You will often hear golf professionals talk about the body as the engine of the swing but what exactly do we mean? To create effortless power, your upper body needs to turn against your lower body. This means that at the top of the backswing your back should be facing the target while your hips will have only rotated about 45 degrees.

Of course, this is just a guide, as the amount you are able to turn will depend on your flexibility but this should still give you an idea of the basic principle we are talking about here. The difference between the amount of turn in your upper body versus a stable lower body creates torque. This is stored energy that will add speed to your downswing.

I see a lot of players who, on the face of it complete their backswings but on closer inspection are only swinging their arms - the upper body is not turning against the lower body. This is a weak position that is doing nothing to help you hit your power potential.

Try placing the shaft of your driver across your shoulders and make your normal backswing. Depending on your level of flexibility the butt of the grip should point to the right of the ball (as you look) and not to the left. A good test to see if you are creating resistance is to hold this position for a few seconds. If it's hard to hold, you are producing and storing power for later in the swing. If you feel no tension, a lack of resistance is costing you power.

If you are worried that you aren't hitting your power potential visit your local Foremost Golf professional for advice. Good, solid mechanics will help you hit the ball both longer and straighter and I am always here to help you improve.

A great drill that is designed to help you check exactly when your power is being released is to make some swings holding the wrong end of the club. Listen out for the swoosh - it should come through the impact area. If it is coming before that, please visit your local Foremost Golf professional who will find you a more powerful swing.

The grip is one of those key fundamentals that every golfer should work hard to get right. The way your hands sit on the club will have a huge affect not only on the direction of the clubface at impact but also on your swing path and power potential. Quite simply, if it's not right, it's very hard to play consistent golf. Here's a quick guide to setting your hands on the club but for more advice, don't hesitate to visit your local Foremost Golf professional.

Left Hand Grip (See Picture 1)

Start by placing your left hand on the club. Let your left hand hang naturally by your side, then bring it into the club. The grip should run from the base of your forefinger up to the fleshy part of your hand, just below your wrist. Now wrap your fingers around the club. At address you should be able to see between two and three knuckles on your left hand.

Right Hand Grip (See Picture 2) 

Now place your right hand on the club so that at address, the 'v' between your right forefinger and thumb is pointing at your right shoulder.

Joining Forces (Pictures 3 and 4) 

There are three options for joining your hands to ensure they work together to help you hit consistent shots. Firstly, ideal if you have longer fingers, there is the overlapping grip (where both little fingers overlap). Secondly, the option that Tiger woods and Jack Nicklaus have chosen is the interlocking grip (pictured here). And finally, there is the baseball grip - suitable for those with smaller hands or alternatively a good option for those who struggle with arthritis. 

Strong Grip (pictures 1 and 2)

If you think your grip might be costing you crucial clubhead control, please don't hesitate to ask for some simple advice on how to groove a better method. A poor grip can cause a host of issues in the swing so avoid the temptation to turn a blind eye and play on regardless. Here are a couple of common errors to look out for.

One of the most common grip-related faults is to set your hands on the club in a way that causes it to close through impact. This is called a 'strong' grip and you will see three to four knuckles on your left hand at address and the 'v' between thumb and forefinger of your right hand will point to the right of your right shoulder. This will cause you to take the club away on the inside which in turn makes delivering the club back to the ball on a neutral path hard to find.

Weak Grip (pictures 3 and 4)

The weak grip arises when the left hand starts too far underneath the club. As the right hand wraps over, the 'v' between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand points at your chin or even towards your left shoulder. This will cause you to pick the club up too much in the takeaway, sending the clubhead off the ideal swing path. In this situation, you'll usually suffer from a slice as the face will want to open at impact.

As you can see from these images, a faulty grip makes a neutral swing path almost impossible to find. If you try to play on without fixing the issue, you'll do harm to your game in the long run. With a few simple tips and exercises you should be able to address the problem so please don't hesitate to visit your local Foremost Golf professional.

With your irons in hand the contact you are looking for is ball first, turf second. Many amateurs think the divot is created beneath the ball but this is a misconception, the divot should only start once you have struck the ball.

Here is a great drill designed to help you find the ideal angle of attack that leads to a ball first, turf second contact. Place a tee peg in the ground just in front of your ball as shown here. Take your normal address position but instead of focusing on striking the ball, concentrate on clipping the tee. If you have been struggling with your ball striking, this drill should help you find the right angle of attack with your irons.

If your ball striking is causing you problems, don't try to play through it. Book a lesson with your local Foremost Golf professional to get back on track as soon as possible.

You might think the ability to hit fades and draws is something that only the best amateurs and professionals need to worry about. Whether or not you chose to use these shots out on the course, developing a feel for how to play them will give you a fantastic insight into how your swing path and clubface angle affect ball flight. Inevitably, there will also be one or two instances when trees or other objects get in the way and the ability to hit a fade or a draw will prove invaluable. So whatever your handicap, it is definitely worth dedicating some time to in practice.

The simple principle you need to understand is that the clubface angle determines where the ball flight starts and the swing path influences the curve of the shot. It is the difference between these two angles that will create the draw or the fade that you are looking for.

For a fade, aim the clubface just left of the target but set your body up aiming well to the left of the target. As you make a normal swing along the line of your body, the shots should start to the left and gently shape right through the air.

The opposite applies for a draw. Aim your clubface just right of your final target but set your body up aiming well to the right. From here, just make a normal swing and you should notice the ball shape right-to-left through the air.

For more advice on the technique and drills to develop this part of your game, please visit your local Foremost Golf professional. 

Good mid-iron play will unlock your birdie potential. However, if your striking is slightly off, a small loss of distance will leave you struggling to save par. Striking your irons as consistently as possible is important for every golfer - here's a good way of checking whether slight mis-hits are costing you shots.

Get some tape and stick it to the face of a your 8-iron. Now hit a handful of shots. The tape will highlight your strike pattern offering some important clues about your game. If you are hitting the ball slightly from the toe or heel (as shown here), you'll be giving up on a little distance.

New Irons Fitting

If you feel that your iron striking is off, please come go and see your local Foremost Golf professional. A lesson might be the best way to resolve some issues in your game and get you back on track. Alternatively, they will have a range of different iron models for you to try with the latest technology including some designed to forgive these mis-hits. It may also be that your set is not the right fit for you. Custom fitting will help you find irons that are the right length and that have the correct lie angle and shaft for your game. These are all very important so please ask for advice if you are unsure.

Why is it the best players in the world make bunker play look so easy? Well, the simple answer is that from a good lie in a greenside bunker you have more margin for error with the strike than with any other shot in the game. However, to become a consistently good bunker player you'll need to groove some important fundamentals.

With a driver in hand and the ball teed up, we tell players to set the ball forward in their stance. This ensures you strike the ball fractionally on the upswing to optimise the flight and maximise distance. From sand, you need to do the same, setting the ball forward in your stance. This will enable you to create a shallow angle of clubhead attack that strikes the sand before the ball. By doing this you can make a full, aggressive swing producing a high-flying, soft-landing shot.

Hit The Sand First 

One problem players have, even if they set the ball forward in the stance, is to let their attention become drawn towards the ball. You strike the ball before the sand and either thin it into the face or send it flying miles over the back of the green. A simple drill to help is to draw a line in the bunker behind the ball as shown here. All you need to do is concentrate on striking that line and you'll see just how softly the ball emerges. Give this drill a go, it's a great way of developing the right feel for greenside bunker play.

You only have space for 14 clubs in your bag so choosing the right ones to carry with you is essential. The really tricky area to get right is the bottom end of the bag. Do you carry two, three or four wedges? What are the ideal lofts? What exactly is bounce angle and how will it help? These are the questions you should all be asking and as club professional, I am here to help you make smarter decisions about which wedges to carry.

The obvious piece of advice is to carry a range of lofts that leave as few awkward pitching distances as possible. A popular option is to carry a set pitching wedge, a 52° gap wedge, a 56° sand wedge and a 60° lob wedge. However, this line-up may not be exactly right for your game and there are more than just these lofts available to make sure you can hit all the key distances when you pitch.

What is Bounce? (Picture 3)

The other main consideration is bounce. Before we get into the bounce angles you should be thinking about, first I need to explain what exactly it is. If you hold the wedge perpendicular to the ground and look at the head you'll notice how the sole angles down, below the leading edge of the face. The amount of the sole below the leading edge represents the bounce angle.

The bounce angle will help the club to glide through thick grass and sand without the wedge digging, losing energy and causing a duff strike. The simple rule relating to bounce is that the harder the surface, the less you need. From tight lies on the fairway, you need the leading edge to sit as close as possible so that you can nip in behind the ball. From fluffy lies in the sand or rough, more bounce will help the club retain speed through impact for those high-flying, soft landing shots. Having a squad of wedges with different lofts and bounce angles is the key to having a solution to every on-course scenario.

Of course, in order to use the bounce correctly, you'll need the right technique. For more advice please don't hesitate to visit your local Foremost Golf professional. 

FootJoy Hyperflex Golf Shoe

Soothing foam and extreme performance…

The entire concept of golfing footwear has been revolutionised in recent years and Footjoy have played a significant role in the vast improvements. We take a look at their latest offering for 2015…

The Hyperflex Golf Shoe is designed to bring unrivalled comfort to the wearer and carries an edgy contemporary style. It ticks all the specification boxes and then some…

On first inspection the shoe is clearly designed on two definite formats; a material breathable top and soft foam base.

The base is the second generation of Footjoy shoe to include Fine Tune Foam (FTF) technology that soothes the foot and relocated pressure points. It is more than simply a soft durable cushion layer allowing seamless traction between the turf and foot. The designers claim it adds a spring to the wearer’s step that encourages better posture and reduction on foot sores.

The base also extends beyond the width and length of the top section for added balance control and a larger walking pattern.

The top section of the shoe is ultralight with complete water tightness. It is a sturdy design which aids balance in the golf swing and supports the foot throughout the round. The mesh covering adds appeal and also allows for breathability.

The heel of the shoe is also larger, with the aim of further comfort to the back of the foot and extra support on each step. The entire shoe is raised meaning the player is elevated from the turf but it is not particularly noticeable during wear.

The shoe does come with the usual Footjoy waterproof guarantee.

The main concern with the design is keeping it clean in muddy conditions. It is packed with little crevices just asking to be cluttered with British mud.

The shoe has already been worn on tour by Hunter Mahan with excellent feedback. Footjoy make no pretence this eye catching styling will suit everyone. It is aimed at the modern player that enjoys exploring their golfing wardrobe and adding colour to their look.

Here at Foremost Golf we stock all leading shoe brands and the Hyperflex is no different. Read our reviews for more information or ask a member of the golf team.

We say embrace the slick new formula and your feet will agree…