Having just returned from the driving range I was lucky enough to get a short free lesson from a man who really knows what they are doing on hitting a golf ball.

As a child I was lucky enough to have great hand eye co-ordination when it came to a hitting a ball. However when I first came to use a golf club I looked like Happy Gilmore’s younger better looking cousin, not a pretty sight especially when I wasn’t anywhere near as accurate or near to the distance he got in the film!

This, of course poses a few minor issues, firstly because not knowing how to hit a golf ball properly means I became aware of certain rules regarding my first shots distance and the ladies tee very quickly!

Now when it comes to the question of hitting a golf ball there are different ways to hit different clubs, for example you wouldn’t hit a hybrid the same way you use a sand iron or a pitching wedge. And with new technology coming on the market all the time it is getting harder to actually know how to hit a golf ball with the new equipment.

The new size of driver available for example is different, the head size is different so where as I carry a club that is 4 years old and only 400cc the new drivers are 460cc and can hit the ball much further! With the old club I line up the ball with my left heel as I approach the ball and that way I hit the ball as the club is going up and the ball trajectory follows a nice smooth line. However the same shot with a 460cc driver will have very different results. The ball will follow a much much lower flight and probably go less than half the distance.

So by adjusting the positioning of the ball in conjunction the alinement of my feet this can make all the difference. I have just been practicing this and moving the ball in my stance so it is in line with my middle toe on my left foot rather than my heel. This adjusts the trajectory and the position that the club face hits the golf ball.

So this is just a short example of hitting a golf ball and how the slightest of changes can make all the difference to your round.

Steve Katz is an amateur golfer who’s website has a number of golf tips which is updated with fresh content several times a week.