New Course Record!! 10 Under Par 61

Featured on http://www.amateurgolfer.com/, http://www.shadowhillsgolfclub.com/

INDIO, Calif. (May 23, 2007)-- Jon Manack, Leap Golf’s Director of Instruction at Shadow Hills Golf Club in Indio , shot a course record 61 at Shadow Hills G.C. on Saturday, May 19th. The round of 10 under par consisted of 8 birdies and an eagle and was witnessed by Jeff Walser PGA, Greg Leja and Fred Kasten.

Shadow Hills Golf Club is the centerpiece of Sun City Shadow Hills, a Del Webb development. It stretches 6,804 yards for the back tees with a par of 71. It was designed by Schmidt-Curley, Inc. and all 18 holes were open December of 2005.

Be Aware! The wrong advice can compound the potential for injury- hurting your swing and your body.

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Bad golf swings have been blamed on everything from lack of talent to lack of flexibility. A bad golf swing can do more than just frustrate you, it can create cumulative physical trauma that can lead to injury. Ironically, the myriad of readily available swing and fitness information may be a major contributing factor causing bad golf swings and injuries.

It’s not that all of the information being espoused is bad, the problem is the information isn’t always applicable to most struggling golfers. As a result the golfers we see tend to be confused and frustrated with their golf swings. Many are also experiencing physical stiffness, aches and pains.

The potential for injury increases when golf instruction is doled out without an understanding of the potential physical consequences of position and movement. An example of advice that has the potential for negative physical consequences is “Snapping your left knee straight” on the downswing to create faster hip rotation for more power. Not only does this create a chain reaction of movement that can lead to knee, hip and back injury, it is simply not applicable to the majority of amateur golfers who have trouble maintaining proper dynamic posture on the downswing. Body rotation is not the issue - the real issue is their inability to swing their arms fast. Trying to create more speed with their body is the wrong antidote for what ails them and just makes it more difficult to swing the arms properly by creating tension filled manipulation that feels like powerless effort instead of effortless power.

Like any great athlete who appears to perform effortlessly, great golf swings use less motion and effort to create speed. Snapping the knee straight encourages the body to rotate faster necessitating physical manipulations that create inefficient movement and force the body into compromising anatomical positions. By learning to move efficiently, golfers can avoid unnecessary physical stress that can lead to cumulative trauma and injury.

In future articles we will focus on applying only relevant information to your golf swing and identify more examples of widely communicated and accepted advice that is potentially damaging to your golf swing and your physical well being.

Jon Manack is the Director of Instruction for Leap Golf at Shadow Hills Golf Club in Indio, Ca. Jon also provides instruction at Elite Fitness and Golf Performance Center in Bermuda Dunes Ca. This article contains excerpts from Jon’s forthcoming book The Anatomy of an Efficient Golf Swing. For more information please visit www.jonmanack.com or contact Jon Manack at 281-415-6613 to set up an appointment.

Loose is Fast, Tight is Slow

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In any sport, athletes derive power and speed through tension free motion. Just look at sprinters or swimmers shaking and loosening their body right before the start of competition. The same holds true in golf. Tight muscles are slow muscles whereas loose muscles can react quicker and move faster. Power in golf comes from fast arm speed which creates fast club head speed and ball compression. When we intuitively use effort to add power to a golf shot we tend to tighten, or contract, our muscles. Unfortunately, golf is counter intuitive to other sports and the amount of effort we add to a shot isn’t directly proportional to the club head speed and initial ball velocity created. Proper technique using tension free motion will always deliver more efficient power than a lot of effort combined with poor technique. This is how good players achieve the feeling of effortless power vs. the feeling of powerless effort that most amateurs have.

During practice sessions on the range, try this drill to help you become aware of how much tension you have during your swing. At address- prior to initiating your backswing- take a deep breath. As you exhale, relax and drop your shoulders. A large percentage of golfers hold too much tension in their arms and shoulders. Next, make a backswing to waist height and hold your club there. Take a breath, and while exhaling, drop your shoulders again and loose the tension in the arms. Repeat this same inhale, exhale, and relaxing of the shoulders and arms at the top of your swing, half way down, at impact and at waist high post impact. This should give you the feeling of softness in your arms, shoulders, back, and chest that you should strive for during the normal golf swinging motion.

Tension free motion, especially of your arms and shoulders, has several benefits to your overall swing. First, being tension free helps you attain a greater range of motion throughout your swing. Second, because tension free arms and shoulders move faster, you will use less body effort in the down swing to feel powerful. When you use less body effort it is easier to maintain proper body angles and posture throughout the swing which helps you to stay down through the shot in order to compress the ball with maximum efficiency. And finally, tension free shoulders and arms allow you to create the speed necessary to increase your distance. Remember this phrase to keep you aware... Loose is fast, tight is slow.

Jon Manack is the Director of Instruction for Leap Golf at Shadow Hills Golf Club in Indio, Ca. Jon also provides instruction at Elite Fitness and Golf Performance Center in Bermuda Dunes Ca. This article contains excerpts from Jon’s forthcoming book The Anatomy of an Efficient Golf Swing. For more information please visit www.jonmanack.com or contact Jon Manack at 281-415-6613 to set up an appointment.