Category: Golf Instruction

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Golf Lessons from the Masters: Gary Player & Roger Fredericks

Gary Player first met Roger Fredericks in Kaanapali, Maui. Gary Player has always been an ambassador of golf fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. When he met Roger Fredericks, they discovered a synergy through a shared philosophy of golf fitness.

Gary Player first met Roger Fredericks in Kaanapali, Maui. Gary Player has always been an ambassador of golf fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. When he met Roger Fredericks, they discovered a synergy through a shared philosophy of golf fitness.

In this video, Gary Player gives his testimony about Roger Fredericks’ programs: Secrets of Golf Swing Flexibility. On a quest to win a major in six decades, Gary explains how golf swing flexibility, proper golf stretching, and eating healthy add to his longevity on the tour.

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Arnold Palmer: Golf Fitness, Flexibility & Driving Distance Part 1

After playing a practice round with Tommy Jacobs several years ago at the Senior PGA Championship, Arnold Palmer was amazed at Tommy’s incredible driving distance – especially considering that nearly all of the other seniors had ‘lost’ distance!

Tommy told him that he had embarked on Roger Fredericks’ Flexibility program- which included specific golf stretching and flexibility protocols and that he had actually GAINED a substantial amount of driving distance even ‘after’ becoming a senior!

Eventually Arnold Palmer and Roger got together and as they say, the rest is history. After producing a very successful Infomercial together, “Roger Fredericks Reveals the Secrets to Golf Swing Flexibility”, Roger has written his latest book ‘The Flexible Golf Swing’ where he reveals the Secrets to the Golf Swing and Flexibility – just as he has to over 200,000 golfers including 70 Tour professionals, including 7 Hall of Famers; and where Arnold Palmer has written the Foreward.

Arnold Palmer has used Roger Fredericks’ stretching and flexibility program for years On and Off the Course.

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The Benefits of a Cold Shower – A Sure Way to Feel Great

As I get further along on my life’s journey, it never ceases to amaze me how Mother Nature gives us SO MANY ingenious ways to heal ourselves and solve our problems.  Let’s face it, in life – there are times you feel on top of the world, and times you feel under the weight of it.

It’s no secret by now that the mind and the body directly affect one another and that stress is a factor in over 80% of all illnesses and diseases.  The truth is that ‘Thoughts are Things’ and ‘How’ we think can affect How we ‘Feel’.  For example, when we receive Great news, we’ll tend to feel Great and conversely, when we get Bad news, we’ll tend to feel ‘Bad’ (which will often lead to health problems like ulcers, high blood pressure, headaches, blocked arteries, ad infinitum).  I love the expression, ‘The body is the dumping ground for our mind’.

Put good thoughts into our body, Get Healthy.  Put Bad thoughts in, Get Sick.

I’ve learned that a sure way to feel GREAT (and therefore ‘Think’ Great) is to take a 30-60 second cold shower… Yes, that’s right a Cold Shower!  In fact, a REALLY Cold Shower!  (I can hear you now…”OMG, are you crazy, that’s Nuts?!”)  But, the truth is that taking a cold shower will definitely exhilarate you – sometimes to the point of ecstasy!
 

The following benefits have been proven to have derived from cold showers, or even ice plunges:

  • HELPS RELIVE DEPRESSION  
  • IMPROVE THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
  • ‘GREATLY’ REDUCE INFLAMMATION
  • REDUCE STRESS
  • BOOST TESTOSTERONE IN MEN & INCREASES FERTILITY
  • IMPROVE CIRCULATION
  •  IMPROVE SLEEP
  • HELP IN MUSCLE RECOVERY (Do you notice how athletes spend a lot of time in ice baths?)
  • DRAIN LYMPHATIC SYSTEM 
  • STRENGTHEN EMOTIONAL STABILITY AND WILL POWER.
  • And, HAS ACTUALLY HELPED MANY PEOPLE CURE DISEASES BY REMOVING TOXINS THUS ALLOWING THE BODY TO HEAL ITSELF.

I’ve been incorporating taking cold showers daily for some time and can tell you first hand that it makes me feel GREAT!  Starting the day with a cold shower carries over throughout the day and as mentioned, has an amazing number of health benefits.

In case you’re wondering, “Is it hard to do?” – “Is it Scary?” – “Is it Torture?”, etc., I’d be lying if I told you that ‘at first’ it wasn’t easy!  However, you’ll notice that after the initial shock and the first few seconds, the shock wears off and the water doesn’t feel so cold – (i.e., you begin to get ‘used to it’); which is simply because the initial blast forces your abdominal breathing to become more dynamic and actually begins to internally warm you up.  The warmth that comes from within, then settles you down and the initial shock goes away.  In time, I arrived at the point where my initial hesitation of going in the cold shower has been conquered by KNOWING how good I’m going to feel afterward.

As usual, there are certain conditions where I wouldn’t recommend people taking a cold shower, including pregnant women, high blood pressure, etc.  If you have serious health issues, definitely see a physician first.

I’m going to be writing more articles on some of Nature’s RX Remedies which will all be available to Members in the Library.  Members of the Fredericks Golf Instruction & Learning Center can comment in the comment section and let me know their experience.

 “Come on in, the Water’s fine!”

Roger Fredericks

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Why Stretching A Muscle…Doesn’t Always Stretch The Muscle!

“Hey Roger, I don’t get it?  I’ve been stretching my hamstrings for years, and they‘re still tight.  Even when I was a kid, I couldn’t touch my toes and I still can’t!” If I had $10 for every time I’ve heard that, or something similar, I’d be in a considerably higher tax bracket!  The truth is that many people think…

“Hey Roger, I don’t get it?  I’ve been stretching my hamstrings for years, and they‘re still tight.  Even when I was a kid, I couldn’t touch my toes and I still can’t!”

If I had $10 for every time I’ve heard that, or something similar, I’d be in a considerably higher tax bracket!  The truth is that many people think that by stretching a particular muscle is going to get that muscle flexible – especially the hamstrings.    However, that usually isn’t the case.  Remember, that muscles work in ‘Chains’ ( much like tile on a roof) and they all run and work together.  Therefore, when one aspect of the chain is tight, other muscles in that chain are apt to be tight as well.  For example, whenever I see a tight upper back and shoulder  (which is becoming epidemic in our culture), I’ll see a tight calf just about every time.  When I see this condition, I’ll usually go to work on their calves and work up the chain and finally get to their upper back.  My Clients are always amazed at how their shoulders are feeling better when I often times don’t even touch them! 

jean swing

Regarding golf,  many people struggle with straightening of their legs in their golf swings, and upon recognizing that they’re hamstrings are tight, will begin feverishly stretching their hamstrings – and as I mentioned – usually don’t get acceptable results.   The reality is that the hamstrings work closely with the Inner thigh muscles – Outer thighs, Quadriceps- Hip flexors and Glutes – and ‘Especially’ The Pelvic Flexors and Extensors.  (All of the programs in my book ‘The Flexible Golf Swing’, and my DVD ‘Secrets of Golf Swing Flexibility’ DVD  are arranged so that you’ll be working ALL of the muscles in their respective chains.

In addition, try working the following stretches: And afterwards try the Runners Stretch again, and you should see a noticeable difference.

And that’s No Stretch!

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BEN HOGAN’S FIVE LESSONS

(But did he really play that way?)

What We Learned From Ben Hogan

Ben Hogan is considered by many to be THE greatest ball striker of all time, and he’s probably the only Great player that I never had a chance to see in person from the early 60’s on. I’ve also asked many of the Senior Tour Players I’ve worked with and who’ve played with Mr. Hogan, ‘If he really was ‘THAT’ good? So far, EVERY player I’ve asked has answered, ‘Yes, he was ‘THAT’ good!”

His Book ‘Ben Hogan’s FIVE LESSONS, is no less considered The Bible of Golf Instruction, and is one of – if not THE best selling golf instruction book of all time. This book was revolutionary and is truly one of the great golf instruction books ever written. However, I’ve noticed that there were a couple of the FIVE LESSONS that in reality, he didn’t do?

1) In describing the Address Position, he stated that the elbows should be very close together with the ‘pits’ facing upward; and he actually used an illustration of an elastic band to show this (above).

However, in reality, Hogan’s Right elbow in particular actually flared out somewhat (see the photo above).

2) Regarding the Sequence of the Golf Swing, he felt that the movements of the body parts were a chain reaction of: The Club head Moving First on the Backswing – then the Hands (this requires an early wrist set), then the Arms, Shoulders; THEN the reverse sequence happened on the downswing with the Hips leading – then the shoulders, then the Arms, Hands and club. That is Correct (called kinematic sequencing).

However, this is not what he actually did and as you can see, he actually started his swing by almost ‘dragging’ the hands and club back together – then cocking the wrists near the top of his swing; so much so that the club actually looked like it’s almost touching his neck! The point is that it certainly seems that he didn’t set his wrist early in his swing as implied – and rather cocked them very late near the top and creating the incredible lag that he had.

I can assure you that the point I’m trying to make is not whatsoever trying to diminish or demean Mr. Hogan’s book – and like I mentioned, the book is a classic, but rather to spread light on this discussion. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with a LOT of great players (predominantly the senior Tour Players), and I’ve always been surprised at how many of them Thought (?) they were doing things in their swings, that in reality weren’t doing.

Or as Butch Harmon says, “The F-e-e-l isn’t always R-e-a-l”.

When taking instruction, I highly recommend that you seek a teacher who uses video and understands the innuendos of it.

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The Two Main Things That Arnold Palmer Told Me He Worked On In His Swing

Because it’s the Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Classic this week, I thought I’d share a couple of the things that he worked on in his swing.

The Two Main Things That Arnold Palmer Told Me He Worked On In His Swing

#1 HE TRIED TO GET AS ‘DEEP’ THROUGH THE BALL AS HE COULD

Although during the years that I worked with him we were primarily focused on his flexibility and anatomical function, we still would look at his golf swing from time to time, where we’d monitor how his flexibility was helping him turn back and through better.

The first time I explained the Physiological Fundamentals of the Golf Swing to him on my monitor, I was showing how the most crucial fundamental was Clearing the Hips and Shoulders through the shot, and where all great players got into the ‘Two Cheek Position.’ Right when I said this, he jumped out of the chair and exclaimed, “Rog, that’s what I can’t do anymore!” He then told me that “The Main Thing” he tried to do in his golf swing was ‘Get as Deep’ through the ball as he could. i.e. he tried to Turn his Hips and Shoulders as much as he could through the ball. Within a few minutes, I had him go through my Flexibility Tests at which point I explained how it was ‘his lack of flexibility’ that was inhibiting him from turning through the ball.

#2 HE TRIED TO ‘TOUCH’ THE TARGET WITH HIS RIGHT ARM AND HAND

A few months later, and after he’d been working on his flexibility A LOT, we went out to the range at Bay Hill to hit some balls. There, he told me another thing. He said, “Rog, by getting my hips more flexible, I’ve noticed that it’s easier for me to extend my Right Arm longer through to the target.” I then said, “Have you always tried to do that?” He replied, “Yes, I always tried to ‘Touch the Target’ with my right arm and hand.” (Although the right arm and hand are actually extending around to the left, it feels that it’s going down the target line.) Again, it’s the centrifugal force created by the turning of the left hip and shoulder that’s ‘bringing’ the arms and club around.

The reality is that when you try to ‘Touch the Target’ with your Right Arm and Hand, you’ll automatically Clear your Hips and Shoulders through the ball easier.

The more I look back on the years I spent with Mr. Palmer, the more cherished these memories have become. But THE #1 THING that I’ll always remember about him, was how Great he treated people. Trust me, he was always besieged by people – yet he always took the time to make them feel important. And, he certainly did that for me!

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ELIMINATE EXCESSIVE MOVEMENT IN YOUR GOLF SWING


No doubt in my mind, the average amateur has too much excessive movement throughout their swings. This can manifest by ‘herky-jerky’ motions – swaying – lifting – and, especially having the arms get OUT OF SYNC with the lower body.

One of the most – if not THE most – popular drills I give my students, is what we call ‘The Pull Back Drill’; which really helps coordinate the movements into one solid working unit. This drill is actually done in three parts.

Part 1) Where you swing completely flat-footed and ‘try not’ to shift your weight at all. I tell people to imagine that I give their lower bodies a shot of novocaine to keep it perfectly still – and to imagine that they’re standing in dried concrete and can’t move. Then I have them swing their back and down and through the shot – BUT KEEP THE RIGHT FOOT PLANTED AT ALL TIMES! And here’s the critical part; After the completion of the follow-through IMMEDIATELY SWING THE ARMS BACK to the ADDRESS POSITION. After hitting 5 solid shots (and you’ll be amazed at how easy this will be), move on to PART 2.

Part 2) Now, after you’ve hit 5 solid shots, do PART 1 of the Drill On the Backswing – where you take the same backswing ) ie., just lifting your arms back), only now shift your weight down and through the shot finishing with 100% of your weight on your front foot – with your right foot up.

Part 3) After you’ve hit 5 more solid shots doing Part 2, now go ahead and hit more shots RETAINING THE FEELING OF BEING BRACED WITH YOUR LOWER BODY ON THE BACKSWING. (You can go ahead and allow your left shoulder to come under your chin on your backswing now).

This drill is a miracle worker and I assure you, if your swing gets off track, you can bring it back to Center with this Pull Back Drill.

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A SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE STRETCH FOR THE RHOMBOIDS

Rhomboid Stretch – For better extension and coil.

One thing I learned years ago was the body is ONE BIG WORKING UNIT, where everything is linked together. For example, our Hips control our Shoulders – and our Shoulders control our Arms, etc. Often times when my students come to me to for a specific musculoskeletal problem, I often don’t usually work on the site of the problem, but rather the source of it. A typical example of it is when people want to have greater extension of their arms for a longer and deeper backswing. In the majority of cases, I’ll end up first stretching out their hips – then their shoulders.

Regarding our Back and Shoulders, we have some major muscle groups that help control our shoulder blades called the Rhomboids. These muscles work in unison with the Trapezius, Levators, and others.

In today’s video, I, along with golf great Tommy Jacobs, and Susan, are showing a very simple and effective stretch to warm up the Rhomboids for greater extension and power in their golf swings.

Don’t forget though, that to gain superb flexibility, one must stretch ALL of the major muscle groups and muscle chains to work ALL of the muscles in our bodies. That’s specifically why I created The SECRETS to Golf Swing Flexibility Video Program.

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‘SLIGHTLY’ PRESS INTO YOUR RIGHT FOOT TO START YOUR DOWNSWING

Everybody always asks “What starts the Downswing?” And WITHOUT QUESTION, everybody answers “The Lower Body”…Period! Some great players feel the Left Hip Shifting and Turning, others feel like their pushing off of their right foot, ad infinitum.

One thing for sure that our force pressure plates prove that there’s a slight ‘Spike’ of pressure going down into the ground underneath the right foot. These ground forces are evident in nearly all great players – regardless of what they F-E-E-L is happening. I personally have always felt my Left Hip ‘Pulling’ my arms down, and I’ve never really related to ‘Pushing Off’ of my right foot. However, over the last few years, I’ve come across a different image and perspective, where I actually feel like I’m applying Pressure onto my right foot FIRST before the upper body begins to unwind.

This image of PRESSING DOWN onto the right foot works better for me than the PUSHING OFF image. Imagine, that there was a pitching rubber on the mound that was underneath your right foot, and your first move was to ‘Slightly’ sink down on the rubber ever so slightly. Doing this motion will automatically propel the rest of your body into the shot and achieve a proper Kinematic Sequence – THAT MUST HAPPEN!

Notice the white object just even with the baseball batter’s head in the split screen above. As the batter begins to stride into the ball, he pushes down somewhat into the right foot, and you can see that after doing so, his head drops slightly below the white object. There is nothing wrong with this as long as the Center of Gravity stays in control.