By Adam Bowles
I received some great feedback from last issue’s column that shed some light on how to stay focused on your game and enjoy yourself more on the golf course. It seems it is something we can all get a little better at. This time I wanted to give some advice on what I feel is the most important part of your golf game that you can work on. It is not the putter or wedge like most may think. Now, that being said, the putting green is where all the magic happens, but it will do you no good if you are putting for a double bogey when you finally arrive on the green. When you get to the tee box you have arrived at the most important spot on the course. It is time to get your driver out and start off the hole with a bang. Yes, it is a fact that the game is easier to play if you are in the fairway and not chasing down your ball in the woods. Here are a few tips to getting off the tee. First, make sure you are teeing up your golf ball high enough. So often I give lessons and players will have the ball way to low on the tee.
If you lay your clubhead flat on the ground behind the ball you should see half the golf ball above the clubhead. This will ensure that you are hitting the ball in the equator of the clubface. Second, if you have ever played tee ball as a kid, or watched a kid play, you have to hit upwards on the ball to make it go high. Seems silly to have to remind yourself to do that but you need to make sure you hitting the ball with an upward motion. The irons are to strike the ball with a downward blow and that is not a move that will work on the driver. Last, make sure you are swinging at about 75 percent of your full speed. The faster you swing at the ball, the more spin you create. If you play with a slice, the faster you swing, the more it will curve. Take some miles per hour off that swing and focus on getting the ball down the fairway. If you follow these simple steps you will be so glad that you have arrived at the green without having to use your ball retriever.
