TRANSITION
DO THIS Ground-force production is a popular topic, but I’m not sure many players understand it. In basic terms, the energy you generate when you swing starts at the ground and works its way up your body, eventually finishing out through the clubhead. That means you should be pushing against the ground when you swing – and when you push matters a lot. Your left foot should be pushing frictionally towards the ball around the top of the backswing. I put a pad under my left foot ( right ) to help reinforce this push while I pivot my upper body in the opposite direction just like in a good backswing. This torque helps turn your body into a sling, making the club move faster as a result of a chain reaction, not raw muscle power. NOT THAT If you push into the ground too late, or not at all, you’ll probably get the urge to speed up the downswing rotation of your upper body ( right ), and there’s no real sequencing, torque or power in that move. Worse, the only way the club can get to the ball is on a path that moves across your target line from out to in. Add in the clubface issues I discussed, and you’re either hitting a weak slice or a low pull. Your divot holes with irons will be angled left and deeper on the far side. You’ll likely create some of those ugly scrape marks on the crown.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 95
JULY/AUGUST 2024
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