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Tuesday, November 19, 2013
The game of golf is difficult enough without the burden of complicated swing thoughts bouncing around inside your head. So let me share with you a random collection of some of the ideas, practice tips and general points of strategy that I have relied upon throughout my career to keep things simple (and believe me, the emphasis here is on simple). This is not rocket science. This is about giving yourself the best opportunity to play your best golf, and I guarantee that taking a handful of these ideas to the course this weekend will save you valuable shots.Tony Johnstone
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1. HEIGHTEN YOUR FOCUS TO BEAT FIRST TEE NERVES
The first tee shot of the day very often sets the tone for the round ahead, so you need to do everything you can to eliminate anxiety and get yourself properly focused as you set up to the ball. For my money, there's nothing easier than placing the ball on the tee so that the lettering faces the clubhead, and then focusing on a specific letter as you address it. Here,my eyes are burning the second ‘T' in Titleist. That's my target, and this one simple thought frees me up to make a positive swing. (On all other shots through the green, simply focus on a single dimple on the back of the ball to achieve the same effect.)
2. TRUST IN A FIRM-WRISTED WAGGLE
The majority of amateur players over-involve the hands and wrists in the swing – and it often starts with the waggle. Because they may have seen a certain tour player making an exaggerated loopy waggle, they believe they have to do the same. You don't. The purpose of a good waggle is simply to maintain a sense of motion so that you don't move from a static position. And you will prime the movement of the club, your hands, arms and body centre with a simple one-piece movement away from the ball.
3. KEEP THE FLEX IN THE RIGHT KNEE
Locking the right leg in the course of making the backswing is a common fault among amateurs (it's the old reverse-pivot scenario,where the weight hangs on the left side and the backswing gets too long –without a positive weight shift and the resistance of a braced left knee there is no effective coil). To replace this with a dynamic backswing movement and a positive weight shift, flex your right knee/thigh at the set-up and feel yourself turn into the right side and against that resistance as you wind up.Your backswing will be more dynamic, rhythmical and loaded with energy and much more power.
As you turn your upper body away from the target, feel your weight flow into the right side – but keep that right knee flexed!
4.DO A GARY PLAYER... AND REALLY COMPLETE YOUR FOLLOW THROUGH
Related to the above, falling off the shot in the through-swing is the inevitable consequence of the reverse-pivot. And when you finish your swing on the back foot with your chest facing well right of the target, that's generally where the ball ends up – well to the right of your target. To overcome that tendency (and I suggest you work on this exercise in conjunction with turning into the right side as illustrated above),make a few practice swings and commit yourself to actually walking after the shot in the manner of one Gary Player. Let your right shoulder freewheel through the ball and walk on after it. This will feel totally alien to begin with, but gradually you will get your right side firing all the way through the shot and the ball will fly towards your target.
Freewheel the clubhead, collecting the ball off the tee-peg...and then walk after the shot.
The key is that you finish with your right shoulder and chest facing the target – exactly where the ball is headed
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