Jeromy Moreno on right

Do you have problems taking a good divot after the ball? Do you have a higher then normal ball trajectory? Do you sometimes top the ball? If you answered, “Yes” to one or more of these questions, you probably have poor extension. When a player tries to over power the ball through impact with their dominant hand (Right hand for Right handed golfers, Left hand for Left handed golfers) the dominant hand takes over and forces the opposite arm to collapse into what is commonly referred to as a, “chicken wing”. When this occurs it is almost impossible to take a divot after the ball and because you are flipping through with your dominant hand, you are adding loft to the club, which causes higher then normal ball flight and finally, when flipping with your dominant hand it’s also likely that if you do miss-hit the ball it will be thin or topped.

The cure to this common swing fault is as easy as one, two, “TEE,” yes, you read right I said tee. Here is what we need to do: First, we need find a place indoors or out where we can make a full swing. Second, if outdoors we want to place a tee 6 to eight inches in front of the ball we are addressing. Now our objective is to take the focus off of “hitting” the ball and onto swinging through the ball and extending through the tee in front. This will allow us to get into the proper position after impact, giving you the opportunity to hit down upon the ball taking a divot after impact and give you a lower more boring ball flight. The first few times you do this, you may not be able to swing through the tee, that’s ok, work in slow motion feeling your arms moving together through the impact zone and clipping the tee. If available use live digital feedback or a mirror to help ingrain this new muscle pattern. Do this and I guarantee you will see more consistency in your shots and as a result better scores.

Let’s review:
1. Setup to a ball and place a tee 6-8 inches in front of the ball.
2. Focus on swinging THROUGH the ball, not on hitting at the ball.
3. Work in slow motion feeling yourself swing through the ball and tee, arms working together.
4. If available use video feedback or a mirror to watch yourself and ingrain this new motion.

Bogart Golf is a complete state-of-the-art indoor learning center with three convenient locations to serve you. Visit them at www.bogartgolf.com.