A shot begins even before the golfer is by the ball. He starts by observing the surroundings, the possible path for the ball, any hazards or obstructions on the way, etc. The walk towards the ball after a tee shot is equally as important as the shot itself. “The first thing I do is take a good look at the lie. Is it anything out of the ordinary? Is it above or below my feet? Is it in a divot? If it’s in the rough, is it a flyer?” Woods explained in an article he wrote for Golf Digest.

After the lie, it falls to the path ahead. “I shift my focus to the green complex. I like to let the course dictate what type of shot I’m trying to hit. Where is the exact spot I want the ball to land? Sometimes it’s more important to have the ball working away from a hazard than toward the flag. Amateurs don’t think enough about things like that before they start their pre-shot routine.” Woods further added. There is a need to be attentive about details regarding the location of the lie, i.e., where the ball is going to be hit from. Just like that, there is a need to pay attention to where the ball has to fall.

The Stance

Once the lay of the land has been observed, you have decided on the shot, then comes the next step, the way you set up your swing. This also depends on where you place the ball with respect to your stance before you swing.

“Well, one, the ball is so far back in his stance that no matter what he does the face is going to be open. OK. So the further the ball back — so the swing’s on an arc, right? Always imagine it’s on an arc. The further back you play it, the more open it’s going to be. So if you want to start closing the face up, just move it up a little bit in your stance.” This was what Woods had to say to correct the swing of Trent Ryan of the Foreplay podcast. The ball needs to be in the sweet spot while you are swinging at it.

The Swing

Once your stance is sorted, then comes the swing. This determines a chunk of how the shot is going to take place. Imagine you are a computer. You are fed data, and you churn out the result. The data is the walk and the stance. The swing is the process by which you execute. Basically, it is the complex mathematical formulas and code that work behind the scenes.

“In order to get the ball airborne, you must hit down on it. Countless golfers try to help get the ball in the air by swinging up on the ball. That makes it go down — a topped shot, or a thin one at best. Hitting down not only gets the ball in the air, it imparts backspin and enables the ball to fly true,” Woods explained. He had detailed the process of his swing for the Los Angeles Times.

A swing is a combination of both horizontal and vertical movement. While the former part is fine and dandy, the latter part tends to get ignored by most golfers. The vertical part is key to hitting the ball at the right spot. A bit higher, the ball stays low. Too low, the ball tends to get less distance and more height. Not what you want. “The proper backswing is a combination of horizontal and vertical movement. Most amateurs err on the vertical side — they start the swing by lifting the arms straight up and cocking the wrists immediately. Because the backswing is too vertical, the downswing is too vertical as well. The tendency is to chop down on the ball instead of swinging through it smoothly.” The 82-time PGA Tour winner further added.

The horizontal part also needs care and attention. “Don’t forget the ‘horizontal’ part of the backswing. That means establishing a nice, wide swing arc as soon as you move the club back. I have the feeling of stretching my hands and arms away from my body early in the backswing, my wrists beginning to cock naturally after the clubhead reaches about knee height. That helps me accumulate power and also ensures that my downswing won’t be too steep.”

The Big Cat served as a reminder to all golf aspirants. Once the swing is sorted, the next step is the contact you make with the ball. This is a lot more about the mental state you are in rather than the physical prowess.

The Strike

“One of the keys to good ball striking is to hit through the ball, not at it. In my mind, the ball is merely an object that is in the way of the clubhead as it tears through the hitting area. I don’t try to end my swing abruptly after the ball is struck. I try to keep the clubhead accelerating down the target line as long as I comfortably can.” Woods explained his thought process while hitting the ball.

The ball needs to experience the full force of the swing. For that, the club head needs to be at maximum velocity when it strikes the ball. If you keep envisioning the ball, there will be a tendency to slow down as you reach the ball. Another mistake would be to increase your speed after or as you are striking the ball. This could further cause a lack of control. The idea is to strike the ball with the increased speed from the start of the swing. Any changes to that could be the undoing of all your efforts previously.

What do you think of these pointers from the great Tiger Woods himself? Would this be enough to take your game a step ahead?