March, 2010 Archive
March 4th, 2010 by admin in golf instruction
photo credit: pdbreen Good posture is one of the most important elements of the golf swing. Swinging correctly is the result of good posture. The body should flex at two main points: the hips and the knees.
Many players make the mistake of bending at the waist rather than the hips, doing so will restrict a good body-turn going back. If your hips are bent too far it forces your shoulders to turn unnaturally which will lead to a steep swing and a slice. A good way to check if your bent over too far is if the toe of the club is off the ground at address.
Knee flex should be enough to feel your body weight on the balls of your feet.
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March 3rd, 2010 by admin in golf instruction
photo credit: SouthAsiaGolf Setting the shaft at address is the major difference between pitch and chip shots. With a chip shot your hands are set further ahead of the ball at address and as the ball is hit, the grip end of the club is leaning forward and in this manner you have essentially delofted the club. The leading edge of the club hits the ball first and then contacts the ground.
During a pitch shot, as the clubhead strikes the ball the shaft of the club is nearly vertical and the grip is just slightly ahead. The bounce of the club hits the ground as the ball is struck. The bounce of the club does not allow the leading edge of the club to dig into the ground.
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March 3rd, 2010 by admin in golf instruction
photo credit: mfury Not that long ago players had only two wedges to choose from, the pitching wedge and the sand wedge. For more than a few years now, wedges have become available in a variety of lofts. In today’s game, it’s not uncommon for many PGA Tour players to carry three wedges in their golf bags.
The typical lofts are: 1) Pitching wedge > 48 degrees. 2) Gap wedge > 52 – 56 degrees. 3) Lob wedge > 60 degrees. Keep in mind that as the loft of the club increases two things happen: A) shot distance will be shorter. B) shots will fly higher. Most full approach shots (approximately 100 yards) can be hit with a pitching wedge. The gap and lob wedges are used closer than 100 yards.
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March 2nd, 2010 by admin in golf instruction
photo credit: SergioDJT Amateurs tend to skull (hit the ball in the center) hardpan shots. The key to this shot is to hit the ball first. In many cases the sole of the club will make contact with the ground first and then bounce into the ball causing the skulled shot.
The bottom of the swing arc must be at the point of contact with the ball, if the arc moves back, you will hit behind the ball and skull it. Keep in mind that there is no grass between the ball and your clubface, therefore, you will get more backspin on this type of shot. Be sure to keep your weight on your lead side and make a good strong follow-through. Don’t quit on it!
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March 2nd, 2010 by admin in golf instruction
photo credit: nsaplayer If your ball lies in the center of a divot, play it like a chip and run. The key to this shot is to hit the ball first. If the clubhead is allowed to hit the ground before the ball it may bounce, left or right, from the edge of the divot and throw your shot off line. You must dig hard with the leading edge of the club.
If you lean back and try to scoop the ball from the divot lie, you will hit it fat (well before the ball) with extremely poor results. You must keep your weight on your lead side in order to strike the ball cleanly. Don’t try to help the ball in the air. If you hit the ball first, the shot will come off perfectly.
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