Golf instruction - what is essential to the swing and what is merely style?
Golf Instruction - What is essential to the swing and what is merely a matter of style? A page for everybody who loves golf! Here I will discuss the swing, architecture, equipment, players and the general state of the game.
I have always wanted to play golf in Wales in October.....? To bad, because the golf world was so ready for this event. Looking forward to it getting going. (Pics compliments of @paulazinger)
This is how Paddy deals with a little pressure combined with a little precipitation - this guy must have nerves of steel to be napping now! (Pics compliments of @ianjamespoulter)
And there is golf being played in Wales today......
Euros looking good so far. No signs of any fear factor!
Tomorrow starts one of golf's greatest events - The Ryder Cup. Here is a brief overview of the event and once again a few of my mindless musings.
Some pertinent sites to visit:
Take a look at who is playing and their Ryder Cup records:
Team Europe:
Lee Westwood – 37 World ranking: 3 Ryder Cups: 6 - played 29 - 14/5/10. (won/halved/lost)
Martin Kaymer – 25 World ranking: 6 Ryder Cups: 0
Luke Donald – 32. World ranking: 8 Ryder Cups: 2 - played 7 - 5/1/1.
Rory McIlroy – Age: 21. World ranking: 9 Ryder Cups: 0
Graeme McDowell – Age: 31. World ranking: 13 Ryder Cups: one - played 4 - 2/1/1.
Edoardo Molinari – Age: 29. World ranking: 15 Ryder Cups: 0
Ian Poulter – Age: 34. World ranking: 16 Ryder Cups: 2 - played 7 - 6/0/1.
Padraig Harrington – Age: 39. World ranking: 22 Ryder Cups: 5 - played 21 - 7/3/11.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez – Age: 46. World ranking: 26 Ryder Cups: 3 - played 12 - 2/3/7.
Ross Fisher – Age: 29. World ranking: 27 Ryder Cups: 0
Francesco Molinari – Age: 27. World ranking: 32 Ryder Cups: 0
Peter Hanson – Age: 32. World ranking: 42 Ryder Cups: 0
Team USA
Tiger Woods Age: 34 World ranking: 1 Ryder Cups: 5 - played 24 - 9/2/13.
Phil Mickelson Age: 40. World ranking: 2 Ryder Cups: 7 - played 30 - 10/6/14.
Steve Stricker Age: 43. World ranking: 4 Ryder Cups: 1 - played 3 - 0/1/2.
Jim Furyk Age: 40. World ranking: 5 Ryder Cups: 6 - played 24 - 8/3/13.
Matt Kuchar Age: 32. World ranking: 11 Ryder Cups: 0
Dustin Johnson Age: 26. World ranking: 12 Ryder Cups: 0
Hunter Mahan Age: 28. World ranking: 14 Ryder Cups: 1 - played 5 - 2/0/3.
Zach Johnson Age: 34 World ranking: 19 Ryder Cups: 1 - played 4 - 1/1/2.
Bubba Watson Age: 31. World ranking: 24 Ryder Cups: 0
Rickie Fowler Age: 21 World ranking: 33 Ryder Cups: 0
Stewart Cink Age: 37 World ranking: 35 Ryder Cups: 4 - played 15 - 4/4/7.
Jeff Overton Age: 27. World ranking: 48 Ryder Cups: 0
Some interesting facts:
My thoughts:
Mrs. Doubtfire err, Colin Montgomerie! Simply because he is the only person involved who has the ability to single handedly cause a team to lose. The unfortunate thing is that he only possesses that power over his own team, but hopefully he'll only be putting out fires instead of starting them.
The winner will be......
Team Europe in a landslide! Monty will manage to stay out of the way, Tiger will be horrible and Dustin and Ricky will just not be enough to overcome the Euros as Poulter and the Molinari's manhandle the "Yankees"! The reason - can you picture Tiger, Phil and Stewy wearing the above pictured hair pieces? And that's just it - camaraderie and kinship. I get the feeling the Euros want to be together as a team, whereas the US side is put together as a team, they have to deal with being together.
Nothing can beat good old fashioned team chemistry!
Enjoy the golf and thanks for checking in.
After being priviliged to play Shinnecock Hills recently for the second time I now firmly believe it to be the finest golf course I have ever played. And I've been fortunate to play most of the best in the world.
Since its original design by Willie Dunn in 1891, updates by Charles B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor, Howard C. Toomey and William S. Flynn have transformed a fairly treeless, sandy landscape into a golf utopia. Shinnecock Hills has hosted U.S. Open championships in 1896, 1986, 1994, and 2004.
The thing I found so appealing about the golf course was it's simplicity; the greens almost seemed like 'magic carpets' that the designer had unfurled and laid down at the end of each fairway. Nothing overly complex or tricked up, just simple and subtle elevation changes that all seemed to fit.
The bunkering was decidedly plain too - and I mean that in the most positive light possible. Golfers of just about every skill level would be able to extricate their golf ball from every bunker on the property. What a breath of fresh air - no trickery!
The whole golf course played that way - nothing overdone, just good old fashioned golf. In fact, it may have the finest par four (#14) and par three (#11) in all of golf! Strike the ball correctly and you should have an excellent opportunity to shoot your handicap. The golf course could not have been more different than the way it appeared on Sunday in the carnage of the 2004 US Open when Goosen defeated Mickelson.
I absolutely love this golf course - so much so that I have a new favorite.
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Here is an excellent article that I came across that explains a little more about Sean Foley and his relationship with Tiger Woods and Stack and Tilt's Bennett and Plummer:
(Robert Lusetich/Fox Sports)
Sean Foley has "no interest" in getting Tiger Woods to swing as he did in 2000, when the world No. 1 had arguably the greatest year in the history of golf.
"That was how he learned to swing, and he had great success with it but it was penal on the body and dependent on timing," said Foley, who's working with Woods this week at the Deutsche Bank tournament outside of Boston. "It was pretty looking, but it just wasn't the most efficient way to swing."
Woods won four straight majors from the middle of 2000 to April, 2001, but it came at a cost.
The way he snapped his left leg on the downswing, Foley and Woods agree, caused serious damage to the knee, which had to be reconstructed in 2008.
"This is nothing against Butch (Harmon, who was Woods' coach at the time) but trying to go back to that would be a huge mistake," Foley said. "Plus, he can't rotate like he did when he was an elastic kid. He's nearly 35, he doesn't have that body anymore."
Instead, Foley has Woods more centerd over the ball throughout his swing, putting less stress on his body and, judging by the jump in fairways and greens hit last week at The Barclays, leading to improved ball-striking.
Woods has stopped shy of anointing Foley as his new coach, but on Thursday he again spoke glowingly of how much better he was playing since starting to work with the 35-year-old Canadian three weeks ago.
"I'm hitting the ball much better, hence I have more confidence," Woods said. "I'm driving the ball much straighter, hitting the ball a little bit farther, especially with my irons, and those are all positive signs.
"It's just a matter of, as I said, making it a little bit more natural, and that's just reps."
Although Woods has been careful not to criticize the unorthodox teaching methods of his previous coach, Hank Haney -- he made a point last week to note that they won six majors together -- Foley isn't as diplomatic.
"Let's be honest about this, it's not like he was flushing it with Hank," Foley said. "I think he hasn't been happy with how he's hit it for a very long time."
Indeed, Foley has spent much of their time on the range together ridding Woods of what he calls "counter-intuitive moves introduced in order to offset something else that didn't need to be there."
What Foley, who is enjoying the challenge of taking on golf's most recognizable name, has in common with Haney is that they both quickly became aware that Woods is a lightning rod.
Foley's teaching philosophy wasn't of particular interest to anyone outside the small world of golf swing nerds until he started working with Woods.
Now, he's at the center of a whisper campaign that accuses him of stealing his ideas from two colleagues, Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett.
Plummer and Bennett developed a system of hitting a golf ball called Stack and Tilt, which calls for players to keep their weight on their front leg throughout the swing.
Though hailed as revolutionary, it was met with derisive condemnation by the teaching establishment. Nonetheless, several players who switched to Stack and Tilt won on the PGA Tour, giving the method legitimacy.
Foley admits that he enjoyed discussing the intricacies of the swing with Plummer and Bennett, whom he likes and respects, but ultimately, he credits them with "maybe 5 percent" of the inspiration behind his own, very similar, swing ideas.
"Andy and Mike are very bright guys, but how much of what they teach is Mac O'Grady?" Foley said of golf's Bobby Fisher, a tortured genius who's spent years breaking down the secrets of golf.
"And how much did they take from (Sam) Snead and (Ben) Hogan? And how much of it is taken from (Isaac) Newton?"
Foley says his swing ideas were developed over 15 years. He said he learned when still a teenager trying to copy the swing of Curtis Strange -- who swayed off the ball on his backswing -- that keeping the weight more centred worked better.
He then studied the swings of great players in history and noticed they didn't make dramatic weight shifts away from the ball either.
"Mike and Andy aren't reinventing the wheel," Foley said. "Like me, they watched old school players hit it good and realized there was something to what they were doing, but they didn't invent the 1950 golf move."
The most obvious difference between Stack and Tilt and Foley is that all the players taught by Plummer and Bennett swing very much alike.
Foley's three highest-profile students (before Woods), Sean O'Hair, Hunter Mahan and Justin Rose, don't swing anything alike.
"Stack and Tilt is one method of swinging," Foley said. "If it's such a great system, then why are people coming for a 'watered-down version' from me?"
Foley finds it amusing to hear that he's being derided as the "flavor of the month" on the Tour practice range.
"If I'm flavor of the month then I've been flavor of the month for ten years," he said. "I'm doing what I was supposed to do, I really believe that.
"There's a sense that this was what I was meant to do, and here I am. But this is not fixing world hunger, this is getting people who are already very good to hit a golf ball better.
"I suppose my point is that I'm not a guru, and I'm not some guy who (BS'd) his way to the top. I'm just who I am."
Very interesting!
To learn more about better ball striking visit www.itsallaboutimpact.com
To see how Sean Foley's other students have fared click HERE
Situated in the Bridgehampton on Long Island in New York, the Atlantic Golf Club is a special place. And it's not only the golf course that makes it special.
The Director of Golf is Rick Hartmann and I could not think of a better personality to provide New York's financial and entertainment elite an exceptional all-around golf and membership experience. An excellent player in his own right, Rick oversees a well-seasoned staff that seems able to anticipate every golfer's need.
The caddy program is second to none! I have never seen a caddy yard as deep as the one they have at Atlantic - I don't believe it is possible to get even a mediocre "loop" there. Rocco Casero, the caddie master, seems to have the magic touch when selecting his team.
The course is beautifully maintained by longtime superintendent Bob Ranum. Bob always seems to be trying to find a way to improve the course and it's playability. From reshaping the traps to altering the cut on the fairways, nothing seems to be too much for Bob and his crew to provide a fun, playable and spectacularly well maintained golf course.
The Rees Jones design was opened in 1992 by Lowell Schulman and was greeted with rave reviews. The course has been softened (made more player friendly) in certain areas over the years and I really like the direction it seems to be headed. A more enjoyable and pleasing experience for golfers of every level. The fairways are generous enough, but make sure you don't misfire as the infamous Atlantic fescue awaits your wayward Titleist. There are enough difficult holes to keep you paying attention (2, 4, 5, 10, 18) but they are nicely balanced by a handful of interesting and imminently playable holes (6, 8, 11, 12, 17). My favorite holes are the 4th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 16th. The 4th is an almost exact replica of the famous 13th hole at Royal Portrush and at over 200 yards into the prevailing wind it is just as brutish. It really is thrilling to be able to strike the correct type of shot that finds this green.
This month a few fortunate golfers will have the privilege of competing in the US Mid Amateur Championship at Atlantic Golf Club - they are in for a treat, and a stern challenge. I know Rick and Bob and Rocco are looking forward to playing host - something they do so well.
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I have known Andrew Rice since he was a young man growing up in Southern Africa. I have always been thoroughly impressed with Andrew’s dedication and passion to play, teach, and constantly discover the intricacies of our great game. I know you will benefit from his diligent pursuit of finding the most efficient manner in which to play the game and produce results. The quest for improvement at every level of golf is never ending, but I am sure you will find Andrew’s thoughts to be an efficient way for you to achieve your potential.
Nick Price - Hall of Fame Member and Three Time Major Winner
The book has done very well for me this summer and as a thank you to all who have read this site and put up with my rants here is an opportunity to buy the hardcover version for $18.87 or the eBook for $11.17! I have had the book on sale before but never at these numbers. If you have purchased the book already why not pick up a few copies for friends or that golfer in the family who just doesn't get it?
Give it a try - you will not be disappointed.
To purchase the hardcover book or eBook click HERE
Even as a youngster, I focused on the strike. I would go down to the beach and practice hitting the ball first and the ground second. Andrew has laid out a solid framework for every golfer to improve their ball-striking.
Ian Woosnam - Masters Champion and Ryder Cup Captain
Here are a few of my thoughts after witnessing the PGA Championship:
Louis proved all the naysayers wrong! He held the lead in the Open Championship from the 7th hole on Friday and never once looked like he would relinquish his grip on the coveted Claret Jug. With the victory South Africa has their 20th major championship and he becomes the fourth South African to win "Champion Golfer of the Year" honors.
Paul Casey, the nearest challenger, was no match for the diminutive man from Mossel Bay. Shrekkie, as he is nicknamed, showed no sign of wavering on Sunday as he split the fairway early and often. He did exactly what was needed - stay ahead of the pressure (three shots or more) and never gave Casey any hint that he had a chance. That eagle on nine must have hurt!
Here are a few observations from the event:
Some may have thought the Open was drab, but I absolutely loved it. What can be better than a fresh young star winning on the best golf course in the best event?
How many of golf's greatest have traversed the bridge crossing the Swilcan Burn?
There will not be birdies flying at the 17th hole this week after the venerable R&A added an additional 50 yards to this already very difficult hole.
The par-5 14th hole could be heaven or hell this week for the golfers. The latter if they happen to find their ball in Hell Bunker!
I would love to be in the "auld grey toon" this week for the Open Championship - in any capacity. Just to be able to get a sense for not only the event, but the place as well. I'd love to simply see those bunkers - from Beardies, to Ginger Beer, to Cottage, Road and the feared Hell. It seems that the saying of Bobby Jones has never been more true,
Too much ambition is a bad thing to have in a bunker.
I look for TW to win this week and I hope for firm fast and windy conditions. Whatever we get - enjoy!
Well played Graeme! You played like you actually wanted to win while everybody else around you couldn't wait to get their hands off the trophy.
My thoughts:
Happy Father's Day - I hope you have been as blessed as I have with my dad, Bill Rice. What a truly great man. I owe everything in my life to you Willy - thanks.
Here are a few stunning shots of Pebble Beach to whet your appetite for this weeks action......
My pick for the week is Retief Goosen and my sleeper is Ricky Barnes! Enjoy the golf.
Yesterday Gary McCord called Rickie Fowler (dressed in his Sunday best "Okie State Orange" as he calls it)
A traffic cone with hair!
Absolutely hilarious. That must be a top ten statement for McCord and certainly one of the best of the year!
Here is Rickie practicing at Berkeley Hall in April 2011:
To strike it like Rickie check THIS out.
John Huggan makes an excellent case for the modern touring golfer being satisfied with second place and a hefty check versus winning trophies and titles. And he uses Lee Westwood as an example!
He had this from Peter McEvoy, two time British Amateur Champion:
We live in a golfing world that does not breed winners. Part of that is the money, which is the root of all golfing evil. If we created a different competition, one where the pros put their own money in and it was winner-take-all, a very different animal would evolve. He'd be a golfer who took chances and went for his shots. And he wouldn't be a guy who was happy to churn out yet another eighth place finish and collect a nice cheque. The whole thing is self-perpetuating and has created a system where a high level of mediocrity is over-rewarded
He also had this from Ben Crenshaw on the role of coaching; a man who grew up under the laissez-faire tutelage of famed instructor, the late Harvey Penick:
Sometimes I question the teaching of the game. I hate to use the word 'stylised', but it seems that way to me, everything in the same box. I don't see some players able to adjust on the course. You have to be able to do that on the course, especially when you are not playing well. It's no good waiting until you can go back to the range for the answers. They are relying too much on the guys standing behind them.
Observations from another fantastic Heritage tournament:
Driving Accuracy - N. O'Hern 91.07% (field 68.05%)
Driving Distance - G. DeLaet 295.6 yds (field 272.9 yds)
GIR - B. Weekley 75% (field 56.77%)
Total Putts - B. Molder 24.75 (field 27.39)
R1 -- T. Immelman, B. Molder, N. O'Hern and S. Appleby R2 -- B. Molder, B. Baird, C. Villegas, S. Levin, S. Ames, P. Casey, B. Adams R3 -- J. Furyk, B. Davis, S. Ames, B. Baird, L. Donald, B. Weekley, T. Gillis, O. Uresti, C. Tidland R4 -- None
Jim Furyk on being presented with his new red tartan jacket:
I'd like to say I make it look good, but I know that's not the case.
I so hope that this special community and event can find a way to procure a sponsor.
Eighteen of the last nineteen years the winner has come from the final group out on Sunday at the Masters; Tiger has never won a major championship when coming from behind on a Sunday; Phil has three majors while Westwood only has a handful of close calls; we should have seen it all along - this was Phil's event to win or lose and when he grabbed the event event by the scruff of the neck on the 13th hole Sunday with an emphatic six iron from the trees, he showed he had clearly opted for a courageous and thrilling victory!
While watching the broadcast I could not help but think back to the "old" days when players had legitimate shots at making eagles and birdies on the inward nine that always made for the most exciting finish in golf. The difference this year was that players seemed to have that ability on the front nine as well. I eventually lost track of all the eagles being made in my giddy stupor over how much fun this golf tournament was to watch. From the freak pine stamen event on the second green, to Tiger's hole out on the 7th, to the most fun sand shot I have ever seen (Westwood, also at the 7th) the front nine gets my vote as the most thrilling nine holes of any major championship in recent memory.
If only the powers that be at Augusta National could comprehend how much the golf community enjoyed seeing Couples, Watson and Langer have a chance; how much we enjoyed watching the youthful passion of Anthony Kim shoot 31 on the back to be in with a chance; and most of all some of the memorable shots that were played from the most improbable places on the golf course. This course set up, coupled with the near perfect conditions, made for a Masters of old - one where the roars replaced the groans and red replaced black on the large manually operated scoreboards. Please keep this balance between difficulty and achievability because it was so much better than what the last few years have held. Who cares what the winning score is? A week from now no one will remember. You got it right this year (with a little help from Mother Nature!).
Here are a few interesting points I noticed:
Stats for the top five finishers: (out of 49 players who made the cut)
Driving Distance
Mickelson 2nd / Westwood 6th / Kim 38th / Choi 42nd / Woods 19th
GIR
Mickelson 5th / Westwood 1st / Kim 10th / Choi 4th / Woods 17th
FIR
Mickelson 45th / Westwood 43rd / Kim 46th / Choi 24th / Woods 38th
Total Putts
Mickelson 13th / Westwood 36th / Kim 6th / Choi 5th / Woods 3rd
Quote of the Day goes to Phil Mickelson when asked about the difference between a great shot and a smart shot:
A great shot is one that you pull off and a smart shot is the one you hit when you don't have the guts try it!
Putt Like Phil by Dave Stockton Sr. (Phil's new putting coach)
What's in Lee Westwood's bag
This Masters Week was Hard to Beat by John Steinbreder
Here are a few impressions from the opening round at Augusta National on Thursday:
The week that every golfer anticipates from all the way back in November is finally here - Masters Week 2010! I would like this to be a one-stop shop for all things pertaining to Augusta National and the Masters and as a result I have tracked any and all pertinent information down and linked it to the site. Enjoy!
This week also happens to mark the one year anniversary of andrewricegolf.com! In our first year we have had almost 40,000 visitors and continue to grow. Thanks so much for your support and readership and I can promise another year of even better and more insightful content.
BTW - my picks for this week are Phil and the Goose! Yours?
Enjoy the tournament.
"I have now read through your book, It's All About Impact, twice. It is very well-done with good, understandable explanations, and the photos illustrate well and definitely define "a picture is worth a thousand words"! I had actually played Monday and just focusing on the 84 degrees and impact made a noticeable difference with balance and actual ball contact. I still have a way to go to get the correct divot but it sure seemed to simplify thoughts. I actually started hitting with more distance without trying due to the more solid contact. Every day is a different day but this sure helps consistency. Thanks!!" DB
I hope "It's All About Impact" can do the same for you and your golf this year!
Please feel free to contact me with any golf queries, questions or ideas you may have. And thanks very much for reading!
The Berkeley Hall Learning Center has just been completely upgraded! We have just had all our computers upgraded with the latest software from V1 Golf. Students will now be able to view a summary from their golf lesson online in their own V1 locker or on their smartphone. Students will even have the ability to upload their lessons onto Facebook for all their friends and family to see. The changes at the Learning Center include an expansion of our indoor putting capabilities, two Casio EX-F1 Exlim 300 frame per second cameras (for amazing high speed footage of a golf swing!) and the ability to view your golf swing on a 50" HD screen. Casio EX-F1 Exlim Camera
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They both love fashion, big hair and are world renowned over-achievers. Doesn't one remind you of the other?
Andrew Rice Golf. Providing golf instruction for all levels of golfers. Here you will find advice on golf instruction, golf course management and golf tips. Andrew Rice Golf is located at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and Golf Club. Three-Day Golf School information may also be found here.
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