The peripatetic Honda Classic has moved to PGA National, where Jack Nicklaus has toughened up the famed Champion Course into a test just short of a major. The Golden Bear tightened up the fairways and thickened up the rough, so much so that some speculate that the winning score on Sunday might be around even-par.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. Upon hearing that some Honda Classic players believe the winning score could be around even par, Jack Nicklaus was thrilled.”It’ll be a challenge,” Nicklaus said.That’s exactly what he envisioned.
He redesigned the Honda’s new home course - the Champion Course at the PGA National Resort & Spa - in 1990, then tweaked it again to get the track ready for its first PGA Tour event since the 1987 PGA Championship. The result is a 7,048-yard, par-70 test, dotted by water and bunkers, tight fairways and rough that seems unusually thick for a non-major.
In some ways, it’s even more demanding than the course’s old home at Mirasol, the facility across the street from PGA National that features giant sloping greens that were often criticised by players.
“At Mirasol, the challenge was around the greens. Here, the challenge is off the tee,” defending champion Luke Donald said. “You have to drive it very well. The fairways are more narrow than Mirasol, but the greens are much flatter and I’m sure they will get firmer as the week goes on.”
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PGA Champions challenge
The golf shank can cause the most embarrassing shot for both beginner and the experienced player.
The shank shot is a result of the ball hitting the part of the golf club where the shaft meets the clubface,called the socket,
When the ball hits this part of the club the ball shoots off at a ridiculous angle.
The main problem with the golf shanks is the almost mysterious way that a player can suddenly develop this affliction during a round and then consistently reproduce this most horrid of shots without any obvious logical explanation. For this reason just the mention of the word can send shivers down the spine of even the most experienced golfer.
So, what is the major cause of the golf shank? Well, invariably it is caused by an incorrect weight distribution during the swing, specifically too much of the players weight goes onto the toes during the downswing causing the ball to impact the club face off-center towards the socket of the club.
So how do I cure the golf shanks ? simple, just keep more weight on the heels during the swing.
If you look at most profesionals on t.v look at a side-on view of the swing and you can see how evenly the weight is distributed from front to back and how stable they look. Many amateurs lean forward towards the ball at address which is the reason their weight goes on to their toes during the swing.
If you want to permanently fix the golf shanks to get a good shoulder turn, At the top of your backswing your left shoulder needs to be over your right knee.This will maintain your swing arc and prevent you having to make the downswing adjustment of leaning onto your toes.
Check out Tiger’s backswing below.
