Home About Us The Instructors Clinics Private Lessons Junior Golf Instructional Tips Calendar Oak Marsh Golf Club Phone: 651-730-8886 Fax: 651-730-6711 institute@wpgolf.com Spring Time & 2008 Play Golf Minnesota Week! April 2008 - By David La Pour Before I get back to my monthly tips about consistency, I feel that one of the most traumatic changes in golf occur this time of year. I’m talking about migrating from the golf dome or practicing off a mat to the actual driving range and real turf. One of the good or bad things (depending on how you look at it) about practicing on a mat is the bounce factor when you hit your shot a little heavy. What I’m talking about occurs when you catch the ball a little heavy (hitting the mat first), and the club literally bounces into the ball, delivering a good shot. Most golfers don’t even realize that they are hitting the ground first and that this bounce effect is even happening. So what’s the big deal? When you practice for weeks or even months bouncing your club into the ball then you move to the driving range and hit off of real grass, that same shot that you’ve been practicing becomes a fat shot! All the energy that usually goes into the mat/ball now goes into the dirt and not the ball. This is especially apparent in Minnesota in the Spring when the grass is dormant and there isn’t a lot of thatch (base) to the turf. Splat city! My first suggestion is to put down an aim club in order to keep an eye on your alignment and ball position. If you are hitting the shot fat or heavy try playing the ball a little further back in your stance to help make cleaner contact. You may also want to make sure you are shifting your weight correctly on the follow through to help in your “ball first” golf shot. Another way to make the transition from the dome to the driving range is to take advantage of Play Golf Minnesota Week April 28th to May 4th. During this week you can take a free lesson from one of the WP Golf Institute’s PGA Professionals. You can also take a free lesson anytime during the month of May. Go to www.wpgolf.com or www.playgolfminnesota.com for more information. Good luck this season and I look forward to seeing you at the course! MORE TIPS Home / Putting / Short Game / Full Swing / Mental / Health / Other "If you are hitting the shot fat or heavy try playing the ball a little further back in your stance to help make cleaner contact."