Heavy Air

photo credit: -: pranav :-   High humidity can affect your game.  There can be a noticeable difference in your score from one climate zone to another. 

In the desert regions of the southwest, with very low humidity (sometimes as little at 2%), the air offers less resistance to ball flight. consequently, your shot distance is greater.  On the other hand, high humidity offers more resistance,  resulting in less shot distance.

Altitude is also directly related to distance.  In high altitudes, the air is thinner (less resistance) and shots fly higher and farther. 

The variables in humidity and altitude need to be considered when adjusting for shot yardages.  You can expect to add 5 to 15 yards in low humidity and subtract the same in very high humidity.

Don’t Squeeze

photo credit: flurdy   Putting accounts for nearly half of all strokes made during play.  Compared to a full golf shot, stroking a putt requires little movement.  If that be the case, why is putting so difficult for most players? 

One of the most troublesome aspects of poor putting revolves around how the club is gripped.  Too many players (including many PGA Tour players) grip the club too tightly.  To these players, a tighter grip means more control but in golf, more control isn’t’ necessarily a good thing. 

It is imperative that a relaxed, light grip be used.  Using a firm grip tightens the forearm muscles which causes an eratic stroke.  Grip the putter very lightly and allow the clubhead to swing freely.  Concentrate on hitting the ball in the center of the blade (sweet spot) !

Marking Your Golf Ball

photo credit: lrargerich   There are no hard-fast rules when it comes to marking your golf ball.  The official USGA. Rules offer guidlines only.  Placing your golf ball on the exact same spot that it was in when you marked it, is required.  You are allowed to mark your ball with any object, in any manner you choose.

The USGA guidlines simply state that the ball mark should be a coin or an object shaped like a coin.  It also recommends that the object you use should not distract other players. 

The marker should be placed immediately behing the ball.  Do not touch the ball until the marker is in place.  Once the ball is returned to it’s original position and the marker is removed, the ball is considered to be “in play.”

Determining the Point of Relief

photo credit: Samuraijohnny   In the game of golf, determining the nearest point of relief is critical.  It’s a very simple procedure that, unfortunately, not all weekend golfers are familiar with.

In nearly every case, the nearest point of relief is determined by finding the spot that is no closer to the hole than where your ball came to rest and that allows you to stand and swing without interference from the spot or object that prompted you to drop.  The nearest point of relief is usually the starting point far an area that is triangular in shape, typically determined by one club-length, in which you may drop or place the golf ball.

In too many cases the ball is dropped in simply a convenient location.  Unless the above procedure is followed, the rules of golf have been broken.

Grip and Turn

photo credit: klavr   There are two positive ways to improve shot distance, 1) Use a relaxed grip.  2)  Complete the backswing. 

In order to let the club swing freely and without incumbrances, the grip pressure must be relaxed.  Sam Snead, one of the world’s greatest players, was asked about his grip pressure, “I hold the club as if I’m holding a baby bird in my hands.”  A firm grip will not allow the clubhead to release properly, it also creates a lack of clubhead speed.  Grip the club like Sam Snead.

Making a full backswing allows the large back muscles to come into play.  Greater torque (coiling action) will be the result of a fuller backswing which contributes to greater clubhead speed.  Make a full shoulder turn for more distance.

The Wrong Advice

photo credit: mahalie   In my view, there are just too many wanna-be golf instructors out there in golf-land USA.  With beginners, any type of information they  receive is taken according to Hoyle (the rule).  The problem is, that beginners are so unfamiliar with swing basics that they will believe practically any instructions they are given, it doesn’t matter who its from.

I believe it is OK for someone to give basic instructions to a beginner in plain, easy to understand, language.  Its appropriate to discuss the proper stance or aim or even basic swing fundamentals, anything other than that is not recommended.  Giving the wrong advice, no matter how well meaning it may be, is very unproductive.  The greatest difficulty for any PGA Instructor is breaking a student out of a bad habit.

Gain Distance off the Tee

photo credit: mkpelland   The lower body plays an important role in achieving distance during tee shots.  You should maintain a feeling of a soft right leg on the downswing.  Flex the right knee during the address position and increase the flex, as the club swings downward.  Your knees should be facing the target line in front of the ball as the club approaches the impact zone. 

Flexing the right knee promotes a more powerful swing and much greater distance off the tee.  Ben Hogan was the ”father” of this technique and it helped him make a comeback after his nearly fatal car accident.  He had to figure out a way to imrove his shot distance after the injuries he suffered in the mishap.  This technique led him to a very successful comeback.

Check Your Aim

photo credit: Dave-F   It does no good to hit a perfect golf shot, if it is not aimed properly.  It’s amazing how many golfers pay so little attention to this part of their game.  Most of the time, poor aim involves open shoulders.  Even though your feet may be  lined up properly, if your shoulders are open to the target, your shot will go in the direction of your shoulders.

Check your aim:  Get into the address position, carefully place your club along the back of both of your heels.  Now step away and go behind your address position and observe where the club is aimed.  Now take the club and aim it towards your target in the same location.  Now set up with the club at your heels.  Being correctly aimed will most likely feel uncomfortable.

Square the Clubface

photo credit: Zunami   Hitting the ball with a square clubface means that the ball will go straight in relation to wherever the clubface was aimed.  Impact with an open clubface (right handers) results in a push (a shot that goes straight right).  Impact with a closed clubface results in a pull (a shot that goes straight left)  If the clubface moves laterally across the ball and imparts sidespin,  the result will be a slice or hook.

To square the clubface, pick a spot just a few feet in front of the ball that is in a straight line with your target.  Align your clubface with that spot during your setup.  The spot could be a leaf, a divot or any sort of identifiable mark.  Just aiming at a target 200 yards away is much to difficult.

Productive Practice

photo credit: Zunami   The majority of amateurs do not have good practice habits, they don’t set goals for themselves.  Going to the range and hitting balls relentlessly is not good practice, it’s just good exercise.  Setting goals for each practice session leads to accomplishments and that leads to self confidence.

Rather than just hitting balls, set a goal.  For instance:  Just bring a 6 iron and a pitching wedge.  Your goal may be to learn to hit high 6 iron shots that land softer.  As for the pitching wedge,  just practice short pitches but vary the distances.  Play shots using increments of five yards out to 30 yards.  Practicie such as this will do wonders for your short game, consequently, improving your score.

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