Below is an un-edited review I just received via email about my Swing Machine Golf DVD series.  I truly appreciate all of the support I have received over the years.  If you would like your review published please contact me above.

Here it is:

Hi Paul,

For the first time in my life I just had to write to you to thank you for making the game of golf so simple and enjoyable again. I have brought many golf teaching courses, aids in the past so please forgive me for being sceptical about your course as I thought when I purchased it that it may just be another gimmicky system. I could not have been further from the truth.

I received the dvds very quickly, even over this side of the pond!! Sat down and watched them all the way through in one sitting and I could not believe the simplicity of what you were teaching. Having spent many of my hard earned pounds on golf lessons at my local club and coming away baffled with the complexity of the game I still could not believe what I was seeing.

So I tried some of the exercises and must admit I was not prepared to wait to hit some balls, sorry, as I was too excited at finding out what would happen. Almost instantly I was hitting effortless irons and even my driver was consistently going straight and all of a sudden I was hitting the ball as well as some of those that I had stood back and admired on the range.

The best bits about your course are that you make it so simple with only three key elements and you are the first person to tell me that you hit a golf ball with your body rotation not your arms. Now when I am down the range and hear players crashing their clubs into the mat I just want to turn round to them at tell them to stop trying to whack it with their arms!!!!

The other great thing about your course is you make the diagnostics easy to understand and when I do hit a bad shot like a top or a slice I instantly know what I have done wrong and can put it right for the next shot.

I could go on and on with superlatives about your course and the great value for money that it is, and the fact that it is so simple but I would just like to say again thank you, I am so glad I found your site. Golf is all of a sudden relaxing, exciting and interesting again and I can’t wait to see where my new swing will take me.

More people in the UK could really do with your course as I haven’t seen anything else this good over here. If ever you are looking for an agent or affiliate in the uk to bring this to the attentions of my fellow countrymen and women let me know.

Finally, thanks again Paul. Also the short game series is just as good as the full swing course (and I haven’t yet sat down and studied the book). I cant put my clubs down now!!

Kind Regards

Mark.

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One of the emails I receive from time to time is from someone who has been hitting the ball well and playing great golf when all of a sudden they’ve lost their swing.  This tip explains what the likely cause is and how to correct your golf swing (even Tiger Woods is in this category right now this just may be a very timely tip).

1.  Slow Down

The most popular thing that causes people to lose their swing is simply trying to hit the ball too hard with their arms.  I’ve seen this time and time again.  Once people hit the ball well for a while they always want more and more power.  In looking for more power golfers will try hitting the ball harder with their arms.  The problem with hitting harder with your arms is the harder you hit, the tighter you get, the narrower your swing arc, the slower your wrist release, the slower the club swing, the more you will manipulate the clubface, the more over the top you come down etc.  So you don’t want to keep hitting harder with your arms to increase your power.

A good swing thought to help you slow down and stop hitting with the arms would be to swing at no more than 50% of your ability both at the range and on the when you go to play.   Once you start hitting better shots you increase your power by turning ONLY your body faster NOT by hitting harder with the arms.  Increasing the rotational speed of your body will make your arms swing faster which whip the club faster giving you more power because they are connected to one another.  Ideally, you never want to swing at 80% of your ability so slow down to 50% then rotate your body faster until you are swinging at a maximum of 80%.

Here’s a drill you can do (I have mentioned in previous tips).  Go to the range and pick out a target.  Then using a full swing hit each club at 3/4 of it’s actual distance.  For example, let’s say you normally hit a 7 iron 150 yards.  You simply try to hit it 100 yards.  Doing full swings at 3/4 speed will get you to slow down because your normal swing speed will hit the ball too far.  Try this drill a few times for a practice session or two.  If you do, you will recognize that you have been hitting with your arms which will allow you to slow down and feel your body powering the swing.

2.  Remember Back

The next thing you want to do to correct your swing is try to remember back to what you may have been working on right before your swing fell apart.  For example, maybe you were trying to draw the ball, may be you were trying to learn how to hit punch shots or maybe you were trying to increase your lag angle or work on some other position etc.  These things may give you clues as to why your swing fell apart.

Take trying to hit a draw for instance.  Maybe you were trying to aim your body out to the right (closing your stance) while having the clubface aimed at your target.  In doing so, your alignment got out of whack and you’re now aiming your body out to the right on normal shots.  In this case, correcting your golf swing may be as easy as setting up an alignment station and checking your set up for each shot so you know that you’re perfectly aligned.

If you were trying to hit punch shots maybe you were favoring your weight on your left leg or picking up the club in order to hit down on the ball.  So you double check your weight distribution at set up and work on the proper takeaway.

As you can see the list can go on an on.  So think back to what you have been working on recently and what changes you made to your swing in order to hit these new shots.  Check your set up and alignment first to make sure they are perfect then move on to fixing your swing positions if necessary.

3.  Video Your Golf Swing

As I have been doing my golf schools this year I’m amazed at how many people have never seen their golf swing on video.  With today’s technology you can easily record your swing literally on your cell phone or you can buy a Flip Ultra Video Camera or Kodak Zi8 for under $200. Once you do you can play it back to see if you can recognize what you are doing wrong.  Better yet, you can can take this video and compare it to the pictures in your Swing Machine Golf book or freeze-frame the DVD series and compare your swing to the positions I’m in and get back on track.

NOTE: If you have an iPhone you may be interested in this app.  iPhone App Store > Search >  “Video Instruction Pro” or follow this link: Video Instruction Pro

4.  Watch Your Ball Flight

Within the Swing Machine Golf Book there is a whole section entitled, Self-Diagnosis.  In the Swing Machine Golf DVD Series I also talk about diagnosing your swing flaws on the 3rd disc.   The whole reason I did this was so that you could correct your golf swing on your own instantly.  To correct your swing just watch your ball flight and recognize the contact you are making.  Then go to the book or DVD and find out what is causing the problem and apply the fix that I recommend.

5.  Take a Lesson

If you still can’t figure out how to correct your golf swing then maybe it’s time for lessons.  I would hope that you would come to Las Vegas to join one of my golf schools or book some private lesson time with me one-on-one.

Conclusion

Hopefully you’ve learned a lot from today’s tip.  Correcting your golf swing doesn’t have to be difficult.  Just think logically about it and track down the cause.  Then, apply the correct fix or drill and you will get it back in no time.

All the best,

Paul Wilson
Creator – Swing Machine Golf
Director – Paul Wilson Golf School Las Vegas

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The fade is the shot that I recommend people hit. Why? There are a few reasons. The first is because it is easier to hit than a draw. This means that even when you aren’t playing your best you can usually get away with hitting a fade allowing you to still shoot good scores when you are not at your best.

Jack Nicklaus refers to the fade as his “bread and butter shot.” If the best player of all time makes a statement like this, it’s wise to take note of it.

Now, don’t get me wrong … a fade is not a shot that curves wildly from left to right. That type of shot is a slice. A fade is a shot that starts out slightly to the left and falls slightly to the right. A real fade is also a shot that is purposely hit instead of making this curvature from a flaw in your swing.

Another reason the fade is better to hit than a draw is because a fading shot stops faster on greens especially with long irons. This is because a fading shot has more backspin thus making it fly higher. The higher the shot, the faster it will stop.

Finally, most golf holes are designed for shots that curve from left to right. So hitting a fade will allow you to take advantage of how these holes are set up.

2 Types of Fades You Can Hit

There are 2 types of fading shots a person can hit. I refer to them as the “real fade” and an “over the top fade.” Even if you don’t want to hit a fade as your regular shot, there will be times when you need this shot example: curving the ball around a tree or a dog leg left. If you’re a player that hits a draw and are presented with a situation like this, do your best to make the necessary adjustments to your stance and body position (as outlined below) to hit the “real fade.”

The “Real Fade”

The real fade is a shot that curves from left to right approx. 5 yards with irons (8 irons and up) and approx. 10 yards with woods.

A real fade is performed from an open stance and body alignment. Positioning your body like this creates a swing path that is to the left of your target line. As the club makes contact with the ball, the face is square relative to the target line. This means that it is open relative to the path the club is swinging on. It is this open clubface position (relative to the swing path) that causes the ball to spin from left to right back to the target line.

So a real fade has you with an open stance and body alignment. The ball starts slightly left of the target and spins back to the target.

How to Hit a “Real Fade”

The real fade is quite easy to hit if you understand what you are trying to do and make the necessary adjustments to your stance and body positioning. Let’s take a look at the different parts to the “real fade”:

Stance and Body Alignment

The first thing we have to look at is the stance and body alignment. With a real fade, the golfer has an open stance (to the left) and their body is also aligned open (to the left) of the target. This stance and body position is created on purpose by the golfer being aware of where a square alignment is then making the adjustment to the open position.

Path

From this open stance and body alignment, the path of the club swings to the left which starts the ball out to the left of the target. This is the critical part to developing a real fade.

*** IMPORTANT ***

With this shot, you are not starting the ball to the left because you have a swing flaw. You are starting the ball to the left because you aimed your whole body to the left. In other words, you are purposely trying to hit the ball left of your target. In trying to teach this shot to people this is where they go wrong. They aim there stance and body to the left yet they swing down the target line. REMEMBER: if you aim left, you have to swing left. The ball will spin right because of the clubface position.

Clubface

Once the golfer gets the ball starting to the left consistently, he/she has to put the spin on the ball to allow it to fade back to the target line. This spin on the ball is achieved by setting your clubface square to your target line. Remember … the swing path is to the left so if the clubface is square to the target line it is open to the swing path. This allows the ball to spin back to the target line thus producing the real fade.

So, who hits a real fade? Good players. This is because good players understand that to hit this shot they just have to make some minor adjustments to their normal set up position. In other words, they are telling themselves to hit this shot as opposed to hitting this shot because they have a flaw in their swing.

Just because better players hit this type of shot doesn’t mean that you can’t hit it. Again, it just takes a little understanding and some minor adjustments to your stance and body position.

Mistakes People Make:

1. The person doesn’t realize that they have to purposely swing to the left.

2. Hitting with the arms sends the club over the top.

3. Hitting hard tightens the wrists and holds the clubface too open through impact creating a slice.

4. They release the club too much which does not allow it to stay open thus they pull it left.

5. Grip may be in a weak position which may cause the ball to spin too much right.

6. Their grip is too strong which causes a pull as opposed to the fade.

So now you know how to hit a “real fade” it’s time to understand the over the top fade. If you want to fade the ball, you should really be doing a “real fade” but some people do have success with the over the top fade.

The “Over the Top Fade”

The “over the top” fade is a shot that is created because you have a flaw in your swing NOT because you are purposely trying to hit a slight fade. Now, I’m not saying this is a slice which would see the ball curving severely from left to right with the ball ending up well right of your intended target. The flaw I am talking about would see the ball move slightly from left to right with irons (approx. 5 yards) and a little more with woods (approx. 10 yards).

Here’s how an over the top fade is created:

Stance and Body Alignment

The over the top fade is performed from a square stance and body alignment or even a body alignment that is slightly closed. The swing path then swings left of this stance and body alignment which would be referred to as an over the top swing path.

Again, I’m not saying this is a huge slice. The ball with this shot is only fading back to the target line even though there is a flaw in their swing that sends the club over the top.

Clubface

The clubface in this over the top fade would be in a square position relative to the target line. If you couple this clubface position with a path that swings to the left, it means the face would be open relative to this swing path. This open clubface position causes the ball to spin back to the target line.

*** IMPORTANT ***

As you read the description of this shot, I really don’t want you to try to fade the ball this way. I’m simply making you aware of this shot so you can check to see if this is how you are making the ball fade. On the other hand, if you are a better player and consistently hit the ball this way then you may not want to change it. After all, it did work quite well for Bruce Lietzke.

To check and see if this is the shot you are hitting, just lay a club down parallel to your target and hit some balls. From this square stance, take note of where your ball starts. If it starts to the left then fades back to your target from a square stance and body alignment, you have an over the top fade.

Why Do You Hit The Over the Top Fade?

This over the top shot occurs by starting the downswing with the arms instead of the body. In doing so, the body tilts to the left in the initial stages of the downswing. This tilt to the left makes the club swing left. Because the clubface is square relative to the target line, it’s open relative to the stance and body alignment. This causes the ball to fade back to the target. In theory, these are the very same elements found in a slice it’s just that the club is not swinging severely over the top like a slice would be.

Conclusion

I truly hope you understand the 2 different fade shots you can hit and how to hit them. With a little practice you should be able to consistently hit the real fade and make this game a little easier.

Paul Wilson

Creator – Swing Machine Golf

Paul Wilson Golf School at Bear’s Best Las Vegas

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The draw is seen by many as one of those magical shots they can only dream of hitting. They dream of hitting a draw because the average golfer usually slices the ball or hits it from left to right. Unfortunately for most golfers, hitting a draw will continue to be a dream unless they understand exactly how it is hit and exactly how to hit it.

NOTE: Personally, I don’t like people to hit a draw. I prefer people to hit the ball straight or with a fade from left to right. Why?

For one, a draw is very difficult to hit.

Next, a draw is harder to hold on the greens than a fade (especially with long irons). This is because the face is closed relative to the swing path when hitting a draw versus it being open when you hit a fade. So the trajectory of a draw is lower and it does not have as much backspin when compared to a fade so a draw will not stop as fast on the greens.

Next, most golf holes are designed for shots that curve from left to right.

Finally, hitting a fade has more room for error than a draw. This means that even when you are not playing your best golf, you can usually get the ball around the course with a fade. Hitting a perfect little draw around the course all day needs you to always be on your “A” game. When Jack Nicklaus refers to the fade as his “bread and butter shot ” there has to be a reason for it.

Even though I gave you a few great reasons to hit the ball straight, or with a slight fade, I know you aren’t going to listen to me so here’s how to hit a draw:

2 Types of Draws You Can Hit

There are 2 types of draw shots a person can hit. I refer to them as the “real draw” and a “fake draw.” Even if you don’t want to hit a draw as your regular shot, there will be times when you need this shot (example: curving the ball around a tree or a dog leg left). If you’re a player that hits the ball straight, or plays a fade, and are presented with a situation like this then use the “fake draw” (described below) only. Never even attempt the real draw.

On the other hand, if you are insistent on hitting a draw as your regular shot, I would suggest mastering the “fake draw” first, then graduating to the “real draw.” The reasoning is that if you can’t do the “fake draw” (which is an easier shot to hit) there is no way you are going to be able to master the real draw. So, keep this in mind as you read more about the 2 different draw shots.

The “Real Draw”

The real draw is a shot that curves from right to left approx. 5 yards with irons (8 iron and up) and approx. 10 yards with woods.

A real draw is performed from a square stance and body alignment (not closed). Because the swing path with this type of shot is a little more from the inside than a straight shot, the ball will start out to the right of the target line. As the club makes contact with the ball, the face is square relative to the target line. This means that it is closed relative to the path the club is swinging on. It is this closed clubface position (relative to the swing path) that causes the ball to spin back to the target.

So, a real draw has you with a square stance and body alignment. The ball starts slightly right of the target and spins back to the target.

A pulled or pull hooked shot would be when the ball ends up left of your target line and stance and body alignment.

How to Hit a “Real Draw”

The real draw is extremely difficult to hit. That’s why very few people can actually hit this type of shot well. Let’s take a look at the different parts to the “real draw”:

Stance and Body Alignment

The first thing we have to look at is the stance and body alignment. With a real draw, the golfer has a square stance and their body is also aligned squarely to the target. This means they are parallel to the target line (not closed).

Path

From this square stance and body alignment, the path of the club swings inside out which starts the ball out to the right of the target. This inside out path is caused because of the golfer’s body tilts excessively to the right through impact. This excessive tilt can be caused from sliding laterally to start the downswing, bumping the hips to the left to start the downswing or just over tilting your body to the right.

The more the tilt the golfer has in the downswing, the more right they will hit the ball. Don’t believe me? Go to the range and slide laterally, bump you hips left or overtilt coming down. If you do, you will clearly see that the ball will start right which is the proper direction of a draw shot. This is only half of the equation though. You still need the correct spin on the ball to allow it to draw back to the target line.

Clubface

Once the golfer gets the ball starting to the right, he/she has to put the spin on the ball to allow it to come back to the target line. This spin on the ball can be achieved with a grip that is too strong, or from the golfer rolling their wrists over with a neutral grip. Remember … the swing path is out to the right so all the golfer has to do is square the face relative to their body or target line. In doing so, the face will be closed to the inside out swing path the club is making. If the face is closed to the path, it will allow the ball to spin back to the target line thus producing the magical draw.

So, who hits a real draw? Good players. This is because good players use their body to hit the ball as opposed to just whacking at it solely with their arms. If you just use your arms your club will come over the top and produce an outside in swing path and by hitting the ball solely with your arms your wrists will probably be too tight so the face will not square. This means it will be open upon contact which will not allow the ball to spin from right to left. These 2 things are the exact opposite to what is needed to hit a “real draw” so is there any wonder why so few people can actually hit this type of shot?

A good player who hits a draw is usually sliding a little in the downswing. As I said, this slide creates the path. Often times than not, this better player also has grip that is a little too strong as well. This grip causes the ball to draw back.

Mistakes People Make:

1. They flip their writs through impact causing a duck hook.

2. Their wrists tighten through impact which causes a push to the right.

3. They slide or tilt their body too much in the downswing which causes a duck hook or a push depending on how tight their wrists are.

4. Their grip is too strong.

So now you know how to hit a “real draw” it’s time to learn the fake draw. As I said earlier, if you are inexperienced this is the one you should learn how to do first. If you can’t do this one, you will never do the “real draw” so pay close attention:

The “Fake Draw”

A “fake draw” is the shot you should be trying hit when you need to hit it. I say this because it is a lot easier to hit than the real draw. The times you will need to hit this shot is when you are trying to curve the ball around a tree or on a hole that dog legs to the left etc..

Here’s how to hit the fake draw:

Stance and Body Alignment

For a fake draw you need to align your whole body (not just your stance) out to the right of your target. I say “not just your stance” because so many people think that if they just drop their right foot back a little, they will draw the ball. A person who thinks this way has no idea what they are trying to and it will never work.

So, with this shot you are aiming your whole body (shoulders, hips, knees and feet) out to the right of the target. A good way to make sure you are doing it properly is to lay a club on the ground that is slightly right of the target or as you do your set up you can swivel your head to look at your target. As you do this, you look out of the corner of your left eye and see your left shoulder in line or slightly right of the target (not left of the target).

Once you feel your whole body is aimed slightly out to the right of your target, DO NOT move. So many times I see people try this shot and they get their body aimed slightly to the right then they try to get comfortable, In doing so, their shoulders end up twisting to the left and all of a sudden their whole body is not aligned right of the target although they may think they are. This type of alignment will not allow the person to swing out to the right. The club will swing down the line of the shoulders thus creating a pull or pull hook.

Clubface

With the fake draw, I am going to talk about the clubface first. To get the ball to draw back to the target line, all you are doing is setting up with a close clubface. This means that you aim the face wherever you want the ball to end up. If you do, it will be closed relative to your set up because you set up with you whole body out to the right of the target.

A good way to get this is to pick a spot just in front of the ball (intermediate target). As you step up to the ball, aim your clubface at this spot and DO NOT move it. Then, set your body up right of the target and DO NOT get comfortable or change positions in any way.

Body / Swing

This is the final step and it is VITAL. Because you aimed your whole body out to the right of your target, you have to swing OUT TO THE RIGHT of your target. This means that you swing along the line of your body NOT down the target line. If you swing parallel to your body and your body is aimed out to the right, your ball will start out to the right.

Remember, you set up with the face aiming at your target so it is closed relative to the path you are swinging on. This means the ball will curve back to your target line and produce the “fake draw” that I am talking about.

Mistakes People Make:

1. They do not aim their whole body out to the right.

2. They get comfortable and twist their shoulders/hips back to the left of the target.

3. They do not have the clubface aimed at the target.

4. They do not swing out to the right.

5. They try to make the ball hook instead of doing a normal golf swing with a closed face.

6. They aim too far out to the right with the face too closed.

So the whole idea behind this shot is that you are hitting a regular shot with a closed clubface. To understand it in the most simple terms, just imagine setting up to the ball just like you are going to hit a regular shot. Now, just before you hit the ball you loosen your hands off the club, turn the clubface closed then re-grip the club in a strong position. With the clubface now closed, you hit your shot. If you hit a ball with a really strong grip like this it would hook to the left of your target.

The “fake draw” is just this except hitting the ball to the left of your target is counter-acted by aiming your whole body out to the right of your target. It really is that simple. Unfortunately, once you take someone out of their comfort zone they feel they have to do a different swing. Just remember: This shot is your NORMAL swing with a closed face and your body aimed right.

I truly hope you understand the 2 different draw shots you can hit and how to hit them. With a little practice you should be able to do the “fake draw”. If you are able to do a “real draw” and keep it under control then you may be better than you think.

Paul Wilson

Creator – Swing Machine Golf

Director – Paul Wilson Golf School at Bear’s Best Las Vegas

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Here’s a video tip on how to practice at the driving range. It’s only a few minutes long and can really help your practice sessions because it will help you make the necessary changes to your swing.

Notes:

When you use this method to practice the rules are not set in stone. If you want to hit other clubs you do so in the 3rd grouping of golf balls. The whole idea is to go to the driving range and actually accomplish something instead of just hitting ball after ball.

All the best,

Paul Wilson
Creator – Swing Machine Golf
Director – Paul Wilson Golf School at Bear’s Best Las Vegas

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One of the main things that sets Swing Machine Golf apart from other methods is that I want you to make lots of practice swings while working on the positions I teach.  Why?  The whole idea is simple …

What I’m trying to get you to do is outweigh the old with the new.  What I mean is if you do a minimum of 3 perfect practice swings (working on 1 position I teach) for every 1 ball you hit you are doing the position right versus wrong at a 3:1 ratio.  If you can create this 3:1 right versus wrong ratio you will finally make the necessary changes and you will improve your golf swing way faster and easier than ever before.

I say this because the alternative is to hit ball after ball when you practice and not do a significant amount of practice swings.  The problem is, if you just hit ball after ball you will not make the changes you are trying to make.  This is no fault of your own.  You may very well have good intentions of changing your swing but when you go to practice human nature is telling you to be comfortable when you hit balls. This means you will go right back to doing what you have always done when you practice because your old swing is comfortable.  Unfortunately, if you take this approach, you will continue to spin your wheels forever because you will never make the necessary changes.

Advantages of Doing Practice Swings

Doing practice swings to work on your swing has its advantages.  Take a look:

1.  You can practice every night at home instead of waiting to hit balls 1-3 times per week.

2.  You are not hitting a ball therefore your swing will feel less uncomfortable.

3.  You will be able to focus solely on the change you are making because you are not concerned about where the ball is going.

4.  It takes less time.  To make the changes I only need you to do 25 – 50 practice swings per night for approx. 5 nights per week until you master them.

5.  It’s easier on your body to do practice swings as opposed to hitting a lot of golf balls.

6.  You can do them almost anywhere.  If you travel take a 31″ club with you.  If you go to your relatives house bring a club with you and swing their backyard.  You can do them on the course when you are playing etc.

7.  No one is watching you so you don’t have to be embarrassed if you hit bad shots.

8.  You will not be trying to swing as hard as you can therefore your body will be looser which will allow you to do the positions better.

What Kind of Practice Swings Do I Want You To Do?

I want to be perfectly clear about what I mean by doing practice swings and what I mean by doing them at a 3:1 ratio.

There are 3 different ways you can do practice swings to learn a great swing:

1. You can do the practice swings at home hitting no practice balls at all.
2. You can do them at the practice range while you are hitting balls.
3. You can do them while you are hitting balls at the range and you can do practice swings at home.

Next, the practice swings I’m talking about are perfect, or as close to perfect as possible, to the positions that I teach in Swing Machine Golf.  To know if you are doing them perfectly or not you can:

1.) Video your swing
2.) Watch yourself do them in a mirror
3.) Have someone else watch you or video you
4.) Recognize the feedback I teach for each position as you swing
5.) Send me a video or picture and I will check it for you

Once you’ve determined that you’re doing the correct position(s), keep doing them that way until you have them mastered.

Practice Swings at Home

This means you can still play and practice your short game but hit NO practice balls out at the range.  This method is highly effective because what little time you do have for practicing it can be spent working on your short game which is going to reduce your scores.  You still get to play.  And you’re not stressing out about the swing changes you are making.

Practice Swings at the Range

Doing practice swings at a 3:1 ratio could mean hitting one ball then backing up and doing 3 perfect practice swings working on specific position before you hit your next ball.  It could also mean that you hit a few balls in a row then back up and do 3 times as many practice swings as the number of balls you just hit.  The choice is yours.  Whichever way you choose, it’s all about doing a minimum of 3 practice swings to the number of balls you hit.

Time

Finally, I get people telling me that they don’t have time to practice.  To them I say, this is no excuse!  All I need you to do to learn my method is 25 – 50 practice swings per night 5 nights a week at home.  This small amount of practice swings will take all of 10 minutes (a small price to pay if you ask me).  Ideally, I would like you to do these practice swings while you’re watching yourself in a mirror so you can check them as opposed to just swinging without a purpose.

If you don’t have a place indoors to swing, take it outside into the backyard or garage.  When you do your practice swings outside this DOES NOT mean you’re hitting whiffle balls.  It DOES NOT mean you’re trying to hit a specific blade of grass, leaf or twig that is on the ground.  You should not be conscious of impact or hitting anything at all.  All I want you to do are the practice swings.  In my method there are only 6 main positions plus your grip, set up and takeaway.  Just focus on mastering one thing at a time.  If you do you will develop a great swing in record time.

Common Problems I See

There are a few common problems I see people do even if they understand that they’re supposed to doing practice swings.  So let’s put an end to them right now:

1.  Swinging Too Fast

I can’t count how many times I’ve watched people do practice swings and they zip through them without a care in the world.  It’s almost like they’re saying “hey I did my 3 swing can I hit a real ball now?”  This is exactly what NOT to do.  Each swing you make is very important.  Remember, you are trying to memorize new movements.  The more you can do them right, the faster you will learn them.  This means you should be taking your time and make every practice swing count.

2.  Thinking the Position is Right When it Is Not

Again, when I watch people do practice swings they think they’re doing the position(s) right but they’re not.  This is like replacing one bad habit with another.  To learn the correct positions, you need to see what you’re doing or have an experience person to watch you and tell you what you’re doing.  So if you haven’t got a full length mirror that will allow you to watch your own swing go and get one. If you can’t swing inside go and buy a 31″ training club.  Then you will be able to swing without fear of hitting the ceiling.

If for some reason you don’t want to watch your swing in a mirror simply use your sliding glass patio doors (if you have them).  Just open the curtains and turn off the lights and you will be able to see your reflection perfectly.  Don’t want to do that?  Well you can video your swing.  Oh you don’t have a camera?  Well, have someone video your swing on their cell phone and play it back to you so you can see if you are doing the position you’re working on correctly or not.  In today’s day and age there is no excuse for not knowing if you’re doing the positions properly.

3.  Distractions

Distractions can come in many forms.  Someone could be distracting you while you are swinging,  you could be trying too many things at once, your mind could be wandering, you could be watching TV while you are trying to swing etc.  If you want to learn a great swing it takes total concentration.  From now on, try to eliminate all distractions when you are practicing.  This is serious stuff so start taking it seriously.

4.  Training Aids

Quit looking for the magical answer.  All you need to develop a great swing is a club (or 31″ half club if you cannot swing a full length club) and a mirror.  As I have explained in this tip, you need to commit to doing 25 – 50 practice swings 5 nights per week to working on the positions until you have them mastered.  You may be able to master some positions in a day, few days or a week.  Others may take you longer but if you start now you are on your way.  If you start tomorrow you are a day behind.

5.  People Stop Doing It

Mastering something does not mean you stop doing it.  Mastering something means you can do it perfectly at will.  So, as you go into the future keep re-enforcing your positions from time to time.  This way they will never fall apart.

Good News Bad News

If someone told you that you that there is an amazing new training aid out there that can increase your distance, accuracy and give you a great swing and potentially get you shooting in the 70’s within a few months.  The thing is it costs $1000.00 would you buy it?  I bet a great majority of you are nodding your head right now “yes.”  Well, I have some good news and bad news.  The bad news is there isn’t such a device.  The good news is you don’t need it anyway. For a the sake of a little hard work doing perfect practice swings you can develop a great swing and play the best golf of your life.  And the best part is, it doesn’t cost $1000.

Don’t take my word for it.  Listen to what 75 year old Dudley has to say:

Paul!

Before I commenced my studies and practice etc I had a pronounced In/out/in swing with a from the  shoulder lung at the ball as hard as I could hit it – result a 90degree fade, little distance and invariably ending up in the roughest of roughs to be found. Can’t tell you the number of times I have been going to give the game up, very frustrated.

I was actually on the internet as I wanted to find out about this “Iron Byron” machine I had heard about and came upon your website. I sent for the DVD’s, then I got told off by you for being too quick and rushing things. So after that I stopped going to the course, practice range and in general stopped hitting golf balls and just concentrated on the lessons in my back garden, lounge and where ever else I had planted a club for a quick practice swing.

Pleased to report I am hitting 214 Metre Drives straight up the fairway and 180 Metre three woods
and the rest of the clubs correspondingly. I never went near a golf course for over three months.

So Thanks Paul you have really rectified my game and made it so much more enjoyable and so much less physical I personally can’t get over it – I am 75 years old by the way and really keeping up with some of these young guns. In the lesson “Putting it all together”  you  keep  repeating  “Coil at the top  and  uncoil  at  the  bottom”.  I find  repeating  this  to  myself as  I swing makes  me  have a very  rhythmical swing and also curbs my natural instinct of swinging from the shoulders. Another thing I like about the system is you can practice anywhere as you don’t need a ball.

Anyway I am very pleased with my results Paul and Thank You very very much.  Best of Luck for the Future mate with You new venture.

Regards

Dudley B.

Still don’t believe it.  Okay here’s what Martin M. has to say:

Paul,
i’m hitting some beautiful drives and although i’m not 1 for bullshitting about distance but i hit 3×300+ drives on tuesday in a comp which i won (38 points). my woods have increased in distance and direction but irons are so so.  i’m sticking to the gameplan by not hitting balls on the range at all and just playing whether its a practice round or comp but no hitting balls!!!!!

before a comp or round i’m practicing shortgame with a few fullswing 60* wedge shots thrown in just to loosen out more.  during my warm-up ill do my SMG drills as you thought me but no hitting balls at all.   i step onto the first tee everytime and hit really straight and crisp shots.i’m going to stick with this routine as its working for me and i’m confident.i do my drills every night but during my rounds i’m still not getting full backswing but this will take time i know but anyway my golf is ok at the moment but not great.hitting mid 80s easily with alot of mistakes

thanks paul

Conclusion

The time is now to get serious about doing practice swings.  Winter is here for some of you.  So instead of not doing any practice at all this winter make the commitment to do your practice swings perfectly working on 1 position at a time until you have them mastered.  By the time spring comes around you will have that great swing you have been searching for.

For those of you who are just about to start your winter season in a warmer climate, you can still play and hit balls make sure you are sticking to a 3:1 ratio when on the range and do the practice swings at home as well.  If you do, you will also finally develop a great swing and make this winter better than ever.

All the best,

Paul Wilson
Creator – Swing Machine Golf

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The other day I received an email from a gentleman who was having trouble with his swing tempo at 170+ yards out when he played.  His email got me on a roll so I wrote a tip about it.  Here it is:

As far as your golf swing tempo is concerned, it is maintained by basing your swing on your rotation as opposed to hitting with your arms.

Think of it like this … In a good golf swing the body (torso) doesn’t even rotate at 3 mph.  If your arms are completely turned off and you allow your body to move your arms as you swing, they would move very slowly because they only extend a short distance from your body.  In other words, the swing speed of your arms is determined by how fast you can turn your body not how hard you are hitting.  If your body rotates slowly in your swing, there is no way you would have a fast looking tempo.

On the other hand, if you are trying to hit the ball hard with your arms, you can move them a lot faster than your body.  Therefore, your tempo will vary a lot more because it will be extremely difficult for you to judge exactly how hard your arms should be swinging at the ball every time.

So the idea is to turn your arms off and use your body rotation to determine your arm speed.  This is what Swing Machine Golf teaches you to do.  If you don’t have Swing Machine Golf, here are 9 things you can start doing right away to develop a consistent swing tempo:

1.  You have to understand Iron Byron and relate it to your own golf swing.

The arm of Iron Byron only moves when it’s motor turns its driveshaft.  When you hit your shots you should be imagining you are the Iron Byron.  If you do, your body will determine how fast your arms would be swinging which will stop you from trying to hit the ball as hard as you can and give you a better tempo.

2.  When you hit driver, DO NOT think about how far down the fairway you are going to hit the ball.

Think ONLY of getting the ball in the fairway when you are hitting driver.  For example, if you are playing a hole and you see 2 fairway bunkers (1 at each side of the fairway) at 280 yards out, DO NOT think about getting the ball up to those bunkers.  I want to you to look out and find a spot (let’s say 200 yards out) that is in the middle of the fairway.  This is the ONLY spot you should be thinking about.  This way you are not thinking about DISTANCE and DIRECTION.  You are only thinking DIRECTION.  After you do this for a while you will become more consistent.  This will make you more confident which will allow you to gain more distance without trying to hit the ball too hard.

3.  Take an extra club when hitting into greens for a while.

Taking an extra club on approach shots will take the sense of hitting hard out of the equation because if you really nail your shot, it will fly over the green.  Doing this for a while will allow you to stop trying to hit every shot so hard and give you better tempo.  If this doesn’t work take 2 extra clubs on your approach shots.  Then you really will have to swing easier.

4.  Change what you are thinking about in the backswing.

In the backswing, most people are thinking about either hitting the ball itself as hard as they can or they are thinking about something related to their arms in the backswing.  What you should do is change what you are thinking about.  You should be thinking about how your body is coiling as you go back.  This coiling tells you that you have created the necessary torque in the backswing.  Torque repeats in life 100% of the time.  So feeling this coil tells you that you are basing your swing on something that is going to repeat which will allow you to develop a consistent tempo.  If you don’t sense a coiled up feeling in your backswing, you have not created the necessary torque.   This means you will try to hit the ball with your arms because that is your only other power source you have to hit the ball with.

5.  Do practice swings before you hit the shot.

As you do your practice swings, feel the stretch as I just explained in the previous point.  After you are feeling the stretch in the backswing, focus on swinging through to the perfect follow through position each and every time.  The logic is this, if you are thinking about trying to do the very same follow through position when you are done, you are not thinking about hitting the ball which is killing your tempo.

6.  Tell yourself that you are not Tiger Woods.

If you are not Tiger Woods why are you trying to hit it like him?  This just doesn’t make sense.  Be yourself and try to swing at a level where you are not failing off balance, out of control or hurting yourself.   Remember, your body rotates very slowly in a golf swing.   If you are basing your swing on this rotational speed there is no way your tempo would be too fast.

7.  Focus on making great swings not hitting great shots.

Great swings = great shots.  Great shots = great scores.  In other words, re-think your priorities.   Focus on making great swings and the great shots will come.  Right now you are trying to hit great shots without a great swing.  Sure, you may get lucky and hit a few great shots thinking this way but to hit consistently great shots you need a great swing.

8.  Keep doing tons of practice swings at home working and at the range working on perfecting your swing positions.

The swing positions I teach are vital to creating a great golf swing.  With each of these positions, I give you specific feedback to make sure you are doing them perfectly.  So … focus on this feedback instead of focusing on hitting the ball.  This will make the positions more important to you than where the ball is going.  Once this occurs, you will make the changes to your swing which will allow you to hit great shots.

When you are at home use a mirror or watch your reflection in a window as you do about 25 – 50 practice swings every night.  When you do the position(s) make sure you are trying to feel the feedback for each one.  When you are at the practice range, hit a few balls then back up and do 3 times more practice swings than balls you just hit (feeling the feedback).  The whole idea is to switch the numbers around.  If you just hit ball after ball with your old swing you will NEVER make the changes.  You need to do the new positions 3 times more than the old.  Once you flip the numbers around like this, you will finally make the changes and play great golf.

9.  Realize that what you are doing is not working.

If you have a fast tempo you are trying to hit the ball too hard with your arms.  If this is the case, you have to snap out of it and come to the realization that this is not working.  The longer you continue to hit, the longer it is going to take you to play great golf.  The epiphany I had was when I saw Iron Byron hit a ball.  After seeing It, I realized that its arm of Iron Byron is not moving independently of its driveshaft and motor.  This meant its arm was powerless.  Understanding this concept made me realize my swing was not working so I turned my own arms off and make them powerless as well.  As soon as I did, my whole world changed.   Yes, it was a different feeling but it worked and still does to this day.

Conclusion

The whole idea here is to turn your arms off and allow the rotation of your body to make your arms swing.  Your body cannot turn all that fast in a golf swing.  This means that if your body is telling your arms how fast to swing you would never have a fast tempo.

Unfortunately, I had to figure this out on my own because no one ever told me to not hit the ball with my arms.  If you can take the advice I have given you in this tip and stop hitting with your arms, you too will develop a consistent swing tempo.

Until next time,

Paul Wilson
Creator – Swing Machine Golf

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This weeks tip is about the hips and the coiling of the body in the backswing.  Why?  Well, I was talking to a fellow teaching pro a couple of weeks ago about Swing Machine Golf (he saw my method online and was really excited about the 3 elements of Iron Byron and how I incorporate them into my teaching).  One of the main things he got out of it was how I teach the circular rotation of the body throughout the swing.  Knowing this, he figured he would start the backswing by rotating his right hip going back even though this is NOT what I teach.

Then, I had another gentleman send me some video of his swing a while back.  After checking it out, I mentioned to him to slow down the rotation of his hips in the backswing.  After working on it, he sent me more video last week.  Unfortunately, there was absolutely no change in his hip rotation.

Because of these 2 gentleman and the thousands of other people I have taught who overdo this movement, I figured I would write a tip about it.  So here we go …

The Right Ratio

As you make it to the top of the backswing, you have to create the correct ratio between the shoulders, hips, knees and feet.  This correct ratio is what is going to allow you to be incredibly consistent as you hit your shots.  With a 90 degree shoulder rotation the ratio will  be: shoulders 90 degrees, hips 45 degrees, knees 22.5 degrees and feet zero.  If you’re a tight person and can only turn back 80 degrees your ratio would be: shoulders 80 degrees, hips 40 degrees, knees 20 degrees and feet zero.  Although the shoulder rotation in both of these examples is different, the ratio is the same.  Therefore, each of these examples will create torque which will create a consistent golf swing.

The Wrong Ratio

Why I’m so concerned about starting the golf swing with the hips as opposed to the shoulders is that the hips DO NOT move the most in the backswing.  They only move 45 degrees which is half the amount of the shoulders.  Why would you move something that does not move the most?  If you think about it logically, the hips will move into position if you move the shoulders.  To see what I mean, stand up and place a club on the back of your neck and hold on to both ends.  Now, WITHOUT MOVING HIPS AT ALL turn back ONLY the club in a circular motion.  As you do, you will find that the club will only make it to approx. 45 degrees rotation with absolutely NO hip rotation.  This means that you cannot get the club to 80 or 90 degrees rotation without the hips moving.  So, continuing the rotation of the club will move the shoulders and hips into position.

Now, try the same thing but this time do so by only turning the hips.  To do this, place the club on the back of your neck again and turn your hips back to 45 degrees.  As you do, you will see that your shoulders did not move into the fully coiled 90 degree position.  This means that turning the hips to start the backswing will not allow you to create the necessary torque in the swing.

Torque

The creation of torque is vital to a great golf swing.  I say this because torque is something that repeats 100% of the time in life.  If you coil something up, it will uncoil 100% of the time. It’s this consistency that we want in our swings.  With no torque, it’s going to be up to you to bring the club back down and try to square it each and every time.  Basically, you will be only using hand eye co-ordination.  With only a few degrees room for error through impact I don’t see how this is possible.

The Pros

When you look at the pros do you see them with an overactive lower body or do you see them with their lower body fairly still?  Pro after pro has a quiet lower body while their shoulders are fully turned.  This gives them the coiled up position that I described above.  To see what I mean, flip to any golf magazine and take a look at any pro at the top of the backswing.  As you do, you will see their shirt has creases in it indicating this coiled up position (look for them).  This is the tell-tale sign that they are using torque in the backswing.  If their hips were to turn along with their shoulders, there is no way those creases would appear as they do.

What does it feel like?

As I say throughout my book and DVDs, the backswing should feel very tightly coiled in your left side and shoulder area (lat muscle).  This is not to say that it hurts and it’s not to say that you are going to feel it for longer than a split second.  This is because the golf swing only lasts a very short time and the time you’re actually at the very top of only a fraction of a second.  So, look for this tightness as you coil back and use it to your advantage as opposed to avoiding it.

How to Work on It

Over the years, I’ve received a few emails from people asking how they work on stabilizing the lower body in the backswing.  Of the 10’s of thousands of people I have taught, very few people  have the lower body stable enough to in their backswing to create the torque I’m describing.   This means that you should probably work on it especially if you are unsure as to whether you develop torque in your backswing or not.

Here’s how to work on it:

1.  You have to understand why you are to be tightly coiled in the backswing (I describe this above and in all my products)  HINT: You should be basing your swing on the creation of torque because it repeats in life 100% of the time.

2.  You have to understand how much the hips are actually moving.  To do this, stand up.  Look down at your belt buckle.  Once you see it, turn it to the right about 3 inches.  As you do you will see that you hips just moved about 45 degrees.  The purpose of doing this is to show you how little the hips actually move in the backswing.  If you are purposely trying to move them or not trying to resist their movement, they will move too much.  Keep this in mind when you do swings until you have this mastered.

3.  Do the drill I mentioned above where you place the club on your shoulders.  Then, WITHOUT MOVING LOWER BODY AT ALL, turn back ONLY the club/shoulders in a circular motion. The best way to do this would be to set up towards a mirror.  Once in position, turn back while watching your belt buckle.  As you are watching it, make sure you try to keep it pointing at the mirror as long as you can.  If done correctly, you will be able to turn the club on your shoulders back about 45 degrees with NO movement of your belt buckle.  Once the club keeps turning, your hips will be pulled to 45 degrees automatically.

4.  Start off with baby steps.  What I mean is, do practice swings and hit shots thinking only of keep your feet solidly planted in the backswing.  This means the soles of your shoes are not wiggling or twisting AT ALL in the backswing.  Once you get them stable,  focus only on your knees.  Remember, with a 90 degree shoulder rotation they will only turn 22.5 degrees.  You can get this be watching them from the down the line view in a mirror making sure you right knee does not move.  Finally, work on not moving the hips (especially in the early stages of the backswing).  Work the club to the top feeling the tightness in the left shoulder area from the torque you are creating and make sure the hips are not turning back more than 45 degrees.

5.  The thought that I used when I played golf and hitting balls was to to think about my belt buckle facing the ball all the way to the top of the backswing. In doing so, I knew my belt buckle would move but to me it felt like it was still pointing at the ball as I made it to the top of the backswing.  This makes sense after you understand point #2 above and how little the hips actually move to get to 45 degrees.

Conclusion

Why did I write this tip?  I guess I’m just sick of people being inconsistent.  By basing your swing on the on the creation of torque, you will finally be basing your swing on something in life that repeats instead of trying to manually bring the club back to the ball with your hands and arms each time.

Until next time,

Paul Wilson
Creator – Swing Machine Golf

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One of the toughest shots to hit solidly in golf is the fairway wood off the ground (especially a 3 wood).  This tip will explain why you have trouble hitting your fairway woods and what you can do to make consistent contact (this can also be applied to hitting hybrids club off the ground as well).

Typical Shots

The typical mishit with fairways woods or hybrid clubs off the ground is a topped shot or a low and thin shot that spins out to the right.  Obviously, these shots can be extremely frustrating because they either end up far short of your intended target or they get you into some pretty serious trouble.

When Do You Hit Fairway Woods?

Before I teach you how to fix these these shots, it’s important to understand a little more about them.  Think about when you actually hit a fairway wood or a hybrid off the ground.  You usually hit these shots when you are:

1. Trying to hit a par 5 in 2 shots.

2. Trying to get it close to the green from the fairway on a Par 5.

3. You’ve hit a poor drive and now you’re trying to make up for for it.

In these instances, you’re either trying to do something you probably shouldn’t be doing or you’re trying to make up for a mistake.  The problem is, if you’re not certain you’re going to hit a half decent fairway wood or hybrid club off the ground, you shouldn’t be trying to hit it at all.  Also, hitting a fairway wood or hybrid may actually be the wrong club because it will get you too close to the green leaving you with a tricky pitch shot.

Now I’m not saying I want you to stop hitting your fairway woods altogether.  All I’m saying is, you should be picking your opportunities to hit these clubs wisely and you should learn how to hit your them more consistently so they’re more dependable in pressure situations.

Why You Don’t Make Solid Contact

There are 3 main reasons you’re not making solid contact with your fairway woods.  They
are:

1.  Buckling Arms (Chicken Wing)

If you’re trying to hit your shots too hard, your forearm muscles will contract which causes them to buckle or chicken wing through impact.   This buckling of the arms makes the shaft of the club not only fall behind the clubface but  it can also lift the club off the ground.  The picture below shows what happens if the shaft leans backwards a mere 10 degrees.

2.  Raising Up

If you’re trying to hit the ball too hard, you will probably look early to see the result.  This is because human nature is saying, “the harder you hit, the more you will look.”  This hitting raises your body up which lifts the club off the ground. If you couple this lifting with the buckling of your arms, you’re certain to hit topped fairway wood shots.

3.  Hanging Back on Right Side

If you’re hitting the ball solely with your arms it means you’re not using your lower body. This causes you to hang back too much on you right foot (flat footed) through impact which makes the clubshaft lean backwards even more and creates a severely ascending path as the club approaches the ball.  This hanging back coupled with any of the above flaws, will also guarantee a severely topped shot.

As you can see in all of the pictures above, the leading edge of the club will make contact higher up on the ball thus causing the thin or topped shots. In order to make clean contact, you have to allow the club to come through with the sole more level to the ground.  Here is the what it looks like:

If the club comes through flush, the ball will ride up the face and get airborne instead of hitting it with the leading edge of the club.

How to Fix It

All you have to do to make great contact with your fairway woods is to allow your arms to stretch out as you hit the shot.  As the arms get longer, the club will make a wider arc plus the shaft will not lean severely behind the ball at impact.  These 2 things will lead to much better contact.

How to Work On It

Before you even get to the course, do some practice swings at home in the backyard.  As you do them, allow your arms to loosen up and try to make a wide arc when you swing the club down and through.  This will allow your arms to stretch out so you get used to this new feeling.  HINT: If your arms are relaxed enough, the club will start to feel heavy.

Once you get to the course and are about to hit a fairway wood or hybrid off the ground, make sure you do 2 -3 easy practice swings feeling your arms and wrists relax and the club making a wide arc (especially through and past impact).  Once you have this feeling in practice swings, apply it to your actual shot.  If you do it right, it will feel different.  In actual fact, it will feel like you are barely hitting the ball at all yet when you look for the result it will be longer and more solidly than ever before.

After you start making better contact, I know you will want to hit the ball even farther.  If you get to this point DO NOT hit harder with the arms.  Simply keep them relaxed and turn your body a little faster and the club will whip faster.  Just read this tip to learn how to use the lower body to hit you shots:  What Starts the Downswing?

Conclusion

Hitting solid fairway woods is easier than you think.  You just have to understand that trying to swing out of your shoes is not going to allow the club to sole itself properly and get the ball airborne.   So the next time you  are faced with one of these shots, do a few easy practice swings feeling a wider arc.  This will  stop the shaft from leaning backwards and create the solid contact you’re after.

All the best,

Paul Wilson
Creator – Swing Machine Golf
Find Out About Paul’s Golf Schools and Lessons in Las Vegas

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Over the past few weeks, I’ve received numerous of e-mails from people wanting more information on how to hit the driver.  I could go on forever about each one of the topics I’ve listed below but for now I’ve kept it short and sweet.   Click on a link below to cure your problem:

1.  How to Cure Your Slice

2.  How to Cure Pulling or Pull Hooking

3.  How to Cure the Push or Push Fade

4.  How to Get More Distance With Your Driver

5.  Stop Hitting Driver Too Low

6.  Stop Hitting Driver Too High

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