Darren Steels PGA Professional - Top 5 Putting Drills

 

Top 5 Putting Drills

String It Out Lag Putting Drill

1. Cut multiple pieces of string, each about three feet long.

2. Lay the string out on a putting green, evenly spaced, each string about three feet apart, across your chosen putting line.

3. Start about 10 feet behind the first string. Now putt a ball and try to roll it just over the first string. Putt a second ball and try to roll it just over the second string, and so on. When you reach the last string, start working your way back to the first string.

4. Once you become good at stopping balls in-between the string, start varying the distances - put to the first string, then the fifth, then the third, then the last, and so on, varying your distances.

This drill takes your mind off the line (and also off a target) and allows you to focus on speed and feel.

 

Fringe Benefits Drill

1. Get five balls and drop them 10 feet from the edge of the green.

2. Putt toward the fringe (don't worry about putting at a hole, just focus on speed and feel). Try to get each ball to roll about one foot onto the fringe without leaving any short and without running any beyond the fringe into the rough.

3. Back up to 20 feet and repeat, and repeat again at 30 and 40 feet.

 

5-Ball Mix-Up Drill

This distance putting drill is similar to the string drill above, except that in this one we are putting at a hole.

1. Drop balls at 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 feet from a cup.

2. Start from 10 feet and putt to the hole. Make sure that if you don't sink the putt, you leave the ball no more than three feet from the hole.

3. Now go back to 50 feet and do the same. Then continue from each distance, but don't go in order - mix up the distances, from 10 to 50 to 30 to 40 to 20 to 40 to 10 to 30 and so on, in random order.

The goal is to leave yourself no more than three feet on your misses. Great distance control equals great lag putting, which means no 3-putts.

 

Close Your Eyes to Improve Feel

 

1. Place three balls each at distances of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 feet from your target (putt toward a hole, a tee in the ground, the fringe, a dropped headcover, anything).

2. At each station, putt the first ball as you normally would. But for the second and third balls at each station, set up with your eyes open, but then close your eyes just before making the stroke.

This drill will help hone your feel on the greens.

 

2-Putt Distance Drill

When golfers talk about lag putting, we mean that while we hope to make every putt we also want to make sure that if we miss we are left with a short, easy putt. Good lag putting means never 3-putting. This drill forces you to control your speed in order to guarantee a 2-putt.

 

1. Set up 30 feet from the hole.

2. Putt five balls at a time. Then walk to the cup and knock the balls in.

3. Make 50 consecutive 2-putts. If you 3-putt, start over.

This drill not only teaches lag putting, it also gets you into pressure situations. Imagine making 48 2-putts in a row. Putts 49 and 50 are really going to test your nerves.

If you have too much trouble making 50 2-putts in a row from 30 feet, then start from a shorter distance. Try 20 feet, and move out to 30 once 2-putting from 20 is comfortable.

Darren Steels PGA Professional - How to hit longer tee shots

Every golfer wants to get a few extra yards out of your drives. Many say that the short game is so much more important than the drive but the drive is what sets up the hole. If your drive is too short or off line your short game will not give you a chance to save par. Here are 5 golf tips on hitting longer drivers

Golf Driving Tip #1 Fire your hips to start your downswing

One of the best power sources you can have for a longer drive is your hip rotation. Many amateurs have heard this but they push there hips towards the target instead of turning them. At the top of your backswing you should focus on starting to unwind and turn your hips. Turn your hips first and keeping your shoulder turn minimal at start of downswing will create some resistance and increase clubhead speed and distance.

 

Golf Driving Tip #2 On the backswing, when your shoulder turn stops your arms should stop

To create distance on your drives you need to have the proper coil to unleash a powerful drive. Your maximum coil will be had if you stop turning your arms once your shoulders stop turning. Many players turn the shoulders and then keep turning the arms. This takes away all of the coil they had built up and the power and the distance of the drive is gone. Use this tip to see immediate results in your golf game.

 

Golf Driving Tip #3 Keep your left arm straight and hand away from your head at top of backswing

When you are at the top of your backswing your hands should be as far as you can away from your head. This will ensure that your left arm is straight. If you bend your left arm you will lose any power you had stored up on the backswing as it will allow you to keep moving your club past parallel. This golf driving tip will not only add distance but help you keep the ball in the fairway.

 

Golf Driving Tip #4 Turn on a sold left side

As you turn through the ball your weight should shift to your left leg. Straighten your left leg and keep it firm to hold a solid base. This will allow the club to come through at a greater speed which will add some distance to your drives.

 

Golf Driving Tip #5 Release your hands right before impact

This is an important tip that many amateurs struggle with. If you release your hands early the power and speed in your swing is gone before it reaches the ball and you will lose distance on your drives. Try to hold back on releasing your hands by keeping your right elbow close to your right hip. This will also cause you to approach the ball from the inside which will create a draw and add some yardage to your drives.

Follow these 5 tips your next time out on the course and your driving distance should increase.

Darren Steels PGA Professional - The Lob Shot

Concept: The whole idea of the "flop" shot is to control the distance the ball rolls after it lands by creating a very high shot. In other words, you are controlling distance by using trajectory rather than using back spin. Just so you know...many tour players feel trajectory is more reliable than spin to control distance so they opt for the flop versus the spinning shot when possible.

1

 

Use your highest lofted club (60 degree wedge is ideal). Pre-shot preparations: The ball position for this shot is forward in your stance. You'll need to experiment but play it as far forward as you can. Open the clubface and open your stance. Light grip pressure is best.

 

2

 

Execution: The length of your swing will be in proportion to the distance you need to hit the shot, but in general, this stroke needs to feel long and smooth (as opposed to sudden or quick). The swing doesn't need to be extremely upright.

 

The pace of your swing should be constant. Feel as though your through-swing is moving at the same pace or tempo as your back-swing.

 

Keep the clubface open throughout the swing. Make sure the clubface is pointing toward the sky after impact. Monitor the back of your left hand (if you are right-handed) and make sure it points to the sky after impact.

 

Swing left (if you are a right-hander). Do not try to swing at the target. Your stance is open so your body-lines are all aiming well left of the target. Swing in relation to your body lines, not toward the target.

Be Careful

 

• When you open your stance it is easy to inadvertently move the ball position back in your stance. Don't let this happen. Make sure that AFTER you have opened your stance, your ball position is nearly off your left foot.

Darren Steels Golf Professional - The bump and run shot

The bump and run shot

Definition: The "bump and run" - also called a "chip and run" - is an approach shot to the green typically played from close to the green's edge. The golfer has the option to pitch the ball or chip the ball from such a location. A pitch shot, however, is struck with a high-lofted club such as a pitching wedge, producing a high trajectory and a ball that typically hits the green and quickly stops.

A bump and run, on the other hand, is played with a lower-lofted club relative to a wedge (an 8-, 7- or 6-iron, for example), and with very little airtime for the ball. With a bump and run shot, the ball is typically played from the middle or back of the stance, producing a very shallow trajectory, with the ball mostly scooting along the ground and running up to the flag.

 

The bump and run is played more along the ground; the pitch shot is played in the air.

 

Why would a golfer prefer a bump and run to a pitch? The front of the green might be open, with a hard fairway and hard green, making an approach that lands on the green tough to stop. Or the wind might be howling, with the bump and run making it possible to keep the ball from getting up into - and blown around by - that wind. A bump in run, in other words, is often a more controllable shot than a pitch shot.

 

Step 1 Bring your feet close together for a narrow stance and position the ball in the middle. Keep most of your weight on your left foot--you should feel like you are leaning toward the target.

Step 2 Slide your grip down on the club so you can stand closer to the ball. Press your hands forward to take some loft off the club. This will help promote a downward strike and a lower shot.

Step 3 Make a short backswing with no wrist action. The shorter the backswing, the better. Think of this as the same length as your  putting stroke.

Step 4 Keep your wrists firm through impact. Strike down and through the ball. The ball will come out low and run to the hole. This shot should fly a short distance and roll the rest of the way.

Step 5 Abbreviate your follow-through. Backswing and follow-through should match each other in length.

Darren Steels PGA Professional - Golf in Turkey

Golf in Belek, Turkey

 

In the mid 1990s, the stretch of Mediterranean coastline to the east of Antalya became the subject of concerted development, which has resulted in over 30 top class hotels and a number of outstanding golf resorts. Benefiting from a fantastic climate, the focus is on Belek, a resort town which is within 35 minutes of Antalya and its international airport, and has outstanding beaches.

Belek has become incredibly popular in a short period of time, with the number of golf holiday makers rising exponentially thanks to the high quality, ultra all-inclusive resort like Gloria, Cornelia and Sirene. The facilities are superb, and the service is outstanding, while the incredible value that is achievable on 5* luxury golf holidays makes Belek even more attractive.

Golf courses

Sultan Course

The Sultan Course is a ferocious test, where the challenging holes wind through the landscape's impressive pine forests. From the championship tees, the course measures 7,011 yards, and will ensure a formidable examination even for the low handicappers. Spectacular views and challenging hazards are the hallmarks of the Sultan Course, which is one of Belek's finest.

Pasha Course

 

The Pasha Course is the second at the Antalya club, and is a more appropriate proposition for the average golfing visitor. While it benefits from the same brilliant views as the Sultan, its full length of 6,267 yards makes it manageable for everyone. The advantage of the long hitters is nullified around the Pasha, whose defence is its tricky dog-legs, sloping greens and strategically positioned bunkers.

 

More of a ‘thinking man's' course than its neighbour, the Pasha is the perfect foil for the lengthy Sultan layout, which is why the Antalya Golf Club has something for everyone.

Darren Steels PGA Professional - Hitting a lower tee shot into the wind

 

Well we are definitely in the windy portion of the season! So one shot that is a must to

have in the bag; is being able to hit the ball lower from off the tee.

A couple of points worth noting at this stage are:

a) Playing a low shot from off the tee is not the same as from off the fairway  And,

b) Fighting the wind by swinging harder usually creates a higher ballooning ball flight. So definitely

not a great idea!

So here’s how we create a Tiger like ‘stinger’ ball flight off the tee.

Shorten the Club, Lower the Tee and Swing it Smooth!

Here are three main keys to hitting the ball lower off the tee:

No. 1 Hold further down the grip: By doing this it will give you more control and stiffen the playability of the golf shaft which in turn helps to decrease the spin rate and height of the ball flight.

No. 2 Tee it down lower: By teeing it lower the club will contact higher on the ball thus creating less back spin. Again helping to produce the desired lower ball flight.

No. 3 Swing smooth: As noted earlier; hitting in to the wind it is easy to fight the conditions and try and hit it harder. But unfortunately by doing this you will increase the back spin, thus producing a higher ball flight. So the expression I like to use here is to “swing with ease into the breeze”.

So create a good stable base, take it easy and keep it smooth.

Hope this helps and of course remember; “never fight mother nature”

Good luck and great golfing

Darren Steels PGA Professional - New Launch Monitor & Custom Fit Service

 

New Launch Monitor & Custom Fitting Service Foresight GC2a Launch Monitor

We have just invested in the latest state of the art Launch Monitor to be used for custom fitting and tuition. The new piece of equipment is portable so can be used on the driving range and is set up in minutes. The information received from the monitor will help to match the correct shaft flex and kick point along with the correct loft to maximise your driving potential. Iron and ball fittings are also available. A typical driver fitting would consist of someone hitting a series of shots with their current driver and by using the recorded information we would pick appropriate alternate shafts and lofts to increase control and distance. By using this information and hitting balls outside not only would the figures show any improvement you would see the difference in your ball flight. Fittings are booked through the Golf Shop and cost £25 for a 45 minute session (£10 of the cost will be refunded against any hardware purchase made). For further information or bookings contact the Golf Shop on 01332 836016

Darren Steels PGA Professional - New Video Golf Swing Tuition

New Golf Tuition Video Lessons

We have just taken delivery of an ipad that we will now be using at the golf academy. The swing app that we are using offers instant feedback and can be used to compare up to 4 swings at a time. All recorded swings can be emailed for your own viewing at home after each session. To book your lesson or for further information please contact the Golf Shop on 01332 836016.

Darren Steels PGA Professional - Lesson Number 4 Mel Oates

Hi All,

               Well my game is definitely improving   after my fourth lesson with Darren. I entered a medal competition on Wednesday on the Moorland course at Breadsall Priory and shot a net 72. Looks like the lessons are starting to pay off. I feel as I'm definitely striking the ball better and with more control.

On the last lesson we talked about the psychology of the game, as you most likely know sixty percent of the game is all in the head. An interesting point Darren made was imagine you're on a golf course and standing on the tee looking down at the hole. On the right is a big lake, and on the left side its all out of bounds. What are the two thoughts you think about first?

 1, I don't want to hit the ball into the lake and

2,    I don't want to hit the ball out of bounds.

Wrong... what you should be concerned about is none of the above. Your thoughts should be, what I'm going to do, not what I don't want to do. It sounds obvious doesn't it but how many of us high handicappers think about the negatives when we should be thinking about the positives. So what Darren said was focus on a spot on the fairway, Try to imagine the shape and flight the ball will take, keep that thought and only that thought in your head, because once you have that thought in your head you're more likely to hit the ball towards that spot and not into the lake or out of bounds. Well I tried it out and guess what it seems to work. When playing your local course is there a hole which you always dread because you never seem to score well on it? Most of us have that problem because we are thinking too negative. We're thinking about how badly we played the hole last time  when the way to over come the problem is to think positively about the hole, try to remember the time when you actually  played that hole well and the feeling you had when you did. Don't let bad shots get you down, put them out of your head straight a way and have positive swing thoughts for the next shot. Yes it sounds easy and I know lots of readers might think it's all a waste of time but I'm giving it a go because if it helps my game it's got to be good.

Cheers for now

Mel       

Darren Steels PGA Professional - Short Game Tips (Short Pitch Shots)

Short Pitch Shots

One of the more common flaws I see in pitching is poor weight management. Often, I see many players try to pitch by emulating miniature full swings, where they shift their weight to their right side on the backswing and then over to their left on the forward swing. That might be the kind of weight transfer you want with a full swing, but with pitching, the more stable you are at setup, impact and the finish, the more likely you're going to make crisp, consistent contact with the golf ball.

If you artifically shift your weight back, you'll hit the obstacle placed behind the golf ball.

To improve your pitching weight management, I recommend you keep your weight at what I call "60/40" during your pitching swing. This means keeping 60% of your weight on your left side and 40% on your right side from start to finish. To maximize the potential of the 60/40 swing, start with the proper setup. Play the ball in the middle of your stance, with the hands slightly in front of the ball. Naturally, the 60/40 swing will be a little steeper than normal, which in the case of pitching is a good thing. If you try and keep the club low to the ground, you'll likely get caught up in the grass and hit a lot of fat and/or thinned shots. Just remember, 60/40 doesn't exactly mean placing a big majority of your weight on your left side. It just means a slight favoring of the left side. If you overdo it and place too much weight on your left side, you'll get too steep and/or you'll inadvertently shift to your right side, again, causing all sorts of problems with consistent contact.

A great drill to practice the 60/40 swing is to take a headcover or even a book and place it just outside your right foot in the back of your stance. Hit a few pitch shots, and be sure you don't hit the cover on the backswing or on the downswing. Having that obstacle not only will steepen your swing a bit, but it will force you to keep your 60/40 weight scheme throughout the stroke.

The key for better pitching is to minimize excessive weight shifting and swinging a little steeper than you're used to. Do that, and you'll start improving in no time.

Darren Steels PGA Professional - Mental Game Tips for Beginners

As a beginner playing golf it can sometimes feel very frustrating that your successful practice doesn’t always transfer straight into better shots on the golf course. This can be infuriating at times having seen practice sessions result in consistently straight, well struck shots on the range yet a wide variety of wild, badly struck shots on the golf course.

Try not to get too frustrated on the course. It will not help.

This inconsistency is down to many things, mainly the fact that when you are practicing you are in a completely different environment. You have an almost unlimited supply of golf balls for one. This takes all of the pressure off of the shot. You will be more relaxed and as the end result doesn’t really matter, you will also be more likely to try and execute the correct swing technique that you are carrying out in your lessons.

It is this relaxed feeling you need to try to take onto the golf course. Remember that everyone hits bad shots, look at Tiger Woods, he misses a fairway by 40 yards at times, if this is happening to the greatest player ever then you shouldn’t expect to have a round with no errors involved.

Here are some ideas to maintain your calm and patience on the golf course:

1. Take one shot at a time – do not look too far ahead or have too high expectations on upcoming shots or holes. Do your best to execute the shot you are about to play

2. Have practice swings – use these to rehearse the swing you wish to carry out. This will relax you and get your muscles ready for the upcoming jobs they need to carry out

3. Keep it simple – if you go onto the golf course with a head full of swing thoughts then you will probably crumble. Have one clear objective for your swing. A two second swing cannot handle 5/6 thoughts

4. Let it out – for the volatile player give yourself a 10 metre walk after a bad shot to get any frustrations out of your system. Say what you like (to yourself) but after those 10 metres your sole concentration should be on the next shot. Do not let one bad shot drag you down for the next 2/3 holes

5. Mix it up – mix between course and range practice. Use the range and practice areas to master the technique and the golf course to learn how to play golf. Playing golf is an art so get out there and play.

The more you play on the course the more comfortable you will start to feel out there. This will lead to a more relaxed approach to each stroke. Trust me, one day it will click and the scores will tumble. Just be patient and enjoy your golf.

Darren Steels PGA Golf Professional - Lesson 2 Mel's Update

Hello again,

                   On the 24th April 2013 I had my second lesson with Darren. In the lesson we covered the correct stance at address. I tend to stand with my legs square to the ball but my upper body slightly twisted  open which can  cause  the ball to slice. The simple correction which Darren showed me was to stand upright with my arms out in front of me whilst  holding my club then lean forward to address the ball. This way you make sure your whole body is square at address.

He also took a video on his smart phone using an application  called "Iswing". He showed me the video and  slowed  it down to one frame at a time which was quite impressive. I liked the app so much I downloaded it on to my smart phone to use in the future.

Next we talked about statistics and keeping a record of how many drives hit the fairway, how many  greens I hit in regulation , and how many putts I take for each hole. I know most people find this stuff boring  but it's necessary and important  to find where the weak part of your game is so you can focus on it. I got on the computer and devised a chart in an Excel spreadsheet which I made the same size as a score card. I now carry this chart with me in my score card holder  when I play . It only takes a few seconds after each hole to fill it in. I next went on the internet looking for an application to enter the data into. I found a site called www.golfforensics.com  which I definitely recommend. I had to register as you do all these sites but it was free so no problem. Once registered I could input the  course  I had played and it brings up a score card of the course and all you do is fill in the boxes. It gives you all sorts of data  which I will show Darren so he can analyze  it and hopefully point out were I need to concentrate my game. My next lesson is on the 22nd of May and I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers

Mel

Correct set up and grip by Darren Steels PGA Professional

Correct set up and grip by Darren Steels PGA Professional

Lesson 2 – Mel Oates (Handicap 19)

Today’s session was to check the correct set up with a mid-iron and to discuss the use of recording stats.

After discussing Mel’s shot pattern and ball flight I watched Mel hit a number of shots. From this feedback I noted the following things (please note Mel is a left hander);

 

1, The left hand grip position was too strong (the v formed between trigger finger and thumb was pointing outside of the left shoulder)

2, The body alignment was closed (aiming left of the target for a left hand golfer)

With a strong grip the swing was affected by the club face rotating inwards (closing too much) this in turn gave a reduced back swing length and ultimately a shortened flat ball flight.

The shot pattern was a push (Straight left and a draw).

Corrections

1, I asked Mel to grip the club more in his fingers with his left hand, this allowed the wrist to hinge easier on the back swing giving a square club face position seen here at the half way position.

The ball flight became higher with more carry.

2,We used alignment sticks to find the parallel set up position (a common fault is that a lot of people try to aim their body at the target instead of the club face) the line of the body (feet, knees, hips  and shoulders) should all be slightly right of the target line. Looking down a railway line is a good way of picturing this (left hand track is the club to target line and the right hand track is the line of the body – left hand golfer remember).

This is the correct alignment position for a right hand golfer

 

 

                                                                                                                                                             

Recording stats during or after your game

We also discussed today the recording of stats and how this information can be of use to golfers of all abilities.

 

Mel is going to record the following stats over the next few weeks.

 

Fairways hit

Greens hit in regulation

Short game saves (Pitching & chipping)

Sand saves

Total number of putts

 

We are going to use this information to find patterns during play and to highlight strengths and weaknesses to work on. I will go into more detail next time when we have Mel’s stats.

 

Congratulations Mel on reaching the winter league final with your partner Paul a great achievement from the 60 pairs that started the competition!

Darren Steels
PGA Professional