Make your event special

Make your next event special with a golf trick shot exhibition from Mike Calbot, "The Golf Doctor. For information call Mike Calbot at 239.482.0900 or email him at: MikeCalbot@golfdoctorusa.com

IMPROVE YOUR TEMPO

Better Golf with the Golf Doctor

By Mike Calbot
Golf swing analyst and master golf instructor

Golf Tip – Tempo Drills

When golfers have days where they feel like they have lost their swing did they actually loose their swing? Usually is the tempo that changes, causing the loss of timing and swing techniques. Golfers have some days where they are swinging with 70 to 75% effort and getting 100% result where the ball is going the proper personal distances and the quality of the shot solid with the proper flight and spin. This is the day you wish to have every day, or in competition.

Well golfer’s good news, you can learn to improve your tempo with several drills. The first are called line drills, this is where you set up a line of golf balls say six to ten balls in a row (usually on a tee) running perpendicular to your target. Next take a seven or six iron and hit the balls with half speed and effort. Try to hit these balls with very little time in between each swing not giving you too much time to think but to feel the tempo needed to make the shot. You will soon develop a rhythm and you will start to be able to swing faster and slower and still hit the ball solid and under control. This may take around 75 to 100 balls but you will really get your grove going. The next drill is to once again set up another line of balls and hit the balls with your feet only three to four inches apart and you must say to yourself, turn and return! This drill will force you to keep your balance. The next is to set up a row of balls and try hitting some balls one handed first your left then your right. One key is to keep a light grip pressure with all drills. I guarantee if you do the drills or just the ones you can fit in they will improve your tempo.

Better golf with the golf doctor.
www.golfdoctorusa.com

Mike Calbot
Owner of the Mike Calbot International
Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools
at Old Corkscrew Golf Club.
239-482-0900
Mikecalbot@golfdoctorusa.com

BALL POSITIONS

Golf Tip – Ball Positions

Would like to be better? In some cases this can be achieved by a simple adjustment of the ball position. Many average golfers do not pay attention to their ball positions in there stances as they change clubs. The ball flight is directly impacted by the placements of the ball within the stance. Let us begin by stating that the foot closest to the target will be called the front foot and the other the back foot, this is to accommodate both the right and left handed golfer.

The driver should be played on the heel of the front foot. The fairway woods and some rescue clubs should be played about four inches inside the front foot and irons five through the wedges in the center of the stance. The position of the ball will allow the proper angle of attack to the ball and the end result, the proper impact.

The explanation would be that the irons five through wedge are to be struck on the down swing to allow the ball to spin up the face and create enough spin through the flight to hold its path and flight trajectory until reaching its target and upon landing stops quickly.

Golfers watch professional golfers on TV and see the ball spinning back with lofted clubs, the average golfer watches their ball hit the green and never stop and usually roll off the green leading to more strokes taken. The fairway woods and some rescue clubs need a little shallower attach this is why the ball is slightly forward of center. The driver,
Should be played close to the heel of the front foot and teed in a manner to impact the ball off the tee without scraping the ground. This will give you more carry and distance.

Try these three ball positions and make better ball contact and better control.

Enjoy,

Mike Calbot

Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools

THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

The Players Championship Starts Tomorrow!

Many great story lines heading into it. What will Tiger do? Will a dark horse win this one? Give us your picks and thoughts! We would love to hear from you. Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools

QUAIL HOLLOW CHAMPIONSHIP

QUAIL HOLLOW HERE WE COME!

Many big players are here this week. Some of these include Tiger, Mickelson, Furyk, Kim, and Singh. They all like this course. Is it a warm up for the upcoming Players Championship? Who do think will win? Give us your picks and thoughts!

Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools

BUNKER SHOT

How to handle the bunker shot!

When you approach the bunker it is important to understand that this is not a difficult shot as shots go. The four simple keys are:

1. Use an open stance and place more weight back in your heels.
   
2. Square the club in the intended direction that you want the ball to go.
   
3. Play the ball forward in your stance and your weight forward as well.
   
4. Hold the club with a weak grip. This means your top hand positioned more to the left with your thumb more on the twelve o'clock position and your bottom hand more on top of the club. This will allow the club to stay lofted through the ball allowing the club to do most of the work.

Remember to take a LONG SLOW swing from a green side bunker. You will be amazed if you stand to the ball correctly that this shot becomes simple to execute. Confidence is bred from practice. Take a little more sand for a close flag placement and a little less for longer shots.
If you still are having difficulties please give us a call and we will be happy to assist you with this simple shot. All the best.

Mike

Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools

2010 MASTERS - Here we go!

2010 MASTERS - Here we go!

This is it fans! Less than 24 hours to begin the 2010 Masters. The first major of the year. Lots of different story lines heading into it. We all know about Tiger. Ernie Els has been playing great. Phil Mickelson has admitted getting off to a slow start this year. David Duval has been getting more TV coverage, you know what that means. Who do you think will win? Maybe a dark horse? Lets us know, post your picks, your comments, or just give us your thoughts.

Jay Kragh, PGA Professional, Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools

THE RESULTS WILL COME!

Hi Fans:
This photo is a little older, but it is proof that a little dedication and commitment to the improvement process will payoff. The results will come. This win came after I embarked on the instructional process with Mike himself. He told me what to do, and I just kept doing it. You can do it to!

Jay Kragh

(click on photo to enlarge)

MIKE CALBOT TRICK SHOT CLIP

BIRDIE BASH - RIVER STRAND GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

Hello Fans:

Come out for a Birdie Bash presented by Lennar Homes. There will be food, entertainment, and prizes. Enjoy a Trick Shot Show by Mike Calbot. You will see some amazing golf shots!

Where: River Strand Golf & Country Club
When: Sunday, March 28th
Schedule of Events:
11:00 - 12:00 (Short Game Clinic)
12:30 - 1:30 (Trick Shot Show)
2:00 - 3:00 (Tips From the Pros)

See you there!

(click on image for more details)

GRIP PRESSURE

Golf Tip from: “The Golf Doctor”
Mike Calbot
Director of Instruction
Old Corkscrew Golf Club

Importance of Good Grip Pressure.

Many golfers complain of un solid, misdirected golf shots as well as a lack of distance and sometimes this can be attributed to a simple thing called "Grip Pressure". When a golfer has a light grip pressure on the backswing and a tight grip pressure on the downswing it creates a lot of tension or, what we call in golf, "putting the brakes on" and causes a slowdown in the speed of the swing as well as a loss of the feel of the golf club. To avoid this, institute this thought, take your grip, squeeze the club very tightly and call this #10 pressure. Now go to one half that pressure or #5 pressure. Swing the club back with this #5 pressure and forward with this #5 pressure. You will start to feel the weight of the club in both the backswing and forward swing and finish. If you can learn to keep the grip pressure constant throughout the swing, your tempo and your timing will improve and the more awareness you have of the weight of the club, the better. This will most assuredly help your game to get more distance and more solid shots.
Best of luck and have fun.

Mike

http://www.golfdoctorusa.com

SHORT GAME STANCE

“BETTER GOLF WITH THE GOLF DOCTOR”

Mike Calbot

Tip: Short game stance.

All golfers realize that the quickest way to lower their handicaps is by improving their short game. Having a dependable short game will allow any golfer to attack difficult hole locations because they have a great short game to save them if they are slightly off or overly aggressive.
The average golfer struggles around the green because they try to incorporate several styles or techniques which actually complicate the simplicity of the stroke. The stroke begins with a short game stance seen here in photo “C”. The two sticks at the feet indicate the position of the ball and the target line. The golfer is standing open with his feet, knees, hips and shoulders open and parallel to each other. Most golfers have open feet and square shoulders which causes inconsistent impacts. The golfer is using a short game grip (a weak grip) and the ball is forward in the stance to allow that point to be the bottom of arc for solid impact of the ball. The stroke will be straight back on the line of play not the stance line with soft arms and no wrist action. The no wrist action allows the ball to track more accurately and better control of the distances.

In photo “B” you can notice the golfers left side is out of the way and no rotation of the blade was made due to the weak or short game grip. In photo “A” you will notice that the arms are soft and that no wrists were used to make the stroke. I know this will help you with your short game.

Better golf with The Golf Doctor Mike Calbot.

http://www.golfdoctorusa.com/

SATURDAY MORNING WITH THE GOLF DOCTOR

Don't Forget!

Tomorrow morning at 8:00 am, listen to Mike, The Golf Doctor, on the radio show. Pick up some great golf tips and game improvement ideas.

Avenue 1410 / 1660

Just click on this link and listen!

http://www.avenuefla.com/

HERITAGE BAY BIRDIE BASH!

Heritage Bay Golf Club - Birdie Bash!

Hello All Fans:

Come on out for some great fun! Enjoy a Trick Shot Show by Mike Calbot. There will be food, entertainment, prizes, and trolley rides.
(click on picture)

Where: Heritage Bay Golf Club, Naples

When: March 20, (Saturday) 11am - 3pm

Schedule of Events:

11:00 am - noon (Short Game Clinic)

12:30 pm - 1:30pm (Trick Shot Show)

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ( Tips From The Pros)

See you there! Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools

PITCH v/s CHIP

Golf Tip: Pitch v/s Chip
By Mike Calbot

For those of you who are having difficulty with what club or shot to use when just off the green this tip may just be of help.

All statistics show that a ball that is rolling has better speed and directional control. This is why so many people putt when just off the green. The golfer who when only a few feet off the green pull out the sand or pitching wedge and end up well short due to spin and bite on the ball or much to long because they counted on this bite and it did not happen.

The simple solution for more consistency is to go to the chip. Next time you go out to practice take ten balls, drop them several feet back off the green, take your 6,7, or eight iron and try to find for that situation which club gives the best and most consistent result. Repeat this from various positions around the green.

You should find that the good shots improved and the missed shots are more salvageable than the missed shots with your wedges. In order to make such a change in your golf shot thinking it will require practice but the pay off you will enjoy through lower scores.

Have more Fun,

Mike Calbot
“The Golf Doctor”, Director of Instruction, Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools

SHORT GAME GRIP

Improve your short game with the proper grip.

By Mike Calbot - The Golf Doctor

Golfers often struggle with the short game around the greens because they try using their normal golf grip for the short game. The grip is as different for the short game as the grip is for putting. You would not use your putting grip to hit a driver so why would you use the driver grip to hit a chip or pitch shot.

First let us understand the function of the full swing natural grip. The hands need to be placed on the golf club grip to supply leverage for power and speed along with the ability to re-square the club face during the release back through the impact zone. This is best accomplished with the more conventional grip which is held more in the fingers and diagonally across the palm of the left hand. Notice from the front view that the left thumb is at about 1:00 o’clock on the club grip and that the left thumb is only down to the second joint of the index finger. The “V” that is formed by this position is indicated by the blue line in the picture. When the right hand is placed on the club both “V’s” form a parallel line to the right side of the face.

The short game grip in function, is to eliminate wrist action and for the clubface to stay more square through the impact zone. Generally most golfers use an open stance and the short game grip which allows the ball to track better and offers a softer impact for better feel and control. Notice in the short game grip photo that the left thumb is on top at 12:00 o’clock and that the thumb is more stretched down the grip. This is because the club is held slightly more in the palm of the hand. When the right hand is placed on the club you can clearly see that on the short game grip the “V's" point towards the left side of the face.

The next time you go to the practice range give the short game grip a try and you will be amazed with the results.

Enjoy,

Mike Calbot, Director of Instruction, Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools

MOVE THAT LEAF!

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL PRESHOT ROUTINE

This tip was inspired by one of my playing partners this past weekend. Many thanks to him. Here is what happened:

One of my partners had a putt of about 2 feet in length. He had gone through his entire routine and just seconds before he hit the putt, a leaf blew right into his line. Rather than taking the time to move the leaf and regroup, he chose to hit the putt, which he missed. When we were walking off the green, I asked him if he saw the leaf. He replied, "yes."

When something like a leaf enters your preshot routine, it is very disruptive to your concentration and can ultimately cause you to lose your focus altogether. Situations like this happen all the time. When golfers encounter disruptions like this, they usually will just go ahead and hit the shot. This is because they are concerned about taking too much time if they back of shot and go through their routine again. What they don't realize is that hitting the shot once, and in this case a putt, will take less time than having to hit the shot twice because of a miss.

So remember, when that leaf or distraction enters your thought process, take the time to fix the situation so you can be completely focused on your target. Just a little discipline can go a long way to shooting lower scores. Good Luck, you can do it!

Jay Kragh, PGA Professional, Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools

FIX THAT SLICE!

STILL TRYING TO GET RID THAT ANNOYING SLICE?

Try thinking about it in these terms. Your ball flight is determined by only 2 things. That is, the clubhead's face position and path at impact.

FACE - This is the angle or position of the clubhead at impact. This will

determine the initial direction that the ball travels.

PATH - The path is the direction that the clubhead is moving toward the target on the forward swing. It is the path of the clubhead at

impact that puts spin on the ball. The spin will cause the ball

to curve during its flight.

So, with that in mind, lets focus on PATH. When your ball slices, the path of your clubhead is cutting across your intend line of flight. Furthermore, the clubhead is coming from the outside to the inside. To make the ball stop slicing, we must get the clubhead to swing in the opposite direction. Which is, to swing from the inside to the outside. In order to accomplish this, try focusing on the inside corner of your ball. Then, just try to hit that corner with the clubface.

This thought about path and focusing on which part of the ball to hit, will get the clubhead swinging in the right direction. You can do it! Just remember, FACE and PATH. Hit the inside corner of the ball. Good Luck!

Jay Kragh, PGA Professional, Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools

Saturday morning with The Golf Doctor

SATURDAY MORNING with THE GOLF DOCTOR" on THE AVENUE 1410 and 1660

Hello there all followers and fans. Listen to The Golf Doctor on Saturday mornings at 8:00 am. What a great way to start your day before you head out to the links. Sit at your computer, drink some coffee, and soak up some game improvement ideas and tips. It does not come any easier than that! Just click on the link.

http://www.avenuefla.com/

P.S. That's Mike, "The Golf Doctor," doing at Trick Shot Show at the Asian Open. Hitting a ball that is a few feet up in the air, standing on one leg, on a chair. Maybe he can do it blindfolded???

Jay Kragh, PGA Professional, Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools

Trouble during a round of golf

What to do when your swing suddenly leaves you during a round of golf!

Play ABC Golf!

Point A is the teeing ground, point B is the middle of the fairway, and point C is the green. When you are at point A, focus all your attention at just getting the ball to point B. Once there, then just doing everything you can do to get to point C. By doing this and taking once step at a time can really help. Good luck, you can do it!

Jay Kragh, PGA Professional, Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools

Golf Game Improvement

JUST DON'T SEEM TO BE GETTING ANY BETTER?

In the last 15 years there have been some major advancements in club technology, golf balls, and teaching applications. All with intent to help golfers shoot lower scores. However, USGA statistics tell us that the average handicaps for golfers have not really changed. This proves the point that what the industry is pushing, is not what golfers need to improve. In order for most golfers to actually get better, they need to make an honest commitment to the improvement process and with an emphasis on the short game.

Jay Kragh - PGA Professional, Mike Calbot International Golf Studio & Triad Golf Schools