How to get out of a fairway bunker

Posted on December 6th, 2009 by ocadmns
Filed Under: Play Golf Guide

Play ball in the middle of the stance to insure you hit the ball first. Dig your feet in for stability. Your stance can be square or slightly open. Your number one goal is to get out of the bunker.     Pick the ball cleanly off the sand. Any sand between the ball and club will mean a loss of distance. Be sure you do not swing down sharply. Limit your lower body movement.     Remember to grip down on the club to compensate for your feet being lower in the sand. Swing only as hard as your stance will allow.

Purpose:

   1. To get the ball out on the first try. As with all sand bunkers the major consideration is to get the ball out of the bunker on the first try. Make sure you choose a club that has enough loft to clear the forward lip of the bunker. Never more than a four-wood. You may not get to the green but at least you will get out of the bunker. Swing with your normal rhythm so you stay under control. Try to pick the ball cleanly out of the sand to get the distance you want.
   2. To develop sound mechanics when using long irons and woods out of the bunker. Position the ball toward the middle of your stance. Dig your feet in and restrict your lower body action. Sweep the ball out, do not hit down. Your weight should favor your left side. Swing only as hard as your stance will allow. Follow through and finish high.
   3. To dedicate yourself to learning the fairway bunker shot. Hitting a long iron or wood out of a fairway bunker requires concentration and focus. It is not something you learn by doing once. Spend a little time practicing and mastering the basics so you will be prepared when the time comes.

Do.s and Don.ts
Stress the upper body while trying to pick the ball out cleanly. Remember, take enough club to get over the lip. Do not compound your problems by poor club selection.

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Tracking Strokes

Posted on December 5th, 2009 by ocadmns
Filed Under: Play Golf Guide

Tracking Strokes

On a level section of green, align two clubs parallel toward the target hole with the clubheads turned outwards. They should be slightly wider than the width of your putter face. This "track" will help you focus on the line of the putt while helping you groove a straight back and straight through swingpath. This drill will also help keep your blade square. After you can make ten in a row move the clubs back a foot or two and start over. Try this drill on some long putts to ensure your swingpath remains straight when you strike the putt harder.

Purpose
  1. To develop a repeatable straight back and straight through stroke. This drill provides an easy way to check your putting stroke. It will quickly show if your stroke is misaligned or if the putter face is not square to the target line. Once you have a correct putter path you can focus on the other aspects of a solid putting stroke. When you are putting you can visualize tracks alongside your putter head to help guide it straight back and straight through.
  2. To diagnose incorrect putter path problems. This is a good drill to use whenever you lose confidence in your putting stroke. It can immediately show you what is wrong. Use it every couple of weeks to prevent problems and reinforce good putting mechanics. It will help keep the putter face square to the target line. Make sure you try some long putts. This will help ensure a straight stroke even on longer putts when you stroke the ball harder.
Do.s and Don.ts
Use this drill frequently to check your putting stroke. It is a confidence builder. Anytime you have any putting problems, this is the first diagnostic drill to do. You can even do this drill at home on the carpet.
 
 

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Feet Together Drill – 2

Posted on December 5th, 2009 by ocadmns
Filed Under: Play Golf Guide

Feet Together Drill

 

Keeping your feet together, practice hitting balls with the ball teed up. Your feet should be almost touching. Swing slowly at first. Concentrate on making solid contact with the ball. Always think tempo and rhythm. Once you can hit consistently good shots, work on hitting the ball off the grass.
 

You may be surprised how far you can hit the ball with your feet together as you groove your swing. This drill helps you in many ways. It's a good drill to do every practice session as a warm-up. It a great drill to develop the feel of a good release.
Purpose
  1. To promote good balance and rhythm. This is one of the most popular practice drills, because it is an easy drill to do and yet it does so much for you. Use it as a warm-up or to stay loose while waiting to hit your next shot on the course.
  2. To improve timing, reduce swaying, and promote good swing mechanics. This drill encourages you to swing within your capabilities. It reduces swaying because of the narrow balance point. If you sway or swing too hard you will almost fall over.
  3. To provide a quick check of good swing mechanics. Some golfer.s even use this drill as part of their pre-shot routine. They do a practice swing with their feet together to develop the feel of the proper arm and hand action. It seems to make the release a little more natural.
Do.s and Don.ts
Do the .Feet Together Drill. whenever you start to lose confidence in your swing because of repeated missed shots, or ball flight problems. This drill can prevent many bad faults from creeping into your swing. On a bad day some players use this drill as an emergency fix during the round. They move their feet very close together to prevent extraneous body movements that may be causing errant shots, resulting in loss of confidence and wasted strokes.
 
 

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Feet Together – Drill 1

Posted on December 5th, 2009 by ocadmns
Filed Under: Play Golf Guide

Feet Together Drill


Keeping your feet together practice hitting balls with the ball teed up. Your feet should be touching or within 2 or 3 inches of each other.

Swing slowly at first. Concentrate on making solid contact with the ball. Always think tempo and rhythm. Once you can hit consistently good shots, work on hitting the ball off the grass.

You may be surprised how far you can hit the ball with your feet together as you groove your swing. This drill helps you in many ways. It's a good drill to do every practice session as a warm-up.

Purpose
  1. To promote good balance and rhythm. This is one of the most popular practice drills, because it is an easy drill to do and yet it does so much for you. Use it as a warm-up or to stay loose on the course during those long waits on the tee.
  2. To improve timing, reduce swaying, and promote good swing mechanics. This drill encourages you to swing within your capabilities. It reduces swaying because of the narrow balance point. If you sway or swing too hard you will almost fall over.
  3. To provide a quick check of good swing mechanics. This drill can actually prevent many bad faults from creeping into your swing. On a bad day some players actually use this drill as an emergency fix during a round. They actually move their feet closer together to prevent extraneous body movements that may be causing errant shots, resulting in loss of confidence and wasted strokes.
Do.s and Don.ts
Do the "Feet Together Drill" whenever you start to lose confidence in your swing because of repeated missed shots, or ball flight problems.
 
 

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Improve Your Golf Stance

Posted on December 5th, 2009 by ocadmns
Filed Under: Play Golf Guide

The Golf Stance

A square setup will encourage a square impact. A square stance means the feet are parallel to the target line. Imagine railroad tracks. Your feet are touching one rail and the ball is on the other rail. A closed stance will encourage an inside-to-outside swing path, causing a draw. An open stance may encourage an outside-to-inside swing path by giving your arms and shoulders more freedom. Position the ball a couple of inches inside the left heel for most shots. A consistent position helps develop a repeatable swing. Playing the ball too far forward in your stance tends to open the shoulders encouraging an outside-to-inside swing, often causing a slice.


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Improve Your Golf Grip

Posted on December 5th, 2009 by ocadmns
Filed Under: Play Golf Guide

The Golf Grip

A proper grip will reduce your tendency to slice. A good grip will keep the clubhead square at impact and keep the shaft from turning in your hands. Pictured is the popular overlap grip, also known as the Vardon grip. Try for a relaxed and comfortable feel. A tight grip will hinder your rhythm and release. The V.s formed by the index finger and thumbs on both hands point between the chin and right shoulder. Turning hands counterclockwise on the shaft (weak grip), promotes a left-to-right flight of the ball (slice). Turning hands clockwise (strong grip) promotes a right-to-left flight of the ball (hook).

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Improve Your Golf Alignment

Posted on December 5th, 2009 by ocadmns
Filed Under: Play Golf Guide

Golf Alignment


Use your clubs as alignment aids when you practice. Lay one club on the ground parallel to the target line. Lay another from toe to toe to indicate the direction of your stance. Now, lay another club perpendicular to the target line . extending from the ball back toward your feet. This will indicate the ball position. Examine your alignment and ball position.
Hold a club across your shoulders and check alignment toward the target. Repeat for the hips and thighs. In a square stance the shoulders, hips and thighs should be aligned parallel to the target!
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