Hard-hitting data means it’s time to stop guessing.

By Steve Atherton
GolfTEC Vice President of Instruction
PGA Master Professional in Instruction

In last month’s issue ADDRESS and TAKEWAY took the shots as common swing flaws were highlighted. Grip, balance, posture and weight shift problems got put on the front burner. Rightly so, given their influence on the full swing and resulting ball flight.

IMPACT and FINISH (or Follow-Through) magnify the effects of flaws born in the first two segments of the swing, and appear in five specific ways: The first two apply to Impact, the remaining three to Finish.

1. POOR HIP AND SHOULDER ROTATION causes inconsistency in the swing, oftentimes as posture is lost. To compensate, players become overactive in their hand movement with ball contact being weak and off-center.
2. POOR SHOULDER TILT means the swing plane is erratic, and Mr. Slice frequently becomes the fifth member of the player’s foursome.
3. POOR BALANCE AT FINISH translates into inconsistency in ball flight as impact is compromised.
4. POOR WEIGHT TRANSFER TO TARGET FOOT, a common variation on problem #3, shows up as contact errors where fat and thin shots are now on the menu.
5. POOR RELEASE OF THE GOLF CLUB puts control of trajectory and shot shape on the shelf for all but the more serious players who can manage every shot based on the hole’s challenges.

These five, with proper motion measurement technology, can be measured, adjusted and monitored by a qualified Coach.

Hope’s ahead with these three keys.

Impact:
HIP TURN SPEED: One of the most often-overlooked components of the swing is hip turn speed. You need to have adequate hip turn at impact (30-50 degrees open to the target) to prevent the hands from being too active. More importantly, your hips need to maintain turn speed THROUGH the ball to create consistent contact -- and keep the hands out of the equation. The average Tour player is turning their hips 214 degrees open per second as they make impact with the ball. Work hard to make sure that your hips continue to rotate out toward the target through the ball.

SHAFT ANGLE: Once you have built good hip turn and hip turn speed through the ball, you can begin to create the lag or shaft angle needed for solid contact. The result will be smooth, penetrating ball flight. Tour players lean the shaft forward about 2-4 degrees at impact, effectively turning a 6 iron into a 5 iron. Most MOMENTUM readers hit the ball with the club in the same orientation as address, or even with the shaft leaning back slightly. The difference: The Tour player hits the ball considerably farther with the same amount of club speed and effort.

Do the hinge-and-hold drill to improve your shaft angle at impact. Take your address position. Moving your wrists only, not your body, simply hinge the club to parallel to the ground with the face somewhat closed (face of the club pointing more toward the ground). Then, make a tiny swing back and through the ball WITHOUT changing or unhinging your wrists. This will help you feel how your body needs to work through the ball without being “handsy”.

Finish:
HOLD IT: Excellent balance at the finish position is a trait of all good ball strikers. Make 10 practice swings where you hold the finish position for a count of three seconds. Then, when you are on the range or the course, work hard to maintain perfect balance through the shot and hold every finish until the ball lands on the ground – “pose for the picture.”

Get some help with your hope.

GolfTEC’s 400-strong Coaches are full-swing experts ready to work on your ADDRESS, TAKEAWAY, IMPACT and FINISH. The use of advanced technology provides immediate feedback – and verified data – to accelerate your progress by up to 400%. Go online to GetStartedWithGolfTEC.com, and use the three techniques above to play to your full potential this season.