Time to set in motion new things you’ve been working on

Finally, the beginning of April!  Bingo!  Tournament time.  Time to set in motion what we’ve worked on this winter.  It could be time to dust off those clubs for 2025.  The eagles are soaring and trees blooming up here at Semiahmoo.  It’s a great place to be from here on out.  Unbelievable I’m in my 31st year here!  My academy building saves me each winter.

People come to me and most times the song is the same.  “I want to be more consistent.”  Everyone, no matter their level want to be more consistent.  I had a couple tour players call me the other day and they expressed the same desire.  If a player has a proper grip, alignment and posture; then the player needs to master and build an awareness for the proper path/plane of the shaft and hands; then the squaring of the clubface and forward lean of the shaft at impact.

Mastering and awareness of path and plane; squaring of the clubface, sequence and forward lean to the shaft at impact will produce solid strikes that we all know feel amazing.  Through my experience if I (or any player) developed these qualities in my swing, I would strike the golf ball with more quality and consistency.  I would rather not leave my ball striking up to chance.  I would rather make things take place in my technique that would produce my desired shot pattern.  If I make the golf club do certain things I get reliable shots. The golf ball (flight) doesn’t lie.

In the past I’ve written a lot about swing plane and path.  I’ve written a couple times on squaring of the clubface.  This month I want to focus on impact, forward lean to the shaft, and solid striking of the golf ball.

I would like you to note it is imperative to square the face and swing on plane to play the “golf of your dreams.”

Let’s start here!  Most golfers that play regularly hit the ball fat and thin because they leave their arms and club behind at the beginning of the downswing.

They get either their upper or lower body too much ahead of the grip/hands and right elbow in the transition.  (photo 1). You would hit the ball more solid if the inside right elbow drove down your rib cage to the inside quarter of the golf ball.  This happens before anything else moves!  A cousin of that would be if you started the downswing with the hands and grip leading to the ball. (photo 2). Then hands, grip and right elbow lead back in front of the hips to the inside quarter of the golf ball.  Your hands lead and win the race to and beyond the golf ball.  I’m not kidding.  Your body will then rotate and drive once you get below the belt to and through the hitting area.  Otherwise the clubhead releases early on most everyone and a fat, thin or pull results.

  Jeff Coston has played the PGA Tour, Web.com and Champions Tour.  He is a multiple Pacific Northwest PGA Player of the Year and is in the PGA Hall of Fame.  Jeff can be reached for appointment year round by calling S360.201.4590. See  www.jeffcoston.com for more.