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GOLF RESOURCE GUIDE:
INSTRUCTION
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You can learn a lot from watching tour players on TV. The ball rockets off the club with a fluid, easy motion. Think about the last time you tried to hit a ball really hard. It’s likely your body moved fast and the ball came out slow. The same is true around the green. A professional’s motion is slow, and the ball comes off the club even slower. An amateur often makes a fast motion on a short shot, resulting in a lack of touch or distance control. The average golfer doesn’t understand how little the club and hands have to move and how lightly the club should be held through the hitting area to hit a short shot with good results. When I first started playing competitive golf, I noticed that players said “nice touch” rather than “good shot” when I executed well around the green. To get a similar response from your playing partners, four things must be accomplished: Shorten the length of your swing; grip the club lightly; gently accelerate the club through the shot; and allow the loft of the club to get the ball in the air without manipulation from your hands or body. A great player to watch in this regard is Fred Couples. On delicate shots around the green, his right hand often comes off the club in the finish position. This is the result of a light grip. One of the best drills for learning how to make the proper motion is to put a ball in long grass and grip the club in your right hand (for a right-handed player). Lift the clubhead and let it fall naturally through the shot. You’ll instantly see that the lighter and softer you allow the club to fall, the more touch, feel and control you’ll have over the shot. Jamie Mulligan is the chief operations officer at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach and the current SCPGA Golf Professional of the Year. |
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