52 ISSUE 367 TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK
Find the club’s
centre, at speed
Centred strike: Heel-to-toe
Centred strike: Sole-to-crown
Drivers and fairway woods are about power – and power is
about creating force in the club and allowing it to transfer its
energy to the ball efficiently. That’s why the twin wood key skills
are the creation of speed and, as only the sweetspot converts
speed into distance, a centred strike. We’ll tackle this one first.Tee gate drill
Tee the ball up as normal, but
position two more pegs at an
angle to frame the clubhead as
shown. To train that centre
strike, simply practise hitting the
ball without disturbing the outer
two pegs. If you find yourself
hitting the outer tees, don’t start
looking for technical reasons;
simply keep going with the drill.
Your strike will improve simply
through increasing your
attention on it.Tee tower drill
Just as important is your vertical
strike point; strikes towards the sole
add spin and deloft the club,
creating a weak launch, while high-
in-the-face strikes deliver poor
energy transfer. To train your
vertical strike point, set three tees
in the ground along your path,
each half a ball higher than
the next. Practise clipping
the highest tee without
touching the others.MOMENT OF TRUTH
If you repeatedly catch
the inner peg you will
be striking from the toe;
contact with the outer
peg means heel strikes.TEE CLIPPER
Swing over the top of the
tee you’re aiming for and
you’ll suffer from low
strikes; catch the tee
behind it and you’ll tend
to strike high in the face.FOR BETTER WOODS...