SWING: LEAD WITH THE CLUB’S TOE AND FINISH IT SKYWARDS The path of your backswing is crucial to keeping the club in position to do its job at im- pact. The face should stay open to its path. The most common mistake is to pull the club low and inside the target line at the start. Instead, let the toe of the club win the race, so to speak, by keeping it ahead of the heel in the initial phase of the backswing. The club- head should stay outside of your hands and remain that way until the shaft gets parallel to the ground. You can work on this by grabbing a golf-ball sleeve and placing it on your target line behind the ball ( below ). You know your takeaway is good if you avoid hitting the box when you start back. On the downswing, retrace the club’s path. To help with technique, visualise how a baseball pitcher would field a grounder and underhand toss it to first. In other words, you don’t lead with your hips like you would for a distance wedge. Instead, your club and arms move slowly and smoothly towards the ball. Your chest should naturally turn with them. Maintain the radius of the club’s “circle,” reproducing at impact the shaft lean and open clubface you set up at address. Finally, finish with the butt of the club pointing at your belly button, chest to the target and the wedge’s face skywards ( below, right ).
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 97
MARCH/APRIL 2024
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