Keep Putter Face Centered

Do not miss out on making putts because you did not pay attention to one of the most important and basic fundamentals in consistent putting - putter face alignment to ball. Watching, teaching and playing golf, I see many players not pay attention to the putter-face ball alignment. In order to be a great putter, you must make sure, at address, that the center of the putter face is placed and aligned in the center of the ball.


This part of your routines at address is so critical to have the opportunity to roll the ball when stroked. That's right - roll the ball, not hit the ball. Putting is the art to effectively stroke the ball, so that the ball will roll end over end and find the hole. Putting is not hitting the ball and watching it spin, hop or wobble aimlessly to miss the hole. 

The ball is stroked smoothly with the center of the putter face meeting the center of the ball squarely; the ball rolls on line, with an end over end roll, allowing one to make a lot of putts. Stroking the ball with correct impact position, with the center of the putter face to the center of the ball, will allow the ball to dive, find, and drop in the hole, whether the ball finds the edges or the center of the cup.

The next time before you putt, make sure to pay attention to one of the most important fundamentals in putting - putter face alignment to the ball, center putter face to center of ball. You will make a lot of putts and your scores will improve. As we all know, putting is half of the game, so take control of your putting and not just hope the ball will go in the hole; stroke the ball and roll it into the hole. 

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 County Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl. 954-752-4500 x 204, email: jnelson@ccofcs.com, Web page: www.ccofcs.com.

Down the Line - Find Swing Plane

Are you having trouble hitting the ball straight, not finding your swing plane, or just lost ball flight control? Try this drill called Down the Line, in which you focus on the immediate move on the downswing, making sure your lead arm runs parallel with the target line at the start of the downswing. 

In order to hit the ball straight, the path of the club must be moving down the target line toward the target. Second, the club face must be straight or square at impact. This drill focuses more on the path development on the downswing by making you aware of how your lead arm moves toward the ball. 

There are three above-the-body photos that show the positions of normal downswing motions. each one of these downswings will produce three different ball flights. The correct photo, which shows the left arm on the initial downswing running parallel to the target line, is the ideal way to start the downswing. The two pieces of boards on the ground indicate target line and address line. This initial move will be beneficial for you to incorporate into your downswing.

To practice this drill, visualize the target line. Once you start your initial downswing, make your lead arm run parallel to the target line. Use clubs on the ground or alignment sticks to help you see this move clearly when you practice the drill. Let's not forget - - this move is only one part of hitting the ball straight. The other part would be squaring up the club face at impact, so release the club at impact. 

You will be happy you tried this drill, especially if you can't find swing plane or ball flight control. Good luck, play well, and have fun. 

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 County Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl. 954-752-4500 x 204, email: jnelson@ccofcs.com, Web page: www.ccofcs.com.

The Ball Drill - Avoid Hooks and Slices

Are your legs and hips over-active? Are you hitting too many hooks or slices? If so, you could be using too much leg action and hip rotation. Use the ball drill that can slow down your over-active lower body and synchronize your arms with your body and legs.

To create a proper impact position, place a ball between your legs, as shown in the photo. Swing the club, and during the swing, keep the ball between your legs from start to finish. This will make the timing of your lower and upper body work closer together for better timing and solid shots. 

In the incorrect position shown in the photo, you see the legs outracing the upper body. This type of movement will result in hooks or slices. the next photo shows how, at impact, there should be space between the legs. This position allows the golfer to hit more solid and straighter shots. 

Practice this ball drill at home a few times a week; it will pay off in the long run.  

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 County Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl. 954-752-4500 x 204, email: jnelson@ccofcs.com, Web page: www.ccofcs.com.

Become the Doctor of Putting - Calculate First

Are you having trouble with distance putting? Learn to become the doctor of putting before you putt.

D.S.D. stands for distance, speed, and direction. Before you putt, you need to take the time to analyze the distance of your putt, whether it is three feet or 65 feet. Once you know your distance to the hole, take time to analyze the speed of your putt. Is the putt uphill or downhill? Is the green firm and fast, or soft and slow? Then, finally, determine the direction the ball will roll, once the ball is stroked with the putter. 

The order of D.S. D. is imperative to follow, because you first have to know how far you are from the hole. For example, if you know you are 30 feet from the hole, you will determine the length and pace of your stroke before you putt.

Before you determine the line of the putt, you must have a good understanding of the speed the ball will roll to the hole. Create some type of speed gauge from one to ten, with one representing slow and ten representing very fast. The rule of thumb is this: the slower the ball rolls, the more the putt will take the break, and the faster the ball rolls, the less the putt will break.

Before you play, determine the speed for the day and use your speed gauge to help you read putts. This will help you with the pace of your stroke. 

Once you know the distance and speed of your putt, you will determine the line of your putt. For example, you have a 30-foot (distance) putt on a green with a speed rating of eight, and a severe downhill left to right break (the line). Thus, you will pick the line of your putt to be several inches to the left of the hole and the ball will follow the slope of the green to the right as it approaches the hole.

This is how you find your line of the putt before you stroke the ball. Once you master this approach to putting, you will become the doctor. By following the doctor of putting method, D.S.D., you will be a very good distance putter. You may even believe that you are the best putter in the world. Good luck and enjoy the game. 

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 County Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl. 954-752-4500 x 204, email: jnelson@ccofcs.com, Web page: www.ccofcs.com.

Work the Ball - Have More Fun

Golf courses were designed for players to test their skills by using water, out of bounds, trees, fairway and green side bunkers, as well as rough and elevation. Besides enjoying the outdoors, fresh air and beautiful scenery, the golfer should be tested and rewarded, based on ball striking ability to maneuver the ball around the course, and enjoy hitting fun and rewarding golf shots.

In order to do this, a player needs to learn how to work the golf ball in different directions. Whether the shot needs to go  left-to-right, right-to-left, or straight, the player who has this ability will score better, win more bets with their buddies, and have a heck of a lot more fun. This is because the player who can work the ball will have the advantage. 

Let's explain a pure fundamental of golf ball flight, which is the path of the club and the club face at impact. The impact position will make the ball fly right, left, straight or curve in both directions. The sixteen inches of path and importance, this is eight inches in front of the ball and eight inches past the ball, will have the most direct influence on the flight of the ball. Two things occur at impact -- the position of the club face can be straight or square, open or closed, and the club path can be straight, inside/out or outside/in.

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 County Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl. 954-752-4500 x 204, email: jnelson@ccofcs.com, Web page: www.ccofcs.com.

Fairway Bunker Shot - Achieving Consistency

When you get in a fairway bunker, your number one priority is to advance the ball the appropriate yardage to the hotel. The phrase "thin to win" would be the proper mind-set to hit fairway bunker shots. It is better to hit the ball a little thin, or the top-middle of the ball with the club head, than to hit the sand before the ball. Also, it is important to make every effort to hit the ball cleanly from the bunker. 

There are fundamentals necessary to achieve consistency from the fairway bunkers. First, choke down on the grip two inches to insure that you have the club head higher off the sand. This type of grip will help you prevent taking too  much sand at impact. Also, when you choke down two inches, you will lose ten yards per inch in distance or a total of twenty yards. make sure you add two clubs for the twenty yards you lose when choking down the club. 

Second, take a wider stance at address to help stabilize your body when hitting from the sand. Your feet should be wider than your shoulders, with knees flexed and weight balanced. Secure your stance by wiggling your feet into the sand about a half inch below the surface. Remember, the rules prohibit you from building a stance in the bunker. Wiggling your feet into the sand is not considered to be building a stance. This wider, balance stance gives you good footing and stability in the bunker. 

Third, stay centered, with no swaying; wing more hands, arms and shoulders, with very limited leg action. your legs will support the bunker swing by providing a feeling of posts to wing within, so that you stay centered and balanced. If you move your legs and feet too much, you are more likely to hit behind the ball and catch sand before the ball, resulting in a poor bunker shot.

Finally, your goal is to advance the ball the appropriate yardage to the hole and swing within yourself. Do not try to swing hard and out of control. You need to maintain good balance with your swing. You will find these intimidating fairway bunker shots will no longer be so intimidating to you. They will become easy shots. When you look down the fairway and see fairway bunkers, you will think "no big deal." Just let it go. 

John Nelson is the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame Class A Teaching Professional who is the Director of Instruction at the Golf Academy located at the County Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl. 954-752-4500 x 204, email: jnelson@ccofcs.com, Web page: www.ccofcs.com.

Hip-To-Square - This Drill Will Help

Hip-to-square means the leading hip helps create a feeling of turning through the impact position on the downswing, so that the club face is square when the club makes contact with the ball. During my teaching and playing golf, I have seen golfers flipping their hands at impact to get the club face square. This is not a terrible move, but very inconsistent. 

It is important to have your lower body lead the downswing. This move will create a reduction of flipping of your hands, allowing you to compress the ball and hit straighter and consistent golf shots. 

I created a drill that you can do to help you feel the lower body lead the downswing. It feels like a small pitch shot. Turning your lead hip into the shot at impact will create a square club face with solid ball contact. 

Now, with your feet close together, the ball center of stance, and one hand, choke down to the bottom of the grip. Put your lead hand on the inside portion of your lead hip, swing the club to waist height with your back hand, and start the downswing by turning your lead hip first to the ball. 

Feel the clubface being squared at impact with your hip. Yes, your lead hip and club face should feel they are working together to hit the shot with a square club face. Leading with the lower body on the downswing will help make your weight go toward the target. The hands will lead the club face on a path from the inside of the ball, creating a square club face at impact.

Look at the drill photos to help understand the importance of this drill. Try it a few times and you will begin to feel a solid and compressed straight golf shot. Hip to be square can bring you great pleasure in your golf swing. 

John Nelson is the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame Class A Teaching Professional who is the Director of Instruction at the Golf Academy located at the County Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl. 954-752-4500 x 204, email: jnelson@ccofcs.com, Web page: www.ccofcs.com.

Be Consistent With Chipping - Shave Strokes Off Your Score

When your chipping begins to let you down, try toeing the club face down to the ground. Sometimes in our golfing experiences, we all have trouble with short chip shots around the greens.

A great tip to use when chipping from within ten yards off the green is to set up with the toe of the club face lower to the ground than the heel of the club. This position at address will allow you and the club to perform well when chipping to the pin. to be consistent with chipping, the club face must strike the ball squarely or slightly closed at impact.

To chip with the toe down, first, at address, with sixty percent of your weight on your front foot, slightly turn the toe of the club down and make sure the heel of the club is of the ground. Second, play the ball off the inside of your back foot with your hands a little upright and forward from the ball. You can use a putting grip, if you like, but it's not necessary to make this shot perform well. 

Finally, wing the club straight back and straight through, making sure your downswing has a slight descending action to the ball and your hands stay ahead of the club head at impact. You will be amazed at how simple and effective this toe down style chipping can help you get close to the hole and shave lots of strokes off your score. So, remember, when your chips are down, toe it down. 

John Nelson is the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame Class A Teaching Professional who is the Director of Instruction at the Golf Academy located at the County Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl. 954-752-4500 x 204, email: jnelson@ccofcs.com, Web page:  www.ccofcs.com.  

To Achieve Consistency - Seek Proper Fitting

The club never lies. Proper club fitting is important. Whatever lie your club is at impact will be the direction the ball will travel.
Golfers need to understand the importance of having correct club lie angle at impact. The influence of ball flight and the direction the ball will travel are due to club face and club path at impact. The technical description of correct club lie is defined as the angle of the centerline of the shaft with the ground; when the club is soled, the center of the club face will be in the middle of the club. In simple terms, when the club is soled, the center of the club head is level with the ground. The lie angle has static and dynamic lie components. Static lie angle is measured when the club is at rest. The dynamic lie angle is measured when you swing the club through impact. If the lie angle is correct through impact, the ball will fly straight and accurate. This is what all golfers are trying to do for consistency. As players, we must understand that there are two principal ways of adjusting clubs to create the correct lie angle at impact. First, make sure at address that the club is properly soled to the ground. Second, make sure you have the correct club length. Club length affects the lie at impact. By increasing the length of your shaft, you will make your club head more upright or toe up. Decreasing the length of your shaft, you will make the club head flatter or toe down. It’s important to know that a few degrees too flat or too upright will make the ball flight very inconsistent, resulting in off-center hits and loss of distance and direction. There are several factors that are needed for proper club fitting, but correct lie angle is a large contributing factor in ball flight control and consistency. Looking at your club face wear can give you some important and beneficial information. If you find you are not wearing out the middle of the club face, make some lie changes and see what happens. For properly fitted equipment, it is best to seek P.G.A. professional club fitters who are certified to fit you correctly.

John Nelson is the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame Class A Teaching Professional who is the Director of Instruction at the Golf Academy located at the County Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl. 954-752-4500 x 204, email: jnelson@ccofcs.com, Web page:  www.ccofcs.com.   

Golfer John Nelson - A Star in His Field

John Nelson, director of instruction at the Country Club of Coral Springs, plays golf on the professional level on the PGA of America Club Professional Championships.
By David Volz

What does your off-season working program consist of?
Nelson: “During the off season, I do some light weight lifting, I jump rope, and work out with elastic bands.”

How old were you when you knew you wanted to become a professional athlete?
Nelson: “I was about 17 when I knew I wanted to be a professional golfer. I played on the McArthur High School (in Hollywood) golf team and I played on the Auburn University golf team.”

What does your diet consist of?
Nelson: “I eat healthy. I eat a lot of fish, chicken, and a lot of carbohydrates. I also eat a lot of vegetables. I eat small  nutritional snacks throughout the day. Hydration is very important. Eating properly helps me stay focused, sharp and alert.”

What other business ventures are you involved in?
Nelson: “I am licensed to sell real estate in Florida. So I am involved in real estate on the side.”

What has been the high point of your career?
Nelson: “I won the South Florida PGA Section Championship in 1996. Another high point was when I won the South Florida Senior Section PGA Championship in 2009.”

What would you say is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned as a professional athlete?
Nelson: “I have learned the importance of mental toughness and determination. You have to maintain a positive attitude when playing golf. If you make a mistake, you can’t dwell on it.”

What are your plans when you finish playing sports?
Nelson: “I want to share my knowledge of golf and help other players develop knowledge of the game.”

If you could change one thing about golf, what would it be?
Nelson: “I would like to see team competition in golf. Like Miami has the Dolphins for professional football, I would like to see a city or state have a golf team with twelve players who would travel around the nation and compete against teams from other areas. You might have a match between Florida and New York in professional golf.”

Who was your favorite coach?
Nelson: “My favorite was Joe Gerlack. He is now deceased, but he was a PGA professional golf instructor. He instilled in me great fundamentals that have lasted for my career.”

What has been your most memorable game?
Nelson: “In winning the PGA Stableford Championship at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, I shot a course setting record of 62. On that day, I had ten birdies and no bogies. That was in 1998.”

Are you involved in charity work?
Nelson: “I am involved in fundraising for junior golf in South Florida.”

How do you handle the distractions of the sports world?
Nelson: “I am able to switch my mind to be in the present.”

Who is your biggest supporter?
Nelson: “My family.”

What are your personal goals as a professional athlete?
Nelson: “I have accomplished my goals. I was inducted into the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame in 2006.”

How do you spend time away from sports?
Nelson: “I like to go fishing.”

What advice would you give kids wanting to be a professional golfer?
Nelson: “Learn the proper fundamentals of golf and then have fun while you play.”

When you finish your career, how do you want to be remembered?
Nelson: “I want to be remembered as someone who did the best I could to share my talents and experience with other people.”

John Nelson is the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame Class A Teaching Professional who is the Director of Instruction at the Golf Academy located at the County Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl. 954-752-4500 x 204, email: jnelson@ccofcs.com, Web page:  www.ccofcs.com.  
Nelson prepares to hit a golf ball at the Coral Springs Country Club.

Practice This Drill - Master Greenside Bunker Shots

Are you having trouble with your greenside bunker shots? if so, try this drill and you will begin
to spend some time at the beach with success. It is called the “Board at the Beach” drill. Too many players allow the club to dig deep into the bunker, not bounce the club through the sand. The excessive digging action of the club will result in poor shots. Learn to bounce the club through the sand, not dig.

The correct way to swing the club into the sand is to use the rounded sole or bounce of the club. As you take your stance with a slightly open club face, swing the club and hit the sand approximately two inches behind the ball. Make sure you always accelerate through the shot. The force of the club meeting the sand will push the ball out of the bunker. The “Board at the Beach” drill will give you that proper feeling.

Take a half-inch piece of plywood, approximately two feet by four feet, and place it in the bunker. Cover the front half of the board with sand. Now, place the ball on the sand and hit a couple of greenside bunker shots. Make sure you hit the sand area of the board. You will feel the club bounce through the sand and the board, resulting in a fantastic “slap” feel.

You will learn on the downswing how to feel the correct angle of attack and how the club will bounce through the sand, rather than dig. This swing movement will give you the proper mechanics to execute greenside bunker shots. Try this drill a couple of times, and you will be happy to spend some time at the beach, while at the golf course. It’s a great way to start your new year with good golf from the beach.

John Nelson is the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame Class A Teaching Professional who is the Director of Instruction at the Golf Academy located at the County Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl. 954-752-4500 x 204, email: jnelson@ccofcs.com, Web page:  www.ccofcs.com. 

Stay Centered for Accuracy

During your golf swing, try to stay centered with your head. It is very important to keep your head over or centered on the ball during the entire swing. This feeling of staying centered will allow you to return the club on a good striking path into the ball, which will result in consistent and straight shots. It is important to understand that ball flight is controlled by the path of your swing and club face position at impact. If you work on staying centered with your head, you have half of the equation of good ball flight control.

Tips:
• Before you swing, think of keeping your head centered throughout the entire swing.

• During the backswing, feel a little turn, transfer weight, maintain good balance, and watch the ball. This is important because, if you do not see the ball, you’re likely to be out of balance.

• At the top of your swing, eighty percent of your weight transfers to the inside of your back foot and your head must remain over or slightly behind the ball.

• Once you start the downswing, make sure your head remains over the ball, with no tilting or leaning of your head toward the target. This initial transition on the downswing will do wonders to help you stay centered and balanced. Just before impact, you need to continue to see the ball and remain centered, with your head over to slightly behind the ball. Most players do not keep their head behind the ball at impact. Allowing the head to move forward will result in bad shots and bad ball flight control. If you stay centered during your entire swing, you can let it go and have fun hitting great shots.

John Nelson is the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame Class A Teaching Professional who is the Director of Instruction at the Golf Academy located at the County Club of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fl. 954-752-4500 x 204, email: jnelson@ccofcs.com, Web page:  www.ccofcs.com.