July 6, 2016 Posted by Matt

When you have a chip shot near the green, should you leave the flagstick in the hole or take it out?  If you plan to have the ball rolling as it approaches the hole, leave the flagstick in.  If you have a shot where the green is sloping away from you and you’re headed downhill, definitely leave the pin in.  If you are hitting a chip or pitch shot with more of a bounce as it approaches the hole, then take the pin out.  A rolling putt will usually strike the pin and fall into the hole.  A bouncing ball may hit the stick and bounce away.

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July 3, 2016 Posted by Matt

You know you hit a good shot when you can Hold Your Finish without losing your balance.  A good way to check to see if you are hitting the ball well is to hold your follow-through at the end of your swing.  You should feel most of your weight on your front foot.  Your chest should be facing the target and your hands over your left shoulder.  Go to the practice range and hold your finish until your ball lands.  Once on the golf course, hold it for 3 seconds.  If you are falling sideways or backwards you need to get your tempo back on track.

July 2, 2016 Posted by Matt

If your ball lands in a soft sand crater don’t worry, here is a tip to help you make the best of an unlucky situation.  Many times when you are playing a course with soft, fluffy sand, you will end up with a lie in a bunker where your ball is in a little sand crater.  To play this shot, slightly open the face of your club.  On your backswing, hinge your hands and then come down steeply so you strike the sand on the edge of the crater behind the ball.  You don’t need to follow through.  The sand will lift the ball up and out of the bunker.  The ball should have very little spin and will roll a fair distance.

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Good Drill to Stop Coming Over the Top

Coming over the top happens when a golfer’s back shoulder moves out and towards the target first.  The result is either a dead pull or a major slice.  If you pull the ball it will not only miss the target but it will also go further than you planned.  If it’s a slice, you have so much backspin on the ball you’re going to lose distance and come up short.

Go to the driving range and put a tee in the ground one foot in front of your ball and about two inches to the right.  Hit balls so when you swing, the clubhead passes over the tee.  The drill will help keep your shoulders in the correct position and help you create a swing plane that is inside to outside instead of outside to inside.

July 1, 2016 Posted by Matt

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June 30, 2016 Posted by Matt

We’ve all been there, you are out on the course and you can’t stop shanking your shots.  A shank is when the ball comes into contact with the club where the shaft meets the clubface.  The result is usually an embarrassing shot that sends the ball straight sideways.  To stop shanking your shots, go to the driving range and place two balls on the ground about 3 inches apart.  Line up to hit the outside ball.  Then, swing back and hit the inside ball.  This drill will help get your swing plane back on line and will eliminate those dreaded shank shots!

June 28, 2016 Posted by Matt

If you are struggling with fairway bunker shots, try swinging at about 80 percent of full speed.  You’ll need to use one more club than normal and choke up on the club slightly.  Play the ball slightly back of center.  Keep your lower body still.  Most importantly, you want to release your hands early in the downswing so you are approaching the ball shallow at impact.  You do not want to hit down on the ball.  A good swing thought is “all arms”.  Try this shot from a fairway bunker and you’ll see you are able to hit the ball first with a slight divot in front of the ball.

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June 23, 2016 Posted by Matt

Reading greens is critical to good putting.  From behind your ball, check and see if there is a slope along the line of your putt.  Go to the low side of your putt and scan the green to gauge the amount of the slope.  Finally, check the line and slope from the opposite side of the hole paying special attention to the area near the hole.  On downhill putts it is especially important to look at the line from below the hole to get a good sense of the break and speed.  You should be ready to putt as soon as it is your turn, so do your reading in between times when others are putting.  Once you address the ball, visualize the path of the putt along the path you read, make a smooth putt and follow through the ball towards the hole!

June 23, 2016 Posted by Matt

Try putting with your sand wedge if you are struggling to keep your hands still and the putter square to the hole.  On the practice green use your sand wedge to strike the ball right in the center of the ball with the lead edge of the club.  It is important you keep your left wrist firm and facing the hole.  Otherwise you will miss the cup.  This is an excellent drill to use to prevent your hands from breaking down.  It also forces you to concentrate and will improve your focus ultimately leading to better putting.

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June 22, 2016 Posted by Matt

If there is a front pin placement on the green, don’t be tempted to try to hit it close.  A front pin is usually placed in a position that also comes along with trouble if you miss.  Look to see if there is a slope away from the green in the front.  Many times there’s also bunkers strategically placed to catch your ball when it hits and rolls right off the green into the sand.  You are better off taking a little extra club and play the hole a little bit longer so you end up safely on the green.  You will end up with more pars if you go for the center of the green and two putt than if you come up short and have to chip or play a bunker shot because you were trying to knock it close to a front pin.

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June 20, 2016 Posted by Matt

The grain in the rough is just as important as the grain on the green.  If you have a pitch shot from the rough next to the green, look at the rough and determine which way the grass is pointing.  If the grass is against you, there is a good chance the club will catch the grass and stop at impact.  If you find yourself in the situation where you are pitching against the grain in the rough, open the face of your wedge and swing fifty percent faster.  The increased swing speed and open club face will help you cut through the grass and propel the ball up and out of the rough.

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