Title: Machrihanish/Left Arm Stability

Scottish Courses

Machrihanish - Scotland's little known gem

In the summer of 2006 I had the privilege of playing Machrihanish golf course which is one of the most beautiful and testing links courses in all of Scotland.

Situated on the West coast of Scotland just outside the little town of Campbell Town on the Mull of Kintyre, the area is better known as the home of the famous Beatle Paul McCartney and less for the deep history of the region.

 Established in 1876 as a 10 hole course crafted out of the fields of a local farmer in return for free membership and playing privileges. The links look out over the sweeping Bay of Machrihanish from which it gets its name. In 1879 the course was extended to 18 holes under the guidance of the famous Tom Morris who influenced much of the layout of St Andrews, and quickly became a favorite venue for top class competitions during that time.

In the early days all the holes were known by their “names” and not by their number. Such wonderful names as the “Battery” which appropriately describes the 422 yard par 4 first hole that requires a precision drive off the tee across the sandy beach of the bay of Machrihanish. A daunting task for any visitor new to the course.

Other names include “Bruach Mor” and “Rorke’s Drift”. Names that would be found only in Scotland and no where else in the world.

At a total yardage of 6228 one might find the course fairly mild on a fine Scottish summer day, but when the wind blows off the Atlantic with nothing to break its fury, it becomes a monstrous test of golf.

 As old and as famous as the course is, it does not get the same recognition as its popular mainland cousins, partly because of its remote location. Taking three hours to drive from Glasgow, many would be golf tourist are put off by the trek in favor of other top name courses within easier reach. For those who make the commitment to play Machrihanish, not only are they rewarded with the challenge of one of the finest of all links courses that match or exceed many of the better known venues, they also experience a drive through one of the most beautiful areas in Scotland.

Visitors exploring that region of Scotland are in for a treat. Many of the quaint little towns have changed very little over the years and closely represent the old rural life of Scotland that has not been affected by modern life as seen in the larger towns of central Scotland.

You can also access Machrihanish by air with connecting flights on a regular basis from Glasgow airport to Campbell Town airport located right next to the course. Or, you can opt for a ferry boat ride from Ardrossan. Whatever way you choose, the journey itself is a wonderful experience.

Accommodation in Campbell can vary from small Bed and Breakfast cottages with very warm and friendly service to living on the grounds of the “Torrisdale Castle”. There is everything in the area to meet the needs of any client and any budget.

If ever you have the chance to visit Scotland to play golf, no tour would be complete without a game on this historic course.

For more information on the course, accommodation and the points of interest in the region, visit the official website for the course at:

http://www.machgolf.com/index.php

Golf Strategy

Use the Score Card to "mentally" prepare yourself for the round

How often do you take a score card with you during your round?

I see so many people charge out onto the course without a card leaving them little or no idea what's ahead on their round. I have absolutely no problem with this If you are out on the course for the pure pleasure of enjoying the game without any regard for your score.

However, if you a serious about how well you hope to play before the round, the score card gives you a wealth of information that prepares you "mentally" for what challenges you are about to face before you step onto the first tee.

The score card can help you achieve whatever your scoring goal is for the round by encouraging you to make better decisions on the course.

For instance, if you are a single digit golfer and have set yourself a goal of 7 over par, circle the holes that have a "stroke index" of 1-7 where you are allowed one over par . Right away, you place yourself in a different frame of mind for these holes.

Instead of pushing yourself for par on these holes, realize that a one over par strategy may be the best plan and will still allow you to reach your goal for the round, especially if there is a great deal of trouble on the hole that could easily lead to double bogies.

If your handicap is over 18 and you have a scoring goal of say 24 over par, you can use the same approach. Instead in your case, mark the holes where you are allowed 2 strokes for the hole on all holes that have a stroke index of 1-6.

Here again your mental approach to these holes is different. Essentially, you can allow yourself an extra stroke from tee to green to remove the "pressure for distance" on these holes.

Now, instead of stepping onto the tee of a long par 4 with a stroke index of 1 feeling the pressure to belt a long drive off the tee, you can relax knowing you can easily reach the green in 4 strokes and still have the chance of a single putt for a 5 to beat your scoring goal for the hole.

When I cover these strategizing techniques with some of my students, I often hear the response "if I do not play to a "par" strategy how will I ever improve?", or "that approach is too conservative - I have to go for the lowest score every time".

Here is my response. Some of the best players in the game fall short of their goals by "going for the lowest score" approach when there is absolutely no need to plan the hole that way.

Evidence by the fact that the last hole on several major tournaments over the past few years could easily have been won by a par or even a one over par, but the players fell short because they pressured themselves for distance trying for a birdie.

You may have witnessed Ernie Else loosing a tournament in South Africa recently by going for a long par 5 in two, resulting in an 8, when a three stroke strategy to the green for a par would have won the tournament by 2 strokes. The sad thing is that with the high level of Ernie's wedge play he would have had a short shot into the green on his third shot that would have given him a very high chance of a birdie 4!

Use the score card to relieve the "pressure" from your game. In the long run, your scores will improve...

Swing Consistency

Left Arm Stability

The stability of the left arm (right arm for lefties) is one of the most critical areas of the golf swing for generating swing consistency and producing torque during the backswing.

One of the most common faults experienced by golfers of all levels is a break down of the left elbow during the back swing which creates several swing consistency problems:

1)        "Unnecessary motion" is added into the swing making the "timing" of the swing more complex.

2)         Loss of golf swing torque on the backswing affecting the power and distance of the swing.

3)         Loss of swing accuracy and swing consistency.

The more moving parts there are in the swing during the backswing, the more complex the motion becomes requiring extra coordination on the downswing to bring everything back together at the strike zone.

 A break down of the left elbow occurs for several reasons:

1)           The elbow is broken at the address position and gets worse on the backswing.

2)            Over rotation of the backswing creating too much tension in your golf muscles which first shows up as a break at the elbow.

This breakdown is widely overlooked by golfers for two reasons:

1)            They may realize that they are breaking the left elbow but choose to ignore it because they do not understand the importance the stability of the left side has on the outcome of the swing.

2)           They do not realize a break is occurring as it is impossible to feel, or even for an experienced eye to see the break during the backswing.

Here are a few signs to watch out for that point to a left elbow break occurring during the swing:

1)      Loss of swing timing resulting in miss hits - usually striking the ground before the ball causing a "fat" shot.

2)      Pushing your shots to the right with a loss of power.

3)      Erratic accuracy with a slight fade.

Essentially you can lump all of these faults into one problem area – swing timing. At its best the swing is most consistent when there are only two major parts of the swing to coordinate:

1)                  Release of the hands

2)                  Uncoiling of the trunk and left side as one unit.

If you introduce a third movement of the left elbow break into the swing, the coordination of the swing becomes more complex by 50%.

An elbow break may be subtle and hardly noticeable, as may be the case for many of you lower handicap players. In your swings a minor break is difficult to detect as a loss of distance or crispness of the strike, especially on shorter clubs. However, if you are observant, the loss of consistency will show up in a wider spread of accuracy.

This why I always contend that you practice on the range in segments of 5 shots. With each shot you note the distance you are from your target as a measure of your swing consistency. Should the spread of your accuracy circle increase, this is one area of the swing to review.

Swing Power

Keep the Left Arm firm to maintain golf swing torque

As I have stated in the book and through several articles, power is defined as the rate at which energy is released in the swing. You can increase the power of the swing by either creating more stored energy in the swing or by speeding up the release of that energy on the downswing, or both.

Most swing energy is created on the backswing. I always contend that it is much easier to create and conserve energy on the backswing than it is to create energy by muscling the club through on the downswing.

The energy that is stored on the backswing is a function of the torque that is created in the turn. The greater the torque, the more energy stored.

Torque is a function of the "radius of rotation" of the backswing, which is defined as the distance to the club head from your turn axis, which is the point on your spine around your shoulder level.

Torque is also a function of the muscle forces/tension in the backswing.

The wider the arc of the swing, the greater the torque built up in the muscles of the trunk and legs which increases the stored energy in the backswing.

Should any break occur in the radius of rotation of the swing that reduces muscle tension in the backswing, torque and energy is lost.

The effect that an elbow break has on the torque depends on how much muscle tension is released. A subtle break, as in the case of a low handicap player, may not result in much noticeable power loss, only a loss in accuracy.

However, if the elbow is broken at the start of the swing, resulting in a complete breakdown of the elbow at the top of the swing, as much as 30-40% of the potential torque of the backswing could be lost. This is because the elbow break reduces the radius of rotation and removes the muscle tension of the triceps from the total torque equation.

How to improve Left Side Stability

1) There is one obvious way to improve stability in the left side that is very easy to correct -  ensure the left side is straight and “firm” from the shoulder to the hands at the beginning of the swing. This should be one of your pre-swing checks that you build into your stance routine.

Often I see players get into their stance with the elbow joint facing the target in a bent position. The chances of the left side staying firm in this position during the backswing are nil.

To correct this condition, I always advice students to rotate the elbow joint “inwards” towards their trunk. This way the tension of the backswing is working against the elbow joint and not against the triceps.

2) Over rotation of the backswing causes a tremendous amount of stress on the shoulder muscles and the triceps. The next action you can take is to limit your backswing to work within your “natural” swing range where you know you will not create an elbow break. Swing in front of a mirror to find that point.

3) The torque you create on the backswing also depends on the speed at which you rotate the backswing. Regardless of whether you are swinging within your “natural” swing range or not, you may generate a breakdown of the elbow on the backswing simply by swinging too fast on the take away. Slow the backswing down so that you remain in control of the extended backswing arc and you do not over stress the elbow joint.

Golf Fitness

Golf Fitness for Shoulder and Triceps

The ability of the triceps and left shoulder muscles to overcome the tremendous tension that is created during the backswing is a function of their flexibility and their strength at maintaining their position. The next section will give you a few conditioning routines that you can apply to your daily program to improve this area of your swing.

As always, please check with your doctor that you are able to perform these routines before you attempt them.

Triceps Strength

I believe a press up routine is a great strengthening exercise for both the shoulders and triceps as well as many other muscle groups. If you have a problem with doing a full press up, start with a half press up resting your knees on the ground as shown.

Start by doing only two or three repetitions if you are new to press ups as part of your daily “Base Level Fitness” routine. Only increase the repetitions by one count after you complete the 7 day cycle.

If you can do more repetitions, make your starting count no more than 60% of the maximum number you are able to do. This way you do not over stress the muscles, which allows you to do the exercise daily, taking a rest day on the seventh day.

If a half press up is too strenuous, you can choose to start strengthening the triceps using a light dumbbell.

Hold the dumbbell in your left hand with the left elbow joint pointing as high above your shoulders as possible. Support the left arm with your right hand. Now simply extend the left arm.

Do not snap the arm straight in the exercise as this may injure the elbow joint. Stop at a point just before the fully extend position. Now let the weight back down slowly and repeat the cycle. Again only increase the cycle count by one cycle per week so that you do not over stress the muscle.

Shoulder Flexibility

1) Lie flat on your back extending your hands above your head as much as possible. As you extend you hands, also try to lay your elbows as flat as possible on the ground. Hold this stretch for at least 60 seconds.

 To help extend and flatten the stretch you may want to hold two light dumbbells in your hands.

2) Again while lying on your back, pull your left arm across your chest with your right arm until you feel the stretch in the shoulder joint. Hold that position for at least 60 seconds and repeat the routine for the right shoulder.

Golf Book Review

"The Simple Swing" - by David Nevogt & Bobby Eldridge

Whenever I come across books that promotes "simplicity" in the swing, I pay close attention.

All too often we strive for the "complex" answer to our games when the simple solutions are always the most effective. That has always been the philosophy behind my teaching and I respect other teachers who follow the same approach.

The golf swing has been studied from every angle for years and yet the fundamentals have not really changed that much over time. I get frustrated with authors who come up with "complex" technology or claim to reveal deep "secrets" about the swing that does nothing more than make the average golfer feel more inadequate about their game.

You will not find that in this book. There is a reason why "The Simple Swing" is the number one selling golf e-book on the internet today - the techniques they describe are practical and they produce great results.

Take a look at their site - you will not go wrong adding this book to your library of golf reference information...

Online Golf Lessons

I value your feedback....

I am always preparing new lessons to add to the online.. If there are any topics that you would like to see, send me a note through our contact page. Thanks.

---------------------------------

"Keep your head down and swing sweetly"

All the best,

                 Les

 "Breaking the Distance Barrier"

Newsletter Archive:

St Andrews

Machrihanish

Kings Barns

Stumble It!