Hit Down On That Ball
Consistent shots and proper backspin are both very challenging aspects of your golf game. We all know that the loft of a golf club controls the trajectory of the ball. We also know that with the proper trajectory comes a certain amount of backspin. In order to put these two things together, we need to look at our attack on the ball and how it affects these two important fundamentals.
In order for us to gain consistency with our shots, we have to understand the proper function of the golf club. A golf club is not designed to lift the ball into the air. It is designed, in fact, to force the ball into the air using the angle of the club face. In order to accomplish this, we have to force ourself to hit down on the ball to allow the club to do it’s job. It only seems natural to want to try to use the club to lift the ball into the air. If you can get out of this mindset, it will drastically improve your game.
Avoid this tendency to scoop the ball into the air. This will cause you to hit too far behind the ball or bounce the club head off the ground. Instead, think of it more as forcing the back of the ball into the ground with the club face. This will ensure the ball will “pop up” into the air and fly on its proper path. Also, keep in mind that it is normal to take a small divot with a proper iron shot. If you can gain the proper ball trajectory, you will also gain the consistent distance that we all need to have with each club.
The more lofted the club, the more backspin induced on the ball. This is why your short irons (7,8,9,P) tend to cause the ball to sit or roll back when it hits the green. If you really need the ball to sit, you have to focus on putting more backspin on the ball. To do this you need to focus even more on hitting down on the ball. Open the club face slightly and this will give more loft to the club face. If you do this remember that opening the face is going to cause you to gain loft, but loose distance. Keep this in mind when selecting the proper club.
For more golf tips, I encourage you to visit www.bettergolfswing.org This is a free site with several tips that will help you shave several strokes off your game.
Larry Moore is a avid golf enthusiast and has dedicated several years to the study of proper golf swing techniques. He is also the owner of http://www.bettergolfswing.org
Tags: backspin, driver, golf club, golf instruction, golf lesseon, golf swing, golf tips, irons