NOVEMBER 2020

Hello Scott,   I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter. It consists of the following:  *Sand Shots *The Masters *Bryson DeChambeau *Golf Digest Schools *Student Of The Month *FitGolf Sincerely, Scott Mahlberg, PGA

Sand Shots

It is very important to be proficient in the sand. It can keep your round going and really give you a confidence lift when you might need it. Being good in the sand starts with being able to have the trailing edge of the club strike the sand properly. This allows the club to stay the same depth in the sand throughout the strike. Please watch the video for a full demonstration on how to do this properly.

The Masters

It is going to be a real treat to watch the Masters this week. It is normally played the first week of April but was postponed due to the coronavirus. There are many traditions that make the Masters different from other events. These are some of them that I thought you might find interesting: *Cell phones are not allowed on the grounds. You might have to stand in line for a pay phone. *Only 4 minutes of commercials per hour are allowed during the broadcast. *You are allowed to bring a "Masters collapsible chair" and place it in a location of choice. You can leave it and walk the grounds and then return and sit in your chair and watch the tournament. *The course is closed in the summer because the grasses thrive in cool weather and need to be kept long during the summer. These are just some of the items of interest. I have been fortunate to go to the Masters tournament 3 times. It is the most well run and exciting tournament I have ever been to. I would highly recommend that you try to attend if you have an interest.

Bryson DeChambeau

The course at this year's Masters will be playing much different because the weather will be cooler and the course will be softer than when it is normally played in the spring. These are ideal conditions for long hitters. Bryson DeChambeau will be one of the most scrutinized players this week because of his unusual approach to gaining distance. His distance gain has created great dividends as evidenced by his win at this year's US Open Championship. He has worked very hard to put on weight and work out to improve strength and flexibility in his golf specific muscles. Recently Bryson played with 1988 Champion Sandy Lyles. Here is a recap on how he played approach shots on some of the holes: *No. 1 (Par 4, 445 yds) Sand Wedge *No. 2 (Par 5, 575 yds) 8 iron *No. 3 (Par 4, 350 yds) Flew over the green 3 wood *No. 8 (Par 5 570 yds uphill) 7 iron *No. 9 (Par 4, 460 yds) Sand Wedge *No. 10 (Par 4, 495 yds) Pitching Wedge *No. 11 (Par 4, 505 yds) 9 iron *No. 13 (Par 5, 530 yds)7 iron (3 wood off tee) *No 15 (Par 5, 530 yds) 9 iron *No 17 ( Par 4, 440 yds) Sand Wedge Watching Bryson play this week should be extremely interesting. It reminds me of watching Tiger win the Masters in 1997.

Golf Digest Schools

It has come to my attention that Golf Digest is offering a Tiger Woods video series for their subscribers. Tiger goes over many parts of the game and he does an excellent job of sharing his insights on how he approaches the game. It is unusual for a great player to be so open to sharing his thoughts and swing feels. I highly recommend this series to anyone.

Student Of The Month

My student of the month for November is Ike Ellis. Ike is a Masters member and has recently made a nice breakthrough. Ike was shooting in the low to mid 90s when he started the program. Recently Ike shot an 80, which is his lowest round ever. He also was able to have a second place finish on the Golf Am tour. Congratulations on your progress Ike! Keep up the good work.

FitGolf

Jeremy Klinkhamer has submitted the following video to help you increase more strength in your shoulder area. This will help you create more stability during your swing. Jeremy is a physical therapist that I have been working with since 2000. He has helped me greatly in assessing my students' physical capabilities in terms of strength and flexibility. He has also been great for golfers that have been suffering from an injury. Please contact Jeremy at jklinkhamer@fitgolf.com.

Scott Mahlberg