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From the Tee with Robert Loper
Porter’s Neck Country Club
Before worrying about what dangers lie around the green, first things
first — hit the tee shot in a good position to make the next shot easier.
The natural swing path
forms an arc between
the back swing and the
follow through.
“Some golfers are
limited on the amount
they can turn on the
back swing because
of limitations in their
flexibility, so I just
look for them to turn
as much as they are
comfortable with and
have a complete follow
through to keep the
ball going on the correct
path longer.”
Finding the right driver: the higher
the loft, the easier the tee shot
“Start off with something that is tailored to your skill level and
try to find a shaft that is not too firm. As for loft, 10.5 is the
average loft of a driver now; for seniors who cannot swing at the
ball as hard, they should look in the 11-12 degree range; and
women should look for a loft around 13-14 degrees. Not all
stores or pro shops have the means to test out different drivers,
but if they do, it is a great idea to take advantage of that.”
Ball position and stance — “Ball position is somewhat personal with everyone, but a good starting
point for most people is to have the ball lined up at the forward heel. Then set up in a comfortable,
athletic stance … with the knees slightly bent — some bend in the hips — the driver shaft should be
perpendicular to the golfer’s spine and the feet should be about shoulder width apart.”
Hitting into the wind: “First off, don’t swing harder. A
lot of people will try to swing harder to make up the
yardage the wind is going to take off when it is in their
face, and all that does is to impart more spin on the golf
ball and magnify everything they amateur golfers do
wrong. The old saying is ‘when it is breezy swing easy.’”
Accounting for side wind: “One of the hardest
shots for anyone is hitting into a slice
wind (left to right for right-handed golfers).
For a slice wind, hit a normal shot
and compensate for the wind, so nothing
in the swing is changing besides the aim.”
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Adapting to the wind
Effective swing
path for golfers
with less
flexibility
Common misconceptions
about the tee shot
“The one big fault that people have is
they try to hit it farther and keep up with
their buddies,” Loper says. “In golf magazines
and on television, we tend to read
and hear how far the tour pros are hitting
it now. In reality, keeping it between
the tree lines is much more important.”