A really important part of the golf swing is to stay balanced throughout the swing. If you can’t hold your finish position then you are unbalanced and risk all sorts of problems delivering the club to the ball.
Check your balance at address. Your body weight should be through your laces. If it is through the heels or the toes then you are unbalanced at address making it virtually impossible to make a balanced swing.
When playing matchplay it is very easy to try match your opponent which can become a problem as you will simply play at whatever level they are playing at. This will disrupt your usual routine and game plan and throw off your game.
Forget the opponent, play the course and let them play to your level. You will feel less pressure and be able to play freely.
Most players are not aware of this but if you make a practice swing by your ball and break even a leaf off a tree around you, then you will incur a penalty as you are deemed to be clearing a path for your actual swing. Make sure you are extra careful making practice swings under trees as it can happen really easily.
One of the worst tips in golf is for a player to try keep their head down through the shot. The head is attached to neck which is attached to the torso and keeping the head down prevents the torso from making a full pivot through the ball.
If the spine angle is maintained the head will simply rotate through with the body as it should so think about turning through the ball rather than keeping your head down.
When hitting pitch shots never try lifting the ball always swing down on it. This allows the loft of the club to lift the ball and it will pop in the air. If you swing up through the ball then the bottom edge of the club will make contact with the ball causing it to run along the ground.
If you are wanting more power you need to be able to coil more. This can be achieved simply at home. Whilst sitting on the couch put your arms across your shoulders and slowly rotate side to side stretching as far as you can. As your lower body is stable on the seat you will create greater tension/stretch in your torso which is a coil.
When you find the dreaded plugged lie in a bunker all might not be lost. These things need to happen in order to get the ball out.
1. Square club face, don’t open it up as this will produce more bounce on the sole of the club making it harder to cut under the ball.
2. Make a full length swing this helps get more momentum to get through the thick sand.
3. the ball will always run as it has less spin so don’t bash the ball out just swing smooth.
Struggling to get the speed right on longer putts? Try this drill. Set up to the ball then turn your head to face the hole. While keeping your eyes on the hole, stroke your putt. After a while you will get the ball rolling at the correct speed. Your body will start reacting to what your are looking at and will let your instinct come out. Bit like a basketballer shooting at a hoop.
The worst possible way to start the round is to rush to the first tee and hit. It could be a good one but odds are it won’t.
Make sure you have everything ready i.e. tees, ball, glove etc at least 5 minutes before your tee time. This way you can be nice and calm as you step up to tee off. It is simple time management. NO EXCUSES
If you are constantly changing the type of golf ball you use you are definitely making it hard to gain a consistent feel with you game. Try to find a ball you like and stick with it. Go through your bag and chuck out all the odd balls and fill up your bag with the same ball. This will help you to gain a better ability of controlling your shots as you will have better understanding for how the ball comes off the club. Seek professional guidance as to what ball would suit your game.
