Daniel Island Club’s Ron Cerrudo Ranked Among Top Ten Golf Instructors in SC

Golf Digest magazine’s most recent ranking of the country’s best golf instructors by state is out, and the Daniel Island Club’s Director of Instruction has landed in the top ten for South Carolina. Ballots were distributed to more than 1,000 instructors throughout the state, asking them to rank their peers on a grade-point scale from 1 to 10. This year, Ron Cerrudo is number five on the list.

 Ron has been helping members and guests at the Daniel Island Club’s expansive practice facility improve their game since 2003. A two-time winner on the PGA Tour, he settled on Hilton Head Island, where he developed a successful following as a golf instructor, before coming to Daniel Island.

 

You can check out some of Ron’s tips and pointers right here on My Island Town, where we periodically post his insights in a series called “The Practice Range.” The latest tip – “How to Play in Wet Conditions” – was just posted today.

Congratulations, Ron!

THE PRACTICE RANGE: Every Possible Putt

By Daniel Island Club Head Teaching Professional, Ron Cerrudo

Recently, I had the privilege of playing with my old tour roommate, Tom Watson. Yes, that Tom Watson! The first thing I noticed was how pure his putting stroke was from short distances. As you probably know, in recent years Tom has had trouble with short putts ranging from three to five feet. I finally couldn’t contain myself so I asked him what he did to smooth out his stroke on the most crucial putts. His answer really surprised me. Tom starts by feeling the ball (what I mean is concentrating intensely on the ball) then looks at his hands as he takes the putter back. By doing this, he focuses on making a smooth stroke instead of worrying if he is going to make the putt.

If you are having trouble with short distance putts, try Tom’s approach – but make sure you practice before taking it out on the course. Tom practices these types of putts by placing the balls around the hole like a clock, three feet away from each other, making sure the area has some slope. He does this so he faces every possible putt: uphill, downhill, right to left and left to right. When you try this, make sure you give each putt your full attention. It was great playing with Tom again. He made eight birdies and two bogies – not bad for a 58 year old!

P.s. He beat me!

THE PRACTICE RANGE: Righty or Lefty?

By Daniel Island Club Head Teaching Professional, Ron Cerrudo

Are you a right hand or left hand putter? What I mean is which hand do you use to control your putting stroke?  The best way to discover which category you fall into is to place five balls approximately five feet from the hole. Grip your putter with just your right hand and then putt the five balls. Do the same thing with your left hand. You will soon discover which hand is best for you.This is important because there are different fundamentals for different hands.

If you are a person that feels control with the right hand you might need a putter that is a little longer than your present one. You will stand taller with a longer putter, which will cause your elbows to point slightly out. This in turn will create a crook in your right wrist with the palm facing the target. When you stroke the putt be sure the crook remains throughout the stroke and the palm swings lower than your target.

When you control the putter with the left hand your fundamentals are different. You want your arms to hang almost straight and this is why a shorter putter might be better. When stroking the putt pull the putter through the stroke with the back of the left hand toward the target. If you use the wrong fundamentals for these methods you are in trouble as far as being consistent in your putting. If your putting is good, stick to what you are doing. If you are having trouble, try these suggestions – what do you have to loose!

THE PRACTICE RANGE: Consistency on the Course

By Daniel Island Club Head Teaching Professional, Ron Cerrudo

When I ask my golf students what their major problems are, the most common answer is lack of consistency. First and foremost, consistency comes from good basic fundamentals. Players should know why they hit a god shot as well as why they hit a poor shot. If you are a person that stays on the driving range hitting ball after ball with no clue why your shot is good or poor, you’re simply wasting time and energy.

Practice your weakness. Golfers are constantly practicing things they do well because it’s fun. None of us enjoy doing something badly; however, golf is a game of many facets. If one part of your game is weak it can creep into the entire process.

A good way to find weakness is to chart your game. Each time you play, keep a separate card and track the entire process.

1.    Number of fairways hit (greens in regulation)
2.    Putts per round (not only the total, but what is your percentage on putts from inside five feet)
3.    Number of putts taken from outside 20 feet
4.    Your average score within 20 yards of the green
5.    Number of times you get up and down out of the bunkers, or if you are a high handicapper, how many strokes do you average just getting out of bunkers

By tracking these, you can find where your greatest weakness occurs. If you can’t figure out how to improve these parts of your game, maybe it’s time to get some outside help.

Remember the old saying “Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect!”