FAST FIXES

ADDRESS

There are a variety of ways to address a golf ball. 99% of them will set you up to do something wrong that will cause your ball to fly in a direction you'd prefer it didn't.

Since this is the "Fast Fixes" column, let us list the most likely suspects and see if you can't zero in on one or two that may be causing your woes on the course.

POSTURE:

Most golfers who "S.A.G" set up hunched over too much at address. The result is they pick up the club with their arms, rather than swinging it back with the shoulders. This destroys the length of your swing arc, release of your hands, etc. etc.

Here's what to focus on: At address bend from the waist just enough to lay the club flat on the ground behind the ball. Have the feeling that you are slightly holding your shoulders back, (sticking your chest out slightly), and that your head is high. You'll feel like you are looking just slightly over your nose. (chin up)

This is also a good adjustment to look at if you are taking too deep a divot. Setting up "tall" will free your arms and shoulders and let you start the club back with the larger muscles rather than picking it up with the hands.

Hand Position:

For most golfers of average build your hands should be within 6" of your legs at address, hanging naturally from your shoulders. If they are much further away from your legs you are probably hunching over too much and need to check your posture as above. It's o.k. for your hands to get a little bit further out with the driver if you need to, but you don't want to be reaching way out for the ball. This may seem like a more powerful position but it's not. If you can't drop your right elbow into your right side so that it literally brushes your shirt on the downswing, you're reaching too far. Check this in a full length mirror. If you watch the pro's you'll see they're hands are usually within 4" of their legs on most shots.

Stance:

No great revelations here. Keep you feet about shoulder width with the driver. Parallel to the target. (a second club laid on the ground touching your toes should point "parallel left" of an imaginary line drawn from the ball to the target. Like a train track disappearing over the horizon).

Relative Hand Position:

Strive to keep your hands just SLIGHTLY ahead of the ball at address with all of your clubs. If you find you're pushing your shots you can bring them back to even with the ball. If your hands are really slow you can adjust them to just a tad "behind" the ball. No more. If you "lay your hands back" you're creating all kinds of problems. (scooping, collapsing your wrists, etc. too numerous to name.) Check your hands relative position in the mirror. It's often easy to think your hands are in the right position when in fact they are too far forward or back.

 

 

 

O.k., we've gotten much more detailed with this than we like to in the Fast Fixes category. Unfortunately, "Address" is a broad topic. Main things to remember are to keep your head up, shoulders slightly back, (not hunched over at all), comfortable shoulder width-square stance, and hands slightly ahead or about even with the ball. If you do all of this you should be in a good position to bring the club back.

The best thing about getting the Address correct is that at least for a fleeting moment on the tee you'll look like you know what you're doing! And if everything comes together and you actually smoke one down the middle, everyone in the group behind you is going to have no idea that you really suck at golf!

Good job!