Steve Stricker: Beast, Savage?

I just read an article by John Feinstein It seems impossible, but Steve Stricker is actually nicer than you think. We're seeing a lot of articles about Steve Stricker right now because the US Open will be held next week at Erin Hills, a course in Hartford, Wisconsin. Sticker is a Wisconsin native and did a commercial for  the coming US Open, but he was not given a sponsor's exemption to play in the event. No matter, Stricker went out and qualified for the Open and, in fact, was the medalist in the Memphis qualifying tournament. This is no small accomplishment. Qualification is brutal. The best amateur golfers I have ever met, guys that drive the ball over 300 yards and have tremendous short games, could not get through qualification. Sticker is a beast, a savage.



Steve Stricker has done another famous commercial for Avis, mentioned by Feinstein in the article (video above). What makes this commercial so funny is that it is "So Stricker!" in John Feinstein's words. I think it is one of the funniest commercials I have ever seen, but I am also a Midwesterner often mistaken for a New Yorker (read Feinstein's article, it is very funny and Feinstein is a New Yorker).

A friend and I walked the Erin Hills course in 2006 when it hosted the US Amateur. It is a long, brutal links course. Now that Steve Stricker has qualified, I wish him the best of luck in the Open. It will take every bit of Beast and Savage he can muster, and that is a lot.

My Arnold Palmer (1929-2016) Story

In some ways, history has been unkind to Arnold Palmer. He is remembered for blowing a seven shot lead at the 1966 U.S. Open and his early-career swing was often criticized as "far from pretty," "will never win any prizes for aesthetics or grace," and lacking in "style points". His swing today gets even more criticism for poor setup and excessive head movement (here).

Palmer himself has been very self-depricating about his golf swing. Some comments I have heard him make include "I didn't really understand the golf swing very well," "My iron play was a detriment to my golf," "I hit the ball too low," "I really didn't win that much," etc.

I have a few Palmer stories. In the 1960s, I saw him play an exhibition round (I think with Gary Player and George Bayer) at the Brown Deer Golf Club in Milwaukee, WI. What struck my high school golf team and me was Palmer's ball flight. His drives started off low and took off like an F-80 jet fighter plane. Palmer also gave an exhibition (probably during the same time period) at the Odana Hills Golf Club in Madison, WI. On the 16th hole, a rock was placed for many years where Palmer hit his drive well over 300-yards in the left rough. Although the course was not watered during this period, the hole does play into the prevailing winds and Palmer was using a wooden-headed driver and a wound balata ball! It brings to mind Palmer's 346-yard drive on the first hole of the final round in the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills.

Unfortunately, for my high school golf team and me, Palmer did not write an instructional book until I was an adult (however that book, Play Great Golf: Mastering the Fundamentals of Your Game, is worth detailed study by every golfer). In the 1960s, we were pretty much limited to learning what we could (which was a lot, especially about course strategy) from the Niklaus instruction books. The Niklaus swing, however, was not well suited for me (right now I agree with Zach Johnson, never hit a fade). Looking back on my golf career, copying Palmer would have been more appropriate.

The video, above, is really fun. It shows Palmer's early career swing (you can see Palmer's current swing here) with a lot of fun analysis including the launch of a five-stage rocket. The assertion in the video is that Palmer had the most efficient golf swing they have ever analyzed in slow motion.

A few things I can point out that are not part of current golf instruction except Stack & Tilt, Shawn Foley, the new (old) Tiger Woods swing and a few others (here): (1) Head steady and centered, (2) right leg straightens on the backswing and left knee moves out toward the ball, (3) swing starts with the lower body (specifically, the left knee moving toward the target), and (4) the hands are the last swing component (stage 5 of the rocket launch) to move on the downswing. It's important to note that the swing is not a "hit" but rather a "move" starting with the lower body. If Palmer was really "hitting it hard" there would have been less leg movement and less shoulder turn. Palmer did hit it hard but it was a result of the complete move.

By the way, where did the current received wisdom about "moving your head 12 inches behind the ball" on the backswing come from? Certainly not from the swings of either Arnold Palmer, Jack Niklaus or any of that generation except possibly Trevino. And, more importantly, why is the lateral head movement superior or even necessary? Questions, questions, so many questions!

Let's also keep in mind that Arnold Palmer was still playing a lot of golf at Bay Hill Country Club right up to this January, still loved to play and has had no major career golf injuries of which I'm aware. In a sport that generates a lot of back, wrist, shoulder and elbow injuries, Palmer's swing and physique definitely allowed for longevity.

Finally, let's not forget Arnold Palmer's record (here): Amateur Wins (26), Professional Wins (94), Masters (4), U.S. Open (1) and British Open (2).

RIP: Calvin Peete 1942-2015

Today at the Tournament Player's Championship, the great Calvin Peete who died on April 2, 2015 was honored with a moment of silence and a view of his locker in the Champions Locker Room. Peete won the TPC in 1985. He had twelve tour wins, including winning the Greater Milwaukee Open (GMO) in 1979 and 1982. The PGA Tour Career Summary (here), shows his professional career starting in 1976. My remembrance is that I saw him play in the GMO earlier than 1976, but I must be wrong. Peete had an unusual looking golf swing, possibly the result of a broken left arm that never set properly and would not straighten (I also have a left arm that will not straighten and Peete's swing always interested me). Regardless, he led the PGA tour in driving accuracy for 10 straight years, 1981-1990. His win at the TPC capped a career that probably cannot be duplicated today: he was a Public Links golfer who grew up poor playing the Genesee Valley Park course in Rochester, NY while peddling goods to migrant workers.



The analysis of Calvin Peete's golf swing above by professional instructor Jim McLean shows a solid swing with very few unusual components.

Jim McLean points out a couple of differences with the modern swing: (1) Peete's head does not stay centered but moves both downward and forward during the swing and (2) Peete's leg drive (the solid yellow lines are his original leg locations at address) and forward motion are stronger than the modern player. Peete also did not maintain club head lag deep into the downswing. Typically, instructors want to see the club at the dashed yellow line halfway into the downswing. Peete's club has released to the solid red line. Peete was playing with persimmon woods and balata-covered golf balls which may have required a different swing. My remembrance is that Peete did not have a lot of length off the tee. What he lacked in distance, he made up for in accuracy and obviously he was able to hit the ball long enough to compete on the PGA Tour at the time. 

Calvin Peete was one of the great, unique, self-taught golfers on the early PGA Tour. It was honor for me to have seen him play in his prime.

Snedeker's Yip-proof Chip

Every golfer I know who has been playing a long time at a fairly high skill level seems to have some form of the yips (technically focal dystonia), that is, unexplained problems with shots requiring fine motor skills such as putting and chipping. It got pretty bad for me with one of my playing partners saying "...you stand over a simple chip shot thinking skull, chunk, skull, chunk, skull, chunk, ..." never knowing which bad shot you're going to hit next.

My solution to this problem was to basically perfect the chunk shot, that is, hitting slightly behind the ball and taking a divot. Everybody I play with hates this shot but it was the lesser of two evils (skulking the ball over the green always ate up a bunch of strokes), it was all I had and I was producing better and better chips as I perfected the technique.

Then I see the video above where Brandt Snedeker chips one in on the 17th hole in the final round to win the 2012 Tour Championship. Surprise: he took a divot with a 60 degree wedge, the same shot that my playing partners hate to see me hit. It was not an accident (notice him practicing taking a divot before he hits the shot at the beginning of the video). Why would he do this at such a pressure-filled moment of a high-profile championship? I've never heard him talk about the shot, but I think the answer is obvious: he couldn't risk skulling the shot and he was under a lot of pressure, more pressure than I've ever felt standing over a chip shot.

The Golf Channel replayed the chip a number of times from different angles (screens shots above) and never once did any of the announcers say "Wow, look at that chili dip" or even "Great chunk-and-run". Rather, "...Rog, the lie appears really good..." yet Snedeker still takes a divot.

I guess the message for all of us with the chipping yips is: (1) get your 60 degree wedge, (2) take a few practice swings taking a divot to feel the ground, (3) set up with your hands ahead of the ball, (4) concentrate on hitting the ground right behind the ball, (5) take a little longer backswing, (6) keep your head down and (7) hit the chunk-and-run. You'll never skull one over the green again and maybe one will even go in!

Chipping Challenge: Shaved Bermuda Tight Lie

One of my correspondents in Phoenix, AZ ran into a difficult chipping problem at the Troon North Golf Course in Scottsdale. The Bermuda grass fringes around the greens had been cut very close, "shaved" to be precise. It was impossible to get the club "under" the ball for a conventional chip or flop shot. Every club in the bag (high-loft wedges, short irons, long irons, hybrids, fairway woods, everything except the driver) was tried. The only approach that produced reasonable results was the putter and it was very difficult to control the roll over the shaved Bermuda to have any chance of getting up and down in two.

My suggestion was to simulate the conditions by putting an artificial-turf golf mat on the concrete patio next to my correspondent's home putting green and keep practicing with every club in the bag (except the putter, of course, in this case) to see if he could find a shot.

Your challenge is similar to his: set up a similar situation and come up with a chip or flop shoot that works. We'll be looking forward to your comments.

How About Steve Stricker as Tiger Woods New Swing Coach?

Tiger Woods announced yesterday on his website that he and his current swing instructor, Sean Foley,  were ending "...our professional relationship." During his professional career, Tiger Woods has had three swing coaches: Butch Harmon (1996-2003), Hank Haney (2004-2010), and Sean Foley (2010-2014). Tiger's performance on the PGA Tour has been declining since his time with Butch Harmon (see the record here), but he has also been through an infidelity scandal and a long list of injuries. But, golf at the level Tiger Woods has played is a big time sport and, in the words of the Golf Channel's Brandel Chamblee, "...if Tiger Woods were a football team and Sean Foley were the coach, he'd have been fired a long time ago." And now, the speculation starts about who will be next.

Paddy Power, a bookmaker based in Ireland, put together the odds (listed above with more analysis here) on who might take over as Wood's next swing coach. The even odds go to Butch Harmon and the 500/1 odds go to Elin Nordegren, Wood's ex-wife, with slightly better odds on Wood's mother, Kultida Woods at 300/1. One name in the middle of the pack at 33/1 caught my attention and that was Steve Stricker. 

Stricker has already given Woods putting advice, pictured above at the Doral Country Club practice green (with Sean Foley looking on). Steve Stricker's career on the PGA Tour is winding down (he is a few years away from eligibility for the Senior tour) and he has joked in the past (here) about offering his services to Woods. Of all the people on Paddy Power's list, Stricker is the only one that has played head-to-head with Tiger Woods and, if Woods were to take Lee Trevino's advice (I can't find this quote, but I know I heard it from Trevino) "Never take lessons from someone you can beat". Trevino's advice would rule everyone on the list out except Stricker.

So, just to have some speculative fun, what would coaching from Steve Striker look like? Stricker himself staged a spectacular comeback after playing miserable golf in the early 2000's and finally loosing his tour card (playing privileges on the PGA Tour) in 2005. In 2006, he was voted "Comeback Player of the Year" on the PGA Tour and was then ranked 14th in the World. How did he do it?

In Ben Hogan's words, Stricker "dug it out of the dirt" (read the full story here) or more literally "the snow". Stricker spent his Winter practice time in an open-ended heated trailer at the far end of Cherokee Country Club's practice range in Madison, WI. Stricker's long-time golf coach is his father in-law, Dennis Tiziani, head pro at Cherokee. Exactly what role Tiziani played in Stricker's swing makeover is a little unclear, but it seems that Stricker mostly worked it out by himself.

For me it's hard to believe that Tiger Woods does not have the necessary golf knowledge to work out, by himself, the swing changes that he needs. Many well known and excellent players from prior generations (Hogan and Trevino stand out for me) had no swing coaches. But attitudes have changed. It's now believed that the best players have to be coachable. The counter argument to the current conventional wisdom is PGA instructor E. A. Tischler's contention that you need to Own Your Golf Swing. When you're out there in the middle of a competition and things aren't going right (as they have often done recently for Tiger Woods), you have to figure out what the problem is and pull things together. Your swing coach can't be out there giving you advice. You have to own what you are doing.

Needless to say, E. A. Tischler was not on Paddy Power's list but Tischler's concept is very important. Steve Stricker owns his own golf swing. So did Ben Hogan and Lee Trevino. They dug it out of the dirt, knew what to do when it wasn't working and had great golf careers. My fantasy is that Steve Stricker would say to Tiger: "Come to Wisconsin. Spend the Winter in the trailer. Dig it out of the snow. Everything you need to know is in your head. Find it."


NOTE: A small cottage industry has developed criticizing Wood's time with Sean Foley. Here are a few videos to give you the flavor of the criticism. The final video provides another speculation not on Paddy Power's list. The Sean Foley left-side dominant swing (in E. A. Tischer's system) is often described as being close to the Stack & Tilt Swing. A criticism of Foley's work with Woods (in the first video) was that Woods was trying to hit a fade which is not suited to the Foley swing. The Stack & Tilt swing is a draw swing (one of it's potential weaknesses) but would actually suit Woods better if he wanted to continue with the left anchor swing.

The Sergio Stinger

The "Sergio Stinger" is a great shot that you might have seen if you were watching this year's British Open (the video above is on Hole No. 3). It's great for playing both into the wind and downwind (when your not sure what the wind effect might be on your ball flight).

Matt Rudy, of Golf Digest, explains the shot as:

...a downward blow from an adjusted ball position. "On TrackMan, the average tour player hits down on the ball three degrees with a 3-iron," says Lukas McNair, a senior instructor at the Hank Haney Golf Ranch outside Dallas. "Here, he's bringing the angle of attack to five degrees. He moves the ball back in his stance so his head is in front of the ball at address, hits down and makes an abbreviated followthrough with a low arm swing."

Matt's description is not the only way to hit the shot. You can also try: (1) stacking your weight on your left foot (if the ball was in the middle of your stance, this would shift your head forward of the ball), (2) as you swing back, lean toward the target, (3) take a three-quarter backswing as Sergio does in the video above and (4) hit down on the ball (hit the ball first and then take a divot) with an abbreviated, low arm follow through as Sergio does in the video above.

As a bonus, this is also a great drill for learning what it feels like to have your weight firmly on your left side when making a full swing and hitting down on the ball (three degrees?) with full compression.