4 minute read
Swing Sequence Brace and Fire
BRACE AND FIRE
Want another 20 yards? Then copy this move in Viktor Hovland’s swing By Ron Kaspriske
imagine that you have a wedge parked under the target side of your lead foot as you take your stance. Not a golf club, rather the kind of wedge you use for a doorstop or to split firewood. As you swing your driver into the ball, use that wedge to push down and away from the target with your lead leg. That move is something Viktor Hovland does, and it’s one reason he’s among the best drivers on the PGA Tour, says Golf Digest Teaching Professional Josh Zander. Hovland, second in total driving, the tour’s stat that combines distance and accuracy, uses that push to “throw on the brakes” with his lower body, which allows his driver to zip past him and rocket the ball into orbit.
“That move will put the mass of your body behind the ball, allowing you to launch it higher with less spin,” Zander says. “If you usually hit down on the ball and/or slide toward the target, which are common faults I see in many downswings, this move is a game-changer in terms of picking up distance. You can even practise this
push off with an actual wedge. You’ll start sweeping it off the tee.”
Ironically, Hovland says he’s trying to curtail the move, preferring to sacrifice a little power for accuracy.
“I need to get my shaft a little forward at impact, so I’m not leaning back quite as much,” he says. “I try to flight it down... almost always trying to hit a cut.”
To produce that lower, more controllable fade, Hovland sets up with a flared left foot, which helps delay the clubface from closing, Zander says. He also does a couple of other things to help keep it in the fairway: “At the top of his swing, the face is shut as a result of bowing his left wrist. If he fully released from there, he would hook it,” Zander says. “But his left arm stays a little bent coming down, like Jordan Spieth in his heyday. It’s a clubfaceopening move, and that keeps it more stable through impact. Granted, it’s a power leak, not letting that arm extend, but he’s got plenty to spare.”
Hovland, 24, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour and seventh on the World Golf Ranking at the end of May, averages 307 yards off the tee with a driving accuracy of 65 per cent. Both are among the top 50 on tour.
“It’s still a very powerful swing,” Zander says. “Look at his torso rotation; it’s incredible. And he starts loading into that lead leg as he’s still going back. That gives him time to set up that push-off move through impact.
“Also, look at his head position. It’s well behind the ball and marks the low point of the swing. If you’re trying to hit up on the ball and launch it high with less spin, copy that.”
SET, SLIDE AND SCORE
Put some touch into your chipping game By Mike Bender
There’s more Than one way to chip, but no matter the method, one goal stays the same: You need to use the clubhead’s bounce, or trailing edge, to consistently hit good shots around the greens. By striking the ground with the bounce first — and not the leading edge — you can execute these shots without worrying about hitting them fat. You can even be super aggressive with your swing, and the club will still skim along the turf. I recommend two chipping methods for the recreational golfer: The hinge-and-hold method I’m demonstrating (above) and a stiffwristed technique that is executed exactly how it sounds.
The hinge-and-hold method requires more practice but can really add some touch to your short game when performed properly. Set up in a very open stance. As you swing back, hinge your wrists fully, which opens the clubface. Now here’s the key: When you swing down and through
impact, leave the shaft of the club leaning toward the target, making sure to maintain the hinge in your wrists while leading with the club’s heel. This exposes the club’s bounce, allowing the back side of the wedge to glide along the ground. Hold the finish with the face open and the clubhead below your hands.
Don’t have a lot of time to practise? Then go with the stiff-wristed technique, which should help create consistently good contact. To use it, set hind the ball, which allows the club to rest on the bounce, making it difficult to chunk the shot. Then rotate your body back and through while keeping your arms and wrists stiff. Return the shaft to the same position it was at address, and you’ll give yourself the best chance to chip it close and get up
up with the shaft neutral or leaning slightly back (for higher shots). That will put your hands even or slightly be-
and down. —with dave allen
MIKE BENDER, one of the 50 Best Teachers in America, runs the Mike Bender Golf Academy in Lake Mary, Florida.
