Thursday,Nov 5 2009, 12:40:49 PMBruce Romberg - The perfect sport

You have a respectable game of golf that comes and goes, just like the rest of us, but even on those days that you seem to hit the ball better, your score seems to be the same.

How do you get those scores lower and, ultimately, have more fun?


Take responsibility for your score and improve your short game. By identifying your strengths and weaknesses and applying simple methods for quick skill improvement you can manage your own game and lower you scores. Also, with better shot selection and a short game 'cheat sheet' you can hit less than perfect golf shots that will still be fine and help to lower your scores without necessarily improving your skills.
Techniques to lower your score by improving your short game:

1. Identify your strengths and weaknesses by taking notes during your play.

In order to lower your score you must first determine what areas of your game need the most work. As you play your rounds, make small notes on the side of your scorecard. If there are recurring problems these are the areas you should focus your practice.

2. Learn to putt and control your distance.

Becoming a good putter requires a good set up and a few basic fundamentals. Once you bend forward from your hips so that your eyes are over your golf ball and your hands hang directly below your shoulders, you will be able to isolate your upper body and make a proper putting stroke where only the triangle formed by your arms moves. Next, you have to practice to learn to control distance. Any spare time you can find to practice stroking medium to longer putts to learn to control your speed and distance will automatically help to lower your scores.

3. Putt whenever you can.

There are a lot more times when you can putt and might not realize it. Other than putting from the green you can also putt from the fringe or collar, up closely mown hills, from farther away from the green in short manicured grass or just into the rough, greenside. Because there are very few moving parts when you putt and the ball generally does not get into the air, it is a very low maintenance choice and therefore more forgiving and consistent.

4. Become a good chipper.

Other than putting, chipping is the lowest risk shot. Once your set up is proper, gripping low, stance narrow, weight and shaft of the club leaning forward, the stroke is just like that of putting. Because the stroke is relatively small, you are more likely to be more consistent and any miss will be less penalizing.

5. Only pitch the ball when you have to.

When you are in a short game situation where you need more carry in the air than there is room for the ball to roll, you will have to pitch with your sand wedge. Because a larger swing will be necessary to carry the ball a greater distance in the air, this shot will be riskier and should only be used when you have ruled out all other options.

Bruce Romberg

There are times when you have to play a lob shot to get the ball near your target, (playing over bunkers, water or when the pin is on a tier or on the front edge of the green). If you want to improve your game, you've got to be good at this shot.

To play a lob shot - the kind you see the pros play on TV - practice the following tips and see your game improve:
Improving your stance

Take a wider stance than normal with your feet slightly open. Next, lower your body by bending from the knees (like you're sitting down). Then, lower your hands a little from your normal grip position

Setup for lob shots

First, open the clubface so you are aiming to the right of your target, then adjust your feet, shoulders, hips until they all point in the same direction, to the left of your target.

The ball should be played forward - opposite your front foot - with the grip of your golf club pointing toward your belt buckle. This keeps the hands behind the ball, where they help keep the clubface open upon impact. .
The swing

The lob requires an outside-in swing, which is why you have to set-up with an open stance. As you start your backswing, cock your wrists early and aggressively rotate your hips and your shoulders, but keep your lower-body action to a minimum.

The key is to make sure your swing is from outside in as you hit the ball creating a motion where the toe of the clubhead never turns over the heel. In other words, do not allow the hands to rotate during the swing.

You want to feel as though your right hand is throwing the ball high in the air, at the target.

Practice these tips and see your scores improve.


Ronald Bruce Romberg
According to Time magazine, 20 million Americans practice yoga on a regular basis, and this ancient tradition continues to be the fastest-growing form of exercise in the world. This same trend is also showing up on fairways. Professional and amateur golfers are embracing yoga as a proven physical and mental regiment that benefits the golfer - on and off the course.

Professional golfers such as Brad Faxon, Stewart Cink, Aaron Baddley, Jonathan Kaye, J.L. Lewis, Ty Tryon, Andrew Magee, Gary McCord, Gary Player, Julie Inkster, Betsy King and Jill McGill practice yoga. Tom Lehman said that a lot of golfers on the PGA Tour swear by yoga.

Why yoga and golf? Flexibility, strength, balance, conditioning in the core of the body and quieting an overactive mind are all necessary to be a good golfer. Physical and mental exercises are an integral part of the yoga sequence of exercises or poses. On the golf course, yoga will enhance flexibility and strength to improve many components of the golf swing. Shoulder turn, hip turn, extension, balance and increased club head speed will be enhanced.


In addition, golfers experience greater power, control, mental focus, reduced risk of injury and reduced recovery time when practicing yoga. Golf is often referred to as a one-sided sport, meaning the golf swing stresses one side of the body over the other. The repetitive nature of the golf swing creates an imbalance in the muscular skeletal system, but practicing yoga restores this imbalance.

Tension in the body and the mind is the No. 1 cause of swing flaws. Any time we experience stress on the golf course -- during the first shot, tight lye, double bogies or any shot that creates anxiety -- our breathing becomes erratic. When we are under pressure, the physiological effect of holding the breath is a "fight or flight response," resulting in rapid uncontrolled breathing and a loss of blood flow to the extremities, including the brain. Physically, breathing sustains the metabolic processes of the body. Mentally, breathing keeps the mind calm and focused. When the body is relaxed, the lungs, the diaphragm and the muscles of the rib cage and the chest move in an unrestricted way.

Breathing awareness is the most important component of the practice of yoga. An effective tool for decreasing stress while on the golf course is the practice of slow deep-rhythmic breathing. Your breathing pattern is a direct reflection of the level of stress on the body and mind at any given point and is a mirror of your internal physical and mental condition.

Mastering yoga breathing techniques gives you more "feel" in your putting and tempo in your swing. Yoga incorporates the mind and body into a complete comprehensive workout, offering a unique approach to golf fitness.

The following poses provide you with a basic yoga practice specifically designed for golf performance. Inhale and exhale through the nose for 10 to 15 breaths per pose. It is acceptable to feel slight discomfort as the muscles stretch, but you should never experience pain.

These basic Yoga for Golfers exercises address flexibility in the hands and wrists as well as the muscles of the spine. The modified cobra pose will increase strength in the back. Practice these poses three days a week in order to increase range of motion in the torso and to reduce the risk of injury in the golf swing. This warm-up sequence is also beneficial as a flexibility routine before beginning a round.
Golf benefits of these Yoga for Golfers poses:

Strengthens back muscles, shoulder turn and supports core strength.

Increases your ability to keep the spine straight throughout the golf swing.

Reduces back fatigue.

Increases club head speed, extension and power.
Cat/cow pose

Place your hands directly under your shoulders, spreading your fingers wide apart and pressing your entire palm into the floor. Press the tops of your feet into the floor, creating more flexibility in the feet and supporting more push-off power in your swing. Inhale, drawing your navel toward the spine, with your spine toward the ceiling and chin into the chest. Exhale, pressing your spine toward the floor, rolling your shoulders away from the ears and gently lifting your head. Do not hyperextend your neck. Slowly repeat 10 times.
Dynamic eagle twist

Lie on your back, with knees bent. Allow your legs to fall to the right. Inhale and bring your left hand to meet your right hand, allowing your left shoulder to come off the floor. Exhale and bring your left arm back, perpendicular to the body. Continue for five to seven breaths and switch sides.
Modified cobra

Lie on your stomach and place your hands just below the chest, fingers pointing forward. Be sure your elbows are directly next to the body (like a cricket). Inner ankles should be touching with your legs pressed together. Inhale, engage the buttocks, tailbone presses down and begins to telescope the rib cage forward. Keeping the legs on the floor, exhale, slightly lifting the chest off the floor. Hold for five breaths.
Modified down dog

Begin on all fours with your hands on the top of the mat. Spread your fingers with your entire palm flat. Inhale as your shoulders move away from your ears. Forearms remain off the mat. Exhale and begin to move your buttocks toward the back of the mat. Note: Your buttocks should not touch your heels, and a 90-degree angle should be maintained at the knee joints.

Katherine Roberts is a nationally recognized writer and presenter on golf fitness and the founder of Yoga for Golfers.Because Your Body Doesn't Get A Mulligan! She is a contributor to The Golf Channel. Katherine's unique mind-body approach to golf fitness is available through her DVDs, workshops, retreats or videos online at yogaforgolfers.com. E-mail Katherine with questions or comments at katherine@yogaforgolfers.com or call (888) 313-YOGA.

GolfInstruction.com readers are invited to receive a 25% introductory discount on all Yoga Fitness products. Visit www.yogaforgolfers.com and enter the code PR25 in the mailer code to receive your automatic discount.

Ronald Bruce Romberg

During every round of golf there are always a few holes where extra power is needed to attack the hole. When you want to reach back for that little extra distance, here are a few golf tips Byron Nelson gave me years ago.

Byron told me when coming to a hole where he needed some extra distance, he moved a couple of inches closer to the ball at address. His thinking was when you swing harder, you tend to pull the club in toward your body as you are going through the hitting area.

Second, he choked down about an inch on the grip as he felt he could generate more speed during his swing by choking down a little bit.


Finally, he felt these two changes helped him maintain control of his swing, which allowed him to play these longer drives from the fairway.

Byron felt his consistent driving of the golf ball was what set him up for success. During his streak of winning 11 tournaments in a row, he only remembered missing one fairway during that time. I'm sure that's why they named the Iron Byron machine after him, as he was always in the fairway and long when he needed to be.

Try these tips and add some extra distance when you need it.


Ronald Bruce Romberg
Yes, there truly is a "secret" of golf. Good players know it, and use it almost subconsciously. The Golfing Machine, by Homer Kelley, describes this "secret" as "clubhead lag" and cites that "It is simple, elusive, indispensable, without substitute or compensation, and always present."

What is lag? We've all heard this term, but few know what it means. Lag can be defined as "trailing" or "following" - this means that the clubhead behind the hands coming into Impact.

In this article we will focus on "clubhead lag" and its importance to the golf swing. Clubhead lag is simple because every club is designed to lean forward, the grip end ahead of the clubhead. When an iron is soled correctly, with both the leading and trailing edges on the ground, you will see that the shaft leans forward. If soled incorrectly, the shaft will lean either backward or too far forward. When a club shaft leans too far forward, the clubface loses its correct loft but better to err on the side of too much forward lean.


Clubhead lag is also elusive as it is not only the hands leading the club head, it's also the bending of the club shaft during start down. The initial force of the hands moving toward the ground bends the club shaft.

According to Kelley, "clubhead lag promotes even and steady acceleration, assuring dependable control of distance - any amount of deceleration during the down stoke dissipates clubhead lag."

Therefore, constant acceleration is needed to ensure a lagging clubhead through impact. So the old "low and slow" is a horrible mistake if you want acceleration in your game.

A prime example of a correctly lagging clubhead would occur when a tour player hits a shot. As the player starts their pre-shot the announcer tells us that the player has 193 yards to the flag and that they are going to hit a 6-iron. A 6-iron! A lot of players would love to hit their driver that far!

In every good swing at the moment of Impact the club shaft is leaning forward (toward the target). The hands are in front of the ball and clubface, effectively turning the 6-iron into a 5- or 4-iron.

When the club shaft is stressed and constant acceleration is used, the player gains control of the height and distance of all their clubs. Once this technique is properly applied, it becomes indispensable. The player can then rely on his ability to use the proper amount of lag pressure at any time.

The average player arrives at impact with the hands behind the ball and the club shaft leaning backward. This effectively adds loft and turns that 6-iron into a 7- or 8-iron.

If you play golf with someone that is always complaining that their irons all go the same distance, that player has a backward leaning club shaft. Do what I do, if they tell you their irons are all going the same distance, tell them to just carry one club then!

Clubhead lag is always present once the down stroke has begun. Good players use steady acceleration. Poor players over-accelerate, the hands reaching maximum speed before impact, thus losing the "lag". According to Kelley, "any over-acceleration or pushing away of the club will eliminate the lag, never to be re-attained for that shot."

Therefore, resist any attempt at throwing the hands at the ball or "flicking" the wrists near impact. Remember - the hands lead and the clubhead trails.

Here are some drills to feel, establish, and maintain clubhead lag.

What does "lag" feel like? It feels exactly like dragging a wet heavy string mop through impact.

In this drill (figures 4 and 5), I used a towel. Wrap the towel around the hosel of your club and place the clubhead on the ground, just outside of your trailing foot. Now try to use just your wrists to take the clubface to the ball.

This move is difficult at best and the shaft will be leaning backward. Now replace the club, but this time rotate your hips, sternum and the trailing shoulder toward right field. You will notice a distinct sensation of dragging and a heavy pressure through the ball.

For the next drill (figures 6 and 7), you can simply take a piece of rope and hold it like a club. Go the top of the swing and allow the rope to rest on the top of your right shoulder. As you start down, you will "feel" like the rope stays on the shoulder as you take your hands directly downward to the ball, or at the "aiming point."

This is called, "rope handle technique" in The Golfing Machine. As you can see here, the "end" of the rope is "lagging" my hands.

A properly lagging clubhead produces a strong downward thrust, which adds distance, trajectory, and consistency.

The majority of golfers do just the opposite. They try moving the clubhead with the wrists. This produces a "quitting" motion and the club moves upward toward Impact instead of downward.

For a great drill use a duffel bag, pillow or impact bag like the one shown in figures 10 and 11. Take the club back to waist height with the club shaft parallel to the target line and horizontal to the ground. Now simply rotate the hips, sternum, and right shoulder. This will bring the hands and body to impact position and the club will be lagging!


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