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| Take up your stance (left) and ensure the band is stretched at the top (right)
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PGA pro John Hoskison, who plays on the European Seniors Tour, offers some quick tips to help golfers improve their game.
WHILE the downswing, square clubface at impact and a high follow-through are vital in creating a dynamic action to hit the golf ball, a smooth takeaway and good backswing is important to hit good golf shots consistently.
From a good position at the top of the golf backswing, a golfer can accelerate confidently into the ball and hit crisp irons and longer drives. This exercise helps a golfer to swing the club back efficiently into a good position and without unnecessary loops.
I suggest you get yourself an exercise band, which you can buy from most sports shops. Take it into your garden and with a 7-iron, take up your golf stance. Hold one end of the band under the grip and slip the other end underneath your right foot. Then make your backswing.
As the club moves back in the takeaway, the slack will be taken up and the band will start to stretch. The feeling should be of tension increasing constantly and this leads to an efficient, direct backswing.
If a golfer normally has a loop in the backswing as soon as the club moves off the correct line the feeling of tension building constantly will suddenly change.
Not only will this exercise help you to feel the right swing it also helps build up the muscles needed to play golf well.
John Hoskison is attached to the Newbury Golf Centre and plays on the European Seniors Tour, having earned a conditional card after finishing 10th at Qualifying School at the Pestana. He returned to the UK to rebuild his career in tournament golf after spending time in China, where he was instrumental in the building a driving range for underprivileged children Fuzhou. He won the 2005 Jamega Tour Order of Merit with six victories from 12 starts. For further information visit John's website at www.johnhoskisongolf.com.
