Golfers Wisdom

Paul Runyan Golf Lesson: The Greenside Chip Trick

2008-06-14T12:11:00.001-07:00

Old time golf champion Paul Runyan, a well known 2-time PGA Championship winner (1934 and 1938) was well-known for his short game expertise. And despite being one of the shortest hitters of his day, Paul won at least 50 times on the PGA Tour.

Every now again Mr. Runyan would be kind enough to give short game lessons and various golf tips to PGA professional players that would be passed on to their students. One such tip, or best described as a “specialty shot”, is referred to as “The Runyan”. This is not an official term for this particular golf lesson but it's best to give credit where credit is due.

The Best Scenario For The Runyan Shot

There will invariably be times when you find your golf ball extremely close to the hole, just off the green. The last thing you want to do is putt the ball through a long section of grainy grass fringe. Doing so can invite disaster because of the unpredictable direction that the ball could venture into. The wiry grass can slow down your shot and knock the ball off line.

Another option is to chip the ball through the long grass. However, this can be a daunting task because the club may be knocked off-balance if the grass grabs at it during the swing. When this happens, the face of the club may turn when you try to swing through. Also, the ball may travel too far past the hole if it is located very close to your swing area.

The Runyan Shot

These tough situations can be conquered through practice and confidence with specific short game techniques. This would be the perfect time to utilize Paul Runyan's specialty shot. Here is how you do it:

1. Get into your putting stance and keep your front foot slightly open a bit.
2. Make sure you are standing close to your target line.
3. Now hold the club in a vertical position, as you would a putter. The 7-iron is my personal choice here and works well. The club should be standing up on its toe, with the heel off of the ground.
4. Your grip should be the same as you would grip a putter.
5. Now you want to de-loft the club by positioning the ball in the center of your stance.
6. Swing the club straight back and then through, just like a pendulum, the same as when you are putting. Keep the clubhead low to the ground and try using as much of the shoulders and arms as possible.

The Result

When you hit the ball, contact is made with the toe of the club. The toe causes the swing to slightly deaden the hit. Due to a small amount of loft, the ball will ride the face of the club ever so slightly. This causes some overspin and helps the ball roll forward.

The ball should hop right out of the grass but remain low, as a standard chip shot would. Then it will roll softly towards the hole. Your goal is to have the ball roll for at least 75% to 80% of the shot. The Runyan shot causes the ball to ride up the clubface, spin, and hit the green.

How To Keep Your Head Down & Eyes On The Ball

2008-06-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

You never know what's going to happen each time you step foot on the golf course. Personally speaking, it is this “unknown” aspect of golf that makes the game the most exciting sport to play. I try to hit a full round at my local course at least three times per week and every game I play is an entirely new experience altogether.

Because of the hundreds of unexpected shots that golf brings you, it is imperative that practice time is taken advantage of. Regular practice is the only way that you can experience some of the irregular situations your golf ball may get into. And speaking of practice, the best advice that I can give is to start utilizing unconventional approaches to your golf game.

What Does Unconventional Practice Mean?

Far too many new players to the game of golf spend the majority of their time hitting long distance shots at the golf range, with a small percentage attacking their basic short game shots. Either way, neither one of these approaches practiced 100% of the time will present you with the opportunity to make those strange and undesirable shots that a real golf game will inevitably give you.

Free Golf Lesson: Look Away

To give you a perfect example of an unconventional practice shot, here is a lesson that can help you keep your head down and eyes on the ball when initiating your swing when your ball is in a troubled spot.

Step 1: First take your stance to the right side of the ball if you are left handed, and to the left side of the ball if you are a righty. Now face away from the target. Not looking directly at the target may seem awkward at first, but go with it, relax, and loosen up your body.

Step 2: Now hold the club (whichever you like) with it extended downwards from your most dominant hand. The blade should be pointing towards the ground, directly at your feet.

Step 3: Next, place the blade of your club behind the golf ball and turn your head slightly back in order to properly aim your shot.

Step 4: Pull the club upwards while extending it forward. Then swing the club down and along your target line as best possible. Follow through as far as you possible can.

Step 5: Resist the urge to turn around to see the end result. Simply concentrate on following through and getting the ball back in to play towards the green.

Golf Confidence Tip: Golf Is A Journey, Not A Destination

2008-06-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

What would you say is the most important aspect of not only becoming a better golf player, but also experiencing complete fulfillment and enjoyment from the game? What aspect of this sport is the key ingredient to having the most fun and precision?

Some people say that patience is the answer. Others point out that practice and repetition is the key to success in golf. Some players even consider that having the right golf clubs is the magic potion to enjoying a better game of golf.

Great Answers, But...

I would have to agree that all of the above opinions are great and definitely have their place. But the most important aspect of golf that will help you become a skilled golfer, while at the same time having as much fun as possible is: Confidence.

Having confidence in yourself is of utmost importance in golf, and practically everywhere else in life as well. How you feel about yourself as a person will carry over into the quality of your game and the enjoyment you seek, or lack thereof. I have seen dozens of golfers increase their overall score and personal happiness with the slightest awareness and increase in their personal attitude and how they valued themselves.

Moving On To Performance

Increased confidence for the golf game does not stop at your individual self. The next type of confidence would be considered performance-oriented. Let's be honest here, you can love yourself until the cows come home and still be insecure about your swing on the course.

If you have very little confidence in your ability to play the game then you will not perform well, plain and simple. And if you do not perform well then, you guessed it, you will leave the course feeling frustrated and angry.

How To Build All Around True Confidence

Your confidence levels can be adjusted and worked on step-by-step. With larger personal issues and how you feel about yourself as a person, improvement can take as little as a week or as long as a lifetime.

Low self-esteem levels can be many layers deep and uncovering them far outweighs the scope of this article. However, in terms of performance confidence on the golf course, there are definitely some universal steps which all of us can benefit from.

The most important element to understand, and get through your head, is that golf does not define your life. This sport develops over time. If you decide that you will only be happy when you become "better" at playing golf, then this happiness will elude you. You will end up chasing it for years.

True joy when playing golf comes by having fun and accepting the fact that golf is a lifelong journey, never a destination. Let me repeat that: Golf is a lifelong journey, never a destination. Write it down, live it, and watch your personal happiness increase along with your golf game.

End Your Putting Yips

2008-05-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

End Your Putting Yips By Controlling Your Eyes

Looking up or peeking to see if the ball goes into the hole is a sure way to miss a putt. Resist the temptation to watch the ball. Keep your head still over the ball and stare down at the empty spot the ball he used to occupy long before you hit the putt.

Listen to hear if the putt falls. You may also catch yourself, one afflicted with the yips, watching your putterhead go back away from the ball and come back through contact. Don't allow your eyes to follow the putterhead during the stroke. To help focus on the ball, pick a small, noticeable mark on the ball to look at. Keep your eyes fixed on the brand name, printed logo, a simple dimple, or an identification mark throughout your stroke.

Maybe the best way to steady your eyes and to play in the subconscious is to stand over the putt, put your putterhead on the ball, stare at a spot on the ball, and then stand perfectly still for five seconds. During these five seconds of still and calm, let the gaze of your eyes go out of focus. Your eyes still focus on the spot of the ball you were staring at, but everything else becomes fuzzy and soft. Go ahead and stroke the putt with your eyes and mind this blurry, meditative state. You may be surprised by the results!

The Perfect Grip

2008-05-07T02:03:00.000-07:00

The Perfect Grip

For all you beginner golfers out there, you may not be putting as much time and energy into your grip as you should be.

Most new golfers are more concerned about swinging the club and hitting the ball. However, as you get more familiar with the game, you'll realize that how you hold the club has a lot to do with how you swing and the quality of impact you make with the ball.

Individualizing Your Grip

Many top golf players have a unique grip, one that they personally came up, and is different than the stand grips used by other golfers. You can certainly develop your own unique grip as you progress through the game.

The perfect grip allows you to have complete control of the club and provides a feeling of connection between your hands and all the way down to the clubhead.

In a perfect grip, your arms and the club become a single entity that connects to the shaft. The grip should not be too tight or it will create tension in your arms and hands, which then impairs the fluidity and flexibility of your swing.

Choosing the right Golf Club

2008-05-07T02:01:00.000-07:00

Golf Clubs For Beginners – Choosing With Club To Use

As you progress each shot down the fairway, the distance between your ball and the flagstick becomes shorter and shorter. This means that your goal is to hit the ball as far as possible from the tee shot. Then on all subsequent shots you will need to adjust your swing for accuracy and precision, not distance.

This requires that you utilize different clubs for different shots. The club faces are made from either metal or wood. Different materials on a golf club will have different effects on how far the ball will travel, and how high it will go.

Choosing An Iron or Wood

Generally speaking, the higher the number on the club, such as a 9-iron for example, the higher the ball will go into the air, but with much less distance than a lower-numbered club, such as a 3-iron.

If you are new to golf and are a little confused about these numbers and what clubs to use, don't worry, in time you will have a specific feel for each and every one of your 14 clubs when playing on the golf course.

The Flop shot

2008-05-07T02:00:00.002-07:00

Flop Shot – How To Practice The Flop Shot

Anytime you need to pop the ball into the air, but only habit travel a short distance with very little roll after it lands, the flop shot is your best option. Setting up the flop shot is simple:

1. Grab yourself a high lofted club. My personal favorite is the 60° wedge.

2. Stance yourself with a basic pitch stance. Move your target line slightly to the left. For right-handed players, you can add more loft to the clubface and open up the face angle. To create even more loft, lay the face of the club open at address.

3. Just like every golf shot you make, your lead hand should be doing its job at all times. Therefore, make sure that your hands are slightly ahead of the ball through the impact in order to maintain an open clubface when it swings down the target line

4. Finally, swing the club very steeply and outside of your target line. Practice this drill over and over until the flop shot becomes your best friend.

Bunker Shot

2008-05-07T02:00:00.001-07:00

Bunker Shot – Changing Your Ball Position Can Be An Effective Bunker Strategy

More advanced golf players have the advantage of doing some creative things with the position of the ball when setting up for a bunker shot.

For the rest of us, it's best to stick with the basics and play the ball in the middle of the stance, until the shot can be mastered. Once you can step foot into a bunker with 100% confidence that you can make the ball onto the green, you are then ready for more advanced techniques.

Although you may not be ready for such advanced bunker shots, you may be faced with unplanned circumstances. Some bunker shots may not allow you to take an even stance with the ball positioned in the middle, like the following two scenarios:

Downhill Bunker Shots: If you are facing a downhill bunker shot, you must move the ball slightly behind center within your stance to be sure that the ball flies up. The reason is because gravity will naturally pull it down.

Uphill Bunker Shots: When dealing with an uphill bunker shot, move the ball slightly forward of the center to ensure that you splash the sand in the front of the ball.

Beginner Golf Tips

2008-05-07T01:55:00.000-07:00

Beginner Golf Tips – What To Expect As A New Golfer

If you have always wanted to start playing golf and experience the passion that sweeps thousands of men and women on the golf course every day, there is nothing stopping you from giving the game a chance and finding just how rewarding golf can be.

The attraction to golf appeals differently to each person, but we all enjoy the challenges, the unpredictability of the game, golf's long-standing traditions, and learning the power of focus and concentration.

Additionally, you can expect the following:

1. Although golf can be a difficult game to play for the beginner golfer, you are only competing against yourself. You'll learn in time how to use your mind and body to control all of the possible outcomes that your shot could make.

The fun starts when you are simply trying to make contact with the ball and as you get more experience, learning to steer the shot in a specific direction becomes even more rewarding.

2. Golf takes patience and unlike other sports, you need to give yourself plenty of time and to learn how to play well. That is what is so wonderful about this game, you can focus at your own pace until you are ready to advance.