A Feeling on Sunday

Playing on Sunday I was in the usual early season form and was making my way around the course doing my best to keep my score respectable. We were playing a very long and wet course and I was often left with longer irons or hybrids into the greens. I turned in 37 missing a 10 foot birdie putt at the 9th and then double- bogied 10. My 4 iron shot at 12 hit the bank and went back in the water and I felt like the round could slip away and the only thing I'd be sure of was a long walk. But at the 14th I felt something on my drive and then again on my 3 wood second and this feeling is the essence of what I want to pursue in swinging, in my golf swing.

I felt solid over the ball and set up open or left. The club face seemed slightly open which automatically promotes the club swinging more up and inside. But the dominant feeling was of turning back without swaying off the ball.....so on the front swing there was more time/space to rotate around.

Think of it this way; if you sway back then the start of the downswing is used up moving back into position, but if you do not move off the ball then the time can be used to turn through. The other part of this feeling was my hands/grip felt solid on the club and there was less need to manipulate the face.

This feeling and set up and swing motion is exactly what is called for on shorter pitch shots where there isn't time to turn through and maintain the face position if you've swayed off the ball.