Archive for April, 2010

Deciding if and when to pitch the ball when you are close to the hole depends on several factors, especially if putting is out of the question (which is always the best shot to take near the hole whenever possible, on or off the green).

Here are some tips to help you decide the next time you play:

1) Always play the pitch shot whenever you must carry several yards of rough in order to get the ball to travel to the edge of the green.

2) You should attempt the pitch shot whenever the ball is buried in the rough with only the top half showing.

3) When playing from the fairway, a pitch shot is the ideal choice if at any point you feel that chipping the ball makes you uncomfortable (learn to listen to your instincts).

4) And finally, a wet golf course means pitching the ball almost entirely throughout the game. Why? Because it can be almost impossible to predict the length the ball will run when the course is drenched.

After you read the break of the green, find your target line, choose a spot, and get your eyes over the line, you need to concentrate on swinging the putter back and forward along the line, always keeping the following three fundamentals in the back of your mind:

1) Throughout its entire movement, keep the putterhead exactly on the target line. The putter needs to travel straight back on the target line and then straight forward on the target line, never going off the mark.

Note: To help your stroke stay on the line, keep your head, shoulders and legs as still as possible. This will help you swing the putter with mostly your arms and hands.

2) The putterhead must be kept square and aimed directly at the target. The face of the blade should be kept perpendicular to the target and stay that way throughout the entire stroke.

Note: The blade face should not wobble. It should remain true to the arc of the putterhead. (You can help maintain the direction of the putterhead by keeping your wrists solid).

3) During the swing, never decelerate the putter. As you often hear in golf: “Deceleration kills”. Doing so will kill your putting stroke and ultimately your score. Keep the same acceleration as you use on the backswing.

If you have always wanted to start playing golf and experience the passion that sweeps thousands of men and women on the golf course every day, there is nothing stopping you from giving the game a chance and finding just how rewarding golf can be.

The attraction to golf appeals differently to each person, but we all enjoy the challenges, the unpredictability of the game, golf’s long-standing traditions, and learning the power of focus and concentration.

Additionally, you can expect the following:

1. Although golf can be a difficult game to play for the beginner golfer, you are only competing against yourself. You’ll learn in time how to use your mind and body to control all of the possible outcomes that your shot could make.

The fun starts when you are simply trying to make contact with the ball and as you get more experience, learning to steer the shot in a specific direction becomes even more rewarding.

2. Golf takes patience and unlike other sports, you need to give yourself plenty of time and to learn how to play well. That is what is so wonderful about this game, you can focus at your own pace until you are ready to advance.

When it comes to the mastering your golf grip there is one important factor involved that I do not see too many golf enthusiasts talking about: How the thumb should be planted on the shaft. Over the years I have found the position of the thumb can have a marked influence on how I swing the club and the outcome of the shot.

Tournament players, instructors, golf professionals, and weekend golfers alike all share a different view on the matter. Should your thumb be loose? Should it be pressed down tightly? Should the thumb just lie down flat against the top of the shaft?

The Answer To These Questions Are Important

Now if you are the type of golfer who only gets out on the weekends then you probably have a tendency to just grab the club with your left hand, wrap your right hand around it and then be on your way swinging. Unfortunately you are preventing a better grip which can help your game tremendously.

The way you should place your thumb should have it touching as much of the shaft as possible, thus creating a more firm grip. This is especially true if you have small hands.

What I like to do is push my thumb as far down the club shaft as it can go, so long as the grip remains comfortable. By working on your thumb placement in this same manner your grip will give you more control of the club while providing a little extra feel in your swing. Try it and you will notice a difference immediately.

As you progress each shot down the fairway, the distance between your ball and the flagstick becomes shorter and shorter. This means that your goal is to hit the ball as far as possible from the tee shot. Then on all subsequent shots you will need to adjust your swing for accuracy and precision, not distance.

This requires that you utilize different clubs for different shots. The club faces are made from either metal or wood. Different materials and loft on a golf club will have different effects on how far the ball will travel, and how high it will go.

Choosing An Iron or Wood

Generally speaking, the higher the number on the club, such as a 9-iron for example, the higher the ball will go into the air, but with much less distance than a lower-numbered club, such as a 3-iron.

Typically on a par 4 or 5 your first shot would be with a wood, second shot would be with a long iron (no. 2,3,4) or mid iron (no. 5,6,7,8) and third shot (or second if a short par 4) would be either with a pitching wedge (9 iron, pitching wedge or sand wedge) and or finally putter.

If you are new to golf and are a little confused about these numbers and what clubs to use, don’t worry, in time you will have a specific feel for each and every one of your 14 clubs when playing on the golf course.

No two bunkers are the same, and neither is the sand that they are made from. When your ball lands in a bunker, you need to make an educated and perceptive assessment of the situation. You must know the type of sand the bunker is made of and the lie you must deal with.

Although every bunker is a different size and has different sand types, you will typically encounter two different extremes:

1. High Lip Bunker: Some bunkers are very small and circular, but run deep. These bunkers tend to have a big lip that you must overcome between the ball and a green. The key here is to swing the club back very steeply and then follow through.

2. Wide Flat Bunker: Other bunkers will not be nearly as deep, very shallow in fact, but will run extremely wide and expansive. You will not need to pop the ball up as high, but instead, loft it low and travel a longer distance.

Hands Lead the Clubhead

One of the golden rules of chipping is to make sure that the hands lead the clubhead through the hitting area, thus guaranteeing that all-important descending angle of attack.

This is a crucial point of understanding for amateur golfers: if the hands stay ahead, a clean and consistent strike is far more likely.

If, however, you allow the clubhead to overtake the hands coming into impact, the arc of the swing effectively bottoms out before it reaches the golf ball. In that instance, a miss-hit is virtually assured.

Keep The Forearms “Soft”

As you probably already know, any tension in your hands, arms, or body destroys your chances of hitting solid, consistent golf shots. This is also the case with chipping.

To prevent this insidious fault from creeping into your action, try to make sure your forearms stay soft as you swing the club back and through. That thought alone effectively “oils” the swing with a lovely smooth rhythm.

It also helps to keep the acceleration smooth through the hitting area, so that the ball comes off the face not too “hot”, but on a soft and easily controllable ball flight.

Ever suffered from the yips? If you have, you’re not alone and it is not unusual. Anywhere between a third and a half of golfers suffer from the yips including leading professionsls e.g. Bernard Langer, Ben Hogan and Harry Vardon.

So what can you do about it? Head to the pracitce green and try these drills:

1. Try hitting some putts with your eyes closed.

2. Test different putting grips. Include the cross handed grip.

3. Hit a few putts with your eyes focused on the hole.

4. Hit some putts while keeping your wrists, hands, arms, and shoulders all moving as one unit, stiff like a robot.

5. Ram several putts into the hole with some extra speed and power.

6. Try hitting some putts with only the grip of your leading hand. Totally neutralize your other hand by tucking it in your pocket. You may find that you putt more solid this way. If so then this learning experience may tell you that when your back hand is gripping the putter, the back wrist may be flipping before impact.

Over the past few months I have found myself being impatient in business. This has also transferred itself onto the golf course. Anxious to see where were the ball has gone my head is moving.

As I consider this I’m reminded of a quote I often consider in business about the importance of being patient:

“Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success.” – Brian Adams

The same is true in golf. Patience will lead to success. When it comes to the swing, keeping your head still is one of the most basic and fundamental requirements. Keep the head still until the end of your swing and you will reap fine rewards.

When a golfer has a head that wobbles, sways, or dips, it is more likely to cause him to hit “behind” the ball. And if the head is swaying more towards the target, then topping the ball is usually the result.

It is not always easy to spot this so the next time you are playing a round ask your partner to look closely at your head. If there are any movements then have him or her point out the details so that you can work on keeping your head position still. You will be pleasantly surprised at the results!

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