COMMUNITY SPORTS TIPS: Fundamentals for consistency

To be more consistent on the golf course you need to be fundamentally sound…. period!

Some golfers with weird swings have become good players by beating thousands and thousands of balls, but most of us don’t have that kind of time or stamina. We need to simplify our swing so that we don’t have to beat balls all day long. And the best way to simplify is to get sound fundamentals and consistently maintain them.

I always ask my students what they are working on in their swings, and it amazes me how many different things they can come up with. As recreational players we need to know how to grip the club; how to stand to the ball in a posture that promotes good body movement; and how to aim and align ourselves to a target.

I always tell my new students that I don’t expect them to hit like a PGA Tour player any time soon, but there is no reason why they can’t look like one standing over the ball. And they might wiff, shank, top, or hit fat shots, but at least they will look like a good player and put their body in a position to swing like a good player.

You simply can’t swing like a tour professional if you don’t start out the same way that they do. After you learn and are comfortable getting into a solid setup position, then and only then you should work on swinging the club efficiently. The fundamentals in golf are the three things you do before you swing the club and they are the three things you should focus on before working on the actual swing.

Be consistent in your pre-shot fundamentals and you will realize more consistent results in your ball contact and the resulting ball flight. For more help with your game, see your local PGA Professional.

Jacques Panet-Raymond is a PGA Master Teaching Professional and the owner of The Vision Quest Golf Academy at the River Club in Bradenton. For more information, call 932-6090 or visit www.VQGolf.com.