Do’s and Don’ts on the Range

photo credit: rioncm   1)  Quality not quantity is important.  Make each practice shot to a specific target.  Start with the wedge/s and work your way to the driver, don’t start with the driver.  2)  Don’t modify your swing on the range, leave that to your golf instructor.  3) When implementing changes in your swing, use only one club such as a 7 iron.  4)  Place your practice balls on the ground far enough apart to encourage “fresh starts” between strikes.  5)  Simulate a few tough golf holes; imagine  hitting to a very difficult par 3 on you home course.  6)  Work through the bag hitting different shots;  fade, draw etc.  7)  Hit half shots, punch-shots and knock-down shots.  8)  Allow for more time chipping and putting.

Golf Bag Paraphernalia

photo credit: _rockinfree   It’s probably safe to say that more players are  under-equipped than over-equipped when it comes to bag contents.  Every golfer should settle on what they really need for a day on the links, and nothing more.  

Clubs > be sure to take a full set.  Balls > usually six or eight balls are sufficient for a full round.  Gloves > one pair of regular gloves and one pair of all-weather gloves.  Tees > a bag of tees and perhaps two ball markers.  Refreshments > liquids, food, snacks.  Clothing > cold/wet weather gear, over-trousers, windbreaker, sweater.  Umbrella > bag cover to keep your clubs dry.  Extras > Sunscreen lotion, lip creams, sunglasses, extra towel.  First-Aid > band-aids, aspirin, cell phone for emergency.

Topping the Ball

photo credit: danperry.com   Even though this is the shot of beginners, topping the ball can happen to the best of players, even professionals.  It is one of the most embarrassing shots in golf, especially off the first tee with everyone watching.  It’s a demoralizing shot, to say the least.

There are two basic reasons for hitting topped shots: 1)  Bad Posture.  2)  Teeing the ball too low.

Bad Posture – Fix:  Maintain your address posture through impact, do not raise-up (otherwise called lifting your head).  When your body raises-up so does your clubface. 

Teeing the ball too low – Fix:  Simply tee the ball up higher.  When using a driver, half of the ball should show above the top edge of the clubface.

When you are Losing

photo credit: SouthAsiaGolf   If you are on hole 14 and losing a huge Nassau bet you made with your opponent, you should:  1)  start complaining about how your wife’s BMW was stolen the night before.  2)  tell your opponent you are waiting to hear the test results from your proctologist.  3)  inadvertently mention that you are suicidal.  4)  ask your opponent if he’s ever played Russian Roulette with five bullets in a six shot revolver.  5)  take the turban from your golf bag, put it on your head and yell, “God is Great.”  6)  pretend you are having chest pains and ask your opponent to call an ambulance.  7)  tell your opponent he looks a little on the yellow-side, then proceed to ask him if he has seen a doctor lately?

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.

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