Greetings Golfers,

I’m writing this from South Carolina. Don’t be jealous … MN might be warmer today than SC.

So, since Minnesota has very little snow and is enjoying a heat wave … we may have an early Spring. That means golf is right around the corner. And that means you need to be golf ready.

Am I golf ready because I’ve been Down South? Hardly. We’ve had terrible weather … actually have had snow and ice. And, I got that flu over Christmas and it never left my body … maybe it’s a return of the Black Plague.

Anyway, my game is hardly razor sharp. So, I’m going to start with the basics … this what I’m going to work on, maybe you should too.

First off is my stance. I always need to work on my stance. It can get too wide and too bent over. My natural instinct is to set my hands too low. Because I’m a hands player, this feels good, but it leads to just lifting up the club instead of making a good turn on the backswing. The too wide of stance can lead to making too big of weight shifts and not enough turning during my swing. I need to play a lot to overcome those faults that a bad stance puts into motion.

Next is my grip. My left hand can get too weak (hand turned left) and my right hand can get too strong (hand turned right). They don’t really balance each other out – my clubface gets too closed and I hit hooks.

Next is my backswing. Picking up the club is not good .. I need to swing it back and make a turn. So, I focus on going back low and slow. And, as you already know, I need to make a good turn on my backswing … I try to get my left shoulder under my chin. Hogan actually wore out his shirts where his left shoulder rubbed against his chin.

Next is the downswing. I practice pulling the club down with my left hand as I shift my weight onto my left foot. This is a good drill. A very good drill to get you to swing at the ball from the inside … and not come over the top.

Next, swing through into the finish and hold your follow through. In fact, pose … it sounds obnoxious, but if you can hold your follow through you’ve completed a balanced golf swing. Congratulations!

Better get started … we may be open soon!

Skol,

Tom Abts

GM/Head Golf Professional