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Post Date: Sunday, May 1, 2016

Addressing the Ball: 5 Tips to Sharpen your Golf Game
How we address the ball is often the forgotten reason why our game can go sour. The important address position has several components, any one of which can lead to some mechanical problems in the swing if not dealt with correctly. Here’s a brief reminder of five of the most common ones. The grip: It’s our only contact with the golf club and probably has the greatest effect on the position of the clubface. A poor grip can also affect our ability to make our best swing. The stance: Our stance should be the width which will allow us to make an athletic and balanced swing. Having our feet spread equal to the width of our shoulders is a good starting point. The width of our stance can also be very important in our ability to turn our body as we swing the club. Too wide and we limit our turn; too narrow and we can spin out. The alignment: Find our target, then make sure our feet, hips and shoulders are aligned in a similar direction toward our target. The posture: Our posture can affect our balance as well as the path of which we swing our club. Think of the weight on our feet as being under the top of our shoelaces. A slight knee flex and a bend at the waist/hips will allow our arms to hang down from our shoulders in a relaxed position. This will help us make a more natural and comfortable swing. The ball position: This is the final address item on our checklist. Generally for full swings, the ball position for the short irons is in the middle of the stance and moves forward to the front heel/instep for the woods. Each player might find slight variations work better for their individual games. Here’s an interesting fact I read about a few years ago. When a pro tour player takes a lesson, 75% of the time the lesson revolves around the address position. If the best players in the world spend most of their time in this area, maybe we should too!

Addressing the Ball: 5 Tips to Sharpen your Golf Game

How we address the ball is often the forgotten reason why our game can go sour. The important address position has several components, any one of which can lead to some mechanical problems in the swing if not dealt with correctly. Here’s a brief reminder of five of the most common ones.

1. The grip: It’s our only contact with the golf club and probably has the greatest effect on the position of the clubface. A poor grip can also affect our ability to make our best swing.

2. The stance: Our stance should be the width which will allow us to make an athletic and balanced swing. Having our feet spread equal to the width of our shoulders is a good starting point. The width of our stance can also be very important in our ability to turn our body as we swing the club. Too wide and we limit our turn; too narrow and we can spin out.

3. The alignment: Find our target, then make sure our feet, hips and shoulders are aligned in a similar direction toward our target.

4. The posture: Our posture can affect our balance as well as the path of which we swing our club. Think of the weight on our feet as being under the top of our shoelaces. A slight knee flex and a bend at the waist/hips will allow our arms to hang down from our shoulders in a relaxed position. This will help us make a more natural and comfortable swing.

5. The ball position: This is the final address item on our checklist. Generally for full swings, the ball position for the short irons is in the middle of the stance and moves forward to the front heel/instep for the woods. Each player might find slight variations work better for their individual games.

Here’s an interesting fact I read about a few years ago. When a pro tour player takes a lesson, 75% of the time the lesson revolves around the address position. If the best players in the world spend most of their time in this area, maybe we should too!