Advanced Golf Training – Philip, Week 2
As Philip moves into week 3 of his 26 week advanced golf training here at the Australian High Performance Golf Academy AHPGA, it`s time to review week 2. Last week Philip continued on with his improvement programs in the critical to success training areas of high performance sport.
In the image on the right you see Philip and another of our AHPGA students Zoie working on swing path improvement with their pitch shots in the ‘Golfermatic’. Philip works on his ’3 pitching swings’ daily to develop good distance control with his pitch shots.
To correct his tendency to hit the ball with a weak, high left to right slice, Philip has been working on learning to shape the golf ball with a stronger right to left draw shaped ball flight. By continuing to work on developing this shape of golf shot, Philip is also improving his full golf swing technique.
Philip’s putting is also improving as he continues his daily 1 hour putting exercises.
A daily stretching, stengthening and conditioning regime ( take a look at the image on the left of Philip working on a thoracic extension exercise with AHPGA Physio Sean Horan), is conditioning Philip for his 26 weeks of intensive advanced golf training.
Log onto AHPGA regularly to keep up-to-date with Philip`s Advanced Golf Training and progress.
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Philip`s First Week of Advanced Golf Training at AHPGA
Philip Tan from Malaysia has just completed week one of a twenty six week advanced golf training program at the Australian High Performance Golf Academy AHPGA.
Last week we spent a lot of time observing and assessing Philip`s game through the use of video, swing analysis software and various skills assessment tests to identify the critical to success areas that will allow Philip to start shooting better golf scores quicker and set him on the path to achieving his goals.
Philip is currently working on improvement cycles in the `Critical to Success Training Areas of High Performance Sport`;
PHYSICAL SKILLS- Philip underwent a comprehensive physical screening assessment to test his current range of movement (flexibility), physical limitations and strength and is in the gym training daily on improving his aerobic fitness, range of movement flexibility and strength development.
TECHNIQUE-Following a comprehensive assessment process Philip is now on an improvement program with his long game, short game, pitching and putting skills
TACTICS & STRATEGIES- Philip is learning the art of managing his game around the golf course in regards to strategies on playing short par fours, when to go for the green in 2 on par 5 holes and when to lay back, recovery strategies and the traffic light approach to golf strategy employed by the worlds best golfers.
MENTAL SKILLS `MIND ON THE GAME`-Philip is working on elevating his intensity levels during training to better condition and prepare him for future tournament play. As we say here at AHPGA ” Practice as you intend to play”.
The image above right shows Philip prior to any swing improvement work. Philip is in an unbalanced postion, he has lifted and straightened up out of his original postural angles established at address,he looks very cramped and notice how his eyes are still looking down at the ground even though the golf ball is well on it`s way. This cramped position is a result of poor technique plus specific physical limitation that were identified by our physiotherapist.
If you look at the image on the left, you can see after a week of training that Philip is now in better balance, his upper and lower body are rotating in a sequenced manner (notice how Philip`s right arm and shaft are in line and parallel) and his eyes are now enjoying the flight of the golf ball. Notice how much more balanced and the freedom of motion there is in this image compared to the image above.
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Changing Golf Swing Technique Through Golf Ball Flight
For the past two weeks I have had the pleasure of working with Zoie Cooper a fine young junior female golfer from Western Australia. After comprehensively testing and assessing Zoie`s golf game holistically last week through a series of technical skills and performance testing we were able to identify certain patterns in Zoie`s golf game. Zoie`s ball flight tendency is a right to left hook shape or a push out to the right of her intended target.
In the image on the right you can see the top of the back swing position before any full swing improvement work. Note the unbalanced position of the arms. Zoie`s left arm is in an upright position and there is too much tension in that arm, which see`s the club in an unbalanced position resulting in an overswing and disconnection. From this unbalanced position at the top, Zoie`s first move is to pull her right arm down into her right side. This results in the club getting too far behind and `stuck`. From here the club approaches the ball on an excessively flat path coming into the ball. Zoie is forced to flip her hands over the ball through impact closing the club face too rapidly. This is resulting in inconsistent contact ( thin contact and contact out of the heel of the club face) and inconsistent ball flight control.
For the past two weeks we have had Zoie working on improving her golf swing path on the down swing and into impact. As a part of Zoie`s daily training plan, she works daily on shaping the golf ball in a left to right shape with a fade.By working on the dynamics required to play a fade with a standard height ball flight this is encouraging an improved connection between Zoie`s body and arms, a body release, hands inside club head through impact and into the follow through and reduced forearm rotation. If you look the image on the left, you can see how Zoie is now becoming more balanced a the top ( note the balanced position of the arms and body).
If you are experiencing a similar inside/flat club head path and ball flight like Zoie was, next time you go to the range try hitting some standard height left to right shaped fades. This will improve your golf swing path and contact, which will improve your control over the ball flight, which means more distance and direction control, which results in lower scores!
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Advanced Golf Training at AHPGA- Philip`s first day!
Today I spent the day working with Philip Tan for the first time. Philip is a 23 year old golfer from Malaysia who will be training with us at the Australian High Performance Golf Academy AHPGA for 26 weeks.
First up we comprehensively assessed Philip`s golf clubs. Philip`s golf club`s required some minor adjustments (inconsistency in the golf club lie angles and golf club lofts).
After this we spent the morning assessing Philip`s putting. This is done through a number of skills assessments covering short putts (up to 6 feet), mid length putts (7 feet to 18 feet) and long distance putts (20+ feet). Through these skill`s tests we were able to determine a recurring pattern in Philip`s putter face aim at address, which was consistently aimed left of his intended target at address.
Following lunch we went out onto Palm Meadows Golf Course for 6 holes so Philip could play some holes under my observation. This is an important part of the assessment process here at AHPGA. Through this observation I was able to see first hand Philip`s tendencies with his golf game in the areas of club face aim, body alignment, ball flight tendencies, short game skill`s and strategies and tactics. I believe that this on course observation is extremely important in the initial assessment process.
We sat down together late this afternoon working through his golf swing technique, golf skills, and training program for the next 4 weeks.
Log in for weekly updates and images on Philip`s progress during his 26 weeks of advanced golf training with us here at AHPGA.
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The Persistence, Self-Belief and Patience of Champion Golfers
I was sitting down watching the television coverage of the third round of the US Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta National this morning and as usual I was marvelling at the precision ball striking, short game skills and strategy of today`s champions. But something that was extra special and really impressed me was the determination, persitence, self-belief and patience of Brandt Snedeker.
27 year old Snedeker from Tennessee (last years PGA Tour Rookie of the Year) may not have the experience, but he certainly showed his determination in today`s third round. After a near faultless front nine of 2 under 34, Snedeker found himself heading into the back nine with a one stroke lead over South African young gun Trevor Immelman. After a solid par on the tenth hole Snedeker proceded to bogie three in a row from the 11th hole (he bogeyed the entire Amen Corner). Now just 3 holes later he was back at 6 under par and trailing the leader Trevor Immelman by 3 strokes. He was in danger of slipping right out of contention.
But Snedeker was not about to give up and quickly answered that setback by rolling in 8 footers for birdie on holes 14 and 15, then played his way back into the final group on Sunday with one from 6 feet at the 18th after a wonderful approach shot.
Snedeker had this to say after his third round;
“Any time you’ve got a six footer around here, I don’t care what day it is or what’s going on, if you’re trying to win a golf tournament, you need to make them,” Snedeker said. “You don’t want to leave Trevor too much in the lead because he’s playing fantastic golf. Tee to green, that’s as good as I’ve ever seen anybody hit a golf ball.”
Snedeker is now just 2 strokes back of Trevor Immelman heading into tomorrows final round.
Immelman, at 11 under, leads by two shots after carding a 69 on Saturday. The 28 year old South African is just the 10th player to shoot three rounds in the 60s, the last being his countryman Retief Goosen in 2002. No one has ever had four.
You just never know, Brandt Snedeker just might be slipping into that coveted green jacket tomorrow afternoon…..his persistence, self-belief and patience have given him every chance!
So remember, when you are working on your own golf games make sure you devote some quality time to developing your mental strength just like these great champions during your practice and on course training. To play golf at the highest level you MUST be mentally strong.
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AHPGA Student Selected in Queensland Golf Squad
Australian High Performance Golf Academy AHPGA student Matthew Melrose has been selected in the Queensland Golf Union State Squad. Matthew currently sits in fifth position on the Angus Buchanan Trophy Queensland Order of Merit with a stroke average of 72.07 ( this is the calculated stroke average leaders).
Matthew has been performing consistently over the past two years, in not only local amateur events but also overseas in his home country of South Africa. Just last December Matthew travelled back to South Africa to attempt to pre-qualify for the South African Airways Open. In the pre-qualifying stage Matthew shot a fabulous 5 under par score, which got him into a 6 man play-off. Unfortunately Matthew did not go on to qualify for the South African Open, instead finishing first ulternate ( this is the first reserve, so if a player was to withdraw from the tournament Matthew would take his place in the tournament). Even though Matthew did not get to play the tournament, he did have the wonderful experience of being able to practice alongside some of the worlds best golfers, namely Ernie Els, Greg Norman, Darren Clarke, Retief Goosen ( Retief Goosen spent 10 minutes chatting to Matthew on the range…..how good is that!) and current US Open Champion Angel Cabrerra. In fact it looked like Trevor Immelman was going to withdraw from the tournament at the last minute. If this had occurred Matthew would have been slotted into the grouping of Darren Clark and Angel Cabrerra…….that would have been a truly wonderful experience……..so close Matty!
All the AHPGA team and AHPGA coaching staff congratulate Matthew on his selection and wish him all the best when the final Queensland Golf Union State Team is announced this month.
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An Interview with PGA Tour Golf Professional Nathan Green
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Nathan Green and discuss life and times on the PGA Tour. Nathan is one of the many young Australian Professional Golfer`s making a name for themselves on the most competitive tour of them all, the PGA Tour in the United States.
Tony- Today I’m joined on the tee by Nathan Green who finished 67th on this years money list (2007) on the USPGA Tour. Firstly Nathan thank you for taking the time to share your experiences of life on the tour with us. Before making your way onto the PGA Tour in 2006 you played the various mini tours of Australia, 2 years on the Canadian tour and Nationwide Tour. How was that transition for you to the PGA Tour?
“I had a great start to the tour with 2 good finishes, and after that I felt I belonged, which was not always the case”.
Nathan- I had some success on the mini tours and the co- sanctioned events here in Australia, so when I joined the US Tour in 2006 I felt very comfortable being there. I had a great start to the tour with 2 good finishes, and after that I felt I belonged, which was not always the case. I struggled with that a little bit in my early days. But playing alongside Vijay Singh, Phil Mickleson and Jim Furyk in those first couple of tournaments and playing very well gave me a big boost of confidence for the rest of the year.
- Nathan’s first event on the PGA Tour in 2006 was the Sony Open in Hawaii where he finished T5th. His final round of 64 playing alongside Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk gave Nathan a great boost in self belief and a real sense of belonging on tour. Two weeks later he was in a playoff for the Buick open alongside Tiger Woods and Jose Maria Olazabal, where a bogie on the first playoff hole would see him finish T2nd with Jose Maria Olazabal.
Tony- Did you feel you needed to change any aspect of your game to compete on the PGA Tour?
“So a big part of my recent success is being able to trust my swing and game out there in competition”.
Nathan- No not really. As I said I got off to a good start and that made me feel very comfortable with my game. I am not a big technical player. I went down the technique path earlier and just found that I was not able to play as well as I could, always thinking about technique while I was out on course. So a big part of my recent success is being able to trust my swing and game out there in competition.
Tony- Are you currently working with any body on your game?
Nathan- No. I have been just doing it on my own now since the start of the year. I find I know my own game so well, so if things go off a little I can get myself back on track pretty quickly, where as before I was focusing too much on my technique which was affecting my on course play.
“The last couple of seasons I have been working on the mental aspect of my game”
Tony- Nathan what part of your game are you currently working on in regards to technique, physical fitness, strategy and the mental game?
Nathan- The last couple of seasons I have been working on the mental aspect of my game with Niel Smith. I really respect his advice and I find that working with someone who has been there, and understands what you are going through has been very helpful to me and my game.
“Now days I practice more the way I intend to play. I hit shots, shape the ball. Sometimes I will play the course of that week’s event on the range”
Tony- Can you share with us a typical daily training routine for you?
Nathan- I used to practice a lot more than I do now. I used to spend hours on the range hitting balls and working on aspects of my technique. Now days I practice more the way I intend to play. I hit shots, shape the ball. Sometimes I will play the course of that week’s event on the range. This is where Niel has been very influential in getting me to practice correctly. Before I would hit balls, putt, chip etc but with no real strategy or purpose. Now I am always working on hitting shots and giving myself little challenges and tests during a practice session. My practice sessions will change depending on what I feel I want to practice for that particular week.
Tony- How much time do you spend on your game from 100 yards in, putting and the around the green game.
“ I have good feel, and just practice my three wedge distances of 50m, 70m and 90m daily hitting to various targets”
Nathan- To be honest, I don’t do as much as I used to. I prefer to work on yardages with my wedges. I have good feel, and just practice my three wedge distances of 50m, 70m and 90m daily hitting to various targets. I will practice putting to develop good feel and play around the green for a while. But not as much as I did when I first turned professional.
Tony- Nathan thank you for taking the time to share your experiences on the tour with us and good luck for season 08.
Nathan- No worries, thanks Tone.
Nathan year so far on the PGA Tour
3 2008 The Honda Classic
T11 2008 Buick Invitational
T22 2008 Northern Trust Open
T30 2008 PODS Championship
T50 2008 FBR Open
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AHPGA Junior Ranked in the Top 10 Female Amateur Golfers in Australia
Australian High Performance Golf Academy Junior Squad Member Ellie Na is currently ranked in the Top 10 Female Amateur Golfers in Australia. What a wonderful achievement, made all that more impressive seeing as Ellie is just 13 years of age!
Ellie continues to improve as a golfer as can be seen by some of her most recent achievements;
-Youngest player ever (male or female) to qualify for a Womens Australian Golf Open at the 2008 Women`s Australian Open at Kingston Heath in Melbourne
- Invited to compete in the 2008 ANZ Australian Ladies Golf Masters
- 3rd in the Victorian Women`s strokeplay championship
- Won Joan Irving Memorial Junior Championship
- Won Royal Queensland Junior Championship
- 9th Aaron Baddely World Junior Championships
- Won South Coast Schools Regional
Congratulations Ellie on your achievements so far. Keep up the good work!
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AHPGA Juniors Selected in the South Coast School Golf Team
Australian High Performance Golf Academy (AHPGA) Juniors Bobin Kang and Ellie Na have won their way onto the South Coast School Golf Team. They will represent South Coast School District at the Queensland State School Championships to be contested at the North Lakes Golf Course in May.
Both of these young players are having great success this year, and the AHPGA Team wish them both all the best at the Queensland State School Championships.
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After Six Weeks of Advanced Golf Training at AHPGA
In the tenth (and final) part of the series we look at week 6 of Stuart’s training program(Stuart`s final of his six weeks of Advanced Golf Training at the Australian High Performance Golf Academy). For other parts of the series see the links under the “Categories” Menu
This is part of what Stuart had to say about his time and advanced golf training over the past six week`s at AHPGA;
“I can do this, these guys really weren’t that much better than me (tour players). It was a great experience, I’m glad I went down. I impressed a couple good players with my scrambling and composure and it felt good. I’m excited about the future and I’m really starting to believe in myself. Your coaching has been great Tony, and my scrambling has never been so good! My putting was great and I know I can count on it under pressure.When my swing comes around, watch out. It’s going to be fun. I will take what you have taught me to the tour and I am so glad that I came to Australia and espescially the AHPGA. Thanks tony. I look forward to next week and beyond. I will give you a holler tomorrow sometime”.
Stuart Drahota
Stuart will be missed by all the team at AHPGA…and as I said to Stuart on his last day here with us, this is not the end, this is just the beginning!
If you would like to join us at the Australian High Performance Golf Academy and experience education in the advanced skills of shooting consistently lower golf scores contact us now for enrollment details.
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