A Visualization Tip from John Toepel Jr.

The late John Toepel Jr. was a former PGA Tour pro and president of Concept Golf, a company in the Raleigh-Durham area of NC. I have a book he wrote called Golf Can't Be This Simple: The Swing (I also have another book by him called GCBTS: Playing the Game) that has some interesting ideas in it.

One of the best things inside the ebook is a visualization tip to help players who've trouble getting the ball off the ground, mainly with long golf equipment. The tip is truly this:

If you've got hassle getting the ball off the ground, attempt to hit the ball no better than knee level for about 100 yards.

I know that sounds weird, but obviously he isn't talking about hitting the ball so it rolls along the ground. What he wants you to do is hit the ball so it flies at knee level for around a hundred yards or so.

The key right here is that Toepel says it might not. Instead, you will get a stable shot with a right trajectory.

Doesn't sound very beneficial, does it? Yet Toepel says it has helped his college students. Why would it not?

Think approximately this for a moment. As Toepel factors out, many of the exceptional ball strikers come from windy parts of the arena like Texas and Scotland, where they are compelled to maintain the ball low.

When players try to hit the ball up in the air, they usually try to hit the ball on the upswing, the way you would hit a ball on a tee. But if the ball is sitting on the ground, an upward strike means you hit the ball thin. You want to hit the ball with a slight downward strike... and that's the natural thing to do if you try to hit the ball low.

Toepel indicates that you try to hit every membership low, even if you're seeking to hit a wedge over a tree. He says to set the clubface and ball position for the shot you want, however hit the ball with the concept that it will fly knee high. The loft gets the ball up, however the try and hit a low shot will create the essential solid touch to get that end result.

So if you're having hassle hitting solid pictures that get the ball off the ground, try and hit the ball so it flies knee high for a hundred yards or so. You is probably surprised how tons your ball putting improves.