You just hit the most amazing drive down the middle of the fairway. The incredible length of it leaves ample time to think how good a birdie would look on your card.
It’s all good! That is until you chunk it into the bunker, hack your way out, three putt and make double!
What often goes wrong between the drive and approach shot is most often due to preparation—mentally and physically. Golfers either over prepare or under prepare, and the results lead to high numbers on the card.
Here’s a checklist to help you get the most out of every shot.
1. Assess your lie and how the terrain and weather will impact the height and flight of the ball.
2. Commit to a target and confidently make a wise club choice that will get you to your destination safely.
3. Grip needs to control the clubface.
a. Hands work together and hold the handle securely in the fingers.
b. No gaps or spaces between the hands (hot dog in bun).
The Set Up
4. Stance is athletic, where the upper body and lower body are balanced.
a. There is no off set lines in the hips, shoulders, or stance line, and overall lines are parallel to the target line.
b. Ball position is centered between the chin and shirt logo on left side.
c. Favor the chin for irons and shirt logo for longer clubs.
d. Your natural eye line should be focused on the backside of the ball with the hands two inches forward of the eye line.
5. The forearms extend away from the body, leaving a slight pressure of the upper arms against the chest.
Swing Path
1. Swing the club head in an arc over each shoulder.
2. Feel the hands work above each shoulder in the backswing and finish.
a. Keep the arms soft to allow for a folding action of the right elbow in the backswing and the left elbow in the finish.
3. The body needs to rotate or turn to accommodate longer swing arcs for the full swing.
The Downswing and Follow-through
1. To keep the club head on the same arc in the downswing, the arms need to work down and in front of the body.
a. The sensation should be to point the knuckles of the hands down your toe line and then let the club head brush the grass into the follow-through.
2. Follow through to a “handshake” position and the toe of the club will point upwards, and a steady chin over the right shoulder will help you time your swing for solid hits.
a. If your body is turning or shifting too fast, the hands can’t “square” the club face to the target, and the result is a shot hit thin or to the right.
b. If the body turns too little or doesn’t shift to the left enough, then the hands move too fast through the swing, and the clubface looks left when you strike it. The ball flight goes low and left.
—Dee Forsberg
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