How to Build a Tour Striker Golf Swing
Chris Gotterup Made Power Playable at the Sony Open
There's a big difference between hitting it far and winning with your length. Chris Gotterup showed us that difference at the Sony Open. Sure, he averaged 320 yards off the tee and launched a 359-yard missile on the 12th hole. But he won on one of the Tour's shortest, tightest courses—a layout that's supposed to neutralize bombers. His edge? Trajectory control. Shot shaping. The ability to hit low, penetrating drives into the wind when conditions demanded it. That's not luck. That's trained skill. Tour players use alignment sticks as an integral part of their practice routine for exactly this reason. In the video above, I walk through a couple of simple setups Chris uses to dial in start lines, match his speed with his intended shape, and keep his ball flight exactly where he wants it. This is how you make distance an advantage instead of a liability. If you want to build these skills into your own game, check out the Tour Striker Toolbox here.
Learn moreHow to Hit the Right Shot When You're In-Between Clubs
As we wrap up the year and head into that stretch between Christmas and New Year’s, I wanted to share a simple lesson that comes up all the time on the course. It’s a question nearly every golfer has faced: “What’s the right shot to hit when I’m in between clubs?” In the video above, I walk through how I think about these situations and share a simple framework to help you choose the right shot more consistently. I also show a way to practice these in between yardages so you’re not guessing when it matters. The alignment tool you see on the ground in the video is the Tour Striker Toolbox. It’s something I use in nearly every lesson, including all of my in person coaching. You can learn more about the Toolbox here. I hope this helps simplify your decision making the next time you’re stuck between clubs. — Martin
Learn moreThe Master Move for Better Impact
Early extension is one of the biggest killers of good impact. In this short lesson, I will show you how to create depth, make a little space for your trail arm, and get into a much cleaner delivery position. You will notice I am wearing the Smart Ball Sleeve here. It simply reinforces the feel and gives me a visual cue for how my trail arm should organize as I move into delivery. When you can get your trail arm in front of your right hip, everything improves. Your impact sharpens. Your delivery gets more organized. You start hitting straighter, more powerful shots. If you want to learn more about the Smart Ball Sleeve I am using, you can check it out here.
Learn moreCoaching Through Old Habits: The Awareness Drill That Finally Clicked
In this lesson, I’m working with Paul, an 84-year-old student who, like many golfers, fights the “chicken wing” and struggles to maintain width through impact. With a couple of simple feels and an awareness drill, I help him understand how the arms should move through the strike and how to finish with real structure and balance. I don’t always use training aids at my golf schools, but when the right tool can reinforce the proper feel, it makes a world of difference. In fact, every idea for a Tour Striker product comes directly from moments like this, years of working with real golfers and solving real problems on the lesson tee. In this session, the Tour Striker Swing Trainer helps Paul feel the motion instantly. If you’d like to learn more about the Swing Trainer used in the video, you can click here.
Learn moreHow a Little ‘Bear Wrestling’ Can Fix Your Golf Swing
As a coach, I use all kinds of tools — words, feels, visuals, launch monitors — but sometimes none of it clicks. That’s when I’ll step in, grab the club, and physically guide a player into the right motion. That’s when the lightbulb goes off. 💡 The problem? I can’t bear wrestle everyone. So I started thinking… what if you could feel that same guided motion on your own? Turns out, you can. The training tool I’m using is the Tour Striker Swing Trainer — the same one that comes with 32 in-depth video lessons like this. If you’ve ever known what to do but couldn’t quite feel it, this might be the missing piece. — Martin
Learn moreHow to Hit Lower Flighted, Reliable "Stingers"
In my opinion, one of the iron shots you must have in your "arsenal" is the low-flying, controllable "stinger." You can use it when you're dealing with "wind and weather"... When you need a long recovery shot... Or when you simply need to, "right the ship" and gain back your ball-striking confidence. I teach a version of this drill (called the "Cornerstone Drill") at my golf camps because the cost/benefit is off the charts good. What I mean is... Mastering this shot can save you a TON of strokes and the "cost" (ie, time to learn and ingrain) is a bargain. Now, there are some important keys to hitting this shot for stroke-saving reliability and control. And in the video, I'll call-out the key moves I want you to see... And I'll also point out what you DON'T see (ie, where things often go wrong). Give it a look, then give it a try and let me know if it helps you start scoring better.
Learn moreHow to Reliably Hit Your Stronger Lofted Clubs Like 3-Woods and Hybrids
Why is it often harder for you to hit your fairway woods and hybrids off the ground? You don't have enough "runway." To hit these clubs powerfully and reliably... You need to get them traveling fairly level to the ground. The problem is, most golfers I see tend to be "too steep." In today's video, I'll show you two ways you can fix this. One is by copying nearly any athletic motion (like throwing a ball). The other is by training with the FlexClick. It "educates" your wrists so you can start flushing strong, powerful shots... And never fear your fairway woods or hybrids again. Try the FlexClick or learn more here
Learn moreHow to Hit "Up" on Your Driver to Maximize Distance
There are a lot of videos out there about, "hitting up on your driver"... But is this something you should be trying to do? The short answer is...Yes. Because drivers have relatively little loft on them... Hitting "up" (or as I prefer to say, "hitting while the club is ascending") helps launch the ball high while reducing spin. Together (and if you generate enough clubhead speed) these things can maximize carry AND roll, therefore maximizing your total distance. It's no coincidence the majority of tour players who bomb the ball hit up on it. So, in today's video, I'll show you how to do it. I'll cover the setup, which is quite different from your iron setup... I'll show you the type of backswing you should make.. And of course, how the club should ascend into the ball. I'll also show you a simple drill you can do to learn and groove an ascending path with your driver. Give it a look...then give it a try! You’ll notice I’m using the Tour Striker Toolbox on the ground as a visual guide. It’s not required for the drill, but it’s a handy training aid that makes setup and alignment easier. (Learn more about the Toolbox here if you’d like to see how it can help with your own practice.)
Learn moreHow to Train Your Wrists for Powerful Ball Striking
If you struggle with a slice and/or a loss of power... It could be you are "cupping" your lead wrist at the top of your backswing. This leads to a lot of problems, including an open face at impact (see "slice" and "loss of power" above). With the Ryder Cup kicking off this weekend, all eyes are on Rory McIlroy. And if you watch closely, you’ll see why his wrist position at the top is so key to his ball striking. The video above from Josh Adams, head golf coach at St. Columba’s College in Dublin, Ireland, shows exactly how to train this move using the Tour Striker FlexClick. Even Rory uses it to keep his lead wrist flat (or slightly bowed) at the top and through impact. And that’s just one of the many ways the FlexClick can help your game. I’m proud that Rory trusts it as part of his Ryder Cup prep. Thanks, Josh. And thanks, Rory.
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