One of the most common errors I see students make is missing the proper release point of the swing. Because of the way the Orange Whip is balanced, and due to the flexible shaft, the device allows golfers to feel if their release is too early or too late…or, maybe just right!

In the video that I show here, I have exaggerated the early and late release so you can easily see the difference. If the release is late you will likely miss your shots to the right, and if your release is early a left miss is common. You can also see when I am letting the shaft release at the proper point the swing looks fluid and balanced and has speed to it that seems to come easy. As you would guess, the ball tends to fly straighter also when the release is correct.

If you have the chance to try the Orange Whip, I suggest you start out swinging it “small” and smooth, and then slowly build into more of a full motion swing. Make sure you sense your balance when the club head end extends away from you and has the greatest speed.

Always remember, we do not hit the ball with the end of the club that we hold on to. Make sure you swing the club head end with speed and not the grip end.

Throughout my career as a golf instructor I have written three instructional books (The Art of Putting, The Art of the Short Game and The Art of Scoring) with the most recent, The Art of Scoring, coming out last year. Out-of-the-blue last month, the publisher called me up and said that all three of my books will be promoted in all the Border’s bookstores across the country in the front of their stores in a sports theme table from April 20^th through July 11^th. I was completely speechless; I thought to myself, “Could that many people really want to read what I have to say about the game of golf.”  I guess so. The publisher will go back on press for the three titles to supply the Border’s store promotional efforts.

Long story short, I am completely thrilled about this news and I owe it all to my fans and those of you who have supported me throughout the years. Without you none of this would be possible. I only hope that the folks that do purchase my books reap the benefits and play better golf. After all, I want you to have more fun on the golf course!

In this month’s edition of Make Me Better, I’ll cover a sore spot for most players – the mid-range pitch. Back in late January, I was at my home course, Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, with the Golf Digest crew shooting photos for this article. I always enjoy these days because, as you already know, I am very passionate about teaching and showcasing these drills for all of you. But, it also gives me a chance to brush up on my own game.

I thought you’d enjoy reading the article in the attached file. The photos throughout the article capture the necessary body and hand positions to effectively pull off these shots. If you haven’t already, stop by your local bookstore and grab a copy of the May issue of Golf Digest. I think you’ll recognize the guy trying to help your game on page 110! If you ever have any questions, feel free to send me your comments and I will do my best to respond promptly.

click here for downloadable/printable PDF of the article

What a contrast in geography, temperature and architecture over the last week. I’ve gone from the arid deserts of Arizona, to the lush, green high humidity of South Florida, to a significantly colder region of the world that has yet to emerge from winter. You’ll note the photo I took out my window of the Hotel Tylösand just outside Halmstad. That’s snow on those sand dunes! But, the people here are just like those in The States…warm and friendly! Over 80%  of Swedes speak English as a second language (along with 2-3 other European languages they speak with ease), so getting around has been very easy for me during this trip. While we talk about the history of the United States going back 250 years or so, and over 300 years since America was discovered, Halmstad is truly ancient by comparison. The city celebrated its 700th birthday in 2007.

Why am I in Sweden? For those of us lucky enough to be in the golf business, and more specifically the golf teaching business, the thirst for game improvement knows no language or geographic barrier. The PGA of Sweden annually conducts an educational conference for its members so they can learn more about changes in the golf industry…rules, equipment and teaching methods. I was invited to the conference by Johan Hampf of the PGA of Sweden to provide insights into how I coach tour players and amateurs alike, as well as to participate in various other activities during the conference.

On Friday morning, I spoke for a couple of hours about The Art of the Short Game, and then had another 90 minutes in the afternoon to cover The Art of Putting. I had fun conducting a live short game lesson on Saturday morning with Henrik Lundqvist, a top golf teacher in Europe. Henrik has coached Swedish and Belgian national teams, and is involved with the PGA of Norway. Saturday afternoon, my panel had a lively debate on the future of the game. Everyone had a point of view, and the discussions covered a wide range of opinions from the panelists…some like me from inside the golf business, and others who are academicians and industry consultants working for years around the game. What I noted is little different from many of the opinions I hear in Phil’s Grille at Grayhawk. We all agree that we can’t agree on where this business will be in 5 or 10 years. But, the passion for the game and helping people enjoy golf probably united all of us on the panel.

I arrive back in Arizona this week for Spring Break with my family.

Horn says, “I have a passion for the game, and since moving to LA I have played golf all over Southern California, and wherever my business travels take me in the U.S.”

When Philip came to me for his lesson he was already very knowledgeable about the game of golf and carried an 11 handicap. All of that is great, but there were still several issues we needed to work on. Mainly he had lost all confidence chipping and pitching his ball around the greens.

Philip’s main issue around the greens was that he would swing the handle of the club away big in the back swing. He would also keep his right elbow stiff and in front of his body which caused the handle to move outside a good swing plane. Since he moved the grip back big and to the outside in the takeaway he would pull the grip hard through during his downswing. Since the reaction to his backswing was to accelerate the grip end of the club in the through swing this did not allow him to release the club head back to the ball with any consistency.

The first thing we worked on to correct his chipping and pitching move was to get Phil to swing the club head instead of swinging the grip-end or handle.  I also had Phil focus on the fact that his right elbow needed to fold back along his right side during the takeaway so the club comes more from the inside. During the downswing, we tried to get Philip to feel like he was throwing the club head at the ball by casting the club head with his left thumb.  The result is that the club head will contact the turf with the bounce first and then the ball. Additionally, we had to work a little on Philip’s lower body. Even when pitching or chipping the ball, a small pivot or turn of the lower body is always necessary. To achieve this, allow the left leg to straighten and the right knee to turn into the left and finish up with your body standing tall and facing the target.

We also worked on Philip’s bunker play. When in the bunker we focused on four keys for success. First, at address we focused on keeping Philip’s spine tilted left or towards the target. Secondly, we worked on a big body-turn during the takeaway accompanied with loose and snappy wrists. And lastly, we worked on finishing the swing with his weight forward and completely off his right heel.

So, during our lesson back in December we worked on two main points, Philip’s pitching/chipping and his bunker play with a small emphasis on his full swing. About a month after our session I was curious to hear what Philip had so say; so, I sent him an email with a few questions. His responses are below:

1. 1. What is your handicap?

My Index is currently an 11, but I I expect to be single digit due to Stan’s help by the end of February.

1. 2. What did you take away from your time with Stan? What are you working on?

From Stan I learned a repeatable technique that makes sense to me. His teaching style is simple, and it is one that I can now practice all the time, because I understand the technique I am trying to execute.  I work on this technique every other day and keep my 58-12 wedge and a range tube of balls in my car at all times.

1. 3. Have you improved? How has it helped you?

I have improved my up and down’s to better than 50% per round, (sandies, chippies). In fact, our group now calls them Utley’s (as they know I went to Stan for personal instruction), and they are all reading his books. I went from blading shots over the green or chunking chip shots to hitting crisp clean shots. My time with Stan is one of the best investments in my golf game I have ever made. I do not fear chipping and pitching anymore and saw immediate improvement. I was properly chipping balls after 6 minutes with Stan, yes 6 minutes. I have the confidence now to be more aggressive and am at the point where I expect to get it up and down.  In our weekend group, we now keep track of Utley’s counting them just as we do sandies, birdies, and other junk bets.

1. 4. Any other comments?

If you are serious about improving your short game and by serious I mean being able to invest in yourself go see Stan as he is the Short Game Guru Man!

I’m really proud and privileged to live and work right here in Scottsdale. We are fortunate to have a top-notch organization dedicated to filling hotel rooms, conference centers, restaurants and all our other venues including our golf courses. And, we’ve got lots of great golf courses in Scottsdale, such as my own home course at Grayhawk Golf Club.

A couple of months ago, the Scottsdale CVB decided to shoot some video and photos as part of story about what I do for a living here in Scottsdale. Well, as you know, I don’t like talking about myself, but what I do love talking about is what excites me every day…helping golfers of all stripes learn to play the game better. If you play better, you have fewer frustrations and a lot more fun on the course. So, I focus my time and energy on that part of the game that can make the difference between playing golf…and playing GREAT golf. The biggest improvements you can make are in the range of 80-100 yards and in, plus putting. Focus a lot of your drills and practice routines around that part of your game, and you’ll be amazed how easily you can knock off a couple of shots a side.

If you are interested in reading the short article, you can click on this link (“Stan’s Got Game“) to read it. I’ve also included the short two-minute YouTube video that appears on the site with this post.

So, come on down to Scottsdale for great weather, terrific relaxation and maybe a round or two of golf. If you feel the need for a lesson while you are here, drop me an e-mail and let me know!

During a recent photo shoot with the editors of Golf Digest, Sergio did some great work demonstrating a few of his best tips for getting out of a bunker. It was a time-consuming but very worthwhile day, and the editors and photographer did a wonderful job.

I thought you’d enjoy seeing the article in the attached file. The stop-action, frame-by-frame photos capture weight distribution, Sergio’s stance and how he uses his wrists, arms, shoulders and leg action to make the shot work.

Let me know what you think. And, yes, you’ll see me in a few of the photos as we work on technique. I hope you’ll buy the issue…all the latest equipment for 2010 is covered in depth by the editors of Golf Digest magazine. The equipment just keeps getting better and better!

click here for downloadable/printable PDF of the article

Ball pushes tee into side of hole

As best I can remember, way back when I worked hard on my own game, I had a number of practice drills I used to improve my scoring performance. While practice may not sound as much fun as playing a round of golf, what I’ve found is that practice actually makes your next round of golf much more fun because you can see if all that hard work on the practice range pays off.

One exercise I used a lot in my practice routine was making very short putts. Now, I know that in friendly games of golf, those 1’-2’ putts are often conceded by your golf buddies. But, what happens if you get into a local tournament and you actually have to make those putts? Yep, you guessed it…the knees might shake a little, and you might have negative thoughts in your head as you stand over the putt. It’s pretty clear that you need to build confidence in your stroke so that you can sink 100% of those short putts. Missing them can cost you the hole, or even the match.

To build confidence, you need repetition. You need to see and feel the ball going in the hole every time. I would make hundreds of these putts from one to two feet. I would roll some in the left edge and some in the right edge. I would also often put a tee in the back middle of the cup and tap the tee with the golf ball to narrow my focus on the center of the cup. This drill is not primarily about technique, but rather experiencing the benefits of holing putts without missing.

However, please stay aware of what your stroke feels like and what you are thinking when you are doing this exercise. The drill may test your commitment and patience, but I am certain your confidence will grow. Also, realize that when you go to play on the course, you really don’t hit a 3′ putt much different than an 18″ putt.

After their chat, Brandel called me on stage to talk a little bit about my career and some of the nuances of golf’s short game. I spent about 5 minutes on stage reminiscing with Brandel, and I had a great time. I want to thank Fry’s Electronics for hosting such a wonderful event and for allowing me to be a part of the whole experience.

I’ve added a short clip covering a small part of my time on stage with Brandel. This particular clip describes how my career as a short game teacher really began. It’s a true story, too!

MONDAY

This year the qualifying round was held at Southern Dunes Golf Club in the city of Maricopa, just south of Phoenix. I was a little nervous heading into it and still recovering from the previous Friday’s return from 10 days in Madrid, Spain. But, I was fortunate enough to have the first tee time of the day (8 am) and a great playing partner in Frank Lickliter II. There were 80 guys who, just like me, were trying to Monday Qualify. Looking at some of the other names in the field, I knew that scoring in the mid-60s was necessary to even have a chance of making the tournament field since only the top four players got invites into the Frys.com Open event. My prayers were answered and we played our round without a breath of wind, which is very unusual on this particular course. I was able to make 8 birdies and 1 bogey for a -7 score of 65, which was good enough for third place and a spot in the 2009 Frys.com Open.

TUESDAY
I was asked by a company called Geos Communications, Inc. to put on a little short game clinic for some of their employees and key customers. Geos Communications is a leading developer of global mobile applications. They’ve got a product called MyGlobalTalk which provides low-cost calling from any device. It’s endorsed by PGA Tour veteran and 2009 Presidents Cup Captain Fred Couples, as well as Tom Pernice Jr.

The clinic was a great success. I taught and told stories for about two hours to a group of about 25 participants. As with every clinic I teach, the skill levels of the participants were all over the map. However, every player had an awesome can-do attitude and it made my time spent with them a real pleasure. At the conclusion of the clinic, everyone played a round of golf on the Talon Course at Grayhawk (Raptor was getting set up for the Frys.com Open), but not before they gave me a warm round of applause and some nice compliments which I really appreciated. What a great bunch of guys! I look forward to working with Geos Communications in the future. Below is a video clip taken from my short game clinic with Geos.

Tuesday afternoon I was able to get in nine holes of practice on the Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club with good friend Tom Pernice, Jr. Since it is my home course, I’m familiar with the layout. But, it’s always nice to get out for a little practice because the set-up is pretty close to tournament conditions. This gives you a chance to get a feel for the course with bleachers, corporate tents, TV camera positions and things like that since they do alter the way your eye usually sees a hole versus playing the same course for fun. Practice rounds are really, really important.

WEDNESDAY
I got in some light practice, but didn’t play the course. I had a good friend of mine in town, the singer and recording star Paul Colman, and we went over to TPC Scottsdale so I could watch him hit a few balls. I kept the day a light one getting ready for the tournament kick-off on Thursday.

THURSDAY
Round 1 started great for me. I had a wonderful pairing of Jamie Lovemark and Peter Tomasulo, two young up-and-comers who just pound the golf ball. I don’t hit the ball as far as they do, but it sure was a treat watching them navigate around the course and hit approach shots from places I didn’t even think possible. We started on the back nine and I was even through 10 holes with 10 straight pars. I finally got to red numbers with a birdie on the 2^nd hole, my eleventh of the day. I made another birdie at No. 6 before making my one and only mistake of the tournament. I carded a snowman (8) on the No. 7, finishing my round at 2-over par (72).

FRIDAY
Round 2 was a catch up day for me – that was the plan at least. With so many scores under par in the first round I knew the cut line was probably going to be around even or 1-under par. That being said, I needed some birdies. I came right out of the gate and birdied the first hole and the sixth hole before bogeying No. 7. Whew…THAT hole again! It got the best of me all week, but in any event I was 1-under through nine holes and playing exactly how I had hoped.

Unfortunately, I played the back-nine 1-over to shoot an even par round of 70 on the day. My two-round total was a 2-over 142, and I ended up missing the cut by three shots.  I played great for 34 holes. Hole No. 7 got me both days and was probably the reason for the missed cut. Playing a single hole at 5-over through two rounds is…well…not fun. If there is any consolation at all, it’s that No. 7 played as the hardest hole all week for all the players since it usually plays as a par 5, but during the tournament it played as a 500+ yard par 4.

All in all I was really happy with the way the tournament played out for me. I was able to get a peek into the future of golf with Jamie and Peter in my pairing, and we had a lot of fun. By the way, Jamie Lovemark went on to tie for first place with Rickie Fowler and Troy Matteson, only to lose in a playoff on the second hole. Keep up the good work Jamie.

Back to teaching for me now since this is our wonderful teaching season here in Scottsdale. I have a few pro-am tournaments I’ll play over the winter and, who knows, I might just tee it up in a tour event again sometime in 2010.