BACK O' THE BALL

By Erika Larkin on 11/8/12

Before you pull the trigger and take your swing, where are you looking? At the ball? Which part of the ball? The top? The front? The side? The "T" on the word Taylormade? Does it matter?

I believe the majority of golfers would benefit from looking at the back of the ball especially with Driver. That means the right half of the ball if you're a right handed player. I like to turn range balls to a position where I can focus on the black line the whole time.

What does this do? Well, at address it will encourage a proper spine tilt. Your upper body and head have to be in a position slightly tilted away from your target to see the back half of the ball fully and clearly. This is part of a proper setup. At impact, your eyes staying focused on that part of the ball will keep your head in position so that you don't get ahead or in front of the ball (causing blocked shots, pulls or tops). This tip can also help "keep your head down", that pesky problem that happens to so many of us.

So the next time you tee it up, focus on the back o' the ball while transferring your weight onto the front leg. You should feel more in control with improved hand-eye coordination.

Good luck!

Erika Larkin is the Director of Instruction at Larkin Golf Learning Community at Stonewall Golf Club in Gainesville, Virigina. She was named the 2012 Middle Atlantic PGA "Teacher of the Year" and the 2011 "Top Golf Pro" by Washingtonian Magazine... and she's oobgolf's newest columnist. She will be writing on a variety of topics including instruction, so if you have a question for her or an idea for a column, email her at ErikaLarkin@pga.com. Enjoy!


Image via Flickr, VarsityLife