accuracy - solid golf

ACCURACY

Simple ways to find thesweetspot more oftenTo hit well-struck, accurate ironapproach shots you must satisfyseveral key impact ingredients.Read on to banish heel and toeshots, fats and thins forever.

SET-UP/IMPACT CHANGE

Understanding differences betweenset-up and impact is vital. At address,shirt buttons are over the ball.

WIDTH AND WEIGHT SHIFT

The backswing loads weight onto theright side; extended left arm retains aconstant radius from the chest.

Althoughhow the hips, hands and clubshaf thave shifted forwards, compressingthe ball. This moves the low point ofthe arc forward from address,promoting a powerful bail then turfcontact which is ideal for irons.

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SOU ARE ATTACKThe perfect swing path

sees the clubhead attackthe ball from inside the ball-

target line. The club hitsthat target line momentarily

just before impact, beforeswinging back Inside it.

Problems with a squareattack crop up when theclub hits the ball-targetline well before or well

after impact, as markedbelow by the two Xs.

ZONE YOUR GAME: PART TWO 15

TOO MUCH FROM THE INSIDE

FLAT LININGIf you drop the shaft too

flat In the downswing yourapproach will be too much

from inside the correctpath. You can hit thin shots

struck towards the heel.

Here's how the inside attack looks through the ball. The club's path,indicated by the tube, is shallow and too far from the back X and runsover the front one. You can expect hooks left and pushes to the right.

ACCURACYATTACKING FROM THE OUTSIDE

Delivering the shaft toosteep wilf cause choppy,heavy shots struck from

the toe as the arc cutsacross the ball from

outside the right hand.

When the attack path is too much from the outside, the club hits theball-target line early with a steeper path before cutting away toosharply through to the inside of the front X. Pulls and slices await.

16 ZONE YOUR GAME: PART TWO

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KEY DRILLS"'The difference in the loft a.

medium and iong irons means each clu_.to strike down on the bail differently, sutdescending more on the batt as the loft incr „_,_,on the club. Place three balls as shown and three*-behind, missing thebalis behind.This promotes asweeping descent with the-longer irons and^asteeper, squeezing strike as the loft increases.

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CL£ANSWEEP| V

Hit 10 balls and after each, check your divotspoint down the target line (yellow line). It's asimple but effective way of finding out if youare cutting across the ball from the outside,causing a pull or a slice (white line).

ZQNEYOURGAME:PARTTWO 17

SBEMLLUES

AHEAD OFTHE CURVE

Sideslope stances add sidespin to yourshots. This guide will show you which

way the ball will go, and give you thetools to stay on top of the situation

BALL BELOWThe arc angle or

plane of the swingbecomes more

upright, influencedby the extra lean

forward at address.This creates a

slightly steeperImpact and sliding

fade to the ball flightso allow for it and

aim a touch left.

TOP TIPS

When you lean forward to ground theclub at address this tilts the spineforward at a steeper angle thannormal and also affects the lie angleof the club.

Naturally from this lie, your biggestproblem is straightening up throughthe shot and thinning the ball. Make aconscious effort to retain that steeperspine angle right through to the end.

THE CHALLENGE

Simulate this tricky liewith a piece of foam

Some DIY insulation foam or aswimming noodle can boost yourability to execute these shots.The tube simulates how yourbalance will be compromised andteach you to stay down and inbalance. Strike well from hereand you'll master this shot.

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BALLABOVEWith the ball higherthan your feet your

spine becomesmore upright.

Shoulders rotateon a flatter plane,

creating a shallowswing shape.

TOP TIPS

k out the bail flight vi.^ppine a ball. The way it bounces

and rolls predicts the way it'JI curve

ALLOW FOR RIGHT-TO-LEFT

The ball-above-feet stance forces youto swing more around your body, aflatter swing which promotes a draw.Make sure you are aiming right oftarget (right-handers) to allow forit.

Minimise the effects of the slope byleaving an inch or two above the top ofyour top hand as you take up your grip.Shortening the club like this can makethe club less powerful, so club up.

USE THE TEE'S EDGE

It is essential you build a solid stancewhere you can swing in balance. Findthe edge of a tee and make practiceswings. Ensure the club "bottoms out',clipping the grass each time.


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TROUBLE SHOTS

i ii i

How a lofted iron can get you closer to the green from the long grassGrabbing the rescuejustbecause it says 'rescue'on itdoesn't mean it will rescue youfrom every poor iie. Sometimesa well executed 8-iron can giveyou more yards than youthink... and a chance to savepar. Adopting some subtlechanges can allow you to drawthe ball, sneaking a few extrayards when it scampers alongthe fairway,

Point your shouldersright of the target to

set up a shot thatstarts right before

drawing back to theleft, and the target.

The shape is createdby swinging along

your toe line, theclubface pointing at

the target.

IP PROMOTES A DRA1ft

Adopt a 'strong' grip where you see atleast three knuckles of the top hartdand hold with all 10 fingers on thehandle. This will secure the blow andencourage the face to rotate throughimpact providing extra roll on landing.

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To learn the aggressive downward blow,grab your 8-iron and head into the deeprough at the edge of the course. With yournew grip aim to knock out big divots,recreating that ideal impact feeling.

Prove to yourself an 8-iron may be moreefficient than a rescue. Hit three balls witheach from a buried lie using the tips here.The 8-iron will run out just as far and youare more likely to escape the rough.


Remove this frustrating shot by understanding its swing path roots

THE CAUSEThe shank rears Itsugly head when thesocket of the clubmakes contact withthe ball. It's oftencaused by the rightshoulder and chestworking forwards,throwing the weightto the toes and theclub's heel awayfrom the body.

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The socket is the small crook where theshaft meets the clubface. Its extreme anglescan cause extreme shot patterns. But don'tbe too despondent - the socket is only aninch or so from the sweetspot!

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The socket of the ishoots the ball off tthe right. Be sure n

to confuse it with oroff the toe - check tr

clubface f•tell-tale mark:

24 ZONE YOUR GAME: PART TWO

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4HT

OUTSIDE TAKEAWAY.

How to develop aninside angle of attack

FULL TURNTake a normal, square

stance. Keeping the clubbehind the ball, turn

your feet, hips andchest closed, facing 45'to your right. From this

set-up make a swingaiming to keep your

chest turned away fromthe target as long aspossible into impact.

This 'delayed shoulder'release keeps the

clubhead tracking on aninside path - helping you

find the centreof the clubface.

When the flow of the swing comesinside then out and over you are introuble! Aim to reverse this by takingthe club 'out' in the takeaway.

MEANS INSIDE ATTACK

From a more outside backswing younow have the room to drop the clubback inside on the way down, pullingthrough impact for a centred strike.

Chalk lines on the facecan train a toe strike

Mark the face's toe and the centre withchalk. Train in the ideal strike byaddressing the ball in the centre, swingingback then striking ball in the toe. Checkthe chalk line for impact marks.


PUNCH IT LOWControl spin and clubface loft and you can cheat the breeze...To hit those piercing low shots underthe wind you will need to be able todo two key things. First, take alittlebackspin off the ball; and second,deloft the clubface through impact.Here's how to do both,

HANDSLEADFeel the left wrist Isbowed outwards atimpact. It takes loft offthe face, drilling theball out low.

SET UP FOR THE KNOCKDOW

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The key thing to note here is that thgrip end of the club points to the lefshoulder. This puts a forward lean irthe shaft, which allows the hands t:lead the head into impact, keeping Icoff the face. Achieve this position byplaying the ball centrally in yourstance, or fractionally behind, andcreating a left arm/dubshaft line.

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Prom an orthodox set-upaim for a three-quarter

swing where you cancreate some 'lag1 or

delay in the release ofthe cfub late into Impact.Lag can be encouraged

by almost feeling you'drag1 the handle away

from the ball first; it thenbecomes easier to leavethe club trailing behind

the wrists as you changedirection down.

FLEX APPEALThe soft wrists,primed by thatbackswing lag,leave the clubheadtrailing on the waydown - putting thehands well aheadand setting up thede-lofting of theclubface.

I

Although rare in modemswings, a sliding left kneeaction seen here helpsprolong the bottom of thearc, shallowing it out andreducing spin on the ball.

To avoid a scoopy impact which causes highshots by adding loft, try this ice hockey drill.Split your hands and visualise presentingthe whole shaft to the ball - not just thehead. It promotes taking loft off the face.

Place a long tee in the Velcro of your glove.Hit 10 balls trying to keep the tee in positionwith a bowed left wrist through impact. Anyscooping or breaking down of the left wristwill dis -lodge it.


CONTROL PITCH SHO1How many times are you left with a simple pitch after a good drive only to leave itweak and short of the pin? Get back to square to send the ball pin high more often

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Letting your stance creep overtoo open can create a chain reactionmaking you swing outside the balland across the ideal swingpath.

SQUAREDEAL

Hitting across the ball applies aglancing blow, a weak strike that willoften leave the ball short and right.

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TOP TIPS

How to add aggression -~to your short game

PASTTHEPINCreate a ladder effect on

the green with threeclubs. Aiming for the toprung will train you to be

more assertive with yourclubbing. Chart your

progress by grabbing10 balls and setting up apoints system: between

2nd and 3rd rung = 3pts,1st-2nd 2pts, short of

first rung Opts.

Don't think 'what club could I reachwith?'; think 'what club could I hit tothe back of the green', then deduct one!

Practise with a closed stance. Swingthe club through a square channel tocreate the feel of the ideal swing path.

THE CHALLENGE

GO ONLINEAggression's good butdon't forget the line...

Place a club square to your intendedtarget. Take up your new squarerstance, and see how many balls out of10 you can hit directly over the top ofthe flag. Keep trying to beat yourpersonal best.


accuracy - solid golf

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