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Posts Tagged ‘Golf Practice Tips’

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.

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.

The location in which you place the golf ball in your stance will depend almost entirely upon the type of club you are going to use. 

For example, when making a shot with the driver, you will typically play the ball off your left heel. 

When using a fairway wood, it is generally required that the ball be moved over about 1 inch to the right. When using long irons, the ball will be roughly in the same position, but
just a tad bit behind that. Middle irons will typically have the ball placed an inch or so towards the left of mid-stance.

And lastly, wedges and a short irons should be played from the center point of your stance.

Where To Place The Ball

As a beginner, golfers should concentrate on the basics and learn to initiate contact with the ball as best possible, and for every shot made. Once you have achieved repetitive
contact each time you make your swing, you can start to experiment by varying the positions of the ball.

Doing so will inevitably change the flight path of the ball, however, this is often necessary when you are playing a hole that has you facing unusual circumstances.

Let’s look at an example: By moving the ball an inch or two to the right while using a short iron, you will be required to come into the contact zone on a bit of a steeper angle.
The result will be a lower shot, which is necessary when playing the ball into fierce winds.

If you move the ball to the left side of your address position, a higher shot will be produced, which is required if you must shoot the ball over a tall bush or tree. Another way to induce a higher ball flight is to tee the ball up a little higher when
preparing to drive it. Teeing the ball lower will of course cause the ball to travel closer to the ground.

A Little Practice Goes A Long Way

You heard it before: Practice makes perfect! 

This is especially true when experimenting with ball position.
Whenever you are on the practice range, spend time adjusting your tees and making shots to find out what the results are. Significant changes can be made with the slightest
placement of the tee.

Professional golf players understand this and regardless of your skill level, you should also take the time needed to work on these exercises. You never know what type of shot
you will be required to make on the course. Having the knowledge ahead of time to know what adjustments you can make to get yourself out of a sticky situation is the mark of a great golf player.
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Hit ‘em straight

Ben