http://www.ClassicSwing.com   Five Fields for Guaranteed Improvement            One of the most common complaints among golfers is an unchanging handicap in spite of technological advances in equipment. Equipment plays a factor in recording lower scores; however, a close examination of one's strengths and weaknesses can more effectively lead to a better golf game. As a full time teacher in Myrtle Beach for the past sixteen years, I have been fortunate to work with players of every level. For the students that I work with on a regular basis, I ask that they maintain a spread sheet to track five statistical categories of their rounds which enables us to focus our lessons on the aspects of the game they need most. The fields we use include: 1) PUTTS 2) UP AND DOWNS 3) GREENS IN REGULATION 4) FAIRWAYS HIT and 5) SCORE. By keeping track of this data, the teacher and the student can truly begin working on the correct skills for lowering scores. From the junior golfer to the tour player and from the thirty handicapper to the three handicapper, there is a direct correlation to score and what the numbers look like in these five statistical fields. Concentrating on three major goals will help to improve your statistics in all five fields.                Goal number one focuses on reducing the total number of putts per round. How do we do that you ask? Practice often and correctly. You should work on forty foot putts and four foot putts because quality distance control on all first putts and being a magician inside four feet is the recipe to fewer putts regardless of your equipment. Quality distance control evolves from learning how to even out both sides of your putting arc (for whatever length backswing, the follow through should be the same), and being strong inside four feet requires confidence that comes from successful repetitions during practice. Fewer putts can be achieved through successful repetition of four to ten foot putts during practice sessions.              Goal number two concentrates on chipping and pitching the ball closer to the hole. When is the last time you truly devoted fifty percent of your total practice time to your wedges? Aside from the putter, your wedges will always have the greatest impact on the ability to reduce your scores. Nobody hits every green in regulation, so what do you do with the opportunities you find around the green? If your handicap is above a ten, you will most likely have ten opportunities each time you play to get up and down with your wedges. If your score is above 85, then statistically you only get up and down ten percent of the time. This is not adequate! If you make the commitment to learn the fine art of distance control with your scoring clubs and reduce the time you spend beating balls, you will be rewarded with greater up and down success and lower scores. A short game lesson would be a beneficial way to begin refocusing your practice sessions. Learn to love your wedges! Practice twenty and forty yard pitch shots to increase your up and down percentage.              The third and final goal rests in an improved full swing because this is the key to fairways hit and greens in regulation. There are many ways to enhance a full swing and everyone wants to know "what is the magical move?" Unfortunately, this will not be revealed here, but a secret, or correlation, between alignment and posture will be exposed. All good golf starts with proper aim and a good setup. You can look down the fairway and determine an accomplished player from one who is struggling just by how he/she handles a pre-shot routine. You should have your aim checked regularly and never hit a ball on the range without having a target in mind or laying down a club to promote good alignment. "If you can't aim the arrow, don't worry about the Indian." No lesson is complete without checking a golfer's ability to aim. As a golfer's alignment improves so does his/her misses. Focus on fundamentals, such as posture and alignment, during your setup to begin full swing improvement.              Posture acts as another key component of the five fundamentals which influences the effectiveness of the full swing. A golf swing can only be as dynamic as the pivot. The pivot is the ability to shift your weight during the swing while maintaining balance. Through an athletic setup, one can truly enhance his/her ability to turn behind and through the ball with maximum energy during the swing. A good set up will lead to better scoring opportunities, which is all we can ask for.              The fastest way to lower scores is through proper attention to the putter, the wedges, and strong fundamentals. For the full swing enthusiast, pay more attention to aim and posture. Immediately begin logging your rounds to determine your strengths as well as your weaknesses and strive to make the weak parts of your game your strengths. When taking lessons, develop a plan before you get to the lesson tee box, and never video or analyze your full swing without checking your alignment first.       Ted Frick 2005 Carolinas PGA Section Teacher of the Year Owner / Director of Instruction Classic Swing Golf School (Located at Legends Resort) P.O. Box 50955 Myrtle Beach, SC 29579 (843) 903-5560 1-800-827-2656 tfrick@classicswing.com www.classicswing.com   http://www.ClassicSwing.com