COACHING INSIGHTS

By Nick Riley – West of England Golf Academy
In association with

When I am teaching there seems to be a common problem, whether the pupil is an amateur or a professional they generally suffer from “Too Much BODY Movement”.

To reduce movement in the body, first I would like to look at the legs. If the legs move during the stroke this will cause the upper body to sway making it impossible to strike and roll the ball consistently.

A wider stance for stability is being used by many of the world’s top professionals. Howell, Harrington and Stenson to name a few.  It has been proven that the wider the stance is the more stable the bodies’ centre of gravity becomes (which means less movement). 
The feet should be slightly wider than the shoulders, think of the width of your stance you would use to drive the ball from the tee. The legs should be set in stone, legs like the Eiffel Tower solid and still.

Another big cause of movement is when the “eyes beat the strike”
Most people will strike the ball and then the eyes immediately follow the ball down the line towards the hole, causing the shoulders and hips to open up causing undesirable body movement in the upper body.

Try the drill below, I think it will help reduce a lot of that upper body movement. 

Drill
On short putts a good drill is to pick out a little piece of grass between the putter and the ball, don't take your eye off it until you hear the ball drop.

Remember! nobody becomes a great putter overnight. It takes a little hard work on your part and a commitment to quality practice.

”Practice it before taking it to the course”.

When you attempt to make changes to your stroke, spend the majority of your practice time away from the golf course. I like to work on my stroke indoors.

Working indoors takes away the distraction of putting to a hole and the subconscious urge to hole out no matter what the cost. Your mind is clear to focus on the feedback from your mechanics and work on improving them. Eventually you will become technically competent and ready for the golf course.

Incorporate these putting insights into your action and I guarantee you will see an improvement.

Good Golfing.

Nick Riley
Director of Golf
West of England Golf Academy

Copyright 2007