26 Nov (Low) Flights of Fancy
Cheat the wind—and look cool doing it—by perfecting a knockdown shot. Your guide: the “Rule of Ones.”
Start by playing the ball one inch back from the center of your stance. You’ll reduce the loft of the clubface, and that lowers ball flight.
Choke one inch down on the handle. The main benefit here is you’re better able to control the club by shortening your swing, which is key. A shorter swing produces less ball spin, and that helps you keep the ball straighter and lower. Choking down combined with a middle-back ball position also promotes more solid contact.
Because your swing will be shorter, you’ll want to grab one more club than you might normally for a given distance. The extra club provides the added benefit of letting you relax and swing with less force, because you know you have the potential to produce more than enough yardage to get where you want to go. Again, less swing movement, less spin, more success.
Remember you want to minimize all movements in your swing to maximize control. That includes lateral sway or weight shift. Concentrate on keeping your nose one inch ahead of the ball on your backswing. This will help you maintain most of your pressure on that front leg and reduce side- to-side movement. You’ll also come into impact more steeply, which helps keep the ball lower and avoid those deadly into-the wind balloon shots.