If you carefully scrutinize a good player’s swingâa player whose golf handicap is in the single digitsâyou’ll notice something odd. There’s a flat spot at the bottom of the swing arc, just as the club strikes the ball. This flatness isn’t an optical illusion. It’s real. And it’s significant. Launch angle is critical to generating power and accuracy from the tee box. It also fosters solid contact .
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Every tee shot has an optimum launch angle off the teeâno matter what the club. This angle depends almost entirely on clubhead speed at impact. Driving the ball off the tee with the right clubhead speed and launch angle produces a ball flight that helps golfers gain distance and achieve accuracy. Unfortunately, players with high golf handicaps don’t always understand the relationship between clubhead speed and launch angle.
Defining Launch Angle
Launch angle, as I’ve explained in many golf tips, is the angle at which a ball leaves the clubface. Launch angle results primarily from two factors: ball speed and ball spin. Correctly adjusting one or both increases driving distance and accuracy. That in turn helps cut some strokes from your scores and your golf handicap. In other words, if you really want to bomb one down the fairway, you must hit the ball at the perfect launch angle. Below are some keys to doing so:
1. Check Your Grip For Square Contact
To drive your ball straight and far, you must make square contact with the ball. To do that, you need the right gripâone allowing you to return the clubhead to the ball squarely time after time after time. The best grip for that is a neutral one. A weak grip turns the hands too far to the left (right, for a left-hander) producing a slice. A strong grip turns the hands too far to the right (left, for a left-hander), generating a hook. But a neutral grip aligns the hands with the club head, increasing your chances of making solid contact at the optimum launch angle.
2. Get A Feel For Impact
In addition to a neutral grip, develop a feel for impact. Here’s a good drill for that:
Set up a chair in front of you. Position the back of the chair so that it’s aligned where you would position the ball on the tee, with the back facing forward. Assume your address position. Turn away from the chair just as you would on your backswing. Swing down, hitting the back of the chair squarely with the palm of your right hand (left for lefties).
This drill ingrains the feel of impact and develops a good turn away from the ballâjust like they teach in golf lessons.
3. Balance Address To Predetermine Launch Angle
Your address position predetermines your position at impact. Itâs critical you have a balanced address. If your weight is too far forward, you increase your chances of hitting the ball with an upward, glancing blow. If your weight is set too far back, you’ll hit down on the ball, popping it up. Distribute your weight evenly and you’ll hit the ball squarely.
4. Ease Into Swing
Staying on the correct swing plane is essential to hitting longer, more accurate drives. To determine if you’re on the proper swing plane, hold the club in front of you, chest high, with your arms fully extended. Lazily, begin swinging the club back and forth. Lower the club until it starts swishing the ground. That’s the proper swing plane for that club. It’s also a good tempo to play at and swing at.
These four tips won’t turn you into Phil Mickelson. Nor will they eliminate the need for some people to take golf lessons. But they will help you gain additional yardage off the tee and achieve pinpoint accuracy consistently. If you’re serious about lowering your golf handicap, gaining extra yardage is something worth attaining.
Jack Moorehouse
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