it’s your SWING
BY DON DELORENZO
How Does He Do That?
T
the turf, look at two things. Is your left arm bending on the
backswing? If it is straight to begin with then you must try
your best to keep it straight through the backswing and
impact. That takes one of the variables out of your swing.
It is extremely difficult to hit a ball when your arm goes
from straight to bent and back to straight again. It would
be similar to hitting a ball with a rope with a club head
at the end of it. Get the picture? The second item to look
at is if you’re changing your posture (standing up) on the
backswing. If you keep a consistent back angle and just
turn your shoulders back and forth you should be able to
make consistent ground contract if your arm is straight and
ith the arrival of great golf weather and the long
days
of angel
summer,
it’s time to plan that golf getaway
your
back
is consistent.
with friends, family, or your golfing spouse. We are
very
lucky
live close
enough the to bottom
some of of the your
Now
that
you to have
established
greatest golf destinations without spending all day
on
a
plane
or
breaking
the
bank
just
getting
swing and you are making contact with the turf,
start there.
trans-
ferring your weight. Your weight MUST be on your left leg
at the time you are making impact with the turf. Why this
is important is because the lowest point of the swing is
where your weight is. So you want your weight moving
onto your left leg. This will insure that the bottom of your
swing is just slightly ahead of the ball and you can strike
the turf directly after you strike the ball. This striking of the
golf professional swing and understand what is being said
ball as the club is on the downward arc puts back spin
as they break it down. Terms like release, weight transfer,
on the ball and lifts the ball up into the air.
hinge and load sound like phrases a truck driver would
Hitting it straight is much simpler than hitting it up in
use and not a golfer. So let’s talk about the two very basic
the air. The direction a ball goes is caused by two simple
aspects of the golf swing. Getting the ball up in the air and
factors. Where is your club head aiming when it makes
hitting it straight.
contact with the ball? What direction did the path of the
No part of the golf game can be linked to success
club take to strike the ball? Put these two factors together
and failure as much as getting the ball airborne versus
and you have your equation for direction. If your club
just simply hitting a grounder. Hitting a golf ball in the air
head is aiming at your target at impact and the path
for the first time is the most exhilarating experience for a
the club takes to the ball is straight, then the ball will fly
golfer. When the ball takes flight it gains distance and can
straight. It’s as simple as that. So why do I slice the ball?
be controlled. When it is on the ground, neither of those
The most common error in golf can be corrected by think-
things happens.
ing about this golf equation. If the ball starts to the left but
Golf is a game of opposites. If you swing up at the
ends up to the right, then you are “cutting across” the ball
ball and try and lift it…it will stay on the ground. So the
by taking an outside to inside swing path. This causes
first item to remember about getting the ball up in the air is
the ball to have clockwise spin and slice to the right. To
don’t try to lift it. What must happen is to find the “bottom”
correct this, swing the club on a more inside to outside
of your swing. Where does your club strike the ground
path. While doing this, use your wrists and roll them over
when you swing back and forth? That is where you want
through impact. This movement will square the club face
to position the ball because that is the bottom of the arc of
at impact and straig hten up the flight of your shot.
your swing. If you are having difficulty making contact with
rying to learn the game of golf off the pages of a
magazine is often difficult so that’s why I try and
refrain from print golf lessons. However, there are a
few basic tips that can transform the novice hacker
to the accomplished linkster in a few easy steps.
Remember that golf is very counterintuitive. So letting
common sense take control of your golf swing is often the
worst thing that can happen. Luckily, we have the golf
channel and other outlets now where you can visibly see a
WESTERN GOLF
GETAWAYS
W
Remember, If you can’t figure out your golf swing woes on your own, call your local golf pro.
They will be ready, willing and able to get you on the path to high flying straight shots.
98
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
gmhtoday.com