The post How Bryson DeChambeau used AI to fix his swing appeared first on Golf.

The post How Bryson DeChambeau used AI to fix his swing appeared first on Golf.

Every golfer knows how frustrating it is when your swing is off and you can’t pinpoint the problem. From consulting an instructor, to overanalyzing swing footage and even searching the internet for answers, nothing is off limits if it means getting your game back on track. As we’ve recently learned, this concept doesn’t only extend to amateurs. 

In a press conference with Crushers GC following their team win at LIV Golf Korea, Bryson DeChambeau revealed that he used Gemini, Google’s Artificial Intelligence assistant, ahead of the final round as a last-minute tool to help identify flaws in his swing mechanics.

According to DeChambeau, his swing issues started to arise at the end of his first round. He explained that it felt like his hands were getting ahead of his body, which made it hard for him to turn the club over. 

“The beginning of the first round I felt great. Golf swing felt in sync and then it started getting out of sync,” he said.

“[My] hands just felt like they were moving forward like this and I couldn’t get the club to turn over. Even if I tried to stop it here, it still wouldn’t turn over,” DeChambeau continued.

After battling swing issues for the next two rounds, he realized the problem wasn’t going to work itself out. So, the Crushers GC Captain spent a few hours on the range following Saturday’s third round to diagnose and correct flaws in his swing mechanics — but his breakthrough never came. 

“I didn’t actually figure it out on the range,” DeChambeau said.

That’s when he turned to Gemini.

“I was talking to AI quite a bit last night trying to go through some different physics principles that makes the club turn over, having some alpha torque and gamma torque put in there,” he said.

After working with Gemini, DeChambeau seemingly identified the cause of his swing struggles — noting grip pressure and tension as two contributing factors.

“I came out here today with just a little bit more freer hands, and I felt the club a lot better, and I felt like I could close the club a lot more effectively and then I started striping it,” DeChambeau said. 

“I feel like I’m on the right path now,” he said. 

With the 2026 U.S. Open, at Shinnecock Hills, just weeks away, it will be interesting to see if DeChambeau can keep up this momentum and get his game trending in the right direction — especially after a particularly disappointing missed cut at the 2026 PGA Championship.

The post How Bryson DeChambeau used AI to fix his swing appeared first on Golf.

The post How this golfer went from struggling to break 90 to shooting in the 70s appeared first on Golf.

The post How this golfer went from struggling to break 90 to shooting in the 70s appeared first on Golf.

Meeting golfers who want to get better the gist of my job, but there’s a real difference between wanting to get better and being willing to put in the work necessary to get better. My student Tim Watts certainly falls in the latter camp.

When he walked into one of our camps at Ocean Reef Club last August, he wasn’t looking for a few tips or a quick fix. He’d just retired after a career in the military, and he had goals, a timeline, and the kind of mission-oriented mindset you don’t always see on a practice tee.

Tim came to us as an 18-handicapper who struggled to break 90. He was also carrying some significant physical limitations — damaged sacroiliac joints on both sides, three bulging discs in his lower back, a history of ankle surgeries, and about 40 extra pounds. He was in real pain. You simply can’t build a better golf swing in a body that can’t support it.

What makes Tim’s story worth telling is that there wasn’t anything heroic or complicated about what he did, that is, other than his admirable commitment and work ethic. Before he ever touched a golf club with us, he went to his doctor, got on a nutrition plan, and committed to daily aerobic exercise. He managed his back pain through a pain clinic and underwent spinal ablation procedures in June and August of 2025. Over the year, he lost 40 pounds, moved better, and had significantly less pain. The swing he couldn’t make at 230 pounds with a damaged back became one we could actually develop.

The golf plan had a simple theme: work on every part of the game, every day, with intention. Tim built a daily routine that combined aerobic exercise, functional strength training with bands and kettlebells, and golf-specific work he could do whether or not he could get outside.

When it was too cold or wet, he worked inside. He used the Dewsweeper pivot pack with a resistance band across his chest and a larger band across his knees, rotating back and through to train the sequencing pattern. He also worked through my friend Kolby Tullier and Morgan Hale’s  resistance band rotation drills. Below is the video outlining some of the exercises Tim used. The movements are designed specifically to help you build the body mechanics your swing needs, not just general fitness. If you’re putting time in at the gym, these exercises can make that time count for your golf game too.

When Tim could get outside, he followed a structured routine: prescribed drills first, then slow swings with and without a ball, then half-speed swings, and finally full swings. He even practiced with his eyes closed to develop feel for the sequencing. This wasn’t a guy squeezing in range sessions twice a week. This was a seven-days-a-week commitment.

For the full swing, we focused on balance, pressure in the feet, and proper sequencing to get Tim moving to his left side. He had the common pattern of lateral slide and poor sequencing that plagues most recreational players — the body working against itself rather than in the right order.

The drills we gave him were designed to train the rotary pattern and get him feeling what it looks like to shift pressure and fire through the ball correctly. The results became measurable fast. His driving distance went from around 210 yards to 240. He started breaking 80. He was posting nine-hole scores in the mid-to-high 30s. The swing we were building was showing up under real conditions.

I’ve said for years that the players who make the biggest handicap jumps in the shortest time are almost always the ones who take the short game seriously. Tim understood that. He worked through putting, pitching, chipping, and bunkers with the same focus he gave the full swing.

In putting, Tim had drifted into one of the most common putting problems I see — standing too far from the ball, where your eyes come off the target line. Top 100 Teacher Wayne Flint caught this immediately during a session and got Tim back to basics: closer to the ball, eyes directly over the line. Wayne also installed a consistent pre-shot routine, and this is where a lot of the real improvement happened. Tim reads the putt from five to ten feet away while holding the putter extended above parallel, then lets it drop to parallel to feel the weight of the head. He picks a target line and an aim point close to the ball that he can see at address. He moves in, aligns the putter, places his right foot first — square to the line and one foot-length away — then brings the left foot in. He takes one look at the target, one look back to the ball, and he rolls it by moving the left shoulder down and back up through the stroke.

One thing I’ll say about Tim is that he’s honest with himself. He’ll tell you his chipping is still a work in progress. Distance control from around the green is something he’s still developing. That kind of self-awareness is a real asset in a player. He knows where the gaps are, and he’s not pretending the work is done.

One year after walking into that camp at Ocean Reef, Tim is at an 8 handicap. He’s lost 40 pounds. He’s broken 80. He’s targeting getting below a 5 index by this July and eventually wants to compete in his club championship from the tips at nearly 7,000 yards. Those aren’t the goals of someone going through the motions. Those are the goals of someone who decided to play offense in retirement.

What Tim’s story really shows is that a ten-shot improvement in a year doesn’t happen by accident, and it doesn’t happen from working on just one thing. It happens when someone addresses their physical condition, builds a training routine they can sustain, and gives real attention to every part of the game — including the parts they’d rather skip. The plan has to cover everything. Miss any piece of it and you’re leaving improvement on the table. It also shows that physical issues don’t have to be limitations. 

If you put in the work, it’s there for you too.

The post How this golfer went from struggling to break 90 to shooting in the 70s appeared first on Golf.

The post Lower your handicap fast by practicing these 3 key skills appeared first on Golf.

The post Lower your handicap fast by practicing these 3 key skills appeared first on Golf.

Most golfers practice without a plan, spending their precious practice time hitting the wrong clubs and working on the wrong shots, leaving them wondering why their scores don’t improve.

The reality is that two thirds of a solid round of golf comes down to your performance in just three key areas: putting, wedge play and driving. By understanding where your strokes actually come from — and striving to do these ordinary things extraordinarily — you can build a practice plan that addresses each of these areas. Work backward from the green, set clear and measurable goals and bring a game-like mindset to every session. When you practice shots you’re actually hitting on the course, improvement becomes intentional rather than accidental.

Check out below for a breakdown of each of these three skills, with tips for how you can improve each.

Part 1: Putting

Setup basics

1. Grip: Place the putter grip in the fingers of the lead hand, running from the base of the index finger to just under the lifeline of the palm. The trail hand mirrors the lead hand, with palms facing each other and both thumbs resting directly on the flat front edge of the grip. This alignment discourages wrist rotation and encourages a pendulum motion driven by the shoulders.

2. Ball position: Set the ball slightly forward of the center of your stance—approximately underneath the logo on the chest of your shirt. This allows the putter to contact the ball just past the low point of the arc, producing a slight upward strike that gets the ball rolling end over end immediately. If the ball is too far back, it will skid and have an inconsistent roll.

3. Stance width: Set the feet hip width apart. This stance width helps provide a stable base while allowing the upper body to move freely. Your weight should be distributed evenly, with a slight bias toward the balls of the feet.

4. Head position: The head sits slightly behind the ball at address, reflecting the forward ball position. This rearward tilt encourages the ascending stroke path. The head stays here throughout the stroke—any forward drift disrupts both arc and face angle at impact.

5. Shaft lean: The shaft should be roughly vertical at address, pointing between the center of the head and your ear. Excessive forward lean de-lofts the putter and creates skid, and too much backward lean adds loft and causes bounce. A neutral shaft angle preserves the putter’s loft and allows for a consistent roll.

The stroke

The length of the putting stroke should be governed by the distance to the hole, not by how hard you accelerate through impact. A common fault among rec players is a short backstroke paired with a quick, jabbing forward stroke, which produces inconsistent pace and direction. The goal is a backstroke and followthrough that are roughly equal in length, and the pace of the putterhead remains smooth and consistent.

Backstroke: The putterhead moves back, low to the ground, driven by the rocking of the shoulders. The hands and wrists remain passive with little to no hinge.

Impact: The face should be square to the start line at the moment of contact. The hands remain even with or slightly ahead of the putterhead. Avoid any flipping of the wrists — the relationship between the arms and shoulders established at address should remain stable.

Post-impact: The follow-through is slightly shorter than the backstroke as the putterhead naturally decelerates after contacting the ball. The face stays square as long as possible before rotating naturally with the arc.

Post-impact: The follow-through is slightly shorter than the backstroke as the putterhead naturally decelerates after contacting the ball. The face stays square as long as possible before rotating naturally with the arc. 

Longer putts: For longer putts, extend the backstroke while maintaining the same smooth tempo. Resist the urge to accelerate more aggressively through the ball to add distance. Simply rely on a longer backstroke.

Shorter putts: A compact stroke with equal-length backswing and follow-through is most reliable on short putts. Keep the tempo identical to longer putts — only the stroke length changes.

Read and speed drill

Speed and read are the two variables that determine whether a putt goes in the hole. Most missed putts result from poor speed rather than misread. This drill trains both simultaneously, using a simple tee as a reference point to develop feel for entry angle and distance control.

Entry point: Identify the spot on the rim of the hole where the ball needs to enter. For a straight putt, the entry point is the center back of the cup. For a breaking putt, it shifts to the high side. Committing to a specific entry point moves focus from the entire hole to a precise target, improving read accuracy and start line direction.

Start line: With entry point determined, identify your starting direction. This is a straight line where you want to start the ball on breaking putts [1]. Committing to a start line, rather than relying on the hole as the only reference, produces more decisive alignment and better directional control.

Setup: Address the ball with the tee positioned just ahead of your peripheral vision on the target line. Align the putter face to the start line, then step the feet into position. Aligning the face before the body consistently produces better setup accuracy than trying to establish both simultaneously. 

Match tee and speed: Based on green speed and slope, adjust the tee position to reflect the correct entry point. Then practice aligning to your straight line and committing to that start [2]. The tee keeps both read and speed connected — the right entry point only works when the speed matches the read.

Part 2: Wedge play

Distance wedge

Distance control with wedges is key for shooting lower scores. With such a high percentage of approach shots played from wedge range, this is a real opportunity to hit the ball close, convert up-and-downs and create more birdie chances.

Setup: Research points to an ideal launch angle of approximately 30 degrees for these shots, and the setup is designed to produce exactly that. A narrow stance with 60 percent pressure forward helps control swing size. Position the ball slightly back of center — roughly one ball back — to encourage clean contact and a lower, penetrating flight. Open the stance slightly to maintain proper alignment. 

Swing clock: Using the clock system — the lead arm as the hour hand of a clock — vary the length of the backswing from 9:00 to 7:30 to 11:30. As backswing length changes, so does distance. Calibrate yardages using a launch monitor or measured targets, and complete this process with each wedge to build a complete distance arsenal.

7:30: The lead arm swings to 7:30 — perfect for a short pitch. Wrist hinge is minimal, turn is limited and the finish is low and abbreviated. 

9:00: The lead arm reaches parallel to the ground. The wrists hinge fully, the torso rotates approximately 45 degrees and the finish mirrors the backswing length. 

11:30: The lead arm extends to 11:30 — just short of a full swing. The transition should be unhurried, and the finish matches the backswing length.

Finesse wedge

Finesse wedge shots should be used close to the green (inside 30 yards) when you need to control carry distance, trajectory and spin simultaneously. 

Feet: Use a narrow, flared and open stance. Flaring the front foot encourages turn, which is an essential ingredient for the shot. The open alignment complements every other element of the finesse wedge setup, keeping the motion connected and consistent. 

Weight: Favor the lead foot with about 60 percent of your weight. This position encourages a descending blow and promotes consistent contact. Avoid any pressure shift during the swing. Lead-side bias should be maintained throughout. 

Club: Select the highest-lofted wedge in your bag for max height and stopping power. At address, the shaft points toward the lead hip. Varying club selection allows you to adjust launch angle and total distance with the same motion.

Face: Maintain and open face throughout. The most common error is rotating the forearms through impact to square the face, but this de-lofts the club and produces a low, running shot. Keep the face pointing up. 

Motion: The backswing is controlled and compact. The downswing is driven by the body rather than the hands. Swing the club along the feet line — left of the target — while keeping the face open. 

Finish: Finish tall with your weight forward. The hands should not rise above waist height. Let the body control the finish, not the momentum of the arms.

Part 3: Driver

Driver basics

The driver demands a fundamentally different setup than any other club in the bag. The address position must be adjusted to promote a shallower, ascending angle of attack. If you want maximum distance, you have to launch the ball in the air rather than driving it into the ground.

1. Grip: Establish the grip before setting the rest of the stance. After you’ve grasped the club, place the clubhead behind the ball with the feet close together.

2. Stance: Take your first step out with the trail leg. This will position the ball forward in the stance, aligning with the lead armpit. The lead hip should sit slightly higher than the trail hip at address, tilting your spine angle slightly away from the target. This facilitates a proper pivot on the backswing and an upward strike on the ball. The arm structure is equally important for hitting solid drives. At address, the lead arm should be long and extended, while the trail arm remains soft with the elbow pointing toward the trail hip.

3. Swing: As the lead arm swings across the chest during the backswing, allow the trail arm to fold naturally, getting the hands properly positioned underneath the club. The shoulders turn fully, while the lower body remains stable and loaded. This creates the leverage needed to generate power on the downswing.

4. Release: As the clubhead approaches impact, the wrists and hands should rapidly unhinge. This powerful, uninhibited release of the club through impact transfers that stored energy out toward the clubhead, culminating with maximum speed at impact.

The post Lower your handicap fast by practicing these 3 key skills appeared first on Golf.

The post Keep your club on plane and hit better irons with this simple trick appeared first on Golf.

The post Keep your club on plane and hit better irons with this simple trick appeared first on Golf.

All great golf swings share at least one trait: They stay as close as possible to being on plane. For many weekend warriors, that’s a challenge — but this simple drill can help.

All you need is a club, a ball and two tees. Set up normally, then place one tee in the ground about a foot behind the ball. Next, stick the other tee into the butt end of your grip so it’s jutting out a couple inches.

As you start your backswing, stop when your lead arm is parallel to the ground. (Instructors call this position P3.) The tee in the grip should point directly at the tee in the ground. If the butt of the grip points outside the tee (far side), then you’ll know the club is too shallow. If it points inside the tee (near side), it’s too steep.

Train yourself to point the butt of the grip to that target spot behind the ball every time you reach P3. When it does, you’ll know you’re on plane and in perfect position to put a solid strike on the ball.

Dr. Alison Curdt is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and is the director of instruction at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Simi Valley, Calif

The post Keep your club on plane and hit better irons with this simple trick appeared first on Golf.

The post This overlooked swing mistake can kill your ball striking — here’s how to fix it appeared first on Golf.

The post This overlooked swing mistake can kill your ball striking — here’s how to fix it appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you play smarter, better golf.

One of the most common swing ailments among recreational golfers is early extension. Yet despite its prevalence, most have no idea it even exists.

If you fall in that camp, he’s a quick explainer. Early extension occurs when the pelvis shifts toward the ball (forward) during the downswing. When this happens, you reduce the space for your hands and arms to swing freely through the hitting zone, causing inconsistent contact and a lack of power. Suffice to say, when you’ve got early extension in your swing, you are leaving susceptible to all sorts of ball-striking woes.

I myself fall into the camp of those who struggle with early extension from time to time. To help with that, I enlisted the help of GOLF Top 100 Teacher Tony Ruggiero to help me eliminate the ailment for good. Check it out in the video below.

Setup flaws that cause early extension

Like many ball-striking woes, many of the root causes of early extension come from poor setup.

“One of the things that is important and often overlooked is the base of your spine,” Tony said. “Folks get the base of their spine too much [away from the target] at address which makes them slide out from under it and then they slide [toward the target]. As a result, they stand to try to get the club on the ball.”

To fix this, Tony suggests feeling like you are getting the base of your spine underneath the top of your spine. To do this, it will feel like your lead hip is bumped slightly toward the target at address.

It’s also important that you get the correct amount of hip hinge when you address the ball, feeling like your shoulders are over your toes when you set up.

“If you’ll take the club and put it across your waist and then push your rear end back,” Tony said. “Now let your hands come down to your knees. That would be a pretty good, athletic balance posture.”

If you struggle with early extension, check your setup fundamentals first. You may be able to correct the issue without even changing anything in your swing, but rather slightly adjusting how your body sits at address.

3 exercises to fix early extension

If adjusting your setup fundamentals doesn’t do the trick, it may be time to change how your body moves during the swing. This can be a challenge when going full speed, because your body is so used to moving in a certain way. That’s where using drills to ingrain the new feel come in.

During my lesson, Tony showed me three different exercise-band drills that help ingrain the feel of turning through the ball without early extending.

1. Punch exercise

The first drill Tony showed me is what I’m calling the punch exercise. To set up, he asked me to get into my golf posture and then drop my trail foot back away from the ball. Next, he had me grab an exercise band that was tethered behind me and then pull it across my chest with my trail arm. From there, he asked me to reach around my body and punch toward the target as I turned my body turned through.

“That’s pure rotation,” Tony said. “That’s your ribcage rotating through and over to your left leg. When you do that and isolate your weight over your left leg, it’s helping build stability.”

2. Rowing exercise

The next drill was the rowing exercise. For this exercise, I once again go into my golf posture, but this time I grabbed either end of the exercise band in each hand with the center of the band tethered on the ground in front of me. From there, I made a rowing motion going back with my trail hand, and then as I turned through to my lead side, I made a rowing motion going back with my lead hand.

“There you should actually feel with this resistance having to push off the ground a little,” Tony said.

3. Hinge exercise

For the final exercise, Tony had me get into my golf posture once again with my trail foot dropped back behind me. This time, though, he instructed me to hold the shaft of the club across my shoulders. From there, he asked me to rotate fully toward the target, posting up on my lead leg.

“A lot of people when they do that the first time, they’ll feel that their foot is fighting to hold the ground,” Tony said. “That’s your body figuring out how to stabilize itself. Everybody talks about mobility and strength, but I think one thing that is often overlooked is stability. If you’re not stable enough in that leg, you’re gonna want to stand.”

How to practice without early extension

After going through some exercises to train my body to stabilize itself, Tony showed me a great drill to use on the range when hitting balls to eliminate early extenstion.

For this drill, he asked me to wrap a thick exercise band around my legs just above the knees. Then, he told me to put pressure on the outsides of my legs, feeling like I was pushing against the resistance the band provided.

“It engages your core which stabilizes your lower body,” Tony says. “If you keep the tension and pressure on that band going through, it’s very difficult to stand up.”

This is a great drill to practice on the range when you are actually hitting golf balls. After a while, you can take the band off and try to maintain that feel when you swing. If you can continue to feel that pressure on the outside of your legs, you will stabilize your core and make it extremely difficult to early extend.

“This is a great plan for improvement for a person that’s trying to get rid of early extension,” Tony says. “You’ve got a few exercises you can do away from the range that you can combine that with your practice. And then you’ve got a drill you can do when you actually do hit balls. Then you just have to take that out on the golf course.”

Warm-Up Band, Black – Yobow Golf Recovery

Features: Warm up your lower body in less than a minute. Activates glutes, hamstrings and quads. Regular use leads to stronger and more stable hips which is essential in most sports Builds core and glute strength Helps with Injury prevention Will not snap or pull on skin Strength: Blue = Medium, Black=Strong

$25.00 from PGA TOUR Superstore

View Product

The post This overlooked swing mistake can kill your ball striking — here’s how to fix it appeared first on Golf.

The post 5 ways to easily improve your pitch shots appeared first on Golf.

The post 5 ways to easily improve your pitch shots appeared first on Golf.

Great pitch shots combine proper technique, consistent contact and confidence. Many golfers struggle with pitching because they either fear hitting the ground or try to help the ball into the air. In reality, solid pitch shots come from allowing the club’s bounce and loft to do the work naturally. By improving your setup, controlling distance correctly, and practicing with purpose, you can develop a more reliable short game and create the soft, controlled shots that help lower scores.

1. Have a perfect setup

A proper setup helps ensure the bounce of the club glides through the ground correctly. The great news is that when the club moves properly through impact, there is no reason to fear hitting the ground. When the club constantly digs, golfers often become hesitant to strike the turf, which makes it difficult to hit high, soft pitch shots that stop quickly.

Set up with the club centered in your body so the clubhead sits in the middle of your heels. Keep the end of the grip pointing toward the center of your body to avoid excessive shaft lean and de-lofting the clubface.

2. Allow the club to do the work

Allowing the bottom of the club to interact with the ground naturally lets the loft of the club do the work. This helps the ball make clean contact with the lofted part of the face. Avoid the urge to try to lift or scoop the ball into the air.

One of my favorite drills for this is the “scrape drill.” From your setup position, make no backswing and simply scrape the club along the ground through to the finish. This reinforces the feeling that the club should contact the ground and continue moving through it, helping you avoid scooping or lifting incorrectly.

3. Know how to control distance

Avoid trying to force speed or distance when you need a longer shot. Instead, simply adjust the length of your backswing and allow the club’s speed to change naturally.

A shorter backswing creates less speed and therefore less carry distance. As the backswing becomes longer, the potential speed and distance increase automatically. The more consistent your setup and preparation become, the more reliable your results will be over time.

4. Calibrate your landing spot

I am a big believer in calibrating your short game, especially pitch shots, because landing distance is often critical. In many cases, pitch shots are required to carry over hazards or obstacles, making precise distance control extremely important.

You can improve this skill by calibrating and charting your carry distances in 10-yard increments. Record which club and swing length produce each distance. If you would like to learn how to calibrate your entire short game, I have created a course designed to help you build consistency and lower your scores.

5. Build confidence with perfect lies

To build confidence, it can be helpful to begin practicing pitch shots from slightly longer grass. Longer grass makes it easier to get the ball into the air and provides a bit more margin for error.

I have also used this approach when helping golfers build confidence with fairway woods. Once success is established from longer grass, gradually move to tighter lies and shorter grass, which can be more challenging — especially when learning to use the bounce correctly and strike the ground consistently.

The post 5 ways to easily improve your pitch shots appeared first on Golf.

The post Why this common setup mistake kills your driving consistency appeared first on Golf.

The post Why this common setup mistake kills your driving consistency appeared first on Golf.

If you’re struggling with consistency off the tee, the fix might be as simple as adjusting your ball position. 

According to Tom Stickney, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher alum, one of the biggest mistakes he sees golfers make with their driver is playing the ball too far forward in their stance. 

“When the ball is too far forward in the stance, you have to reach to go get it,” he says. 

This small change causes a ripple effect in your swing. 

When you reach for the ball at address, Stickney explains that your trail shoulder naturally comes forward and your shoulders open up to the target. This sets you up to swing on an out-to-in swing path—usually resulting in a pull or slice. 

Ball position: inside lead heel

Instead of playing the ball where you normally would, Stickney says to shift your ball position back — so it falls in line with your inside lead heel.

Then, make sure that your shoulders are square with your target.

“From there, the club can transition from the inside and you’ll eliminate that big miss,” Stickney says. 

Once you get this feel of an “inside-out” swing, you’ll be able to eliminate your slice — and maybe even hit a draw. Give it a shot.

The post Why this common setup mistake kills your driving consistency appeared first on Golf.

The post This genius putting technique will hone your distance control appeared first on Golf.

The post This genius putting technique will hone your distance control appeared first on Golf.

Most golfers struggle when green speeds change because they believe distance control is all about feel. It’s the reason your lag putts die short one day and race past the hole the next.

But ask any good player how they developed distance control, and they’ll tell you the secret isn’t relying on touch alone. The best putters learn to build a repeatable system they can trust in any situation — one that keeps their speed consistent no matter how much conditions change.

With that kind of process in place, players can essentially “fake” their feel, allowing them to adapt faster and become automatic from long range. GOLF Top 100 Teacher Joey Wuertemberger says all you need to do is build your own 8-4-4 system.

The 8-4-4 system, explained 

Wuertemberger’s 8-4-4 system is one of the simplest putting processes you can use to develop your distance control on the greens. The concept is built around the idea of matching your stroke length to predictable rollout distances.

To try it, all you need is a flat spot on a practice green and a few balls. Set up to a ball like you normally would and take back the putter approximately eight inches, followed by an eight-inch followthrough. On a green rolling around 9 on the Stimpmeter, an even-tempo’d putt should cause the ball to roll out about 10 feet. That’s your baseline.

From there, the system becomes easy to scale. If you want the ball to roll another 10 feet, simply add four inches to your backstroke.

“Every additional four inches that you take the putter back [beyond the initial eight inches], the ball will roll an additional 10 feet,” Wuertemberger says.

That’s what makes this method so effective. Instead of guessing how hard you need to hit each putt, you now have a repeatable framework.

Why it works on every green

The beauty of the 8-4-4 system is that your mechanics stay the same even when green speeds change. Your stroke length and tempo always stay consistent; the only thing that changes is the distance your ball rolls out. On slower greens this might mean your putts will roll shorter than 10 feet, and vice versa on faster surfaces.

“You can keep your 8-4-4 and your cadence the same,” Wuertemberger says. “It’s just that your ball will now roll 12, 24 and 36 — or whatever those roll outs are [based on the green speed].”

Instruction

Insiders Only Ben Crenshaw shares 8 keys for a smooth swing tempo

By: Zephyr Melton

That’s why the system helps golfers adjust to changing conditions faster. Rather than rely on instinct, or guessing, you use a simple, calibrated system you can even adjust during your round.

Use an alignment rod for even more accuracy

Because the 8-4-4 system depends on precise stroke lengths, there is a small margin for error, which is why Wuertemberger recommends using a simple tool that many golfers already carry: an alignment rod.

Wuertemberger uses rods to help his students get their “pullbacks” correct — or the length of their backstroke — by physically marking where eight, 12 and even 16 inches are on the rods themselves.

“Then, you can just put your alignment rod down on the green and know that your increments are exact,” Wuertemberger says.

This will also help train your eyes and body to recognize those stroke lengths naturally over time. You can get creative and use your feet as a reference point for where the putter should stop during your backswing.

“Jackie Burke used to say to use your feet,” Wuertemberger says. “So maybe eight inches is roughly to the middle of your toe, and then if you need an additional four [inches], it’ll be just outside your foot.”

How to perfect your tempo with 8-4-4

While the 8-4-4 system is excellent for building distance control, it can also help diagnose other problems in your putting stroke.

For example, if you make your normal eight-inch backstroke and eight-inch followthrough, but the ball suddenly rolls 20 or 25 feet, you already know the problem isn’t your stroke length.

In those instances, Wuertemberger says, “your tempo must be off.”

That’s one of the biggest advantages of the drill. It gives you instant feedback. Instead of guessing why your speed control disappeared, you can quickly identify whether your rhythm has become quick or jabby.

The 8-4-4 method gives players a simple, repeatable system to improve distance control without making the stroke feel robotic. It turns putting into a structured process, like the rest of your game, so you can build a consistent motion and scale it to any length putt in any condition. The result is more predictable speed control wherever you play this season.

The post This genius putting technique will hone your distance control appeared first on Golf.

The post Ben Crenshaw shares 8 keys for a smooth swing tempo appeared first on Golf.

The post Ben Crenshaw shares 8 keys for a smooth swing tempo appeared first on Golf.

Golf instruction is ever-evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s Timeless Tips, we highlight some of the greatest advice teachers and players have dispensed in the pages of GOLF Magazine. This week, we look back at our October 1978 issue where Ben Crenshaw shared eight keys for a smooth swing.

There’s no greater compliment your playing partners can give you than saying you have a “smooth swing.” A silky smooth move — a la Fred Couples or Ernie Els — is not only aesthetically pleasing, but quite effective, too.

But while these smooth swings may look effortless, they are anything but. A smooth tempo is crafted over years of practice, and honing it takes time to achieve.

Ben Crenshaw is a prime example of this. And back in the October 1978 issue of GOLF Magazine, the two-time Masters champ shared eight keys for developing a smooth swing tempo. Check it out below.

Crenshaw’s keys for smooth tempo

Every golfer has done it. You rush one shot, then another, before you can recover, you’ve made a bogey, a double bogey or worse. How can you recover your tempo? The first adjustment is a mental one.

To slow down, say to yourself, ‘‘Golf is a leisurely game. What’s the point of rushing? The ball is not going anywhere — only I can move it.’’ Second, remind yourself of the good shots you’ve hit; you didn’t rush them, did you? Decide you will swing the same way on your next shot.

Now that you’re in the right frame of mind, here are some other techniques, not all of which will apply every time you have a spell of swinging too quickly. But they make a handy checklist, and I’ll bet that, at any one point in time, a couple of them will do the trick for you.

1. Don’t rush your pattern

The first place to look when you’re rushing your shots is before you set up to the ball. You can fall into the habit of walking faster than normal between shots, and then of setting up too quickly. To slow yourself down, take a couple of deep breaths. Breathe in deeply. As you breathe out, imagine the tension draining out of your body. Try it; it works for me.

Another point: Go through each step of your regular pattern of taking address. Don’t cut your pattern short; you can speed up without noticing it. A practice swing also can help. I particularly like a ‘‘half practice swing.’’ You swing slowly half way back, then half way through. This does wonders for your tempo.

2. Take it easy at address

Once you’re over the ball, check the speed of your waggle. If it’s too fast, your backswing will be too fast. Also check your grip pressure. A fast backswing often results from too tight a grip, especially with the right hand.

Another must for a smooth backswing is a slight forward press with the right knee — normally an instinctive move. If you’re rushing, though, you’re apt to leave it out; you may have to think consciously of a forward press before it becomes a habit again.

A fourth common fault at address is pushing the club into the ground behind the ball. Invariably you will compensate by jerking the club back too quickly. Let the club “hang” from your shoulders in the grass behind the ball, but up slightly off the ground. It makes a slow, smooth start to the swing much easier. I do it and Jack Nicklaus does it, so you’ll be in good company.

3. Go back low and slow

One of the best ways I know of slowing down the backswing is to think ‘‘low and slow.” If you think ‘‘low,’’ the left shoulder has to move back with the arms and clubs as one piece. Think ‘‘slow’’ and it’s natural for your left leg to move early in the backswing to coordinate with the upper body movement. Starting the larger muscles of the shoulders and legs as soon as the backswing gets underway automatically makes you swing back with good tempo, because these muscles cannot move quickly.

In contrast, when you swing back too fast, it’s usually the result of the smaller muscles in the hands and wrists working independently. They pick up the club quickly, and the larger muscles contribute too little too late. You never achieve a full windup in the hips, shoulders, arms, hands and club. As a result, you throw from the top, come over the top of the ball and soon.

4. Finish the backswing

Whichever way you cut it, you’ll never get a good downswing from an incomplete backswing. However, that’s exactly the problem when you swing back too fast — you do start down before you ever get wound up. This is the reason I like the thought: Swing the club all the way back. The word “‘all’’ is the key. Each of us has an optimum windup — an optimum hip turn, optimum shoulder turn, optimum length of arm swing and optimum wrist cock. You’ve got to give yourself time to let these things happen.

Wait until you feel that your hands and the club have reached that good “‘slot’’ behind you. The chances are good that you will have swung back with good tempo and that your hips, shoulders, arms and wrists have worked properly. You feel you have all the time in the world to swing back. That’s the correct feeling to have.

5. Wait for the ‘pull’

Bobby Jones has said that you should start down in a leisurely fashion toward the ball. I agree. The only area in the swing where the club has to fly is from hip high in the downswing to hip high in the followthrough. Start down too quickly and you can still hit too early and dissipate your power long before you reach the ball.

That’s why it’s a good idea to wait for the “pull.” You feel this pulling down action in the left arm, which results from allowing the left heel to return to the ground and the left knee to move to the left, the first moves in a correct downswing. Once you’ve given yourself time to make these essential lower body moves first, you can safely let it go and, in Jones’ word, “free-wheel” through the ball and on into a full finish.

6. Set your key

If you have a favorite tempo key, write it down where you can see it. One Tour player I knew stuck a label with the word “Tempo” across the decal of his driver. If I were to do something like that, I would use the words “one-two” — a small ‘‘one’’ to represent low and slow back, and a big ‘‘two’’ for the acceleration through impact. Other places to put keys on would be the back of your glove or stamped directly on your golf ball.

7. Pick the right club

One reason you’re rushing your shots may be that you’re not taking enough club. If you’re habitually selecting the club you have to hit hard and solid to get the ball to the hole, then you are putting unnecessary pressure on your swing; you risk rushing the shot every time. Try taking one more club than usual; you’ll swing more slowly and easily knowing you can get the ball up to the stick. You may be on the back of a couple of greens, but most times you’ll hit the ball the right distance.

8. Kick off your shoes

If you’re rushing the swing and nothing you’ve tried works, here’s a cure I use that’s infallible. Go to the practice tee, kick off your shoes and hit some shots in your stocking feet. Without spikes to hold you firm, you’ll lose your balance if you swing too fast. But stay with it. After a few more shots, you will begin cutting back on the speed of your swing and meeting the ball solidly. Put your shoes back on and continue swinging at the same tempo. I think you’II like the results.

The post Ben Crenshaw shares 8 keys for a smooth swing tempo appeared first on Golf.

The post Chunking your wedges? How to fix these 2 common causes appeared first on Golf.

The post Chunking your wedges? How to fix these 2 common causes appeared first on Golf.

How many times have you stood over a short wedge shot with one thought running through your head, “Don’t chunk this.”

Those three words can trigger a chain reaction. Your confidence disappears, your fundamentals vanish and suddenly you’re overthinking what should be a simple shot.

The frustrating part is that chunked wedges usually aren’t random. Most stem from a few common swing faults. Once you identify what’s causing your poor contact, you can make the necessary adjustments to start making crisp, consistent contact every time.

Are you steep or shallow? 

According to Krista Dunton, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, most chunked wedge shots come from one of two swing patterns:

An easy way to diagnose your miss is to pay attention to how the shot feels.

If the leading edge digs sharply into the turf — producing fat shots, deep divots or even the occasional skull — you’re likely getting too steep at impact.

If it feels like the bounce of the club hits the ground first and skips into the ball — leading to a weak, dribbly shot — you’re probably too shallow at impact.

Too steep? Think: neutral hands, less hinge

If you tend to get steep, start with your setup. Dunton explains that many amateurs address the ball with their hands too far forward. This setup adjustment unintentionally shuts the clubface and steepens your angle into the ball.

Instead, she says to aim for a more neutral setup. The first step is to check that your clubface is square. You can do this by holding the club out in front of you, like you would for a stand-up grip. Next, position the butt of your grip so it’s in line with your belly button. This will set your hands in a neutral position that will shallow your angle into the ball.

Another common issue is getting too vertical with the takeaway. 

“If you tend to pick the club up pretty abruptly, you’re creating another really steep downward angle into the ball,” Dunton says.

To fix this, make a few practice swings with quieter wrists. The takeaway should feel more connected and around your body rather than the club moving straight up.

“It should feel like a sweepier, inside motion,” Dunton says. “That position will allow you to let the club slide under the ball.”

Too shallow? Think: head forward, turn through

Players who get too shallow often make one critical mistake: hanging back through impact.

Tilting backwards as the club enters impact causes it to bottom out too early, making clean contact difficult. One reason this happens is a poor setup. 

Dunton explains that many golfers set up with their nose too far behind the ball, which encourages them to hang back through impact. Instead, start with your nose in a more centered position. A simple checkpoint is to keep it in line with the buttons on your shirt, ensuring it doesn’t drift backward.

Another key to avoid hanging back is maintaining pressure on your lead side. A simple way to achieve this, Dunton says, is to feel your head move slightly forward in your backswing.

“All good short game players on tour, their head actually moves slightly forward as the club goes back,” Dunton says. “That will keep the weight on that front side.”

Lastly, make sure your swing doesn’t stop at impact. Many players who chunk wedges quit rotating through the shot, causing them to stall and hit the turf early. To know if you’re turning completely through the shot, check that your chest and hips finish at the target.

Once you can identify where your miss is coming from, the fix becomes much simpler. Crisp wedge shots are usually the product of solid fundamentals — neutral setup, weight forward and committed rotation through impact. Get those basics dialed, and contact becomes more consistent, even under pressure.

The post Chunking your wedges? How to fix these 2 common causes appeared first on Golf.