How Sweet It Is !

Jackie Gleason was known for his one-liners on the Honeymooners and according to Jack Nicklaus, he was a great recreational golfer. He must have been thinking about his golf game when he released his album “How Sweet It Is”.  It’s a great line that he used many time on the Honeymooners and he musts have used it on the golf course when he hit it flush. He knew that he had to find the SWEET SPOT for great golf shots.

Golf Digest found that when your point of impact is 1 inch off the center-line of your driver club face, with an impact speed of 100 MPH, you lose 31 yards. If you want to lower your scores you can’t afford to lose 12% of your driving distance.

 

Jackie Gleason, as Ralph Kramden, always used that famous line: "How Sweat It Is" and "Awaaay we go!"

Jackie Gleason, as Ralph Kramden, always used that famous line: “How Sweat It Is !”

For more consistent longer hits you should consider these swing thoughts:

  1. To hit longer shots with any club you only have 3 variables to work with: club head speed, forward angle of the club shaft at impact and impact on the sweet-spot.
  2. Depending on the iron you are using, your ball should be at the center line or slightly forward in your stance. Lead your swing with your hands and your body to allow the club to hit down through impact and take your divot after the ball position.
  3. For putts, setup the ball slightly in from of the center line between the spread of your legs to ensure that you are swinging up on the ball for a more consistent roll and to avoid skidding and bouncing the ball forward. Your putter should always swing directly up your hitting line and impact on the sweet spot on the center-line of the face.
  4. With your driver, place the ball on a raised tee, directly off the heal of your leading foot. Your shaft should be lined up pointing at your belt buckle during your setup. Don’t lead your swing with your hands during the swing (as you should with an iron). Impact the sweat spot slightly above the center line of the face of your club.
  5. I have seen pros and Ben Hogan say that you should practice your swing in slow motion to ingrain the feel for the swing in your mind. This may be helpful but it will not help you find the sweet spot on your clubs. When you swing at any speed, the force in your club head (weight X shaft length) causes your arms and muscles to stretch and tighten. Everybody has a unique muscle structure and will react differently. You need to sort out YOUR ideal setup for each club to ensure that your impact is on the Sweet Spot.

 

Critical Step in Finding Your Sweet Spot
Use a wide black powdered marking pen or spray white Dr. Scholl’s Foot Powder to mark the face of your club. Test your driver, woods, hybrids and irons as you will find that your arms will stretch differently based on the weight and length of each club as well as the speed of your swing.

Once you determine the right setup to hit each club on the sweet spot, you need to practice for a consistent speed and tempo. Changing your swing speed will change your impact point as your arms tighten and stretch. Work on a consistent speed and tempo and you will soon be saying “How Sweet It Is”.   Practice with GOLFSTR+ to learn consistency for every club in your bag. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

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