The Ugliest Shot in Golf

photo credit: flurdy   The ugliest shot in golf is the banana ball, a huge bending slice.  Follow these steps for the cure: 

A)  Set up square to the target.  Shoulders, hips knees and feet should be square to the target line.  B)  Grip the club light enough so someone can pull the club from your hands with very little effort.  C)  Strengthen your grip, turn both hands away from the target when gripping the club (”V”s point towards rear shoulder).  D)  Keep hands ahead of the ball at address.  At address, there should be a striaght line between the clubface and the lead shoulder.  E)  Keep head behind the ball at address.  F)  Start the club back with your shoulders (one-piece takeaway).  G  Maintain a solid back leg during the backswing.

Balance & Tempo

photo credit: rioncm   Balance and tempo go hand in hand in a good golf swing.  Balance >body weight must be properly distributed throughout the swing sequence.  Tempo > speed of the swing from the takeaway to the finish.

Your best tempo is the speed at which you allow yourself to stay in perfect balance at all times during the swing.  Too fast and you destroy balance, too slow and you lose clubhead speed and shot distance.  Try swinging at 80% to gauge shot distance, tempo and balance.  Perhaps using a count may work best:  The count of  “one” - start back, ”two” – reach the top,  ”three” - start the downswing.

If you exhibit good balance, you will be facing the target with weight on left side and stable at the finish.

Special Shots

photo credit: SouthAsiaGolf   There are times during a round of golf when special shots are required.  Here are some situations where ball placement can be a critical element:

Example A:  downhill lie, ball resting in divot, ball against back lip of bunker > Play the ball in back of center (distance depends on type of shot) of stance and use a sharply descending swing path.  Example B:  chip shot, buried lie in bunker, punch shots, pitch & run, shot from a rough that runs after landing, shots under branches or in wind > ball in middle of stance with slightly descending path.  Example C:  for drives, bunker shots, against front lip of bunker, uphill lie, lob shots and putts > ball forward with upswing at impact.

Get Behind the Ball

photo credit: nsaplayer   A nagging problem for many players is not staying behind the ball during their swing.  Jack Nicklaus was the most notable example of staying behind the ball.  As soon as Nicklaus started his backswing,  his head would turn to the right.  Doing so, would immediately put him in a good position behind the ball where he would remain throughout his swing.  At the time, he was one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour.

Moving your head in front of the ball at anytime during the swing is courting disaster.  It usually results in a “topped” golf shot; a grass cutter as they are sometimes called. 

Set up with your head slightly behind the ball and keep it there throughout your golf swing.  Doing so will generate maximum power for greater shot distance.

A Little Means a Lot

photo credit: Saginaw Future   If your clubface is not square when contact is made with the ball,  it will amount to a large error by the time the ball reaches your target area.  If the clubface is a mere two or three degrees off at impact, the ball will be 20 to 30 yards off  at a distance of 150 – 200 yards.

Every golfer has a different swing, in fact, some golfers have what might be called a ”bad swing.”  If your swing is not Ernie Els-like,  it doesn’t mean you can’t hit good shots.  If your clubface meets the ball perfectly square at the point of impact, all of your shots will be accurate.  A square clubface at impact will also increase your shot distance.

Long Ball Competitor

photo credit: USACE Europe District   For many golfers, playing against a long ball hitter can be very intimidating.  Seeing your opponent’s tee shot land 40 yards past yours can be discouraging even for the best of players.  Use the following strategy when playing a long-ball hitter:

A)  Be determined to keep any mistakes to an absolute minimum.  B)  Don’t compliment his distance ability.  C)  Show a lot of perseverance in your behavior when making a shot or otherwise.  D)  Don’t show your emotions on good shots, or bad shots.  E)  Always maintain a “can do” attitude.

Although it is not recommended, some players will use gamesmanship, on an opponent with a stronger game, in order to equal out the playing field so to speak.  That would be an individual decision, however.

The Great Equalizer

photo credit: rioncm   It’s hard to compete in a golf match with a long ball hitter, but it’s not impossible.  Many long ball hitters don’t excel at their approach game.  Long ball hitters are concerned about power, so when it comes to short approach shots (within 100 yards), they lack finesse.

To equalize the playing field, sharpen-up on your approach shots.  Your accuracy will more than make up for your lack of distance.  After you’ve beaten your opponent, to their amazement, they will wonder “how it happened.”

Instead of spending hours on the practice range trying to improve your length, take that time to practice shots of 100 yards or less.  Doing so will level the playing field and allow you to compete fairly with “King Kong.”

The Biggest Secret in Golf

photo credit: SD Dirk   The greatest players that ever played the game, all had fast hands.  No matter how well you execute the swing you have to have fast hands to hit it long.

As the clubhead enters the impact area, located about a foot or so behind the ball, the hands whip the club (release).  A powerful and well executed release generates a tremedous amount of clubhead speed and is the true secret to hitting it long.  The difficult part is coordinating a powerful release while retaining good balance.  The players that have this capability are the true standouts in golf.

The left hand controls the club throughout the golfswing, it’s job is not to generate hitting power (clubhead speed).  The right hand’s responsibility is to generate power through the hitting zone.

Hip Action in the Swing

photo credit: 배성훤   Your hips must be in a position to turn easily during the entire golf swing.  When there is body tension, the hips become locked and this prevents the body from moving smoothly through the shot.  A shoulder turn, to many amateurs, implies that the hips will also turn; this is a huge misconception.

If the hips are locked during the backswing, it will invariably pull the head back which immediately throws the swing out of plain.  When the hips are allowed to rotate naturally, they will pull the shoulders back automatically.  In order to free up your hips, set up in a closed stance (right foot a few inches behind target line) with an easy looseness in your right leg.

Against the Cut

photo credit: star5112   The “cut,” for those unaware, is where the rough meets the green’s fringe.  The fringe is the short grass, immediately surrounding the green.  Most players know of only two choices for a  ball resting against the rough and fringe, chip it or putt it.  The other solution is to “blade” the ball. 

HOW TO:  Take a lofted club such as a pitching wedge, use a putting grip and choke way down.  Play the ball off your back foot.  Hover the wedge’s blade edge halfway up the ball, aiming to strike it against the (equator).  Make a normal putting stroke which puts top spin on the ball.  The weight of the clubhead cuts nicely through the rough without getting hung up in the grass on the backswing.

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