Swing Advice with Bobby McCrimmon
PGA Certified Instructor
“This is a game of misses, and minimizing those misses.
Arnold Palmer said it best”, “Swing your swing”
“I love this game and teaching all of my students. Periodically, I will write short pieces of advice that can help any golfer at any skill level. The advice may be perfect for you, or it might be something we discuss if/when we start working together. My door is always open to talk about the golf swing and how I can help you minimize your misses.”
-Bobby
April 10th, 2026
What is a Hybrid and Why Should It Be in Your Bag?
The head of a hybrid is larger and has a lower, deeper center of gravity than a traditional iron. This design makes it simpler to get the ball airborne. The sole of the club is also wider, helping it glide through the turf and tougher lies without digging in.
Here are the core benefits:
Forgiveness: A bigger sweet spot means that even your mishits fly straighter and farther than they would with a long iron. This is a massive confidence booster!
Higher Launch: The design pushes the ball up into the air more easily, helping you land shots softly on the green from long distances.
Versatility: As you’ll see, the hybrid isn’t just for perfect fairway lies. It’s a secret weapon out of the rough, from fairway bunkers, and even for chipping around the green.
The hybrid club is one of the most useful innovations in golf for a reason. It makes long shots easier and more forgiving for the average player. By setting up like you would with a long iron, swinging down to sweep the turf, and avoiding the temptation to lift the ball, you can turn this club into one of the most reliable in your bag.
If you think hybrids are for amateur golfers only, you’d be mistaken! Both PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players use hybrid clubs in place of long irons, with many PGA Tour Champions players opting for multiple hybrids in the bag. It’s estimated that about one-third of PGA Tour players carry a hybrid and over two-thirds of LPGA pros carry one.
Professional golfers carry hybrids for the same reasons any player does. While a hybrid has a stronger loft, like a long iron, its head shape allows for the center of gravity to sit back and low, which makes hybrids easier to get in the air. In addition, hybrids are more accurate and produce consistent results compared to a long iron.
March 11th, 2026
Putt for Dough
There should be two kinds of putts. The first putt and the second putt. If the first putt is good and rolls well, then the second putt is easy or even eliminated. So, let’s focus on how to putt for the DOUGH. Because becoming a great putter can drastically reduce your score.
When discussing putting, we’ve heard it all. There are as many theories, preferences, stances, set-ups, and of course..advice as you can think of. “keep your head down”, “don’t move”, “listen for it”, “eyes over the ball”, “follow through”, “left hand low”, “BUY a new putter!” and on and on.
So much info! Let’s try and simplify this important skill with three basic fundamentals:
What must the ball do?…ROLL and roll well. End over end.
What must the putter do?…SWING
What must you do?…SWING the putter to ROLL the ball well. End over end.
February 13th, 2026:
Use Your Own Balls
Chipping and putting with range balls is completely pointless. Hitting good short game shots is all about feel, and you won’t learn any feel when you are using range balls that are only designed for durability, not performance and certainly not for feel. Be sure to practice your short game with the golf balls that you are actually going to use on the course.
January 26th, 2026:
How to Flight Your Wedges
To flight your wedges, you only need to remember two setup keys: weight forward and ball position forward.
Playing the ball forward in your stance may be a surprising adjustment, as many players instinctively move the ball back to promote ball-first contact and a downward angle of attack. However, with your weight forward, a backward ball position can actually create too much shaft lean and an angle of attack that’s too steep, which sometimes looks and feels like a chopping motion. This often leads to thinned or chunked shots, inconsistent spin and even reduced clubface stability.
With these simple setup adjustments, you will naturally create a controlled, downward angle of attack and make more consistent contact — both of which are essential for producing the flighted wedge shot you see the pros use week after week.
-Bobby
January 5th, 2026:
Pick Your Targets
“By far, this is the most important point when it comes to practicing your full swing. Golf is a target-based game so you should be working on improving your ability to send the ball toward a specific spot down the range. Many golfers just stand up to the ball and swing away which does nothing for their control over the golf ball and often only gives a player a false sense of confidence in their swing. This is also why so many golfers don’t understand why they seem to “play better” on the range verses on the course.”
Practicing with a purpose means working on things that can directly translate into on-course success.
-Bobby
November 2025:
Chip from Poor Lies
“One of the most common short game practice mistakes made by the average golfer is always chipping from a great lie. If you only drop your practice balls right in the middle of the short grass, you really aren’t going to test or improve your chipping skills. Find plenty of bad lies around the practice green and invent new ways to chip the ball close. This kind of practice won’t be as easy as chipping from the fairway, but it will be far more useful.
Don’t forget to get your Christmas stocking stuffer gift cards for lessons!”
-Bobby
Summer 2025:
Choosing the Right Shaft
“Shaft flex is a critical part of hitting good shots. Especially with the driver. If your shaft is too stiff, the ball will fall out of the air too quickly and you’ll lose distance. If it’s too flexible, the ball will tend to balloon or curve too much.”
-Bobby
