very consistent ball striking

Thomas Golf Newsletter

One of the biggest struggles among golfers is their inability to consistently make good contact with the golf ball. Despite his loss in this year's British Open playoff, it was very interesting to observe Tom Watson, who even at the age of 59 had great sucess due to very consistent ball striking. Practice is key – but there are also some particular things to keep in mind while on the course, or tuning your game on the range.

• One of the most common mistakes golfers make is swaying or “moving-off” the ball during the swing. Moving the body sideways or up-and-down is detrimental to hitting the ball consistently. Often you don't realize you're doing it until you ask someone to watch your head position during the swing.

-If you have a swaying problem (moving your body laterally), you need to make sure you keep your back knee flexed, and stationary. This knee should not straighten-up or move sideways on the backswing. It needs to remain stable and flexed. Keep the lower body movement to a minimum.

-If you are moving-off the ball vertically, remind yourself to keep your upper body at one level (always the same distance from the ground). Moving up and down off the ball causes numerous negative actions and counter-actions in the golf swing. A great mental tool to help with this is to imagine a pole running through your spine and into the ground, fixing your position in place. You'll need to maintain that position so the pole doesn't move or pop out of the ground until after you've made contact with the ball. Eliminating excessive body movement will greatly assist you in becoming a consistent ball striker.

• In addition to not moving or swaying off the ball, practicing your fundamentals (grip, stance and ball position) will give you the proper base for creating a consistent and repeatable golf swing which will produce consistent golf shots. Everything starts with good fundamentals. How is your grip? Are the “V's” formed between your thumb and index fingers parallel and aligned to your right shoulder (for a right-handed golfer – and vice versa for a left-handed golfer). Is the ball in the right position of your stance (not too far forward or too far back)? Are your hands slightly ahead of the ball at address (particularly when setting-up for iron shots)?