By Alex Riggs
Now, potentially more than ever, golfers of all abilities are on the hunt for more clubhead speed. The proof is there among the highest-level players. If they can carry the ball further, and hit a similar percentage of fairways, they will have more success. For the average golfer, the question then becomes, where will this increase in speed come from? Will fitness or speed training help? Well, of course it will. But what will matter most, will be how we are able to generate force through the ground to transfer energy into the club.

1. Pressure
To create the maximum force off the tee, we want the pressure in our feet to initiate the movement. Therefore, I want you to trigger the backswing movement with a spike of pressure into your trail foot. Shifting pressure off the ball early in the swing is essential to creating maximum speed. The earlier you can shift it to the trail foot, the earlier you can get it starting to shift back into the lead foot.

2. Pivot
Once you’ve shifted pressure into the trail foot, I want you to think about rotating your sternum as much as possible away from the ball. This rotation, otherwise known as a pivot, will involve everything from our ankles, knees, hips, pelvis and ribcage. A big turn with the body creates a bigger swing arc, and that bigger swing arc allows us to create a lot more speed as we have more time to accelerate.

3. Pull
The word pull relates to allowing our ‘pivot’ to ‘pull” the arms. This creates a whipping-style motion which is incredibly beneficial to speed production. Visualise the wave produced by someone swinging battle ropes in the gym. We want to create a wave of acceleration in this same way with our bodies. If our arms are relaxed and the body is going through a full rotation, we will be able to accelerate our arms much faster.

The 3 Ps of Power is a way of movement where pressure is first link in the chain. When movement is led with a strong shift in pressure, the body can accelerate segmentally. We all would love to hit it further, so why not learn to with less effort.

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Alex Riggs is a Canadian-born golf coach who specialises in finding simple and effective strategies to lower scores. For lesson inquiries, contact Alex via riggsgolf@gmail.com or +971 55 497 7913

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Hublot Big Bang Unico Golf Yellow Carbon
Introducing the Big Bang Unico Golf Yellow Carbon, an entirely mechanical golf watch that can keep track of your score over an 18-hole round, allowing golfers to keep tabs on hole, shots, and their cumulative score for a round. The 45mm timepiece made of carbon fibre and yellow texalium has a power reserve of 72 hours, comes also on a yellow fabric strap, for a weight of less than 100 grams, and is water resistant up to 100 metres.

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More golf tips and instruction:
Master your short-game options around the green
How to maximise the distance off the tee
Putt in place on the dancefloor
Straight to the point for short-game success
It is never too late to pick up a club for the first time — some tips to get started
Mobility and stability are key links in the chain to golf fitness
The chips are down if the hips are right
Looking for more power? It’s all about kinetic sequence forces
Understand golf’s power chain and how to avoid a weak link in your swing
Why solid putting starts with a sound set-up
Alignment is a fine balancing act to stabilise clubface
Why you are wasting your time on the range
Claude Harmon III’s simple impact drill
How Billy Horschel’s simple backswing move will make you a better ball-striker

The post The 3 Ps of Power: Cracking the code to effortless speed and longer drives appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

All this and much more in the November 2022 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided here or download to your favourite device for later. Alternatively, pick up a copy at your favourite club. Whatever option you take, we hope you enjoy the read.

The post Get the November 2022 edition of Golf Digest Middle East FREE here! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Catch up with Cameron Smith as LIV Golf heads for its two big showdowns in Bangkok and Jeddah as the Australian looks to chase down Individual Championship leader Dustin Johnson in Thailand and Saudi Arabia. The inaugural season reaches its climax ahead of the Team Championship finale at Trump National Doral, Miami.

All this and much more in the October 2022 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

Also featured is GDME’s trip to the new Club Med Magna Marbella resort in Spain, plus Viya Golf’s plans for its new Abu Dhabi clubs, Luxury Carts and how to get the best out of your wedges. Pro golfers Alex Riggs, Tom Ogilvie and Conor Thornton keep you right on the fairways, while Oktoberfest also returns!

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided here or download to your favourite device for later. Alternatively, pick up a copy at your favourite club. Whatever option you take, we hope you enjoy the read.

See below for the third issue of the Arabic edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

The post Get the October 2022 edition of Golf Digest Middle East FREE here in both English and Arabic today! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

As a general rule, when considering the safest option around the green, start with the putter and work towards the more lofted clubs. In the end, it all comes down to contact, and the putter is the easiest, given there is no need for ground contact. It may not be the most glamorous of shots, but we must prioritise getting the ball on the green surface, ruling out the big misses. The grass you are playing from and what is between you and the hole will determine what your options are. If you have fairway in front of you and no hazards to fly over, I’ve got a fool-proof bump-and-run option that will revolutionise your short game. If you find yourself in a situation where you have very little green to work with and are forced to fly it, I’ve got the perfect high-launching, soft-landing shot for you.

1. Hybrid Bump-And-Run
This style of shot is going to be the simplest from an execution perspective. Place the ball in the middle of your stance or the same as you would if you were putting. Choke down on the club and stand close to the ball. This helps the club sit more vertical, slightly lifting the heel off ground. Positioning the club this way puts our wrists in a way where they will be less involved in the movement. The swing is going to feel the same as your putting motion, using primarily the shoulders to move the club. As a thought, think of ‘sweeping’ the ball, rather than ‘hitting’ it.  Plan for the ball to release on the green like a putt. This shot can be completed with anything from a 3 wood to a 9 iron depending on your comfort. I’m a big fan of using the hybrid as I find it comes off with a similar speed as the putter, with more loft so it’s easier to judge the distance.

2. Soft-Landing Shot
This option is slightly higher risk, so I would advise practising this, but reserving it for situations where you have no other chance to get the ball on the green. You’ll want to use your most lofted club for this shot. Place the ball forward in your stance, in line with the big toe of your front foot. This ball position helps us to create a shallow brush, preventing the club getting stuck in the ground, launching the ball high. A higher launch will lead to a softer landing, which is just what we need to stop the ball. Soften your hands as much as possible, this will help the club release more freely giving you more loft at impact. The release gives you speed, which increases the spin on the ball, ensuring the ball doesn’t roll out too much. My favourite thought for this shot is to think about finishing the motion with the end of the grip next to your hip… Grip to Hip! This helps keep the hands soft, giving me a full release.

The key to a quality short game is knowing the shots you are comfortable with and not forcing the ones you aren’t. Understanding the scenario you are in and playing the shot that gives you the greatest odds of getting on the green. For the mid- to high-handicap golfer, spend more time getting comfortable with the bump-and-run options like the hybrid or mid-iron low shot. This shot is technically much easier to master than the soft landing shot. Once you develop competency in the low one, then I would try to add the soft option into your repertoire.

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Alex Riggs is a Canadian-born golf coach who specialises in finding simple and effective strategies to lower scores. For lesson inquiries, contact Alex via riggsgolf@gmail.com or +971 55 497 7913

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Hublot Big Bang Unico Golf Orange Carbon
Introducing the Big Bang Unico Golf Orange Carbon, an entirely mechanical golf watch that can keep track of your score over an 18-hole round, allowing golfers to keep tabs on hole, shots, and their cumulative score for a round. The 45mm timepiece made of carbon fibre and orange texalium has a power reserve of 72 hours, comes also on an orange fabric strap, for a weight of less than 100 grams, and is water resistant to 100 metres.

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More golf tips and instruction:
It is never too late to pick up a club for the first time — some tips to get started
Straight to the point for short-game success
Mobility and stability are key links in the chain to golf fitness
The chips are down if the hips are right
Looking for more power? It’s all about kinetic sequence forces
Understand golf’s power chain and how to avoid a weak link in your swing
Why solid putting starts with a sound set-up
Alignment is a fine balancing act to stabilise clubface
Why you are wasting your time on the range
Claude Harmon III’s simple impact drill
How Billy Horschel’s simple back swing move will make you a better ball-striker

The post WATCH: Master your short-game options around the green appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

We’ve got a deep dive on the 43rd Matches, including a unique sit down – in a pink flamingo no less – with American stud Brooks Koepka. Don’t miss our Ryder Cup “File” and “Dossier” features either, a fascinating look at everything American captain Steve Stricker must know to “whip the Europeans”, and the inside oil on how Padraig Harrington can help the Euros “spank the Yanks”.

Elsewhere, we chat with Trump Dubai-based freelancer Alex Riggs who has embraced social media to become an online tutor to (mostly above average) Joes and Janes everywhere and land a plum gig on GolfPass, the Golf Channel off-shoot owned by NBC Sports. The Canadian has even landed a role coaching NBA superstar Steph Curry courtesy of his digital profile.

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club professional Matthew Brookes has a series of stretches that will help you cool down and ensure you’re ready for your next pre-round warm-up, while Butch Harmon shares a simple tip to flush it off downhill lies that are commonplace in the Middle East. We also head to Glen Oaks in Old Westbury on Long Island, the private New York club nicknamed the “Augusta of the North” which is set to host the penultimate leg of the LET’s new Aramco Team Series next month.

There’s also a fascinating take on the triumphs and tragedies of trying to earn a start on the PGA Tour via cut-throat Monday qualifying. All this and much more in the September 2021 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

All this and much more in the September 2021 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided or download the bumper September 2021 issue FREE to your favourite device for later. Alternatively, pick up a copy at your favourite club. Whatever option you take, we hope you enjoy the read.

The post Get the September 2021 issue of Golf Digest Middle East FREE today! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Build it and they will come. Dream big when you get here and Dubai can deliver on that futuristic promise too. 

You’ll likely be familiar with those uniquely UAE clichés, if not the reality. Just in case it doesn’t resonate, may we kindly refer you to Alex Riggs, coach to (mostly above) average Joes and Janes everywhere, even NBA superstars. More on that career slam dunk with Steph Curry later.

The 35-year-old Canadian is a case study in turning an unexpected ex-pat life in the UAE into a thriving career built on sound institutional knowledge, an interminable work ethic and a contemporary entrepreneurial spirit.

Riggs has spent the past eight years in Dubai building his coaching credentials, the first three at the then Butch Harmon Academy and since then as a freelancer, lately based out of Trump International Golf Club, Dubai.

A natural ease in front of camera has seen the father-of-two become a regular print and online contributor to Golf Digest Middle East and opened doors to endorsements with PXG, Hublot and Under Armour, brands normally associated with high-profile touring pros rather than driving range instructors.

That’s where Riggs is a bit different to your old-school PGA Professional. While other teachers have dabbled in the digital realm, Riggs has easily transitioned to online tuition to the point where it is now a “huge, huge percentage of my business”. “I’ve got players in literally every country I can think of, at least 50 different countries. They send in videos, I review it, devise a plan they can work on and then report back. It’s working really well.

“I was doing it a bit pre-COVID but now it’s very, very strong. The demand for online coaching has exploded.”

While Riggs is heartened by the uptick in beginners taking lessons in the UAE post the COVID lockdown, he’s found a happy niche with lower handicappers and fledgling professionals. The ability to easily articulate complex theory via video means he is also now being discovered by wider international audiences although his latest big break with NBC Sport’s ‘GolfPass’ came, rather ironically, via an in-person lesson.

“Rory’s agent, Sean O’Flaherty, was in Dubai in November and came to see me for a lesson and one thing led to another. He liked my communication style, the content I’d been doing, and said ‘we need to get you on GolfPass’.”

That wasn’t a huge stretch given McIlroy has a financial stake in GolfPass, a direct-to-consumer membership offering he’s partnered Golf Channel and NBC in creating.

It wasn’t long before Riggs was off to Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando to shoot his “Level Up Golf’ concept, a tee to green instructional series with tips and drills for high, mid and low handicappers. Chances are you’ll have seen snippets on social media, the very mechanism that brought Riggs to Dubai in 2003 not long after he’d married Claudine, herself well known in these pages as a golf fitness advisor.

Riggs will forever be grateful for the “super random” Facebook message he received eight years ago, enquiring if the newlywed couple fancied a change of scenery in Dubai given their seasonal contract in Orlando had been fulfilled.

“Outside of the U.S., Dubai is unquestionably one of the best places in the world to be in terms of opportunities. The demand for golf coaching is very strong.” 

Mentoring players at the highest level means a move to the U.S. is “inevitable at some point.” In the meantime, Riggs is happy to base himself in Dubai and travel the globe working with players, his brand partnerships and creating more creative content. As a digital native, you’ll always be able to find him online @riggsgolf, exactly how Curry, the Golden State Warriors talisman and sometimes Korn Ferry Tour player, discovered the boy made good in Dubai.

“Steph Curry connected with me on Instagram then dropped me a DM. He liked my content and wanted to work together. I spent a bunch of time with him on his game in San Fran on the same trip. I did five States in five weeks including doing some work with PXG in Scottsdale.”

Yes, that quote, Riggs assures us, is as surreal to utter as it is to read.

“It’s ridiculously, crazy how things have taken off. I’m incredibly, incredibly grateful to have been given these opportunities in Dubai. It literally opens up the world, the people you come in contact with, those opportunities rarely happen anywhere else.

“I just want to keep trying to push myself to grow as a coach and get my players better, even faster. I want to keep working with players at the highest level and I know something will happen [on the PGA Tour] if I keep going.”

So stay tuned. Or should that be logged on.

The post Meet the Trump Dubai freelancer whose online influence has led to work with GolfPass. And a NBA superstar appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Riggs
Most of us have been told at some point that we must either “hit down” or “keep your head down”. Sorry to burst the bubble, but you should delete that thought from your memory. Now I’m sure you’re thinking, “If I lift my head, I’ll surely top it?” Let me explain… If you slow down golf swings of elite players through the impact zone, you’ll start to notice something –  well before impact, the hands along with their entire lead side, start to travel up. The clubhead is still travelling down (negative angle of attack) through impact, though the player is going up. This extension through impact helps the golfer maximise their ‘Ground Reaction Forces’ leading to massive acceleration of the club. It also provides space for the arms to remain structured, giving the clubface more support. When we start to use the ground and control the clubface to a higher degree, good things happen.

POWER POSITION
Notice how, at impact, my left knee, hip, and shoulder are all higher than those on my right side. At the moment of impact, you should have about 80 per cent of your pressure into your lead foot. This forward pressure helps position the divot after the middle of our stance thus ensuring ball first contact. This is one of the single most important factors to quality iron striking. The pressure also allows you to use that lead side to push off the ground. Your trail side should be banked down assisting in giving your pelvis the necessary tilt through contact.

MYTH BUSTED
When you try and stay down, you create a whole list of issues as you’ll see in this image. Because I am consciously staying down, my lead side is as well. Therefore I’m severely compromising my power. More importantly, I’m not creating the necessary room for my arms to extend, thus forcing them to buckle. Who likes chicken wings? I do too, just not in my golf swing. It makes it extremely difficult to achieve solid contact or have clubface control. You should see the faces of golfers I’ve showed this too who had similar positions and assumed they were topping the ball from lifting their head.

Photo by Mustufa Abidi

Sword from the Stone Drill
Take an alignment stick or an old shaft and stick it into the ground at a 45-degree angle. Hold the end of the stick or shaft and get into a standard golf stance. Shift 80-90 per cent of your pressure into your lead side and bank down your trailside. Make sure your lead arm is long and strong and your trail arm is softer. Prepare for the movement by exaggerating that lead side pressure and trailside bank. Now pull the stick out of the ground as hard as you can by pulling up with your lead side. Allow your eyes to follow the stick, with your head rotating along with your chest. Maintain the structure in your arms by extending them away from your torso. Extend your hips and push your belly button to the target by contracting your glutes. Once your hands make it to the height of your sternum, hold this position. Pay attention to where you are in space and where you feel your muscles working. This is the magic we are after! In the future, the next time someone tells you to keep your head down, make sure to laugh, then send them this article.

Alex Riggs is a Canadian born golf coach who specialises in finding simple and effective strategies to lower scores. He is a Brand Ambassador for PXG and Under Armour. For lesson inquiries, contact Alex via riggsgolf@gmail.com or +971 55 497 7913

The post Still Trying to Hit Down? Learn how great players compress the ball while pulling up! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

In the final of his interconnected series of videos, McConnell works on an impact drill. Check it out and be sure to scroll down to follow the series from the beginning.

Riggs shows you how to avoid a common problem for amateurs, early extension, in the latest of his easy to follow tips.

Don’t forget to scroll down and check all the contributions to our #PLAYINGTHROUGH series. We want to take this opportunity to thank all the pros involved for the collection of tips and drills that will remain an invaluable resource to help keep your game sharp even now we can return to the region’s top courses and practice ranges.

ALEX RIGGS – PXG Middle East Ambassador

Pivot Checkpoints with ALEX RIGGS (PXG Middle East Ambassador)

Groove your putting stroke with ALEX RIGGS

Transition with ALEX RIGGS 

Swing Sequencing with ALEX RIGGS

Putting with ALEX RIGGS

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Ben Cannon- The Track, Meydan Golf 

Shoulder turn with BEN CANNON (The Track, Meydan Golf)

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Pitching drill with MIKE KINLOCH (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club)

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Claudine Foong-Riggs – PXG Middle East Ambassador

Stretching with CLAUDINE FOONG-RIGGS (PXG Middle East Ambassador)

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JAMIE MCCONNELL – Claude Harmon 3 Performance Golf Academy Director of Instruction

Drill No.1: Sort your posture problems with JAMIE MCCONNELL

Drill No.2: Solid Takeaway with JAMIE MCCONNELL

Drill No.3: Controlling your backswing with JAMIE McCONNELL

Drill No. 4: Tempo with JAMIE McCONNELL

Drill No.5: Impact with JAMIE McCONNELL

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IAN BRENNAN – The Track, Meydan Golf

Slicer? Check these takeaway tips with IAN BRENNAN (The Track, Meydan Golf)

Clean up with this drill from IAN BRENNAN

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(Original post): These are extraordinary times with the majority of courses across the Middle East closed as golf plays its role in the global fight to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The problem is our passion for the royal and ancient game knows no bounds even if heading outside our homes is out of bounds for all but essential services. Which led to this, our #PLAYINGTHROUGH series of tips and tricks that you can practice within the safe confines of your apartment or villa.

Golf Digest Middle East has enlisted the expertise of the region’s best professionals to share their best, bite-sized tips from their own living rooms and backyards to help you, our loyal readers, keep your game in shape for when golf returns. And it will, if we all play our part in ridding the world of this invisible adversary by staying within our family bubbles.

You may even find your game improves post the coronavirus pandemic if you work on the drills and tips we intend sharing throughout the lockdown period. Better still, the tips are timeless; even when things get back to the new normal, you’ll find these videos useful to return to.

Without further ado, welcome The Track Meydan Golf’s Ian Brennan, PXG Middle East Ambassador Alex Riggs and Claude Harmon 3 Performance Golf Academy Director of Instruction Jamie McConnell into your home for the first #PLAYINGTHROUGH videos.

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Clean up with this drill from IAN BRENNAN

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Swing Sequencing with ALEX RIGGS

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Sort your posture problems with JAMIE MCCONNELL

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Do us, and the pros who have given their time (more to come in the next days and weeks), a favour by liking and sharing this post and your favourite individual drills/tips with a @golfdigestme tag on your favourite social media channel. We’ll update it daily so make sure to check back for more great tips. Together, we will get through this. And take advantage of the downtime to work on our games.

Happy home golfing!

By the way, make sure to check out the awesome homemade putting/chipping green idea below from former Al Zorah Golf Club Professional, multiple UAE PGA Tour title winner and now South African-based Sunshine Tour player Stefan Wears-Taylor. Genius.

STEFAN WEARS-TAYLOR

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Spent a bit of time with my Polystyrene Green today. Starting to enjoy the challenge! ? ? ?? #lockdown #stayhome #staysafe

A post shared by Stefan Wears-Taylor (@stefwt1) on Apr 6, 2020 at 8:09am PDT

The post Tips and drills to improve your game from home appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

BACKSWING

As the club travels back, nearly all high-level players position the clubhead outside of their hands. The arms stay connected to the rib cage and the body rotates around a tilted axis. When this happens, you can clearly see that the position of the hands is well inside that of the clubhead. What is very common amongst higher handicap players, is the rolling of the forearms in the early backswing. This move gets the clubhead well inside the position of the hands. When we consider what we want the golf club to do for us in the transition, this early backswing positioning becomes all the more crucial.

TRANSITION

As we are transitioning from the backswing into the downswing, we want the golf club to be shallowing. This is what virtually all top players do in their swings. The clubhead starts to lay down or fall behind the position of the hands and the shaft takes on a more horizontal rather than vertical appearance. When people swing back with the clubhead rolled inside the hands, it most often takes a steep or vertical path down. Although it is possible to achieve shallowing through different backswing relationships, it is often easiest to accomplish by keeping the clubhead outside the hands going back.

DOWNSWING

Work on this move by exaggerating the feeling of keeping the clubhead outside throughout the backswing. As you do this, you will feel the clubhead wanting to loop or fall behind you as you start the downswing. This is where the magic lies. Remember that we often need to go crazy with our feelings to create even the most subtle of changes, so don’t be afraid to look strange. We are trying to facilitate the shallowing transition rather than the steepening transition so this is bound to feel very different to what you are likely used to. Embrace it and enjoy the gains!

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Alex Riggs is a Canadian born golf coach who specialises in finding simple and effective strategies to lower scores. He is a Brand Ambassador for PXG and Under Armour. For lesson inquiries, contact Alex via riggsgolf@gmail.com or +971 55 497 7913

The post Why the relationship between the hands and clubhead are so important appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Riggs
The long bunker shot is widely regarded as one of the trickiest in golf but amateurs across the Middle East know an even thornier challenge – the escape from a  desert lie. Chance are you’ll be familiar with the scenario; your ball bounds off into a gnarly lie carved out by mother nature or, worse still, one created by the last unfortunate soul to go off-piste. If you’re lucky, the lie won’t be too bad but almost inevitably, your un-cooperative sphere will nestle down into a rut or one of the deep trail of size 11 footprints that dot most holes in our sandy part of the golfing world. For most amateurs, the resulting escape attempt ends in a frustrating, blur of sand and dropped shots. But this needn’t be the case.

SIZE UP THE SAND
One key for successfully executing a desert sand shot is to first gain an understanding of the texture of the sand. Typically, the desert sand we encounter in the Middle East is extremely soft and powdery, necessitating an approach to the shot slightly different to that of a typical greenside bunker shot. The soft sand means the club will be prone to digging and consequently dramatically reducing clubhead speed just before contact. For this reason, it is very important to concentrate on the following steps:

1. Play one wedge stronger than what you would typically play for the required distance. For example, if it’s a 60-degree distance, play a 56-degree.

2. Open the wedge significantly to increase the effective bounce and prevent the wedge from getting too deep in the sand.

3. Swing with double the power you think you need. This is vitally important because the typical miss is short from desert sand. Don’t be shy with your speed. Blast through it!

Desert sand is not nearly as daunting as some make it out to be. Make sure to take the sand texture into consideration and when it’s soft, as it often is, follow the steps above to shave shots from your score. – with Kent Gray

Alex Riggs is a Canadian born golf coach who specialises in finding simple and effective strategies to lower scores. He is a Brand Ambassador for PXG and Under Armour. For lesson enquiries, contact Alex via riggsgolf@gmail.com or +971 55 497 7913

The post VIDEO: How to escape the Middle East’s often gnarly desert lies appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.