Charm of golf is in the basics

By Kim Jeong-kyoo

Golf never seems to lose its charm, because it keeps pushing us to strive for a lower handicap. The game is an endless challenge to achieve lower scores. Golf is the relentless pursuit of perfection, which is, for sure, out of reach. Indeed, no mortal being is capable of a perfect swing and there is no such thing as a perfect player. We just keep exerting ourselves to play the game better tomorrow than we did today.

Last week, I braved frigid temperatures to visit a driving range near my home. People there were busy practicing their swings. To my dismay, however, I was unable to spot many people engaging in effective practice. Most of them were just hitting balls at random.

There is no doubt that golf requires hard practice. But contrary to popular belief, practice doesn't always make your swing perfect. In fact, you need to be aware that faulty practice does not help. Typically, bad habits that develop during practice lead to counterproductive results and hurt your swing. This can also cause muscle injuries.

What's worse is that bad practice makes your faulty moves become permanent. So, you need to make sure you're making the right moves rather than just hitting the ball repetitively.

To avoid the side effects of slipshod practice, you need to know the proper way to make your practice sessions more efficient.

Once you are ready to start, take your time and keep your mind on your target from start to end. You need to focus on the target every time you swing and try to avoid careless, repetitive strikes. Stay poised and calm, while trying to send every shot toward your intended target. This will pay off handsomely later when you play for real.

To hit the ball better, you first need to grip your club properly before aiming the clubface precisely at the specific target. Poor shots mostly stem from a poor grip and the wrong address posture. Once you've gripped your club properly, aim your clubface at the target, then align your body and set up your posture.

Of supreme importance is to let your address posture resemble your impact position. Assume an athletic posture with your body aligned squarely. You need to put yourself in a position that lets you swing the club toward the target. Also, place your weight on the balls of your feet to keep your balance. Staying balanced promotes solid contact at the right spot.

Relax your hands, wrists, arms and shoulders. This ensures that you'll enjoy a smooth, graceful swing that looks effortless. To take your fine-tuned swing naturally from the range to the course, you need to practice your ball-striking as if you are on the field. Set up a pre-shot routine and stick to it every time you swing.

Also, practice hitting various shots at will. Learn to curve your ball to the left or right, hitting it higher or lower. Once you are on an actual golf course, you need to avoid trying to hit a shot you did not practice. Trying to pull off a miracle shot you are not comfortable with will do some serious damage to your scorecard. You will have double, triple or even quadruple bogeys thrust on you. Remember, during the entire round, you need to hit only the shots you can make without mistake.

The author is a golf teacher living in a village near Seoul.