LAURA’S GOLF TIPS

TIPS


TIPS

GOOD FOOTWORK FOR MORE POWER

Today’s World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is an excellent example of how powerful footwork can elevate your game. His swing shows how energy is built from the ground up and transferred through to the lead side. The good news? You can train your footwork to create that same power.

Start with your setup. Stand in an athletic posture with your weight balanced—not on your toes, not on your heels, but centered in your feet. Distribute about 60% on the left side and 40% on the right.

As you begin your takeaway, let your feet move naturally, shifting your weight up to 90% onto your right side. If lifting your left heel helps you complete a full turn, allow it—this ensures a complete backswing and full loading of power.

From there, drive into the ground with your left foot as you start the downswing. Feel your weight transfer powerfully back onto your left side. Your right heel should lift as you rotate through, finishing with your chest facing the target—proof that you’ve used all the power you’ve built.

Remember: rhythm is just as important as mechanics. Feel the rhythm in your feet and let it guide your swing.

Mastering 5-foot putts

Do you sometimes drain five-foot putts with ease, and other times miss them unexpectedly? The culprit is often head movement.

Putting—especially short putting—is one of the most important parts of your golf game. The key to sinking more five-footers is keeping your head completely still. Let your arms and shoulders swing freely, but make sure your head stays level and motionless—no dipping, lifting, or turning.

The most common reason golfers miss short putts? You “take a look.” That means you peek early to see if the ball is going in. Because the putt is short, you can catch it in your peripheral vision—and if you lack confidence, you’ll look sooner, moving your head and compromising your stroke. Ironically, the more you look, the more you miss. The more you stay still, the more you make—and your confidence will grow.

Here are 3 key tips for becoming a more consistent and confident short putter:

1. Develop a Pre-Shot Routine
Never hit a putt without it. Your routine can be personal, but it should be repeated every time. This builds consistency and helps settle nerves.

2. Keep the Putter Low
Back and through, the putter head should stay low to the ground. Lifting the putter adds unwanted spin, which affects both speed and direction.

3. Keep Your Head Level
A steady head leads to a steady stroke. You don’t need power when putting—just control. Still body, soft hands, and smooth rhythm are the ingredients for perfect pace. Putting should be fun!

CHIP SHOTS AROUND THE GREEN

I call most of my shots around the green “chip” shots, whether they’re low or high, because they’re closer to the green. If you choose to call your higher “chip” shots “pitch” shots, that’s fine, too. The main thing is that you hit them well and in the way you had envisioned. Let’s keep it simple and repetitive, so here’s what to do:

Set up:
⁃ The golf ball in the center of your stance
⁃ Your feet are closer together and open (aiming slightly to the left)
⁃ Your hands and arms are slightly ahead of the ball
⁃ Your weight is more on your left side (65%)

Sequence:
⁃ Even though it’s a short shot, it’s essential to not rush your backswing and develop a nice rhythm.
⁃ The distance you take the club back is directly related to how far you want the golf ball to go.

Club Face impact:
⁃ If the club face is open, the ball will travel high; if the club face is square, it will travel at average height, and if the club face is delofted, it will travel low.
⁃ Visualize the shot you’d like to hit and make sure the club face matches your visualization at impact.
⁃ One nice key to always remember is to hit past the ball because if you’re nervous, that will eliminate a chunk shot. It’s great fun to be creative around the greens and develop your shots.

Your Club path at impact

Your golf club path at impact – it’s essential!

The correct club head path provides two great qualities for your golf shot: the correct “elevation” of the club you’re hitting and the “direction” of the golf ball you’re hitting!

If your clubface at impact is traveling towards your target, the golf ball will travel towards your target.
If your clubface at impact is traveling to the left, your ball would go to the left
If your club face is traveling to the right of your target at impact, the golf ball will go to the right of the target.

A nice routine to start your club’s head path is to take the club back low and slow, creating width and also a path to travel back through impact. Being aware of your club face path is key to the next level of your golf game. A friendly reminder is the back of your left hand copies the club face. If the back of your left hand is going towards your target, the club face is also.

Remember:

⁃ Straight back and straight through produces a straight shot
⁃ Straight back and starting the downswing from the inside path produces a draw
⁃ Straight back and starting your downswing slightly from the outside of your backswing path produces a fade.

Never hit “at the ball,” always feel like you’re hitting “past the ball.” That way, you will always be accelerating!

THE GOLF GRIP

It’s a great time of the year to review your golf grip. The golf grip is your only connection to the golf club; your golf club is your only connection to the golf ball. Therefore, your grip is your only connection to your golf shot. You have three choices in the type of grip you choose:

1)The Baseball grip, which is all 10 fingers on the club, that’s great, but because your hands are not connected, as you develop more and more clubhead speed, your hands tend to separate at impact, and that’s bad, it causes inconsistency and loss of distance.

2) The Overlapping or Varden grip;  Is where your right little finger overlaps the first finger of your left hand. With this grip, you have nine fingers on the club, and your hands are connected, so they will not separate at impact. This is the grip I use, and it’s very popular.

3) Your third choice is Interlocking; it’s trending right now on the PGA tour among the great players. With this grip, you interlock your little finger of the right and your first finger of the left, therefore, keeping your hands very connected at impact, but there are only eight fingers on the golf club. I recommend the overlapping or the interlocking so that your hands stay connected at impact as you get better and better. Try them both and see which one is more comfortable for your hands, because comfort in golf is huge. All three grips in the front of your grip will look the same. Your golf grip not only provides accuracy but also power. It’s a great part of your golf game to continue to develop and stay aware of. If you need any help determining which grip is best for you, please contact me at laurabaughgolf.com.

HOW TO BE A FAST PLAYER

Fast play is a hot topic in golf these days! Let’s face it, nobody wants to be the slow player on the course. An average 18-hole golf round takes between 4 and 5 hours, which breaks down to approximately 15 minutes per hole. And while you’re allowed 40 seconds to hit your shot and three minutes if you lose a ball, knowing the rules is just part of it. The real key? Preparation!

So, how can you speed things up and keep that good reputation? Here are some simple steps:

1. Calibrate Your Shot: When you arrive at your ball, whether you’re walking or riding, take a moment to assess how far you need to go. Factor in the wind and any changes in terrain (uphill, downhill, or flat).
2. Choose Your Club: Decide which club you’ll use before it’s your turn. If you’re torn between two clubs, grab both from your bag.
3. Visualize Your Shot: Stand behind your ball and visualize the shot you want to make. Commit to that shot; this mental prep goes a long way!
4. Stay Engaged: While your playing partners are taking their shots, use that time wisely for your own preparation.
5. Cut Out Distractions: If you’ve been chatting with friends on the course, it’s time to focus when it’s your turn! Start your pre-shot routine without delay.
6. Keep It Moving: After hitting your shot, quickly wipe off your club and put it back in the bag before hopping back into the cart.

Golf is such a fantastic sport for spending quality time with friends and family! Being known as a fast player makes everyone’s experience more enjoyable—so being ready when it’s your turn is crucial! Remember, whether you’re swinging with a high handicap or low handicap, anyone can play quickly by being prepared.

LOWER YOUR GOLF SCORES

Would you like to lower your golf score and get a little creative with your game? Well, the best and quickest way to do that is by developing your shots around the green. We all need that “go-to” shot, but let’s be real—options are key! Here’s what you want in your short game arsenal:

– A high shot that can carry over a bunker and still stop on a dime.
– An average-height shot that releases about halfway to the hole.
– A low run-up shot for those clear paths straight to the pin.
– And hey, why not throw in some unique shots just for fun? But remember, having a reliable stock shot is an absolute must!

To nail down that stock shot, start by making sure your hands are ahead at address and stay there through impact. This will help make your wedge shots consistent and reliable when the pressure’s on. If you want to hit it lower, just move the ball back in your stance and close down the clubface a bit—it’ll come out running! On the flip side, if you open up the clubface with the ball more toward center, you’ll get a higher shot that stops quickly.

Using different clubs can also change things up: grab your sand wedge for those lofty shots or an eight iron when you’re looking to keep it low.

But here’s where it gets really exciting—being creative around the greens! Practicing is super important here, so set some goals for yourself. It’ll help improve your skills and make practice way more enjoyable.

BALANCE AND FOOTWORK

From the very beginning of your golf swing, it is essential to be working on your balance and footwork.

Your pre-shot routine should place you in an athletic posture with your weight on the inside and middle of your feet, just like other athletes playing sports – for example, a tennis player preparing for a forehand or a football player ready to block his opponent. You can now transfer your power back to your right side, fully loading and developing power. If you lose your balance and your weight happens to transfer to your toes, your downswing will be from the outside; conversely, if your weight transfers back to your heels, you will tend to come from the inside and leave your power on your right side, therefore losing distance and sending your golf shot out to the right.

Your footwork can be active as long as your balance is maintained. You must have the patience to complete your backswing, and then you can accelerate and push off that right side, transferring your power to the left while staying in posture and balance.

If you’re having trouble getting all your power through, you can slightly flare your left foot out at the address, making it easier to transfer all your power. Staying in posture and balance allows your footwork to act appropriately, developing more power.

SAND/BUNKER SHOTS

I have put in capital letters certain thoughts for you to think about when you’re hitting the bunker shot around the green. Keep your thoughts simple!

Mindset – No NEGATIVE thoughts. VISUALIZE a positive shot. Believe bunker shots are your favorite shots until they truly are!

Set-up – Weight slightly on your LEFT side and a somewhat WIDER and OPEN stance    Bend your knees comfortably for an athletic position.

Club-face – The club face is aimed slightly to the RIGHT of your target. Keep the club face in this position through impact. The club face does not need to turn over at all; that way, your club will maintain its loft and give your shot height.

Be aggressive – Always COMMIT and be AGGRESSIVE through the bunker shot. Choose how much sand you want to take behind the ball and be aggressive through the ball. Acceleration creates speed, and speed gets the ball out of the bunker.

YOUR GOLF FOR 2025

Simple thoughts significantly affect your ability to produce a great golf shot!The start of a new year is a perfect opportunity to review your fundamentals.

– Is your alignment correct? Are your shoulders, hips, and feet aligned toward your target? If your alignment is correct, your consistency will improve.
– Is your golf club in a good position at the top of your swing? If it is, it will allow you to transfer more power and clubhead speed through the impact zone.
– Club head path—Is your club moving towards your intended target? If it is, that will give you a beautiful extension towards your intended line.
– Is your follow-through complete? When you’re finished, is your chest facing your target? If this is correct, it allows you to have maximum power and lets the big muscles do the work.

ADD POWER THE EASY WAY

Let’s create a powerful shoulder turn by leveraging the opening of your hips on the backswing. Remember, even a small hip movement can make a significant difference—start with a modest opening and gradually increase. But always remember, a proper shoulder turn is impossible without the contribution of your hips!

Power in your golf swing comes from a nice shoulder with a turn and width on your backswing. You cannot create the width you want without letting your hips open slightly, allowing your shoulders to turn fully. If you DON’T allow your hips to open up, you will feel a RESTRICTION, and your body will not allow you to have a free and relaxed backswing. So, let’s take a deep breath, relaxing our arms, and turn away from the ball as a unit, allowing your hips to turn, which allows your shoulders to turn, which allows you to transfer weight. It’s about working in sync. It’s about working in the correct sequence and allowing yourself to complete your backswing without any restriction from your hips fully. Turn back as much as you feel comfortable and then come on through the swing; the golf swing should be a relaxing, accelerating event. If you feel restricted, your body is not working as a team, and we need to change that! Develop power with a complete shoulder turn!

GOLF GOALS

As the fall season sets in, it’s crucial to set golf goals and work towards improving your game. Don’t let this opportunity slip by!

If you hit the golf ball further, would you have more fun? If you scored lower, would you have more fun? I know golf is fun, but let’s set some goals and have fun achieving them. Just checking your basics can improve your golf game. You can’t see yourself; even the best golfers in the world have instructors. They have an instructor they trust to look at the basics, to see if their grip is correct, if the ball position is correct, if they are completing their takeaway, and generating maximum power through the impact zone. Information from too many sources, even though they might be correct, can clutter your mind and your thought path. You should have one simple thought so that you can accomplish that move. Your golf game needs a checkup at least two or three times a year to ensure your basics are correct, and then you can set attainable goals to add distance and accuracy or improve your short game. If your basics are off, you can create other problems in your swing to compensate.

So, start with the grip – the grip provides the connection to the club. The grip of the left hand is created by the thumb and first finger, forming a V that points over your right shoulder, which is the basic. It’s not a black-and-white issue; some golfers have a stronger or a weaker left hand, but you need to make sure that the right-hand works as a team and the V of the right hand, the thumb, and first finger of the right hand should also point over your right shoulder. The grip is what Scottie Scheffler, the world’s number one golfer, concentrates on daily. Set your goals for the fall.

ADD CLUBHEAD SPEED TO YOUR GOLF sWING!

Let’s Think Wide, Narrow, Wide!

  1. Take the club away with the straight left arm as wide as you can while keeping your eye on the golf ball that will give you width. Then, go ahead and turn your hips and shoulders back to support that straight left arm.
  •  Once you have completed your backswing then, you can bring the club next to your body to allow your core strength to be a very important part of your power.
  •  The final step is to accelerate as you hit the golf ball, always hitting past the golf ball, creating width once again. Hit out toward your target developing that full extension all the way through towards your target. Wide, Narrow, Wide – just like a whip, build your clubhead speed.

Increased clubhead speed = more distance!

ADD DISTANCE WITH 3 STEPS

1. Start with your alignment—make sure your shoulders, hips, and feet are aligned with your target. Knowing you are in the right position will allow you to relax, trust your instincts, and be aggressive.

2. Complete your backswing. No matter how big or small your backswing is, make sure you complete it. Your backswing is all about building power—do not rush it.

3. The final and necessary ingredient to adding distance to your golf shot is don’t hit “at the ball”.  Always hit “past the ball.” If you hit the ball, you will be accelerating through and when you’re finished, make sure your heart is facing your target.

If you’re having trouble getting all your power through to the finish, then at address, turn your left foot out so that it’s easier to get your hips and shoulders all the way through—that is one move that all long-drive champions do—they flare out their left foot so that they can get their power through!

STANCE AND SHOULDER ALIGNMENT

As you embark on your golf journey, one crucial element that cannot be overlooked is the importance of your pre-shot routine in establishing your stance and shoulder alignment. This personal pre-shot routine is the foundation upon which your successful shots are built and mastering it can be the key to unlocking your full potential on the course.

Here are the essential steps of the pre-shot routine for stance and shoulder alignment:

1. Address the Ball: It all starts with the way you address the ball. Make sure the clubface is pointing directly at your intended target, as this sets the stage for a well-aligned and controlled swing.

2. Establish Your Stance: Next, step into your stance, leading with your front foot first, followed by your back foot. This deliberate movement helps you find your balance and stability, crucial for a consistent and powerful swing.

3. Align Your Shoulders: Your shoulders should be in line with your feet and club face. Your journey to becoming a better and more consistent golfer starts here.

BALANCE IN YOUR GOLF SWING

Balance is not just a component but a crucial element of your golf swing. It’s the key that unlocks your potential to build and transfer power, leading to longer and more consistent shots. Emphasizing the benefits of balance can ignite a sense of motivation and eagerness in golfers to improve their swing performance. 

The place to start to improve your balance is at your setup. 

You should be in an athlete position at your setup, with your weight 60% on your lead side and 40% on your trail side. Your weight should be in the middle of your feet, not on your toes and not on your heels! You should feel balanced and strong. Most golfers have a stance about shoulder width, but the main factor is that you feel athletic. Now, keeping your eye on the golf ball you can transfer your shoulders, hips, and weight back and through. Because of good balance, you will be able to have a consistent rhythm and sequence, providing power to your contact. This may sound simple, and I hope it does, but this is your foundation for building a great golf swing. Let’s be balanced and athletic! 

Turn Left Shoulder Over Right Leg

As golfers, we often look for a simple tip or motion that allows us to achieve a complex move. This is the case with the simple thought of turning your left shoulder fully to where the top of your backswing is parallel to your right leg; that is a full backswing. Can everyone get there? Probably not, but the goal is to slowly turn more with the help of your hips and weight transfer. This is a simple thought that allows you to build power.

Here are the steps:
1. Make sure that your alignment and ball position are correct, which will allow you to turn fully

2. Take a nice, slow, low backswing, allowing yourself to turn as much as you feel comfortable; feel the left shoulder over the right leg.

3. Once you have completed your backswing, you can now accelerate through the ball, building up that club head speed we all want. These are three simple thoughts for you to work on the range and little by little; you will build a more powerful backswing. Your backswing doesn’t have to be long. You have to feel like that left shoulder, at the top, is as much over your right leg as you can comfortably achieve.

Remember, you don’t have to achieve this all at once. Little by little, your flexibility and the comfort of this position at the top will improve – trust it!

HOW BIG SHOULD YOUR BACKSWING BE?

This question is often asked because of the variety of flexibility in golf students – but let’s keep it as simple and straightforward as possible! There are a few criteria you want to achieve to fully load your right side if you are a right-handed golfer. We can make it simple so that your body can envision the move to have a full backswing:

1. Keep your left arm as straight as possible, giving you the width you want on your backswing 

2. Transfer as much weight and turn as much as you feel comfortable to your right side to support your arms 

3. Feel your left shoulder touch your chin, which allows your shoulders and core to load your trailside fully. You can continue to increase the length of your backswing, but as long as you have a complete shoulder, turn to create great power!

Just three simple but powerful thoughts and moves add power to your backswing, allowing you to add distance to your golf shots. This is a nice training tip for this move. Just complete your backswing and hold it there for a few moments in a practice swing just to get used to the feeling of completing your backswing.

PRE-SHOT ROUTINE

A pre-shot routine in golf can lower your score and make you a more consistent player. We all love that!! A pre-shot routine does not make you a slow player; it makes you a faster player because when it’s your turn, you have a set routine and are ready to go. Pre-shot routines are individual plans to put you in the same position every time and will let you work on parts of your game without overthinking during your swing. You can personalize your pre-shot routine, but a basic pre-shot routine to start with is: 

1) Start from behind the golf ball to get a nice laser view of your intended line and visualize a good shot. 
2) Take your stance with your feet stepping away into a position where your golf ball and alignment are where you want them to be. 
3) Then slightly exhale so your arms are relaxed. 
4) In this step, you have a choice; you can start from a standstill or involve a waggle or slight move with your feet or arms so that you are in motion. 
5) Then, you initiate your backswing with a low and slow takeaway to the top of your swing. 

THE SHOULDER TURN IN GOLF

Power and consistency are two very important qualities of a good shoulder turn in golf. 

These are two of the most critical needs for a golfer. The shoulders are one of the large muscles used in golf and the large muscles in golf are consistency. So, how do you use your shoulders to get the maximum potential?

Two moves: 
1. You want to turn your back toward the target  
2. Keep your left arm as straight as possible. 

Keep your backswing nice and slow, allowing you to build maximum right-side loading. Don’t let your arms do all the work; allow your hips and shoulders to turn as a unit, which will develop more power and reduce injuries.

Keep it simple: Turn your back toward the target and then, at your follow-through, your chest toward the target. Keep it in rhythm – it is a golf swing, not parts!

Use the ground to cover the BALL

After you have done your pre-shot routine and are in an athletic position, proceed with your takeaway all the way to the top of your swing, fully loading the right side. No rush or hurry; feel the loading on your right side. Make sure you have transferred as much power as possible to the right side; only after you think that motion is complete will you be able to use the ground to firmly move into the left side.

You should feel the left hip engage and the left foot plant. You are using the ground to transfer all your power to your lead side. That initiates more clubhead speed, allowing you to hit the golf ball further.

Remember, you can only use the ground properly if you have thoroughly loaded your trailside!!

SHORT GAME

As our fall season opens, let’s embrace our short game to save strokes and lower our golf score! There are two important keys to hit a great pitch or chip shot in golf:

1. The first key is that you don’t look up too quickly, so don’t be anxious – relax and trust it. Do not look up too soon!

2. The other key is to keep your club face the same at impact as you have chosen at address that will give you the loft and the direction – those are two simple keys that will start you on your journey of confidence and consistency, you can do it!

How fast should i swing the golf club?

With all the hype in today’s golf about clubhead speed and gaining more distance, how fast should you swing the golf club? 

The pace at which you swing the golf club is called your timing, your rhythm, or your sequence, those three words pretty much describe the same thing in the golf swing. So, how do you choose how fast to swing the golf club?

First of all, we want to take your health and your flexibility into account. Never swing too fast or too slow to cause any kind of discomfort or pain. With that in mind, once you have addressed the golf ball your takeaway should be nice and slow so you can develop your club head path and build your power and your shoulder turn. Try not to rush your backswing because you are loading the right side – remember that is how you build your power and that will give you distance – so you never want to rush your backswing! Once you have loaded your right side, you can swing aggressively through the ball. There’s a big difference between swinging fast and swinging aggressively; the key to developing power is that you take it back slow so you can accelerate through the ball. Sometimes as we get older, we lose that acceleration and power, so one of the easiest ways of developing acceleration is to take it back a little slower.

As you build your tempo and sequencing, make sure that your balance is good, that might be a slightly wider stance so you can really turn onto your right side. It’s a little bit more difficult to transfer your weight with a wider stance but a wider stance is more stable and easier to stay in balance.

Can I have a unique swing and still be a good golfer – yes!

You can have a unique, even an awkward swing if you do certain fundamentals. The problem with a unique swing is you must practice more to be repetitive. The simpler your golf swing the more repetitive it can be. You may see some unique swings on the PGA or LPGA tour, but at impact they look beautiful and spot on – that is because they practice, practice, practice and those unique moves become second nature to that particular golfer.

But even if you have a unique swing, you must do certain things correctly. You must have a good grip and your alignment must be correct. It would benefit you to take the club away very slowly, so that you can have the proper sequence to load the right side of your swing. At impact your club face has got to be square towards your target and your follow-through must be the complete transfer of your power to the left side.

As a teacher, I know there are gray areas in your golf swing, and it does not need to be exact. The main thing is that you feel comfortable with your swing under pressure, that is where your low scores will come from!

Four fundamentals to make your swing repeat:

  1. Correct Grip and alignment
  2. Load and turn on to the right side
  3. Focus on a square club face at impact
  4. Transfer your power all the way through to the finish of your swing

Your Follow-Through In Golf

Your follow through in golf is like the frosting on a cake – you must finish the cake you have baked – put the frosting on your golf swing, so to speak!
Are you using all the power you have built in your backswing?

It’s important to have a pre-shot routine… the proper set up is equally important to build power to your trail side in the right sequence. After you’ve done all that, you must use all the power you have built – that is how you gain distance and accuracy!

To see if you are using all your power, we look at the 4 revealing positions in your follow through:

1. Is your chest and core facing your intended target at your finish?
2. Is your weight off your right foot at the finish?
3. Is your finish nice and high?
4. Are you balanced? And if you’re not in balance, is your weight at least falling forward not backwards. Always feel like you’re hitting pass the ball not at the ball that will help you continue your power through to the follow-through. Also, it is important to have a nice slow backswing, try to feel yourself complete your backswing and then let power move forward towards your target – ALL the way forward.

Developing Your Shoulder Turn

A great shoulder turn creates tremendous power, and consistency because your shoulders are the big muscles. The big muscles are where your consistency and power can provide the most awesome results!
Here are the 5 steps to develop your shoulder turn:

  1. Make sure your set up is correct your stance is about shoulder length, your arms are hanging comfortably, and you’re in an athletic posture.
  2. In a nice controlled low take away, let your shoulders turn so that your back faces your target.
  3. You will know you have completed your backswing when you feel your left shoulder touch your chin.
  4. After you feel your chin touch your shoulder, you can go ahead and hit the ball towards your target
  5. Continue all the way through to your chest or your belt buckle… if you happen to be wearing a belt is facing your target…that’s a complete shoulder turn.

You will love the power this develops!

How Do You Start Your Golf Swing?

Do you have a “still start” or do you have a start with “timing and rhythm”? Some great golfers start with their club on the ground and sweep it away and low and slow, like Brooks Koepke and Adam Scott. While other great golfers have their golf club slightly airborne, almost hovering the ground like Jack Nicklaus and Ricky Fowler. There are pros and cons for both.

The “pro” for starting your swing at a standstill… it allows you to build a coil and truly feel the transition and power move to your right side. The “con” for starting at a standstill… it lacks the rhythm of an athlete in motion.

The “pro” for starting your golf swing in motion is, just that you’re not starting from a standstill you’re starting in motion ready to go. The “con” is you cannot feel your body truly build power to the right side, from the very beginning… that nice slow move to build your backswing and power.

So, the big question is, do you want to start your golf swing from a still position or a position in motion? The great news is there’s no wrong answer. My suggestion is you try both and then decide which one is best for you. Once you decide…commit to that decision!

How To Start Golf

So, you’ve decided to start playing golf – where do you start?

First you will need basic golf equipment. It might be a pre-owned set of clubs or an entry-level new set of clubs. Once you have a set of golf clubs, you want to develop a simple and repetitive golf swing. There are 5 basics fundamentals for your long game and then you will progress to the short game. The best way to do this is with a local PGA or LPGA professional, that way you don’t have to unlearn bad habits. You will start on the range and learn these 5 fundamentals and then progress to the golf course. It’s just that easy! Here are the five basic fundamentals:

1. The grip
2. Stance and Alignment
3. Loading the right side
4. Covering or watching the golf ball being hit
5. Transferring all your power through to your follow-through

If these five fundamentals are done correctly, your golf game will be simple and repetitive yet a very powerful move. Even as a season player, it’s always good to re-check your fundamentals once a year.

The short game is a more creative endeavor and is fun to develop. Putting is very important – two things to remember on putting:

1. Keep your putter head low and slow on the way back and low through
2. Don’t look up too soon to see where the ball goes. Trust it!

So, choose a comfortable golf appropriate outfit. You will probably need a golf glove but it’s not mandatory and you’re ready to start your golf journey!!

Improve Your Putting

Four Easy Steps:

  1. Develop as pre shot routine and do it every time. This will do two things. It will make sure that you are in the same position every time and if you are nervous, it will allow you to concentrate on the process rather than the result.

2. Make sure your eyes are directly over the ball that will allow you to see the true line of your putt

3. Take the putter head back low and slow. Keeping the putter head low on the way back and on the way through that reduces any spin that you might put on your putts.

4. When putting look at the back of the ball that will keep you from looking up. You don’t want to look up during your putt because your whole body comes up and that makes you very inconsistent. —- In today’s golf, the speed at which you hit your putt is very important. Concentrate on your lag putting, getting the right speed allows for a stress free second putts. The better you putt, the lower your score!!

Learn To Cover The Ball

The spine angle is created by taking your stance and addressing the ball. The angle of your spine should be maintained throughout your golf swing.
 
As you start your backswing, developing width, and you begin to feel the coil of your core you will be centered if you are covering the golf ball. As you continue the process of loading the right side, it is important to cover the ball, which means keeping your eye on the ball and your spine angle, so that you’re “aware” of where you return to impact with the power you have created by your backswing.

Plus, by covering the golf ball you can have that beautiful extension after impact!
 
As you become comfortable with covering the ball you will continue to improve your sequencing which is so important to give you maximum distance, power, and accuracy.

PRE-SHOT ROUTINE

A pre-shot routine puts you in the same position every time and from the same position you can be repetitive!
In developing your pre-shot routine there’s certain areas to cover and there are certain areas you can make creative and personal.

Your routine does not make you a slow golfer it makes you a fast golfer. When you get used to your routine it will just take a matter of seconds! So here we go:

  1. Starting from behind the golf ball look at the view of the line you want your ball to travel.
  2. Place your club face on that visualized line at your address and make sure your arms are hanging comfortably.
  3. Put yourself in athletic position.
  4. Exhale, that will allow your arms to fully extend on the way back.
  5. Then start your swing by pushing that straight left arm back and away from the golf ball
    In personalizing your pre-shot routine, you are free to add things that you are working on in your set up and once you’ve done that you can just relax and hit your shot.


INITIATING THE START OF YOUR GOLF SWING 

There are basically two ways to start your golf swing 

  1. You can initiate the start of your golf swing like Jack Nicklaus or Ricky Fowler without grounding the club or maybe a “waggle.” This is a very fluid move to start your backswing. The left arm extends back developing your width.
  1. The other option to initiate the start your swing is from a stationary position and feel like you are pushing the club away with a straight left arm long and low as if you were brushing the grass allowing your hips and shoulders to follow in that one connected move. This is the most common correct move away from the ball but either move will prevent a sway away from the golf ball because you continue to keep your eye on the ball, and you continue your spine angle to cover the ball.

Covering the ball is extremely important; this move away from the ball should not be fast because you want to build power on your backswing so that you can accelerate or move aggressively through the ball. So, whether you start in a stationary position or a fluid moving position your hips shoulders and arms create the feeling of a coil from the takeaway to the top of your swing. You feel your left shoulder come under your chin, you feel your hips turn back, you start to feel your back now facing the target and you feel your weight transfer back to your trail side. What initiates your backswing is that straight left arm providing the width to load the right side, if you are right-handed golfer and obviously the left side if you are left-handed golfer. This takeaway starts the process for your sequencing, and you want to complete a full backswing before you start the motion of the downswing. So, remember, exhale, relax and truly enjoy your backswing don’t rush it because you are building power as you “load your trail side” which will result in a powerful fluid downswing.


BUILDING POWER

One of the most important facets of the golf swing is “loading the right side.” We take it back with a straight left arm providing the width that we need to build power and the transfer of our weight combined with a hip turn, letting our back face the target. We should feel the weight in our feet transfer to our right side, more specifically the right foot (left side/foot for lefty’s). The third ingredient that is mandatory to build power is the shoulder turn. You know you have completed the shoulder turn when you feel your left shoulder turn under your chin. The key to these combined moves is that you do not rush it, you let your rhythm and sequence happen naturally because the purpose of the backswing is to build power you do not want to rush building power. Try to develop a feel or key that indicates to you personally that you have completed your backswing and built all the power you possibly can. I hit it a long way when I played the LPGA tour, and you can do this too by maximizing your shoulder turn, weight transfer, and the width of your swing.


TRANSITION

We start the TRANSITION – after we have loaded the right side, we make the transition and the move toward impact. This move now allows your core to become involved. We start the forward move “in the pocket” this slightly inside move develops power and accuracy.

We must keep our eye on the golf ball and head level because our club head speed is increasing rapidly. By doing this we will be hitting the back of the ball – remember in golf if we stay down at impact the golf ball will get in the air but if you try to lift the ball at impact the ball stays low – stay down ball goes high!

During your golf practice or during your golf on the course when you hit a good shot take that moment and even close your eyes and feel what it felt like for you to hit a solid good shot and use those thoughts as keys to repeating that same beautiful action.


IMPACT

Back of the left hand leads as your power compresses the golf ball through impact and beyond. One of the common misconceptions is you hit “at” the ball, actually you hit pass the ball continuing the power down the line. The narrow move through the ball or chicken wing, as some call it, is due to not transferring your power fully out toward your target. Your head stays down slightly after impact allowing most but not all golfers to make a divot. It is not mandatory to create a divot some golfers have more of a “sweeper” type swing; regardless of your swing characteristics it is SO important to stay down a couple inches past impact! As my good friend and Hall of Fame Golfer Hollis Stacy would say “look up…see a bad shot.” So in summary, watch the golf ball being hit and send the club face down your intended line. 


EXTENSION THROUGH THE BALL

After you have made contact with the golf ball and impact has occurred a common fault is to look up and anxiously see the result, that is definitely not what you want to do. You must have a wide extension with the club face extending toward your target. This move will allow the club to do its job. If you look up, the leading edge of the club will hit the ball resulting in the “topped” shot.

A great way of working on this whether it is on the range or the golf course is to choose a spot slightly ahead of the ball and try to have your club extend over that spot towards your target. Extension “down the line” will go a long way to prevent the habit of coming up out of the shot. The width of your follow-through is an underrated part of your swing to develop power!



THE COMPLETE TRANSFER OF POWER

After impact and the extension your club is still traveling at a fast pace and you want to extend and then finish. That means at the completion of your swing your chest and belt buckle will face your target if not slightly pass the target aiming to the left at completion of your swing.

To accomplish this, you must let your left arm lead (for a right-handed golfer). A wonderful training exercise to get the feeling of the left arm leading is just take the right hand off and have a practice swing with just your left hand on the club. If this is difficult you may take the club back with both arms and at the top of your swing just released the right hand and let the left finish the swing full and high to completion. The flexibility to do this is accomplished little by little. Be aware of your flexibility do not hurt yourself but push the envelope and complete the transfer of power to the lead side!


BUNKERS

Bunkers made simply and repetitive. 

Always assess the bunker as you approach or enter it for any uneven lies because the wind will tend to move the sand to the downhill and uphill part of the bunker. In other words, there will be less sand at the bottom of the bunker then around the edges. Your goals may change as you continue to get more proficient out of the bunkers you may start out with just wanting to get out of the bunker onto the green. 

Here are the simple and repetitive steps to make it relatively easy to get out of the bunker onto the green:

  1. make sure your stance is secure and slightly open (that means aiming slightly left for a right-handed golfer) This also gives you the opportunity to feel the firmness of the sand with your feet.
  2. Determine how you would like your club face to be at impact and address it that way and LEAVE it that way throughout the shot – do not roll it over.
  3. Take about an inch of sand behind the ball to add softness and a repetitive shot.
  4. Always COMMIT because the lack of acceleration will leave the ball in the bunker.

Just 4 things and two are done in pre shot routine, before you hit the bunker shot. You will continue to gain confidence and your expectations will soar. You can be a fantastic bunker player!!

CREATIVE SHORT GAME

Let’s discover a way to reduce your scores and also develop your creative side of golf. Just two main fundamentals to remember in developing an imaginative short game:

  1. The more loft you create the more airtime your golf shot will have.
  2. Don’t look up to see the result before you have finished creating it!

First choose equipment that allows you to hit the type of shots you want. You should have at least these two basic wedges in your bag:

  1. a 58 or 60 degree wedge – this wedge is good for high shorter shots and also out of green side bunkers. You will have decided how much bounce you want. The less bounce you have the easiest the shots will be around the greens. But the bounce is nice to hit out of bunkers but restricts shots around the green. 
  2. And a wedge of 54 – 50 degree – this wedge will give you a bit more distance and be not quite as high in the air as the 58 or 60 degree. These are the two basic wedges you should have besides you pitching wedge. The pitching wedge goes further and has a lower trajectory than the creative wedges. You will notice that I refer to these wedges by the degree of loft, not gap, sand, or lob, because it’s all about the degree of loft not the name a company may call it because most companies have different standards to determine their lob, sand, or gap wedges.

Basic wedge descriptions…

  • gap wedge – 48 or 50 degrees
  • sand wedge – between 54 and 56 
  • lob wedge – between 58 and 60 degrees. Phil uses a 64 degree from time to time!

The creativity you have around the green is like that of an artist’s palette and paints. So don’t stress out when you’re around the green, it’s a wonderful opportunity to be creative as long as you remember the two fundamentals, the more loft you have on the wedge the higher the ball goes and the shorter it goes and never look up to see your result of your shot until it’s stops rolling!

POSTURE IN GOLF

Your first thought might be how important could that be? The answer is very important!! Your posture must be natural and athletic with the ability to transfer back to your trail side and then through to your lead side to the completion of your swing. 

I adjust my posture twice once before I take my stance and a second time right after I have taken my stance. 

So, what is the correct golf posture for you? 

We must remember everyone’s body is different; some people have short arms and some have long arms and everything in between. Simply just let your arms hang comfortably, you should not feel crowded or that you are reaching for the golf ball. There are great players that have their arms close to their body and there are great players that have a little bit of distance from their body to the golf ball…comfort is the key.

One of the big changes in golf over the years has been in posture. We used to say feel like you’re sitting in a chair, we do not say that anymore instead we offer these keys:

  • bend over
  • knees slightly flexed
  • back mostly straight 
  • arms hang comfortably
  • shoulders level
  • and rear slightly out

If you feel uncomfortable or forced, you need to change your posture to one that will allow you to capitalize on your big muscles. Proper posture enables a complete shoulder turn which then allows the player to be able to come down through the ball activating your glutes and allowing your core to provide the power while using the ground to create distance.  This is only possible if you are in an athletic posture!  The correct posture is the foundation for your golf swing, you must build a strong athletic foundation!

BUILDING POWER IN YOUR GOLF SWING

There are three main moves that must happen while loading the trail side and developing power:

  1. You must develop some width with a straight left arm on the takeaway
  2. Your left shoulder must turn under your chin 
  3. You must transfer the majority or your weight to the right side.

Accomplish all three in rhythm and you will experience maximum distance, try to do as many as possible, slowly but surely you will build power and “golf strength” Sequencing is important, you will notice your swing becoming more fluid with practice.

Continue to practice on a consistent bases to retrain your muscles. If you get tired, stop, and come back later because a tried muscle tends to revert back to its old move. A shorter more concentrated practice with an “all in” approach produces quicker results. You can do this and trust me…it will be a KICK to gain more yardage!!

HITTING OUT OF THE ROUGH

One of the biggest ways to lower your score is course management. Course management is extremely important, as the professional caddies say on the LPGA Tour and PGA tour “in trouble out of trouble.” If you are in the rough and have to go over some thing or get your golf ball in the air you must choose a more lofted club and give up some distance for carry and if you must go under a tree, you do the reverse less loft and know that the golf ball is going lower and going to release and roll more.

Your shot should start with a precise pre-shot routine –

  1. Start from behind the ball and choose a line that you want your rescue shot to start on and then as you go up and address the ball make sure the club face is pointed on that chosen line. 
  2. Out of a gnarly lie the grass will wrap around the club face and tend to pull the club to the left (for a right handed golfer) so you must not try to help the ball up – stay nice and low through impact and 
  3. Put more weight on your left foot (your lead side) that will create a better angle through impact and put the ball slightly back in your stance 
  4. Now the most IMPORTANT thing – keep that club face going toward your target do not let the grass pull the club face to the left. The best way to keep the club face from turning left is to make sure that the back of the left hand leads do not let the right hand take over. The stronger you are the easier it is to keep the club face going toward your intended line. 
  5. Commit to your shot! Remember it’s best to be conservative and avoid the high numbers they can truly ruin your score. Develop your rescue shot and make golf fun!!


BUILDING YOUR GOLF BAG

As you grow in your golf game your needs become clear and your golf equipment may need to be tweaked.

When you took up the game you probably purchased a starter set or perhaps a friend gave you a set of used/old clubs. And that’s okay because you wanted to see whether you enjoyed golf…now you have decided YES, I love this game!!

You work on your golf game and now you have decided that you want to continue to improve and enjoy the sport with your family and friends. That’s when you should invest in a set of modern clubs, it is better to do this sooner rather than later because clubs that are too heavy or too light can develop swing flaws that you then must unlearn.

I would strongly recommend that you “get fitted” to make sure you have the right swing weight, grip size, etc. with these measurements and numbers you can now create a golf bag that suits your needs. This is great fun, but it must be done with someone who is familiar your talents. In selecting your equipment you want to eliminate gaps in distance with irons and especially wedges. Of course you want a driver that goes as long as possible based on your swing speed, and you need a fairway metal that gives you some distance off the fairway; you also should carry a few hybrids that go nice and high. The new technology built into fairway metals and hybrids today will allow you to create approach shots to the green that provide extra loft…gotta carry those bunkers. Putters can be a very complicated & personal fitting equation; I’ll save some thoughts on putters for my next edition.

In today’s golf equipment world not all golf bags are built the same whether you’re a beginner or an advanced golfer your golf bag needs to suit your needs and if it is not, please come and see me because it’s not about new clubs it’s about the right clubs for you.
Let’s build your golf bag and let your clubs work for you!!


GOLF INSTRUCTION…WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU!

FIVE simple steps:

Find a PGA/LPGA golf instructor that:

  1. Teaches the fundamentals – don’t go for the eccentric because you are building the foundation of your golf game just like the foundation of your home, let’s make it strong and reliable.
  2. You understand the terminology, a good teacher is a good communicator. There are many ways to say the same thing, find an instructor that speaks to you so that your body can coordinate with your mind.
  3. Find someone who can work with your abilities and injuries. Perhaps you have played sports before and find golf (at this point in your life) is a sport that re-kindles your competitive spirit. Your instructor should be aware of any current injuries you may have so they can work with them or around them.
  4. Has an environment that enables you to work on all parts of your game. The game of golf has many components: your long game, iron play, short game, bunker play, trouble shots, and putting. Your instructional environment should allow you to work on all parts of your game and be able to do so in a setting that allows you to concentrate and focus on your process.
  5. Your PGA/LPGA Professional should ask what you hope to find in and though golf. Maybe your desire is to play golf with your friends once a week or maybe you want to play competitive golf…once he or she understands your commitment you both can agree on a plan. Set goals, some reachable goals and some only attainable in the future but keep it fun! If you enjoy golf, you will improve quicker and stay with it longer. It is the sport of a lifetime!

    Two things to remember:
    1-Your lessons should be the beginning of something you can build on and get better and better.
    2-Your teacher should be able to explain why you do something, if they don’t have the reason don’t do it
    Each day I work with all levels of students, and I try to follow the guidelines outlined above…I believe in establishing a roadmap to success. If you want to start golf or if you want to improve your golf, contact me at laurabaughgolf.com


4 KEY POSITIONS FOR YOUR BEST GOLF

Let’s strengthen those 4 positions, if you have injuries there is more than one way of accomplishing the same goal but these are the basics.

  1. Address – you must be able to have the proper posture at address. Arms and knees slightly bent with feet shoulder length apart in other words an athletic posture.
  2. Position At The Top – You must be able to take the club back with a straight left arm all the way to the top it doesn’t have to be perfectly straight but the straighter the better. It gives you the width in your backswing which will increase swing speed.
  3. Position At Impact – You must be able to be able to hit it as late as possible, which means the right hand does not take over and the back of the left-hand leads through impact.
  4. Follow Through – You must be able to finish the swing and have your chest facing the target… if you were wearing a belt buckle it would be facing the target. By doing that you have used the power you have built on the backswing.

    If you cannot make these four moves and there are no injuries involved let’s strengthen the muscles and the flexibility to enable you to do so. Focus on these four “keys”, keeping it very simple will enable you to improve at a consistent and rapid pace!
    If you need help building power or flexibility or in attaining these moves, please reach out to me.


PROPER GOLF GRIP

This is your only connection to the club. So Important!! So, let’s get started and let’s try to keep it simple.

1. Set the club down with your left hand only, placing the club under the left heel pad and curling your fingers around the grip, it should feel like it’s in the fingers of your left hand especially the last three fingers. At this point the V formed thumb and first finger should point toward your right shoulder (if you are a right-handed golfer).

2. Then very naturally place your right hand on the club also letting the V formed by first finger and thumb of your right-hand pointing towards your right shoulder. This is a very neutral grip.

The variations of the golf grip… For a right-handed golfer

The more the V is formed by the thumb and first finger of the left-hand points to the right the “stronger” your left grip is and conversely the straighter the left thumb is on the club the “weaker” your left grip is. The weaker the left-hand grip is, the more it allows you to release the club through impact and the stronger the left hand grip is the more it demands you to hold off the hit though impact.

The pressure of the grip is very important. It is important that you do not develop tension in your shoulders and arms. So, relax your shoulders and arms and feel control of the club with fingers of your left hand.

Next question is: How do you connect the two hands? Here are three options:

1. 10 fingers or baseball grip

2. Interlock grip

3. Overlapping grip

The interlocking grip or the overlapping are by far the best options!! The 10 finger grip lacks unity and is not as consistent. Your grip might be the important thing in your golf game. It gives you power and control.

BALL POSITION AND ALIGNMENT

Your set up and pre-shot routine is pivotal in being repetitive and consistent, also in allowing the club to bottom out at the right moment. Start your pre-shot routine by getting a visualize line towards your target from behind the ball, then step up to the ball with your feet together, first step away with your left foot then step away with your right making sure that your ball position is correct for the club you’re using. Your wedges and nine iron are normally played in the center of your stance as the clubs get longer, they move more forward towards your lead foot ending with the driver played just off the inside of your left foot (if you are right-handed golfer).

Keep your pre-shot routine simple but do it every time so that you’re in the same position to execute your shot.

So far as your alignment, if you lay down an alignment stick or a golf club along your feet, your feet should be aimed towards your target with a wedge. We like them slightly to the left to give your arms a little bit more room to move through the ball.  With your driver we normally like our feet aimed at our target or slightly to the right allowing ourselves to use all of our big muscles generating power. Exceptions to this is if you’d like to play a draw or a fade then the alignment changes. This is very important, but you can do it! Develop a pre-shot routine it will help you with your alignment and ball position.

WIDTH IN GOLF

You need to have width in your backswing to develop power.

Keep your backswing low and slow, developing the width of a straight left arm. Keep your left arm as straight as you feel comfortable on the way back building power. Remember width on your takeaway equals power!

As your straight left arm comes back to the top of your golf swing your hips and shoulders turn to support your left arm, this is loading the right side!! Give this move as much time as you can, the more time you give your backswing the more power you’ll be able to build.

Only once you feel your shoulders hips turn and your weight has transferred back to the right side are you ready to make the transfer through to the lead side.

SEQUENCE

Sequence — a word we hear a lot in golf these days. One of the most important moves in your golf swing is to completely load the right side before you transfer your power through to the left — that’s your sequence.

One simple thought can make all the difference: it’s that “imaginary pause” at the top of your golf swing where you have transferred your power to the right side. At that moment it’s time for you to transfer the power you have built for your left side. Some great golfers initiate the downswing with their hip’s others with their arms and shoulders, which part you start your downswing depends on your power structure.

COVER THE GOLF BALL

The start of your golf swing includes your pre-shot routine, a nice athletic stance, transferring your power back to the right side and then once that transfer is complete you make your transition forward, but it is important to “cover the ball” while doing so. You may ask what does “covering the ball mean.” It means keeping your eye on the ball and your spine and posture at a consistent position over the golf ball at impact, not letting your spine tilt back or move forward.

If you cover the golf ball you can turn your shoulders back, you can transfer your weight back, you can have the width of a straight left arm on your backswing, and all that movement will be consistent as long as you continue to keep your spine over the ball,  that allows you a place to return with power and accuracy. After impact, if you have covered the ball, it allows you to have that beautiful full extension towards your target and you can only do that if you have covered the ball. This move is extremely important in building power and width in your golf swing.

YOUR GOLF FOLLOW THROUGH

If you want to hit the golf ball further and who doesn’t? Here is a simple and relatively easy way to accomplish it.

In your golf swing, if you are a right-handed golfer, you start out with about 60% of your weight on your left side and 40% of your weight on your right side. You then transfer your weight and power back to the right side and then you must get your weight and power through to the left side at the finish. If you don’t you are losing a tremendous amount of distance and consistency.

You should do the power transfer in a nice arithmetic sequence but if your chest is not facing your target at the completion of your golf swing, you have left power on the right side. If you are wearing a belt, make sure your belt buckled faces your target. We often wonder how young golfers hit it so far you will notice that their follow-through is complete. They have gotten all their power through therefore not leaving any distance behind. So, it’s very simple and straightforward – when you have loaded the right side with all your power – let’s use it!!

BUNKER PLAY-IT COULD BE YOUR FAVORITE SHOT

Start with a pre-shot routine, picture in your mind the shot you’d like to hit. Have a slightly wider stance with your feet aim to the left of your target (open) and your weight slightly forward inside your left foot. Take a bit of sand and keep the club face open, just as you had the club face at address keep it that way though impact – as if you were serving pancakes do not turn the spatula (club face) over, make sure you deliver the “pancakes to the plate”. Always commit and accelerate through the ball, if you don’t the ball will stay in the bunker, so commit! You should take some sand… the more sand you take the more aggressive your swing needs to be. Your expectation will change as you get better and better, maybe you first start out just wanting to get it out of the bunker and onto the green but then you will feel like you can get it up and down and then pretty soon you’ll visualize yourself hitting it close to the hole or even in the hole.

YOUR GOLF STANCE

The golf stance has become an very athletic position and extremely important to your consistency in your golf game!

If your weight is too far on your toes, you’ll fall forward if your weight is too far on your heels, you’ll fall backwards during your golf swing. You want your weight centered in your feet. Be athletic, as if you were playing any other sport like tennis or blocking in football be STRONG but RELAXED – that’s key!

Let your arms hang comfortably and relaxed no tension make sure that the club face is aiming toward your target.

The width of your stance will depend on the club you are hitting. For driver, your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width and as we go down to your shortest club, your stance will become narrower.

Think of your stance as the foundation of your golf swing. Let’s build a strong foundation!

So, if we took a picture of your swing from the back where would you want your feet aimed? There are three types of stances in golf – open, square, and closed.
If your feet are aimed:

  • At the target that = a square stance
  • To the left of your target that = an open stance
  • To the right of the target that = a close stance

Never feel crowded always have space and keep your head nice and level through your swing. This will provide you the room to transfer your power through to the completion of your golf swing.

ADD SHOTS TO YOUR GAME

It’s important add some shots to your golf game —the basic two are to learn how to hit the ball high and low by doing just three things!

Keep it simple and straightforward.

Hitting it high:
1. Start with your pre-shot routine, play the ball slightly further forward, that means when you take your stance the ball is closer to your lead foot
2. Make your normal swing and make sure you finish your swing with your hands nice and high, up towards the sky.
3. Club selection – when you’re hitting it high the club goes the same distance or even a bit longer
     
Hitting it low:
1. Start with your pre shot routine, play the ball further back in your stance which means when you take your stance, the ball is back towards your trail foot.
2. Your follow through is more abbreviated stopping about at your rib cage.
3. Club selection – when hitting a golf ball low, try going up a club and hitting it a little easier.


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