The Fundamentals : Contact

Hitting solid iron shots consistently is key to playing great golf. Keep in mind that not just beginners need to constantly work on this aspect of their game. Doing it on the range is also not the same as doing it during a round of golf.

Back to basics: Grip, posture, alignment, and contact.

Start with: Alignment. If your feet, knees, hips, and shoulders aren’t square to the target line, the dreaded slices and hooks creep in. Use alignment rods. It is always surprising how many recreational golfers do not carry them and use them in practice, but PGA and LPGA players do. Everyone sees the value of Flightscope or Trackman, expensive devices we use for coaching and rods start at $10.

Own your swing, do not let your swing own you. The old adage, we swing the club the ball gets in the way, is an anathema or bugbear to most beginners as they want to hit the ball. Swinging too fast, having the wrong tempo, powering from the trail side results in missing, hitting behind the ball, and generally inconsistent ball striking. A good benchmark is swinging at 80%, not 100%. Contact. You must know where the bottom of the arc of your swing is, otherwise it is impossible to hit great iron shots. Not everyone 'bottoms out' in the center of their golf stance, but that is where we start with the golf ball. I have students who, due to inefficiencies in their swing or shoulder issues (why TPI screening can be so invaluable), hit in front or behind that center line. Putting a chalk line down and seeing where you consistently contact the ground is a simple assessment if you do not have a coach, but working with your coach to correct swing issues and perhaps movement issues leads to consistency. I see people on the range working on their swing, arm positions, etc, hitting the ball inconsistently over and over again because it's really their contact that needs the most work. That is why most coaches teach contact with a quarter or half swing. If you can't do it small and slow, you will find it really hard to hit it full and fast.

I know this winter you will work on your contact so 2018 will see you playing well!

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