Big Cat’s Back (Not the Fused One)

Big Cat’s Back (Not the Fused One)

Tiger smoked his first practice-round drive 319 yards down the center stripe of the fairway Tuesday, and the unfaithful golf world is once again murmuring “comeback” under their collective breath. Apparently Big Cat is back to bombing the ball (according to Rickie Fowler and Brad Faxon), albeit with a prosthetic leg and a cyborg spine. Unfortunately, ripping the driver is no guarantee of success (see 2017 Watson, Bubba), but it is encouraging.

The Tiger fame pendulum has swung so wildly from sacrosanct golf legend to reprehensible cheater that it’s difficult to plot him on the spectrum. There’s no better place to come back than the Hero World Challenge, a cutless tournament with an 18-player field (he’s guaranteed a top-20!). He’ll be paired with Justin Thomas, Player of the Year and top-5 favorite in every tournament he enters. If Tiger squeezes a couple drivers past him, it won’t matter where he finishes. The grandstands will reverberate with every event Woods enters all the way to Augusta.

Sorry LL, but I am calling it a comeback. For one reason or another, this time feels different. At this point, there’s not much to lose. By all accounts he’s just a dad now, and Thanksgiving 2009 is long gone. Of course, the DUI was baffling (how does a guy that rich drive intoxicated?), but he managed to plead it down and hopefully get the help he needs. I might be way off, but I’m calling one 2018 win and a major top-10. That would be a huge success considering where he’s been recently (currently ranked 1,199th in the world), and if it doesn’t happen, he can always play the injury card or just surrender and retire.

Tiger’s 2017 swing looks compact, pure, reminiscent of days past. Although golf is in a good place right now, nostalgia creeps into the psyche of every industry leader when they remember how much he meant to the bottom line. The golf world and its casual fans can always use a spark, and if Tiger’s actually healthy, he’ll set that world on fire. Enjoy.

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Why We’re Thankful for Golf

Why We’re Thankful for Golf

 

With our annual foray into the gluttonous expansion of our waistlines Thursday, we thought we’d give a few reasons why we’re thankful for golf. The game can be infuriating, thrilling, hilarious and confounding, often all in the same round. As the English poet William Blake said, “The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest,” so read on, fellow golfer, and while you’re uncomfortably assimilating that third helping of potato gratin, take a moment to reflect on what this fascinating game means to you.

You can get whatever you want out of it:

Breaking news: 99.99% of us aren’t going to make our living playing golf (more below). So why do we spend so much of our valuable time with a club in our hands? The answer’s different for everyone. Golf has its gamblers, range rats, social strollers, tank-top-wearing muni regulars, 70 year-old beginners, aspiring professionals and everything in between. You can compete in high-pressure tournaments or only play alone. There are a lot of possibilities, but at some point you’ll want to ask yourself why YOU play. There’s no wrong answer, and that’s the beauty of it. Maybe you just like to try to hit the range picker. Good for you. If you’re respectful of the courses you play and other golfers, you can make the game whatever you want.

You can make your own rules:

In my opinion, there are only four things every golfer should abide when playing:

1. Keep pace and let faster groups play through
2. Respect other players (i.e. turn down the music if another group is near, yell FORE if needed, etc.)
3. Leave the course in better shape than you found it
4. Never cheat if you’re playing against anyone for anything (of course, you and your playing partners can agree on your own special rules)

Other than that, have at it. Here’s a good list of rules you can try for your next casual round, but feel free to get creative.

The PGA/LPGA/European Tour:

I’ve often said golf is the most difficult sport to make a living strictly playing, with the possible exception of basketball (read this). The talent at the highest levels of the sport is absolutely ridiculous .  While it’s true that there are more avenues to playing in a professional golf tournament than taking the court with Lebron James, take a look at this infographic on 2016-2017 PGA Tour Monday Qualifying:

If you’re a scratch golfer on a course similar to Hart Ranch, you’d have to get an average of 9 shots better per round to even get close to the PGA Tour (probably not happening). That’s what makes watching the best in the world so fun, especially under immense pressure at majors. It’s unreal to me that players like Justin Thomas or Lexi Thompson can have the seasons they had, sustaining excellent results throughout the year with the talent level that exists at the upper echelons of the sport. Tour-level golf is in a really good place, especially if Tiger can actually compete again.

It’s funny:

Golf inherently lends itself to hilarity. If you play long enough, you’ll fall down laughing at least once. Guaranteed.

Anyone can play at any age:

Sure, like learning an instrument or a language, you’ll probably be better if you grow up playing, but that’s not always the case. Toddlers play golf, as do the elderly, disabled people, wounded warriors and many others. If you’re interested, there’s no reason you can’t play.

The settings are remarkable:

Of course, we’re partial to the sunsets at Hart Ranch, but there are plenty of jaw-dropping vistas throughout the golfing world. Get out and see them.

It’s difficult, but we’re all in this together:

I know it’s tough to be grateful when you shank two balls into the pond on 12 and finally tap in for a 9, but hear me out. Golf is rewarding because it’s impossible to master, and there’s always room for improvement. The nice part is, every avid golfer has been there with you, even if they’re really good. Everyone who plays has hit terrible shots, and will again.

The golfing powers that be are addressing this issue, and equipment is better than ever at correcting errant shots. Taking lessons and getting fit for clubs can help immensely. Just remember, golf isn’t always about your score. Getting outside and having a good time with friends and family is far more important than shooting a number.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Of course, there are many more reasons we’re thankful for this game, but this post is long-winded as it is. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving, and since it looks like we’re going to have some awesome weather (we’re closed Thursday and Friday, but will open back up at 9am Saturday) this weekend, swing out to Hart Ranch and golf off that extra piece of pie. Happy golfing!

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Simulator Rundown

Simulator Rundown

Click Here for Hours and Rates

With our inaugural simulator league opening next Monday (Nov. 20th), I wanted to give you some quick indoor golf tips and let you know what the simulator is all about.

This year, we have a new setup on the back deck, which gives you a lot more room to swing. We have two TVs running the simulator and one with cable (so we can watch whatever game is on any given night). There are some comfortable lounge chairs and the deck is heated for those cold winter evenings. In the past I worked at a simulator company (I’ve seen a lot of them), and our current setup really is awesome for indoor golf.

This year, the launch monitor (LM) is lined up so you can hit directly into the middle of the net. It was a little difficult last year to line up correctly due to our limited space, as we had to set the LM at an angle. Now, it is pretty simple to line up square to your target. You’ll also feel less crowded in our new area, so those trying it for the first time will be a more comfortable swinging freely. Keep in mind that your distances may be a bit shorter than your used to until you get the hang of it, but you will!

In my experience, the most difficult part of playing indoor (or any?) golf is the short game. You don’t necessarily get a sense of the depth you normally do on the course, and most of us don’t play exact yardages from 30-70 yards (we’re usually just picking a landing spot and playing by feel). The benefit is that by playing the simulator a lot, you’ll really dial in your wedge distances and know exactly how much swing you’ll need to get the ball near the hole with any given club. The most surprising aspect to me has been how much indoor golf has improved my overall on-course game, by allowing me to dial in my yardages and really feel confident with how far the ball is going to travel.

Our current LM is a SkyTrak, and it’s pretty accurate. I haven’t seen any discrepencies in distance. Like any LM, it will miss a shot occasionally, but overall the product is good and you’ll get an accurate sense of distance, spin rate, club speed, etc. It’s excellent for clubfitting, and we’re also offering indoor lessons if you’re looking to tune up your game before spring.

When playing on any of the 15 courses our software offers, we’ll usually set it up to auto-putt (as we will for Monday Night League), because it’s difficult to get a sense of the speed and break needed to hole putts. If you’d like, you can certainly try putting, but we’d recommend letting the computer do it for you.

Give us a call at (605) 341-5703 to book your simulator time. If it’s just one person playing, you can get done with 18 holes in about an hour. If you have two players, we recommend booking for two hours. With three players +, it’s best to book for three hours if you want to play 18 holes. Click the link at the top of the post to see rates, but know that the more people you bring, the cheaper it is to play! If you haven’t played indoor golf before, it’s a fun time and a great way to keep your game in shape while you wait to get out on the actual course. See you soon at Hart Ranch and happy golfing!

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Swing Through the Ball

Swinging Through the Ball

“My practice swing is so different than my actual swing.”

-Every golfer ever

 

The golf ball is in the way of the swing. Swing through the ball, not at it. You’re not finishing. Swing to the target. These are common refrains heard on ranges and courses all over the world. It’s pretty rare that we see someone who can’t make a pretty smooth and repeatable swing without a ball in the way. Swings made with the club hovering above the ground make everyone feel like they should be on tour.

So why is it that our swings become tense lashes when a ball is presented? The first issue is the clubface. We don’t need to worry about hitting the ball straight, so we don’t manipulate our hands and body to try and square everything up. Second, there is no performance anxiety, as in, we don’t really care what it looks like and there’s no result to worry about. Third, and probably most importantly, there’s not a lot of tension. I haven’t seen anyone tense up so much they didn’t finish in decent balance on a practice swing.

Let’s take a look at how we can get away from being “ball-conscious” and find that elusive “swing through the ball” feel we all need to get better.

1. Start with the end in mind:

We’ve all done it and seen it: the steering swing that stops wayyyy short of a good finish. The arms and hands are extremely tense, the clubface is probably wide open and the ball is slicing or shanking straight off to the right (or left for a lefty). The easiest drill to combat this is to make sure to finish with your back shoulder (right shoulder for righty, left for lefty) facing the target, the club above your lead (vice versa) shoulder and your back heel off the ground. This is your one and only goal for the swing. If you’re not used to it, it will take some reps.

The second part of this drill is to hold your finish until the ball lands. Not only does this help your balance, but your body will intuitively learn that it must continue through the ball in order to hit a good shot. This is one of the best tricks in learning how to swing through and not at a ball.

2. Relieve tension:

There are multiple ways to do this. Some of my favorites:

Swing with a chip between your teeth and try not to break it

Concentrate on keeping a constant (somewhat light) grip pressure through the entire swing

Hum (hmmmmm) through your whole swing and try not to let the pitch differ…as in, try to keep a constant hum all the way into the follow through

Swing with your mouth open and relax your jaw

Listen very carefully for impact

Sing your favorite song in your head

Try the Tour Tempo app (I’d recommend the book so you know what you’re doing)

These are meant to take your mind off mechanics and the ball. Try to focus on one at a time rather than all at once. You’ll probably find that some work better than others.

3. The best drill:

The best drill I’ve found for this common issue is to hit balls with your eyes closed. If you’re getting off track, try to hit two out of every three shots blind. This takes away the visual component that causes us all kinds of swing problems, and will teach you to intuitively swing through the ball. You’ll become much more in tune with where the club actually is through the motion. Henrik Stenson hit thousands upon thousands of shots with his eyes closed when he struggled early in his career. It’s challenging at first, but stick with it. You’ll learn a lot about balance and how your swing operates.

Hopefully this gives you a good starting point. Of course, we all get the tendency to tense up, and these drills will get you back on track. Remember, we’re not trying to swing extremely slowly or anything (we need clubhead speed to move the ball out there), but we are trying to let the ball get in the way of the swing. Swing fast, not hard. Good luck!

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