Five Tips for a Phenomenal Swing, Pt. 2

If you missed part 1 you can read it here.

1. Implement the box drill for a solid plane. A slice is created when an open face at the point of contact is present, as well as when a faulty swing path is used. You’ll want a swing path that comes from the inside, which is why the box drill works best. Stand the top half of a golf ball box on its side. Align it so that the box is parallel with your target line. Create a path that will allow the shaft to pass over the box. For those who tend to slice, place the box on the same line; however, make sure it’s forward in the relation of the golf ball.
2. If you’re a hooker, watch your thumbs. You will want to stop the club-face from closing too soon, so implement a thumbs down position. Keeping your thumbs down slows the closing of the club-face and eliminates shots that tend to go to the left. If you’re a slicer, you’ll want to keep your thumbs up in order to close the club-face.
3. Try not to flip. A flip occurs when your body is positioned too far in front of the golf ball; the club will lag with an open face as a result. While your hands will naturally work to close the face, it’s all about the right timing. The results in this case? The club-head races to get in front of the shaft and strikes with an open or closed face on an ascending arc. Create a solid left side to keep your head behind the ball, preventing a flip. Stay balanced and in the correct position.
4. Practice chipping. Keep in mind that this is best done when outdoors! Keep your left wrist firm as the club-face passes through the designated impact zone.
5. Maintain the Special K pose. When the back leg becomes stiff during the backswing, the body is more likely to tilt out of balance. This makes re-flexing the knee difficult to accomplish in time for impact. The Special K is the angle formed in the back leg by the upper and lower portion of the leg. Bend forward from your hips and the back of your knees.Once the back leg is flexed properly, you will have room to swing your arms and align your joints. If you’re in the right position, you will be able to draw a line from the top of your spine through the tip of your elbow, and then from the tip of your knee through the ball joint of your foot. Maintain this angle from address to right after impact. Take practice swings to get used to this angle; practicing in front of a mirror is a great way to see if you’re doing it correctly.