Photography by Andrew Redington/getty images. Shot on location at The Wentworth ClubWhen the average club player goes to his PGA pro for a lesson, the last thing he usually wants to hear is that they are going to be working on the fundamentals. He feels ripped off if the lesson revolves around the grip, the stance and posture. The typical reaction is: "I know all that, let's get on to the interesting stuff". But, invariably, while he may well have heard it all before he almost certainly doesn't put that knowledge into practice and repeat the good habits that essentially ingrain good technique and determine the success of the swing that follows.
Out on tour we all work on the basics. Vijay Singh has a reputation for being one of the hardest workers in the game, but you know what? Most of the time he's working on his routine, on his set-up and his posture, so that when he makes his swing he is doing so from a correct and consistent position.
Through this article you will see that I am using a T-square device that helps me to get my alig ment and ball position in check. Nothing fancy in that and you dont need to go out and buy one of these to work on the same details in your own game. Laying a couple of clubs down on the ground will work just as well.
So let me show you what I work on when I practise. It's not rocket science, trust me. We'll start with a pre-shot routine that gets me 'zoned in' on my target as I prepare to walk in to the ball.
Stay focused, blank out all possible interferenceAs part of my pre-shot routine I always pick out some point just ahead of the ball on my line to the target, and then focus on aiming at that. I have found that doing this helps me to blank out external interference (crowd noise) and helps me to zero in on what I'm trying to do. Starting behind the ball, I draw back an imaginary line from the target back to the ball, and pick out a spot just in front of the ball which I refer to the whole time, making my grip as I circle in to the ball.
The set-up: Comfortable, balanced, 'grounded'Working with my coach David Leadbetter I am constantly reminded of the need to create and maintain good body angles at the set-up.
It starts with a firm foundation, my weight is balanced on the balls of my feet, and I gently flex my knees as I bend from the hips to create a comfortable spine angle.
Maintaining height is important, so when you work on your set-up, remind yourself to stand up tall, allowing your arms to hang comfortably.
A note on ball position. I generally only move the ball position to influence the type of trajectory I'm looking for. Otherwise it stays fairly constant (and I use the T-square when I practise to make sure it is).
Should I need to increase the effective loft on the clubface to hit higher shots I simply move the ball a few inches forward (be aware that doing this also tends to encourage left-toright spin); to hit a lower, punchier type of shot, I would play the ball back (which gives you right-to-left spin).
Fully set, club on plane
When I video my swing, the one position I look at most closely is here, at the halfway-back or 9 o'clock position. Specifically, by the time my left arm is horizontal with the ground, I like to see my wrists fully 'loaded' and (looking down-the-line) I want to see my hands right here, in the middle of my chest (i.e. not too 'deep' or inside the line, and not outside my body).
If you compare it with the original shaft angle at address, you can see that the process of setting the wrists causes the shaft to steepen fractionally as the club swings up. This is perfectly OK, as it encourages the desired shallowing of the plane on the way back down.
So why not simplify your backswing, using this 9 o'clock position as your key checkpoint. As you develop the technique to set the clubshaft at a 90-degree angle to your left arm, so you will enjoy the powerful sensation of being 'loaded' up as you complete your turn to the top – energy you can then release in the downswing.
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Feel the resistance from the ground up...
Looking at this image face-on, you get some idea of the resistance in the lower body –specifically the right knee and thigh. That's the feeling I have; I am turning and coiling against the resistance in the right knee and thigh, winding my torso and coordinating my arm-swing. Obviously a secure footing is vital, and the new Tour 360 shoe from adidas has significantly helped me to appreciate the role of the feet. The unique concept of separating the heel and the forefoot of the shoe really adds to the stability, and gives me a tremendous sense that the shoe is molded to my feet, while the traction system keeps the right foot anchored as I turn and shift my weight both against and into my right side. Good footwork is the often overlooked element of a good swing, so as you work on winding up your backswing, pay attention to the role of the right foot in anchoring the right side, so that you create the necessary resistance. As I rotate my upper body away from the target, my weight is absorbed up the inside of my right thigh. In other words, my weight is not allowed to roll onto the outside of the right foot. That's a power leak – so don't allow it to happen! Coil up against a braced right thigh, feel and use that resistance.
In transition: 'Settle,' then unwind...
Probably the best way to explain the sensation and illustrate the move I am looking for through the transition, at the start of the downswing, is to show you the baseball drill (above). Holding a club up at about waist high, swing back as if making a baseball action, and then 'settle' your lower body as you change direction; you want to get this 'squat' look in the legs as you make to start back down and your weight shifts back across to the left side.
Get the hang of this move and you will create a wonderful sense of 'lag' as your upper body recoils in response to this lower body action. As if by instinct, the arms shallow the plane of the swing and you're all plugged in for a powerful acceleration of speed through the impact area. And that's exactly what you are looking to achieve in the swing itself, as you see in the sequence below.
From the top, I wait for this subtle move in the feet and knees, unwinding from the ground up as my left foot and left knee signal the reverse in momentum. The left knee (in fact the whole left side) is – for a split-second – pulling away from the right hip (and whole right side). That dynamic move increases the torque in my swing.
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On working with 'Lead'...David [Leadbetter] and I have worked hard on improving the 'lines' of my swing. We all have individual tendencies to be wary of, and mine is sometimes to get the club working too 'deep' behind my body on the backswing, to the extent it ends up across the line at the top. Now that it's on a much better line, I am able to focus on the dynamics of my body action to maximise energy. With David's help, I really feel that I am able to benefit from the energy I store up in the full 'setting' of the wrists going back; through the transition I feel the ground through my feet and have the confidence to unwind aggressively through the ball.
