Online Golfer

No not talking about the 1980′s TV show, I am referring the the magic shape that makes the set up to a golf shot that little more steady.

I had the pleasure of following Miguel Angel Jiminez around a pro am a few weeks back and noticing how he sets up his stance on hit shots is a large part of why he is as good as he is. Yes it takes practice and a special talent, but having the perfect “V” helps a great deal.

So what am I talking about? Well basically in the grip and the arm set up of the golf swing if you get it right then you can get yourself lowering your handicap and seeing the benefits.

So how does it work? Well you start with the grip of your club place your upper hand (this works in both ways lefties as well) you will notice that where your thumb and index finger roll around the club this makes a “V” (ah ha). This is the first in the three “V”‘s that we are looking for. The second is your second hand again the “V” between the thumb and index finger.

Now the third you are looking for is the one between your two arms, if you have lined up the first two “V”‘s on your hands up with the your front shoulder then you will be hitting straighter in no time.

I have just played a round of golf with my brother who had developed the worlds worse hook in his game. For months now he has been struggling with the hook and in desperate need to get it sorted out but due to personal commitments he hasn’t been able to get the time for a lesson. He told me he read my post on Reasons you could have developed a hook and had taken on board what I had written and was ready to put them all into action on the course.

Now his hook was so bad he was aiming his shots around 45 degrees off target in order to be anywhere close to the fairway or green! So taking his word for it that he was certain he knew he was almost cured he lined up around 30 degrees away from where he thought the ball was going to land. I questioned this and said “Would it not be a good idea to aim straight at this time?” I mean he thought he was cured. He told me that law of averages said if he aimed over there then even if there was a little bit of a hook he would still be in a good position for his second shot. Not wanting to get slapped by my younger but much larger brother I stood back and tried not to laugh as he struck the straightest and longest drive he has ever struck over the trees and out of bounds!

His swing action was corrected and he was much more fluid in his striking of the ball which means he was cured of his hook and should have taken the first shot as a sign that everything he had done to correct what was wrong had worked. Unfortunately another ball went sailing over the out of bounds before he was confident he should aim straight down the middle of the fairway. When he did same shot but this time long, straight and bang on target, unfortunate that he was 6 shots off the tee!

After forgetting that his swing was repaired on the first 4 drives he tried he added a whopping 15 shots to his total score that didn’t need to be there. Had he not taken those uncertain shots he would have shaved 8 shots off his best round.

If you have corrected your swing then take a trip to the driving range a few more times before you pay your green fee’s otherwise you might end up in the same position as my brother (laughed at for not believing in himself!)

When you find yourself just on the apron of the green it is sometimes hard to select a club when you have a lot of green to travel. Chipping the ball with a wedge or a sand iron gives you the hight that you need to get the ball onto the green but once it is on the green there is not much run on.

Using a 6 or an 8 iron to chip onto the green gives the ball a lower trajectory and will allow the ball to roll further when it makes contact to the green. The shot is very much like a putt with the ball further back in your stance. It is an easy shot to play as long as you practice it.

This method works because the light rough around the green or the fringe itself can slow down your ball and make it stick meaning that you get frustrated with the shot you have played because the ball just stops where it lands when using a more lofted club such as a wedge. However using the lesser lofted club you will push the ball in the direction that you want it to go rather than up and down.

Don’t get me wrong there are times when there is a need to get the ball high around the green but play with your head and work your whole bag not just the club you are told to play.