by Kim Jeong-kyoo
Korea Times Golf Columnist
To take your game to the next level it's necessary to grip properly, set up correctly and take the club away from the ball in the proper way. Once you've gripped the club and assumed the address, the destiny of the shot at hand has been already determined. Without proper pre-swing preparations such as grip, posture and alignment it's impossible to swing efficiently.
Here are a few swing keys you can benefit from. They will work better with your commitment to the sound pre-swing basics.
To make a more controlled swing without manipulating the club, level out your setup instead of lowering your right shoulder.
To assume a level setup, disregard the instruction that says that with a driver you need to be well behind the ball and your left arm and club should form a straight line.
In a level setup, you need to be more centered over the ball. Place the ball opposite your left heel like in the traditional setup to encourage a slightly upward angle of approach and distribute your bodyweight evenly between both feet. Importantly, keep your shoulders as level as possible instead of dropping your right shoulder well below your left. Set your hands opposite your navel or belt buckle rather than press them forward toward the target. Instead of being even with the ball, your hands need to be slightly behind the ball.
These adjustments may cause your shoulders to be aligned slightly left of target but don't worry. That's not bad as your shoulders need to be open that way at impact.
Starting with level shoulders and hands behind the ball encourages a one-piece takeaway, which means less handsiness and fewer moving parts on the backswing, which, in turn, means that less can go wrong during the swing.
For one-piece takeaway ensure that your swing is controlled by the shoulders. You will produce a lower ball flight and more control.
This tip is good particularly for golfers who bend over more from the hips, at least 35 to 45 degrees forward toward the ball from vertical and swing on a flatter plane.
One of the ingredients for an efficient swing is your right elbow moving in the correct way. To hit the ball flush on a consistent basis your right elbow needs to fold correctly so that it moves under the club in a supporting position.
A good way to fold your right elbow correctly and maintain your arms ideally in front of your upper body is to keep the distance between your elbows intact in the backswing with your right elbow staying inside the shirt seam at the top of the backswing. That gets the club to remain on plane, promoting better connection and timing between your arms and body in the downswing.
Another good way to fold your right elbow properly going back is to set up with your arms socketed in and tightly pressed against the sides of your chest throughout the backswing.
Keeping your right arm tightened and ramrod straight away from your body at address makes it difficult to fold it properly on the backswing. Grip the club lightly as if you were holding a small bird and let your relaxed right arm hang naturally from your shoulder. Also, be sure that your right elbow is pointing at your right hipbone with your right arm slightly bent.
Without a doubt, your right arm will be separated from the side of your chest at the last moment when you complete your backswing, but your goal needs to be keeping it pressed against your side as it was at address as long as possible. This is particularly true with golfers swinging on a flatter plane.