December 2011www.insidegolf.com.au60 instruction ........................................

How to get backspinAnneRolloBackspin is not difficult to create. The clubs are designed for backspin and to help you stop the ball, especially the more lofted clubs.

a lot of amateurs think it is a mysterious talent reserved just for the professionals, but if you play the shot as it’s meant to be played you will get backspin every time.

so how is it meant to be played?The club should travel from high on

the backswing through to low just after the shot (creating the divot) and then through to a final high position.

Obviously the follow-through will continue past this low position and end up high for all your longer shots — up around your head in fact—but around the impact position it is really important that the club is travelling DOWn from high on the backswing to low on the follow through and just past impact. so make sure you hit positively DOWn and through the shot before collapsing your arms at the high finish position.

Try it and see the ball stop on the green, especially with your sand and pitching wedges.

The stronger a player you are, the more

spin you will get—especially as you go up to the longer clubs.

Guys get more backspin than girls as they create more speed through the ball and the speed of the club travelling through the ball forces the ball to run up the clubface.Quick tip:

practise this with your pitching wedge, because it is a shorter swing and it is much easier to get the hang of. Then you can transfer the technique to your full swing.

Really hit down positively into the grass and brush the grass on all your practise swings.

Then try and do the same when the ball is there. Remember ....BaLL, THEn TURF.

LeeHarringtona TypicaL bucket of 70 balls should take a one hour to hit, or does it?

Does your typical practice session involve just hitting balls, the driver or the things you are currently good at? if your answer is yes, we may need to take a look at your routine to help you make the necessary changes to improve your game.

practice sessions should be planned and have relevance to what you do on the golf course. if this is not the case, you need to take a closer look at the way you practise to get the benefits out of the session. next time you go out and practise, place emphasis on hitting each shot in a way similar to that of what you are faced with on the golf course.

Pre-Shot RoutineDo you have a pre-shot routine? if

so, how many times do you practise or play using it?

a well-grooved and developed pre-shot routine will help you with all the golf fundamentals, set-up factors and improve your practise-to-play development.

Golf is a stationary ball game where we have a lot of time to set up for each shot. The best players in the world are very good at a consistent pre-shot routine. next time you watch golf on television take note of the effort in what professionals do prior to swinging the

club. you will find that their pre-shot routine is the same with every shot.

Why use a Pre-shot Routine?

as golfers we try hard to repeat our better swings time and time again. This however, is where we often let ourselves down, as we do not have a pre-shot routine to create consistency. The pre-shot routine is important to all golfers, as it is an early trigger which creates consistency in each and every shot we play.

Learn to incorporate a pre-shot routine to create consistency.

you should be able to answer all of these questions below if you are on par with your pre- shot routine.1. Do i start from behind the ball?2. When do i take a practice swing?3. How many practice swings (ideally

one for speed of play)?4. How many actual steps do you

take each time to get to the ball?5. in your mind, develop an order

for club into ball, feet movement and grip adjustment.

6. When do i grip the club?7. How many times do i look up?8. What do i need to move and feel

to get aligned properly?9. What is my trigger to swing?10. What is the timing of my pre-

shot routine?

incorporating these factors in your routine when practising will help you automatically repeat your swing during a golf game. Further, by improving your fundamentals of grip, posture, ball position and alignment, you will create a fantastic basis to lift the level of improvement in your game.

Developing a solid pre-shot routine at the range can make a difference to your practice session

How long does it take to hit a bucket of balls?

anne teaches at Muirfield Golf club in sydney’s northwest and Dural Golf Range. she is an aLpG Golf professional, European Tour tournament winner, Us collegiate ‘all american’ and author of the ‘passport to great golf ’ book. www.fixmygolfswing.com.au

Lee Harrington is a pGa Member and is also the Development Officer at Golf Queensland. Her passion for teaching and an eye for detail is recognised in her reputation as a leading female teacher in australia. Lee’s experience in teaching provide a basis for programs delivered The Golf school, a Queensland-based teaching facility. Lee teaches at the Gold coast carrara weekly. www.thegolfschool.com.au. Email: admin@thegolfschool.com.au, or phone (07) 5596 3373.

Backspin: Keep your clubhead high on the backswing and low on the follow through

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