Category Archives: Golf Tips

Turn Every Golf Club Into Three With Trajectory Control

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Learning to control the trajectory of your golf shots is crucial if you want to take your game to the next level.

Trajectory control is one of the ways you can quickly multiply the number of clubs in your bag. Just think about it, if you can hit all of your clubs at three distinct trajectories it’s effectively like tripling the number of clubs in your bag.

As Bill McKinney showed you in the video changing the trajectory is as simple as moving the ball around in your stance and moving your hands more or less forward at impact.

To lower the trajectory of a golf shot (keep the ball flight lower) simply move the ball back a bit in your stance, and increase the forward shaft tilt at impact (move your hands ahead of the club head and ball). Both of these changes take loft away from the club.

A low trajectory shot is great for staying under trees, cutting through the wind, or getting more roll out of the shot.

To increase the trajectory of a golf shot (get the ball higher in the air) you want to play the ball forward in your stance. At impact you want less forward shaft tilt (although your hands still need to be a bit ahead of the ball and club head). You still want to maintain a flat left wrist, even for a high trajectory golf shot.

For these high trajectory golf shots you will be striking the ball right at the bottom of the swing arc. This means that you will take little to no divot on the shot.

This shot will feel more like you are sweeping the ball up. However you don’t want to try to flick the ball into the air, you must remember to stay down through the shot.

High trajectory golf shots are great for getting over trees or getting less roll from a shot.

For more great golf instruction from Bill McKinney Click Here.

Go out there and try this technique.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP Golf

Add Yards Back To Your Drive by Overcoming Lost Flexibility

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As you know the power in your golf swing is developed in your core pivot, not your arms. This is a problem for many of us as we age.

As we start to lose flexibility we stop being able to twist our backs and shoulders like we used to. Because of this we start losing power and yards from our golf shots.

The body lean golf tip in the video above will help you get your back and shoulders to rotate more in the back swing so that you can get more power out of your golf swing.

If you don’t get your back and shoulders into your back swing you will naturally start relying on your arms which will not only cause you to lose some serious distance, but also lead to a number of other nasty problems in your golf swing.

So if you are losing flexibility do yourself a favor and try this out:

Simply open up your right foot (left foot for lefties) pointing it slightly backwards.

Lean your spine back so you are behind the ball, with your shoulders slightly turned behind you at address.

(Note: leaning back slightly doesn’t mean that you start your golf swing with your weight on your back foot. This tip doesn’t change how you balance your weight.)

These simple little tweaks to your golf swing make it much easier for your joints to twist the way they need to get the most out of your golf swing.

As Marc said in the video this little trick will also help you stay behind the golf ball during your swing. Many older golfers have a tendency to get in front of the ball too early in the swing, a problem that also robs power.

Oh and before I forget, you know that stinger shot that Tiger Woods always uses, well Marc Minier has finally decided to demystify the whole thing so average golfers like you and I can start using this little trick.

I convinced him to put together a new video where he breaks the whole thing down and shows you exactly how to hit that stinger shot.

It’s simple to use and it can shave some serious strokes from your golf scores. To learn how to hit the Stinger Shot Click Here.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP Golf

Perfect Your Ball Striking With This Simple Drill

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Just so there is no confusion, this golf drill it is not meant for practicing bunker shots. This drill is geared toward improving your ball striking for golf shots off of grass.

This golf drill will teach you to strike the ball more cleanly. By practicing in the sand you are able to see exactly where your club first touches the ground in relation to the golf ball. This will really help you dial in your swing.

During normal practice off of grass it is difficult to tell whether or not you are striking the ball cleanly, because after you swing the ball is long gone and you have no reference point to compare your divot to.

As you saw in the video when you practice this drill in the sand you can draw a line, place the ball just ahead of it, make your shot and get instant feedback from your swing. After you take a few shots you will know right away if you were are a little ahead or behind the ball.

Ideally you want to strike the golf ball first then the ground, so your divot should start right after the line you drew in the sand. Your divot should never start in front of the line (that would be a fat shot). If your divot starts before the line you know you need to adjust your swing.

The length of your divot is also important. This is where the sand really helps out. Since grass is resilient it will only take a divot where you make hard contact. Soft contact simply scuffs the grass.

Sand on the other hand will tell you exactly how long you were contacting the ground. A long divot means that you have a good follow through and are maintaining proper wrist conditions through impact.

If your divot is short you need to work on staying down through all your shots. Try focusing on having a flat left wrist through impact, and carry that wrist position as long as you can into your follow through.

If you really want to dial in your golf swing this drill is a must, so go out there and try this out.

For more great golf instruction from PGA Pro Bill McKinney Click Here.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP

Hit Longer Drives Using This Weird Bucket Drill

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The key to hitting longer drives is developing a more powerful golf swing. As many of you know swing power is not developed in the arms. Instead the power in the golf swing comes from your core and your pivot.

One of the crucial ways you get power out of your core is by creating torque from your torso. It’s kind of like winding up a spring (your spine is the spring). The trouble is many golfers think they are winding up their torso, when in reality they are just turning their whole body during the back swing.

To visualize this, think of a bungee cord going from your right shoulder to your left knee. If you turn your shoulders the same amount as you turn your hips there won’t be much tension in that imaginary bungee cord. In other words there isn’t much torque in that swing.

If however you rotate your shoulders more than your hips you would be stretching that cord and storing a lot of torque and power in your golf swing.

Now don’t get me wrong your hips and knees will rotate to the right during the backswing. The key is that for a powerful swing your shoulders must rotate further.

The key to this simple golf bucket drill it that is makes you conscious of how you are winding up your torso and hips. You can see and feel it right away.

If the bucket is pointed in the same direction as your shoulders you know you haven’t created any torque in your golf swing. That’s what makes this golf drill so powerful. You don’t need anybody to watch your swing, and there is no guess work (even better it’s free).

So go out there and try this out.

For more great tips like this from PGA Golf Pro Marc Minier (He’s also received the Teacher of the Year Award 4 times) Click Here.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP

Secret To Low Powerful Golf Punch Shots

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As you saw in the video the secret to a low power shot is to have a large amount forward shaft lean. This takes some of the loft off of the golf club keeping the ball flight low.

This type of shot can be used in many different ways. It’s pretty common to use a 4 iron for this kind of shot but other clubs work in different situations.

You can use a half swing and get a small 50 to 75 yard golf shot with a low short flight and a really long roll, or you can use a full swing and like Bill said in the video get up to 200 yards out of it (which will also be low and have a long roll).

The bottom line is that this is a very versatile golf shot, one every golfer should know. It can really save you if you wind up in the trees or on the edge of the fairway where you need to keep the ball low to clear overhanging branches.

Aside from being able to use this shot to get out of trouble it will also help you train your hands to stay in front of the ball at impact.

This kind of low power shot simply exaggerates the forward shaft lean to keep the golf ball low. If you have trouble getting your hands to stay in front of the ball or can’t seem to keep your left wrist flat at impact this is a great shot to practice.

By exaggerating forward shaft lean with this golf shot you will get the feel for where you hands should be during impact on a normal shot (sometimes exaggerating something is the best way to get a feel for it).

If you play around with this technique you will also find that you can start controlling the height of all your golf shots by simply changing the amount of forward shaft lean.

To learn more great golfing tips and tricks from Bill McKinney Click Here.

That’s it. Now I’m going to go out and try that umbrella trick myself (at night while nobody’s watching). You should try it too (but it’s not my fault if you break your umbrella). Leave me a comment if you can hit the umbrella, or just leave a comment for any other reason, I love to hear feedback from other golf nuts.

For better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP

Find Your Driver’s “Hot Spot” For Added Distance Off The Tee

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Aligning the driver directly behind a teed up golf ball is one of the most common mistakes when it comes to teeing the ball high. This is why many golfers avoid long tees. Once you understand this little secret it will open up a whole new world of distance for you. This one trick alone can get an extra 20 to 40 yards out of your driver.

I recommend using 3 inch tees. Here’s what you need to do:

Tee the golf ball up with a 3 inch tee. Align yourself to the ball without letting the club rest on the ground. Make sure your arms are fully extended (like they would be at impact). The ball should be at the center of the club.

Now relax your wrists and arms letting the club rest on the ground. Notice that the ball is now aligned to the toe of the club, that’s okay because like you saw in the video your arms will lengthen at impact putting the ball right where it should be.

The key to this trick is that the sweet spot on drivers isn’t where it used to be. New golf driver technology and the massive club faces found on modern drivers have moved the “hot spot” higher up on the face of the club.

I use the term “hot spot” because when I talk about the sweet spot most people are thinking about the spot smack-dab in the center of the club face. The center of the club face isn’t a bad place to be hitting, but on most new drivers hitting a little above the center will actually get you more distance.

This is why using a longer tee is so important. Without the golf ball sitting up higher off the ground it is pretty much impossible to access the “hot spot” on the club face.

In addition to hitting the “hot spot,” teeing the ball higher brings your swing plane closer to the horizontal axis. The driver swing is already much more horizontal than an iron swing because of the long shaft. Teeing the golf ball up an inch higher brings it even closer to horizontal.

Why is this good for you? Well many (actually most) golfers tend to hit at least a slight slice with their drivers. A sliced golf shot can be caused by two things: an open club face, or an outside in (sometimes called coming over the top) swing path.

The closer your swing plane is to the horizontal axis the more difficult it becomes to swing outside in.

So in addition to helping you hit longer drives, teeing the ball up higher can actually help to fix your slice. All you have to do is remember to address the shot with the golf ball toward the toe of the driver, it’s that simple.

For more great tips from Bill McKinney Click Here.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP

P.S. Have you guys noticed the weather getting warmer? Time to dust off the clubs and try out some the great video tips I’ve been sending your way this winter. So go out there and have some fun.

Unorthodox Golf Drill Cures One Sided Golfers

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Not only does this drill look really cool it can actually help improve your golf game in a big way. This golf drill allows you to train both sides of your body and your hand eye coordination at the same time.

It is similar to the one handed chip shot. The one handed chip shot forces you to use both sides of your body properly if you want to make a clean shot. It exposes weakness in your swing that your strong side may be compensating for.

The drill in the video above also exposes weaknesses in one side of your body or the other. Mastering this drill will not only amaze your buddies, it will also sharpen your golf skill tremendously. Your hands will be forced to get into the right position for impact every time you swing the golf club. Training with this drill will make proper wrist conditions (flat left wrist, bent right wrist) second nature.

This golf drill will also improve your hand eye coordination. Luckily the ball doesn’t move when we address it on the course, but your body is constantly moving during the golf swing. Although we don’t often think about this it requires a lot of hand eye coordination.

Developing good enough hand eye coordination to be able to hit the golf ball after turning and twisting our bodies in the back swing is something that we learn very quickly. However, developing the razor sharp hand eye coordination that will allow you to hit the right spot on the golf ball every swing, regardless of course conditions, is something that many golfers never achieve.

This is exactly the kind of drill that fine tunes your hand eye coordination taking your golf game to the next level, and like I said above it educates your hands at the same time.

So go out there and try this drill. If you can get half as good as Bill McKinney at this drill I guarantee that your ball striking skills will improve and your golf scores will start dropping.

If you want to get even more serious about dropping your golf scores and improving your swing check out Bill McKinney’s Natural Power DVD package.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP

P.S. Don’t forget to leave a reply in the comment section below. I’d love to hear what you guys think of the video and take any requests for future videos.

Lower Your Golf Score With Better Chipping

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Chipping is a crucial part of golf. You can’t hit every green in regulation (even the pro’s don’t), so being able to chip it close enough to one putt is the secret to making or saving par, while your buddies are struggling for bogie or worse.

As you saw in the video getting the golf ball high is crucial when you need to get over a bunker, or any other obstacle around the green.

To get the ball high into the air with a chip shot you have to do a couple things to your golf swing. First you need to put your weight slightly back onto your right leg. Next you need to take the club back low and swing at a low angle.

Taking the club back low sets you up for a flatter swing arc in the downswing. This enables you to hit lower on the golf ball than normal. Think about it like you are taking the club and slicing in between the ground and the ball.

You want to keep the club low on your follow through too. This doesn’t mean you slow down at impact or stop your swing after contact, you have to hit through the ball just like any other golf shot (except certain bunker shots).

You have to keep your momentum through impact. Simply keep the club low on the follow through. This will keep you from trying to scoop the ball. Scooping the golf ball doesn’t get it in the air.

Don’t be afraid to bring your lower body into this shot. You still want a weight transfer just take it nice and easy.

Also try hitting these shots off of a variety of grass conditions. They are really easy to hit off of a fluffy lie, but you can still hit them off of short grass (it just takes some practice and confidence).

These shots are actually a lot of fun to practice, try popping the ball up and over shrubs and small trees. The more you practice the better feel you will get with these high chip shots.

For more short game instruction from Darrell Klassen Click Here.

Now go out there and give these shots a try.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP

Golf Tip – Using Delayed Release To Hit Longer Drives

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As you saw in the video waiting as long as you can to release your lag angle (delayed release) will enable you to put much more power into your golf swing.

The key is where and how you release this lag angle. By waiting till the last minute you prevent yourself from “casting” and wasting that power. The other key is that you must release that energy down into the ball, not forward down the fairway.

If you try to release your lag angle forward you will end up with improper wrist conditions at impact (and lose all your power).

Pay close attention to Marc’s wrists in the video. Although he is dumping that lag angle right at impact he still maintains a flat left wrist and bent right wrist at impact. This is the most crucial part of the swing.

If you are not able to keep your left wrist flat at impact all that energy you stored by keeping that lag angle will be worthless.

The other thing to note is how you get the club face square when you maintain this lag angle until impact. All it takes is a simple turning of your left wrist.

Getting the club face square does not require you to roll your arms over one another. This is one of the most common mistakes that results in a bent left wrist at impact. Instead you simply rotate or twist your left wrist right before impact.

This little twist motion is so quick that it allows you to square the golf club face at the last moment, enabling you to keep that powerful lag angle until you deliver that power into the golf ball (the moment of truth).

Just remember to keep that lag angle till the last moment then dump all that energy down into the back of the ball.

For more instruction from Marc Minier Click Here.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP

Loading Your Golf Driver Shaft For Massive Power

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Getting your driver shaft to flex properly is one of the best ways to add major distance to your golf drives.

Golf club shafts are meant to flex in the down swing. This flex stores a ton of energy (like an archer pulling the string back on his bow). When that flex releases at the right point (at impact) you will be able to launch the ball much further than you would if you were to rely on swing speed alone.

The key to getting this flex to work for you is choosing the right kind of shaft. As you probably know golf shafts come in a variety of flex levels. They range from junior to double extra stiff like Bill is using in the video.

Just as he says you need to find the right shaft for you. If you are young flexible and consider yourself to have a fast swing, a stiff shaft may be right for you. If you are a bit older and not quite as limber as you were in your younger days, you may want to get a medium flex shaft or senior flex so that you can properly load the shaft (and still out gun the younger guys).

Now for the technique shown in this video:

Loading on plane means that you are not getting all whacky with your golf swing when you are trying to flex the shaft. Staying on plane is crucial. The key is using your base (feet, knees, and hips) to stress the shaft.

By having a strong weight shift on your down swing you are able to put enough torque on the shaft to load it without jerking down from the top or getting off plane.

Once you have the shaft loaded you need to keep it loaded until impact. If you “cast” or release your wrists before impact you will lose all that stored power in the shaft (not to mention you won’t have proper wrist conditions at impact).

To keep the shaft loaded you have to use your core pivot to drive the swing all the way THROUGH impact. Your arms simply won’t be able to keep the shaft flexed on their own. Now go out and try this technique yourself.

Oh and before I forget you should go check out Bill McKinney’s Natural Power Golf Swing you’ll be glad you did. You will learn how to load your shaft and many more insider tricks that will get you hitting longer straighter drives.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP

How To Load Your Wrists For Longer Drives

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This week’s video tip is short but sweet. Check it out…

When it comes to loading your wrists the biggest mistake golfers make is to start loading from the start of their back swing. This is a big mistake. This will prevent you from using your core as your swing engine and cause all sorts of consistency problems in your golf swing.

As Nick says in the video you need to have a one-piece take away. That means you start the back swing with your hips, torso, and shoulders; never with your hands.

When your hands are level with your belly button or a little higher you can start loading those wrists.

Just remember that you need to have a flat left wrist and a bent right wrist at impact to deliver maximum power to the ball and hit long consistent drives.

Loading your wrists allows you to create a more powerful golf swing. It is important to keep this power stored (with a flat left wrist) until you deliver it into the ball at impact. Remember proper wrist conditions at impact are the key to consistent ball striking.

Proper wrist loading is just one part of a natural swing sequence. As you can see in the video, Nick, who is not a large guy (he’s about 150 pounds) utilizes great technique and proper swing sequencing to consistently drive the ball 300 yards.

His close attention to technique allows him to use his body effectively and out drive guys who are much taller and stronger.

If you watch the video you will notice that his swing doesn’t even look that fast, yet he can seriously crush the ball. That’s because he is able to store tons of power in his back swing and he doesn’t release that power until impact.

Bottom line…there is no substitute for proper form and knowing when to load your wrist is a big part of this. Now go grab your driver and try this out.

For more driver distance secrets Click Here.

For Better Golf
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP Golf

Simple Distance Tip From Long Drive Champion Sean Fister

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A slow consistent backswing is crucial to long drives. As Sean Fister says in the video a quick backswing followed by a jerk down from the top will result in the club head wobbling.

Remember driver shafts are long and relatively flexible. This wobbling of the club head will produce miss hit golf shots even if your swing is on plane.

Practice taking the club back slowly. This can also help you remember to take the club back with your core and not your arms. Taking it back slowly will allow you to consciously think about using your torso to start your back swing.

This is where you develop real power. Watch Sean’s back swing. He is a long drive champ because he uses his core.

Just remember a quick back swing has nothing to do with driver distance, so stay relaxed take your time and remember to use your core.

As Sean said in the video one great way to remember this is to be a swinger on the backswing and a hitter on the down swing. You shouldn’t be focused on the ball in the back swing, focus on your swing. Once you get to the top you can start to focus on hitting the ball.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP Golf

Start Sinking More 6 Foot Putts With This Simple Putting Drill

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We all know that confidence plays a large role in your golf game, and it’s on the putting green more than anywhere else that confidence can make or break your score.

Here’s a quick example that I’m sure is familiar to you. You’ve made it onto the green in regulation and you are sitting with a simple 4 foot putt for birdie. If your confidence is high this putt is no problem. However you three putted the last hole.

Making this 4 footer for birdie will erase that last bogie, but your confidence is low and you miss the putt.

There is a high degree of skill involved in putting, but we all know that confidence is a key ingredient in eliminating three putts and sinking those 6 footers. That’s why you need a putting drill that not only sharpens your fine motor skills, but also your confidence.

I use this drill all the time. It is the best putting drill I’ve come across over the years. The secret is that after sinking the 2 foot putt, the 3 foot putt, and the 4 foot putt you confidence is so high that you will often sink the 5 and 6 foot putts no problem.

This is huge positive reinforcement and will build your confidence, knowing that you have a real chance at sinking 6 footers and that anything inside 4 feet will be a “gimme.”

Like Darrell says in the video you should practice this from many angles. Using this drill on breaking putts will sharpen the way you read how greens break and teach you how the distance and speed of the ball affects the amount of correction you need.

I can go on and on about how great this drill is but I’ll spare you. Just go out and try it (be careful it’s also quite addictive).

If you want to start sinking more putts tomorrow click here.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP Golf

Bridge Stroke Drill To Tap More Power Into Your Drives

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Fixing your driver swing can be pretty difficult if you just hit drives all day. A full speed driver swing happens so fast you have virtually no time to recognize problems or fix what you are doing wrong.

This is where the “bridge stroke” comes in handy. This simple power pitch shot is slow enough that you can diagnose problems, yet similar enough to a full swing that it will fix problems you have with your drives (and even add more distance).

In this quick video Golf Pro Bobby Schaeffer will show you exactly how to use the bridge stroke to fix your swing and add tons of power and distance to your golf drives.

As you can see in the video the bridge stroke slows down the most common trouble spot in the golf swing. It educates your hands teaching your left wrist to stay flat through impact, while at the same time teaching you to use your core pivot to add power.

One of the secrets of this golf drill is keeping your shoulders and neck loose. The power in the golf swing comes from your core pivot not your arms. When you tense up your neck and shoulders you have a tendency to use your arms to hit the ball.

Using your arms to swing the golf club robs massive power from your swing. So stay loose and let your core do the work.

Just remember to keep that left wrist flat through impact. Don’t let your wrist flop over after impact. You have to keep your left wrist flat into your follow through.

Now go out there and have some fun. I know you will get some extra yardage out of this drill. For more information on hitting longer drives Click Here.

For better Golf,
Doc O’Leary,
Head Golf Nut, OHP Golf

Simple Golf Workstation Drill For Longer, Straighter Drives

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As you can see in the video this “work station” that you can easily set up on the driving range can help you fix several problems and get you hitting longer, straighter drives.

The best part is you only need two spare clubs and a handful of golf balls.

The first step is to lay a club between your stance pointing at the ball and perpendicular to your target. This lets you to easily glance down and see where the ball is in your stance (forward, back, or center).

Next lay a club parallel to your target line and about 6 inches away from the ball. This makes it much easier to see your target line while you are looking down.

Place a few golf balls along your target line downrange. Place the first ball 2 feet in front of the ball you are going to hit. Place the next ball 2 feet from that one, and so on.

The final step is to place a few golf balls behind you, along your swing path. The first one should be about 3 feet behind you along your swing path. The next 2 a few more feet back along your swing path.

The video shows pretty clearly what the swing path should look like. Your current swing path may not look like this (even if you think it does) so give this drill a shot. This workstation is designed to make it easy to visually check and make sure your golf swing is following the correct path.

As Bill describes in the video the first ball that is placed behind the golf ball you are hitting teaches you to have a low take away. The phrase low and away is a great way to remind yourself of this.

The back of your club should tap that ball out of the way as you take the golf club back to the top of your back swing. A low take way forces you to use your core and pivot to start your back swing (one of the keys to great golf). To practice this you can even let your club drag on the ground a bit in the take away.

This drill helps you on your down swing too. The balls placed along your swing path will help you see if you are coming over the top (swinging from outside to inside) or laying off (an exaggerated inside out swing).

For another one of Bill McKinney’s free golf instruction videos click here. Be sure to come back next week for another great video tip.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP Golf