At Formby Golf school and driving range, Formby, Southport, Liverpool, Birkdale, Merseyside, North West England we spend a lot of time on your golf swing: It's good to listen to professional golf players and golf instructors talking about golf, the famous golfer Lee Trevino talk about the golf swing. If there ever was a self-made man, Lee is certainly it! The Merry-Mex learned golf the hard way, sneaking onto golf courses and caddying when he was young. He practiced long and hard when he was a young man in Mexico diligently honing his craft.
Lee certainly has a great understanding of the golf swing. Lee's swing is a bit unorthodox as he reroutes the club on the downswing...not a conventional golf swing to say the least. One thing Lee Trevino understands very well is how the golf ball responds to the club face at impact....which is the only thing the golf ball cares about. Do you think the golf ball cares about how your swing looks? All it knows is what is happening at impact.

 At Formby Golf  Driving Range and Golf School we help you to understand and you probably have heard it a million times, you must hit down on the golf ball to make it go up! Do you know what is really happening when a golf ball is well struck at impact?

Most golfers "flip" the club face at the ball in a futile attempt to make the ball go up...if there ever was a move in the golf swing that robs you of power, this is it. Lee likes to imagine the back of his left hand is the club face while he is swinging. On the down swing he imagines "trapping" the back of his left hand into the back of the ball...an incredibly powerful move that keeps the golf club at a right angle with the left arm deep into the downswing. "Hit the back of the ball with the back of the left hand" is Lee's mantra. World famous golf swing guru Butch Harmon says he likes to feel like he has Bethlehem Steel in his left wrist at impact.

So what happens to the golf ball at impact when it is struck correctly? When you swing down on the ball at impact the golf ball actually spins up the club face to the top grooves. This is what the grooves in the club face are for...this is what gives the golf ball spin. How do you think pro golfers stop the ball on a dime on the green? They are using more of the grooves on the club face than amateurs. Golfers who flip the club face at impact are only utilizing the bottom grooves on the club face...the result; a weak, flat trajectory with little spin...Their left wrist has completely broken down at impact.

Watch the golf pros left wrist at impact...most of them have a bowed left wrist at impact...the opposite of the golfers who flip at the ball where the left wrist has broken down. This bowed left wrist allows a late powerful release into the golf ball...the secret to tremendous power off the tee.

Next time you go to Formby Golf  Driving Range and Golf School , think "Back of Left Wrist Into Back of Ball" as you start your downswing. This mental image forces you to swing from the inside and retain the release deep into the downswing. The ball will start sounding different coming off your club face because you will now be hitting the golf ball the way the club was designed to strike a golf ball. Your golf ball will have a higher trajectory and it will go a lot further.

Hold it Right - Without doubt, the golf grip is perhaps the single greatest challenge faced by the casual golfer. Your grip is your only point of contact with the club and unless you get it right you will be sorely challenged to improve your game. So at Formby Golf school and driving range we patiently spend a lot of time on your grip; Yes! Proper Hand set-up is crucial for your stroke.
Proper Positioning - Firstly, you must ensure the club grip is ahead of the ball with the club grip initially in alignment with your leading hip. If you are a right-handed golfer, the left will be your leading hip. Switch if you are a leftie. This positioning will ensure that the angle of the iron face is optimal for contact with the ball and for transference of the maximum amount of energy on impact. Grip more with Your Fingers - Proper positioning will also allow you to grip more with your fingers than with the palm of your hand. Your result will be less tension, especially at the upper end of your swing arc. If you avoid the common mistake of griping the club too much in the palm of your hand, you will have much more power in your stroke. Power strokes come from relaxed muscles and by gripping more with the fingers you will enjoy more dexterity in controlling the club and more refinement in your feel.

The More Relaxed the Better - Sometimes, when we are anxious about a shot, we can squeeze just that little bit too hard. Tension is insidious and before you know, it can creep up your arms and into your shoulders. Unhappily, this can result in the overuse of certain muscles and the overall action of your swing is not as relaxed or effective. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the hardest you can comfortably grip, aim for a normal grip pressure of about 5 or 6. A more relaxed grip will give you a faster club head speed on impact and you can look forward to enjoying those awesome long drives A Yoga Trick for You - You can more easily maintain a state of focused relaxation by taking long slow deep breaths as you set up. Breathe in and out through your nose with the tip of your tongue pressed against the roof of your mouth (a yoga trick). This automatically cultivates your body's natural relaxation response and you will be surprised at how much greater ease you enjoy in your swing.

Choose Your Grip Type - In order of popularity, there are 3 common grip types: Overlapping, Interlocking, and Ten Finger (a.k.a. the baseball grip).

** In the overlapping grip, you place the little finger of your trailing hand between the index and second finger of your lead hand. Rest the lead hand thumb in the lifeline of the trailing hand.

** With the interlocking grip, hook the little finger of your the trailing hand under and around the index finger on the lead hand. Tuck the lead hand thumb in the lifeline of the trailing hand.

** The ten finger grip is as it sounds, with 10 fingers in perfect contact with the handle. Grip the club with the lead hand and position your trailing hand so that your little finger is right smack against the index finger of the lead hand. Tuck the lead hand thumb under the lifeline of the trailing hand.