Golfing in Ireland

I'm heading to Ireland for 10 days to play golf with 7 of my lady members!! So excited to play 7 beautiful golf courses. Please check back for new posts when I return!

Putting Drill

Recently, I gave a lesson to a student who was really struggling with her putting. She was decelerating into the ball with her stroke - almost like she was afraid to make the putt. After checking the length of her backswing, which I found good for the length of putt she was attempting, I decided to address the acceleration through the ball.

I showed her a quick and easy drill to help her overcome her fear of failure. I placed a tee in the ground behind the hole as shown in the photo below. Then, I made her putt to the tee, changing her focus from the hole to the tee. She immediately started to roll the ball into the hole with an accelerating stroke.

I recommend this drill to those of you who are missing your putts, long or short of the hole.

Over the Top Drill - Easy

Many golfers swing their club at the golf ball with their arms and hands, leaving their lower body to trail after their upper body when they get to impact. This creates a ball that either 'slices' (starts left of your target and swings hard to the right) or 'pulls' (starts left of your target and stays left). This very common problem is one of the reasons I still have a job teaching!

This year, many of my members have been showing up on the range with alignment sticks. These sticks are very helpful for a variety of issues you may have with your swing.

Here is one drill for an 'over the top' swing:

1. With one alignment stick, line up at a target on the range.

2. With the second alignment stick, stick it in the ground at an angle towards you.

3. Starting with a 7 or 8 iron, take a few practice swings. The goal here is to try to swing under the stick.

4. Once you feel comfortable with your swing, tee up a ball directly under the stick, starting closer to you, and hit the ball. As you begin to successfully hit your shot without hitting the stick, move the ball further away from you and further under the stick.

This drill helps force you to swing to the ball from a better position on your own. See your PGA professional for more help.

New Job

I am very pleased to announce that I have taken a new job for the 2011-2012 winter golf season! Starting in November, I will be an independent golf instructor at the Breaker's West Golf Facility in Palm Beach, FL. This is going to be a very exciting new endeavor for me, as it will be my chance to discover if 'just teaching' is the role for me. Over the last seven years, I have fallen in love with teaching people to play better golf. With this new job, I will continue to grow as an instructor and share my knowledge with more students.

I have just completed my second season at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, NY - what a truly special place for a golf professional to spend the summer! As with anything, the more experience you have, the more knowledge you have gained. I have been working in the golf industry as a golf professional for over 11 years now and with each season, I continue to learn and grow as both a golf player and instructor.

Please don't hesitate to contact me for lessons this winter when you are in the Palm Beach area.

e: stono14@gmail.com | p: 734.634.2116 | web: sarahstonegolf.com - launching soon!!