Category: Golf Swing

Golf 2017

Golf 2017

As a PGA trained and certified professional, I deal in every aspect of the game. If you start at the beginning, playing and hitting better golf shots is what every body is after. Playing golf requires a golf swing and golf equipment. While equipment can make a difference in your shot quality, good equipment together with good golf swing technique is the easiest and best way to lower your scores.

Once you learn to strike the ball, you have to learn to get the ball in the hole. That is the goal of the game of golf as proposed in the original rules of golf written by the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith on March 7th, 1744 according to Wikipedia. They were entitled “Articles and Laws in Playing at Golf” and consisted of 13 rules.

While getting the ball into the hole is no easy task, hitting better quality golf shots that get the ball closer to the hole on a consistent basis is a good way to start. This is Golf 2017 where you as a golfer can benefit from finding some golf swing keys that will work for you as an individual. You have many avenues to follow to reach this golf.

Golf 2017. You can read books and articles, you can practice, learn by trial and error, hit thousands of golf balls, use video training, swing analyzers, or get some help by a trained teacher of the golf swing, either using high tech equipment or using the trained eye, a simpler and much more effective method.

I  have used and taught with high tech equipment, and own many devices that will help you learn about your swing. But over the years it has become evident to me that most regular golfers, recreational golfers, do not want to use this high tech stuff, but just want to hit better shots and make better swings. I have come to this conclusion by teaching, listening, and talking to my students and by interacting with the thousands of golfers who pass through our golf shop every season.

I use high tech equipment, both for playing and for analyzing the golf swing.

One instance or thousands of one lesson remains clear in my mind and illustrates the accuracy of this machine’s measurements. The student was hitting shots and became interested in seeing the results on the computer screen all the numbers along with a view of each shot, a line indicating the shape and distance of each shot. If you take all the lines as a whole a pattern emerges, which is quite helpful in indicating a golfer’s tendencies and what the golfer needs to work on.

This is Golf 2017.  Watching the shots on the range in reality and seeing accurate results on the computer screen lend great validation and validity to the analyzing capabilities of the equipment you are using.

This is Golf 2017. Modern golf is an entirely different animal than golf of the past. Modern equipment requires an entirely different approach to swinging the club and hitting shots. I am not saying you can’t, but it is quite difficult to hit quality golf shots using modern equipment and an old style golf swing. That is why Tour Pros, the best players in the world, are always tinkering or overhauling their golf swings. They need to adjust their muscle firing sequence and muscle structure to the requirements of modern golf clubs and golf balls.

Secretariat & The Golf Swing

Secretariat and The Golf Swing

By: John Lombardo PGA of America

Secretariat and The Golf Swing
My fascination with Secretariat has crept into my quest for a functional golf swing. Ever since I saw the movie I have had this feeling that this horse is a key in golf swing evolution. I have watched over and over again the video of the Belmont Stakes world record performance from 1972, and watched in awe a once in a lifetime athletic performance.

I have always been fascinated with world class athletes, particularly the athletes that seem to function on a level or plane above and beyond their peers, those athletes that have an extra level of awareness, physical ability, or just plain athletic ability. I have downleaded pictures of Secretariat. Stop action photos of the horse in action dirt flying all four hooves off the ground seemingly flying through the air having more fun than any living being ever deserved to have. Secretariat was a genius a running freight train at runaway speed. There was no laboring, no weight, just pure speed, pure effort, pure peerformance, pure totality of effort.

If you measure that performance against the other horses, it is hard to understand how Secretariat could have opened such a lead and maintained and increased it over that length of race. What is more the jockey said Secretariat was actually accelerating past the finish line for another quarter of a mile before he was able to slow him down. What un-encumbeered exhiliration! Strength of body and spirit.

It became part of my journey to learn the path of least resistance in my golf swing. It took a while, but one day I discovered a simple move in my takeaway that enabled me to swing in a more fluid unencumbered way with a total accelerating release of the club head at and through impact. It actually occured to me during a quick punch out shot from behind my golf cart.

My goal is to swing the club the way Secretariat ran. I used it for an 18 hole round without even practicing and the results were astounding. Iron shots flying 20 yards further than at any time this year. Driver shots longer and straighter. Approach shots flying high and at the flagstick. It was a revelation and a great feeling.

I say now that if I can maintain this awareness I will start playing in tournaments again and I will win money. I still get goose bumps watching Secretariat run, or just looking at the pictures. What a role model.

Let’s Talk A Little Golf Turkey

Technique and high-tech learning are a hug part of our game. There is no disputing this fact; but after a quarter of a century, more like 35 years, I have come to know that you can use all the high tech equipment and training devices you want, but if you cannot control your golf club during your golf swing, all the high tech training and information and gizmos you invest in are not going to help your too much. These aids and devices create a false sense of security and a false pattern of muscle memory.

If you do not have the strength to control the golf club during your golf swing, well, it is kind of self-explanatory.

All it takes is a minimal investment and a few minutes a day, or every other day. What is better, you don’t even need to hit shots. You can train in your living room

For the better part of 25 years, I’ve been teaching golf to all levels of players. For over 35 years I have been studying the golf swing, in both practice and theory, and have fought my way back through career threatening injuries, by hard practice, and by learning to swing the golf club in many different ways.

This is something you can do for yourself if you want to continue playing the game at any kind of competent level; and I don’t think there has ever been a golf born who does not want to get something more out of their game.

The choice is yours, the time and monetary investment is minimal. The rest is up to you.

I know that I do this every day while hitting all kinds of golf shots, and that my control of the golf club and swing power has improved dramatically.

If you want further information email lombo@pga.com or call 315-224-1103. I would be happy to discuss the topi further.

 

Gain Golf Strength

Gain Golf Strength

Do you want to hit the ball farther? Do you want to control your golf club more efficiently during your swing? Do you want better control over your golf shots?

Get yourself a pair of wrist weights. Gain golf strength. Use the heaviest weight you can tolerate. Put the wrist weights on your wrist and hit golf shots with whatever club you want to use.

Putting the weights on your wrists makes a big difference, as opposed to swinging a weighted club. Weighted clubs are not the answer.

Without getting into all the explanations, putting the weights on your wrists is a whole lot more effective than swinging a weighted object.

With weights on your wrists, the practice becomes more focused. You can hit full or half shots, with a normal golf club. You are maintaining your feel, your natural moves. Simply you gain golf strength.

While at the same time, simply and efficiently, adding strength to your arms and all your golf muscles.

Wrist weights offer you an entirely different equation for ultimately gaining more control over all your golf shots and your golf swing.

It is an entirely different dynamic than swinging weighted objects, using cockamamie swing aids that tell you nothing and teach you nothing, or doing endless boring exercises that get you in shape but do not guarantee that you will swing the golf club better. You gain real golf strength.

Give it a try. I do promise that you will not be disappointed with the results!

 

Release The Club Head

Release The Club Head

 

“True Release And Squaring The Face”

By: John Lombardo PGA Of America
I seem to have come full circle. In a nutshell, I am now swinging the golf club with a true release and squaring of the club face at impact, at the bottom of the swing.

Like all true meaningful discoveries, this one kind of happened by accident.

To re-trace a bit, I have spent the last five or six years learning to swing the golf club with my core muscles, learning to keep the club in front of me throughout the entire swing. Keeping in tune with the huge growth of big strong Tour players, I have tried with great success to follow their example of swinging with the large muscles. Much of my views and teaching approach is described on www.golfteacher.com.

Last week after work I wanted to hit a few balls on the range so I grabbed an old six iron that we had lying around in the bag room. It turned out to be an ancient Powerbilt iron with a stiff shaft. I hit a few good shots then went into a funk trying to swing this club with the modern method. So I just decided for some reason to grip the club extremely lightly with my fingers, and just let it swing using gravity and golf club design as my guiding light.

The results improved dramatically as my shots started to fly high and straight with very little effort. It seems I actually tapped in to a distant memory of how I used to swing a baseball bat. While my body played a huge role, the ultimate power came from a strong free release of the bat head through the hitting zone. This could only be accomplished with a very light grip, letting the wood do the work so to speak.

So I decided the next time I played golf I would grip the club so lightly that the grip actually moved around in my hands as I moved into my back swing. This has become my only swing thought: a grip so light the club feels like it is moving around in my fingers. My body seems to coil so much easier into a compact, full turn with the club fully loaded and ready to swing.

But when it comes time to change direction, my coil uncoils and I just, to put it simply, “throw” the club head at the ball, letting gravity and the design of the club square the face at and through impact. Yes, throw the club head at the ball. The results have been astounding. I am hitting my 9 iron 145-150 regularly and my ball striking and accuracy have improved.

What is more important is that this swing feels totally natural, spontaneous, and un-rehearsed. It is a free and tension free approach to swinging a golf club, that works in all kinds of weather, and repeats itself of its own volition and free will. My only swing thought is to grip so lightly that the grip moves in my hands. My body gets involved naturally without me thinking about it, I take straight deeper divots again, and am able to get my full body involved without thinking about it.

I finally came to the conclusion that I am not a Tour player, and while the modern approach to swinging, large muscle ultra contolling motion, woks for the big strong and well conditioned it is not going to work for me over the long haul.

It feels so good to actually “know” what I am doing with a golf club without actually controlling or knowing what it is I am doing.

Letting gravity, force and my nature swing the club is what will carry me through. I do not have the physical prowess of the big strong swingers, but have gained distance, and control of my trajectory and shot shape. All my previous hard work is not in vain. There is so much more going on that I could not have accomplished without my previous training. But the thought and process has become a matter of simplicity, trust, and talent.

It is a winning proposition.

New Golf Swing

After not having swung a golf club for over two months because of some surgery and complications, I was able to finally hit some balls. Naturally I over did it and was really hurting  after a couple range sessions.

I went on to the golf course and just tried to hit the ball on the club face, but my body hurt bad and my successes were negligible.

It finally dawned on me that my usual swing was not going to work anymore. My golf muscles were weak and untrained and would not fire in the proper sequence. I could not bend my shafts and could not get a full swing going.

So I decided to follow the path of least resistance. A simple move ensued. I moved my weight on to my right side by moving my left knee toward my right knee so that the knees almost touch. At the same time, I start the club back into the back swing and start the shoulder turn. The resulting waggle to get started involves the right knee toward the left and the club shaft set parallel to the ground at the beginning of the shoulder turn in a simultaneous motion.

A freedom of movement started to follow. My shots started to get better and I could bend my shafts again resulting in the required distance for each golf shot. the entire swing sequence made sense to me. Plus, the resulting golf swing is 180 degrees different from anything I have ever done before.

I have not done any video yet, and do not even know if I want to. Once I practice the waggle a few times I then go ahead and swing. It becomes an instinctive move with no thought after the pre-swing routine waggle sequence.

Golf Feel The Rush!

Feel The Rush !

 

“Get Your Adrenaline Pumping!”

By: John Lombardo Golf Teacher

This is a simple one for you. If you are new to golf or even if you are an experienced player, here is a great reason to play.

Feel The Rush!!!!!!

When you hit that great shot, did you FEEL THE RUSH?! Did your feel your blood pumping through your veins? Did you feel alive?

You did something well, you worked as you. You were alive, truly alive, your heart was pumping, and what is even better you for an instant knew that you were alive.

There is nothing more exhilirating or powerful than a rush of adrenaline. All athletes feel it when they are performing well, doing what they want to do with their sport.

I am talking about positive adrenaline. Not the adrenaline of fear or flight, but the powerful adrenaline of positive accomplishment and true performance.

While most of us will never be race car drivers, professional football players, boxers or NBA Stars, all of us can certainly play golf.

Golf is the sport of accomplishments. You play a little work a little pay attention to what you are doing then the gears begin to mesh, the pieces begin to fall into place and your golf swing begins to click.

Even if you are just out there in nature playing golf you are bound to hit a great shot sooner or later. It just happens, the more swings you take, your chances of hitting that great shot are better and better. You will never hit a great shot if you are not out there playing.

When you hit that great shot, did you FEEL THE RUSH?!

Did your adrenaline get to pumping?

From my viewpoint there is no better feeling while engaged in golf as an athletic endeavor.

Good shots lead to better shots. It just works that way. There is nothing boring about an adrenaline rush. It is you at your best doing something and feeling good about it. It hapens in golf, even to a greater extent than with other team sports.

Because in golf, it is you and you alone doing the deed. You are the master of your fate. You did something well, you worked as you. You were alive, truly alive, your heart was pumping, and what is even better you for an instant knew that you were alive.

How about that feeling over and over again, or even once in a while over a round of golf. Breathing fresh air, your heart pumping, watching that great golf shot, and knowing that you are indeed alive!