Friday, June 15, 2012

Straight Left Arm "Trick"!




One of the defining elements, the hallmark of a great golf swing, is a straight left arm. There is a direct relationship between a straight left arm and how well one plays our game. A straight left arm provides a wider arc which provides more power and consistency.

Think of an accordion door that can collapse. It can never consistently close properly. Think of a porch swing. How smooth do you suppose the swing would "swing" if the chain didn't stay straight?

A straight left arm not only has many positive functions, but it looks cool. A bent left arm is a sign of a beginner or a golfer who never took having a nice swing seriously. Besides it looks crappy.

Here is THE secret trick between you and me. If you tell your buddies how you suddenly over came the aggravating bent left arm, they will continue to whup your butt. Promise not to tell? Scout's Honor? Sign here___________ and proceed below.

1). Take a comfortable address position with your left arm comfortably straight. There should be no tension and the left arm should be straight (not stiff) but loose and relaxed . . . but (again) STRAIGHT.

2). Swing the club straight up, in front of your face, and directly over the top of your head.

3). Look up and notice that your left arm has remained straight. You are looking between your elbows, your hands are directly over your head, your left arm relaxed but straight.

4). Turn your left shoulder to the right . . . & point it slightly behind the ball. Make sure you let your hips turn, your left heel comes off the ground and there is no tension in your swing. If you feel tension, turn more.

5). You will notice that you have no problem keeping your left arm straight. Repeat this drill until it is very natural to keep your left arm straight.

6). Take you normal swing. If the left arm bends, repeat the steps above until it doesn't.

Keeping the left arm straight is easy and you should have it licked in a very short period of time.
I trust you to honor our agreement. Tell no one!

Jim McLellan
The Anti-Pro/The Maverick

Need more help fixing your golf swing?
Are you ready to be at the top of your golf game?

Friday, June 1, 2012

Golf Slice Surgery

How to fix your golf slice...for good.

Unless the stork just dropped you down the chimney & into your mom's outstretched arms and her soft & warm duel dairy facility...You know damn good and well what a slice is. NOT clueless, you fully understand that a ball slices because, at impact, the club head makes it spin in a clock-wise rotation. As a result of this encounter...the air catches the dimples and your ball rockets to the right over some guy's backyard fence, blasting through his patio glass door, knocking his prized Ming Vase off of the hand carved walnut mantle & onto his imported Italian tile floor___ transforming this prized collectible into Ming Dust. I should mention that this rich guy just happens to be the president of the local NRA and would love to show you exactly how his new 12 gauge shotgun works. Got Vaseline?

I first became aware of just how often the horrid slice infected the golfer at my Dad's driving range when I was 8 y/o. I was one of the lucky lads who fetched golf balls that were returned, back to the clubhouse, into another waiting bucket for resale. A gigantic percentage of the driving range balls were found on the right side of the range. Dad went so far as to install a 4 story, chicken wire fence, to keep the bad dog balls from flying onto our golf course. It worked....only a little bit!

SLICING 101...

A ball slices because:

1). the club face is open at the wreck (impact)
2). the club face is traveling across the ball...(outside-in) to the intended target,
3). an order of fries & biggie drink combo...
( for those of you w/o a sense of humor, it's a combination of 1 & 2 above)

All of the information that I have read, regarding the golf slice, has one thing in common (drum roll). . . . It doesn't work!

If you are cognizant that the family jewels are oftentimes hidden under those canary yellow, Palm Beach slacks, tucked appropriately out of the way, in the fruit of the looms with the valentine hearts__THEN__ you have what it takes to GET THIS ....The cure for the slice CAN Forever and Ever be YOURS & found in the next paragraphs....You Lucky Dog You!

So confident (AKA cocky) in my ability to fix a slice...I bet my students I can eliminate their slice in 5 shots or less or the lesson is free. Never lost the bet. I see on the Internet where some golf pro (?) needs 21 days to do it.. If he can't fix it in 5 balls he ain't gonna fix it!

As the club face leaves the ball it naturally opens up a full 1/4 turn by the time you reach the top of the back swing___ or you break both arms off at the shoulders. The next sentences are worth a kings ransom so take a hit off of your coffee mug and hang on every word. I usually sell this information, but you caught me in a generous mood today. Golfers slice the ball B/C they don't get the club face back to square at impact.

NOW, in order to get the club face back square at impact, the golfer must trick his swing by thinking that he is rolling the club face WAY TOO MUCH__ with his hands. The golfer must try to roll the club face 1/4 turn PAST square as if trying to hit the ball on the toe of the club head....NOT the club face. Likea thisa...(Use your Italian accent)


Here's what to do. Grab a 7 iron. Tee It UP. Take a nice big back swing....lazy smooth and slow. On the downswing have the sensation that you are GRADUALLY rolling the club face WAY TOO MUCH....with your hands. The casual observer won't be able to see this happen! One more point, make sure you are swinging directly to the target....not to the left of it.
IF the ball slices, you are not rolling. If the ball hooks, swing faster until the ball goes straight or hooks a little__ Your choice.

Hey Sailor, wanna have some fun? On the next shot don't roll the club face over at all. Actually__Try to slice it. Big slice. Next ball ROLL Way TOO MUCH again....does it hook? Too much hook?___ Swing faster. Play with it...nothing to lose but your slice.
For My Dad
Bud McLellan 1913-1962

Any questions ?...post your comments to this blog and I'll respond appropriately with my personal answer!


Need more help fixing your slice?
Ready to be at the top of your golf game?