2011 U. S. Open Interview with Jimmy Barrett.

Here's the interview we did live.  Remember this stuff is live!  I'm honored that Jimmy trusts me enough to behave myself on the air.  I tired to do my home work and still on Sunday morning, stand behind my statements.  The rough is way to short out there!  Too many greens hit in regulation from out of the rough.  What's the positive for golf?  Well maybe having the younger long hitting field improves television ratings?  Maybe it attracts younger folks to the game of golf?

I can't disagree with any of that....except.  Do it in the Doral Open!  The U.S. Open was always featured as the most difficult field with the most difficult conditions.  Bring out the best of the best in accuracy and nerve for the best golf.  It's only once a year!

The hear the interview click on this link.

US Open Golf - Is That the U. S. Open - Where are the Americans?

I'm going to be on the air with Jimmy Barrett on WRVA Richmond in a few moments and I wanted to give an insight into the U.S. Open you might not hear anywhere else.  With the magic of the Internet I pulled up old scores from past U. S. Opens and compared them to today.  Yes the results of past leaders I am comparing today to is just the opening round, but still there is trend line here. I'm not happy with the results as an American!

In today's first round results, of the top 15 golfers only 27% of them are Americans.  Only 27%!  In the year 2000, of the top 15 only 45% were Americans.  In 1990 some 87% were Americans.  In 1980 93% of the top 15 were American golfers!

I do not begrudge the foreign players for leading  in our National Open.  We have the same opportunity in the British Open.  The visitors have the right to lead if they play better.  After all , the golf ball and the golf course have no idea who is hitting the ball.

However, what has happened to our dominance? I can give you one possible contributor.  Title 9.  Men's sports in Universities all over the country are being attacked by this philosophy that both Men and Women should be equal in sports scholarships  Men and women are not unequal, just different..thank God!  Great institutions like VMI do NOT have a Mens golf team because of Title 9.  Instead VMI had to field and pay for a girls rowing team!  I could coach that team.  A short trip of 90 miles over shark infested waters to Key West would do it.  Andale muchacha!!!

Of course there are probably a long list of other contributors, one being we're getting lazy as a whole in this society.  Kids playing video games instead playing touch football in the street like we all did years ago.

Maybe the rest of the world is hungry for dominance in golf.  I know from experience that in Spain, a golf pro was the best playing caddy.  Just like boxers coming from bad neighborhoods and willing to suffer the training and punishment of boxing as a way out of the hood, Spanish players were willing to work hard on their golf game and move out of the caddy world to the playing opportunities open to them.

Whatever the reason, I personally don't like it.  Wake up America!  We need a pep talk!

It's The Alignment!!!!!!!

Without a doubt, every time I give an on course lessons, I find alignment issues.  The serious issue with this is, your swing path is effected by faulty alignment.  In most cases, the golfer is aligned to the right, (for right handers) only to swing the golf club across their body or to the left.  The by product is scooping, breakdown of the left wrist, and either a high fade or a pull shot.

You should always, always, always put a golf club on the ground when you practice.  Top touring pros do and they have been playing golf for a long time and most likely play better than you do, so don't be embarrassed about putting a golf club on the ground while practicing at the driving range.

Second, here is the process for lining up properly.

1) Get behind the golf ball and get your belly button, the ball and your target in a straight line.
2) Find something directly in front of the ball you can recognize that is in line with your target, hopefully very close to your golf club's face.
3) Point the leading edge of the golf club at your target.  The leading edge being the front edge of the golf club face.
4) Then, you align your shoulders at 90 degrees to the golf club face.
5) Your feet go last and are not important except that it is preferable, in most cases when playing an iron shot, that your stance is slightly open or to the left of the target, again for right handers.

Here's a video below about keeping a golf club on the ground for alignment.