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Monthly Monthly tuition tuition to toget getyou youon ontop topofofyour yourgame gameby by Advanced Advanced PGA PGALady LadyProfessional, Professional,Katie KatieDawkins Dawkins
Gusty Golf! Playing in the wind is always an exhausting experience. There is that sense of losing control as a swift gust takes your ball to places on the course it has never been before! Having recently played a charming links course on the Isle of Wight and witnessing many a golfer battle against what could only be described as a gale force breeze, I thought it only too appropriate to give you a few handy hints on how to control your game on a blustery day. Firstly make sure you keep warm, this sounds like an obvious bit of advice but a northerly breeze can really chill your bones and stiffen your muscles so a wind proof top is vital. If you are someone who doesn’t like to feel at all restricted a sleeveless top will keep you mobile but your body cosy. You need to be aware of how much wind you are dealing with and what effect this will have on the shot. Take a good look around you and see where the flag or trees are moving in the wind. (The clouds will also give you an idea of direction but not so helpful on speed! It is windier up there!) The best way to check the amount of breeze is to throw a handful of grass or leaves up in the air. Notice what direction they disappear in and how quickly they move. This will give you an idea as to how the wind will affect your ball. Be aware of where your playing partners are stood and whether or not they have their mouths open–they will not appreciate being pelted by grass. Once you have ascertained whether the wind is helping, hindering you or moving across the hole you can decide which shot to hit. Set-up is key when there is a strong wind, widen your stance ever so slightly to give you a firm base and try to keep the ball low by playing it slightly further back in your stance (if you are playing into the wind). Too many golfers try and do battle with the wind rather than work with it. Do not try and hit it harder just because it is breezier. This will lead to you losing rhythm and balance and ultimately control leading to a poor shot. It also imparts more spin on the ball making it balloon into the wind. If the wind is blowing in your face check how quickly it moves behind you when you throw the grass up. Play the ball back in your stance and to keep it really low lean slightly on your front foot. You will be surprised how much the wind affects distance. Then take more club than you would normally take and swing it easy, you will have far more control over the ball. Use a shorter swing and feel as though you punch the ball by keeping the club lower on the follow through. If playing a tee shot into wind then tee it lower to stop it from rising too high in the air.
If the wind is helping, why not try playing a more lofted wood off the tee such as a 3 or 5 wood. This gets the ball up in the air quickly and will catch the breeze sooner than a driver. Take care not to tee the ball up too high with the more lofted wood as you run the risk of going straight underneath it. If you are faced with a cross wind than pick a point to aim to that will allow the ball to be blown back to the centre by the wind. Use the wind to help your shots – do not try and fight it. You won’t win. Good Luck! If you would like to pep up your game this Winter then I am available for lessons on all aspects, including psychology. Feel free to give me a call on 07780 684334. Alternatively e-mail me on Katie@katiedawkinsgolf.co.uk Visit the website for more hints and tips. www.katiedawkinsgolf.co.uk “ Happy New Year everyone”
30 TEE TIMES | January 2018
I ME ES S T TE EE E T TI M
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2001 - 2018
Based Basedat atAmpfield AmpfieldGolf GolfClub Cluband andMeon MeonValley Valley Golf Golfand andCountry CountryClub Club
Emma shows what can be achieved Last month I mentioned that this month’s article would feature one of my clients who, over a period of time, has changed her swing action and is now, through much hard work, reaping the benefits!
From an action that was very similar in characteristics to Louis Oosterhuizen, with the club very open to its path just before impact and very closed to the path soon after, to an action that is more like Sergio Garcia’s, where the club is fairly square to the arc well before and after impact. As I mentioned, through a lot of hard work and dedication Emma’s game has reached a high level of consistency. It has certainly come a long way from where we started when her handicap was nineteen! Emma, who is now a member of the English Ladies Golf Team, finished second in the English Ladies Stoke Play Championship in 2017. She has also had some great finishes in America, including a record breaking seven under par score of sixty five at the Final College Shootout in Las Vagas. All this success last season has meant that she has shot up The World Golf Rankings from approximately one thousandth to around a hundred a thirtieth. She has also recently been named to represent England in the South American Amateur, held in Argentina. Her dream of playing in the Curtis Cup draws ever closer. In the photos, Emma’s old action is the one where she is wearing red trousers. As you can see, coming into impact the club is lined up with her left arm and, if you notice, the clubface is very open, (looking directly away from her). This approach to the ball means that the clubface has to rotate a great deal in a short space of time to be square at impact. By contrast, the newer swing is more rounded and the body angles are maintained. Notice how the shaft of the club is lined up with her right forearm coming into impact. Although the picture is a little blurry, see how the face of the club appears to be aiming at the ball. Note that post impact the club is left of the ball and not twisted. With this type of hitting action, who knows what Emma will achieve!!
I initially changed Emma’s swing to a flatter one, not just because it would make that amazing hitting action more achievable but, with the steep swing she started with, she had a tendency to hit the ball from the toe of the club. Also there were certain characteristics of her old swing that would suit her newer action. More of how Emma achieved those changes in future Tee Times articles. If you need some help deciding how to improve your striking please contact me. Mobile: 07787 887578 Email: martin.butcher@aim.com Website: mbtourcoach.com