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Tom's Featured Tip: "Feeling Good Impact" - Drills
For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.
We've all felt good impact at least a few times. It's that strike when the ball feels like it sticks to the face of the club for about a second, then launches off the face like a rocket. It's like you squished the ball and it exploded.
Impact is the first lesson in all of my lesson packages because if you can't get to good impact, you won't experience that "squished the ball" feeling, and you'll never experience really good ball striking.
This is a bit of a generalization, but good impact occurs:
- when most of your weight has moved laterally to your forward side
- with correct vertical and horizontal angles of attack
- when you strike the ball in the center of the clubface
- and when the club strikes the ball before it makes contact with the ground (drivers are different)
The hitting down should be accomplished by ball position - knowing that it's positioned on the downward part of your consistent swing circle before your low point - and by getting some forward lean in your shaft so that your hands are ahead of the clubhead at the strike.
Poorer players usually execute with a steeper downward strike angle because they are hitting at the ball, rather than swinging towards the target. Better players execute a strike from a shallower angle because they swing more at the target.
If you are a steep swinger, or if you generally experience poor impact with your strikes, here are two drills that can help you get your attack angles on a better path, literally.
- Practice punch shots - short swings with an abbreviated follow through finish,
Abbreviated Follow Through Finish
Start with your putter and make a swing that will send the ball 25 or 30 yards. Don't try to manipulate your putter in any special way. Just hit three long shots with your putter. Then hit four 8 iron low trajectory punch shots - short swings with your weight forward, good forward shaft lean, and an abbreviated follow through finish.
Then make another long swing with your putter, then four 8 iron punch shot swings. Add wrist hinge as desired as your swing gets longer, but maintain the shallow angle of attack at impact that you experienced with your putter.
Repeat that sequence until you feel that your angle of attack into the ball is sufficiently shallow to produce good impact at the strike. That should heal your attack angles.
- Practice center face contact with this simple 3 swing differentiation drill.
I normally use an
8 iron for this drill because of it's neutral lie angle, but a 9 iron also works well.
- Swing 1 - hit the ball near the toe of the clubface
- Swing 2 - hit the ball near the heel of the clubface
- Swing 3 - hit the ball in the center of the clubface
This will eventually give your brain and body great synchronization for striking the ball with the center of the clubface. Do the drill every few weeks just to stay sharp.
If your ball striking isn't up to par, I guarantee that if you do these two simple drills your improvement will be amazing.
Comments: ttucker@rochester.rr.com
Love your practice, own your swing, own your health,
Tom
Golf Lessons
I conduct lessons at The Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility
there's a link for Plum Creek info here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/
Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact
me - Tom Tucker - at (716) 474 3005 or email me at ttucker@rochester.rr.com
for more information.
Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates:
http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html
Indoor Lessons Details and Rates:
http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/indoor.html
Testimonials:
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Sponsors
Plum Creek Driving Range and Simulator Outdoor range and play indoor golf on any of our 40 Simulator Courses. Call 585-993-0930 or email Mark at plumcreek4@rochester.rr.com to reserve time for simulator play or practice!
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THE WESTERN NEW YORK LEADER IN GOLF OUTINGS!
Only minutes from Buffalo, open to the public.
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All the best,
Tom Tucker
Teaching Pro, Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility
WGTF ' "Top 100 Golf Teacher"
USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
IGPA Certified Golf Psychology Coach
Cell: (716) 474-3005
Email: ttucker@rochester.rr.com
http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com
"There are no substitutes in the quest for perfection!"
~ Ben Hogan