Ike’s Golf Legacy

Golfing presidents John F. Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower.
(Public Domain)

IN NOVEMBER DWIGHT EISENHOWER will be the first President inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, joining other Class of 2009 inductees Christy O’Connor, José Maria Olazábal and Lanny Wadkins. Ike will enter the Hall as a selection in the Lifetime Achievement Category.

The man who was Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during World War II and a two-term President during the Cold War had a deep affection for the game of golf and helped to make it a popular American pastime.

Eisenhower is credited with motivating millions of golfers over the age of 40 to try the game for the first time. When Ike took office in 1953, 3.2 million Americans played golf. By 1961, that number had doubled, according to Don Van Natta Jr., author of First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers and Cheaters from Taft to Bush.

In a letter sent to the Detroit News on May 1, 1953, President Eisenhower wrote, “While I know that I speak with the partisanship of an enthusiast, golf obviously provides one of our best forms of healthful exercise, accompanied by good fellowship and companionship. It is a sport in which the whole American family can participate—fathers, mothers, sons and daughters alike. It offers healthy respite from daily toil, refreshment of body and mind.”

“One would be hard pressed to find any single person who did more to popularize the game of golf, not only in the United States but throughout the world, than President Eisenhower,” Arnold Palmer said in a statement.

Ike made his first trip to Augusta National Golf Club in 1948 and visited the club 45 times, often for lengthy stays. After he became President, a group of Augusta National members built a cabin for him, complete with space for Secret Service agents on the bottom floor. The club’s most famous member eventually became memorialized through the naming of landmarks at Augusta National, including Ike’s Pond and Ike’s Tree.

The 2009 World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla., on Monday, November 2.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Source: World Golf Hall of Fame)

2009 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic TV Schedule and Notes

THE 2009 JAMIE FARR OWENS CORNING CLASSIC is being played at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio. Sarah Kemp currently leads at 11 under. Defending champion Paula Creamer withdrew to rest a sore thumb.

Purse: $1.4 million
Defending champion: Paula Creamer

Tournament preview
Tournament interviews
Final field

2009 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Leaderboard

TV SCHEDULE

Six hours of TV coverage are on tap for the 2009 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.

Fri, Jul 03
4:00-6:00 PM ET ESPN2

Sat, Jul 04
3:00-5:00 PM ET ESPN2

Sun, Jul 05
4:00-6:00 PM ET ESPN2

−The Armchair Golfer

2009 AT&T National TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

THE 2009 AT&T NATIONAL is being played at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. Tiger Woods currently leads his own tournament at 10-under par after following his first-round 64 with a four-under 66.

Purse: $6 million
Winner’s share: $1.08 million
Defending champion: Anthony Kim

Inside the field
Inside the course

2009 AT&T National Leaderboard

TV SCHEDULE

More than twelve hours of TV coverage are on tap for the 2009 AT&T National.

Thu, 7/2:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Fri, 7/3:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Sat, 7/4:
CBS 3p - 6p ET

Sun, 7/5:
CBS 3p - 6:30p ET

PGA Tour radio coverage

−The Armchair Golfer

Q&A: Radford University’s Megan Leineweber

(Courtesy of Radford University)

Editor’s note: There are hundreds of men’s and women’s college golf programs. Thanks to a tip from Anne Clelland of Handshake 2.0 − and her husband, a university professor − I had the opportunity to do an email interview in the spring with collegiate golfer Megan Leineweber of Radford University, located in Radford, Virginia, near where I live. The Radford Highlanders compete in the Big South Conference against schools such as Winthrop, Gardner-Webb, VMI, UNC Asheville and Charleston Southern. I hope you enjoy this slice of college golf with Megan.

MEGAN LEINEWEVER LOVES GOLF. The Radford University junior and business management major plays for the Highlanders on the women’s golf team. She recently shared her passion for the game.

Q: How did golf hook you?

Megan: When I started playing in Pinehurst, softball was still my first love and golf was just something I did on the weekends. But once I started playing competitively I really got hooked.

Q: How did you choose Radford University?

Megan: When I first started looking at schools, Radford actually didn’t have any scholarship money to offer me. But right before I committed to a school in South Carolina, the coach at Radford sent me an email saying some scholarship money had been freed up. So my family and I went down to visit and it just felt right, and the rest is history.

Q: How is the golf team doing?

Megan: This past fall was the best performance the women’s program has had since I’ve been here. The spring so far hasn’t been as good but our last two tournaments we finished in sixth and third, which is a good sign with our conference tournament less than a week away.

Q: What is your home course and where else do you like to play golf in the New River Valley?

Megan: When I’m home at Salisbury, Maryland, I worked and played at a semi-private golf club called Green Hill Yacht & Country Club. But in the New River Valley I usually play at Draper Valley or Pulaski Country Club.

Q: How do you prepare for a new golf season?

Megan: Once the school year ends, I’m really able to work on my game. During the summer I work on things that were weak during the season and, generally, that has been my short game. I also play in numerous USGA events like the U.S. Women’s Open qualifier and Women’s Amateur qualifier.

Q: What are the strengths and weaknesses of your golf game?

Megan: The strengths of my game would be my ball striking and my ability to grind it out on the golf course when things just aren’t going my way. My weaknesses are my ups and downs and my putting.

Q: What is it like competing at the collegiate level?

Megan: Competing at the collegiate level is a lot of fun but is also very competitive. I’m a very competitive person so I love every minute of playing in a tournament.

Q: Why do you want to pursue a career in golf?

Megan: I want to pursue a career in golf because, as corny as it sounds, I just feel like it’s what I’m meant to do. It really is my passion and I can’t see myself doing anything else.

SHORT SHOTS:
Most trusted club in your bag: Driver
Favorite golf course: Bulle Rock
Favorite sport other than golf: Football
Dream foursome: Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa

−The Armchair Golfer

Meet the 5 Winners of Rocco’s Book, ‘ARE YOU KIDDING ME?’

THERE WERE FIVE LUCKY winners of a free drawing for a hardcover edition of ARE YOU KIDDING ME? The Story of Rocco Mediate’s Extraordinary Battle with Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open. The book is by Rocco and bestselling author John Feinstein.

And here they are:

Terri Quinn, New Jersey
My husband already told me that he gets to read the book first when it arrives. He’s a huge John Feinstein fan, and the main golfer in our family. I’m his partner when he can’t find anyone else to play with him. He was actually able to play the Old Course in St. Andrews while I walked the first two and last five holes with him. A trip of a lifetime! He grew up in Long Island and had played Bethpage Black several times with his father, so he really enjoyed watching this year’s Open. We watch both PGA and LPGA tournaments, and try to go see them in person whenever possible. We’re both Tiger Woods fans, but I also like Camilo Villegas, John Daly and Rocco (of course).

Jim Martin, Arizona
I’m a huge fan of Rocco and what he’s accomplished. And, one of my all-time favorite books is John Feinstein’s A Good Walk Spoiled. So, I’m looking forward to reading their collaborative effort on the book.

Mike Grossman, Texas
My golf interests are pretty varied as I play anywhere from resorts to public courses in the area. I enjoy the challenge of playing against the elements and don’t shy away from the Dallas heat, cold or rain (although I stay away from lightning).

Tom Donahoe, Idaho
I’m a partner in an advertising/PR firm. I’m also a partner in Gorilla Gold Grip Enhancer, the tackifying towel that improves grip even in wet conditions. Although I spend a lot of time in the business of golf, I have to make time for playing. I have a renewed interest since Hank Haney (a GG endorser) taught me to flatten my swing and slow my pace. What a difference! I’m hitting about 70 percent of my drives in the fairway, shooting in the 80s, and enjoying the game so much more.

George McDowell, North Carolina
George got interested in the game of golf through his study of Ben Hogan, who he now impersonates in his one-man show that has appeared in theaters throughout the Southeast and Mid Atlantic.

Thanks to all who entered. Keep coming back to ARMCHAIR GOLF for more golf coverage, including more free drawings.

−The Armchair Golfer

Ho-Hum: Another Win for Kenny Perry

Kentucky thunder: J.B. Holmes and Kenny Perry at the Ryder Cup.
(proforged/Flickr)

I DON’T CARE HOW WELL you hit the ball, it’s the putter that makes the difference between good scores and great scores, near misses and trophies. Just ask Kenny Perry, who notched his second win this season at the Traveler’s Championship last weekend.

Perry hits it about as well as anybody, and is especially smitten with his TaylorMade golf clubs, including his new R9 driver. But it was the switch to a PING mallet-style putter that enabled Kenny to light up leaderboards.

Case in point: The “old” man, soon to be 49, only needed 258 strokes to tour TPC River Highlands. That’s 22-under par, a tournament record.

Perry has won 14 times on the PGA Tour, 11 since he turned 40 and five events in the last 13 months, making him the winningest player in the last year or so. There was a Ryder Cup in there, too. Dang, Kenny.

Perry was asked on Sunday if the Travelers was his best win.

“Definitely,” he said.

“Good win as I’ve ever had, the way I finished today, on Sunday, my golf was unbelievable. To shoot 22-under par, to break the all-time record of all the great champions that are on this trophy, it’s unbelievable.”

I don’t know about that, Kenny. I’m definitely becoming a believer.

Perry File
Turned pro: 1982
Birthplace: Elizabethtown, Kentucky
College: Western Kentucky University
World ranking: 4
PGA Tour wins: 14
Major wins: 0
Equipment: TaylorMade

−The Armchair Golfer

Brought to you by The World of Golf and ARMCHAIR GOLF STORE.

The Tour Era of Bright Blue Bunkers

(Courtesy of SI Vault)

THE YEAR WAS 1969. It was the era of the space program and first moon walk, The Jackson Five with 10-year-old Michael Jackson as front man-child, Richard Nixon and the Vietnam War, and powdery blue bunkers on the PGA Tour. No, really. Just take a look at the cover of the February 17, 1969, issue of Sports Illustrated.

That’s Bob Lunn demonstrating “Golf’s Brash New Look,” following through on an explosion shot from bright blue sand in that year-round golf oasis, Palm Springs.

They played out of blue bunkers at the Bob Hope Desert Classic in the late Sixties. It was a novelty in an age when novelties were normal. Blue bunkers were actually kind of tame in those psychedelic times.

Not buying it? OK, I made up the part about the Hope.

(But I’m still trying to figure out the photo. There was no Photoshop 40 years ago.)

Vince Spence recently posted the above SI cover and mentioned Bob Lunn at his entertaining blog, One-Eyed Golfer. Bob Lunn. Now there’s a name I hadn’t heard in a while.

Never heard of Lunn? He was a big guy, 6’2”, 190 lbs., who won six times on the PGA Tour, sort of a 1960s version of Chad Campbell in terms of wins and talent. Lunn once won back-to-back events and finished third in the 1970 U.S. Open. In 1968, he won more than $100,000 on the PGA Tour. That was big, brash money in those days.

And, as shown, Lunn made the cover of Sports Illustrated, so he was definitely a player.

−The Armchair Golfer

Course News: Pinehurst and Medinah Attract Major Events

(scbluedevil/Flickr)

Contributed by GCM NewsWeekly
Special to ARMCHAIR GOLF

BETHPAGE BLACK RECENTLY SHARED the spotlight with a couple of other famous American venues − Pinehurst No. 2 and Medinah Country Club.

The big golf course news on U.S. Open weekend was that the USGA and Pinehurst officials had agreed that the Donald Ross masterpiece, course No. 2 − site of the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Opens − will host both the men’s and women’s Opens on back-to-back weeks in 2014.

While the USGA has conducted different championships on the same course in the same year in the past, never have two major events been held at the same venue in successive weeks.

Meanwhile, Medinah, site of the 2012 Ryder Cup, announced that its membership had overwhelmingly approved a $3 million-plus renovation of its No. 3 course in advance of those matches. The Chicago-area club most recently hosted the 2006 PGA Championship.

The back-to-back national championships at Pinehurst (June 12-15 for the men and June 19-22 for the women) will be a considerable cost-cutting move for the USGA, which, among other things, will be able to utilize single tournament and corporate infrastructure for two events, as well as generate immense, almost uninterrupted interest in the game for a long period of time.

In golf course management circles, however, there have been many wondering what the effect of the successive major events will have on the Pinehurst staff, specifically superintendent Paul Jett, CGCS, and his maintenance crew, not only in maintaining championship tournament conditions over a much longer time span, but also in dealing with the nuances between men’s and women’s professional golf.

Thus far, Jett, a 23-year GCSAA member, has taken an upbeat approach to the task.

“I think it speaks to the ability of the entire resort to do what they (USGA) have planned. They would not have even asked us if they did not think we could do it,” Jett told Jeff Bollig, GCSAA’s managing director of marketing and communications.

“Obviously, it speaks well of the golf course management staff. We were brought into the discussion about three months ago and we told them we could deliver what they needed.

“We’ll know more after we talk to Mike Davis [USGA director of rules and championships and responsible for the course setups], but just off the top of my head, we’ll have to reduce the length, maybe knock down the rough a bit and perhaps soften the greens slightly,” Jett added concerning setup changes between tournaments.

Medinah Will Be Ready

The project at Medinah CC, which was established in 1925 and has hosted six of golf’s major championships, was approved by a 4-1 margin of the membership in a time when private clubs across the country are struggling in the down economy. The project will close the No. 3 course from Aug. 15 to next June.

“What this overwhelming vote means is that we now will be able to bring our crown jewel up to the world-class level where we want it to be. It will be ready for the 2012 Ryder Cup for the whole world to see. The membership is happy,” club president John Potts said during the announcement.

The renovation will include a complete remodeling of 11 greens − seven were rebuilt in preparation for the 2006 PGA − and the regrassing of the greens to a new bentgrass. All the fairways and intermediate rough will be regrassed to drive out Poa Annua and new golf car paths will be built.

The project will also be a bonanza for the Medinah director of grounds, Curtis Tyrrell, CGCS, and his staff. They’ll be getting a fully renovated and expanded golf course maintenance facility.

For more information about golf course management, visit GCSAA.org.

ARMCHAIR GOLF Briefs

(Josh V-R/Flickr)

A bevy of golf products, services, destinations, events, news and more. Endorsement is not implied.

• GolfTracker.com allows golfers to track scores, interact with friends, find tournaments and events, improve their game and more.

• Short men’s specialty retailer ForTheFit.com has launched the nation’s first and only pro shop exclusively for male golfers under 5’9”.

• RotarySwing.com offers videos, clinics and other information to help simplify the golf swing.

• VacationRentals.com is giving away a weekend in Las Vegas that includes golf with PGA Tour pro Charley Hoffman. More info at http://traveler.vacationrentals.com/dealscelebritysweepstakes.

• Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia by Dr. David Cook, a top sports psychologist, will be released on Aug. 1st.

• My Golf Book (MyGolfBook.com) is a combination golf accessory, book and training aid, designed to be placed in an individual’s golf bag, allowing golfers to remember and learn from their golf experiences.

• Mirimichi, a Memphis-area golf course owned by Justin Timberlake and formerly known as Big Creek, has become the first golf course in the country to receive an official Audubon Classic Sanctuary certification by Audubon International, a non-profit environmental education organization.

• The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa announced that the new Valley Course, an 18-hole, par-71 Nicklaus design championship course, is now open in Victoria, British Columbia.

• Two luxurious Palm Springs hotels, Agua Caliente Casino • Resort • Spa and Spa Resort Casino, offer great deals, including golf at Indian Canyon Golf Resort. The 36 holes of golf feature a championship course that was redesigned by Casey O’Callaghan in 2004 along with consultant Amy Alcott, an LPGA Hall of Famer.

• The Antigua Group, Inc. recently completed a four-year extension of its license agreement with Tournament Sports Marketing of Waterloo, Ontario - Canada. The extension continued an 18-year partnership in the Canadian market between the two companies.

• Jim McLean and Back9Fitness® have opened Fitness Fare Cafe, a 52-seat restaurant located at the Jim McLean Golf Center in Fort Worth. Open to McLean¹s students and clients as well as the general public, Fitness Fare Cafe, according to Chef Eric Tonips, will feature healthy, well-balanced, nutritious meals and smoothies made from the freshest ingredients.

• PUMA® Golf athlete and newcomer to the LPGA tour Anna Nordqvist won her first major at the McDonald’s LPGA Championship at the Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, Maryland.

• The Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau (SLCVB) is introducing the Golf Salt Lake Super Pass, featuring 10 of Salt Lake’s top golf courses.

• The 2009 Hill Billy Terrain electric golf caddy features a 200-watt motor, light-weight frame and options for different battery sizes that allow golfers to go 18 or even 36 holes on a single charge.

• Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club on Cape Cod is offering an unlimited golf package. Play endless golf on Cape Cod’s Only Nicklaus Design Course. One-bedroom villa and daily breakfast from $235/golfer nightly.

• Championship golf is back in the Catskills with the re-opening of “The Monster” at the Concord Resort & Golf Club. The world-famous Monster golf course has been rated by Golf Digest as one of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Coursess.

• The PUMA Golf 2009 Golf Special Edition Collection makes a bold statement in pearlized black and white.

• The historic Thayer Hotel is offering its Quadricentennial Golf Outing at the West Point Golf Course and delicious barbeque dinner on Tuesday, July 7. Built in 1926, the Thayer Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only full-service hotel on the Hudson River from the George Washington Bridge to Albany, New York. It has hosted a long line of dignitaries and celebrities, including General Douglas MacArthur, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, President John F. Kennedy, singer Luciano Pavarotti, actors George C. Scott, James Earl Jones and Gregory Peck, and many others.

• GOING FOR THE GREEN (Sterling Publishing/July 2009) provides a unique insider’s look at the world of top-level golfing to help golfers master three important aspects of the game: the mental, physical, and technical/mechanical. Swing coach Gary Gilchrist, golf fitness trainer Susan Hill, and sports psychologist Jeff Troesch unite in this guide to unveil the cutting-edge technique periodization, an optimal training method popularized by Tiger Woods.

• Throughout July, golf facilities nationwide will offer free and affordable activities for families during the fourth annual Family Golf Month. More info at PlayGolfAmerica.com.

• Former Super Bowl XXXV Champion quarterback Trent Dilfer has been named recipient of the 2009 Brodie Award, recognizing an individual’s accomplishments in both a chosen profession and in the sport of golf. It’s given each year by organizers of the American Century Championship (TahoeCelebrityGolf.com) celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.

−The Armchair Golfer

2009 Wegmans LPGA TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

THE 2009 WEGMANS LPGA is being played at Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York. Jiyai Shin currently leads at 11 under.

Purse: $2 million
Defending champion: Eun-Hee Ji

Tournament preview
Tournament interviews
Final field

2009 Wegmans LPGA Leaderboard

TV SCHEDULE

Four hours of TV coverage are on tap this weekend for the 2009 Wegmans LPGA.

Sat, Jun 27 : ESPN2
3:00-5:00 PM ET

Sun, Jun 28 : ESPN2
5:00-7:00 PM ET

−The Armchair Golfer

Golf Destinations: Houston’s La Torretta Del Lago Resort and Spa

(Jason Pearce/Flickr)

THE NEW REDESIGN of the resort golf course at La Torretta Del Lago just outside of Houston, Texas, incorporates something for everyone. It challenges the experienced golfer while being fair and playable for the casual player.

In the spring of 2007, La Torretta Del Lago management hired local golf course architect Jeffrey D. Blume to oversee the redesign of a golf course that had fallen into some disrepair. Not only was Blume asked to bring the golf course back to life, he needed to make certain the redesigned layout fit in with the rest of the resort area and locale.

Blume lengthened the course by more than 100 yards by moving tee boxes and greens. La Torretta Del Lago now measures about 7,000 yards. Par was changed from 72 to 71.

Blume’s redesign incorporated a smart combination of bunkers, water hazards, hills, natural hazards and the play of light to create an enjoyable and scenic golf experience. Each hole includes hazards that will challenge experienced golfers, yet also allow for lay-up shots. The greens are expansive and challenging, not difficult to reach in regulation and certainly a good short game test for players of all abilities.

La Torretta Del Lago fairways and greens are Tifdwarf Bermudagrass. Those who venture into the rough will find their golf ball among native Texas grasses and wildflowers.

In addition to a redesigned golf course, La Torretta Del Lago has comfortable golf cottages and a full-service spa.

To learn more about the golf course, including a hole-by-hole description, visit LaTorrettaDelLagoResortandSpa.com.

Brought to you by La Torretta Del Lago Resort and Spa and ARMCHAIR GOLF STORE.

Umbrella Man to Caddie at Travelers Championship

(Courtesy of Travelers)

“WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?”

Anyone who has watched a recent golf telecast has probably heard Travelers’ umbrella man ask that question to the kiddos in the insurer’s TV spot. The friendly man sporting a snappy bowler also helps some stranded circus performers cross a lake and gives a pair of kids a ride on his umbrella when their bike breaks down.

Apparently, the whimsical commercial gave one PGA Tour player an idea as he waited out long weather delays last week at the U.S. Open.

“I could use a cheerful man like that on my bag,” he told ARMCHAIR GOLF, “especially if it rains. I like the part when he and the kids fly away on his umbrella. That’s so cool.”

The player asked not to be named, in case the new arrangement didn’t work out. Although he admitted it would be hard to miss the pair on the course.

“He’s still learning how to read a yardage book and rake a bunker,” the player said. “But if we have buckets of rain like at Bethpage last week, my little gray-suited friend has me covered in a big way.”

−The Armchair Golfer

(This is an ARMCHAIR GOLF spoof.)

2009 Travelers Championship TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

THE 2009 TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP is underway at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.

Purse: $6 million
Winner’s share: $1.08 million
Defending champion: Stewart Cink

Inside the field
Inside the course

2009 Travelers Championship Leaderboard

TV SCHEDULE

Twelve hours of TV coverage are on tap for the 2009 Travelers Championship.

Thu, 6/25:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Fri, 6/26:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Sat, 6/27:
CBS 3p - 6p ET

Sun, 6/28:
CBS 3p - 6p ET

PGA Tour radio coverage

−The Armchair Golfer

The Greatest Golfer to Never Win a U.S. Open

SO WHO IS THE GREATEST golfer to never win a U.S. Open? That’s easy. Samuel Jackson Snead. Snead was a bridesmaid four times in what was often called the National Open in an earlier era.

Snead won a record 82 PGA Tour events, including seven majors. Sam’s last victory came at the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open at the age of 52, also a record. But, like Phil Mickelson (to date), the Slammer never broke through at the U.S. Open.

Ben Hogan (4) and Byron Nelson (1) won five between them. It surely haunted Snead, who had several near misses at the national championship.

The late Bob Rosburg played with Snead in the 1955 U.S. Open.

“He said nobody can win the Open that’s missed as many putts as I have,” Rossie told me last October. “He had a phobia about the Open and I think that’s why he never won.”

One of those missed putts − a two-and-a-half footer − was on the final hole of an 18-hole playoff against Lew Worsham in the 1947 U.S. Open at St. Louis Country Club. Both players had short par putts.

“The putts were very close to the same length,” wrote veteran golf writer and Snead biographer Al Barkow in the New York Times.

“Snead thought he was farther away, and prepared to play. But when he was standing over his ball and just about to make his stroke, Worsham stopped him and called for a measurement to see who, in fact, was away. It was his right to do so, and so officials brought out a tape measure. As it happened, Snead was farthest from the hole − 30 1/2 inches to Worsham’s 29 1/2.

“After the delay of some five minutes, Snead missed his slippery downhill putt. Worsham made his, an easier uphill putt, and Snead was once again denied the only major championship he never won.”

−The Armchair Golfer

Jim McLean Golf Instruction: Tee-In-Grip Drill

By Jim McLean
Special to ARMCHAIR GOLF

(Editor’s note: This is the sixth of a seven-part series on spring, er, now summer, practice drills.)

Problem: The golfer’s overactive, improper use of the hands causes the clubhead to rotate dramatically over and well inside the target line. In turn, the golfer’s arms and body are not in sync.

Result: In order to hit a powerful shot, he or she must rely on some kind of miraculous manipulation with the hands. The chances of success? Slim and none.

Goal: To learn to blend body movement with the actions of the hands and arms. When these factors are in sync, no mid-swing compensations are needed, and a repeatable good swing is easier to attain.

Practice procedure: Using a five-iron or longer club, place a tee peg in the vent hold of the grip. Choke down on the grip slightly. Now, make a very short mini-backswing, keeping the distance between the tee and your belt buckle constant. Repeat and you should feel zero hand action.

Next time: Swish Drill

Jim McLean is the instruction editor for Golf Digest and the Golf Channel, and an author of numerous, top-selling golf instruction books. For a free intro DVD to his new Building Block Approach, visit Jim McLean Golf School.

Copyright © Jim McLean. All rights reserved. Used with permission.