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 King Of Aces Become a master of accuracy with the help of the all-time hole in one record holder By Mancil Davis When people learn that I've had 50 holes in one and 10 double eagles, they invariably pop the same question: "Why aren't you on Tour?" The answer is, "I was," albeit briefly. There's more to winning on Tour than accurate irons. Nevertheless, the most important requirement of the game of golf is hitting the ball where you want it to go. If you can't, only the world's greatest short game is going to save you. I've always been a pretty good iron player. Even at a young age, my shots seemed to zero in on the flag (when I got close enough to reach the green). Over the past 30 years, I've spent a lot of time trying to establish a connection between my swing and the success it has produced. Truth is, I don't have a clear-cut answer as to why. What I do have, however, is a planned, sound approach to hitting more accurate golf shots. With it, you may make an ace or two of your own.
Ace Basics Before I hit any golf shot, alignment is foremost in my mind. After all, you can't hit a target if you're not aimed at it correctly. Most weekend players aim well right of target at address and make the dreaded "over-the-top" move to compensate. We all know this usually produces a slice or the big pull left. I prefer to keep things simple. First, align the leading edge of the club to the target and then the body (shoulders, hips and feet) to a point just left of the target. Such a setup position is often referred to as the "Railroad Track" setup, in which the golfer imagines a railroad track running toward the target. The outer track is your guide for the clubface and the inner track is a reference for your body. From this stance, it's my belief that the golfer is in the best position to make a free and more complete swing with less restriction. An easy practice drill to learn correct alignment is to lay clubs on the ground and create a mock railroad track. After just a few shots with the "tracks" in place, you'll begin to see your targets more clearly and feel as though the club is moving directly toward them. Dominant Hand Another important facet of the swing is the lead hand position. I play and teach a dominant front hand. This may be contrary to other modern swing theories and the power style of golf played by many of the Tours' leading money winners, but I truthfully feel that a dominant front hand will enable most golfers to enjoy more consistent and solid golf shots. When a typical (if there is one) golfer tries to fire the right hand (for right-handed golfers), the result is often a distorted, inconsistent clubface angle. In contrast, when a player uses the front hand to control the swing, it makes it easy to "push" the club away from the ball and keep it traveling low to the ground, allowing extension and a longer takeaway. Second, the lower body, which is naturally inclined to follow the front side, establishes the much-needed transfer of weight to the back side for leverage. From the top, I encourage the player to "pull" with the front hand to initiate the downswing. Again, the body follows the clubhead and works through the shot. There's no feeling of extreme effort in this type of swing, as one motion simply creates another. The lead hand pulling the club will make it easier to swing down the target line, leading to more accurate shots and consistent contact. While there may be a slight loss of distance as compared to a right-hand hit, the improved accuracy will more than make up for it when you total your scorecard. This "push-pull" motion may feel awkward at first, as I'm asking you to use your less-dominant side. The only way to become comfortable with this motion is to practice it. Often, I have my students swing with just the front hand on the club to ingrain front-side control. Then, I ask them to hit balls from a normal address position with both hands on the club, but remove the back hand as the club starts its downward motion. Try this drill next time you're at the range. You'll be surprised how solidly and straight you can hit shots with just your front hand on the club. As you perform these drills, pay particular attention to grip pressure. The tendency here is to overgrip with the front hand in an attempt to better control the club. All you need is just enough pressure so that the clubface won't turn at impact. The "Grip It and Rip It" strategy may work for John Daly, but softer hands will ultimately produce the best results. Pace A third crucial component to accuracy is swing pace, which tends to vary from golfer to golfer. Just compare Nick Price or Lanny Wadkins to Ernie Els or Loren Roberts. A dramatic difference exists between them, yet each is an outstanding ballstriker. My take on this is that for most golfers, a smoother, slower swing lends itself to much more consistent and solid contact. A deliberate takeaway will actually encourage your hands to work into a more solid and cocked wrist position at the top of the swing. From there, the front hand pulling motion will allow you to maintain this cocked position throughout the downswing and to release the clubhead at impact. Because the body follows the hands, the smoother pace better allows the body, hands and club to work together to create clubhead speed. Furthermore, a controlled swing facilitates better balance from start to finish and leads to more consistency.
Accuracy Aids I repeatedly work on my front hand position, grip pressure and swing pace with the Tac-Tic collection of training aids. This series of tools, packaged together as the Golf Training System, is invaluable. The Wrist Tac-Tic is a simple swing aid that attaches to the back of the lead wrist and instantly informs the player when his or her hand is out of position (broken down) or if grip pressure is too tight. The Wrist Tac-Tic features a patented "clicking" sound that signals to the player when he or she cups the wrist on the takeaway or releases the club earlier than desired during the downward motion. Too much grip pressure at any point during the swing is also recognized. With some ample range time and the Wrist Tac-Tic, I think you'll find a more comfortable, repetitive swing. A great aid to help you develop better swing pace is the Tempo, another Tac-Tic product. The Tempo is a practice club that features the Tac-Tic "clicking" sound when the hands are set properly on the backswing or if the club is released too early on the downward motion. With the Tempo, the golfer is encouraged to make a very slow, deliberate motion, which leads to desired muscle memory and more solid shots when moving to a "real" swing speed.
Mental Notes I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the mental aspect of the golf swing. I truly believe that my mind is as much of—if not more—responsible for my aces than a decent golf swing. For many years, I knew that I felt "different" when hitting a tee shot on a par-3 hole—much different than when faced with a 200-yard approach on a par-4. The "difference" I refer to is that on a par-3 tee shot, I seem to visualize in vivid color as the ball goes into the bottom of the cup. On other shots, the color isn't as vivid, although I still see the ball going into the hole. I don't have an explanation for this, but several years ago, Sports Illustrated performed a study on my brain wave activity during my swing. The results showed that my brain waves were in fact unique on par-3 tee shots (at least it proved I had a brain). What I found interesting was that my par-3 waves were consistent with those produced by other golfers when faced with a 30- or 40-foot putt—a situation where the hole itself is the definite target. Visualization is a powerful tool. I implore you to use it. Combined with a mastery of the three swing factors discussed here, I'm sure you'll find yourself with more accurate approaches. Mancil Davis is known worldwide as the King of Aces. He appears at corporate, charity and member-guest events, as well as hosts and manages Million Dollar Hole In One Shoot Outs. For fee and date availability, call Mancil Davis Enterprises at (281) 296-0263 or visit Aces50@aol.com. Article from www.golftipsmag.com |
 
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