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Golf Tips |
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Missin' putts?
This is just flat out a great tip if you are having trouble with the flat stick. Take your normal stance and grip with the putter. Now squeeze your grip very hard and see if the putter is moving (closing or opening). Try to see if every time you squeeze the grip, the putter head moves one way or another. If it does move, chances are, as you stroke the ball and your grip pressure changes, the putter head is moving off line without you knowing it. The answer is this....Put the putter grip in the middle of your left hand riding right between the two fleshy pads at the base of the hand. Keep experimenting with different grip positions while continuing to squeeze the grip. Eventually you will find a position for the grip that allows the inadvertent clutching or squeezing of the club while making a putting stroke without the putter head moving off line. Now you can clutch and squeeze all you want and the putter will continue to move straight down the line in spite of your "nervous twitches".
Fiddlin' With Your Grip?
There is no one proper grip. There is a "starting point" for your grip, but basically the proper grip is the one which allows someone to hit straight golf shots. The "starting point grip" is one for a right hander that has the left thumb about 1:00 on the grip with the club grip running diagonally from the base of the left index finger to about the middle of the palm. The right hand grip has the thumb about 11:00 on the grip with the "V" created with the thumb and right index finger pointing somewhere between the right shoulder and your chin. The club should be lying in the fingers of the right hand. If this grip is "coordinated with the swing and allows the golf shot to be hit on line, then that is the proper grip. Some swings will require you to alter this grip either to the left or right to hit straight golf shots. A long story short, YOU MUST MATCH THE GRIP WITH THE SWING. As you know, there are a lot of different swings that work. With these different swings, comes different grips. They must work together.
Chunck'n Your Chips?
Are you hitting your chip shots "fat"? Chances are you are using your hands to move the club and not your shoulders. Set up with the ball opposite your right heal (for a right handed player). There should be a very obvious "angle" of your club with your hands about opposite your left thigh. Note the angle and how far ahead of the clubhead your hands are. Keep that same angle through the chip as you "swing" just your shoulders or your chest to move the club. This will take practice as you are trying to take your hands completely out of the shot. With practice, you will be chipping it close!
Lipping out or just missing putts?
Are you missing and lipping out short to medium length putts. It may not be your alignment. Give the putt a little more speed. When your golf ball loses speed, it will "bobble" off line. Chances are, when you read the putt, you read it with calculating the "correct speed" taken in to account. If you don't stroke the ball with that same speed, your read of the green is no longer correct. Keep decent pace on the ball without hitting it more than 18" beyond the hole. You'll hole more putts.
Having Trouble Hitting Greens?
Don't try to hit your shot straight! You're saying...WHAT!! That's right, don't aim at your target. Here's why. Chances are, your ball curves one way or another 90% of the time. Why fight those odds. Even tour players let the ball move either right to left or left to right. Don't fight what's going to happen a majority of the time. Let's say 70% of the time, your ball flight is from left to right, 20% of the time you hit it straight and the other 10% of the time you hit it right to left. If you aim a little left of your target (the flagstick) and you hit your "normal" shot of left to right, your ball would land near the flagstick. If you hit the ball straight (20% of the time, you will be a little left of the target, but still on the green. The only way you miss the green is if you hit the shot left (10% of the time). If you follow this procedure every time, you should have good luck 90% of the time. Good players follow this rule. You should too.
Confused About The Right Golf Ball For Your Game?
As we all know, there are quite a few golf ball possibilities out there of which to choose for your game. Be careful not get get hung up on the hype from the tour. Remember, these guys swing at it well over 100 miles per hour and chances are if you're not a top flight amateur or a club pro, you are not. Generally speaking, a ball that the pros use and claim more distance may not do the same for anyone swinging at less than 100 miles per hour. For anyone looking for distance and not swinging the club as fast as the pros, (or hitting your driver 230 or less), there are many options such as the Titleist NXT Distance, Maxfli Noodle, Top Flite 3000 or the Lady Precept among others. You should hit all of these farther than any ball the tour players use. They also will spin less which in many cases is a positive, as spin also causes slices and hooks. You might be better off having just a little less feel and touch around the green and more control of your driver and other full shots. All of the above mentioned balls are also less expensive than most golf balls played by the tour.
Yes, golf balls DO make a difference
Trouble in the Bunker?
Are you having trouble hitting quality bunker shots? I think everyone knows that you should contact the sand about 2-3 inches behind the ball. Getting the clubhead to do that isn't always the easiest procedure. What some forget is that you must steepen your downswing to allow the club to enter the sand in precisely the correct location behind the ball. First, set up to the ball a little left of the target with the ball roughly off the left heel. (I'll explain the reason you align yourself left of target in a minute.) Open the clubface just a bit. Take the club back straight back or a little outside the line. (Here's the key to a successful shot). Let your wrists hinge as you take the club back feeling as though you are very "handsy" and picking the club straight up. This produces a "V" shaped swing vs. a "U" shaped swing. Let the club fall back into the sand 2-3 inches behind the ball without the tendency to "scoop". (Make sure you keep the clubface open and not let it square or close on the donswing or at impact). Continue the swing without quitting on the shot and you will be on the road to better bunker play. The reason for aiming left of the target is very simple. As noted earlier, you must open the clubface some to allow the natural bounce or "flange" of the club to come in contact with the sand. This keeps the club from digging into the sand excessively. With the club being open, the ball will slide out to the right some upon impact. With you aligning left of target and the club open at impact, the ball should head directly to the flag. The gaping bunker in front of the green will never intimidate you again.
3 Putt Problems?
Quit trying to make your putts! Sounds crazy but 3 putts are more often than not caused by hitting your putts the wrong distance (not the wrong direction). Set a distance (Say 6ft and longer) that all you try to do is hit the putt the correct distance and not be concerned as much with the direction. First, if distance is your only concern, you will put a much better stroke on the ball as you will not be "pressured" to make the putt. Expl... If you have a 20 foot putt and miss the hole 2 feet to the left, but hit the putt the correct distance, you will have only a 2 footer for your second putt. On the other hand, if you have the same 20 foot putt and hit the edge of the hole but hit it 6 feet past the hole, you have a 6 footer for your second putt. Your direction was great but your distance was not. Personally, I'll take the 2 footer for my second putt.
Practice by laying a club down on the green a little behind the hole. (6 - 12 inches) Hit putts trying to just have your golf ball barely hitting the club laying behind the hole. Don't worry about where the hole is, just concentrate on the club laying on the ground. Bigger target = Better stroke!
Happy Two-Putting!
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