When you first venture to the course, the hardest challenge is always playing from the grass. The reason being is that the grass will feel less forgiving particularly if you're used to playing off grass mats at the Driving Range. The biggest thing to think about is that it's not a requirement that you must play from the grass as you could use a tee all the way round if you feel comfortable. However once you start wanting to play competitions only then would you need to learn how to competently play off grass.
The biggest recommendation when becoming comfortable off grass is learning how to build a successful pre-shot routine. I will always preach to have at least one to two practice swings before each shot rehearsing skimming the grass. You want to then approach the ball and feel as though it's not the ball you're trying to hit, but the grass under the ball. Also there's no need to lose your confidence if you take too much grass in your practice swing because as long your moving your weight through the ball, you can actually take as much grass as you like because the ball will most likely be struck first before the grass (which is the sign of perfect contact).
One last element too when skimming the grass in your pre-shot routine, is take note of where the club is striking the grass. The perfect strike is where the club strikes the grass slightly ahead of where the club was originally positioned. This will guarantee that you're moving through the shot and not staying on your back foot. Now to become very proficient in skimming the grass, the first task is always to work on spine angle. You want to ideally practice in front of a mirror and see your posture set at a 45 degree angle and maintained right up until the ball is hit. The back can then straighten after impact.
The next element to striking the grass consistently is hinging your wrists correctly. You want to ensure that on your backswing that you gradually hinge your wrists so they set to 90 degrees at the top of the swing. This will then enable the club to strike down into the ground rather than trying to scoop the ball into the air. Lastly you just want to ensure that you move all of your weight onto the front foot so again the club is working down which will cause the ball to lift.
If you have any further questions regarding how to strike the ball consistently on the course, just contact myself at David Waters Golf.
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