Q.
Hi, Jack:
I generally shoot in the low to mid 90s, but I cannot seem to overcome a swing problem. When I tee off, I bring the club back on plane. Then, when I start my downswing, I can’t finish into the end position with the club behind my head and my belt buckle pointed left. The strange thing is in my practice swing I actually look like I know what I am doing. I need some kind of trigger to make my body keep on going so I do not block the shot to the right. I am sure that other people have told you this problem, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out how to tell my hips to rotate into position.
Jeff Cohen
A.
Thanks for the question, Jeff. Sounds like your real problem here is blocking your shots. Solve that problem and I think your other problem will solve itself. One reason you may be blocking shots is that you’re swinging the club too aggressively off the tee. If you are, you must curb your aggressiveness to improve your game. Below are four golf tips I recommend in my golf lessons to help eliminate blocked shots:
- Set your spine angle at address. Keep it there throughout the swing. You want to feel “tall over the ball.
- Stay stacked over the ball throughout the swing. In other words, keep your upper body straight during the swing and your back shoulder “covering” the ball through impact.
- Release your head early. If your head stays down and straight, your hips lunge toward the ball, pulling you out of your posture and leading to poor contact. But if you turn your head slightly with the shot you’ll have better results.
- Brace your front side. With a firm front side, you can swing the club down the line and release it, resulting in a straighter, truer drive.
Also, as we get older we tend to lose flexibility. You might want to start doing some stretching exercises to retain that flexibility. Loss of flexibility can hamper your golf swing—start through finish.
