Three steps to
a better golf game
By Art Sellinger
I RECOMMEND A SIMPLE method for improving your golf game and shooting lower scores. It involves focusing your time and energy on what I call the
“Three P’s”: power, precision and performance. Let’s examine the Three P’s
and how you can incorporate them into your golf game to become the kind of
player you’ve always dreamed of being.
Power in your swing
To add power and distance, follow these proven steps.
A. Lighten your grip pressure, which relieves tension in the hands, arms and
shoulders. Tension is a tremendous power stealer, so make a conscious
effort to eliminate it from the mix.
B. Build a solid power base for your golf swing by checking to see that your
feet are spread at least as wide as your shoulders (measuring the distance
from the inside of your feet, that is). Too many golfers get too narrow in
the address position, which inhibits their ability to make a full shoulder
turn and create maximum turn.
C. Concentrate on a low takeaway at the beginning of the backswing. This
one move will widen your swing arc significantly and store power for
later in the swing. Many golfers have a tendency to “lift” the golf club
during the takeaway. This all-too-common mistake actually narrows the
swing arc, producing a dramatic reduction in distance with each club.
D. Finish your backswing. One fault you will see at every level of the game,
even among tour players now and again, is the tendency to get “quick.”
By that, I mean they transition to the forward swing before completing
the backswing. One way to avoid this tendency is to take practice swings
with a slight pause at the top. Many top players employ a 1-2-3 swing
tempo, making sure they don’t begin the downswing until they finish the
count of 2.
E. Maintain the angle between your arms and the golf shaft for as long as
possible in the downswing and deliver a late hit into the ball. This move
is common among professional long drivers and other big hitters on tour.
In other words, do not allow the club head to catch up with your hands
until you reach the hitting area. This means the club is still accelerating at
impact and “whips” through the ball. By contrast, short hitters allow the
club head to race ahead of their hands on the downswing; they release
early and the club head is decelerating at impact.
F. Extend the club down the target line, then swing up and around the
body to a full, high finish. This particular sequence of motion ensures
that maximum speed in the swing is achieved at (or beyond) the ball. To
ingrain the feel of this move, take practice swings starting from the finish
position.
Incorporate these proven power steps into your game and you’ll feel like a
SPONSORED BY
This article sponsored by the Acushnet
Company. The Acushnet Company is
the world’s largest manufacturer of golf
equipment, including Titleist Tour Prestige
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