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Take Your Eyes Off That Ball!
Ned Jacobs
O.k., so you love golf. I know, I know. Me too.
There you are, exhilarated just by being on the course again,
away from the worries of real life. Man, this is great.
But come on, underneath all that titillation is - way too
often -- the pang of frustration. Why? You know the routine.
You get all set up and quickly run through the 20-item checklist
in your brain. This time, everything's just right, perfect.
And then, wack, off the ball goes, to Slice City or to Hooksville.
Or perhaps a dribble or a pop fly.
Dang! Isn't there a way to end this misery? Well, no, there
isn't, not entirely.
But I do have a suggestion that may help sometimes, and that
is to take your eye OFF the ball. That's right. Let go.
Here's the idea. First, make every backswing as slow as you
can. And keep it low to the ground as long as you can, especially
with your driver and woods -- whether off the tee or on the
turf.
Now, as you start that backswing -- as straight back as you
can - and keeping it low -- shift your focus from the ball
to the lower edge of your clubface or to the clubface itself.
As you bring the club back those first eight to twelve inches,
either watch just the club edge or face or quickly dart back
and forth between the club and the ball, keeping the lower
edge of the clubface perpendicular to the intended line of
flight of the ball.
This helps to keep the clubface perpendicular to the line
of flight during those first few inches -- and tends to help
to bring the club face in perpendicular during the forward
swing, resulting in straighter, truer flight and better distance.
Why is this? Well, some people are natural athletes with great
"body sense." Eye-hand co-ordination is second nature to them.
But to the rest of us 26 million or so golfers in the United
States, athletic coordinated movement doesn't come so naturally.
So we cheat a little, using the eyes to help the body movement
to stay in alignment. And that little help can make a big
difference.
This technique can work equally well with the driver, other
woods, irons, and (especially) the putter. That's right, slow
up that backswing with the putter too, and watch that club
as it goes back. You may be pleasantly surprised with the
results.
So keep your exhilaration -- and your titillation -- but lessen
your frustration by taking your eye off the ball. (Oh, by
the way, eventually it is a good idea to get your eyes back
on that ball. But you knew that, right?)
Ned Jacobs is an attorney in St. Croix in the U.S.
Virgin Islands, and the Director of the Phonics Institute.
He can be reached at edwardjacobs@yahoo.com,
and at 7 Church Street, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin
Islands; 340-773-3322; fax 340-773-2566.
Article Source: http://www.articlesaz.com
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