Getting Ready to Play Golf After A Winter To Remember! Spring Golf Is Almost Here!!

We've had a rough winter all over the USA (even here in Florida).  Spring is just around the corner for all of us.  We all can't wait!!!  We're going to be heading out to the practice range first, I hope.  Be sure to stretch first before taking a full swing.  Your tempo and sequence of motions through the golf swing has an effect on the golf ball's flight.  Here's a good way to slowly get your movement's in the right sequences which will help you quickly hit the ball consistently and eventually farther. 

There is not anyone that doesn’t want to hit the ball longer and straighter.  How can we achieve that?  Releasing the club at impact weakly is a common fault among players- you lose distance and typically you would slice the ball from a weak release.  The sequence of movements start with initiating your downswing with weight shift to your forward foot  then your forward hip rotating toward the target will give you two results – increased club head speed (distance) and keeping the club on swing plane ( direction).  

 

A drill you can use to increase your weigh shift and hip rotation is standing sideways to a target and throwing (if you are right handed) a ball underhanded to the left toward the target across your body. 

 

This should feel like you are skipping a stone in the water.  Start your weight shift to the forward foot first then follow with forward hip rotating; your arms and club will follow as you release the ball through to the target.  You will see increased speed and improved direction of your ball throw.  You want to keep your posture in a golf set up throughout this motion. 

This drill gives you the feeling of the release sequence of movements – your weigh shifting to the forward foot followed by the forward hip clearing or turning out of the way to make room for the ball and club to swing through.   Try it – the modern swing is designed to use your legs and abs for more distance.  You’ll soon see yourself hitting the ball farther and with more accuracy like the Dustin Johnson’s or Brittany Lincicome’s on both the PGA and LPGA tour’s! 

For more information, please take a look at www.maryhafemangolf.com.  We're here to help you if you are a new player - enjoy learning how to play golf or an experienced player - how to reach your goals for this golfing season.  Golf is a lifetime game - have fun learning, playing with family and friends.  It's the journey that is fun and worth it!  Play Golf!

It's been my goal to share the entire game of golf with people who are interested in having fun, learning and playing their best on the course.  I've had so much fun teaching and coaching the game through a student specific learning enviornment.  I was in Phoenix last week for our annual Proponent's Group summit -which is a group of top 300 teachers.  This year's focus of the summit was on what the golf industry is now calling "coaching the game".  

I wondered what is the difference between "teaching the game" and "coaching the game"?  I had my thoughts but I wanted to understand - because I believe that golf is a fun game that is very individual.  It's a game or activity that is lifetime so your game grows with you.  Your swing is just a part of the game - there is so much more to learn such as "how to play" -"how to score on the course"
  
As a former LPGA Tour Player, I know the 4 steps to building your skills to play great golf.  They take time and commitment along with working with the teacher/coach.  Stick with the same method and coach!  

1.  Understanding your swing (cause and effect)
2.  You must practice it with supervised coaching 
3.  Transfer your training to the course -  bridge the gap from the range to the course
4. Apply your new skill while playing on the course keeping score - learning new conditions such as uneven ground conditions - playing in competition.  You will build trust and confidence.  

It's interesting that I had a wonderful golf teacher that taught me all about perfecting my swing and getting great ball contact.  But it was up to me how to transfer that skill to the course.  I did not have any help figuring it out except to watch other players who were better than I was and learn from them.  I was fortunate to figure it all out.  I wish I had that coach that could have prepared me.  

That's why I coach and teach you every aspect of the game and go on the course with you.  

My advice to you -  to learn the game of golf - Find a coach that will develop your golf skills and help you to transfer them to the course.  They will teach you how to play the game and not just swing the club.  

That's the difference from a teacher to a coach - You'll see results, enjoy the game and have so much fun!  I guarantee it!  

Course Management

When we speak of course management we mean: What club will I use? How far can I hit the ball?

Most people think about the physical side of hitting the ball but I feel like course management is more about applying your physical skills to problem solving situations that occur with each shot you encounter on the golf course.

A part of mental / psychological strength for golf is learning and developing course management skills. They are separate from the emotions and personality traits – ones emotions definitely play a part in course management.

Examples: perception, judgment, shot selection, special knowledge (weather conditions, course set up, rules, equipment), planning, club selection, preparation and pacing.

To improve your course management skills, I believe that you must create your own personal routine that you stick with throughout your game. Here's an example of my plan on how to score:

Rules of How to Score

1. Always have a procedure to a specific target.

2. Play each shot to the best of your ability at that moment.

3. When the shot does not work out for you, accept it, forgive yourself and forget, move on to play the next shot to the best of your ability at that moment.

4. Continue this procedure until all 18 holes are played.

5. Post your score.

6. After the round, praise your best efforts, then analyze your physical and mental mistakes, correct them in your mind, and the round is finished.

7. Compare yourself to no one else – only the golfer you know you can be realistically.

8. Repeat the procedure and post a new score, letting yourself learn, develop and get closer to meeting your goals and maximizing your potential ability.

9. Have fun always! It's a game that is ever changing like you!

10. If you like, contact me for instruction in Palm Coast or Jacksonville, Florida:

Mary Hafeman, PGA & LPGA Professional
2011 Northern Chapter, PGA North Florida Section Teacher of the
Year
Golf for Women's Top 50 Teacher
www.maryhafemangolf.com

How Do You Practice Golf?

It’s great to take lessons from a qualified instructor but you need to learn how to maximize that time you spend learning from that instructor. Here are a few thoughts for you to keep in mind:

1. Review the correct fundamentals at each lesson, as a former LPGA Tour player, I found this to be a consistent procedure among tour players. Since practice will form “good” and “bad” habits, establish a routine check, which includes: proper grip, stance, club head alignment, posture and alignment. Each swing should be an awareness of rhythm, timing and balance - the key factors in developing and maintaining a pattern or “groove”.

2. Select one or two areas of the swing that should be improved and concentrate on these. Remind yourself of what your instructor has helped you with in previous lessons. Keep a diary of previous lessons to refer to.

3. Plan each shot. Have a definite purpose in mind. Remember, the number of times you attain your mental goal is more important than the number of balls you hit. “Quality is more important than Quantity”.

4. Strive for consistency and accuracy. Select a target within the range of your capabilities and attempt to increase the number of balls landing or stopping in those target areas.

5. Attempt to keep the length of your practice time and intervals between practice periods relatively constant. It is important to create a routine.

6. Evolve a balance between practice and play. Learn and develop skills from lessons and work on them on the practice range. Practice testing those skills on the golf course. You will see results quicker.

7. Practice all phases of the game, not just the “trouble shots” nor in contrast with only you “favorite” clubs or on skills that seem to bring quick reward.

8. Make practice fun and set achievable goals.

Good practice habits go along way developing your game and your confidence in playing well. Proper practice and playing well is fun – experience it!

If you want to learn more contact Mary Hafeman via email mhafe@aol.com or 904-233-0989. I teach golf in both Palm Coast and Jacksonville, Florida and can also be found at Mary Hafeman Golf Experience online.

Alignment: A Key to Success

One of the key pre swing fundamentals is alignment. Preparing your body for a swing includes aiming and getting your body parallel left of your intended target line. I see a common fault of an outside-in swing path with an open club face which causes a big slice from many of my new players.

As we investigate the cause of the problem, I usually see the student setting up to the ball with their feet aiming well off to the right of the target. Their shoulders might be parallel to the target line or left. They pull across the ball causing a swing path, which is commonly called “over the top” or swinging from the right to the left (outside-in). If their club face is open, this swing path and face angle causes a large left to right slice. If their clubface is square, this swing path and face angle causes a big pull dead left.

There are two completely different ball flights but similar swing paths. Usually the student thinks they are doing two completely different swings! In actuality the students are swinging the club on the same path but at impact the club face angles are completely opposite. This problem can be solved by improving their alignment in the set up position by getting square to your target line and changing their
swing path.

1. First set up to the ball and place a club on the ground which is parallel to the target line in your practice time. Be sure to set up with your feet, hips and shoulders parallel to the club on the target line. By placing a club on the ground gives you a very good visual to make sure you are in the right position.

2. Feel as though you are swinging the club out to the right of the target line. Use your right hand to push out to the right in a drill! This will help you establish an inside out swing path. With a square club face you will be seeing the ball flight start slightly to the right with the ball moving slightly to the left and straight down toward your target.

3. You will feel like you are swinging out instead of feeling like you are pulling the ball down the line.

Remember, on the range place a club pointed at a target while you warm up and practice. Square your body, feet, hips, shoulders to that target line. Feel as though you are swinging to the right of the target. You will improve your alignment, swing path, ball flight; hit much more solid shots which give you the opportunity to lower your scores.

Controlling Distance for the Chip and Pitch

Distance control on short shots is largely controlled by the club head speed, which in turn is influenced mostly by the length of the backswing. The longer the backswing the more the potential for greater club head speed and more distance. Vary the backswing length to see the difference it makes in the distance the ball travels. Strive for a consistent, accelerating but smooth pace. 

A good routine to use to build solid results for your game is as follows:

Survey - check the lie, the terrain, the conditions·

Visualize - see the shot and the result

Rehearse - make practice swings or rehearse mentally, or do both, until the correct feel is established·

Execute - produce the swing, that was rehearsed

Evaluate - if the shot was good, put it in your memory bank, if bad, and make correct practice swings.

See you on the golf course! For more information visit my website www.maryhafemangolf.com

Fairway Bunker Shots Technique

I always find the most challenging bunker shot to hit is the fairway bunker shot. The objective is to hit the ball a greater distance than a green side bunker. A fundamental difference between the two shots is that with a greenside bunker, you try to hit the sand first where in a fairway bunker you want to contact the ball first.

Be sure to select a club that has enough loft to clear the lip of the fairway bunker. Course architects design some of the fairway bunkers with a high lip, which inhibits the player to hit the ball high enough to carry the necessary distance. If you have had the experience of a “fairway pot bunker” you know what I am talking about. Remember you need to get out of the bunker first before you think about the distance needed. I’ll list below some of the adjustments you need to make to produce a successful fairway bunker shot.

1. Most importantly check the lie of the ball first. A good lie that is sitting “up” allows for a normal swing with few adjustments. A medium lie allows for more of a descending blow and a poor lie which is sitting “down” requires a player to just pitch out into the fairway.

2. Set your feet in the bunker while addressing the ball. You have an opportunity to notice how deep the sand is as you set your feet, you also need your feet set for a good base to ensure a consistent swing.

3. Choke or grip down on the club about the same distance as you have dug your feet into the sand.

4. Position the ball in the middle of your stance.

5. I move my hands a head of the ball slightly as you cannot ground the club in a hazard with out a penalty stroke.

6. Target hitting the ball just above the sand on a good lie. If you have a poor lie take a more lofted club and hit a traditional green side bunker shot back out to the fairway.

7. Look not at a spot behind the ball like a green side bunker but rather on the front side of the ball or just slightly ahead of the ball to help assure you hit the ball first and not the sand. It will feel like you “picked the ball” out of the sand.

Fairway bunker shots, although tricky, become easier with confidence and practice. Remember to look at your lie in the bunker and how deep the bunker face is before you select your club. Getting out of the bunker should be your first thought and if you can get the correct distance you are way ahead of the ball game.

If you would like to learn more about how to play better golf, contact Mary Hafeman PGA & LPGA Professional at www.maryhafemangolf.com or purchase a gift certificate for a lesson package. You will enjoy your experience as you learn and improve - I guarantee it!

Lower Your Score: Learn to Chip

Almost every club can be used for chipping, but most chipping is done with your 7, 8, 9 or pitching wedges. A chip shot is usually a low trajectory shot that allows the ball to roll towards the hole. When chipping you are trying to hit the ball either on the green or close to the green, depending on how much roll you need to get the ball to the hole. Keep your feet close together, your weight favoring your left foot for right hand golfers, use very little body motion, and stand slightly open with your feet. Let your arms and hands do the work, feel like you are swinging the club with little or no wrist break. Take the club back low and parallel to the intended line of flight of the ball. Using a short back swing, contact the ball by hitting slightly down and through the ball. The follow through should be short also but slightly longer than the backswing.

Take the time to get out to the course a little earlier before your tee time in order to practice these most important shots. If you want to lower your score, learn to be a great chipper and you’ll soon see your scores drop and your confidence rise.

Sign up for one of our various clinics or instructional programs from Mary Hafeman Golf Experience - we will teach you how to chip and when to use this shot to your advantage. It will be a very worthwhile experience for you.

If you want to learn more contact me via email mhafe@aol.com or 904-233-0989.

Tip for Club Fitting

Our job as golf professionals is teaching a player to play to the best of their ability. How much does proper equipment affect that result? Do clubs make a difference? Can a golfer improve their ball striking by changing manufacturers or model types? Does a certain ball work better for each player? The answer is to all of these questions is undoubtedly YES!

Equipment ALONE can not make a strong player it is important that fitting of equipment is made to the specific player. We believe it is important that your teacher or coach should teach you about the effect of equipment on your performance. Today, there is additional information available on the equipment company’s website that details the benefits of each club model. You can, and should, read and compare! We would encourage you to try out equipment through demo days or demo clubs from golf shops on the course.

Find out if your instructor is signed up for the PGA Trade-In Network site. PGA Trade-In is a program that identifies the value of your used clubs so that they can be traded in and the credit applied to your new set of clubs. All trade-in values are based on sales of golf clubs on EBay. This is a great way to sell your old clubs quickly and get credit for a new set of clubs at a fair price!

Correctly fit equipment does help you enjoy the game and will improve your ball sticking. Check with us at Mary Hafeman Golf Experience - we want to help you find the clubs that work for you. We guarantee our service to improve your golf game. Contact us today and get your game where it was meant to be.

Drills – Why are they so important?

What do drills really do for your game? Instructors work with the students to identify areas which need improvement. The instructors will provide you with drills or exercises which will help you with your specific situation. Here’s why I believe drills are so critical to use correctly in your practice time.

When drills are correctly incorporated into your practice sessions, drills executed properly can greatly speed up your improvement, because they can help you use your time productively and efficiently without supervision.

What do drills do for you?

1. Drills are used to develop motion in which the arms swing feely without tension.
2. Drills create the ability to build pace (speed) and direct that motion within the swing.
3. Drills develop proper body action in relation to the arm swing (timing).
4. Drills create the maximum amount of motion for the greatest clubhead speed while maintaining the relationship of arm, body motion and balance.

DRILLS DEVELOP THE STRENGTH TO BETTER EXECUTE THE GAME!

The purpose of drills if four-fold:

• To break down bad habits as quickly as possible.
• To identify the correct pattern of movement in the swing.
• To build correct movement and help you become familiar with the feeling.
• To maintain good habits once you have formed them and keep your muscles in tone.

Ask your instructor for a drill to help you improve your game faster. Drills are fun and specific. They give you direction on what to work on, constant feedback and a feeling of accomplishment when you see results on what you are working on! Now that is what we are all looking for in our game – positive results.

Would you like personal golf instruction in Jacksonville or Palm Coast, Florida from Mary Hafeman (PGA & LPGA)? Contact Mary Hafeman Golf Experience today.

Maximizing the Use of a Hybrid Club

Hybrids are a very popular club today, everyone has one - but what hybrid club do you have? Let me help you identify your hybrid club and explain the correct set up to maximize the effective use of the hybrid which ultimately will lead to a lower score for you!

Hybrids have become a “must have” club in your bag. They are incredibly useful and versatile club. You can chip with a hybrid, hit long low shots or carry shots, and hybrids are a great replacement of your traditional longer irons.

However, there are a few different looking hybrids. You can identify your hybrid if it is a wood hybrid or an iron hybrid by looking at the design of the hybrid. If the hybrid shape looks more of a wood shape (a wood has a more rounded profile), then the hybrid is a wood which is more set up for a sweeping wood swing, playing the ball off the inside of your forward foot. If the face looks like an iron then it is designed to be hit like an iron shot, hitting down on the ball. The majority of hybrids you find on the marketplace are designed more like an iron than wood.

I like to set up my iron hybrids similar to my long irons. Place the ball just slightly forward of where you played a three or four iron in your stance. A hybrid 3 is about an inch longer than the traditional 3 iron so you need to position the hybrid 3 just forward of its lowest swing arc – helping you hit down and through the ball. In addition, you will be standing slightly farther away from the ball because of the hybrid’s extra length. Check your hybrid 3 against your traditional 3 iron for the exact adjustment.

Hybrids hit correctly will give you additional benefits and versatility. My suggestion is to try out on the range and course several brands of hybrid that look and feel good to you. Knowing what to look for and how to correctly hit them will be very beneficial to you and your game. If you want to learn more and understand how to get the most out of your hybrids and game, contact Mary Hafeman Golf Experience for more information. We guarantee you’ll be happy with your results.

Tip #2 for Bunker Shots

How do I control my distance when I am in a bunker?

There are five ways to control distance in a bunker shot. Frequently a player will use a combination of two or more of what I have listed below to play a specialty shot from difficult sand positions.

1. Angle of approach - Use a steep angle for a short distance; use a shallow angle for longer distances. What I have described is how the club head descends onto the ball. The more outside the swing path is the steeper the angle and the shorter the ball will fly.

2. Club face blade position - Add loft by opening or laying back the face of the club on shorter distances, or reduce loft by closing or hooding the clubface for longer distances.

3. Back swing length and pace - A long back swing has potential for creating more power than a short back swing will and it will generally hit the ball farther. The pace, however, also affects that result. A player can use a long back swing and slow pace or a short back swing and faster pace and either swing could hit the ball farther. Pace and length of back swing must be blended.

4. Amount of sand - Shorter shots result from taking more sand by hitting farther behind the ball. Longer shots result by taking less sand. Keep in mind that taking less sand will make the ball go farther but it also puts more spin on the ball and will make the ball stop quicker.

5. Length of follow through — A short follow through is generally the result of reduced speed at impact. A long follow through usually means there is more speed and greater distance. Keep the back swing about the same as the follow through.

I’ve listed out the basic ways to control distance in your sand game; however, there are a variety of bunker shot styles out there that you could emulate, which produce effective results. Each one of you is an individual with a variety of skill and strength levels. You’ve got to make your way to a sand bunker and experiment with a technique that works for you.

Visualize yourself using the basic procedure and the motion and you will see that carryover to your sand shots. Gary Player says, “If I am one of the greats, it’s for one simple reason; no bunker shot has ever scared me and no one ever will. Approach every bunker shot with the feeling you are going to hole it.” I agree with Gary Player and when I walk into a bunker I see it, feel it, and hit it and move on to the next shot. You too can be a great bunker player; just believe it.

If you want to learn more contact me via email mhafe@aol.com or 904-233-0989.

Tip #1 for Bunker Shots

I know all of you have been in a bunker and wondered now what do I do? “How do I get out of those bunkers?” Probably the hardest thing to overcome is one’s fear of bunker shots.

Fear is the great inhibitor; it causes tightness, uncertainty and loss of confidence. The way to erase the fear of a bunker shot is to understand the principles behind executing the shot and practice until you have enough confidence in a method that you know will get the ball out.

Visualizing a successful result is one of the first steps in playing the shot. Fear of making a mistake produces muscular tension and the tension causes the muscles to tighten up which inhibits your swing and reduces your chances of making a positive shot. Thinking negatively and seeing a poor mental picture destroys ones ability to make a good swing out of a bunker. You must stay loose and relaxed, that comes only when you know you can successfully execute the shot.

Here is a basic technique for a greenside bunker with the ball setting up.

1. Establish a firm footing that will support the swing without slipping.

2. Take an open stance to restrict your back swing length and to steepen your swing.

3. Open the clubface to match the address position (your feet are set open).

4. Start with your weight favoring your left side at address.

5. Swing the club like a full cut pitch shot matching the length of your back swing and the follow through to the force needed for that shot.

6. Strike the sand slightly behind the ball (at times it could be 2 inches behind)

7. Hold the clubface open through the shot. Do not let the clubface close until after impact if at all.

8. Continue to accelerate through the ball to the natural finish. Your weight should be on your left foot as in other golf shots.

Practice your bunker shots whenever you can. You will see better results which will help you build your confidence that you can do it. Then when you see your ball in the bunker and someone says to you “Wow now what do you do in that bunker?” You smile wide and say “It's no problem, I love the bunker shots”.

If you want to learn more contact me via email mhafe@aol.com or 904-233-0989.

Make the Most of Your Golf Lesson

It’s great to take lessons from a qualified instructor but you need to learn how to maximize that time you spend with your instructor. Here are a few thoughts for you!

1. Review the correct fundamentals at each lesson, as a former LPGA Tour player, I found this to be a consistent procedure among tour players. Since practice will form “good” and “bad” habits, establish a routine check, which includes; proper grip, stance, club head alignment, posture and alignment Each swing should be an awareness of rhythm, timing and balance, the key factors in developing and maintaining a pattern or “groove”.

2. Select one or two areas of the swing that should be improved and concentrate on these. Remind yourself of what your instructor has helped you with in previous lessons. Keep a diary of previous lessons to refer to.

3. Plan each shot. Have a definite purpose in mind. Remember, the number of times you attain your mental goal is more important than the number of balls you hit. “Quality is more important than Quantity”.

4. Strive for consistency and accuracy. Select a target within the range of your capabilities and attempt to increase the number of balls landing or stopping in those target areas.

5. Attempt to keep the length of your practice time and intervals between practice periods relatively constant. It is important to create a routine.

6. Evolve a balance between practice and play. Learn and develop skills from lessons and work on them on the practice range. Practice testing those skills on the golf course. You will see results quicker.

7. Practice all phases of the game, not just the “trouble shots” nor in contrast with only you “favorite” clubs or on skills that seem to bring quick reward.

8. Make practice fun and set achievable goals.

Good practice habits go along way developing your game and your confidence in playing well. Proper practice and playing well is fun – experience it!


If you want to learn more contact me via email mhafe@aol.com or 904-233-0989.