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Professional Biography:
Eric
Lohman, PGA is the General Manager at Black Gold Golf Club
where he has been employed since May 2001. Prior to becoming General
Manager in January of 2004, Eric served Black Gold Golf Club as
the PGA Director of Sales, Marketing and Golf. Eric was an accomplished
junior golf where he lead Palm Springs High School to a California
State High School Championship in 1991. Eric won his high school
conference championship all four years and earned a scholarship
to play for both the University of Houston (1993) and UCLA (1994-1997)
where he lettered all four years. While at UCLA, Eric was twice
selected by his teammates and coach as the Team Captain and twice
selected an All Pac-10 player by the Pac 10 golf coaches. While
in college Eric spent two summers working for the Jim Flick led
Nicklaus Flick Golf Schools at Spy Glass Golf Club in Monterey,
CA and Boyne Highlands in Boyne, MI. Eric considers Jim Flick his
teaching mentor (as well as Seth Glasco from the Nicklaus Flick
Golf Schools) and credits working with, for and around many of the
best instructors in the country for the culmination of his ever
evolving teaching philosophy.
“I believe that all students
should be treated differently and not taught the same exact thing.
Although the principles and fundamentals stay mostly the same, each
golfer has their own desires, time commitments, coordination and
physical makeup. I prefer to keep my lessons simple so that my students
can learn from me to coach themselves and self diagnose. With each
lesson I give my students explanation, provide and encourage feedback
and give my students drills to further improve. I am a firm believer
that we need to learn from our ball flight (which way the ball curves
and how it reacts to the clubface/hit) and that the clubface, which
hits the ball, is lead first by our hands and arms and therefore
should be a main focus of our lessons, along with posture, balance,
ball position and alignment. "
To book an individual lesson, group lesson or company clinic please
contact Eric:
Eric Lohman, PGA
General Manager
Black Gold Golf Club/KemperSports Management
714-961-0253 ext. 111 (phone)
714-993-9472 (fax)
Steven
Soule, PGA has been with the ESPN Golf Schools Staff since
2004 and a PGA Member since 1997. He is currently Director of Instruction
for the Black Gold Golf Academy in Yorba Linda, California. Steven
graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 1989 with
BA in Theatre Arts. He also earned an AA degree from The Institute
of Golf Management at College of the Desert, Palm Desert, CA. Steven
started his golf professional career in 1992 at Bighorn Golf Club
in Palm Desert, CA, where he was first assistant golf professional
in charge of golf operations. In 1994 Steven was invited to join
the Hank Haney Golf Instruction Staff of Southern California were
he was able to work and learn from the “1993 PGA Teacher of the
Year” a “Top 100 Instructor” and current instructor to number one
world ranked player Tiger Woods. The next stop was Carmel Valley
Ranch, on the famed Monterey Peninsula. In 1996 Steven became the
Head Golf Professional as well as teaching along side Shawn Humphries,
Director of Instruction and “Top 100 Instructor”. In 1999 Steven
moved to the Pebble Beach Golf Academy were he trained with and
taught along side Llaird Small “2004 PGA Teacher of the Year” and
“Top 100 Instructor” and Dan Pasquerelli “Top 100 Instructor”. He
was also the Head Teaching Professional and Resident PGA Professional
for the Naval Post Graduate School and Monterey Peninsula Golf Course.
Steven came back to Southern California in 2001 were he was the
Director of Instruction for the Nike Golf Learning Center and continued
his 10 year relationship as Camp Director with Nike Parent – Child
Golf Schools. In 2002 Steven picked up his first PGA Tour Player,
Austral-Asian Member Daniel Stevenson. In 2004 Steven coached PGA
Tour Member and Australian amateur stand-out Steven Bowditch as
well as coaching and teaching some of Southern California's top
high schools and amateur players. Steven lives in Huntington Beach,
California.
Steven Soule, PGA Dir. Of Instruction
Black Gold Golf Academy souleman@msn.com
714.904.8398 or 714.961.0060 x113
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Understanding and Better Yet Utilizing Today's Technology by Eric Lohman, PGA
Never before has a game or sport been impacted as much by technology as has the game of golf. They haven’t made
football fields longer, raised the height of rims in basketball or made the goal posts more narrow in soccer, but
golf courses have gotten longer, more narrow and more difficult over the past 10 years. Augusta National is the
prime example of this contagious phenomena. Golfers are witnessing lower scoring averages for professionals and
better players (juniors, collegians and amateurs), further driving distances by everyone and consumers are being
introduced to terms such as Moment of Inertia (MOI or the amount of face twisting with off center hits) and
Coefficient of Restitution (COR or spring like affect along the clubface). If you aren’t taking advantage of
golf’s technological advances, then move up a set of tees because you are getting passed by the masses. The
following are but a few of the examples to advance your set makeup, golf ball selection, or enjoy a modern club
fitting process.
Picking the right sand wedge and changing them out before they become worn out is now more common than rotating
pair of socks. Wedges now come with deeper, sharper grooves and make the “square groove area” look as advanced
as pre-school finger painting. Consider this that most tour players change their wedges out every 8 weeks and
irons every 4 months. For avid players I recommend every six months for wedges and every year for irons. Today’s
golf balls do not have as soft a cover. To achieve the control and feel necessary for “feel shots” you need
clean, sharp groves to better control (by cutting into) the golf ball.
Nothing has been driven more by technology than the latest driver offerings. Drivers are maxing out on face MOI,
size (460 CC’s) and COR. The attempt to push the USGA’s barriers has resulted in the dismissal of the traditional
pear shaped head and replaced it with square and triangular morphs. Hope you are getting used to the look, because
these types of clubs are here to stay. The main reason, they work and this is being evidenced by the likes of Els,
Choi, Cink and Mickelson using them in tour events when they have other options. One person who doesn’t use an odd
shaped driving head is Tiger. The newer clubs produce straighter shots and it is tough to believe but that shot
pattern is too straight for Tiger. Tiger and other traditional ball shapers prefer the older version drivers
where the center of gravity is closer to the face, the MOI is under control so that a draw or fade can both be
hit on cue. The “new” driver also requires some golfers (author included) to change pre-swing set up and golf
swing path to maximize effectiveness. To fully maximize the driver and golf ball combination you must eliminate
all spin and maximize the launch angle. I miss the days of just grippin’ and rippin’.
More forgiving irons sets (such as Taylor Made’s R7, Nike’s Sumo, or Titleist’s AP2) and hybrids are the norm and
not the exception. The clubs have gotten bigger, the sweet spots larger, launch angles higher and the lofts
cranked up more than Joan River’s forehead. Today’s 7 iron is like yesterday’s five iron. These are no brainers.
Putters have taken on a metamorphosis such as Nike’s Unitized Techno and Taylor Made’s Spider where miss hitting a
putt isn’t possible anymore due to their girth, weight, build (in the case of the Unitized putter line the shaft
and head are welded together creating an express line from the putter face to your hands for unparalleled
feedback) and MOI (that word again). Nike’s newest IC putter line utilizes descriptive phraseology such as
“optical engineering” to illustrate the intention to blend the putter’s background color with the green turf to
eliminate “visual noise” and promote better aiming lines. I don’t know about you, but I got to get me some of
that. Only a select few of us putt well and the rest of us need as much assistance or advantage as possible.
Golf balls are now even more specific to game types. They used to just be cheap or expensive and hard or soft.
Now there are subcategories in the premier tour lines such as Nike’s One Black or Platinum or Titleist’s Pro V
and Pro Vx where the balls are similar, but depending on club head speed and feel preference around the greens,
one might choose one over the other. Changing balls daily to weather, course setup or conditions is also not out
of the question. If I am playing on a course with difficult green surrounds or harder than normal greens I will
choose to play the softer Platinum, giving up some distance, but achieving much better feel and higher spin rates.
If I am playing in difficult weather or softer conditions I will use the Black ball because it penetrates the
wind better by spinning less, also reducing back spin on wedge shots. Maybe the USGA will give us some leeway
and eliminate the one ball rule all together (I wouldn’t bet on it.)
With all of these equipment options how I am to deal with my equipment ADD? Easy, take advantage of one of the
many new state of the art fitting systems which utilize launch monitors (the greatest invention ever),
proprietary software and interchangeable heads and shafts (thousands of combinations to fit even the most finicky
of players.) Nike’s new 360 IFS Custom Fitting System is exactly that. 360 degrees of fitting pleasure
assisting you in filling out your bag, choosing the proper golf ball and stopping just short of picking your
day’s underwear. You think the pros are that good. They are, but they are perfectly fit and check and recheck
their equipment and equipment choices routinely. I used to think a good player could adapt to the clubs they are
given, but now I am sold that you can skip many steps and simply find the best set and then learn how to
maximize its advantages.
Are we making better golfers or just easier to hit clubs and worse golfers? Do we still play the game as it was
intended or have we entered into the “Barry Bond’s Asterisk” shell of the game that Snead, Jones and Hogan
played? Needless to say you should not only take advantage of technology, but also remember to learn how to
play the game like it should be played with finesse, imagination, consideration, patience and admiration.
Combine both schools of thought and success will be forthcoming. I look forward to assisting you in that
process and train of thought.
Next Level Instruction presented by Eric Lohman, Black Gold Golf Club PGA General Manager and Nike Golf Bill
Bowerman Advisory Staff Member. 714-961-0253 ext. 111 or elohman@blackgoldgolf.com. Instruction targeted to a 15
or less handicap that plays or practices at least 3 times per week.
Focused Practice by Eric Lohman, PGA
If your idea of practice is going to the neighborhood range and hitting a small bucket of balls, alternating
between your 4 iron and driver, then you might as well be heading to Roger Dunn’s to buy some more x-outs and
Advil. Golfers dedicated enough to get better have a practice game plan lined up well in advance of their
practice session.
It is important to understand the dichotomy of quantity vs. quality in terms of your time at home, at the
practice center or on the course practicing. Everyone is geared differently but a good rule of thumb is that you
should at least think about golf 10 minutes a day (to keep it at the forefront of your mind.) Better yet spend an
additional 10 minutes each day stretching, putting with a swing track, or swinging a heavy club in the back yard.
More importantly you need to practice or play at three times a week for no less than 60 minutes per session.
This will allow you to maintain your level. To get better you must advance on these times and frequencies.
Please remember that practice makes permanent, not perfect. Don’t be afraid to utilize lessons from a PGA
instructor intermittently between practice and playing. If you don’t you fall into the risk of slowly picking up
bad habits. Think of it in terms like this. Human beings inherently want to do what is comfortable. Whether it is
our standing posture, how we walk, type on our iMac or even how we sit in our car we always end up reverting to
what is comfortable. Same for how we play sports, especially golf. Over time we will set up, swing, practice or
play in a more comfortable manner. Everything right in golf is not comfortable. The proper grip, posture, set
up, etc. is often described by my students as “uncomfortable” or “different feeling.” Don’t fall into a
“comfortable” frame of mind or at least push yourself to make what is more fundamentally sound more the norm.
You don’t want a “carpel tunnel” golf swing.
The following are but a few of the key basics which you need to adhere to during each practice session:
Always allow for a proper warm up by stretching, starting small and working your way to up to short swings,
full swings, and finally driver swings. Finish up your practice session by going in reverse.
Divide your time evenly between short game (100 yards and in) and long game (more than 100 yards.)
In regards to your short game allow for 25% of your time to do chipping, 25% pitching and 50% putting.
Play 50% of the time, practice 50% of the time.
Mix things up. Don’t hit 50 wedges. Hit only a few shots with each club and go through the whole bag. Get
comfortable with one club and then move to the next.
Utilize drills, aids and launch monitors when applicable. Always put a club or two down for alignment and
ball position.
Use a putting arc or putting drills when on the putting green.
Focus on some keys shots at the end of the practice. Either shots you have been struggling with or shots you
might encounter at your next tournament.
Play a few “mental” holes to fine tune your shots and focus. Hit a drive to one flag, a lay up to another and
finally an approach shot to a third.
Each person is different, but one common thread of all good players is that their time isn’t wasted and they feel
comfortable each time they play because they rarely find themselves hitting a shot or in a situation in which they
hadn’t practiced in their previous few practice sessions. That is the only time when being “comfortable” is a
good thing.
Next Level Instruction presented by Eric Lohman, Black Gold Golf Club/KemperSports PGA General Manager and Nike
Golf Bill Bowerman Advisory Staff Member. 714-961-0253 ext. 111 or elohman@blackgoldgolf.com. Instruction targeted
to a 15 or less handicap that plays or practices at least 3 times per week.
Proper Sand Bunker Play by Eric Lohman, PGA
Hitting a bunker shot isn’t supposed to be like your 3 year old son or daughter
spending a day at the beach. You're not supposed to get sand everywhere,
make a mess and eventually have your sand castle wash away in the surf.
These are a few pointers that will help you get out of the sand in a consistent
manner.
*** Most important tip…make sure to hit the sand and not the ball. Do not hit the ball!!! To hit a proper sand
shot, the golfer must make a golf swing that allows the golf club to push the sand out of the bunker and also
the ball which rides the sand. To accomplish this it is important to change your swing plane some by making it
more vertical or upright. Do this by swinging the club more outside your normal swing plane and by picking it up
more from the beginning of your swing. By swinging more upright it will make it easier to hit down and through
the sand more consistently.
Pretend your golf ball is laying on a dollar bill. Try and hit the dollar bill out of the bunker towards your
intended target. The dollar bill represents how much sand you should try and hit out of the bunker. Not to wide,
not to thick. Just a dollar bill worth of sand.
Buy a good Sand Wedge and then open the clubface when hitting a bunker shot. All Sand Wedges have bounce.
Bounce is a term which describes the rounded edge on the bottom of the club. When you open a Sand Wedge up it
increase the amount of bounce. The bounce will allow you to hit the sand with a proper golf swing, but not dig
too deeply into the sand. If you hit the sand with the sharp leading edge or with a club with little bounce, the
club would dig deeper into the sand, take more sand out with the golf shot, disrupt the continuity to your golf
swing and lead to fat, inconsistent golf shots with little if any spin.
Focus Like A Tiger by
Eric Lohman, PGA
Face it, you will never be as good as Tiger, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying or at least from copying
some of his refined habits. The following three tips will help you gain the confidence and no with all to
improve your inconsistent golf game.
Practice With a Purpose-So you only have time to hit balls once a week. Why not make the most of it. Make
sure to stretch properly and then go to work on the basic fundamentals. Take the time to practice the drills you
learned at your last lesson or group clinic. Make sure to hit all of the clubs in your bag and all of the shots
you know how to hit with those clubs. A good rule of thumb is you should practice your short game 33% of the
time, your long game 33% of your time and play 33% of the time. Do not make the mistake that most amateurs make
which is too hit each range ball with your driver seeing if you can hit it out of the driving range before your
back goes out.
Stay Determined Through Adversity-After five holes you are five over and your best shot has been the Tequila on
hole 3 or the worm burner on hole 5. The great thing about golf is that your next shot might be your best ever,
your next hole might net you a birdie or even a skin, or your next 9 holes might give you the confidence to win
next week’s Member’s Club event. Have you ever scene Tiger give up??? Never. He will fight all the way to the
end and if he has a bad day he will practice hard and smart enough to make sure his next round is great one.
Go For the Kill Like a Tiger
by Eric Lohman, PGA
What separates Tiger from the rest of the competition isn’t always his skill level. Tiger has won many
tournaments and played many a great round with what he calls his “C” game. Mind you his “C”game is like most
player’s “A+” game, but that is another story. Even when Tiger isn’t on his game, he still finds away to put
away the competition, seize the moment and rise to the occasion. His will and determination does not allow for
failure and his drive to succeed surpasses his inner demons or faulting skills. Tiger enjoys golf, loves golf,
but when he is faced with a chance to reign supreme he always lets the golf gods down by ignoring them. If you
want to get better at golf you also need to find your inner Tiger. You need to prioritize a practice and playing
schedule, you need to take lessons to refine your fundamentals and you need to stay focused at the task at hand
to take advantage of any opportunities, whether big or small, that might arise.
Learn from the Pros by
Eric Lohman, PGA
If you haven’t taken the time to attend a PGA, LPGA, Champions Tour or Nationwide Event in Southern California,
then you have missed out on a great opportunity to learn from best. Not only are the professionals playing in
those events in the best shape, have the finest swings and use the most technologically advanced equipment,
they also play the smartest game of golf. They use sound course management techniques to get the most out of
their game, no matter how well they are swinging the club on that particular day. The following tips will allow
you to “think” like a professional out on the links.
Don’t Always Hit a Driver- Follow a tour player during a round of competitive golf and you will most likely
witness that golfer only hit a driver a few times although on average there are 13 to 14 opportunities per round
to hit a driver. Why is that? Sound course management. Professionals are smart enough to realize that the
farther they hit their little white golf ball, the more likely it is that the ball would travel off center and
find a poor lie, the rough or even a hazard. Good architects have designed golf courses that narrow the farther
you find yourself from the tee box and that same distance from the tee is also where they might place the corner
of a dog leg, a sand bunker or water hazard. This makes the golf course more challenging for the better golfer.
Therefore it makes sense to play to your strengths and play the percentages. If hitting a driver is too risky or
the benefits don’t out way the risk, then why be so aggressive? It is much easier to try and hit it close on a
par 4 or go for a par 5 in two from the fairway then it is from the rough, a bunker or hazard.
Risk vs. Reward-A common mistake for most good to great amateurs is to be too aggressive on the golf course.
They hit drivers off of the tee too frequently, try and cut too much off of the dog leg, or always try and go
for the par 5’s in two. Professionals will often pick the safer of two choices because they trust that they
will do well enough on the next shot to make up for their passiveness. That is why you often see professionals
lay up to a comfort zone of 75 to 100 yards from the green. From there they can take a full swing with their
favorite wedge and hit it close to the pin as compared to trying to get up and down from a tough lie around the
green or from behind an obstacle such as a tree.
When faced with a choice between playing it safe and “going for it”, try and ask yourself the following simple
questions: Where do I stand in my round or match? Can I afford to make a mistake at this juncture? On average
(say over 50%) do I think I can pull this shot off? Even if I pull this shot off, will it make such a difference
on my scorecard to warrant the risk? If your answers qualify the shot, then commit yourself to it and go for
it!!! One last question you might want to ask before hand is whether or not you have another ball??? That last
question might have been the most important.
Practice After a Round What You Didn’t Do Well During the Round-Tiger, VJ, Adam Scott and many others are
notorious for long, determined practice sessions after a round. Tiger will shoot a 65 that day, but because he
miss hit two 3 iron stingers during his round, finish his day by practicing that shot with his caddie Steve
Williams and possibly his coach Hank Haney watching over him. Not all of us have the luxury of one of the
world’s best caddies and coaches to assist us, but we can take the time either immediately after a round or the
very near future to work on the shots or clubs that were up to our lofty standards. Chart either on paper or in
your head the shots you hit and the pattern of where you hit them. Short, long, left or right and see if a
pattern forms. Did you miss hit 3 wedges? Pull two 8 irons? Hit only 4 fairways? Have 33 putts? Whatever your
answer you have the opportunity to right the wrong and regain your confidence. Would you rather step up to the
tee on Saturday morning with sound confidence that the 3 wood you are about to hit in front of the clubhouse,
fellow members and playing partners will be a good shot or the fact the last time you hit the club you couldn’t
find the ball with the assistance of a SEAL Team? You be the judge.
5 Easy Tips to Better Putting
by Eric Lohman, PGA
Ask any good player and they will tell you the one thing that separates the good players from the tour players,
or even the tour players amongst themselves, is putting. Make two more putts per round (think about those missed
five footers) and that is the difference from missing the cut to finishing top 10. Ask any good teacher and they
will also tell you the easiest way for a beginner or intermediate player to reduce strokes from their handicap
is to create a fundamentally sound putting routine and then to practice that routine on a regular basis. The
following 5 basic tips will assist you in that process.
Good sound athletic posture will give you the foundation to make a solid and consistent stroke. You should
bend from the waist until your weight is distributed evenly amongst the balls of your feet. Your eyes should be
directly over the golf ball and your arms hanging freely under your shoulders.
Limit the turning of your shoulders and especially your hips. Set up “pigeon toed” to restrict lower body
movement and try and rock your shoulders underneath each other and not turn them as you would with a regular
golf swing. This will keep the putter more on your intended target line.
Mimic a pendulum like motion with your putting stroke. Your back swing and follow swing should be the same
pace and distance from your starting point. Accelerate at impact and finish with your hands gripping the club
over your forward thigh. By finishing your stroke you will impart positive momentum on the ball and it will hold
its line better.
Lead with your forward wrist. Do not allow the putter head to swing underneath your hands, which will add
loft to the putter face. This causes your lead wrist to breakdown, the ball to bounce more as it rolls towards
its intended target, and it also might lead to the club face not remaining square to its intended target line.
Learn to square your putter clubface to your intended target line before you putt. It is very difficult to
set your putter face up squarely to your target line. This is mostly due to the fact we are standing a few feet
away from our target line and putter (due to the length of the shaft.) It is very common for most golfers to
aim several inches away (right for right handers, left for lefties) from the proper line and then to
subconsciously square (which results in a pulled putt) the putter up on the downswing. Have someone you trust
watch you hit some practice putts letting you know where your aim is. Get used to starting more squarely and you
will find yourself making more 7 to 12 foot putts.
4 Basic Tips to Better Chipping
by Eric Lohman, PGA
Similar to putting, a better routine and basic understanding of some fundamentals can assist you in becoming a
better chipper of the golf ball. This will allow you to get more up and downs, reduce your score and make up for
those anticipated errant golf shots.
The chip shot is a very basic and short stroke that incorporates some of the fundamentals from both the golf
swing and putting stroke. The following tips will give you the framework to properly practice a very important
aspect of scoring low.
You must set up with athletic posture and the proper grip. Stabilize and keep your weight on your forward
foot throughout your stroke. Also turn your lower body 20 to 30 degrees to the left (for righties) of your
intended line while keeping your feet closer together with the heels almost touching. This will allow you to have
fewer moving parts, see your line better and simplify your shorter swing.
Maintaining Posture while turning through the ball. Resist the temptation to lift up to look where you hit your
shot or to scoop the ball up in the air to get it to land on the green. Remain in balance and simply finish your
stroke by turning to your intended target post impact. Try and get the toe of the club to point to the sky at your
finish position.
Understand and remain focused on your Primary (where you want the ball to land) and Secondary Targets (where you
want the ball to end up.) Unless you have a perfectly straight putt, on a flat putting surface with “Chamber of
Commerce” weather, your ball will react some once it hits the green. A common mistake that most average golfers
make is they get so caught up with the flag or cup they fail to aim themselves accordingly. Your last thought
should be "Where do I need to aim and hit this golf shot to have it end up at my preferred destination?"
Use your imagination and visualize your golf shot. Don’t get stuck in the routine of only hitting one club or
one specific way for all chip or pitch shots. Remember that many factors such as the green’s slope or that day’s
weather (wind, rain, etc.) can manipulate the golf ball once it hits the green. Also the pins proximity to the
edge of the green and your proximity to the green might dictate if you need to hit a soft, higher lofted shot or a
harder running lower shot. When practicing try many types of shots, while hitting clubs of varying loft so that
once you need to make a decision on the golf course you have different options and have executed those options
before.
How to Play Better Golf in the
Wind by Eric Lohman, PGA
Whether you are playing in Scotland, Hawaii or at Black Gold Golf Club you might sometimes encounter a round of
golf in the wind. For most golfers this is discouraging because of the perceived difficulty, but for some this
an added obstacle and element to make that days round even more enjoyable and rewarding. The key to playing in
the wind is to partner up with the wind and not try and conquer it. Nothing is more rewarding then correctly
reading the wind, adjusting your shot process and pulling off a great shot. The following are a few key tips
which will give you more confidence playing in the wind.
Take the time to read the wind speed and direction. Is it constant? Is from the same direction? Is it
swirling?
The answers to these questions might make it necessary to take more or less club or adjust your aim. Don’t just
hit it harder with more club right at your normal target line.
Have better control of your ball flight, direction and spin ratio. Sound difficult? It isn’t. Try swinging at
80% of your normal club head speed and use more club if necessary when hitting into the wind. This also applies
if you hitting downwind. Hit the ball too hard or high and it might end up in another county. The harder you
hit a golf ball, the more spin is imparted on the golf ball. Golf ball spin and wind play havoc with each other
and before you know it you have just hit a Phil Niekro knuckle ball.
Widen your stance for better balance and firmer footing. Enough said.
When aiming yourself take in consideration not only the wind adjusted path of the ball, but also what the
ball will do once it hits the fairway or green. If the wind is blowing left to right, by simply aiming farther
left might not be enough to aim yourself correctly. If the ball lands on a green with some left to right spin
(do to the wind pushing it), it will roll more left to right once it hits the green. Keep this in mind when
determining where you want your ball to land and end up while always considering where the hazards (green side
bunkers, landscaping and lakes) are.
How to Cure Your Slice (or at
least try!!!) by Eric Lohman, PGA
The #1 question all instructors are asked by their students is “How do I cure my slice?” The answer I like to
give is we might not be able to ever cure it, but I certainly can explain why the ball slices so you better
understand it, and then give you some pointers on how to tame your wayward golf ball. A “slice” is ball which
has been imparted side spin. For righties your ball when go left to right and for lefties the opposite. To slice
the ball there must be two actions, the clubface must be open to the target line and the path of the clubface
must cross at an angle to the golf ball. This is compared to the ideal of a square clubface and proper swing
path towards your intended target. A sliced golf ball is hit very much the same way Minnesota Fats would have
tried to hit the 8 ball with another ball in front of his cue ball, by curving it in there. The following
pointers will assist you in straightening out your “slice.”
At impact square your clubface up more to your target line. If you have a problem with this try and turn the
toe of the club towards your target line more before you grip the club and start your swing. Also remember to
have light, but constant grip pressure. People who grip the club too tightly most often can’t let their hands
properly rotate through impact because their forearms are too restrictive. This always results in an open faced
golf shot.
Try and start your downswing by letting your hands drop, maintaining your hitting angle, while keeping your
shoulders square to your body’s target line (parallel left to your club’s target line which should be
perpendicular to what direction you want the golf ball to start at.) Do not start your downswing with your
shoulders quickly turning to the left of your body’s target line. If you do race your downswing too quickly
before your finish your back swing or start your downswing with an aggressive untimely shoulder turn, you will
have no choice, but to swing the club out over your intended swing path which will result in the dreaded over
the top swing, side spin and the “slice!”
Try and hit the inside quarter of the golf ball and swing your golf club to the right of our target. This
move is only for those with wicked slices. Look down at the golf ball in its resting place right before you hit
it. Picture it quartered and then try and hit the bottom right hand corner of the golf ball. Also when hitting
the bottom right hand corner of the golf ball, post impact try and swing your golf club to the right of your
target. This will severely restrict you for overturning your shoulders to the left of your target. Be careful
and don’t over do this drill. This drill is great to get you back swinging on the correct swing path with the
proper timing of your shoulder turn. Mix it in with some regular free thinking swings as well.
To Putt or Chip? by Eric
Lohman, PGA
That is the question I get a lot. A general rule of thumb is that your best chip will be as good as your worst
putt. Some items to consider before making your decision are the following; Is the grass in front of the ball
laying into you or against you? If the grass is laying towards you-chip, laying away from you-putt. If you are
more than a club length away from the fringe-chip,inside that -putt. If the grass is more than 2" thick-chip, if
it is less than 2" thick-putt. My last suggestion for assisting you in making your decision is going with your
gut feeling. Whatever you feel more comfortable with doing, chipping or putting from that particular spot is
most likely going to result in the best result due to your confidence or lack thereof. Remember that practice
doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent. Please make sure when practicing you are focusing on the basic proper
fundamentals of the golf swing and short game.
Three Wood or Driver? by Eric
Lohman, PGA
Most golfers are conditioned to simply try and hit it as hard as they can, even if it results in a golf shot
that ends up far away from their intended target. We have Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, John Daly, the National
Long Driving Championship, and our egos to blame for that. In all actuality only a small percentage of golfers
actually benefit from the use of a driver and many would be better off if they simply used their three wood off
of the tee. A driver is longer and less lofted than a three wood. As a result with the driver being longer
there is more room for error. It also requires a solid hit with enough club head speed to get the ball airborne
enough to enjoy the benefits of using the less lofted club. If the ball velocity is not that much greater with
the driver than with the three wood, then it is possible to make the same swing with both clubs and hit it the
same distance or even shorter with the driver. It is also more likely to hit a driver off center because golfers
tend to over swing them trying to hit it longer than what is realistic with their ability levels.
As most of you know Black Gold is narrow in places. By using a three wood off the tee and making a comfortable
swing, the average player will hit more fairways and average longer drives than if they had used their driver.
This will also also ensure them that their ball will get airborne, travel a positive distance towards their
target and that they can find their precious ProV or Nike One Black.
What makes the ball slice off
to the right? by Steve Soule, PGA
This may be the most popular question asked by students in any lesson. The answer is the clubface; the clubface
is responsible for 75% of the direction the ball turns during the golf swing. The face of the club must rotate
from open to shut. If the clubface does not close and deloft soon enough it will strike the ball with an open
face and too much loft, the ball will take off high and curve to the right. The opposite will happen when the
clubface rotates too much, the ball will take off lower than normal and turning to the left. This brings into sharp relief the importance of the grip and how hands are placed on the club.
Short game Practice
by Steve Soule, PGA
One of the fastest ways to drop your Index or Handicap is to concentrate more on your short game. Many of my
students at the Black Gold Golf Academy focus too hard on the full swing and ignore the importance of being able
to get the ball up and down from inside 100 yards. Pitching, chipping and putting comprise the short game, and
having a constant strategy and technique to approach each shot will help. 65% of your total score is achieved
from 100 yards and closer, 40% of your score is putting alone. The average tour player spends 60 – 80% of his
practice session on short game alone. Start to work on your scoring system and your wedges, if you don’t know
the exact yardages for all of your wedges start here! Then go to chipping, the player should know how far each
iron will roll when a constant stroke is applied. When practicing short game, remember pitching is defined as
“more air time and less roll” and chipping is defined as “less air time and more roll”. Now move onto your
putting session, please concentrate on developing drills that focus on the speed and line of each putt. If you
need help with your short game practice and drills to develop a strategy and technique for every short game
shot.
Practice with a Purpose
by Steve Soule, PGA
Now that you have taken instruction from a qualified PGA Golf Professional and have some changes to make in your
golf swing, you must practice with a purpose. It takes about 60 repetitions per day for 30 days in a row to
achieve new muscle memory, so as you begin to make some changes in your swing it is imperative that you do as
many rehearsal swings as possible. A 5-1 ratio would be a great place to start, 5 practice swings for every ball
you hit during your practice session. Remember in order to make a physical change in your swing you must move
the club in a different way than prior to your lesson. Please remember, when working on changes in your golf
swing you must stay committed to that change until you see a consistently different ball flight; otherwise you
have not made a permanent change. The player must stay focused on these things when diagnosing his practice
swings and ball flights, face of the club, swing circle or plane and speed of the club head should always be
concentrated on. All players should be working with a swing coach on getting their clubs in the correct
position, if you don’t know what to work on during you practice sessions then it is defiantly time for a lesson
with your pro.
Practice the Correct Way
by Steve Soule, PGA
Everyday I see the golf masses making their way to the practice center here at Black Gold Golf Club, many of
these patrons start with the best of intensions. They will warm up correctly even stretching and turning their
bodies prior to hitting any shots; next they will swing the club and loosen up their arms and shoulders. After
warming up properly the golfer will immediately start to base his or her successes on the flight of the golf
ball, not on weather the club was swung correctly around the golf ball. Remember: doing the same thing over and
over again, and then expecting a different result is the first step to full blown insanity. This is the reason
most golfers never improve!!!! You must make a physical change in the way the club moves around your body and
the ball. When taking a lesson, work on a specific physical change (one at a time) until you master that new
position or change what you are trying to accomplish. Please try to make at least 5 rehearsal swings
implementing the new position of the club, then hit a ball and see if you have accomplished the changes.
Remember – Don’t be attached to the outcome of every ball flight!!
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