YouTube/Dorland School of Golf
Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game improvement column that will help you play smarter and better golf.
Driver anatomy is arguably the most common problem for amateur golfers. Even after playing the game for over 25 years, I still had a natural chip off the tee, which, most of the time, ends up coming back to bite me when preparing for my second shot.
But mastering a driver takes a lot of work, so don’t let yourself get carried away if you’re still running into problems every time you use it.
However, there are a lot of different ways to work on fixing your chip.
From trying new knobs to changing the alignment, it’s important to get into the driving range to test things out. This will (hopefully) give you confidence before you make your way to the golf course for your next round.
While you’re practicing on the range, GOLF Top 100 teacher Mark Durland has a fun suggestion to use that can help you stop chipping – and it goes perfectly with Cinco de Mayo!
In today’s Play Smart, Durland explains why chipping occurs, how to identify the problem, and finally, how visualizing a piñata can help players correct the problem. So take a look at the video below, and read up on some of Durland’s tips.
Stop slicing your driver with the help of a piñata
The first question we have to answer is a basic one: Why do you cut golf balls?
In the video above, Durland begins by reviewing the laws of flight of the ball. We know that the shape of the club is the most important variable for the starting direction of the golf ball, and that the trajectory of the club determines the spin.
He explains this using a ping-pong analogy.
If the table tennis paddle moves left to right across the back of the ping pong ball (like left, like Dorland), the ball is spinning to the left; Which represents a slice in golf terms. So it’s the outside and inside club track that needs fixing in order to stop slicing with your driver.
This is where the piñata visualization comes into play – a daily practice that Durland uses with his students to correct the course of their club.
Next time you’re on the driving range, Dorland suggests imagining a piñata in the air on the other side of your target line. Make a swing as if you were trying to open a piñata.
By making this motion, it changes the geometry of the golf swing from the outside in to the inside to the outside, which is a desirable club trajectory for a high, majestic draw.
Referring to the laws of ball flight, if we swing more from the inside out and point the club face in that direction, the ball will follow.
To take care of the clubface component, work on hitting the piñata with the back of the clubhead. This helps square the club face and drop the ball in the correct direction.
Of course, Dorland understands that bringing a piñata to the driving range isn’t very practical. But if you’re on the driving range with a practice partner, have them hold something to help you feel an exaggerated club track from the inside out. This can be your hand (moving it before the player hits it), or either the end of the club or the alignment stick. Just something that will provide a target to swing at.
By implementing this awesome piñata trick into your training routine, you’ll stop slicing the driver and start hitting high pulls in no time!
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