Editor’s note: This month’s instruction installment features Lou Guzzi, the director of instruction at Experienced Golf Center Teaching Academy in Fort Washington, Pa. Guzzi is the 2003 Philadelphia PGA Section Teacher of the Year

               From time to time, we as teachers come across students who exhibit a natural propensity to firmly grasp the fundamentals of the golf swing and the game as a whole. These students are a joy to work with as they have the ability to learn quickly, making it fun for not only us as teachers, but also for them as students. But, as they progress, certain minor elements will keep them from achieving their ultimate goal, which can be frustrating for them as they are used to acquiring skills rapidly.

               Jeff Harrow is one of those golfers. He is a 10-handicap who plays twice a week and practices another two times a week separate from the days he plays. Jeff is 46 years old and began playing the game six years ago. He drives the ball consistently, and he feels confident around the greens. What keeps him from taking his game to single digits are his approach shots with lofted clubs, specifically seven through nine-iron shots. In this sequence, we will attempt to help Jeff while he hits an eight-iron. By changing his ball position, Jeff will be on his way to achieving his goal.

Jeff has achieved a solid golf swing in only six years. With some minor changes, he will be able to break through the barrier that keeps him from shooting lower scores. Jeff’s ball position is too far back in his stance and his grip appears to be slightly strong in both hands. These two initial flaws are the primary cause of some of the swing faults I will be addressing.
He has made a beautiful one-piece takeaway, but there is too much hip rotation this early in the swing. Because of his ball position, Jeff has made a lateral move to get behind the ball, causing him to lose some of the original angle and flex he had at address in his right leg. Maintaining this flex and angle throughout the back swing is a necessity for solid ball striking.
Jeff possesses a tremendous shoulder turn. Although his left arm is bent, I have seen many great tour players in this same position. Remember ball position? Compare his head position in the first photo with this one and we can see how much movement Jeff needed to get behind the ball. Although this face-on photo angle does not give us a true look at the flex in his right knee, like a down-the-line angle would, it appears Jeff has lost most of the flex that he had from his original address position. It will be difficult for him to recover from this much movement, causing him to hit inconsistent shots.
He is doing a great job staying with this swing but he should not have to work this hard. Because of his ball position, he has to hang back in an effort to stay behind the ball so the club can pass. He is now in a stuck position, making his hands flip through the hitting zone, causing the loss of extension in his swing and the loss of consistent ball control. Compare the width of his elbows in this photo with that of the first and you can see that his elbows are now wider with a slight bow to the left arm, losing some of the original triangle he had at address.
Jeff has a solid-looking finish, but his weight is more on the right side than is preferred, which is a direct result of his ball position, causing him to hang back through impact. His knees should be closer together to close the gap between his legs. Ball position and grip are the major cause of his inconsistent shots. He needs to move his ball position up in his stance more toward his left heel. A great drill for Jeff would be to have him take his stance no wider than his club head with the ball just inside his left heel. He should then make half swings back and through, while feeling the club hinging and re-hinging on top of his hands.