Improving Your Long Game: Perfecting Stance and Increasing Power in the Set-Up
Every golfer wants to bring as much power and force as possible to the fairway. But strategy and stance can have surprising impact on the gain you derive from your long game shots.
The Long Game
First, for the beginning golfer, what are the key elements of the long game? This is the portion of the game in which the ball is intended to cover a distance of over 160 yards per shot. Long game shots are usually taken from the tee—the first of the game—or out on the fairway. Distance is an important measure of success at this point, so the golf clubs selected for these shots tend to be the woods and straight-faced long irons (irons one through four.) These are the golf clubs designed with lower loft angles in order to send the ball across great distances.
Stance and set up are the first two elements of the long game shot.
Stance
Two important elements of long game stance are alignment and aim. If a golfer is properly aligned, then all the elements of his or her body—shoulders, spine, hips, legs and feet– are lined up and balanced. Alignment can be counterintuitive; one tense, slightly elevated shoulder may not be felt the golfer standing in position but can have a magnifying effect on any flaws inherent in the shot. The same may be true if the right leg bears more weight than the left, or if the head tilts so that one ear is lower than the other.
Aiming means pointing each of these elements of the body in the same direction. Your aligned body and your club face should be perpendicular to the line of your target, but mastering aim can be counterintuitive as well. On a windy day, for example, you’ll need to adjust your aim away from the flag or target (increasing or decreasing your 90 degree angle) in order to allow the wind to compensate and send the ball in the proper direction.
Two important stance tips:
1) Don’t take aim for granted. A casual approach to aim, especially if it’s repeated over and over, can reinforce unconscious negative habits. Each time you approach the tee, actively consider your aim and alignment as if you’re taking the first golf swing of your life.
2) Don’t set up too far to the right of the target. Since most golfers, especially new golfers, tend to hit the ball with an open club face angle, a spin often results which sends the ball back and to the right.
A golfer’s aim improves as he or she learns to compensate for wind, distance and terrain. This is largely a matter of experience, so the best way to improve aiming accuracy is to practice as much as possible in varied and unpredictable conditions.
Generating a Powerful Set-Up
During the long game, the golfer wants to hit the ball as hard as possible in order to send it as far as possible. Power in the set-up means power in the impact between the golf club and the ball. Power is a function of many different elements at work on the ball during this time and within the golfer’s control, three of which are:
1) Solid ball contact: the ball contact with the golf club should be true and square—not occurring at the front or back edge of the face.
2) The golfer’s hand must rotate properly through the impact zone.
3) The golfer’s full body weight should transfer into the ball.
Once stance and set-up are under control, the next area of focus will be the rhythm and balance of the golf swing.