MAKING SOLID CONTACT

May 4, 2008

Here we are for another season of golf tips. I am really looking forward to offering tips throughout the season. I encourage anyone that would like to see an article on a specific topic to please email me and I will be glad to write an article about your subject. Nothing in golf is more fun than hitting a shot solidly off the middle of the clubface, then watching it fly long and straight. Solid contact and consistent shot making is the goal for every golfer. If you can’t hit solid shots, then you are unlikely to play well, score well or have much fun on the course. For a lot of golfers, making solid contact is difficult to accomplish with any consistency. Too many golfers hit the ball off the top of the club head, the bottom of the club head, the toe or the heel. I will try to cover some of the miss-hits and the cause of these miss-hits and hopefully these tips will allow you to hit the sweet spot more often.

Off the Top of the Club
Weight transfer is usually the cause of hitting the ball off the top of the club, which causes the pop-up shot. These shots are usually caused by a reverse-pivot. As you swing the club back your weight shifts towards the target and this will cause you to make a steep downswing and as a result you hit the ball off the top of the club. You can fix this by focusing on making a level shoulder turn on your backswing and making sure you shift your weight to the inside of your right foot on the backswing. Your left shoulder should be behind the ball at the top of your backswing and not in front of the ball. I would also suggest checking your tee height. Some golfers just tee the ball too high, which can result in a pop-up.

Off the Bottom of the Club
Are you tired of hitting the worm-burner along the ground? Consistently hitting the ball low on the clubface is a result of posture change during the swing. Lifting your head is not the problem. Focus instead on your body turn back and through, while maintaining the bend from your hips that you had at address. Turn your left shoulder under your chin on the backswing and your right shoulder under your chin on your through swing. You always want to finish the shot with a balanced finish.

Off the Heel
Are you scared of the hosel rocket? There are two common causes of heeled shots. The first is a faulty swing path. You take the club too far inside the target line on the backswing and then you swing it outside the line on the way down. The second problem is poor balance through impact. You want to maintain the balance on the balls of your feet throughout the golf swing.

Off the Toe
The toe shots are usually caused from a golf swing that goes to up and down back and through the golf ball. You want to make sure you are making a full shoulder turn away from the ball. Your left arm goes across your chest as you turn your back to the target. This will allow you to swing the club down from the inside on a more rounded arc, which will allow solid contact.

Hopefully these tips will allow you to hit the ball more solid with consistency and you will enjoy the game of golf even more.

close window