PETER
DAWSON
Peter is the only Master Professional in the UK to have
played in the Ryder & World Cup. As a coach he has led
the Danish, Swiss & Moroccan national teams which
included players such as Thomas Bjorn & Anders Hansen
Damn, in the bunker short of the green, if only I had hit
it cleanly it would have been perfect! Sound familiar?
So many men from a 100- 120 yards
take a 52 or 54 degree wedge expecting
to hit the ball perfectly to get the maximum distance. This yardage is not about
thrashing the ball it’s about placing the
ball next to the pin, why force a 52 degree
club when you have a 9 iron or a wedge
in the bag?
Naturally this is not just aimed at male golfers, ladies are
sometimes guilty of making the same mistake, taking into account the physical differences their distances can be slightly
shorter but the same advice applies. If the player forces a shot
there will always be a certain degree of excess body movement
leading to a larger margin of error. Imagine playing a 9 iron
from this distance how quiet the body would be in comparison
to swinging at full speed.
Where do you have the majority of feeling in these shots?
In the hands! Yes we need to have a pivot but this length of shot
is more hand and arms. By placing the weight approx 60% on
the front foot the head and hands have advanced forward thus
giving you every chance to strike the ball on a downward motion. If you take up your normal correct stance slide your weight
over to the front foot your head and hands follow, job done.
If your weight transfers onto the back foot on the backswing
then onto the front foot there are too many things to go wrong.
By keeping your weight fractionally forward it will become
more of an arms and hands movement. The cylinder turns over
the front leg enabling the swing to be more compact.
Do not try to lift the ball, the loft and lines on the club face
have been designed to do this for you, ball followed by turf is
the goal, not the other way around. Besides there is less resistance when you hit the ball first before the earth.
However, when more accomplished you could try to manipulate the club face at impact to achieve a higher or lower flight,
relax the grip at impact to roll the ball more, or tighten the
grip at impact to stop the ball quicker. With the basics done
correctly, this length of shot can be great fun.
50 YOURCADDY | ISSUE 01
• Take a longer club than a wedge
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Place 60% of your weight on your front foot
Keep the ball in the middle of the stance
Feel the swing in your hands and arms
Keep your legs and stance strong
Take ball then turf
Follow the ball with your chest.
DO NOT SMASH IT