As a golf instructor, I tend to see some very common faults and mistakes displayed in the swings of many levels of players we instruct. This post, describes the most common faults I see in the long game, tomorrow we will discuss the short game. Enjoy!
Driving – Quick at the top
We all want to hit a long ball off the tee, but most of you don’t have the proper swing technique to do so. Maintaining your wrist cock on the downswing (or creating lag) is imperative to generating higher swing speeds. One surefire way to put a wrench in this move is to get quick at the top of your backswing.
When I say “quick at the top” I basically mean that you don’t complete your backswing and shoulder turn. Then as you start your downswing, your upper body unwinds improperly and your arms get thrown out away from your body. This now becomes a salvage mission… in order to make contact with the ball you must lift up and pull your arms inwards, to do this you also have to release your wrist prematurely, drastically reducing your swing speed. At the top, complete your backswing, let your arms begin dropping down, before swinging through. A smooth transition at the top is imperative to reating a solid lag position into the ball.
Fairway Woods & Hybrids – Too steep
Have you ever popped up or hit your fairway woods or hybrids fat? This is because you’re swinging them like you should be your irons. These clubs are designed to sweep the ball off the ground, there should be little to no divot being taken at impact. You’ll have to make your swing a little more baseball like to improve your contact with these clubs.
Long Irons– Too flat
Long irons are hard to hit well, lets face it, that’s why they created hybrids. If you’re like me and still prefer long irons to hybrids, this tip may help you out. There are two types of full-swings in golf. As described above, woods and designed to sweep a ball off the tee, fairway etc., irons are designed to make divots, and hit the ball with a descending blow. Your long irons are no different, you must hit down on the ball and make a small divot for proper contact. If you’re swing is too driver like (a flatter swing path) with your long irons, you’ll have a hard time getting them ball airborne, and you’ll often hit them thin.
Keep an eye out for tomorrow’s post on the short game.