By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

Not a bad start for Russell Henley, who in his first week on the PGA TOUR won the Sony Open in Hawaii and was just terrific down the stretch on Sunday, birdieing the last five holes to win by three.

One of the things that Henley has worked on over the last year is making his golf swing less "armsy." This can be a very common habit for many players resulting in bad timing and loss of power through impact. The fix lies in the ability to tie the arm swing more to the movement of the body -- both during the backswing and through impact.

Many times this week you could see how Henley kept his lead arm attached to his chest. It almost appeared as if his left arm couldn’t move unless his torso turned. When a player gets armsy or disconnected you will see the lead arm come off the chest and move independently of the body.

A good drill to help feel and exaggerate this is to make a straight line with your lead arm and club shaft at address. From there, attach your lead arm to the side of your torso creating a bit of pressure in the armpit. Maintain this pressure point and straight line and hit some half to three-quarter shots off a tee with what feels like very passive hands. The lead hand is really the key because it allows the lead arm and club shaft to stay in line. You may notice if the lead hand becomes overly active it will disrupt this straight line immediately sending the club head around the trail hip with no shoulder turn. When kept in-line, the shoulders will have to turn in order for the club head to travel around the body.

This is a simple way to feel the body more as the engine of the swing. Once you accomplish the smaller swings, then allow for a bigger swing where the wrists fully hinge during the backswing and re-hinge after impact. A good wrist hinge will allow the club head to work more up and down but again, you will notice how the club shaft and lead arm maintain a sense of alignment and tied to the body. 

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

The first tournament of the year is finally in the books and Dustin Johnson is back on top after capturing the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. 

You get the feeling that with Johnson fully healthy again this could be a very special year for the long-driving young American.

Not only does Johnson display great power, he can be extremely accurate. One of the positions that sets the stage for this potent combination is when the club shaft gets halfway back during the backswing and parallel to the ground. At this point, Johnson’s club shaft sits relatively parallel to his stance line. This alignment and relationship to the stance line is important for accuracy as he is able to get the entire shaft on plane immediately. 

One of the most common errors for amateurs at this point in the swing is to get the clubhead too far behind the hands. This gets the clubhead under the plane and requires more compensation to re-establish the proper swing plane.

With the club shaft on-plane early in the backswing, Johnson also fully assembles his wrist hinge. At this point, his right wrist is bent towards the back of the wrist with the left wrist towards the top of the wrist. In addition, you will also notice how his right elbow is bent to support the wrists, creating significant angles between the club shaft and both forearms. These angles are critical in the creation of power.

This position during the backswing is one that most all of us can learn from and achieve. With a solid wrist hinge and the club shaft on-plane, you, too, can get off to a good start in the swing to produce power and accuracy.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

All I want for Christmas is a putting stroke like Brandt Snedeker. In fact, go ahead and throw in his overall approach to putting under the tree as well. It was this approach that propelled Snedeker to the 2012 TOUR Championship and FedExCup title.

What I like about Snedeker’s approach to putting is just how committed and streamlined everything is. Most of the time, Snedeker looks as if he is just playing a casual round of golf with his buddies, with no stress or expectation levels. He just steps up to the putt, aims the face, gets comfortable with the body, takes a look and then lets it go. It seems so simple, but for those of us that have played this game competitively, we know this can be very difficult to do.

To get to this level, you have to work on your approach and overall routine. Go to the practice green and play 18 holes, with every hole as a par 2. Play this course over and over, with a goal of establishing a personal best. Learn from these rounds and establish an approach to putting that you can rely on.

In addition to Snedeker’s approach to putting, his stroke is also a big component. At the TOUR Academies, we get a lot of questions about Snedeker’s putting stroke because it is not the long, fluid stroke that we have been accustomed to over the years from great putters. Rather, Brandt’s stroke is like his routine: It's short and quick -- but very effective.

Regardless the type of stroke, one of the things that make Snedeker such a good putter is his ability to align the face to the intended target at impact. When you can do this, then you can hit the putt solid and start the ball on-line.

So as we wrap up year No. 4 of my blog on PGATOUR.COM, I challenge all of you to take a page out of Brandt Snedeker’s approach to the game and work on your putting this offseason.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

Another week -- and another win for Rory McIlroy, as the young Northern Irishman is making the game look too easy as of late. As I stated last week, I am running out of things to talk about when it comes to the game’s newest superstar, so I took a moment to think back to all the great golf Rory has played this year. Besides all the big drives, laser-like irons and solid putting, I find myself thinking about some of the great bunker shots that have helped him win four times this year on the PGA TOUR.

A major key to great greenside bunker play is creating enough loft at address so you can create the speed necessary to hit a high, soft shot. One of the most common errors we see at the TOUR Academies is players who don’t open the club face enough and/or lean the shaft too far forward at address. This dynamic creates a lower initial launch angle, promoting the player to create a short arm swing and/or decelerate to counter the lack of loft.

Here are some things to consider at address to help create an environment that allows for enough loft, which promotes the bigger arm swing and acceleration.

1. Put the clubface open with the shaft neutral to leaning slightly back. Look at adding loft not only through the clubface but also by not leaning the club shaft towards the target. Although there are situations that call for this, most greenside bunker shots call for the hands to be more in-line with the club head to leaning slightly back in relationship to the target to create the loft needed for the shot.

2. Ball position forward, in stance with the butt of the club pointing at belt buckle. With the shaft more neutral to leaning slightly back, it is important to position the body so the butt of the club is pointing at the belt buckle. This will help secure a forward ball position, leading to a higher launch.

3. Weaker grip. Oftentimes, I will encourage my players to move both their hands on the grip towards the target (weaker) which allows the clubface to open more during the backswing. This is an advanced approach, but it can help those who normally have a very strong grip and struggle out of the bunker.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

OK, so I am running out of things to talk about regarding Rory McIlroy. What can I say? The young man from Northern Ireland is on top of the world. McIlroy, once again, was just fantastic with his third win on the PGA TOUR this year at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

One of the things I have always liked about McIlroy’s swing is how good he is in transition from the top of the swing to the downswing. This critical part of the swing is one area that professionals separate themselves a great deal from amateurs. With McIlroy, you may have noticed how his clubshaft flattens out on the downswing. Many amateurs steepen the plane during this first move towards the golf ball.

In order to create this flattening in the shaft, focus on two things:

1. Weight transfer needs to start from the ground up. It's very critical to allow the weight to move into the lead foot during transition. This will move the lead knee, followed by the hip over the foot. This aligns the body to rotate through impact.

2.  The torso needs to stabilize during transition. Lower body weight shift is discussed often, but stability in the torso is often overlooked. McIlroy does a great job of keeping his shoulders relatively closed as the lower body shifts. This differentiation is not only needed to flatten the clubshaft, but can also create a tremendous amount of potential energy that can be delivered through the clubhead through impact.

Practice these two movements slowly while gaining an awareness of both your lower body and upper body. These very movement patterns lead to more accuracy and length, just like it does for McIlroy.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy After a fairly quiet year in 2012, a couple 1-hour lessons from local pro Darrell Kestner helped Nick Watney get back in the winner’s circle at The Barclays. Who says you can’t take golf instruction before a big tournament? Kestner -- a great player in his own right -- is one the industry’s most respected teachers so it’s not a surprise to see the impact he had on Watney’s putting stroke. According to reports, Watney was getting too much on his heels at address which would lower the angle of the putter shaft. As a result, the putting stroke was getting too much in-to-out, making it difficult to match the putter face at impact. This is a great example of how the setup can create an environment where the putter head responds in a way leading to the player having to work harder than needed. The goal of the putting setup (including the grip) is to create an environment where the path of the putter head is correct leading to less stress to match the angle of the putter face at impact. Here is how this held true with Watney’s adjustments last week: 1.) Weight should be on the center of the feet. One of the most common errors in the setup is players stand too close to the ball. As a result, the eyes get over the ball but the weight has to counter towards the heels. Therefore, many players need to scoot back away from the ball until they can still get the eyes relatively over the ball with the weight more centered on the balls of their feet. 2.) Putter shaft needs to be vertical enough at address so the forearms can be on the same plane as the putter shaft. If the putter shaft is too low at address then the forearms will be on a much different plane then the putter shaft. To help ensure this, make sure you grip the putter more towards the palms with elbows soft and rolled toward the body. These two setup alignments are just a couple that can lead to a more natural stroke and better results on the greens. Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

Sergio Garcia is back in the winner's circle on the PGA TOUR after a Monday finish at the Wyndham Championship. When I think of Sergio, I think of a golf swing that has tremendous lag on the downswing, resulting in consistent contact at impact.

Lag is a concept that most amateurs would love to understand better. Lag is important, because we need the clubhead to trail the lead wrist on the downswing all the way to impact and beyond, down to the swing's low point (adjacent to the lead shoulder). When done correctly, the clubshaft will return forward at impact, assuring a clubhead that is accelerating and moving down.

What's interesting is that even though the lead wrist has some influence to this, the big factor lies in whether or not the trail wrist stays bent on the downswing. One of the most common errors on the downswing is this: The trail wrist will lose its bend too soon, resulting in clubhead throwaway. As a result, the clubshaft will lean back at impact, leading to inconsistent ball flight.

At the TOUR Academies, one of the drills we like to use to promote more lag is the "two-tee" drill. Here is how it works:

1. Chose an 8-iron.
2. Tee up a ball in the middle of the stance.
3. Place a second tee halfway into the ground about an inch to an inch-and-a-half in front of the first tee (towards the target).

Start with small swings. The goal is to retain the bend in the trail wrist down through impact. What's important is you want to hit down past the golf ball -- therefore, the second tee is a great visual to help create more lag through impact, supported by good rotation in the body.

When done correctly, you will see both tees either break (or come out of the ground), resulting in solid contact just like Sergio.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy Rory! Rory! Rory! The 23-year-old superstar from Northern Ireland is now on pace -- like Tiger was at this age -- towards Jack Nicklaus’ major championship count of 18. What else can be said? The golf that Rory McIlroy displayed on Sunday to win the PGA Championship was really special. You could simply pick any part of Rory’s game and learn from his technique and style; however, this week I think it is only fitting to talk about how he hit his new driver. As he has all year, Rory was bombing his driver all over Kiawah Island, and I would say was benefiting quite nicely from the shaft change he made coming into the PGA Championship. Although it is unrealistic for most all of us to create enough clubhead speed to even come close to the yardage that Rory hits his driver, it is possible for us to hit it as straight as he does. The driver is one of the most difficult clubs to set up. Why? It's the longest club in your bag with the least amount of loft, and it also requires a forward ball position. With the ball placed well forward in the stance adjacent to the lead shoulder, there are two things you need to watch out for at address and can learn from McIlroy: 1. The club shaft at address needs to be in-line. One of the most common errors with the driver is to lean the club shaft too far forward. This club shaft alignment promotes a steep attack angle, robbing you of power and accuracy. Rory is a great example of someone who doesn’t lean the driver forward at address, allowing him to get behind it and achieve the necessary attack angle. 2.  Shoulders need to be square to even slightly closed.  With the forward ball position, it is so easy to "face the ball".  Often times, players will need to feel closed (to the right for a right handed golfer) with the shoulders in order to get square.  From the target line view, you should be able to see a little piece of the left forearm above the right to be square. These two setup alignments with the driver at address are so important. If you can achieve this, you can improve your attack angle through impact, leading to more power and accuracy. Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

One of the things I really appreciate with so many of today’s professionals is their willingness to continue to work on their game and improve. Keegan Bradley is another example of a world-class player who obviously does so many things well, but yet wants to improve, and is willing to do whatever it takes.

Over the years, Bradley has done great work with golf instructor Jim Mclean. Jim is someone that many teachers of my era have admired due to the many books and DVDs he's produced over his long career.

McLean has worked a lot on Bradley’s initial backswing. This part of the swing is something I have discussed many times over the years in the blog. Many amateurs get the club moving off plane right away during this part of the swing, and although you don’t hit the ball with the backswing, this particular error in the golf swing --- when fixed -- usually leads to a more repetitive impact.

Like so many other golfers, Bradley had a tendency to get the clubhead quickly behind his hands with the club face overrated too open. As a result, this would pull Bradley’s head off the ball and affect his overall balance. Now, the clubhead is in front of him, with the clubface square, allowing the body to stay more centered over the ball.

Here are a few tips to help you with this initial takeaway:

1. The clubhead needs to move up. If you error with the clubhead moving too low and quickly behind the hands, focus on either cocking the lead wrist and/or folding the trail elbow. This will help move the clubhead more up and to the outside of the hands going back.

2. The clubface is controlled by the lead hand. If you error with the clubface open (toe up), then focus on keeping the lead hand's knuckles more to the ground and not the sky. This will help keep the toe slightly down where the angle of the clubface mirrors that of the spine angle.

3. The lead arm should stay close to the body. With the clubhead up and out in front of you and the clubface square, allow the lead arm to stay attached to the chest, resulting in the hands staying close to the body.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

It’s always great to get that first win on the PGA TOUR, as Scott Piercy did last year at the Reno-Tahoe Open, but there is something even more special about validating it as he did this past week at the RBC Canadian Open. Piercy is a player that is certainly not afraid to take it low. In both wins, he set the course record. Like all PGA TOUR players, Piercy just continues to play his game when the numbers go deep into the red. No panic or protection -- he simply continues to play great golf.

It seems we all have that moment or threshold where the nerves start to kick in because of how well you might be playing. I can remember when I started to shoot around par and how nervous I would get when I was 1 under with a few holes to play. Time and time again, I would play with the mindset of not to make mistakes rather than trying to just play my game, and make things happen coming home just as did I going out.

Regardless your level of play, this moment is present for most all of us. It’s a good problem to have, because it means you are playing well and are demonstrating a skill set that is trying to break through to the next level. The next time you reach this moment during a round, here are a three things to think about to help you break through:

1. Embrace the moment. Rather than worrying about screwing up and ruining your good round, keep going forward and playing the type of game you have up to that point. The old adage holds true: "One shot at a time."

2. Mental scorecard. Give yourself one point if you are committed to each shot, and two points for those you didn’t. In the end, add up both your “actual score” and “mental score” and if done properly, they should be the same. This is a great way to hold yourself accountable to your mental thoughts on the golf course especially when you have the good round going.

3. You can do it. I often tell my students if you are good enough up to that point, then you are good enough at the moment and to the end. Believe in yourself, and allow yourself to take it lower.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.