Table of Contents

• Short and Sweet
• Driving
• Short Game
• Bunker Play
• Putting

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 Short and Sweet

A SIMPLE PRE-SHOT CHECKLIST: 

To ensure a proper set up everytime, organise your pre swing keys into an easy - to remeber routine.

Before you pull the trigger go through ground to head checklist in-corporating these 4 important fundamentals:

• Ball position:  Is it in the right place?
• Stance:          Are you alligned correctly?
• Grip:              Is your tension level okay.
• Posture:        Are you bent from the hips with a slight knee flex.

After making sure these set up positions, fit the shot at hand, take a final look at your target and swing away.

 

WHEN YOU REALLY NEED TO RIP A DRIVE: 

Ironically the impulse to swing harder often reduces the shots distance as it destroys rythym and makes solid contact less likely. When you are looking to crank a drive, it is very important to maintain the body coil, or stretch that you created on the back swing for as long as possible on the downswing.

At address, take a wide stance to create a stable base, positioning your right foot outside your right hip, than make a slow, full back swing and think "smooth from the top" as you start down.

Your weight (very important) should shift to your left leg while your torso and arms stay stretched back poised to sling the club head through the ball. You may be surprised by your fire power.

 

THE BASIC BUNKER SPLASH: 

To make those trips to the beach more plesant, you need a simple technique that you can trust.

• Adjust your right hand grip so only the fingers hold the club. This prevents the right hand from taking over
• Aim the club face at the target and your body left. Many players tend to aim their bodies left and the club faces follows left. Make sure to aim the club face at the target after alighning your body
• Wiggle your feet abount at inch down into the sand and angle your right foot inward
• Make a firm, three quater swing along your body line, the club will cut across the ball, popping it out but spinning it right.

FOCUS FOR PRESSURE PUTTS: 

You'll always have your share of pressure putts. how well you handle them could be the differance between an average score and a career best or worse here are some tips

• Stay in the present avoid what is known as back passing and future - tripping.
• Don't dwell on the short putt you just missed and don't worry about what could happen
• Think only positive thoughts as you are getting ready to make the stroke, think 'yes' you can or imagine the ball dropping in the cup.
• Make a decisive stroke. Keep your stroke compact, back and through, accelarate through the ball, holding the finish. This discourages over stroking and promotes good rythym and centre face contact.

THE HIGH LOB: 

This shot lets you loft your ball high in the air and stop it on a dime and let's you look like a pro.  Using your lob or sand wedge approach the ball from behind with only your right hand on the club. This will lean the shaft away from the target and point the face almost straight up. (open clubface) Leaning the shaft back also precepts an impact position with the club head passing the hands for maximum loft. With a slightly open stance and the ball just forward of centre take your normal grip, with both hands and from there a smooth swing back and through will produce a high, soft landing shot.

 

THE BUMP AND RUN: 

This is a good choice whenever the green lets you run the ball.  take an 8 or 9 iron and set up in a narrow stance with your weight 60% on our from foot and the ball centred. With your feet slightly open square your shoulders to the target line.  As you swing back, let your wrtist hinge and then start your down swing bt shifting your knees forward, which sets up a descending blow.  To practice this shot lay a club on the ground inside your target line to help with alignment, then stick a tee in the ground opposite your ball.  As you practice, make sure your club head bottoms out just past the tee and stays low after impact to produce a low runner.

 

HITTING OUT OF FAIRWAY BUNKERS: 

It is always said that " you can't let fairway bunkers cost you more than half a stroke". Still, many amateurs struggle to get out of them.  Escape is easy once you know how. Here are the keys.....

• Make sure you have a club with enough loft to clear the bunker lip.
• Twist your feet into the sand to stabilize your stance. Grip down the club the same amount you lowered your feet into the sand.
• Move the ball back an inch in your stance to ensure ball first contact
• Hover your club head just above the ball, make your normal swing and don't be afraid to take a divot after the ball

HITTING A SMART LAY UP: 

When was the last time you played a round without laying up?  Probably never.  Planning and executing a good lay up is as important as any other shot in your bag. Don't take it for granted. As a rule don't hit a lay up that results in a partial swing for your next shot. You'll always be most confident making a full swing, however if the pin is way back, consider laying up closer to 30 or 40 yards so that you can use the length of the green to bump and run to the hole.  If the pin is up always leave a full wegde as you'll need the higher trajectory to drop the ball close.

 

THREE STEPS TO PICKING A CLUB: 

Choosing the right club for the approach shot requires reading the situation.  Not just the yardage.  Here are the 3 critical points;

• what will the distance actually play?  Factors that may affect shot distance include the lie of the ball, the slope of the ground and elevation change to the target and air temperature.
• where do you want the ball to end up?  Generally amateurs should not go for pins tucked to one side and should leave tha ball below the hole.  But if tough bunkers protect the front, err on the long side; conversely, if there is trouble long - favour the front.
• how well are you swinging?  Be realistic about how you are hitting the abll at the time.  Don't just grab the club that will get you to the target on your best shot.

PALYING THE SLOPES: 

First take a few practice swings to see where the club bottoms out for ideal ball position. Then make the following adjustments to keep your balance.

• Ball above feet  Grip down and set more weight towards your toes as the heel will pull you backward.  Aim right because the shot will tend to go left.
• Ball below feet  Increase knee flex to reach the ball and set more weight towards your heel as gravity will pull you forward. Aim left as the shot will tend to go right.
• Uphill lie  Going uphill, your back swing pulls you down the slope. So brace against your back leg, match your shoulders to the hill and play the ball forward.
• Downhill lie  Here your forward swing pulls you down the slope. So brace against your front legs, match your shoulders to the slope, and play the ball back

 

 Driving

When it comes to a general approach to the game of golf, most pro's believe that the brain only gets in the way of an effective swing. Simple but effective checklists on the course and during practice which will help your game (guaranteed) are listed here under.,

 

Driving

Don't be the type of guy who stands over the ball and think about what you are supposed to do. Just keep the white ball in sight and give it your best shot. Smart play is in and if the situation calls for the driver to be in the bag, than let it be. But when the shot does call for a driver, the best advise is not to hold up.

• Bend at hips, feel athletic. Set up with head behind the ball.
• Take the club back low and slow (remember slow). Tempo is everything.
• Turn your right side as far away as you can from the ball. Keep lower body stable
• On the downswing it is very important to pull through with the left hand
• Follow through strong....the swing does not end at impact
• At the finish your weight should be on the left side

Chipping

Improve your chipping with the 2 h's, hinge and hold.  First learn the proper chipping set up.  Weight should be on the lead side (left foot for right handers), ball slightly back in stance, eyes and hands closer to the target than the ball is (hands/head in front of the ball, leaning forward)

Hinge: During the backswing use your dominant hand (right for right handers)and hinge the club slightly

Hold:  In the follow through hold this position post impact, that is don't let the clubhead pass under your

         lead hand before impact.. The back of that hand should not be closer to the target than the ball is

         at impact. After impact you can release the club.

• You have got to have loose hands. Tension is the No.1 cause of bad chips
• Play the ball back in your stance. Keep 60% of your weight on your lead side. This ensures the that the club strikes the ball first, the ground second
• Keep your left wrist firm. The lead hand's wrist should not break until after the ball is on its way.
• Don't take the club back on an inside path. Take it straight back on the target line.

Putting

Don't be a hunchback when you putt. Good posture leads to good putting. Bend at the hips (not at the waist) so arms can swing. Grip your club securely and let your arms hang freely, but that does not mean gripping all the way down the shaft. Putting is all about feel, you should know before the putt sinks in if you are going to make it.

• Don't break your wrists. Make a stroke with your shoulders but never loose feeling in your hands, your arms should feel like they are hanging comfortably from the shoulders
• Play the ball off your left heel, centre your eyes directly over the ball (never in front), once you have selected the line stay committed to it.
• Just like chipping you need loose hands, no tension. Practice long putts for the rhythm, short putts for the line
• Stroke straight back to straight through for short to medium length putts.

 

 Short Game

Fringe Play: Intelligent club selection and knowing how the ball reacts from different lies is just as important as technique. A low running chip shot is as safe a shot likely to give you consistent results. Don't lob the ball high into the air from short range unless you have very little green to work with

 

The Chip and Run.

1. When there is plenty of green between the pin and the ball the ideal shot is the chip and run. Select a spot on the green where you intend to land the ball. Consider the speed and slope of the green as the roll of the ball is influenced by both. Stand square to the target with the ball central in your stance. Keep your hands ahead of the clubhead at address-they should remain that way throughout the swing.
2. Take the club away from the ball smoothly and break the wrists only a little. The length of the backswing determines the length of the shot. Your left hand should be in complete control, the right hand acts one as a support.
3. Keep the hands ahead of the clubhead at all times (this will prevent scooping). Don't worry about getting the ball airborne as the loft of the club will do this for you. Ensure a simple back and through movement with the hands and arms.
4. Even after impact the hands remain in front of the clubhead. Concentrate on pointing the clubhead at the target. A successful chip leaves you a makeable putt.

High and Short. The Lob.

1. When the ball sits down in the fringe grass and there is little green to work with the lob with a sand wedge or even better the lob wedge (60degrees) is best for the job. Adopt an open stance with the ball back in your stance and your hands forward.
2. Break the wrists very early in the backswing- sideways movement of the hand should be minimum but the hinge effect of the wrists gives you enough length on the backswing.
3. Remember that the grass will act a cushion on impact (as sand does) so it is very important to accelerate on the downswing. The importance of a correct set up is essential.
4. Hit down on the ball to gain height on the shot-the natural loft of the club will pop the ball high into the air with plenty of spin. Your head should remain perfectly still throughout with very minimum movement of the hips.
5. The left hand remains dominant throughout-at no time is the clubhead allowed to overtake the hands. The ball will land softly on the green with very little roll.

100 yards In-Confidence and Control: From 100 yards in (90mtrs), you should find the green every time, get the ball as close as possible, missing the target should be very rare. Success on this shot depends a great deal on confidence. However equally important is control-you should never hit an approach shot flat out. Use your 9 iron or pitching wedge, grip down on the club slightly and make a three quarter swing. Perhaps the most constant shot is with the 9 iron 3/4 swing-this controlled shot will give you the correct line and lets the natural lie of the land sweep your ball down towards the hole

1. Keep your technique simple no heroics are called for this shot. Feet, hips and shoulders square to the target. Distribute your weight equally on both feet.
2. Play a hands and arms shot, you don't want too much body movement for this shot. Keep the takeaway low, never take back/pick up the club quickly-if you create too steep an arc it is likely you will make a poor shoulder turn. Keep the swing smooth.
3. Knees should be comfortable flexed and your shoulders make a full 90 degrees turn. Half your weight now moves to the right side. Feel the left hand guiding the clubhead throughout-don't rush the swing. The left wrist should be in control of the club.
4. The head remains steady, no lifting or dipping at any time. On the down swing and through impact most of your weight should be on the left foot.
5. The hard work is now done but don't be lazy on the follow through. Key points such as a good balance and follow through will improve your overall tempo during the swing. The upper body faces the target on the follow through.

 

 Bunker Play