November 10th, 2011 | 
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Posts Tagged ‘descending blow’
Hitting Up or Down? Here’s How to Set Up
- Correct Set Up for a Descending Hit
Shots struck off the ground need to be hit with a descending blow and shots struck off an elevated tee are better when hit with an upward blow - fact! While TrackMan stats for the PGA Tour may show that on average Tour players hit down on their driver (1.3 degrees), as mere mortal golfers, we need to make sure we are efficient and get the most distance we can out of the driver by hitting up on the ball. If you need some more convincing how about this: Golfer A swings at 90mph and hits 5 degrees down on the ball (-5 attack angle). Their average well struck tee ball goes 234 yards. Now, golfer B swings at 90mph and hits 5 degrees up on the ball (+5 attack angle). Their average well struck tee shot travels 256 yards - a gain of 22 yards while swinging the same speed! Ready to listen now….?
I have recently started noticing that many golfers actually set up to hit their irons in the same manner as their woods or vice versa. Ever wondered why so many of your playing partners are either good with the woods and not the irons or no good off the turf and solid with the driver? The answer is, is that there are two different types of swings. One that suits shots hit off the ground or close proximity to it and a swing that suits the upward, efficient hit of a driver off a high tee.
The picture above is an excellent illustration of what I have been seeing. Here, I have a student setting up to a driver and an iron. Notice any similarities? In case you’re wondering the seven iron stance is on the right. They look decidedly alike don’t they? The good news is that this was taken at the beginning of the lesson, she made the necessary changes and gained 14 yards with her driver while maintaining a solid descending impact with the irons.
It should stand to reason that if there are two swings then there should be two different set up positions. Here are the important differences…
Setting up for shots off the ground:
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As in the picture at the top of the page the weight should be anywhere from a 50/50 split to favoring the front foot slightly
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Your head should be centered between the heels
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There should be very little spine tilt away from the target and as a result the shoulders will be fairly level
Setting up for shots off a high tee:
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As in the picture below the feet are fairly far apart and there should actually be a little more weight on the back foot than the front foot
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The ball is positioned inside the left heel and teed high
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The spine should be tilting away from the target a little as you prepare to “swing uphill”
- Set Up for an Upward Strike
The best teacher you have available to you to help with this is a mirror. You are now aware as to what it should look like, but you don’t quite have the feel yet. Get in front of a mirror, set up so that it looks correct (your feel might have something else to say about it!) and take that with you to practice or play.
Posted in Long Game, Practice, Swing Philosophy | 
Tags: address with driver, address with irons, adress position, ascending blow, ball centered, ball position, correct look, descending blow, driver stance, feet apart, hit down, hit the driver longer, hit up, iron stance, PGA Tour, practice and play, set-up, solid with the driver, spine tilt, swing speed, swing uphill, trackman, wide stance | 
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The Shoulder Pivot
The Set Up for the Shoulder Pivot Drill
- The Start of a Flat or Level Shoulder Pivot
One thing I have been seeing in my lessons recently has been a tendency for golfers to rotate their shoulders on a flat plane (like a merry-go-round!). This is, I believe, in an effort to extract as much turn as possible from the backswing. By doing this you create a situation where the arms are too wide (stretched), the upper body is ‘pulled’ off the ball by the turning of the shoulders (the lead shoulder runs into the side of the jaw) and due to the flat pivot action the right forearm is visible below the left when the left arm reaches parallel (for right-handers) – all elements that none of the top golfers employ in their swings.
Here is an excellent drill that will provide you with the appropriate feel for a correct shoulder pivot:
This drill is designed to help convey the feel of getting your body into the correct position at the top of your swing. Assume your address as if you are preparing to hit a 7 iron. (It is best executed with a ball in position.) Place an iron across the tops of your shoulders and cross your arms to support. Be sure to have the grip end off your lead shoulder and the clubhead flat against the opposite shoulder. During the pivot action of your swing, try to get the butt of the club to point at — or slightly above — the ball. Feel how the lead shoulder moves down as
The "Top" of the Shoulder Pivot Drill
the shoulders wind into the backswing. This drill will also illustrate how the lower body needs to free up in order for the shoulders to pivot on a steeper plane. Sure, this drill is slightly overdone, yet it is rare for someone to get the shoulders to pivot on a plane that is too steep. As you do this drill try to feel how the shoulders are now tilting more like a ferris wheel than the flat, merry-go-round plane from before.
- If your swing tends to get too long, the steeper pivot actually creates more tension in the backswing and this will serve to tighten/shorten the backswing.
- Due to improved shoulder action, the upper body is now more inclined to stay centered, positioning you properly for a sound impact.
- If you have a difficult time taking the correct divot, a steeper shoulder turn will enable you to be in a position where you are now able to deliver a more descending blow to the back of the ball.
Try this simple standby drill – I believe it will help you to make better contact more often. Remember – Ball first, divot second!
Posted in Long Game, Swing Philosophy |
Tags: descending blow, flat turn, golf instruction, pivot drill, shoulder pivot, shoulder plane, shoulder turn, steep shoulders |
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Thoughts on Sand Play
The greenside sand shot is unique to the game of golf in that it is the only shot we hit where we do not (or at least should not!) hit the golf ball. Some people I know have hit their longest drives ever from a greenside bunker!
Here are two simple things to keep in mind when extricating your ball from the sand:
- Set-up and aim to hit the sand before the ball. Hover the club over the spot that you intend to impact. When practicing, draw a line in the sand and see how many times you can impact the sand right on the line. Avoid holding the clubhead over the ball at address for more consistent ground contact!
- In a regular golf shot we should be attempting to strike the ball first and the ground second. This can only be done with a slightly descending blow and the weight on the golfers front foot. Due to the fact that we only want all sand and no ball in the bunker there should be no forward weight shift into the hit. Try to play sand shots with the back foot remaining fully planted and quiet throughout the swing. The weight should remain where it was set at address. (Notice the post impact picture below) This will reduce those ‘low heaters’ out of greenside bunkers!
No weight shift!
Posted in Practice, Short Game, Swing Philosophy |
Tags: ball first ground second, bunker, descending blow, forward weight shift, greenside bunker, ground contact, impact, sand, weight shift |
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