Don't ground the clubhead

When you're ready to hit the ball, it's natural to rest the clubhead on the ground just behind the ball. Let me suggest that you not do this. Instead, hover the clubhead just above the ground. Why? How about six reasons?

1. Hovering the club makes it harder to squeeze the club with your hands. Light grip pressure is one of the keys to better ball-striking. This method makes you more sensitive to how firmly you are holding the club.

2. Your posture will be better. That is, you will stand up straighter, not getting yourself hunched over. When you bend over to rest the clubhead on the ground, there is a tendency to settle a bit more after the clubhead gets there. Hovering the clubhead prevents that tendency.

3. Your takeaway is smoother. It's hard to snatch the clubhead away from the ball when it is already in the air. You have to start off the swing slowly and gently, which leads into a swing controlled by your best tempo and rhythm. It helps maintain your balance throughout the swing, too.

4. Because you're starting the swing slowly, you'll turn rather than sway off the ball. The center of your swing stays over the ball instead of shifting to one side, meaning your swing will find the ball again instead of the ground behind it.

5. This is a big one -- cleaner contact. One imperative of the strike is ball first, ground second. When the club is already in the air behind the ball, it's in the position it needs to be at contact from the very start. If you rest the club on the ground at address, you have to raise it up a bit through impact. When you hover, just bring the club back to where it started out. Much easier.

6. You avoid a penalty. When you set the clubhead on the ground behind the ball, you have addressed it, according to the rules. If it moves before you hit it with your stroke, you could be penalized two strokes. By hovering the clubhead, you have never addressed the ball. Now if it moves, there is no penalty.

It doesn't take very much practice at all to get used to hitting the ball with this adjustment. Remember that all you need do is keep the clubhead off the ground. It doesn't have to be way up in the air. Half an inch will do.


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