Fully understanding that everyone’s basement floor/garage floor/hitting bay mat is level during these times of quarantine we cannot neglect the importance of understanding what our body needs to do to be able to execute a shot on an uneven lie when we are out on the course this season. We all understand that golf is unique in that your ball will never find itself in the same lie twice. Ever. Whether in the middle of the fairway, in the rough, in the bunker, or around the green, a golfer has to adapt to the lie in front of them and make the most of that opportunity. Each lie requires an adjustment to be made to the club face and the club path to execute the appropriate shot for each situation. With that said, finding success when faced with an uneven lie really comes down to maintaining dynamic posture in a less than ideal environment.
Two muscle groups that we focus on here at GPC that are critical to maintaining posture once the club is taken away are the lats and hamstrings. These two large muscle groups will dictate how efficient you will be with your golf mechanics. If your lats are tight you will have difficulty maintaining proper width in your takeaway and may be predisposed to “standing up” in your backswing resulting in a flat shoulder plane as you try to rotate. This leads to compensations with the club path and club face as a result. When a golfer’s hamstrings are tight the hips will have a tendency to go into extension too early, negatively affecting the athlete’s ability to transition and rotate their hips properly through impact. In addition to proper lat and hamstring flexibility, building and maintaining a strong core (glutes, abdominals, obliques, erector muscles on the back of the body, etc.) is critical to being able to control your motion without losing your balance if the ball is above or below your feet. Being able to “feel the ground” and engage this musculature will ensure your dynamic posture remain consistent, giving you the best opportunity for your ball striking to do the same.
A great exercise to build dynamic stability are FMT Backswing Pulls. Maintaining posture as you pull the band into your backswing will go a long way to helping you rely on the “big” muscles of your trunk when it is time to rotate and take on those uneven lies with confidence. In addition to the variety of shots you can create on GPC National, we have installed one station on the tee line specifically for practicing uneven lies which is new this year! This is a perfect opportunity to hone this part of your game. Don’t let these shots cost you higher scores, start working on improving physically to support your efforts on the course!
FMT Backswing Pull – Begin in golf posture with one end of the FMT placed under your lead foot. The other end should be held in your hands as a golf club would be. Begin to rotate into a half-backswing. Keep pressure on the instep of your lead foot (the one with the band under it). As you rotate back, be sure your arms stay in front of your chest. If the band hits your trail knee as you rotate, your arms are getting too far behind you.
SEE YOU IN THE ZONE!
