May 2014 Golf Tip Newsletter

johnhayesgolf Newsletter – May 2014

 

For your golf game: As the old golf joke goes, the problem with your golf game is that you are standing too close to the ball – after it has stopped rolling!  If your golf shots are not going as far as they used to go then I would like you to check your impact.  If you are getting a trend of impact toward the toe or heel of the club head then their may be a problem with the swing but there may also be a simpler solution, your distance from the ball at address may not be correct.

In placing the club head on the grass behind the ball you need to LEAN FORWARD.  Once you have done this then take your stance and square yourself to the clubface.  The weight on your feet should be equal, 50% left and 50% right.  Also the weight on each foot should be balanced from front to back so the weight is on the balls of the feet and not favoring the heels or the toes.  Now you can check your distance from the ball – to do this just take your right (trailing) hand off the club and let the right arm hang free as if dead.  When you swing the right arm back and forth the hand should hit the grip right where it was originally, before you took it off the club.  The common mistake is to find that the club is farther away than where the right hand swings back to touch the club.  In this case the golfer is standing too far from the ball and should move the feet closer to the club until the hanging right hand swings forward and contacts the grip of the club right where it will be when holding the club.  If you do this test and the arm swings on the far side of the grip then you are too close to the ball.  Adjust accordingly and begin to hit some shots and see if your impact begins to improve.

As always, please call or email with your questions or comments and I hope to see you soon on the lesson tee at the Chi Chi Golf Range & Family Sports Complex in beautiful Clearwater, FL.