Faulty Grip

photo credit: klavr     If you grip the club incorrectly, you will never have a good swing.   An improper grip will create a condition where continual adjustments will have to be made during the swing.   These continual swing  adjustments will create inconsistency.  

The swing is a very complicated maneuver, a faulty grip complicates it even further.   One of the most difficult tasks for any golfer, especially if they have been playing for a number of years, is to go from a poor grip, to a  good grip.   If a golfer has a bad grip and is shown the correct grip, all of a sudden he will begin hitting bad shots.   This is because his new grip forces him to re-adjust his swing.   It's like starting all over again.

The Golf Shot

photo credit: rioncm      The Typical Golf Shot:   1)   Study the shot to be played, within your own capabilities.   2)   Select the right club.   3)   Assume the correct grip.   4)   Take the correct stance.   5)   Maintain the correct posture.   6)   Keep weight on the inside of both feet.   7)   Left knee points behind the ball.   8)   Take the club back with your shoulders and left arm. 9)   Cock your wrists fully at the top of the backswing.   10)   Start the downswing with your right knee moving towards the target.   11)   Keep your head steady.   12)   Keep you hands ahead of the clubhead through the impact zone (beginning one foot behind the ball).   13)   Whip your right hand into the shot just before impact.

Short Pitch

photo credit: Claus Rebler     The short pitch shot should be hit crisply and firmly.   Take the club back slightly on the outside of the line and swing through on a slightly inside path.   This will create a high cut-shot.   The outside-in swing path is negated by an open stance.

Take a backswing that is just a bit longer than you think you may need.   The ball tends to fall short because the amount of backspin creates more lift and height.   If your grip is too low on the club you tend to push instead of hitting the ball, doing so results in a shot without backspin leading to an uncontrollable roll once it lands on the green.

Throughout the shot, keep your weight on your lead foot and use an open stance.   Don't quit on the shot.

Waggle: Mini-Swing

photo credit: nsaplayer     Every  serious golfer  should  spend time developing a waggle because  of the important role it plays in the  golf swing;   it's a mini-swing.    During the waggle, the golfer is  given the opportunity to  coordinate the conscious and subconscious actions in a preliminary routine that is far beyond just being a simple mannerism.   It is a  carefully worked-out and  orchestrated part of the the golf  swing.

The waggle gives the golfer a last minute  perspective of  their grip, aim, stance and posture; all the while keeping muscle tension to a minimum.   A natural extension of the waggle is the swing itself.   Once the swing begins, there is no time to think.   Thinking should only occur during the waggle not in the swing itself.

Head Position

photo credit: nsaplayer     There are two extremely important factors that make up the core of every good golf swing:   A.   Placement of the feet.   B.   Keeping the head still.   The latter is the most important.   A steady head assures that the proper balance will be maintained throughout the swing.    

The average player  tries to hit the ball with a “body heave.”    There is a great loss of clubhead speed because  the high handicap player tries  to stiff-arm the shot which is the direct result of not keeping the head still.

The head and the  two feet form a triangle.   This triangular form must remain  consistent throughout the entire swing.   If it changes in any way and breaks down  (if the imaginary straight  lines are broken),  the shot will be ruined.

Weight Distribution for Irons

photo credit: star5112     Most iron shots are hit badly because of poor weight distribution.   In order to get the ball airborne correctly, the tendency is to keep more weight on the  right side (leg) but doing so only increases the probability of making a poor shot.  

In order to make a good iron shot, the sole of the club must contact the ball before it reaches the bottom of it's arc.   Doing so:    (1)      Puts backspin on the ball  which creates  lift.   (2)   Eliminates hitting behind the ball,  which could cuase a topped shot.   (3)   Gets the hands ahead of the ball when contact is being made.

“For right handers, placing more of your weight on the left side (60 – 70%) will help get the clubhead moving on the correct downward path.

Topped Shots

photo credit: BallGame68     A topped shot is when the ball is struck above it's center point by the sole of the clubhead.   Consequently, the ball does not get airborne and dribbles along the ground.   The normal reaction after a topped shot is to bend slightly more at the waist  during the  next shot. . . wrong !

One of the common errors made by many  players is to bend too much at the waist  during the address position.   When the swing begins, they naturally  straighten up which causes the clubhead to raise slightly at impact.   In most cases they think they've looked up during the swing which is  the wrong conclusion.  

During the address position it is imperative that your posture should be  more upright as opposed to leaning too much towards the ball.

Whip the Right Hand

photo credit: rioncm     The right forefinger, nearest the palm, must function positively in the hitting action.   When the grip of the right hand lies firmly between the forefinger and the thumb, it is in perfect position for a fast, firm, lashing action which is a critical move in generating clubhead speed.

Your left hand must retain control of the club.   Wasting the left-hand action too soon is a common error of most high handicappers.   The mistake is made by straightening the wrists immediately after the downswing begins.   The ball is then contacted by a stiff arm push instead of a whipping action.

Maintain the proper grip and you will prevent an early whip of the right hand.   The right hand must not take control of the swing !

Functions of the Golf Club

photo credit: Dru Bloomfield –       (1)   Between address and finish, the clubface travels a distance between twenty  and twenty six feet.   (2)   Only one square inch of the clubface must be in precise contact with   just one sector of a sphere  one  and sixty-eight hundredths inches in diameter.   Any deviation from perfect contact will  result in  an imperfect golf shot.

The precise contact  must be made  in spite of the twisting and turning of your body. . . feet and legs are moving, shoulders are turning, arms are swinging, wrists are hinging, fingers are moving, head is moving etc.   These complicated movements must all be coordinated and timed perfectly in order make a good shot.  

All of this, to get the ball in a hole four and one-quarter inches wide, hundreds of yards away.

What Makes a Great Golfer?

photo credit: Lisa Sanderson     Playing golf is not really about making good shots, it's about avoiding bad shots.   Eliminating mistakes is what  the game is  all about.    No matter how many good shots you make, one  bad shot can  literally  ruin your round.

A golfer can be a good  ball-striker  but a bad player.    Being a good ball striker is only half the battle,  using good strategy is the other half.  

Most bad shots are made worst by using poor judgement on the following shot.   If in the rough, don't go for the green, play the safe shot in the fairway to  set up an easy approach shot.    Most of the time,  making a  good decision  can  far outweigh  making  a good golf shot    !

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