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Newsletter - Issue 22 Date 06/02/07
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Golf Tip: Q&A Fat Hits
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If anyone has a golf question that they would like answered, 
please email your question to: teachingpro@bataviacc.com and 
I'll do my best to answer it in an upcoming newsletter.

Frank L. emailed this question:

Although I do not play as often as I like now, I use to play 
4-5 times a week.  I had a set of clubs made for me last year 
with a 2 degree upright lie in the irons.  I seem to be 
hitting the irons a bit fat, and I am having a problem with 
hitting behind the ball.

Driving, utility clubs and 5 wood are better than average.  
Irons are the problem.

Any help?

Thanks for the question Frank.  I'm 100% sure that the fat hits
and hitting behind the ball are not related to the lie of your
irons.  Without actually seeing you swing, the description of 
your swing flaw sounds like you are not transferring your weight 
correctly from the back side to the front side during the transition 
from backswing to downswing. You might even be doing a reverse 
weight shift.  

This would account for the iron problems.  The problem can be a
little less evident with woods because you can get away with it
a little bit because of how those clubs are designed - but I would
wager that your ball flight for those clubs is left to right (if
you are right handed).

Here are two good drills to practice weight transfer:

Drill 1 - stand in a good golfing posture, with your feet under
your shoulders and lay a shaft between your legs flat on the ground 
so that it defines the center of your stance.  Now fold your arms 
and hold another shaft along the front of your shoulders.  Now turn
to the rear until the shaft you are holding is parallel to the shaft
on the ground and shift your weight to your rear foot while you coil. 
It's critically important that the weight on your rear leg is on the 
inside of your foot, not the outside.

Now start your downswing with a slight shifting of your weight to 
your front leg, and turn your body through to a nice full finish, with
your belly pointing towards the target, your full weight on your 
front foot, and your rear big toe in a position like it just 
squished a bug. 

Drill 2 - the Gary Player walk through drill.  When Gary Player 
was playing professionally, he used to get his weight positioned 
nicely on his rear side during the takeaway, then his weight shift 
and rotation was so pronounced on the downswing that he actually 
turned and took a step forward as part of his finish.  This is a good 
drill for those that have a reverse weight shift problem.