On this page our resident professionals offer golfers of all abilities some words of wisdom to try and improve their game.
Monthly tips
November 2008: The chip and run. A lot of people I teach think that their driving is the part of the game which costs them the most shots. Then we have a playing lesson and we actually find it's something different. In most cases it's the shots from 30 yards and especially those little chip and runs from the fringe of the green. What I encourage you to take on board are some basic putting principles to help you gain greater control.
Hold the club (say a no. 7/9 iron) in exactly the same manner you hold the putter using your standard putting grip. Basically this shot is like putting with a different club; by taking your putting grip you will encourage a pendulum like motion, keeping the wrists very quiet in the process. It will allow you to use the loft of the club to lift the ball over the fringe and then towards the hole. Soft hands on the club and quiet wrists during a pendulum like stroke should give you a consistent and controlled shot.
If you're playing up hill and need a little more run on the ball, then try a less lofted club. On the other side, if the green falls away from you and the ball is going to run out quicker, then a more lofted 9 iron or wedge will help you control the run on the ball.
October 2008: Warming up. When practising before a round of golf, finish by hitting 6 balls with your driver but only trying to hit them half as far as usual with a full swing. Swing slow and smoothly, this enables you to coordinate the movements of the lower and upper body.
September 2008: Putting. Putting can sometimes total up to 50% of all shots taken during a round of golf and is often described as a 'game within a game'. So here are a few tips to help you shave off those extra strokes. 1. Technique: When we set up to putt we create a triangle with our shoulders and arms. We should try and maintain that triangle throughout the stroke, this should unable us to simply rock the shoulders backwards and forwards with no wrist break. 2. Stay still: Once we have consistently maintained the triangle throughout the stroke the next step is to try and keep everything else as still as possible. In putting we have very little room for error and the slightest of movements can make us miss putts. If you study all the great putters, Woods, Crenshaw, Mickleson, they all have one thing in common ... apart from the shoulders and arms everything else stays still. So focus on keeping your knees, hips and especially your head as still as possible and this will make a huge difference to your stroke. 3. Feel: Especially with longer putts, really concentrate on the practice putts, often we see people have practice putts either way too long or way too short. Remember the practice swing is the dress rehearsal for the actual shot. Try to look at the hole and the swing when making those practice swings and that should help you achieve the correct length of the swing on those longer putts.
August 2008: Chipping. 'Hands forward, weight forward, ball back - for consistent chipping!' - To achieve a good clean strike on your chip shots, make sure the ball is placed further back in your stance. Also move your hands further forward (towards the target) and move some of your weight further forward (about 70/30 favouring the front foot). All these combined will encourage a steeper angle of attack (a more descending blow) ensuring the club hits the bottom of the ball resulting in a good clean strike.
July 2008: Driving. Gain 25 yards on your tee shots! - Tee the ball higher than normal and on the back swing load the right side making sure the left shoulder is over the right knee. This will give you more leverage and will enable you to hit the ball 25 yards further.
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