Ask A Pro
Your questions are answered by our Golf Pro, Brad Redding of Grand Dunes Golf Academy in Myrtle Beach.
Meet Our Pro
As a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher and a PGA Master Professional in instruction, Brad Redding has a unique and extraordinary knowledge of the game and the golf swing. He communicates this knowledge effectively to all levels of golfers. He demonstrates an unfailing dedication to helping his students improve their abilities and the enjoyment of the game. Redding's keen eye for detecting faults and his ability to prescribe clear solutions allows him to correct the cause of the problem. His mission is to help his students become their own best teachers by achieving their short-term goals with an eye on producing long-term results. Redding has developed a teaching philosophy that sets him apart from other teachers and brings a more dynamic and effective learning experience to all of his students.
Q: What's the key to hitting off rock-hard fairways?
Answer: Hitting off rock-hard fairways requires a very shallow angle into the ball. To do this, get into your normal stance and chock down on the grip of your club. On the down- swing, be sure to keep your right hand more under your left hand. This will keep the club on a flatter angle into the ball. Be sure to aim a little left as this type of shot will fade.
Q: Does it matter what ball a six-handicapper plays?
Answer: I get this question all the time. It really depends on your ball flight. If your shots are generally high, you really don't need to worry about the ball stopping on the green. You might want a little more distance so a two piece ball, like the Titleist NXT Tour, is what you are wanting. If you are a low ball hitter, you might want to get a little more backspin on the ball to help it hold green. A three piece ball, like the Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x would be a good choice. Don't worry about compression of the ball. You would not benefit and hardly notice the difference in an 80, 90 or 100 compression ball.
Q: What can I do to have better iron contact?
Answer: Better contact means a better swing. Make sure you know where your misses on the face are. Take some tape (like duct or masking tape) and place on your club face. Hit some shots and notice where your misses are. If they tend to be on the toe, you need to stand closer to the ball at address or you need to make your swing more around, baseball style. If you tend to hit it on the heel you need to stand farther away from the ball at address or make your swing more up and down.
Q: I recently started going out on the range to hit a few balls and now I'm experiencing a little back pain. I'm thinking it has to do with my posture. What is the correct posture to have when swinging?
Answer: Great posture starts with knowing where to bend from. It is always from your hips. To feel this, take your club and put it behind your back with the club head touching your head and the grip touching your rear end. Without the club coming off your head or rear end, bend forward. That is bending from your hips. Slightly flex your knees and make sure your weight is on the balls of your feet.
Q: What causes a pull hook?
Answer: Two things cause a pull hook. It deals with your swing path in the downswing and clubface at impact. The swing path is approaching the ball from outside the target line in the downswing to inside the target line after impact. The clubface is closed at impact. To fix this, work on getting the club to swing on more of an arc around you, baseball style.