Downswing | Golf Ball Driver

Make an Impact

September 1st, 2008 — Tips and Tricks

When it comes to golfing, a lot of attention to paid to the feet, the entire stance and the swing, but the moment of impact is possibly the most critical. Whether you are trying to hit a ball 200 yards or 2 inches, it’s that moment of impact that will determine how successful you are. Here are some tips on how to fine tune how you impact the ball.

Long Shots

The long shot is all about the power and learning how to channel energy from your swing into a strong impact with the ball that will send it hundreds of yards through the air. While much of this is handled simply by the nature of swinging the club and hitting the ball, there is a reason why some players can hit much further than 200 yards, while others struggle for 50.

It’s about knowing when to release that stored up energy from your swing through the club and into the ball. It sounds quite complicated, but it all comes down to the wrists. In fact, if you aren’t using your wrists properly, chances are you won’t be able to hit nearly as far as you would like. In order to properly channel that power into impact, you have to be able to keep your wrists straight on the backswing, straight on the downswing and break them right as you hit the ball.

This is a timing issue that can be worked on at home, or out on the driving range. Instead of focusing on your stance or swing, spend an hour or so really focusing on what happens when you actually hit the ball. You’ll be able to pick up the feel of what is right and what isn’t right. Work on breaking your wrists without the club, then add the club and try it again. Finally, put it all together in one fluid motion. With time, you’ll get the feel down.

Short Shots

The short shot is all about finesse. In these instances, you generally don’t want to power the ball too much, or you’ll end up over the green. Learning how to tone down that energy from your swing and channel it into the right amount of distance is what keeps many golfers from perfecting their short game.

Once again, we look to the wrists for guidance here. In this case, it is the forward wrist that should be focused on. This is the only wrist that will break when you are hitting a short shot. Put your hands together in front of you. Now, still keeping them together, snap them both to the left. Your left hand should be horizontal, but your right wrist doesn’t really move all that much.

You can do the same thing with a club since this is generally the motion that you’re going to need to perfect. It will feel a little differently since you are now holding your hands downward, but practice snapping those wrists until you learn to control how hard you snap them. This is the secret to getting those short distances just right.

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How to Hit a Flop Shot

July 28th, 2008 — Tips and Tricks

swing If you have ever come up to short or too long on your approach to the green, it’s time to master the art of the flop shot. This is a shot that eludes many golfers, but once you’ve got it down, you will notice that your overall accuracy improves and you’ll be able to get a lot closer to the pin. Here are some tips to help you land that next flop shot.First, it’s important to realize that this shot is nothing like chipping. When you chip the ball, you’re trapping the ball. This gives you either more or less distance depending on how hard you hit it. A flop shot requires you to slide underneath the ball, not trap it. This is the number one problem for many golfers trying to land this shot. Once you have the difference down, you will be able to start making flop shots consistently.

Let’s talk about stance. Your stance will be much like a chip shot. Your knees should be slightly bent, and your arms slightly bent as well. Hold your club as you normally would, and backswing as you normally would. But, as you hit the downswing, the key is to slow down.

Think of it as an arc of power – much like the swing systems on most golfing video games. On the upper end of the swing, you want to give it as much power as you can. Right before you hit the ball, you want to slow that down to maximize the force. It takes a little getting used to at first.

We recommend practicing in your backyard, or even in your living room (without the ball of course) until you get the feel for the swing rhythm. You’re not actually going to be hitting anything yet, but the key is to get the feel for the swing. Once it comes naturally to you, you’ll be able to move onto the next step.

Now, let’s talk about your wrists. You’ll want to hold your hands normally on the upswing, but right when you hit the ball, the key to landing that flip shot is your wrists. This is one shot where you actually want to break your wrists. Imagine you are holding your club and clasp both hands together.

Keeping them together, move both hands sharply to the left, so that your left hand is now facing sideways and your right hand, which is on top, is also facing sideways. Both hands should be vertical. Now, put your arms down like you would if you were holding a club and get a feel for that same movement.

Add in the swing motion and at the last second, break your wrists. Keep going until all the pieces fit together. Then, you’ll be ready to add the ball. Remember, you want open the club face and slide underneath, not hit down. Ideally, your flop shot should pop up and land right where you want it. It takes a little practice, but with time, you’ll be flopping like a pro.

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