There has been a lot of discussions on the internet about how to play the knockdown shot. I did go over it in brief detail couple months ago but here it is again.

A knockdown shot is nothing but a mini version of your full swing.

There are variety of knockdown shots too. Depending on what kind of lie you have and what kind of results you are trying to achieve, there’s about a hundred ways to play the shot.

But for 99% of golfers and 99% of situations, you play the knockdown shot for the following reasons:

1. You are between clubs. Let’s say you hit your 5-iron 185 yards and you hit your 6-iron 150 yards. You got a 160 yard shot, you can hit a knockdown shot here.

2. It’s windy. Whether that wind is against/with you or a cross-wind, by hitting a knockdown shot, you can keep the flight of the golf ball 20-40% lower than your normal shots and not get affected by the wind. That means you don’t have to worry about how the wind will affect the shot as much.

3. You need to hit it lower than usual to avoid high hanging trees and also put lots of backspin. If you hit a knockdown shot, usually you will get a lower ball flight and get a nice hop and stop action on the ball.

Again, here’s the simplest and the most effective way to hit the knockdown shot that I personally learned from Butch Harmon:

1. Put the ball near center or slightly forward of center of your stance.

2. Swing easy, anywhere between 1/2 to 3/4 swing.

3. On the downswing, feel like you are “trapping” the ball with your body. Now, this “feeling” might take a lot of practice to achieve.

4. Try to contact the ball first, not the turf. Better yet, don’t hit the turf at all. Hitting the turf only makes the ball lose backspin. If you look at Tiger in practice (not in competition), you will see him take zero turf on every one of his ‘good’ knockdowns. If you are awed by tour pros hitting really low sand wedges and they ‘hop and drop’, this is how they do it.

This may be the most important in knockdowns since the less you hit the ground (or take a divot), the more ‘hop and drop’ backspin you will get PLUS your ball will fly a lot lower since you are not hitting down on the ball. The only way to achieve this is to really hit the ball from 0 degree angle, meaning you don’t want to hit down or up on the ball.

Now this method is great since you will be able to use your knockdowns “everywhere” once you get good.

I tend to favor it even if it’s not windy and I don’t need to hit it under a tree since you don’t have to do a full swing and stay in control of your ball flight.

Look at Tiger and he’s doing that.

Next time, I will take a video to show you exactly what I mean. These days, I don’t have much time for golf practice. I hope that changes soon and maybe I will have to try out for PGA again soon.

backspin, ball flight, Butch Harmon, downswing, full swing, golf-ball, golfers, knockdown, mini version, sand wedges, tiger, trees, turf backspin, ball flight, Butch Harmon, downswing, full swing, golf-ball, golfers, knockdown, mini version, sand wedges, tiger, trees, turf If you like this post, please subscribe to the ProGolferDigest via RSS or via E-Mail to receive updates.

Bookmark and Share

del.icio.us |Digg it |Netscape |reddit |SiteHoppin |  Email This Post

Golf is not a game of perfect, and this is a fact. Even all the championship winners, they have so many swing flaws. It’s a great thing they don’t tell you and Tiger is probably being more honest than most.

There’s even a great golf psychology book named, “Golf is not a game of Perfect”.

Now, the correct mind set on the golf course to play your best is to accept the fact that you are not perfect golfer and you do not have a perfect swing. 

No one in the world actually has a perfect swing, because it doesn’t exist!  Tiger Woods will be first to tell you that.

If you cannot get through this, you will have a tough time dealing with your results.

So what are you telling me, to think negative?

No, that’s not what I am telling you.  The best way to play golf is to be positive and to “visualize” all your shots going in the hole.

But, remember it’s what you do with what happens to you, NOT what happens to you.

So before your next round, tell yourself your “realistic” limits at the first tee and think through your course strategy for the day.

Let’s say at the practice range, you keep hitting your irons 50 yards to the left with a big bad hook.

Now, you can fight this big bad hook throughout your round OR you can simply use that as your advantage and start planning your course strategy to fit that.

So do I am 50 yards right on all my iron shots?

Hell yes, that’s what I am telling you to do.  Make best of what you have that day, you don’t need to be perfect.

I’ve had those rounds when I’ve shot under par when all my iron shots were going 50 yards left.   Now, if I had tried to correct my swing to hit it straight, I’d probably shot over 80 that day AND screwed up  my mindset for future golf rounds.

Now if this tip help you break 80 next time you go out there, don’t forget to subscribe to this blog and expect more fun psychology and course strategy lessons straight from my gut.

championship winners, Course Strategy, first tee, future golf, game, going in the hole, golf course, Golf Psychology, golf rounds, great golf, hook, iron shots, irons, mindset, psychology book, realistic limits, strategy lessons, swing, tiger, Tiger Woods championship winners, Course Strategy, first tee, future golf, game, going in the hole, golf course, Golf Psychology, golf rounds, great golf, hook, iron shots, irons, mindset, psychology book, realistic limits, strategy lessons, swing, tiger, Tiger Woods

Bookmark and Share

del.icio.us |Digg it |Netscape |reddit |SiteHoppin |  Email This Post

Here’s a front-view of Sergio Garcia’s Swing in slow-motion:

Click Here to View in Full Screen Mode

Sergio probably has one of the biggest “lags” out all the top players today.

Now, he probably comes as close to Ben Hogan’s “lag”.

Is lag a good thing?

Well, “lag”, I think is overrated. It’s the egg, not the chicken. In other words, you shouldn’t have to try to create “lag”. These players such as Sergio Garcia and Ben Hogan, didn’t try to do that.

They ended up doing that naturally while trying to hit the ball square in the middle of the clubface.

Even if you look at Tiger’s swing, he does have some lag, but too much “lag” can actually hinder your golf performance and you need fine hand control to be able to play consistently with “lag”.

“Lag”, however, is great for really squeezing every bit of your wrist power efficiency. Now, this is for the top golfers or scratch golfers. If you still can’t break par, you should really stick to simpler ideas.

Sergio Garcia Iron practice at the range:

Click Here to View in Full Screen Mode

What you need is really to practice lots and lots of short pitch shots as Sergio Garcia is doing here.  Most good pro tour players will actually hit over 75% of their practice shots for shots within 100 yards.

Why?

Well, this is the worst-kept secret on the Tour that no average Joe will ever listen to.  When you hit the smaller shots, you swing in tempo and in control.

Now, once you are swinging in good tempo and control, you can carry that to your longer clubs such as the driver.  (It’s never the other way around, even John Daly will tell you so…)

Don’t believe me?

Lol, well if you are ever in San Francisco, we can play for some money and I can show you how to take someone’s money.

average joe, Ben Hogan, egg, golf performance, John Daly, lag lag, lags, money, pitch shots, power efficiency, practice shots, san francisco, scratch golfers, sergio garcia, Slow Motion, swing analysis, tempo, tiger average joe, Ben Hogan, egg, golf performance, John Daly, lag lag, lags, money, pitch shots, power efficiency, practice shots, san francisco, scratch golfers, sergio garcia, Slow Motion, swing analysis, tempo, tiger

Bookmark and Share

del.icio.us |Digg it |Netscape |reddit |SiteHoppin |  Email This Post

Click Here to View in Full Screen Mode

Here’s a good video of Anthony Kim’s swing. From what I can tell as a pro golfer, Anthony Kim comes the closes to mimicking Tiger’s followthrough. Well, I think it’s actually better than Tiger’s as Anthony doesn’t lift off his left foot like Tiger used to do at his age.

Swing isn’t everything but does help.

Here’s another look from different angles:

Click Here to View in Full Screen Mode

Click Here to View in Full Screen Mode

angles, Anthony Kim, left foot, pro golfer, swing analysis, tiger angles, Anthony Kim, left foot, pro golfer, swing analysis, tiger

Bookmark and Share

del.icio.us |Digg it |Netscape |reddit |SiteHoppin |  Email This Post

I haven’t been golfing that much lately other than hitting some balls. (actually just once this year)

My last outing went pretty well though so here are my key thoughts:

1. Swing in rhythm

2. Really feel like standing up.

3. Swing like butter, like Freddy Couples.

4. During practice, hit each ball with thought and quality. Don’t just bang 100 balls and tell yourself you’ve practiced. Even though I don’t practice much or even play ever, I can pretty much take money from everyone because I practice “quality” practicing. This is definitely psychological effect that “quality” practice can give you, by letting you only see your best efforts. If you simply bang balls and not give it your 200% on every practice shot, exact same thing will happen during a round of golf and you’ve just wasted an hour of hitting balls.

Phew, that’s about it. Now, I really gotta take some videos again…

ball, balls, bang, best efforts, Butter, Don, everyone, exact same thing, freddy couples, golf, golfing, gotta, hour, money, Phew, practice quality, psychological effect, quality practice, Rhythm, round, shot, swing, swing thoughts, Thoughts, year ball, balls, bang, best efforts, Butter, Don, everyone, exact same thing, freddy couples, golf, golfing, gotta, hour, money, Phew, practice quality, psychological effect, quality practice, Rhythm, round, shot, swing, swing thoughts, Thoughts, year

Bookmark and Share

del.icio.us |Digg it |Netscape |reddit |SiteHoppin |  Email This Post