|
Tips and Advice on how to get your handicap down and play better golf. If you have a problem with your golf Email Doctor golf
for the answer.
Keep it all compact
As the weather get warmer and you start to play without 3 shirts 2 pullovers and 4 jackets
your swing starts to get longer as it is no longer restricted by your fasion statements. Arms start waving all over the place
and instead of the compact swing you have had all winter big turns, over swinging and shots going off in all directions is
the result. So remember the old photos of golfers playing in shirts and ties and suits and keep everything tight and powerful
as the temp. rises.
Are you suffering with the wind
As spring approaches and the March winds start to blow remeber in the wind always hit it soft to keep it
straight when playing into the wind.
The obvious thing to do when hitting into the wind is to try and hit the ball harder but this only imparts
more spin on the ball and results in shots being blown all over the place. The way to keep the ball straight is to take lots
more club and hit it softer. If you would normaly hit a 6 iron 140 yards , into a strong wind take a 3 iron and swing with
ease into the breeze.
Prepare for the new season
Having spent the winter playing off mats you develop a different swing as your ball is
always slightly above your feet, you always have a good lie, and you never chip off a bare lie. To get your brain back to
playing normal golf go to the driving range and play your irons off as bare a mat as you can find . This will make sure your
ball striking is accurate.If you are hitting all right of a bare mat then try hitting off the bare black rubber. When you
get back on to grash every lie will seem good.
Keep it parallel
Remember that your feet hips and shoulders should be parallel to club head line not aiming at the
same spot. When you aim at the flag your club head aims at the flag not your feet hips and shoulders which will be aiming
left of the pin PARALLEL to your club head aim line.
Distance
No matter what your handicap there is nothing more annoying than hitting a wonderful shot with the wrong club
and watching it come up short or go shooting through the green.
Every golfer should know how far your average shot goes
for every club. The next time you are playing with no wind(so don't play after a curry)pace out the distance you hit a five
or 6 iron then take off or add on 10 yards for every club and you will have a rough idea of your club distance to work from.
On your own course you should know how far you have to go on every shot , if not , find out.
How often do you stand
on a par 3 on your own course and wonder what club to hit???.
If you hit the green note the club on your yardage chart.
If you don't have a yardage chart get/make one.
Once you know the distance with no wind just add on or subtract clubs
for the amount of wind on the day and hit a normal shot.
Remember it does not matter if you are a pro or a hacker if you
use the wrong club you will not hit the target.
Putting
Do you have trouble with hitting your putts straight .
The usual cause is excesive wrist movement. Stuff
your right hand in your pocket and putt left handed pulling the club through to the hole with your left hand this will give
you the feeling of of hitting to the hole without flicking the wrists at the ball. Try the same thing with your chips just
of the green and watch them roll up to the hole.
Course Management
Always play the shot you KNOW you CAN hit.If you are in doubt as to whether you can play the shot
then don't . I have seen people putt out of bunkers, putt side ways rather than chip over a bunker from a bare lie and I have
played a full round with a guy who played a 5 iron from every tee. He might not have hit it very far but every second shot
was from the fairway. How many times do you run up a big score at the long 11th or at the 16th trying to get your second over
the water when you have never got it over in your life.
Remember every hole its par for your handicap . If you are an
18 handicap golfer a bogey is what you SHOULD get at every hole . when you gwt a par it is a stroke in the pocket to keep
for the six you WILL get at some hole.
Don't run up a huge score trying to get the par on the card at every hole , get
a good score by trying to score your par on every hole.
|
