| A tendency by many beginners and by many | | | | The same principle holds true for a golf ball. A ball hit |
| experienced golfers is a desire to hit up at the ball to | | | | with top spin will not stay in the air for very long, it |
| make the ball go up. It is amazing; with all that is | | | | will not go very high and it will also roll for quite some |
| written about the game of golf and all of the | | | | distance. When hitting a ball into a green, we usually |
| instruction available that the basic concept of hitting a | | | | want it to go high and not roll very far. To create |
| ball on the downswing is not conveyed. | | | | the proper back spin, the ball has to be hit with a |
| We all watch the pros hitting irons and taking divots. | | | | descending blow. The divot should occur after striking |
| Are they trying to take the divots or not? They are. | | | | the ball. |
| Realize these are the best golfers in the world. If | | | | To work on hitting the ball with a descending blow, |
| they can't do what they want, we don't have much | | | | lay a tee down about 2" in front of the ball (target |
| of a chance. Since they are consistently taking | | | | side). Your goal is to hit the ball then the tee. If you |
| divots, we probably should be too. | | | | take a swing and hit the ball but the tee does not |
| Does the divot occur before the ball is hit or after | | | | move, you probably did not hit the ball on the way |
| the ball is hit? If the club hits the ground before it hits | | | | down in the swing. |
| the ball, club head speed is greatly diminished. As a | | | | Golf Tip: |
| ball sits on the ground, there is no room to hit up at | | | | We often hear the term "releasing the club". It might |
| it. To hit up at the ball, the ground will have to be hit | | | | better be described as hinging, unhinging and |
| first. We want to hit the ball on the downswing | | | | re-hinging. We hinge on the backswing and unhinge on |
| because we have more club head speed on the | | | | the downswing. The confusion comes as to the |
| downswing than on the upswing. | | | | proper time to re-hinge. If the re-hinging starts at the |
| We all marvel at the Pros' shots that hit the greens | | | | contact of the ball or before contact, body rotation |
| with a lot of back spin. A downward motion at | | | | will be impeded and manipulation of the club will occur. |
| contact is needed to put the proper spin on the ball. | | | | The re-hinging of the club does not take place until |
| If the golf swing is traveling up when it gets to the | | | | the shoulders are squared up to the target. When |
| ball, the ball will have less than the desired amount of | | | | the release is done properly, it may feel as though |
| back spin. Additionally, back spin is needed to keep | | | | you hang onto the swing longer and definitely your |
| the ball airborne. If a field goal kicker kicks a ball with | | | | balance will improve. |
| top spin, the ball may not clear the linemen's heads. | | | | |