I
had the wonderful experience of working in the pro shop at a host facility for
the AT&T National Pro-Am when I worked as an Assistant Pro at Poppy
Hills. It was fun to see the
celebrities and professionals as they would come in for practice rounds or just
to thank the staff. In the last
couple years I tend to steer clear and watch the Pro-Am from the very best spot
in the house – my couch.
One
of the best parts about watching the Pro-Am on Saturday on TV rather than live,
is getting to watch Peter Kostis analyze all the amateur swings from the 17th
hole. It’s just unique to see so
many amateur golf swings analyzed, and I really think there are some key tips
that come out of Peter’s analyses.
So here are the main reoccurring tips and their importance to your golf
swing.
Start the Downswing
with your Lower Body
Something
that Kostis keeps pointing out as a major positive is when a player starts
their downswing with the lower body.
This is key to properly clearing your hips and maintaining coil for
power and accuracy. Fred Couples
used to say he started his downswing with a slight movement of the left
(forward) knee toward the target and that move would set the rest of the swing
in motion.
If
you’re losing power or releasing early, try focusing on starting your downswing
from the ground up. This will set
your downswing into the correct sequence for maximum power and accuracy.
Hands Reach the Ball
First
If
you’ve heard the term “casting” or “early release” then this tip is for
you. This is actually more of a
fundamental to a good golf swing than a tip, but it is key to make sure your
hands reach the golf ball first.
If your clubhead gets to the ball before your hands you’ve lost all your
stored power and will likely have an angled clubface.
When
starting your downswing, think about trying to stick the handle of the club
into the ground. If you can hold
that thought and position until your hands approach the golf ball you will
maintain that angle and be able to properly release the club through impact for
more power and control.
Set Your Wrists
Before the Top of the Backswing
This
tip ties in with the last. You’ll
notice one difference between professionals and amateurs is that they set their
wrists at different times.
Professionals will set the angle about 1/2 to ¾ through their backswing
and will maintain that angle until their hands reach the golf ball. While there are a couple exceptions to
the rule (Mickelson and Tiger come to mind) this early set allows the
professional to fully coil at the top and hold the angle until the release.
Amateurs
on the other hand, tend not to set their wrists until they reach the top of the
swing. The beginning of the
downswing will actually increase that angle and the position can look really
solid at that moment. The problem
is that the late set and transition tends to act like a springboard and the
club will start an early release and lose all that stored power. If you manage to maintain the angle in
this fashion you will have a lot of power, but it’s extremely difficult to do.
If
you’re having trouble setting your wrists early, try setting your hands for a ¾
swing while making your full turn.
This will set your wrists at the ¾ mark and allow you to better maintain
that angle to create more power and control.
As
an update for everyone, it’s been a quiet Rules week. My journey to Golf House for USGA/PGA Rules School was
canceled thanks to winter storm Nemo.
I will be rescheduling and will do a day-by-day Rules lesson blog when I
do go. Next weekend, however, is my first championship assignment of the year at the Peg Barnard Invitational at
Stanford University Golf Course. I
will bring any Rules news or interesting happenings from each day.
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