GolfGist.com
Golf Swing Keys for a Better Golf Game
Tom Wilson
A) Driver Setup - When setting up to hit a driver - try the following:
Tee the ball about 2-3' behind an oject in the grass in front of your ball.
Then take 3 steps back and 1 step to the left ( for right - handed ). Look
at the ball and the target line with your right eye. Tighten both your left
and right thigh muscles - this was enable a stable base. Walk to the ball
and allow your right eye to follow the target line out towards the target.
This will prevent your shoulders from closing and maintain the proper the
shoulder alignment for the shot.
B) Tee it low and in the center of the clubface for a fade. Tee it high and out
a bit towards the toe for a draw.
C) One the fullswing feel the pad of the right hand in the swing make an
agressive move through the ball on the down swing for a great contact and
hit.
Putting - for the best view of the line stand and ceouch down about 5 - 10\'
from behind the hole.
Chipping - tip up the club in the fingers of the left hand then add the
right hand for the best chipping grip.
1) Pull your toes up to get on the balls of feet and step left - right 3
times. This sets up you proper balance points in your feet as well as
leading to good posture. Remember - good posture can start from the
ground up.
Watch the pro's most of them do this as part of their preshot routine.
2) Lift and separate your chest muscles to try to bring your shoulder
blades closer together. Doing this will help you keep your clubhead on
plane throughout your swing in addition to helping you make a fuller turn.
I find this also helps with my tempo.
3) For the putter and full swing stay in posture from behind the ball to
the ball. When setting up for a putt make sure there is sufficient forward
roll of the shoulders so that your arms can fall properly to the sides of
your body. Forward roll enables you to release the clubhead. This applies
for the full swing as well.
4) For the Driver, take a practice swing and get connected with the upper
arms and the chest. Stay connected thoughout the swing, this will keep the
club on the proper swing plane and stabilize the swing. This also enable
you to keep the club in front of your chest which is a key for good
tempo and ball striking.
5) Chipping - grip club in last 3 fingers of the left hand, then address,
ball and add the right hand. Try gripping the club with the left hand
while your left wrist is flat or bent outwards. Try to take grip while
cleaning blade of face on the bottom of right foot to feel this sensation.
6) Always bend over before gripping the golf club. Your grip orientation
is different while standing tall.
7)If you stand behind the ball looking at your shot to begin your preshot
routine, after you have picked your local spot for alignment, walk fast
to the ball not slowly. By walking fast you will activate proper foot
balance for a dynamic swing sequence. You will also automatically have
better posture because you need better posture to walk fast. You can
slouch easily if you walk slowly
8)Check your shoulders in a mirror. Does one naturally sit lower than the
other? If so then make a manual adjustment as part of your preshot routine
to get your shoulders level.
9)Driver setup, make sure from behind the ball when looking down the hole
that you head is in the second quadrant, and the club is in the first
quadrant... Remember geometry class - put that knowledge to work..
10) While setting up to the golfball with the driver it is important that
you head remains mostly verticle as the club and ball tend to follow the
eye line. One way to do this is during your preshot setup routine, address
the ball by placing the club behind the ball with your right foot in the
batters box, then look straight out, head level across the ball
perpendicular to the target line and THEN step in with your left foot and
adjust your right. Do not stare down at the ball when you do this you will
loose your posture. You should feel yourself standing tall.
11) Putting keys - see the line from beind the ball with your dominant
eye. Setup to the ball and before grounding putter align your shoulder to
the target line by looking at the ball... Good alignment here is key...
12)You will find over time that you will be most consistent with your full swing shots and your longer irons if you
find an easy way to get your left arm on top of your chest cavity. This enables you to make a full shoulder turn behind
the ball. So when you setup or as part of your preshot routine, either grab your right shoulder or shirt sleeve with
your left hand ( yes this is why the pros do this ) or bring your left and right arms together and feel your chest
muscles flexed.
Practice in your bare feet or while standing on a balance board, foam
roller or one foot--anything to help you notice how your weight moves up
and down and front to back. Working on balance drills is especially good
for over-analytical golfers, because it's hard to think too much when
you're totally focused on keeping your body in balance. (From page 206.)
Grip down for shorter shots.
By Sergio Garcia
I increase my feel by progressively gripping down the closer I get to the
hole. Getting the right feel requires some practice, because gripping down
makes the club feel lighter. The more I grip down, the closer to the ball
I have to stand and the narrower my stance gets. The process of closing in
on the ball increases my sensitivity for the shot. (From page 164.)
'Feel' the shot with your eyes
By Sergio Garcia
For me, feel begins with the eyes. I take a couple of practice swings
looking along the target line, which helps me judge how hard I have to hit
the ball. Most amateurs I see spend too much time looking down on their
practice swings. Over the ball, I like to stay in motion, by waggling the
club and gently rocking from foot to foot. This keeps me loose and
connects me to my target better. (From page 162.)
Refine your distance control
By Tom Watson
Here's a fun little practice game that teaches feel for distance and
swing-speed control. Take three clubs--7-iron, 6-iron, 5-iron--and try to
hit them the same distance. You can achieve consistent results by
adjusting the length of your backswing. You will develop a feel for a
shortened swing, which should be slower and produce a shot with less
backspin. (From page 68.)
Relax to free up your stroke
By Stan Utley
People often pull their shoulders up toward their ears and tense up when
they putt, which doesn't let them swing the putter on its natural arc.
I'll tap them on the shoulders and tell them to let the air out. I often
see their shoulders drop a couple of inches after that. Understanding and
feeling the tension release will help you free up your stroke. (From page
194.)
Use the club's toe to flop it
By Tiger Woods, Golf Digest Playing Editor
The flopper is a great example of a feel shot. Set up in a wide stance,
open the clubface to maximize loft, take the club up steeply in a full
backswing and accelerate the clubhead through the shot. Feel the shot in
your hands, and swing to a full finish for maximum height. The key for me
is playing the ball off the toe of my 60-degree wedge. That helps deaden
the contact and control the roll. (From page 55.)
Feel speed in the right hand
By Tiger Woods
My dad taught me to develop my putting touch and feel through
visualization. "Putt to the picture," he would say. As a player who
contols the speed and direction of the putt with his right hand, I try to
feel the speed of the greens in that hand. I've practiced one-handed to
develop my stroke. Concentrate on speed, because if it's off, the line
really doesn't matter. (From page 56.)
Think 'splash,' not 'dig'
By Jim Gregory
The key to hitting great bunker shots is feeling the bounce of your sand
wedge. Let the club glide through the sand, not dig into it. Create a
small explosion, not a big one. By taking less sand, you can control the
flight of the shot better and spin the ball more. The more excavating you
do, the more unpredictable the results will be. (From page 322.)
Feel your arms fold
By Chet Nowak
Avoid the common misconception that to hit the ball straight you need to
keep your arms straight through impact. Instead, feel as if you're
slinging the club over your left shoulder as you turn to face the target.
To do so, you must rotate your shoulders fully and fold the arms