The two most common problems that golfers seem to struggle with are a) slicing the ball and b) inconsistent ball striking. Perhaps one time you hit it perfectly off the sweet spot, and the next you either hit it fat (behind the ball) or thin (on top of the ball), even though you're certain your setup, grip, and swing were virtually identical between those two shots. Or maybe you find yourself aiming way to the left (if you're right-handed), hoping that by the time your ball finishes its impressive banana-shaped flight, it will end up somewhere near the fairway. Then, surprisingly, you line up like that only to hit it straight into the trees. After struggling with these same two problems for many years, I have found what I believe is the root cause of both issues, and I would like to share with you what has helped my golf game immensely and hopefully can help yours as well.
We all know that the key to a consistent golf shot is returning the club head to a square position at the point of impact. If your club face is open at impact, the ball will slice. If it's closed at impact, you'll hook your shot. Also, if you don't return the club head so it contacts your ball cleanly on the ground, you'll either be hitting fat or thin, neither of which you want to do. Although many factors can contribute to these problems, one thing I've noticed in my own game and in observing others who have these two issues is this: too much lower body movement during the golf swing.
Very simply put, if anything below your waistline is "loosey-goosey" when you're swinging the golf club, the likelihood of making good shots consistently is almost nil. Watch the professionals on television some weekend and concentrate on their knees while they swing, especially when they're hitting a driver off the tee. You'll immediately see that no matter how hard they swing, their lower body remains very, very still throughout their entire swing motion. In some cases, the distance between the inside of their two knees doesn't even change until after the club impacts the ball. Try to catch the ladies' tour on television and watch their knees. Since many of them wear skirts when they play, the lack of lateral movement in their knees is readily apparent.
When you sway back and then forward, or if your hips move laterally more than an inch or two at most when you shift your weight, you're probably too "noisy" with your lower body when you swing. Fixing this problem doesn't require a lot of strength or special skills, but it does require getting used to what will at first feel like an unnatural swing, but one that will be your best friend once you get accustomed to it and your muscle memory is trained to do it automatically.
One practice drill that you can do in your backyard to learn to shift your weight instead of swaying, which doesn't even require hitting balls, is to get a couple of quarter-inch diameter wood rods that are long enough to be waist high after you push them into the ground (3 to 3 1/2 feet long). You can buy them for very little at your favorite hardware store. Push one into the ground about an inch to the right of the back part of your right foot when you take a stance like you're addressing the ball, and one about an inch to the left of the back part of your left foot. If you've set it up correctly, you're now pretending to address a golf ball with your normal stance, and you have two wood rods pushed into the ground in such a way that the top of each rod is about even with your waist and they're positioned just outside the heel of both your shoes respectively.
Then take some practice swings. You should be able to make a complete swing without touching the rods with either of your hips or with the outside of your knees. This drill will also help you learn to make a full turn in your follow-through while maintaining good balance. Don't stiffen up so much that you don't follow through. Just concentrate on shifting your weight to the inside of your back foot on your backswing, then shifting it to the inside of your front foot on your forward swing, while making a full turn at your waist without moving laterally during any part of the swing. After a while, you'll be shifting your weight back correctly on your backswing but won't be swaying your body when you do so. Likewise, you'll be shifting your weight forward correctly on your downswing but won't be swaying in that direction. Just remember: shifting does not mean swaying!
Now the concept of "coiling" your weight back and shifting it forward will make sense. Many golf tips will refer to coiling against the inside of your back leg on your takeaway, but for years I had no idea what that meant, so I was swaying. Now, I shift, and my game has improved considerably.
Once you get used to how this new swing feels, head to the practice range and hit a bucket of balls with your favorite iron without regard for distance. Any iron will do, but a five or six iron would be a good choice if you're not sure where to begin. Just get used to your new swing while hitting real shots. At first, slow down both your backswing and forward swing. You're not trying to set any distance records. You just need to get the feel of your new swing. As you begin to get used to your new swing, start swinging at your normal pace, but don't swing any harder than you did before applying these techniques. If the driving range allows you to hit off real grass, go ahead and push your wood rods into the ground and hit some shots that way. Keeping your lower body "quiet" applies to all the shots you take, whether it's a driver off the tee or a wedge from 15 feet off the green. By limiting your lower body movement and learning to shift, not sway, you'll consistently return your club head squarely to the ball, thereby eliminating slicing and inconsistent ball striking.
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