Tim Horhota, Certified member of the Canadian Golf Teachers Federation
I hear it all the time. My practice swings feel so good, but when I put a ball down, everything changes! Its also common to be told that ‘everything’ goes well at the practice range, but on the course …… not so much.
Sound familiar? It’s not the ball, and certainly not the course. There are (usually) rather simple explanations for both issues. For the first (when there’s a ball in front of you) the cause is most likely where you’re standing in relation to the ball. There’s a rule that’s very clear, the ball cannot be moved (normally), so you’re going to have to adjust by moving your feet! Typically, recreational golfers plant their feet, adjusting their club to the ball. Works occasionally, kinda like pulling the handle on a slot machine and hoping for the best. You may strike it well occasionally, but likely not very often. If you strike the ball well on the range, but can’t replicate the results on the course, the issue is most likely your alignment. If you’re not sure what all the above means, then we’re definitely on to something!
It may sound difficult but it’s not. In fact, it’s quite simple. However, it does require discipline, commonly called your preshot and set-up routines.
There are five fundamentals all instructors focus on: grip, stance, posture, ball position and alignment. Understanding and adopting these ‘basics’ will make your game a lot better, and much more enjoyable.
I teach my students that rather than trying to hit to a target, we align ourselves to your initial target line. Good swings simply return the club to ‘square’ at a specific point along the club’s path. Which is where the ball must be to hit it straight. If you have also aligned yourself correctly, and the ball is positioned correctly, good swings becomes a good shots! If you chose the right club for the distance you needed to go, good shots become great shots.
PS: ‘Nice swing’ usually means ‘no idea what went wrong’. ‘Nice hit’ usually means good shot, poor alignment. ‘Nice shot’ usually means good shot, wrong club 🙂
Thanks for your interest. I’d be pleased to work with you to help you enjoy this great game even more. You can book an appointment online or feel free to give me a call at 905-641-8600.
New: Flightscope MEVO Launch Monitor is now available to help advanced golfers fine tune their swing, and measure club and ball performance.
MEVO is a 3D Doppler radar based launch monitor that can be used indoors and outdoors to help golfers improve their performance. Mevo provides carry distance, ball and club speed, spin rate, smash factor, vertical launch angle, apex height and flight time.
Check out these videos to see how it works;
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