Draw By Numbers

What is a draw?

A draw in simple golfing terms for a right handed golfer is a golf ball that starts to the right and curves back to the left towards the target. Of course with lefties it is the opposite where the ball starts to the left and curves back to the right towards the target.

A common misconception in golf is that you impart side spin on a ball, where as in fact the ball never spins sideways it is just spinning on a tilted axis (SPIN AXIS). If you visualize the earth is spinning (as it does) and then you tilted it to the left that would be a drawn shot, the spin hasn't changed its just the axis of the ball has now tilted to the left.

For a draw in Trackman terms we would like to see a spin axis in the minus degrees (ie -8) conversely a spin axis with a positive number (ie +8) would be a shot fading off to the right.

Many people often ask "well whats the difference between a draw and a hook"? This can be a bit of a grey area and open to different interpretation. For me I usually gauge this on the control I have over the shot and also the start line and amount of curve. So I would consider a draw when I start the ball slightly right and draw it back towards the fairway or flag. When the ball starts left, straight or right and then curves left of target, mainly too far left then I would place it into the area of a hook. There are many categories of shots blanketed under a hook but I wont go into those at the moment.

How do I hit a Draw?

Hitting a draw is fairly simple once you know the process. For this example I will be using a Right handed golfer. 

The old way of hitting a draw was aim right and roll the hands through the shot like a tennis player would. This can work but is a massively inconsistent way to do so as well as bringing in many other problems.

Through Trackman radar we now know that if we have a FACE ANGLE open to the TARGET LINE and then a CLUB PATH moving further right of that face angle in a ratio of 2-1. for example if my target line is 0 degrees a CLUB FACE of 2 degrees and PATH OF 4 degrees would be and ideal drawn shot. This would also give the parameter of FACE TO PATH -2 degrees thus giving us that negative SPIN AXIS which would give that right to left curve (DRAW).

This ratio can work in any number pairing and doesn't have to be exact for a decent drawn shot. Examples would be FACE 3 DEGREES - CLUB PATH 6 DEGREES ( I will post example Images on my Facebook and Instagram pages: Samuel Phillips Golf Academy)

So how do we get these face and path numbers? 

There are a few ways to get these ideal numbers for a draw but the simplest way is to aim right in your setup (RH golfer) with heels, hips and shoulders right. You can also move your ball position back slightly to help your path move from IN to OUT. Then we want the club face setup open to the target and then swinging the CLUB PATH further right to impart a negative SPIN AXIS on the ball and thus causing the draw.

With proper rotation in your swing you wont require any hand/arm manipulation to get the ball to curve. It is also a much more consistent way to do it by only having to focus on the club path one you have your setup correct.

There are a few other aspects that can affect how well you can do these swing movements such as shaft lean and shaft plane. These are things you would need someone like myself or your PGA coach to help you with.

Goodluck.

DEFINITIONS: Trackman: A radar ball, club, flight data tracking device. Spin Axis: The positive or negative tilted axis of the ball whilst spinning. Club Path: The path the club head is moving on at impact. Target line: your target, ie: middle of fairway or the flag etc. Club face: The face or area the ball strikes on the club head.

For Images check out my Facebook & Instagram pages: Samuel Phillips Golf Academy

One Ball to Rule Them All

So I thought id throw my hat in the ring and give my opinion on the equipment debate, especially talk of limiting the ball in golf.

Dustin Johnson hits a drive at the Sentry Tournaments of Champions 400+ and taps in for eagle and the first thing people start ranting about is "the ball goes too long" "we've got to limit equipment".

Now who are the people who are calling for these limits? Mostly former great players & usually people who don't hit a long ball. 

One main thing I always bring up to people who want equipment dialed back is "can you hit it 400yards" No? now why is that? Anyone and I mean anyone who thinks that players hit it longer now due to equipment are only starring at the surface. Lets dig a little deeper!

Technology is definitely better and so it should be, name any item in the general world that hasn't improved over the centuries and name a good reason why anything shouldn't?

Drivers are better, Shafts are better and the ball is better, so why doesn't every club member or social golfer hit it 400 yards? Hmmmm lets see, one of the big factors that people tend to disregard is how good coaching and training is these days. You've got Trackman, Boditrak, 3D analysis, greater knowledge of the body, ground force pressures, injury prevention, and don't get me started on the training players do now.

Tiger started a revolution of players turning to the gym for that extra advantage. There isn't many top players on tour now who don't do some sort of training to build strength, power, stability and mobility which all equal the ability to deliver maximum power to the golf ball.

Lets play devils advocate for a minute here, lets limit the ball and equipment and players hit it the same distance as your average club golfer. What do we market to the public? What to the golf companies market their products too? Come watch the best in the world who you can out-drive. Watch DJ hit a 4 iron into a par 4?

Its very easy to go well lets just limit pro events and the rest can stay normal. Ask your golfing mates and club golfers if their happy to lose 30 yards distance from now on, I can guarantee the list of complaints will be very high and very long. So why would we do it to the Pro's?

I often here the comparison to baseball where they tried the aluminum bats and players seemed to smash it out of the park, so they quickly reverted back to wood. Now I''m no super baseball fan but if I went to the game I want to see some home runs. Show me highlights of ground hits and I'm changing channels.

Technology is inevitable but its only as good as the players who use it. I hit a decent ball, a 300 yard drive isn't behind me but do i hit it 400+ consistently hell no! Why is that because I don't have the technique & physical assets to do so no matter how good my gear is and I have a shaft that maximizes me to a tee so i have no excuses.

I find it ironic that most players who don't like that players hit it so far and sometimes dominate a course when the conditions are favorable aren't using wooden clubs and an old balata ball? why not? Because its harder to hit and wont go as far!

Times change, things aren't comparable to past because people change, coaching changes, knowledge gets better, people get stronger, so the ball goes further. If we didn't look to advance anything we'd still be in the cave trying to make fire.

My opinion is fairly clear and I'm not saying my thoughts are right or wrong purely just my thoughts but to those who are avid on saying technology has come to far I say...

Hand in your Smartphone, hand in your flat screen TV, drop your cars to the wreckers and grab yourself a horse an cart and enjoy the old days. Technology has helped us evolve in so many ways, I don't watch F1 racing to see how slow they go, I don't watch the 100m sprint to see them go 11 seconds and I'm definitely not going back to a 51cm box TV haha.

Golf equipment must evolve, for the industry to survive and people to watch and money to come in. Golf is business like all sports are at the elite level, changing things back to the past isn't going to bring in money, sponsors or new fans.

Ill leave you with this old adage, equipment is only as good as the person using it if you cant hit it 400+ yards I'm sorry but the top guys are just better than you! 

Building blocks to shooting lower scores

"I'm practicing everyday, I hit it well on the range but I still don't shoot lower scores"

How often do you here a playing partner or a mate talk about how great his ball striking is but walks In the clubhouse furious that he doesn't beat his handicap? Or that person you see hit a beautiful ball & they have less confidence that a neglected animal?

Most golfers have never actually learnt or even thought of learning how to shoot lower scores and maximise their potential on the course.

Its no accident that top tour players shoot low scores week in week out and I know most of you are sitting their thinking "well if I could play fulltime and practice all day id be good too" where the fact is the higher you work your way up the world rankings the less time you have.

The bigger you are the more tournaments you travel too, then you have media commitments, physio, training, rest, car transfers, pro- am's, sponsors commitments, dinner events and the list goes on. After all these things you pretty wrecked and don't want to spend 6 hours hitting balls on the range.

So how do these guys & Gals do it? Well majority all know how to practice properly and build confidence in their game that can be transferred straight to the golf course. Now before I go any further as with pretty much everything in golf there are no "absolutes" this is based on my own accounts of playing tournament golf, research into the mindset of athletes as well as speaking to & observing what top players do.

Most casual observers would look at tour players on TV and think shit they make it look easy, but id say nearly every golfer out there is unhappy with certain swing traits or parts of their game and are working tirelessly to fix it. Golf isn't about bringing your perfect game to the course every time, its about shooting the lowest score with what ever swing or ball striking you have on that day. Trust me the amount of times I've teed it up during a tournament and spent the first 6 holes searching for that perfect flight or feel as the bogeys tick over, only once not caring about these things would I start to play well.

Don't get me wrong if your a keen golfer, professional or not, part of golfs addiction is working at your game chasing that unachievable perfection that we actually may have already reached at some point but could never have the outside looking in point of view to even know.

I digress, so how do we play the best we can every time we hit the course?

Well it starts with taking a reverse approach to building confidence.

Start at the green and work your way back to the Tee..

Guide to building confidence on the course & playing your best: Practice Routine

Step 1: Practice holing putts from 10ft and in.

Step 2: Practice your lag putting aiming to 2 putts every time

Step 3: Practice chipping from good and bad lies with the intention of holing it and at worst getting it inside 5ft.

Step 4: Practice your bunker shots aiming to get inside 10ft or closer

Step 5:  Practice your wedges and pitch shots at numerous distances and different flights aiming to get as close as possible

Step 6: Practice your mid iron shots

Step 7: Practice your long irons

Step 8: Practice you recovery shots, from trees, bad lies, heavy rough, low & high flights

Step 9: Practice tee shots, different flights and clubs

Now you may look at this and think "Yeah I get it you have to practice everything big whoop that's nothing new" 

But lets break down a hole scenario and ill show you how this builds confidence in your game.

If you are confident in holing putts from inside 10ft this feeds into confidence in chipping as you know you don't have to hit it close and if you can chip & play bunkers shots without pressure of "I've got to hit it to a foot every time" approach, you will actually hit better chips without tension. Then if you're chipping and pitching with confidence then you aren't worried about hitting greens so you can play much more freely and aggressively with your irons, then if your confident with your recovery shots then you aren't putting pressure on your drives and tee shots because you know your brilliant at recovery - pitching- chipping- putting... is the picture emerging now?

Think of the amount of times Tiger in his prime recovered from the jungle and Phil Mickleson has basically made his career of being confident in shooting a good score no matter where the ball goes.

So Adjust your practice strategies, start at the hole and work your way backwards and build confidence in your game no matter how well you hit the ball. You will find the more you are confident in all aspects of your game then you will actually hit better shots anyway.

Remember its not how good you are on your good day but how good your are on your bad day.