The USGA announced on Monday that the U.S. Open will return to Winged Foot in 2028, filling out the entire slate for the 2020s with a golf course that has been the site of some of the most famous major championships in history. This will be Winged Foot’s seventh U.S. Open with the first coming in 1929 when Bobby Jones took down Al Espinosa in a playoff.

Winged Foot joins a big hitter’s list of golf courses the USGA has lined up over the next seven editions of its most prominent golf tournament. Here’s a look at the venues that will host U.S. Opens for the remainder of the decade. 

• 2023: Los Angeles Country Club
• 2024: Pinehurst No. 2
• 2025: Oakmont Country Club
• 2026: Shinnecock Hills golf Club
• 2027: Pebble Beach Golf Links
• 2028: Winged Foot Golf Club
• 2029: Pinehurst No. 2
• 2030: Merion Golf Club

This is an extraordinary list. All elite golf courses, all worthy major championship venues. If we’re being completely honest, Pebble Beach might actually be the worst course on this list. If Pebble is the worst course in your group of venues, then something has gone very well for your organization. I realize it sounds nuts to disparage one of the most iconic golf courses in the country, but I’m not sure what option I’m left with considering this group of heavy hitters.

Winged Foot has traditionally been one of the most interesting tests in major championship golf. Its crazy slopes, mind-bending greens and crisp edges have provided the best players in the world some of their biggest challenges over the years.

“Winged Foot has provided the backdrop for some of the most dramatic moments in the history of our sport, with many of golf’s legendary champions being crowned on the club’s iconic West Course,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer in a statement. “We strive to provide players with the greatest stages on which to compete for a national championship, and there are few stages as grand as Winged Foot.”

This is certainly true, although Winged Foot — all 7,500 yards of it — isn’t what it once was. Most recently, Bryson DeChambeau torched the course en route to his first major victory in 2020 over Matthew Wolff and Louis Oosthuizen. Much consternation emanated from that major given DeChambeau’s style — hit it as far as humanly possible on a course with few penalty areas, find it and do it again — seemingly did not fit a classic, iconic venue the way many people thought it should.

“I don’t really know what to say because that’s just the complete opposite of what you think a U.S. Open champion does,” said Rory McIlroy at the time of DeChambeau’s victory. “Look, he’s found a way to do it. Whether that’s good or bad for the game, I don’t know, but it’s … not the way I saw this golf course being played or this tournament being played. It’s kind of hard to really wrap my head around it.”

Was Winged Foot, gasp, outdated?

The real answer is that a lack of restriction on equipment is eventually going to make all courses — modern, historic or otherwise — outdated eventually, and it’s going to be fascinating to see where we’re at with the golf ball and golf clubs when this U.S. Open comes around again five years from now. Winged Foot’s big problem is that its footprint can’t really expand any more than it already has.

None of that should matter in 2028, but it certainly will in 2048 or 2068 when golfers are driving the ball 450 yards with ease.

All of that is neither here nor there at the present moment. Winged Foot rocks, and having another U.S. Open there should be a tremendous addition to the major championship schedule for both the USGA and major championships in general.

Source link

Sixteen of the top 20 players in the world are set to tee it up at the Hero World Challenge this week, with defending champion Viktor Hovland, world no.2 Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Thomas and Spieth among the stars on show.

Source link

One of the biggest debates in the game of golf is about weight distribution. Some golf instructors teach their students that they should have their weight evenly distributed at setup. 

Other instructors say that the golfer’s weight should lean slightly to the front foot or the back foot. All this conflicting advice can be confusing, especially to newer golfers.

Should a golfer keep their weight forward at address or farther back until after impact? We take a closer look at this question in this article. 

After reading this, you’ll be able to decide if you want to try the weight-forward golf swing.

What Does it Mean to Have Your Weight Forward in Your Golf Swing?

Having your weight forward in a golf swing means that instead of having a 50-50 weight distribution at address, the golfer has at least 55% of his weight toward his front foot. 

This type of approach was made famous by Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett in their Stack and Tilt golf swing teachings. The Stack and Tilt method has helped many golfers (including some on the PGA Tour) achieve their fullest potential on the course.

Though 90% of a golfer’s weight should be on their front foot at impact, many golfers struggle with hanging back too much on their back leg. This leads to decreased power and inconsistent contact. 

By starting with the weight slightly forward, it is easier to transfer the rest of the weight at impact.

Yes, to ensure maximum distance and a fluid swing, there must be a proper weight transfer during the swing at some point before impact. 

Golfers who have too much weight on their back leg at impact are swinging with their upper bodies only. It’s nearly impossible to hit the golf ball a long way if you’re only using half your body.

 

Pros of the Weight Forward Golf Swing

There are lots of advantages to adopting a weight-forward golf swing. Here is a list of some of those benefits.

Consistency

When a golfer addresses the ball with his weight slightly forward, it ensures that a proper weight transfer will take place during the downswing. 

This results in more consistent contact since the weight forward swing is less reliant on timing. Consistency means everything in the game of golf.

Perhaps the most important factor to playing better golf is being able to hit the ground in front of the ball at the same spot every time. This ensures that the golfer will hit the ball first and then the ground. This leads to more powerful, more accurate shots on a more consistent basis. 

Limits Head Movement

Do you know what will throw off a golf swing worse than anything else? Having too much head movement during the backswing! Starting with your weight slightly forward helps the golfer keep his head still during the entire swing.

Folks that start with a 50-50 weight distribution at address often shift lots of weight to their back leg during the backswing. This makes the head move too much and causes the eyes to bounce. 

All that movement makes hitting the golf ball flush much more difficult.

Helps Cure Slices

The majority of amateur golfers struggle with a wicked banana slice, especially with the longer clubs in the bag. Many things contribute to a slice. One of which is an improper weight transfer (hanging back).

Starting with the weight slightly forward makes it easier for the golfer to take an inside-out golf swing. This type of swing path will turn that nasty slice into a slick-looking baby draw. A draw will come in handy on most golf courses.

Cons of the Weight Forward Golf Swing

As most golfers know, there are positives and negatives to every type of golf swing. Here are some of the cons of adopting a weight-forward golf swing.

Feels Weird

Most folks do not want to try the weight-forward swing simply because it feels weird. Many golfers played other sports as kids and were taught the weight must go back and then forward. As we all know, old habits are hard to break. 

For example, most baseball hitters start with their weight tilted toward their back leg and then explode that weight toward their front leg during their swing. While this works great in baseball, it’s not the best approach for most golfers. 

Nevertheless, lots of golfers do not wish to change this approach because it feels so natural to them.  

Lower Trajectory

Some golfers who have tried out the weight forward golf swing say that it lowered their ball flight. 

While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially with the longer clubs like the driver, it can be detrimental when hitting your wedges. Most golfers want to hit the ball as high as possible with their wedges to increase their chances of landing (and staying) on the green. 

A common fix is to play around with your ball position in your setup to see if that gives you a higher ball flight. Lots of golfers find that if they move the ball back just a little in their stance, it helps improve the trajectory of their shots.

Common Golf Swing Weight Shift Problems

Hanging Back

We already mentioned this one a few times but we’ll list it here as well. This is when the golfer shifts their weight to their back leg during the backswing but never shifts it to their front leg during the downswing. 

This robs the golfer of lots of precious clubhead speed and limits their distance quite a bit.

No Weight Transfer

This problem is not as common as hanging back but it still plagues some golfers. This happens when the golfer starts with a 50-50 weight distribution and the weight doesn’t shift at all before, during, or after the swing. 

Again, this leads to a decrease in power and a golf swing that just looks painful and stiff.

Swaying

Swaying is another common weight transfer problem and is usually caused by overswinging. This is when the golfer rares back (usually with the driver) and tries to kill the golf ball. 

When the swaying occurs, the weight transfer is so severe that the front foot may even come off the ground for a split second. This makes consistent contact with the golf ball nearly impossible.

Here’s who should give the weight forward golf swing a try:

• Golfers who struggle to make consistently solid contact
• Folks who are constantly fighting a slice
• Golfers that have a hard time completing a proper weight transfer
• Golfers who tend to sway, hang back, or make no weight transfer
• Newer golfers who want to simplify the golf swing

 

Drills to Help You Practice Weight Transfer During Your Swing

Toe Tap Drill

Here’s a fun drill that doesn’t require any special items. When practicing your swing at the driving range, try to do a toe tap with your back foot while completing your follow-through. This is a great drill to do as part of your warm-up before a round of golf. 

If you can complete this move without losing your balance, you’ve got the proper amount of your weight forward at impact. If it takes you longer than a second or two to complete the toe tap, you probably have too much weight on your back leg at impact.  

Sand Wedge Drill

This drill can feel a little bit weird at first, but it’s an excellent one to do to make sure you’re transferring your weight at the right time. The nice thing about this drill is it provides you with some immediate feedback on your weight transfer. Here’s how it works:

• Place a sand wedge underneath the heel of your back foot with the shaft pointing toward the sky
• Hit a normal shot with a different golf club
• The sand wedge should start to fall to the ground before you even make contact with the ball. This is because, during a proper weight transfer, your back heel will lift slightly.
• If the sand wedge is hitting the ground a couple of seconds after impact, you are just a tad bit late in completing your weight transfer

Medicine Ball Throws

For this drill, you’ll need a small medicine ball that weighs anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds. One like this will work just fine. Here’s a brief step-by-step guide to this drill.

• Line up as if you are addressing the golf ball
• Instead of a golf club, hold the medicine ball and pretend it is a golf club
• Complete a normal golf swing
• Release the medicine ball at the impact point of where the golf ball would be
• Study how far the medicine ball goes
• If it goes quite a long distance, you are transferring your weight properly. If it doesn’t travel very far, your weight transfer needs more work

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports for over 30 years. He’s been an avid golfer for more than 10 years and is obsessed with watching the Golf Channel and taking notes on a daily basis. He also holds a degree in Sports Psychology.

Source link

Michael Greenberg, the president of Skechers Golf, has paid tribute to brand ambassador Matt Fitzptraick following his stunning victory at the 122nd US Open at The Country Club, Brookline.

Fitzpatrick earned his first Major victory – and the first tournament win wearing Skechers shoes – after firing a final round 71 to claim a one-shot win over Will Zalatoris.

Competing in Skechers GO GOLF Pro 5 Hyper footwear, Fitzpatrick finished on six-under par to become only the second player in history to win the US Amateur (2013) and US Open at the same venue.

“It came down to the end on Sunday and winning my first major has been a lifelong goal, so for it to happen on this course where I won the US Amateur, there’s just so much emotion,” said Fitzpatrick. “The weather was a big challenge, but I was able to stay focused, thanks to the comfort and performance of Skechers working well for me on the course.”

Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers, said: “We always knew Matt was a special player, so for him to be in Skechers earning a career-defining victory at the historic US Open is valuable exposure for the Skechers GO GOLF brand.

“The US Open is one of the most prestigious showcases for the sport, so millions viewing on television watched a player never give up and compete to the end for his first Majors win — all while illustrating how our footwear delivers the comfort and performance that any golfer desires. There’s so much on the horizon for this champ, and we’re honored to be with him.”

Earlier this year, Fitzpatrick joined the stable of Skechers tour pros, which also includes Brooke Henderson, Colin Montgomerie and Billy Andrade. Former NFL quarterback and broadcaster Tony Romo is also an ambassador for the brand’s golf footwear and appears in GO GOLF marketing campaigns.

Known for its lightweight, high-quality, stable and comfortable designs, Skechers GO GOLF has achieved prominence within the golf category alongside the brand’s award-winning running, walking and training collections. Select styles include signature innovations like Skechers Arch Fit, ULTRA GO and Hyper Burst cushioning, along with other key features.

Skechers GO GOLF footwear is available at Skechers retail stores and at skechers.com, as well as select retail partners and pro shops.

Source link