On the Green

Wow, warmer weather is here and it feels so good. I saw students this week for the first time in almost two months; between the holidays and the cold, wet weather golf of any kind was almost non-existent. Everyone felt real rusty and was loaded with the “haven’t had any time to practice” excuses, which are normal this time of year.

I suggested each student begin slowly by trying to make solid contact with the ball. If you begin by trying to hit the ball as far as you did prior to the layoff, there is no telling what kind of strain could be put on the body or how disappointed psychologically you might be with the results. I recommend you begin your comeback to golf with short game shots to regain tempo and confidence. Besides, you want the short game to be your bread and butter shots when you play.

To begin a short pitch shot for 25 to 30 yards is a good length to work on. It includes setting up to the ball like a full swing shot, yet making only a partial swing away from the ball, a return of the club to the ball with a short follow through past the ball. One student said it felt like a pendulum motion; to which I agreed it is very similar. The swing path with your shoulders keeps your arms in front of your body throughout the entire motion.

Perhaps the biggest mistake I saw was the continued attempt to help lift the ball which results in topped, thin, low dribbled shots. If you are a new golfer please remember that the golf clubs by design are intended to “lift” the ball off the ground if swung correctly without your physical attempts to get under it to lift it. When a golfer tries to get under the ball with the leading edge, which is the lowest and most forward edge of the club — that edge actually starts to come up prior to getting to the ball which ultimately makes contact with the equator of the ball and gives it an over spin which pushes the ball down. That attempt is repeated over and over again with the result being interpreted, as I just haven’t gotten under the ball yet.

Each club has a sweet spot, which is located in the center of the clubface, approximately 5 to 6 grooves up from the bottom. If you place the sweet spot into the equator at the back of the ball (the side away from the intended target) you will see that the leading edge of the club at that point is actually above the ground in an angle down position not in an upward position which is created by trying to lift the ball. It is this correct position with the hands slightly ahead of the ball, with the sweets spot to the backside swung in a downward path that actually causes the ball to go up at impact.

I took a short break from writing this article and caught a few minutes of the golf tournament on TV. I saw Robert Allenby practicing a short approach shot to the green over and over again. Each time he swung the club you could hear him brush the grass; he was trying to create the exact tempo, contact and feel that he would need for the shot. When ready, he addressed the ball and executed the motion; he put the shot within three feet of the cup.

The key point I want to emphasize with his practice swing was the contact or brushing of the grass with his shot. If a golfer does not get to the bottom of the arc which is just past the ball on the ground toward the target thin, topped shots will occur. Please consider some short game techniques when you begin playing for the first time in 2010.

Joyce Wilcox is a teaching professional and an LPGA Class A Member. Contact Joyce at 910-274-4767.