I want to be more consistent, this is the number one comment I hear from my new students and when they do hit a straight shot it does not not go far enough !

To be more consistent you need to know what you are really doing in your golf swing right now, not what you feel you are doing.

Where is the the ball going and why is it flying there ?

Is it the clubface or path the club travels on, or a combination that is making your ball fly anywhere but at your intended target.

Why is your clubface not correct at impact ?

Could be grip, could be alignment, but I believe more often than not, understandng how the hands and wrists work during the golf swing is the main fault.
Most amateurs do not know how their hands work during the swing, or what they are doing with their hands as they swing.

Your hands need to be educated, to sense and feel where they are in the swing and of course they give you the information and feedback of where that clubface is throughout the swing. A vital component.

The first must have is.

The hands must be educated to have a consistent swing.

 
Why is your path incorrect ?

The path is wrong because the body movements during the swing are wrong , the club is out of a good alignment and the arms and wrists try and recover the shot somehow.

This is what I see the most..

Mainly arms and wrists are not controlled, shoulders are too dominant in the downswing, the hips do not work enough at the start in the downswing, and the sequence the upper and lower halves of the body are used in are incorrect. .

Most handicap golfers do not understand  what the upper body and lower body have to do in the golf swing.

A few key areas  the body needs to achieve to be consistent  are maintenance of posture during the swing, learning to rotate the upper body and lower body in the correct sequence, both back and forwards and maintain balance throughout.

So the second of my must haves is.

You must have a good pivot working in the correct sequence to deliver consistency and that will create more power..

If your body works in the correct sequence and your hands know their job, your club will be on plane, you will have more power, and you will be more accurate and consistent .

Why not become more consistent now ?

David Bown PGA AA Golf Professional

Authorised Golfing Machine Instructor

contact david@bowngolf.com

07973746872

To view my website. www.bowngolf.com

Youtube channel Bowngolf

Wow what a performance! Darren Clarke Open Champion 2011

After all those years of trying to win the Open, Darren Clarke finally achieved his golfing dream!
To become the champion golfer for 2011 and go down in history as the Open champion.

He had control of his swing and his mind during those four rounds of golf played in atrocious and testing weather conditions.
What a deserving champion, we all know the hard times Darren has had to go through, and to come through all of that, come out the other side, and win now, must be even more special to him .

He was asked at the beginning of the week all about Rory, how is he playing etc, all the younger players were in the limelight, it was the new age of the young guns, so we were told, McIlroy, Fowler, Mannessaro, Ishikowa, Donald is world number one, Westwood was there, Poulter, Rose, Casey.
The Americans were out of it we were told. Well they were all over the leaderboard this year!

Good old Darren!

Golf is a funny old game, and just because we witness a sensational performance by Rory Mcilroy to become US Open champion, GMac wins the year before, Donald is world number one, Westwood is always around, Harrington won back to back Opens, the media tell us that the Americans are finished, rubbish!

A class act is a class act whatever their nationality. They have players coming through and they want to turn the momentum around.

European golf is outstanding, we are very strong, Ryder cup success, success breeds success. A fellow European tour player wins a major, the next guy says I can beat him, I play every week against him, and I have beaten him on the regular tour, I can do it again.

I think Rory Mcilroy has learned a lot from Darren Clarke, but Darren has learned a lot from a young gun called Rory, mainly, CONFIDENCE and FOCUS and BELIEF, he always had the skills, the ball striking ability, he won WGC event against Tiger several years ago.

Interestingly the swing I show you was taken last year when Darren had to qualify at Sunningdale to play in the 2010 Open!

What a difference a year makes!

Keep believing, no matter what happens.

Darren did!

David Bown PGA AA Golf Professional

Authorised Golfing Machine Instructor

contact david@bowngolf.com

07973746872

To view my website. www.bowngolf.com

Youtube channel Bowngolf

Many golfers come to me for lessons, many have played for years , some for less than a year, some are total beginners,  they all have have misconceptions of what makes a good golf swing, they have totally the wrong information. But if that is all you know , that is what you try and do, and it leads them into going down the long road of tips, quick fixes, listening to their playing partners which although are trying to help, are not qualified to assess and explain how a golf swing works and deliver a structured way of learning.

No, we all know it takes work, commitment  and dedication to improve, but you also need the right information to improve, you could spend hours, months , years, doing completely the wrong thing !

When a golfer comes to me to have a lesson, they usually will want to improve their ball striking, they want more consistency and they want more distance.  

When I see them  there is a definite pattern of misconception of where they should be at impact.

They all believe that if they return the golf club to their address position at impact they will hit good shots !

How wrong can they be.

I video their swing and when they swing down, the club head is virtually at the same point at the 9 o clock position on the downswing as it is at the 9 o clock position on the upswing ! 

If you imagine looking at a circle face on, their club almost traces the same line, has the same width up and down!  They are doing what they believe to be correct, but it is totally wrong. You will not see this on a good player.

What they get when they do this is hit fat shots, that is hitting the ground before the ball or thin shots which is hitting the ball on the upswing.They are so inconsistent, they are frustrated.

When they hit the thin shot they believe this happens because the have lifted their head !  Another misconception !

How do I change this belief ?

Easy , I just show them the impact alignments first, show them how to get there and get them to feel it.

So here are the key points. 

Hands ahead of the ball, around 4 to 6 inches.

Shaft will be leaning forwards.

Weight on the left side, head does not move forward at impact.  

Hips are open to target, shoulders less, more parallel to target. 

Right side lower than address.

Right elbow still bent at impact.

They get it straight away, a light seems to go on, they understand that you strike down on the ball, to achieve a better compression of the ball, get a better flight on the ball, and retain more energy into impact.

They were throwing the energy away so early, they wanted to get the club head to the ball so fast , they did not use their body, their pivot to transport their arms down into the release area, so now they will have energy stored , to release into the ball and the turf after impact.   

They will not be manipulating the club with their hands, they will be more consistent, they will be using their body in the correct sequence, the club will be accelerating into the ball, they will get more distance, and of course they can now strike down on the ball and achieve better contact.

All of this achieved by explaining  a misconception and the golfer getting the facts behind a good swing.

David Bown PGA AA Golf Professional

Authorised Golfing Machine Instructor

contact david@bowngolf.com

07973746872

To view my website. www.bowngolf.com

Youtube channel Bowngolf

Golf research is improving all the time, which means that the  knowledge gained by coaches who also want to improve is filtering through to people like you, golfers who want to improve.  Let me explain that this is not for golfers who are happy walking eighteen holes every weekend and are inconsistent, frustrated and not improving!  If this is you , please STOP reading this NOW!

I say to my clients, you are successful at what you do, what if you were at work and you had a strategy for your business and it kept failing, would you keep repeating it over and over hoping that one day things will improve ?  Of course not, you would be sacked, fired or go bankrupt !    YOU WOULD MAKE CHANGES.

So why do golfers keep making the same mistakes over and over and over?  Please let me know!

Your SWING MAP improvement guide will help you get focused on what you really need to do.

Which is to learn what is important to your golf swing, what makes it really work, not what looks pretty, or is the latest fad or trend in the golf industry, do not waste your precious time and energies on something that will not get you the results you want. 

Let me say that there is no one method that will suit every golfer on this planet, trust me if there was I would be telling you!

We are all unique individuals, some are tall, short, thin, fat, stiff, flexible, balanced, unbalanced, coordinated, uncoordinated, some have great body awareness and control, some do not.

So here are crucial key points you need to get right. You can all do this, which means you can all change and improve.

1. Good Posture.
   What is good posture? You need balance, good angles and good alignments. straight back, not curved, chest out, arms hanging relaxed. Very few people I see come to me with good posture.                             
2. Correct Pivot.
   How your body moves back and through and in the correct sequence.You must understand that how you start your swing, and how the downswing starts and in what sequence.  It is the key move, the most important thing in your swing. Hardly anyone gets this right, hence the struggle begins.
3. The Hands.
   They must be trained to behave and work correctly, most golfers overuse them to make up for pivot deficiencies.
   Simply put, they hinge up and down, they turn and roll, keeping the left wrist flat and right wrist bent.
   Again most golfers have no idea of what they should do with their hands during the swing.
4. Be On Plane
   Understand what it is and how to find your swing plane. Most golfers have heard of this but do not stick to the basic rules.

Most golfers do not improve because of lack of knowledge, once they grasp the key components they make swift progress, they get more confident, they play better, they enjoy the game.

My exciting news for February is that my continued research into the golf swing will take me to California and two of the best golf instructors on the planet

I will be on my travels in February to California, to do more golf research for BOWNGOLF, I will be spending time with Gregg McHatton a PGA of America professional who has the highest qualification in the GOLFING MACHINE  and is a pioneer in educating golfers how to swing the club more efficiently by using the laws of force and motion. You can use the laws of physics or fight them! 

I also will be visiting Carl Welty a PGA of America golf professional who works at the number one golf school in America, the Jim McLean golf school at La Quinta California.

Carl Welty is a expert in video and  has filmed all the greatest golfers since the 1960s to the present, and has worked with many world class PGA tour players.

I will keep you informed  of my travels and experiences and give you the latest info discovered on the trip !

Welcome to my feature on the latest happenings at BOWNGOLF 2011.

It promises to be an exciting year, as already I have various things in the pipeline.

Coaching has entered the new age with biomechanics, 3d imagery, trackman, hi speed cameras etc, why settle for old ideas and myths when you can use science to deliver the facts about your golf swing !

I have great pleasure in announcing that BOWNGOLF is expanding its reach in the golfing world, through a careful choice of quality golf instructors.

In our effort at BOWNGOLF to provide golfers with top class coaching, innovation and technology, I am pleased to introduce to you Mr BJ.Hathaway, one of the most highly qualified golf instructors in the USA, he is the owner of  AUGUSTA Golf Instruction in Georgia USA and will be linking with BOWNGOLF Academy to offer top class golf instruction.

BJ is an excellent golf coach who never rests on what he knows now, he does not stay in the comfort zone world of I am a qualified coach, I know enough now mentality because I am qualified. Like me he is always looking to improve his teaching expertise and expand his knowledge of the golf swing by keeping up with the latest technology and seeking out the very best golf instructors in the world

BJ Hathaway is a highly qualified golf instructor and has many certifications, including an authorized instructor of The Golfing Machine, a  Hank Haney certified coach and  is a Mind Factor certified coach, the only one in the USA.

Tiger is still planning to get  even better than before, better than when he was winning those Majors, that is what drives him onwards, to seek to become the best he can be , and to continue to improve his swing, his fitness, his mind.

He was asked how are his swing changes going, and his reply was  that he needs to be patient, keep doing the correct drills and  enough repetitions so he can master his new movement.

So that information is nothing new to me , but for you that might be a surprise, a surprise that even Tiger needs to work consistently on his swing changes, the need to be patient, or you will become become frustrated if those changes are not on auto after a few buckets of balls, the need to have a PLAN , so you know exactly what you want, and how to get there.

To become better at anything you need to work out what is wrong, why is my ball curving away from the target, why are my divots on the wrong line, why am I topping it, why do I hit some shots really well, then hit it all over the golf course, etc etc.

Get rid of FRUSTRATION  and DOUBT  and plan to make some changes to your game in 2011, follow TIGER,  if its not working CHANGE IT !  Hire yourself a PGA Professional .

So how to make yourself better in 2011. What you need to do for improvement.

1. Go to a Golf Professional.

2. Get your swing filmed on Hi- speed video .

3. Practice what you need to work on Regularly, start slowly, remember my R.M.P.G. Recognise it, Monitor it, Practice it, Groove it.

4. Start  working on your Mobility, develop a stretching routine , get that stiffness out and swing more freely. 

4. Work on your Putting  stroke indoors with a putting plane board.

If you do this and the KEY is Keep doing the Correct practice, you will get better and enjoy your golf even more in 2011 !!

David Bown  PGA AA Professional  Authorized Golfing Machine Instructor

contact 07973 746872          david@bowngolf.com

One huge reason why golfers are not improving is because they are either trying to work out what is wrong for themselves, or asking friends, or golfing buddies, and its like the blind leading the blind. It will never work, it  just leads to more FRUSTRATION. 

When a student of mine hits a thin shot or tops it, at the beginning they say, “I lifted my head” or “I wasn`t watching the ball”

Now I have never seen that happen myself, but that is such a typical reaction of so many, their friends told them “you looked up”  other advice is “keep your head down” etc etc. They soon learn the TRUTH ! 

They commit the cardinal sin of working on wrong information, its well meaning but wrong ! 

So what am I saying here, well its simple YOU MUST GET A DIAGNOSIS FROM A GOLF PROFESSIONAL, someone who has spent years, studying the golf swing, and knows how to impart the neccesary information, I did say neccesary, not just lots of information, because that will cause the ”Paralysis by Analysis” syndrome and the student will just freeze.

So how do you change your game, or learn the game? R. M. P. G.

You must RECOGNISE your errors or RECOGNISE what you have to learn.

MONITOR what you are changing thoroughly, don`t just rely on your FEEL, look at precisely what you are REALLY doing.

Do it slowly and get it right, developing  a new swing pattern takes time, it takes CORRECT  PRACTICE.

Do enough CORRECT repetitions and you will GROOVE IT in. 

If you carry out these straightforward steps you will IMPROVE your golf and you will get much more satisfaction out of this great game.

ARE YOU READY TO FINALLY IMPROVE YOUR GAME ?

Yes he does !

In  April Tiger played in the US Masters and finished an amazing 4th, after being out of golf for around five months, he has since played in several PGA tour events and not performed well, he had to pull out of the Players due to neck problems.

His latest event the WGC at Firestone was his worst four round total in his professional career, eighteen over par, he hit five fairways day one, three fairways day two, seven fairways day three, day four I dont have the stats but he had his worst round of the week a 77.

To quote Tiger,” I am not hitting the ball well, I am not chipping well, I can`t hole a putt, and my driving is poor”

TIGER Stats.

He was79 of 80 in driving accuracy, G.I.R. he was 77th out of 80, he averaged 29.5 putts per round, the interesting stat is that he made 22 bogeys and 3 double bogeys and 10 birdies, so he dropped 28 strokes to par, and made 10 birdies.

Hunter Mahan Stats.

Driving accuracy he was 30th, G.I.R 9th, putts 26.5, he made19  birdies which ranked him 1st and 7 bogeys, no doubles.

Tiger knows his swing, but he needs a plan , a blueprint to get him back on the right track, he is too good to struggle like this , and obviously his personal life is really not sorted out and he is not the focused Tiger of old.

It is such a fine line between success and failure at this highest level of the game, you lose your technique, lose some confidence and belief and you really struggle.

So Hunter Mahan, Sean O`Hair, Justin Rose, are all coached by Sean Foley, in Orlando, and I would suggest that Tiger will go to him and work out a plan to eliminate his problems of losing height, getting the club too inside on the downswing. He needs to look at his swing in 2000 when he was in total control of his game, I know that was ten years ago now and physically we all change, but Tiger is such a great athlete he can do it.

The key question is has he got the desire to get back to the top of his game, I believe he has , and that he will play his best golf again, but only if he can deal with his personal life, get that in order and open up a new chapter to his life, I also believe that after the USPGA he will take a break to sort out his life and golf game.

What ever opinions you have about Tiger, he was an incredible golfer and did things on the course that we had never seen before, and set some amazing records.

David Bown PGA AA Golf Professional

Authorised Golfing Machine Instructor

contact david@bowngolf.com

07973746872

To view my website. www.bowngolf.com

Youtube channel Bowngolf