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A Quick Drill For Consistent Shots

Creating consistent shots in golf is a must. What happens with a lot of players is that, as you look from down the line, the golf club has a tendency to get too vertical on the downswing. It leads to taking too much turf, steep divots, and a ball spinning off to the right.

All of this is influenced by your setup. For example, if you have too much bend in the upper body, and the arms are extended far away from the body, there is a lot of tilt. This causes the golf club to get too vertical on the backswing, which will also create the steepness in the downswing, sticking the club into the ground, and the arms tend to reverse rotate.

So by standing taller at address and getting the end of the golf club pouring more toward your belt buckle, that will put you in an ideal position from address. However, this doesn’t mean that your swing will get more rounded to produce a consistent shot, so a simple drill can help.

The 15, 10, 5 Drill

First take a practice shot with the ball 15 inches above the ground. By swinging so high you have a nice rounded swing, almost like a baseball swing, and after swinging through, it allows you to square up the clubface. Next move to 10 inches above the ground, around and through, then 5, around and through, then on the tee, making sure the end of the golf club is pointed at your belt buckle.

Swing Tip: The Most Important Swing Checkpoint You Should Know

There are several key checkpoints you can rehearse as you practice hitting balls, and this is one of the best:

Perfect Drive Shots By Using Perfect Posture

To hit perfect drives, your feet should be shoulder-width apart with the toes splayed out slightly. The ideal ball position for the driver is opposite the inside of your left heel, because it encourages a sweeping angle of attack, striking the ball slightly on the upswing.

The weight should slightly favor your back foot

Problem Slope Shots: Hitting Below Your Feet

When hitting the ball from a downward slope, that slope will influence the ball flight so you must accept that your stance and the awkward nature of this lie will tend to limit your body rotation.

1) The ball will tend to fly right, so aim to the left of the target. At address, bend from the hips more than you would normally, as this will get you down to the level of the ball. Plenty of knee flex is also advisable, as is a wider stance, to give you more stability.

2) Due to your inhibited turn, your backswing will be more arms-dominated, and therefore shorter and more upright. You’ll generate less power, so club-up accordingly, and maintain a nice smooth rhythm.

3) Swing through as freely as possible within the confines of the slope.

The key to this shot is maintaining your original height and spine angle until the ball is struck. Any tendency to gain height

Learning From The Pros: Improvise Like Steve Ballesteros

There are some very good tips that you can learn from professional golfers of the past. One in particular is Steve Ballesteros, who made significant wins during the 1980’s. Steve was considered to be the most creative golfer of his generation, with a short game to match. These two qualities are inextricable linked.

A good imagination is a prerequisite of a successful short game. You first have to be able to visualize different chip shots around the green and then develop the touch and feel to turn those shots into reality. Chipping is not a one-dimensional affair

Learning From The Pros: Phil Mickelson’s Wrist Hinge

Phil Mickelson has probably the most creative short game of any player at the top of the sport. He can produce a range of magical shots from around the green, including bunker shots.

Mickelson often carries an exceptionally lofted sand-wedge, often as much as 64 degrees, and uses this to generate greenside bunker shots were the ball climbs almost vertically skyward and stops abruptly on landing.

It isn’t all up to the equipment he uses, though, the skill is in the hands too.

He hinges the wrists early in the takeaway to set the club on a very steep angle of attack; this in effect pre-sets a swing arc which is distinctly U-shape in profile. So, the club goes back steeply and then comes down steeply too.

Mickelson then zips the clubhead through the sand under the ball with a fast and aggressive hand action; that’s the key

Learning From The Pros: Paul Casey’s Wide Arc Swing

The best golf tips can come from simply watching the professional play. However, it takes a keen eye at times to really pin-point a pro’s true secret behind specific shots.

A perfect example of this is by watching professional golf player, England’s very own Paul Casey. The distances that Paul Casey can generate with every club in the bag are astonishing. The fairway metal is no exception.

This swing trait, however, disguises the real source of Casey’s power. He sweeps the club away on a wide arc in the backswing and makes a superb upper-body rotation. It is a potent combination, one that any golfer would do well to try to emulate.

It is crucial to have relaxed hands, arms, and shoulders at address. Tension is a total killer. Casey sweeps the club away low to the ground for the first 20 inches and at the same time his left shoulder starts to turn in behind the golf ball. That’s the first power move. From there, the swing just flows.

Swing Tip: Shoulder Positioning

One of the most important aspects of a good golf swing is the positioning of your shoulders when at address. When they are set up correctly, this can be all the steam you need for the perfect golf swing. Positioned improperly, however, can be the trigger to an entire series of bad moves.

Let’s take a common example here: Should you happen to start your address with the shoulders level (parallel to the ground), then the hands begin the swing too far behind the ball.

The results of this will cause you to make unnatural adjustments during the swing in order to get your hands more forward so that you will be in the right hitting position. But if your shoulders are correctly positioned at the right angle, your hands will naturally flow into the proper position during your swing.

How To Set Up The Shoulders Correctly

To get your shoulders set up in the proper position, start by placing your feet first, grab your club, and stand up perfectly straight.

Now, as you take your normal grip, relax the shoulders. As you place the golf club behind the ball you will notice how the right shoulder lowers until it is slightly lower than the left shoulder. This is the right position. Just try not to exaggerate it by dropping the shoulder too low.

Grip Tip: The Correct Thumb Placement That Nobody Talks About

When it comes to the mastering your golf grip there is one important factor involved that I do not see too many golf enthusiasts talking about: How the thumb should be planted on the shaft.

Tournament players, instructors, golf professionals, and weekend golfers alike all share a different view on the matter. Should your thumb be loose? Should it be pressed down tightly? Should the thumb just lie down flat against the top of the shaft?

The Answer To These Questions Are Important

Now if you are the type of golfer who only gets out on the weekends then you probably have a tendency to just grab the club with your left hand, wrap your right hand around it and then be on your way swinging. Unfortunately you are preventing a better grip which can help your game tremendously.

The way you should place your thumb should have it touching as much of the shaft as possible, thus creating a more firm grip. This is especially true if you have small hands.

What I like to do is push my thumb as far down the club shaft as it can go, so long as the grip remains comfortable. By working on your thumb placement in this same manner your grip will give you more control of the club while providing a little extra feel in your swing. Try it and you will notice a difference immediately.

How To Tee Off On The Correct Side

Golf is the type of sport where you must grab every advantage on the golf course that you can find. By paying attention to the many seemingly unimportant details, you can really make a positive difference in your score.

For example, consider something that you probably have never thought about before