Page 14 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 54
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                    Sports  Energy Asks Our Local Club Pros


                              Greater Cornwall & Areas Community Sports Newspaper
                           Hello Club Pro’s, I have been out on the putting green and seemed to have developed
                         a bad habit.  For some reason I have started to “Double Hit” the ball on some of my putts.
                        What can I do to correct this?  Also, If I do it during a game, does it count as two strokes?




                                                   Robyn Campbell                                                Tristan Holder

                                                                                                                      PGA of Canada
                                                                                                               Head Golf Professional


                                           have   some   good   news   and   some                              ouble  Hits  are  caused  when  the
                                           have  some  good  news  and  some
                                         I  bad  news.    The  bad  news  is  that  yes,                  D
                                         I bad  news.    The  bad  news  is  that  yes,
                                                                                                          Dclub  face  passes  the  hands  on  the
                                          unfortunately it is a one-stroke penalty for
                                          unfortunately it is a one-stroke penalty for                     downswing  and  follow-through.    To
                                                                                                           downswing  and  follow-through.    To
                                           double hitting your ball, even if it occurs
                                           double hitting your ball, even if it occurs
                                           on the putting green, but the good news                          reduce the number of strokes made on
                                           is that it can be corrected easily!  The                         the green from double hitting the ball,
                                           issue that may be causing the double-                            we are going to be sure that, at impact,
                                           hit is the speed of your follow-through.                        our bottom hand (conventional grip) is  is
                                           hit is the speed of your follow-through.
                                                                                                           our bottom hand (conventional grip)
                                          By speeding up your follow-through, you                         pressing forward ahead of the club face on
                                          By speeding up your follow-through, you
                                                                                                          pressing forward ahead of the club face on
                                        may make improper contact either with the
                                        may make improper contact either with the
                                                                                                        the downswing through impact.  This           will
                                      ground  before  the  ball  or  on  the  ball  itself,             the downswing through impact.  This           will
                                      ground  before  the  ball  or  on  the  ball  itself,
                    causing the double-hit.  To avoid this, try to make a nice clean   ensure     the club face stays behind the ball longer, allowing
                    putting stroke by keeping your back-stroke and follow-through    the ball roll out to the target.  If a double hit occurs, the player
                    at a steady and equal pace.  To practise this, head to the practice   must  count  the  stroke  and  add  a  penalty  stroke,  making  two
                    green before your round and hit a few balls while paying close   strokes in all.  Final thought: to remove ‘double hitting’ from
                    attention to how fast your back-stroke and follow through are.                                                                       Upper Canada Golf Course 613-543-2003 uppercanada.com

                    Try to keep the stroke at a steady pace while keeping your eye   your golf vocabulary, always be sure to make a confident strike
                    on the ball.  Eventually your putting stroke will improve, and the   through the ball, keeping the bottom hand ahead of the club face
                    double-hits will be eliminated!                                  through impact.




                                               Carol Ann Campbell                                                   Allen McNairn

                                                    LPGA Class “A”                                                    Pro Shop Manager

                                                Teaching Professional

                                        F   irst of the all the penalty - it’s one shot                   T    wo things could  cause this
                                        Ffor striking the ball more than once so
                                          your actual putt, plus the penalty makes
                                          your actual putt, plus the penalty makes                        Tissue.  The fi rst could be your
                                                                                                           ball position is too far back in your
                                                                                                           ball position is too far back in your
                                           two strokes in all.
                                           Secondly, although double hitting a putt                         stance.  Also if you are hitting the
                                           is not all that common (it’s much more                           ball  with  a  downward  stroke  this
                                           common  to  double  hit  a  chip  shot)  it
                                                                                                           may  also  cause  a  double  hit.    To
                                                                                                           may  also  cause  a  double  hit.    To
                                          sure can play with your confi    dence when
                                          sure can play with your confidence when
                                                                                                          correct  either  issue,  move  the  ball
                                        you  have  the  short  stick  in  your  hand.                     correct  either  issue,  move  the  ball
                                        you  have  the  short  stick  in  your  hand.
                                      Sometimes this can happen when we get too                        forward  in  your  stance,  this  should
                                      Sometimes this can happen when we get too
                                                                                                       forward  in  your  stance,  this  should
                   much focus on the follow-through.  When you force the follow-

                                                                                     solve the problem.  Head to the putting green to find
                   through you may be accelerating faster than the ball is travelling
                   toward the hole and in fact, you hit the ball a second time.  I’m   your best position to hitting the ball square.
                   not normally one to promote a “pop” motion when putting but       And yes if you double hit the ball, it counts as 2 strokes.
                   certainly  if  you  are  plagued  with  double-hitting  putts  it  would
                                                                                     A quick stop at the practice green prior to your game
                   certainly be worth practising with an abbreviated follow-through -
                   hence “popping” the putting into the back of the ball.            will help your scores all season long.


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