When we talk about the golf swing, oftentimes, as both students and instructors, we become overly fixated on moving our body toward the target. Sure, the goal with the swing is eventually to do just that, but when it comes to when that should happen, it really depends on what club you're trying to hit and how you want to launch the ball into the air.
Let's take the driver, for example. To hit long and high drives, it's imperative that your body weight moves toward the target and not backward on the downswing. That's for sure! But the question is, where should your body be at impact?
Do you want to stack your weight over your left side like you would with an iron or a wedge? No! With a driver, you actually want to stay behind the ball at impact. Now, don't get me wrong. That doesn't mean keeping your body behind the ball through the swing. Instead, it means timing your swing move so your weight is behind the ball at impact as it continually shifts toward your target side, which is over your left leg for right-handers.
How do you do this? Simple. Set up with your head behind the ball, your weight centered, and you even can move your hands behind the ball a bit for a more pronounced effect. At impact, while the body is turned, try and keep your head in roughly the same spot as it was at impact. This will keep your weight behind the ball at the moment of truth, helping you to hit higher, longer drives.
Jeff Yurkiewicz, PGA, teaches at the Grayhawk Learning Center located in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, visit grayhawkgolf.com.
