailed from the windswept plains of Texas. Virginia born, hillbilly, Sam Snead was the exception!
One of the reasons is today’s technology goal to produce ever straighter ball flights. So there is far less need for players to learn the art of shot shaping, particularly in windy conditions.
The other major reason players are weak in this category is a tendency to ignore, in the development of their respective swing mechanics, the importance of left side control of: path, face and angle of attack. Sam Snead, while teaching me, always stressed the importance of footwork and left side control.
As we look at the swings of the old timers, they all worked far more on left side shaping of their shots than the current generation. For the most part, they learned to hit against a braced left side and kept their left hand in front of their right hand through impact and all the way to the delivered position – to waist high through the ball. Today’s players would do well to emulate these tried and true fundamentals that lead to the predictability and consistency of producing intended ball flights.
Having said all that, hats off to Ben Curtis on his 4th PGA tour victory to go with his One Major – the 2003 British Open. Ben, stayed well within his detailed routine all week, patiently getting into his proper set-up to FEEL the motion he WOULD deliver, predictably every time. Ben, while he did nothing spectacular, produced fewer errant shots than anyone else this week. It is great to see this nice guy and good family man with the homemade swing in THE WINNERS CIRCLE once again.
The two-year exemption and Masters invite he earned from this victory are perhaps more important than the 1+ million smackaroos he pocketed for the victory. Why? Because Ben had drifted so far down the eligibility list that this is only the 4th event he has been able to enter all season. Now that’s pressure!
Matt Every played a good, not great tournament. His opening course record 63 put him in good position to take this event, but sorry, his swing just isn’t good enough right now. While I applaud his efforts to simplify what he is doing on the course, i.e. ditching his instructor who was giving him too many swing thoughts, he is making one very critical error in his swing motion.
If you watch his footwork, he is getting up onto his right toe way too early in his downswing, thus causing a spin out with his right side firing in a circular motion to well left of his target. This is a dangerous move and one ill advised to try to time. Matt needs to work on the feel of firing his right side from in behind his left side – directly and linearly toward his target so that he finishes balanced on the inside of his left foot and the inside of his right big toe.
For those of you having the same problem – i.e. missing left, which Matt did on the critical 72nd hole, the easiest way to achieve this feel is to roll across the right ankle to drive the right thigh toward the target from well inside the left post axis, thereby being able to “push off” from well behind the ball of the right foot – rather than allowing the right heel to rise and spin away from the target – which causes a hugh power leak as well as the fear of going left.
When Matt and Jonny Vegas get this better directional weight transfer, they will be able to consistently attack from the inside corner of the golf ball, thus taking the left side of the course out of play. When we only miss one-way, the course gets wider and the game far easier to play.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to the young, 22 year old John Huh who came all the way back from an opening round of 77 (that’s 14 strokes behind Matt Every’s 63) and the pressure of not making the cut, to tie Matt for 2nd place at 7 under.
I really like John HUh’s swing, his poise, demeanor, focus, short game and putting. If you have a youngster working his way up through the junior ranks, this is a player for him to emulate. Sang Moon Bae is the other best PGA Tour rookie to copy. Though this is his first year on the PGA Tour, Sang Moon has won all over the world already. He is a polished player with a great swing and plenty of distance. Jason Day better sharpen his connections through the “region of impact” or these two may well surpass him as the next players to watch.
Golfstruck – Better Golf Right Now!
16 April 2012
This extremely narrow and favorite course of the players, always seems to crown the player who is most accurate with all the shots in his bag – this week. Certainly that was the case for the Big Swede, Carl Pettersson this week. A BIG CONGRATS TO CARL PETTERSSON on his 5th PGA tour victory, which makes him the winningest Swede in PGA tour history.
This week, the accuracy of Pettersson’s iron game was the best we have seen on tour this season. It was reminiscent of the way Johnny Miller played in his prime. But Johnny seemingly, knocked down pins every week!
If Petterssson is to maintain this accuracy week to week he will need to work on a better, more consistent, balanced finish.
Speaking of balance, Colt Knost, who contended up until midway through the final round, needs a major focus on his footwork if he is to contend with any amount of consistency or predictability. Talent alone doesn’t get the job done at this level.
Happy-go-lucky though Colt is, to continue to play relaxed and in the moment, he will need a more reliable/accurate game. He has a good feel and touch on and around the greens. So all he needs is to get that overweight body spinning better in place. Some added self-discipline both in his swing motion and his diet would go a long way toward producing at the level of his talent.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to Zach Johnson. It is nice to see Zach better focused this year after virtually taking last year off – mentally! But, just when his birdie at 15 on Sunday put him in the hunt at 3 back, his errant tee shot on 16 produced a charge ending bogey that doomed his bid for a come from behind win.
It looks like we will be seeing more of Zach in the coming weeks, contending down the stretch. Why? Because he appears to be in a good place mentally, as well as with his swing and his putter.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
9 Apr 2012
Well my top 10 picks for this year’s Masters, fizzled. While I was right on about Tiger and Phil, the injury to Jason Day was unfortunate. Kuchar did contend until an errant tee shot on 16 on Sunday, following his eagle on 15.
Luke Donald is struggling. Last season the fix for his errant ball flights was a simple spine angle/shaft angle fix. Since he didn’t get there in his analysis of what was wrong, his attempted fix is now, additionally, causing a timing problem. He is now so lost out there that the pressure he is putting on his short game is finally taking its toll.
Watney, Woodland, Dustin Johnson and Bill Haas simply need better footwork to consistently feel their delivery of motion. Sam Snead, when working with me, always stressed the importance of good footwork – which is why, when he got off his game, he quickly got it back by practicing barefoot.
Barefooted, we can far better feel balance, the direction the right side is firing, and bracing up on a firm left post axis – so we can spin in place, thus delivering with most consistent timing.
The big surprise at this week’s Masters was that both Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen did indeed putt well enough to contend. Bubba’s (4) consecutive birdies on 13, 14, 15, and 16 were every bit as remarkable as Schwartzel’s (4) birdie finish last year.
What a wonderful win for Bubba and his homemade approach to the game. His win was good for golf. But before you go out and try to copy his swing, let’s remember, Bubba has perhaps the most talented hands ever to play this game. His feel of both clubface and distance control is nothing short of amazing! A BIG CONGRATS TO BUBBA WATSON on his spectacular win on the second playoff hole over South African Louis Oosthuizen. THAT RECOVERY SHOT FROM THE PINES WAS UNBELIEVABLE!
And let’s remember, Louis hit putts on both playoff holes that he thought he’d made. It just wasn’t meant to be for Oosty this year. The Golf Gods, who always seem to make their presence known at the Masters, smiled on Bubba this year.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
2 Apr 12
So who do you like this week in The Masters? Will it be Tiger vs. Rory down to the wire. The oddsmakers seem to think so. Here’s Ozzie’s take.
There is a host of really good players who have been tuning up specifically for this year’s event. Keegan Bradley is getting hole-by-hole advice from Jack Nicklaus.
Steve Stricker has been resting his aching back. Matt Kuchar plays a natural draw which should serve him well on the back nine. Luke Donald is keying on the Majors this year, and he has the best short game and putting stats on tour.
Charl Schwartzel would like nothing better than to prove he was no fluke. Let’s hope he recovers in time from the Champions dinner he is pouring himself into. Jason Day is working on his driving and wedge game accuracy. If he comes to Augusta with the right feel in his bag, look out. This could be his year.
Adam Scott likes this layout. With Stevie “the brains” Williams on his bag, and a history of playing well at Augusta he’s a strong possibility – though no one with a long putter has ever won on those treacherous, demanding greens.
Bill Haas, Nick Watney, Gary Woodland, Kyle Stanley and Aaron Baddeley all have tailor-made games for Augusta. They are long, play a draw and putt well. What they need most is to believe they can win here.
Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson, Lee Westwood, Jason Dufner and Bubba Watson don’t putt well enough to win this tournament. Louis Oosthuizen has a great swing and wedge game, but his putting is his achilles heel as well.
Graeme McDowell is back on his game. If he has fixed his short putting, this could be his week. Hunter Mahan fits this category as well.
Justin Rose has the physical game to win here – if his footwork holds up. The question is whether he believes he can.
Phil Mickelson is that unpredictable loose cannon. I really feel sorry for his caddie, who must feel like he is constantly herding cats out there. You can’t not like Phil; you just can’t bet on him.
If you’re into long shots, this week’s best may well be Robert Garrigus at 200/1 or young Patrick Cantley at 400/1.
I don’t like Tiger’s swing yet. And the artificially mechanical release he’s now using is not yet predictable and simply doesn’t produce the controlled draw needed on the back nine at Augusta. His recently rediscovered short game and putting prowess are still pretty fragile. So I think the oddsmakers have jumped the gun on Tiger.
Rory, on the other hand is a legitimate contender here. but given there will be a full moon right in the middle of this year’s Masters, I’d want to check Rory’s biorhythms before laying down a wad on him. that’s probably the only thing that would keep Rory out of the winners circle this week.
So my top 10 this week are: Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, Bill Haas, Nick Watney, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Steve Stricker, Matt Kuchar, Charl Schwartzel and Rory McIlroy. My long shot is Robert Garrigus. He’s not afraid to go low! And, he has nothing to lose! No one but him, expects him to win.
I would be very surprised if this year’s Masters isn’t decided once again on the back nine on Sunday. And once again it will take at least 4 under on the back nine to break out of a pack of some 8 players who have positioned themselves for the win.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
2Apr12
This shot demanding, fast greens layout is a great warm-up for next week’s Masters. And we got to see who is hot and who is struggling.
Phil Mickelson says everything feels good. He has such marvelous feel for distance with all the clubs in the bag. He was pin high all week. But he still hits too many loose shots and tries a greater variety shots (unnecessarily) than anybody but Bubba Watson. So I think Phil will come up short of the winners circle once again.
Former British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen is pretty much on top of his ball striking. He has plenty of distance for Augusta, and his wedge and short iron game is absolutely knocking down pins. His weakness is putting. And for that reason alone, I can’t pick him to win at Augusta.
Hunter Mahan credits Canadian Sports Psychologist Jim Murphy with giving him a mental approach that better matches his physical skills. It’s working! A BIG CONGRATS TO HUNTER MAHAN for his victory in Houston.
I like Hunter’s swing. He more naturally releases the club through the ‘region of impact’ than most players on tour. And he’s a confident putter. His wedge and chipping game is still suspect. So I can’t pick him to win at Augusta, either.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to Swede, Carl Petterson. He won the putting stats for the week and still came up shy of a victory. Carl needs to knock down more pins. While he has flared his left foot out at address for a better hip turn, he needs more work on his connections, i.e. timing.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
26 Mar 2012
Once again Arnie hosted a great tournament. Rushed to the hospital on Sunday as the final groups finished for a sudden spike in his blood pressure, let’s all hope The King is okay.
This time the greens at Bay Hill were nearly Masters speed. And with tough pin settings, the course again found the best golfer. Tiger Woods cruised to a five shot victory. His first win in some 2+ years.
A BIG CONGRATS TO TIGER. Its been a long road back. And in his victory speech we found the key to his victory. He thanked all of the people who have helped him along the way. It seems Tiger has indeed learned that life has relatively little meaning or purpose when you live it alone. Its been said that man is measured by the quality and extent of his friendships.
In my most recent “Tiger Watch” published here Jan 30, 2012, I stated that Freddie Couples gave Tiger the huge boost he needed to bounce back from spiritual bankruptcy. His Presidents Cup teammates responded in kind. Tiger suddenly understood how important and great it was to have friends. For his sake, let’s all hope that Tiger doesn’t once again misconstrue popularity or fame for friendship – which by the way, is a two way street.
The British bookmakers and the media are once again fully jumping on Tiger’s bandwagon. They are making him the favorite to win the Masters. And to overtake Jack’s record of 18 Majors. Hold on a minute! Let’s remember recent history. Tiger walked off the course just two weeks ago, hobbled. He was having to play a 20 yard slice in his first few tournaments of 2012 just to keep the ball in play. He was putting and chipping miserably. And we were crowning Rory McIlroy as the best in the game – the next Tiger Woods! And then Luke Donald said, not so fast!
Yet, he is Tiger – the man who can turn his game around faster than any player in history. Is he on a new run to the top? He may well be. But as I watch his swing I have to ask myself, “why would a player of his ability try to learn to play with such an unnatural, manufactured release from ball to target?” The only answer I can come up with is – neither he nor his teacher, Sean Foley, know any better. But then, I’ve always said you can take the most talented of players, stand them on their ear and swing, and they will find a way to repeat it.
I believe Augusta National will be a good test of where Tiger’s game is. But with his continued down/up head movement combined with the manufactured fade swing release he is currently using, playing a controlled draw is a tough assignment, at best – which you need on the back nine at Augusta. His recently found confidence on and around the greens is just that – recently found! Augusta will test it, severely. So for this Masters, my bet, given the choice between Tiger and the Field, I would have to take the Field.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to Graeme McDowell who had his chances on Sunday. The eagle he poured in on 6 on Sunday, stealing that hole from Tiger, brought him within one stroke of Tiger. He then missed short putts on 9 and 10 when he could have putt a little pressure on Tiger’s yet tender swing changes. But it was McDowell who faltered down the stretch. You can bet Graeme will have his short putting in hand come the Masters.
Ernie Els came up but one stroke shy of a tie for third and two shots shy of earning an invite to the Masters. And once again we can find those shots from inside six feet from the pin. On June 20, 2011, I posted on this site, a video tip drill for Ernie that would at least get him started in the right direction. It would only take a couple of days with Ernie to get him to understand and feel the motion required to solve the problem. There a few things, fundamentally, he needs to do differently in his putting.
Ernie is a great guy and one dedicated to making a difference through is foundation, which is seeking ways to improve the lives of those with Autism. Let’s all wish him the best.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
19 Mar 2012
Innisbrook’s Copperhead course continues to be a favorite stop among tour players. It always seems to sort out the players who can hit it where they’re looking, whether from the tee, into the greens or on the greens. And this year was no exception.
We had a race to the wire among a whole host of players capped off by their ability to negotiate the “Snake Pit” – holes 16 – 18. As it turned out only the swash buckling Robert Garrigus was able to birdie his way home into the 4-man playoff. The other three – Jim Furyk, rookie sensation Sang Moon Bae and recently deposed Luke Donald managed merely to limp through the snake pit, while both Ken Duke and poor ole Ernie Els were bitten by Copperhead.
A BIG CONGRATS TO Luke Donald who won the one-hole playoff with a miraculous 7 iron from the rough to 8 feet below the hole. With his victory Luke replaces Rory McIlroy after only two weeks in the hot seat as the world’s # 1 player. Seems Luke isn’t quite ready to crown the young lad from Northern Ireland as the best in the game.
As I watched Luke swing this week, he appeared to stay in his angles better, but for the first time, to my eye, he appeared somewhat disconnected. His right elbow was trailing his right hip as he approached impact, causing him to lose the feel of acceleration from ball to target, which resulted in a great many of his approach irons coming up well short of pin high and/or to the right of target. Let’s hope he gets this fixed by Masters week. He needs to start adding Majors to his portfolio.
Robert Garrigus is long and confidently straight off the tee. He is stuffing his irons right at pins. But that sternum length putter he’s using (having switched from the shortest putter on tour) I fear is not the answer. He is simply not feeling distance control very well with those short breaking putts as evidenced by his badly missed attempt from just outside Donald in the playoff. His putting is all that’s keeping him out of the winners circle.
Jim Furyk is another guy suffering from speed control with his putting. This week, every makeable putt Jim stroked came up short. He appears to have way too much tension in his hands, forearms and shoulders – likely because he is trying to say still below the waist.
Rookie sensation Sang Moon Bae – who by the way has won all over the world, has made every cut so far in his first season on the PGA Tour. This young man,with all the shots and a routine that exudes confidence is knocking on the door of victory. What he still needs, however,is to be able to go after more pins. When he does, his excellent putting will drop him off quite nicely in the winners circle. If I were in his shoes, I’d be working night and day on learning to ‘flight’ my wedges and short irons. He comes out of way too many of these shots.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGER AWARD this week goes to Ernie Els. Coming into the Snake Pit on Sunday with a one stroke lead, Ernie knocked it stiff on 16 – by far the best shot of the day. Left with a 4+ footer to take a two stroke lead with two to go, Ernie’s baggage of the past three years crept into his head – the fear of missing yet another short putt.
With all that was on the line for Ernie, his first victory in over three years and an invite to the Masters, we can scarcely blame him for getting out of the present – but he does blame himself! His confidence was badly shaken when he missed on 16, then again on 17 to drop into a tie for the lead, and then again on 18 when he missed a third consecutive short putt to drop out of the playoff.
Ernie shouldn’t blame himself! Yes, he did allow himself to get out of his routine and lose proper focus over those putts. But it is his technique/routine itself that is at fault. You see Ernie, though he has tried every trick in the book these past three years with his putting, is simply not yet working on the proper fundamentals of excellent putting. He desperately needs a better way of putting.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
12 Mar 12
Justin Rose: Last week Rose hit every iron shot left of target. This week he fixed his alignment and his footwork so that his right side fired down the target line. With his sterling short game still working and his putter zeroed in, Justin stepped into the Winners Circle with his first /world Golf Championship. A BIG CONGRATS TO JUSTIN ROSE!
This win should provide a big boost of confidence for Justin as everyone ranked in the top 50 Worldwide – was in the field!!!! It has been a mystery to me why Justin doesn’t win more often. This is only the 5th victory for this 31 year old since turning pro as a teenager! Rose has one of the best swings on tour and he has a good short game. So it has to be what’s going on between his ears that’s getting in the way of consistently performing at the level of his talent.
Bubba Watson: Speaking of what goes on between the ears – Bubba Watson is part genius! Strapped with a difficulty of staying focused and in the moment, tournament golf is a HUGE CHALLENGE for this unbelievably gifted player. The things Bubba makes the ball do are not in and of themselves that unusual, but to shape shots with the accuracy and predictability that he does is nothing short of remarkable. Bubba treated us to a spectacular week of shotmaking. Struggling on the front nine on Sunday with a big slice of the tee, he righted the ship on the back nine and nearly pull even with Rose.
Bubba, it’s really good to see you back in the hunt.
I’m glad to see that Bubba is working on developing his PROCESS OF SHOTMAKING ROUTINES. A players’s routines are his best friend in competition. They keep you in the moment, serve to focus your attention on the shot at hand and provide the means of delivering the motion required to get your ball form here to there.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to Keegan Bradley. Keegan played the most steady golf all week right up until the back nine on Sunday. Keegan needs to keep putting himself in position to win and he will find his way to the winners circle.
As I watch Bradley play, he uses up more energy than anyone else on the course. As he learns to play with a more relaxed focus and trust his routines to produce shots down the stretch, he will become a better player. This highly likeable young man from St. Johns College is well on his way to having a great year.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
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