GOLF TIPS ARE GREAT, but one of the complexities of getting the most out of them is context: Apply even the best information at the wrong time or in the wrong amount, and it’s like dropping in on a movie right in the middle. It can be hard to pick up the story, and you might jump to the wrong conclusions. Here I’m going to talk about eight common instruction concepts and explain how to apply them in relation to the bigger picture, so to speak. For example, a lot of players mistakenly think they should sweep the club back aggressively and twist the face really open in the process (previous page, right). With the face open, pointing skywards early in the swing, you make it significantly more challenging to get it back to square by impact to produce a decent shot. When you step back and look at the goal of the overall swing, not just the beginning of it, you start to realise that keeping the clubface square or slightly closed as it moves off the ball makes a lot more sense. Do that, and you don’t have to worry about squaring it later. To improve your game from tee to green, I’m going to give you a tip to im- prove your clubface awareness (below), as well as other “do this, not that” ad- vice. Read on. — with matthew rudy MARK BLACKBURN is No 1 on Golf Digest's list of the 50 Best Teachers in America. His Blackburn Golf Academy is at Greystone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama
CLUBFACE TIP Separate your hands on the handle and make some backswings ( left ) where your right hand’s palm is skywards at the top. Do that, and the clubface is square or even a little closed – not open. You can even hit shots this way. Just remember to copy this feel when you go back to swings with your normal grip.
92 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JULY/AUGUST 2024
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator