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Golf

2012-11-01 14:55:35

Ask the pro - series

A- Thus far in this series, with help from several sources, we have talked about the things that one must do to first get in the position to begin the swing. All of the previous articles are featured at www.theqandatimes.com. They have been the grip, the alignment and the stance. The swing is broken down into two parts. The backswing…and the downswing. We have already discussed the backswing…and part of the downswing relative to keeping the head back and making no effort to move the golf club, and how it all should feel; the downswing…and the checkpoints. We have talked about the biggest problem of amateur golfers…the slice, and the other way the ball can bend badly…the hook. We have talked about what are called “fat” or “thin” shots, the in-to-out swing and recently about the most seductive and destructive medium in the game...that of the natural urge to act in the obvious way to achieve the desired result. The destructive side of this lies in the fact that in golf (as in many other things), the obvious way is not always the right way. This month we will continue talking about some more related topics. HEEL SHOTS: On wood shots, the heel of the club, rather than the club face, makes contact with the ball, resulting in a miserable-looking ground ball to the extreme left. This can result from your weight being too far forward at impact. Try to keep weight more on your heels. Make sure you are not standing too close to the ball. Extend arms fully at address. This will help make sure that the clubface arrives in the proper alignment at impact. Heel shots, scoobies, go rights, or the dreaded "S" word are caused by one thing… “coming over the top.” Coming over the top or swinging across your downward swing path is perhaps the most common swing fault in golf. The path or arc of the golf swing should be circular (about 45 degrees) on the backswing and a little less circular (about 43 degrees) on the downswing. That variance in plane is called swinging inside. A great cure for coming over the top is to let your right shoulder (for R/H players) come UNDERNEATH your chin on your downswing. You may also feel that you are hitting the ball (in baseball terms) to right field. Dropping your right shoulder will free up the club to extend out toward your target and eliminate the possibility of a heel shot. LOSING DISTANCE: If you are battling with a lack of distance, one of the first things you should concentrate on is releasing your hands through the ball correctly. Make sure that your forearms are close together at impact, and after impact, your forearms should form an “X” or be crossed. This will ensure that you are not blocking the ball, it will help with the slice, and will do wonders for your distance. Good points are: Be sure to make a full turn. Maintain a relaxed body with light grip. Keep left side firm with left knee bent through impact. Swing through the ball, not at it. Keep arms fully extended through impact. POOR TEMPO: The problem comes from improper speed and timing of golf swing that produces errant shots. During the golf swing, all those moving parts must proceed with the proper speed and sequence to produce good results. This is called tempo. Poor tempo results mostly from swinging too fast, either out of anxiety or the desire to hit the ball as far as possible. To correct tempo problems, try to swing the club using the large leg and body muscles rather than your arms and hands. Hit with 80% of your power, using the same effort you would use with a seven-iron. Don’t rush the downswing. Take a full coil, start the downswing with your legs and hips and let your arms drop into the hitting position before turning on the power. More next month…