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Dexter Yarbrough is a senior consultant and provides specialized expertise in the areas of professional services, including; police/security management/organization and environmental health services; advising clients on strategies to minimize risks; perform physical security site surveys and develop security solutions; analyzing security vulnerabilities and system failures; recommending CCTV systems, telecommunications products, analog/IP cameras, access control and intrusion detection systems; providing advice on retention and diversity issues; researching criminal backgrounds; analyzing criminal history; conducting long range strategic planning; providing needs assessments, evaluations, education and training. Dexter Yarbrough Chicago Ask professional golfers on tour what swing mechanics they work on the most and the majority of players will say ball position and alignment. The proper ball position and alignment start when you address the golf ball. If you are lined up incorrectly, your body feels this and makes you change your swing path to correct this faulty alignment. Also, if you have the ball positioned too far forward or too far back in your stance, it leads to inconsistent and poor golf shots. Most golf instructors agree if you start your swing with the proper alignment and ball position, you have an excellent chance of hitting good shots. So, if you are out of alignment and the ball is positioned incorrectly, it is almost impossible to consistently hit quality golf shots. Here are a few tips that will effectively help adjust your body into the correct position at address: First, face your target and take a step toward it with your left foot (for right-handed golfers). Now, from this position, turn your body to the right until your shoulders and chest are aligned parallel to your target. You will now be properly aligned to the target, and your feet will be the proper distance apart at the address position. Next, hold you arms out in front of your chest shoulder width apart and clap. Where your hands come together is where they should be at address position and also where the ball should be played in your stance. Now, using your normal grip, take your 5 iron and hold the club straight out in front of your waist. Next, bend over from the waist until the bottom of the club rests squarely on the ground. From this position, slightly bend your knees like you are about to sit on a chair. To get a feel of what I mean, practice leaning forward from the waist so your arms hang straight down in front of you - remember to keep your back straight, don't hunch over. From this position add some knee flex. (This is where you grab your 5-iron to judge how much lean and knee flex you need when addressing the ball.) In your golf swing, as you swing back and through the ball, it's critical that you try to maintain this position (spine angle) during the golf swing. When you hear golf announcers on TV talking about how tour players retain their spine angle through impact, they are commenting on how these players are returning the club to the same position they started with at address. This is why it is so important to start with a good set-up, proper alignment and proper ball position. Contact Dexter Yarbrough The keys to solid, crisp iron play are sound fundamentals, a good rhythm and balance through out the golf swing. Here are a few tips to help you create improved iron play: • Allow the arms to hang down at address, and don't reach for the ball. If the arms push out away from the body during impact, the clubface opens causing players to have to manipulate the face to get back to square. Address the ball by letting the arms hang down, keeping the elbows close to the body. As you hit shots, feel the elbows staying close to the body during the swing. • Keep the hips quiet upon impact. The key to solid ball striking is allowing the hips to open before impact but in a subdued and delayed action. Proper hip rotation allows the arms to remain close to the body keeping upper-body tilt in the correct position upon impact. Don't force the hips open, let them open naturally. • Proper hand position: When approaching impact, the left wrist should be flat and the right wrist bent back. If the arms are out away from the body during impact, the right hand will release early causing the right wrist to prematurely straighten. Early release is the main cause for loss of power in a golf swing. Keep the right heel down upon impact. Keeping the right heel grounded late in the downswing will allow the hips to remain quiet and keep the arms close to the body during impact. It also allows the feet, knees and hips to remain directly under the torso, creating a solid impact position that maximizes solid contact and consistency. Try these tips and see your iron play improve. Dexter Yarbrough Sports Years ago, when I was VP of sales and marketing at Cleveland Golf, I had the opportunity to spend time with John Cook. Over the years John has played some fantastic golf, but many observers think he never reached his potential. One thing for sure is he is one of the nicest PGA Tour pros out there. In January 1992 John stopped by the company to have his clubs worked on, and I asked him how he felt about the upcoming season. His response surprised me. He said his confidence was kind of low but improving. As Cook had just come off the best year of his career - three wins and near misses at the PGA Championship and British Open - I wondered how he could lack confidence. That's when I realized how important a positive attitude is to playing your best golf. Here are a few tips to help lock in that positive thinking during your round. • As you approach every shot, think of where you want the shot to end up. Never think of where you don't want the ball to go. Concentrate on your intended target, relax and hit the shot. A clear mind leads to good shots. • Analyze each shot's given circumstances and, depending on your ability, play the safest shot. Take this situation: You're teeing off on a hole that requires an extremely accurate drive, with water on the left, out-of-bounds on the right. The hole is a 300-yard par 4, and you're a 20-handicap player. The yardage is saying you could drive the green, but your golf brain should tell you to hit a safe middle iron shot into the fairway, followed by a short iron approach. Easy pars are better than an occasional birdie and many double bogeys. • Feel the shot before you hit it. Rehearsing a shot exactly how you want to execute it is an important part of building confidence in your swing. All too often, golfers take practice swings with little regard to the actual shot that is going to be played. A good practice swing creates a feeling of the shot at hand. • Now the final step, executing the shot. Narrow your focus to a specific target, like a tree in the distance or a bunker in the fairway. Trust your shot, stay focused on your target and execute by just letting go. Again, focus on what you want the shot to do, not on where you don't want the shot to go. Dexter Yarbrough Sports Dave Pelz specializes in short-game instruction and in this video he shares a few exercises that will improve your short-game aim. The exercises Pelz demonstrates will eventually train golfers to aim directly at the target each time. Pelz emphasizes the importance of correct body alignment, alignment with the target and hitting the mark. To show how to get the proper alignments, he employs the use of a T-square made of PVC tubing. Although such a device is banned in professional games, it is an effective practice tool that will allow golfers to accurately set up the shot. Dexter Yarbrough Comments The inner-thigh, adductors and groin region often lack flexibility. This is particularly true for men. Flexibility and stability in this area of the body will support proper alignment in the hip and pelvic region during the golf swing. Your PGA Professional may ask you to perform certain movements with your hips that require keen body awareness. These three Yoga for Golfers poses will focus on your hips and groin, allowing you to execute your pro's suggestions. If you are not sure of your flexibility, try this test. Sit with your back against the wall. Then bring the soles of your feet together and as close as possible to your groin. Mentally measure the distance from your knees to the floor. I guarantee that you will see improvement in that measurement very quickly if you perform the following poses. As you gain flexibility, you will gain power in your swing because you're using your hips. Tip: In this series of Yoga For Golfers poses you have two options for approaching the pose - actively or passively. Actively refers to utilizing muscular strength, which means pressing the part of the body you are working into the floor. Passively working the pose refers to allowing the body to sink into the pose, which means releasing tension in the boy with every exhalation. My suggestion is to alternate your passive and active approach to the poses every day. Notice the difference in the results. Bound Angle Pose As with the test described above, bring your soles together, with your feet as close as possible to your groin. For this pose, place your back flat against the wall. In this photo, I am supporting Andy as a wall would. Gently draw your navel toward your spine and lift your rib cage. With shoulders rolled back, gently press your knees toward the floor. Hold this pose while breathing in 10 times. Hand to Foot pose Lie on your back and place a strap or belt around your right foot. It is important that your right leg be fully extended, with no bend at the knee. Keep your left knee bent, foot on the floor. While keeping the left hip ON THE FLOOR, bring the right leg out to the right, feeling the stretch in the adductors and groin. Hold for five to seven breaths and then switch sides. Hand to foot pose - folding forward While seated, bring your right foot to the inside of your left inner thigh. Place the strap around your left foot and fold forward. Hold for five breaths and switch sides.