TIPS FROM THE PRO

   Dr. Dale Crafton, certified golf professional at Cozy Acres Golf Complex, recently attended a week long testing and seminar session at the PGA Learning Center in St. Xavier, Florida.  During this week long seminar a total of seven tests were administered and successfully completed.  The topics were related to the golf industry, the golf swing, and effective teaching techniques.

   Dr. Crafton is in his favorite year of a six year long program.  He is scheduled to complete his course work and tests in late 2008 or early 2009.

   Dr. Crafton, his wife Kathy, and son Trevor own Cozy Acres Golf Complex.

Are the Clubs Your Playing Right for You?

Have you ever thought about whether or not the clubs you’re playing are properly fit? Many clubs are purchased with little thought as to whether or not they are the proper set for your game.  My office manager Christy used this example when describing properly fit clubs.  “Would you walk with a pair of shoes that didn’t fit?” The same thing applies to a set of clubs.   If you are a very good player, an average player, or a beginner, it is important to choose clubs that are best for you game.  I am a strong advocate of proper instruction but the more I teach it the more I believe that clubs should be a proper fir for any player. If a set of clubs were purchased at a chain store or on Ebay, they should be subsequently checked to see whether or not they will help your game. To determine if clubs are a proper fit, there are 5 variables that should be considered: 1-Proper grip     2-Lie angle     3-Length     4-Shaft flex     5-Head compositionAfter these 5 variables are considered the 14 clubs in the bag can easily be determined.  For example; hybrids are being played by more pro’s and amateurs alike.  Hybrids are clubs that usually replace long irons; they are a cross between an iron and a fairway wood.  If you haven’t hit them I recommend you give consideration to trying them.   There are basically three grip sizes: standard, mid-size, and oversized.  These are fit dependant on hand size. If the grip is improperly fit, ball flight can be affected.   The lie angle of a club determines direction, especially with irons. If the lie angle is too flat the ball will usually go to the right. A lie angle that is too upright encourages the ball to be hit left.   Length of a club is a factor in solid ball striking. Normally we think that a tall person needs longer clubs and shorter people need short clubs. It has very little to do with height, it has more to do with a measurement from the middle knuckle of the hand to the ground.   Shaft flex is determined primarily by club head speed.  A stiff flex shaft should be used by a golfer with a faster club head speed.  A slower club head speed is more conducive to a more flexible shaft.   Finally, the head of a club is very important. There are basically three kinds of club heads with irons; a wide sole, a standard sole width, and a “blade” or narrow width club.  The wider the sole, the easier it is to get the ball air borne and the easier to hit.

   If you are interested in checking your set of clubs or being custom fit for a set of clubs, see Dale or Scott at Cozy. The cost to change clubs or build a custom set is minimal and well worth the expense if you want to improve your game.

Lower Golf Scores

   I am often asked, what can I do to improve my golf score? My recommendation is to spend more time practicing your short “game.”

   One area of the short game that can be practiced effectively is the chip shot.  A chip shot is a shot that is made just off the green when you can’t effectively putt. However, my first piece of advice is, anytime you can putt when you are close to the green-PUTT.

   When the lie of the ball does not allow a putt, then the chip shot is the correct shot.  The analogy of “hitting a chip shot” with the same stroke as making a putt is sound logic.

   The set up of the body for a chip is played “body-centered.”  The ball is played in the middle of the stance.  Pre-set the weight of one foot favoring the forward foot (left foot for a right handed player) and strike the ball with the hands forward of the ball, with a slightly descending stroke.

   The most common fault I see when hitting this shot is the excessive use of the wrists. Keep the wrists firm and hit the shot using the “big muscles” primarily the shoulders.

  The club – varies widely from a less lofted club, like a 3 iron, to a very lofted club like a lob wedge. Experiment with the club or clubs that are most comfortable for you.  A good “rule of thumb” if you have a lot of green between the ball and the hole use a less lofted club, like a 7 or 8 iron.  If the hole is close to the edge of the green use a more lofted club like a wedge or sand wedge.

   One final bit of information that should be very helpful in selecting the correct club has to do with a recent ruling by the USGA (the people who give the rules of golf). A “chipper” can be used around the green effective January 1, 2008. A chipper is a club that has a similar look to a putter with more loft.  If you haven’t tried it, I strongly recommend you “give it a shot.”

   If you are interested in trying a chipper see either Dale or Scott at Cozy Acres Golf Complex.  Callaway has introduced the new chipper called an Odyssey Marksman. I recommend you try a chipper to improve your chipping and lower your score.

Get “Set Up” To Swing Into Action

              There are four parts to the full golf swing. Proper set-up, take away, swing to impact , and finish to balance.  Each is equally important, but all are designed to increase the likihood the ball “go up” and “straight”.               Let’s look at a proper “set-up”. One of the most important parts of the set-up is balance. To be properly balanced the weight should be evenly distributed on the “inside middle” of the feet. Not on the hells, not on the toes, the “inside middle” or at the instep of the feet. This position, of feet weight distribution should be maintained throughout the swing.               Some examples most of us can relate to are: a defensive posture – basketball or linebacker position – football, a baseball or softball hitter – the batter’s box, a soccer player, in a defensive position. Each of these positions needs to be maintained or “balanced” until the golf ball has been struck.              The second part of the set-up is a proper knee bend. There is no formula, that I  know of,  for how much to bend the knees. However, the amount of knee bend that is chosen at set-up needs to be maintained until the ball has left the club head.               The third part of the set-up, is a spine angle that extends from the tail bone to the base of the neck in a straight line. The “seat” needs to stick out and the shoulders need to lean forward until the weight is balanced in the “inside middle” of the feet.               The final, and probably most important, part of the set-up is the grip. There are many variations of the grip, from overlap to interlock, to 10 finger. Each of these grips has two commonalities. The thumb of the left hand, for a right handed golfer, needs to be placed in the crevice of the palm of the upper hand located just above the wrist. The second fundamental is the “V’s” formed by the index finger and thumb of each hand should point between the right side of the  neck and right shoulder.

              The most common mistake made by many golfers is an improper set-up. Remember, be on balance and check your grip before you begin to take the club “away”.