Latest news with #RainmakersGolfClub
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
This Cheat Code Will Lead to Better Green-Reading in No Time
This Cheat Code Will Lead to Better Green-Reading in No Time originally appeared on Athlon Sports. I've gotten tons of golf lessons from some of the best golf instructors in the country over the past few years, but one thing that I continue to ignore (I know, shame on me!) is learning how to read a green the right way. Advertisement While my tee shots have improved and I'm hitting more fairways than ever, and my ball-striking with my irons is superb, it all gets wasted when I'm putting — because I seem to misread everything. But the Rainmakers Golf Club spent some time picking the brain of Scott Curry, one of the best putting teachers on the planet, who shares some tips on how to read a green like a pro — which should lead to less strokes and lower scores in no time. How to Read a Green Like a Pro If you really want to improve your golf scores, it all starts with the short game. I know, trying to bomb your drives with increased club head speed is more fun, but when you can limit putts per round, you're going to shave strokes faster. Advertisement While putting speed is crucial, understanding how to read a green is just as important, since, you know, you need to make sure the thing actually funnels towards the hole. In the video above, golf coach Scott Curry says one easy trick can help you identify how a ball will break on even the trickiest green. 'Don't just focus on your ball and your line,' Curry shares. He then demonstrates what he means by this. 'If I don't know what my putt is doing, a quick way to figure it out is to take a couple steps over to the right and say that this is definitively going to break left,' he adds. Now walk the few steps back to your ball and use that information to your advantage. Advertisement '[By using this trick], it's going to help my eyes see that right-to-left break,' Curry says. 'So now I know the putt is going to go a little left, I'm going to take my time to line this up, set up to it, and hit a confident putt.' So if you really want to impress your playing partners during your next golf round, don't try to flex your muscle with the driver, just use Curry's easy trick in order to read greens — leading to less putts and lower scores. Related: How to Increase Club Head Speed With Your Driver Related: Ask a Golf Caddie: What's the Most Common Mistake Rec Players Make? Related: Pro Golfer Emilio Gonzalez Shares the Do's & Don'ts of a Perfect Pre-Shot Routine in Golf This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
If You Routinely Chunk Golf Shots, This Drill's For You
If You Routinely Chunk Golf Shots, This Drill's For You originally appeared on Athlon Sports. I don't need to tell you how frustrating it is to chunk a golf shot — since there's a good chance we've all experienced it at some point. Advertisement But it's one thing to have it happen, accept it, and just go on about your business, and it's another thing to identify the problem and actually fix it with a repeatable solution. Since Rainmakers Golf Club exists to help all golfers improve their game, we tapped top-ranked golf teacher Tom Stickney to see what golf tips he has to eliminate chunked golf shots. To our surprise, working on just one simple drill is a great way to finally get rid of those ugly things that keep adding strokes to your scorecard each round. Try This to Stop Chunking Golf Shots View the original article to see embedded media. While there are a few technical reasons why you keep chunking golf shots, the bottom line is this: You're hitting in front of the ball, rather than making ball-first contact — which is the recipe for crisp, pure golf shots. Advertisement This could be related to poor weight distribution, a steep angle of attack, or a handful of other reasons, but whatever's causing the problem is leading to the club digging into the ground — meaning you're not getting the low point of the club down at the right spot. So how can you cure the chunking blues? In the video above, Stickney offers up an easy drill to find better contact and more consistent results. 'Anytime you [chunk a golf shot] it a) doesn't feel very good, b) doesn't go very straight, and c) it doesn't go anywhere,' Stickney says. 'So how do we ensure more consistent, solid, and pure contact with the irons?' This is where Stickney suggests making a line on the ground for yourself just behind the golf ball, which provides a visual for where the club should engage with the turf. Advertisement 'I'm going to make a little line, which represents where the club sits,' he says. 'Now my goal is to move through the golf ball and brush the target side of the line. If I can brush the target side of the line, then I'm going to hit the ball first, ensuring solid contact.' After getting an idea of how the drill works, Stickney suggests taking some slow practice swings before hitting a ball. This ensures you feel where the club should properly hit the ground, rather than searching for instant results. 'Once you draw that line [on the ground], take some practice swings and see where you brush the ground,' Stickney instructs. 'If you can hit the ball first and the ground second in front of the line, you're going to hit it more solid.' So if you struggle with regularly chunking golf shots, go ahead and try Stickney's drill the next time you're sneaking in some golf practice. It will help you develop some repeatable feels that you can work on at the driving range before applying them to your next golf round. Advertisement Related: Want to Hit a Stinger Golf Shot? Just 3 Adjustments Make it Easy Related: Of All the Chipping Tips, This is the Simplest One to Practice Related: Learn How to Hit a Power Fade with 2 Simple Driver Tweaks This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ask a Golf Caddie: What's the Most Common Mistake Rec Players Make?
Ask a Golf Caddie: What's the Most Common Mistake Rec Players Make? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the kind of person who has the disposable cash to spend on a golf caddie every round, but every now and again, I'll splurge on one for the experience. Advertisement More than just hired help to carry golf clubs, a caddie is there to serve as a lifeline on every shot, helping you avoid dumb mistakes and offering up solid golf tips when it comes to reading greens like a pro. Given their experience with all types of golfers, what can the average recreational player learn from a golf caddie? The Rainmakers Golf Club crew tapped a few longtime caddies to find out. The Most Common Mistake a Golf Caddie Sees During a recent golf trip to Florida, I got to tee it up at one of the nicer golf clubs in the West Palm Beach area, Dutchman's Pipe, which is a fun, open track that allows average golfers like me to take some chances. Advertisement It's also one of the few spots where I figured it'd be worth spending some extra cash on a golf caddie, since, you know, I hadn't played Dutchman's before — so having some extra eyes couldn't hurt. While the front nine was a struggle, the back nine was spectacular, with me shooting just 3-over par — proving how a caddie can seriously help your game improve. After the round of golf, I had a burning question for the two loopers: What's the most common mistake they see from average golfers? One caddie said the following, 'I would say, unquestionably, they don't hit it as far as they think they hit it.' Advertisement So if you're a golfer who thinks hitting a 7-iron from 175 yards over some water is a good idea, this specific golf caddie would make you reconsider that decision. The other caddie didn't focus on the golf swing, but more so on etiquette, saying he commonly witnesses amateur players refuse to take care of the golf course by 'not replacing divots.' Remember, just because you had a chunked iron shot or mishit a wedge shot doesn't mean you need to just move on and not follow good course etiquette. After all, part of the game is simply respecting the golf course. Luckily, both golf caddies told me that I wasn't at fault for either of their common mistakes, so here's to walking away on a high note. Advertisement Related: If You Routinely Chunk Golf Shots, This Drill's For You Related: Of All the Chipping Tips, This is the Simplest One to Practice Related: Want to Hit a Stinger Golf Shot? Just 3 Adjustments Make it Easy This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How to Increase Club Head Speed With Your Driver
How to Increase Club Head Speed With Your Driver originally appeared on Athlon Sports. If there's one question every amateur golfer wants answered, it's how to increase club head speed — since we all want to bomb tee shots like pro players do. Advertisement Problem is, we're not pro players like Cameron Young or Justin Thomas, so we don't have the fundamentals to just swing as hard as we can to make the ball go farther. In fact, in most cases, swinging a club harder actually leads to worse shot results! So what's the secret to unlocking more power by increasing club head speed without being out of control? The Rainmakers Golf Club spent some time on the tee box with top-ranked golf teacher Jake Thurm, who gave us a quick golf lesson to give us some answers. How to Increase Club Head Speed Like a Pro In the video above, I don't beat around the bush when telling Thurm exactly what I want off the tee, jokingly saying, 'I want that distance, man!' Advertisement While Thurm admits that he's all for trying to get more distance, he says the key to increase club head speed is staying under control — which is a major golf swing flaw for most Joe Schmoes. 'I don't like the misconceptions that I hear from amateur players,' he says. 'Their beliefs are what's creating a lack of speed in their golf swing.' So, in essence: You actually have no clue how to increase club head speed efficiently without swinging as hard as you can. This is where Thurm goes into mega golf lesson mode, telling me what I (and most recreational golfers) do wrong. '[These average golfers] don't understand how much work is being done early in an elite-level player's golf swing,' Thurm shares. 'If you put a lot of these elite players on force plates, there's a lot of work done in the takeaway. Advertisement 'I hear a lot of guys say, 'go low and slow' when it comes to getting more speed, but that's not a way to get more speed.' So Thurm has me go through a drill that he likes to use with some of his students. He first has me address the ball, then instructs me to try to start my golf swing and my takeaway — while he's holding the club head to give me some resistance. By doing this, it makes me want to sway back and pull the club with my arms, shifting into my trail foot too early. 'You pushed down on your lead side to try and load the trail side,' Thurm says. 'The club hadn't moved an inch and you already started shifting.' Advertisement Instead of making this common mistake, Thurm instructs me to try again with a proper rotation of the hips, bringing the club with me — rather than just trying to use my arms for more power. 'You're going to shift from your lead side to your trail side,' he tells me. 'By starting your golf swing there, you have more potential for club head speed.' So remember that it's not just swinging your arms as hard or fast as possible that's going to increase club head speed. Instead, it'll happen by using ground force, a proper weight shift, and efficiently getting your whole body to load up from the backswing through the follow through. Related: Ask a Golf Caddie: What's the Most Common Mistake Rec Players Make? Related: Want to Hit a Stinger Golf Shot? Just 3 Adjustments Make it Easy Related: Cameron Young Shares 3 Types of Tee Shots to Better Maximize Your Driver This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
