INSTRUCTION

Ball Striking (irons)

A very important factor in striking the ball solidly and consistently with your irons is getting the “bottom” of your swing in front of the ball (i.e., the lowest spot in the swing’s arc on the target side of the ball -- see picture)

This promotes contacting the ball before the ground.

You can develop a feel for this by putting a tee in the ground about three inches in front of your ball, with the objective being to rip the tee out of the ground during your normal swing. In order to accomplish this, you’ll need to continue club head speed beyond impact, allowing you to reach the tee and the bottom of your swing with ease.

Once you can do this, you’ll hit your iron shots much more solidly and with more control.

By: Lucas Hitchcock

Where Memories Begin.

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Lucas Hitchcock

Director of Instruction Arnold Palmer Golf Academy at Gillette Ridge Golf Club. Bloomfield, CT (860) 726-1430 LHitchcock@centurygolf.com

Why Loading the Right Side Is Weighing Down

Your Game By George Connor

There are a number of age-old sayings in golf that are not at all When this is the case we can be certain than any rotation in the forward helpful for playing better golf. “Swing Slow” “Keep your head down” direction will be done on the lead leg rather than trying to get into the etc. Today I want to talk to you about “Loading the right side.” The left side as the upper body, arms and club are already racing towards the phrase itself is not bad advice but the interpretation is where golfers get ball. in trouble. Literally, someone with a surface level knowledge of the swing As you are processing this, let me answer the question I always get will undoubtedly interpret loading the right side with a continuous flow when I have this conversation with a student. Yes, the lower body is of weight into the right (trail side) during the backswing. This thinking already starting to move towards the target while the upper body is leads to golfers that begin the transition while still having 60 even 80% still moving away from the target. We do this in all sports. The tennis of their weight still on the trail leg. This complicates the golfers ability to racquet is still moving away from the target as you step into your front synchronize impact, is a huge power leak and generally forces the golfer foot. The quarteback’s arm is moving backwards as he strides into his left to work in what I can only call an unathletic motion. side. That same sequence should be happening in golf.

Think about all other throwing, swinging, hitting sports and how In the pictures below, Pic. #1 is what I tend to see in many golfers. you would use your legs. If you were to throw a ball, swing a tennis The weight has been loaded into the trail leg and the golfer will struggle racket, throw a punch or swing an axe at a tree, before the body makes to get to a consistent impact position. In Pic. #2 you can see that I have any rotation towards the target the lead leg is established as the pivotal “re-centered” which is the end of the backswing. axis of rotation. Go ahead, stand up and pretend you are going to hit

PICTURE #1

a tennis forehand, or pretend to throw a ball. These motions perhaps make more sense because we lift the lead foot and even take a small step towards the target. You will notice however that while you are making this little step your upper body is not yet rotating. The upper body in all these motions does not begin until the lead leg has been established as the axis that you will then rotate around.

Therefore, lets discuss when the backswing actually ends and the forward swing begins. Once there is rotation towards the target begins I think we would all agree that the backswing is over and the forward swing has begun. So, the backswing is NOT completed when you are loaded in your right side. In fact, when the backswing is competed the golfer should have returned to roughly a 50/50 weight distribution.

PICTURE #2

One final note, I am not advocating a golf swing that works only on the left leg. The weight flowing through the right side and into the left is a source of power. I would not want to eliminate that. The key here is that the weight flows through the trail side and into the lead side as opposed to accumulating in the trail leg.

George Connor is the Head Golf Instructor at Farmington Woods Country Club in Avon, CT. 860-830-6969 or George@ConnorGolf.com