instruction
Simple drills for
the time-poor
David Merriman
I
f you don’t have a lot of time to practice,
here are some simple drills for you.
First and most important is making solid
contact with your ball. Set up your ball in the
correct position. Place two tees either side of
the ball far enough apart for the club head to
fit through. Now remove the ball. Practice
swinging through the tees clipping the grass
between the two tees ensuring your divot
finishes ahead of where your ball would be.
Mistakes can be easily seen. If you hit the ball
fat or skinny, look at your divot: chances are it
starts well before the tees which means that
you haven’t transferred your weight across to
your left side. If you hit the outside tee it means
you have hit the ball out of the heel of the club.
If you hit the tee nearest to you, it means you
have hit the ball off the toe of the club. This
exercise helps you make solid contact with the
golf ball and perfects the correct weight shift
to your left side during your swing.
Good balance is also a major component
of a consistent golf swing. We need balance
at four key points in the swing: the address
position, the top of the back swing, the
impact position and the finish of the swing.
Moylan
Mesquite-bound
Balance is created by correct set up. Bow
from your hips, unlock your knees and feel
about 55 percent of your weight on the balls
of your feet. This will help maintain balance
through your golf swing. It is difficult to
focus on all four of these positions so focus
on having a good balanced finish and the
rest will fall into place.
You also need to ensure you are swinging
down the target line. For this you can use a
spare golf club or alignment stick and place it
between your toe line and your ball pointing
towards your target. Step back and look at
your placement of the stick to make sure it is
in line with your target. Using the alignment
stick as a guide, practice to ensure you are
swinging down the target line.
Jae demonstrates placement of divot after club
head strikes ball between tees
Here is the greatest tip of all, do the
perfecting on the practice range. When you go
to play, just focus on alignment, solid contact, a
balanced finish and enjoy the round.
These simple tips should go a long way to
helping you play better golf.
For more information on how to play better
golf contact your local PGA golf professional
or contact me at Royal Pines Golf Club on the
Gold Coast. •
David Merriman is an Australian PGA Tour
Player and Teaching Professional at Royal
Pines Resort, Gold Coast. Contact him on
0412 44 22 05.
Jae demonstrates a balanced finish and
weight on the left side
In May, Brendan Moylan competed in
the Australian Finals of the RE/MAX Long
Drive Tournament, and was successful in
qualifying for the upcoming World Long
Drive Championships to be held in Las
Vegas in September.
Brendan now has an intensive period of
training before the World Champs, which
will involve gym fitness and technical
work at the range.
“I am getting the power and strength
up in my legs and lower back mostly,
but still training the whole body,” he
says.”Hitting lots of balls at Golf Central
BNE, a state-of-the-art driving range that
mirrors the long drive fairways I will be
facing, will take place in the final month
before I go.”
Brendan will travel to Mesquite Nevada,
a 50-minute drive from Las Vegas. The
small town is home to a purpose-built,
$13 million dollar venue with the REMAX
Longdrive tour in mind. 600m above sea
level, the facility features low humidity,
hot air, as well as dry firm grass on the
grid. Drives are regularly in the 350 to
380m range, with players’ clubhead
speeds clocking over 144 mph.
“I recently invested into new shafts that
are designed to help me hit it higher and
further, specifically suited just for the Las
Vegas event,” he says. “I will be one of 128
guys from all over the world, competing
over three days, to make the top 8 final.”
The top 8 players will return to Vegas in
October for the final shoot out, to be held
at Paiute Golf Club. The winner will take
home $250,000 in an “all or nothing” final.
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PRo am ClassiC
Friday 5 September 2014, amateUrS COmpetitiON FOrmat - SiNGLe StabLeFOrd
Nomination forms available online. Nominations close Monday 1 September, 2014.
Over $30,000 in prizes available
54
August 2014 | www.insidegolf.com.au