There is nothing more satisfying than hitting a golf ball straight, solid, and on the sweet spot. The sound, the feeling, and the result are all a ‘thing of beauty’.
The average golfer might only achieve this a few times during a round of golf. They are left wondering, was it skill or an accident that produced these great shots?
Good ball striking is the key to posting lower scores. If you focus on making good contact every time you hit the ball, then the good shots and lower scores will follow.
Solid contact is required for all your shots in golf. Every club, from your driver down to your putter, requires that you contact the ball with a square club-face at impact.
Most golfers hit shots left and right of their targets because they simply keep repeating bad swings. A repeatable golf swing can only be learned at the practise range. Great swings start with a good position at address. Your set up position in most cases will dictate the outcome of every shot.
When you are practising at the range you should be looking at building swings that you can repeat on the golf course. There are three things that you should be doing when you are practising at the range. First check your set up position to make sure that everything is correct at address. Your ball position, your posture, and balance all need to be checked. Solid iron shots require that you strike the ball with a descending blow that produces a small divot in front of the ball after impact. When hit properly your clubface should compress the ball into the ground through impact. To hit the ball straight the face of your club always needs to be square to your target.
Work on developing a simple repeatable pre-swing routine for every type of shot. If you want to be more consistent on the golf course, then be more consistent in both your preparation and your swing mechanics. The only place that you should be thinking about and working on the mechanical aspects of your game is the practise range. When you are playing a round each shot should involve only three things. First, pick and focus on a target. Second, go through a specific pre-swing routine. Finally, get your body into a relaxed state and take a few rhythmic practise swings. All you need to do now is swing!
Getting your game back in the groove will take some time and require some effort. If you get yourself into a regular practise routine, then all of your shots will start to improve. Your confidence on and off the course will also be better.
Every golfer should take some lessons, if they wish to improve their game. Sometimes all it takes is another set of eyes. Last week I visited an old friend in Myrtle Beach and shared some concerns that I had with my own swing. After seeing my swing on video and making a few swing adjustments my contact and ball flight improved. To ensure that my ball striking continues to improve I plan to visit the practise range regularly over the next few weeks to ensure that I stay in the groove!
Next Week: Putting for Dough
Cameron Burechails (Teaching Professional), The Georgian Bay Golf Academy at Meaford Golf Club (705)441-0865 baygolfacademy@bell.net or www.meafordgolf.com.
