Flash Light-Plane Drill Tip

Today you hear a common swing phrase, “Swing on Plane”, or simply swing your club on a circle that is tilted over your body back and through.  Teachers are doing their best to teach players to swing on plane but sometimes with little success.  Teachers have phrases like “swing on plane”, “ set wrists early” ,“point your shaft  at the ball line”, “ back of hand is parallel to swing plane”,” swing on the circle around your body”, all great phrases but  sometimes it’s difficult for the player to understand.  There is a great drill that you can do at home that will help you develop the proper swing plane. In the comfort of your home, for a few minutes a day, this drill will help you hit straighter and longer golf shots with consistency.

It’s called the “FLASH LIGHT DRILL”. For thirty years I have used this drill to help my players establish a great awareness of the correct swing plane and the correct positions of the club during different stages of the golf swing. The drill can be a very effective way to improve your ball striking ability.  Supplies needed are two flashlights and masking tape.  Tape the bottom of the flashlights together and make sure they are straight.  Find an area in your home, hall way or garage that has a straight line, for example; lines on tile or even a straight wall.  Set up like you’re going to hit a golf ball.  Now turn both flashlights on and hold them like your holding a golf club.  One beam will point at the ball (bottom flashlight) and the other flashlight beam (top flash light) will point at your belly.  The purpose of this drill is to swing the flashlights at varying speeds around your body so that the light beams point at the ball line or target line during the entire golf swing.  The target line is an imaginary line from the target through the ball and back behind the ball as well.

Now, as you swing the flashlights back, the beam that started by pointing at the ball (bottom flashlight) will continue to move down the target line behind the ball.  As your arms begin to get close to shoulder height, your wrists begin to naturally set, and the bending of the right arm, the flashlight that was pointing at your belly (top flashlight) will then begin to point down the ball line behind the ball.  Once your shoulders have fully rotated and flashlights are parallel to the ground, initiate the downswing by shifting to your front leg/foot and keep the flashlight beam working down the target line behind the ball.  Just before your hands reach your legs, begin to release or rotate the flashlights. As your hands pass your legs, the other beam (bottom flashlight) will begin to point down the target line towards the target.  As your body rotates through the hitting area and it begins to face the target, the other beam (top flashlight) will them point down the target line to complete the entire golf swing.

For a few minutes a day, this simple but effective Flashlight Drill will give you a keen sense of proper swing plane. Also it will help you consistently hit long, solid and straight shots.  Good luck and enjoy your journey.

Golf Tip Written by:  John Nelson, South Florida PGA Class A Hall of Famer and Director of Instruction at the Country Club of Coral Springs.  Web page: ccofcs.com  Email: jnelson@ccofcs.com  Phone: 954-752-4500 X204 or Cell 954-675-8826

Visualize Your Putts Before You Make Your Stroke

Yes, the best in the world say “I see the putt before I stroke it”. This is a common practice for golf professionals at all levels, but all players can benefit from a drill that can enhance your visualization skills before you putt. This pre-shot exercise will give you confidence and make more putts, thus shooting lower scores and ultimately having more fun playing the game.

Drill:  You can do this drill on the practice putting green. Find a hole, read the putt and take an assorted amount of golf balls and line them up according to the break of the putt.  See picture…..Use at least one ball for each foot, example 10 golf balls for 10 foot putt and make sure to put a few balls in the cup so that you can see a golf ball in the hole.   Now take your putting stance over the first ball and follow each ball individually until you see the ball in the hole.  Then with your eyes, reverse the eye exercise and follow from the ball in the hole back to the first ball.  If you do this a few times, you will begin to see the line of the putt. This is the telestrator effect -the ability to see or crate the line of the intended putt. Then remove the balls and putt one ball from the same spot, and see if you can visualize that same putt. You will actually see in your mind the line of the intended putt.  It’s a wow experience for players who have never experienced this feeling.  This drill will develop and enhance your ability to read and visualize the line of your putts.

Remember, visualization is recreating an experience that you can recall and then visualize the outcome of what may happen. Before you putt, the clearer the picture, the more positive you are of your read, the better chances of you making a lot of putts.

John Nelson is a South Florida PGA Hall of Fame Class A Teaching Professional and Director of Instruction at the Golf Academy located at The Country Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl - www.ccofcs.com. Contact John at 954-752-4500 x 204, or email: jnelson@ccofcs.com.

Ten Pointers for Consistent Putting

Golf Tip
John Nelson-Director of Instruction, Country Club of Coral Springs

• Have a positive frame of mind:  Say to yourself, “I am a great putter,” I can make this putt.”  Bad thoughts lead to bad putts.  Be positive!


• Before your round spend ample time on the practice green and get adjusted to your speed:  Good putters take the time to warm up and judge the speed of the greens. The speed is a critical factor for consistent putting.  You need to adjust the pace of your stroke to the speed of the greens.


• Preshot routine is a must-D S D: Distance, speed and direction must be calculated before every putt, and in that order.


• Putts inside five feet-the line is supreme: Most putts inside five feet are highly unlikely to break more than a few inches, therefore be a little firmer and never give the hole away when aligning your putt.


• Putts outside twenty feet-let the ball fall into the hole:  Statistics show that only 25% of putts outside twenty feet go into the hole.  It is more important to two-putt from these distances than to three-putt. If a long putt goes in, it is a bonus.


• Be relaxed and let the arms hang freely under the shoulders:  A relaxed and tension-free set up will allow you to make a smooth stroke.  A tight and quick stroke deals a deathblow to good putting.


• When putting with a pendulum motion, use your hands, arms and shoulders:  Move your hands, arms, and shoulders in a smooth, even-pace, one-piece motion throughout the stroke.


• Keep the body still: the body needs to stay still during the stroke, especially on short putts.  You can use a little leg motion of putts longer than sixty feet.  Practice not watching the ball fall into the hole.  Instead, listen for the sound of the ball dropping into the hole.


• Once you’re over the putt, just react and trust your stroke:  Putt naturally, not mechanically.  When you are over the putt, try to shut down your mind and let your natural instincts take over.


• Half of your practice time should be dedicated to putting:  Putting represents more than half the game, so spend fifty percent of your practice time working on improving it.

Golf tip written by John Nelson, Director of Instruction, Golf Academy at the Country Club of Coral Springs. 

For more information,call 954-752-4500 ext. 204, cell number 954-675-8826, or email at jnelson@ccofcs.com. Visit us Online at www.ccofcs.com/golf-academy.htm.

When its Breezy - Swing Easy

Golf Tip
John Nelson-Director of Instruction, Country Club of Coral Springs

Its perfect weather in South Florida now, but the winds have a tendency to blow pretty strong during the winter months, so I like to remind all that when “it’s breezy, swing easy”.  Yes, the better your tempo and slower you swing, the better the ball flies through the wind.  Reason, less spin on the ball produces a straighter and bore-through type ball flight. 

Or, use the knock down shot that is very effective in windy conditions. How to hit a knock down shot;

• Tempo of your swing should be slow and smooth.  Too many players think they must hit the ball hard into the wind…..not true
• Select the proper club, based on the wind conditions.  You need to get and idea how hard the wind is blowing.  A general rule of thumb is for every 10mph wind use one extra club.
• Position the ball in the middle of the stance, choke down slightly and use a smooth three-quarter swing with a good shoulder rotation on the back swing.
• At the completion of the balanced swing, the hands should finish on a flatter plane and just below your shoulders.  This finish forces your follow-through to be low, your arms will have good extension thus creating a low boring ball flight that effective in windy conditions.

If you take time to practice this important shot, your game will improve when conditions are windy.  Remember, when “ it’s breezy swing easy”.

Golf tip written by John Nelson, Director of Instruction, Golf Academy at the Country Club of Coral Springs. 

For more information,call 954-752-4500 ext. 204, cell number 954-675-8826, or email at jnelson@ccofcs.com. Visit us Online at www.ccofcs.com/golf-academy.htm.