Ask the PGA Professional

This is your opportunity to have questions about golf in general or your golf game in particular answered by a PGA Professional.

Having swing trouble? Still fighting that slice? Missing short putts? Ask the PGA Pro!

Approximately once a week, your questions will be answered here by one of the participating PGA Professionals from Golf in the SouthWest.

This week, Kim Brown, PGA Master Professional at Keeton Park in Dallas, Texas will be answering your questions. Brown is also President of the Northern Texas PGA.

Simply go to this form, to ask the PGA Pro your question.
Thanks for your participation!

Q & A

Last Updated: Jan 28th

Kim Brown:
The "trick" is to make a slow, but complete motion through the ball. You should feel like you are trying to "slap" the back of the sand wedge off the sand and make a full motion through the ball regardless of the initial results. Eventually, you will get the feel of it and won't feel as inhibited about "FINISHING".

Kim Brown:
If you set up your posture the same for every club, the length and lie of the club will dictate the hand and ball position.

Kim Brown:
These type of "keys" are the things that either promote more or less "feel". If the feeling of moving those body parts key an overall good motion and better feel of the swing, then YES, it is the correct way.

Kim Brown:
It sounds like your professional took a sound approach to your fitting to me. He was fitting you "dynamically" with a hitting board and tape. Most of us tend to hit with our clubs "too flat". However, if you are simply uncomfortable with the more upright lie clubs, have them bent back a little until you hit a compromise lie angle that you are happy with.

Kim Brown:
Most of us tend to simply try to make "contact" on the first bunch of balls and then as we get loose we start to utilize the smaller muscles of our body such as the hands. Sounds like number one, that your hands are too active in the swing (manipulating the club off the target line) and second of all like a small mental block. Focus on swinging to the finish of each swing after about the first 10 shots. You might also try only hitting a small bucket and then returning 45 minutes later to hit some more!

Kim Brown:
Different people have different learning styles. If you respond well to visualization, then yes, a video would be helpful. If I can remember the name of the program, I will forward it to you, but there is a "screensaver" application available through the internet somewhere that has a "model swing" that keeps repeating itself which is great "cybervision" stuff. Any kind of video tape of someone with sound fundamentals will do and you might try editing that tape to have side by side swings of you and them. Many pros offer such a service such as Dan Strimple in Irving Texas. E mail him at strimp@aol.com.

Kim Brown:
Not if that was the "normal" way you would play that shot. I can understand your opponents attitude, though !

Kim Brown:
The same swing path may very well produce different characteristics of flight pattern of the ball due to 1) the length of the clubs,
2) face progression on woods as opposed to offset on the irons,
3) swing pattern tends to be exaggerated with a wood which you might not have as much confidence in. Try practicing alternating an iron, then a wood, an iron, then a wood, etc.

Kim Brown:
1. take the club back by coiling the shoulders then the hips and feel like the big muscles do the work.
2. Keep your hands low, do not pick the club up on the backswing.
3. Focus only on the finish position at the top of your follow through. Both hands should finish between the left ear and left shoulder with your weight on the left foot. Hold the finish for a 3 count when you practice.

Kim Brown:
Usually, better putters like fast greens. Poorer golfers like slower greens. A good putter makes a smooth, pendulum type motion and a poorer putter tends to manipulate the putter with their hands more causing a "slap" instead of a stroke.

Thanks to Kim Brown, PGA Master Professional for answering these questions.

Simply go to this form, to ask Kim your question.

Northern Texas PGA

Golf in the SouthWest