Chris Ellertson & Mark Ellertson
Father and Son Team Up to Win Member/Guest Tournament
Student Profile
The Way to Way Better
- Chris improved shoulder turn and wrist bend on downswing
- Chris developed in-to-out swing path for consistent contact
- Mark got fitted for new TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver
- Mark straightened out slice by improving wrist bends
- Mark increased speed and gained distance
Chris came in for a swing evaluation and signed up for a lesson plan to work on his downswing and get the club moving on an in-to-out path. Mark was fitted into a new Stealth 2 driver, which helped him straighten out his slice and gain 50 yards! Mark also started taking lessons, and went from shooting high 80s and low 90s to dropping 10+ strokes in six months! Mark shot a 77 during the Member/Guest, and the father son team also shot a 61 in the scramble format the second day. Chris and Mark won their flight by 7 strokes!
Chris Before Swing
Chris After Swing
Mark Before Swing
Mark After Swing
Inside The Lesson
GOLFTEC Coach Michael Blinco has been working with Chris on his wrist bends, especially at impact. Chris has a very good backswing, but some issues arise on the downswing, including an “early release” which causes shots to start straight then slice. As you can see from the lesson, his drive on the left has 1,602 rpm of sidespin to the right (a slice). But on the right, he has corrected his lead wrist bend and has achieved 484 rpm of sidespin to the left (a draw).
Chris & Mark's Favorite Drill
One drill that has been key to both Chris and Mark’s success is the wrist bends drill. This drill describes the various ways your wrists bend and move throughout the golf swing. The more you can control your wrists, especially at impact, the more consistent your golf shots can be. Both Chris and Mark struggled with “flipping” their wrists on the downswing and through impact. By working on “bowing” their wrists at impact, Chris and Mark started making more solid contact and also increased their distance. Getting into this position at impact also helps encourage an in-to-out swing path to hit draws instead of slices.
