We’ve all been there: You’re coming down the stretch. Your dream 18-hole score is within reach. And all you need is a par on the last hole to do it.
But of course, the last hole is a tough one, and keeping it in play off the tee is crucial. A wayward drive spells doom. You’re tense everywhere as you prepare to hit your shot. What can you do to enhance your chances of hitting the fairway under these circumstances?
“Relax your arms,” GOLF Top 100 Teacher Trillium Rose said at this week’s Top 100 Teacher Summit at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Wait, that’s it?
Though it sounds simple, Rose says it’s a universally applicable tip because it can’t really go wrong.
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“Oftentimes, people are thinking, ‘I need to hit a fairway,’ and they’re using everything they’ve got to try to make it work,” Rose said. “But that often backfires. When you have a lot of tension in your hands and don’t allow the club to move freely, you’re either going to slow the club down or move the clubface offline a little bit.”
Rose recommends taking a slow breath with a long exhale and consciously thinking of loosening your grip pressure and relaxing your bicep muscles. You can even physically shake out your arms before addressing the ball to reinforce the idea of releasing tension from the body.
“When your muscles are loosened, you tend to get faster, and you’re more apt to turn the face over,” Rose said.
So next time you’re facing a do-or-die shot off the tee, try Rose’s advice: Take a deep breath, shake the tension out of your muscles and focus on gripping the club lightly. Then make your swing and find that fairway.