Golf Tips from the Pros
Before you get ready to hit the course this season, our highly respected and multiple award-winning professional golf staff has put together some tips to help advance your game.
Led by Director of Golf, Jeff Fitzherbert, the pros at BallenIsles are always ready to offer advice and provide lessons to help you shave strokes off your scorecard.
Get A Grip
A good grip is the foundation for a good golf game. When you grip the golf club correctly, you set yourself up to execute and get everything else right. When you grip the club incorrectly, you make the game harder than it needs to be. A fundamentally sound grip helps you create power and feel at the same time. Wrist action is a power source and gripping the club too much in the palm of your hand reduces wrist action. The fingers are the most sensitive parts of our hands. Placing the club more in the fingers rather than in the palm increases the amount of wrist hinge, which results in longer tee shots and more feel. One of the most common errors among golfers is a weak lead-hand (left hand for the right-handed golfer - the lead hand is the hand you place highest on the club) grip that is too much in the palm. This produces a shot that slices and lacks power. If you are struggling with your swing, the first place you should look is at your grip.
How To Master The Downhill Lie
The downhill lie is probably the most difficult sloping lie for amateur golfers. There's a tendency to hit the ball thin or fat.
Firstly, align your shoulders with the slope. Place the ball slightly back of center in your stance and place a bit more body weight on the front foot. This will help you to strike down on the ball, preventing thin contact.
Really feel as though you are chasing the ball down the slope through impact.
A golf ball on a downhill lie won't fly as high. The slope has the effect of de-lofting the club so a 7-iron will fly more like a 6-iron. Bear this in mind and perhaps take a more lofted club than you normally would for the distance.
How To Properly Aim
So many people struggle with alignment in their setup and it can lead to swing compensations and faults that will lead to poor shots and higher scores.
Let's simplify the setup and alignment by doing the following:
- First, take your grip and aim the clubface at your intended target (you may want to pick out an "intermediate target" that is a couple feet in front of your ball and directly in line with your intended target to help align your clubface)
- Many amateurs try to set their feet and body first and then aim their clubface. Instead, please do what all great Tour Players do and aim your clubface first and then set your feet and body accordingly.
- Next, align your feet, hips and shoulders parallel to the clubfac
- Take a couple looks at your target using your eyes to identify and confirm your alignment
- React to your target and swing the club freely
If you’re looking to improve your game, BallenIsles has everything that you need to succeed. The golf pro shop provides everything that a golfer could need, and tee times are available to book at one of three golf courses. Golfers can also get assistance on whatever they would need, from form and swing to general tips, at the practice facility. As a renowned golf center, BallenIsles has everything that you need to play a great game. Click here to learn more. | 