I was hitting balls on the range the other day next to a guy I've run into a few times on the putting green. He's very analytical and his swing and putting stroke look very mechanical. He's a perfect example of someone who really needs to let go of all his swing thoughts and swing freely. His practice swing doesn't look half bad. He was hitting most of his irons fat, leaving a divot well in front of the ball. If you're hitting your irons fat, you're likely hanging back on your right side at impact.


Alex Ovechkin Slapshot

He asked for some help so I had him move his aim point well out in front of the ball so he'd more likely strike the ball, then the ground. He still struggled to get his weight transferred to his front leg, but he did begin to take some divots that started past the ball! His ball striking definitely improved.

I've always thought that golfers who struggle to hit down and through the ball need to purchase a hockey stick and puck learn how to shoot a slapshot. If you can get a puck up in the air, you can hit a solid golf shot. I'm certain that learning this skill before taking up golf is the primary reason for my good ball striking.

The key to a slapshot in hockey is the footwork and - as goal-scoring phenom Alex Ovechkin demonstrates above - an incredible shift of weight toward the target. Ovechkin's weight shift is so severe that he ends up standing on only his front skate. All of his weight has shifted to his target-side foot. If he hung back, he'd catch the ice, not the puck. Hitting crisp iron shots requires the same movement, with weight on the front foot at impact that stays there into the finish.

Hockey players actually hit with the stick into the ice and then use their hands as fast as they can going through. They also turn their shoulders through the golf shot when they play golf, or when they hit a hockey puck. A lot of times they are skating when they are hitting a hockey puck, skating on the lead skate, rear back with the stick, the elbow is in the air, and when they hit that slap shot, a lot of times you will see the back skate actually go in the opposite direction. They are not turning the hips in this direction, they are actually turning their shoulders more as they go through. So from the top of your backswing, instead of turning your hips through the ball, which often times can lead to a tilty shoulder turn, try leaving your hips in place and turning your shoulders through the shot. You will be amazed how much it moves your hips through.

If you're a scooper, give it a try.

Credit: Think like a hockey player to improve your faulty swing

Labels: Golf Instruction, Hockey