| Practice can make perfect | | | | When throwing a ball or hitting a |
| When you practice, do you just hit and | | | | baseball, the body and arms move as a |
| hope, thinking that eventually, after | | | | response to your intention to throw or |
| you have hit many, many practice shots, | | | | hit. You do not think about your legs |
| the “Golfing Gods†will | | | | and body; you focus solely on the |
| bestow upon you the mythical | | | | outcome. |
| “I’ve got it now!†| | | | In golf, the body does and must move, |
| secret? | | | | but not to fling the hands/arms/club |
| Or are you like Jack Nicklaus, who said | | | | into the swinging motion back and down. |
| he never practiced without a firm plan. | | | | The benefits of hitting the ball this |
| He always practiced with a certain goal | | | | way is that the body does not wrench |
| in mind for each session. | | | | itself to create the motion of the |
| At The Martin Green Golf Academy, | | | | swing, thereby causing strain and injury |
| students are taught that the body | | | | to itself. |
| responds to the motion of the swing and | | | | The body should be passive and respond |
| that practicing is more than just | | | | to the swing created by the hands and |
| banging ball after ball into the vast | | | | arms. You don’t hold the body |
| space of the driving range. | | | | still, but instead let it comfortably |
| Here are some basic practice guidelines: | | | | respond. That is why a correct setup is |
| 1. When working on your technique, do it | | | | vital. |
| without a ball and do it slowly so you | | | | Here’s an example of the ideal |
| can feel and see (use a mirror if | | | | hitting action: Imagine taking a driver |
| possible) the exactness of the motion. | | | | with zero loft and, in one blow, |
| 2. When working on different kinds of | | | | completely drive a six-inch nail into |
| shots, such as fades and draws, try to | | | | the base of a tree. Throughout the |
| work your shots around targets (i.e. a | | | | swing, you keep your view of the nail |
| flag, a tree or a marker). It really | | | | head constant (i.e. a stable head) and |
| helps your eye and feel for the shots. | | | | make the swing without flinging your |
| If there are no target objects where you | | | | body about to generate force (no |
| practice, then try to hit your fades | | | | control). |
| from the right side of the practice tee | | | | Instead, you allow your body to |
| and your draws from the left side. This | | | | comfortably respond to the swing/hitting |
| will help you see the actual amount of | | | | motion of the hands/arms/club. This is |
| movement you are getting on your shots. | | | | very close to the ideal hitting action. |
| Here are some unique ideas and swing | | | | How you would need to do this should be |
| thoughts. | | | | very similar to your golf swing: a |
| There seems to be a “swing†| | | | constant, unchanging view of the nail or |
| away from lots of body motion during the | | | | tee; hands controlling the club; arms |
| downswing. Tiger Woods had worked hard | | | | swinging, body motion stable and |
| since his early days on the PGA Tour to | | | | responsive. |
| slow his hips and legs during the | | | | It’s an easy drill. Take your |
| downswing. | | | | driver and swing it back and forth from |
| David Ledbetter believes amateurs tend | | | | address to the top and back to address |
| to use their bodies too much during the | | | | with out stopping. Do this several |
| downswing. This fault is hardly | | | | times. |
| surprising when virtually everything you | | | | While doing this, notice how your body |
| read tells you to start your downswing | | | | stabilizes, your hands take charge, your |
| with the hips and/or legs sliding and/or | | | | arms awing, your eyes maintain and |
| turning and miraculously your arms and | | | | unchanging view and your body follows |
| hands and club will follow down in the | | | | naturally and athletically. |
| correct path. | | | | Practice this technique a few times to |
| If this were true, hitting good shots | | | | stimulate your thought processes and |
| would be as easy as falling off the | | | | help train your body to create a more |
| proverbial log. | | | | stable base and you will see some real |
| Your hands control the club and cause | | | | improvement in your golf swing |
| its motion. The body, in turn, responds. | | | | |