The post A clever way to learn about your swing without a launch monitor appeared first on Golf.

The post A clever way to learn about your swing without a launch monitor appeared first on Golf.

With winter weather and col temperatures greeting much of the country, the golf offseason is officially here. And while that may not be welcome news to most, it does represent an opportunity for improvement.

If you’re smart about the way you practice, you can come out of the winter a much better golfer. No, you likely won’t be able to practice these skills outside on the course, but you can revamp your game practicing inside.

Using a launch monitor and simulator will give you lots of feedback on your swing and give you an idea of what to work on. But even without the benefit of technology, you can learn a lot about your club path and strike pattern just by looking at the tee marks on your clubs. GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood explains more in the video below.

Learn about your swing looking at tee marks

After using your driver (or other woods) for a while, you’ll start to notice some marks on the face and sole from where the tee is contacting the club. But before you wash off those marks, take note of the patterns you see.

“You can learn a lot about the path of your golf club from the tee marks underneath it,” Yarwood says.

In the video above, Yarwood notes that the tee marks on his driver are cutting across from the top left to the bottom right of the sole. From this pattern, he can immediately tell that his club path is working from inside to out through the impact zone. If his swing path were outside to in, those marks would be moving in the opposite direction, from upper right to lower left of the sole.

You can also see where on the face you’re hitting the ball by looking at these tee marks. If the tee marks are mostly around the center of the face, you’re doing something right. However, if these marks are scattered around the face, you’ll want to work on improving the quality of the strike.

“[The tee marks] tell the tale,” Yarwood says.

For those without access to a launch monitor, this is a clever way to learn about your swing — and understand what needs to improve.

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The post A clever trick to determine which way your putts break appeared first on Golf.

The post A clever trick to determine which way your putts break appeared first on Golf.

Becoming a great putter requires you to master two crucial skills. One is, of course, the putting stroke itself. The other is reading the green.

Without the proper read, you’ll never make many putts. You could have a stroke as smooth as Ben Crenshaw, but if you aren’t reading the correct break, you have little chance of sinking anything.

Everyone has their own method for reading greens. Some people rely on their eyes while others use their feet. Some people read putts only from behind the ball, while others stalk all the way around the hole. There’s no one right method — all that matters is that you find one that works for you.

That said, there are certain tricks you can employ to incorporate into your own routine. Check out one below from GOLF Top 100 Teacher Andrew Rice.

A trick for easy green reading

One of the most important things to keep in mind when reading greens is which way the grain is growing. Simply put, this is the direction the individual blades of grass are pointing when they lay down. Bermuda greens are well-known for having grainy surfaces, but just about every grass type is affected by grain.

When you’re reading putts, it’s important you note which way the grain is growing. There are certain tricks you can use to determine this (which we’ve covered before), and Rice has another one you can add to the list.

“Grain grows downhill,” Rice says. “Bermuda grass, bent grass, it all has grain and it all grows in a certain direction. Grain grows downhill.”

You can often determine the direction of the grain based on how the grass looks. Grain growing away from you will be shiny while grain growing toward you will be darker.

“When you step onto a putting green I want you to start looking for color,” Rice says. “The color is going to indicate the direction of the incline.”

Once you start noticing different colors for upslopes and downslopes, it will become much easier for you to read greens. Take note of the color in different parts of the green next time you step on the putting surface. If you do, you’ll likely find yourself holing many more putts.

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The post Learn how to chip from different grass types by doing this appeared first on Golf.

The post Learn how to chip from different grass types by doing this appeared first on Golf.

Chipping off of different types of grasses can be a tricky proposition. When you’re used to hitting off one type of turf, switching things up can be a challenge.

For example, up in the northeast, rough around the greens is typically thick and lush. It requires an open face and aggressive swings to get the ball to pop out and onto the green. If you’re playing on Texas, though, the rough is non-existent. Instead, you’re hitting off of tight and grainy Bermuda lies that need a totally different technique.

If you want your game to travel well, it’s imperative you learn how to adjust your technique depending on the conditions. This isn’t always easy, but in order to become a truly elite player, it’s absolutely necessary.

Adjust your chipping technique based on the grass

Drew Stoltz might be one half of the popular podcast Subpar, but he’s also one heck of a mid-amateur golfer. Despite juggling the responsibilities of a budding media career, he’s been a finalist in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball twice in recent years.

Part of the secret to his success is being prepared for any scenario a new course might present. For example, at the Bridges Cup, the lies around the greens were much different than those he sees at his home club in Arizona. But before the competition, he made sure to familiarize himself with the new grass type.

“[The long grass] is the kind of place I want to spend my time,” Stoltz said. “After I hit a handful of these shots, I’ll start to feel how the grass affects the shot. Does it come out dead? Does it come out hot? High, low, those sort of things. These are the areas that I spend my time and I try to develop a feel so that by the time the tournament starts, I’m ready to go.”

It’s obviously important to tune up on the shots you are familiar with during practice rounds, but in order to not be caught off guard during competition, you’ve got to maximize your preparation.

If you’re headed to play a round at a new course, make sure you take some time before the round to get a feel for how the unfamiliar grass plays around the greens. That prep time could be the difference between a personal best and just another forgettable round.

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The post How to use the ground to create power, explained in 60 seconds appeared first on Golf.

The post How to use the ground to create power, explained in 60 seconds appeared first on Golf.

Hitting the ball hard (and far) requires you to have a fast swing speed. The faster you swing, the farther the ball goes. Simple.

Generating a faster swing speed is contingent on several factors, but one of them is the speed you rotate your body. Typically, if you rotate your body faster, you will have more power.

However, when trying to rotate your body faster, you shouldn’t just be focusing on your core. Instead, you need to use the interaction between your feet and the ground to generate speed.

How to use your feet for power

Teachers often talk about how golfers with lots of power “use the ground” to generate swing speed. But what exactly does this mean? It all comes back to Newton’s third law.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

This principle is on full display when golfers use the ground to generate power. When pushing into the ground with their feet, the ground pushes back with an equal force.

“By pulling our trail foot back and pushing our lead foot forward, that creates rotation,” says GOLF Top 100 Teacher Mark Blackburn. “The best players are pulling very hard back with their trail foot and pushing forward with their lead foot.”

This phenomenon in the golf swing is often referred to as “ground reaction forces” and is a driver of power for just about every bomber in the world.

This technique is not always easy to pull off for recreational players, but if you want to up your swing speed, it’s an absolute must. If you can master these ground reaction forces, though, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it becomes to generate swing speed.

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The post Increase your attack angle to hit longer drives. Here’s how appeared first on Golf.

The post Increase your attack angle to hit longer drives. Here’s how appeared first on Golf.

Getting longer off the tee is a goal of just about every golfer, but at the recreational ranks, few know how to go about the pursuit effectively. Exercise and speed training are great places to start, but there is a way to hit the ball longer without increasing your speed, and it all starts with changing how you swing.

With the proper technique, you can add yards off the tee quite easily. The trick is nailing down that technique and applying it to your own game.

You’ve probably heard the term “tee it high and let it fly.” Unlike most cliches, though, this one is quite practical as well. Hitting the ball longer can easily be accomplished simply by teeing it high and increasing your attack angle.

In the video below, GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood demonstrates a great drill for teaching you how to properly hit up on the ball. If you can implement it into your own swing, you’ll see distance gains in no time.

How to increase your attack angle

Increasing your angle of attack with a driver can be difficult for lots of amateur golfers. Hitting irons and wedges require a negative angle of attack, while the driver requires the opposite. This change in technique between clubs can make achieving the right angle of attack difficult for some to master.

If you’re struggling to hit up on the ball, give the drill above a try. Start by putting your lead hand in your pocket and then gripping the club with your trail hand. Swing back to the top and then to start the downswing bump your lead hip forward and drop your trail shoulder.

“Drop your head back and then throw the club,” Yarwood says. “The drive of the club exits higher, it freewheels more. Stay back and throw it and it’ll get the angle of attack up.”

Once you get the hang of this feeling, take your normal address and try to get the same feeling during the swing. When you do it correctly, you’ll get a positive angle of attack and produce much longer drives.

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The post Fix your aim and alignment with this common household item appeared first on Golf.

The post Fix your aim and alignment with this common household item appeared first on Golf.

Getting into good practice habits is crucial if you are serious about lowering your handicap. Getting reps in is always good, but you need to be efficient in your practice to get the most out of it.

One of the best ways to achieve efficient practice is by using training aids. No matter what issue you’re trying to correct, there’s sure to be a product out there that can help you.

Don’t think that means you need to spend hundreds of dollars to fix your swing, though. In fact, some of the best training aids are extremely cheap — and some can be made out of common household goods.

Use a string as a training aid

If you’ve got a piece of string laying around — congrats! You’ve got yourself a pretty useful training aid. It might sound odd, but if you know how to use it, a few feet of string can be used for all sorts of things.

“It’s huge for me,” says elite mid-amateur Jonathan Bale. “It’s my feet alignment, it’s the clubface, it’s distance from the ball. Just something so simple like that helps me a lot.”

During every practice session, Bale lays a piece of string on the ground pointing at his target line. Not only does it make sure his aim is correct, but he can also make sure his clubface is square before every swing.

“I’ve always had a problem keeping the face square,” Bale says. “So for this, obviously [the string] is perpendicular to the clubface and I can see that my clubface is square from there.”

Unlike an alignment rod, the string can be quite close to your clubhead as you make swings. In fact, you can even put a ball right on top of it and hit shots without affecting your clubhead as it comes through the ball.

If you’re someone who struggles with aim and alignment, look around the house for a piece of string. It might just be the secret to curing your woes.

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The post These 3 launch monitor numbers can improve your swing appeared first on Golf.

The post These 3 launch monitor numbers can improve your swing appeared first on Golf.

One of the most useful pieces of technology in golf is the launch monitor. It can give you instant data on your swing while you practice, and makes diagnosing swing flaws much easier than just searching in the dirt.

Go to any practice facility at a pro event and you’ll see just about every golfer practicing with a launch monitor by their side. The tech has become so omnipresent in the upper echelon of the game that it’s odd when you encounter a pro not relying on one during their practice sessions.

If you’ve ever used a launch monitor, you’ve likely experienced a bit of information overload. After every shot, the machine spits out dozens of numbers that correlate with various motions in your swing. If you don’t know what to look for — or how to interpret the data — it can be difficult to decipher.

Fortunately, once you know what to look for, these numbers start to make a ton of sense — and knowing how to manipulate them makes swing changes much easier. Check out the video below for a quick tutorial from GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood on the simplest way to use a launch monitor.

The simple way to use a launch monitor

Launch monitors can give you dozens of insightful numbers on your swing, but when you’re just starting out using one, it’s wise to start out small. When Yarwood teaches his students who are just beginning to use a launch monitor, he advises focusing on three key numbers.

Club path

The first key number to focus on is the club path. This number tells us the direction your club is moving as you come through impact and also how far off-line it is.

A perfectly square swing will have a club path reading of 0, but anything within a couple degrees on either side is in good shape. For swings that are more in-to-out (for right-handers), the number will be positive, while out-to-in swings with be negative.

Keep an eye on the club path number to get a sense for which direction your club is moving through the impact zone. Once you get a sense for what your typical range is, you can try making swing changes and see how it manipulates your club-path numbers.

Face angle

Another key number is the face angle, which tells us the angle of you clubface at impact. If your clubface is closed (as a right-hander), this number will be negative, while if it is open, it will be positive.

The face angle is important because it tells us how the clubface looks at impact. This, in conjunction with the club path, will determine the shape of the shot.

Attack angle

The final key number that Yarwood suggests keeping an eye on is attack angle. This tells us how steep or shallow the clubhead is working as you make contact with the ball.

An attack angle that is down will be negative, while an attack angle that is up will be positive. For shots with irons and wedges, you’ll want to hit more down on the ball, while with a driver you’ll want to hit up on it.

If you’re just starting out using a launch monitor, keep these three numbers in mind. Make different swings and see how the changes affect the numbers. As you get more comfortable with understanding the numbers, you can continue using the launch monitor and focusing on other data points to understand your swing even better.

If you want to get a launch monitor of your own, check out some of our favorite options below.

FlightScope Mevo+ Launch Monitor

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FullSwing KIT Launch Monitor

$4999

The Full Swing KIT Launch Monitor is engineered with the most advanced radar technology and a high-resolution camera to give you 16 points of data and video to see your swing in perfect clarity. Tested & trusted by Tiger Woods, made for everyone. Machine-learning enhanced Radar paired with powerful dedicated processors for Radar and media give you the cleanest and most accurate data in the industry. A customizable heads-up OLED display engineered to show you exactly what you want to see what happens every swing or use the free included app to see your data & video across your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and even hear your selected data through your bluetooth headphones. Using the included durable case, bring it to the course and set up in under a minute. Its battery life of up to 5 hours will help you get the most out of your swing whether on the range or with a net at home in your backyard, garage or basement.   Items Included: FS Kit Launch Monitor Charging Block USB-C Charging Cable Protective Travel Case Tracking: Patented, 24GHz Dual-Mode, ML Enhanced Radar Display: 5.3” Ultra-bright, Full HD (1920×1080) OLED with 16.7 million colors Camera: Full HD 1080p, 60 fps Processor: Dual-core A9 Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth® 5.0 BR/EDR/LE Battery: Built-in Lithium-ion 8000mAh; Approximately 5 hours of use (depending on conditions) Carry Case: Light-weight, water and impact resistant Charging Port: USB-C Charger: 45W USB-C; 110-240v, 50-60Hz Charging Cable: USB-C, 3’ (1m) Unit Dimensions: 10.23” H x 6.57” W x 2.32” D (3.74” with support leg extended); (260mm x 167mm x 59mm (95mm)) Unit Weight: 4.0 lbs (1.8 Kg) Case Dimensions: 13” L x 8.11” W x 3.86” H (330mm x 206mm x 98mm) Unit, Case, Charger Weight: 5.7 lbs (2.6 Kg) Package Dimensions: 16.5” L x 10.75” W x 4.8” H (419 mm x 273mm x 122mm) Package Weight: 8.4 lbs (3.8 Kg) Return Eligibility If you are not satisfied with your Full Swing device within the first fourteen (14) days from the date of delivery, the Full Swing device may be returned for a full refund or replacement device. For users with a perpetual license for E6 Connect software used in conjunction with a Full Swing, if you are not satisfied with the E6 Connect software within the first fourteen (14) days from the date of activation of the perpetual license, the license may be returned for a full refund. This paragraph applies to users with a perpetual license only; all other subscription forms will not be eligible for refund. Your Full Swing device can no longer be returned after 14 days from the date of delivery. All returns involving devices originally received outside of the U.S. shall be arranged through your local sales channel. Returning Your Device To initiate a return of your device, you must contact Sales Support at The Net Return by telephone at +1 (973) 636 -7354 or email at sales@TheNetReturn.com. The Sales Support team will provide you with a prepaid, shipping label and Return Material Authorization (RMA) number to send the device to The Net Return. Returns without a RMA number will not be accepted by The Net Return. The unit shall be returned with all accessories, including AC adapter and cables with travel case, and in the manufacturer’s original box. Return Processing Upon receipt of a returned device, the unit shall be inspected by The Net Return. If such inspection reveals that any of the warranty exclusions provided hereinafter apply, the warranty shall be voided and a repair fee assessed. For purchases made through Affirm, separate terms and conditions instituted by Affirm will apply; payment options through Affirm can be accessed at https://www.affirm.com/lenders. iPhone® (10 and higher), running iOS 14 and higher iPad® (7th generation and higher), running iOS 14 and higher iPad® Air (3rd generation and higher), running iOS 14 and higher iPad® Pro (all models), running iOS 14 and higher Apple Watch® 3 or higher, running watchOS 7 or higher Apple AirPods® or most any Bluetooth® headphones

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Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor (MLM)

$299.99

Game and industry changing Mobile Launch Monitor The only device to pair iOS camera with radar processing for precise measurement Immediate swing replay with shot trace technology 10 metrics – 4 measured iOS compatible only. iPhone or iPad required Indoors and Outdoors Use Includes 7-day Premium Membership Trial

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The post An easy feel to improve sequencing and boost your power appeared first on Golf.

The post An easy feel to improve sequencing and boost your power appeared first on Golf.

The golf swing consists of a series of movements that, if done correctly, can send the ball soaring. The hard part is getting all of these movements to work in cohort.

That’s where proper sequencing comes in. Without proper sequencing, the strongest person in the world will never even get the ball off the tee. Conversely, if you can sequence everything properly, generating tons of power can look like a breeze.

Sequencing rarely comes naturally, though. Even the most naturally gifted players in the game’s history have had to work at it to get it right. And even once they mastered it, they still had to work diligently to keep it at an elite level.

Sequencing might not feel natural at first, but once you start to instill the feel, it becomes easier and easier. In the video below, GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood explains an easy sequencing drill that you can practice just about anywhere.

Dynamic sequencing drill

When most recreational players start their downswing, they begin by quickly flipping open their hips. And while it might be true that you need to fire your hips during the swing, it’s not the first move you should feel after transition.

If you watch the best players in the world, you’ll notice that their first move during the downswing is a slight bump forward in their hips. This move, often referred to as “recentering,” is crucial for shallowing the shaft during the downswing.

Once you bump forward from the top, you can begin to rotate your hips through. As you approach impact, you can push up on your lead side, using the ground to generate power.

With Yarwood’s dynamic drill above, you can teach yourself to mimic all of these moves. And once they all get sequenced up, you’ll be hitting the ball better than ever.

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The post How far golfers *really* hit their drives, according to data appeared first on Golf.

The post How far golfers *really* hit their drives, according to data appeared first on Golf.

Driving distance is a hot topic in golf. Whether it’s discussing the impact distance has on the professional game or learning how amateurs can pack on more distance, hitting bombs off the tee is a constant talking point.

During the 2024 campaign, Cameron Champ was the longest hitter on the PGA Tour, averaging just over 323 yards per poke. Rory McIlroy lagged just behind at 320 yards while Kevin Dougherty, Ben An and Alejandro Tosti rounded out the top five. Tour average was 301 yards, marking the first time in history the average driving distance has cracked the 300-yard mark.

If you hope to make a living playing golf, you’re going to have to hit the ball a long ways. The bad news is that the average driving distance in the recreational game is nowhere close to that of those on the PGA Tour. So, how far do average golfers really hit the ball? Stat-tracking company Arccos recently released their Driver Distance Report and broke it all down.

How far do golfers hit their drives?

Arccos’ shot-tracking system has over a billion data points from golfers of all skill levels in the recreational game. This data is used to glean insights that help weekend warriors lower their scores, but it can also tell us a lot about the state of the game in general. Like, how far average golfers hit the ball.

In their recently released Driver Distance Report (which you can read here), Arccos reports that the average men’s golfer — across all handicaps — drove the ball 225 yards in 2023. For female golfers, the average was 178.1 yards.

That might seem a little shorter than you’d expect, but for the most part recreational golfers far overestimate their distance off the tee. In reality, their drives fly much shorter than they think.

Arccos also broke down the average driving distance data based on age and handicap. As you would expect, the younger golfers are and the lower their handicap, the further they tend to hit it.

For example, among golfers in their 20s with a scratch handicap or lower, average driving distance is 271 yards. But as age increases in that same age range, average driving distance decreases. In the scratch or better among golfers in their 40s, average driving distance drops to 259 yards.

You can check out a full breakdown of driving distance across age and handicap in the graphs below.

Men

Women

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Arccos Driver Tracker

$9.98

The Arccos Driver Performance Tracker is golf’s first driver-only performance tracker and the newest addition to the Arccos Golf platform. Allowing you to play and compete like never before, Arccos Driver automatically records every drive, capturing distance and location without any interruption to your game. With each drive automatically recorded, Arccos’ proprietary Tour Analytics Platform provides in-depth stats and analytics into your driving performance. With Arccos Driver, golfers can capture and share their best drives with friends and the Arccos Community while competing against playing partners and friends worldwide. Battle for position on the worldwide leaderboard while playing Crowns, the Arccos Platform’s driver-only virtual game. Arccos Driver works seamlessly. Simply attach the sensor to the grip end of your driving club and pair just once to your smartphone using the free Arccos Driver app. Then, play as you normally do and watch as Arccos Driver does all the work. No a

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The post How Rory McIlroy’s radical practice method can improve your ball striking appeared first on Golf.

The post How Rory McIlroy’s radical practice method can improve your ball striking appeared first on Golf.

Pros are meticulous in their practice routines. Go to any Tour event and you’ll see that there is no wasted rep when it comes to grooving the proper moves.

With so much technology available now (launch monitors, training aids, etc.) this has only enhanced the effectiveness of proper practice. When you can see data points for every shot, it takes the guesswork out of fixing the swing.

Sometimes, though, making swing changes requires radical means. Take Rory McIlroy’s recent practice methods, for example. At this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, he explained that in the weeks leading up to the tournament, he hadn’t seen his ballflight on the range or simulator.

“The only way I was going to make a change or at least move in the right direction with my swing was to lock myself in a studio and not see the ballflight for a bit and just focus entirely on the movement,” he said.

McIlroy’s method is not what you’d typically expect from a top-ranked player. With so much tech available, not having any sort of feedback during practice can seem unorthodox. However, when making a swing change, it can be incredibly useful.

How Rory’s method can help you

Anyone who’s made a swing change knows the process can be discouraging. When you first start, even finding the ball with the clubface can feel like a challenge. When you struggle at first, your brain will start to fall back on old habits in order to hit the ball.

If this sounds familiar, don’t worry — even the pros struggle with it.

“I’m terrible at if I’m trying to make a certain swing or a certain swing change, and I start to mis-strike it or not hit the shots that I want, I’ll just revert back to what I was doing because it’s comfortable,” McIlroy said. “When there’s sequences to the shots that you hit, you’re always going to revert back to what’s comfortable.”

That struggle is why McIlroy decided to practice for weeks without seeing where the ball was going. In order to block his brain from reverting to bad (but comfortable) habits, he eliminated any sort of feedback. Only after the new swing was fully ingrained — and the old habits completely eradicated — did he go out to the course and hit shots.

If you’re trying to make a swing change yourself, this method can be extremely beneficial. By eliminating all feedback and just focusing on the proper swing positions, your brain will have an easier time accepting the change. And by the time you get back out on the course hitting shots, the new feels should feel natural enough that you won’t fall back into bad habits.

The post How Rory McIlroy’s radical practice method can improve your ball striking appeared first on Golf.