Backswing makes a difference

By: Jeffrey Palmer
Palmer Golf Institute at Lora Bay
www.palmergolf.ca

Over the past 6 weeks I have watched over 100 golf swings and have been amazed at a particular pattern that I have noticed. Using the V1 Pro digital coaching system I can watch a person's golf swing frame by frame to detect opportunities for improvement that the client themselves can also watch. This is an invaluable tool in being able to communicate to clients changes that we might potentially make to the golf swing if they are open to change.

The pattern in the golf swing that I have noticed occurs at the moment of impact or the ‘moment of truth' as golf coaches like to refer to it as. What happens to 95% of new players at impact is that their leading arm breaks down, bends and separates from the torso. The leading arm is the arm closest to the target, for right handed players it is the left arm and for left handed players it is the right arm. This break down occurs because of the common misconception that we need to get the club ‘under' the ball to make the ball go up. A player's wrist will ‘cup' and their leading arm will bend at the elbow as they try to scoop the club under the ball to flick it up in the air.

To get the ball air born we need to compress the ball by striking down on it. This produces a very high rate of backspin which allows the ball to rise. To produce this downward strike we need to create leverage in our swing by keeping our leading arm straight on the way back and cocking our wrist setting the club in an upside down position where the butt of the club points down at the ball on the way back. When we strike the ball we want our left arm to be straight, our left wrist to be flat and our left arm to be connected to our torso or chest. This will encourage crisp contact and help get the ball air born.

You can practice this by using a drill. With this drill, place a tee in the end of the grip of your club. As you swing the club back, ‘cock' your wrists so that the tee points at your ball. On the way through you want to ‘release' the club so that the tee points at the ball again. To feel the desired position at impact place a towel under your left arm pit and practice feeling connected at impact.

Rehearse setting the club into a levered position on the way back and your impact position for better contact and hopefully your scores will become lower as well.
 

 

07/09

 

 

Jeff Palmer CPGA, AAB

Jeff Palmer, Director of Golf at the Raven at Lora Bay, is an 18 year veteran in the golf industry and has learned from the games finest instructor's.

Jeff graduated from the San Diego Golf Academy in 1991 and turned professional the same year. He attended the PGA Teaching and Coaching Summit in 1992 and 1994 where he learned from such world renowned instructors as Jim Maclean, Butch Harmon, Jim Flick and Bob Toski.

Mr. Palmer has served as the Director of Golf and then the General Manager at the Shanghai Links Golf and Country Club from 1998-2003 and also as the Director of Golf at the Big Island Country Club in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii from 2003-2006.
Palmer's teaching philosophy hinges on the development of sound fundamentals as well as empirical, statistical data capture to identify opportunities for improvement.

In 2008 Jeff formed the Palmer Golf Institute at Lora Bay to help his clients achieve their goals through higher learning and success planning. The PGI offers second to none one on one and group coaching for novice, intermediate and advanced players. The PGI also places a strong emphasis on junior golf offering weekly classes and summer learning camps for young developing golfers.

Jeff Palmer was voted the Instructor of the Year in 2002 by the Shanghai Area Golf Course Operators Group in the People's Republic of China.

 
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