I love the “Florida Swing”, and I love Bay Hill, just ask my wife (she told me I said it about five times while watching the Saturday coverage)
The ’21 edition of The Arnold Palmer Invitational did not disappoint. The course was a complete test and an impressive cast of characters showed up on the Sunday leaderboard.
With much respect to Bryson DeChambeau, who stole the show, I was fascinated by Lee Westwood as he vied for the title. Massively outmatched off the tee, Westy combined guile, smarts, accurate ball-striking and some nifty plays to keep the pressure on Bryson all the way to the very end.
There are a couple lessons you can learn from the 47 year-old, who is already off to a good start at the Players Championship. The wily veteran has played enough golf in Florida to understand the importance of the following two shots, which every golfer should know how to hit…
1. The Low Ball
Keeping the trajectory down is a valuable shot-making skill and a great way to improve your ball striking.
A lower flighted ball is created by a blend of a delofted clubface at impact, a slightly descending angle of attack and a reduction of ball speed and spin.
Before we get into the how-to’s of the shot do always remember, the more the ball is spinning the more likely it is to climb and potentially bend off-line. It is why I always share this ditty: “Swing easy when it is breezy.”
Westwood did this by taking extra club, making an abbreviated, balanced and well-timed swing.
You can too but before you do make sure you have the following pre-shot elements in order:
- Grip down the club an inch or two,
- Move the ball back to the middle of the stance (be careful not to move it too far back),
- Move your body wright forward and keep pressure on the lead foot, and
- Set your hands marginally in front of the clubface.
Then as you make your swing, retain the pressure on your forward leg and pivot over it. You should get the sense that you do not turn behind the ball very much at all. (The pro’s would call the feeling “covering the ball”.) Keep your arms out to your sides throughout the pass and strive for an even pace throughout the swing. Remember, abbreviated in length, smoother in cadence and well-timed in movement will lead to better strikes and more success.
* And practice a few shots off a downhill slope – that will quickly “teach” you what you have to do.*
2. The divot ball
Equally as impressive as the shot into the 11th was Westwood’s approach into the iconic final hole. After pinning a drive down the middle, Lee’s ball found a sand-filled divot. Impressively unfazed, he delivered a gem into the heart of the boomerang shaped green.
Playing out of a divot is easier than most people think. In fact in many respects it is similar to hitting the low shot. The main thing to remember is that you have to make the lowest part of the swing’s arc happen after the golf ball.
Add to that, the angle of attack will typically be a little steeper and more downward to “trap” the ball out of the divot.
- Do not grip down the club – you need all of the length of the shaft to get under the ball (which is likely below your feet),
- Move the ball back to the middle of the stance (be careful not to move it too far back),
- Move your body wright forward and keep pressure on the lead foot, and
- Set your hands marginally in front of the clubface.
As you strike the ball it is worthwhile to consider the collision of the club with the ground will likely slow it down. In other words it will be hard to make a full-flowing follow-through – Stick with a shorter finish; just commit to decent, downward ball contact.
Just like the low shot, practicing out of bad lies is a good idea and guaranteed to help your swing and lower your scores. It did with Westwood, on the very last hole of the tournament.
