Golf Tip – Can A Metronome Help You Sink Putts?


Having a consistent repeatable stroke is a big part of sinking putts. This golf tip will definitely help you sink more 8 to 10 footers. More importantly this putting drill will help you sink those 4 to 6 foot putts where your nerves and the pressure of losing a round are weighing on you.

It’s all about having a consistent rhythm ingrained in your head so that no matter what kind of putt you are facing you know exactly what to do.

The metronome is a great tool for developing rhythm and tempo, after all that’s why musicians have been using them for nearly two centuries.

So how do you use a metronome to improve your putting? It’s very simple. First of all you’re only using the metronome for that very last part of your whole putting routine. It wouldn’t make sense to hold yourself to a strict rhythm while reading and aligning your putts.

Instead you’ll only be using the metronome for about the last 4 seconds of your putting routine, the part where you take your last look at the hole then make your putt. To do this you have to break those last few seconds down into specific movements. As Bobby Schaeffer points out in the video those movements are 1) Your last look at the hole 2) Moving your eyes back to the ball 3) Taking the putter back and 4) Impact with the ball.

When you learn to do these four steps in a set rhythm you’ll be able relax even during tough putts. Having a set routine means you won’t really have to think about much during the stroke, you already know the exact movements you are going to make and how long they will take.

The actual speed you set the metronome to doesn’t matter all that much. What matters it that you learn to use that same rhythm every time you make a putt.

You can certainly use this drill without a metronome but having a metronome will help keep you honest. Also listening to the continuous beats will help you internalize whatever putting rhythm you choose.

For more tips on becoming a master of putting check out Bobby Schaeffer’s Hot Touch Putting.

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

How Can A Marshmallow Improve You Golf Swing?


Strange tip I know…but I’ve seen this trick help many golfers.

Like Darrell says in the video it is difficult for many golfers to take their mind off the golf ball when practicing.

You may be wondering “why would I want to take my mind off hitting the golf ball, isn’t that the whole point of golf.” Think of it this way, is it possible to make a good golf swing without hitting a ball? I think so.

For many golfers the second you put a ball in front of them their natural swing disappears and they start to hit AT the ball, not THROUGH it.

When you aren’t hitting through the ball you are slowing down at impact. Slowing down at impact can cause a whole bunch of nasty things to happen to your golf swing, not to mention it robs power and distance from your golf shots.

The marshmallow trick allows you to focus on your swing NOT what you are hitting. Once you focus on your golf swing it is much easier to accelerate through the point of impact.

Like Darrell explained in the video the best way to practice with this trick is to swing and imagine hitting an object that is a foot or so past the ball/marshmallow. The ball or marshmallow will naturally get in the way. When the ball is just getting in the way as you accelerate toward the imaginary object you will know that you are hitting through the ball.

This will maximize your distance and and eliminate all the problems that come from decelerating before impact.

For more golf instruction from Darrell Klassen check out his signature series package. It’s a great deal you don’t want to miss out on.

Secret To Shaping Shots



Learning how to shape golf shots will help you get around the course much easier. Using a hybrid golf club is a great way to teach yourself how to shape shots. Because these clubs are easy to hit, it takes much of the frustration out of the process.

Start off with the easiest way to shape shots, trajectory control. Trajectory control is as simple as moving the ball around in your stance. To hit a low golf shot simply play the ball back towards your back foot. To hit a high golf shot play the ball more off your front foot.

When shaping the trajectory of your golf shots you also want to make sure you are paying attention to your hands. You don’t need to scoop the ball to hit it high. Your hands should still be in front of the ball at impact, but with as little forward shaft lean as possible (depending on how high you want to hit it).

For a low golf shot you will want a lot of forward shaft lean. This takes loft away from the club keeping the ball lower.

Now for the fun part, hitting fades and draws. As Bill McKinney shows in the video above hitting a hook or draw is simply a matter of swinging inside-out and “wrapping the toe around the golf ball.” You will also want to line up your stance to the right of your target. This type of swing is much like curving a table tennis shot. Cut across the ball to the right and the ball goes left, and visa versa.

To hit a fade golf shot or a slice you do the opposite. Align your stance to the left of the target and swing from the outside-in cutting across the ball. Also remember to keep the club face square into your follow through, closing the club face will take some of the spin off the ball. By doing these three things you will cause the ball to curve to the right.

The last segment of the video shows you the practical ways you can use these techniques on the golf course. Imagine the green was directly behind the tree in the video. Without being able to shape golf shots (or have pinpoint accuracy and hit between the branches) you would have to hit left or right of the green and take another shot to get on. Knowing how to shape shots would allow you to go for the green saving you a stroke.

Hybrid clubs make shaping shots much easier because they are so forgiving. If you don’t own any already I would recommend picking up a set. They will change your game, and you will find yourself pulling off shots you never thought you could, and miss-hits will virtually go away. For more information on Hybrid Golf Clubs Click Here.

Add Yards Back To Your Drive by Overcoming Lost Flexibility


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


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

Secret To Low Powerful Golf Punch Shots



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

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


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


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


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


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

Start Sinking More 6 Foot Putts With This Simple Putting Drill


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

Secret To Clean Golf Shots Out Of Fairway Bunkers

Landing in a fairway bunker can be a stressful situation. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be. With the right tools and the right technique you can easily put yourself in a good position to save par or even have a shot at making birdie.

In this quick video tip PGA Golf Pro Bill McKinney will show you a few simple tips that will get you out of those pesky fairway bunkers with ease and confidence.

As you saw in the video your stance is crucial in a fairway bunker, or in any bunker for that matter. Keep in mind building a stance in a bunker is illegal. However digging your feet into the sand to get a stable base is perfectly acceptable.

Like Bill says in the video you’ll want to dig your spikes into the sand a bit. If you don’t do this you will slip around, especially if it’s early in the day and the sand is still wet.

Remember on most fairway bunker shots you are going to be using a full golf swing. This means a full weight shift. If your feet aren’t planted you will slip around. I’m sure you have experienced this before.

So make sure you always take a moment to get your feet fully planted. Even if your front foot only slides an inch forward it can cause some nasty problems in your golf swing (like forcing you to chunk the ball).

The other keys to successfully hitting out of a fairway bunker are: choking up on the club a bit, and aiming at a spot a little higher up on the ball to ensure that you hit the golf ball first not the sand. The last thing you want to do is hit behind the golf ball. Choking up makes you much more likely to hit the ball clean or a little thin (a much better miss-hit when you are in a fairway bunker).

The last thing to consider is what club to use. Hybrid clubs are a great choice for hitting out of fairway bunkers. They don’t dig into sand as easily as irons, so if you do hit the golf ball a little fat it won’t be a huge problem. The other advantage is that the shaft is somewhat shorter than a 3 or 5 wood making them much easier to hit out of a fairway bunker.

Now go out there and have some fun in the sand.

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

Hit Longer Golf Drives By Tucking Your Elbow


If you want to hit longer drives this is truly one of the easiest ways to do it. Bill McKinney makes this golf swing tip really easy to understand. Check out the video below.

As golf pro Bill McKinney explains in the video you should try to keep your elbows straight while you take the club back. This loads your golf swing with tons of power. Be sure to fold your arms (bend your elbows) late in the backswing.

When you start your down swing focus on getting that right elbow (left elbow for you lefties) tucked into your belly button. This keeps your hands out in front of the club head, a very powerful position.

As you saw in the video the trick is to tuck that right elbow into your belly button during the release point of your golf swing.

You also want to think about your body position during the golf swing. As explained in the video you want your body to be in a hit the ball high position (torso tilted back), while keeping your hands, and the golf club, in a hit the ball low attitude (keeping your hands out in front lowers the loft of the club).

This will give your drives the proper launch angle with low spin. If you do all this you will hit longer drives.

The real secret behind tucking the elbow on your tee shots is that it forces you to keep your hands in front of the club head. By keeping your hands out in front you will prevent yourself from releasing your hands too early and leaking power out of your swing. If you want to hit longer drives you have to save up all your power until you make contact with the ball.

Go out to the range and hit a few golf balls using this trick. I know you will start hitting longer drives if you use this technique.

If you love to hit longer drives stay tuned to my blog for more free golf tips from the best golf instructors in the business.

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

Hit Longer Golf Shots With Better Balance

Balance is crucial to hitting consistent and powerful golf shots. I talk a lot about developing your golf swing power from the ground up (not through the arms); well if you don’t have good balance you are building your swing on unsteady ground. A big no no.

In this video golf professional Bill McKinney shows you the absolute easiest way to improve the balance of your golf swing. This simple little golf drill is so easy you can do it at home, in your back yard, or in your garage with some wiffle balls. The best part is you probably have all the materials you need in your garage right now (and by materials I mean a 3 ft. long 2×2 or 2×4). Check out the video below.

This simple tip gives you a cheap and easy way to improve you golf swing by forcing your body to learn how to balance itself during a golf swing. All you need to do is simply address the golf ball with the board under your feet (check out the video if you can’t visualize this) and make a couple of pitch shots. You may be a bit wobbly at first, but your body will figure out how to balance itself after some practice.

Teaching yourself how to balance your body during the golf swing is crucial. Proper balance gives you the ability to create massive power to put into your golf swing. This is how the pro develop enough power to consistently hit 300+ yard tee shots. It may seem simple (and it actually is), but if you never practice your golf swing balance you will never be able to improve it.

Stay tuned for more great tips. Till Next Time…

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