Golf news and some quick swing tips
During the recent U.S. Open where Tiger Woods came up short, it is now reported that his wife Elin was in the hospital for 4-days with complications prior to the birth of their daughter Sam, just hours after Father’s Day. Hope you have seen the “Baby Tiger” spot on TV, very clever.
Kristie Kerr won the Women’s U.S. Open at historic Pine Needles Resort, in Southern Pines, N.C. Kristie is quite a story as she was said to be the most successful LPGA player never to win a major, until recently. Kerr turned pro just after high school and has become a great player, especially after a major change in her body. When she first joined the tour, she was slightly overweight and known for her glasses. Now she has lost a lot of weight and after a make-over, is quite attractive.
The Pine Needles Resort has a local tie to Northern California with Pat McGowan the long-time tour player from Colusa, California being married to the daughter of Peggy Kirk Bell. Pat plays some on the Champions Tour, but primarily oversees the teaching operation at Pine Needles.
Simple golf tips:
Over the years there are a few easy and very visual golf tips that I have run across, or come up with myself, and I thought I’d share a few with you.
- One of my favorites was one that I came up with myself. It is called the red wine drill. No…it’s not drinking while you play, but to stay steady over a putt or a pitch shot just off the green, imagine that you have a glass of red wine balanced on your head and you don’t want to spill it.
- If you do not have a good follow-through, try to feel your right knee touch your left knee during the swing, to assure that you turn and face the target in the follow-through. Watch the good players, they all do it. When your knees are together, it will help your balance as well.
- To learn to release the club and get rid of a slice and even draw the ball, use a light grip in practice swings. Feel your wrists touch each other during the swing. Do this, and reach toward the target. Then try it with a golf ball.
- When putting short putts, you want to always keep the putter moving toward the target. Imagine that you are driving a nail with a hammer. You want to drive the nail straight toward the target.
- With pitch and run shots from just off the green, pretend that you are driving a tack into the back of the golf ball. This will give you a nice solid strike on the ball, and result in nice shots. You can also use this on long putts. How many of you typically leave long putts short? Remember what Hubert Green said…”90% of the putts you leave short will not go in…”
Short tips and short lessons are usually better than long complicated ones, keep it simple and have fun.
