How To Rediscover Your 'A' Game

In this video and article XXIO ambassador and former Tour professional Andrew Murray offers some simple and effective advice on how to rediscover your 'a' game if your handicap is moving in the wrong direction

How To Rediscover Your 'A' Game

In this video and article XXIO ambassador and former Tour professional Andrew Murray offers some simple and effective advice on how to rediscover your 'a' game if your handicap is moving in the wrong direction

Adding More Speed

This is a great drill to help you find extra speed without losing the flow or control in your swing. Turn your driver upside down so you are gripping just below the clubhead. As you move through the downswing, listen for the swish. It should be as smooth and loud as possible through impact. This drill gives you clear feedback for whether you are reaching top speed too early. The more you do it, the more you'll develop that feeling of ‘letting go’ that you need to commit to your drives and add speed when you need it most.

Fairways woods

First and foremost, find fairway woods that you are confident using, you like the look of and that have enough loft. Then to hit them well, you need stability in your swing. A great way to do this is to close your eyes and swing to the top. Hold it there for a few seconds and you’ll get a sense for where your weight is and whether you’re in balance. Swing through to the finish and, again, ask yourself if you are in balance. This drill will highlight any problems and give you a feel for the adjustments needed to improve.    

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Flexibility

Devoting time to improving your flexibility is one of the best ways to add distance to your game. A good way to do this is to get a resistance band, put it under your left foot and into your left hand (right foot and right hand for left handers). From here swing to the top and hold it - you should feel the stretch in your core muscles. From there, move through to the finish position and do the same thing. This will help improve your flexibility and the stability in your swing. 

Ball Striking

When it comes to ball striking, the word compression is important but it can be easily misunderstood. In searching for a powerful ball-first contact, some golfers lean on the shot too much, they lose the centre point in the swing and the club digs too much through impact. If this is a problem for you, think about striking the ball at the base of your swing arc. A great drill is to tee the ball up on a very low tee peg, almost as if it is sitting on a good lie. The idea here is to brush the turf to nick the tee out of the ground.

Warming Up

Warming up properly is massively important. We all spend a lot of time behind the wheel of a car or sitting at a desk so using some simple stretches to get some flexibility is key. There are lots of different exercises you can do - take a look at the video with this article for a simple and effective selection. If you have the chance to warm up before you play, try to vary the clubs. I always started with my gap wedge and then worked up through the bag; 7-iron, 4-iron, hybrid, 3-wood, driver and then I would go back to my 58˚ wedge to improve my feel before I finished. That’s the way I’ve done it but above all, it is really important to get the feeling of the club on the ball before you start analysing anything in your swing.

Distance Control

If you are looking at buying new equipment or you are having lessons, your yardages may change so it is worth checking how far you hit each iron. Importantly, don’t be taken in by finding out your total distances - it is the carry yardages that you really need to know. A good way to do this is to hit a few shots into the green with for instance, your 8-iron. Look to see where the pitch mark of your average, not your best shot, is located. Work out the distance to that spot and you have your 8-iron carry yardage. Try to repeat this for your other irons and you’ll build a much more accurate picture for how far you hit your irons.

Your Gear Choice

From the same stable as Srixon and Cleveland, XXIO (pronounced zek-si-oh) specialises in delivering premium quality clubs to benefit players with moderate to slow swing speeds. The attention to detail in the company’s design and manufacture processes is incredible and is generating significant industry interest.

XXIO are clear on their target market – players with a swing speed of below 100mph - by designing lightweight clubs with high balance points that are easy to swing.

If you’re someone with a slower swing speed or your speed is tailing off as you get older, switching to XXIO could greatly improve your performance and heighten your enjoyment of golf. The science is formidable, and the materials and construction processes used are second to none. XXIO could change your golfing life.