Keys to Consistency
Keys to Consistency – Pre-Swing Fundamentals Grip
Stance
The best grip for you should be balanced, comfortable and most importantly enable you to appropriately square the club at impact. A grip that is turned too far left of center, too far right of center or where the hands are out of balance will make it hard to square the clubface and cause shots that don’t go the direction you were planning.
The main purpose of the stance is to create balance and allow you to swing freely. The stance can vary depending on the individual. Sometimes the stance is wider when making full swings with longer clubs and narrower when making smaller swings with shorter clubs (such as pitching or wedge shots).
Stand far enough away from the ball that your arms hang comfortably from your shoulders. You should not be “reaching” for the ball or be crowded by the ball.
GRIP
Have your instructor check your grip to make sure it suits your game and your swing!
Grip Pressure One of the keys to a good grip is having the right grip pressure. Good grip pressure allows you to feel in control of the club while still allowing the club to swing freely and the clubface to “square up” at impact.
AIM/ ALIGNMENT
Practicing Grip Pressure:
Practice hitting shots while maintaining the same grip pressure throughout the swing. Find your best grip pressure with the following drill: o Use a scale of 1-10 where 10 is as hard as you can grip the club and 1 is as light as you can grip the club without letting go o Practice hitting shots with different grip pressures on the scale and find the number where you hit the ball best.
One way to check this is to setup to hit a shot and then drop the hand furthest from your target (right hand for a right handed player) from the club. Let your arm hang comfortably. It should hang about the same distance from your body as where you are holding the club.
STANCE Just where the ball should be positioned front to back in relation to your body may vary according to your individual swing and the shot you are hitting, so check with your instructor.
POSTURE EWGA Proprietary & Confidential. For use only with EWGA authorized programs. EWGA Golf Education & Player Development programs and materials developed by the EWGA Foundation.
Keys to Consistency – Pre-Swing Fundamentals Aim & Alignment
Posture
Aim means lining up the clubface in the direction you want to hit the ball. o Tip: Use an intermediate target, something close to your ball, to line up your clubface.
Alignment means lining up your body parallel to the target. o Sometimes it’s helpful to picture railroad tracks. You are standing on one side of the track and your hips, shoulders and feet are on that line. Your ball and clubface is on the opposite track.
Knees should be flexed rather than deeply bent
Bend from the waist, much like a slight bow or “forward tilt”.
Keep your eyes on the ball, but keep your chin up so that your neck is in line with your spine. Many people have heard the phrase “keep your head down” and improperly bend their head forward at the neck to make that happen.
PRE-SHOT ROUTINE The purpose of the pre-shot routine is to provide consistency and confidence when you swing. The pre-shot routine starts when you are behind (or beside) the ball and ready to begin the process of making your shot and ends when you complete your swing. Having a consistent routine greatly increases the likelihood that your shots will be more consistent. Some key characteristics of pre-shot routines include: The routine should be unique to the person performing it – any step that does not create a better result should be eliminated. Work with your professional to create a good routine for you! The Pre-Shot
The routine should include clarifying your decision about the shot you are about to hit, connecting to your target and getting setup in a good position (grip, aim, alignment, stance, posture)
Routines must be practiced to become consistent.
The routine should be time efficient. The pre-shot routines of many tour professionals are between 8 and 15 seconds.
EWGA Proprietary & Confidential. For use only with EWGA authorized programs. EWGA Golf Education & Player Development programs and materials developed by the EWGA Foundation.
Routine should take less than 20 seconds!
Stance
The best grip for you should be balanced, comfortable and most importantly enable you to appropriately square the club at impact. A grip that is turned too far left of center, too far right of center or where the hands are out of balance will make it hard to square the clubface and cause shots that don’t go the direction you were planning.
The main purpose of the stance is to create balance and allow you to swing freely. The stance can vary depending on the individual. Sometimes the stance is wider when making full swings with longer clubs and narrower when making smaller swings with shorter clubs (such as pitching or wedge shots).
Stand far enough away from the ball that your arms hang comfortably from your shoulders. You should not be “reaching” for the ball or be crowded by the ball.
GRIP
Have your instructor check your grip to make sure it suits your game and your swing!
Grip Pressure One of the keys to a good grip is having the right grip pressure. Good grip pressure allows you to feel in control of the club while still allowing the club to swing freely and the clubface to “square up” at impact.
AIM/ ALIGNMENT
Practicing Grip Pressure:
Practice hitting shots while maintaining the same grip pressure throughout the swing. Find your best grip pressure with the following drill: o Use a scale of 1-10 where 10 is as hard as you can grip the club and 1 is as light as you can grip the club without letting go o Practice hitting shots with different grip pressures on the scale and find the number where you hit the ball best.
One way to check this is to setup to hit a shot and then drop the hand furthest from your target (right hand for a right handed player) from the club. Let your arm hang comfortably. It should hang about the same distance from your body as where you are holding the club.
STANCE Just where the ball should be positioned front to back in relation to your body may vary according to your individual swing and the shot you are hitting, so check with your instructor.
POSTURE EWGA Proprietary & Confidential. For use only with EWGA authorized programs. EWGA Golf Education & Player Development programs and materials developed by the EWGA Foundation.
Keys to Consistency – Pre-Swing Fundamentals Aim & Alignment
Posture
Aim means lining up the clubface in the direction you want to hit the ball. o Tip: Use an intermediate target, something close to your ball, to line up your clubface.
Alignment means lining up your body parallel to the target. o Sometimes it’s helpful to picture railroad tracks. You are standing on one side of the track and your hips, shoulders and feet are on that line. Your ball and clubface is on the opposite track.
Knees should be flexed rather than deeply bent
Bend from the waist, much like a slight bow or “forward tilt”.
Keep your eyes on the ball, but keep your chin up so that your neck is in line with your spine. Many people have heard the phrase “keep your head down” and improperly bend their head forward at the neck to make that happen.
PRE-SHOT ROUTINE The purpose of the pre-shot routine is to provide consistency and confidence when you swing. The pre-shot routine starts when you are behind (or beside) the ball and ready to begin the process of making your shot and ends when you complete your swing. Having a consistent routine greatly increases the likelihood that your shots will be more consistent. Some key characteristics of pre-shot routines include: The routine should be unique to the person performing it – any step that does not create a better result should be eliminated. Work with your professional to create a good routine for you! The Pre-Shot
The routine should include clarifying your decision about the shot you are about to hit, connecting to your target and getting setup in a good position (grip, aim, alignment, stance, posture)
Routines must be practiced to become consistent.
The routine should be time efficient. The pre-shot routines of many tour professionals are between 8 and 15 seconds.
EWGA Proprietary & Confidential. For use only with EWGA authorized programs. EWGA Golf Education & Player Development programs and materials developed by the EWGA Foundation.
Routine should take less than 20 seconds!
