Virginia Golfer September / October 2022 | Page 36

Instruction

Let the Club do the Work in Your Golf Swing by FERNANDO MARTINEZ , Senior Staff Instructor , Virginia Golf Center , Clifton

How we set up to a shot , how we use our body , and how we properly use our arms ultimately determines how we deliver the club into the back of the ball . The original thought that most new golfers have is that the only way to hit a golf ball is to grab the club very firmly and take a hard downward slash into the golf ball . Just go to any golf range and you ’ ll see the vast majority of golfers slashing at the golf ball from the top down . The first class you ever have should only talk about how clubs are made . Every club head ever made is created and trained to hit a ball straight , as long as you can allow the weight of the club to do most of the work .

It all starts with your putter . It has been established that in putting the most important element is speed control . Swinging a putter is often referred to as a pendulum . It ’ s assumed a pendulum starts from a very still position . In putting , your whole body has to be completely still and the only thing that moves should be spinal rotation , often referred to as shoulder rotation . Decide how far back to take a putter in order to allow it to swing through . The speed comes from allowing the arms
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