How do you figure out the wind?  Because of trees and terrain, the wind will not always go in one direction on a golf course.  There will be a prevailing wind, but on some holes it may swirl and even appear as going in an opposite direction.  Throwing grass into the air does not help much, as it only tells what the wind is doing near you.  Look at the tops of the trees, the flagstick, and water in ponds and lakes to see the direction of the waves.  Watch your fellow golfer’s shots to see how the ball is being affected by the wind as it flies.

Take away one inch for just one round.  Try a little experiment the next time that you play a round.  Choke down one inch on every golf club that you hit, from your driver through your pitching wedge.  Make your same swing and keep your same rhythm and tempo for every shot.  You might be pleasantly surprised to see the amount of accuracy and distance control that you gain from this one little change.  If you watch the PGA or LPGA Tour on TV, you will notice that this little trick is common among the best players in the world.

All good golfers have on thing in common: they all finish on their left or front foot after the swing.  They move forward so that the left leg braces or allows the body to turn faster and propel the club against the left side.  Think of a hockey player making a slap shot.  He braces his front foot on the ice and turns his body against the braced left leg.  It is the same in golf.  In practice, make a strong move to get on your left side and drive through impact with your left leg braced. With a solid finish on your left side you will hit better golf shots and ultimately post lower scores.

Your first read is usually the best.  It is a well-know fact in psychology that our first impressions on many things are almost always correct.  Our eyes and brains work very well to help us navigate through various situations in life.  When you read a putt, chances are that your first read is a good one.  You might get a different perspective just to verify it, but do not go back and forth debating the break with yourself or your partner, as this will simply distract you and create doubt.  Get your read, commit to it, and stroke the ball into the hole.  There is no need to make a big production out of figuring the break of a putt.  Be confident and decisive, and you will make more putts.

Don’t baby a sand shot when you are short sided.  If your ball comes to rest in a greenside bunker and you do not have much room to land the ball on the green, do not try to hit the shot softly.  More than likely, you will leave the ball in the bunker.  The best way to play this shot is to open your sand wedge wide and smack the sand as if you were skimming a stone on water.  Slide the club under the ball with force and it will come out high and have a lot of spin.  Practice this short bunker play and it will come in handy.

Just getting your ball onto the green is not enough to consistently save par or bogey when you miss a green.  Take a little extra time to look at the green and pick out the slopes that will affect your ball as it moves toward the hole.  Pick out your landing spot and check to see if the green is soft or firm at that point.  Read the remainder of your line as you would read a putt and decide on the line that you will need to get your ball close.  If you have a choice, always leave yourself with an uphill rather than a downhill putt after you pitch or chip.

One common piece of advice is to slow down your backswing.  This is good advice if you are swinging too fast in your backswing that you end up swaying or getting off balance.  Many players take it to the extreme and swing back so slowly that they have no rhythm.  The swing is like a dance step that it is flowing, and not a move that goes from ultraslow to ultrafast.  Try speeding up your backswing a little to see if it helps you getter timing and more solid contact.  You do not have to race the club back, but think of a well-timed movement as a whole.

When warming up before a round, you might notice that you are fading or drawing your driver. Go with what you have for that day.  Do not waste time trying to correct it but just keep hitting balls and accept it. Every player will have days when his/her swing produces fades or draws without explanation. When you get on the course, play for the fade or draw that you were hitting in practice. Do not fight it and simply use it to get yourself onto the fairway. Practice time is the best time for making corrections, not in warm-ups or during a round.

by NaplesGolfGuy

Putting is a special game within the game of golf and good putters have good routines. If you notice players who are great putters, you will notice that they will go through the same routine every time for every putt. Find a routine that works for you and practice using it on the putting green so it becomes second nature. A good suggestion for a routine would be to read your putt from behind, walk up to your ball while staring at your line, take a stance, and make two practice strokes. Place your putter so it faces down your line, take your stance, look at your line twice, and make your stroke. Try this to see if it helps you become more consistent.

by NaplesGolfGuy