IMPACT ZONE™ Dynamic #1 – The Flat Left Wrist at impact (In Bubba’s case, The Flat Right Wrist at impact). The back of the hand, wrist, and the forearm create, or lie on, a flat, straight plane. Take a look at Bubba at impact with his driver; it is clear that he demonstrates the Flat Right Wrist at impact.

IMPACT ZONE™  Dynamic #2 – The Forward Swing Bottom. The bottom, or center of the swing arc, as well as the divot, falls approximately four inches in front of the ball. In other words, the club moves downward and strikes the ball before it reaches both the ground and the bottom of its arc. It then continues to descend to its low point of four inches in front of the ball, as shown in this picture of Bubba.

IMPACT ZONE™ Dynamic #3 – Loading the Club. The stronger you load the club in the backswing by cocking your left (Bubba’s right) wrist, the more powerfully you will be able to hit the ball. You can measure the load by the angle between the left (Bubba’s right) wrist and the club shaft, once the wrist cock has set the club in the backswing. Notice the tremendous angle that Bubba sets at the top of his backswing.

IMPACT ZONE™ Dynamic #4 – Lag the Load. Lag not only belongs to the downswing part of your motion, it is the downswing’s number one priority, concern, and goal, until you’ve swung well past the both-arms-straight, follow through position. Lag has been described as “the secret of golf,” and it is impossible to have too much lag. Look how Bubba retains his lag well into the downswing.

IMPACT ZONE™ Dynamic #5 – The Straight Plane Line Through impact. The only way we can possibly start our golf shot straight along the line on which we intend the ball to fly is to swing our club shaft on the straight plane line through impact. That is to say, the club shaft will point to the plane line or an extension thereof except for the four times the shaft is parallel to the target line (half way back in the backswing, at the top of the swing, half way down in the downswing, and half way into the finish after striking the ball). In the following photo, Bubba shows his on-plane club half way into the finish.

While Bubba Watson has his own personal swing style and is able to curve the golf ball by controlling the club face angle at impact, his ability to employ the Five Dynamics of Impact Zone Golf result in one of the great talents in the game of golf. Congratulations, Bubba on your fantastic win at Augusta!

Get ready for the travel experience of a lifetime!  The Craigsanquhar offers golfers an opportunity to experience the golf trip of a lifetime to the St. Andrews area in Scotland. Trips can be planned with a group of friends with non-golfing spouses or with just your golfing friends. You may even want to have your club’s professional join you and he or she  should view the instructor content on our website for more information.  I personally can attest what a great place this is – and perfect for both the golfing and non-golfing spouse as there is so much to do.   ….  Bobby

Craigsanquhar Travel offers world class golf excursions for both couples and singles. Our couple’s tour can be designed with sightseeing excursions for non-golfing spouses.  All tours can be designed to offer whisky distillery and sightseeing excursions after a round of golf.

The Craigsanguhar estate offers a choice of rooms in the main house or luxury lodges unlike anything else available in Scotland.

What’s included in this special package:

• Accommodations – 6 nights at the Craigsanquhar – room and VAT included (VAT is 17.5%)
• Transportation – airport transport and all local transport including insurance, taxes, gasoline, driver & VAT
• Golf – six rounds of golf total
• Food – breakfast each day; 2 dinners (alcohol not included)

Rooms in the Manor House

The house is an imposing mansion set on 36 peaceful acres of gardens and pristine woodland just 6 miles from St. Andrews. Each room has its own unique charm and is furnished in an elegant, yet comfortable style.

Luxury Lodges

Each lodge is a three bedroom, 3 ½ bath free-standing structure thoughtfully situated amongst the natural woodlands of the estate to take advantage of the spectacular vista of the Scottish countryside and maximizing the privacy of each lodge.

Some amenities include:

•Wireless broadband internet service

•Laundry rooms with washer and dryer

•Chestnut wood floors

•Granite countertops

•Fully equipped kitchens

•60″ flat screen TV’s

•Indoor-outdoor fireplaces

Golf

Six rounds of golf total (OLD COURSE at ST. ANDREWS ballot, CARNOUSTIE, KINGSBARNS, CRAIL, CASTLE COURSE, GLENEAGLES).

See “Sample Itinerary” below for golf package details.

Other Activities

Shooting and Fishing

At Craigsanquhar we understand that hunting and fishing trips require a lot of research to locate premium destinations. Our representatives in Scotland have identified the best operators and areas Scotland has to offer.

Local Attractions

The natural beauty of Scotland is legendary. Day trips include castles, gardens, cathedrals, distilleries, lochs, and of course, the Highlands. All sightseeing excursions can be combined with golf, hunting, and/or fishing tours.

Costs

Couples trips: $5,200 per couple for a six-night stay including six rounds of golf (one round at the Old Course at St. Andrews with ballot process).

Singles trips: $3,450 per single for six nights and five rounds of golf per person (one round at the Old Course at St. Andrews with ballot process).

Sample Itinerary for Golf Package

Sunday – Chauffeured transport from the airport to Craigsanquhar House. It is approximately one and a half hours from Edinburgh and two hours from Glasgow. Light lunch served upon arrival at hotel. Guests may rest, explore the 40 acres of beautiful grounds at the hotel, or walk the Old Course in St. Andrews.

Monday – Golf at Carnoustie. Non-Golfers can tour Glamis Castle (birthplace of the Queen Mother and famous from Shakespeare’s Macbeth).

Tuesday – Golf at Gleneagles (carts available). Non-golfers can use the spa at Gleneagles or tour Stirling Castle (home of William Wallace), or tour one of Europe’s grandest gardens at Drummond castle.

Wednesday – Golf at Kingsbarns. Non-golfers can tour and shop St. Andrews.

Thursday – Golf at Old Course*. Non-golfers go to Edinburgh via train to visit Edinburgh Castle, shop Princes Street and tour the old and new town, and visit Holyrood Palace (official residence of the Queen in Scotland, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots). Dinner on your own in Edinburgh.

Friday – Golf at the Castle Course or Crail. Farewell dinner at Craigsanquhar.

Saturday – Return to US. Chauffeured transportation provided to airport.

*The Old Course operates on a daily ballot system. If you do not get on the Old Course, you will be playing the course listed. Your name will be placed on the ballot system each day. You will most likely get on the Old Course during your stay as the dates we have selected are optimal dates for playing the Old Course. All golfers must have a certified handicap card to play the Old Course.

Any questions?  Please email us at mclampett@impactzonegolf.com or call 877-243-8718.

One of the many great things of having moved to Bonita Springs, Florida recently is the renewal of an old friendship with the Jensen family. Don Jensen and I got to know one another way back in 1981, my second year on the PGA Tour. Don was Vice President of the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company in Endicott, NY (home of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open on the Champion’s Tour today) and had an idea to create a comfortable, spikeless golf shoe.

When Don started looking for a young PGA Tour player to represent the new line of shoes he was led to me. That started a long and fruitful friendship. Don oversaw the design of the shoe and went to China to set-up production. Within three years of our meeting, Don had 77 different Clampett golf shoes in his line and the shoe quickly became the all-time leading seller in the 120-plus year history of the company. So lucrative was the deal that Don convinced my agent, Hughes Norton, to drop the annual retainer and just give me a $.50/shoe royalty. I must admit, just the royalty was a lot more than I ever thought it would be. But Don had a strong hunch that a spikeless golf shoe would be a big hit. He was right and today we are both amused to see just how far his idea has come. Now, even touring pros use them in competition.

But business changes led to new senior leadership in the organization and one of the first decisions the new management made was to change the BC line of golf shoes, re-market it into the “President’s Line” and hire nine more touring pros to represent the shoes. EJ spent much on the remarketing but it failed. Within a year, all the EJ golf shoes were selling at a big discount. It would be the beginning of the end for the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company that never recovered and would eventually close its doors years later.

Today, America’s oldest shoe company still has buildings standing in Endicott that serve only as a dim reminder of the glory days. When I played in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open last year, I drove by the old factory, reminiscing about the glory days. I still have a heavy heart over this.

Don was recruited to become president of Iron Age Safety Shoe Company in Pittsburgh, PA.  He accepted, recruited key members of his team to join him, and together they took Iron Age through the roof.

Besides being one of the most gifted and creative minds the shoe industry has ever known, Don was quite the grill chef. It wasn’t long after we signed our first contract, that I was “adopted” as the son Don never had. Whenever the tour came to Endicott for the then BC Open, I was sure to stay with Don and Jean. I would hang out with them on their back porch every evening after the tournament, watching closely as Don revealed his master chef skills on the “Old Weber”. My favorite meal of all was the barbeque ribs, braised in Don’s secret sauce. Don has affectionately referred to the sauce as the “BC 1850” after the first ever spikeless golf shoe that hit record sales.  As for the ribs, they were so good that I can still taste them. I recently asked Don for the recipe and fired up my own grill. I feel like I am now a master grill chef myself! Don and I both want to share it with you. I hope you’ll give it a try!

BC-1850 Barbecue Ribs

I’ll base this on cooking 3 ribs as that’s what usually comes in a package. It’s great to have extra as they freeze easily and you can enjoy them at a later date.

Sauce

About 1/2 of 28 oz. bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Barbecue Sauce

About a 1/4 of a 28 oz. bottle of KC Masterpiece Original Barbecue Sauce

6 or 7 garlic cloves (I press them through a hand garlic press)

1 medium onion chopped finely

One cup of orange juice (a little more won’t hurt, you want it so the sauce spreads easy over the ribs)

I suggest you make the sauce first before grilling the ribs so it flavors up a little.

Ribs

I get my ribs at Fresh Market where they are nice and meaty. I take them out of the package and let them warm up for about 1/2 an hour. I trim off any excess fat and put some slices on the underside of the rib so the juices get in as there’s a tougher skin on the backside of the rib.

Then I season the ribs as follows:  (a big cookie sheet works well for this)

First I rub in Worcestershire Sauce

Then I rub the ribs with olive oil

Next, I season them with Montreal Steak Seasoning, Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, coarse black pepper and I use some sea salt.

After seasoning, I let them sit for a least 1/2 hour.

Cooking time is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

I start with the burners on high and brown each side for about 4 to 5 minutes.

Then I lower the burners to medium and turn the meat about every 5 to 7 minutes, but don’t let the meat burn. After about 40 minutes of cooking, I turn the burners down to low and close the lid and let them simmer for 15 minutes. During the cooking process I pour a little beer on the ribs to keep them moist. Don’t overdo it as one bottle or can does the trick.

After an hour of cooking it’s time to put on the sauce. Turn the burners to medium heat, brush on the sauce, turn the ribs over and brush the other side. The sugar content in the sauce will burn so you need to watch it and keep turning the ribs. Normally, this is about 3 to 4 minutes between turns.  I put sauce on about 3 times as I turn them. This takes about 15 minutes in all.

Let the ribs sit about 10 minutes before you slice them up. Now they’re ready to eat.

ENJOY!!

Golf started for me in 1972. I was 13 years old and my Dad introduced me to the game at a driving range in Tucson, AZ. I remember hitting ball after ball, “clunk”, “thud”, “dirt”, “twist”, “grounder”, “chunk”, “blade” and then boom! Out of nowhere, I hit the ball in the middle of the clubface and it seemingly soared in the air…Wow, what a feeling! From that moment watching the first ball that flew in the air I was hooked. The feeling of the ball coming off the clubface, the view of the ball climbing into the sky and flying true toward the 100 yard sign let me know I had found something so delightful I wanted to do it as much as I could. Thus began a hobby that became a lifestyle and a career.

Forty years later, after a practice session on the range reviewing video of my swing, I am still delighted at the accomplishment of striking a ball clean and true…and now it is on purpose! So what led me to this moment of truth, pure ball striking on purpose? I searched for the majority of my golf life to replicate solid and accurate shots. I followed the usual map, copying great player’s movements, listening to great teachers articulate body movements; constantly searching for a style that would work for me too. Unfortunately, the more I learned about the swing styles I witnessed, the further I seemed to travel from my delightful goal of pure impact.

Then, with some wise words from Chuck Hogan one day in 2001, I realized it wasn’t HOW I swung, but WHAT the club was doing through impact that really mattered to the ball. By this time I was steeped deeply in a Method of swinging. I was studying and teaching Natural Golf, a method of swinging based on a theory of body motion and club movement of “The World’s Greatest Ball Striker” Moe Norman, a Canadian PGA Hall of Fame Member. Moe used to say he had “The Feeling of Greatness” and I thought there was no better description for that pure strike I so longed to repeat.

My philosophy for playing and teaching began to shift. I was teaching and playing the Single Plane Swing method. And within this framework I was working toward understanding impact. I began to understand that the Single Plane Swing was a style, and while it is very effective for many, the focus was still somehow clouded. My focus and that of my students became wrapped around HOW to make the swing hoping it would translate to WHAT the club was doing through the impact. There was much attention paid to setup positions, backswing motions, transition move to start the club forward, keeping the feet on the ground through impact, releasing the forearms, finishing on balance, etc.

While all of this thought of “swing” was correct and measurable in one sense, it still left awareness of impact secondary. There was some disconnect of thought, the process was more important than the result. Somehow, the belief is that if the swing was made correctly, the impact of the ball would take care of itself. But it doesn’t.

Impact is a thought, awareness, a process, an intent all to itself. Think of driving a nail with a hammer. Do you think of wrist hinge, elbow bend, balance, weight transfer, angle retention? Or do you simply drive the nail into the board? When you bend a nail do you buy a copy of Hammer Digest or turn on the Hammer Channel to learn about how the best carpenters in the world hold a hammer, hinge their wrists, transfer their weight, bend their elbow? No, you use the claw on the other end of the hammer head, pull out the “mistake”, place another nail in the hole and drive it pure and true!

This intent on pure impact is the source of pure impact. In order to get good at impact one must focus on impact, one must be “Impact Aware”. And herein lies a paradigm shift: It is not swing style that produces impact, it is impact that produces swing style. HOW one produces pure impact is not as important as the result of pure impact. HOW becomes your style and your style is just that – Your Style!

These statements were validated for me three years ago when I met Bobby Clampett, we were paired together in the final round of Champions Tour Qualifying School. Bobby, PGA Tour player, CBS Sports golf analyst, and author of the widely acclaimed book, The Impact Zone, has launched a revolutionary new teaching and learning system based on the five dynamics of proper impact outlined in his book. Bobby’s journey in golf is an intriguing story. You can learn about it at his website www.impactzonegolf.com.

I have since spent time with Bobby attending an IMPACT ZONE ™  workshop in Louisville, KY while competing in the 2011 Senior PGA Championship, becoming a Certified IMPACT ZONE   Instructor in November 2011 and once again attending an IMPACT ZONE  Workshop in January 2012 in Orlando after which Bobby graciously changed my status to IMPACT ZONE  Master Instructor.

Impact awareness has liberated me from the cycle of searching for a swing style and has allowed me to focus in both playing and teaching on “Mastering the Moment of Truth” as Bobby referred to impact in The Impact Zone. I believe it can do the same for you, allowing you to reach your potential for enjoyment playing this wonderful game.

Get started now by signing up for an IMPACT ZONE lesson with me personally by calling 561.827.5879, sending an email to ken@kenmartingolf.com or by purchasing Bobby’s book at http://store.impactzonegolf.com/.

It made me feel good to have many people come up to me during the week and mention how much The Impact Zonebook has helped their game.  I am passionate about making a difference in this game by improving the overall approach to teaching.  I love to see people smile and say they are experiencing real results, especially in light of the PGA’s recent study that shows people failing to improve is in the top three reasons why golfers are leaving the game.  This hurts everyone in golf, and it doesn’t have to be the case.  At the Ace, I probably had the most comments ever at a tournament about my IMPACT-BASED™   teaching.

I had a great grouping in the first round with Fuzzy Zoeller and Jim Thorpe, both who I consider friends.  All of us on the Tour are glad to see Jim Thorpe back playing.  And Fuzzy, well, he’s just Fuzzy and having a good time promoting his Vodka.  We all had a good time playing together.  The camaraderie was great, the atmosphere loose and we had a lot of fun.  Fuzzy played well, too; shooting a 69 despite a lost ball.  I birdied three of the last four holes to get it back to -2 for the day.

What dawned on me during the round is how well they both strike the ball despite such differing and unusual swing styles.  I tried to not get too wrapped up in it, but at times I had to look.  Fuzzy has an unusual address position, but his downswing is fairly pure as he delivers a lagging clubhead through the ball into dynamic impact with an effectively strong workhorse, even at his age.  Jim Thorpe, who is 62 years old, on the other hand, has so many quirks to his swing that some would consider Jim Furyk’s swing conventional when compared to Jim Thorpe’s motion.  Imagine if Jim Thorpe showed up for a lesson from any number of teaching pros who had no idea who he was.   How many teaching pros would immediately change his set up, change his backswing, and attempt to get it more on-plane and see him create a rotated clubface.  I truly believe that the outcome of this type of instruction would be that these pros would instantly turn him into a solid 5 handicap.  I know because they did it to me back in the early 1980’s!  The way to teach a good player is to leave his swing style alone, and look for ways to use the style to more effectively create Dynamic Impact.  Everyone can improve on his or her own impact dynamics or at least the consistency of their impact dynamics.  Once one learns a particular swing style, that basic style should be left alone.  Any changes would only be for the purpose of creating a more consistent and more dynamic impact.

I had another great grouping in the second round with my new neighbor and friend, Peter Jacobsen, and Peter Senior as our third.   “Jake” is on the comeback trail after post-season surgery last year.  He’s already stronger than when I played with him two weeks ago in the Pro-Member Tournament at Old Collier Golf Club.  Peter has such great impact and always drives the ball straight.  But one of the best drivers of the golf ball is Peter Senior.  I marvel at his consistency and clubface control.  He hits bullets off the tee and his start line is very consistent.  Plus, he putts wonderfully with the long putter.   As for me, I struggled a bit off the tee, but later got it worked out on the range by slowing down the transition.  Again, I hit some great iron shots, finishing with a four-under par 68.

The winds came howling from the North to greet us for the final round on Sunday.  Again, I had a very favorable grouping with my close friend Chip Beck (we’ve been practicing together some in the off season) and 65-year-old Gil Morgan.  I am in awe of Gil Morgan.  I had my best driving day of the week that round and he out-drove me several times.  What a swing!  Chip and Gil both played solidly and shot just over par for the day.

I played my best nine of the tournament on the front, but the putts weren’t falling.  I made the turn in even par, which was pretty good in tough conditions.  After lipping out another birdie putt on the 10th, I struck one of my best shots of the day on 11 with a (-7 yard) 3 iron from 180 into the wind.  Somehow, the wind stopped just as I hit and the ball sailed right over the flag, over the green and into a bush.  A double-bogie resulted.  It’s a strange thing, but I started pulling putts from there out and made three more bogies and a three-putt par coming into the clubhouse.  It was a tough way to end the week, but I figured out why the putts were pulling and I’m back on-track. I can’t wait for my next tournament!  One of the aspects I enjoy most about this game is figuring it out when something isn’t quite right and then incorporating the proper fix.  I guess that’s why I don’t get as upset as I used to.  I accept the need to embrace failure more now as a stepping stone to success.

Happy Golfing,

Bobby

The Advanced Designation will signify that the instructor not only has the comprehensive knowledge of an IMPACT ZONE Certified, Associate Certified, or Coach, but has developed the tools to apply the knowledge into real live teaching experiences.

The first two-day Advanced Level 1 workshop will be hosted by Bobby Clampett and held April 15 and 16, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  A second workshop, also hosted by Bobby, will be held April 24, 25, 2012 in Cleveland Ohio.  Both of these workshops are adjacent to national meetings of the First Tee, where Bobby Clampett’s Impact Zone Golf will provide The First Tee Coachs two opportunities to get trained through this revolutionary IMPACT-BASED teaching. Only 5 spots are open to participants not associated with the First Tee.  To reserve your spot, go to the sign-up page by clicking here – Workshop Sign-Up – and sign up now before your spot gets filled.

What To Expect?

You will learn how to take a novice golfer and best equip them to quickly develop his/her own swing style.  After the basics of grip and address position are learned, you will be trained to lead the novice or beginning golfer to develop their own personal swing style designed to create dynamic impact.  The swing is taught in steps to expedite the learning process and to develop balance, flow and muscle memory.

Upon the successful conclusion and certification of the Advanced Level 1 workshop, you will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Understand the difference between Swing Style and Impact Dynamics
• Gain a deeper understanding of  Impact  and the Five Dynamics
• Learn how to assess a student’s strengths of Dynamics, and to prioritize their areas for improvement
• Understand how to most effectively teach using an IMPACT-BASED approach and the Five Dynamics
• Learn how to quickly build a new beginners swing by teaching the student (in the following order):
• Putting Stroke-Dynamic #1
• The Chip Shot-Dynamic #2
• The Pitch Shot stroke-Dynamic #3, #4 and #5
• Lengthening the swing and implementing all the Dynamics
• How to expedite the student’s learning process
• Successful understanding and utilization of drills

Instructor Certifications

Upon successfully completing the workshop, you will be given two different opportunities to become certified with Impact Zone Golf.   You can choose either a Certified, Associate Certified, or Coach Certified IMPACT ZONE Instructor; or become an Advanced Certified, Associate Certified or Coach Certified IMPACT ZONE Instructor.   The Advanced Level 1 Certification requires the more comprehensive test.  This “Advanced” designation is a higher designation than the current status of Associate Certified and Certified IMPACT ZONE Instructor.

Much has been said on this site about the role of swing dynamics vs. individual style. Having worked with my boys (ages 18 and 13) and many friends and associates to improve their golf swing motions, I’ve been reminded, more than once, that teaching a specific backswing style is difficult at best. You can talk about the backswing, demonstrate an “ideal” looking backswing, you can even hold the club and help someone hit key checkpoints. Yet, when left to make one’s own natural backswing, it becomes blindingly obvious: everyone has their own unique blend of backswing characteristics.

If this is true of the backswing, one might conclude that it also holds true for the downswing. In my estimation this conclusion, although tempting to assert, is misleading and is one significant reason why golfer’s struggle to improve. We’ve become quite comfortable saying, “no two swings are alike” and, “there are so many ways to swing a club” that I think we’ve become guilty of taking individualism too far. I can relate to Johnny Miller’s admitted addiction to looking at swing sequences – I too love these frame by frame snapshots and the many online, slow motion video clips of the world’s top players. Here’s what I’ve concluded: the motion of the golf club as seen in the world’s best players, from the top of the swing to when the clubshaft reaches parallel to the ground, is very, very similar.

This “similarity” in the downswings of the best players is in large part responsible for their world class impact dynamics – two in particular: 1) swinging on a straight plane line and 2) achieving a forward swing bottom.

Now let me clarify. Although the movement of the golf club falls within a relatively tight corridor of similarity among the top players, I’m not suggesting that they all look alike making this motion. Some shoulder motion is steep, some is flatter. Some hips are active, some are less so. Sometimes the heel of the back foot leaves the ground early in the downswing and for others, it happens gradually. Since, a picture is worth a thousand words, take a look at these photos of Bill Haas:

Notice Four Key Features: 1) hands move down while staying in front of the chest, 2) the clubshaft moves on a 45 degree-ish angle between the right and left forearms, 3) the clubshaft, when parallel to the ground, falls on the toe-line, and 4) club and ball contact results in maximum compression and a forward swing bottom.

Recreational player tendencies: 1) hands move out and over in line with left shoulder rather than chest, 2) the clubshaft gets steeper than a 45 degree angle and closer to the left arm, 3) the clubshaft, when parallel to the ground, falls in front of and left of the toe line, and 4) club and ball contact results in a compromise in compression and a forward swing bottom is not guaranteed. Ball flight tendency is left of target unless clubface is manipulated.

Better player tendencies: 1) hands move down and under in line with right shoulder rather than chest, 2) the clubshaft gets flatter than 45 degree angle and closer to the right arm, 3) the clubshaft, when parallel to the ground, falls behind and points right of the toe line, and 4) club and ball contact results in a compromise in compression and a forward swing bottom is not guaranteed. Ball flight tendency is right of target unless clubface is manipulated.

How can one benefit from this information? The temptation for all golfers is to go to the range and to start pounding out 7 irons and driver shots at full speed. Here’s an alternative approach:

1. Revisit the 50-yard pitch shot. There’s no better way to practice.
2. Make slow motion swings. No need to hit balls when doing this.
3. Make slower than full speed swings while hitting balls.
4. Practice your downswing in front of a mirror.
5. Video your swing and review your particular downswing pattern with a trusted instructor.

Be patient with yourself and commit to one focus at a time. As has been correctly stated, “you don’t hit the ball with your backswing.” Shift your focus to your downswing and you just might find yourself looking like the best players – that is, on the downswing.

Bobby Clampett, PGA Tour player, CBS Sports golf analyst, and author of the widely acclaimed book, The Impact Zone, has launched a revolutionary new teaching and learning system based on the five dynamics of proper impact outlined in his book.  Bobby and his Impact Zone Golf staff have developed the unique designation of IMPACT ZONE Player Certification, which is designed to recognize dedicated golfers who have learned and applied the five dynamics of the IMPACT ZONE GOLF® system. Players who wish to be certified by Impact Zone Golf  must meet the following requirements:

*Students will have studied The Impact Zone book and/or DVD

*Students will have taken instruction on all of the IMPACT ZONE Dynamics from an IMPACT ZONE Certified/Master Instructor

*Students must pass an exam, which requires that he or she thoroughly demonstrate a knowledge of impact-based dynamics

Dr. Wilson continues to conduct IMPACT ZONE clinics with students at The PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance. The clinics cover the IMPACT ZONE five dynamics, culminating with an evaluation of putting, chipping, pitching, and full swings. Many students have begun to be tested and some have become Certified IMPACT ZONE Players.

For more information on IMPACT ZONE Player Certification, please contact mclampett@impactzonegolf.com.

I have found that the broad-based appeal of the Impact Zone fundamentals can be attributed to the fact that they are so plainly evident in the swings of all competent ball-strikers. I am specifically referring to three of the five IMPACT ZONE™ dynamics: the angle created on the backswing between the left arm and the club shaft (loading), the maintaining of that angle well into the downswing (lagging), and a forward swing bottom. Look at printed or video-based swing sequences and you’ll see these common dynamics so clearly there is only one word to sum it up – crystal!

Golf swing wisdom is often like trickle-down economics: if you see or hear a nugget of truth at the highest levels of the game – often written up in the golf magazines of the day – you’ll sooner or later hear your local instructor or well intentioned golf friends all abuzz with the latest secret move promising Bubba Watson-like distance or David Toms-like accuracy. In addition to this “heard it on tour first” phenomenon, there seems to be a growing number of “closet golf intellectuals” and self-appointed “swing scientists” ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of golf swing truth. Golfers beware!

Just when you think you’ve finally listened to Bagger Vance and found your authentic, “dynamic” swing, a visit to your local bookstore or browsing of a popular web forum or viewing of a late night infomercial will leave you dizzy with conflicting ideas. Swing the clubhead. Swing the handle. Swing your arms. Swing up. Swing around. Pivot. Don’t pivot. Release the club. Hold off the release. Shift your weight. Stay centered. Be athletic. Take a divot. Don’t take a divot. Perfect your timing. Forget timing. And on and on it goes. To top it off, everyone seems to cite some scientific authority supporting their views.

Here’s my suggestion: have your swing videoed and sit down with a trusted IMPACT ZONE certified  instructor. Look for backswing load, downswing lag and a forward swing bottom. If you see these dynamics in your swing motion, it doesn’t much matter what you feel. Throw the clubhead or swing the handle. Feel an active pivot or merely the swinging of your arms. Feel the need to intentionally take a divot or none at all. Maybe even go so far as Hank Haney and look at the brim of your hat on the downswing to avoid the driver yips. No matter! Sing a song or hum a tune. Inhale or exhale. It’s all ok and it’s all uniquely you. Feel may not be real as they say, but it’s all you’ve got in the blink of an eye it takes to swing the club. Feel what you feel and confirm the presence of the essentials once in a while and I honestly believe you’ll find your golfing happy place.

The promise of IMPACT ZONE fundamentals is that you can truly have it your way. Bobby Clampett has defined the “what” of any golf swing worth a darn past, present or future. He and his team of instructors have outlined many bread crumbs intended to help you along the path to swing proficiency. How you achieve the dynamics pales in importance to actually accomplishing them. Don’t let go of the essential dynamics and you won’t be tossed hither and yon by well-meaning friends, method-based instructors or golf swing intellectuals. There is simply no reason to waste time “looking beyond the mark.” Your golfing life is simply not long enough to chase your tail endlessly. Don’t fall victim to chasing the train when you are already on it. Golf swing essentials are right in front of you. Embrace them and enjoy the game.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

And if you are in the Belvedere, California area on the evening of Wednesday, December 7th, we’d like to invite you to a special screening and reception for the film along with Michael Murphy, Bobby Clampett and others involved in this project.  Transformation: Golf in the Kingdom from Book to Film is sure to be an engaging evening you’ll remember for a long time.  Seats are limited, for more information please visit https://www.itp-international.org/civicrm/event/info?id=387&reset=1