Most players out there have a natural shape to their ball flight, whether that be a straight (lucky you), fade or a draw. I for one, play a draw, despite having an affair with a nice fade a few years back (ironically, when I was playing my best golf too). While I can talk endlessly about causes of each, this post deals with a particular part of the swing that few golfers realize has an incredible effect on the results of your golf shot – this is called your swing path.
The video below can really help you visualize how your swing path directs the path of your golf ball. As this video explains, an out-to-in swing path (classic over-the-top) will produce pulled shots that start to the left of your target, and depending on your face angle at impact can either move further left, go dead straight left, or fade back to the right. This move is also normally accompanied by an early release of your wrists, which results in a lack of power and distance.
The opposite of this swing fault is an in-to-out swing path that produces pushes, shots that fly right of the target, and again where they end up is dictated by your face angle at impact. While many golfers are likely aware of this, few realize how simple fundamentals like ball position, body posture and your body weight position can drastically effect your swings path.
Here are five things you should know about how the fundamentals effect swing path:
• If the ball is too close your body at address, it becomes incredibly easy to come over the top into impact.
• If your body weight hangs on your rear leg into impact, you’re likely going to push the ball.
• If the ball is too far forward and your stance, coming over the top becomes incredibly easy.
• If the ball is too far back in your stance, pushes become more likely.
• If the ball is too far away from your body, you’re more likely to attack the ball from the inside.
I can’t stress enough how important solid fundamentals are in the golf swing. The simplest mistake can have a drastic affect on the results of your golf shot, and lead to other poor swing mechanics. By putting an emphasis and proper fundamentals you can help reduce the number of swing faults your swing can suffer from, and really start improving your game. I invite you to review the fundamentals at the range by placing an two clubs down on the range in an ‘+’ pattern,
Use one shaft to align your feet, knees, hips and shoulders to your target line, and use the other to better identify the ball position in relation to your stance. You may be surprised to find you ball position creeping forward or back using this method.
Give this drill a shot, take a refresher on your fundamentals, and take your game to the next level.