AFTER YEARS OF BEING
a teaching pro and instructing countless golfers
of various skill levels, I've noticed that many
players do certain things within their short games
that cost them strokes round after round. I absolutely
hate to see these wasted shots. As Dave Pelz has
stated for some time, improving the short game is
the best way to lower your scores. However, in order
to make your short game all it can be, you will
need to correct a few common errors.
Most golfers would agree that the worst shot
in the short game is the shank. While many books
and magazine articles have been written about
the techniques that can prevent a shank, few address
the second worst shot in the short game -- the
"fat" shot. This is the shot where you hit the
ground 6 inches behind the ball, causing the ball
to fly only about a third of the total distance
you intended.
In my opinion, this is one of the most aggravating
shots for the average amateur player because it
happens much more frequently than the shank or
a bladed golf shot. To make sure the fat shot
does not become a mainstay within your game, you
must understand the role of your spine's tilt
at address. This is the short game's forgotten
rule.
At
Address
Your spinal tilt at address, as well as your weight
displacement, influences where the club will bottom-out
during the swing sequence. This point is also
deemed as the low point of your swing arc, and
if it occurs behind the ball, you are destined
to hit fat shots for life. If it occurs just in
front of the ball, then you will have the wonderful
feeling of a solid shot and great compression
on the ball at impact.
A full shot from the tee or fairway requires
the spine to lean away from the target slightly.
However, if you use this alignment in the short
game, you will place the weight and the center
of gravity too far rearward. When this happens,
you will find that your weight will tend to "hang
back" through impact, increasing the probability
that the low point of the swing arc will occur
too early. This will result in fat shots if you
are not careful.
To correct this, make sure the spine is aligned
straight up and down or even leaning slightly
toward the target. This places the center of gravity
and weight on the forward foot. This simple adjustment
to your spine alignment will allow you to hit
down and through the ball on a steeper angle of
attack, making it much harder to hit the ball
fat.
Identify
Your Low Point
If you have trouble identifying where your low
point occurs and just how much you need to adjust
your spinal tilt, try this simple drill. Go to
a bunker, draw a line perpendicular to your stance
line and take mock short-game swings. If your
club hits the sand behind the line, then your
low point is behind the ball and you need to adjust
your spine. If your club hits on the line or even
a little forward, then your spine tilt is perfect.
If your divot occurs several inches in front of
the line, then you have overcooked your spinal
tilt targetward and it needs to be more centered.
By remembering this forgotten fundamental and
adjusting the tilt of your spine at address, all
your short-game shots from 30 yards and in, including
those in the bunker, should improve greatly.
