Lateral Hazard

Most, if not all of the things that separate a touring pro from the everyday player can be addressed as the tangible elements like equipment, swing analysis, access to information etc are now very accessible as state of the art fitting facilities, interactive technologies, and an internet of information bridge the gap between what was once privy only to the touring pros.

In fact just about the only piece of the puzzle that eludes most of us is the swing.  And, yes, it is the most difficult to acquire and or master depending on your perspective.  The swing is the thing and while we can all improve with a little optimization — this is where the hard work really begins.

As far as this feature goes I will address the swing issue, but under the time-frame will not really be able to make major strides — although one quick visit to Glen Abbey and a few moments under the expert eye of Sean Casey and I have something to work on.

It seems I have a little bit too much lateral movement in my swing which makes for a lack of consistency at impact.  In short, I am moving my centre and this moves the base of my arc which means one more thing to go wrong.  Less is more with respect to moving parts.

The drill is fairly simple.

• Part one is hitting balls on my front foot only.  This restricts my ability to move off of the ball (sway) and promotes better balance / weight shift. [you can watch a video of this drill in our pro-tips section here]
• And to go with that, Sean has asked me to use a lateral aid (essentially laying a club down horizontal between my feet to use as a visual aid when concentrating on keeping my belt buckle centered)

Both are working well and while the original feeling was a less powerful position I have not lost any discernable distance and am more consistent.  Less fat and less thin — we’re getting somewhere.

I have posted a quick collage of the before and after.  The main difference being how far my head and lower body used to move and where I am now.  In more ways than one, golf remains a game of inches.

UPDATE:
August 6th, 2009.

The drill works and although I must say I now spend most of my practice time on two feet the process has made me a much more consistent ball striker — especially with the mid to long irons.  Something I will need when I head back to the tips come tournament day.

I am off to Greystone tomorrow to catch some of the Jane Rogers event that is there this weekend.  Apparently someone just shot an opening round 64 on what is a tough golf course. (WOW!)  Maybe I can sneak onto the putting green and see how fast these things are kept.  My putting is improving due to equipment modifications and a new grip courtesy of a quick Sean Casey comment while down at the Abbey for a Quagmire photo shoot.  Guess I should document that one – stay tuned.