Fairway Sand Wedge?

photo credit: GregHickman   Using a sand wedge in the fairway is not such a good idea for most amateur players. 

Sand wedges have a good amount of bounce under the sole of the club.  The bounce (depending on how severe), can hit the ground too soon.  This means that the clubface will bounce into the ball instead of making clean contact.

The sand wedge is used to get out of sand bunkers through the use of it’s flange.  The club is bounced into and off-of the sand which explodes the ball out of the trap. 

On the fairway, caution must be used when playing off of a clean lie.  The ball must be hit precisely in order to execute a good shot.  I always advise my students not to use a sand wedge off of a fairway.

Elevated Greens

photo credit: danperry.com   Playing to an elevated green is a lot less complicated if some basic rules are followed.  A shot to an elevated green should be viewed with caution, however.  The tendency is to try to hit the ball higher than normal, trying to do so can lead to trouble. 

A shot to an elevated green, with the flag partially hidden, always requires the use of one extra club (instead of a 6 iron, use a 5 iron).  Do not try to  position the ball forward in your stance, play the ball as you would if you were hitting a normal shot.  Do not try to draw the ball because a draw shot will fly considerably lower than normal.  Make your typical swing and don’t go ballistic if you don’t hit the green.

How to Give Instructions

photo credit: mahalie   If a beginner asks you for your help, there are a few specifics that you should know.  Anyone who is anxious to learn, is usually open to all suggestions, so make sure your instructions are accurate.  First and foremost, however, do your friend a favor and suggest a PGA Professional instructor if you don’t feel qualified to help.  Otherwise:

(A)  To start, don’t go into too much detail.  The game is hard enough, so keep it simple.  (B)  Gauge your instructions according to the individual in front of you.  No two people, or golf swings, are alike.  (C)  Above all, be patient.  (D)  Set up a weekly schedule.  Golf is all about discipline.  (E)  Keep your expectations low.  Remember how difficult it was when you began to play.  (F)  Inspire.  In most cases inspiration means more than the instructions themselves.

Clubface Grooves

photo credit: Zunami   Grooves on the upper section of the clubface are primarily used for alignment, they do not play a role in achieving backspin.  The cut-off point is the 5th groove from the bottom.  If the ball is struck any higher than the 5th groove, the shot is futile.  The upper half of the clubface does not play a role in the shot.

If you use a tee on par three holes, do not tee the ball any higher than 1/2 inch above the ground (1/4 inch is ideal).  Tee the ball higher and it will be struck with the upper half of the clubface.

When in deep rough, with the ball sitting up, grip down on the handle, this will shorten the club’s length so the ball can be hit with the lower half of the clubface.

Pick up Your Pace

photo credit: mandj98   Some golfers think that playing slower means playing better, wrong!  The following are tips for faster play:

(1)  Check your shot yardage immediately.  (2)  Know how far you hit each club.  Attach your yardage chart (club distance) to your golf bag.  (3)  Take one practice swing, many golfers take none and play just as well.  (4)  Keep your eye on your shot and use a landmark to mark its position.  (5)  Don’t waste time telling stories about the good shot you made last week, just play golf.  (6)  Don’t mark your ball on short putts, putt out.  (6)  If you are off the green carry two clubs from your cart, the putter and wedge.

PGA Tour Pro, Riuji Imada, in the 2006 Verizon Heritage, played a round in 1 hour and fifty-one minutes and shot a 2-under 69!

Fixing Ball Marks

photo credit: danperry.com   A pitchfork is a tool that repairs ball marks on the green.  Every golfer should carry and use this handy tool.  Unfortunately, many players do not know how to use it.

Many players insert the tool in the perimeter of the ball mark and push down on the flat end of the pitchfork, this forces the pointed ends to move upward…big mistake.  In this manner the ball mark will not naturally repair itself because of the damage that was done by the pitchfork.

Insert the pitchfork in the perimeter of the ball mark and simply push the flat end forward which moves the perimeter towards the middle of the ball mark (may require two pitchfork insertions).  Repairing in this fashion will assure a complete and quick recovery of the damaged area.

Play Away from Trouble

photo credit: eMaringolo   One of the common mistakes that most amateurs make is that they take unnecessary risks on the golf course.  Instead of playing safe they’ll “go for it.” 

If you’re on a dog-leg right play for the wide side of the dog leg.  You may have a longer shot into the green but it’s better than possibly having no shot at all.  If you have an approach shot with trouble on the right side or right front of the green, simply play left.  If you don’t make the green you should have an easy chip left.  Always play away from the hazards, water on left, play right. 

Don’t always shoot for the pin.  You will find that in most cases,  playing for the center of the green is much more to your advantage than aiming directly at the pin.  Play safe for lower scores.

Playing Percenteges

photo credit: Guillermo Esteves   We all have the urge to “go for it.”  Making that impossible shot is a wonderful feeling but it’s the desire to out-do your own skills that will “do you in.”  By controlling your desire to make that magical shot you can make great improvement in your scores.

Being aggressive is not a bad thing mind you but there are numerous examples of how trouble awaits when you throw caution to the wind. 

Playing conservatively is all about avoiding trouble.  If you are in the rough, why not just hit it out on the fairway instead of going through the trees, for the green?  If there is a difficult pin placement, go for the fat of the green instead of shooting for the pin.  Play conservative for a better all around game.

Don’t Miss the Short Putt

photo credit: optimal tweezers   On the scorecard a 3 foot putt counts as much as a 300 yd. drive, yet when you miss the 3 footer by so much as a quarter inch it can demolish your game quicker than a banana slice into deep woods.  Why?  Because as your ball gets nearer the cup your nerves get more frazzled.  You are in the risk area where you are liable to suffer humiliation or embarrassment if you miss it.  People hate the short putt because if you make it no one cares, but if you miss it, everyone raises their eyebrows.  In the end you are working 18 holes to avoid humiliation and that’s a lot of baggage.

One former PGA Tour Player told me “If you’re going to make it on tour, you have to make every 4 footer.”  I did say former pro.

Forced Swing

photo credit: mandj98   Most PGA Tour Players, if asked, would say that they swing at only about 80% to 85% of their potential.  The primary reason they don’t swing flat out is control.  Swinging at full capacity can only lead to inconsistency and much higher scores.  Remember, playing well evolves from good swing tempo.

The temptation is always there to “go for it,” and doing that means a forced shot; a forced shot usually means an errant shot.  Rather than swinging harder to make the green, reach for one more club and maintain your regular swing tempo. 

All this sounds quite elementary but most of us are guilty of over-swinging when there is really no need to do so.  Being macho by swinging too hard can do nothing more than increase your scores.

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