Ask Barney Anything...

[OntheteeGavin]

So I do a passable King of the road, and if pressed would have a stab at anything by Kenny Rogers as like the talking style of song as just can't hit the high notes now

?
Tainted love, soft cell for me.

 

[Barney the Pro]

If you went to a forum meet, would you be an old fart or a whippersnapper.

joking aside, what 1 thing technology wise brought golf onto Another level. ?

I think for recreational players the advent of hybrids has made that area of the game far more fun and easier to do. The thought of facing a small headed long iron off a slightly soggy lie fills me full of dread.. I think from a coaching concept the access to good quality slow motion cameras for us to see the swing in detail has helped enormously . Given my age I learnt to teach in a pre video age and although for a higher handicap it is usually fairly straight forward to spot the flaw, as the players movement becomes better having the ability to see it in detail is invaluable.

 

[Barney the Pro]

Hi Barney, what is/are the most common causes of inconsistency in swing and ball strike. Drives me to tears some days!

Many thanks

I think the most common areas of inconsistency would be coming on a steeper path on the forward swing in comparison to the backswing , the dreaded over the top movement . In terms of ball strike it is gaining the understanding of what a good impact position should look and feel like. So on the former problem , I like players to start with some small swings with some tees either side of the ball to guide the club through the 'gate' then graduate to a full swing often with the right foot pulled back to assist the shallowing of the forward swing. For impact the best exercise for that is the trusty impact bag , as it does what it says and really gives a player the feel we are after at the moment of truth !

 

[Barney the Pro]

The change from featherie to guttie maybe? Radical change.

Gosh there are members on this forum older than me . I can remember the 1.62 ball and how when we changed to the 1.68 how much easier it was to chip with although didn't go as far !

 

[MarkT]

We’ve got one more day of Barney’s nuggets but definitely worth a collective and virtual round of applause for his efforts so far which have gone above and beyond anything we expected.

 

[Barney the Pro]

Thanks Barney, I only have a swing video from a couple of years ago when it first started, problem is still here though, fighting a snap hook with my driver, fairways and hybrids, irons not so much.
My usual shot shape is a fade so I'm guessing my out to in swing path coupled with a hugely closed face is the problem, just can't seem to solve it.
This shot started middle and hooked a bit to the left.

Although you are suffering with a hook , it looks as you say a pull hook rather than the other variety starting well right and turning over. First thing to check on the closed face would be your grip as this may of become too strong . Do a couple of swings with either hand with a mirror or reflection behind you and see how the face looks, then with the two together . Then hold the club halfway back a la the Justin Thomas move and see how the face looks there, then hit a few shots with the feeling that the path of the swing is going more out to the right. If you have a range nearby where they have a swing wheel they are always useful to have a go in to gain the feel especially from the top of the swing. Dustin, Bryson and Tommy Fleetwood use one and seemed to have benefitted . Try that out then check out a local professional for some fine tuning as you have a strong move there, just needs tweaking .

 

[Beezerk]

Thanks Barney, great advice ?

 

[Tashyboy]

?????????

 

[Tashyboy]

Barney many years ago I was mentioned on Sky TV at the British masters. Ironically I never asked the question and never found out who set me up. ? My name was given and I was described as a 52 yr old fossil.
Bottom line the question was asked along the lines of this.
” not being the longest hitter, how do you get to hit it longer off the tee”. The answer which drew a round of laughter was “ well if you have not learned by now you never will”.
So how would you coach someone to hit it longer and straighter. Are there any “at home drills“ you could teach. I say that as I was given a couple last year before lockdown at the Pete Cowan academy near Meadowhall and they work quite well. Oddly enough Ave just contacted them for a few more lessons.

Many thanks for the last few days me man.

 

[Bdill93]

Brilliant feed GM, thanks for all the info Barney! Really appreciate you joining us!

 

[hines57]

I think the most common areas of inconsistency would be coming on a steeper path on the forward swing in comparison to the backswing , the dreaded over the top movement . In terms of ball strike it is gaining the understanding of what a good impact position should look and feel like. So on the former problem , I like players to start with some small swings with some tees either side of the ball to guide the club through the 'gate' then graduate to a full swing often with the right foot pulled back to assist the shallowing of the forward swing. For impact the best exercise for that is the trusty impact bag , as it does what it says and really gives a player the feel we are after at the moment of truth !

Thanks Barney - very helpful. Starting with the tee peg gate drill, how far apart would you have the tees when first trying this drill?

 

[Voyager EMH]

Thanks for the advice Barney. I’ve been working on walloping the ball and I have combined this with the over-the-top manoeuvre you told hines57 to avoid. Great results – the ball is going all over the shop and I’m getting to play shots from much more interesting places. This is the entertainment and enjoyment that I have been missing for such a long time. I’m so glad you didn’t suggest fluffing chips or missing putts, as that part of the programming is not editable and I wouldn’t find to be it as much fun as my current game. The handicap might rise by 2 or 3 shots by the end of May and I can then revert to the “old me” for the board comps and plod down the middle of the fairways with that boring old swing. What a great year lies ahead for me! I’ll mention you in all my speeches. The only other advice I need now is about how to refute the accusations of handicap manipulation. I’ve thought of a few excuses such as, age, bad back, lack of practice, “what a strange year its been for all of us” and inner ear problems. Have you got any that you could add to this?
Do any of the pros play badly and then put a huge wager on themselves after their odds go up? Is this what Tiger did for a while? Has he taken it a bit far this time? Could Spieth be a good bet for the Masters in this respect or will he be holding out for longer odds next year?

 

[sweaty sock]

What set composition would you recommend for a total,never swung a club, beginner?

 

[Deleted member 25575]

Barney, I am suffering from hitting everything out of the heel with my longer clubs, it's like I don't know where the club face is.

Any tips?

 

[stefanovic]

I read somewhere more thought equals a heavier head , so by having a mental spring clean lightening the skull is possible.

This will make you light headed:
What is the gravitational attraction between 3 objects, in this case the ground, the ball and the club?
With the result compute the distance the ball will travel at a club head speed of 100 mph on - a) the earth b) the moon.

(Hint: use Einstein's theory of general relativity).

 

[Traminator]

This will make you light headed:
What is the gravitational attraction between 3 objects, in this case the ground, the ball and the club?
With the result compute the distance the ball will travel at a club head speed of 100 mph on - a) the earth b) the moon.

(Hint: use Einstein's theory of general relativity).

Do you think about this on the backswing or the downswing?

 

[SaintHacker]

Thanks Barney, great advice ?

Or just copy your playstation swing

 

[Tashyboy]

Do you think about this on the backswing or the downswing?

Depends if your socks are long or short ?

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Hi Barney
what would you suggest a player do when arriving at the club pre-round?
Time of arrival, time practicing/warming up each part of the game, etc?

 

[Barney the Pro]

Barney many years ago I was mentioned on Sky TV at the British masters. Ironically I never asked the question and never found out who set me up. ? My name was given and I was described as a 52 yr old fossil.
Bottom line the question was asked along the lines of this.
” not being the longest hitter, how do you get to hit it longer off the tee”. The answer which drew a round of laughter was “ well if you have not learned by now you never will”.
So how would you coach someone to hit it longer and straighter. Are there any “at home drills“ you could teach. I say that as I was given a couple last year before lockdown at the Pete Cowan academy near Meadowhall and they work quite well. Oddly enough Ave just contacted them for a few more lessons.

Many thanks for the last few days me man.

How is being 52 a fossil , it's no age at all !! I think for me increased length for those of us over the 40 age group need to look at better swing mechanics and increasing our flexibility. In my experience the better a player strikes the ball and improves their smash factor ( ball speed divided by club speed) the further they will hit it. Too many players hit the ball with a glancing blow and trust me the speed is irrelevant then! I like the Orange Whip trainer as think that gives a player a really strong sensation of the transfer of power, so you will engage your core but crucially not think about . Practice swing with the right foot well back always helps in terms of getting the player to transfer the through swing shallower as a steeper swing increases unwanted spin. Then I always encourage Yoga and Pilates for flexibility , and the poster boy for that would be Miguel Jiminez who still pops it out there and his famous warm up routine tells us all we need to know about suppleness...