What to think during the Golf Swing

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Some golfers think about keeping their head down. Others think about shifting their weight on the backswing. I get this kind of question from the readers of this site once in a while. Ideally, I would like to just hit the ball without thinking during my golf swing. When you are in the zone, this may become easy. However, it's really hard to swing your golf club without thinking. Most golfers have some king of swing thoughts to think about during the swing. But you certainly don't want to think too much during the swing. If you have more than 2 swing thoughts you should narrow it down to 1.

 

I have 3 patterns. But I don't use more than 2 images or swing thoughts. Here the images or swing thoughts I use.

 

1. Image of hitting it in the middle of the clubface

When I swing, I usually try to re-create the image of the best shot I hit in my mind. When I'm successful of forming that image, I usually hit a good shot. Especially on the downswing, I try to focus on that image. You can also focus on the feeling of solid impact or sound of solid contact with the ball as you swing down.

 

2. Clubface Angle

 On the downswing, I try to focus on the clubface angle. Especially at impact, I try hard to direct my attention to the clubface angle.

 

3. Clubhead path

When I'm hitting specail type of shots like a draw or fade, I focus on the clubhead path. I may align my feet right of target and swing along my feet line to hit a draw. In this case, I focus on the clubhead path and avoid my  tendency to swing to the target (from outside in this case).

 

One of the things I try to avoid thinking about during my swing is the swing mechanics. For instance, I don't think about keeping my right knee flex during my swing. I may work on keeping my right knee flex in practice. But I don't think about it while hitting the actual shot on the course.

 

I don't recommend having a swing thought that has nothing to do with the clubface (or clubface angle) at impact. I have  tested this for many years, but thinking about swing mechanics during the swing produced more bad shots than good shots. Even if it worked, it won't last a long time. But if you must think about swing mechanics, try to keep it down to 1.

 

I don't think too much during my golf swing, but I do pay lots of attention to my grip, ball positions, alignment and posture. And I do that during my routine before the shot. If you have to think about something when hitting shots, pay more attention to the things you can check before pulling the trigger. It will give you much better results.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/golfswing/what-to-swing-during-golf-swing.htm

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How to Transfer Your Weight for More Solid Contact

When you compare amateurs and pros how they transfer their weight, you will realize that there is a big difference. Here is the date which came from the research done by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

 

Position                                                 Pros                                    Amateurs

Top of the swing (Back foot)                  90%                                        50%

Start of the Downswing (Front foot)      110%                                       65%

Impact (Both feet)                                  25%                                        50%

 

But amateurs only put 50% of their weight on their back foot. At the start of the backswing, pros shift most of their weight to the front foot. However, amateurs only shift 65% of their weight to their front foot. You caneasily guess which one will hit the ball further.

 

2 Drills to Learn the Weight Transfer

Generally speaking, with irons, most players can shift their weight to their back foot because the club is shorter. With a driver or fairway woods, because the club is much longer, lots of players fail to transfer their weight during the backswing.

 

2 Drills to Learn the Weight Transfer

Generally speaking, with irons, most players can shift their weight to their back foot because the club is shorter. With a driver or fairway woods, because the club is much longer, lots of players fail to transfer their weight during the backswing. Here are the 2 drills to fix your problems.

 

1. Irons

Take your 7-iron and set up to the ball. Next, I want you to raise your right heel off the ground at address. Hit balls with your right heel up through impact. This drill will teach you how you should transfer your weight to your front foot.

 

2. Driver

With your driver, set up the ball with your left heel off the ground. Now, swing back to the top. At the start of your downswing, put your left heel back on the ground and shift your weight at the same time. When hitting the ball, focus on the back of the ball. This will help you hit it more solid. With both drills, you should swing at 60% and focus on your weight trasfer instead of your clubhead speed. Some players will probably hit the ball much further with this drill than their full swing.

 

Reference:  http://www.golfsamurai.net/golfswing/transfer-weight.htm

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Should You Keep Watching the Ball during the Golf Swing?

I often hear these golf swing advice "Keep your eyes on the ball."

 

This is the correct advice, but how should you watch the ball at address, during the backswing and downswing and impact?

 

Watching the Clubhead Go Back is a Terrible Habit

Some golfers watch the clubhead go back at the start of their backswing. But this is one of the worst habits you can have. They probably picked up this habit while checking  their golf swing positions. But if you do this, you will tend of bad things to the right during the backswing. This could cause all kinds of bad things to happen during your golf swing. It can cause reverse-pivot, swaying toward the target during the downswing, loss of distance, slice and much more.

 

If you have this bad habit, you should stop doing th at. Keep your  eyes on the ball during your backswing through impact. But I don't want you to keep your head still. Your head should rotate to the right as you turn back during the backswing. Because your head and your spine are connected, your head should naturally rotate to the right. But when I ask players to keep their eyes on the ball, they try to keep their head still in an effort to keep watching the golf ball.

 

Allow your head to rotate to the riht. You will feel like you are moving away from the ball because of that. But this is fine as long as you are not swaying to the right. If you find it hard to keep watching the ball during the backswing, try to see the ball with your left eye at the top of your swing. This will help you rotate your head to the right.

 

Which Part of the Ball do you see at Address?

Probably, most players see the top of the ball at address. But let's pretend that the ball is much bigger. If the ball was 5 feet in diameter, would you still try to see the top of it? You would try to see the right side of the ball where your clubface will contact with it. The golf ball is much smaller than that, but you should do the same thing and try to watch the right side of the ball where your clubface will contact with it at impact.

 

How about Impact?

Do you watch the ball at impact? Because the impact occurs in the blink of an eye, you can't actually see the ball at the  moment of impact. But some pros try to see the ball on their mind. They try to see the ball compressed against the clubface and then leave the clubface. I try to re-create the feeling of impact when the clubface perfectly catches the ball and the sound of impact in my mind especially during the downswing through impact.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/golfswing/watch-the-ball.htm

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The Difference between Chipping and Pitching

Friday, December 27, 2013

1. Distance

Chipping: A Chip shot is usually used near the green. Anywhere from a yard to 30 yards off the green.

Pitching: A pitch shot is usually used from more than 30 yard or so from the green.

 

2. Weight Shift

Chipping: No weight shift is needed in general. You put your weight on your front foot at address and keep it there throughout the swing.

Pitching: Depending on the shot, you need to shift your weight to your right side.

 

3. Clubs used for the shot

Chipping: You can use just about any club you like. Sand wedge, 9 iron, 6 iron, utility clubs or fairway woods.

Pitching: Basically, you use lofted clubs to hit the shot.

 

4. Getting over something

Chipping: You won't use this shot to get over water or bunker.

Pitching: You use pitching shot to get over water or any other hazard.

 

5. Type of swing

Chipping: You use short type of swing. The shaft won't reach parallel with the ground when hitting this shot unless you are hitting special type of chipping shots.

Pitching: You use bigger swing than chipping shots. Depending on the shot, you might grip down and swing up to the top like any other shots you hit with irons.

 

Tips to Control Trajectory with your Pitching

Davis Love Jr. was well known as a father of Davis Love III. But Love Jr. was also a great player who played well in majors. Davis Love Kt. told Jim Flick who is also a famous teacher that one of the secrets to great pitching is to control trajectory of the shots. To control trajectory, he was altering grip pressure. To hit it low, he was gripping the club little tighter. To hit it high and soft, he was gripping the club softly. By gripping little tighter than normal, you can prevent your hands to release early. This will decrease your loft of your club and left you hit it low. If you want to pitch it high and soft, grip the club softer than normal to let your hands release through impact. This should help you ass loft as the club slides through the ball. When chipping, use clubs with less loft such as 8 iron to chip it low. To hit it higher, simply use more lofted clubs. Position your ball off the right toe to chip it low. To hit it hiherm you should play the ball in the center of your stance.

 

Reference:http://www.golfsamurai.net/short-game/difference-between-chipping-pitching.htm

 

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How to Hit a Chip Shot: 8 Ways to Set Up and 6 Ways to Hit it

8 Ways to Set Up

 

1. Take a narrow stance

When chipping, you don't tansfer your weight. A narrow stance will help you keep your weight on your front during the whole swing.

 

2. Keep 80% (most) of your weight on your front foot

By keeping your weight on your front foot during the swing, you can avoid too much lower body movement that can cause fat and top shots.

 

3. Set your hands slightly ahead of the ball

This will let you hit it on the descending blow.

 

4. Set your ball in the center or slightly back of center

Position your ball in the center or slightly back of center to promote downward blow.

 

5. Lean a little toward the target

Tiger Woods set up like this. Leaning toward the target will help you hit the ball on the downward blow. He uses the putting grip instead of using interlocking grip for a chip shot. Using the putter grip (reverse overlapping grip) will help you limit too much hand action during that swing that will lead to fat or top shots.

 

6. Use light grip pressure

Try to hold the grip softly and avoid tension in your hands and arms. If you grip it tightly, you'll use too much hands during the siwng. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the tightest, Tiger Woods uses 4. Try to keep the grip pressure constant during the siwng.

 

7. Open the stance line a bit

Lots of pros use open stance for chipping because the open stance will let them see the line better and help them swing through the shot. You don't have to use open stance if that makes things complicated for you. But you can definitely give it a try.

 

8.Grip down on the Club

Grip your club down close to the shaft. By gripping down on the club, you will be able to control your clubhead much easier. This will help you avoid fat shot and topped shots as well.

 

6 Important Keys to Hit Shot

 

1. Not much weight shift

For chipping, you don't need a lot of weight shift. For constant, you might want to keep your weight on your left foot and keep it there throughout the swing.

 

2. Control shots with your shoulders not your hands

You don't want to use too much hands and arms in this shot. Try to swing the club to initiate the stroke with your shoulders just like your putter.

 

3. Hit  down on the back of the ball

Tiger's key to chipping is to hit down on the back of the ball. Lots of golfers try to scoop the ball but hit fat and top shots instead. To get the ball but hit fat and top shots instead. To get the ball in the air, you need to trust the loft of the club and hit down on it. Try to focus on the back of the ball for constance contact with the ball. Try not to look up. You might want to feel like you are pressing the ball against the turf.

 

4. Accelerate through impact

Too much players decelerate with chipping. You want to accelerate your clubhead through impact for better contact. If you hit lots of fat shots, make sure you keeo your hands ahead of the ball at address and at impact. And don't forget to accelerate your clubhead.

 

5. Keep the angle of your right hand

Try not to change the angle of your right hand that you have at address throughout the swing. If you use too much wrist action, you tend to hit it fat or top it. Make sure your hands are slightly ahead of the ball at address.

 

6. Keep you hands ahead of or even with the clubhead

Try to keep your hands ahead of or even with the clubhead all the way through. If the clubhead passes your hads, that means you used your hands too much. This will lead to fat and topped shots.

 

The Drill for Consistent Chipping

Grab a towel and put it under your ampits. Hit shots with your towel under your armpits and try not to let it fall. This drill will help you use your shoulders and avoid too much hand action during the swing.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/short-game/how-to-hit-chip-shot.htm

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Use Different Clubs for Chipping

When chipping, lots of players just grab their sand wedge and hit it. But if you use different clubs depending on the situation, it will make chipping so much easier. I usually use sand wedge, pitching wedge, 9 iron, 8 iron, 6 iron and 4 iron. Some golfers are surprised to see me use 4 iron for chipping.

 

Why do I change clubs?

It is much easier to control distance if you roll the ball to the hole. It's much harder to hit it up in the air and control distance. To prove it, try to roll the ball with your hand toward the hole. And then throw the ball up in the air and try to stop it near the hole. You will find it much easier to roll the ball. So you want the ball to start rolling on the green as soon as possible. In other words, use the club that let you do just that. If you are just off the green and don't have any rough between the ball and the green, use less lofted club and get the ball running as soon as possible.  

 

But if  you have some rough between the ball and the green, you might want to use the lofted club to get over the rough and start rolling once it hits the green.

 

Avoid using too much Back Spin

Tiger Woods said he tries to limit back spin on chipping. He certainly has lots of skills to hit variety of chipping shots. But even for him, it's hard to control spin. It's much easier to roll the ball to the hole instead of trying to stop it with back spin.

 

The Choice between Chipping and Putting

Tiger Woods once said that if you have short grass and no obstacles between the ball and the green, you should putt instead of chip. Some famous teacher said "bad putt is better than good chip."

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/short-game/use-different-club-chipping.htm

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Chipping from Thick Rough

Chipping is harder out of the rough. One of the keys to hitting this shot is to make sure you accelerate your clubhead through the grass. I think most players who decelerate their clubhead are not so sure how hard they should hit the ball. That makes them to decelerate. So take 2 or 3 practice swing before chipping and listen to the sound that the practice swing makes as it goes through the rough. Once you think you get the feeling, try to recreate that sound when you hit the shots.

 

From Deep Grass, Use Ernie's Technique

If your ball ended up in deep grass near the green, you might want to hit it like a bunker shot depending on the shot. Ernie Els said he opens the clubface, grips down on couple of inches and hits behind the ball like a bunker shot from deep rough. Unless the ball is touching the ground, this will be a good technique to use. You might need to practice before using it on the course, but when you are in a really deep rough and not sure you can make good contact with the ball, go ahead and hit it like a bunker shot. Michelle Wie also said she uses this technique. This will help you get out of the deep rough.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/short-game/chipping-from-rough.htm

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