Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin
Head Professional, Sand Hills Golf Resort

Your spine angle should remain consistent during your backswing and at the impact position. Any loss of body height on the backswing or standing up at impact or the opposite changes in height will cause inconsistent striking of the ball.
To improve consistency, work on improving your posture position. Think of your spine being as straight as possible, but on an angle over the ball, with your arms hanging directly down from your shoulders. Weight pressure should be felt in the middle of your feet.
During your swing the hips and shoulders should turn perpendicular to the spine angle.
Review this with a video camera. Check out your angles!
For more swing tips see your local CPGA Professional.

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin
Sand Hills Golf Resort

It’s time to get ready for a long summer season. Remember the following:
Check your grips. Shiny or worn grips will rob you of distance. Clean with powdered Comet or Ajax. Don’t forget your putter grip!
Make sure you have a new set of soft spikes in your shoes.
Arrive early for your tee-time, hit a few balls on the range, hit some chips and putts.

Remember the fundamentals
Check these six fundamentals before you make any changes to your swing motion. Remember most swing faults are caused by incorrect fundamentals.
Position your club head: the leading edge of your club should be at right angles to your intended target.
The Grip: you should see 2 to 2 1/2 knuckles on the back of your dominant hand when you look down on your hands at the address position. Remember to grip the club in your fingers not palms.
Stance: feet shoulder width apart, wider with longer clubs, narrower with shorter clubs.
Ball position: forward in stance with long clubs, gradually moving back to the middle of your stance with the shorter clubs.
Posture: bend over from the waist, keeping your spine as straight as possible, slight leg flex, arms should hang straight down from your shoulders, the base of your spine should feel slightly concave.
Alignment: your body and stance should be positioned parallel left (for lefties, right for righties) of your intended target. Think of a mini railway line, your club head and ball on the far track and your body on the near track.

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

Maintain your spine angle during your swing. The correct posture and proper spine angle are the keys to more consistent play.
Pivot around your spine on the backswing (close to 45 degrees) maintaining the same angle during it. Your downswing to impact and the follow through should also remain on the same angle till the ball has long gone.
Remember you didn’t lift your head, your spinal angle changed!
Your posture is the key to success with this swing tip- slight leg flex at address, pelvic tilt, get your spine close to a 45 degree angle to the ground, keeping your spine as straight as possible, and have your arms hang straight down from your shoulders.

For more tips on your game contact your local CPGA Professional.

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin, Sand Hills Golf Resort

Course management, accurate tee shots and a great short game were key to last week’s U.S. Open.
Of course, playing your second shot from the fairway produces a lower score. But fortunately, the majority of courses in this area have shorter rough than Torrey Pines, so we have a greater chance of success on our second shot. This week’s tip: manage your game.

Pick a landing target area
Pick an area of choice where you would prefer your drive to finish, based on your normal shot pattern, slice, hook, fade etc. (there is always a safer side to the hole).

Pick the right club
Your second shot should be played with a club that can reach the green with ease; don’t choose based on your best ever shot with a specific club. My experience in pro-ams and such is that most shots finish short of the flag. Play smart: always choose a club that will get the ball out of a bad lie and into a better position for your third shot rather than try to make up for a bad shot by being the hero and going for the green from an impossible position.

Play it safe and low
On short shots, play the percentages, if the shot requires lower running type shot rather than a lob shot, choose the running one. Most amateurs are not practicing the lob shot, so the results could be damaging to your score. If in doubt, run the ball to the flag if this shot is available.

Check out the green
Before you arrive, study the green for its surface, lie of the land, undulations. Pick the target line and the apex of your breaking putt and follow through to that point.

Don’t try the impossible do the probable. For more tips on your golf game see your local CPGA professional.

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin
Sand Hills Golf Resort

It’s very important to have good weight shift and balance when you swing your club.
Always be in the ready position at address, weight positioned on the middle to balls of your feet and have your body weight slightly to the right: 55 per cent right leg, 45 per cent left leg. This is mainly due to your right hand being lower than your left on the grip.
This also positions your spine slightly to the right. Head definitely behind the ball with your longer clubs at address.
During the swing there is weight shift to the right leg as your hips turn and shoulders turn to the top of the backswing. The downswing starts with a lateral shift of weight to the left or to the target and then a body and hip rotation to a balanced finish with your chest and hips finishing perpendicular the target at the finish. Remember: your head does move slightly during the swing!
To achieve that balanced finish your left leg should be straight and the sole of your right shoe should be facing directly away from the target.
The two key swing elements are, maintain your spinal angle during your swing and always have your spine slightly behind the ball at impact. Remember lefties, it’s the opposite for you!

Support children’s Natural Heritage Education Programs at the Pinery by taking part in the Friends of Pinery Park charity golf tournament June 21 at Widder Station.
Packages include: Golf Package ($100): 18 holes of golf, golf cart, 3 course dinner; Sponsor Package ($100): signage on hole and sponsorship recognition. Sponsor and Golf Package ($450); Dinner Only ($35).
For more info., contact 519-243-1521.

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin
http://www.sandhillsgolf.ca

Club head: Position your club head at right angles to your intended target line.
Grip: The back of your left hand facing your target, looking down you should see between two and three knuckles on your left hand. Right hand palm facing the target, right thumb left side of the grip and there should be a line formed between the right thumb and forefinger, if you extended that line it should point to your right shoulder. (opposite for you lefties)
Feet: Shoulder width apart, slightly wider for your longer clubs and slightly closer together for your short irons.
Ball position: Long clubs, keep the ball forward in your stance (closer to the target) and then move the ball progressively back until the middle of your stance with the pitching wedge or sand wedge.
Posture: Tilt over from the waist keeping your weight positioned on the middle of your feet and with a slight leg flex. Your arms should hang straight down from your shoulders. Keep your spine as straight as possible.
Body Alignment: Position your body parallel left of your target line (think of railway line tracks) your club head and ball on one track and your feet and body on the other. (Parallel right of your target line for you lefties)
Practice these SIX fundamentals and save a few strokes.
See your local CPGA Professional for more swing tips.
Cameron Rankin is a member of the CPGA and British PGA, and the head pro at Sand Hills Golf Resort (http://www.sandhillsgolf.ca) in Port Franks.

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

The season is upon us after a long snowy winter. The local golf courses seem to have wintered well, with no noticeable winter kill or snow mould to speak of. The spring rain we’ve just had should promote a fast turnaround to course conditions and get the grass nice and green once again.
I have three tips for you this week to be properly prepared for the season.
1 – Check those golf clubs and consider replacing your grips. The feel of a new grip makes that club feel like NEW again. If the grips just need cleaning, use Comet or Ajax in the power form to clean them up. Make sure you check the steel shafts for any surface rust, use chrome cleaner to polish up.
2 – Check your shoes. Check those spikes and consider replacing them for better traction. Don’t forget to weatherproof your uppers.
3 – Get your legs into shape. Practice walking; the average golfer walks a minimum of four miles during eighteen holes, so if you want to finish your round strongly remember those legs.
Cameron Rankin is a member of the CPGA and British PGA, and the head pro at Sand Hills Golf Resort (www.sandhillsgolf.ca) in Port Franks.

Looking for a gift for your favourite golfer? The Lung Association’s Golf Privilege coupon books give you a chance to help the charity and get deals at courses across southwestern Ontario. For $39, you get 40 coupons for deals at 17 courses including Bayview Golf Club in St. Joseph, and Sand Hills Golf Resort in Thedford.
For more information, call the Lung Association in Stratford at 519-271-7500.

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

What a fall season for golf!
The weather has been great to get those last few rounds in. Even the professionals have enjoyed the weather, with Mike Weir taking down Tiger at Royal Montreal and Jon Mills making a great mid-season charge to get his PGA Tour playing privileges back for next season.
Before you put your clubs away for the season, do some winter maintenance on them. Take the time to clean the grips, the grooves and if you still play with steel shafts, clean them with some chrome cleaner. Finally, store them in your house for the winter months; the truck doesn’t cut it due to the extreme temperature changes.
For those golfers still playing, please take a few minutes to do some stretching and warm up exercises before you tee-off. Dress warmly and have some fun.
I hope you all had a good season. Time to get those skis waxed and skates sharpened and ready to go.
Go Leafs!
Cameron Rankin will return to the Strip in the spring.
Sand Hills Golf Resort remains open for special events.