The Quarry One Minute Clinic #9

Fore Right!!!

Tips for taming that slice from Quarry Head Golf Pro Sean Etheredge

Sean Etheredge, Quarry Golf Club Head Golf Professional

Does your ball fly to the right of the target each time? Does it start right of your target and curve even further off to the right? Chances are—you suffer from a common ball flight problem called a “slice.” This means you are sacrificing both accuracy and distance in your quest to swing for the fences and outdrive your friends…Review the tips below to help banish that banana ball for good!

It is important to realize what causes the slice before we address how to fix it. This way, you can begin to understand everything you do with your grip and set-up impacts your swing, and therefore, your ball flight. Balls that slice by starting and curving right are caused by an open clubface and a path that crosses the target line.

Grip:

The first step is to check and make sure the grip is in a neutral to strong position. This means the creases formed between your thumb and index finger are pointing towards your right shoulder or just outside of it slightly. Check this in a mirror from the face-on position to be sure!

Set-Up:

In a standard alignment, you want to have the feet, hips and shoulders parallel to your intended target line. However, if you are already struggling with a slice, you need a bit more help with the path. The best way to start out feeling this is to set-up with your body lines pointed slightly right of the target. Start out by setting up parallel, then pulling your right foot, hip and shoulder about 6-8 inches away from the target line. Now when you swing along your stance line, it is aimed more from the inside to help the path, as opposed to across the target line.

The Release:

For slicers, the feeling needs to be more of letting the club head release or rotate through your downswing and into your follow through.  This means that the toe of the club must pass the heel, allowing the clubface to “square up” to hit the ball.  My favorite way to judge this is to feel like the right palm is in control. Imagine a card dealer who wipes his hand around the table laying out cards. The dealer’s palm is always facing down at the ground and rotating away from him. This is a great way to feel the rotation needed to square up the club and get those shots back on line. 

Visualization and Understanding the Concept:

To put this all together, it is sometimes easier to understand why things must happen and why they feel so different.  Well, I believe it is because most golfers try to swing “up and down a target line” instead of swinging around their bodies. When you go out to try these tips, try to imagine swinging around your body. Let the shoulders turn, let the arms swing and try to make that ball turn to the left!

The Quarry One Minute Clinic #6

A Beginner's Guide to Course Etiquette: What to do when you have NO idea what to do!

We have all been there at some point in our golf careers. You are up next on the tee and you hit your shot. Problem is—your ball went somewhere nobody else in your group would even think of going, well, at least not on this hole. We have all been there! We aren’t exactly sure what “etiquette” would call for or what the other players in our group are expecting of us. Hopefully, these tips can help you at least appear to know what’s going on.

Choose your tees wisely. Tee boxes, that is! Everyone has to start somewhere, but before you sign up to play in the club championship or play from the back sets of pro tees, consider your playing experience and the length of the course from where you will be playing. How far is the longest par 3 from each set of tees? Can you get there in one shot? Ask the course starter or golf professional for advice on tee boxes based on your experience and the length you hit your average tee shots.  They can give you a good idea of where you will enjoy the course the most from. Notice, I said ENJOY…

Keep the Pace. “Pace of Play” is probably the best way to summarize most course etiquette situations. Here at The Quarry, we pride ourselves on some of the best pace of play around because of the way we stagger the tee time intervals. We space our tee times 10 minutes apart, whereas most courses do 6 or 7 minute intervals. This might not seem like such a big deal at first, but it eliminates much of the wait time between holes and lets you enjoy your time on the course without feeling like the group behind you is breathing down your neck.  This is not the feeling you want whether you are a beginner, pro, parent with a child or businessman trying to get some time in with a customer. When searching for a lost ball, but not wanting to hold up your partners, toss down a *mulligan and try again!

*Mulligan is a golf term for another shot played after a bad shot that doesn’t count against your score. Only allowed in recreational play.

Dress the part. Every golf course has its own dress code and requirements, so it is always a great idea to call beforehand and ask. Nicer courses will require a shirt with a collar and do not allow steel spikes. In certain parts of the country this summer, smoking was even banned do to fire hazards from drought conditions. Wear comfortable clothing you can move in. To be on the safe side, try to wear something made by a golf clothing manufacturer such as FootJoy, Greg Norman, Peter Millar or Nike.  Usually if it is made for golf or in the pro shop you can wear it on the course.

Looking for more advice? Check out the hilarious book Golf for Dummies by Gary McCord, or pick up an official rule book at USGA.org.

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This One Minute Clinic brought to you by the awesome Sean Etheredge, head golf pro at The Quarry.  

The Quarry One Minute Clinic #1

The Quarry is here to help you improve your golf game (as well as provide you with entertainment, beautiful banquet facilities & casual dining). 

So every week be on the look out for advice from The Quarry with tips and tricks to improve your game. Tips are provided by our very own Head Golf Professional, Sean Etheredge, PGA.

This Week's Tip:
It's a scorcher out there! Make sure you are being safe while enduring the last few weeks of the hottest days of summer. Two great ways to keep your game on point while giving a nod to your health are:

1) controlling your body temp

2) staying hydrated

Don't wait until the third hole to start drinking water; by then it's too late. Try this: I pop two Nuun tabs in a water bottle and start drinking it a couple of hours before. If it's really hot, I sometimes use a couple more tabs during the round to stay ahead of the heat. They are great; like sugar-free Gatorade, so no crash!

Also, use plenty of sunscreen and a chilled Frog Togg towel to cool off your head and neck between shots. In addition to making you feel cooler, it might even make the bad shots feel less painful.

You can check out the Pro Shop for these beat the heat products and more. Stay hydrated!

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Thanks Sean! Be on the lookout for more advice coming your way via this blog every week.

Want tailored advice for your game? Call the Pro Shop and schedule a golf instruction appointment with one of our instructors: Sean Etheredge, Jim Barker or Carla Spenkoch. 210.824.4500.

E-mail Courtney Lewis with specific questions you'd like addressed in The Quarry One Minute Clinic.