Are you hitting the ball fat? If so, work on the following tip to improve your impact position. Many golfers I see are trying to kick their right knee (for a right-handed player) toward the ball at impact. They feel this lunging motion is powerful and believe it will help them propel the golf ball.  However, this move actually causes the upper body to fall backward, leading to them release the club too early hit a fat shot. Instead of trying to kick the knee in, work on having your right hip joint lead the right knee at impact. If you notice most good ball strikers have wide knees at impact; …

Here’s a good tip for all the beginner golfers out there. How many of you think the club shaft and your arms should be in a straight line when you address the golf ball? I am guessing you are going to say yes, because, the majority of the true beginners I see set up with their arms and shaft in a straight line. To be in the most powerful set up position, there should be a small angle between your hands and the shaft. There are two reasons for this: Your arms should hang straight down from your shoulder sockets at address All golf clubs are built on an angle If the club is on an angle and your…

It may seem strange, but most everything you do to improve your golf game will improve your life. Better fitness, nutrition, hydration, concentration and breathing keep your stamina going and help calm nerves before big shots. We all know we need to pay more attention to these things but have a hard time carving out enough time to do them all. Golfers know balance is crucial for a good swing; however, most take balance for granted. All golfers should make a daily habit of working on their balance. To optimize distance you want to be able to swing as fast as you can while maintaining your …

If you want to make more putts, close your eyes. Whenever you take away one of your senses—in this case, your vision—the others are heightened. When you close your eyes, you are able to feel the putter head better and identify any movement you make with your body, hands or wrists. Some golfers have “jerky” putting strokes. Others have sudden changes in their hands. Many have the tendency to move their head. There are a lot putting faults we all struggle with from time to time. Putting with your eyes closed will help improve all of the above mentioned flaws. Here are a few good things it does …

Many golfers try and help the ball in the air when they are hitting little chip shots around the green. It seems logical to try and add some loft to the shot because you want the ball to sit softly.  Unfortunately, when most amateurs try and add loft to their chips by scooping with their wrists they generally end up hitting the ball thin and it rolls across the green. To truly hit a classy chip shot, you need to hit down on the ball. In order to achieve this, you need to feel that the club head is not passing your hands at impact.  Try the following drill to keep your club head lower to the …

I can’t take credit for this drill. As golf lore has it, legend Sam Snead used to practice this to work on feeling how the shaft should accelerate through the swing. Snead would take an old hickory shaft that had a grip on it but no club head. He’d cut out the core of an apple and slide it up to the center of the shaft. Then he’d take swings to make the apple “sling” towards his target. You don’t have to go through the trouble of putting an apple on your club, but imagine you do and the goal is to release the apple just past the golf ball. You could imagine if you were doing this drill that …

Anyone struggling to hit golf balls with two hands on the club may want to give it a shot with just one. The suggestion may sound flippant, but working one-handed will help golfers with their regular golf swing. Practicing one-handed improves the sequence of a golfer’s swing as well as balance and timing. One-handed practice swings will also help to build strength in forearms and hands. Several things are more easily seen when swinging with one arm: You will swing smoother and more in balance. It’s just awkward to swing too fast when you are swinging with one arm. You will notice a soft fold …

  Being winter, many of golfers are working on their swings indoors. Last month, I provided several putting drills that you could practice to improve your game. This month, we look at an indoor drill to work on better ball striking. All you need for this drill is a small towel and a standard letter envelope. Place the envelope on the ground and have it point toward an imaginary target. The end of the envelope would be where your golf ball would be. Now place a towel on the ground six- to 10-inches behind the ball.  Practice making swings where you miss the towel and then make contact with the…

Winter is here, so there may be times when it’s too cold to go to the course and practice outdoors. Here are some drills you can practice in the warmth of your home to improve your putting stroke: Find the Sweet Spot The putter face transfers different amounts of energy to the ball depending on which part strikes the ball; on the toe, the center or heel. For consistent speed control on the greens, it’s crucial to strike the ball on the center of the putter face, otherwise known as the sweet spot. Use the drill below to help you get into a habit of striking your putts out of the sweet spot. …

When addressing the golf ball, it’s important that your hands are in the proper position at the start of your swing. Below are key points to consider in your posture: The grip of the club should point through your belt buckle at address. Your arms should hang down out of your shoulder sockets. Never “reach” for the ball. If you feel like your upper arms are on an angle and not hanging straight down, you are not in your most powerful starting position. Many women golfers just taking up the game believe the shaft of the club and their arms should be in a continuous straight line. If you try and…

If you want to increase your speed, you need to make a louder swish. When you make a practice swing, can you hear any noise as a result of the movement of the shaft during the swing? The sound you hear during the practice swing is a representation of your swing speed. Try this drill: Turn your club upside down so that the handle of the club is pointing towards the ground.  Take your grip on the shaft just underneath the club head and make sure the grip is hovering above the ground, then start taking practice swings. Take notice of where the noise comes in your downswing. If you want to hit it…

A common complaint from golfers is that they hit the ball great on the range but can’t take the same level of performance to the golf course.  The problem is they aren’t simulating play when practicing. When most golfers practice, they start with a sand wedge or pitching wedge and then work their way through the bag and finish off with a bunch of drivers.  The next time you go to practice try the following routine: Warm UpTo get warmed-up, hit five to ten sand or pitching wedge shots. Then hit three 9-irons, three 7-irons, three 5-irons, three fairway woods and finish with three drivers. “…

The knees are very important in the golf swing. You need to maintain consistent knee flex during the swing from the address position through the backswing and downswing until you reach impact. Only after impact will knees begin to change position so you can finish standing tall. If you struggle with your back leg straightening, you are losing spine angle, and your head will also change height and more than likely fight a reverse pivot. All of these factors force you to have to make compensations during the swing to pull off a golf shot. Below are some check points for where you want your …

Do you struggle with a slice or have a swing path that moves out to in? In order to straighten-out your shots, you need to improve your swing path. Swing path is simply the path that the club head travels from the top of the backswing to the finish. You want the club head to approach the golf ball from the inside and then travel down the target line for a short period of time with a square clubface and return back to the inside of the target line naturally during follow-through. Many of the golfers I see don’t have the club traveling “down the line” long enough after impact.  They tend to …

If you are a golfer looking to increase your distance, start working out your forearms. Strong forearms lead to strong hands, which lead to increased swing speeds. The faster you swing the club, the stronger your hands need to be to control it. In essence, you are only able to swing the club as fast as you are physically able to hold on to it. Try these two exercises to increase your forearm and hand strength: Forearms – With a club in your hand, stand straight with your arm extended parallel to the ground.  Hinge the club so it’s pointing straight to the sky.  From this position, allow just …

Ideally at address, you would like your shoulders, hips, knees and feet all parallel to the target line. However, many golfers struggle with their shoulders being too open or closed at their set-up position. The reason many golfers have trouble with their shoulders is rooted in how they grip the club.  Golfers tend to place the club head on the ground and then grip the club. When a golfer does this, he or she might bring the right hand in too far above the handle of the club, which forces the shoulders to open. Conversely, the golfer could bring the right hand in too far from the inside and …

Tempo is a key component of a good golf swing. If you watched the Masters last weekend, you undoubtedly heard the announcers comment on the great tempo and rhythm the PGA TOUR players had (or didn’t have). The reason the pros have great tempo is because they know they only get to hit the ball once during a swing and they want to make it count. Their goal is to deliver all their energy at the ball; you can’t hit the ball on the backswing. The next time you are practicing on the range, try this drill to work on your tempo: Set up to golf ball and then place another golf ball directly behind the…

Two things needed in every golf swing are balance and range of motion. These are critical to work on, especially after a long lay-off in winter months. To get a fuller shoulder and chest turn, start your swing with your right shoulder (reverse these tips for lefties). The next time you are in front of a mirror try this drill: Facing the mirror, get into your golf posture then fold your arms out in front of you with your arms parallel to the ground, similar to Barbara Eden in “I Dream of Jeanie.” From here, start pulling your right shoulder back; most golfers will be able to pull/rotate far …