On the Green

My last three articles discussed the importance of having proper and consistent fundamentals prior to swinging the club. My avid readers for which I am most appreciative know that discussing fundamentals is something I will never be able to stop because for the most part the fundamental errors cause a majority of swing errors.

This week for fun, let's assume everyone has great fundamentals and let's discuss swing flaws. This past week I had the opportunity to work with a couple of people from the northeast and Canada that were visiting the area on vacation.  Most of these students (men and women alike) were relatively new golfers with one or two years of experience; however being from the north they had no golf rounds for the past six months. Some never had a lesson before starting to play; while others had a few group lessons.

The most common error I saw from each of these students was how they swung the club and tried to "hit" or "lift" the ball off the ground. This swing error occurs with almost all new golfers, especially those that have never had a lesson before. I believe the golf equipment design (especially irons) gives the new golfer the perception that the loft of the club was put there to scoop under the ball to get it airborne.

This swing can best be described as a motion with more arms lifting than shoulder turn on the take-away, a quick, steep downward attack towards the ball with a quick flip of the wrists to scoop the ball; followed by an off balance finish and disgust that the ball did not get airborne. This swing error frequently results in a "whiff" or a ball that dribbles along the ground. There is a lot in that motion that is wrong. However, if you are a beginner golfer that believes that the design of the club was intended to get the ball airborne, then each time you swing the club you will attempt to scoop it. This is a misperception that needs to be clarified with each new golfer before they begin playing.

Let me explain by describing the golf swing as an arc or circle. There are many sports that move our arms in an arc such as: bowling, baseball, tennis, and ping-pong to name a few.  In each of these sports our hand(s) holds the ball, bat, racket, and paddle while our arms move from our shoulders in an arc. Golf does the same thing. The hand(s) and wrist(s) hold the ball or object in each of these examples. The angle at which the hands and wrists are at the moment of release or impact determines how well the contact is; and directly affects the spin of the ball.

Therefore what are your hands and wrists supposed to be doing? As I described previously, the beginner golfer believes that a flip of the wrists will get the ball airborne. This is unequivocally incorrect. The wrists and hands hold the club and are responsible for delivering the sweet spot (center of club face) to the backside of the ball with a "square" (in line) clubface. In order to do this the wrists should be firm at impact and not be in a "flippy" or early release motion.

Joyce Wilcox is a teaching professional for Topsail Greens Golf Club and an LPGA Class A Member.