Hole In One: Have several practice swings before your part golf shots

The professionals do not have more than one practice swing before a full shot.
Often there is no practice swing.
Preparing for a short shot presents an entirely different picture.
They usually have 5 or 6 practice swings.

Why?

Well, they are trying to get into their minds the amount of power and back swing that will be required to send the ball the required distance.

We should do the same don’t you think?.
Practising your short shots to get the right swing and power will result in greater accuracy and success for you.
You will find that you have a much greater feel.
This is what we want isn’t it? Don’t forget to watch the ball and keep your head well down.

The two parts of the down swing. Accuracy and Timing.

Make your down swing in two movements.

Take up your stance in readiness to hit your golf shot.
Take the club back to the top of the back swing.
Stop here.
As though standing in a tube to prevent swaying, rotate your left hip backwards. Left pocket back as Greg Norman would say.

This will bring your hands down to below your right shoulder with no actual movement of the arms. From here continue the downward movement with your arms to complete the down swing.
This means that the down swing is made up of two movements. The rotation of the left hip followed by the use of the arms to hit the golf ball.
This in effect shortens the hitting arc, but this is in theory only. The control is much greater and so is the accuracy. The speed of the club head is so great that it is almost impossible for it to deviate from the hitting path.
The timing is also much greater and so the ball distance is the same or greater. Usually greater.
Because of the concentration needed to hit the ball there is much less tendency to lift your head. What a Bonus!

Hit consistent shots like the pros.

What do the pros do that allow them to hit the ball so well every time?
I was with a coach once who told me to place three tees in the ground about 3 inches apart. Place the ball on the first one and make sure I take the other 2 tees out with my swing. I couldn’t do it. He told me that the pros would get all three.
This means that I have to concentrate on taking the club head in a lateral direction after I have hit the ball keeping it at ball level, a bit like a follow through with a billiard cue. A totally different concept. I think the arc of the swing with most amateurs is too shallow. We hit the ball and then we are on the way up to our follow through and none of us completes the shot. I began to try this, looking at a piece of turf just beyond the ball that had to go in the form of a divot before starting to take my club head up towards the follow through and my ball striking improved dramatically.
Give it a try. Don’t forget to take the club head in an in to out direction and look at the turf you are going to take. It must runs slightly to the right of the line to the pin.

Be Consistent With Your Pitch Shots

Consistency with your pitch shots and chips.

Any one can get within striding distance of the green with just a few shots. It is what we do when we are there that counts.
It is essential that we hit our pitch shots and chips with constant club head speed. This means that we do not decelerate the club head as it gets near the ball. To get a longer pitch, we must take the club back a little further. Probably no further back than 9-0-clock. After that, we go down a club, say from pitching wedge to nine iron. The only way to develop feel around the greens is by hitting these shots with a consistent club head speed.
By taking the club back a little further, the club head will gather more momentum as it approaches the ball and so send it further.
The only other thing that isa must when hitting these golf shots is that you must WATCH the ball. See the divot after the ball has left.