Feel your club shaft bend to hit powerful shots

By Kim Jeong-kyoo

Your setup is critical to solid ball-strikes. There is no way you can enjoy powerful shots unless you set up properly. Typically, you need to keep your right foot square, with your left toe flared out about 30 to 45 degrees. A square right foot allows you to keep your lower body remaining passive during the swing. However, if you want to turn more on the backswing, you’d better flare your right foot. That allows you to turn freely and fully. Flaring your left foot helps you better clear your lower body through impact.

Flex your knees only slightly to create a balanced, athletic posture.

If you want to make a soft draw your workhorse, you’d better adopt a touch strong grip. Your Vs formed between your thumbs and forefingers need to stay parallel and point to your right shoulder. You need to grip your club so your right-forefinger is under the handle of your club. That helps you square your clubface easily through your ball.

Keep your left arm straight and your right arm soft for a smooth takeaway.

You need to tilt your spine to the right away from the target. Lean your upper body just a little for irons. You need to tilt more for fairway woods and driver. Granted, you need to widen your stance gradually as the club you use gets longer. Also, you need to put you in position to catch your ball on the upswing, hitting your tee shots.

You need to align your body parallel to your target line. Also, aim your club first at your target and get your body lined up properly. If you align your body first, you will have trouble aiming your clubface correctly at your target.

Waggle your club several times so you can hit your ball toward the target. Important here is swinging your club back along your toe line. Once you’ve carried out your last waggle, swing your club back the way you’ve waggled. Critically, you need to create centrifugal force as you swing your club back. Of course, you need to fix your mind’s eye on your target.

Once you’ve completed your backswing, you need to start your downswing with a slightly left-hip shift to the left. That allows you to move your weight properly to the left. That also lets your arms drop to slot your club into a downswing path. But forget about your hip shift to the left.

Instead, focus on your club shaft bending backward as you swing your club down. All good moves you want for solid strikes will happen without your having to think about them.

To hit your ball successfully, you need to feel your club shaft bending backward a split second before impact. You need to get your club shaft to bend backward on the downswing. You’ll have a clear picture of your shaft bending if you swing an alignment rod. Swing your alignment rod several times and you will feel how your club shaft would bend during your swing. Granted, your club shaft won't bend that much. Still, you need to feel it bending as you come into impact. The greater you bend your shaft, the more powerfully it will release. You hit your ball as you let the bent club shaft release fully.

Critically, make sure you let your bent club shaft release with your hands ahead of the clubhead when you hit an iron. You need to let your club shaft lean forward toward the target at impact.

To hit your shot off the tee as far as you want, you need to whack your ball with an upward blow. To this end, feel as though your bent club shaft releases as you hit your ball. Your club shaft will release a split second before you hit your ball, not after impact. Your club shaft will stay leaning backward when your club catches your ball. That allows you to bang your ball on the upswing. You need to catch your ball when your club has already released and moves up. That way you'll hit higher and straighter tee shots.

Succinctly, make sure your club shaft has already released and bent forward toward the target before you bang your ball. Your club shaft will stay leaning backward away from the target through the shot. When you hit an iron, however, focus on your club shaft bending backward an instant before impact. Your club shaft will remain leaning forward toward the target through the ball.

To hit longer tee shots accurately, you can also picture a karate chop. Just whack your ball with your left hand in karate chop motion. Doing this, you may feel your left hip shifts slightly to the left as you begin your downswing. That means you are shifting your weight correctly to slot your club into a downswing path.

You can also imagine you’re hitting a slap shot in ice hockey. Just picture you’re hitting a hockey puck into a net. You will naturally speed up your club properly so its speed peaks through your shot.

Similarly, pull your grip end toward your left thigh as you turn your shoulders and hips.

Finish your swing with about 95 percent of your weight on your left foot. You need to be in a good balanced position. Hold your finish until your ball lands, with the entire sole of your right shoe visible. Also, you need to make sure your left leg stays fully extended, your body facing your target. Take care to keep your nose, navel and right knee looking at your target.