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Making Awkward Shots
For some of us,
they come way too often. Shots that leave
you wondering how on earth you’re going to
stay balanced enough to hit the ball.
Shots that aren’t as simple as the
instruction videos make them appear. Let’s
look at some ways to handle some of these
tricky shots.
If you have to
make an awkward shot, first think about how
you can swing without losing your balance
and moving your head. Secondly, think of
the line your club travels along.
Before assuming
your stance, note where the club head will
travel for the greatest distance along a
straight line. Remember that the ball is in
contact with the club head for several
inches. After a few practice swings you can
see what relation your feet have with regard
to this line and then determine your stance.
When you’re
about to hit the ball, don’t sway from one
leg to another. When you’re about to swing,
check to see if there’s the slightest
difficulty in keeping your balance. If so,
keep shifting your position slightly until
you feel comfortable and are sure there
won’t be any stiffness in your swing. You
want to feel as free as possible in your
muscles and in your mind so you won’t be
disturbed during the swing. If you wiggle
and move your weight from one leg to another
as you address the ball, you’re likely not
going to see the ball clearly. Keep your
feet still.
No matter what
kind of shot you’re attempting, to make sure
you control your effort to the point where
you actually see the ball from the start
until you hit it. Don’t shift your gaze –
not for an instant. Then you’ll not have
any trouble hitting the ball.
Your swing won’t
be stiff, or back too far or too short. The
ball won’t be hit too soon. Remember, don’t
look up for one second or shift your gaze
until your club head reaches the ball. If
you have a hard shot to make, put your whole
mind on just watching the ball. Practice
this and you’ll quickly gain confidence.
Now let’s talk
weather – which can make any shot awkward!
When the wind is blowing hard, you should
bring your feet closer together. You might
think that you just need to hit the ball
harder when driving into the wind. But the
key is to be more careful at this point to
hit perfectly true.
The more
difficult the shot, the greater freedom you
need for the play of the muscles to bring it
off. Here’s a tip. The shorter the shot
the nearer your feet should be brought
together. The key is not to hit the ball as
hard as you can. If you hit the ball hard
when you first meet it with the club head,
it will bounce away quicker. This reduces
your distance.
Uncomfortable
shots plague every golfer from time to
time. Learn the basics of handling them,
and you’ll be swinging with more confidence
and lowering your score significantly.
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