By Ken Martin, Director of Golf Instruction

When it comes to pleasurable golf, solid, straight shots rule!  The bottom line goal for any golf swing is to make solid contact with the ball and send it right toward your target.  Too many golfers spend their attention on the parts or pieces of the swing, hoping dearly that it will all come together at "the moment of truth" and provide the desired result.  At Natural Golf, our instructional philosophy is to put our student's attention where it matters most - IMPACT!   You see, your brain works best as a task manager.  Give it a task and it will accomplish the goal.  When learning to strike a golf ball, put your attention on what you are doing with the clubface to the golf ball not on the pieces involved to get it done.  So what does that clubface have to do to that golf ball to get a solid and straight shot?  Here is our formula for success:

Perfect Impact = Pressure + Direction

Perfect Impact is generated by a square clubface contacting the ball on the sweet spot while moving toward the target.  Moving is the key word in the sentence above because the more the clubface is accelerating through impact the more the ball is compressed.  Ball compression is what you experience when the ball suddenly "rockets" off the clubface with seemingly effortless power.  The experience is only elusive if your attention is not on task, namely applying pressure to the ball through impact.

It's the clubface that applies pressure to the ball and because you are holding the handle of the club, you must apply pressure there, in the correct direction, for it to transfer down the shaft, to the clubhead and eventually through the ball by the clubface.

Training this sensation of properly applied pressure is the goal of our newly revised Natural Golf instructional formats.  Moe Norman showed us the simplest way to apply pressure through impact and from his example we built our Fundamentals. 

Fundamental #1: The Natural Hold positions your hands on the club so the clubface will more naturally square to the direction of your swing path during impact.

Fundamental #2: The Single Plane Setup aligns your arms with the clubshaft at address so you can swing both back and through on virtually the same path; on a single plane, which is the most direct way to apply pressure to a golf ball in the correct direction.

Fundamental #3: Drive the Ball to Your Target using the stress free power source of leverage to turn the pressure on!

The key to pressure through impact is maintaining handle acceleration through the impact zone.  Handle acceleration allows the clubhead to LAG behind, storing energy in the shaft. We use a Strike Bag as a training aid to give you the proper sensation.  In the pictures below you can see where the pressure is applied to the handle and how the clubhead LAGS behind, energy builds in the shaft (usually felt as pressure against your thumbs) until it is transferred to the clubface and ball through impact.

Apply pressure to the handle in the direction of the green arrows and the clubhead will lag behind; keep the pressure up through impact. When applied in the correct direction, your hands will lead the clubhead to impact.

Apply pressure to the handle "on plane" and in line with the clubshaft for maximum transfer of energy to the ball.  This alignment is established with our Natural Hold and Single Plane Setup.  That's what keeps our method so much simpler to get on with the task of compressing the golf ball; we start at address where we most naturally and effectively return through impact.  When training with a Strike Bag, be sure to maintain pressure against the bag for a few seconds after impact (indicated by red line above).  Using this same association, focus on applying pressure to the ball through impact. 

Practice applying pressure to the ball through impact and we are certain you will enjoy effortless power instead of powerless effort!

<-  Check out this great impact picture of Moe Norman...pressure through impact!

Perfect Impact = Pressure + Direction! 

Ken Martin was certified in February 1995 and is a PGA member.  Ken teaches in West Palm Beach, Florida. Ken's personal motto on the golf course is: "Experience and Enjoy".