Author: Dan Hernandez, PGA

Dan Hernandez, PGA Updates

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I am remiss in not keeping up here at danhernandezpga.com.  I have been extremely busy with a number of things and July has been really crazy.  Here is a summary of what’s been happening:

My indoor teaching facility is now closed and I am teaching full time at Valencia Country Club. I thank all of the students who came to the studio over the last four years. It was a special time and a special place for me – and hopefully for my students.

In case I haven’t seen you at the range lately, stop by and take a look at JC Video. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Never more true than when you’re trying to see what the heck is going on with your golf swing!

Valencia Country Club has a new PGA Head Golf Professional, Brian Bohlig.  I’ve spent a little time with Mr. Bohlig and am very comfortable in his presence.  I will fully support him and wish him the best in his new position.*

The club also has a new GM and Director of Golf. Mr. Mike DeJordy will be spearheading the operations at the club. Mr. DeJordy comes to Valencia with an extensive array of PGA credentials and experience.  I will fully support Mr. DeJordy as well.*

With apologies to Mr. Miod on my lateness, I will be posting some information about pace of play, playing the appropriate set of tees, and general golf course etiquette.  In the meantime, please do check out the first section of the USGA Rule Book. It’s always been interesting to me that Etiquette and Care of the Course are at the forefront.

I will be at a multi-day National Club-Fitting Conference this week.  I do have a certification from Ralph Maltby for club fitting but that was back during the Civil War.  Even though I do stay abreast of what’s happening in the equipment and technology world, I do look forward to learning more about the art of club-fitting.  Not sure but am anticipating that providing a clubfitting service will end up on my menu of services.

As always, I appreciate you visiting danhernandezpga.com!

 

*Dan Hernandez nor any of its employees, instructors or any of its other agents or contractors are deemed an employee, servant, agent or representative of  Valencia Country Club. Dan Hernandez and Valencia Country Club are not deemed to have created a partnership, agency or any other legal relationship whereby one party may legally represent or make commitments on behalf of the other party. 

 

Dan Hernandez, PGA Updates

Golf Tip for June 3rd

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Weather you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, golf is hard to play, let alone understand. No one will ever know all there is to know about the game – and there lies the beauty and magic of the game!  Golf is elusive. Golf is confounding. Golf is demoralizing and exhilarating at the same time. Golf is even really stupid sometimes.

Most understanding about how to play golf begins with the swing.  There are about a million ways to do it but most players are always looking for the magic bullet – that one thing that will bring about great golf shots every time.  As you might guess, there is no such thing. But, you can know this to be true:

  • Golf is really hard so it’s best to make everything as simple as possible
  • You can’t know what to do with your swing until you can freely swing the club.  What that means is:  “Swings”  are usually learned via a mind-numbing series of things to do instead of learning what the whole swing feels like first then turning your attention to a couple of very fundamental parts – but never forgetting how the whole thing goes.  Most players don’t know what a swing actually feels like.
  • A golf swing is a physical event not a mental exercise.

Stop by my campsite on the driving range and I’ll give you a quick overview of  whole vs. part leraning.  Don’t worry, it won’t be a lesson so you needn’t be concerned about messing up your game.

too many thoughts

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Tip of The Week

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I never posted this at danhernandezpga.com but it was available to members as a download back in February. I thought I would share it now with everybody.  Basically, it’s all about being smarter when you play golf and being realistic about your ability.  There are PGA TOUR players and then there’s the rest of us.  Want a lower score?  Play to your personal par and forget about 72 – unless you’re about a +1.

GT 2-4-13

Tip of The Week

Tip of the Week

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Before I direct you to the tip here is a little background:

“Jack Nicklause’s Playing Lessons” is my all time favorite book. I used it extensively and it helped me understand how to play tournament golf.  I even went back to the lessons when I was struggling to pass my PGA Playing Ability Test (PAT).

There is nothing mechanical in the book, just lessons on how to play, how to think, and how to stay in the game.  In researching this week’s tip I somehow stumbled across Jack’s book on Amazon. Turns out that the book is now a collector’s item with a top price of $160!  Darn……my copy disappeared long ago – loaned to someone or lost in a move.  Especially troubling because my copy had Jack’s autograph in it – which I got because I took the thing to the L. A. Open one year – probably 1982 – and asked him to sign it for me.

I bring all this up this week because I found a wonderful site that reminded me so much of Jack’s book – Greg Norman’s Golf Tips.   On Greg’s site he has combined an excellent set of mechanical and non-mechanical tips – much like in Jack’s book. There are 100 “Instant Lessons” with drawings and a very brief description of each lesson.  There is additional content there as well from Norman’s golf manual called “Shark Attack!”

I wasn’t able to review all of the lessons but I did look at quite a number of them and didn’t find anything objectionable.  I was even pleased to see one about aiming the club-face first and another having to do with high targets. Both of these are common points during my own lessons that I have been teaching for a very long time.  OK, finally – click on the link below and I hope you find the information useful! Let me know if you have questions or comments.

http://www.shark.com/sharkwatch/instruction/

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Golf Tip of the Week

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There are a few ways to hold a golf club.  When you click on the link below you’ll be taked to a really simple presentation on how to place your hands on the club.  I particularly like the 6th tab probably because I want almost all beginners to hold the club that way.  Naturally I see a few things in the article that I don’t completely agree with but  anyone following the general presentation will do fine.

There is no perfect grip for everyone and the way you end up holding it will eventually become a style preference. That said, the most critical component is:

1.  The hands work best when the palms are generally facing each other. In my first book I referred to this idea as a “NON-FIGHTING”  position.

2. Look for “gaps and spaces” in your grip during all phases of your swing – of course you can only do this in slow motion or in real time using a high speed camera.

If you have any questions about any part of your game, come and visit me at the Valencia Country Club driving range.

BBC SPORT | Golf | Skills | Need some help with your grip?

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PROtect Your Game

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In an effort to help players of all skill levels know more about being safe and physically ready to play golf, the PGA of America and the Hospital for Special Surgery have partnered.

About Hospital for Special Surgery

Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery is regarded as the world’s leading center for musculoskeletal health. Ranked #1 for Orthopedics and #3 for Rheumatology in the 2012 U.S.News & World Report “Best Hospitals” issue, HSS has been among the top ranked hospitals for Orthopedics and Rheumatology for 22 consecutive years. HSS provides specialty care for individuals of all ages and stages of orthopedic and rheumatologic disease. The main campus is located in New York City and receives patients from around the world. We serve the regional area with physician offices in Queens, Long Island, and Connecticut. In 2011 the Hospital opened its first office outside of the region in Jupiter, Florida, HSS Spine & Sport, which offers rehabilitative care to patients residing in South Florida.

HSS Golf : PROtect Your Game: Improve Your Game – All Exercises.

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Tip of the Week – Bruin Golf

Dan Hernandez, PGA

One of the most efficient ways to get great golf tips is to watch golf in person. If you live in the Los Angeles area here’s your chance. Beginning tomorrow and continuing through Wednesday, you’ll be able to see some of the best collegiate players in the nation as UCLA hosts the 2013 Women’s PAC-12 Championship at Valencia Country Club. Don’t miss the great opportunity to watch Coach Forsyth and her talented team of players in person.

If you aren’t familiar with the UCLA Bruin Women’s Golf team visit the link below for the Official 2013 Media Guide.

http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/w-golf/spec-rel/2013-mg-landing.html

You can also click the link below for a story and video highlighting the Bruin team winning their 3rd NCAA Women’s Golf Championship in 2011.

http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/w-golf/recaps/052111aag.html

I know that your attendance will be appreciated by Coach Forsyth so please come out.

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Golf Tip of the Week – The Rules of Golf

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By now, every golf person on earth knows what happened Friday at the Masters.  Additionally, every golf person on earth has an opinion on the ruling that ultimately generated a 2-stroke penalty for Tiger Woods.

Way back when during my apprentice days here is what I was taught:   No one can possibly know all the Rules of Golf.  As a Golf Professional (as in not a professional golfer) what you are required to know is HOW TO USE THE RULE BOOK.  There are PGA Professionals who have spent a lifetime in the Decisions Book.  Google the Rules of Golf Decisions Book, find Rule 26 and then follow that up with Rule 33 – which was revised in 2011.  These are the sources of the Tiger Decision.   I like Bondy’s view as expressed in the link below.

via Method of how Tiger Woods was penalized at Masters shows golf is going off course – NY Daily News.

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Tip of the Week

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I was stunned recently when a junior golfer I was with didn’t know who Jack Nicklaus is. I did, in a loving and professional way, slightly admonish his Dad who was standing nearby. So, this weeks golf tip is for the youngsters who need to know and for everybody else who wants to hear some really great tips.

Jack Nicklaus – Golf Channel 12 Days of Instruction 2010 – YouTube.

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