Follow through, balance and observation

It's a common thing at driving ranges around the world. Take a moment from hitting your basket of range balls and have a good look down the line at the other golfers at the range with you.

For starters, by seeing how others swing we can all recognize what a nice swing and not so nice swing looks like, and the usual results that come from those swings. Pay attention to both and look at the body positions of the golfers through the whole process of the golf swing.

The most obvious fault I see with many recreational golfers is on the follow through. Almost all high handicap golfers do not finish with most of their weight on their lead foot and their back foot turned up with the sole of their shoe showing. (see photo)

The high handicappers are usually leaning back on their back foot as they try to 'hoist' the ball into the air. If we were to throw a ball or pass/shoot a puck at a target with accuracy (and power) or try to hit a home run, we would shift our weight to the lead foot to act as a brace as the rest of our torso is carried through the action by momentum.

Poor balance is also usually evident as few casual golfers seem to 'pose' and watch their shots after impact. The next time you are at the driving range try to imitate the guys on TV and hold that proper finish position until your ball lands and/or stops rolling.

Some instructors call this learning the swing from the finish and going backwards. I believe that it can really help a lot of golfers out there because like the act of walking or swinging a baseball bat, you shouldn't (and I bet won't) be analyzing how you are swinging the club back to the top of your swing. Then just swing down at the ball and work on your balance by holding your finish.

A good drill for practising balance is stand in an open space (indoors or out) and stretch your arms out to your sides. Then close your eyes and count to thirty. Too easy? Okay now lift one leg just slightly off the ground and with your arms outstretched, close your eyes and count to thirty. Unless you are a ninja, you will be challenged at first to stay balanced with your eyes closed and arms outstretched. You should also feel the small stabilizer muscles in your lower legs working like crazy to help you stay balanced. Try it barefoot, with shoes on, on hard ground, grass, a balance board (super ninja). It is a really good exercise for getting better balance and strengthening your lead leg to help hold you in place after swinging the golf.

Don't get all psyched out when looking down at that little white ball. Just go off to the side of the range or your back yard and swing (swat) at all the dandelions or weeds (if you have them it's more fun then getting down on your knees and pulling them out). Notice how free and easy you swing and try to hold your finish for a few seconds or so. If you have full length sliding glass doors, take some practise swings in front of them and look at your reflection in the glass. Hold that finish.

Try to imitate and copy the pros on TV and soon enough you'll be hitting it like them!

Understanding Impact

Everybody's swing is different. Even on the PGA Tour there are no two swings alike. You could line up hundreds of golfers of varying skill levels that are similar in size and build and you would still not see two swings that are exactly the same.

But what you would see is how different the better golfers come into the impact zone than the less experienced/skilled golfer and strike the golf ball.

I see so many golfers that are new to the sport or have been playing for years but fail to improve and break 100 or lower their scores or hit the ball better because they don't understand the most critical part of the golf swing. They don't understand proper impact.

These frustrated golfers' most common mistake is that they add loft to the club. If at the moment of impact a snapshot was taken they would see their body behind the ball with most of their weight on their back foot, the shaft of the golf club would resemble a similar position as it did at address and their wrists will have 'broken' down as they have 'flicked' at the golf ball. They 'scoop' and try to help the golf ball into the air and think that golf is so difficult because the golf club has such a small margin of error as they try to slide it under the golf ball's equator but not take too much turf. For this reason many of these golfers prefer to hit range balls off the artificial turf matts that allow the golf club to bounce, not dig in and thus slide under the golf ball. The artificial turf does nothing to help teach them to hit a golf ball properly under real 'on course' conditions.

The proper way to strike a golf ball is the same for chipping as it is with the full swing. The hands need to be ahead of the ball at impact in order for the club to strike the ball crisply. The easiest way to get the feeling of your hands ahead of the ball is to at address with your hands on the club, 'press' your hands forward toward the target and angle the shaft of the golf club. If you took most irons and let them rest on a hard surface you will notice that when the sole of the club is resting on the ground the shaft naturally angles towards the target and your left side. (This angle is most evident in the short irons and gradually lessens as you get into the long irons and woods.) The left side is also where you need most of your weight to be as you impact the golf ball. The exact opposite of what many beginner and less skilled golfers do!

Think of the golf swing as the same motion we use to throw a ball or a frisbee, or most things for that matter. There is a transfer of energy, a shift of our weight forward to help 'sling', propel the object forward or towards the intended target. Another way to think about it is if you were holding a rope attached to something heavy and you were pulling from your side. To get the heavy object moving towards you and in the desired direction you would lean away from it and would feel in your left side (your lat muscles) tension as your torso twists and your arms are pulled straight from the heavy object. We wouldn't pull something heavy or be in a tug of war standing completely upright with our arms bent. We would lose that tug of war every time! A good way to see and feel the motion with a golf club is to grip a club and stand as you would when addressing a golf ball, with the golf club head resting at the edge of a heavy mat. Now without swinging, try to move that heavy mat towards your target and you should see and feel what I am referring to as proper impact position.

So by having the hands ahead of the ball at impact and our weight shifting forward, with forward shaft lean on the golf club we can descend slightly down onto the ball and strike it crisply. Those divots you see flying through the air when the pros on TV hit an iron shot actually occur after the ball has hit the clubface. The club is merely still descending down into the ground before following through.

Come on out and visit me at Olympic View Golf Club and I would be more than happy to help you achieve solid impact and improve all other aspects of your golf game. Our beautiful grass practise facility and short game areas will allow you to learn real golf under real conditions and you will start to see real improvement in your game.

Daylight Savings Time means Golf Season is here!

Tomorrow is the big day! We all move our clocks forward one hour, which means more daylight, which means more time after work to go outside and play some golf!

The weather is gradully improving, temperatures are getting milder so it's time for all you fair weather golfers to dust off the golf clubs and get ready for a great season of golf.

Before you rush out to the golf course after hauling the clubs out of the garage there are a couple of things you should do. First check out your golf equipment and make sure they haven't had your motorcycle leaning against them all winter or some critters have sniffed out that half eaten energy bar you left in your golf bag and eaten a hole right through your golf bag!

Once you have checked out the golf equipment, check out your equipment. I'm referring to your whole body - Have you been active at all this winter? Watching golf on TV doesn't count. You need to start doing some stretching everyday to get those limbs loosened up and ready for swinging the sticks. Getting outside and going for some walks around the neighbourhood is good idea too to get the numbness and some blood flowing back into those legs.

The next step is to contact me and get yourself (and friends and family) tuned up and ready for a great spring and summer of golf! I am available anytime at Olympic View Golf Club for golf lessons in Victoria, BC.

I look forward to seeing you at the course!
alaursen@golfbc.com