Teeing off

July 07, 2011

Thomas Levets leap was in fun, but the result was nothing to laugh about. (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty…)

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Thomas Levet
The Frenchman won his national open 25 years after first playing in it, coming from three shots down in the final round to claim his sixth European Tour victory. The euphoric win came at a cost, however: He suffered a shin fracture while taking a celebratory jump into the lake, leaving him out of this week’s Scottish Open and next week’s British Open.

TIP OF THE WEEK:
Ken Baltin, a reader from Needham, sent the following question: I’m an experienced golfer with a recurring problem that throws off my game. My backswing is too long, and it throws me off balance, I lose the grip, my posture breaks down, timing thrown off, swing too hard to catch up, etc. Is there a drill or a thought that can help?

Brian Bain, the head professional at Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf Course in Brookline, responds:

Great question Ken. One of the most obvious errors golfers make is an excessively long swing. This makes it difficult to consistently return to impact with a square clubface. Most golfers have a long arm swing because their arms continue to move after their shoulders have stopped turning. So try to stop your arm swing once your shoulders have stopped turning. This action will help you feel more connected and also help the transition of the downswing with the lower body instead of “casting’’ or coming over the top motion of arms and hands.

Some tips to keep the swing short: Keep your left foot on the ground on the backswing; widen your stance, which will help cut down your hip turn; slow down your backswing, most fast swingers tend to overswing.

Brian Bain is a three-time President’s Plaque recipient from the New England PGA, and a Top 50 Master Kids Teacher with US Kids Golf. Are you having specific problems with your game and want a local PGA professional to provide some help? E-mail your question to mwhitmer@globe.com.

THIS WEEK TOUR SCHEDULES:
PGA: John Deere Classic, Silvis, Ill. Purse: $4.5 million (winner’s share $792,000). TV: today/tomorrow, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel), Saturday/Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (Ch. 4).

LPGA: US Women’s Open, Colorado Springs. Purse: $3.25 million (winner’s share $585,000). TV: today/tomorrow, 5-9 p.m. (ESPN2), Saturday/Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (Ch. 7).

Champions: First Tee Open, Monterey, Calif. Purse: $1.6 million (winner’s share $240,000). TV: tomorrow, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Saturday 6:30-9:30 p.m., Sunday, 7-9:30 p.m. (all on Golf Channel).

European: Scottish Open, Inverness. Purse: 3 million pounds. TV: today/tomorrow, 5:30-9:30 a.m., Saturday 4:15-8:15 a.m., Sunday, 4:30-8:30 a.m. (all on Golf Channel).

TWEET OF THE WEEK:
“I played bad, not the fans or the tournaments fault, I hit the shots. If I offended anyone I apologize - definitely wasn’t my intention.’’ - Bubba Watson (@bubbawatson), who missed the cut at the French Open, then commented that the lack of security and the abundance of fans taking pictures and videos with cellphones during tournament play resulted in “something I’m not used to, I’m not comfortable with. It’s very strange to me.’’

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