Keep Your Head Down?

photo credit: akeg   How many times, after you have made a bad shot,  have you heard someone say “you need to keep your head down.”  It’s one of the most common phrases in golf.  If you listen to this advice, you will never make a good swing.  Keeping your head down prevents a full shoulder turn by blocking your shoulder as it moves back.  It also creates more tension in your upper body.  Your chin must not impede the movement of your shoulders or upper body during the swing.

At address, simply raise your chin to allow your shoulders ample room to move under it.  Doing so, allows your body to rotate fully around it’s center axis which your head is the top of (head to bottom of spine).

Practice Range vs. Golf Course

photo credit: tnarik   Players are often bewildered as to why their golf shots on the course are not as good as they were earlier on the practice range.  This common complaint is heard routinely. 

The reason why the quality of the shots can be so different is that on the range you are hitting one shot after another.  On the golf course there is much more time between shots, time for more thought and muscle tension to set in.

In many cases, a player will just hit too many practice shots.  When you go to the range, before a round, there is no need to hit a large bag of balls.  Twenty or thirty shots should do.  Get there early and take plenty of time between shots to preserve your timing.

Swing a Heavy Club

photo credit: star5112   Every golfer should own a heavy club.  Swinging a “heavy club” (at least 22 ounces) is the best way to strengthen every muscle used in the golf swing.  Why is a heavy club such a good idea?  Because it duplicates your golf swing in every way. 

Any other exercise will only strengthen specific muscle groups (not that other forms of exercise are bad) but when you swing a heavy club you are using every muscle that is used during the swing itself.

Swing the weighted club slowly, not at your normal swing speed.  Slower rotation will avoid injury and develop better timing.  Use the heavy club the night before a round, not the same day, and be sure to aim for a specific target.

The Practice Swing

photo credit: rioncm   What is the purpose of the practice swing?  Have you ever heard the following comment?   “I wish I could hit the ball with my practice swing.”  Good practice swings are made because there is no thought about squaring the clubface and without a ball to aim at, there is no need to do so.

Instead of just swinging the club randomly, pick a spot on the ground;  a twig, a brown patch of grass, just pick something to aim at so you can concentrate on squaring the clubface.  Taking more than one practice swing is a waste of time for two reasons:  1)  It slows play.  2)  It wastes energy especially for older golfers.  Next time, pick a target, take one swing and square the clubface.

Range Balls

photo credit: Brian J. McDermott   Many feel that practicing is just as much fun as playing the game of golf.  The only real negative about practice is that many practice ranges use old balls.  The solution, although not practical in most cases, is the use of your own practice balls but to do so you have to find a place to hit them.

The average price for a bag of range balls is between $6 and $10 for 50 balls.  In many cases, you can pay a flat fee to use the range all day.  Make sure that the range you choose uses relatively new range balls.  Hitting old, scuffed balls defeats the purpose of a productive practice.  The question is:  would you use one of those balls during a round?

Twenty-One

photo credit: mrnoy9n   Strengthen your concentration by playing Twenty-One on the practice green.  Twenty-One is a game you can play, on the practice green, with another player whenever you have a chance.  Each player alternates selecting a target hole, of any length, or difficulty.  If a player sinks their first putt they get five points.  The player closer to the hole after each has hit their first putt, gets one point.  If you three-putt, your opponent gets three points.  The first player to get twenty-one points wins.

This is a game that emphasizes accurate lag putting and stimulates the pressure on short putts that you feel out on the course when competing in a match.  It is an excellent way to focus on your putting while practicing at the same time.

Check Your Takeaway

photo credit: mrnoy9n   One of the keys to a good golfswing is a smooth takeaway.  Its not uncommon for some players to jerk the club back with their wrists and hands.  Doing so,  can destroy any possibility of executing a good swing since it usually results in a loss of balance and coordination. 

The backswing should be started with the shoulders, while the hands and wrists remain passive.  Once the clubhead is about a foot behind the ball, the wrists start to hinge slightly.  Using the shoulders to start the backswing encourages a good body turn which results in greater power.

DRILL:  When in the address position, place another ball directly behind your clubhead.  Upon starting the backswing, roll the ball backwards (out of the way) with your clubhead.  This promotes the proper takeaway.

Use an Umbrella

photo credit: matsuyuki   If you are having problems with your pitch shots, its probably because you don’t pitch to a specific target.  Scratch players try to land their shot on a specific target.  You can use a mark on the green as the target you want the ball to land on.  Visualize landing the shot somewhere in a two foot circle around the target you have chosen.

TIP:  During your next practice session, use an umbrella.  Place the umbrella 10 yards from you and pitch for the inside of the umbrella.  Continue this at 10 yard increments, until you reach 50 yards (if room allows).  Don’t vary your tempo for more distance, just increase the length of your backswing.  This drill is an excellent way to sharpen your short game.

First Tee Jitters

photo credit: mrnoy9n   We’ve all had the “first tee jitters” at one time or another.  They are essentially derived from the fear of failure, hitting a poor tee shot.  There are ways to eliminate this problem which are very simple.

Make sure you spend sufficient time on the practice range prior to your round, its a confidence builder.  Try to arrive at the first tee early which creates a more relaxed feeling, as opposed to arriving late and in a rush.  Don’t try to kill the ball by over-swinging,  use the same swing tempo that you would use for every other club. 

Don’t think that you have to prove yourself to anyone, the game is difficult as it is without you making it more so and bringing undo pressure on yourself.

Weak or Strong Grip Definitions

photo credit: klavr   (Photo at left is a strong grip) If you are right-handed (the opposite is true for left handed players) a weak grip means that your hands are turned more to the left on the grip.  A strong grip is the opposite, your hands are turned more to the right.  There are different variations, for example:  a weak left hand/strong right hand or strong left/weak right. 

A weak grip promotes a slice and a strong grip promotes a hook.  If you are slicing the ball, try a stronger grip (turning your right hand to the right), if you are hooking the ball, try turning your left (or right, if need be) hand to the left. 

Experiment with your grip on the practice range and notice the difference a subtle change can make.

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