Intermediate Target

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Tonight Rob Myers, PGA is here to talk about intermediate targets...

This evening I'm going to spend some time talking about alignment, in particular finding intermediate targets.  For those of you who are not familar with using intermediate targets this will no doubt improve your alignment.  You will find after reading the following few paragraphs that intermediate targets can be used for better alignment on all of your shots from the full swing, to chipping, and even on the putting green.

The first step to finding an intermediate target is getting behind the golf ball so that the ball is directly between you and your intended target.  Next draw an imaginary line from your intended target back to yourself disecting the golf ball on the way.  Once you have that imaginary line, pick out something on the ground just in front of the ball ( 6 inches - 6 feet, normally the closer the better) that your imaginary line intersects as well.  That "something" that you pick out on the ground could be a broken tee, a leaf, a discoloration in the grass, or even an old divot.  You will call this spot that you have chosen on the ground your intermediate target.  When you address the golf ball you want to line the club face up with the intermediate target that you have chosen and this will help you to get properly aligned to the target.  You will find it much easier to line up to a target that is within several inches or a couple of feet of the golf ball rather than something that is a couple hundred yards away. 

Next time you are on the driving range try practicing with an intermediate target and see how much easier it will be to get properly aligned to your intended target.  The margin for error on getting aligned to something that is closer to you is significantly less than trying to get lined up to something that is far distance from you.  As always, good luck and let me know if you have any questions!  Make it a great day! 

Flop Shots- Golf Tips From Rob Myers, PGA

Today, I am going to talk about the challenging, yet fun shot that is commonly known as the flop shot.  We have all seen the guys on TV execute this shot to perfection all the while making it look easy!  For those of you who have rushed out and tried to duplicate this shot at your local range or course you have probably found that it's not as easy as it looks.  Before we get into the details let me first define the flop shot.  A flop shot can best be described as a greenside shot that is designed to fly higher than your normal chip or pitch and land on the green softly.  This type of shot requires an enormous amount of touch and feel as well as the proper fundamentals.

The key to hitting a successful flop shot is to make sure you have the proper setup.  So with that being said, lets first start with the proper setup to perform a flop shot.  Grab your highest lofted wedge (sand or lob) and begin by addressing the ball as you normally would for a standard chip shot.  The first adjustment you will make is to move the ball from the middle or back third of your stance to the front third.  Next you will pull your front foot back so that your stance is open.  You should now feel as though you are aiming left (for right handers) of the target.  In order to make up for being aligned left, you will lay the club face open so that the leading edge of the club is pointed at the target.  This adjustment has added loft to the club while still keeping your club pointed towards the target.  At this point you are now setup properly for this shot and ready to give it a try.  You will make an effort to swing the club along your foot line which will have the club moving from what feels like the "outside in" or "across" the ball.  By moving the club this way you are able to put fade spin on the ball which helps it to land softer on the green.  Notice that the bulk of these adjustments were made in your setup, so as you get more comfortable with this new setup you should start to see some better flop shot results.

It is my strong recommendation that you try this shot for the first time on the driving range where a poor result will not end up jeopordizing anybodys physical well being.  Once you gain some confidence in your ability to perform this shot successfully than you can try it around the green where there are other people practicing.  Please let me know if you have any questions as you practice, and I look forward to hearing your feedback!  Make it a great day!

Visit Rob at: www.riimgolf.com 

Call             210-545-5300       ext. 1 to book a private lesson.

Rob offers discounted lessons for SilverHorn members and you can become a member for just $10 a YEAR!

Don't Stop!

Rob Myers is here today to give us all a little advice on our putting.

I often run into people having difficulty putting due to the inconsistency in the length of their putting stroke. Many amateurs have a tendency to take the putter too far back on the backstroke and then stop their putter upon impact with the ball. This type of putting stroke normally leads to decelerating the putter causing a change in the club face angle just prior to and at impact. I think many people feel that once the ball has been struck that the stroke is finished. So, how can you ensure that you accelerate the putter and follow through after impact? One of the best ways I have found to help ensure acceleration is to shorten the backstroke. By shortening the backstroke you will encourage yourself to to swing the putter forward with more speed to get the ball to the hole. As the putter speeds up on the forward stroke it will help to maintain a square putter face leading to more consistent results.

The next time you are on the practice green try taking the putter back a shorter distance. You should find that it will encourage you to accelerate the putter on the forward stroke leading to a longer follow through and more consistent results. As always, good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

Visit Rob at: www.riimgolf.com 

Call 210-545-5300 ext. 1 to book a private lesson with Rob.

Rob offers discounted lessons for SilverHorn members and you can become a member for just $10 a YEAR!

Grip Pressure

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Director of Instruction- Rob Myers, PGA is back again this week to teach us all about grip pressure. We all know the importance of a good grip. Take it away Rob...

"Today I will be disussing an something that is often forgot about or overlooked, but is an extremely important part of having consistency.  That something is your grip!  It's difficult to learn how to really swing the golf club properly if you never learn how to grip it properly.  Imagine trying to learn how to write if nobody ever taught you the most efficient way to hold a pen.  You would eventually find a way to do it, but odds are it  would be much more difficult and probably not very conventional.  There are two things that you need to understand in order to learn to grip the club properly.  Those two things are your hand position and your grip pressure.  This morning I will be focusing primarily on grip pressure.

I'm sure that many of you are familiar with the saying in regards to grip pressure that says, "hold the club like you would hold a bird; tight enough so that the bird won't fly away, but not so tight that you would crush it."  That would be fine if you were just holding the club and not swinging it, but thats not the case.  As you swing the golf club it generates a great deal of force that requires a firm grip on the club if you have any intention of controlling it.  I tell my students that they should be holding onto the club firmly with 5 fingers and loosely with the other 5.  With your top hand (left hand for right handers) you should be holding onto the club firmly with your pinky, ring, and middle fingers while the other 2 should be relaxed.  In your bottom hand (right hand for right handers) you should be gripping the club tightly with your thumb and pointer finger while the other 3 fingers are just along for the ride.  The 5 fingers that you are gripping the club firmly with are primarily responsible for releasing the club in a manner that will provide you with more power and consistency.  Having the pressure in the correct fingers will allow you to have the control of the club you need without feeling like you are strangling it.

This change to your grip pressure will most certainly feel awkward, but I have no doubt it will improve your solidness of contact and consistency.  Be patient as you make this adjustment as often times changes to the grip are some of the most difficult changes to make.  As always let me know if you have any questions!"

If you are looking to improve your golf game Rob is available for lessons at SilverHorn and offers discounted rates for members of SilverHorn (our lowest memberships start at $10 a month!). E-mail Rob at rmyers@centurygolf.com to schedule a lesson or to simply ask Rob a question.

Also visit Rob online at Rob's website: www.riimgolf.com. 

If you need new grips for your golf clubs hit up Chris Hopkins at chopkins@centurygolf.com. 

Your Questions Answered By Rob Myers, PGA (Part One)

We asked our Twitter followers and Facebook fans, "If you could ask a PGA instructor any question what would it be?" We received some great questions and here are the answers from Rob Myers, PGA. 


Ruben J.-
"What's the best drill for improving impact or ball striking?" 

As I'm sure you have noticed, the impact position is one of the most important areas of the golf swing to have fundamentally sound.  One major key to improving impact is to make sure that your hands are in front of the club head and the golf ball upon impact.  Try this: Once you are confident that the ball position is correct for the particular club you are using, place a tee in the ground about 12 inches in front of the ball.  As you execute the next golf swing, focus your eyes on the tee rather than the ball.  While this will certainly feel awkward, this is a great drill to trick your mind into thinking impact is actually later than it is.  The anticipation of impact with the ball often times causes people to release the club too early leading to inconsistency at impact.  As you begin seeing more success, slowly bring the tee closer and closer to the ball until you are able to just focus on the front half of the golf ball.  Best of luck!

Nicolas N.-
"How do I get more distance out my drive!?" 

Great question!  The search for more distance with the driver is something that is common amongst many!  While there is no potion you can drink to increase distance, there are a couple of things you can do to maximize your ability.  First, check your ball position to make sure it is just INSIDE your front foot.  Having the proper ball position will help you hit the ball at the bottom of the swing arc when the club should be moving it's fastest.  Another thing to focus on would be your turn away from the golf ball.  It's super important particularly with longer clubs that you get turned "behind" the golf ball on the backswing(lead shoulder and hip turned even with or behind the ball).  This full turn on the backswing will make it easier to generated more club head speed on the through swing.  Between these two adjustments you should see some increase in your yardage with the driver!  Hit it long!

Brendan N.-
"What is your number one piece of advice for beginners to the game of golf?" 

The best piece of advice I could give to somebody starting out is to PRACTICE!!  Spend as much time as possible with a club in your hand, even if you are not hitting golf balls.  Just holding a club, making practice swings, and working on your posture will get you more comfortable with some of the basics.  The sooner you are able to get comfortable with some of the basics you will be able to start focusing more on the mechanics of the swing.  It's also important to exercise a little patience when getting started.  Golf can be a frustrating game to learn, but hang in there for the first few months and it will be very rewarding! 

Mike P.-
"How can I improve my lag putting" 

Lag putting is a highly underrated area of the game.  Most people don't spend much time thinking about it until they find themselves on the green putting for birdie from 50 feet!  A great exercise for lag putting is to practice putting with your dominate hand only.  It will feel very strange at first, but the dominate hand is responsible for your touch or feel and thus is largely in contol of your speed.  Once you have struck several lag putts using just the one hand, you can place your lead hand back on the putter with very light grip pressure.  The light pressure will allow your dominate hand to still do the majority of the work while not drawing too much attention to yourself for only using one hand.  Before long you should find your speed on all putts (particularly the lag putts) drastically improve.  Best of luck!

If you are looking to improve your golf game Rob is available for lessons at SilverHorn and offers discounted rates for members of SilverHorn (our lowest memberships start at $10 a month!). E-mail Rob at rmyers@centurygolf.com to schedule a lesson or to simply ask Rob a question.

Also visit Rob online at Rob's website: www.riimgolf.com. 

Keep Up The Pace

Our director of instructor, Rob Myers is here today to educate us all on the best way to keep up the pace of play. 


Take it away Rob...


"As the weather continues to improve and more and more 


people begin flocking to area golf courses it is important that 


everybody understands the importance of pace of play.  Pace of play is something that is becoming a large area of concern for many golfers and golf courses as the popularity of the game increases.  Tonight, I am going to discuss a few small things that you can do to ensure that you are not contributing to a slow pace of play.  Hitting provisionals for lost balls, preparing for your shot while somebody else is playing their shot, and playing ready golf are just a few ways that you can help to keep a faster pace of play. 

1.  Hitting Provisional Shots

A provisional is an additional shot that is played when one is not certain where their first ball has come to rest.  This is a quick and easy way to help speed up your pace of play.  Next time you are out on the golf course, and you or one of your playing partners hits an errant shot that you are not able to see come to a complete stop, hit a provisional.  If you are unable to find your original shot than you can play your provisional ball which will save you the time of having to go back and replay the shot or to continue searching until you find the first ball. 

2.  Preparing For Your Shot Early

I often times see people on the golf course who wait until it is their turn to play before determining their distance from the hole, the type of shot they will play, or starting their pre-shot routine.  All of this can and should be done as soon as you reach your golf ball. 

3.  Playing ready golf

Playing "ready golf" is really just a fancy golf term for playing out of turn or hitting your shot as soon as you are ready.  Obviously during tournament play it is very important to maintain the appropriate order of play, but when playing recreationally it is far more important to keep a comfortable pace than play in the proper order. 

These are just a few simple things that can help to improve pace of play making the game much more enjoyable for others as well as yourself.  It doesn't take much effort to implement some of these things into your game, but it can make a monumental difference to the pace on the golf course if everybody is practicing these pace of play tips.  As always, let me know if you have any questions!  Make it a great week!"

If you are looking to improve your golf game Rob is available for lessons at SilverHorn and offers discounted rates for members of SilverHorn (our lowest memberships start at $10 a month!). E-mail Rob at rmyers@centurygolf.com to schedule a lesson or to simply ask Rob a question.

Also visit Rob online at Rob's website: www.riimgolf.com. 

Putting On Fast Greens

SilverHorn  PGA, instructor Rob Myers is back with some more great advice that we could all benefit from- how to putt on fast greens.

"When you find yourself putting on fast greens there are a couple things that are super important to remember.  On fast greens it is imperative that you pick intermediate targets on the putting green, and it is equally important that the intermediate target you pick keeps you on the high side of the hole.   Not only will choosing an intermediate target help you get the ball started on the right line, but it will also help you focus on something that is short of the hole.  By focussing short of the hole you might be able to keep from hitting the ball as firm as you normally would.  This is a huge key in being able to "die" the ball in hole on quicker putting surfaces.  Another thing to make sure you are focussing on is making sure that the intermediate target you pick gets the ball started on the high side of the hole.  It's dangerous to get the ball on the low side of the hole too soon on quick greens because then the ball is rolling quickly away from the hole rather than towards it.  The longer you can get the ball breaking towards the hole and not away from it the better off you will be.

Putting on quick greens can be tricky, but if you are able to keep these couple things in mind they should help you be a little more consistent.  Over time you will probably find that while putting on fast greens is a challenge, its a fun one!  Let me know if you have any questions.  Good luck, and make it a great week!"

If you are looking to improve your golf game Rob is available for lessons at SilverHorn and offers discounted rates for members of SilverHorn (our lowest memberships start at $10 a month!). E-mail Rob at rmyers@centurygolf.com to schedule a lesson or to simply ask Rob a question.

Also visit Rob online at Rob's website: www.riimgolf.com. 

Hit Your Wedges Closer

We are lucky enough to have an excellent PGA teaching professional at SilverHorn, Rob Myers. Rob is here today to give us a little bit of advice on hitting our wedges...


"Today I'm going to spend a few minutes talking about wedge shots, and how you can better control your distances with them. When you are working on distance control with your wedges it's important to first have control over your trajectory. Without having control over your trajectory it will be very difficult to know exactly how far you will hit the ball. 

To better control your trajectory with your wedges you need to keep two things in mind, ball position and speed of swing. Moving the ball position in your stance can certainly help you to hit lower or higher wedge shots when desired. As you move the ball more forward in your stance you are likely to hit the ball higher while moving the ball back in your stance will encourage a lower ball flight. The speed of the golf swing plays a little bigger role in controlling trajectory then ball position. The harder you swing (particularly with your wedges) the more spin you put on the ball and the higher it is likely to fly. When you slow down the pace of your swing it is easier to flight the ball down. This might often times require you taking "more" club (a less lofted wedge) and swinging a little smoother.

The next time you are on the range spend some time practicing with your wedges. Experiment with the ball position and the pace of your swing and see how your trajectory changes. Once you are able to better control your trajectory you should find yourself having much more control over your distances. Best of luck, and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, and make it a great week! "


If you are looking to improve your game Rob is available for lessons at SilverHorn and offers discounted rates for members of SilverHorn. E-mail Rob at rmyers@centurygolf.com to schedule a lesson or ask Rob a question. Also visit Rob online at Rob's website: www.riimgolf.com.