I never managed to play football alongside my son apart from a friendly kickabout.

Despite the fact that I played competitively well into my fifth decade the age gap was a tad too wide for us to turn out together - or on opposite sides for that matter.

Now my old bones are so knackered that football is out of the question.

But with golf it’s a different matter, and for the last couple of years dad and lad have happily played the course together sometimes as a team but usually in opposition, with a very small wager at stake.

So far I’ve managed to keep my nose in front although I’ve never taken his pocket money off him (honest!).

Now I fear that things are going to change.

I felt guilty when I started these lessons that the lad would lag behind and booked him in for a few sessions with Richard at the Playgolf School.

In a third of the time he’s already caught me up and in the next few weeks he will zoom ahead. I can see my wallet is in for a battering!

I have to be honest and say that the concept of hitting the ground AFTER the ball with a strong left hand pull-through has not come easily to me whereas the youngster mastered it almost at his first attempt.

To help me get the knack I have had to practise constantly on the driving range and at home in my garage with a plastic ball.

If you place a small stone three or four centimetres behind the ball and another the same distance in front of the ball you can check your progress.

The idea is to hit down on the ball leaving the first stone (the one behind the ball) in place but sweeping the second stone away (the one after the ball) with a kind of forward defensive cricket shot.

Practice, they say, makes perfect and I think I’m achieving an 85 per cent success rate and I’m ready to move on.

RICHARD'S AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

HOW often have you made a smooth, well-timed golf swing only to find your club head makes contact with the ground before contact with the ball and how do you put this right on the practice range?
Most people would take a practice swing but if you don’t know whether your club is striking the correct position on the ground then what’s the point?

Here’s a drill to help you get it right.

By placing a couple of stones in front of and behind the ball - as explained by Chris - you now have two measurements to check you are hitting the ground in the correct place.
If you hit the back stone you must have hit the ground before the ball.

Make sure you are looking at the front stone ahead of the ball at set up, backswing and downswing. At no point should your eyes switch to the ball. Your aim is the hit the front stone - if you do this, the ball will be gathered on the way through from the natural arc of the swing.