Everyone knows that the object of the game of golf is to knock
the ball into the holes dotted around the course. Before you can
do that however you have to get the ball within striking distance
of those holes and in order to do that you have to perform
several basic actions.
The first is to get the ball off on it's journey by giving it a
whack off the tee i.e. THE DRIVE!
If we exclude for the moment such factors as choice of club,
wind, rain, fog etc; how far your ball flies from the tee and
whether it lands plumb in the middle of the fairway or with the
birds in that clump of bushes way over to the side depends to a
great extent on one skill - your drive technique. The success of
your drive from the tee will depend on a combination of factors:
the way you address the ball i.e. the way you prepare to hit the
ball with the club, your swing and the follow-through. Get these
working and you stand a good chance of finishing the round before
nightfall.
Please note that all the following instructions apply to right
handed players. If you are a 'corkie' just reverse the
directions.
So, let's look first at THE STANCE
The most sublime swing ever seen on a golf course is not going to
be much use to you if you're pointing in the wrong direction in
the first place! So, when taking up your stance check your
alignment with the target hole. Stand before the ball so that
the hole you're aiming for is at 90 degrees to the left of the
way you're facing.
Stand nice and firmly with your feet about shoulder width apart.
Your left foot should point slightly to the left and your right
foot should be pointing straight in front. Keep your back
straight with your upper body inclined slightly forward from the
hips and your bottom pushed out a little. Your knees should be
slightly 'flexed' i.e. bent.
O.K. Check your grip and address the ball by placing the club
just behind the ball and almost touching it and make sure the
clubface is square to the 'ball to target' line. Then set your
shoulders, hips and feet parallel with the clubface and your
alignment will be correct. When you turn your head to look at
the target you should only just be aware of your left shoulder in
the very bottom corner of your vision.. Incorrect alignment is
responsible for probably half of the 'pulls' and 'slices' seen on
the golf course, so practice it! Choose a target and imagine a
line between that and your ball. Now, hold a club across your
shoulders and chest (parallel to the ground) and, keeping it on
the same, line lower it to the ground. If your alignment is
correct the club should still be parallel with the target to ball
line.
Ball Position
To keep your swing the same for all the 'lofted' clubs in your
bag, it will be necessary to adjust your position in relation to
the ball for each different club. For the driver, woods and long
clubs you should position yourself with the ball approximately opposite your
left heel. Going through the clubs, as they get shorter, your
body gets gradually closer to the ball and the ball moves
backwards in relation to your body until, for the shortest clubs
it is in the centre of your stance.
As with all articles in this series, what I am giving you here
are the basics. Once you have mastered these there is plenty of
scope for trying variations to find what works best for you.
But, master the basics first!
Lester Mann has written numerous articles with tips to help you
improve your basic golf skills. Others can be seen at
[http://www.MasterGolfBasics.com].
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