Where to place hands to step up distance and accuracy

By Kim Jeong-kyoo

To step up distance and accuracy, place your hands between your right ear and shoulder.

To lower your score, you need to hit your ball longer to have more chances at birdies. More important, you need to hit your ball with pinpoint accuracy. To hit your shots longer and with more accuracy, you need to increase your swing speed to your maximum through your shot.

To this end, you first need to grip your club lightly. Gripping softly allows your wrists to hinge and unhinge naturally during your swing. Hinging your wrists freely and fully, you will better increase your swing speed without exerting a forced effort.

To enjoy solid strikes, you need to adjust your address posture properly so you can stay in balance during your swing. Stick out your bottom when you address your ball to preserve your address posture throughout your swing. You need to feel as if you’re standing with your upper body sitting upright, with your weight under your shoelaces.

Let your arms and hands hang naturally from your shoulders. To swing your club on the proper plane, you need to steer clear of pushing your hands outwards toward your ball. Granted, you need to avoid pulling your hands inwards. Press your hands “down,” keeping your chin “up.” Make sure your hands are resting under your chin just before you start your swing.

Overall, make sure your address posture resembles your impact position. Proper address posture primes you to hit your ball solidly toward your target with less effort.

Once you’ve gripped your club correctly and set up properly, waggle your club several times. During the waggle, you need to loosen your grip on the club.

To start your swing, kick your right foot and knee inward toward your target immediately after carrying out your last waggle. You need to swing your club back as a reflex of the gentle kicking motion. More important, you need to keep the lump at the nape of your neck steady. That allows you to begin your swing smoothly and get your club to work on the proper plane.

To hit your ball longer and more accurately, you need to swing your club on the proper plane. An off-plane swing plays havoc with your ability to make solid, powerful shots.

If you are struggling with diverse wayward shots, you need to think about your swing plane. Swinging your club back on too steep or flat a plane, forces you to manipulate your downswing. This causes poor contact, robbing you of your distance and accuracy.

To swing your club on the proper plane, you need to know your correct hand position at the top. You need to let your hands rest between your right ear and shoulder at the top of your backswing. Doing this properly, your correct swing plane will naturally get flatter with longer clubs and slightly steeper with shorter clubs.

Typically, if you’re resting your hands below your right shoulder at the top, your swing plane will be too flat. If you’re resting your hands too high above your head, your swing plane will be too upright. This holds true for most players setting up in an upright posture. Addressing your ball in a bent posture, however, you will naturally place your hands below your right shoulder.

Briefly, place your hands between your right ear and shoulder at the top, letting the lump at your neck stay still.

Critically, to control your club better, you need to feel pressure on your right forefinger at the top of the backswing. Toward this end, you need to press your right forefinger tightly against your club handle as you grip the club. Make sure you press the knuckle on the back of your right hand above your forefinger toward your target.

Once you’ve completed your backswing, start your downswing by driving your right knee toward your intended target. More important, you need to keep the lump at your neck steady. That helps you keep your head steady so you can swing your club down correctly to the inside.

Letting the lump at your neck remain still, you will return to your address posture with less effort. Eventually, you will unleash your power fully into your shot at a timely moment, enjoying long, straight shots or soft draws.

Driving your right knee toward the target encourages faster arm swing, allowing you to increase your swing speed to your maximum. The more briskly you thrust your right knee, the faster you will swing your club and hit your ball longer.

Driving your right knee also lets your arms drop to slot your club into the proper downswing path. Swinging your club down on the proper plane, you can swing your club full tilt without worrying about incurring erratic shots.

Don’t move your right knee directly to your left knee as you start your downswing. Driving your right knee to your left knee right away, you will incur pulls and slices. Make sure you thrust your right knee toward and through your ball.

To recap briefly, position your hands between your right ear and shoulder at the top. Then, drive your right knee toward your intended target through the ball, steadying the lump at the nape of your neck. Or, turn your right hip socket or inside hip joint vigorously toward your target through the shot.

Critically, remember to keep the lump at the nape of your neck steady as you start your downswing. The steadier you let the lump at your neck remain, the farther and more accurately you will hit your ball.