Alex Noren outlines some tips to improve your sharp photos.
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Alex Noren has always been one of my favorite players. Of course, he still needs to put it all together and earn his first PGA Tour win, but with 10 wins on the European Tour, it’s clear that Noren has the game to compete with the best players in the world.
One of the things I love most about Noren’s playing is that he does everything quite well. He will not impress you massive tee shotsor wow you with his ability to hit the ball, but he has all the pieces to compete every week because he is consistent across the board.
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If Noren’s game has a real strength, it’s hitting fair. His driver helped him ranked 45th in strokes gained: driver accuracy this season.
What is his secret? In the video below (courtesy of the Callaway Golf YouTube channel), Noren shares some tips that may lead to further firings who find more straight paths. Watch to see how his tips can help improve your game.
Try Alex Noren’s tips to improve your drives
In the video, Noren talks about several different types of shooting with his driver.
“I’ll go through my swing, then how I’m supposed to hit other curves on my ball — like a cut,” Noren says. “But on some holes, you have to hit it lower or higher to get over the trees and into the wind.”
Noren’s stock
Noren says he tends to hit a little with his driver, so he emphasizes hand positioning to maintain control of the clubface.
“I want to see a mid-rise draw, so all I’m trying to do is be very passive on the stroke and try not to get my hands rolling,” Noren says. “You have to be on top of the ball and (use) a kind of slow passing of the ball.”
Next, Noren describes his setup in a stock driver shot.
“The ball has to be a long way and I try to hit it from down here, so I anticipate something like a tree to the right to try and lean, and then I just enjoy it,” he adds. “If you hit it too high or too low on the face, you lose a lot of ball speed.”
Low-flying tee shot
This is a classic shot on either a windy course or a links style layout. So Noren explains what it takes to execute the lower flight driver stroke.
“What I try to do to not change the swing plane that much is just feel like I’m going to try to hit it lower in the swing,” explains Noren. “So the same ball position — most coaches say off the lead heel — but if you’re having trouble with the turn, hold the ball even higher (in your stance). You’re going to have a higher launch and a higher speed and the ball is going to fly farther.”
If you have the ball too far back, Noren says it can lead to mistakes.
“It’s also easier to get it on plane (when the ball position is forward),” he says. “If it’s too far, you’ll probably be in and get it. So get more into the stance and swing even more onto the ball (making sure to avoid swinging into the backswing).
High angle shot
When you’re trying to maximize your driver for maximum ball speed and distance, a higher flight putt is the way to go. So Noren explains what he does when he tries to let a truth fly.
“I use the same position with the ball (with the main heel), so what I try to do is just tilt my shoulders,” he explains. “So my right hand goes more under the (grip) and my shoulder (foot) goes lower. From here, I just try to put the same movement.”
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Noren reminds players to use the same swing regardless of their desired ball flight, which will help make contact in the center of the face.
“It’s going to feel different, with the backswing bent (more back) because of the tilt of the shoulders, which will lead to more upstroke,” adds Noren. “Once you set yourself up for a high shot, you don’t have to add height during the swing. Try to feel like you’ve hit a low shot with a high ball, which will give you the best of both worlds – getting attack and height, but still getting the shaft league to create less spin and more ball speed.”
So when you’re trying to be more versatile with your shots, start by practicing Noren’s shots above. Not only will you improve your chances of hitting more fairways, but by using proper ball flight, you’ll be able to conquer different layouts or conditions that might otherwise be tricky.
