Bruce Romberg Articles

The goal in golf is to shoot the lowest score possible while enjoying your day on the links. There are many ways to improve your scores: Golf instruction, new equipment and exercise top the list. One certainty, though, is you should not be working on swing mechanics during a round.

Golfers should hone their swing mechanics, chipping, sand play and putting at the practice area. On the course, golfers should focus on course management, the strategy behind each shot, regardless of skill level. Work on improving how you think your way around the course and you will see lower scores.
Course management: Driving

Off the tee, decide the appropriate line of play off the tee. If there is trouble on the left side of the fairway - water, sand trap, trees or out of bounds - tee off on that side; always, always tee off on the side where the trouble is. This will have you lining up and playing away from the hazards.


Try a driver with more loft. Most average golfers think a lower loft driver will increase their distance. Increased loft will help reduce hooking and slicing and lead to longer, straighter drives. (Try a 10.5 lofted driver.) On narrow driving holes consider teeing off with a fairway wood, hybrid or long iron. Use the club you have the most confidence in and you will find more fairways and have fewer penalty shots.
Course management: Irons

On iron shots, break the green into four quadrants: front-left, front-right, back-left and back-right. Play your iron shots into the quadrant that is the safest area on the green to hit. Seeing the flagstick on the green doesn't mean you have to aim at it.

Many pros like to practice by having their caddies remove the flags from the greens so they concentrate on hitting shots toward the safe part, or middle of the green. I've even tried this with my students during playing lessons. It always helps them hit more greens in regulation.
Course management: Pitching and chipping

Rule No. 1 in chipping and pitching is to imagine a circle around the hole; then try to put your ball into that circle. Depending on your skill level, give yourself a target circle you can hit consistently. Make the target smaller as your short game improves.
Course management: Putting

The five-foot putting drill will improve your scores faster than any other area of your game. See how many putts you sink from five feet by hitting balls from four sides of the cup. Now move the balls out to six feet. Continue this drill until you reach 10 feet. When you miss a putt return to the five-foot range and start over.

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The most common shot among the amateur playing field is the slice. More than 70 percent of all my golf students have or do struggle with this problem. Most women golfers cannot afford this shot because it loses distance and often lands in hazards or out of bounds.

During a golf lesson, I always begin "fixing" this shot be taking a close look at the grip. Many golfers over compensate for weak hands or arms by placing their hands at a disadvantage on the club.

What you need to do is to hold the club in your fingers (pressure with the last three of each hand) with your palms facing each other. Put a tee between your thumb and index finger of each hand so that your pinching it securely. The tees should be pointing towards the right shoulder (for right-handers).


After the grip is secure, stay relatively loose and begin to swing the club horizontally as if you are swinging a baseball bat. Notice how your weight easily shifts from the right side to the left without much thought at all. Your arms should be turning over in the middle of your torso as you swing through.

Gravity will let your arms and hands rotate as long as you do not have a "death" grip! Slowly begin dropping the club keeping it horizontal until you reach your hip area.

Then, begin swinging vertically; up-down-up transferring your weight from right to left as well. That's IT!! By staying loose and creating an "X" with your forearms and hands as you finish you will eliminate the open clubface at contact created by a strong grip and too much hand pressure.

Drills: Pull the chain drill: I like to have my students take a full backswing and stop at the top. Without hitting the ball, pull the club using a weight shift as well toward the target at least five times maintaining wrist hinge. Then set up to the ball and pull down as if your are pulling a chain from the sky. Release and finish your swing.

Feet Together: I like this drill because you swing your arms freely away from your body concentrating on upper body being able to hit a straight shot to the target. Put your feet about six inches apart and set up normal distance from the ball.

Set six to eight tees in a line at least three inches away from each other and go right down the line "clipping" them out of the ground. If your grip is correct and you maintain light grip pressure, you will clip them out in front of you without catching the ground.

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There are better places to play from than the bunkers. But should the ball come to rest in a bunker, the type of sand can make a noticeable difference in play - especially on your scorecard.

Balls may form "plugged" or "fried-egg" lies in the bunker sand when the ball makes a crater in the sand on impact. Your golf course superintendent looks at several variables when selecting bunker sand to prevent your ball from being buried should your shot go astray.


The United States Golf Association specifies particle-size criteria for selecting bunker sand. Sand in the prescribed range provides the best all-around conditions in terms of ball lie, firmness of footing and ease of bunker maintenance.

For some golf facilities, bunker maintenance is an important aspect in sand selection. For example, a golf course that is subject to high winds would have to stay away from selecting sand that is too fine. If the sand is too fine, wind will displace the sand particles, causing a continual need for replacement.

The predominant particle shape of sand and its "sphericity," - or roundness - also comes into play. A desired bunker sand shape is angular with a low degree of roundness. The sharp corners of an angular sand help it resist movement after impact from a golf ball, resulting in fewer "plugged" or "fried-egg" lies.

Truly round or "soft" sand requires a substantial amount of skill to play from. It's like playing a shot in a pudding-filled pit. Round sand needs to be avoided because it shifts more under the weight of the golfer and can allow golf balls to bury and disappear on impact.

A hard, silica sand is often preferred in bunkers, since silica sand will resist weathering and retain its original shape longer. Sand such as limestone sand is more subject to weathering and the fine particles released in the process affect the playability and maintenance of the sand.

Limestone sand can "set up" or become "crusted," because of the cementing action of finer silt and clay particles. Limestone sand requires more frequent raking to maintain a suitable playing surface.

Your golf course superintendent may choose to have a certified soils testing laboratory help evaluate sand when making changes at the course. The lab will check the sand's particle-size, distribution, shape, color, crusting potential, hydraulic conductivity (ability to drain water) and its resistance to buried lies.

Bunker sand selection affects the condition of play as well as bunker maintenance. Always do your part to preserve favorable playing conditions by raking the area that you disturbed after hitting from the bunker. By doing so, you can help make the game more enjoyable for other golfers unfortunate enough to hit their golf balls into the sand.

When choosing a bunker surface, the varying skill levels of golfers must also be considered. A lower handicap player typically prefers a hard, smooth bunker surface. However, the higher handicap player prefers a softer surface that allows them to get their club through the sand. As a result, superintendents will try to provide a surface that satisfies the widest range of players.

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Ask professional golfers on tour what swing mechanics they work on the most and the majority of players will say ball position and alignment.

The proper ball position and alignment start when you address the golf ball. If you are lined up incorrectly, your body feels this and makes you change your swing path to correct this faulty alignment. Also, if you have the ball positioned too far forward or too far back in your stance, it leads to inconsistent and poor golf shots.

Most golf instructors agree if you start your swing with the proper alignment and ball position, you have an excellent chance of hitting good shots. So, if you are out of alignment and the ball is positioned incorrectly, it is almost impossible to consistently hit quality golf shots.


Here are a few tips that will effectively help adjust your body into the correct position at address:

First, face your target and take a step toward it with your left foot (for right-handed golfers). Now, from this position, turn your body to the right until your shoulders and chest are aligned parallel to your target. You will now be properly aligned to the target, and your feet will be the proper distance apart at the address position.

Next, hold you arms out in front of your chest shoulder width apart and clap. Where your hands come together is where they should be at address position and also where the ball should be played in your stance.

Now, using your normal grip, take your 5 iron and hold the club straight out in front of your waist. Next, bend over from the waist until the bottom of the club rests squarely on the ground. From this position, slightly bend your knees like you are about to sit on a chair.

To get a feel of what I mean, practice leaning forward from the waist so your arms hang straight down in front of you - remember to keep your back straight, don't hunch over. From this position add some knee flex. (This is where you grab your 5-iron to judge how much lean and knee flex you need when addressing the ball.) In your golf swing, as you swing back and through the ball, it's critical that you try to maintain this position (spine angle) during the golf swing.

When you hear golf announcers on TV talking about how tour players retain their spine angle through impact, they are commenting on how these players are returning the club to the same position they started with at address. This is why it is so important to start with a good set-up, proper alignment and proper ball position.


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Bob Wilson is a member of the Manchester Golf Club in Bedford, N.H. He is a 12-handicap who has been golfing for 47 years, the last three decades of which, without the use of his legs from the knees down.

Wilson is a bilateral amputee as the result of an accident while serving in the U.S. Navy. He is also the executive director of the National Amputee Golf Association (NAGA), editor of Amputee Golfer magazine, and founder, lead instructor, and coordinator of the First Swing Program, which teaches golf to the physically challenged.


For golfers who think the sport is plenty hard enough, even with four working limbs, Wilson’s story sounds remarkable. As it turns out, however, there is a sizable subsection of golfers today who have overcome mobility issues in order to play the game they love.
Inspirational stories

No reliable statistics exist as to the number of people with disabilities who play golf, but according to Wilson, a PGA survey indicated that 24 percent of golfers are not playing due to “injury.” And according to John Hikel, owner of Total Access Golf, a distributor for SoloRider single-rider golf cars especially (but not solely) designed for players with mobility limitations, 22 percent of paralyzed veterans express an interest in playing the game.

Hikel can provide innumerable stories of inspiration and awe from his years of working and playing with disabled golfers. “I watched a golf tournament for amputees several years ago,” he recalls, “and was absolutely amazed at the ability of people with some severe amputations to play the game. I saw a man with one arm and only three fingers, and prosthetics for both legs, hit a 200-yard drive down the middle of the fairway, and hit his second shot on the green. Many golfers with no disability cannot do that!”

Martin Ebel, a Massachusetts attorney, was injured in 1983 and lost both of his legs above the knee. Like Bob Wilson, Ebel values golf as more than just a pastime. “For me, golf is the one thing that I still enjoy as I did before my accident, and playing makes me feel like I am not disabled,” he says. “I know this is true of many amputees – we simply do not feel disabled on the course when we are making golf shots and enjoying the camaraderie of the game.”

Unfortunately, disabled (and senior golfers who have lost mobility) find course access to be a major barrier to their participation in the sport. “On the course we face lots of resistance from the golf industry,” says Ebel. “Generally, golf facilities are not particularly accessible to people with disabilities and unfortunately there are people that take advantage of the accommodations that some golf courses do offer, even though they do not need the accommodations.”
Complying with the law

The Americans With Disabilites Act (ADA) covers public and semi-private golf courses, ensuring that such facilities be accessible to the disabled. Nevertheless, adherence to the law has come only grudgingly.

As reported on the SoloRider website, a landmark 2002 settlement in Indianapolis unambiguously established the rights of disabled golfers. In the settlement the city of Indianapolis agreed with the U.S. Department of Justice “to make necessary changes at all twelve of their municipal golf courses to comply with the requirements of Title II of the American Disability Act (ADA).”

John Hikel, who as a distributor of SoloRider golf cars has an obvious stake in the issue, points out “Most golf courses are either not accessible or do not have a single rider golf car that meets the needs of many disabled people.” He stresses that the ADA “specifically defines golf courses as places of public accommodation.”

Hikel advises golfers with disabilities to be persistent, and to know their rights. “Some people may encounter a golf course that is not accessible and does not welcome a person with a disability,” he explains. “We suggest that the disabled person try to talk with the owner…and encourage them to make accommodation. If refused after sincere and reasonable effort, contact the USGA, National Golf Course Owners Association, SoloRider, and/or local government organizations concerned with discrimination. Hopefully, without civil action, the golf industry will become fully accessible sooner rather than later.”

In addition to the courts, the ruling bodies of golf have also recently moved to embrace disabled golfers. In 1984, Bob Wilson worked to change the decision of golf (14-3/15) regarding artificial devices. According to Wilson, “My lengthy dissertations with (then USGA Executive Director) P. J. Boatwright focused on retention of amputees in the game. Maybe that was the underlying reason for the recent publication of the ‘Modification of the Rules of Golf’ by the USGA and the R&A, which encompasses all forms of disabilities.”
Advances, accessibility, and acceptance

Making a course accessible means more than installing wheelchair ramps into the clubhouse. It also means allowing single-rider carts, such as the SoloRider, onto courses. According to Hikel and SoloRider users such as Martin Ebel and Bob Wilson, course owners and greenkeepers have to overcome a number of prejudices and fears before they embrace these carts.

First and foremost among these concerns are cost and damage to the course. With respect to cost, Hikel points out that “Compliance with the law is far less expensive than a lawsuit, and besides, it's the right thing to do."

With respect to potential damage to the course, new, well-designed auxiliary aids such as the SoloRider feature wide tires and weight distribution schemes that leave imprints on the greens no more sever than those left by golf shoes. As such, the carts are safer for both the course and the golfers than traditional options.

Martin Ebel relates how the new cart technology has helped him enjoy the game: “When I first started playing golf after my accident, I used a wheelchair. The narrow tires were hard on the greens, so I did not putt to avoid damaging them. There were also difficulties in getting from shot to shot in a wheelchair. Eventually, I, like many disabled golfers, began using a three-wheeled scooter to play golf.

"While better than a wheelchair for hitting the ball and not damaging the course, the scooter was not particularly stable. I would regularly fall out of the scooter or tip it over.” Ebel was eager to try the adaptive single-rider cars like the SoloRider when they hit the market. He credits the SoloRider for providing him access to courses, as well as adding ten yards to his shots.

Finally, disabled golfers also have to overcome the preconceptions of able-bodied golfers. Ebel stresses that “Most of us (at least members of the NAGA) also cannot stand slow play. We much prefer four hour rounds to six hour rounds and are painfully aware that we are seen (usually inaccurately) as the cause of slow play.”

Pat McDonald, a parapalegic from the mid-chest down who carries a 1.7 handicap index and teaches golf to other disabled golfers, describes the reactions of able-bodied golfers who watch him swing for the first time as usually “all good.” Nevertheless he says, “They’re shocked when I’m on the green in two and they’re still pitching up.” McDonald adds, “There have been a handful of times when I joined up with a threesome, and by the 13th or 14th hole, one disappears. I ask where he’s gone, and they say he’s quit. Why? Because a guy in a wheelchair is kicking his butt.”

Bob Wilson offers the best way to think about golfers with disabilities: ”We are all golfers who play against the golf course, not each other. If playing the game simply means ‘hitting the ball,’ then there is no difference between us.”


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As a golfer, it's easy to be consumed by all the information available concerning the swing. Before we hit a shot, our mind wanders through a list of golf tips: Is my grip correct? What about my alignment, my posture, swing plane, etc., etc., etc.?

With all these thoughts running though our minds, we tend to lose sight of the overall objective, which is to strike the ball squarely and hit it where we are aiming. When you watch good players play, they all have something in common: They finish their golf swing in good balance with their weight on the left side and their upper body facing the target. The key to consistent ball striking is to focus on the finish.

If you take the time to practice your finish position, you'll develop a repeatable swing that leads to solid ball contact for increased distance - not to mention lower scores.


Here's a drill that will help you complete your golf swing into a good finish position:

Start by addressing the ball and taking a short, half backswing, and then swing forward to the finish. Hold the finish for several seconds, then swing back down into the half backswing position and repeat the swing to the follow through position, and hold the finish. Let yourself feel a smooth, natural tempo as you swing the club.

Before you play or practice, warm up for three to five minutes using this drill to relax and groove that follow-through position. As you address each shot on the course, focus on swinging the club to your follow-through position.

The next time you watch Sergio Garcia on TV, see how he holds his follow-through position until his shot has finished. Do this, and you will hit the ball solid and longer more often







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