Having moved to Dubai two months ago, I have noticed the following reoccurring themes amongst all kinds of golfers but particularly newer players. Many of the golf lessons I teach often start with basic things like grip, posture and ball position. If you don’t have the basics right you will struggle to hit the ball far, and more importantly consistently. This game is so much easier to play if you know how far you will hit the ball and where it’s going to end up.
Fault 1: The grip
To strike the ball well you need to have the basic fundamental skills required for golf. One of the most important of those is the grip. The grip is one of the things that many players struggle to change when you’ve been playing for a while. So, if you’ve just started playing golf it’s good to keep this in mind so you don’t have to change your grip later.
FIX (right image): Many people think that you are going to grip the club in your palms. That is not the correct way to do it because you will not be able to hinge your wrists. So, if you want to create speed and hit the ball further with a good level of consistency, you need to grip the club towards your fingers. That will also give you more power because you’re stronger in that position and can also use leverage. The grip and the basics are crucial and an element you should never stop practicing, however long you’ve played the game.
Fault 2: Angle of attack
You want to hit a high shot for example over a bunker or a water. You are trying to get the ball higher in the air by leaning your body away from the target and backwards. This will lead to your club moving up instead of down to get a good strike. Most of the times you are going to thin or top the ball. Do you often find yourself in this situation? Keep on reading and I will help you to correct this.
FIX: We want the club to hit down so we can hit the ground. That will make the ball go up into the air. When you are afraid of missing a shot or you don’t feel confident then you will most likely miss because you are holding the grip firmer and trying to hit it harder.
Towell drill: Place an item behind your ball when you are practicing. For example, a towel. If you are leaning away from the target now you are going to hit the towel on your downswing. This drill with the towel behind the ball
will force you to hit down more and create the correct shaft angle to get the ball in the air.
Fault 3: Not playing enough on the course!
I have met so many people that have been playing golf for years but have only been on the driving range and the practicing areas. That sets alarm bells ringing because that is not the right place to learn golf as the game is played out on the course! The practice areas and driving range are a great place to perfect certain skills but to really develop
your overall game you need to be on the course.
FIX: There are a lot of people in the same situation as you. We already know that there are fewer women than men that play golf. So, if you are a woman and looking for someone to play with, you are more than welcome to come to The Address, Montgomerie. We have lots of nice ladies here that would like to have new friends to play golf with. Our
Ladies’ Day is every Tuesday morning if you’d like to get involved.
