Ball Striking 101

Where to be at impact

The purpose of the golf swing is to bring the clubface square into and through the ball. By learning how to be positioned at impact, you’ll quickly begin to hit solid shots on a consistent basis.

The start of the downswing is the most important movement in the golf swing. The triggering acceleration of the body in conjunction with the hands and arms is used to maximize distance and produce proper balance and tempo.

The proper feeling and acceleration a good player generates as he or she begins to uncoil is the sensation that his arms feel like they are falling. Through this particular feeling, the player’s hips start to clear as he starts to “load up.” As the hips clear, the right shoulder should feel like it is “hanging back.” This important movement dictates the proper uncoiling motion through the golf ball.

There are five key positions you want to think about at impact:

• The back of your left hand (for right-handed golfers) should be square to the target.
• The palm of your right hand should be facing down the target line.
• Your right elbow should be close to your side.
• Your left arm and the clubhead should be fully extended to the target line.
• Your hands should NOT “flip” the clubhead.

To complete your return to the golf ball, strive to reach a full finish with both hands over your left shoulder, while maintaining balance. Most golfers try to use their hips to trigger their return to the golf ball, but this gets you off balance because it creates a spinning motion from the top of the downswing and causes you to get ahead of the ball at impact.

Another mistake many golfers make is to initiate an intentional “slide” or lateral movement to start the downswing. This will also cause you to get ahead of the ball at impact because your hands try to play catch up, causing you to either hit a weak slice or a duck hook. This results in an “over the top” swing.

To simplify things, make sure the lower part of your body acts as a solid support system for the upper part. You want to feel your arms fall into the “slot” with your right shoulder hanging back, thus keeping your head and energy behind the ball at impact to maximize your power and maintain a balanced swing.

Here’s a great training drill to help you hit more solid shots. Place the clubhead two to three feet in front of the ball. Swing your arms to the top of the backswing. This will also help you rotate your shoulders. This longer range to the backswing should help promote the feeling that your arms are “falling back” into the ball
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Keep practicing this and you will soon be on your way to producing better shots and better scores

Bob Baldassari has been a PGA pro for more than 40 years and currently teaches out of Paradise Family Golf Center in Middleton. Bob, 70, was the head pro at Hillview Country Club in North Reading for 26 years. He also worked at the Sheraton Colonial.