Rory McIlroy wins the US open. What can you learn?

Well, the kid did it. Wire to wire. He set or tied 12 US Open records. He won going away, by eight shots. No collapse this time. Congratulations Rory. Here is a great article on Rory's Records.

The kid’s swing is a thing of beauty. So, what can we learn from Rory’s win? I think that one of the most important lessons is that, what happened in the past (the Masters collapse) has nothing to do what will happen in the future. The ball has no memory. It does not remember the drive you blasted down the middle, the one you duck hooked into the woods, or the three foot putt you missed. Golf is a game of one shot at a time. Each new shot is a chance at redemption. So, enjoy each shot.

Is Rory the best player on the planet? He certainly was for four days. What’s in store for his future? Only time will tell, but I do not think we have heard the last of Rory McIlroy.

We did get an unconfirmed report that Rory said he owed it all to his practice sessions with the Ropeit. So, get yourself a Ropeit at: http://www.theropeit.com/ , and who knows, you could be shooting lights out for your next round.

As always, keep it in the short grass.

Who is the best golfer on the planet? It just may be Rory McIlroy.

In an earlier post, before the US open started, I had stated that I liked Rory McIlroy to win the major championship. Well, after two days he has been putting on a clinic. The way he is playing right now, he certainly looks like the best player in the world. Of course the tournament is not over yet, and there are still two rounds to play. And we all know what happened at the Masters. We will have to wait and see if he can handle the pressure. I am predicting that he handles the pressure, and wins this one going away.

While you are watching the tournament, enjoy the golf, but focus on watching the swing of McIlroy. It is a thing of beauty. It is always smooth and powerful, and always in balance. Notice the various positions he is in, especially at the top, at impact, and at the finish. You will do well to emulate any of these positions, but pay special attention to the balance of the swing.

You can practice getting into these positions on your time and on your schedule in your own backyard. All you need is the Ropeit. Visit http://www.theropeit.com/ to check it out. Get a Ropeit, become a better ball striker, and shoot lower golf scores.

Good luck Rory. No matter what happens you have played some unbelievable golf for two days, and you made it look easy.

Your questions, comments, and/or observations are always welcome. Please let us know what you think.

As always, keep it in the short grass.

Will Tiger Woods break Jack Nicklaus’ major record?

What does Jack himself have to say about this? In an interview with ESPN in March, before the Masters, Jack said: “Tigers got such a great work ethic. He's so determined to what he wants to do. I'm very surprised that he has not popped back. I still think he'll break my record.” He then added; if Tiger goes another year without winning a major, it could change my mind.

Well, so far there is one down with three to go. With the next being the U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club, in Bethesda, MD

Nicklaus won 18 majors with his last coming at age 46. At 71 I feel it is safe to assume that he will not win any more. Now, Tom Watson may be another story. Stay tuned for more on that in an upcoming post.

Tiger currently stands at 14, but has gone 10 majors without a win, the longest drought in his career. At age 35, Tiger is still two majors ahead of Jack’s pace. But the big question is: Is Tiger still Tiger? His swing changes have not seemed to help, if anything they have hurt. He has lost his intimidation factor. The old guys have seen that he can be beaten down the stretch, and the new kids are not afraid of anyone. If you couple that with the sex scandal, and his streak of injuries, some might say that Tiger is done.

I personally feel that we have not heard the last from Tiger Woods. My reasoning is for just what Jack said. He is determined to do what he wants to do. If Tiger gets healthy, and puts his embarrassment behind him, he will be a major factor again. A couple of big if’s? Yes! All the King’s horses, and all the King’s men, should be able to put Tiger back together again. So that takes care of his body. His head is another matter. If he stays healthy, and get’s his head straightened out, he could be winning majors into his fifties.

Please let us know if you think Tiger will break Jack’s record and why.

As always, keep it in the short grass.

Hit against a firm left side. What does this mean?

Hitting against a firm left side is mentioned over and over as one of the elements of a good golf swing. But, what does this actually mean? I could fill this post with a lot of technical jargon, but I do not feel that this is necessary. Hitting against a firm left side simply means that the left leg must act as a post to brace the golf shot.

Watch any golf tournament and you will see that every pro ends up in the same position when making a full swing. If every pro does it, don’t you think that you should too?

Study the picture, and hit 25 shots a day. Do nothing else but think about finishing in a position like the picture below, and hold your finish for a count of three.

So head to the backyard, practice with your RopeIt, emulate the finish in the picture, and you will be well on your way to being a better ball striker.

If you would like a more detailed explanation check out the following web sites:
http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/swing-sequences/2007-07/butchharmon_0707
http://www.golf.com/golf/video/article/0,28224,2075176,00.html
http://www.golftipsmag.com/instruction/faults-and-fixes/lessons/50-best-swing-keys.html?start=3

Golf is all about being in the correct positions at the proper time. I started with the finish, because to get to this position you had to do a lot of things right. Please stay tuned for future posts on proper positions to be in and at what time.

As always, keep it in the short grass.

AJ reveals the truth about golf? NO, here’s the real truth.

Many of you may have seen the infomercial where it is revealed, that someone, is finally going to reveal the TRUTH about golf. For ONLY ninety bucks, you too can finally learn the truth about golf. I have never seen the truth so reasonably priced.

In a nut shell, here is what IS REVEALED as the truth about golf: Hit down and through the ball and rotate the club face with your hands through impact. While this is certainly good advice, and may be a partial truth, it is not the real truth.

I am going to reveal the REAL TRUTH, and I am going to do it for free. If you want to get better at golf, drum roll please: “YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE.” And you have to practice the proper things.

While there is some good stuff in AJ’s video, you are not going to be able to watch the video and then go out and break par the next day. Just watching the video will not shave 10 strokes off of your game overnight. In all fairness to AJ, NO VIDEO will do this without practice. So if you see an ad where someone promises that you can hit 300 yard drives overnight, I suggest you run for the hills.

So, how do you get better at golf? Fully understand the fundamentals, and find time to practice.

As always, keep it in the short grass. Thank you.

Will Tiger Woods win the 2011 US Open at Congressional?

The short answer is: NO. Tiger has withdrawn from this year’s 2011 US Open to be held June 16th-19th, at congressional country club in Bethesda Maryland. Tiger will not be at this year’s US Open due to lingering injuries. This will be the first time he has not played in the Open in 17 years.

Will Tiger be missed? Of course he will, but he was pretty much a side note at this years first major, The Masters, and it was arguably one of the most exciting Majors of all time. Even if Tiger had been in the field this years Open is, well, wide open.

Since Tiger’s fall from the perch, the top ranked player in the world keeps changing. If I remember correctly it has changed four times this year. Those who held the top spot have one Major between them.

I like Phil Mickelson, or Rory McIlroy. I like these two for completely different reasons. I like Phil because he is a seasoned veteran that has proven he knows how to win a major. He also has proven that he knows how to lose one. I like Rory because I personally believe that he is the best player on the planet right now. That being said, he also has proven that he knows how to lose a major.

If recent history is any indication, ANYONE, in the field could win. The last four majors were won by first time major winners. Graeme McDowell (U.S. Open), Louis Oosthuizen (British Open), Martin Kaymer (PGA Championship) and Charl Schwartzel (Masters) , not exactly household names.
Weigh in and let us know your favorite, and why. We would love to hear from you.

Thanks.