When I first started out the sport of golf, many people tried to tell me I was fortunate to have a great swing naturally. Although my swing was impeccable, my ball striking and ball spin was terrible. Here are some simple tips to help not only your ball striking, but also your mental golf game as well!
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Tips!
Ball Striking!
The first common misconception in golf is that you should be hitting up on the golf ball when using wedges and irons. This is commonly believed because new golfers feel that "scooping" the golf ball is the only way to get it up in the air. Here is why that is wrong, and how it can easily be fixed.
This is incorrect because hitting up on the golf ball, otherwise known as "scooping" the golf ball allows for less power, spin, and greater likely hood of miss-hitting the ball. Hitting down on the ball, otherwise known as "compressing" the golf ball is great for many different clubs. First off, hitting down on the golf ball for your wedges allows the ball to spin, which can stop your golf ball on the green the second it lands. Next, for your irons hitting down on the golf ball allows for maximum power and down-force on your swing, which allows the ball to travel father in the air, and makes your ball striking ability better, and more consistent.
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Bunker Shots!
A common misconception with bunker shots in golf is that you should be scooping the ball up out of the sand, and this is incorrect. This is commonly believed by amateur golfers because a typical green-side bunker shot is about 10-15 yards away, so a full swing is not able to be taken.... or that is what is thought.
To hit a proper and accurate shot out of bunkers, the golfer should begin by opening their club-face wide open to 90 degrees. Next, they should make sure they have a solid base, digging their feet into the sand and getting comfortable. Finally, when they are ready to take a swing you should feel like you are hitting straight into the sand so you do not thin your shot, and the ball should pop right out. This swing should be full or 3/4 depending on pin location, slope, and whatever else you would like to take account into your shot.
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Slicing your Driver?
One of the biggest areas in golf that people struggle in is their tee shots, and a slice is typically the main problem. With amateurs, a lot of the time people think that they should close their driver club-head slightly, to temporarily fix their slice, but in reality it is not your club head position making the ball slice... it is your swing-path. The reason that people slice their driver is because they are swinging outside to inside, meaning that they do not shallow out their backswing.
Although shallowing out your backswing is difficult for most people, and does take a lot of time to correct and get used to, there is another fix. In your stance, place your front foot about 2-3 inches in front of your back foot. This will keep your shoulders closed. Next, you want to "strengthen" your grip. This means that you want to see as much of the top of your hand as possible on your top hand (for righties right hand, lefties left.) Finally, you want to feel like you are swinging from inside to out. For example on a compass you want to feel like you're hitting your shot NE, rather than N.
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Hooking your drives?
One of the biggest areas that people struggle in golf is their tee shots, and other than slicing the golf ball, another issue is hooking the golf ball. This issue is because the swing path is too far in to out, and you are swinging too much around your body.
Tip #4- For golfers that hook your drives, place the ball further back in your stance and de-shallow your swing slightly in order to come over the top more, rather than so far around your body. Once this is done, make sure your shoulders are square to your target, this can be done by holding your club to your chest horizontally, and seeing where the grip points. One this is done, swing away working on that more steep path.