Fault Fixer With ADRIAN BISHOP Somerset Golf Union coach and PGA National Consultant based at Wells
Bernhard is in a beautiful posture. The chin is well clear of the chest allowing plenty of room for his shoulders to turn.
The clubhead is being allowed to move inwards and upwards on a natural path.
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Due to his strong grip Bernhard has had to rotate his left forearm clockwise to ensure the clubface gets in this classic toe up position.
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The hips and knees are back to being parallel to the target line while the shoulders remain closed.
The right elbow has got back in front of his right hip and the shaft is above his right forearm. This position ensures the club can swing through freely.
The right knee and foot are working inwards. The right arm and wrist have retained some flex and are in the process of releasing their power.
IS THIS THE BEST GOLF SWING IN THE WORLD THIS YEAR?
B
ernhard Langer is having the season of his life on the Champions Tour. He won the Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl by an incredible 13 shots, one of five wins in 2014 and 23 in total. “I’ve just found a bit of confidence,” said the 57-year-old. “I’ve been working with the same coach for almost 40 years now and I just have it in
the groove several times. It has been an amazing year, five wins already and I’m not done yet. I love to compete, and I’m still capable of playing some high-quality golf. Why should I hang it up? I’m having fun doing it, I’m healthy enough doing it. I’m enjoying myself playing golf, and if I’m still playing at this level, why should I quit?”
Saving you shots every time you play The right arm has folded nicely and he is maintaining some flex in his right knee.
He has rotated fully away from the target. Due to that earlier forearm rotation the club appears a little laid off (pointing left of target)
The hips and torso have continued to rotate with both arms extended and both the wrists flat – this is a superb position to emulate.
To counteract the slightly laid off position the shaft plane has now steepened a little as he starts his downswing.
The right foot is banked inwards, the knees are together and the right arm remains comfortably extended.
Bernhard’s weight is now fully settled into his left foot with his hips and torso pointing left of target.
3 Three things you can learn from Bernhard’s swing
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If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it
This sequence was from a recent tournament, but could have easily been from the 1980s as Langer hasn’t tinkered with his technique. To get better you don’t always need wholesale change – simply refine and improve areas of weakness.
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It doesn’t have to be textbook
He has a strong (rotated to the right) lefthand grip. This might lead to shots that go left. He helps cancel this out by allowing his forearm to rotate early on the backswing and with an aggressive body turn in the downswing.
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Never try shots that you can’t hit
Bernhard has always been famous for meticulous course management. Before hitting any shot, ask yourself if you could pull it off seven out of 10 times. If the answer is no, play a different shot. Your scores will tumble if you improve your strategy.
LANGER’S 2014 STATS 67.90 Scoring average (1st on the Champions Tour) 278 yards Driving distance average (10th on the Champions Tour) 79.63% Greens in regulation (1st on Champions Tour) 1.719 Putting average (2nd on Champions Tour) 15 Top 10 Champions Tour finishes this year, including five victories.
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The key holes
The 2nd Wester Greenwalls
516 yards, par 5
n DM I would approach this hole by going down the right. There are two cuts of rough on the right, but there is more room than you can see from the tee, and the big hitters will still get home in two. If the wind’s right-toleft you can think about sending one round the corner, but I’d still keep it right and stay away from the bunker. n AJ The tee is set up for a right-to-left shot, so you are looking to set it off down the middle part of the fairway and turn it into the edge of that bunker. Anything left of that bunker, even if you carry it, won’t leave you a second shot to the green; you’ll have to take a wedge out and it becomes a three-shot par five. If you hit it round the bunker, you’ll have a slightly shorter second shot – you might be going in with a long iron instead of a hybrid or fairway wood. With water left and bunkers protecting the front left of the green, the ideal approach would be to land it on the right-hand side of the green.
Teams can put down a marker at the par-5 2nd.
The 9th Crook o’ Moss
The 9th makes more sense as a three-shotter.
618 yards, par 5
n DM Even the longest should plan this hole as a three-shotter. Play short of the fairway bunkers, knock a long iron down to 100 yards short of the green. Knock it on and you have a chance of a four. If you go for it off the tee, the approach isn’t easy. You are left with a long shot, dog-legging round to the right, you’ve got water, you’ve got bunkers and the landing area short of the green isn’t big. n AJ It’s a typical Jack Nicklaus design in the fact you need to shape the ball off the tee. Here he’s looking for a fade – pick the two bunkers on the left and let the ball drift into the centre of the fairway. If you catch a good one, there is definitely a green light to go for it in two. If you make it, you can apply pressure. You don’t want to fall too far behind at this stage, but it is risk and reward. There is danger around the green with bunkers, swales and water. It’s also weather dependant. The wind tends to come in off the left and that will help you hit the required shape.
JACK NICKLAUS’ HOLE-BY-HOLE GUIDE
1st 426 yards Par 4 We turned a bunker behind the green into a grass hollow. It’s maybe more difficult but gives the option to putt.
2nd 516 yards Par 5 We redefined the fairway edges and took a deep bunker behind the green and turned it into a grass hollow.
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3rd 431 yards Par 4 Reworked bunkering creates a more attractive tee shot. We also took out high grass down the edge to open up the second.
4th 211 yards Par 3 We didn’t really do a lot with this hole. It was a pretty darned good par 3 and offers great vantage spots for the fans.
5th 461 yards Par 4 There were two beech trees overhanging the left of the green; we took those out to open up a bail out area short left.
6th 201 yards Par 3 Re-did the green to create more pin placements, and a better relationship to a bunker on the left. It looks like a better hole.
The 14th Nebit Knowe
320 yards, par 4 n DM From a caddie’s point of view, I would never suggest going for it with a driver; it is just too risky. The safe shot is hitting 250 yards towards the bunker on the left, leaving yourself a wedge and a possible birdie. I am sure the big guys could knock it on with a 3-wood – Keegan Bradley pitched it straight into the bank behind the green and that was a 360-yard carry. But it’s a tough green to hit and hold. I’d suggest playing safe, but it depends on the state of the game. n AJ There are bunkers at the front and grass run-offs at the back, but the opportunity to go for it from the tee is just too tempting to turn down. It’s a small target as it has retained the original green from when it was a par 3, but it is almost built for matchplay. You can be aggressive or go safe. Anything down the right-hand side and there is some nasty cabbage and deep bunkers, so the left side gives you the safer play to the front of the green.
The driveable 14th; drama at a crucial stage.
The 16th Lochan Loup 543 yards, par 5
The 16th: set to ruin and reward in equal measure.
7th 468 yards Par 4 We redid part of the green as you couldn’t keep the ball on it. It’s a nice tee shot, a little second shot up the hill.
8th 419 yards Par 4 You can try to carry cross bunkers and get the ball close to the green. We added two bunkers in the front right of the green.
9th 618 yards Par 5 We added a middle tee for wind conditions. On the second we’ve brought in the water hazard that really wasn’t in play.
n DM It depends on the drive whether you go for it in two. It takes two very good shots to get to the green, so unless the player can get it level or past the fairway bunkers, the safe option is to play it as a par 5. It’s a very risky shot to go for the green – there’s a lot of water to go over. There is a bail out, but it’s wind-dependant. Into the wind, it’s just about out of range. n AJ It’s a genuine risk-and-reward par 5 that can be a real game-changer – at the Johnnie Walker we’ve seen eagles and double-bogeys. Aiming just inside the bunkers and turning it over a little right-to-left might squeeze you a little extra yardage and if you get over the saddle, you could get 15-20 yards extra. Anything short of that and you’ll be on the limit of reaching the green in two. For the top players the water won’t come into play, but they might play it down the left and fade it in over the bail-out zone. If they mishit, they’ll be dry and miss the front bunker.
10th 208 yards Par 3 Not much changed here, but we squashed the tees a little bit to provide a little more space for the galleries.
11th 350 yards Par 4 It’s a lay-up off the tee, playing across the ravine. There really wasn’t a lot we could do here. This is a definite birdie chance.
12th 445 yards Par 4 It’s changed from a par 5 to 4. They needed a concession area by the green, so we moved it right and made it shorter.
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The captains
Despite losing five of the last six Ryder Cups America should not be underestimated, insists McGinley.
EUROPE CAPTAIN PAUL McGINLEY
‘WE ARE LIKE TWO PRIZEFIGHTERS WHO GO BACK TO OUR CORNERS AND THEN COME OUT SWINGING’ The Irishman knows there’s no love lost in the Ryder Cup – but he expects respect from both teams and the crowds WORDS KEVIN BROWN PICTURE JAMES CHEADLE
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aul McGinley may be something of a lucky charm to Europe’s Ryder Cup team. His playing period slotted neatly between defeats in 1999 and 2008, while his assistant captaincy contributed to European successes in 2010 and 2012. Here, he talks about his plans to maintain what is an unblemished Ryder Cup record. How proud am I to be captain? I said at the
time when I was selected by the Tournament Committee in Abu Dhabi in January 2013, that to be chosen by my peers to be captain of the European Ryder Cup team was one of the greatest honours bestowed on me in my entire career, and I still feel that way today. The captain’s job is to build an environment
which enables each guy in the team to go out and play his best. Overall communication is key too, alongside treating each player as an individual and with respect. But it’s also my job to turn up the volume thanks to the play inside the ropes. I want this to be a very noisy Ryder Cup. I want people to be as passionate about watching the Ryder Cup as I am as captain and was as a player. However, we all know there’s a line. So we have to make sure that the fans don’t cross that line. However, being in the home of golf in Scotland, I don’t have any worries on that score. I have been around The Ryder Cup scene
long enough to know it is the one contest in sport you cannot call. Yes, we have won on the last two occasions at Celtic Manor and Medinah, but only by the narrowest of margins. I’m fully aware that if the cards had fallen slightly in the other direction on those final days we would be going to Gleneagles on a run of three consecutive defeats. The Americans will be formidable opponents.
In my five appearances in Ryder Cups
As well as being good friends, my vice
I have learned many lessons, but one of the most important is that momentum is crucial in team matchplay and never was that made clearer than at Medinah on the Saturday night. I remember Ian Poulter in the locker room after he made those five birdies to win the final match. He was very quiet and calm and he looked at us all and said: ‘We have a pulse.’ Before then, if it had been a boxing match, the referee would have probably stopped the fight because we were so much on the ropes. But because of what Ian and Rory did (and Sergio and Luke in the match before) we had momentum.
captains Sam Torrance and Des Smyth will be vital assets. They were the first two I had in mind for the role when I was appointed captain and, since then, I have talked to a lot of the experienced European players about having them as part of the team. To a man, they have been very supportive of the idea.
I don’t think I can do Medinah justice with
words. It was such an amazing day, which captivated people around the world whether they were golf fans or not. I’ve had people come up to me over the past two years and say ‘you know I’m not really interested in golf, but I couldn’t leave the TV when that Ryder Cup was on!’ That’s how special it was.
‘I WANT PEOPLE TO BE AS PASSIONATE ABOUT WATCHING THE RYDER CUP AS I HAVE BEEN AS CAPTAIN AND PLAYER’ McGINLEY’S RYDER RECORD Played: 2002, 2004, 2006 Total games: Nine Career record (W-L-H): 2-2-5 Singles (W-L-H): 1-0-2 Foursomes (W-L-H): 0-0-2 Fourballs (W-L-H): 0-0-2 Total points won: 4.5 Total points won point %: 50
Sam has probably had the most influence
on me in terms of playing team golf in my career. My first captain in The Ryder Cup in 2002, he’s taught me a huge amount and has continued to do so over the years. Des took me under his wing when I was a rookie and he gave me tremendous advice which was not only valuable then but has continued to ring true for me throughout my career. Tom Watson was my boyhood hero, so it’s
a thrill for me to be going up against him. I know how formidable he’s going to be. I know he’s going to bring a lot of respect and I know he’s going to get a lot of respect from the crowd, too. But both of us appreciate that, when the bell goes, we are like two prizefighters who go back to our corners and then come out swinging. Neither of us would have it any other way. Any captain wants to see his players
in form and I am delighted with the Major victories of Martin and Rory. It takes a certain kind of individual to do what Martin did at Pinehurst and I was particularly impressed, not just with the physical side of his performance, but also the mental strength he showed. Rory has been very much an integral part of the last two Ryder Cup teams and I have no doubt that he will play a major role at Gleneagles as well. TODAYSGOLFER .CO.UK IS SUE 326
Matchplay tips
EVERY MATCH!
Become a name to be feared in knockout comps – or just take the cash this weekend – with 39 tricks and tips from the masters of head-to-head golf including Poulter, Seve, Rory, Justin, Sergio, Henrik and lots more
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WORDS ROB McG ARR PICTURE S HOWARD BOYL AN, G E T T Y IMAG ES
s enjoyable as a strokeplay or Stableford triumph is, there’s something special about taking on your opponent one-on-one and coming out on top over the course of 18 holes. Holing the decisive putt that breaks your opponent’s heart is one of the sweetest feelings in golf, whether it’s to secure the Ryder Cup for Europe or a crucial point for your club in a match against a rival club – or even just to beat your six-year-old at the local pitch and putt. Give yourself a head start in every match by following the advice of the players who have proven themselves to be the toughest to beat. You’ll be dispatching opponents and shaking hands on the 10th green before you know it…
were then able to get the best out of what we had as a team.” “They overwhelmed us with their equipment,” agrees eight-time participant Peter Alliss. “It all looked better than us and we were made to feel like second-rate citizens.” Make sure everyone on your team has a team shirt and the right colour trousers. If you look like a good team, you’re more likely to play like one. If you turn up looking a mess, you’ve given your opponent a mental boost before you’ve even started.
LOOK THE PART What you’re wearing might seem insignificant, but the right gear can give your team the edge before you’ve even reached the golf course. “America always had more than we did,” says four-time Ryder Cup captain Tony Jacklin. “They were flying Concorde and we were in the back of the bus on British Airways. I was able to get those things addressed, and we IS SUE 326 TODAYSGOLFER .CO.UK
You’ve got to get on with the people you play with...
BUILD TEAM SPIRIT But it’s no use wearing the same shirt as your team mates if you’d cross the road to avoid them. “I encouraged the players and their wives and girlfriends to stay together for food and beverages,” says Jacklin. “Before that, there was no camaraderie and team spirit, which I think is very important. Golf is normally such a solitary pursuit, so players should relish the opportunity to be part of a team.”
PICK THE RIGHT PAIRINGS Getting on well with your partner is one thing, but you also need to be well suited in terms of golf. “When picking foursomes teams, captains need to make sure they pair people who know each other really well and play similar games,” says Dave Stockton, victorious in each of his three Ryder Cups. “If you don’t know each other very well, then you end up apologising after every bad shot, which isn’t good for focus or morale. And if you don’t play similar games, then it can be tough for the longer hitter to adjust. I played in two Ryder Cups and the only match I ever lost was when I played with Jack Nicklaus and he got tired of ➔
Ian Poulter has won more than 70% of the points he’s played for in the Ryder Cup.
‘IT’S MATCHPLAY AND YOU’RE NOT PLAYING THE GOLF COURSE, YOU’RE PLAYING THE OPPONENT. HAVE THE MINDSET THAT YOU’RE GOING TO WIN EVERY HOLE.’ IAN POULTER
HACKER TO HERO
John Richardson went from struggling to shoot 100 to breaking par in a year. Here, he shares the tips that helped him most WO R DS JO H N RICHARDSO N PI CTU R E S PACEMAK ER PRES S
Hacker to hero Tip 1 Fix your putting Confidence on the green is crucial to scoring, and those missed three-footers can make or break a round. So I took a drill Mickelson did and tried to hole 100 in a row... it’s amazing the effect it had on my putting.
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’m not a professional golfer, I’ve never played in a Ryder Cup and sadly I haven’t joined the ranks of those Northern Irish golfers who have bagged a major or four. What I am is an average amateur who managed to make a very un-average improvement to my golf in a relatively short period of time. I embarked on a challenge that, for better or worse, was deemed impossible by the golfing community. My aim was to change from being a golfer who couldn’t break 100 to being one who could shoot a level par round or better – within a year. During that year, I hit over 70,000 balls in practice, watched dozens of DVDs, YouTube posts and old videos, read over 60 books and countless magazine articles on improving. To cut a long story very short, after some epic highs and multiple humiliating lows, I eventually managed it; 362 days after I started, I shot a 70 at Blackwood Golf Centre in County Down – one under par. The full story of my challenge can be found in my first book, Dream On: One Hacker’s Challenge to Break Par in a Year. In my new book, 50 Greatest Golf Tips, I’ve tried to bring together the very best tips I discovered – tips that can help you make real progress. It’s about sorting the wheat from the chaff and showing what has really worked, not just for me, but for many golfers I have worked with, spoken to, played with and read about. Out of the 50 tips in the book, I’ve chosen my favourite 11 to share with you here. They’re in no particular order – they’re just brilliant bits of advice that helped me improve the most.
1
Practise 3-foot putts
Many years ago, Phil Mickelson asked Jackie Burke, who is regarded as one of the greatest putters of all time, for his advice. Jackie was a great golfer, but was also very blunt and he doesn’t believe in tricks or secrets. So he told Mickelson what he told everyone else – go and hole 100 three-foot putts in a row. That’s what Jackie did every night to stay sharp. He would set 12 balls at a time around the practice pin, lining them up like the numbers on a clock and methodically working his way round, holing one after the other. ➔ TODAYSGOLFER .CO.UK IS SUE 326
Sprint for the Dolomites The stunning course that’s helping put Italy on the golf map
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taly may not be the first name on the lips of the golfing jetsetter, but it is seeing 2014 out in some style. Not only is it hosting the 17th International Golf Travel Market at Villa Erba Exhibition & Conference Centre on the banks of Lake Como (October 27-30), the beautiful Tyrolean country north east of the lakes sets the scene for a stunning late summer/autumn golf break. Based in the breathtaking Dolomites, Golf San Vigilio Siusi is surely one of Europe’s most spectacular layouts. The course, open from March until November, is plotted at an altitude of 850 metres and is one of the best in northern Italy. It certainly guarantees a memorable experience thanks to its mountain backdrop, crystal clear lakes and waterfalls and deep ravines. At 5,486 yards, it’s relatively short and playable for golfers of all levels, though the combination of muscular terrain and narrow fairways also mean it’s a serious test. At least you can warm up on the two-tiered range. You can enjoy this in a special Dolomites package which includes either four or seven nights’ half-board at the nearby Adler Dolomiti hotel, one green fee (including buggy) and a 30% discount on additional rounds at San Vigilio Siusi plus free access to the award-winning Adler Spa. The five-star Adler Dolomiti is just a 20-minute drive away and dominates Val Gardena, one of the most beautiful areas of the Dolomites and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Seven other courses are within an hour’s drive of the hotel and the good news is that hotel guests also receive a 30% green fee reduction at both GC Castelrotto and GC Alta Badia, one of Europe’s highest nine-holers. This special package, the staging of the IGTM and the recent emergence of Molinari brothers Francesco and Edoardo and young Matteo Manassero could finally place Italy firmly on the golfing map. n Try it for yourself… Getting there: Fly to Verona, then to Ortisei by private transfer or airport coach. The package: Call 0039 471 775001 or visit www.adler-dolomiti.com For more information on the IGTM visit www.igtm.co.uk IS SUE 326 TODAYSGOLFER .CO.UK
Travel Destinations San Vigilio Siusi: peak performer in Italy’s high north.
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