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Swingin' John More than sheer strength, my unique and more natural setup and swing allow me to hit the golf ball powerfully and accurately.I don't claim that copying my methods will enable you to drive the ball like me, but I firmly believe that by foolowing my instructions, any golfer can learn to generate more clubhead speed and hit the ball more solidly and accurately than ever before. And when you hit powerful, on-target tee shots, you automatically set yourself up to play a more precise approach into the green and shoot a low score.
Before I review the ins and outs of my swing technique, I want to talk about the elements of the setup that, if you learn them correctly, will make the golf swing itself feel as natural as walking.


Play Ball

Ball position is one of the most misunderstood elements of the setup. The fact is, if you play the ball too far forward or too far back in your stance, it's virtually impossible to hit a tee shot solidly and accurately.

When you play the ball too far forward - say, off your left instep or toe - you will tend to turn your body to the left to put the club behind the ball at address, thereby forcing your shoulders into an open position. This faulty address causes you to swing the club on an exaggerated out-to-in path (rather than an inside-square-inside path), cut across the ball at impact, and then hit the ball off line.

When you play the ball too far back in your stance, the tendency is to turn your body to the right when setting up to the ball, which forces your shoulders into a closed position. This faulty setup causes you to swing the club on an exaggerated in-to-out path, with the result being a wayward shot.

View From Teebox

Get Ready, Get Set

If your setup is correct - feet, knees, hips, shoulders all lined up parallel to the target line - your tee shots will fly reasonably straight, even if you make a mediocre swing.

Correct alignment starts with a consistent preswing routine - a series of actions a golfer goes through to ready himself to swing and hit a shot. Too many club-level players hit poor shots because they set up haphazardly, sometimes even failing to focus on the target. Try not to do this. Remember:

  1. Form a vivid picture of your actual target that is in an area of fairway 240 yards in front of the tee.
  2. Check that the clubface is dead square to your target and line up with the back of your left hand.
  3. Jockey your body into the classic parallel position without disturbing the alignment of the clubface.
Daly Tees Off

Keep Your Distance

Many golfers realize that standing too far from the ball with both arms outstretched causes an overly flat swing plane and that standing too close to the ball causes an overly upright swing. Yet, ironically, they don't know what is the correct distance to stand in relation to the ball. If you are confused about this fundamental of the setup, here's a valuable tip: If your hands are outside your forehead at address, you are standing too far from the ball. If your hands are well inside the tip of your chin, you are standing too close to the ball.

How to Trim the "Fat"

Iron Shot If you're a golfer who has been plagued by the "fats" - contacting the grass well behind the ball and hitting the shot heavy - on short irons, try these tips:
  1. Take a practice swing and see where the club contacts the grass. If it is well behind the spot where you have been previously playing the ball, move the ball back in your stance.
  2. Focus your eyes on the top of the ball instead of on the back of it. This minor adjustment will automatically encourage you to shift a little more of your weight to your left side at address. In turn, this setup will encourage you to make a more upright backswing and clean sharp hit at impact.

How to Overcome First-Tee Jitters

A relaxed body and a confident mind are two very important keys to hitting the ball far down the fairway and dead at your target. The trouble is, most golfers become so overwhelmed by the crowd of friends or fellow members that congregate by the first tee that they tense up, think negatively, and hit a bad shot as a result.

To help you overcome first tee jitters, see yourself making a smooth swing and hitting a perfect shot before you trigger the swing. Show yourself you can do it in your mind's eye. Then, you won't care how many eyes are on you.

Big Shot

Line Up your Hands Correctly

Golfers who lift the club abruptly at the start of the backswing are usually very bad long iron players. The reason is, a steep backswing makes for a sharp hit at impact, which is fine for playing the high-lofted irons in your bag, but not for hitting the lesslofted clubs that require a sweeping action.

If your long irons are landing well short of the green and well right of it, you are probably setting up with your hands a few inches in front of the ball. Try keeping your hands in line with the ball or a tad ahead of it.