June 18, 2016 Posted by Matt

You do not need a weight shift on your short shots.  This is especially true with pitch or chip shots. Your backswing should be short for these types of shots. If you do shift your weight there’s really not enough time to get back to your front side.  The result is usually a fat shot or you skull it over the green.  At set up, you should have all of your weight on your front foot.  With a one piece take away, use your shoulders to start your swing.  Minimize movement with your lower body on short shots and avoid making a weight shift to your right back side. You will find you hit more solid shots and improve your scores.

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June 17, 2016 Posted by Matt

Not sure what to do on long putts if you are just of the green?  If you have a forty or fifty-foot putt to the hole, consider chipping instead of putting.  You probably don’t practice fifty-foot putts very often.  In most cases with armature golfers, you’ll end up putting the ball and it’s going to come up way short or go way past the hole. The next thing you know you’ve just three putted from just off the green.  Try using a seven or six iron to chip instead.  You want the ball to land on the green as quickly as possible and role to the hole.  You have a much better chance of getting closer to the pin on those long putts if you chip. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

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June 15, 2016 Posted by Matt

You don’t need to have high hinds in your backswing.  You often see the pros on television where their hands are high above their head at the top of their swing.  You should only worry about high hands if you make a full turn and get to your back side.  If you don’t have the flexibility to make a full turn and your try to position your hands high in the middle of the backswing, you’re probably going to end up with a reverse pivot.  Take my word for it, you don’t want that!

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June 13, 2016 Posted by Matt

We’ve all been there, we’re in the middle of a round and the wheels come off.  You start hitting wild shots and it seems nothing you do is right. What do you do then?  You need to compose yourself.  Walk off to the side away from everyone, take a deep breath and relax your muscles.  You want to release all tension, anger and anxiety.  Take a few slow motion swings.  On your next tee shot, tee the ball a little lower than normal and use a three-quarter swing.  Remove all mechanical thoughts from your mind.  Instead, concentrate on your target.  Relax and just swing.  This should get you back on track.

June 11, 2016 Posted by Matt

Have you always wondered what “Plumb Bob” meant?  Or why you might use it? Plumb bobbing helps you determine the break of your putt.  Stand about six feet behind your ball and hold your putter up so it hangs straight down.  The shaft should be even with your eyes.  Move the shaft so it cuts the ball in half as you look at your putt.  Then look up at the hole without moving your head or the putter.  If there is a gap between your putter shaft and the hole, then that is the amount of break you should play in the putt.  Test the “plumb bob” method on the putting green to see if it helps you improve your putting.

June 10, 2016 Posted by Matt

To improve the accuracy of your irons you should alter your ball flight on your approach shots.  During windy conditions, golfers who hit shots that fly high into the green will be at the mercy of the wind, especially from 150 yards and in when you are hitting an iron shot.  An alternative way to play these approach shots is to adjust your ball flight down.  For example, if you have a 130 yard shot to the hole and you would normally hit a nine iron, change your club to a seven iron.  Choke down on the club and play the ball a little bit back of center.  Make a three-quarter swing and hold your finish about waist high. The result will be a high line drive that will cut through the wind and stop quickly on the green.  Practice this shot on the range and then try it on the course.  During windy conditions you will hit more greens and lower your score.

June 7, 2016 Posted by Matt

If you struggle with first tee jitters, try to focus on your routine.  Think positively about what you need to do to put the ball right down the middle of the fairway.  Ask yourself, “Where is my target?”, “Where do I want to tee the ball on the tee box?”.  Avoid negative thoughts such as, “What if I put the ball out of bounds?”.  Take a deep breathe and release it along with any tension in your body.  Continue to breathe easily, focus on your target and take a full swing. If you eliminate all bad thoughts and focus only on your target, you’ll avoid the first tee jitters!

June 6, 2016 Posted by Matt

How old are your golf clubs?  If you play golf frequently, you should take advantage of the new technology in today’s golf clubs.  If your current set of clubs is more than four or five years old, it’s time to upgrade.  The drivers and woods nowadays allow golfers to adjust the loft and face angle of the club to suit their golf game.  The new irons have longer shafts and stronger lofts for more distance.  The design of the clubface and the grooves are forgiving when you miss the sweet spot.  Many golf shops will allow you to test new golf clubs either in the store or you can check them out for a couple of days and return them.  It’s a great way to test out new technology.

June 3, 2016 Posted by Matt

What should you do if your ball comes to rest on a dirt or sand cart path?  In most cases you will be required to play the ball where it lies.  Before you hit your shot, check the local rules on the scorecard to see if relief without a penalty is an option.  If you are close to the green, use a sand wedge and open the clubface. Play the ball in the middle of your stance.  Make a wide backswing and you want to hit the ground just behind the ball so your club skims the surface of the ground.  Your follow through should be short and low with your clubface open.  Expect the ball to have a lot of backspin.  If you execute the shot correctly, the ball will pop up off the dirt or sand cart path and then land and stop quickly.

June 1, 2016 Posted by Matt

A snipe shot is a drive that flies low, left and doesn’t go very far.  It can be an embarrassing and frustrating shot.  The main cause is usually your right hand being too active in your golf swing.  If you are a right handed golfer, your right hand should be on the club to go along for the ride and provide stability.  Your left hand should be doing all the work.  To prevent a snipe shot, move your right hand a little more to the left on top of the grip.  At the same time, move the index finger of your right hand about a half an inch away from your other fingers under the shaft.