Hit a Punch Shot

The Scenario:

You hit your pitching wedge pretty solid, but it takes your best swing to get close to the pin.

The Solution:

The longer the backswing, the less margin for error, yet most golfers make their club selection based on a full swing for the yardage at hand. This often can prove to be a big mistake, especially when you can get away with swinging a longer club a little shorter. Often referred to as a “Punch Shot”, this is a shotmaker's best friend, especially to an open green, or when faced with a stiff wind. Below are the steps to executing the shot properly as well as a yardage guide to help you select the right club, when you elect to make a punch-shot swing.

Step 1

Keep everything in your set-up generally the same, but stop your backswing when your hands reach chest high. Be sure you've hinged your wrists fully, with the clubhead high above your hands. From the top of your backswing, turn through the ball as normal.

Step 2

After impact, make sure to keep the clubhead low to the ground, this helps the ball fly at a lower trajectory, piercing the wind. Finishing low also reduces your chances of swiping across the ball and hitting a cut. If you select the proper club for the distance you're facing, you'll end up in great shape on the green.

Refer to the chart below to get a general idea of distances with various clubs.

Club               Full-Swing Distance         Punch-Swing Distance

7-iron                        165 yards                                      130 yards

8-iron                       150 yards                                       115 yards

9-iron                       135 yards                                       100 yards

PW                            125 yards                                       85 yards

Remember to check back often for the latest tips and training from Ted & Buck Golf!

Video Tip "Downhill/Sidehill Lie

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What do you do when you are in-between distances?

The Scenario

You hit a pretty good drive, but as you step off the yardage to the green you discover that you're 5 yards farther than you comfortably hit your 8 iron, and 5 yards shorter than you would hit your 7 iron. So what do you do?

Here's the Solution

Learning to take yards on or off the distance you hit each club is an important skill. If you don't have it, then the only time you will get close is when you are at exact distances from the pin with each of your clubs. The odds of that happening are not very likely, so you need to be able to make adjustments in order to give yourself options. Below are clues to help you decide between hitting a hard shot with a shorter iron or a soft shot with a longer one.

Hit The Longer Club If...

• The hole plays uphill.
• The wind is in your face.
• There's trouble short.
• Plus, make sure the distance you're sitting at is to the pin, not the center of the green. If you only know the distance to the center, play the longer club if the pin is in the middle or back of the green.

Hit The Shorter Club If...

• The hole plays downhill.
• The wind is at your back.
• There's trouble long.
• If you only know the distance to the center, play the shorter club if the pin is in the front of the green.

To add or subtract 5 yards off that club you need to incorporate the following techniques.

How To Add 5 Yards To An Iron

Step 1 – Play the ball just back of center and lean the shaft forward. This will de-loft the clubface, turning your 7 iron into a 6 ½ iron.

Step 2 – Make a full backswing. From the top, feel like your about to pinch the ball between the clubface and the grass, as opposed to picking it off the turf.

Step 3 – Be sure to accelerate to a full finish.

How To Subtract 5 Yards From An Iron

Step 1 – Play the ball forward, more towards your left heel, and set your hands directly above the ball.

Step 2 – Make a ¾ backswing, so your hands reach about shoulder height.

Step 3 – Swing to a ¾ finish on the follow through, but make sure to fully turn toward the target. Because you are not making a full turn, be sure to keep an even tempo in your swing. It's easy to rush in the backswing or downswing on less than full shots. So think “Smooth” when you execute the ¾ shot.

Another “Key Point” to remember. When hitting your longer club, choke down an inch or two on the handle when taking your grip, it shortens the club making it easier to control.

If you keep this in mind next time your faced with shots that are in-between your normal distances, you will find that you will be able to better handle the situation.

This is a great tip to practice next time you visit the practice range, having the skill to execute these shots gives you a world of confidence on the course.

Search through the archives of our “In The Cup! Blog to find more great tips.

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Chipping From a Tight Lie

The Scenario

Your ball is lying just off the green on a tightly mown fairway, leaving you feeling a bit nervous about your next shot.

The Solution 

Set-up with your weight mainly on your left side. Create the feeling of standing on a small seesaw, this will cause you to tilt to your left side. Doing so means your weight is perfectly positioned to hit down on the ball, catching it clean.


To Practice It

Not everyone wants to stand on a board that wobbles like a seesaw, so use an empty water bottle instead. Place it under your right foot. Play the ball slightly back of center, and use the bottle as a reminder to shift your weight forward over to your left leg. When you shift your weight forward and keep it there during this shot, correctly positions the bottom of your swing arc at the back of the ball. This will help to ensure you hit the ball as opposed to hitting the ground behind the ball and chunking it.


Try this next time your at the practice range until you get the technique down pat. Chipping from a tight lie doesn't necessarily have to be a difficult shot, and with a little practice you will be able to execute it effectively every time.


Good Luck!

Ted & Buck

Ted & Buck Golf! " Quick Tip "

Picture the shot before you play it.

You hit a great drive, and are ready to hit your next shot to the green. Now what?

After making a practice swing or two walk behind the ball, to visualize as vividly as you can the flight of the ball. Pick out an intermediate target a few feet in front of the ball to help you with alignment.
 
Follow these 5 steps and you will be well on your way to hitting a successful approach shot. 

1.  Stand behind the ball

2. Size up where you need to hit the ball to avoid hazards etc. to be in optimum position for your next shot.

3. Visualize in your mind the flight of the ball.

4. Choose a target that is close to the ball to further aid in alignment.

5. Play the shot.

Remember this "Quick Tip " next time your on the course. For more tips and training, plus access to our full video library, visit Ted & Buck's " Video Caddy " website to subscribe today. 

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Ted & Buck Golf! Video Tip " Putting "

 

In this 'Video Tip' Ted & Buck show you the basics of how to handle the straight putt, and a breaking putt.

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Ted & Buck Golf! " Mid-Range Bunker Shots

There are a great many shots in golf that puzzle even the best golfers, and this is one of them. The mid-range bunker shot (60-80 yards). Not every golfer can land his or her second shot on a par 5, safely on the green, some lay up. So many courses will strategically place a bunker or two, right around this area in order to make it more difficult on those longer holes. Many golfers get out of their comfort zone hitting out of any bunker, let alone a long bunker shot.

Knowing what to do can make this scenario a less stressful task.

Common Faults:

• Club selection
• Ball position
• Improper set-up

The Fix:

• Select a pitching wedge as opposed to your sand wedge
• Place the ball in the middle of your stance
• Lean your hands slightly so they are forward of the clubhead, take a more square stance than normally for a greenside bunker shot

In many cases the golfer will select their sand wedge thinking this is the only club to play from a bunker, not true. Since you have a greater distance to cover the pitching wedge is a better choice. If you move the ball back to the middle of your stance as suggested above, you will be able to pick the ball clean, as opposed to moving heaven & earth. It's not necessary to open up the club as you normally would for a bunker shot, keep it square to the target. You may need to dig in a little for stability but not much, choke down on the club a little to compensate. The key here is rhythm. Accelerate smoothly into your downswing so you don't lose your footing. You will take a little sand at impact, but only after you strike the ball.

Remember to focus on the points above next time your at the range and before you know it, you'll be hitting this shot with ease.

Enjoy,

Ted & Buck

Ted & Buck Golf! " Fairway Wood

We featured this tip on our "Video Caddy" website, and felt it was worth sharing on this blog as well.

Fairway Woods

In this segment of “The Golf Swing Basics-101” we thought we would tackle the “Fairway Wood”, therefore we put together 3 shots golfers might be faced with in their round.

Certainly one of the most frustrating things in golf is to hit a well struck drive, only to top your second shot 50 yards down the fairway with your wood. So lets tackle this scenario first.

Common Faults:

• Improper set-up
• Poor ball position
• Sweeping like a tee shot

The Fix:

• Set-up with your weight balanced evenly between both feet.
• Position the ball just opposite the logo on your shirt.
• Use a neutral hand position that is even with the ball, don't forward press.
• Choke down on the club slightly, this helps control the shot.
• Unlike a “Tee Shot” you swing down and through the ball to full balanced finish.

One of the common mistakes golfers make is place the ball too far forward in their stance. The result is a sweeping action, causing you to swing up on the ball as in a tee shot. This creates all kinds of problems like topping the ball, or even hitting behind it. With a few key changes to your set-up, plus understanding how to execute the shot, you will hit your fairway woods with more confidence.

Hitting from Moderate Rough

Our next scenario, involves hitting out of the rough with your fairway wood. If the ball is buried in deep rough, consider an alternate plan however, if the ball is sitting up at least half-way then go for it.

Common Faults:

• Set-up

• Ball position too far forward
• Sweeping up on the ball
• Gripping the full length of the shaft

The Fix:

• Weight even between the feet, stand closer to the ball

• Place ball further back than normal, approximately the center of your stance
• Hit down and through the ball with a more descending blow, taking a slight divot
• Choke down at least an inch to compensate for standing closer to the ball

To prevent the long grass from catching the clubhead, you need to hit the shot with a more descending blow than you would from the fairway. Making good contact with the ball is paramount, therefore playing the ball back in your stance will help to ensure that happens. Choking down and standing closer to the ball, will help to create a more vertical backswing. This gives you a better angle of attack into the ball. Taking a divot lets you know you are hitting down and through the ball, maximizing the loft of your fairway wood. The end result, the ball will come out with a higher trajectory than with a long iron, yet won't sacrifice any distance.

Hitting out of Bunkers

The final shot is hitting your fairway wood out of a bunker. Under the right conditions, a utility or fairway wood can be a great choice when faced with a long fairway bunker shot. Hitting a lofted wood can be much easier to hit from the sand than say your long irons, since the sole-plate of your wood helps against digging into the sand.

Common Faults:

• Set-up
• Ball position
• Too much movement in swing

The Fix:

• Grip down at least an inch on the club, and dig your feet down slightly in the sand to avoid lowering the bottom of your swing
• Ball should be in the middle of stance.
• Widen stance to create a stable base, and restrict the movement of your legs and hips.

The swing is a three-quarter armswing going back, and swing through to a full balanced finish on the follow through. Widening your stance, and digging your feet slightly will encourage a more solid base, and avoid the common problem of swaying. Set-up so you make contact with the ball first, unlike with a standard bunker shot where you want to hit the sand. Making solid contact is the goal, distance will take care of itself.

No matter what shot your faced with, the only way to be successful is to practice, practice, practice. All 3 shots above can easily be mastered with a little practice next time you visit the range. Watch our “Featured Video” to see how to execute the fairway wood shot from the fairway.

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Ted & Buck Golf! Bunker Play-(Ball Below Feet)

After hitting your “Tee Shot” on a short par 3, you discover that your ball has not only landed in the Greenside Bunker, but is well below your feet. There's no mistaking it, this is a difficult shot even for the pros.

With a few adjustments to your setup, even a high handicapper can execute this shot with ease.

• Lower your center of gravity, in order to help reach down to the ball. 
• Open the clubface just slightly, unlike for a normal bunker shot. This will help to dig down in order to get the ball out.
• Play the ball just forward of center. Too far forward and you will likely blade the shot.
• Pick the club up quickly in the backswing, and abbreviate the follow-through in order to maintain your balance.

Incorporate these into your bunker play next practice session, and you will hit this shot with confidence.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j20WWkJItSc 

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Ted & Buck Tips: Work on your "Timing and Tempo"

Timing:

Timing in a golf swing is very important and rarely understood. Our purpose is to time the unleashing of power into the golf ball, while trying to square the club head. Not an easy task. To put it simply, if the lower hand on the club does not turn over soon enough, the club head will open and produce a slice. If on the other hand it turns over too early, the club head will shut resulting in a hook.

Once you understand the importance of timing, and that it is impossible to hit a straight shot every time, and if your timing is a little ahead or behind, you will see the variance in ball flight previously discussed.

Tempo:

Tempo refers to the speed of your swing and is the key to good timing. When you are swinging well, and in balance your tempo will be smooth and rhythmic. Tempo effects timing, if you swing too slow or too fast, your timing will be thrown off.

Remember to work on both your Tempo & Timing next time you visit the practice range, you will be amazed at how much better the results will be, and how easily you will control your shots.

See you next week!

Ted & Buck

Ted & Buck Golf! "Video Tip"

Above is a video tip from Ted & Buck's "Video Caddy" website. Click on this link and "Subscribe" to see more great videos. http://tedandbuckvideocaddy.com/

The scenario:

You've hit your tee shot off the fairway only to find yourself behind a group of trees, with water in front. Depending on the lie, there are two options. Watch this video and see how Ted & Buck handle this situation.

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The Incredible "Moe Norman"

Moe Norman was arguably among the top Canadian amateur golfers, yet when you ask most people they say, "never heard of him". Why is that? Well! To truly understand that you need to hear the story behind "Moe". I came across a short video on "Youtube" that sums up his life and explains why he never rose to greatness on the professional tour., despite being compared to the late "Ben Hogan" as one of the best ballstrikers in the world.

To learn more about " Moe " visit;

 http://www.moenorman.org/moenorman?top_cms_id=27   

We hope you enjoy the post of  Moe Norman. He was a great asset to the game and is missed by all who knew him.

With warmest regards,

Ted & Buck