Getty Images
Welcome to Shaving Strokes, a new series from GOLF.com in which we share improvements, learnings and takeaways from amateur golfers just like you – including some of the speed bumps and challenges they encountered along the way.
One of the many benefits I get from being there GOLF Help Editor He hears stories of major wins made by average golfers. It can be simple things (like fixing a golf setup) to something more complex (like adjusting your full swing).
As we all compete to beat each other on the golf course, eventually, we root for each other. So seeing a player improve is always fun – especially when you can get inside of the master, revealing the steps the player used to improve.
In today’s Shaver Strikes, Tim Cook of Top 100 Golf Instructors explains how a 17.5 handicap helped Allen improve to a 12.1 handicap.
Cook told me Allen started out as a “17.5 handicap that was heading in the wrong direction.” But after following in the footsteps of Cooke, Allen shaved five strikes off his scorecard.
Take a look below to see how he did it – and how you can use the information to improve your game!
According to Cook, Allen (a right-handed fielder) started out with some common flying ball tendencies—pulling his irons to the left, hitting his driver high to the right. This was because the trajectory of his bat at impact was variable left and right by 0 degrees, resulting in a very shallow angle of attack with his bat. This made planning and playing a predictable ball flight very difficult!
This is where Cooke decided to find the root cause of the problem: Allen’s setup.
Like Allen, excessive pressure on the right side with the upper body bent off target is a common mistake made by amateurs. Here’s what Allen from Cook did to help rectify the problem.
Day one: golf preparation
Cook Allen made his spine more vertical from the point of view. Here, the sternum above his belt buckle is lined with a medium barbell, helping to balance the top and bottom center at the title. His left hand was opposite the left thigh, and he had 55% pressure on his left side.
Quickly, things improved to a repeatable club trajectory on impact, and his ball shot consistency was much better after a small setup change.
Cooke then moved on to beefing up Allen’s backhand, since his pivot was so limited when the two first started.
swinging
Next, Cook worked Allen’s back swing, allowing the left knee to vibrate inward as if it were attached to the handle of the club. This enabled Allen to feel the knee and handle swing together on the first backward motion. This helps coordinate arm swing and body pivot, rather than it moving off the ball with very little flow.
The result of mixing the takeaway gave Allen a fuller swing, which added more speed potential as well.
Day Two: Down
The two continued to work on the setup and inherent backswing—but also added some backtracking concepts.
Cook made Allen “run the left side down the hill,” helping him get back on the ball and moving his swing trajectory to the right of the goal.
“Allen hit shots on an incline with the realization that the shoulders are ‘running down the hill’ for as long as possible up the incline. Then we took that feeling out onto flat ground,” Cook said. hill.”
“Awareness from a drill or drill and applying player feeling is a great way for them to learn the new style and take it to the course.”
In five hours of work over two days, Cooke retooled Allen’s setup, helping him “go down the hill” for better balance—resulting in a higher proportion of flowing shots.
This gave Allen the confidence he needed to focus on the shot at hand, which Cook says is crucial to improving.
“It is necessary to reduce all swing ideas and drills to something simple for the player,” he said. “It helps them say and feel it before every shot when they are on the golf course.”
All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by our editorial team. If you purchase an associated product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Prices may vary.