Club Control

When we find ourselves in those scoring zones, such as 100 yards and in it is imperative to have as much control over the club face as possible. This not only refers to keeping the face square in order to hit the ball towards our desired target but to be able to have control of the speed of the club when it makes contact with the ball. For the most part we can assume that our accuracy is relatively good from inside 100 yards. When using a wedge the strike will put more backspin on the golf ball which reduces the sidespin and curve. So assuming we are set up square to target and we strike the ball with a square path there shouldn’t be much reason for the ball to move drastically off line like, say a driver would. Because there is the added factor of ‘controlling the distance’ in playing approach shots, as opposed to the long game, where we have a ready made club to hit the ball a desired distance, we need to have a clear understanding of how to control the club. After all, a shot hit directly at the target, 10 yards too long/short is the same as hitting pin high but 10 yards left/right. Yet for most people I could bet they would feel more satisfied with the former, as at least the ball flew at the target and looked good in the air. It’s still the same result!

Forget “Accelerate through the ball”

A common phrase I hear when players and coaches talk about hitting approach shots and shots around the green is “you have to accelerate through the ball”. I find this a very confusing and vague term. How much acceleration should there be? If I have sole focus on accelerating the club is there the possibility of me quitting on a short shot, due to the fear of accelerating too much and hitting the ball through the green? Now I’m not saying the key is to decelerate, that is the ultimate recipe for disaster, however the term “accelerating through the ball” is too imprecise and undefined. Besides, if an object (such as a golf club) is accelerating, doesn’t it still have a maximum velocity to achieve? And wouldn’t I want that club to be traveling at its maximum velocity when it strikes the ball? If we strike the ball at a constant velocity we will then have a lot more control of our approach shots. So lets talk about controlling the club.

Club Path & Face Angle

As mentioned in the previous lesson, I prefer to see a square to slightly closed stance at address. I’m not an advocate of setting up open to the golf ball in order to encourage or exaggerate and out to in club path or ‘cut motion’. If we set up open to the target, with the club face slightly flared/open (to encourage the bounce of the club) then not only are we narrowing the contact area of the club face, but also starting to create a strike that works more so from the heel of the face to the upper toe of the club face (Working with the grooves of the club). As opposed to a strike in the center of the face working vertically from the leading edge to the upper grooves of the face (working perpendicular to the grooves). The latter strike will maximize the contact and friction between club face and ball allowing a greater volume of spin to be applied to the ball. I encourage you, when on the practice area to experiment hitting draws with your approach shots. Not by trying to manipulate your technique mid-swing, but to get in a position at address that will promote a draw.

Understand the motions of a pendulum

Again what we are about to discuss will be a regular thought across every aspect of your short game from putting, all the way up to 100 yards. I always compare the golf swing to a pendulum. The club in general will move equal parts back and through the ball just as a pendulum would if we pulled it up to a starting position and released it (Sorry for the science talk, but stick with me). Basic physics of a pendulum state that as the pendulum reaches the bottom of its arc it achieves maximum velocity. Gravity has a constant acceleration (which is 9.81m/s2 if your interested) which means the pendulum (club) will be constantly accelerating towards the the bottom of the swing arc. So once we are addressed to the ball like we discussed in the previous lesson, we can establish that the bottom of our swing arc will occur at impact, and consequently where the club will reach its maximum velocity. Hopefully the science there isn’t too overwhelming but its there to make sense of how we want the club working through the swing, specifically impact. 

Putting the theory into practice

With these principles mentioned we can now look at how we swing the club in order to mimic the motion of the pendulum. Just like the pendulum motion I like to see equal parts, backswing and followthrough. This will give clear and decisive positions to swing to. For instance if we take the club back, where the shaft is parallel to the ground, we’ll want to follow through to an exact opposite position at finish. The key here is to feel a free flowing motion in the swing, but be very aware of where your club sets on the backswing and finishes on the follow through. Don’t be surprised if your follow through feels very short at first. Make some practice swings and hold your finish position for 3-5 seconds. This will give your body a chance to feel that ‘defined’ position it wants to be in post impact. We want to keep the hands moving with a constant motion, identify and correct if you feel a staggered/jerky motion with your hands and arms. When applying this to the ball take all targets away from your vision. Pitch down a fairway or to an empty part of the green. The objective here is to try and group your shots as close together. Find a comfortable swing length or a club set position that you can maintain control (Whether it’s shaft parallel to ground, forearm parallel to ground, or 3/4 swing). After each shot analyse where your finish position ended compared to where your practice swings were, and how the shot resulted. This will put you in good standing to progress onto the next lesson of controlling your distances accurately.

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