Teaching golf has been my passion, as well as my occupation, for the last 16 years of my life. In that time, I have found that learning to make changes in the golf swing takes time, patience, and persistence. The awareness of feel and sensing change through kinesthetics accelerates the learning curve. Teaching aids are devices used to help the golfer develop muscle memory and in the wonderful world of golf instruction, teaching aids come and go. There are many teaching aids that claim they have the miracle cure, but they do not survive the test of time. The Impact Bag has been around for at least 20 years and it is not going anywhere.

The following is a list of areas that I use the The Impact Bag in my teaching and why:

Proper placement of The Impact Bag will point out scooping, casting, and early whoosh in the downswing as you will make contact with the bag if you do any of these three actions.

Learn to avoid The Impact Bag in the downswing and store the power in your golfswing.

1) For those that scoop, cast and "early whoosh." - By placing the bag inside the target line, and no more than 2 feet behind the ball, one will learn to store energy in the downswing to avoid making contact with the bag in the downswing. Sustaining that all important angle of clubhead lag is the essence to effortless power! If you are losing power, clubhead throw away may be your issue and this drill is for you.

Proper placement of The Impact Bag in the follow through will allow you to work on hitting to both arms straight to avoid making contact with the teaching aid.

2) Develop an out to in path through the ball. - Place the bag just inside the target line, but post impact this time. This is noted as the follow thru in golf. This placement will insure an in to out move and truly help you achieve extension of the arm after you hit the ball. For you chicken wingers, toe hitters, and power faders, achieving an in to out path with long arms through the ball will help cure many of your flaws.

Work on your impact alignments by pounding The Impact Bag.

3) Now for my favorite, "Waking up the engine."
The following is a list of sayings that describes the need for a dynamic pivot in golf.
A) Big muscles move small muscles.
B) The dog wags the tail.
C) A movement from the center produces a movement away from center.

Plain and simple; as long as you can physically still move your hips, rotate them actively and aggressively to lead the upper body in the down swing all the way to the finish. Pounding the bag while consciously rotating the hips is one of the most important drills we can do after the age of 40 to keep the motor running. This constant pounding while manipulating the hips will activate and strengthen the core muscles. Power comes from the inside out, use it or lose it!

If there is one teaching aid you are looking at investing in, The Impact Bag is where you begin. If you would like to order The Impact Bag, we keep it in stock. Just give us a call at 1-800-827-2656 before October 15, 2008 and we will send it out to you for $34.95 (regular price - $39.95) + shipping and handling.

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

$30 off any October three day school with space available by mentioning the Newsletter Special at the time of reservation (offer valid through 10/15)