Top teacher round table

The Big 4, Part 2: Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, David Leadbetter, Jim McLean .

I liked this part of the first discussion:

McLEAN: The amateur might be going real hard, but the speed is at the wrong time. It's out of sequence. The fastest part of the swing is back here [before the ball], and they're actually slowing down at impact.



I will defer to these guys on the second part because they all work with multiple tour pros.

Lastly, I disagree with all of them regarding 60 degree wedge use. They don't like it's use for amatuers and I love it. You all should learn how to lean the clubshaft forward at impact to avoid what these instructors are afraid of. Lean the shaft for solid contact and let the loft take care of the rest.

Forcing players to play more events

Shag Bag Golf Blog . Commissioner Finchem talks about possible mandatory attendance for top players at some of the lesser tournaments. Duh, it's a brutal economy, the tour is losing tournament sponsors.... make the name players show up to boost interest.

Tiger Woods and Performance Enhancing Drugs?

Source: Tiger Woods interviewed in Galea probe . Maybe Tiger did (and does) use them, I don't know.

Maybe he does not use them, I don't know.

But I have said it before and I will say it again, if he is not using them then what in the world is he doing using this Doctor? Tiger is supposed to be smarter than that.

Tiger and Elin divorce settlement

Tiger Woods banned from letting girlfriends near kids in divorce deal .... ouch... and I don't mean the money. The limited access to the kids would be brutal on any dad who really loves his kids.

Anthony Kim cleared to practice

Anthony Kim is good for the tour. Even if he is a bit petulant on the course at times I want to see him out there.

Shag Bag Golf Blog | Tiger working by himself

So, Tiger is gonna' go it alone for now. Does not surprise me, insofar as he seems to be hard headed anyway. Not that that is a bad thing, as a matter of fact, I am sure that is a common character trait for superstars.

Working with the camera can be very helpful, I do all the time. But I will say that it has it's inherent dangers as well. One of those dangers being when the student tries to place or put the club in certain places to get the right look on camera. A good instructor will attain those positions IN MOTION with the overall move blending it all together.

We shall see how it works for Mr. Woods.

Hogan's Mystique

Start your week with some Mr. Hogan swings.

Bill Murray, Caddy shack

... total conciousness... so I got that goin' for me, which is nice.

Bubba Watson wins as Rose plays poorly

Bubba Watson wins Travelers Championship in playoff . With a name like Bubba, your probably gonna' kill it. If you watched it you saw how far he hits it. I mean long. I know someone who spent time with him recently and said he claims to keep it very, very simple when playing. Kind of just get up there and just hit it. Works for him.

Man, Rose looked bad coming in. Can I change my pick for the British Open? Of course, it's our blog not yours. I like Phil and Tiger... one, two at Saint Andrews. (How's that for a suzie safety pick.)

Haney Interview

Hank Haney : Golf Digest . This is a great interview of Haney about Tiger. The author, Guy Yocum, knows how to ask the right questions. Read it all.

LPGA Championship

Kerr caps LPGA Championship with 12-stroke win; ..... wasn't even close.

Colin Montgomerie

Check out this article... the last part is rather re"veal"ing.


Meanwhile, Montgomerie has revealed he has undergone a small blood transfusion in Germany in an attempt to speed up his recovery from a torn calf muscle which threatens his appearance in the British Open at St. Andrews next month.
A doctor has injected the muscle with blood from a young cow.
"Apparently, the protein in it is a great healer," Montgomerie said.



Ewww.

Analysis Paralysis

Study Confirms Analysis Paralysis in Golfers . "Verbal overshadowing" is counter productive.

Golfers should try to think in pictures if they are thinking of a move and "feel" the shot when playing.

When practicing you can think all you want --- just don't judge the time by the result of your shots. Judge your time by how well you are making the particular move you are working on.

Use the verbal part of learning to understand the concept behind what you are trying to accomplish. This is where the instructor - student relationship can really work.

Dredge shoots 67

He extends BMW lead to three - Well, it's obvious this isn't a Dredge at the bottom, he is on top.

Rose playing well

Justin Rose leads Travelers Championship by three . Starting to think Justin is gonna' really bloom this year. He is my early pick for the British Open.

Golf fashion ---- or not

Swing Sequence: Ian Poulter: I think he should swing on over to the pro shop and buy some new clothes.

For the Man Who Has it All

For the Man Who Has it All : "The man who has everything, really does. So in the spirit of last-minute-gift-giving we’ve come up with a list of possible birthday options."

Crowd hoping to see American champion at LPGA Championship.

Crowd hoping to see American champion at LPGA Championship. "“We have to keep doing what we’re doing with the LPGA Girls’ Golf program,” said Kerr, 32. “I know I keep hammering that home. We need to get more girls playing golf in the United States and hopefully have them watch these kinds of tournaments, seeing Americans win."

Dredge leads BMW International Open by three strokes

Dredge leads BMW International Open by three strokes: "Welshman Bradley Dredge extended his lead in the BMW International Open to three strokes Saturday, shooting a 5-under 67 in the third round."

Ai Miyazato is focused on being No. 1 - RANDALL MELL - Golf News & Articles | Golf Channel

Ai Miyazato is focused on being No. 1 - RANDALL MELL - Golf News & Articles Golf Channel: "Yes, you can see something special in the elegant tempo of Ai Miyazato’s golf swing and the terrific rhythm of her putting stroke, but the reason she’s ascended to No. 1 in the world in women’s golf is in those blazing brown eyes."

Backspin: Brutal, Honestly - BACKSPIN - Golf News & Articles | Golf Channel

Backspin: Brutal, Honestly - BACKSPIN - Golf News & Articles Golf Channel: "'I have never found anything, including divorce and a sexual harassment suit, more frustrating.' Comedian Jay Mohr once said that about golf, and it was apropos for the final round at Pebble Beach."

Tiger Woods vacuum

Graeme McDowell won the U.S. Open -- or maybe Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els lost it . "So until Tiger Woods retires, everyone in golf -- including Tiger Woods -- is doomed to be a footnote to the Idea of Tiger Woods in the Age of Tiger Woods. In fact, for more than a decade, golf at every level has deformed itself entirely around the Idea of Tiger Woods."


This is why I want Phil, or someone else, to rise up and challenge Tiger now. I think it would be great for the game.

U.S. Open venue now open to public

Pebble Beach Resorts and Golf Pebble Beach, California . For over $500 a round... yikes. Like I have said before, these guys don't give us PGA members a break on green fees and most everyone else does... so I am not the biggest fan. That being said, the Monterrey Peninsula is the most beautiful place I have ever been to play golf and it contains my favorite golf course, Spyglass Hill.

I have a friend playing Thursday of this week. I will post his take on how tough it is playing.

Tom talks Tiger again

I read this in an article this morning:

Tom Watson said a curious, brilliant thing about Woods the other day and it may have explained a wayward shot or three on this Father's Day when Tiger was at Pebble Beach and his son and daughter were ... where ... in Sweden, with their mother, where? "He talks about complete silence," Watson said, repeating a Woods mantra on concentration. Then in allusion to Woods' array of troubles -- physical, marital, financial, sexual -- Watson said, "It's hard to have complete silence when things are going on in your head."

I think Tom probably knows a thing or two about the mental side of golf.

Open thoughts

Looking back, this really was Els' U.S. Open to win ... I couldn't agree more.

Tom Watson is all class

Tom Watson says emotional goodbye to Pebble Beach ... for now .

Collapse

Dustin Johnson implodes, fumbles away U.S. Open . They said he was a "flatliner" all day saturday. I picked him to win but didn't realize he would be DOA sunday.

Greame McDowell wins

U.S. Open . He sure seems like a good guy and it's obvious that he can golf his ball.

Ya, we know

USGA’s Fay: Tiger wrong to criticize greens -

Here comes Phil

Scores - U.S. Open 2010

One of my picks to win

Johnson still sees the same course . Let's not talk about Stricker or Zach Johnson.

Man up

Tiger Woods blamed the greens for his bad putting, Phil Mickelson blamed himself - This about sums up my point from yesterday.

Rush loves golf

Rush Limbaugh Haney's latest 'Project' . I bet he favors the right side of the course...

Phil putted terrible also

What they said: Phil Mickelson. Notice how Phil blames himself for the poor putting performance.

The Whiny One

Pebble Beach no panacea for Woods' woes . Man up Tiger. The top 3 on leaderboard played in the afternoon too.

More on the tough conditions

Reality Check .

I like the quote " ... we are not trying to embarrass the best players in the world. We are trying to identify them".

Imagine that

Tough opening day all around at U.S. Open at Pebble Beach - Not one single birdie for Tiger or Phil... you think it's playing hard or what? What if it starts blowing? It could get real ugly if the weather gets harsh.

Golf Scores

Golf Scores - So, my predictions look iffy right now. The Johnson's are fine but the superstars better get going tomorrow.

Here we go!

Pebble now an intimate meeting of land and sea - U.S. Open Coverage

Longshots

The 2010 U.S. Open Championship - Awtrey: Six who could pull a 'Glover' at Pebble Beach. I ain't seeing any of these guys winning it. My picks:

Phil
Zach Johnson
Dustin Johnson
Steve Stricker
Tiger... if the baby is not his.

Kendall Dusenberry

Arizona State University Official Athletic Site :: Women's Golf . One of my all time favorite students - Kendall - is going to be a junior in high school next year and she is talking with ASU.

Talk about a distraction

Documentary: Tiger Woods Fathered Child With Mistress . And the Tiger scandal's just keep coming... jeez, Tiger may be the greatest golfer ever but he can't break a hundred in the game of life decisions.

Hey... 40 is the new 30 anyways

As Mickelson hits the Big 4-0, he’s still hunting for big victories . And I sure as heck hope 50 is the new 40 for MrSwingDoc.

Mickelson the bridesmaid

Despite silver medals, Mickelson continues Open competitiveness . Wow, I did not realize he has 5 second place finishes.

Steve Stricker

But he should have ordered the Grand Slam. I will bet it is nice not to be hounded wherever you go.

Tough to pick one

Sleeper Picks: U.S. Open .

Not according to Johnny Miller

Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods among 10 players who could win U.S. Open at Pebble Beach

Johnny Miller

Tiger needs 'a small miracle to win the Open'. Says Johnny Miller. What is he smoking when he basically says that Tiger is at the age where he is burned out?

When Tiger gets the rest of his life in order he will be back. And oh by the way, he is a 6 to 1 favorite by many oddsmakers to win this U.S. Open... they think he is the favorite to win, Johhny.

Lee Westwood

Muscle Power. He sure didn't muscle his way to win the St. Jude.... nice birdie on the 4th playoff hole but he backed into this one, big time.

Train wreck

Westwood wins second PGA title after Garrigus meltdown . I wanted to turn my head but couldn't.

Please

Arnold Palmer: 10 Rules for Good Golf Etiquette. Slow play is a fun killer. No reason the game can't be played in 3 1/2 hours... max.

Watching golf right now

Golf Leaderboard - PGA . My goodness, everyone is throwing up on themselves.

Update:  Westwood wins it.  "It was a gift" said Ian Baker Finch. Isn't that the truth.

More U.S. Open talk

Pebble Beach will once again yield few under par scores.

It's all about the trunk (hips and shoulders) moving the club

Meet Butch Lumpkin - Golf Video . For those of you who have taken lessons from me... now you see what I have been talking about when I say the pivot is everything. And I mean really SEE it.

Utility Clubs

Titleist 909H Utility Clubs The World of Golf . I am getting the "I wants" for these lately...

Analysis

A Decade of Difference for Woods at U.S. Open . Here is a Padraig Harington quote about Tiger after his U.S. Open win in 2000. "I think at that very moment, professional golfers were wondering would they ever compete again with Tiger," said Harrington, who tied for fifth at Pebble that year. "He had taken such a leap. Nobody else was capable of doing that."

 The problem for Tiger is that the longer he stays in this funk, the more Phil and the young guns are going to think he can be beat. For well over 10 yrs. everyone, and I mean everyone, thought him invincible. Now, even Tiger is questioning whether he will win.

U.S. Open

Woods grouped with Westwood, Els to start U.S. Open . This is gonna' be fun.

Daly hit wrong ball out of hazard

Daly’s dubious day . I really think this is a dumb rule... I liked it pre 2008 when it wasn't a penalty.

Tiger

Tiger Woods: Is Tigermania Finally Beginning To Wane? Don't you just want to get over all the crap, see some great golf at the U.S. Open and start up a great rivalry with Phil? Oh, good 'cause I do too.

The number 4 pressure point

Rose takes the lead - and the win - with the lead arm . The pressure point this writer is talking about exists between the upper part of the left arm and the side of the pectoral muscle. I like that he wrote about it but it's too bad he didn't talk about it's real importance... during the through swing. The turning torso pulls the arm throughout the down stroke and into the follow through in order to sustain compression at impact.

Pebble Beach

Why Pebble Beach Will Be More Fun Than Most US Opens . It's all about the wind... and if it blows hard we will be in for a wild ride.

Camillo

Big brother is always watching out in the Villegas house . I hope his brother has a better swing than him, 'cause his is awful. Doesn't mean he can't play well and get the ball in the hole, which is pretty obvious based on his record. Oh, and Mrs. swingdoc says he is pretty easy on the eyes, so there is that also.

Tour encouraging players to play less popular venues

Players willing to hold hand that feeds them, not bite . Smart move by tour and even smarter move by players to see how important this is. It's a bad economy and sponsers are hard to come by... and oh, by the way, they might win a million dollars.

Tiger commits to Australian Masters

Tiger's appearance fee . I have no problem with this. These tournaments make huge money when big name players play and I see no reason why guys like Tiger or Phil shouldn't share it.

Mark Wahlberg

Wayne Gretzky, Mark Wahlberg break 100 at Pebble Beach

2010 Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge

Mark Wahlberg prepares for Pebble Beach ... I predicted that he would shoot over 92, and he did. 50 - 47 for 97.

Nathan Green

Nathan Green decides he'd rather watch soccer than play golf . Are you kidding me? No, really, are you kidding me?

USGA exempts Singh for U.S. Open

USGA Singh-ed by fire, Tiger vs. Phil at Pebble . I have never been a Vijay fan... I respect his record but I am no fan. So my subjective viewpoint now is that he should not have been given the pass.

Ben Hogan

Masters of the Game: Never hurts to post a Mr. Hogan bio.

Seve

Seve Ballesteros named dog after Phil Mickelson ... no dogs named Les please.

Punch Shots Golf Blog | Golf Channel

Is Pebble Beach the greatest U.S. Open venue? I vote yes... if the wind is blowing like crazy and the rough is knee high.

Golf destinations

Luxury Golf Resorts Pinehurst - Golf North Carolina Golf Courses. I always wanted to play the No. 2 course.

Love, Lehman in U.S. Open

U.S. Open; Rose, Fowler out - U.S. Open Coverage . These guys finish one, two at the Memorial... ya think it's hard to qualify for the Open, or what?

the ultimate golf lesson

And some of you thought I was too complicated during a lesson.

Tiger

Tiger hits three fans, takes 72 shots in final round ... whew, thought it read "hits on" when I first saw the headline.

Justin Rose

Rose earns first PGA Tour win. Our house is full of Justin Rose fans. My oldest did a Taylor Made photo shoot with him a couple years back and he could not have been nicer. He was engaging and treated my son very well. Congrats to him for a great win.

PGATOUR

Memorial Tournament Leaderboard. Thought Fowler was gonna do it. He is very good and will prove it with a win soon.

Tiger

Tiger Tracks Golf Blog . Ya know, the problem is that he promised us he was gonna' change.

John Wooden was, at one time, a 6 handicap

John Wooden Dies At 99: Golf Digest. Had to be the greatest coach in history.

Rickie Fowler... really good

Rickie Fowler holds 54-hole lead at Memorial

Pebble Beach

Open practice a Pebble in player shoes? . This rumor does not surprise me. I can play most courses in the country for free. All I do is call and then show my PGA member card. It's a priviledge, not a right, but like I said, it's usually free. Not at Pebble... not at Spyglass Hill...

Ryder Cup Article

Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie "sorry" after reported affair. I bet not as sorry as the wife.

Champions tour

Armour III shoots 8-under 63 to take lead in Iowa . I have always liked Armour's swing. Check it out this weekend if you get a chance.

Rickie Fowler is good... have I mentioned that already?

Rickie Fowler ties Memorial record in taking lead

Hogan golf swing model

This is a Mr. Hogan swing done by my mentor Gregg McHatton, PGA. It's called Blobman and it can give you a different perspective on what is going on in the best swing ever.

Enjoy your unique Mr. Hogan friday post and have a great golf weekend!

Does Tiger still have what it takes? - Press Tent

Tiger is still going to be the best player in the world when all of the stuff subsides... but I am shocked to hear the quote by him in the post. I have never heard him talk of anything other than winning the tournament... ever.

Ricky Fowler is good

Player Scorecard . If you have read my earlier post on this guy you know what I think of him. If you haven't then go do so now.

Memorial

Scores - the Memorial Tournament . Vijay falls back to one under. Tiger at even with Phil at a nice 5 under. Looking forward to see how this plays out.

Sarcasm alert

Scores - the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley 2010 ... see what I mean, Vijay is a mess... only 3 under after 5 before rain delay.

Vijay Singh

U.S. Open: Vijay Singh granted exemption . I know he has been injured lately but doesn't it seem like yesterday that he was winning all the time?

Jack Nicklaus has class

Jack Nicklaus skips St. Andrews to preserve memory .

Les Johnson 7 iron

I have been working hard on tying my arms into my pivot. It's all about swinging from the ground up and Gregg McHatton has been helping me do that, like he has for 22 yrs. Thanks Hat.

Finally found some details

Classic Anxiety Breathing Techniques to Calm and Relax You. All inhalations through the nose... all exhalations through the mouth.

Breathing and staying in the now

Mental Game of Golf Exercises: A common theme seems to be how to breath.

Another opinion on the Pavin - Ryder Cup - Tiger controversy

Christine Brennan: Sports issues, controversies and commentary . Everyone is entitled to their own opinion... even if it is a stupid one. Good lord people, this is Tiger Woods we are talking about here. I have said it before... "if he is breathing...".

Talk about an article that the club manufacturers don't want written

Advances in drivers can be more hype the actual science .

Tiger's march toward Jack takes detour - Tours & News - Golf.com

Tiger's march toward Jack is still on track as far as I am concerned. My bet is he beats Jack's record of 18 majors. But there is certainly more drama associated with the pursuit since last thanksgiving. And I agree completely with a major point in this article.. the next two majors matter... allot more than they would have.

Bandon Dunes

Ten ways to make a trip to Bandon Dunes more enjoyable

Ask yourself the question: "What do I need to know?"

Stay in the Present Using Centering Techniques

I have always liked the idea of asking that simple question while you stand behind your shot. Assessing wind conditions, course condition, which shape you are hitting it that day etc...

Travel

Hitting It Straits: Looks awesome.