2004-07-20

Driving Range Again Today

While chipping, I noticed that your body is open to the target line at set up and that makes it possible to hit the ball square and sweet without any lower body movement. I felt in my full swing, at impact I didn't feel like I was getting into this type of open position.

I think that is what they mean when they say you have to *clear your hips* in the golf magazines. To get them cleared you have to spin your hips towards the target before your hands get to the ball. They all say the best way to do this is to start the downswing by pushing down on your left foot and letting that spinning motion control the swing - swing with the big muscles and all that. I found that a feeling like your right forearm and the outside of your right thigh want to be somehow connected in the impact zone makes this happen.

My grandfather used to say, ?Pretend you are swinging inside a barrel.? I like this spinning motion thought. Standing straight up with your arms straight out from your sides and spinning back and forth sound of music style. That is the golf swing - just bend at the waist and make that same motion. There is no hit or lean into it or crazy tempo; spin back, then spin through. Your head stays where it is and your shoulders turn naturally. You can still add power and hit the ball with your hands and forearms but the trunk of your body just spins around where your head is. I was thinking of this on the range today and was hitting the ball very well.

After hitting a few sand wedges and then a bunch of 8 irons, I decided to randomly change clubs on each swing so it would be more like real golf. When I miss hit a club I would stick with it until I hit it nice. This is how I am going to hit balls from now on. Warm up with a short iron until I am hitting it pure and them randomly work through my entire bag. If I ever get to the point where I am hitting every club sweet, I will start making variations on the shot shapes with each club (low hooking eight iron, punched 7 iron that stops at the 100 yard marker, fading 3 wood, etc).

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