1st Tee Talk
Golf lessons through the shut down
We will be operating all one-on-one golf lessons on the range or even better, on the course, throughout the shut down. This is until further notice. Group classes will not be continuing in any form.
The PGA team will wear latex gloves and reduce all physical contact with any Member wishing to take lessons. We are disinfecting everything as you would expect but it seems the great outdoors will be the best spot if you are fit and healthy. If you would prefer to meet your PGA pro outside on the range, we are very happy to do that.
Also, we are keeping scorecards by the entrance to the Sports Shop to help Members who wish to stay outside rather than walking to the till. I recommend raking bunkers with your glove hand and not to tend the flag as we would do normally.
Chicken wings and red wine
I thought that headline might grab your attention. Below right is the mighty James Braid playing Walton Heath showing a rather ungainly hack out of the rough. His left elbow is very high and heavily bent owing to his club getting stuck in the heavy bush covering his ball. This is a very common error in club golfers, even with no rough. Next to him is Tiger in the same stage of the swing, as Braid would have been in without the bracken and heather to negotiate.
Below is Club Member Ian Hay in the two stages of chicken wing reduction.
In the left hand picture, Ian has his left arm very bent – the dreaded chicken wing – because on this shot, his body was delayed during the swing, therefore he got ‘stuck’ and his arms flailed away from his body, which made for a fast looking, but not well timed swing. Hello slice. In the right hand picture, we see that when we worked on Ian turning his body a little earlier in the swing, his elbows became more connected to the body and his arms fully extended.
A very professional arm and body synchronisation and we can see how his right foot is now much more up onto his toes, meaning his body is further into the follow through. Ian is a local solicitor who played the following day in a solicitors golf society and sent me a lovely message ‘thanks for the lesson yesterday Richard, I cannot recall having hit the ball so consistently before’, accompanied by a picture of his bottle of red wine for winning! Ian managed to process the sale of my flat in 13 days and I remind him that speed like that
isn’t always welcome in his golf swing; swing better, not faster.
What does this mean to you?
As a PGA coach, I have never had so much access to the great players via their own social media or photos from events. Using this resource is a fantastic way for me to improve what you do. If the best in the world move their body a certain way, then we should all follow suit as best we can. Not easy, but any marginal improvement in how you move will be instantly measurable in one of three ways:
- Ball flight improvement.
- Trackman data.
- Enjoyment. We all know when we are swinging well and enjoying the game more.
It really is not complicated, disruptive or difficult if we work together on fundamentals and build a better swing together. That is how I coach. Book in to get better: richard.harrison@roehamptonclub.co.uk or call the Sports Shop – 020 8876 3858.
In the Sports Shop – All tennis and golf clothing from Friday 20th March is now 33% off!