Something for the Weekend: Try a

Lee Kopanski, the British-born head PGA pro at his own golf academy at Loipersdorf Golf Club, a 27-hole course in Styria, Austria, has worked with some of the best coaches in Europe and offers free online golf lessons at www.golfswingzone.com. And now he's taking over our Something for the Weekend series for a few weeks.

Banish the topped or heavy shots

The hallmark of the driving range king who falls apart within a handful of holes is that more often than not they are cheating themselves by merely working on their rhythm and this can often disguise a big swing fault as they manoeuvre themselves to compensate.

Topped and heavy shots may seem poles apart when you hit them - one tends to shoot over the back of the green while the other can be overtaken by a flying divot. But they have more in common than you may realise.

Keeping your head down or forcing your left arm straight is not the answer but your swing direction could be, assuming your address position is correct.

To overcome either problem, take an 8-iron and select your target. With your FEET TOGETHER, tee the ball just left of centre in your stance and start hitting shots with an easy half swing.  

If your shots consistently start left of the target-line, your downswing direction is too much out-to-in which tends to produce a slice pull or even a shank with a full swing. It blocks the natural rotation of your upper body and often results in heavy and topped shots.

If your shots start too far to the right (excessive in-to-out) you have a tendency to hook, push-slice or even shank, disconnecting the trailing upper body from the aggressive movements of the lower body. This can also result in heavy and topped shots.

When your downswing is poorly directed it will block your body, forcing you to lose or gain height and reduce potential power by upto 60 per-cent through excessive ball spin. Playing shots with your FEET TOGETHER simplifies things by isolating your body movements allowing you to tackle your swing directional problems head on.

My advice is if you can remain well-centred and balanced it will reduce a tendency to sit back on your right side and scoop the ball.

If your shots are consistently heading too far to the left, then simply swing more to the right to balance your downswing direction out until it’s back on track. A correctly directed golf swing will naturally position your body in the right place at the right time ensuring that everything is working together, stopping those destructive topped or heavy shots.

Once your ball flight is attacking the target with your FEET TOGETHER, simply WIDEN YOUR STANCE and introduce your body for more power.

Want more?

Head to our Something for the Weekend index. Remember to let us know how you get on and share your own tips with us in the forum and on our Facebook page. You can also tweet us @Golfmagic.