Justin Rose tips: Relax and let it flow
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If you’re under pressure, your body through a physiological change and the capillaries in your hands will swell – this can have a numbing effect. If your grip pressure on a normal day is five or six out of 10, then try and make it three or four when the pressure is really on. The reality is that you’ll still be holding onto the club with the same grip as normal, it’s just that you can’t feel it as well. Lots of amateurs grip the club far too tightly anyway and that can be a problem. We all know that a tight grip leads to tension in the arms and body which is never going to work in your favour. How can you expect to let the club swing freely when your muscles are cramped and tight?
Try this!
One thought ties my swing together: When I start the downswing, I let my arms drop halfway down as my shoulders stay closed to the target. I often rehearse this move as part of my pre-shot routine. By dropping my arms to start down, my wrists naturally hold their angle with the shaft, and it’s easier to hit the ball from the inside.
Set-up for accuracy
Amateurs often have the ball too far back at address and that leads to a number of key faults. They get steep, which tends to mean they lose control and hit it very high. They also hang back on the shot and never transfer their weight in time. Accuracy comes from a full, flowing swing, so you need to be able to move effortlessly through the ball at impact and into a complete finish. I like the ball to be opposite the three stripes in my left shoe, which I have splayed out more than some players as it helps me to get my weight properly through the ball.
