April Group Clinics

The season is getting ever closer and Spring has come early!! It is now time to fine tune your game and make 2017 a record breaker. April is the month that we are calling the 'Scoring Zone" month. Mine and Oli's group clinics promise to give you all you need in helping you start the season the right way.....down the middle, on the green and taking less putts than you did in 2016!! 

Our group clinics provide a continuous improvement program to all our golfers here at THSG. They are fantastic way to learn about key areas of performance both on and off the course. 

Sunday 9th April 1pm-2pm - Lock & Load Your Driver Swing In 2017   

Venue - Driving Range / Driver

This session will be all about helping you gain distance without losing dispersion off the tee. We will look at stability at address in your pre-swing fundamentals, then we will split the swing up into P1 - Takeaway, P2 - Top Of The Backswing & P3 - Impact & Beyond. This session promises to be a fascinating insight into what makes a sound technique. 

Sunday 16th April 11am-12noon - Save 9 Shots By Next Week

Venue - Short Game Area / Wedges 

This will be our first ever Q & A on the short game, come fully prepared with all your questions regarding the short game. We will cover the most frequently asked questions in our own golf lessons. During this session we will cover all aspects of the short game from distance wedges, chipping, pitching, problem shots and bunker play. 

Friday 28th April 2pm-3pm - Clubhead Delivery - Don't be late!! 

Venue - On The Range / Mid Irons 

We will be taking everyone back to the basics in this session and helping them get back to good old fashioned, high quality, ball striking. There will be no magic formula here, just solid fundamentals that every great ball striker shows!! 

** To sign up for any of the above clinics please email tim@timhallschoolofgolf.com or call 01989 720439, you can also sign up in the golf shop with one of the team. These sessions are £10 per person, which includes an evaluation with coffee, in the clubhouse after the session. **

Everyone Loves A THSG Quiz!

For the first time ever at the THSG we are holding a ‘golf inspired quiz night’ on Wednesday 5th April, the eve of the 2017 Masters. This quiz will have everything and is certainly for EVERYONE, no matter what the age and IQ level!! 

With six quick fire rounds and as usual a THSG twist this promises to be a fantastic evening to kick off the season. All proceeds raised will be donated to the development of junior golf at the club. 

We are looking for teams of 4 which can consist of both members and non members.

* £10 per person including a curry and prizes

* Meet at 6.30pm for a 7.00pm prompt start.

To ENTER your team please CLICK HERE

Payment must be paid in the pro shop prior to the event.

Reverse Your Pivot!

This week we are covering one of the most common swing issues we see in golfers that come to us here at the THSG.....the dreaded REVERSE PIVOT. If you have suffered from this in the past you will know that its a big killer of distance and accuracy especially off the tee. 

This issue is common amongst golfers of all abilities from scratch to higher handicappers. In my experience this common swing issue either comes from poor set-up or poor backswing movements. It is also the number one cause of back pain in a golfer. Pretty important aspect to focus on, hey!!? 

The reverse pivot movement comes from the golfer tilting there side bend towards the target in the backswing and firing back in the opposite direction in the downswing. 

Jargon Buster time, Side Bend, this is the bend we see in the spine from side to side. 

All screenshots and illustrative pictures in this article will be shown from side on. Commonly over the past few years golf professionals have spoken at length about bend from the hips to get the correct spine angle for posture, in todays article we will be talking about side bend. These are examples of correct and incorrect side bend at set-up with the driver. 

Lets talk pre-swing, What i like to see in all golfers is a strong and stable base at set-up, i use the words activating your legs a lot during lessons to teach stability. In the left hand picture i have demonstrated poor pre swing fundamentals, deactivated legs and more importantly a lack of side bend in the spine (yellow line). In the right hand picture we have an example of a stronger more activated stance with the knees wider and a positive side bend in the spine. I like to use a physic band around the knees in practice and in lessons to help activate the muscles that are key to helping us create a strong base. 

Now to the backswing, maintaining the side bend as you rotate into the backswing is a key thought, in the picture below i have demonstrated a correct and incorrect move. Please note that in the left hand picture a large amount of lateral movement from the pelvis has happened, this is very common from someone who reverse pivots. In the right hand picture i have maintained the side bend and kept the activated feeling in my legs. I liken this position to a throwing action, its a very common position we see from baseball pitchers as they take the ball back. 

You have done your homework, now enjoy the results... if we can make these physical changes pre-swing and maintain these more positive angles throughout the swing, we will become more efficient in transferring the energy needed to hit the ball longer and straighter. 

Good luck with the changes......any questions please don't hesitate to get in contact with me tim@timhallschoolofgolf.com.