Speed and Strength through Structure
By Tim Mahoney
All golfers from Rory Milroy to Lydia Ko are in constant attempts to generate more speed and strength throughout their golfing motion. Golfers we see throughout our golf schools are attempting more speed and strength as well. The only way to generate more speed and gain speed is to have stability and structure throughout the entire motion of the golf swing. The old adage, “would you rather shoot a cannon from a canoe or a stable surface.” More speed and strength through a stable surface. Golfers must develop stability first before attempting speed and strength
Structure starts at address with a balanced posture and set-up. Bending from your hips with a neural spine. Weight on the balls of your feet. Arms hanging directly from your shoulders with your feet shoulder width apart. Body must be in a position where the muscles are holding and supporting the movement. Feet hold the ground as your hands hold the club. Bending from your hips with a small amount of knee bend. Body must be tall and balanced. This position will provide structure throughout your golf swing.
As the arms swing, body turns and wristcock golfers must maintain the structure established at address. The feet continue to hold the ground. Maintain the bend in your hips and the neutral spine. Body turns freely as you maintain the structure stability and positions. Maintain angles and positions.
As the arms swing, body unturns and wrist uncock to impact the structure and stability established at address, top must be maintained. Body turns around a fixed point. The fixed point established at address and maintained throughout the motion. Dynamic motion through a static structure position.
As the body unwinds, arms release, wrist uncock and the club released, structure is maintained throughout the entire motion. Bend maintained, angles and lines kept through structure. Speed and strength the effect of stability and structure. Maintain structure for a strong and fast golf swing.
Fairway Bunker’s
Fairway bunker shots are regarded as some of the more difficult in the game. Adding distance, a high lip and a difficult lie and the task is almost impossible. There are several myths when it comes to fairway bunker shots, and I hope to dispel some of those this week. Golfers, must keep in mind, when facing a bad lie (bad lie is defined as when there is question about the lie), the first objective is to advance the ball to a good lie. Second objective, never attempt a miracle shot after a poor one. Finally, never attempt a shot that you have not practiced. Keeping these objectives in mind, fairway bunker shots will become an easier task.
When faced with a fairway bunker shot, preparation is the most important element. Keys for the set-up:
1. Club choice- take enough loft to clear the lip. Golfers should never hear “ball-thump.” As a reference 1 more club should be utilized. High lofted fairway woods are an excellent club of choice, assuming limited loft is need.
2. Position the golf ball back in your stance. Your impact objective is a steeper angle of approach, striking the ball first and sand after. The rearward ball position will assist in steepening the angle.
3. Gripping down on the club. Shorten the club about an inch. The shortened club will reduce the chance of striking the sand prior the ball.
4. Dig your feet into the sand about an inch. The lowering of your feet will reduce the amount of lower body motion during the swing. Excessive amount of lower body slide will result in an incorrect bottom of the swing.
5. Lean your body weight towards the target. As you lean your weight allow the grip end to move towards the target. The weight and the hand adjustment will move your swing bottom towards the target, resulting in a steeper angle of approach.
The adjustments in your set-up will steeper the angle resulting in ball/sand contact. Checkpoints during the motion:
1. Make a balanced swing. Holding your finish until the ball comes to a rest guarantees success. Inability to hold the finish is an indication of an out of balance motion.
2. Allow the upper body to wind against the lower body on the backswing. The lower body must resist and hold. The coil generated is a power source. If the lower body does not hold, the swing bottom will occur behind the ball, resulting in sand and ball contact.
3. Maintain swing posture throughout the motion. Turn the upper body on the backswing and clear the lower body on the forward side. Golfers must maintain their measurement and posture throughout the motion. A conscious attempt to lift the ball will result in a shallow angle.
Golf is a unique game, due to the fact; they never face the same shot twice. Consistency is the result of developing a repeating swing motion. Pre swing adjustments are utilized when faced with different lies. Golfers should 1 swing with different set-ups. Perfect your swing, make a few simple address adjustments and the fairway bunker shot will be a simple one.
Sand Play
Sand play is often regarded as the easiest shot in golf, due to the fact, that the club never comes in contact with the ball during a greenside bunker shot. As a result of over 30 years in the golf instruction business, I have found that the greenside bunker shot maybe the most difficult. There are several myths when it comes to this shot: first of all, “you must hit 2” behind the ball, actually with the skidding effect of the bounce the clubs enters the sand approx. 3-4 inches behind the ball. Attempting to strike 2 inches behind may result in club ball contact. Second myth, due to the clubface open at address one must aim to the left. The golf ball is positioned forward in the stance (off of left heel) and no club ball contact the golf ball travels in the direction of the swing path not the clubface. Keeping this in mind there is no need to aim left. Third myth, you must swing more upright. Ninety percent of all golfers slice the ball due to an upright swing; swing more upright simply produces a weak glancing hit that will travel a short distance to the right. And the final myth, you must look and aim behind the ball. All shots in golf you make every attempt to strike the ball first, now we are told to strike the sand first. If you make 2 adjustments in your set-up: ball positioned off of the left heel and lower your body in the sand you will automatically strike the sand first. Look at the ball and attempt to hit it.
Consistent sand play is the effect of:
1. Adjust the clubface according to the lie. Good lie open the face, bad lies close the face. As you adjust the club you must use the entire club. You never grip down on a greenside bunker shot.
2. Position the golf ball off the left heel. This position will allow the club to enter the sand behind the ball.
3. Lower your body in the sand by digging in. This adjustment will allow the club to get beneath the ball.
4. Align and swing towards the target. The golf ball travels along the swing path not the clubface alignment.
5. Make 3 times the amount of swing. The amount of sand ways 3 times the weight of the ball. Keeping this in mind you must make enough swing.
Trust the club and your full swing for the green side bunker shot. Keep in mind that consistency is the effect of perfecting one swing shape and make pre-swing adjustments for different shots.
Utilize Ground Forces for increased clubhead Speed
During my 20 years working with Bob Toski in the Golf Digest Schools, Bob would state daily during our sessions, “ The hands grip the club and the feet grip the ground.” As Player Development activity has improved with the utilization of Trackman, K Vest, Gears and 2-D video one area of development is lagging: understanding the force of the ground. As I instruct throughout the world, one simple ingredient is being utilized in increased club head speed for all golfers: using the ground throughout the dynamic motion of the swing. Golf shoe technology has greatly improved and the feet, ankles and toes have room to launch and grip the ground. Golfers slight in weight and leverage have found ways to increase speed simply by using the ground in the swing. A simple thought, “ are we more powerful with a cannon from a canoe or from a firm surface?”
Ground forces start at address with a firm ground and posture. Arms hanging freely, weight on the middle of the ankles, bending from hips and spine at a neutral position. Stability at address allows the body to load and unload throughout the swing. Feet and ankles must have the mobility to load and unload.
As you wind up into the backswing, allow the upper body to wind against the lower body and ground. Spine is tilt away from the target as the body is turned against the feet and ground. The gluts are lowered and activated as you wind against the ground. There should be a slight lowering of the head during the backswing as you wind up.
Explode during the downswing into impact. All muscles must fire as the trailing leg is extended and lengthens. This movement of thrusting upward creates a swing path and angle of approach upward through impact. Lead glut is turning behind as the trailing leg is straightening. Pushing off of the balls of the feet as the heels rise off the ground through impact. Low to high concept as the golfer explodes through impact. Using th3 ground on the backswing and downswing. Ground forces throughout the golf swing.
The most misunderstood concept in golf is the use and utilization of ground forces. Low to high as the golfers loads and explodes. Use the ground as the legendary golf instructor Bob Toski mentions, “ hands grip the club as the feet grip the ground.”
Controlling Trajectory in the Short Game
In executing short game shots, inside 50 yards (pitches and chips), a player’s ability to control the ball’s flight trajectory can be just as important as controlling the ball’s direction and overall distance. A golfer has options to create consistent ball flight trajectory and as a result consistent shot patterns swing after swing.
Option One – Ball Choice:
A golfer’s choice of golf ball will have an affect on a golf ball’s flight characteristics. It is the dimples on a golf ball that are responsible for its flight characteristics. Their design (size, shape and pattern) will help dictate the ball’s trajectory. The size and depth of the dimples affect performance. Shallow dimples generate more spin on a golf ball than deep dimples, which increases loft and causes the ball to rise and stay in the air longer and roll less, which is advantageous when playing to elevated greens. Deep dimples generate less spin on a golf ball than shallow dimples, which decrease loft and causes the ball to stay on a lower trajectory, with less air time and greater roll, which is advantageous when playing to low elevated greens.
Option Two – Ball Position:
A correct ball position helps you contact the ball crisply and achieve the proper trajectory on the shot. Ball position affects the path and the angle of approach the club takes into the ball which ensures a consistent loft angle of the club at impact. With the ball positioned too far forward, your shoulders align left of the target, thus creating a swing path that is too steep and out-to-in. If you locate the ball too far back toward your right foot, your shoulders are closed, which creates a swing path that is too shallow and in-to-out. You will be able to produce consistent ball flight trajectories only if the ball is positioned correctly in your stance. For chip shots, position the ball about two inches back of center. You want to strike the ball with a descending angle of approach creating a low trajectory, running shot. For all wedges and pitch swings from normal lies position the ball in the exact center of your stance.
Option Three – Swing Technique:
To create a low trajectory chip or pitch shot, set your hands slightly ahead of the ball. A forward hand position will naturally de-loft the clubface, helping to start the ball on a low trajectory. Also, concentrate on making a rhythmic swing with a slightly slower tempo on the forward swing. A slower tempo will produce less spin, helping to keep the ball on a low trajectory. Stay level with your hips as you swing through impact. Feel as though the handle of the club leads the clubhead through the hitting area to prevent adding loft to the clubface at impact. A low trajectory shot means a low finish. The lower you want to hit it, the lower you want to finish, not only with the hands and arms, but with the clubhead as well. While it is okay to play the ball back in you stance to produce a lower trajectory, it is not advantageous to play the ball forward in your stance as a means of getting a higher trajectory. Playing the ball forward in you stance moves it ahead of the bottom of your natural swing arc. To hit a higher shot, the first choice should always be to take a more lofted club and make your standard swing. The second choice is to open the clubface, aim your swing line to the left of the target and keep the ball exactly in the center of your stance. Keeping the ball in the middle of your stance ensures crisp contact.
Option Four – Club Selection:
The easiest way to vary shot trajectory from a normal lie is to choose a higher degree lofted club or choose a lower degree lofted club. If you need a higher soft landing shot, choose a lob (60 degrees), sand (56 degrees), gap (52 degrees), or a pitching wedge (48 degrees). If you need a lower running shot, choose a 9 iron (39 degrees), 8 iron (34 degrees), 7 iron (30 degrees), or 6 iron (26 degrees). It is easier than creating a different swing or changing your mechanics. Clubs are designed with the clubface having different lofts. It is loft that makes a golf ball take flight on an ascending trajectory, not an upward direction of swing. The club actually hits the ball in a horizontal or slightly downward angle.
Choose the option that works best for your game. Your golf ball selection will be based on the design of the golf course that you’ll be playing. Under normal lie conditions, you’ll want to maintain a consistent ball position for crisp club to ball contact. Vary the length of your swing technique to produce low or high trajectories. And choose your club wisely. Practice with different lofted clubs and observe the ball flight trajectory patterns. Take your observations to the golf course.