Weekly Golf Tip as seen in The Winnipeg Sun --

May 29th, 2007

Round out your swing to lower scores

If you are struggling with your game (i.e. popping up drives, topping shots and slicing the ball) or just not as powerful as you would like, your swing is most likely too steep or too vertical.

The majority of golfers who take lessons from me need a more rounded and shallow golf swing to improve their swing. To achieve a more rounded swing there are three simple steps.

First, try standing a little further away from the golf ball at address. This allows your torso, legs, hips and shoulders to work more effectively to create power.

Second, try closing your stance slightly to let the club work more around your body, rather than too much vertical.

And, third, try bending over at the hips a little more than you are used to bending. Many golfer have too erect a spine at address making it easy to swing the club vertically. The extension of the shaft angle at address and spine should create an approximate 90-degree angle. Even today's top golfers, such as Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh are still striving for more rounded golf swings that use the big muscles to generate power and consistency!

Derek Ingram is the Head Teaching Professional at the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is a past winner of the Canadian PGA's Teacher of the Year and one of the top High Performance Golf Coaches in the World.

- Derek Ingram