How To Hit it Straight

20 09 2011

Hitting the ball straight is one of the biggest challenges facing every golfer.  There are so many variables that go into hitting it straight that it is a wonder we ever hit the ball straight at all.  In fact most tour players prefer to curve the ball in order to get it to the target.  Jack Nicklaus liked to fade the ball while Tom Watson likes to draw the ball.  Very few tour players try to hit the ball perfectly straight once they are hitting clubs longer than an eight iron.  Today’s equipment makes hitting the ball straight more feasible, nevertheless, it is a challenge.  I believe every golfer should know what it takes to hit it straight. The closer you get, the less curve you will get on your ball and your direction control will improve.

So what does it take to hit the ball straight?  Correct aim, a square clubface, and a centered hit are all part of the equation.  The last variable is club path and that may be the least understood by the average player.  The reason is that the swing is an inclined circle, like slightly tilted a hula hoop.  This means that as you hit down on a ball you will be striking the ball earlier on the circle which means your path will moving to the right at impact.  Conversely, when you hit up on the ball, the later you are hitting on the circle and the more left your path is moving at impact.  In short, the attack angle directly affects the path.  My video on how to hit it straight illustrates the adjustments necessary to neutralize your club path with different attack angles.

The one thing to remember is that every ball struck from the ground requires a downward strike to hit it solidly and straight.  Hitting up on a ball that is on the ground will result in a miss-hit.  When you tee the ball up, it is to your advantage to hit up on the ball as it will minimize the spin rate and give you more distance.  Although you can get away with hitting down on your driver I do not recommend it as it will increase your spin rate and cost you distance.

Just like it is difficult to learn the golf swing from a book, I will leave the aforementioned formula for hitting it straight to your local PGA teaching professional.  But remember that just working on aim, face and center hits will help, but understanding the concept of path as it relates to attack angle will be the final piece in the puzzle.

Josh Zander


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The One-Plane Backswing

16 06 2011

By now you have probably heard the term “One-Plane Swing.”  The term was coined by my mentor Jim Hardy and has become part of the golf vernacular.  In the past, the one plane swing has been described as a flat swing.  Ben Hogan is the most famous example of this type of swing.   In his book, “Five Lessons, the Modern Fundamentals of Golf”, Hogan showed us that great image of the pane of glass.  At the top of his backswing, he shows how his left arm is on the same plane as his shoulders.  In his book, Ben Hogan stated: “At the top of his backswing, his (the golfer’s) left arm should be extended at the same angle as the glass.  Actually, his left arm would brush against the glass.”  This is what Jim Hardy describes as the One-Plane Backswing.  In other words, the left arm and shoulders are all on “one plane” at the top of the backswing.

In my video, I have demonstrated how to build a one-plane swing.  How do you know if this style of swing is correct for you?  Get in front of a mirror and look at your profile as you are hitting away from the mirror.  Make a backswing and hold it at the top.  Now look back at the mirror.  If your left arm is online with your shoulders, you are a one-planer.  If your left arm is higher than your shoulders you are a two-planer.  If you are one-planer, you should study this video in order to make your motion more fundamentally sound.

One of the best methods of learning is watching great players.  These days, the internet provides us with countless videos that we can use as models.  My favorite modern day one planers are Hunter Mahan, Sergio Garcia, and Trevor Immelman.  Tiger Woods is a great one planer when he hits his famous “stinger”.  The one-plane swing seems to be a trend on the tour these days.  This does not mean it is the only way to be successful; it is just one way to play golf.  As a teacher, I make sure my students stick to the fundamentals of a one-plane swing if they are one-planers.  There is a lot of confusing information out there.  Some of it is right for one-planers and some of it is correct for two-planers.  Figuring out which one you are will help you keep things simple and enjoy great golf.

Josh Zander

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddz-Pxj5WTU


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Hold your finish. It’s not just for show.

1 02 2011

Why is the finish so important? After all, isn’t the ball gone? This is a comment I get sometimes from some students. The finish is the result of having done correct fundamentals along the way. Watching the 2010 Masters, I was so impressed by runner-up Lee Westwood’s balance at the end of his powerful golf swing. Westwood’s balance is the result of an on-plane motion which allows him to deliver an efficient blow to the golf ball without having his body compensate for any loops in his swing.

The finish is also the result of trying to hit a ball with a specific flight. If you want to hit the ball low, your finish should be low, If you want to hit the ball high, your finish should be high. If you want your ball to fade as a right-handed golfer, your hands should finish more left and away from the target line.  If you want your ball to draw, your hands should finish closer to the target line.

The bottom line is that the golf swing is over in less than two seconds and you don’t have time to think about all the positions along the way. If you rehearse a swing that ends in balance and has one of the aforementioned finish positions, you have a good chance of hitting correct positions along the way. My students are so psyched when I have them do follow-through drill that improves their backswing positions. Give yourself some credit. You are a better athlete than you thought!

Make it part of your routine to rehearse the finish you want based on the ball flight you desire. Hold it for a few seconds to feel your balance and to tell your brain what ball flight you want. Feeling it will get you there more often than just thinking about it. I have my juniors always hold their finish for a count of five. Lastly, swing as fast as you can as long as you can hold your pose. After all, it’s fun to hit it far and you can’t get distance without clubhead speed.

Josh Zander


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Posture

17 12 2010

Maintaining your posture is known as an important fundamental to a good golf swing. I completely agree with that statement with one exception. It is only important to maintain your posture if you have a “one plane” swing. A one plane swing has your left arm on the same plane as your shoulders at the top of your backswing. This is more commonly known as a flat or more rounded golf swing. You can almost think of this as a baseball swing that needs to be bent over in order to hit the ground.

If you have a “two plane” swing or more upright golf swing, please do not maintain your posture! Your left arm is in a higher position at the top of your backswing which already gives you an angle to hit the ground. Bending over during the downswing will lead to deep divots. You should also stand more upright at address if you have a two plane swing.

When you watch a video, read an instruction book or receive a tip, make sure it will help you with your impact or ball flight or it is not for you. There are many fundamentals out there that apply to different types of golf swings. It is up to your PGA professional to clear up the confusion and guide you on the correct path. Next time you take a lesson, tell your instructor about your impact and ball flight. Armed with this information, your teacher can help you understand the fundamentals that apply to you.


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Shot Shaping

17 05 2010


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Hip Turn

28 03 2010

Have you ever hit balls at the range next to someone who made an awesome sound when they hit the ball?  That sound is compression.  It makes other players turn and watch because obviously this is a great ball striker.  The player has made his divot past the ball and transferred the energy efficiently from the clubhead to the ball.  Distance control is one of the keys to scoring.  Great golfers don’t always hit the ball accurately but they often hit the ball pin high which means they are making solid contact.   Proper hip action on the backswing plays a major role in compressing the ball.

A common swing thought is to transfer your weight to your right side on the backswing.  Unfortunately, most players sway their hips back to do this causing fat and thin contact.  The key is to allow your hips to truly turn, not sway.  Think of your belt buckle as the center of your hips. If your hips turn around this center, your right hip will actually move towards the target during the backswing.  This does not mean you are reverse pivoting as your spine angle should not tilt towards the target during this movement.  In order to make sure of this, make sure your head is still or even moves a little away from the target during the backswing.

The focus of this video is the hip turn on the backswing but compression will only occur if you move your hips correctly on the follow through.  The downswing should start with a slight bump of the left hip towards the target.  You will hit the ball even longer if you can get this bump to happen before your upper body completes its backswing turn.  This will set up the proper kinematic sequence for the downswing.  Like any sport where you hit a ball with a stick, the movement starts from the ground up.  Proper hip motion on the backswing will help you set up this efficient downswing sequence.  If you do, you may just be that guy on the range who causes heads to turn.


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Your Eyes Affect Your Swing Path

11 08 2009

Hitting a golf ball straight and solid is very difficult to do. Ken Griffey Jr., an all-star baseball player and seven handicap golfer, stated that golf was harder than baseball because you are not only worried about hitting the ball solidly, but also where it goes. He went on to say that he doesn’t care where the baseball goes after he hits it solidly. As golfers, we have to play our shots to right and left field even though we prefer to hit the ball to center field.

As you can see in the video, your eyes have a significant influence on both the solidity of the hit as well as the direction. I like to get my students to align themselves correctly and that means getting their feet, knees, hips, shoulders and eyes parallel to the target line. When observing a student from face on, I am looking for a stacked set up. You can think of your body as a set of building blocks. You want your feet to provide a nice foundation and then you want to get your knees, hips and shoulders to stack up as you move on up the chain. The last link is your eyes. If you can get your eyes level, it gives you the opportunity to swing with balance and on plane.


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Swinging “in to in”

5 10 2008

[Today, Josh Zander, a PGA Teaching Pro at Stanford University Golf Course and MySmartGolf.com Co-founder,  tells you how to carve the perfect divot. The tee is yours, Josh! ]

I had a chance to watch Nick Price hit balls warming up for his President’s Cup match several years ago. His ball striking was amazing. The sound was so solid as he compressed ball after ball with a perfectly straight ball flight. I then noticed that each divot was going slightly left of where his ball was going. The reason for this is that he was swinging on a wonderful “in to in” swing path. He hit the golf ball first and then took his divot as his swing was completing the circle on the other side.

Make sure that your divot is only slightly left, as I do not want you swinging across the ball! Hitting across the ball will produce a glancing blow and lead to weak, slicing golf shots. It could also lead to deep divots as the swing plane gets too steep. Byron Nelson used to call the perfect divot one that looked like a dollar bill. It is shallow and the width of a dollar bill which matches the width of the sole of your club. A dollar bill divot is a sign of a proper swing plane, and will lead to dollars in your pocket as you beat your playing partners! Make that dollar bill points slightly left of where your ball takes off and you on your way to pure ball-striking.

If you are trying to shape your shots, your divot may point in a different direction. For example, if I am trying to hit a hook that starts right and falls left, I will play the ball back in my stance in order to catch the ball as my swing is on the part of the circle that is going to the right. The divot may point right of the target but it will still be past the ball. One thing is for sure, all great ball-strikers hit the little ball before the big ball. The little ball is the golf ball, and the big ball is planet earth. Hit the earth after the ball, replace your divot and then make that long walk to the green with your putter in your hand and a smile on your face.


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