Get the driver in play when you need to!

We now go to the Cleveland golf v1 tip of the week.

Dewsweeper writes in that he is having a hard time get his driver in play on the 18th hole when the match or game with his buddies is on the line. This dewsweeper all too often hits a big hook. He asks for a little help to win the 18th.

Well here is tip to use any time the heat is on and you absolutely have to get the ball in play.
My first suggestion would be to hit a fairway metal. Take a fairway wood and tee it up just slightly and hit it out there. When suggesting this to students frequently say that the hole plays to long with a 3 wood off the tee.

My response is how long does the hole play from the water?

Should you not feel confident with your fairway metal try this with your driver.

Tee the ball down much lower that normal. This will make you impart a more downward blow on the ball and keep the head of the driver from having the opportunity to get underneath the ball and impart hook spin on the ball. Now chances are that you will not hit the Ball s far but you will reduce the chance s for a big hook and have the ball in play with a chance to win the 18th.

Ball Position

I get this question as much as any from students and listeners.

Does the ball move back in my stance as the clubs get shorter?

The answer is NO. My belief is that we are trying to compress the ball in golf. We want to smash the ball against the ground. In order for this to happen the ball must be struck right before the low point of the swing.

The golf swing as we know is a circle and the low point we remember from high school geometry is directly underneath the center of the circle. Thus, with the center of our golf swing circle being our front shoulder then the low point is underneath our front shoulder. Therefore the ball should be place just in front of that position. The low point will always be at the same point in relation to the front shoulder.

The width of your stance should narrow as the club gets shorter and as a result your back foot moves in closer to the ball. This makes the ball get closer to your rear foot.

Try this with your ball position and see if you don't become more consistent.

Get Rid of the Chicken Wing

One of the top questions or faults a student will ask me about when we begin a first lesson together is that they want to get rid of the chicken wing.

First lets understand what the chicken wing is and why it occurs. The left arm (right handed golfer) appears to fold up and look like a chicken wing on may amatuer golfers. Its a common flaw and no one wants to be told they have a chicken wing in their golf swing.

WHAT HAPPENS That causes this??

The left arm folds up as the club head passes your hands.
The cause is a stall in your pivot motion. And I don't mean the ones you put hot sauce on. Every avid golfer knows how deadly the chicken wing is, and how hard it is to get rid of. Well here is a start.
Your left arm (for right handed players) buckles and looks like a chicken wing through impact and after. This happens when the pivot motion, the rotation of your trunk, slows down through the ball. The left arm folds as the pivot stalls. The way to fix this is to fix your pivot. Learn to hit the ball more with the trunk of your body and not with your hands and arms.

Here is a drill to help. Go to your local store and/or garage and find a nerf ball. When you get back on the practice tee hit pitch shots with the nerf ball between your forearms. Hit shots without letting the ball fall or drop out. If you to do this it will help you learn to use your pivot to hit the ball and not allow your left arm to fold up like a chicken wing!

Why a Pre Shot Routine?

We had a question in the Dewsweepers mailbag that asks why should I use a pre shot routine?
The first and primary reason is that an effective pre shot routine helps get you into the correct set up position every time.
One of the real keys to becoming a consistent player is to get into the same set up position every time. That means correct alignment, ball position, posture and distance from the ball each and every shot.
So consistency in setup is first.
Second is that a good routine is important to help you play better as the stress level on the course goes up. If you are playing very well or playing poorly a good routine can help keep you in rhythm and keep you focused on what YOU do when you play well. A good pre shot routine can help keep you from wandering off to faster rhythm or thoughts about negative consequences.
I have heard it said many times by great players that when you are under the gun and the heat is on the only thing you have to fall back on is your routine it can help make you feel relaxed and perform better.If you struggle with consistency try and develop a good pre shot routine and see if you don’t improve