Begging Your Golf Shots
3 min read
Begging your golf shots is the process of taking a practice swing and then adjusting your feet, body, club and stance to get into the right position for the next shot.
When you abide by this pre-shot routine, you will find that you will be able to hit better shots without the help of a caddie. This is because you will have control over your swing and be able to focus on the task at hand!
- Know Your Stance
A great stance pre-sets your body to move and strike the golf ball the way you want it. This saves you a lot of in-swing adjustments.
In addition, knowing your stance allows you to execute different types of shots with each club. A good example of this would be if you needed to hit a draw or hook with your driver, or keep your ball low with a chip shot.
Using the correct stance for your club is crucial to getting these unique shots right, and it’s also important to know how to position your golf ball correctly. This will help you get the most out of your game.
- Know Your Target
Choosing a target is a critical step in the golf shot process. It allows you to align your feet, clubface and shoulders correctly.
Good golfers often select an intermediate target a few feet in front of the ball, like a divot, a patch of grass or something in line with their intended target.
One of the biggest mistakes amateur players make when aiming is to raise their head and rotate their shoulders instead of keeping their neck in front of them as they trace the target line up and down.
This is a great way to lose the target and end up with a poor shot. The key is to train yourself to keep your neck in front of you as you trace the target line up and down.
- Know Your Club
One of the most challenging aspects for newbies to the game is learning which club to use when. The sheer array of clubs in your bag can be intimidating, but once you get a handle on it you’ll be able to pick the right club for any situation.
Knowing your club is important for two reasons: one, it allows you to optimize your swing and get the most out of each shot; and two, it helps you choose the best club for the distance and conditions at play. For example, if you have to hit a fairway wood in thick rough or a hybrid on the greenside in a bunker, then you’re probably better off with a more forgiving iron. The most effective way to do this is to make sure you know your clubs’ distances, and the Arccos smart sensors are a great place to start.
- Know Your Ball Flight
If you want to play the best golf possible, then it is important that you know your ball flight. As we mentioned earlier, your ball flight is a result of the speed that you generate off the club face, the spin rate that you create, and your launch angle.
Once you know these things, then you can use them to understand why you hit shots like a pull-slice, hook, draw or push. This understanding will enable you to make quick corrections to your swing and help you get better!
You can practice the different ball flights on a golf net, but to fully understand your ball flight you need to get out and hit the course. Getting feedback from an experienced friend can also be helpful.
- Know Your Distance
One of the most important aspects of being a good golfer is knowing your distance when playing. It’s not only helpful for your score, but it also helps you avoid poor club selection on approach shots and other spots on the course.
Many golfers try to inflate their distances when they are on the range, but it can seriously hurt your score. Instead, start measuring your average distances with each club and work on improving your control of distance.
You may be surprised by how much weather, course conditions, elevation, and a healthy body can affect your distances. This knowledge will help you dial in your club distances and shave strokes off of your round.
