A little help for some slicers

If you are one of the vast majority of amateur players who struggle against slicing the ball, it may be because you keep too much weight on your back foot during a swing instead of shifting.  A good way to grove the proper weight shift is to swing on a downward slope.  So stand on a down slope and take a normal swing, and as you swing forward you won’t be able to help pushing more weight to  your front foot.  It’s easy to do and you can practice for just a few minutes a day, and grooving your swing like this will start paying huge dividends in no time.  So find a down slope and learn to shift your weight, you’ll not only find a straighter ball but pick up considerable distance in the process.

How to spin a golf ball onto the green

The perception many amatures have when they watch a PGA tour event is that pros have some secret move or grip which allows them to generate lots of backspin andimmediately stop the ball where it lands on the green.  The truth of the matter is, they do not have to do anything special, and neither does an amature.  Enough spin will be imparted to the ball with the proper swing plane, assuming you have enough swing speed.  Concentrate on making a full turn with your hands high on the backswing, and the ball slightly forward of middle in your stance.  As long as your swing plane is steep enough, and assuming you make solid contact, plenty of spin will be generated to stop a ball on a receptive green. 

A helpful tip is to keep your hands loose while you swing, this will allow them to turn over and generate more swing speed which will help add spin to your ball.  This should be done on all shots not just when you are trying to spin the ball onto the green.

Even most pros do not spin the ball backwards on a level green.  Usually when you see the ball land and jumpbackwards 10 feet, it is because of a slope on the green.  While pros know how to alter their swing slightly to help them add a little more or less spin, it is not worth it for an amature to change their swing plane for an occasional shot, as this is most likely to end up as a very errant shot.  The moral for an amature is to concentrate on learning the correct swing plane and setup, and having a repeatable swing.  This will generate more than enough backspin and even if you are not generating enough to be “impressive” to you, remember that it is better to hit a consistent shot, even if it is not traditionally thought of as a “correct” shot shape, then to occasionally hit a correct shot and occasionally hit unpredictable shots. 

So learn the correct swing plane, work on your game, and concentrate on making consistent swings, and you will find that you can generate more spin than you ever thought possible when hitting into greens.

An Easy Tip to Improve Your Putting

After you mark your ball, when you are putting the ball back on the green, line up the brand name of the ball so it is pointed along the line you are intending to hit the put.  So if you are using a Titleist, have one T against your putter and one aimed out, so the brand name runs along the line of your perfect putting stroke.  Doing this one simple technique will have you hitting more solid puts on a better line in no time!

Keep your front foot turned out for more distance

A tip to pick up a couple extra yards if you are not doing so already.  Turn your front foot out (the foot closest to the target).  Instead of having your toes perpendicular to the target move them slightly outwards towards the target, just a few degrees.  This will allow for greater rotation and a little more freedom for your swing.  It could help you hit the ball straighter if you have a tendency to snap hook the ball as well.  Remember to keep your heels parallel to the target to keep the shot on line.  Take your normal swing, but feel the extra rotational freedom afforded to you.  Helps to encourage a looser (less tense) swing as well which can only spell more distance.

How to Hit a Lob Shot

A lob shot can really come in handy when the ball is below green level or you need to stop the ball quickly after it hits the green.  It is used from 50 yards and in; within the scoring zone so doing all you can to improve in this area will save you the most strokes.  The idea is to hit a high shot that will land softly, that can be executed in close proximity to the green.  Getting good at this shot will get you out of a lot of jams around the green, especially hitting over bunkers and other hazards.

Personally, I find it to be one of the most fun shots to hit and I use it all the time.  When I was younger and hitting a ball around my yard, I obviously couldn’t take full swings or my neighbors cars would look like they were just in a severe hail storm.  Unfortunately though when your a 12 year old male you dont exactly have the self restraint of a robot..or person..or highly trained dolphin.  I think my pet cat had more control.  So when no one was looking obviously a couple  of balls may have found their way down the street; hey its great motivation to hit it straight.  And sometimes the neighbors probably thought Russia just hit their house with an ICBM.  If anyone hasn’t ever heard a ball off a driver hit a house 50 yards away let me tell you..Helen Keller could hear it, its louud.

So anyway the point is when my parents were home I couldn’t really tee it up.  But just chipping the ball around wasn’t really acceptable so I would compromise by taking full swings, but hitting lob shot after lob shot into the tree in the center of our yard.  I got surpisingly deft with this shot and still play it better than anyone I know.  Tiger Woods used to work on this shot inside his house..he would have to hit it over lamps and other breakable objects so it gave him great incentive never to miss.  But if you get good with this shot your going to find every excuse to use it and show it off.  It looks impressive and feels great when you nestle one in close to the pin.

The shot is more about feel than technique.  I can hit this shot off my front foot, back foot, with an inside swing, with an outside swing, weight back, weight forward..you get the picture.  Let me tell you what you will not, under any circumstances, pull it off successfully with, a tight grip.  Keeping your grip loose is absolutely imperative to executing this shot.  If your grip is loose you can pull it off much trickier lies and your feel will be much stronger.  This is how I execute my lob.

• Keep your weight back, and your stance very open.  Keep your body very loose.
• Play the ball in about the middle of your stance or forward in your stance, as long as you stay inside your front foot its fine.
• Open your club face wide open at address.  This will take some getting used to in order to be comfortable but you have to almost lay your club flat.  Use a 56 degree wedge or higher but preferably a 60 degree or higher wedge as the club will be less changed from its intended lie and the shot will have more margin for error.  Essentially what you are doing is taking a club designed to be 60 degrees and making it a 75 or 80 degree wedge.
• Make sure you have some grass under the ball to hit the shot.  Hitting this off hardpan is next to impossible.
• This is the scary part, take an easy but almost full swing with your hands wrist and arms very relaxed.  If you have never hit one you are going to expect the ball to go much farther than it does, but I can take a full swing and the ball will only go about 10 yards.
• Experiment and get a feel for the swing and action of the ball.  As you get better you will be able to develop a great feel for how much to open the club and how hard to swing depending on your lie and what you have to work with.  If you get good with this stroke you will fall in love.  Remember to stay loose!

 

Let me qualify all that with the fact that the majority of the time hitting a lob shot will not be your best play.  Generally around the green you want to keep the ball as low as you can for the most control.  That’s why you putt whenever you can, and don’t make green side chips with a sand wedge.  For the greatest odds at the best scoring, only play a lob shot when it is your only realistic option.  However..Golf is about having fun for most of us.  I play more lobs than I should not only because I have spent hours and hours and hours working on it and am very comfortable with it, but it gives me a lot of enjoyment to swing all out 20 feet from the pin and watch the ball come in high and soft right next to the hole.  It looks impressive and feels great, so if you like it, go with it.  And stay loose!

The Knockdown Shot-Add it to Your Game to Improve Your Wind Play

A knockdown shot is a little bit more advanced skill which you don’t need to get through a round of golf, but adding it is a good idea and could drastically improve your ability to control the ball in wind. 

A knockdown shot will stay lower with more backspin, allowing it to keep a truer flight and be less effected by the wind.  This can help you keep the ball in play off the tee and attack the pin a little more confidently in windy conditions.  Tiger Woods is famous for hitting this shot, you may have heard announcers refer to him hitting his “knockdown 3-wood” off the tee when he needs control.  He doesn’t necessarily limit himself to playing it in the wind because he knows it is a safe shot.  If you learn to hit this shot you may find yourself leaning on it in days when you just can’t find your rhythm and control is lacking.

Hitting the Knockdown shot sounds easy but can take some time to become comfortable with.  Know that you will have to hit a lot of balls at the range before using it on the course.

• To hit it simply move the ball back in your stance to a little forward of center.
• Rotate back without a lot of weight transfer, your not going to load up on your back foot as much as a normal swing.
• Think 1/2 to 3/4 swing.  The shot won’t work if you over swing.  It is meant to have less body rotation and and takeaway than a normal full swing.  Keep your whole hands below shoulder level on the back swing.
• Swing through smoothly and keep your head on the ball the entire time.  This is actually easier with a knockdown than a normal swing and this will promote crisp ballstriking. You want to minimize your divot so think smooth fluid contact.
• Remember to take a little more club than you would otherwise.
• As with all swings do not think about your finish.  How you finish is a result of everything you have done prior to hitting the ball.  If you have issues with your finish it is due to poor setup and or swing mechanics.  Trying to mold your fnish a certain way is useless since the ball is already in flight.
• Practice and more practice.

Learn to use this shot and you may be suprised how often you go to it on the course.  It is useful in a variety of situations and easy to learn if you put in the time.  If you are a high handicapper you may find the crisp contact with this stroke gives you as much/more distance than a full swing and much more control!

Keep playing and enjoying!