Mis-Hits? Something You Can Use!

How about something you can use on the golf course?  Something... GAME-Specific, as in playing the game...

Most players are led to believe that they can and should hit the ball solid and straight from just about anywhere.

They can't.  Bear with me here - this makes sense...

Consider the images on the right - the ball lies on a 'tight' lie, tight to the ground.  This is not an optimum position, so you won't get optimum results... unless you change your definition of 'optimum'!

As you can see, the chances are strong that you will strike the ball below the sweet spot.  The 3rd and 4th images show about where the sweet spot or center of gravity is...

Many pros teach an impact technique with excessive forward lean of the shaft to try to hit the sweet spot.  Difficult to do...

Instead, by looking at what is most likely to happen -- missing the sweet spot by a couple of grooves -- your performance becomes more predictable!

What happens when you contact the ball low on the face like this?  It goes lower, shorter, and may fade. 

Or, think about what it would take to hit the ball on the sweet spot:  The clubhead would need to be lower to achieve that, which would put the sole of the club underground!  The result?  A fat shot!

Or, think about what it would take to hit a high draw off a tight lie -- probably not going to happen!

So, what should you do?  Accept the impact characteristics of a tight lie and play for them to happen!  Lower, shorter, fade...

But Bob, that means the ball might not stop on the green.  Or the landing zone calls for a draw shot.  Uh-huh, that's right.  If so, it means that 1) you're adding risk by trying something else that is less likely to happen, 2) maybe you're in the wrong place to begin with, and 3) you received a Rub of the Green that resulted in the tight lie.

Not every shot can be hit from every lie.

As my very Scottish Dad used to say:  "So what?  Deal with it!"

Bob Duncan, PGA
GolfeCoach.com
email  golfsavvy@msn.com