Tag: tip

Categories
Hit More Fairways

Should You Try to Hit a Straight Golf Shot?

By Shooting 90

This post is a followup to a post I wrote entitled Master Your Straight Golf Shot where I advise against purposely shaping your shot with a draw (right to left for righties) or a fade (left to right for righties) and encourage you to hit a straight shot. I watched a YouTube video tonight from Joseph Mayo (@TrackmanMaestro) and Grant Waite (@grantwaite) of Waite Mayo Golf. The video was made for a beginner or high handicap golfer audience and discusses grip, stance and weight shift.

In the segment on stance, they discuss the common problem of slicing the ball which many beginner and high handicap golfers have and how these golfers are told to hit the ball straight. Joseph and Grant argue against hitting the ball straight, citing it’s nearly impossible, and even pro golfers could not do it consistently if they tried. Rather than trying to teach high handicap golfers something even pros cannot do, they recommend hitting a predictable curve. A predictable curve is either a draw or a fade. Since many golfers have a problem with slicing, learning to hit a draw would not only give you a predictable ball flight path but would also correct the slice.

I encourage everyone to watch the video. Joseph and Grant provide great tips on a level everyone can understand. I know it has changed the way I think how high handicap golfers should setup and hit the ball.

 

Categories
Putting

Putting is the Foundation to Improving your Golf Game

By Shooting 90

A solid golf game is consistent in three areas – hitting fairways, hitting greens in regulation, and putting. Continual issues in any of these areas can prohibit a high handicap golfer from elevating their game to shooting bogey golf.

Driving accuracy and hitting greens in regulation are important to scoring low. You can, however, miss fairways or greens and still recover through other areas of your game. Miss a fairway and still hit the green in regulation by hitting a good approach shot. Miss the green in regulation and salvage the hole with a nice chip or bunker shot.

Putting is not as forgiving. Good putting can help you score low on a hole or help you salvage a hole on which you have made mistakes. But there is no recovery from poor putting. By three putting a hole, you will either waste a great scoring opportunity or compound previous mistakes on a hole resulting in an unwanted score. Even if you hit the green in regulation, three putt and you’ll end up with a bogey. You need to take advantage of hitting greens in regulation by making pars and an occasional birdie. Pars are needed to offset the double bogeys or worst that you will score in your round.

High handicap golfers should work on eliminating three putts to move towards consistently shooting 90. The goal for high handicap golfers should be to make every putt within 15 feet. The probability of a high handicap golfer making putts outside of 15 feet is low. Lag putt every putt outside of 15 feet. Lag putting is putting the priority on leaving the ball within a few feet of the hole to insure making your second putt instead of trying to make the first putt. During time on the practice green, be sure to practice lag putting from 15 to 50 feet. As your golf game progresses and you hit more greens in regulation with your approach shot, you will be faced with longer putts than if you were chipping or pitching onto the green. Successful lag putting will be important to take advantage of hitting greens in regulation.

The other end of successful lag putting is making short putts. No matter how good your lag putting is, you still have too many three putts if you miss short second putts. Strive to make everything within three feet of the cup. Every time at the end of practicing your putting on the practice green, challenge yourself to make ten three footers in a row. If you miss one start over at zero. Work on a full follow through and avoid “stabbing” at the short putts. One of the most frustrating things in golf is to play a hole great and then miss a short putt at the end.

Make putting the strong point of your game no matter what level your game is at. Good putting can help you score low and can also bail you out of trouble. Three putts will lead to frustration. Reduce your number of three putts and see your golf game improve!

Categories
Golf Tips

The Advantages of Golfing by Yourself

By Shooting 90

Golf can be played in a variety of ways. You can compete individually or as a team. Even when competing individually, you are usually playing in a group. When not competing, playing golf with your regular golf companions is a very enjoyable activity. Golf is a very social sport.

While golf is obviously enjoyable with others, I would also encourage you to not avoid golfing alone. Many courses will not allow singles during busy times and will pair you up with others to make a foursome. This is understandable. A bunch of single players on a busy golf course is not an efficient way to bring in income. However, even at my local home course which is very busy during the summer, I can get out on the course by myself during twilight and early morning times. I can usually go out solo anytime of the day during non-peak months.

There are many advantages to golfing by yourself.

  • There’s no pressure – Most of us experience some kind of added pressure and tension when playing in a group. Playing with someone new for the first time adds to this tension. Hit a few bad shots and soon you have a snowball effect. This pressure if non-existent when playing alone. Shrug off a bad shot and move on.
  • It’s easier to play forward or back tees – By playing off of a different color tee, you will have different approach shots than you are accustomed to from playing off your regular tee. This gives you valuable practice with clubs you might normally not use. You are free from any questions to play any tee you want when you are out alone.
  • You can set your own pace – Playing alone, you will not feel rushed by other players in your group or by other groups behind you. If by chance a single or group of two catches up to you, simply let them play through. You will most likely be forced to slow down your game so you will not be on a group in front of you for the whole round. Use this time to think through every shot and practice your pre-shot routine.
  • Play two balls – Hitting two balls if the pace of play allows is a good way to avoid continually being on a group in front of you. You can mix things up by playing a worst ball scramble by yourself. Hit two balls from every spot and play the worst shot. This is a great way to practice tough shots.
  • You can talk to yourself – I don’t mean negative talk. There’s no place for that. I’m talking about giving yourself positive motivation during the round. Verbally congratulate yourself after good shots. The positive affirmation is great for your golf game.

 

Take advantage of times you can get out on the course by yourself. The solitude, ability to set your own pace, and being able to play your own game provide a great atmosphere to improve your game.

Categories
Golf Tips

Take Full Advantage of your Home Golf Course

By Shooting 90

As your basic swing skills come together and you begin to play more golf, you may want to become a member at a local course near you. I’m not specifically speaking of a fancy private country club. Many public golf courses also offer yearly memberships.

There are many benefits of becoming a member at a local golf course:

  • Unlimited golf
  • Some courses include free range balls
  • You can play in the club championship
  • Easier to get tee times
  • Playing repeatedly on the same course builds confidence

Along with the many benefits, there may be a few pitfalls in becoming a member. While playing the same course will build confidence, things may become too routine if you are not careful. You may find yourself knowing what club you are going to hit on each hole before the round even begins. This includes not using multiple clubs in your bag at any point in the round. It is important to regularly use every club in your bag.

Fortunately there are many things you can do to avoid things becoming to routine. The most obvious thing is to play different courses. Even with the benefits of having a home course, you should occasionally be playing different courses. Not knowing a golf course keeps your mental game and course management skills sharp. You’ll also probably see yourself hitting clubs that you normally do not on your home course. Many golf courses have reciprocal deals with other courses that will give you a discounted green fee on those courses. Even with the discounts, playing these other courses is an additional expense to the membership fee you are already paying for your home course.

Let’s look at some ways to get the maximum benefit from your home course. Playing your home course in a different way is beneficial to improving your game.

Don’t play exclusively from the white or red tees. Next round, play from a longer tee. You will find your longer irons and hybrids will come into play more often than they do from a more forward tee. This will help you be comfortable playing any club in your bag when on other courses where you will need them. Please keep in mind that you will score higher from a longer tee. We are just not as accurate from longer distances. This is normal and perfectly OK. In fact, if you keep a handicap, the handicap system accounts for what tee you are playing from.

On the flip side, do not be against playing from a forward tee once in a while. The red tees are not ladies tees and the gold tees are not senior/youth tees. They are simply red and gold tees providing an opportunity to play from a shorter yardage. The expected outcome when playing from a more forward tee than usual is to score lower. Playing up will provide you approach shots into the green with short irons ands wedges. The short game is the most important part of anyone’s game. The more times you can get real on-course work on your short game the better off your game will be. Once again, if you keep a handicap, the system will account for playing a shorter tee and your handicap will not become artificially low by playing up.

Another option on some holes when playing your regular tees is to use a different club off of the tee. For example, keep your driver in the bag for some par 4’s and use a 3 wood or other club off the tee. This gives you practice off the tee with other clubs. You may find that the increased accuracy with a different club other than your driver may increase your scoring opportunities on some holes. This, like playing longer tees, increases the length of approach shots forcing you to use clubs in your bag you normally do not.

So start mixing things up on your home course. The increased use of clubs you may normally not play will benefit your golf game especially when playing new courses.