To get better flight out of your pitch shots and more distance on full shots you have to make sure you hinge your wrists correctly. It can be difficult to do as we swing around the body but a way to feel correct hinge is to imagine the club is a hammer and you are trying to hammer a nail into the ground in front of you. Hinge from the wrists in front of you and this is a correct hinge.
Now try making a backswing and hinge the same way. This is the correct way to hinge in the backswing with the back of your left hand bending toward your body. This will allow the clubface to stay square and give you more leverage for more power and clubhead speed.
When faced with a shot where you have to hit it over a tree simply choose a smart club then over the ball look to the spot above the tree where you need the ball to travel. This will encourage your upper body to tilt backward as you look up helping you launch the ball up into the air.
Dont over think it just look up and then pull the trigger.
If you feel a little trapped or stuck at impact and feel like you cant quite finish your swing off try opening out your lead foot (left foot for right handers). If the foot is too square on the hips struggle to fully pivot to the target on the follow through causing a loss of speed and therefore distance. Turn the foot out to around 30 degrees and swing through, you will feel its a lot easier to finish the swing off correctly.
I see so many golfers struggle to get the ball in the air with chip shots because they try and ‘help’ it into the air.
As soon as you lift up trying to lift the ball the leading edge contacts the ball sending it shooting along the ground.
You have to remember the club has loft on it (angle on the face) and this is what pops it in the air. Try swinging down into the back of the ball clipping the grass as you do so and the loft on the club will now make contact with the ball sending it into the air.
CLUB SWINGS DOWN……BALL FLY’s UP!
Its that simple.
A really important point with bunker play is to finish off the swing as if its a full swing shot. Because we are hitting the sand the club dramatically slows down through impact making it hard for the ball to come out. So if you stop the club, the ball will stop. Try completing the swing to a full follow through position after hitting the sand and you will see the ball pop out nicely and land soft……Stop the swing from finishing and get ready to hit your next shot from the bunker again!
Many golfers tend to rush the swing and in particular the transition from back swing to down swing. This can really throw your tempo and timing out causing all sorts of problems. When you get to the top of the back swing try a little pause before you start your down swing which will give the body and club more time to reach impact together. Think about an archer pulling back the string, pausing and then releasing……it doesnt get let go as soon as it reaches its full stretch, and doesnt loose any stretch (power) by doing so. So swing to the top, count 1….2… then let it go.
A balanced golf swing is a good golf swing, if you cant hold your follow through position you are out of balance and this can cause lots of different problems in the swing. When you practice try hitting balls with your front foot directly behind your back foot so that they are in line. Make some full swings and try hold your finish position. You may stumble over the first few but after a while your core will kick in and you will be able to do it. Then try a normal stance and see if you can hold your finish. Once your core muscles are activated they will do all the work to keep you balanced resulting in more consistent strikes.
The main factor of good golf swings is rotation. We do not want vertical or lateral movement but we NEED rotational movement. If you are swaying or lifting the chance of getting back to a good impact position is really challenged so make sure you turn. Try getting your leading shoulder to turn to your chin. This will help create more power and consistency of strike.
Golfers tend to overlook the importance of keeping hydrated during their round. If you feel like your game starts to slip towards the end of the round this is quite possibly the reason. You should be going through at least two bottles of powerade/water each round. Get into the routine of having a sip every second hole at least. You will be surprised how much more in control of your game you will be towards the end of the round.
It is really easy to rush through our set-up and become incorrectly aligned to the target. Typically golfers set their body to the target instead of being parallel to the target line.
Start your routine from behind the ball and pick a spot just in front of the ball maybe 1 foot away which is on the same line as the target. Next set your clubface to the spot (easy to do because it is so close) then take your stance to the clubface. This is going to allow your body to be parallel to the target line.
