- Try to keep your right elbow along the seam of your golf shirt. If your elbow flies skyward, your shoulder naturally follows. This should eliminate the action of “coming over the top” and sapping the energy that you are trying to build up.
- When on the range, take your golf towel, roll it up in a ball, and then tuck it under your right armpit. Swing the club trying to hold the balled up towel under your armpit for as long as you can. The towel should naturally fall as you approach the top of your backswing.
- There are three basic grips; overlapping or Vardon grip, Interlocking grip and ten finger or Baseball grip. All three have their merits and detriments. What you need to do is research the pros and cons of each and choose which one you want to try. I say try because it is not only common, but also suggested that you are willing to experiment with each grip until you find which works best for you.
- Alignment is the action of getting your body lined up so that you are aimed at your target. Duh? I know it sounds redundant, but so many mistakes are made in this area. Here is the routine I use. Tee the ball up. Walk around to a point where you can look over your teed ball down the fairway at your target. Immediately get into the position over the ball with your target in mind and align yourself properly.
- Now that your grip and alignment have been addressed (forgive the pun), get into your stance. Grip the club, flex your knees (don’t bend them), bend at the waist and put the club behind the ball. Make sure that the space between your belt buckle and your left hand is comfortable (no more than a fist width). Then…Grip It and Rip It.
Keep your hands low
Tired of hitting a drive that balloons, drifts right of right and goes absolutely nowhere? Try controlling that high ball flight by keeping your hands low on your follow through. A lot of players will try this move when presented with a shot into the wind, which is a good thing. But I would suggest that if you suffer from a ball flight that is too high and weak, use a low follow through to control the trajectory.
Develop a strong spine angle
In order to work on your spine angle position, you will need to enlist the aid of a third party to give you feedback. It all starts with your alignment and stance. Assuming that your clubs are the proper length, get into a comfortable athletic position. I tell people to flex their knees and bend at the waist. Keep your spine as straight as possible. Take the club away low and slow. Stop at the top of your backswing. It is at this point that you need to take notice of what has happened with your spine angle. If you have turned your shoulders around your spine properly, your right forearm should be parallel with your spine. Practice on getting yourself into this position and you will be well on your way to a solid, repeatable golf swing.
Trust the lag for power
The ability to load your wrists, maintain the lag and release the club at the right time is essential to getting the most out of every club in your bag when it comes to full swing golf shots. When looking at this principle it is important to realize that creating that lag starts with your takeaway. Although it is correct to be low and slow when you take the club away, make sure that you don’t inhibit the cocking of your wrists at this early stage. If you wait too long to hinge your wrists, you can get out of balance and initiate a “reverse pivot”. This is a BAD thing. One way to gain control of your lag is to consciously set your wrists early and make half to three quarter swings until you feel you are making strides towards controlling the lag. You can evolve into full swings after you have developed the ability to; load your wrists, maintain the lag and release at the right time.
Slicing the Ball? Keep your elbow in check
I am going to say something that may not be popular, but…”It can be a detrimental thing to watch PGA tour players and compare our swing with what we see on TV”. Let me explain. When watching a player like John Daly, with his flying elbow, hit the ball so far (and sometimes straight) and then in the next moment seeing Sergio Garcia with his elbow tucked into his body, what are we supposed to make of this? The truth of the matter is that tour players work endlessly on many areas in an attempt to fine tune their swing. The end result sometimes is a bit unorthodox. If you are trying to develop a good golf swing, with or without the help of a golf teacher, focus on the fundamentals. One of those fundamentals is getting your right elbow under control. Here are a couple of hints to help you do this
Give your swing the GAS
Every engine needs to be powered with fuel. When it comes to the engine that drives your golf swing, you need to give it GAS. Gas is; Grip, Alignment and Stance
