Instruction – 2026, The Year of the Dialed Wedge
I get this question all the time: “How can I have better control of my distances with my wedges?” Far too often, I see students lose unnecessary strokes around the greens from not being able to control their distances with their wedges and their ball either ending up short, where they have to chip again, […]
Instruction – Lower Scores Quick With These Putting Drills
If you want to lower scores quickly, putting is the fastest path. Most golfers leave strokes on the green not because of poor technique, but because they lack start-line control, distance consistency, and practice under pressure to perform on the course. The following drills train all of these skills and can be done in just […]
Instruction – Sequence and Weight Shift
One of the most common swing faults golfers struggle with is poor swing sequence. Most amateurs tend to start the downswing by rotating the upper body or throwing the arms first before using the lower body resulting in poor contact, out-to-in path and lack of proper weight shift through impact. Improper sequence and weight shift […]
Instruction – Reading Greens
On Bermuda greens, golf balls tend to break toward the rough or grainier edge of the hole due to the strong influence of grain direction – a characteristic feature of Bermuda grass. Unlike Bentgrass or Poa Annua, Bermuda has thick, horizontal blades that grow in a specific direction, often leaning toward the setting sun or […]
Instruction – Compression Obsession
One drill you can do to stay more connected and get better compression is to grab an exercise band and place it above your elbows. From here, practice rotating back, keeping your right elbow close to your side. This will help your right elbow not flare out on your backswing. Practicing hitting shots with the […]
Instruction – The Scoring Zone
Here are some of the best drills to dial in your wedges: Place hula hoops on the ground at different yardages. Here I have one at 30 yards, 40 yards and 50 yards. Once you have a hoop on the ground at the yardage you struggle with, hit shots, paying attention to how far you […]
Instruction – Set Up for Success
Your setup is the foundation of your swing. One of the most overlooked parts of the setup is shoulder alignment. When the shoulders are too open (pointing left of the target for a right-handed golfer or right for a left-handed golfer), it can cause a chain reaction of issues throughout your swing and slice. What […]
Instruction – Getting Your Ball Airborne
Calling all new golfers. If you have never played golf and are wanting to learn how, this article is for you. In this article, I will walk you through all the steps in assuring you hit the ball in the air when you get out for the first time. The first step to hitting the […]
Instruction – Grip and Ball Flight
I always say how you grip the club is like the steering wheel of the car; it will determine the direction the ball goes the majority of the time. If you want the ball to go left or draw more, rotate your hands to the right on the club at setup, having both thumbs to […]
Instruction – The Basics of Chipping
Here’s a breakdown of the basics to help you improve your chipping: 1. Grip and Stance Use your putting grip Stance: Set up with your feet close together, about hip-width apart. Lean slightly toward the ball with your weight shifted to your front foot (about 60-70 percent of your weight). Keep your knees slightly flexed […]
Instruction – Putting 101
Putting is considered the most critical element of golf, where finesse, precision and confidence come together. While much attention is given to putter design and green reading, the putting grip – a player’s connection to the club – can significantly influence performance. The right grip offers control, consistency and comfort, helping players roll the ball […]
Instruction – Data Points of a Launch Monitor: Part 2
This month, we are continuing the discussion on data points of a launch monitor. In this article, I am going to talk about face angle, club path and face-to-path ratio. What is the clubface angle? The angle your clubface is pointed right or left of the target line at impact. What does this mean: This […]
Instruction – Data Points of A Launch Monitor: Part 1
There are numerous indoor simulators popping up all over the world. I constantly hear students say how much they love the data but have no idea what the numbers and data points mean. In this article, I am going to cover the following data points: angle of attack and launch angle. In upcoming months, we […]
Instruction – No More Shanks
There are many faults that can cause a shank; rather, it is a setup issue or a swing technique issue. Below I demonstrate a couple of the swing technique faults that cause shanks and drills to eliminate that dreaded “S” word from your game. A common fault I see when people shank the ball is […]
Instruction – Clubface Consistency
Students commonly mistake their big misses with their club path or angle of attack. The biggest factor in your misses and where the ball ends up is your clubface. The clubface influences 85 percent of the direction your ball goes. That is HUGE! Clubface is the easiest thing to change to see improvements in your […]
Instruction – Drills for an Effortless Backswing
A good backswing looks simple and effortless, although in reality there are many moving parts. The good news is each part of the backswing is simple with repetition. What is the purpose of the backswing? The purpose of the backswing is to get your club and body in a good position at the top of […]
Instruction – Perfecting Impact Position
When you watch professional swings throughout the years, you will see many different takeaways, backswings and follow-throughs. But one position that is consistently similar through every high-level player is impact. The six inches before and after the golf ball. This is the most important part of the golf swing. If you can have a consistent […]
Instruction – Sequencing for Distance
Everyone wants to hit the ball longer. In order to hit longer drives, there are a couple of key factors: speed, sequence and timing. These three things are important in order to hit the ball farther. In many sports where speed is important, athletes train using lighter equipment to promote faster movements. You can use […]
Instruction – Building a Better Takeaway
Outside of the setup, the takeaway is one of the most vital parts of the golf swing. The takeaway, in fact, sets up the entire swing. Here is a fun fact: Moe Norman, one of the best-ranked ball-strikers ever on the PGA TOUR, believed the takeaway was so important, he would address the ball with […]
Instruction – How to Hit the Draw
The most common tendency I see in my students is slicing the ball. This can be a frustrating ball flight, but I believe it is also one of the easiest faults to fix. I have several different drills and thoughts to help you start hitting beautiful draws. If you find yourself slicing and are frustrated, […]
Instruction – Putting Training Boot Camp
I get asked by many of my students what training aids I recommend for putting. Below are some of my favorite training aids to use for rolling the rock (disclaimer: I am not being paid to advertise any of these training aids). Alignment Sticks These cost around $3 at Home Depot and are called yard […]
Instruction – Putting Drills for Indoors and Outdoors
Setup is very important in putting to get the ball started on the intended line as well as help with distance control. Start with your feet shoulder width apart. Then stand tall with your arms straight out in front of you at chest high, making sure the putter grip, shaft and clubhead are all the […]
Instruction – New Year, New Goals
Happy New Year! I hope 2024 will be filled with great memories and lower scores! What does a great putter consist of? Here are a few keys great putters do well: They hit the center of the clubface consistently (there are a couple PGA and LPGA Tour players who have won many tournaments and hit […]
Instruction – Putting Your Short Game to the Test
What better way to round out the year than doing a self-assessment to see where you need to improve in 2024 to reach your goals. Below are some putting and chipping assessments as well as drills to help you improve and lower your scores in 2024. To shoot lower scores, players need to be able […]
Instruction – Curing the Dreaded Slice
What causes a slice in technical terms? A slice is caused by an open clubface in relation to your swing path at impact. I see so many students work on their swing path first trying to fix their slice when, in reality, 80 percent of where the ball goes is due to the clubface. With […]
Instruction – Short Game Secrets to Success
The number one comment I hear from new students when I ask what their golf goal is: “I want to become more consistent.” “I want to have consistent contact.” To get consistency for chipping/pitching, here are a few things that need to happen. You need to master center of the clubface contact, direction and distance […]
Instruction – Consistent Contact
One of the biggest inconsistencies I see with amateur golfers is where they hit the ball on the clubface. It is always in a different spot, causing direction inconsistencies as well as yardage inconsistencies and leaving them frustrated. Did you know that if you hit the golf ball just a half inch off the center […]
Instruction – Golf Longevity
One of my favorite things about golf is there are so many different ways to swing and hit various shots. There is not one specific way to swing or hit the different shots. Golf can also be played no matter what the injury is, there is a modification that can be made to help you. […]
Instruction – Short Game Solutions
I have a lot of students who ask me how to practice for shooting lower scores. I have provided some drills top juniors and professionals do to prepare for tournaments. I teach these drills to a lot of students, as well, to help them lower their scores. The putting drills will focus on distance control, […]
Instruction – The Proper Follow-Through
One of the biggest swing mechanics that goes unnoticed in the golf swing is the follow-through. The follow-through is vital to have consistent contact and ball flight. I have provided several thoughts and drills to help you have more consistent contact through focusing on your follow-through. Far too often I see students so focused on […]
Instruction – What is Bounce?
Have you ever had a chip around the green where all you have to do is get it up-and-down to get a birdie and you end up skulling the ball across the green? I see far too many students make the mistake of skulling the ball across the green and thinking it is poor mechanics […]
Instruction – Rolling the Rock
I have spent a lot of time watching some of the best putters on the LPGA and PGA Tours, including Brad Faxon. Three things the top putters have in common are they are great at reading greens, they start the ball on their intended line the majority of the time and they have great distance […]
Instruction – Saving Strokes Around the Greens
There is nothing more frustrating than hitting your second shot on a par 5 on the fringe of the green, then blading the ball into the water over the green or chunking the ball a few feet in front of you, now turning your birdie into a bogey. If you’ve ever been in the situation […]
Instruction – Grip Fundamentals
There are so many keys to playing good golf, a lot of times when students are hitting the ball badly, they immediately think it is a result of a big fix that needs to be made when in reality the majority of the time it is just something small causing the big misses and inconsistency. […]
Instruction – Putting
Happy New Year! I can’t believe another year has gone … it’s amazing how fast time flies! What are your new year’s resolutions? I encourage you to reach out to me with your goals for the year, so we can talk about ways to reach those goals. E-mail me at kirsten.pike@invitedclubs.com To start 2023 off, […]
Instruction – Winter is for Putting
One thing all great putters have in common is they have a firm lead wrist at impact and a putting stroke driven by rocking the arms, shoulders and not flicking the wrists. Flicking the wrist at impact can cause a lot of inconsistency in the ball starting on the proper line, controlling the speed of […]
Instruction – The Swing Path to Success
I have students who ask all the time what training aids they should buy to help improve their game; one of my favorite training aids is a cardboard box. There are so many ways a cardboard box can be used, but one of my favorite ways to use a box is as an obstacle for […]
Instruction – Consistency is Key
Do you ever struggle wondering how to get more consistent contact when chipping or pitching? Here are several drills explaining why you hit chips and pitches fat, thin and even top or shank pitches and chips. There are a few different ways to do this drill, depending on if you hit the ball in the […]
Instruction – Power Move for Longer Drives
Back in the day, there was a saying you might have heard: “Drive for show, putt for dough.” While that saying is still true today, courses are getting longer, and driving isn’t necessarily just for show anymore. Man, does it help if you hit longer drives and are hitting into the green with short irons […]
Instruction – Stroke Strategy
So many times, I hear students say, “I hit great on the range, but I have trouble taking it to the course.” The majority of times I get on the course with students it is not a swing issue, but instead a course management issue. They don’t tee off on the correct sides of the […]
Instruction – Short Game Made Simple
Don’t let the thick rough get to you. There are many ways to hit the ball when it is sitting down in the rough, but here is one easy way I like to go about this shot. Start by setting up with the ball in the middle of your stance. From here, lean to your […]
Instruction – Escaping the Beach
Do you struggle in the sand? Time to get rid of those frustrations! There are three common sand lies you can experience: fluffy sand; hard compact/thin/wet; and buried. Now, you’re probably saying to yourself, “yeah, well how the heck do I have success from those lies?” Faults and Fixes If you struggle with skulling or […]
Instruction – Iron Sharpens Iron
Inconsistency can be one of the most frustrating things in golf! Do you ever find yourself chunking your iron shots? The result of a chunked shot is the low point of your swing arc being too far behind the golf ball at impact. First, I will start with a couple reasons why you may chunk […]
Instruction – Shot Shaping Made Simple
One of the questions I constantly get from students is how I shape the ball right to left or left to right. I have a few secrets below that are guaranteed to make you draw or fade the ball. Before I discuss how to draw and fade the ball, it is important you understand what […]
Instruction – On Plane
Swing plane is very important and having the correct swing plane for each individual student, since everyone is different, helps improve a player’s consistency, accuracy, and distance. Swing plane and club head path are closely related, as a club head’s path is the line that the clubhead travels along through impact. The drills I have […]
Instruction – Sequencing the Driver
“How do I get more consistency?” is one of the questions I get most from my students. There are many variables that equate to more consistency. Clubface direction at impact, club path, setup, and ball to clubface contact at impact are all factors that must be considered when trying to become more consistent. Last month […]
Instruction – Curing the Slice and Hitting Bombs
Can’t believe another year has already passed! it’s simply amazing how time flies! If you’re looking to hit straighter and longer drives in 2022, My goal will be to help you achieve that. Over the next several months, we’re going to work on hitting more fairways and increasing your knowledge and skills to help you […]
Instruction – Hitting Bombs with the Driver
How would it make you feel to hit longer, straighter drives? Well, these tips will help you with that! Many golfers struggle hitting their driver consistently because of how they stack their upper body over their lower body in their swing. When players stack their upper body over their lower body in the swing it […]
Instruction – Shot Shaping the Easy Way
Who doesn’t like being a hero when in the trees? It’s always fun when you pull off a massive hook, slice, or punch. Let’s talk about what you need to do to pull off more of those fun shots. What is a hook? A hook shot is a ball that starts right, and curves left […]
Instruction – Stopping Topped and Thinned Shots
First, let me get a common myth out of the way that teaching professionals hear amateurs tell each other far too often. “You didn’t keep your head down long enough, that’s why you are topping and thinning your shots.” This is far from the truth, if you watch some of the best players in the […]
Instruction – Turn Your Swing Inside Out
Over the top is one of the most common swing faults for amateur golfers. Below are several drills to leave this fault in the past and help keep you on the right track for a successful swing. 1. Place a pillow or folded towel in line with your trail heel one grip length away. From […]
Instruction – Set Up for Success
Is your takeaway setting you up for success or disaster? One of the most common questions teaching professionals get is “How do I get more consistency in my game?” The takeaway is a big key in consistency as it starts the golf swing and helps determine what will happen in the downswing. I have demonstrated […]
Instruction – Most Overlooked Fundamental in Golf
Aim is one of the most overlooked fundamentals in golf for amateurs. Amateurs almost always go straight to “fixing their swing” before even thinking about looking at their aim and alignment. Picture this, you are a sniper where you must hit the bullseye, you have a rifle with a telescopic sight attached to it which […]
Instruction – Improving Flexibility
I constantly have students ask what exercises they can do to gain more flexibility and mobility. What is the difference between flexibility and mobility? Flexibility is the ability of a muscle or muscle groups to lengthen without resistance during a range of motion while mobility is the ability to move actively during a range of […]
Instruction – Dialing in Distance
I get this question all the time: “How can I have better control of my distances with my wedges?” Far too often, I see students lose unnecessary strokes around the greens from not being able to control their distances with their wedges and their ball either ending up short, where they have to chip again, […]
Instruction – Master the Sand
When I ask students the shot they dread the most it is almost always the green side bunker shot. This is usually because they don’t have the proper setup to hit the shot. Setup is key to hitting a green side bunker shot, as it sets up the entire swing. One of my favorite quotes […]
Instruction – Stop the Top
As an instructor, I get this question all the time: “What is the difference between pitching and chipping?” A chip shot is going to stay lower to the ground, carrying less in the air and rolling more, where a pitch shot will carry in the air more and roll less. Now that we have determined […]
Instruction – Curing the Chipping Yips
Is it just me, or does this frustrate you too? Let me set the scene for you, I just hit the best drive of my life on a short par-4 and only have a short chip left for eagle or I can get up-and-down for a birdie. What do I do? I skull it across […]
Instruction – The Three P’s of Putting
Well, we made it through 2020 … and what a crazy year. Thank goodness it’s in the rear-view mirror now! Cheers to 2021 and accomplishing our New Year’s resolutions together. To help you get started on your New Year’s resolution of shooting lower scores on the golf course, let’s take a look at one of the most […]