| How 10 Minutes in Front of a Mirror Can | | | | Place your club behind you and along your |
| Improve Your Golf Fundamentals | | | | spine. Touch your rear end and your upper |
| | | | back to the club. Keeping the club on your |
| Mirror, mirror on the wall, what do I really | | | | back, stick your butt out, and bend from the |
| see after all? The truth is in what you see, | | | | knees and hips until your belt buckle points |
| not in what you feel. | | | | at the ball. Balance on the middle of your |
| | | | feet (front to back, and right to left). |
| It might be raining or snowing outside where | | | | Then, without moving your spine, hold the |
| you're at, or maybe you've been unable to | | | | club in front of you and let your arms hang |
| play for a while for other reasons. But that | | | | relaxed. Take your right hand off the club |
| doesn't mean you can't still work on your | | | | and let it hang to reinforce this concept. |
| game. So here's what you do: get your clubs | | | | |
| re-gripped and your loft and lies checked. | | | | Take Some Swings |
| When you get your clubs back with fresh new | | | | |
| grips, get off to a fresh start with some | | | | Facing the mirror, take five swings (careful |
| basic fundamentals. You can work on them | | | | not to hit anything), starting with about |
| using nothing more than a mirror and a club. | | | | 30-percent of your normal effort. Before each |
| | | | swing, go through your pre-shot routine and |
| Set up a mirror in a high-ceilinged room in | | | | check your set-up in the mirror. |
| your home (or the garage, or wherever). Bring | | | | |
| or sneak, depending on your situation, a | | | | Then switch to a down-the-line view (swinging |
| 6-iron into the room. The mirror will give | | | | toward the mirror). Take five more swings at |
| you an observer's perspective on your swing | | | | about 30-percent effort. Go through your |
| and set-up. Practice the fundamentals | | | | routine and check your posture before each |
| outlined below in the mirror for 10 minutes a | | | | swing. |
| day. | | | | |
| | | | After five swings with each view, increase |
| Go slowly and observe what you are doing in | | | | swing speed for several more swings. Make |
| the mirror. And every time you see something | | | | sure that as you swing, you maintain the same |
| in the mirror you do not like, say, "Thank | | | | tension on the grip from start to finish. Are |
| you, mirror, for showing me what I'm really | | | | you able to swing without adjusting your grip |
| doing." It's a kick! Especially for those of | | | | each time, or is the club moving in your |
| us easily entertained. | | | | hands? Close your eyes: How's your balance? |
| | | | Do you feel in sequence? Can you tell where |
| Grip | | | | the clubhead is and whether it is open or |
| | | | closed through impact? Is your swing path on |
| Find a good book and try to match your grip | | | | the correct swing plane or outside-in (a k a, |
| to the pictures in the book, based on what | | | | over the top)? |
| you see in the mirror. | | | | |
| | | | Swing Path |
| Club Face | | | | |
| | | | Let's say you can't feel if your swing path |
| Take your grip and face the mirror. Look at | | | | is correct or incorrect ... hmmm. Maybe, just |
| the clubface in the mirror. Is it square, | | | | maybe, if you could see your path you could |
| open or closed? | | | | learn to feel it. And if you could feel it, |
| | | | you would be able to correct it. |
| Stance | | | | |
| | | | Here's a great swing-path drill for those of |
| As you sole your 6-iron on the ground, your | | | | you who swing outside-in: Set-up as if you |
| feet should be slightly wider than shoulder | | | | are going to hit the ball through the mirror. |
| width and the left foot (for right-handed | | | | Make a very, very slow swing and stop halfway |
| players) flared open about 20 degrees. Your | | | | through the follow-through. The clubhead |
| right foot might also be flared depending on | | | | should appear to cover your nose in the |
| your flexibility. The less flexible you are, | | | | mirror (as in the photo). Try to accomplish |
| the more open your right foot should be. Your | | | | this position with several slow swings, |
| balance is 50-percent on each foot. | | | | gently stopping your follow-through halfway |
| | | | through. Then, take swings watching the blur |
| Ball Position | | | | of the club pass through your eyes (in the |
| | | | mirror) on the follow-through. Note: If your |
| Place your club in the middle of your stance | | | | head is down, you will have no chance of |
| with the ball slightly forward. With your | | | | seeing the path of your swing. |
| ball position slightly forward, your head | | | | |
| should appear behind the ball. | | | | Ten minutes a day in front of the mirror is |
| | | | time you'll be glad you spent. You'll be able |
| Posture | | | | to hit the ground running when you're ready |
| | | | to play golf again. |