PURE-IT
Principles
Start hitting better shots now by incorporating a series
of practice drills that will lower your scores
by CRAIG SHANKLAND with LISA D. MICKEY | Photography by SCOTT MILLER
G
olfers wouldn’t need teachers if they could be more cognizant of what they are doing and where the
club is positioned throughout the swing. There are four drills I like that work in this area because
they are designed to help create the awareness that players crave, which will ultimately improve their
ball striking.
These techniques will help you learn to control your motion and teach you how to slow down, especially when
the pressure is on during your round. When you are working on something in your swing, one of the best ways
you can practice is to hit 10 balls in 30 minutes. When you’re trying to learn something, it’s akin to practicing a
musical instrument. It’s not the number of notes you play, but the quality of those notes.
A Line in the Sand
A common trait among the best players is that they hit the ball first
and then take a divot.
In order to ingrain this feeling, step into a practice bunker with a
7-iron in hand. Draw a line in the sand with the club and place a ball on
the front side of the line. Now, on the left of the ball (on the side of the
line closest to the putting surface), draw a plus sign. On the opposite
side of the line, draw a minus sign.
Following impact, you’ll know if you’ve hit the ball first if you strike
the ball on the plus or left-hand side of the line. If the drill is performed
NO
One of the best ways to eliminate inconsistent
shots is to draw a line in a sand bunker and make
a plus sign in front of the line and a minus sign on
the other side.
34
YES
See how my club splashes the sand on the putting
surface side of the line when my descending blow is
correct? If you wipe out an area in back of the line,
you won’t hit the ball as crisply.
V IRGINIA G OLFER | M ARCH/A PRIL 2014
Master_VSGA_MarApr14.indd 34
correctly, you will erase the plus symbol, but not the line. The sand
doesn’t lie; the dislodged area should also be on the plus side of the line.
Remember that the line will remain intact, since your divot should be
in front of that indicator.
This drill is also effective in helping you get rid of fat shots,
because you learn exactly where your “bump point”—the lowest
point of the swing arc—is located. If you hit the line, you’ll know that
your bump point is in the wrong place. It should always be
on the green side of the ball, not at the ball. You should always hit
the ball on the way to taking a divot, not at the same time you send
the ball flying.
Your goal is to make your mark at impact so the
club bottoms out without hitting the line.
w w w. v s g a . o r g
2/27/14 11:36 AM