November 13, 2015 Posted by Matt

If you simply can’t chip the ball at all, here is a fix.  Some golfers feel no matter what they do they just cannot chip the ball.  They give up and always putt from wherever they are off of the green.  If you are one of those players, here’s a simple chipping method.  Set up to the ball in the middle of your stance.  Point your elbows out in both directions back and front.  Make a motion of rocking your upper body while holding your elbows in place.  It will feel similar to a putting stoke but the club will move back and through like a chipping stroke.  Do not try to manipulate the stroke, as the loft of the club will get the ball into the air.  Just feel as if you are putting and let the club do the work.

November 12, 2015 Posted by Matt

Learn to pitch the ball close to the pin like the pros.  Pitch shots should fly in the air, take a few hops, and then roll to the pin.  When you watch the professionals on TV, they make it look easy.  Many amateurs have difficulty with the pitch shot, because they take a long backswing, then slow down as they come into impact, and use their hands to get the ball into the air.  This usually results in flubbed shots.  Swing the club back to about waist high, and hinge your wrists, so the club points upward.  Swing down and keep your hands passive, so they do not roll over or try to help the ball into the air.  Your wedge has enough loft to do the job for you.  Play the ball in the middle of your stance, and let your lower body make a little pivot as you swing through your pitch shots.

November 11, 2015 Posted by Matt

You must keep your legs still to be a good putter.  If you stand to the side and watch a group of golfers putt on the putting green, take note of their legs.  Most higher handicap players will move their legs during the putting stroke.  This causes the putter fact to open and close and send the ball off line from the start.  One way to help instill the feeling of quiet legs is to lean a club against the outside of the thigh of your front leg.  When you stroke the putt, the club should not move or fall.  To become a good putter, practice this way to make sure your legs are still, and you will make many more putts drop into the hole.

November 9, 2015 Posted by Matt

Many golfers who slice the ball, or hit it low and from left to right, simply give up on becoming better and play it as their natural shot.  Do not aim way to the left and then cut across the ball, hoping the ball will curve and stay on the fairway.  In practice, set up squarely and aim your feet, hips, and shoulders at the target.  Swing back so your shoulders and hips turn and bring the club to the inside of your target line.  From the top of your swing, feel as if you are a right-handed batter trying to hit a line drive over the second baseman’s head.  Swing in-to-out and you will produce a draw.  Gradually adjust your swing plane until you are hitting the ball with a  slight draw or straight to the target instead of that dreaded slice!

November 9, 2015 Posted by Matt

Think smooth when you have shots that call for long fairway woods.  Most players will naturally try to swing hard when they are hitting a long shot with a fairway wood.  This actually causes the swing to be shorter and the transition to be jerky, sending the club off plane.  Think smooth when hitting a fairway wood.  Grip the club lightly, play the ball off your front heel, and take a slightly wider stance.  Make a smooth backswing with a good shoulder turn, then drop the club down and through with no excessive force.  Your arc and shoulder turn will create all the club speed you will need, and the better contact will produce solid shots with your fairway woods.

November 8, 2015 Posted by Matt

How do you read the sand in a bunker?  When you enter a sand-trap and set your feet into the sand, you can get an idea of how firm or how soft the sand is.  If the sand is firm, you can hit closer to the ball and expect it to come out with a lot of spin.  If the sand is soft and fluffy, you will need to take a lot of sand and get the ball on the green, expecting it to roll a good way.  Always open your face a bit to put some bounce on your wedge no matter what the texture of the sand in the bunker.  If possible, always take the opportunity to hit a few shots from a practice bunker at the course to get a feeling of how the ball will react.  This should help you set your bunker play for the day.

November 7, 2015 Posted by Matt

A great way to see if you are rolling your putts correctly is to place a stripe around the equator of the ball.  Use a plastic line guide available in most golf shops to make a circle around your ball in black marker.  Strike your putt and watch to see how the ball rolls.  If the line appears to be solid as it rolls, you are making square contact.  If, however, the line wobbles as it rolls, you may be striking the putt with an open or closed face, causing sidespin.  Make corrections until you can see the solid stripe as you roll your putts to know that you are hitting them correctly.

November 6, 2015 Posted by Matt

If you are going to buy new irons, you will have a choice between steel or graphite shafts.  You should be aware of the difference between the two.  Steel shafts are heavier and offer more consistency through the set.  Players who prefer steel tend to like the heavier weight and more feel from the shot.  Graphite shafts are lighter and create more speed.  Graphite will also bend more and will produce higher ball flight.  Graphite is easier on your hands and elbows, in case you have arthritis or tendinitis.  It is always a good idea to try both shafts before you buy the set to see what works best for you.

November 5, 2015 Posted by Matt

Play smart, know where to miss it.  When you have an approach shot to the green, going straight to the pin is often not the best choice.  Evaluate the best place to have your ball land in case you miss the green.  Avoid leaving your ball so close to the side where the pin is placed that you do not have much green to use for your pitch or chip shot.  Look at the way the green slopes so that your ball will not run off the green or away from the hole after it lands.  Look for slopes behind the ball that can act as a backstop if you go a little long.  Plan your shot based on what the hole gives you, play smart, and you will score better.

November 4, 2015 Posted by Matt

If you are playing on fast greens that have a good deal of slope to them, be careful of the amount of break you play.  If you do not play enough break, the ball will miss on the low side and continue rolling down the slope a good distance.  This is what often causes three-putt greens.  Play enough break on the high side so that your ball is moving toward the hole as it slows down.  This should help you leave the putt close enough for a short par putt and will save you many strokes by avoiding the dreaded three-putt green.