HOMEHOMEhttp://www.planeandsimplegolf.com/blog/2012-02-18T03:45:05ZSquarespaceThe Undeniable Truthhttp://www.planeandsimplegolf.com/blog/2012/2/17/the-undeniable-truth.htmlJEFF SMITH2012-02-18T03:39:48Z2012-02-18T03:39:48ZGood Players practice until they get it right

GREAT Players practice until they cant get it wrong.

]]>Make Your Short Game Practice Fun and Challenginghttp://www.planeandsimplegolf.com/blog/2011/6/13/make-your-short-game-practice-fun-and-challenging.htmlJEFF SMITH2011-06-13T16:46:00Z2011-06-13T16:46:00ZSince we know that approximately 75% of the shots you will take will be from within 100 yds, PRACTICE. PRACTICE, PRACTICE the short game. Just try to make it FUN and challenging. Create games for yourself with different short game shots and try to keep score to track your improvement.

Like all good players do, try to make every shot inside of 30 yards. Maybe try one shot with a wedge, the next from the same place with a 9 iron or other club. Try opening and closing the face on some shots, until you can get up and down from many different places.

Then try other ways to have fun with practice, play your buddies for braggingh rights, closest to the pin from anywhere around the green.  And remember this, “amateurs teach amateurs to be amateurs”, so take some clinics and group lessons to learn a lot and then go practice what you have learned from the professionals.


Good luck and have FUN !!!!!!!!

]]>See Your Golf Swing Improve!http://www.planeandsimplegolf.com/blog/2011/3/24/see-your-golf-swing-improve.htmlJEFF SMITH2011-03-25T01:26:20Z2011-03-25T01:26:20ZMany of the lessons that I give I take a video recording of the swing during at the beginning of the lesson and at the end of the lesson. Not all students do I use the video during the lesson as many don't require the use of it, and many lessons I use judgment on if it the best thing for the student to see the video.

I use the Swing View Pro analysis software to help students realize their potential as golfers. I set the camera on very specific angles to capture the angle that I need to best study the swing. I make sure that I get the same angle every time, so I can show the student direct comparisons from one swing to the next.

 

Many students get an email wrap-up from me after the golf lesson to remind them of the major lesson points and I attach a video clip of their golf swing with any notes about it for them to keep and review.

 

Click here to schedule your lesson today!!

]]>Making Good Contacthttp://www.planeandsimplegolf.com/blog/2011/3/24/making-good-contact.htmlJEFF SMITH2011-03-25T00:36:36Z2011-03-25T00:36:36ZThis is the most important part of what we do when we swing the club.

It is the purpose for much of golf instruction for the full swing and short game. For many golfers who do not make good contact with the ball, this is the area of primary concern.  Poor contact is or has been an issue for everyone who has ever played the game, because until the contact is good - no other full shot practice will be helpful and the game will be a major challenge.

 

 

 Let me show you how ..........Click here to set up your time to make great contact!

]]>Be Aware of Your Surroundingshttp://www.planeandsimplegolf.com/blog/2011/3/23/be-aware-of-your-surroundings.htmlJEFF SMITH2011-03-24T01:13:00Z2011-03-24T01:13:00ZI hate to think how many strokes I have given away over the years of playing golf simply because I did not pay attention to what was happening around me or to my surroundings that affected my play. Much of what is important to pay attention to is fairly obvious and are things that are always there, so you tend to not give them consideration, but you should.
A short list of things to consider are:

  • The lie of the ball
    • Is it sitting "up" or "down" or somewhere in between
    • Is the ground hard or soft or wet
  • Uphill or downhill shot?
  • How much wind and what direction?
  • Does the ball have mud on it?
  • Does the green have a lot of grain?
    • Am I putting into it, against it or across it?
  • Can I get a club on the ball cleanly?
  • Is the tree branch really out of the way?
  • How tall is that tree?
  • How far is it to the clear the creek or the bunker?

Without creating a list a mile long,  my point is to pay attention to your surroundings so that your scores don't become double digits on a hole.

 

Click Here to set up your time for an on course scoring session!

]]>Putting Accuracy Checkhttp://www.planeandsimplegolf.com/blog/2011/3/19/putting-accuracy-check.htmlJEFF SMITH2011-03-20T01:17:00Z2011-03-20T01:17:00ZLearn to check where your putter face is really pointing. 

Most golfers struggle with the putter face alignment to their target. I have helped many players by using a laser or a chalk line or other methods to show them exactly where their putter faces are set to at the address position. Many times the grip that the player uses is turning the putter face left or right and we correct that and the putts start to drop. Others have the issue of not being able to set the putter on the target line due to not reading the line from behind the ball. There are other issues to check for, but when the player focuses on the accuracy of their putter face, many of their putting problems go away.

Set up your putting lesson today! - Click Here

]]>Making Your Best Choice for Your Equipmenthttp://www.planeandsimplegolf.com/blog/2011/3/12/making-your-best-choice-for-your-equipment.htmlJEFF SMITH2011-03-13T02:23:00Z2011-03-13T02:23:00Z
If you want to move past your current golf skill level to the next one, then you need to learn how to choose the right golf clubs. Having some basic tips and tricks in your arsenal when you go looking for your next golf clubs is absolutely vital.

Golf may not be a poor man's game by any stretch, so many beginners find themselves a little overwhelmed by the cost associated with buying clubs. Unless you should happen to have a generous rich neighbor or uncle that wants to help you invest in clubs, you may find yourself needing to borrow or rent clubs until you can afford your own special set. The problem with using clubs that you did not purchase for yourself is that you will not be using clubs suited toward you, and this could hamper your game. As soon as it is feasible for you to purchase your own clubs you must absolutely do so, as these clubs will be suited toward improving your game and allowing you to progress to the next level.

If you are using the wrong sporting equipment, it is quite certain that you will not play as well as a more experienced player with the right equipment. Players who have the right clubs are going to find their consistency improving because they will be using clubs that are suited for their specific style of play, and this is the most advantageous way to improve your golf game overall.

It is important that you take the time to learn about what makes a good set of golf clubs, at least if you want to learn how to best decide which will meet your needs. Women, men, teenagers and even children are playing now, so there are golf clubs that are suited for just about everyone out there in this day and age, and you cannot simply pick up any set of clubs and assume that it will work for you. Peruse the best available options not only in branded golf clubs but also off brand clubs, and explore the options available to you before you make any concrete decisions. The more you shop around, the more likely you will be to find the clubs that are actually going to work for you.

Here are some keys to finding the right clubs:

  • Make sure that you are playing with  properly fitted clubs - I have spent years making sure that my students and members of clubs that I have worked for have been fit for their best performance.
  • Choose the club head and shaft that will suit your game and improve it rather than hampering it. Dont get caught up in what equipment others play with - their swings and games are different than yours!

  • Don't underestimate the psychological aspects of having new equipment! Part of the game is believing that you can play well, and trusting in your equipment is a big factor in that .You must be happy with your choice. They must give you confidence that you can hit good shots with them - if they don't give you that feeling, they may not be the best choice.

Click here to find your best club specs and get equipment that fits!

]]>Introduction Videohttp://www.planeandsimplegolf.com/blog/2011/2/21/introduction-video.htmlJEFF SMITH2011-02-22T03:30:12Z2011-02-22T03:30:12Z

]]>Where to Aim Your Tee Shots For the Best Angle to the Greenhttp://www.planeandsimplegolf.com/blog/2011/1/18/where-to-aim-your-tee-shots-for-the-best-angle-to-the-green.htmlJEFF SMITH2011-01-19T01:28:37Z2011-01-19T01:28:37ZAfter playing this game for years, I have understood what many other players have said - that the key to playing great golf is to eliminate half of the golf course and to play the course like a game of chess.

Golf is about angles and leaving yourself with a good angle into the green. If you play a course that is fairly wide open and/or without much rough you might intentionally try to hit your ball in the rough to give you a better angle into the green. Here is an example of this. The hole is a par 4 playing 440 yards. There is a bunker down the left side that is reachable from the tee and a bunker down the right side also, but not reachable. There are very few trees to the right of the fairway and the green has a large deep bunker that is angled 45 degrees from the middle of the green to the back left of the green. Every time the pin is cut to the left side of the green behind the bunker I am purposely trying to hit the ball into the right side of the fairway and possibly into the right rough.

The reason for this is first eliminate trouble. By aiming down the right side I can eliminate the bunker down the left side. Secondly, since this is a long hole I will have a long iron, hybrid or even fairway wood into the green on my approach shot.  If I am in the right rough the left pins on the green are open and I do not have to carry the greenside bunker on my approach shot. This gives me more room for error if I miss my long shot into the green. I can mishit my 3 or 4 iron and still hit the green. Many times a mishit with the long irons may not carry as far, but will still release when they hit the green and my mishit may end up close to the hole.

Trying to intentionally miss the fairway is definately not for every hole and definately not for everybody, however some of you may wish it were. First, the rough must be very short and easy to play from. This is not recommended on many courses in the spring where the rough is growing quickly and the rough is not only tall, but is lush. Your club will not pass through this rough easily and will cause you a lot of trouble with a long iron in your hand. But during the summer, when the weather has been hot and dry, and the rough is not long and lush, it’s ok to miss fairways intentionally. Second, missing the fairway should serve a purpose. Are you avoiding a bunker that could potentially leave a tough second shot in? Are you opening up the green so that you have a better angle into the pin cut in the corner of a green? These reasons are good and will have you playing better golf.

Remember that hitting a fairway is merely a statistic, but sometimes missing the fairway can result in lower scores, which is the ultimate goal. The college players that I work with have their stats tracked with Golfstat and they have some stats that are misleading, like fairways hit. If my target is the right side of the fairway and I hit the ball exactly where I want it to go but my ball winds up in the first cut or the rough, the stats say that is a missed fairway (which it is) but that doesn't tell me the truth about if my aim is true and I hit it there. If you use statistics to help you study and improve your game, be realistic about what they say. But remember, we play golf to lower our score, and if it means aiming away from certain trouble without danger - do it. Even if it means that your stats look bad.

]]>It's Not Always About The Swinghttp://www.planeandsimplegolf.com/blog/2010/11/29/its-not-always-about-the-swing.htmlJEFF SMITH2010-11-30T01:01:01Z2010-11-30T01:01:01ZThere are many students who come to me for help with their golf swing, and I am honored that they do. But there are many golfers who come to me with problems in their game and insist that their swing is the trouble, and for many - the way they are hitting the ball is a fundamental problem in their game, and we get to work on that when it's necessary. But many describe their games to me, and it quickly becomes obvious to me that there are many parts of their game that we need to address.

There are many of the golfers that I work with that we spend a large amount of time with their short game shots, their decision making on the course, especially the decisions they make around the greens and how that affects their score. We also spend a good bit of time with their putting to make sure that they get rid of the dreaded three-putt.

No matter who I get to work with, we spend time saving strokes in every way, especially keeping their emotions under control so they can play at their emotional and mental peak, and their decision - making processes so they match what they truly can do under pressure.

This means to many of the golfers that I work with that we are evaluating what their skiils are, play within themselves and then get to work on the skills and shots that they dont own yet.

Do yourself a favor - take some time to look at yourself in all aspects of your game, be brutally honest with yourself, and learn exactly where you can improve - I'll bet you that it's not always your swing.

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