One aspect of putting that is misunderstood by some is the importance of tempo.
Tempo is an important element in music. Musicians often use a metronome to set the tempo. It gives them an audible cue to help them get the feel for a certain number of beats per minute. Tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock. Depending on the tempo of the piece, the tick-tocks will be faster or slower.
What many don’t realize is that putting should have a tempo [...]
posted in Putting Tips • 4 Comments
Uh oh, another golf swing revolution.
Golf Digest has cornered that market on the stack and tilt swing, so Golf Magazine came out with a revolution of its own in the September 2007 issue. This time, it’s the “No-Backswing” swing.
The concept has been developed and studied by Top-100 teachers Dr. Jim Suttie and Dr. T.J. Tomasi. This isn’t a new idea. When I was first learning the game almost 15 years ago, a pro demonstrated this to me [...]
posted in Ball Striking Tips, Practice Tips • 15 Comments
One problem I’ve struggled with in my swing is a little too much lateral movement, both in the back swing and in the down swing. When there is a lot of lateral movement (a small amount is normal), the bottom of the swing arc moves. That leads to inconsistency because I then have to try and return the low point of the swing to the correct spot to make crisp contact.
If I shift too far right and then [...]
posted in Ball Striking Tips, My Progress • 3 Comments
You went and did it. You tried to carry a green side bunker from a long way out but hit it fat and your ball dribbled over the lip and stopped rolling on a down slope. Or you almost carried it but the ball hit the sand on the up slope and sat there. Now what?
Don’t worry! Some simple adjustments and you’ll be up on the green and trying to make the next putt.
Good Lie
With [...]
posted in Sand Play Tips • 1 Comment
Being able to curve the ball either way, in a controlled manner, is something that every golfer should try to add to his or her bag of tricks. Course designers often design holes to be played a certain way, and having the ability to shape your shots to suit the hole is a big bonus.
There’s not much to being able to hit a controlled draw or fade, but it’s much easier to accomplish if you have the ability to [...]
posted in Ball Striking Tips • 0 Comments
I’m always fascinated at the number of different variations of putting grips I see. It isn’t just down at my local course, either.
Tune in to any PGA Tour event and look at the number of variations you see. Fingers overlapped and interlocked in different ways. Hands rotated around the shaft to different degrees. And that’s just variations on the conventional grip.
Then you have all sorts of unconventional grips: left hand low, the claw, the saw. There seems to be a [...]
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My name is Mike Gray and I'm a software engineer pursuing my dream to become a golf pro.
Life in the Rough is a chronicle of my journey. It covers my progress, my successes, my setbacks. I'll share everything I learn and do along the way, including reviews and tips. Maybe what I learn can help you too.
