How mid-80s player can improve without pro tech, according to Top 100 coach

Say you don’t have the technology.

None of that sweet 3D tech. None of those cool pressure sensors.

Just old-fashioned, mid-80s player you.

But say little ole, mid-80s shooter you wants to improve.

What’s a techless, hopeful, mid-80s shooter to do?

As part of an answer, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher had a story. Occasionally, Tony Ruggiero will watch players hit range balls. And, for the most part, the swings are consistent.

But a couple other items are off.

“You’ll see golfers hitting balls,” Ruggiero said, “and every shot, their feet are angled a little different, ball’s in a little different place, and the swing really doesn’t change very much.

“But they’re very haphazard in how they approach it.”

And that’s part of how he would advise the hypothetical subject who started this story. It’s a fun subject. Speaking on a recent episode of “The Smylie Show” — which you can watch in full here — Ruggiero had been asked by host Smylie Kaufman what he’d say to that player.

The coach said there were a few things, all of them being part of what happens before the shot.

– “I think the first thing you ought to do,” Ruggiero said on the podcast, “is if you could learn to get balanced at address and set up correctly.”

– “Then just monitor the things you can control.”

– “And wherever the ball is when you hit it good — whatever that place is — like figure that out and practice that. …

“I would tell, say, somebody that shoots mid- to low 80s, you’ve probably already got some pretty good stuff in there. If you figured out how to get to that point, especially the folks that get where they shoot low 80s and every now and then throw in a 78 or 9. I would say figure out what you do and what you’re doing when you hit it good.”

Ruggiero did say one piece of tech would help.

But you probably have one.

“Like we all have these phones now,” Ruggiero said on the podcast, “so you can film yourself when you’re hitting it good. And figure out what do you look like at address. Get balanced at address, get the ball in the same spot, fix your aim, those types of things.

“I think just taking care of the details that happen before you swing are the biggest things for golfers that are in that range you’re talking about.”

Editor’s note: To watch the complete Smylie Show episode with Ruggiero, please clickhere.

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