Six-point advice can change your game

By Kim Jeong-kyoo

Often, a phrase or short sentence, say, "Swing the clubhead" can leave a lasting imprint on your mind. Six-point advice here will do the same, helping you play your best golf.

Don't make your swing key your own load

When you’re working on something, say, keeping your left wrist flat at the top, you need to be precise. To do it correctly, you need to check it visually. But once you leave the range, you’d better stop thinking about it. That frees you to hit your shots with no distractions.

Having a good swing key is all right. Still, don't make it your load when you're playing for real. Purge your mind of any mechanical swing thoughts. Just focus on hitting your ball with the clubhead solidly in the center of the clubface.

Tee off the way you’ve just made bogey

You can get a little angry at times after making a dumb bogey or double. Often, when you are upset, you find yourself driving your ball down in the middle of the fairway. Your tee shot takes you by surprise.

Remember you’ve hit your best tee shot as your dumb mistake on the previous hole distracted you. That is, you did not concentrate your mind on your swing mechanics. Try to hit every tee shot that way. Use your instinct rather than thought.

Have a swing key on call

Great rounds can collapse when you suddenly lose your swing or sense of feel in the middle of a round. When your swing deserts you, you need an escape. When your swing just doesn't feel right, you need a reliable swing thought that will get your swing back on track. You need an emergency measure. And you need to have a simple swing key on call.

A good swing key you can try is hitting your ball aggressively. Rid your mind of every swing thought and hit your ball at full tilt. If you empty your mind, you’ll have more chances of swinging freely and properly.

Or, have total control of your swing. Think nothing but hit your ball on the sweet spot of the clubface. Resist your tendency to swing more than 70percent of your potential power. You'll have better balance and rhythm, finding the sweet spot more often. A major key to longer, straighter shots is catching your ball in the middle of the clubface.

Swing at full stretch

If you have a slight build, it is a tall order to hit your tee shots far enough. To hit longer off the tee, you have no choice but hit your driver as hard as you can. Do not care where the shot goes. Just try to hit your ball hard on the center of the clubface.

What counts most in increasing your distance is the sheer swing speed. A little violence in your driver swing is healthy. You'll never hit your tee shot as far as you want unless you whack it at full tilt.

Give you a good lie on the tee

Tee boxes are not as flat as you may think. They sit on a slope in one direction. They have a couple of hollows. If you tee up where your feet are slightly higher or lower than your ball, you have a side hill lie. Standing on an uneven lie, you’ll have difficulty producing solid, straight shots.

Take care to find a level area. Move backward a club-length or two, if necessary. Or play your tee shots next to one of the markers.

Ignore unsolicited swing advice

You'll have many well-meaning friends who want to give you advice. Don't accept it. Preferably, stop them before they say a word. Their comments will creep into your mind when you're on the course only to ruin your game. Their comments may work for them. But their swing keys will rarely work for you. Typically, a magic cure-all for their swing problems is only a piece of poisoned cake to you. Usually, it does more harm than good.