Are you looking for keys areas to narrow your focus? Having trouble finding what’s really important in the swing. Here’s a quick snap shot of what’s essential; blend the correct set-up with good timing through the ball. This is paramount for consistency and efficiency.
The set-up involves three major areas; grip, posture, alignment.
Let’s start with the grip. You must have a neutral grip. It’s your best chance of returning a square clubface to the ball every time. A strong grip typically returns a closed clubface and a weak grip typically returns an open clubface. So this is your key, start with a neutral grip for consistent square contact. You will never have to manipulate the clubface before impact to accommodate grip flaws when you start neutral.
Posture provides a foundation to move from. You must to start from an athletic position. Your goal is stability, poise, and readiness. When you achieve this, you feel confident prepared to deliver a square club down the line. Keep in mind, one of the most important elements of posture is a consistent spine angle. This is because we rotate around our spine angle, and the more consistent we maintain that angle, the more efficient we can turn. This means more accuracy and power through the ball.
Alignment pays dividends. When we set-up with proper alignment we train our swing with good habits. Aligning left by accommodating a slice only reinforces a swing path from outside to inside. On the other hand, aligning right by accommodating a hook only reinforces a swing path from inside to outside. Your key is to align down the target line every time. It breeds good habits by conditioning a inside-square-inside swing path.
Good timing involves coordinating your turn and swing.
When we lose the connection between our body and arms we ruin our timing. The key is to turn your body and swing your arms in concert. More specifically, when we start our move back to the ball on the downswing, we never want the turning of our body to dominate the swinging of our arms. And vice versa, we never want the swinging of our arms to dominate the turning of our body. Check the relationship between your chest and hands. Use this technique only if you can get your swing on video. Your set-up for bad timing anytime your hands are behind or in front of your chest through impact.
Long and Straight,
Adam
