HELPFUL HINTS

By Michael Clark

Perhaps the largest swing myth is that if you keep your head down you will hit a good shot, when in reality the problem is caused by your posture and/or your spine angle
(a.k.a. standing up).  Here are some solutions to this problem:

How many times have you heard the term keep your head down as golf advice? Probably more times than you can count is my guess. Experienced golfers give new players that kind of bad advice all the time in their attempt to help them to not top the ball.  That swing tip can have an adverse effect on their goal of trying to hit more consistent, solid golf shots. Keeping your head down can actually lead to your arms and club coming up even more on the forward swing which only adds to the problem.  What they really should tell novice players is not to stand up. By that term, golfers change their distance from the golf ball when swinging the golf club.  For example, if at the address position, you measure from your sternum to the ball, you need to stay that distance during the entire golf swing.  But most golfers change this measurement (say to 53) during the swing in their attempt to help the ball in the air.  They change their posture and stand up on the downswing coming into the ball which gives the appearance of their head coming up.  Better swing advice would be to make sure you maintain the same posture and spine angle that you have at your address position through the entire golf swing. In other words, stay level.  A good swing drill to help you accomplish this, is the clip the tee drill.  Use a 5 or 6 iron.  Put a row of 4 tees in the ground about a half inch above the turf. On the fourth tee place a golf ball. Without taking much time between swings, clip each tee from the turf as you swing and when you get to the fourth one with the ball on it, concentrate on clipping the tee instead of trying to hit the ball.  Practice this drill and then imagine a tee under your ball each time you hit a shot on the golf course. Remember to CLIP THE TEE instead of trying to hit the ball!

7 Common Faults in Mechanics/ Fundamentals of the Golf Swing

1. Grip = Club face = Direction of ball
2. Alignment- most players aim too far right
3. Takeaway- off plane
4. Breakdown/Collapsed left wrist at impact
5. Vertical Measurement to Ball (Standing up) Example: from sternum to ball at address changes 53 during swing
6. Dynamic balance- balance while in motion
7. Ball boundness- result of keep your head down! *Most golfers are so bound to the ball.. they don’t swing the club!

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Green-side Sand Shots

1. Stance- open vs. square
2. Ball position is forward = front foot instep
3. Club face- square to open
4. Takeaway-early wrists set
5. Swing is basic pitching motion except you hit sand... not the ball... it explodes out on cushion of sand
6. Pitching set-up-find bottom of arc- move ball in front of it- divot should frame front foot
7. Follow-through- #1 problem of why ball does not go out of bunker