"15 Minutes of Body Action Drills Are More
Important Than Hitting 200 Balls"
Tom's Featured Tip: Q&A: Hitting Up On The Ball
Lesson Comments: What Students Have To Say
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Q&A: Hitting Up On The Ball
For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.
Two Great Training Aids For Indoor or Outdoor Practice
The Divot Board
This is the most useful ball striking development training aid that I own.
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Q&A: Hitting Up On The Ball
Q: Hi Tom, I read your newsletter faithfully and I know that you have stated in the past that your downswing circle starts downward and outward, has a moment when it's flat and straight, then travels inward and upward.
My question is that if I hit my driver on the upswing, won't the ball start left because the club would be travelling inward (left) as it ascends?
Thanks, Doug R., Syracuse NY.
A: Thanks for a great question Doug.
In last weeks newsletter I stated this re: hitting up on the ball with your driver:
For irons, you should strike the ball on the descending portion of your swing arc. That produces a strike that contacts the ball first, then the ground.
The driver is the only club that we need to hit on the ascending portion of your swing circle arc. That produces a strike where the clubhead passes the low point of the swing arc and contacts the ball while the clubhead is naturally ascending, lifting the ball off the tee.
Those strike points are accomplished by correct ball position, correct weight dispersion at impact, and a consistent swing circle arc and depth.
In answer to your question, the ball will start in a direction that the clubhead is pointing, but there's more to it.
Path does have a less emphatic role, so if you do strike the ball on the ascending portion of your swing circle arc, and if the face is square to the path, that ball will indeed start a bit left of your target line.
However, with a good inside out path into the ball, the face should be closing to square - but not absolutely square - to your path at the strike during the slightly ascending portion of your swing circle arc.
Doug, if your ball does start too far to the left due to trying to hit up on the ball, there is one small alignment adjustment that you can do to hedge your bet on the starting direction.
With all aspects of your body alignment being correct - everything in line and aimed parallel left to your target, and a consistent swing circle arc, understand these two absolutes:
- If you open your stance by withdrawing your lead foot away from the target line an inch or two, the bottom
of your swing arc moves toward the target.
- If you close your stance by withdrawing your trail foot away from the target line an inch or two, the bottom of your swing arc moves away from the target.
When I give a driver lesson I use this closed stance setup if the student is starting the ball too far left when they are hitting up on the ball with their driver. Sometimes I also add some radial spine axis tilt with a hip adjustment, but that needs to be done carefully and sparingly - so I'm not getting into details on that.
It sounds like you might benefit from this closed setup Doug, so try it - I think you'll like it.
Email Comments: to TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer, The Stack and Tilt Swing
Love your practice, own your swing, own your health,
Tom
Golf Lessons
I am now conducting lessons at The Batavia Country Club
Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact
me - Tom Tucker - at (716) 474 3005 or email me at TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
for more information.
Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates:
Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates
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Sponsors and Affiliates
Buying a sponsored product through any of my affiliate links helps support this free newsletter, and I only affiliate with excellent products that I use myself. Thanks, Tom
Batavia Country Club (585) 343-7600 www.bataviacc.com
Great rates, the best greens in WNY.
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Tee times online or by phone in season.
FISH FRYS AT BCC and other delicious dinner specials with soup and salad bar - Fridays, 4pm - 9pm
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BONUS: when you buy through the newsletter link above, you'll also receive free access to my Putting Lesson Videos ($50 value) which cover: The Elevated Aimline Drill, The Squareness Awareness Drill, The Aimline Accuracy Drill, The Stock Putting Stroke Drill, The Barrier Drill, The Short Putt Channel Drill, and more.
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All the best,
Tom Tucker
Teaching Professional, Batavia Country Club
WGTF ' "Top 100 Golf Teacher"
USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
IGPA Certified Golf Psychology Coach
Cell: (716) 474-3005
Email: TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com
"There are no substitutes in the quest for perfection1"
~ Ben Hogan