KEY TO MORE SOLID SHOTS :
Control the Low Point in Your Swing
by BRYAN ZELL , PGA Director of Instruction at Westfields Golf Club in Clifton
EARLY IN THE SEASON IS A GREAT TIME TO CHECK YOUR FUNDAMEN- TALS , which are normally considered grip , posture and alignment . These elements are important , but not uniformly demonstrated the same by the game ’ s best players . Jon Rahm ’ s lead wrist is 100 degrees different from Zach Johnson ’ s . Jack Nicklaus aimed left while Arnold Palmer aimed right . Keegan Bradley stands differently over the ball than Lee Westwood . So , if all of these great players demonstrate the basics differently , what links them together ?
The first measurable difference among players of different skill levels is where the club hits the ground , or the “ low point .” When the best players hit a shot off the ground , the club strikes the ball first , then the ground , with a tight dispersion . Higher handicap players tend to hit the ground first , then the ball , with a wider dispersion .
So what influences where the club hits the ground ? The first factor is where your body weight is at impact . Ideally , 75 – 80 percent of your weight should be on your lead leg with your sternum positioned over the center of the stance at impact . The lead leg is the left leg for right-handed players and right leg for left-handed players .
The second factor is the width of the swing arc , which is controlled by the angles in the wrists and the forward lean of the shaft at the point of impact . Better players lean the shaft toward the target at impact , which influences the club to
BRYAN ZELL
34 V IRGINIA G OLFER | M AY / J UNE 2021
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