Pete Styles – PGA Teaching Pro

Now, the issue with getting this clubface square at the point of impact over and over again is actually an issue of timing. For a lot of golfers they can do it occasionally, they can get that clubface square, they can hit lovely straight golf shots, but they can’t do it over and over again particularly not under the pressure of the golf course. Now, clearly it’s about timing because the clubface isn’t square for very long, in a normal swing the clubface is square at setup, but the second you move that clubface back it doesn’t point to the target. Then during the whole swing it doesn’t point to target until one microsecond down here it points to the target and then straight after that it points left of the target. So it’s not like the clubface is square for long, it’s not like a croquet mallet where its pointing down the line for a long time or even a putting stroke where the clubfaces square for longer. If the putting stroke is dead straight back and dead straight through the face is square for longer even on a slight arching putting stroke the face you would class as squarer for a longer period of time. But in a flying shot, full driver shot that clubface is not square for very long at all, therefore the timing is incredibly important.

Now for most golfers, these are professional golfers, they can go to the range set 10 balls with a driver and they can work on that timing. And if you can get that timing good enough they can repeat that shot with decent accuracy and consistency down the middle onto the fairway. But the reality on the golf course is often different to that, because they can’t get into that groove where they can find that timing. Think about on the golf course, if you play par 5 than at par 3 and then a par 4, the par 5 tee shot and the par 4 tee shots are going to be hit with driver but not necessarily a par 3. There might be 20 minute gaps between the two driver shots, you tee off on the first then you play your second, your third, you chip on a couple of putts, go to the par 3 iron off that, chip on a couple of putts, then you get to the 30 then you hit another driver. So there could be 20 minutes between drivers, whereas on the driving range there might be 20 seconds between drivers and obviously when you are hitting a driver, teeing another one up, hitting another driver it’s easy to find that rhythm for that timing. On the golf course you think, “Well, why I’m not as good on the course as I was on the range?” It’s because of the timing and the fact that you are not in that routine, that rhythm.

So one of the things we can do differently is we can change our practise habits, we can leave a bit more time between hitting drivers and see whether you can recreate the issues we have on the range – sorry on the course bring it to the driving range. So if you had to drive round the range, you hit it well putt it away, take a wedge, hit a wedge, take a 7-Iron, hit a 7-Iron go and make a phone call, have a cup of tea give it a bit longer, take the drive out again see whether you can hit that same good shot consistently if you are giving gaps and spaces between them not suggesting after 20 minutes between your drivers, certainly give it a couple of minutes, do something different with a couple of different swings and then try and hit the driver again.

The other issue on the golf course that can affect your timing is the pressure. You might feel more pressure, more tension on the course than you would on the range and the same thing, try and practice differently on the driving range to bring the on course scenario forwards. So, on the driving range it’s a big wide open field, on the golf course it’s a narrow thing with trees on the either side. So try and bring that feeling, that perception on to the driving range, so give yourself little challenges, can I hit my driver between those two flags consistently maybe even make a little bet with yourself that, “If I don’t hit the ball between those two targets I’ve got to do 10 press-ups.” Or something of that nature to put a bit of pressure on yourself so that when you go on the golf course you feel like you’ve practised a more on course situation. And if you can get that right that club face should start to time itself more consistently, because you’ve practiced a more on course real life situation.