Golf Tips from the Pro

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Get A Little “Lift” In Your Game!

First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Chris Boos for his role in the implementation of the quality instructional programs currently offered here at Deerfield Golf & Tennis Club.  As a result of his passion for the game this year we have developed a comprehensive learning opportunity for anyone who is interested in gaining more enjoyment from the game of golf. Teaching with Chris for the past two and one half years has been a true pleasure and I sincerely wish him well.

Now let’s get “down” to learning.  This article focuses on one of the most critical factors that determine how the golf ball flies.  In my many years of teaching golf, I have had to address one issue with students more times than I care to count.  It is a simple concept yet one that does not come intuitively to most human beings whom are attempting to hit a golf shot in the air.  What concept you ask?  When you apply the club to the ball in a downward direction the ball flies higher in the air. Let me simplify it further… “swing down to get the ball to go up.”

I can honestly say I don’t blame anyone who looks at a golf ball on the ground and says to himself or herself, “I have to do something to lift or help the ball get off the ground.” Far too often I see students trying to lift, scoop, or flick the ball with their club to make it rise into the air.  I promise you, this approach is not going to work.  The more they try the more they fail. Anyone who has dribbled a pitch shot one foot in front of them or nearly put your playing partner in the hospital by skulling your pitch shot across the green at full speed and ankle height will attest to this painful truth.

Golfers can save themselves a great deal of frustration and disappointment from failed attempts of lifting, scooping, or picking the golf ball by understanding this “swing down to go up” concept. The reason the ball goes in the air is backspin. When a golf club is applied to the ball from a higher point to a lower point past impact (downward) the ball will roll up the face of the club and start to spin in a backward direction. It is this backward spinning motion that keeps the ball moving up into the air.
                 
A common answer I get from students to the question “What makes a ball go in the air?” is “LOFT.”  If that was true, then why is it that almost everyone reading this article has at one time or another rolled a shot with their sand or lob wedge? After all, it is the most lofted club in our set. The loft of the club certainly helps get the ball airborne, but alone it does not make the ball fly high.

The best method to apply backspin to the ball is to move a forward leaning club down from high to low through impact with the club reaching its lowest point of the swing 4-5 inches past impact. A downward club motion will place backspin on the ball and the ball will go in the air.  Remember - swing down to get the ball to go up.

If you would like to experience the thrill and excitement of hitting high flying controlled golf shots, don’t hesitate to schedule a lesson by contacting the Deerfield Pro Shop at 302-368-6640 ext 3.

Archived Golf Tips:

06/08 – Distance Control When Putting
05/08 – If The Shoe Fits
02/08 – Sand Dollars
01/08 – Getting More Power Out Of Your Swing
12/07 – Winter Club Maintenance
11/07 – Hillside Lies
08/07 – Lift
07/07 – Hybrids
05/07 – Practice
04/07 – Golf Club Fitting
03/07 – The Iron Triangle