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We all can use a little more ‘Putting Pleasure’, but do we actually earn it?

When is the last time you went out and actually read a green and then tested your read with a ‘Stimp Meter’ or just a good old bowling roll?

You have to train your eyes to properly see and evaluate greens. You will be well served to practise this learned skill. Know that most regular and even proficient “Flat Stickers’ actually ‘Under-Read’ greens. Then they tend to start the ball off too low and south of the cup!

Additionally, ‘Distance is more of a challenge in ‘Putting’ than is ‘Direction’.

MENTAL GEMS

A Bad Swing = Bad Golf
A Good Swing = Good Golf

One must learn to ‘Set-Up’ properly suited to his or her capability. Work towards improved ‘Fitness’. Pay attention to ‘Nutrition and Hydration’. Work towards ‘Mental Purity’!

Avoid ‘Golf Swing Modeling’. If an instructor suggests that you try to make a swing like a third party, find a new one … the instructor and not the model!

The current rave of ‘Shallowing Out’, which might invite getting ‘Laid Off’ is happily not ‘The First Move’!

The ‘Pull Down’ (a forced move) is not ideal as it demands ‘Tension’ when that is seldom an asset. This forcing the ‘Lever Assemblies Down’ is really unnecessary. When you get in a big hurry, a great golf swing demands more ‘Manipulation and Force’. ‘Swing Plane’ is natural!

We should work on our ‘First Move’s’ being a ‘Gravitational or Vertical Drop’ followed by a ‘Leg Drive Down The Line’. (DTL) So, what we are really looking to accomplish is a ‘Drop Thrust’. There is quite a lot of ‘Lateral Move’ in a properly generated ‘Full Swing’. (see ‘Stage Three Procedures’ with Wrist Cock & Pivot)

… is usually the outcome of ‘Quiet Hand Action’ and a ‘Quiet Mind’.

Don’t be mistaken in thinking that ‘Quiet Hand, Wrist, Forearm Triangles’ mean leaky ‘Fade Slice Ball Flight’.

The one thing we teachers know for sure is that the ‘Set-Up Clubface Aim’ must be delivered back to and through the ‘Ballistic Point’ or ‘Bottom Inside Cheek’ of the ball. (see ‘BIC’) The combination of ‘Compression and Line Of Compression’ makes things happen!

A little word of advice is to maintain the ‘Squareness Of Your Clubface Aim’ as long as possible through the ‘Impact & Separation Zone’. Establish the optimal ‘Clubhead Path’ and keep it talking to your ‘Clubhead’ longer than perhaps thought necessary! The proper and efficient ‘Feeling’ one should get from ad really efficient strike is a ‘Push Basic Feel’ … ‘Down & Out’.

There are a lot of ‘Golf Terms’ (“LINGO”) that might or might not make sense to us normal ‘Weekend Hackers’? As I shared with you, when I started my ‘Golf Journey’, over half a century ago, I was told that I need to be more ‘Inside-Out’ and not ‘Over-The-Top’. All I could envision was socks and underwear coming out of the dryer … ‘Inside-Out’! Let’s try to not use any more of these than necessary? There are some that really do a good explaining job for us, but not all!

I am thinking of this common term “Reverse C” or “Reverse Pivot”. Are they different? Reverse in relation to what?

Let’s see if we can make this simpler to grasp? What is my ‘Pivot’? The ‘Pivot’ is my ‘Spinal Core, Column or Spinal Engine’ … my ‘Back Bone’. It is generally relatively straight and or plumb. “GENERALLY” in the realm of straight-ish. It is a variable ‘Human Component’ that is usually in motion. When we are at the ‘Top Of Front Swing’ (TOF – SS #10 or SS #11 Bounce Back) our spinal column is relatively straight or plumb. Not a ‘C’ but more of an ‘I’.

One can only influence ‘Ball Flight Behaviour’ by increasing 1) Distance, 2) Direction and 3) Vertical Shape. (Trajectory or Parabola)

Let us firstly assume you have a perfected ‘Set-Up.

Let us assume we want the ‘Factory Designed Trajectory of a #8 Iron. Then ‘Pull It’! It you want more or less ‘Trajectory’ (Vertical Shape) pull more or less club.

We have been very limiting herein as we are allowing ONLY our ‘Universal Set-Up. The magic ‘Silver Bullet Of Our Personal Game’. We can make this happen in the ‘Heat Of Battle’. In fact, if the heat gets ‘Turned-Up’, we should get even better under pressure! Is that amazing or what?

How might we alter our ‘Set-Up Conditions’ to alter our ‘Ball Flight Outcomes’?

TENSION IS GENERALLY SPEED’S ENEMY and a Sweet Spot’s too!

Loose and freewheeling will help you strike better golf balls more consistently!

A ‘Tension Trigger & Monitor’ is Grip Pressure, especially the ‘Thumb & Index or Pincher and Working Fingers’. See if you can primarily hold onto and control the ‘Golf Club Handle’ with your ‘Helper Fingers’ … your last three … the Pinkeys, Ring and Middle fingers.

If you get too much ‘Grip Pressure, you create ‘Lever Assembly Pressure Points’. This term means that you swing your ‘Levers from ‘Pivot Tension Points’. This makes your golf swing erratic and out of line and extension! You get ‘Fingery, Wristy, Elbowy and tight at the Shoulder Sockets’. This gets you fighting your smooth swing … ‘Off Path and Off Plane’.

What is it?

Allow me to tell you what the ‘555 Team’ considers to be the ‘Penultimate Moment’ first.

That soft moment of truth is the ‘Impact & Separation’ interval … the ‘Moment Of Separation’ or what should properly be referred to as the ‘Moment Of Restitution’ … when the golf ball transitions from ‘Oblate and Squashed’ back to ‘Round’. Energy applied squashes while energy ‘Delivered or Released’ enables the ball to get back to its equilibrium or neutral state.

Few golf aficionados would disagree with this being the ‘Ultimate’ and not the second most important!

This ‘Country Gentleman Golf Teacher’ has another opinion. You may concur? Mr. Nicklaus did! A ‘Perfect Swing and a Bad Set-Up’ will not make you happy! A Perfect Set-Up and a Bad Swing might do so! The ultimate configuration is a Set-Up element!

Prepare for Putts & Chips as thoroughly as possible (mentally & physically) … using your ‘8 Step Putting & Chipping Pre-Shot Routine’ (PSR) on absolutely every occasion. This discipline is the magic key to some very real ‘Short Game’ happiness!

Have only a very small point here to share with YOU!

Having done a thorough ‘PSR’ and having made one perfect practice putt, do not make a second ‘Practice Putt’.

Move into the ball, while taking a deep breath (DDB – Deep Diaphragmatic Breath) in and out. This simple process will help you relax! We are going to make the ‘Perfect Strike’ while making the second ‘Smooth Exhale’. You remember our ‘Breathing Rule’? “If your Hands Are Moving You Shall Be Breathing Out!” Applies to every club and shot in your bag! Athletes work breathing out!

‘Clubhead Lag’ is primarily a matter of ‘Passive Position or Set-Up of your Golf Parts or Components’ prior to the swing’s actually taking place. When we become ‘Active or Dynamic’ we see ‘Velocity and Delivered or Kinetic Energy’ in action … doing ‘Bend & Straighten Work’.

Where are my Hands and Sweet Spot relative to my ‘Target Hip Socket’ through the ‘Pre-Impact’ and ‘Impact & Separation Zone’? They are trailing or lagging behind the powerhouse! (see ‘Pivot Core’)

The ‘Lower Body Machine’ (LBM … Hips & Core) ‘Leads’ all the ‘Upper Body Machine Components’ back to the ball. (UBM - Lever Assemblies, Hands, Wrists and Arms and the Actual Golf Club).

Do you actively make ‘Lag’ or create a ‘Lag Angle’ during the ‘Loading Phase’? (‘Line of the Target Lever related to the Shaft Line’ - In Line vs. having an ‘Acute Angle’ consciously and deliberately?)