How to improve in Golf with the talented David Gil

How to improve your tee shots with the driver in Golf, according to David Gil

In this class that I present below we will try to improve our distances from the tee. It is true that good resultsnot only depend on this subject, but there are also important parts of the game such as the short game and the putt, where we add up a large part of the strokes we give during a round of golf.

One of my students once told me that he only made about 10 or maximum 12 practice strokes with his driver before going out to the course, since those would be the ones he would make with that club on the course. This is not to say that this is the most appropriate, because in the end it all adds up and sometimes having confidence from the tee will help us to have more second shots with shorter clubs and be more accurate.

But this example can be a way to see the reality of this sport, with the putt we have an average of 35%-40% of strokes on a card and it is not a club-strike in general to which we give much prominence in our practices. That is why you have to evaluate in your rounds which strokes are the ones you need to practice with more attention and always ask your teachers to help you with important exercises in your golf.

In this class we are going to talk about four factors that are important at all levels of play and with all the clubs in the bag, but in particular we are going to focus more on tee shots with the driver.

The 4 important factors on how to improve in golf: distances, trajectories, height and consistency.

For each of these four factors I will show you exercises for which we will use some tools that will serve as a guide. With them we will have a better perception of whether the changes in our swing will be correct or not.

How to Improve in Golf: Driver Distances

HOW TO IMPROVE IN GOLF, POINT 1: THE STANCE

To have a good positioning.

Never forget, as I always tell you, that without a good placement in front of the ball it is impossible to make a good swing.

Spread your feet wide apart, slightly wider than your shoulders.
Slightly delay the right side of the body
Place the ball between the center and the inside of the left foot.
Retract the shaft slightly in your upper body.

HOW TO IMPROVE IN GOLF, POINT 2: THE RISE OF THE CLUB

Raise the pole with good extension and rotation.

The shoulders are the ones that mark the rotation and the direction of the ascent.
Try to keep your arms extended as your shoulders rotate.
On the first quarter of the climb keep your hands just in front of your chest.
At the top of the climb the hands will be further back than your shoulders.

HOW TO IMPROVE IN GOLF, POINT 3: LEARN HOW TO LOWER THE CLUB WELL

The previous point is very important, since we are talking about rotation and extension; both concepts are very important not only to create more distance but also to get better strokes in general. Let’s think that we have achieved the point of raising it, so I will explain where the key to get those extra meters will be.

How to improve in Golf: The order of movements

When the club is at the top of the rise, you have to know which part of the body to move first, because if you do not do it in the marked order, the distances will not improve and the shots will be deflected without any consistency.

The CORRECT order

ARMS and LATER SHOULDERS
If you move the arms first while leaving the shoulders still, the swing will enter in a more positive line keeping the club head behind the body and generating better angle and speed.

The WRONG order

SHOULDERS and LATER ARMS
If you move your shoulders before your arms, the club will come down on the outside at a very vertical angle losing speed, generating short and deflected shots.

EXERCISE WITH SHAFT
Place an inclined shaft pointing to the target, and the tee will be placed just below it. In this way you will not touch the shaft on the way up or down.
To practice, you will do exercises always passing the club under the shaft.

How to improve in Golf: IMPROVING TRAJECTORIES AND IMPACT WITH DRIVER

The impact position with the driver has to be very different from that of the irons, since we will hit the ball at a more positive angle where the lowest point of the swing is before hitting the ball. With the irons it is the opposite: we will hit the ball first and the lowest point of the swing is after impact. That is why a bad coordination between clubhead and hands at impact will change the direction of the face of your driver, making the shots more deviated.

EXERCISE WITH YOUR GOLF BAG

Place the bag standing in front of you.
Make a simulation of the descent until touching it with the rod of the stick.

Check:

if the club head is too far back when striking the club
your upper body posture is too far forward or if it is correct
direction of the club head is on target or off target

How to improve in Golf: IMPROVING HEIGHT AND FLIGHT CONSISTENCY WITH OUR DRIVER

It is true that I have commented several times that with the driver we will look for a positive angle of attack, this being when the club hits the ball upwards. That is why, to work on this factor that directly influences the trajectory of the flight, I am going to give you two exercises: