If you've ever played in a foursome with a long hitter, you know how discouraging it can be. While you're hitting good drives, he or she is belting them 40, 50, or even 60 yards past you. While belting long drives helps chop strokes off your scores and golf handicap, not every golfer can be a long hitter. Actually, many golfers hit drives 250-yards or less.
But being a short hitter doesn't mean you can't score well. Nor does it mean you can't compete with long hitters in tournaments or post good scores on long courses. In fact, many short hitters have low golf handicaps. These golfers know that hitting the fairway with a 225-yard drive is better than belting a 300-yard drive that ends up deep in the woods, or worse, in the water.
Below are three most common swing flaws I see in golf lessons that can curb accuracy off the tee and golf tips on how to eliminate the errors.
Swinging Too Hard
This is among the most common flaws I see in golf lessons. Many golfers swing almost out of their shoes trying to hit bombs off the tee. You don't have to. Hitting bombs is great, but not at the cost of accuracy. Swinging too hard throws your balance and timing off. How do you know if you're swinging too hard? Swing. Then hold your finish for five seconds. If you need to take a step, you're off-balance.
To fix this flaw, point your front foot at the target when addressing the ball. This promotes a shorter, more controlled backswing, which leads to better balance. It also promotes better timing. In other words, it encourages you to stay within yourself. Also, pick out a target before swinging. Hitting drives without a target in mind can cost you.
Sliding The Hips
Another common flaw evident in golf instruction sessions is sliding hips during the downswing. You must rotate your hips to hit an accurate drive. But golfers often slide forward in the downswing trying to boost power. Longer drivers with oversized clubheads also tempt golfers to slide their hips forward. Sliding throws the clubhead off path, resulting in hooks, slices, and mis-hits that pack strokes on to your scores and golf handicap.
How do you know if you're sliding your hips? Take your club back and stop at the top. If you feel most of your weight on the front side of your front foot, you're sliding. You can also ask a friend to watch you swing. He or she can tell you if you're sliding your hips. To fix this flaw, go to the range and hit some balls with your feet together. This prevents sliding and forces you to rotate your hips on your downswing.
Driver Shaft Too Long
Buying a driver off the rack increases your chances of getting a driver with an overly long shaft. It's a good bet that many golfers are playing with a driver whose shaft is too long. In other cases you have golfers buying longer shafts for the extra yardage it offers. Hitting a driver with an overly long shaft throws off your swing. The longer shaft makes it hard to square up at impact. A push slice is the common result.
To cure this swing flaw, get fitted. Or, do what the pros do when they need both power and control: Choke down about half an inch. You'll be surprised just how much smoother and in-control your swing is. The accuracy you gain from doing this is worth the little yardage you'll lose.
If you're serious about chopping strokes off your golf handicap, dedicate yourself to hitting the fairway on every drive. Eliminate swing flaws like swinging too hard, sliding your hips, and using a shaft that's too long for you. Do your best to eliminate these flaws. Splitting the fairway not only saves strokes, it also puts you in a good position for you next shot.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book "How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros." He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.
