By Devan Bonebrake
Players who get their lead arm nearly parallel to the ground early in the downswing are primed to hit the ball solid and straight. By that point the butt end of the club should point at or slightly outside the ball.
A high percentage of amateurs, however, have the club in a steep position in the downswing with the shaft pointing closer to their toes than the ball. From here there’s little that can go right and a lot that can go wrong. Here’s a drill to help:
Put a tee in the butt end of your club with several inches visible.
Take the club to the top of your swing and focus on the transition. Stop when your left arm is parallel to the ground to check where the tee is pointing. If it’s inside the ball, you’re too steep, which is caused by a high trail arm.
Repeat by taking the club back to the top, but this time start the transition by pumping the club to get the tee pointing outside the ball. You’ll notice that your trail arm is under your lead arm, which is ideal. After several pumping, follow through and make contact with the ball.
Repeat this motion until your club consistently finds that slot. Then watch as your balls start flying consistently toward your target.
