Keys to Hitting Golf Shots Like a Pro: Tips & Techniques
Mastering the Art of Tour-Level Golf Shots: A Comprehensive Guide
Hello, fellow golf enthusiasts! It's Coach Erik from EJS Golf Academy in Scottsdale, AZ. I recently spent time analyzing some crucial aspects of golf swings, particularly focusing on improving the impact phase. In this article, I want to share these insights that are integral to elevating your game.
Improving Golf Swing Impact In my coaching sessions at EJS Golf, one of the common challenges I address is the golfer's struggle with the impact phase. It's vital to achieve harmony between the lower and upper body movements for an effective swing. This synchronization not only enhances the swing's power but also ensures its accuracy.
A fundamental aspect that resonates with my coaching philosophy is the coordination of the clubface with the golfer’s body movements. This coordination is crucial for a clean, effective swing. Grip and pivot are pivotal in supporting impact. At EJS Golf, we focus on refining these fundamentals for a more efficient swing.
Another key area I focus on in my lessons is ensuring golfers harness the correct pivot technique for maximum power. An Incorrect pivot can be our limiting factor in all that we do in our golf swing. The best biomechanists in golf have descfribed the pelvis as the engine of our golf swing. If htis is the case, we better learn how to move powerfully and efficiently! To address this, I introduce drills similar to those we use at EJS Golf, designed to improve pivot and hand positioning. These drills are crucial for creating a more impactful connection with the ball.
Practicing controlled shots is a core part of mastering the swing's impact phase. It involves setting the hands correctly, pivoting effectively, and executing a controlled shot. This disciplined practice is essential for mastering the nuances of the swing. Another technique we reinforce at EJS Golf is using the body to apply pressure to the arms during impact. This leads to a more fluid and robust swing. Much of the focus you will find at EJS Golf is on the chest and making sure we are rotating it back and through. I want to build consistency in my students and there is no better way than learning to use your body in the golf swing.
To enhance pivot support during impact, I explore exercises like the dowel rod exercise. This simple tool can significantly improve swing mechanics. Place the dowel or alignment stick in your belt loops. Notice the difference at impact when the hands are forward of center vs. on the back leg. Use your pivot to help you get in a perfect impact position and then rehearse that position over and over. Using innovative methods to achieve certain results align with our approach at EJS Golf to think outside of the box and stay a step ahead and finally, critically think about everything!
The Essence of Ball Speed and Energy Transfer
To emulate the prowess of tour players, understanding and optimizing ball speed is paramount. Ball speed is the velocity at which the ball leaves the club face after impact, and it's a vital component of distance and accuracy. The key to maximizing ball speed lies in the efficiency of energy transfer from the club head to the ball, often referred to as the smash factor. The smash factor is a ratio of ball speed to club head speed, and reaching the optimal value is crucial for tour-level striking. For instance, with a driver, a smash factor of 1.5 is considered ideal. This means if your club head speed is 100mph, your ball speed should be 150mph. Achieving this optimal smash factor requires two fundamental elements:
Centeredness of Strike
The sweet spot of your golf club is the prime area you aim for with every swing you take. Striking the ball at any other point on the club face reduces the effectiveness of the energy transfer from the club to the ball. To increase the accuracy of your shots, it's a good idea to use impact tape or even just a small dot made with a marker on the golf ball. This will help you to examine and refine where your club is making contact with the ball. By focusing on hitting the sweet spot consistently, you can improve the quality of your strikes and enhance your overall game.
Club Face Alignment
Aligning your club face reasonably to your club path is another critical factor for energy transfer. A misaligned club face can significantly reduce energy transfer, lowering your ball speed and altering your shot's trajectory. Regularly assess your ball flight as feedback to refine your club face and swing path relationship. Or, better yet get on a Trackman launch monitor to see exactly what your club path and face angle are.
The Art of Impact: Angle of Attack
Tour players distinguish themselves with their angle of attack, especially with irons. A descending strike is their signature, which not only ensures cleaner contact with the ball but also imparts additional backspin, essential for control and stopping power on the greens.
Constructing a Swing for Precision Strikes - To replicate tour-level striking, focus on these three core aspects:
1. Honing the Centered Strike
To consistently hit the center of the clubface, it's essential to establish a solid foundation. Begin by focusing on adopting an athletic stance that is both stable and balanced. Make sure that your body weight is spread out evenly across the middle part of your feet. This even distribution is crucial for maintaining a steady base. As you work on your swing, concentrate on keeping this balance from the start of your backswing all the way through to the follow-through. By ensuring that your weight remains centered and your posture stays balanced, you significantly increase your chances of making contact with the ball at the very center of the clubface. This practice of balance is not just a one-time adjustment but a continuous effort that should be integrated into every swing you take. The goal is to make this balanced movement feel natural and effortless, which will, in turn, make center-face strikes more likely and more consistent.
2. Squaring the Club Face
A proper grip is the cornerstone of squaring your club face at impact. Use your ball flight as a guide; a straight trajectory indicates a square club face. Continuously refine your grip and swing mechanics to improve your club face alignment.
Having the right grip is absolutely fundamental to ensuring that your club face is perfectly square at the moment of impact when you're playing golf. It's essential to pay attention to the path your ball takes after you hit it; if it flies straight, this is a good sign that your club face was square. To make sure your shots are consistently accurate, it's important to keep working on perfecting your grip. Alongside this, you should also focus on improving the overall mechanics of your swing. Doing both of these things will help you to align your club face better with each shot you take.
3. Perfecting the Descending Strike - Angle of Attack
To execute a descending strike effectively, it's essential to engage in a dynamic rotation of your body while simultaneously shifting your weight onto your front foot as you make contact with the ball. This movement is crucial for the proper execution of the strike. As you prepare to hit the ball, focus on achieving a position at the moment of impact where your hands are positioned ahead of the club head. This forward hand placement is key as it results in a club face that is less lofted. Additionally, it encourages a strike path that moves in a downward trajectory. By ensuring that your hands lead and the club face is de-lofted, you'll be able to strike the ball with greater precision and control, which is the hallmark of a well-executed descending strike.
Practice Drills for Tour-Level Impact
Impact Bag Drill
For this drill we are going to be using an impact bag. All we want to do here is take a back swing that goes to left arm parallel or P3 for those of you that use the position system. From there we are going to swing down to the impact bag and hit it at approximately 50% of normal swing speed. The key here is to make sure you hold your finish. Focus on the sensation in your lead leg, hip, hand, and arm at impact. Apply pressure into the ground to simulate the impact position. This drill ingrains the feeling of a solid strike. It is essential that we feel the position our body is in after striking the impact bag. This may be the first time for many of you that you feel the great feels of your hands well forward, your weight on the lead foot, your hips cleared out of the way, etc. Let's try to make sure we have a program we can learn from with this drill. Strike and hold your finish three times and then try it once without the bag while actually hitting a golf ball with the same technique and just back to P3. After that, go back to hitting the bag three times and repeat that process 10 times per day.
Progressive Distance Drill
Start with a chip shot, emphasizing a clean strike. Gradually increase the distance with each subsequent ball, maintaining the quality of impact. Repeat each distance until you can consistently achieve a solid strike. This drill works all the way into the full shot. I like to have my students to try to gain 5 to 10 yards with each shot until maxed out. Great drill to do with a 58 degree wedge all the way to a 7 iron. Think about all the times on a golf course that you need to keep a shot low and run it maybe under trees. This is the beginning of the practice with the 7 iron and other clubs that are not as lofted.
Conclusion
Achieving the level of precision in your golf shots that you see on professional tours is not just about swinging the club; it's an intricate combination of perfected technique, consistent practice, and a solid grasp of the physics at play during the moment of impact. To truly elevate your game and reach those impressive heights, it's crucial to focus on several key elements. The first of these is the centeredness of your strike. Hitting the ball at the center of the club face is vital for controlling where it goes and how far it travels.
Alongside this, the alignment of the club face at the moment of impact is paramount. It's essential to ensure that the club face is directed towards your target, as this will greatly influence the ball's trajectory and landing spot. Moreover, the angle of attack—specifically, a descending angle as you strike the ball—can significantly affect the quality of contact and the subsequent flight of the ball.
To truly master the game of golf, you must commit to a journey of ongoing improvement and unwavering dedication. This journey is about embracing the process of honing your skills, understanding that each practice session builds upon the last, and knowing that over time, your efforts will translate into better performance on the fairways and greens.
However, sometimes guidance is needed to navigate this journey effectively. This is where a seasoned coach like Erik Schjolberg of EJS Golf in Scottsdale, AZ, can be invaluable. With his expertise, you can receive personalized instruction that targets your unique needs, helping you to understand the finer points of the game and to develop a practice regimen that will lead to consistent improvement.
If you're looking to get in touch with Coach Erik Schjolberg for guidance on your path to golfing excellence, you can reach out through his website at EJSGolf.com. By connecting with a coach of his caliber, you can gain insights that are tailored to your individual style of play, receive feedback on your technique, and develop a strategic approach to your practice that will help you to achieve your golfing goals. With professional coaching, your journey towards mastery becomes a well-guided expedition, with clear milestones and an experienced mentor to lead the way.
