Get rid of the "Pop Fly" Today!
Get rid of the "Pop Fly" Today!
Hi, I’m Mel Sole, Director of Instruction at the Mel Sole Golf School, headquartered at Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club in Pawleys Island, SC. We conduct 1, 2, and 3-day golf schools, hourly golf lessons, and senior golf schools—any golf instruction program your heart desires. Give us a call at 800-624-4653 or 843-237-4993. We will be happy to book a commuter school or a package that contains accommodations, golf, and golf school.
This month's request comes from David Smithfield of Lancaster, England, who asks: I have had a problem skying the ball with my tee shots for the past couple of weeks. I have never had this problem before-- what's going on?"
I guess that you are playing more than you are practicing. Or maybe not practicing at all. The tendency when playing only is to start getting too armsy. This is because you are steering the ball to keep it in play. This is most prevalent when playing very tight courses. You are reluctant to trust your swing and swing freely because you are afraid of the result.
The way to overcome this is to spend some time on the practice tee each week, building a swing you can trust on the course. Unfortunately, we all like to play more than practice, but we have to spend about 20 to 30% of our golfing time on the range to enjoy playing more. The higher your handicap, the more time you need to spend honing your skills. Learn to swing freely and trust your swing.
The Reason.
You pop the ball up into the air with your woods because the angle of attack is too steep. The angle of attack is the angle the clubhead approaches the ball. This is usually caused by an over-the-top swing causing the clubhead to come into the ball at the angle depicted in picture #1.
A divot appearing in front of the ball with the tee shots indicates the club has come into the ball too steeply. #2
The Cure.
To correct this mistake, make sure the club is coming into the ball at a more shallow angle—picture #3. You can achieve this by starting the downswing with the lower body and not the arms.
This will also make your extension down the line much easier to achieve, creating more accurate shots.
With a little practice, the clubhead will now be traveling from the inside towards the target. This will eliminate the pop-up shot. As a result, you will regain lost distance resulting in lower scores and more enjoyment.
Source: Mel Sole Golf School.
Thank you for reading - Get rid of the "Pop Fly" Today!
Related Posts.
The angle of Attack – Technical Thursday #66.
No More Over the Top – Technical Thursday #40.
Controlling your Angle of Attack for better golf shots!
Flying Rear Elbow – Technical Thursday #63.
Steep Downhill Lie over a Bunker – Trouble Shot Tuesday #97.
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