Hello golfers, 

For those of you that didn't realise, last week's newsletter came out a day later than usual on the 1st April and it was all a hoax about the car park. Did I get you? If you took the first letters of the two new procedures - "All Parking Respectfully Inside Lines" and 'Facility Overspill Outside Lines System' - they actually spell April Fools.

As my youngest would declare we had 'Great Banter' in the shop at the weekend following this.
 


There is so much written about the exciting start of the season with the US Masters that I won't bore you with another Augusta article. Just to say how amazing it must be for the youngsters to set foot on Augusta and have a go at the Sunday pin position in the Drive, Chip and Putt championship preceding the tournament. What a great way to showcase the sport, as the past champions salute the new generations and award the trophies. When will we see the first US Masters winner who had also won the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship years earlier? 

Anyone fancy going to Augusta next year to watch the Masters? Click here and I can send you details of a package.



A lot of the content during coaching is stopping golfers from working on the wrong things and it's simply astonishing how usually the correct course of action to improve impact is the polar opposite of what the golfer thinks they need to do. This is true in pretty much every area of the game from the swing, to pitching and putting. 

A lot of golfers make the short game very difficult for themselves by turning their clubs into a digging tool instead of a tool to create height. I see a huge amount of golfers playing wedges with the shaft leaning towards the target at the setup and at impact. This takes loft off the club, making the ball go lower and more importantly, it takes all the BOUNCE off the club. The bounce is your friend and makes the wedge very forgiving - you don't want to be getting rid of it. Instead, focus on ADDING loft and bounce through impact. 

Here's a photo from this week showing Frank performing a one handed practice swing and allowing the head to swing past the handle of the club, thereby adding loft and bounce. 

We worked on a couple of really simple keys that meant he had a wide, forgiving bottom to the swing - you can see from these pictures just how low the clubhead is to the ground well before and after the impact area. He could be hitting shots off virtually any lie, impacting the ground correctly BEHIND the ball and generating plenty of height and backspin with this action with the maximum amount of forgiveness.

To get a handle on your own game as the season kicks off, simply call the shop on 01785 661485 to book a session on whatever part of the game is killing your score - at the very least you'll save all the wasted time working on the wrong thing!


 

Our juniors at Brocton Hall have been out in force this year with huge handicap reductions already in the Easter competitions. Steve Kanes has been interviewing and welcoming new members each week and the volunteers have been out in force around the course. We do need more volunteers; however, we are required to chaperone the younger golfers with at least one adult walking around in the competitions with each group. If you'd like to offer to volunteer, even just on one occasion, please click here and I'll send Steve your details.


 

The second Tuesday Social of the season was popular with 46 entries and some fantastic scoring. It could be a different story from now on as the tees move back to full length from this weekend. Remember the Social 9 hole stableford is on every week and usually tees off from 3pm - 6pm. This weeks results: 

1st - Tim Nicholls - 25 points £17 
2nd - Craig Draper - 22 £15 
3rd - Steve Treadwell - 21 £13 
4th - Andy Giddings - 21 £11 
5th - Holly Hunt - 20 £10 
6th - Richard Egan - 20 £8 
7th - Maurice Braden - 20 £7 
8th - Stu Vaughan - 20 £6 
9th - Daz Poole - 20 £5 

Well done to the 8 pairs who qualified for the 2016 Captain Pro matches at the weekend, with 90% handicap allowance it looks like the Captain and I may have our job cut out this year!!



Following on from my last Academy Night, I've had more requests to host another event, I should have time at the end of April so I'll publish the date here as soon as it's confirmed.
  

 

Look out for these other clinics and golf experience days in the near future 

Short Game Clinics, Putting clinics, Putting Tournament, Super Demo Days, 10 Yard challenge, golf days away - all to come in 2016 !!