FIRM UP YOUR GRIP FOR BETTER BALL STRIKING - PART 1

If you are struggling with ball striking, you may want to check your grip pressure. Many players lose control of the club by over swinging (where your arms keep going back after the body has stopped turning resulting in a disconnect of the hands at the top of the swing). This will cause you to re-grip the club during the swing and disrupt the alignment of the club face before impact.

FIRM UP YOUR GRIP FOR BETTER BALL STRIKING - PART 2

You never want to grip the club too tightly, but there are certain pressure points that exist. Hold the club firmly with some pressure with the last three fingers of the left hand and you should also feel some pressure on the left thumb as you place the lifeline of the right palm firmly on it. This should place the grip also in the fingers of the right hand. You should also feel some pressure in the left index finger as it wraps around the grip in a trigger finger position. Hold with some space between the index and middle finger for the right thumb to lightly tap the tip of the index finger.

FIRM UP YOUR GRIP FOR BETTER BALL STRIKING - PART 3

To check that you are not losing pressure points at the top of your swing – place some blades of grass between the last three fingers of the left hand as your grip the club. Place some on top of your left thumb before covering it with the lifeline of your right hand.  Make some half-swings to start and move to full swings back and through keeping your grip pressure constant throughout the swing. If the grass remains in place, you are in control of the club and should see an improved ball flight.

COMING UP SHORT?

If you are you coming up short on those 3 to 6 foot putts try this little putting drill. Find a straight puttand place an alignment rod in front of the hole at the edge of the cup. Putt the ball with enough speedto get the ball to jump over the alignment rod and drop in the hole. Do this for 5 or 6 putts. Remove the alignment rod and then make the same putt with the same pace you used to make the putt jump over the rod. Also listen with your left ear to hear the putt hit the cup before looking at the hole. Of course listen with the right ear for lefthanders!

Hitting Your Hybrids

When hitting your hybrids, remember they are replacements for your 3 or 4 iron and not little miniature fairway woods.  Playing the ball up too far in your stance and trying to sweep the ball like a fairway wood will lead to thin shots or usually hooks.  Just play the ball forward of center and hit down on it just like you do your normal iron shots.  Let the club bottom out and take a small thin divot just ahead of where you played your ball.