Golf Tips:
150 Yards and In
Getting the golf ball close to the pin with full swings
from 60 to 150 yards is one of the keys to shooting low scores
for both accomplished and recreational players, according
to Scott Mayer, Director of Instruction at Nonesuch River
Golf Club.
Typically, full swings for amateurs with their
sand wedges travel anywhere from 60 to 100 yards down to
their 7-iron, which covers 150 yards.
With full swings of the 7,8,9 and
wedges, which are the scoring clubs - I recommend individuals
try to stay a little more quiet with the lower body utilizing
only a 3/4 length back swing.
What golfers are trying to achieve with scoring shots is consistency and accuracy, rather
than simply distance. With the 3/4 length back swing and the quiet lower body, it
is easier to keep the ball on line and to control your distance.
Rhythm, balance and contact are also important fundamentals to
pay attention to. Often, golfers over-swing their
scoring clubs leading to poor balance and ultimately
poor contact. To develop consistent contact, they need to
swing with smooth rhythm and good balance so the resulting
shots are more predictable.
Top players rarely lose their swings. Instead, they tend to get out of position in their
set-up. Getting out of position in the set up will require compensating moves. So they
want to monitor their basic fundamentals of grip, stance,
posture, alignment and ball position during an actual round of golf.
When practicing shots with scoring clubs, golfers should try
to watch the club actually strike the ball. That is key.
Centeredness of hit and solid contact is reflected in whether
the golfer has visual contact with the ball at impact.
Witnessing impact during practice and not prematurely looking
up for the result is important.
Another effective technique is to practice hitting balls with the feet close together.
That minimizes lower body action and keeps the lower body quiet, which again helps with consistency.
The final piece to better scoring is grip pressure.
Rate grip pressure from 1 to 10, with 1 being softest and
10 hardest. Then make swings with grip pressure that does
not exceed 5. Tight grips make for poor scoring shots.
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