Playing quality golf shots with power and consistency is what you are looking for.

Virtually all my students who have lessons with me say they want  two things more than anything.   1. CONSISTENCY  2. MORE DISTANCE.

How do you achieve this ?

Whether you have a so called flat swing , upright swing, strong grip , weak grip, open face, closed face at the top, that is not the key issue.

Look at the best players in the world, all have differences in their technique, regarding , grip, clubface, swing plane, one plane, two plane etc.

The  one thing that all these top golfers share is their SWING SIGNATURE.

What is your swing signature ?

When I talk to experts in  biomechanics there is a definite pattern of movement  that the better golfers all do.

Whether its Jim Furyk or Ernie Els their pattern of movement is the same, they look very different, but they have a definite swing signature.

They start their downswing in the correct order or sequence, Lower body starts first, this starts the sequence, then the torso / core follows, arms, wrists, and finally the club .

Work on your pivot , how you unwind your body from the top of your backswing into your finish.

Most amateurs try and get the clubface at the top of their swing to the ball as early as possible by using their arms and wrists first, they try to speed up the clubhead too early..

Use your pivot correctly, use it first, so your arms and wrists can transfer their power into the ball in the most efficient way , which is in the correct sequence.

So improve your swing signature, your pattern of movement, and you will become consistent and hit the ball further.

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.

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 ?

contact  -   07973 746872    david@bowngolf.com

I thought I would go through with you the things I see most when I am coaching students for the first time.
If you like the common trends amongst beginners.

Problem Areas.

1.Tension is always apparent, in the hands and wrists, I see so many learners who think that power comes from the hands and wrists, as we know they transfer power when allowed to.

2. Poor placement of hands on the golf club, thumbs straight down the grip, restricting any freedom of movement through the hands and wrists.

3. Posture problems, bent spine, restricting the turn of the body during the swing, you need good alignment and good posture to make a sound swing.

All these problems are pretty simple to fix, good preparation in your set up will help so much with your stability and coordination throughout the swing, which leads to more consistency and less effort.

4. The pivot is a major source of power and consistency, if this is not working effeciently you will have severe problems, usually trying to use the hands to compensate for these errors, and leading to frustration as no two shots are the same!

I give my students drills to do so they can recognise /feel where they need to make the body go, immediately their balance improves and so does their coordination. So Recognise it, Monitor it, Practice it, Groove it ! That is true with every aspect of learning this game.

5. Truly understanding what the hands do throughout the golf swing, golfers get them working in some strange ways, the hands must be educated, you must recognise what they do and how they move, otherwise again inconsistency and more frustration.

Understand that quick fixes never lead to consistent levels of performance, you need a swing map , a direction, a blueprint if you will, so you can start your journey the right way which leads to improvement and more enjoyment of this great and challenging game.

When shall we start on your journey of improvement ?

contact - 07973746872                            david@bowngolf.com

Louis Oosthuizens win at the Open was a superb achievement, beating all the greatest players in the world at the home of golf, St Andrews.

He looked so calm and relaxed throughout the championship smiling, and then focusing on the shot at hand when needed.

He has a very good swing, relaxed with great rhythm and balance, so I wondered why he has not put on more performances like this  .

I believe he had a calmness, he was clear in his thoughts, he knew what he had to do and still maintained control of himself and his emotions throughout the tournament, and that is special, this does not happen every week or he would be winning more and having more top tens during the season. We shall see if winning the Open gives him more belief in his great talent over the coming months.

He was able to keep delivering the shots over the seventy two holes, no real mistakes, hitting fairways and driving very long, even at the road hole he did not change his approach, he took out driver and played a great tee shot, he did the same on Saturday, when his competitors were making mistakes, I watched them all hit great shots then later a few shots went off line , in bunkers, or wrong club selection, Oosterhuizen did not, he was so consistent.

I know he got a break with the weather on the second day, maybe that helped  a few strokes but not seven!

I shall watch his progress, and we shall see if he goes on to even more titles.

What can you learn?

If your mind is calm , focused and you keep to your gameplan, and then you can play to your best and not get in your own way. If your mind game is good and your scores are not, you must work on creating an efficient and technically sound swing that will deliver results when you really need it.

If you look at my Hi-speed videos of the tour players you can see how efficiently they move their bodies throughout their swing and how their sequence of movement is so good.

Here is Simon Khan playing a 3 metal at Walton Heath in the U.S. Open qualifier.

His shot went straight onto the green at a short par four of 275 yds, he two putted for a birdie.

Key points for you to see are how he starts the centre of his body moving, his core and chest, his arms go along for the ride , everything has moved in unison, his right side, his hip and chest all turn away very smoothly.

This is a great angle to see his transition from upswing into his start down.

You can clearly see like all top players his lower half starts moving back towards the target first, transferring his weight onto his left leg, this gives him a great platform and stability, so he can swing down in the correct sequence to create his maximum power.

His wrists respond to this move, the club is being pulled or dragged downwards on plane into impact . He has not used his wrists from the top , he has retained their energy and used the correct sequence of motion in his downswing, which is feet pushing into the ground, to give stability for his hips and thighs to do their work, which in turn starts to unwind the core and the chest , which pulls the arms downwards, so the arms and wrists can transfer their energy into the club at the right time.    

His swing is  smooth and unhurried, no wasted motion and very efficient and deceptively powerful, everything is working in the correct sequence, that is why it looks so smooth.

What can you learn.

1. Start your move of trunk arms and club away from the ball in unison.
2. Let your right hip and shoulder turn, keeping your right leg in its flex.
3. Unwind in the correct sequence into the downswing, learn to use your powerhouse , your body, not your arms and wrists. 

This Hi -speed video of Bradley was taken at the Open qualifier at Sunningdale on Monday 7th June, he is hitting his first tee shot of the afternoon round on the Old course, on his way to a 65, and it was a perfect shot , straight and long, in the middle of the fairway.

This is a really good angle to see  his sequence of movement throughout his swing. Which as you can see is superb.

His posture is balanced and the angle of his spine and knee flex are perfect, he is balanced, athletic, he is grounded and  ready to move into his swing.You need a strong base, and be well planted if you are going to generate power in your swing, and Bradley does this so well.

He starts  his movement superbly,  his chest, arms and club are perfectly synchronised as he move into his backswing, he is just coiling up his chest and his hips are responding to the turn. He has  a great backswing wind up, is well balanced and has more weight on his right side .

Watch his transition closely, you can really see how his hips move first on the downswing, and his upper body is still coiled, he is not starting down with his arms or wrists, they are trailing behind.

The club is lagging behind, as his body moves left and starts to unwind, incredible energy is being stored by correct sequencing of his body . A major key in accuracy and power.

He has power, rhythm, great balance, athleticism, a superb golf swing, I wonder why he is not in contention more, it may be putting and short game that is just holding him back or maybe the mental side, but the swing does look very good. A very good model for you to see, very sound technique with great power. 

What a story Simon Khan wins BMW PGA tour event at Wentworth, goes from 473 in the world to 105, wins the biggest cheque of his career £640,000, all on a sponsors invite! Ryder cup team beckons, wow what a turnaround to a career.

Simon then without much sleep goes to Walton Heath to try and qualify for the U.S.Open, arrives very early in the morning, tees off and scores of 67 and 70- total 7 under par for 36 holes gets him into a six man play off for five spots, he pars the first hole and is out ! How cruel this game can be, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.
He is playing the best golf of his career so far, and as I watched him at Walton Heath he looked so composed, relaxed, and hit really pure straight shots.

This is the 5 iron into the par five.
What can you learn?

1. Simon has a very relaxed style of play, again is very fluid, fine balance, rhythm. Sets up to the ball with good balance and alignment, very relaxed posture, no stiffness in his set up.

2. Starts club back with chest and arms, very smooth flow into the backswing, no rushing at all, wrists hinge gradually and automatically, and it is all smooth and controlled.

3. As with all tour players Simon uses his lower body to start the club down, a great transition, and as you saw in Rory McIlroy a slight squat as he starts down, showing you that his lower body is working first, which then creates the correct sequence of motion for the rest of his body, feet, knees, hips, trunk, arms, wrists, club, its like going through the gears in your car, accelerating in each gear and then flowing smoothly into the next one to maximise power.

4.He keeps rotating through the ball, into a full free finish, great poise and balance. He keeps the club on plane really well throughout his swing.

There seems to be a theme to these swings of Rory and Simon, fluidity, relaxation, rhythm, balance, uses the body really well, great pivot action back and through, and great body sequencing throughout, developing hidden power, which is transferred through the arms into the golf club.
One player a boy prodigy with fantastic natural talent, another a mature tour pro who has experienced the ups and downs, who has been to the qualifying school ten times, and is now playing the best golf of his life.

Rory is on the range at the BMW tour event at Wentworth May 2010, he worked his way through the bag, starting with the wedge, I have sequences here of a five iron,3 metal and driver to show you. He was hitting easy 3 metal shots, staying low and straight, then he would cut loose and the ball would just keep rising on a much higher trajectory as he inceased his power.

What an amazing talent at 20, winning a US PGA tour event in fantastic style, I remember thinking as I watched him shoot 65-62 over the last two rounds, this is how we would dream to play golf, massive drives, laser irons and holing putts, calm and controlled, it looked so easy to him.Those two rounds were very exceptional and I believe they are going to be rare for anyone to reproduce, especially on such a high calibre golf course as Quail Hollow.

His rhythm is superb, his balance, his fluidity of movement is second to none, it is all done with such flowing grace, that here is a very special golfer, who when in full flow makes golf look so easy, even more so than Tiger, who has more of a carved out or chiselled golf swing, more man made, and of course he has made significant changes to his swing through out his career, and I believe he is in the process of making more changes now. I can’t wait to see him back at the heights we all know he can achieve. Back to Rory.

What can you learn.

1. Rory is very relaxed at set up, excellent posture, alignment, great grip, looking ready and balanced to move into his swing.

2. Starts moving his chest, and arms so well together, and as he continues to turn his right side away his wrists hinge so naturally as he continues to wind up his chest, core and hips into a superbly poised and balanced location, no excess motion as he continues to move into the transition of his golf swing.

3. He starts down with a slight squat of the legs as they and the hips start to drag and pull the trunk and the arms downwards, a superb sequence of motion, maintainig lag not only between his arms and the shaft, you can see the shaft loading, but also note how he uses pivot lag, in other words how the sequence of his body unwinds relative to each other, creating the most powerfull movement he can to hit the ball prodigious distances.
He is working very hard here and creating lots of power, yet in real time it looks so smooth and fluid, because his sequence of movement is so tremendous and flows so well into a free flowing finish, he continues to turn his right side through to a very full finish, wish I was that flexible !

If Rory can continue to stay healthy, learn how to keep his score going when not quite at his best and eliminate small errors of judgement on course, such as course management and shot selection, there will be no stopping this young man becoming a regular tour winner where ever he plays in the world and become the best european player since Seve and Nick!