Golf: "Read" the Ball for Better Contact

Matt Bianchi, Contributor

Remember that golf game last weekend? You were all set to drive the 18th hole. You addressed the ball, went through your pre-shot ritual and all of a sudden, BANG!!! Your shot bounced 65 yards right into the nearest lake. 

If this sounds familiar, the following coaching cue may interest you. It has worked for me, my fiancé, (anything could have helped her) and a few of the folks I work with.

Head Lifting Error
A common problem with new golfers is that they lift their head upon impact with the ball.  Lifting the head up or forward during the address, takeaway, or impact may shift the body, causing impact with the ball at a less than optimal point in the swing.

Correction
What we've been doing recently is “reading the ball.”  We always practice and tee off with the ball's label facing up so we can read it as we swing. Reading “Top Flyte” or “Titleist” as we swing forces us to keep our head motionless over the ball. This keeps the body in line for a sound swing throughout the address, takeaway, and impact portion of the swing.

Have your students give reading the ball a try. They may end up reading a smaller handicap.

Contributor: Mathew Bianchi is a former teacher at Shamrock Gardens Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina and now teaches at W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax VA.


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