A Shot From the Water?
photo credit: nsaplayer One of the most unpredictable shots in golf is a shot from a water hazard. Even seasoned professionals will cringe over this precarious lie. When examining your lie, if the ball is more than half submerged, it’s best to take a drop and the penalty.
In many cases, where half or more of the ball is out of the water, it is quite feasible to play a relatively short water shot. Make sure you take a wide and well-balanced stance. Grip the club in a more neutral fashion (hands turned slightly neutral or left when gripping the club). Take the club back in an upright manner, as you would a bunker shot and make a steeper angle of attack on the down-stroke. It’s important to make a strong follow-through.
Rough Shots
photo credit: 2Eklectik For a newcomer to the game, playing a shot from the rough can be pretty intimidating, it shouldn’t be. Remember, swinging the clubhead through rough means that the clubhead will grab your clubface and tend to twist it to an open position. Some players hood (close slightly) their clubface when playing this shot.
Take the club back on a much steeper angle and follow through the same way. Instead of sweeping the ball up and away, use a more angled attack so that you can almost “pop” the ball out. Don’t forget, getting out of the rough is priority one. Stand with your feet a bit wider and hold on to the club tighter in order to prevent the clubface from twisting through the impact zone.
Mangement is the Key
photo credit: SouthAsiaGolf The biggest urge for someone new to the game is to strong-arm their golf shots in hopes for more distance. Getting the golf ball from point A to point B, is not about strength, it’s simply about clubhead speed. Why can the average LPA Pro, weighing 120 lbs., hit the ball further than most good weekend golfers? The answer is clubhead speed.
The secret to scoring well is course management and becoming proficient with your short game and putter. Instead of trying to “kill” the ball, try swinging easier within yourself. As long as you get close to the green, let your wedge and putter do the rest. Your day on the golf course will be more enjoyable and your scores will prove it!
Adjusting Your Putting Speed
photo credit: TheTruthAbout… One of the most difficult problems for beginners is adjusting to the speed of the greens.
Most players adapt to the conditions of their favorite course. Slower greens will favor the beginner but what about lightening fast greens?
Practice greens will almost always duplicate the conditions of all the greens on the course. You must adapt to the conditions on the practice green first.
Don’t begin your putting practice by aiming for the cup. Start by picking a spot on the green’s apron (where the higher grass begins) about 20-30 feet away. Try to hit your putts so that they stop right at that spot. This is a great exercise that should help you determine the speed of your putts for the entire round.
Playing in the Wind
photo credit: davedehetre The wind can humble even the best players. A golfer’s first reaction is to over-compensate, especially if the wind is blowing directly into their face. With crosswinds, players tend not to hit their shots far enough into the direction from which the wind is blowing. In tail-winds, players will tend to hit the ball harder to take advantage of the carry. When facing a headwind, over-swinging to get more distance, is the tendency.
When playing into a head wind, don’t swing harder, swing easier. Tee your ball lower and try not to hit a high shot. With tail-winds use less club tee your ball up higher for more control and a higher golf shot. Crosswinds are simply a matter of using good judgement.
The Wrong Friendly Advice
photo credit: by and by Every beginner is trying hard to play better, therefore, they always have an “open ear” to any king of advice they are given. Golfing friends are generous with tips about the game. Now you have a very poor learning environment. A willing listener and a friend who’s well intended to give the wrong advice.
There are many ways members in you playing group can help you. They can give you tips about etiquette but are they qualified to analyze your swing? Most likely, they are not and that is why lessons are so important in the beginning. The wrong advice can get you into a habit that can be extremely difficult to break, it can also make your instructors job that much harder.”
Practice Swing
photo credit: Chris Breikss Some new golfers don’t fully understand the purpose of the practice swing. The primary reason for the practice swing is to exactly duplicate the swing that you are about to make for the actual shot. Also, since all the terrain on the course varies, the practice swing should help you determine where the sole of the club meets the ground and to adjust accordingly.
One practice swing should be enough. The players that take more than one practice swing are usually guilty of slowing down play. It’s also not a good idea because it can be too tiresome, especially for those golfers that walk eighteen holes. If the lie is difficult, take two swings, otherwise, it should be one practice swing and “pull the trigger.”
Club Yardage
photo credit: SimonDoggett Most courses have sprinkler heads that are also yardage markers. Once you find one near your ball you can calculate the yardage in relation to your lie. Yardage markers aren’t helpful, however, if you do not know how far you are able to hit each club in your bag. Some golfers just guess but if you want to excel, you must know your yardages.
Go to the practice range with all of your clubs. Warm-up by hitting each club a few times. When you are ready, hit five balls with each club and judge the average of all five shots. The average is your distance for that particular club. Make a chart and write your numbers down and keep it with you when you play. No more guessing !
Danger on the Course
photo credit: Hawaiiwave19 Golf is known for it’s congenial, benign atmosphere, it’s a quiet environment but it can also be a very dangerous sport. Standing too close to a person who is swinging a club is dangerous. Swinging a club too close to another can cause the same type of serious injuries. Standing to the side front of a golfer who’s hitting a shot, can be extremely hazardous.
Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Getting hit from an errant shot can land you in the ER. Don’t hit your shot until the fairway or green is cleared of people. Never hit into the golfers playing ahead of you, in hopes that they will play faster.
Don’t take chances on golf carts, drive with caution. Flipping a cart can be fatal. Learn more at: www.golfinstructionblog.com.
The Short Irons
photo credit: SouthAsiaGolf The 8-iron, 9-iron and Pitching Wedge are the “approach clubs.” These clubs are your “money-makers” and hitting them well can definitely lower your scores dramatically. In the address, use a narrow and more open stance. The forward foot should be flared more dramatically towards the target. The ball should be played from the center of your stance (or sometimes right of center). The backswing is limited because of the shorter length of the club’s shaft.
Around the green, these three clubs can make your time on the golf course much more enjoyable, if you use them correctly. Chipping and pitching accuracy can mean the difference between a one putt or a three putt green. Spending a lot of time practicing with these clubs can produce huge benefits. Learn more at: www.golfinstructionblog.com.