As 2016 begins it is a prime time to look at our game and assess it to see where we can shave a few shots off our game. For me January is a great time to start off the year on the right foot, and get the fundamentals of your game in shape. There are several areas of your game where you can make small improvements and knock those extra couple of shots off your score.
Putting
Putting alignment can often be an issue that people neglect, but yet it is also probably be the single most important aspect to being a good putter. All good putters have the ability to start the ball on their chosen line at the required speed which results in holing more putts.
Maintaining good alignment is simple to practice and there is a number of ways to do it. One of my favourite drills for practicing alignment is using a chalk line. Chalk lines can be found in almost any hardware store. Simply find a straight putt from about 5 feet, stretch the string line out directly from the hole and flick the line to leave the chalk line on the green.
Once the chalk line is down and the ball is placed on the line, we can use it to check our putter face alignment and also our feet alignment. The primary objective of the drill is for face alignment at address and impact. At address you need to make sure the line on the putter is directly over the chalk line, this ensures that not only is the club face correctly aligned but that it is also positioned in the centre of the club face. As soon as the putter contacts the ball you will find out how your putter face was positioned at impact. Ideally the golf ball will stay on the line all the way to the hole.
Grip it and rip it
The grip is one of the most important fundamentals of the swing and has a huge influence on other aspects of the swing. The most common mistakes we see with the grip tend to be where it is positioned in the hand. We commonly see the club being positioned in the palm of the hand as opposed to the fingers. This can cause a lack of support and control in the backswing, and result in the club being out of position throughout the swing.
There are Three keys to creating the perfect grip
- make sure that the club is positioned in the fingers of the hand.
- Create a “short thumb” to create the correct pressure on the grip
- Don’t grip it too tight. On a scale of 1 – 10 grip it at approximately a 7 out of 10
Perfect pitching
Improving your pitching fundamentals can often help you save a few extra shots on the golf course, yet it is probably one of the most under practiced parts of the game. When it comes to pitching the set up is key.
- Position the ball in the middle of your feet
- Grip down the shaft slightly for control
- Position the weight evenly and Relax the hands at address
- Feet remain quite passive throughout
- Keep Backswing and follow through to a similar length with a good rhythm
