Elite amateur Robbie Cannon dials in his short game | A lesson with Dan | Episode 2

Robbie is a strength and conditioning coach to many PGA tour players, including Shane Lowry. He is also a superb golfer himself having won 2 Irish Amateur Championships. I’ve known Robbie for a while now and it was great to have him playing with real finesse around the greens.

In this lesson we worked on all The Three Releases and spoke about what it was like growing up playing with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, as well as insights into how you can be in the best shape to play great golf.

I hope you this episode!

You can follow Robbie here: https://www.instagram.com/cannonperformance?igsh=MXUzY2x0YnE2dmhvcg=

Book a session with Robbie: https://www.cannonperformance.ie

0:00 Introduction
0:30 Release 1 chip and run
17:38 Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry’s short game
20:03 How good do you need to be to make it?
21:35 Pádraig Harrington
23:43 Release 2 soft landing
34:53 Random practice
44:03 Standard bunker shots
51:48 Short sided bunker shots
57:37 The Rough
01:01:28 How Robbie got into strength and conditioning
01:06:00 How the average golfer can improve
01:10:00 How to book a session with Robbie
01:13:22 Pitching
01:22:42 Chipping competition

Right fantastic to be here today with Robbie Cannon Robbie is a two-time Irish am Champion top top player also on a word’s leading string auditioning coaches works with host of tour players including Shane Lowry so fantastic to have you here great great to be back do

A bit of work on the short game so we’re going to work through some different shots today but we’ll just look towards that back pin to begin with okay and you got your 50 it’s a 50 degree 50 there yeah okay so you bad one historically you get

That one that just sort of digs in a bit it try to dig a bit there yeah um it’s just inconsistency contact at times and I think especially when you’re not practicing as much with work and stuff like that especially this time of year when like you’re not playing a whole lot

You’d like just to have a little bit more consistency um in your Technique yeah so a few more okay so I obviously have my bad habits that I tend to creep active so I won’t say they’ve changed too much from the last time I’ve been here that a little cleaner yeah you

What yeah like it it it’ll pretty much be Center face all the time but it could be a bit heavier or a bit thin yeah and then obviously the roll is a bit inconsistent yeah so you’re want to manipulate that quite a lot to get that online okay yeah

All right just just um set up the ball so one of your tendencies in the past has been like tipping a bit like the right hip almost goes up yeah and it and it heightens this way and it almost say gets you flaring this elbow out here

And it the club kind of get trapped behind you yeah okay left wrist gets a little bit arched this way so there’s not much really kind of Ro ation you get a little bit steep this way but because you’re a good player with great Instinct

You then fix it and you come out this way you’re almost Tipp back yeah to try and get the Loft back on from this kind of position here where you you know where you take it off so that Mak sense to you yeah so we need to basically just

Get you back into that good movement where we working on a shallower motion going back and really getting you rotating getting the right hit working behind you more rather than rather than that one there which I can definitely see coming in there and you got so much

Manipulation to do from there to get that club back online that’s where that big pull just came from and that’s where the inconsistency comes from yeah but we can get this no problem so we need the calibration back today we’ll get it there right you set up to the ball yeah

Basics look quite nice actually I think you’ve improved those a lot I mean I can see you kind of going left hand below there is a drill is that for you to try and level your shoulders off yeah in the past I would have been a bit like this

Which is so we said try and get the shoulders a bit more level soften the elbows yeah get more relaxed you’ve done a really good job there I’d just say just just make sure that these triceps this right one is just a little bit more connected onto your rib cage okay now

When you go back in the back swing this is kind of you at the moment you’re going this way there’s not a lot of movement with the right pocket yeah and this is getting in like this okay okay a little bit Tippy here and then from there you can’t really rotate from there

The only way you can get it back is to tip back that way yeah and that’s why you get your inconsistencies you get yeah definitely you thin coming in that way too shallow and then somewh you’re going to drive your hands forward and get it stubbing in there as well so yeah

Set up to the ball this will be the Improvement take it back don’t hit it no if you do that what can you feel there can you feel anything different yeah I feel like my shoulders are a little bit more kind of shallower now not Steep and this my right hip is

Obviously rotated yeah cool and we want to feel like the club head’s a little bit more outside your hands yeah so I want the hand path for you to definitely feel like it’s coming slightly in and almost following your right hip but at the same time you want to Club it

Outside your hands okay okay and then from there you’re going to find it dead easy then to work back onto the ball without having to drop off it yeah which is your bad one okay so let’s hit a few I’ll kind of help you with the mve for

The first few here we go that’s it so we’ll hit a few shots don’t worry about me you do your normal shot right how that Phil cly sounded better yeah better strike better consistency all you feel the right side work more yeah it’s funny I have been trying to get that right hip

Gone there we go okay just jumped on that quick yeah that’s pure so much better the connection in here again yeah yeah so what that’s going to allow you to do in the through swing is get you more around the corner because you’ve been here yeah you’ve been going this way and

Getting really linear through it that’s why you been struggling with the strike yeah so we want to feel like your hands are working more in this way the right side’s working more here as I just said Club has more in front of you but then from here you’re able then to work back

Onto it and feel like you’re working onto the ball on top of it with the hands working around the corner rather than rather than that one feel like I’m adding a little bit of kind of hinge going back yeah or just yeah I yeah if

You think about it in a moment your bad one is your left wrist goes this way so if you feel like you’re going to have a little set yeah absolutely that’s going to keep the club outside your hands there but with width at the same time yeah yeah

Good slightly drop back off that one coming through but uh again right hip’s working better let’s just really focus on back swing first first section here okay take it back there okay okay so that’s this one yeah okay okay very short going back let’s get some real length going back you’ve got

To feel it you got to feel like this arm this left arm is traveling further okay you get pretty short at times and then you react yeah we’ve got to really feel like you’re going to really push that arm away get some real depth and width

In that back swing so again so right here there really feel like you’re going wide yeah yeah you got hands are got it time then to release the club but when we get short you’re going to drag on it and pull there you go I mean how long did

That feel going back yeah felt like a seven iron came off pure yeah it’s much better good so you kind of have to give up a bit of control to gain a bit more control totally yeah absolutely yeah you get you get short you don’t because you don’t rotate your hands just

Don’t travel far enough yeah so as a good good player and the amount of instinct you’ve got you’re going to always do that from there yeah but I want you to feel like you’re going to be turning you’re going to be extending away yes there’s some hinge but there’s

Width yeah the hands have got to be traveling over here okay okay I’m just going to put this against your head just to try to stop you dropping back coming down okay so you’re going be plenty of width and stretch back yeah that’s a lot better you understand

You’re not moving that way now yeah perfect perfect when you get it like that it should feel like it’s just got a ton more flow to it yeah right right hip left arm little set right yeah much better can you feel like you’re staying left now yeah

Good there we go that’s pretty much back to your best there that’s about as good as it gets those last few but I was having to push really hard against your head to make sure you’re not going that way and when I said just off camera when

I saw you warming up on your own over there what I could see was a lot of this yeah a lot of that going on okay which again that’s really we don’t want to just train to stay forward because there’s a reason you’re doing that but now you’re here there’s no reason for

You to drop off it okay but because you’ve been doing it for a while you’re still doing it a little bit so so right hip behind your right pocket goes back get Club outside wide stay forward I love how connected these elbows are on to your chest by the way

Yeah I say that’s a big change isn’t it cuz you remember I don’t know maybe two years ago we had a look at it you were really yeah you were really wide through it and now we got these elbows much closer to your Arc is much narrower

Here great right hit movement there that was that was fantastic it’s funny isn’t it like we just sort of get we get sort of wrapped up you get you try and control it too much with short game and we just stop moving Okay so that’s the movement there

Come on if you go push that hit back yeah little Diggy yeah but not bad no where do you feel why your grip pressure yeah it’s probably like three or four mhm does it look more to you I I would say that’s the first one that’s

Made it’s flagged it so if you take it back you look great over the ball but just be careful that you don’t increase the grip pressure and transition particularly I think for you your thumbs squeeze the grip okay yeah so when the thumb squeeze the grip it creates lag

And drag this way yeah so I like to feel like I’m holding it in the fingers at the back my thumbs might look like they’re on the grip but they’re really not they’re just resting okay cuz that last one there you definitely squeezed it a bit more okay so hold it more on

Your fingers less than your thumbs nice good thing I like about the last VI is they’re they’re kind of not grabbing like there’s a nice kind of consistency to the rooll yeah good you were saying right in Portugal last week you struggled out to be Bermuda grass Yeah It’s Tricky and

Obviously when I go to Florida play with the lads over there shaning that like it’s obviously very difficult especially the weather hasn’t been great December January February over there so Bermuda wet soggy Bermuda like it was in Portugal yeah not great yeah and you can see with your tendency

As well by doing this yeah what’s that doing to the bounce of the kind of dig aren’t it yeah really tough from there you the more you can get it here have a little bit of set a little bit of Cup in that wrist and get the face there at

Least you got you got some help there yeah and you it’s going to work through that through those lies so much easier than that that position you were in yeah nice Robby good that was nice it’s good yeah little short going back and a little reacting coming down pulling the

Handle forward rather than letting it release let it travel longer back got difference yeah that was better you’ve got to feel uncomfort get in you got to feel uncomfortably long going back yeah right hit behind your left arm travels keep the club just outside your hands little bit of cing in that wrist

Flow the club head from the top flow turn onto it yeah getting it now getting it now yeah they were the two best ones little bit like my full swing I need to feel like I almost overswing it yeah it’s backed up a bit M yeah the feeling real thing in golf’s

Crazy isn’t it I mean you know if you watch that back on video it’s not look that much different for you it feels just miles more probably wasn’t as long back swing right take it back that’s it come through nice good nice more flight to it right yeah

Right let’s pict put those up do a few more do some 54 next right let’s do the same thing I’m just going have one more round of those let’s use 54 degree this time and you feel more comfortable with this club in your hand right yeah whatever

The possibly the the grind on it this is an S grind the other one’s an F M I’ll I’d be lying if I said I knew exactly the difference in them yeah H but yeah really I really like and the the line of this as well is very straight which I

Like I think the think the new ones coming out now are very very much the same as this I had to get this kind of altered by technician but no I love this one good it seems to stay on the ground well yeah obviously they’re a little bit

Diggy but there’s a little bit more forgiveness with this gling I like that rehearsal you that right pocket’s working back beautifully now really good keep it wide though don’t overset okay keep it wide with a hinge to drive it the way the ground conditions are it’s still very winter esque you’re not

Going to get away at much yeah good you’re moving well I still think you’re getting a little bit that face is closing down a bit going back okay so your plane’s better you’re moving better it’s still getting a little bit short at times okay let’s try and work on that okay you’re getting

There so historically what we worked on with on the on the path was to try and get that logo the glove M yeah you’re getting a bit down to the ground okay okay this would be this would be where I want it to be okay more there okay that way yeah

You’re getting a bit that way at times okay okay yeah do you feel that yeah tiny bit tin but much better you feel the face yeah felt like it just went straight up to grooves and I think the easiest way to feel that is without it just feeling

That little bit of knuckle twist yeah it’s amazing how you always revert back to your DNA isn’t it I’m not sure moving full swing is it yeah H well definitely yeah take away but then what I do is my forearms keep rolling and ends up a little bit

Laid off mhm whereas at the moment I’m trying to obviously get it in a good spot to kind of P to but then I almost feel like my forearms are going do way to get it online to top yeah so which is a bit weird it’s good there

Good lot better with the wrist so I like that way you’ve hit that about 2 in before the ball yeah it’s starting to slide better now like I say this time of the year you cannot get too too kind of down and Diggy with it it’s just going

To tell you isn’t it I think the the environment where you play a lot of your golf as well obviously I play most of my golf in the lyx and like you’re hitting a lot of kind of them kind of Diggy shots aren’t you totally I think I think

Players totally become a byproduct environment they in like where you grow up playing golf what sort of shots You’ been having to play and just with my PhD like the research I’m doing like all the guys that have been really successful have came from short Parkland courses it’s quite interesting we had that

Conversation before and and and their short games are incredible yeah like you see Shane and Rory short games obviously I’m lucky to play with these guys from time to time and like even a shot like they they make the simple shots look so good like just so easy like they’re

Chipping them in stoned dead um and then like the really difficult shots as well they make them look so easy like there’s just it’s just Flawless and I don’t I don’t think people realize how good it is but obviously that’s came from growing up in a so they grew up in soft

Environments so it wasn’t wasn’t too lyy been yeah and like the the greens were kind of like upturn saucers and stuff so there was a lot of flop shots like I think almost every good short game player that I see or talk to like they

They want to land it on the green first yeah whereas if you’re playing Link’s course like I’m playing B Royal Dublin like you’re sometimes around a lot more aren’t you yeah like you might from here you’re you’re almost looking okay can I hit this like a little kind of bump and

Run or stuff like that so that kind of gets you to a good level but then when you get to tall tall level with tuck pins yeah and you’re playing out of all these different types of grasses do you think there’s a big there’s a big separation between the players that link

Course it’s incredible the control that Shane has with his pitching and his chipping is just and his Bunker play as well like phenomal uh especially when you go to the like to the Bears Club and the Grove when it’s like really firm yeah and fast where you literally have

To land it on a six The Right Flight the right spin yeah and stop it and that’s where like I really my short game that’s where it really shows up over there uh even like on a quite simple shot you just you don’t have the control to land

It and control the spin and and roll out yeah and maybe I’m being a bit Hur on myself because you’re playing with obviously the best players in the world you see how good they are and then you hit one to you hit a pretty good chip to

Six feet and you just feel like like you’re a 30y handicapper but that’s why but I think it’s interesting for people watching is like how how good that level is and you know you got to the very very top of am golf I mean the very top you know you

Was the Irish am twice yeah I mean amazing you would grew up playing with Rory and Shane yeah I and I think that kind of helped me in my decision people ask me that all the time why didn’t you turn pro but like I grew up playing with

Rory and Shane and like after five hes of playing Rory for the first time I said he’s going to be a superstar the next year I play with in the same tournament after nine holes as this guy’s Superstar you know you just knew at such a young age they’re just

Different level so it’s interesting if you had have played with those guys you probably would have turned Pro you probably and do you ever think well you know how how would it have worked out or yeah like I went to turo once and I missed the first stage by a shot and I

Didn’t put well that week but like that was the year where I had my best ball striking and the guy is doing my stats as you got to go because you’re stats are European to standard yeah so I went and I played well but my pudding just

Wasn’t as just had a bad week on the greens um now who knows if you had got a card you might have gave it a go but like I don’t regret it because I just knew I just wasn’t at the level and you see some guys now that are really talented

And like great players like some of the guys that I train they’re like on kind of mini tours challenge tours stuff like that and they’re so good but they’re they’re just not making the Breakthrough so difficult and then mentally it gets difficult for them like how many years

They keep going and sometimes they just need a break and like some of the interviews I’ve done with guys like it’s just having somewhere to play having a schedule where you know you’re going to play 20 events 25 events and then you canest yeah but no like it’s so like in

Ireland especially people are so hard on our on our Stars it’s just a little bit of it I don’t know if it’s like that in England as well but like some of our greatest players like some of the achievements that they’ve had the The Lads don’t get the the recognition for

What how good they are you know incredible mean Harrington I mean what an unbelievable career he’s at ah incredible you talk about short games yeah he’s up there isn’t he yeah you talk about Shane short game like I think Shane probably the only person he might

Get a little bit of kind of short game advice on obviously his coach Neil does a lot of great work with him but like I know when Shane and porri are playing short game games like Shane picks up a little couple of teams off porri and

Stuff you know so and Shane uses his 58 almost all the time is that right yeah but I think he could use a seven iron and Ste chip yeah nice see when you talk about Good short game players it rubs off much better get out div there right what are you feeling now

Then just so you can put it in your own language what do you so face obviously feels more open but probably just Square feel like I’m longer I’m turn my my back swing my right hip and I feel like I’m less draggy with the handle and a lot of

That’s coming from Simply the position you’re in at the top of the back swing but also getting sufficient length allows the time for this bued grip to release back up this way and I think you need to have awareness go there again I think you need to have awareness of

Where this goes yes that wasn’t moving at all really it wasn’t moving it was getting there yeah so for a good player you’re always going to do that and then back off yeah that’s what you were doing I’m doing on my full swing as well yeah face tons better going back he

Just need reminding on on Rhythm from time to time don’t you yeah should we go down in run off there en tile eyes right so a little bit less green to work with I want to see one of these nice sort of floating higher spinning shots Now lies are a little bit

Tight a good test God that’s better than it used to be isn’t it short your back swing used to get is that what you’re focus on trying to get really long yeah just working on that Rhythm now and getting that face open you can definitely move that ball

Position forward a good inch inch and a half or so was almost back of Center there yeah that’s better off a bit so exactly so so you got that back well that was good your hips have driven and then your upper body’s backed off yeah feel that straight away what I

Want you to feel here yeah you get it you think your back swing is fantastic by the way absolutely brilliant you got it there you got Cup in you got a great length it’s probably 50% longer than you used to do when you’re playing the shot right so that’s fantastic from there you

Want to be feeling like the clubber is working out in front earlier this way okay okay out in front and as it’s releasing you don’t want to be feeling like you’re almost going straight around the corner here like I really need to work feels like your right arm is

Working across your chest across your stomach through the ball so you’re coming around it I don’t want you to drive and go under you’re releasing around that front side go to the top of the swing so so your bad one then is you went this way yeah right I want you to

Feel like you’re going to release it that way that’s it and then around finish in the holster a bit more yeah okay okay just a little bit that way okay I feel more in front yeah fraction heavy I mean you want to be hitting these heavy really but obviously this

Time of year it’s going to turn ground is so bad yeah yeah so it Go the top see where working this is your bad one yeah you want to go this way that way round round round round keep going finish around here that’s it that’s the feel okay

That feel more left that was better it’s gone to be but it was better I like exaggeration there pretty good right so as you’re making that move I think about this left hand I want this left hand to go this way right so as you’re going through you’re twisting the knuckles this way

Okay you’re going a bit this way okay so you’re going left but you’re actually going this way I to feel like you’re going to go here okay add a bit of Loft yes this why it’s good to practice with a 54 absolutely great force you to do it doesn’t it

Right here we go that there release you feel that yeah yep backed up on that one nice good stayed forward a lot more there that was bad it was a really crap Li yeah if you look at this on the video now look at this release Point that’s perfect perfect release

2 okay so it’s coming in there perfect now you can see you see what I mean about you get a little bit underneath it like I’d want you to be much more round the corner at this point you can still go a lot more left after the ball yeah

Right so I love the release you just a little bit this way so how do we do that then you’re going to go left a lot more is it more like with the shoulders going no I do it a bit later than that I won’t go too early let me show you

So so you’re releasing it well there it’s going this way still backing off a bit here yeah you want to be feeling like you’re releasing it but just coming into the ball this last sort of foot toe into the ball you want to be feeling like you’re working right around here

Yeah okay literally right around the corner you that’s the most important thing to you like you can’t can’t exaggerate this enough so it’s releasing look how much goes round okay and in the hole there we go sure and look in the holster right so you just

Got to be a little bit more sort of committed with that move so like the shoulder is obviously going underneath then so so I feel like the shoulder is almost it’s higher almost going that way exactly yeah but you understand it’s like a late you’re releasing it you have

That Dead period where let the club release yeah then it’s round okay good yeah there you go there you go and when we get the right Club in you hand which is you know just 50 f a bit strong isn’t it yeah it’s going to feel really

Easy okay you want to do that I’s grabb the uh is it 58 you carry bent to a 59 she quite high bounce this isn’t it yeah I have a couple of different ones I have one that’s like a k grind that doesn’t have much either it’s like six

Dees right this should feel much easier having practice with a 54 it’s a great drill I like whenever you’re trying to find Loft and trying to get away from faults Bally for you where you’ve been getting basically getting the face closed practice with a strong Loft but

Now we’re getting the hang of it let’s now just use a weaker Loft same movement I thought that movement was good there so you’ve hit it and youve moved a lot more around the corner nice like count how narrow can you get it like okay yeah ready good find some

Grass yeah there there’s actually not that many good lies left yeah I like that move I like that move it’s almost like this time right as you’re watching the ball go through the air I want you still turning okay right so you’re watching the ball and you’re still moving you get the

Back yeah perect perfect perfect so it doesn’t need to be a rush to get there does it that’s what I’m saying you you got to you let the club fall first and you from the position you’re in now you can do that at the top

Let it fall but coming into the ball you need to be committed with the move doesn’t need to be particularly quick but it’s a committed move don’t stop moving left so hitting that like 4 Ines behind it what’s you’re still dropping off that so you still got to keep it

More I’ve got a little wide see if you can FL that left foot out a little bit more on that left side and just just keep that left foot a little bit more planted you’re not dropping off that side that’s the opposite yeah could feel that my legs moving

Yeah better it’s a few inches behind it as well I think that that’s the K grind you got there isn’t it this is yeah this is a lot of bounce on this one I wouldn’t say this is perfect for these conditions yeah as I said I’ve got a six Dee one as as

Well this one’s probably good for like wedge distance wedges and stuff MH that was better that you just stayed forward there yeah just better transition wasn’t it but that was a good shot and you can still see with the ground conditions there’s a big divot

There you look at this on the video you can just see you didn’t back off this whatsoever you’ve released it as we talked about you’re moving moving moving moving moving and you stayed there that’s a really good one okay I should have put that in the holster you could

Have done you just didn’t you did actually you slid it down but but it’s a little bit wide I just have to get the technique a little bit better before I start adding that in the show boating there we go join the holster club right so we’re going to play some

Different shots down here we’re going to do Let’s Do release One landing it on top and running it down yeah and then we’re going to see if we increase the spin and do like a mini version of a release two Landing it over the slope and spinning

It okay so think about the keys we did initially on this shot good so that’s a low spinning shot see it’s landing and chasing out yeah right quite comfortable that now yeah yeah I’m pretty good at that yeah so this would be the one perhaps least comfortable where you want to throw it

And control it a little bit more so it’s basically what we were just doing down there but this is like a mini version of a release too we’re using a 54 so it’s going to come out lower you’re going wider there’s definitely less wrist hinge but you’re still letting the club

Release at the bottom yeah this is short to swing okay so you’ll see the flight’s going to be quite low but we should be able to load the spin Keep It Wide let it slide at the bottom and now you can see the the picks on the ball just really spinning there okay

Yeah be a little bit careful you don’t shut that face down again though going back there you don’t need to open the about there okay not there though yeah yeah keep it wide wide to slide it wide slide good little bit more release from transition okay you come back down see

Like it’s just going to release a little earlier there a bit of a drag in that one that’s it super relaxed particularly the thumb pressure nice wow what a difference was that git pressure what did you change that I think it’s just a better lie better lie yeah it’s amazing when you’re playing

How how much it shouldn’t really affect your thinking so much but like especially this time of year if you get like a lie it’s really tight soft yeah well I think mentally what happens when the ball starts sitting down it’s human nature to start saying well I’m going to

Get that club into the ball yeah because that that’s going to give you a strike right that’s kind of what you’ve got to do yeah when it’s sitting up a bit more with got lighter grip you start letting the club release more obviously you can start using the bounce under the ball so

All about setting that line just making that little adaption but um that lies fine come on let’s get the release nice perfect are you good yeah nice good now run one down let’s lower the spin a bit more forward a little bit less release get lean Edge down for lower get it going

Forward it’s so important to be able to change the spin of the ball yeah then you can manage different slopes manage the ground conditions even that was a little bit behind it but yeah got to away this right let’s go to the tall pin down the end there okay now so down

There okay back pin what sort of shot would you play here with this with this club so this one here no we’re going to go to fervice one okay cuz it kind of goes down then it goes up and it goes down yeah I’d probably play like a

Little dry type draw one perfect yeah that’s exactly what I do yeah so aim a little bit right and then almost just feel like I’m closing slightly yeah that’s a great shot I think this is a shot I’d be good at obviously product of your environment

Yeah you have this shot a lot in the links like all our tournaments and amateur golf for our lyx golf so if you don’t have this shot in you’re and you’re managing the slope here I mean I think a lot of players here would good players who don’t quite get understand

Short games they play a nice shot but it would just check up yeah and what what that little toe turn at the bottom so what you’re doing there is you’re aiming a tiny bit to the right the plane starts to come a little on the inside you come

In from here but you’re just letting it wipe over this way through the ball yeah yeah so you get check on the first and second bounce then if you watch that carefully it run out yeah otherwise it’s just going to check into that slope yeah yeah and also of tight link sles because

You’re working the toe in you got a better chance to get the strike great put a check and then runs out more speed there you go almost drew that a bit more there yeah yeah slightly longer back swing yeah good yeah you got that shot I like

It this pin on the left here and this one here into the slope first one what you thinking there because this is an interesting one as well down and back up so you got to think about the last third of the of the shot here is it going to be still

Releasing up the hill right so you got to manage this so it’s not a release two is it yeah similar type of shot release one again a little bit of draw because it’s a left or right slope managed it really well managed it really well good that was nipped and then and

That was your mind saw it yeah perfect good what about this one here where we straight down the hill not much green to work with Okay obviously going get quicker in the sum it’s still pretty quick now okay lie straight down the hill yeah very easy for this ball to get away from

You what you thinking here so I think you need to get a good strike don’t you first couple of first bounce needs to have bit of check on it obviously picking your spot but I think I think the most important thing about this shot is you don’t

Jerk at it like you almost let the club head fall onto the ball don’t you like that that’s good and the other one you can when it’s quicker is where you actually use the toe a little bit you know when you actually put the handle a

Bit higher and you aim out the toe almost you could do a putting grip as well and it’s like a put chip so you can do the same thing and you get a little bit more spin on that first bounce yeah you see so it pops up

After hitting it there yeah see you play that one heighten the handle toe down strike it out the toe and you’ll see it spin up a little bit more see it just holds the slope y very little shot and you feel like you got exit left a bit more at this one don’t

You a little behind it but it’s never getting away from you is it no whereas you’re trying to sometimes hit that hit that out the middle of the face sometimes the sweet spot can just push it and it gets away from you really simple little shot that little putt

CHP so important to have all these shots you know have good range good Aral shots nice right should we get in the sand yeah so just just explain what we’ve done in the past and what what your feels are cuz you used to get quite open

And you sort of wiped across it a bit yeah and the ball would almost come like diagonally up and hit it quite high toe area yeah so like we can right I think my setup was pretty good um I think the big thing that first I was concerned about my Bunker play was

The first session yeah felt like I was too long but you said that was actually a strength yeah but I think what was happening was the face was coming in open yeah and just wasn’t getting you any purchase on it were you wasn’t getting enough purchase that’s the word

I’m looking for but I feel when my Bunker play is good a little bit like the short game shots I was hitting there that I release it a bit more and that the toe is almost beating the heel to the ball that was just a bit backed up see I

Think you look better when you’re almost trying to draw your bunker shot yeah so let’s have a look here so right good pelvis has got a little bit neutral let’s just stick the pelvis forward with a couple of that’s it that’s better and you got a bit more

Ground yeah that’s better that’s the draw feel that’s the draw feel yeah I had a little bit I think just to counter your tendency of tipping back back you’ve got to stick that pelvis forward yeah you know you got to get more that way and really feel like from your hip

To your knee you are really strong I do that my full swing is my setup is like here yeah and I back out my full swing that’s it Forward there good so you I’ve actually started I used to do this in my full swing where I actually

As a preset I used to do that shove it there yeah and then I stopped but I’ve I’ve gone back to it now recently and it’s definitely helping you feel pressure here yeah yeah I always feel like through the foot knee over the foot that knee is going the same angle as the

Foot fantastic right so take your back S I think yeah H where you are there yeah your feel is see if you come down this way let that face is GLC I want you to feel like your toe is catching up that way yeah and yeah you’re working the

Sand almost in a draw fashion yeah okay yeah feel it yeah I touched the sand there before I took it back I don’t want any YouTube viewer now saying oh you cheated there two short penalty good so if you look at where your face angle is right it’s there when

You strike it you want to be feeling your matching that back to that line okay okay that’s really good that was nice beautiful can always tell a good bunker shot when it’s like it’s flying through the air in like slow motion yeah it’s just a spin that gives it that look I

Can just catch it in one hand sand is quite nice yeah good hit and uh you know typically is there any typee of sand you would struggle more of like if there’s more sand or less sand I think my Bunker play is pretty good um cuz the key having versatility you’ve

Got to be able to adapt to all lives haven’t you yeah I guess when I’m comparing myself to the to the lads they’re so good at like the short range ones yeah and I feel when my Bunker play is on point when I’m releasing correctly I can get

Them properly but but when I’m I know I’m a little bit off and I’m struggling with them on so you’re talking about when it when it pins maybe three on yeah and and and they can flop it up and and just stop it and just stops yeah yeah

But as I said I I have that shot when my technique is is good yeah good that was nice you look like you’re keeping that right arm a lot closer to your right side now okay you know you know in the past you’ve kind of

Gone that way yeah okay this is for you I’d really feel like this is like glued on so you here almost feels like you’re coming from the inside is you don’t release the face this way rather than working across too much yeah okay so it’s connected do do you feel like

Sometimes I know this is a Hot Topic in golf instruction so when people are obviously trying to keep that right elbow pretty close in in the full swing and short game do you feel that can make the swing like a bit narrow what going back going back oh

Yeah it’s a feeling real thing isn’t it I mean yeah if you’re trying to keep that in there it’s going to get you there I want you to feel like your your right side is rotating like you’re getting real width eventually of course it’s going to come out

Right certainly coming down you want to feel like your right arm and and rib cage are connected see I think you could have drawn that that looked a little over the top to me right just feel like you’re going to draw it still a good shot but

Yeah like if I put a line here line there right I you’re going to feel like you’re coming in from here okay that’s it yeah I had that lovely I think you look much better doing that yeah nearly in the sound’s working forward the divot is much more in line

Also your controlling the depth of the divot yeah very well when you do that it’s like the same which is key when you play Link Golf obviously sand is obviously especially if it rains it can be can be different difficult to control it yeah best today that is absolutely top

Draw see you can still draw it and it can still stop yes that looked like just just had that slight draw but it was hanging at the same time and they just stopping dead yeah yeah bubbles feel strong yeah right arm connects little draw actually got a little short but still

Fine yeah but like the chipping and the pitching it’s it’s that transition if that’s smooth it’s generally a pretty good shot yeah that one there I know I got away with it it was probably a little bit quick you see see before when your face was wide open

You were like glancing across it you had to hit it your bunk shots really really hard yeah right because you because there was no way in which you were been able to get it there um at a normal Pace whereas now because you’re delivering the right Dynamics

Into the ball you so much smoother that’s going to allow you to control distance much much better yeah good right should we go for this pin this is a short sided one and it’s down I moved the pins today that is a real test all right so let’s have a

Look same setup I’d probably put the ball a little bit more forward maybe slightly wider stance probably a longer back swing played it well to be fair that was good yeah maybe we could add a bit more spin yeah you play that well let you follow through there one more

Just not enough spin on us okay listen I I like that I think what we can do there is narrow the narrow The Arc through the ball a lot more so what I’ll be doing here I’d be going down the grip a little bit more than you yeah and I’d be getting

Lower okay like really get my hands down between my knees little bit wider in The Stance and I’d be not too fuss about getting so much length as you get I’d be really working on getting the club traveling up releasing it so my hands are really only traveling there in this

Little box here okay so you can nip it a little bit more so down nice and low hinge it and play it more that way okay see it’s much more narrow through it try again like that there you go okay you see that yeah lower down the grip down open the face

More more you lower the handle more you got to open the face that looks really open the loft is actually still looking at the flag yeah keep the pelvis forward say limit it here yeah you your hands aren’t really going to pass your left leg here

Yeah hit the base of the bunker that yeah good strike down real low P was forward a bit more Let the club overtake the hands hands are going to stay real Narrow that’s a shot that’s a lot more spin yeah see so the nature of just setting up down here is going to make you go this way tons more spin yeah yeah think you can hit it a bit harder feel that yeah so you’re passing a lot more energy from

The grip down into the club head then good if anything as well you could just get like we talked about earlier let do a little bit of twist this way keep a bit more LOF on it’s loaded with spin still need to get more Loft staying on the face through the

Ball okay let’s go through out F bit tighten the grip there actually just relax it bit there we go there more there much better left wrist you feel it go that way yeah again I just think the Rhythm was better wasn’t it yeah yeah sure how’s that feel getting that

Low yeah a little bit awkward but changes the release isn’t it yeah speed almost just a bit more speed yeah quality Roby hold done Nice Shot need a bit of leg strength to be able to stay yeah stable and low that one don’t you yeah You’ got that

Yeah right okay so let’s Place him out the R so let’s see how you manage this one which looks on the face of it quite an easy shot it’s sitting right up on top but it is actually thr with danger I see a lot of people mess these up so let

Me watch you play I don’t give you any clues I’ll watch you play it yeah okay to the front pin so not much green to work with but it’s sitting up yeah this is what you might get when you’re playing abroad a bit more like

Yeah it sits on top of the the be grass sometimes so you’ve gone for which club 68 well to 59 yeah you’re just going to troll pretty much all the way there aren’t you yeah okay right it’s a little bit Diggy I would be playing that a bit

Differently I’d be playing that I’d actually aim a little to the right with the face maybe a yard to the right and I’ll be coming in around me a little bit more so it’s shallow and I’m TR try and hit a hyraw okay to make sure I’m shallowing in it

Okay so it very easy to go straight underneath these so it’s aiming right and draw it see so it’s never going to get caught I mean I hit that little heavy there but see it’s still work through yeah so I feel like it’s more of like a when it’s

Sitting up on top feel like you’re drawing the ball yeah when it’s sitting down feel like you’re going to fade it yeah like you’d get away with that in the summer cuz it just exactly but it’s going to give way at the moment so look to the right see a little

Draw pattern in that sitting up yeah a right little draw release two but you’re letting the toe turn over nice it’s far when you’re when you’re working the face this way as well as far less chance of letting that thing right up the face yeah you know when you’re

Coming in square it’s very easy for it to pop up this way yeah feel that put the ball further forward that though that’s it slightly inside turn the toe over yeah I love that I love that yeah for me that’s just so repeatable as well that’s one for Bermuda as well if you’re

Yeah Florida or Portugal so little shot ball forward release it but release the toe at the same time so that went a little underneath that yeah yeah so you can wrap it over more don’t be afraid to aim almost same two yards right so you can actually

Physically draw it back see if you can see move it move it in in its flight that’s absolutely perfect yeah and if it’s sitting down say we’ve got sort of line out so it’s just sitting down bit awkward a little bit of a cushion behind

It you don’t want to be doing that it’s going to be cause a problem being too shallow so you want to go steep so this is where you go the other way I go a little bit more left I’d open the face and then from there you can then start

To put the the heel in a little bit more yeah and go more that way so it’s more down and left yeah so you’re looking at the line you’re just looking at how you change that angle of attack so open up so I’m just feeling like I’m working left here and the heel

Is really beating the toe it’s um obviously just dug straight in there feel like right you weren’t too far away with that feel like you’re going to keep moving as well really move pass ball speed so sitting down set I’m left out and across heel is

Going to win the race here little fade you feeling there you go great shot get in the where the div’s going left yeah yeah I mean if you can think about whether you’re drawing or fading it’s worth lots to you okay just look at a lie adapt you want to you need shallow

Ingredients do you need steepen ingredients how do you need that face to work through the rough okay again just need a bit more speed a bit more commitment to it isn’t it m yeah I don’t want I I hit up pretty hard I’ve got the chest speed still in

There obviously when it’s firm underneath you don’t need as much speed right that’s fantastic can you feel that little fade bias on it yeah yeah yeah so then go back to a draw now just go between them there we go sitting right up on top really awkward aim right turn it

Over there you go never ever going the face is it no it’s cool so in terms of your um strength and conditioning then so what got you into that and you know how’s that developed over the years yeah I was doing something completely different I had a a different business

That I was doing and I remember strength condition and kind of golf Fitness it was actually Patty that really brought it to I know people were talking about Tiger but I think Patty winning his Majors uh Park Caron uh 20 in 2008 wasn’t it so seven eight yeah that kind

Of he was doing a bit with TPI and stuff and that kind of brought it more to my attention and I remember I went for a screening with a PJ Pro in Dublin a guy called John Kelly a good friend of mine a great player but he was probably one

Of the only guys that was was kind of assessing people but he wasn’t really doing much of the fitness side he was just assessing okay but I went any limitations and yes I I I was going to the gym I loved going to the gym but I

Was working the beach like I look good with the top off but I wasn’t necessarily functional for my golf so I went to him for an assessment and he basically said you can’t turn your your body your your glutes are weak and I’m like I’m weak I’m like squatting and

Really heavy and stuff like that but I I think the the game changer for me was up until that time when I when I was making a a back swing I couldn’t straighten my left arm and I just thought it was a technical thing but John said you had no

Teric you know rib cage rotation I only had like about 25 degrees of rib cage rotation like within two weeks of me doing three or four stretches daily basis of improving that I went back all of a sudden left arm straightens I’ve got a full back swing not by changing

Anything technically it was just from giving myself more rotation in in the rib cage and that was like a little bit of a light bulb moment and that summer I went on I won to south of Ireland got on the Irish team for the first time and

Just had a really consistent season just from working really specific exercises we targeting the exact area holding you back exactly so that’s why like generic programs are fine for for for people but if you’re really serious like you should be getting an assessment uh of somebody who knows what what they’re doing who’s

Got a degree master’s degree and sometimes assessments get um a bad rep but I think a lot of the studies out there and assessments are done with golfers they’re done with like Says he wants to be an athletic golfer but every time he goes to the gym he breaks down he has reoccurrences and he wants to know why so I assessed him and he’s got he he can’t turn his rib so he’s basically here and he’s a right-handed golfer he’s got more range

This way he can’t lift his hands up over his head yeah you know he can’t do that so he says my coach has sent me into you because my back swing is is around here yeah well he’s GNA go there isn’t it yeah but like if he’s here yeah so if I

If I get into my golf posture and then I I make a turn it’s just going to go in here isn’t it so we realiz that straight away within like 20 minutes I got him up here and what’s going to happen then if you’re here I went my hinge turn you

Know he’s going to get higher so the physical does affect the technical in in that kind of specific case um but like I think for his health as well like if he can’t put his hands up over his head when he gets a bit older if he’s trying

To get a cup out of the the cover just in general life yeah yeah it’s just general life it’s longevity of life and longevity of playing golf I like high performance is great and I work with a lot of high performance athletes PJ tur but like I love helping people like him

That’s actually going to help his golf but also it’s going to give him a healthier life and that he can go to the gym so it’s like it’s building a house he’s going to have some Foundation exercises now that he’s going to do yeah

But he has to build up like he wants to get into the gym and get stronger but he has to build up to that if I gave him like if I put a bar in his back with his shoulder mobility and that’s the kind of stuff that that people need to be

Assessed and then educated but like on the other side if somebody comes in and I assess them and I know they’re they’re perfect I will start going strength and power because you can build on it yeah and I think a lot of the research and

Golf is done on that type of person like high high level golfer uh I think there needs to be a bit more research on kind of handicap golfers and like I done a study there a few years ago on 40 um High handic golfers and they had no

Rotation and we gave them a series of five six exercises they came back six month six weeks later and their Club head speed went through the rout yeah I mean that’s a good point you know You’ got to make sure it’s specific for for the player so let let’s play a few more

Shots over here okay I found a nice shot here quick downhill see how you manage this one Club you got there 54 again try that dry release yeah nice little bit of check feed it down good stuff one more see a little bit more flight this

Time yeah nice so Robbie in terms of um you know people been able to get in your diary and see you you know how does that work I know you know you’re obviously really really busy um and hugely in demand but um are there any options that

People have yeah like I work with people all over the world from the United States to Australia do a lot of online assessments and I’ve got a lot of clients all over the world and yeah basically they just send me an email trying and get them in the in the

Calendar yeah try and do a video call like when we did that time when my my hip was really bad last summer yeah yeah and we got that sorted and uh basically I I can see basically how somebody it’s not ideal but it works really well and a

Lot of clients all over the world have have uh got in contact and they get a program then after I have a look you are you on you’re it’s a live appointment with them yeah yeah yeah and you’re asking them to make different moves yeah can I can they probably do like series

Of exercises I can see what they can do we have a bit of a chat what are you currently doing um like most of the time people are having a bit of bother they are it’s either the biomechanics of their golf swing or something they’re

Doing in the gym or there could be an underlying issue so having a conversation about that finding out trying to get to the root of the problem uh because every size like everyone everyone is different like it’s not one size fits all so it’s important that you

Have that conversation have a look to see what they what how they move have a talk about their injury history and then you can lay out uh a protocol for them they can have a series of exercises that they get get started on can they do these exercises at home let’s say you

Know they haven’t got time to join a gym or they don’t want to go to a gym yeah can you get a goal for feeling better and moving better from that living room yeah 100% especially if they’re not a lot of people they contact me they don’t

Do any exercise and they’re they’re an Agony and their pain and they want to play golf pain free injury free go out and have a good time but but again some people don’t want to go to the gym for three one hour sessions a week whatever some people love doing that

Go too much there’s some PJ tour players that do too much in the you can see golf swing but like even if you were doing four or five exercises four times a week that can make a huge difference to somebody’s gol G specifically targeted for that individual exactly yeah because some for

Example somebody could have a really loose rib cage and really loose like loads of mobility and they they’re not doing any stability so they actually need to get a bit of strength into their body to provide a bit of compression on their body got they’ve got loads of

Expansion so they actually probably need to do a bit of strength work whereas some people can’t move at all they’re so compressed they could be sitting at a desk all day they can’t move at all they probably need to do a bit more mobility and flexibility so everyone’s different

So you’re either going to be a little bit too compressed or you’re going to be too expanded or if you’re a perfect fit then you’re probably be okay to start doing a little bit more strength and power stuff okay all right cool so we’ll put some details in the um description

Below get touch of it’d be great if help people brilliant I’m happy to help anybody that that wants to get better that’s kind of my motto yeah cool right let’s see a few more I can help you a bit more with a shot yeah nice good okay good stuff right some pit

Shots as well sure 40 50 yarders yeah right we’re going to some that back right pin uh obviously got that Branch at the top there to negotiate how was your pitching been since we had a look last yeah yeah know my wedge plays really come on a lot again it’s a lot

Softer this is obviously quite rough here so it would be hard to control the you got here it’s a 54 54 okay so looking for sort of a low launching but fairly High spinning pitch here yeah nice shot and really it’s the same sort of thing a lot of the tenses you you

Struggle with right at the beginning when we’re talking about how it was coming in here yeah it’s the same sort of thing in your pitching you got to feel the right side working you got to feel like the club head staying a little more in front of

You yeah and that’s superb that was that plane there was absolutely superb look at the reaction on the ball that’s off a off a muddy kind of down slope it’s fantastic do you feel that club in front more yeah you came slightly out of that one

Do you feel it yeah so that’s that’s going back to when you do that that move okay so you need to fill your right pocket your right shoulder turning onto the ball your good one is when you turn onto the ball the bad one is when you go under and drop

Back yeah stayed in it beautifully you feel your right side close the door there yeah yeah is there anything like the I should be really doing then to obviously counteract my tendency of getting inside what we pitching yeah uh well I definitely flare your left foot and really again just feel that pressure

Point through there I think I’m a big blame if you can get the pressure there it’s unlikely you’re going to drop back right um but yeah go to the top of the Swing there’s a drill wise i’ put your right hand down here yeah okay and then

From there I feel like you’re going to work onto the ball yeah that’s the feeling just gets you a feeling of turning onto it that way yeah you should feel like that you just and you don’t get that drifted to the right yeah you know when you turn onto

It yeah just not committed there keep it more speed for it in between two shots there yeah great shot really good very very good right side is delivering on top of the ball now yeah good so you set it there so your right side’s working better yeah you got a little bit more

Cup in here look yeah so you’re not getting it wrapped in and shut here right it’s good and then from there this would be the bad one yeah okay from here now you’re working onto it this way and then you’re finishing more to the left okay like you’re exitting more this way yeah

Fantastic yeah good I think that feeling of your finish like knowing where you need to be here with the hands far away from your left ear as you can that’s a good one for you coming down because you can’t Che that if you’re doing that you’re always going to have a very high

Yeah High sort of uh High release again it’s similar to the full thing same issues yeah yeah I see that a lot it just filters all way through strong legs push pressure your fled left foot I like your back swing now you turn onto it finish

Left that was a little heavy but because you still moved well yeah right it’s fine it’s a good test SE as well downhill downhill muddy lies the ultimate test of ball striking nice you to set that up for you don’t there we go you like the challenge

Right yeah good all right see if you can play that front pin um and we’re going to play a flighted one there’s just enough Gap through the trees there to almost see if we can sort of bring it in off the left a little bit here same CL I

Go up you got the 60 there yeah yeah see I mean you got that Gap in the tree you just bring it off there yeah it’s not a pin okay you’re going to feel a little bit more of a fade B now yeah that was nice yeah nice shot very

Good I’m not a huge fan of uh using the 60 to pitch with but certain situations like this down slope tight lie tight pin it’s showing the option really how about you do you like using 60 much would you use it much I prefer I prefer a 54 yeah you

Just like it’s always windy in Ireland so I like to see it going in flat yeah just keep moving a bit more yeah keep moving through it moving left yeah more speed just more chance of doing that with the 60 isn’t there yeah totally I mean the other way of doing this right

Would you ever look at maybe using something like I’ve got 56 here so I’ve got the wrong Club but use using something maybe 50 52 is and hoing it into the slope I don’t know how soft it is there it might just totally stop but playing something

More that way but landing it three yards further back yeah and I think the right shot is the shot I was paying I just wasn’t executing it but 54 which is obviously a lot easier yeah yeah yeah I think there is a lot of bounce on that4 it’s not it’s not

Matching that Downs slau well is it I brought the wrong wedge pure moving so much better through the ball there yeah right the right wedge the right tool yeah so so you mix the wedges up when you’re playing tournaments will you will you have a good look at conditions

And yeah I course plays a a couple of couple of lob wedges I generally don’t use that that much but just the conditions it seems to be a little bit better um at the moment for the the turf but yeah I think this could be its last day yeah

Fantastic that finish is better isn’t it yes it is yeah you’ll see on camera how much that’s much more this way yeah good much more around around the stomach okay all right Robbie great session we ran through all the shots um nice mot really you can go away and work on that

Do all make sense to you yeah um because I haven’t been playing that much it’s nice now coming into a block of practice I I I can actually work on this rather than coming over here here without a plan now I know going home I’ve got

Stuff to work on and I can work on some good habits right around in green and allit check up good right we’re going to finish with a little competition so it’s going to be me for you and very simply whoever gets it closest to the hole gets a point it’s

Going to be first to three wins whoever gets nearest to the hole chooses the next shot okay do I get like a couple of shots no no you’re going to give me shots right so um first shot is a little tricky one down the hill

There so I’m going to go first see what I can do it’s got to set it’s got to sit that a foot right plenty of room there oh 56° there little release one plenty of room there I wouldn’t like to be buying some land off

You oh he’s played it he’s played it I tell you what oh that needs a little measure I think I get that one you have a measure no I’ve got you okay yeah couple of inches bad start right one n right next one we’re going to play one the rof we’ll go here

To we’ll do that one that sort of sits up a bit tell you what we’ll do we’ll do we’ll do the one the far pin Okay so we’ve got this little tricky slope to contend with hopefully we won’t pitch on that camera I’m going to go over the top of it Two feet pushed it a bit right let’s see it oh bad bounce give way didn’t it all right right clipped off the top with draw 2- n up against it Robbie well right I’ll let you choose the next shot then all right I know we’ll stick to the

Rules all right okay I don’t want any sympathy it could be the greatest comeback yeah okay I get it right we’re going to do it from the down slope Okay sandy toughy grass quite severe Downs slope we go to the back pin so this is a awkward one got to sit got to

Sit have to sit that much about 4T oh i’ got one back here yeah well done right 21 your choice where you taking Me go up here which pin are we going to I’ll thicker my 54 this is a shot I like here I need to get back in the game here okay he picked a favorite left it out a little bit what’s that three feet the door is this to win firmly open

This is the moment of Glory left I think I’ve just cut you there Robby look at he’s having a good look yeah well done I think I’ve got you listen well done I’m sure home Home Advantage we’ll have a rematch uh we’ll have a rematch at Roy Dublin right yeah

Listen great work today great cheers for coming on and um your best luck of everything thank you enjoy your practice all right