Control Your Trajectory
Controlling your shots’ trajectory is a great way to control your distance. For example, if the pin is cut in the front of the green, hit a high shot that lands soft; if the pin is in the back of the green (and there isn’t a gaping hazard in the front of the green), hit the ball low and let it run up the flag. Here’s how to play both shots (and those in between):
HIGH SHOT: At address, position the ball about one more ball forward (toward the target) in your stance. Stand slightly closer to the ball. (This promotes a more upright swing and helps you hit the ball higher.) Then, make a full swing and finish with your hands high.
SLIGHTLY LOWER SHOT: Grip down on the club about an inch or two and swing nor- mally. This lowers your ballflight slightly and takes five to 10 yards off the distance of a normal shot.
MEDIUM-LOW SHOT: Grip down, play the ball back in your stance (about one ball farther back than normal) and make a normal swing.
LOW SHOT: Grip down on the handle, play the ball back in your stance and place about 60 percent of your weight on your left foot. Make a ¾-length swing on your backswing and followthrough, and keep your hands ahead of the clubhead at impact.
To score well, you have to hit the ball as close as possi- ble to the pin. After all, the closer your approach shots are, the shorter your putts will be, and the better chance you’ll have of making birdie or saving par. Of course knocking it tight isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Maintain Your Right-Hand Angle
A great way to help you not only make crisp contact but also control your shot’s direction is to maintain your right wrist angle throughout the swing. To ingrain this feeling, place your left index and middle fingers on the back of your right wrist at address. Next, make a practice backswing with only your right hand/arm. As you make your downswing, maintain the angle in your right wrist as though you were pulling slightly on it with the two fingers of your left hand. Most amateur golfers release this angle too early so their right palms face up as their hands/wrists pass through impact. Instead, Keep their right palm facing the target as long as possible as you go through impact.
Step On It!
To help determine the trajectory on which your shots will take off, all you have to do is place your foot on the club’s face. Simply lay a club on the ground with its butt end pointing toward your target. Then place your foot on its clubface. The grip end will rise off the ground, and the angle created between it and the ground will give you the approximate tra- jectory the ball will take off on. The lower the club number, the lower the loft and trajectory.
Escape A Divot
To escape this tough lie, you need the proper setup. First, move the ball back in your stance and set your weight on your lead leg. Then move your hands ahead of the clubhead. Stand a little bit closer to the ball and grip down on the club. Address the ball so that your club’s toe is lower than its heel, then swing with a slightly more vertical motion, hitting down into the ball with your hands ahead of the clubhead at impact. You’ll create a short, punch-type followthrough, and your hands will remain ahead of the clubhead.
Control Your Backspin
FOR MORE SPIN:
To hit a shot with more spin, place the ball slightly back in your stance and slightly open your stance. Also, lean your weight toward the target to promote a more descending blow. Rotate your hands slightly to the right (strengthening your grip) and make a ¾-length backswing, maintaining the link between your arms and chest. At impact, rotate your torso, keeping your hands and arms passive as you do so. Don’t allow your clubface to turn over. You’ll need to accelerate to a short followthrough where the clubface is held open (so it matches your spine angle) for maximum spin.
LESS SPIN: To hit a shot with less spin, take one more club than you nor- mally would and make a shorter, fluid swing that focuses on tempo and allows the club to swing to a full finish.
Make Crisp Contact
The key to making solid contact is to keep your hands ahead of the clubhead at impact. The back of your left wrist should be flat, not cupped, at impact. This will help you produce a descending blow and the desired piercing ballflight.
To get the ball airborne, amateurs often try to lift the ball in the air. However, this results in a scooping action that prohibits them from making solid contact and, hence, controlling their shot’s trajectory and distance.
If you start with too much weight on your right side in order to lift the ball up, you’ll have too much weight on your right side at impact. This will cause inconsistent shots.
Ingrain Good Tempo And Posture
It’s a fact. Many amateur golfers swing too hard. Not that swinging hard is bad, but if you don’t play enough or have the flexibility needed to stay in the proper body angles during your swing, then you’re not going to be able to take advantage of your powerful motion. If you tend to stand up or dip in your downswing, you won’t make good contact. In fact, you’ll either top it or chunk it. Make a ¾-length backswing and try to stay in your original spine angle throughout the swing. That will ensure that you stay in your posture and keep a good tempo.
Here’s a great drill that’ll help you stay in your posture throughout your swing. Simply place the club behind your shoulders and hold its head and grip. Then turn back and through, retaining the same spine angle you had at address. It may be a tough stretch for some of you, but with a little practice, you’ll be able to feel what It’s like to stay in your shot from start to finish.
Control Your Wedge Distance
One way to control the distance of your wedge shots is to determine how far you hit them with swings of vary- ing lengths. A great visual aid for this is to imagine that you’re swinging in front of a clock. Set up and imagine that the ball is at 6:00. For a 3⁄4 shot, your left arm should be at 10:00 on the clock; for a half shot, your left arm should be at the 9:00 position (or parallel to the ground). Continue to swing with your normal tempo and then calculate the average distance you hit each club, based on different times. You should have two base yardages for each one of your short irons and wedges, plus the vast majority of distances covered. From this base position, you can grip down on the club and/or adjust the length of your swing to better control your distance.
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