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Most amateur golfers think that holding the club tightly will enable them to
really give the ball a good clout but, of course, the opposite
is true. Increasing your grip pressure creates tension in your
hands and forearms that eventually finds its way into your arms
and shoulders, too, making it very difficult to produce a free-flowing
and relaxed swing. The key is to grip the club as softly as you
can without losing control. As a reminder, waggle the club in
your hands before hitting each shot so that you shake the tension
out of your golf swing. |
| Accurate alignment helps you to sneak
a few extra yards
 Although
good alignment is important on every shot, with the driver it’s
absolutely crucial. While you may get away with the odd flaw in
your set-up with your wedges or even a mid-iron, the driver (being
the longest and least forgiving of all clubs) will magnify any
glitches and ruthlessly expose them. So you need to pay even more
attention to your basics if you want to use it to its full potential,
and that’s where a pre-shot routine can help (see left).
Start by standing behind the ball to pick out your intended target
in the fairway (and make it a specific target). Then walk into
the shot and carefully aim the clubface at an intermediate target,
perhaps three or four feet ahead of the ball.
Now complete your stance, making sure that you position your feet
and your body square to the leading edge of the clubface. Confident
that you are perfectly aligned, you can then go ahead and make
an uninhibited and free-flowing swing. |
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Look like you mean business at address! |
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| More than anything else, you need a stable
base to your swing. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width
apart and play the ball opposite your left instep. I also like
to set fractionally more weight on my right side – say 55:45
– to help me get fully behind the ball on the backswing.
Notice also how my left arm and the clubshaft form a straight
line (below). Not only does this allow me to create maximum leverage
in my swing, it feels powerful.
As for your alignment, you want to create this parallel relationship
between your body and the target-line. You also want to think
in terms of creating an ‘athletic’ posture at address,
so get your weight centred between the heels and toes for perfect
balance. Try to stand up tall while still creating a nice angle
in the lower back. |
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