Author: Erik J. Barzeski

When you watch professional golf on television, you’ll see players crouch behind their ball on the green, cup their hands over the sides of their face, and read the putt. On the tees, you’ll see players holding a club on the line of their shot. In the fairway, you’ll see players take practice swings or abbreviated backswings.

They’re reminding themselves to focus.

Part of a consistent pre-shot routine is the reminder that you “kick in” to focus. The golfer cupping his hands over the sides of his face is blocking out distractions, focusing on the line of the putt. Lining your shaft up with your target may serve as the reminder visualize the shot. Taking practice swings reminds a player to focus on the sidehill lie she’s facing.

Incorporate a “focus key” – something small that serves as your reminder to focus. It may be something small – wiggling your toes in your shoes as you stand behind the ball – or something larger – revising your pre-shot routine to incorporate time for visualization. Just focus.

The right knee is perhaps one of the most misunderstood parts in a golf swing. Visit any public course and you’re bound to see golfers of all ages, shapes, and sizes doing everything they can to abuse their golf swings by changing the bend in their back knee.

Today’s Swing Tip is this: your right knee bend stays about the same throughout the swing, right up until your heel comes off the ground towards the end of the follow through. On the backswing, you load up onto a coiled right side. You don’t straighten the knee, nor do you squat. On the downswing, the left knee separates from the right knee a little to start the weight shift forward.

Practice swinging your arms back and through in your living room, focusing on keeping the right knee flexed throughout.

You’re not David Duval or Annika Sorenstam. Those two can get away with lifting their heads before, during, or just after impact. You? Me? We’ve gotta keep our heads down, because when our head comes up, our whole body comes up. We hit shots thin, we hit shots right, and we hack our way around the course.

Simple solution: get in the habit of feeling your right shoulder on your chin before checking out the ball flight. As your arms swing through the ball, your head will naturally come up because your right shoulder forces it up. Swing normally, but focus on letting your head be pushed up, not lifting it up yourself.

Do this right and you’ll see the club pass through the ball and take the divot. What’s the point in looking up if you’re only going to see a bad shot?

Having trouble with your rhythm? Tried envisioning the swing of Sam Snead and hitting balls barefooted to no avail?

Try taking your top pinkie off the club.

Take your normal grip and stance, but then slide your hands further up the grip until the top pinkie (the left pinkie for a right-handed golfer) comes off the top of the club. Swing away.

Removing the pinkie forces you to slow down your swing a little bit because the club will feel a bit less secure in your hands. You’ll feel it set a little more at the top and you’ll feel a better release through the ball. Hit normal shots with a 7I or so, focusing on maintaining control of the club throughout the swing.

We pinkie swear, this one works.