Benny Needs More Tools .

 Benny returns after an overseas business trip, and we are now ready to get back to the Benny project.  Our first lesson on the range was mainly focused on Benn’s pitching and chipping. Confusion had set in, as he did not now what to do when he had a 15-yard shot  “ DO I CHIP OR PITCH”.

 Every shot in golf requires learning the skill or motor pattern to produce the required results; it then needs to be practiced before attempting on the golf course. 

  The coming week will be practice for Benny, then in for another lesson to work once again on his chipping, pitching and speed putting.

 The next step will be to take it to the golf course again for a 9 hole  playing lesson.

Stay Tuned 

                                       The Short Pitch From 15 Yards

A Word From Ben !!

We started on Project Benny of 1st June 2011 and here we are, almost 4 months into the endeavor to break 90 on or before 31 May 2012.  My handicap was 31 when we started and it is 29 today.

 If you are reading this, you would have seen the videos so there is no need for me to spend countless lines in this article beating myself up by telling you how far my physique differs from that of Tiger or Martin Kaymer.  I am your average fairly good-looking Joe, almost 50 and I started playing golf three years

Ago. I work pretty hard at the game and could not honestly see myself breaking 90 anytime soon much less within 12 months when Martyn suggested Project Benny.  My thoughts now are that, when I finally break 90, it will pretty much show that breaking 90 is within the reach of any average Joe receiving competent instruction.

 I have learned many things since we embarked on this journey but the most surprising and valuable lesson to date is appreciating the difference between what I do

on the driving range and what I ought to do when I play on the course.  It would have been the most natural thing for me to use the same approach on the course as I do on the range.  I was very surprised to learn that the most effective way to improve is to accept that I would train my body to accept the lessons on swing mechanics on the range and when I get out on the Course, I will have to trust that I have trained my body well enough for it to know what to do without being burdened by excessive swing thoughts.  This is where the pre shot routine quiets the mind to enable the mind and to trust the body in the execution of the shot, be it a drive or a putt.  Pretty Zen stuff – but it works.  Just like the Karate Kid in the movie, in golf you go through the motions day in day out practicing and then when the moment comes on the course, you should just let it happen and the bridging Tool to letting it happen is the pre shot routine. I now understand the Nike motto "Just do it!"

If you find this interesting, I could tell you more but really, I should

Leave wanting more.  Until next time . . . . Benny

Benny Returns After A Break !!

  Benny has returned from on a 3-week vacation with no golf, so it’s back to the driving range. On Benn’s return we have currently had two on range lessons, mainly focused on his ball striking and the preparation for the coming 6 months.

Lesson 1: Main focus was to assess his swing mechanics and build on his 30-40 meter pitching that I still feel needs quite some improvement.

Lesson 2:  Benny was still having problems with his backswing, getting a little to flat resulting in a pull shot to the left. The short pitch from 30 – 40 meters was still not at the level we require not have enough wrists cock in the backswing.

What’s ahead?   

Another range session in the next week and then back out for a 9 hole playing lesson.

Stay tuned as we Re- Focus Benny to break 90.

On The Range .

Benny's Lesson 11th August:-

There is a saying, “If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right!”

Benny now believes in himself.  In his last few rounds he is breaking a 100 and breaking 50 for 9 holes without a struggle. His self-image is now of a 90's golfer.

During the last 2 months we have worked hard and are now getting results. Your golf improvement is not about taking one golf lesson or reading and experimenting on golf tips, or even worse, looking for a magic cure in golf equipment.

Todays golf lesson was mainly a swing maintenance lesson. We wanted to take an overall look at Benny's technique. There were a few problems in Benny's back swing. The swing plane being a little flat and in his change of direction into the downswing, he was coming over the top and hitting the occasional shank.

Once again we worked on his short pitching (35-40 meters). Although its improving he is still a bit steep into the downswing, taking a bigger than desired divot, he also has a little bit too much body movement.

Benny did great and is getting a much improved ball flight and contact. 

Over the last few weeks I have been teaching Benny the punch shot and he is now implementing it with success on the golf course. Today I taught Benny clubface control thru the hands and what influence this has on his ball flight. The hands control the clubface and the clubface is the major influence on ball flight and direction. Too often golfers are too focused on big body parts without the correct hand and clubface control. The body does not know where to aim and how to react; it reacts to the ball flight.

This was exciting for Benny to be able to learn new things and to start having some control over his ball flight, by truly understanding the role of the hands and clubface.

Good work Benny!!

Benny Achieves a Personal Best !

On Course lesson August  4^th

A big day for Benny achieving his personal best 9 hole score of 43. It did not come without a struggle. This was our first 18 hole course lesson and Benny started with a solid bogey down the first par 4 and then had a total collapse over the next 6 holes, losing his routine and rhythm.  His decision making process was gone and most of  his body language was negative.

This is a situation many golfers get into on a golf course. This is a dangerous time when they start experimenting with their swing and often their fellow golfers, at this point, with all good intentions start offering their advice. The situation deteriorates and things go from bad to worse .

Now the hard work began, getting Benny back on track.  Bringing his attention to the fact  that he had lost his normal routine. His body language was negative and his thought processes, that we had been working on, were nonexistent.

“What should I do?” said Benny. My reply was to hang in there and get back to the things we had been working on and by the 9^th hole he made a solid bogey 5 on  a tough par 4. He followed this up with a par on the 10th hole. He then played the best 9 holes of his life, highlighted by a birdie 3 on  the 17^th hole. There was one brain lapse with a 4 putt, but apart from that it was high quality golf that Benny had never experienced before.

 The final score was 98, with a front nine of 55 and a back 9 of 43.

This was one of Benny's great learning days. Golf is not all a bed of roses. Don’t quit, but grind it out and you never know what can happen. 

Home Work        
   1. Benny is still pulling some of his putts and his tempo was out.
   2. He needs some more stroke mechanic work on his eye line putter trainer and to work on an even tempo thru his stroke.
   3. His bunker game and chipping have improved but is still not yet at the level it needs to be. 
    4. The wedge game is improving,but still room for improvement.

                        Great work Benny!  Stay tuned to the Benny Project .

Short Game Lesson 21st July

The main focus of the lesson was the short game: chipping, putting and the short 35 meter pitch.

Chipping:-

My observation of Benny during our playing lesson was that he has too much weight forward in his set up. Combine this with too much forward lean of the shaft and Benny is not getting the true loft of the club, resulting in low running shots making it very hard for Benny to control the speed.

Benny implemented the changes successfully; he now has a softer, more controllable ball flight.

Putting:-

In a previous posting I attached a video of Benny’s home practice drills. This was meant to improve his stroke mechanics. There has been a significant improvement in his stroke, but his speed control is still sporadic .

Putting is like a game within a game. It has very different mechanics to the full swing. It has little, to no body motion and the energy comes from the forearms, wrists and a little bit of shoulder. Benny, like 90% of golfers has too much body motion in his stroke.

Hence the problem with his speed controls.

Pitching:-

Another area in which Benny is not performing to his full potential.  Benny has the ball coming out on too low a trajectory, caused by not enough upward motion in his back swing and as a result Benny is not getting the correct angles into the ball.

Enjoy the short video below:

On- course Lesson July 11

Wow!! Benny is a new man.

 The session started  by my teaching Benny how to best do a pre-round warm up.

Firstly, he warmed up with his new wedge game system these are shots between 30 and 70 meters, followed by some full wedge shots and then some 7 irons. He finished with a few drivers going thru his pre-shot routine.

Benny had a lapse half way thru the warm up by turning it into a technical swing session. I quickly stopped Benny and reminded him that this is the time to warm up to get the rhythm and tempo for the day and not the time to be working on his swing.

He now needed to warm up the short game by hitting some sand shots followed by some speed putting and finished with some short putts. Once again running thru his routine Benny was now ready to play.

We played the first 6 holes at KDE and Benny was great. He had 6 bogies and managed it easily.  His routine was great and I was working hard with him, taking him thru the shot selection process. Making the right decision for the shot at hand, Benny is improving in this area.

Where to from here?

Short pitching, chipping and putting is the focus for our next lesson on Tue 21st.

We need a big improvement in his chipping technique and I have some drills for him to work on. His putting is improving, but he still needs to lift to another level and the 30 meter shot has improved, but I am expecting more out of Benny.

Benny has never experienced this level of control on a golf course before and it is great to see him playing golf as I know he can.

Stay tuned this is getting exiting!