Issues and Improvement Tips for Weight Shift, Wrist Movement, and Swing Trajectory
One-Stop Treatment for 25m Increase in Hybrid Distance and Ball Flight Improvement
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] “Wow! Did you see that? (With a 20-degree hybrid club) It went 190m! 189! Wow~~~”
Pro Park Seongsik appeared on the YouTube channel 'Kim Gura's Cuckoo Golf TV' on the evening of the 8th and revealed his hybrid club secrets.
A hybrid club is a club with a smaller head than a fairway wood, a larger loft, and a shorter shaft. It looks like a mix between a wood and an iron. It has the advantage of combining the long distance of a wood with the directional control of an iron.
Before meeting Kim Gura, Pro Park showed signs of losing confidence after watching Kim Gura’s hybrid swing video. Moreover, Kim Gura’s swing lacked any finish motion and didn’t even have a proper impact, which made Pro Park express concern about potential injury.
Pro Park decided to meet Kim Gura in person to first observe his swing and identify the problems. When Kim Gura took a swing for testing, Pro Park dropped his smile and seriously diagnosed the issues. The result was disappointing. The draw shot was strong, and the distance was only around 165 to 175 meters.
In front of the experienced pro, the problems were quickly identified. The weight was concentrated on the left foot in the address posture, and the positions of the ball and chest were not appropriate. Pro Park suggested, “You need to make an upper blow (impact from below to above), but if your weight stays on your left foot, you can only hit downwards, resulting in a down blow (impact from above to below).”
He also pointed out the premature wrist movement. He analyzed that the wrist cocking during the backswing was too abrupt, breaking the overall balance, and during the downswing, the lack of space made the swing unnatural.
The solution came quickly as well. Pro Park explained, “If you take your arms longer and feel like you lift the clubhead later during the backswing, you can achieve an easier and cooler swing.”
The closed left foot at address was also identified as a problem. When Pro Park asked Kim Gura why he kept his left foot closed, Kim Gura explained, “I was taught to always keep it closed in the past.”
Pro Park advised, “Closing your left foot causes many knee injuries, and your pelvis can’t rotate properly and moves forward,” recommending opening the left foot forward.
During the lesson, an unexpected situation seemed to arise. When Pro Park criticized the downswing with the right arm too close to the body, Kim Gura suddenly explained the situation. He revealed that in a past lesson aimed at correcting a so-called rushing swing, he was taught to swing with his right arm close to the body.
Pro Park clarified the situation. He said, “There is no right or wrong in lessons,” explaining that lessons are not standardized but can vary slightly depending on the golfer’s condition at the time. Kim Gura immediately agreed with the kind explanation, and the situation was settled.
Pro Park also suggested a practice method to improve the severe draw shot and correct swing. It involved placing obstacles in front left and behind right of the ball so that the club path passes between the obstacles during impact.
After hearing Pro Park’s advice, Kim Gura’s swing immediately improved. Although there was a slight draw, he showed a refreshing shot flying straight forward.
Tips for a relaxed swing, which is fundamental in golf, were also shared. Pro Park recommended practicing by slightly loosening the grip at the top of the backswing and then gripping again during the swing.
The effect of the tip was clear. Kim Gura’s next swing following the tip showed improved distance, reaching nearly 179.57 meters.
After confirming the distance, Kim Gura shouted “Yeah!” with a cry of exhilaration. He unintentionally made a loud sound and showed a somewhat embarrassed expression.
With various secrets passed on, Kim Gura’s final shot produced a pleasant sound and a good impact. As the ball flew, he shouted “GO! GO!” unable to hide his excitement. The result was a powerful long shot of 189.73 meters. The chronic draw shot problem was also clearly improved.
After such a happy lesson, Kim Gura announced at the end of the video that he would also have a wood lesson with Pro Park. Kim Gura expressed his ambition, saying, “Since I hit 190 with this (hybrid club), I’ll go over 200 with the wood,” and Pro Park confidently replied, “I’ll help you increase your distance even more.”
Meanwhile, Pro Park is a famous pro who advocates the motto “Lessons should be as simple, easy, and cool (meaning stylish slang) as possible.” He also runs the golf lesson YouTube channel ‘Gaenji Golf’ with 130,000 subscribers.
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