Let’s face it, golf is one of the most challenging sports in the world. It’s no wonder that golfers are always searching for ways to improve their golfing techniques. The thing about sports is that the better you play, the more you want to play.

At Deemples, we believe that everyone needs a helping hand especially to improve their golfing technique. So, we dug deep and looked through the internet and found this little gem on how to hit the ball straight in golf by a famous American professional golfer Joseph Scott Durant, a.k.a Joe Durant.

Golfing Techniques from Joe Durant

Durant was born in Pensacola, Florida. He attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, where he majored in Marketing and graduated in 1987. At Huntingdon, he was a three-time NAIA All-American and won the 1987 NAIA Championship.

Durant became a professional golfer in 1987. He has won four times on the PGA Tour. Durant won the 2001 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic with a score of 324, setting the tournament record which stands today. He has featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings.

Golfing Techniques – the Four Rules of Hitting Straight

Rule #1 – Posture

Durant advises that the golfer focuses on two areas in the setup: alignment and posture. He says that good posture makes one feel balanced and ready to create motion.

“I like my alignment to be square to slightly open because that makes it easier to swing the club on a straighter path away from the ball and through impact. If you set up close, you'll tend to take the club too far inside and have to re-route it on the way down.”

“I stand to the ball with enough knee flex so I can just see my kneecaps through my pant legs. My chest feels out, not underneath me, and my arms are extended.”

Low and Slow

Once your posture is correct, the next part is what Durant calls “tempo”. He warns that if you start out too bent over, you’re more likely to be hasty when you pick up the club.

In comparison, with good balance and arm extension, the golfer can drag the club head away from the ball low and slow.

“Feel like the club's going straight back. It's tough to create an extension if you don't start with it. To develop a good takeaway, try a drill I use all the time. Address a ball with a 5-iron and put another ball against the back of the club head. Practice rolling the ball back.”

“If your tempo is smooth, you'll push the ball for a good foot and a half before it leaves the club. From there, you can build speed gradually to the top of your backswing. Hit balls this way, feeling how a good start sets up a rhythmic swing.”

Rule #2 – Feet together

Durant’s tip is to practice hitting balls with a short iron and your insteps touching. This drill, he says, is great for working on tempo as the golfer won’t be able to swing fast without losing balance.

“Let your body turn back and through as your arms swing. You'll be amazed how straight— how far— you hit the ball.”

Rule #3 – Finish over the Other Shoulder

Another drill Durant recommends is to extend the club out toward the target through impact. When hitting some balls, use your normal swing the handle technique except finish with the club over the shoulder that’s closest to the target line. Sure there are various different golf swing methods and golf swing techniques but here is what he has to say:

“If you swing quickly to the inside after impact, you'll never get over that shoulder. It'll feel strange, so be careful and start slow. In no time, you'll be extending down the line.”

Rule #4 – Club Face Matters

“If you want to know how much the club faces matters, hit practice shots starting with the face open or closed. Don't turn your hands at the address to adjust the face; set the face open or closed, then take your grip and swing normally. You'll see a big difference in ball flight, and you might even identify the face angle that works best for you. Hint: It might not be square.”

Conclusion of Golfing Techniques

So these are just some quick tips on how you can improve your golfing techniques and how to hit straight golf shots. These tips can also be great techniques for beginners to improve and add to their golf swing methods. Hopefully, you got something useful out of these amazing techniques in golf. We definitely recommend you check out the full article here.

You can also check out this interesting article on our website, “Golf is dying, but it’s not dead yet – here’s what you can do.”

With some patience, practice, and a little more reading, you’ll see improvements to your handicap in no time. And with Deemples, we’ll help you get golfing a lot more.

Let us know your views about this article. Happy Golfing!