For the Perfect Weight Shift, Grab a Soccer Ball + Top 30 Course Constructed Without Permits by a Steel Company CEO

TIPS & DRILLS
For the Perfect Pivot and Weight Shift, Grab a Soccer Ball
Tom Murtagh of Fundamental Golf Performance demonstrates

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To Recap…

One of the biggest things amateurs struggle with is achieving a proper weight shift. The goal is to maximize distance and minimize mis-hits (i.e. chunky or thin shots), naturally. But in an effort to hit the ball as far as possible, most higher handicaps will sway and rock 100% of their weight back and forth, which means you really have to time your impact point perfectly to avoid the costly mis-hit and square the club face. To pivot properly, grab a ball and follow these steps:

-STEP 1: Place a soccer ball (or volleyball) between your lead hip and a bag stand. As you start your backswing and your weight shifts to your trail side, don’t let the ball fall to the ground.
NOTE: It will be difficult to hit actual shots with the ball on your lead side, but ingrain the feeling of not swaying. 
-STEP 2: Try the same drill with the ball between your trail hip and the bag stand. Rotate your torso to shift your weight to your trail side, ensuring the ball does not fall to the ground until you start your downswing.
-STEP 3: Place the ball between your legs to establish a proper base and ensure your knees do not break down as you start your backswing. The ball should not fall until you’ve begun your downswing.

PRO TIP: To perfect your timing, you can place a 2nd ball in your hands as you follow the steps above (instead of using a club). Stand close to a wall and your goal is to toss the ball with your hands to a spot at waist-height that is parallel to your target line.

COURSES
The Crazy Origin Story of Pikewood National
This West Virginia Course is Home to 4 of America’s Greatest 100 Holes

Pikewood National Golf Club
Morgantown, WV

We don’t often like to highlight courses that the typical amateur can’t access, but when we first came across Pikewood National Golf Club, the quality of the course, the wild origin story, and the stunning scenery was just too incredible not to share. In the early 1900s, Greer Industries established itself as a steel and mining operation in the mountain town of Morgantown, WV, and it still operates today as a private company with annual revenues north of $100 million. In the 1990s, CEO John Raese and executive VP Bob Gwynne were deciding what to do with a large parcel of land the company had acquired. The land would eventually be mined for limestone 100+ years from then, but until that time, they wanted to put it to good use and eventually settled on a golf course.

Without permits and with minimal help from engineering and construction consultants, Raese and Gwynne designed the course themselves. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Pittsburgh said it is still to this day “probably the biggest violation we’ve ever seen in this district.” Nonetheless, the end result is immaculate, and Pikewood National currently sits at #30 on Golf Digest’s Greatest Courses in America list. Imagine that, going from running a large mining company one year to designing a top 30 golf course the next… incredible.

The course has been described as “pure golf for purists,” with no homes visible on the course and allowing only walkers (no golf carts). With just 2 sets of tees measuring 7,681 yards (slope 155) or 6,941 yards (slope 151), it’s clear that Raese and Gwynne did not want a golf course for average golfers. The course is beyond challenging, but also one of the most well-manicured and beautiful courses you might ever come across. As one player remarked, “I think of it as part golf course and part nature hike. It's one of the hardest golf courses in golf and also one of the most difficult walks, but you do feel like you achieved something when you finish the walk.”

Pikewood National is home to 4 (yes 4!) of America’s 100 Greatest Holes according to Golf Digest in 2024 - see them HERE. Seriously, you have to click that link and take in the sights. The views are especially mesmerizing with the Fall foliage. There’s a natural waterfall par 3, a boomerang par 5, crazy elevation changes and numerous shots over rapids and ravines. Put this one on your bucket list, and if you’re ever lucky enough to have a chance to play it, please tell us what sacrifice you made to the golfing gods.

And for those wondering, the course is still set to be mined for limestone in another ~75 years. The mining can be done 600 feet underground without disturbing the course. Who knew?

Rates: Ultra Private

Check out this overview from @coolestgolfcourses

@coolestgolfcourses

Pikewood National, West Virginia - - #fyp #golf #pikewoodnationalgolf #pure #satisfying

STATISTICS
Stat of the Day: Tee Shot Accuracy & Scoring When Using a 4 Iron vs. 4 Hybrid
presented by…

The Stat: Most handicap brackets experienced very similar accuracy off the tee when using a 4 iron vs. a 4 hybrid, the exception being the 0-5 HCP bracket. That said, every tier experienced score improvement when teeing off with a 4 hybrid.

The Takeaway: Admittedly, this one surprised us. We thought for sure that given the accuracy decrease off the tee, the 0-5 HCP tier would have worse scores when using a hybrid off the tee. But the missing piece of data here is that while all other brackets are nearly identical in terms of distance off the tee using an iron vs. hybrid, the 0-5 HCP bracket is 3.75 yards longer with the hybrid.

So even if accuracy suffers a bit with the hybrid, the 0-5 HCP bracket benefits from being closer to the hole on approach.

TODAY’S TRIVIA
Answer to Win a Club Glove College Traveler Protective Travel Bag
(1 winner chosen on 10/31/24 across all October trivia entries, 1,000 correct respondents minimum)

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