5 WAYS TO GET YOUR
‘A’ GAME BACK! XXIO ambassador and former tour pro Andrew Murray offers some simple tips to help get your game back on track
1. Adding distance
This is a great drill to help you find extra speed without losing the flow or control in your swing. Turn your driver upside down so you are gripping just below the clubhead. As you move through the downswing, listen for the swish. It should be as smooth and loud as possible through impact. This drill gives you the feeling of ‘letting go’ that you need to commit to your drives and hit the ball further without losing control.
2. Flexibility
Devoting time to improving your flexibility is one of the simplest ways to unlock extra distance. A good way to do this is to get a resistance band, as shown here, and put it under your left foot and into your left hand. Swing to the top and hold the position - you should feel the stretch in your core muscles. From there, move through to the finish and do the same thing. This will help improve both the flexibility and stability in your swing.
3. Distance control
It is worth checking how far you hit each iron. Don’t be taken in by finding out your total distances – it is the carry yardages that you
4. Fairway woods
Firstly, find fairway woods you are confident using, you like the look of and that have enough loft. Then, to hit them well, you need stability in your swing. A great practice drill is to close your eyes and swing to the top. Hold it there for a few seconds and you’ll get a sense for where your weight is and whether you’re in balance. Swing to the finish and, again, ask yourself if you’re in balance. need to know. A good way to do this is to hit a few shots into the green with, for instance, your 8-iron. Locate the pitch mark of your average, not your best, shot. Work out the distance to that spot and you have your 8-iron carry yardage. Try to repeat this for your other irons.
5. Ball-striking
When it comes to ball-striking, the word compression is important but can be easily misunderstood. In searching for a powerful ball-first contact, some golfers lean on the shot too much – they lose the centre point in the swing and the club digs too much through impact. If this is a problem for you, think about striking the ball at the base of your swing arc. A great drill is to tee the ball up on a low tee peg, almost as if it is sitting on a good lie. The idea is to brush the turf to nick the tee out of the ground.