Browsing: golfer

‘Perfect shots all the way’: D3 golfer aces same hole twice in same day

Think one hole-in-one is impressive? Try two holes-in-one, on the same day, on the same hole.

That’s exactly what Sewanee sophomore Niel Phillips did Monday at the Chick-Fil-A Invitational in Rome, Georgia.

With the tournament’s 36-hole day requiring back-to-back shotgun starts, Phillips, a New Orleans native competing on the Tigers’ B-team, began his first round on Stonebridge Country Club’s par-3 eighth hole and holed a 6-iron from 182 yards for an ace, according to his head coach, Keenan Hickton.

Phillips followed by playing his next four holes in a combined 5 over, but birdies on Nos. 15-17 and a slew of pars allowed him to polish off an even-par 72.

Then Phillips headed back to No. 8 to start his second round. With the hole locations remaining the same, Phillips took one less club, a 7-iron, and again jarred his tee shot.

“Watched them both,†Hickton texted Golf Channel. “… Both were perfect shots all the way.â€

It’s believed to be the first time that any college player, at any level, has aced the same hole in back-to-back rounds on the same day.

This is Phillips’ third start of the fall. He finished 82nd out of 96 players at Sewanee’s fall opener, the Gate City Invitational (Phillips recorded two eagles during that event), and he most recently placed last in the 87-man Tartan Invitational, withdrawing during his second round. He is ranked No. 831 by Scoreboard while Sewanee is fifth nationally as a team.

The speed secret about ‘timing’ that every golfer should know

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When you’re chasing speed or distance, it’s easy to get caught up in the obvious: speed training, a bigger turn, or just swinging harder, especially when you’re hungry for a few extra yards. But there’s one key move that rarely gets the attention it deserves — and it might just be the most important element of all.

Timing. More specifically, the timing of your delivery.

For elite players and top instructors, this is a well-understood concept, yet it’s largely overlooked by the average golfer. Why? Probably because it’s not as flashy as speed training or other power-building tools. But once you understand how delivery timing works, you’ll realize it’s the hidden engine behind nearly every powerful golf swing.

It’s something I recently incorporated into my own swing—and the results were almost immediate. After a few minutes, I was seeing major gains. But I didn’t just want to enjoy the extra speed. I wanted to understand why it was happening—so I could build on it.

To dig deeper into this “secret” move, I spoke with Joe Plecker, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher.

Delay your delivery for maximum power

Plecker explained that by holding off the club for a few extra ticks in my downswing, I was able to stay closed to the target for a beat longer. That subtle delay, he says, helped me shallow the club and build up more angular force—or energy that gets unleashed at the bottom of the swing.

“If you turn too early from the top, or your body slides forward while your hips hang back,” Plecker says, “you can have a little bit of an early release of the club.”

And when that happens, you can miss out on the angular force Plecker mentioned—and the power that comes with it.

Why angular force is key

Many golfers mistakenly think the club should follow their body turn—like the arms are just along for the ride, but they couldn’t be more wrong.

“There are wrist angles, trail arm bends, lead arm positions—each of those stores angular force,” Plecker says, “When those angles are lost too early in the downswing, you’re essentially bleeding power before you even reach the ball.”

The real key? Learning to maintain those angles just a little longer—especially during that brief “closed” moment in transition.

“Getting that “throw” of all those angles later in the swing is great added speed,” Plecker says.

Think of the release of your angular force like cracking a whip. If you tried to snap it without creating any angles in your wrist or arm, it would fall flat — lacking the speed needed to create a loud “crack.”

But when you create those angles — and maintain them until the right moment — you store energy that unleashes in a fast, powerful release. More angles mean more speed, delivered with greater efficiency.

Think: space for more speed

If all this talk of angular force feels a little abstract, there’s a simpler way to feel it: space.

“One of the best feelings to key in on is space,” Plecker says, “When players rotate too early from the top, they actually feel the opposite. They get crowded. They drift into the space where the club is supposed to go. That’s when you see compensations like tucking the arms, shortening the swing, or backing out of it.”

But when the delivery is timed well and you delay the turn to let your lower body glide forward, Plecker says, you create room.

“When you have space, the club can sling through. That’s when you feel like you’ve got room and can let it go fast,” he says.

Plecker’s “hockey” drill for a better release

When it comes to training a proper release, timing and sequencing are everything. One of the most effective ways to train both, without falling out of sync, is with Plecker’s split-grip, or “hockey,” drill.

To do it, take a mid-iron and get into your typical stance and set up. Take the club to the top of your swing, then, separate your hands on the club, like you’re a hockey player holding their stick. From here, Plecker says to think about hitting a slap shot in the downswing.

This move trains the ideal sequencing and the slight delay you need to generate real power. Instead of “throwing from the top,” it should feel like your arms are dropping straight down while your hips start to unwind. As your hands approach the bottom of the swing, you should feel your wrists and arms snap into position — cracking the whip — and releasing all the stored energy through the ball.

“It helps train that delayed, powerful release,” Plecker says.

As you practice, focus on keeping your legs stable and feeling the club release out in front of you. If you’re struggling to turn through, Plecker suggests pulling your trail leg back slightly to help clear your body and feel that proper release.

Golfer generates nearly 150 mph of clubhead speed. Here’s how

Not every great athlete makes a great golfer. We’ve all seen it — the explosive basketball player who can’t find rhythm in their swing, or the track star whose foot speed doesn’t translate to clubhead speed. Athletic prowess alone isn’t enough; golf demands something different, something more nuanced.

Jackson Eells may be the exception to that rule.

A college baseball player with the kind of natural swing sequence that makes a coach’s job both easy and exhilarating, Jackson walked into my studio with all the raw ingredients of greatness. He had power — tremendous power — but it was wild and unrefined. His grip alignment was off, and while he could generate impressive speed, control off the tee remained elusive.

The breakthrough came when I stopped trying to rebuild Jackson’s swing and started working with what he already knew. His baseball swing wasn’t the problem — it was the blueprint for the solution.

We rebuilt his setup around the mechanics that already worked for him: positioning his grip underneath, establishing a wide stance, allowing pressure to load into his trail foot during the backswing, and creating that crucial pressure shift before the downswing begins. Most importantly, we maintained his natural ability to achieve that classic impact position — upper body tilted, right elbow tucked — that power hitters know instinctively.

Once I identified these elements, the grip adjustment became obvious. We weren’t fighting against his athletic instincts; we were channeling them.

The Results

With a comfortable, repeatable setup in place, it was time to unleash what Jackson does best: swing hard.

In our most recent session, Jackson started at 138 mph of clubhead speed — already exceptional. But as we fine-tuned his setup and swing path, something remarkable happened. The speed climbed: 142… 145… and finally, 149 mph(!!).

To understand just how extraordinary Jackson’s speed is, consider these benchmarks:

Jackson’s 149 mph puts him:

  • 34 mph faster than the average PGA Tour player
  • 22+ mph faster than the fastest player on Tour (Niklas Norgaard)
  • Faster than Bryson DeChambeau’s typical speeds, even after DeChambeau’s legendary transformation
  • In elite long drive territory, competing with professionals who train specifically for maximum speed

It just goes to show that you can take the instincts from other sports and channel them into golf. All it takes is a little understanding of what your body does best and then tweaking your foundation to get the most out of it.

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