Hit Solid Irons - Iron Solid

Hi Al, Just wanted to give an update.

I’ve had the IronSolid device for three days now, and I have seen marked improvement in my ability to make ball first contact while still having good hand position at impact.  Before using the IronSolid, I learned how to time my hand flip in my swing to still hit the ball first.   I’m playing to a home course 9 handicap right now, but consistent full swing irons are my big weak point.  The two main problems I was having are proper pivot and arm/hand coordination.  Those lead to all kinds of swing faults, as you are aware.

Anyway, using the IronSolid has been a huge help in getting the club up-back-and in during my back swing, which has translated over to better inside out swing plane for me and crisper ball striking.   Also the feedback I get after I hit a shot by making sure I have either a straight divot or one slightly going to the right ensures I’m not coming over the top and or continuing to flip the club head at impact.   This is a great teaching aid for me, as it allows me to make the proper swing adjustments.

I played 9 holes of a practice round yesterday. Each practice swing was taken over the IronSolid device, I would then step into the ball and hit the shot.  I only miss hit 2 or 3 times for all 9 holes.   Once I get my pivot issues solved, and my club head speed picks up a little, I’m sure I’ll be getting my scores down into the mid to low 70’s at my course on a regular basis.

I broke 80 twice last season and look forward to doing so many more times this year thanks to your IronSolid device. Thanks again.

Paul Toms – 9 handicap (and getting lower), McDonough, Georgia USA

I received this note from a golfer this morning.  I love seeing this stuff!

Al,

I had the most amazing experience, I almost had a hole in one! I hit a 52 degree wedge on a short par three hole that was 115 yards, when the ball was in the air I thought, the ball has a chance to go in the hole! I can't put that feeling into words.

I took a picture with my iPhone.  This was at Pine Grove Golf Course in Grove City, PA. hole #17 on Friday April 13, 2012 at 3:25pm. 

Buy the IronSolid NOW!

http://www.ironsolid.com/apps/webstore

Until I bought the IronSolid and started using it, my iron shots lacked crispness and power. Now I hit the ball solid.  I was skeptical at first about spending the 35 dollars on the device, it was too simple looking and I wasn't sure it would help me.  I took the risk, and the IronSolid really changed my golf game.  I don't hit 'fat' shots as often and this has made the game so much more enjoyable for me.  Now when I set up to hit an iron shot I feel confident I am going to hit it solid. I usually don't write this type of stuff, but that feeling of seeing the ball hit the green and come so close to going in the hole, was remarkable. I want that back.  If anyone is skeptical about the device, share this with them, I hit the golf ball better now than I ever did before.  By the way, your IronSolid Method free reports are full of stroke cutting tips, thanks! - Bob Czapko, 15 handicap and getting lower.

My iron shots needed some more ‘juice’. Here's what the IronSolid did for me. I've always hit my irons short and high, often with a dispiriting, floating trajectory. Now I know why.

The main problem was that my swing bottomed out too early. Instead of striking the ground after the ball, I was hitting the ground behind the ball too often. To get my shot airborne, I felt like I had to scoop at the ball with my wrists—which meant the club head got in front of my hands, totally robbing the shot of any crispness and power. I was in search for an answer.

Enter the IronSolid, a simple conical practice device you lay on the ground, you place the ball about 4-inches in front of the device and the goal is to not hit the IronSolid when hitting the golf ball. That sounded simple enough. Before I used the device I contacted the inventor Al Rymniak and we had a short discussion about the device itself and the best way to use the device in practice.

According to Rymniak, the angles, length and height of the device were designed by watching high-speed slow-motion video of touring professionals hitting iron shots. The angle of attack is precisely measured and the device provides a feedback mechanism so that you attack the golf ball at the ‘tour angle’ and hit the ball before hitting the ground. The device has a U.S. Design Patent for the research and design work Rymniak put into the product. The device is unbreakable and will not mar or damage your club if you contact it. The other advantage is you use your own clubs when practicing. Before I took to the practice range I asked for any suggestions or swing advice. His only swing thought suggestion for me was, “avoid the device and attack the golf ball”, he said your body will intuitively do the right things to make this happen as you get used to practicing with it in place.

Using the IronSolid felt odd at first. I hit a few warm up practice shots with a 7-iron, I had the strange sensation like I was chopping down on the ball more than swinging through it. I hit the device a few times on the backswing and a few times on the downswing, but the beauty is I received instant feedback and was able to correct my swing immediately. In order not to hit the device on the takeaway or when attacking the ball, I had to keep more of my weight on my left side, with my left shoulder almost level with my right, and my hands slightly ahead of the ball. When I began my swing my left shoulder moved down, not laterally, it felt like I was picking the club up instead of pulling it back in my old low and slow takeaway. On the downswing I kept more of my weight on the left side and kept my head as still as possible and just concentrated on hitting down and through the golf ball, the device was giving me an attack angle to model.

The visual of having the device behind the ball had me concentrating on hitting the ball first. Rymniak told me, just concentrate on avoiding the IronSolid when attacking the ball, he emphasized “attacking.” I hit about 20 shots with my 7-iron and I started to notice the difference, my contact felt much more solid, my divots were on the target side of the golf ball and the ball seemed to jump off the clubface. There was a noticeable difference in the “compression”, a term Rymniak used, when I struck the golf ball, compared to my previous swing, which I felt like I was lifting or picking the golf ball off the turf.

Now the real test, I removed the IronSolid, dropped a ball at my feet and tried my swing for real, I was sold. When my 7-iron struck the ball it came off the clubface with a crack and flew with an altogether unfamiliar trajectory: the ball started a little lower and climbed higher and was about 10 yards longer in distance. I took a shallow divot on the target side of the golf ball and the ball flew straight and true to the intended target. I was now hitting the golf ball consistently right before my swing bottomed out.

Buy the IronSolid Now!

http://www.ironsold.com/apps/webstore

In further conversations with Rymniak, he encouraged me to try taking a shorter backswing while keeping more weight on my left side, and to keep my arms and torso connected. He also suggested as I swung through the ball to stretch out my arms to get the feeling of full extension. He again emphasized, “just attack the golf ball.” Finally, he suggested I lift my belt buckle and arch my spine after impact, to keep the club swinging on the right angle of “attack” after impact. He said conceptually what the IronSolid promotes is some of the movements of the Stack and Tilt golf swing popularized by Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett.  He said it wasn't anything really new, just a different way to look at what happens in a golf swing.

It worked. Not only was I hitting the ball harder, I wasn't hitting the ground before I hit the ball. I was hitting it on the center of the club face more consistently. So that's what it's supposed to feel like.

Here is my experience with the IronSolid. In a very short time practicing with the IronSolid I was hitting the golf ball with more power. The device is so simplistic but it promotes the only measureable fundamental in golf, solid contact with the ball before you hit the ground. And the results are immediate. My swing didn’t really change but the ‘feel’ of my swing did, it was now more powerful and consistent, it felt more solid. Using the IronSolid in short practice sessions keeps my swing ‘grooved’ and because I am using my own clubs I can carry the grooved skill over to the course. I also started using the IronSolid for my chip and pitch shots. And you can use it out of the sand and the rough. For the price, the IronSolid is a must have for every golfer that wants to improve the consistency and quality of their golf shots. - Chip Orinsby

You are not willing to invest 15 minutes occasionally to practice your golf game to get dramatic improvement in your iron play.  

You know you should hit the practice range more often, but you are too busy, and the thought of beating balls down the range is not your idea of having fun. Been there done that, I have actually practiced for an hour and came off the practice range hitting the ball worse than I was before I started practicing. Very frustrating. That is most likely caused by not having a well thought out game improvement plan.

You would rather spend $900-$1000 dollars on the latest game improvement irons and just play the game once a week.  

New golf clubs are like Christmas morning again as a child. Nothing feels as good as a brand new set of clubs, it is motivating and the money spent on the new clubs is the justification you need to hit the practice range, after all you have to get used to the new set of sticks before you actually play a round with them. But like a new toy, the novelty wears off and you go back to just playing your rounds of golf and wonder why you see very little game improvement with the new irons.

Your greens in regulation percentage is 50% or better already.  

In an average round of golf if you hit 9 out of 18 greens in regulation then you are in a very elite class of golfers. The IronSolid could be a useful device for you to practice hitting iron shots with your desired shape pattern, i.e. right to left-high draw. But I would save the money and put it in your hole-in-one fund for buying drinks in the bar.

You already hit your wedges within 10 feet of every pin from 100 yards in more than 60% of the time.  

You are dialed in with your wedges from 100 yards in. You can hit the ball within the magic 10 foot circle surrounding the pin 60% of the time or greater. The scoring game happens within this area, the secret to low scores is hitting your wedges close to the pin. Improve this part of your golf game and you will lower your scores dramatically. 75% of all practice with the IronSolid is with your wedges.

You are a single digit handicap and are beating everyone you play against.  

Keep doing what you are doing, if it isn’t broke do not fix it. No need to invest in the IronSolid.

Otherwise buy the IronSolid now: http://www.ironsolid.com/apps/webstore/

The Scoring Zone is the distance from 100 yards to the flag stick on the green. The shots needed from this distance are hit with your wedges, most golfers use medium irons for their green side chip shots.  65% of all golf shots occur in this zone and 80% of all shots lost to par also occur in this zone.  How well you play within 100 yards from the flagstick determines how well you will score.

The IronSolid can be used for pitch shots, chip shots and sand shots. And the beauty of the device is you get to use your own clubs!  We define a pitch shot as a shot that is hit with a full follow through, a chip shot as a shot that is hit with an abreviated follow through and a sand shot that is one you hit out of a greenside sand bunker.

Consistent practice with the IronSolid with your scoring zone clubs (wedges and chipping clubs) will give you the opportunity to lower your scores.  The IronSolid demands that you hit the ball first on your pitch and chip shots, and on you sand shots, your target for entry is slightly behind the ball.  Elimiating 'skulled', 'fat', and 'thin' shots in your short game shots is very important and the IronSolid will train you to do so. 

Using the IronSolid with your wedges will improve your scoring game.  IronSolid, Hit It Solid!

Can you lower your score by hitting more greens in regulation (GIR)?  

What effect does this have on the average score?  

Hitting a green in regulation is a key stat on the PGA tour, a green in regulation is considered hit, if the ball comes to rest on the putting surface of the green in two shots below par for the hole, i.e. if you hit the green on a par four with your second shot, you hit that green in regulation.  

What relationship does this have towards your total score, it depends, if you are three putting every green and you hit all greens in regulation then not much, but if you are getting down in two on the putting surface, then you would obviously shoot par.  Sometimes hitting a green in regulation means you have a tricky monster putt, sometimes it means you have a tap in birdie putt.  The relationship doesn't always tell the truth in your final score but it is a strong indicator on the quality of your play.

Here is what we suggest, next time you play a round of golf track the number of greens you hit in regulation, and keep a record of that with your final score.  Over ten rounds determine the relationship.  Most times hitting more greens in regulation will have a positive effect on your overall score, another key indicator to track is how many three putts you take in a round of golf after you hit a green in regulation.

We find the key indicator for most golf scores is hitting the green in regulation but also hitting it within 20 feet of the pin location. So hitting your irons with accuracy is really the key factor in golf scoring when hitting a green in regulation.  Most golfers can two putt form 20 feet the majority of the time.

In a typical round of golf you will hit your driver 14 times, you will hit your irons (3-9) 18 times or more, you may hit your fairway woods 3 times, inside 75 yards you will be playing your wedges and with your putter.  Assuming two putts average on every green that becomes 36 strokes, add the 14 drives, you are now at 50 strokes, add 18 iron shots, 3 fairway woods and you are at 71 strokes.  If you are a 'bogey' golfer where do the other 18 strokes come from? Where does your game need improvement?

Recreational golfer statistics show you lose most of your strokes by not hitting the green in regulation this is assuming you drive the ball in play, then you rely on your short game and you lose strokes there also. Hitting the green in regulation, or at least getting in close to the green will lower your scores. Below is a photo of a well struck 6 iron into the third hole, a 165 yard par 3, at the Pete Dye Club in North Myrtle Beach S.C.  Can you two putt from there? Hit it Solid!

My Tour Striker review, this iron training device is getting a lot of publicity. The premise of the Tour Striker is very similar to the IronSolid training device, promote a descending blow when hitting an iron shot.

Here is my review and the differences that are obvious between the IronSolid and Tour Striker.

http://www.tourstriker.com

http://www.ironsolid.com/whyusetheironsolid.htm

Both devices are training the same concept, promote muscle memory for the correct solid contact with a golf ball with an iron or a hybrid club.

The points of difference are:

#1 cost, the Tour Striker costs $99.99/$129.99 and the IronSolid costs $29.95, less than a dozen of quality golfballs.

#2 the Tour Striker comes in several iron sizes, i.e. 8 iron, 7 iron, Wedge and also comes in a Pro Model, which one do you choose? You use your own clubs with the IronSolid training device.

#3 the length loft and lie of the Tour Striker is not easily custom fitted for your particular golf swing and is an additional cost, because you are using your own clubs (and if they are fitted properly) this is not a problem with the IronSolid training device.

#4 you can use the IronSolid with any iron or hybrid from any lie, even out of the sand, with your own set of clubs, with the Tour Striker you have to buy multiple clubs to accomplish the same thing.

#5 you can store the IronSolid in your golf bag after your pre round practice session, if you use the Tour Striker you will have to remove it from your bag before teeing off so that you keep yourself at the 14 club limit, otherwise you will incur penality.

One of the main advantages of the IronSolid training device is the simplicity and the rate of skill development in a very short time. The IronSolid helps promote the correct angle of attack that has been precisely measured with high speed video cameras of tour player swings, within one practice session you will begin improving the quality of the contact with your irons.

I believe the Tour Striker is an excellent idea and product, what the training device promotes is exactly what the IronSolid device accomplishes, the difference being, cost and simplicity, and with the IronSolid you are using your own set of clubs.

Hit it Solid!

I am introducing a Kettlebells for Golfers program very soon, but "why"?  Here is a great article written by my friend and fellow RKC, Jim "the Human Snowball" Perry. Great explanation of why use Kettlebells. Click the link below this picture!

http://www.aspenkettlebells.com/why-kettlebell-training

Medicus Corporation the #1 leading provider of golf training equipment and programs  http://www.medicus.com is show casing the IronSolid at the 2012 PGA show in Orlando FL January 27-29.  Medicus is putting the product out in test market under the name ClearImpact.  The ClearImpact is the best golf training device on the market to teach golfers how to hit professional quality iron shots every time.

Since there is 3 inches of snow on the ground and the tempature is hovering around 20 degrees, being locked up in the house since I am completely tired of cold weather at my age, the only thoughts running through my head are what do I do in this situation to improve my golf game.  More research, more validation.  I started researching the Stack and Tilt golf swing method.  Wow!  there is something very interesting in the funadmental that they measure for an effective golf swing.

From the book Stack and tilt by Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett:

This information led to a complete re-evaluation of the golf swing during which Mike and Andy threw out every convention and, essentially, started from scratch. They watched video and examined images of good and bad players. They discarded conventional "fundamentals" like the grip or "alignment" in favor of new fundamentals like "striking the ground after the golf ball," something the average player doesn't do with any consistency at all but which the best players do incredibly well.

Could it be that in designing the IronSolid training device (which has a US Design Patent) that what I was doing was developing a device that promoted the Stack and Tilt golf swing? After all the research and videos I have watched this week, my answer is YES!  OK, here is what is really amazing, the Stack and Tilt authors, PGA teaching professionals Andy Plumer and Mike Bennett, reference Ben Hogan many times and show an amazing series of photos that back up their golf swing observations and teaching philosophy.

Striking the ground after the ball on a consistent basis is what all the top professionals do incredibly well, this is exactly what the IronSolid promotes.

Make note in the above picture the goal is a consistent divot pattern in front of the golf ball as this player works on his iron game using the IronSolid.

The IronSolid training device will have you making solid consistent contact in a few practice sessions. Hit it Solid!