I have the CORE about a week now. I am a 12 HC golfer with a very poor chipping action. I felt the CORE would help with this and also my long game. I actually was expecting more from the DVD as I thought there would be more information on the actual DVD than on the free version on the forum.

In my chipping I tend to hit a lot of fat shots. I was hoping the core could help eliminate these.

I started with using one hand only and although I am right handed I found I was making better contact with my Left hand shots. When I tried using the right hand only I would hit it fat on occasions.

Using the CORE to hit a club grip end INDUCES a very different action than my normal golf swing. It changes everything from set up to impact. This is similar to using an impact bag or Henry Cottons tyre.

Even before having the CORE I was aware of this but could never understand what was happening. I made my own chipping aid . It consists of a golf ball with 8 inch end of a graphite shaft through the centre. I lay this down, shaft pointing towards the target and hit the back of the ball. This is like hitting a nail with the ball as the head of the nail. I seldom make a bad chip with this and almost never hit it fat.

My question is what is going on here and how can I transfer this action to hitting a ball.

Do better players sense this action needed for impact ? And if so why does it elude the lesser golfer.

For me this is the essential difference between learning to swing a club and letting the ball get in the way OR instinctively preparing for an impact that involves a collision/ resistance or a sense that you are driving against something. Specifically a stationary ball.

Any input on how the core would help develop this FEELING would be appreciated and how can you transfer this to actually hitting a ball with a club.

Harry

Hi Harry

Thank you for your question and I apologise for the delay in replying as I've been away in China on business.

With regards to your own training aid, it sounds very interesting and I think I've seen something similar a few times.

To answer your question, I think we need to ask you a question

'Why do you seem to hit good chip shots when you have a ball with a shaft stuck through it?'

Does it give more clarity about how to swing? Does it change what you're trying to do in some way?

I am convinced amateur golfers struggle with short shots because of a lack of clarity and this influences their set ups. The ball moves further and further back making it near impossible to swing the club into the ball in a simple way.

Reading what you have said Harry, it seems you have experienced a difference in the 'feel' when using a 'core swing' that your normal action.

I would recommend continued practise hitting a golf ball with the core a shortish distance and really getting a sense of your swing and how clear your mind is? How you maintain a nice tempo? How your follow through feels?

Often during lessons, my pupils demonstrate an ideal chipping action and then move onto a 'real' club only to scoop at the ball again.

When this happens I step in and try to get them to understand a few things...

1) No technique eliminates bad shots, so you must accept poor shots are part of golf.

2) Generally the bad shot has come about due to a change in attention when the 'real' club was used. The pupil must re-absorb themselves in the simplicity that the 'core job' gave them.

3) The golfer must also realise that sometimes they get a good result following a shot even though the technique was poor and the opposite is also true that the technique could have been good but because golf is a hugely precise game a poor result can happen.

Being able to identify that the swing was 'core like' even if the ball was hit in a heavy manner requires awareness and developing that skill will eventually lead you to swinging the golf club in a more core like manner when you change over to it after practising with the core.

Using the core will develop a simply action, doing the same thing when you change to the club is down to remaining aware.

I do know that when I've asked people during a lesson what's helping them hit better shots they often say that they're focusing on the leading edge of their wedge and imagining it's a flat face!!!

The other tip would be to firstly practise on grass that will give you a bit of margin for error, which means, practise from 'fluffy lies' to start with and then move to closely mown areas.

Please keep in touch Harry and let me know how things are going and keep an eye out for the website and updates on the videos which will include short game tips.


Cheers

Paul

Paul,
Thanks for your reply.

When I hit the ball and shaft or the end of a shaft grip with Core I feel I am preparing for some resistance. That is some resistance to me about to strike either of the above. I can even perform a trick shot with 2 balls that creates the same effect.

I put two balls down,touching and both in line with the target. I strike the back ball and it jumps up the air and the other rolls toward the target. I can do this without hitting it fat. Again I feel it is because there is going to be something to strike against.

I find it hard to create the same feeling with just a ball. This is a mystery to me !!

Harry

Hi Harry

I've done that trick shot myself and it's pretty cool, have you taken it to another level and caught the ball when it pops into the air!!!

To chat more about your chipping issues, one of the difficulties that golf poses us, is that we have 2 targets.

One is the ball and the other is where we want the ball to go. Sometimes what happens when I see people hit poor shots is that they get so pre-occupied with where they want the ball to go that they don't focus properly on what they want to do with the impact of the club on ball.

It sounds to me, like when you hit your ball/shaft aid and do the 2 ball trick your focus is totally on the impact on the 'target' at your feet, there is no target in the distance in those examples.

The trick is to perform those actions and notice where your attention is, I would think it's totally on impact because there is no forward target.

Notice this focus and move over to a normal golf ball with the core and see if the focus is the same when hitting, if it is move onto a normal club and short chip shot. See whether you can keep committed to the same focus as you have when doing your trick shot. I would think it will take some practise but this will give you the best chance of developing the confidence you have when you perform your trick.

This might all sound very 'mental' and nothing to do with the 'core' but the reality is the core brings about clarity and simplicity of a golfing movement. Everybody is clear about the action, and most develop a 'feel' for it very quickly....like you have....but the difficulty is then to transfer this to 'normal golf' and all our poor habits and fears!!!!

Use the core system to develop feel and clarity and work on the focus and I'm sure you'll notice the difference very quickly.

Keep in touch

Paul