Trey Herman

If you play enough golf, you can always tell the difference between a well or poorly struck golf ball by the sound and feel it makes coming off the club face. Unfortunately, from an amateur’s perspective, those clank and thud sounds are far more common than desired. When it comes to hitting those crisp, clean iron shots, I see nearly ever amateur make the same mistake–high hands at impact. But, what does that mean exactly? Let’s dive into our first swing tip of the year: How low hands can help create better contact.

Before we begin, let’s touch base on the importance of lie angle and how that can dictate an arrant shot. I highly suggest getting “fitted” for a set of irons before you buy, as many players have to make an adjustment to their lie angle based on their swing. Let’s take a look at the picture below. If you are coming through impact with the heel of the club down and toe up off the ground (A), you will most likely miss left. This is because the heel will dig into the turf first, causing the toe of the club to shut down and pull the ball to the left. Vice versa (which is most common), heel up and toe down (B) will result in a shot missed to the right. This can be corrected by a fitting expert by bending your irons up or down, so that the full sole of the club (C) is flush and evenly distributed through turf interaction.

A common mistake:

Now let’s get back into the original swing tip. Low hands for better contact. Going back to the paragraph above, most amateurs don’t get fitted for clubs and thus, have a toe down, heel up, type of impact creating a lot of missed shots short and right. This is because they get “steep” with the club by either coming over the top or getting tall throughout the downswing, giving the club no where to go post contact. I went ahead and demonstrated what I mean by high hands at impact and how that effects the golf shot. Let’s take a look at the next few pictures of the bad from the view of a right handed golfer.

At setup, you can see an angle (red lines) between the shaft of the club and arms. Now notice the green line, which represents the club head and the right elbow at address. At impact, the hands can’t be above this green line. If the hands are above or “high”, then we have become too steep at impact, resulting in most likely a toe down situation at impact, and leaving what I like to call bloopers into right field. What causes this? There are a few different instances that can cause high hands at impact. Three of the more common issues are either A: an over the top swing and “throwing” your hands at the ball, B: lack of body rotation through impact, or C: getting tall with the body. All three of these issues will result in the club having no where to pass and getting “stuck” at impact.

How to fix this:

You will notice most players finish with the shaft of the club vertical on the follow through. This is an indicator that the player is too steep at impact with most likely little body rotation. What I like to teach in these certain situations is the importance of body rotation, holding your spine angle a little bit longer through the swing, and trying to finish with low hands through impact. Keeping your waist bent throughout the swing will help hold your spine angle a little longer. This will contribute from not getting upright or “tall” at impact. The idea of low hands through impact is trying to return your hands to where they started at address, even though this is nearly impossible. This idea and feeling encourages the shaft to shallow out on the downswing, thus, preventing a steep or vertical attack. Focusing on finishing left will help with body rotation, allowing the club to freely pass in front and around your body instead of high and vertical. Take a look at the pictures below on how to accurately come through the impact zone, emphasizing on how the hands at impact don’t go above the green line.

I highly encourage you to take a video of your iron swing if you are frequently leaving shots short, or shot and right. Closely examine your impact position and your divot pattern. If your divot patter is half the width of the sole of your club, then there is an issue. More than likely, the shaft is too vertical. If this is the case, try these swing tips and focus on those three indicators mentioned in the paragraph above. You will instantly notice and feel the difference of a clean, crisp iron shot by solely focusing on low hands through impact.

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It’s that time of the year in the Kansas City area where you start calling around courses for tee times to only find out that EVERYONE is aerating their greens. It’s frustrating from a player’s standpoint, but ultimately necessary for the course. Green aeriation is one of the most important procedures performed on a golf course in order to keep those greens healthy, fast, and true. Let’s take a look at 4 reasons why green aeration is so essential.

1. Thatch Removal and Prevention

Thatch is the layer of the pre-existing turf material that accumulates over time. Too much thatch can act as a sponge and will prevent fertilizers and water to properly be absorbed into the soil. Fungal growth can become common if water from irrigation builds up within the thatch instead of reaching the soil. Because of this, thatch can create diseases and and an inconsistent putting surface. Pulling plugs out of the ground will reduce soil and thatch compaction and allow oxygen and water to easily flow into the soil, which in return promotes healthy turf growth.

2. Heavy Top Dressing is a Necessity

Right after the plugs are pulled and removed from the green, sand is added and spread evenly to help fill the voids. You’ll notice a heavy amount of sand usage right after the plugs are removed. This is to make sure these holes get filled properly. Too little sand can result in an incomplete job and leave the aeration holes linger much longer than expected. A uniform sand base helps heel the greens quicker and keeps them consistent and smooth for the long haul.

3. Room for the Roots

Pulling plugs out of the ground will reduce soil compaction. This allows oxygen and water to easily flow into the soil and helps promote root growth. Deeper roots create a healthier putting surface. It is much easier for superintendents to keep the greens alive and strong during the hot summer months with deep, well established roots.

4. Timing

Like mentioned before, it can be frustrating that nearly every course aerates and top dresses their greens at the same time. This is because superintendents follow a seasonal game plan, and with the Kansas City weather being unpredictable, there is only a small window to perform this yearly practice. Too early and the cold weather will stunt turf growth. Too late and the course could miss the opportune growing season. There is usually a 2 or 3 week period where it is ideal to aerate the greens in order for the quickest turnaround time to get the greens back up and running for everyone.

In the grand scheme of things, a couple weeks of less-than-ideal playing conditions on the greens is well worth the trade out. This simple process prolongs the course to consistently keep the greens smooth and fast over the next few months. A well maintained putting surface is a key element for optimal playing conditions that everyone can enjoy.

Here are Dub’s Dread Golf Club, we aeriated and top-dressed our greens March 22nd – 24th with expected recovery conditions through Sunday, March 28th. Check out our available tee times by hitting the button below!

Golf was founded on the idea of a “gentleman’s game” among the higher class with players showing etiquette and respect for the game. Fast forward to now, and the game has become a popular hobby and sport for everyone. However, some fundamental ideas have been lost throughout this process. The choice to play became apparent during the COVID pandemic. Golf club sales surged to historic records, as nearly every vendor, from Callaway to Titleist, had difficulty keeping up with order fulfillment due to the high demands. From public courses having limited availability with tee times to the long waiting lists for memberships with the private facilities, golf faced a reality it had not seen in quite some time.

The natural social distancing and outdoor activity that the game is known for helped create a safe environment that people felt comfortable participating in. People working from home had an itch to get out of the house and be active, and with many restrictions and lockdowns in place throughout businesses and entertainment venues, golf was one of the few escape options one could indulge in.

The popularity of golf has skyrocketed with a vast array of players, from beginners learning the game for the first time to those more advanced players getting the opportunity to play at a record rate. However, many simply have overlooked fundamental policies that the game must follow to keep the enjoyment of playing alive. From a player’s standpoint, the increase in play can create problems and kill any good vibes golf is supposed to bring. With that in mind, let’s hit on three hot topics in course etiquette to serve as a friendly reminder during these busy times.

1. PACE OF PLAY

Due to the high demand and limited tee times, those 3 hour rounds are hard to come by any more. Most places have an implemented pace of play policy where 18 holes should be finished anywhere from 3.5 – 4.5 hours. Anything longer than that creates problems on both sides: players and management staff. It only takes one group to fall behind to create a domino effect of backups all the way to #1 tee box. It is imperative to keep up pace of play so every player within and outside of your group enjoys their time on the course. A slow round at 9 am with a fully booked tee sheet could cause a group later in the day not to finish because of daylight.

Be mindful when stopping at the turn of your current pace after the front 9, where the group behind you is, and how long you are in the clubhouse. This helps enforce the pace of play policy within your own group. Be sure that you don’t sit down on turn to eat unless you know the certain course you are playing at allows it.

Side note – always show up early for your tee time. It is just as much of a problem checking in for your 10:00 am tee time at 9:57 am. This will also create a backup on scheduled tee times, which in return, could take hours to get caught back up with a full tee sheet.

2. REPAIR BALL MARKS AND DIVOTS

Again, with the increase in rounds, courses are taking a beating with the foot and cart traffic. Players regularly enjoy playing on smooth and fast greens, and if ball marks aren’t fixed, it doesn’t take long for those nice greens to become bumpy and undesirable. The best rule of thumb is not only to fix YOUR ball mark, but also to fix one other on every green. If everyone implements this idea, there would be no reason for greens not to stay true.

Likewise, if a divot is taken from the fairway, use the sand provided by the course to fill those divots. With zoysia being Kansas City’s more popular turf choice, divots should be fully filled within 7-10 days if properly cared for. This helps keep tee boxes and fairway lush throughout the entirety of the playing season.

Also, take the time to rake bunkers PROPERLY and PROFESSIONALLY. Respect the other players on the course, because there are no benefits when it comes to playing out of an unraked bunker.

3. RESPECT DRESS CODE

Always check with the course regarding dress codes. Most courses have their dress attire policy on their website, but if they don’t, give them a call to find out. Recently the tour is having a change in scenery for some brands, as hoodies and mock necks are returning to fashion. However, in many cases, a collared shirt is still required when playing on the property. Please do not show up in a t-shirt or a cutoff unless you are 100% certain the course allows it. If you do and the course doesn’t allow it, there’s a very good chance that you’ll be purchasing a polo from the shop when checking in.

For women, the basis is a little different, as lady’s apparel widely vary in style. The general rule of thumb for most courses is either the shirt must have a collar or sleeves. Again, check the course’s website or call and double check.

The thoughts behind these few policies is to keep people interested in the game. Great course conditions with smooth pace of play makes for an enjoyable round, and at the end of the day, that’s all we could ask for!

We are still on our WINTER RATES! Take advantage of them while they last!