GOLF Ultimate Beginners Guide To

UltimateBeginnersGuideToGolf

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The Ultimate
Beginners Guide To
Golf

Table of Contents
Introduction
Equipment
The Basics
The Grip
Your Stance
The Backswing
No Arms Drill
The Mental Game of Golf
Driving the Ball
Fairway Shots
Chipping
Putting
Sand Traps
Course Management
Common Problems with a Swing
Slice
Draw/Fade
Hook
Push
Shank
Common Mistakes
Exaggerated Twist
Rolling Hands
Disconnected Arms
Picking the Club Up
Club Head Starts Outside
Standing Upright
Bad Stance
Skulling or Topping the Ball
Chipping Problems
Trouble Shots

4
5
7
8
9
10
15
17
28
31
32
36
39
42
45
45
47
47
48
49
50
50
50
50
51
51
51
52
53
53
55

Deep Rough
Hill Lies
Restricted Back Swing
Hitting Out of Water
Punch Shot
Flop Shot
Playing Into the Wind
Stretching for Good Golf
Conclusion

55
55
57
57
58
58
59
59
60

INTRODUCTION
Famous author Mark Twain once wrote, “Golf is a good walk
wasted.” Many people feel this way. After all, what’s so fun and
interesting about hitting a little white ball with a metal stick trying to
get it in a little hole? However, the truth is there is fun to be had on
the golf course as is evidenced by the millions of golf enthusiasts all
over the world.

Ever since the game of golf was invented back in the 15th
century, people have been fascinated with mastering this often
frustrating game. In 1750, the game of golf evolved into what we
know it as today, and since that time, technology and technique has
improved on the game, but mastering the game of golf still lies in the
individual playing the game.
One of the great things about golf is that it is more than a
physical sport. Your mental state can play a huge part in your golf
game. If you hit a bad shot, it can really affect your next stroke and
so on and so forth. It’s important to realize that if golf were less
challenging, it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.
People can spend thousands of dollars in efforts to improve their
golf game. They buy videos, books, new equipment, and lessons from
a professional. Improving the golf game is a multi-million dollar
industry as it seems like there are all sorts of people offering advice on
things you can change to improve your score.
Just as the golf swing has been improved upon over time, so has
the equipment used to play golf. In the 1800’s, golf bags came into
use as an easier way to carry around clubs and balls. Golf balls were
made lighter and able to travel further and tees were used to help
make the ball easier to hit off the tee box.
But even with all this new technology, no one has really
perfected the game of golf. If that were the case, there would be
scores of 18 with a hole in one on every hole. The truth is that even
the professionals can’t perfect their golf game. Man is fallible and he
makes mistakes. But when it comes to the game of golf, mistakes are
inevitable.
I’ve heard many golfers tell me that they played great but
scored horribly. That statement made me really think about my own
golf game. I, too, have had rounds where I’ve hit the ball well but it
wasn’t reflected in my score. How is it possible that we can hit the ball
so well yet still take a 6 on a par 4 hole? The answer isn’t easy, but it
can be addressed.
I’m not a golf pro, but I do love the game of golf. I’ve always
wanted to improve my golf game, so this book will help both you and
me. I decided that researching what the pros have to say would be a
great way to put their advice to good use. Compiling all of that

information into this book would also be a great way to share that
advice.
Let’s look at different aspects of the game of golf and find some
easy ways to improve our scores!

EQUIPMENT
Believe it or not, the equipment you use in your golf game can
truly make a difference in how well you strike the ball. With new
technologies in club designs and materials used to make the clubs, you
can get overwhelmed at the various choices you will have when buying
golf equipment. We’ll look at this section from the perspective of your
skill level.

Beginner – Average scores over 100
Because you are just learning the game, you will want to have
clubs that are more forgiving when you make bad shots – and those
bad shots will come. The beginning golfer should be looking for clubs
that are the most forgiving when the ball is struck off-center.
Perimeter-weighted clubs place the most weight of the club around the
edges, which prevents the club head from turning with a poorly hit
shot.
If you would like something that makes it very easy to get the
ball in the air, you should look for irons that have more sole weighting.
Sole weighting lowers the center of gravity by putting the weight
under the ball, helping to get it in the air quicker.
Titanium is stronger, denser and lighter than steel, thus the club
head can be made larger with the same amount of material. A larger
head also means the size of the sweet spot will be larger. Since offcenter shots will make you lose distance, a larger sweet spot will be
the most forgiving.
Some heads feature an "offset" design to prevent your shots
spinning left-to-right and giving a straighter ball flight. The offset
means the face is slightly behind the hostel of the club head. This
gives you an extra split second in the swing to get the face back to the
square position.

For your driver, the larger the head the more forgiving it will be.
These are all going to have the largest face, producing the largest
sweet spot. This is very important, since a beginner doesn't always hit
the ball right in the middle of the clubface. (Studies have shown you
lose 10 yards for every 1/8" of an inch you miss the sweet spot!!!)
For fairway woods, the lower profile woods make it easier to get
the ball airborne, as the weight is mostly below the center of the ball.
Graphite shafts are the most forgiving shafts for poorly hit shots.
They absorb the vibration like a shock absorber, allowing for a much
better feeling shot. Graphite shafts are lighter weight, so you will pick
up some swing speed which will give you more distance. For this
reason graphite shafts are more popular than steel shafts in the metal
woods when distance is your primary goal.
Steel shafts don't feel as soft, and they are heavier, but they are
more accurate than graphite. For this reason, they are usually better
for the irons, since you are less concerned with distance and more
concerned with accuracy since you are hitting into greens and at the
pin.

Intermediate – Average scores between 80 and
100
The intermediate golfer should be looking for a club that
maximizes both distance and control. The more perimeter-weighting
you have, the more forgiving the club, but the more weight directly
behind the ball gives you more distance. These club heads all seek to
optimize the balance between distance and control.
You should look for distance clubs with titanium heads. They are
very light, allowing you to generate more club head speed to get more
distance, yet still more controllable than the largest of the oversize
titanium heads.
For intermediate golfers, any shaft would work well. It’s
important that you pick out the properties of a shaft that will help your
game the most. The lightweight shafts have a lower flex point, which
help you get the ball in the air quicker. The standard weight shafts
have a higher flex point, which allows for better control. Graphite
shafts and the True Temper Sensicore shafts have a bit softer feel.

Advanced – Average score less than 80
Advanced golfers need the weight of the club head where it is
needed most… right behind the ball. The weight is more directly
behind the ball, meaning a shot struck in the center of the club will
explode off the club face.
The advanced golfer will want a driver with a large head so the
sweet spot is larger and you have a better possibility of longer drives.
Irons should be lightweight with the proper degree of loft for all
situations.
If you are an advanced golfer, you probably already know what
clubs work best for you and where you need to upgrade.
Test out various clubs and find which ones are good fits for you.
Practice, if possible, with different styles and take note of those that
give you the best results.
When it comes to golf balls, you will want those that can give
you the most distance and that aren’t too “hard”. There are many
brands on the market that can fit into this mold, so test out a few and
see which one you like the best.
So you’ve got your equipment, now let’s take a look at some of
the basics of golf and a good, effective golf swing.

THE BASICS
The purpose of this book isn’t to teach you how to swing a golf
club. However, it can never hurt to go over the basics of the golf
swing and the golf stance. So often, we get into bad habits on the golf
course when it comes to our swings. We forget the things we initially
learned about and start swinging the club in really the wrong way.
Everyone has their own golf swing style. Very few people stand
the same way, have the same backswing, and hit the ball the same
way. For that matter, very few people are able to duplicate a swing
exactly the same every single time. But there are some basics to a
good golf swing that everyone should keep in mind.

The full golf swing is an unnatural, highly complex motion and
notoriously difficult to learn. It is not uncommon for beginners to
spend several months practicing the very basics before playing their
first ball on a course. It is usually very difficult to acquire a stable and
successful swing without professional instruction and even highly
skilled golfers may continue to take golf lessons for many years.
So let’s just go over the basics of the golf swing first – just as a
review.

The Grip
There are three basic golf grips that you can use: the
overlapping grip, the baseball grip, and the interlocking grip. We’ll
cover each of those in a minute. Here’s the basic rule for gripping a
golf club.
Start by holding the club directly in front of you with your right
hand with the club head pointing away from you at about a 45 degree
angle.
Next grip the club with your left hand. The club will be mainly in
the palm across the pads at the base of the fingers. However, the club
will lie across the first section of the index finger. The thumb will be
positioned straight on top of the golf club shaft. Relative to the golf
club, the thumb will be in the twelve o’clock position.
Now, with your right hand, grip the golf club just above your left
hand with the fingers, not the palm, of your right hand. The thumb will
be positioned slightly off to the left. Relative to the golf club, the
thumb will be in an eleven o’clock position.
If you have gripped the golf club correctly, only the first two
knuckles of your left hand will be visible. Also, your left thumb should
be completely hidden under your right hand. The index finger position
of your right hand will look and feel like a gun trigger finger.
Here are three of the most common golf grips and how to use
them:


The overlapping grip is the most common golf grip used. It is
used mostly by male golfers and those with strong wrists and

forearms. The little finger of the right hand lies on top of or
overlaps the index finger on the left hand.


The baseball grip is most commonly used by younger golfers,
females, seniors, and those with weaker wrists and arms. The
index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand
meet but do not overlap or interlock.



An interlocking grip will be used by golfers with shorter hands
and fingers, those with thicker or chunkier palms, and golfers
who have difficulty with the overlapping grip. The index finger of
the left hand and the little finger of the right hand overlap each
other and interlock.

If your golf grip pressure is right, the club could almost be pulled
out of your hands, but not quite. A correct golf grip will make you feel
as if you are holding the club mostly in the palm and last three fingers
of your left hand. Regardless, both hands should hold the club with
equal pressure. A correct golf grip doesn’t guarantee a successful golf
swing; however, a defective golf grip will almost always result in a
failed golf swing.

Your Stance
If you start with a bad golf stance, you’ll probably follow with a
bad golf back swing, a bad downswing, and a bad follow through. Not
to worry though. It’s just not that difficult! Your golf stance may not
be perfect, but you can compensate by staying balanced and relaxed.
Your weight should be equally distributed over your left and right leg.
If you can pick either of your feet off the ground, you’re not balanced.
Start by placing the inside of your front foot just ahead of the
ball. Since you’re going to be using a driver or 3 wood, the front and
back feet should be shoulder width or slightly more than shoulder
width apart.
Next, bend at the top of the legs (keep your back straight) and
then bend slightly at the knees. The kneecaps will be directly above
the balls of your feet. The angle of your back to the ground will be
approximately 45 degrees. Your arms should be hanging straight down
from your shoulders.

Good posture counts. Keep your back straight but don’t tense
up. You might think of it as pushing your back pockets higher.
Your weight should be on the balls of your feet, not on the toes
or heels. Likewise, your weight should be equally distributed between
your front and back foot. Now you should be more comfortable and
less tense. If you’re out of balance, you’re falling down. That’s no way
to start a good golf swing.
A line drawn across the front of your feet should point to your
target. You may want to check this by first placing your club up
against the toes of your feet and then step back and see if the club is
really pointing to your target. This is your target line and your knees,
hips, and shoulders should also be parallel to this line.
One slight adjustment will be the position of your shoulders.
When you assume the proper golf stance and grip, your club and left
arm will form a straight line between your shoulder and the ball. For
this to happen, your right shoulder will be slightly lower to the ground
than the left, but a line through your shoulders should still be parallel
to the target line.
Once you grip the club and take your stance at the ball, find a
way to relax and loosen up before you start your swing. You may want
to waggle – or shake your tush - just a little bit and to heck with those
who might laugh at you. Once you hit that monster shot, they’ll stop.
Now you’re ready to swing.

The Backswing
Essentially, the backswing is a rotation to the right, consisting of
a shifting of the player's body weight to the right side, a turning of the
pelvis and shoulders, lifting of the arms and flexing of the elbows and
wrists. At the end of the backswing the hands are above the right
shoulder, with the club pointing more or less in the intended direction
of ball flight.
The downswing is roughly a backswing reversed. After the ball is
hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued rotation to the
left. At the end of the swing, the weight has shifted almost entirely to
the left foot, the body is fully turned to the left and the hands are
above the left shoulder with the club hanging down over the players'
back.

Instead of thinking about your arms and swinging your club
backwards, try to think of your back swing as turning your back to the
target. You’re not swinging the club up in the air; instead you’re just
putting the club behind your back. It’s like winding a spring!
The back swing works from the top down. The back swing
takeaway starts at the top with your arms and shoulder turning, and it
works its way down to your hips and legs.
The back swing is all about coiling up your body and creating the
muscle tension or torque needed to release a powerful downswing.
More specifically, resistance is created between the greater turning of
the upper body and shoulders and the lesser turning of the hips and
lower body.
Don’t get in a hurry! A hurried back swing doesn’t make the
downswing any faster. In fact, it may be just the opposite. You’ve got
to remember that somewhere at the top of that back swing, you’ve got
to change and go the exact opposite direction.
The speed of your back swing should be at a steady tempo, not
real fast or real slow. The tendency is to go too fast. Any time your
golf swing begins to break down; your first correction should usually
be to slow down my back swing.
Turn your back toward the target or, maybe better, think of
turning your chest away from the target. Pick the thought that
produces the greater feeling of coiling or resistance. Don’t allow the
back knee to fly outwards. Keep your weight towards the inside of that
foot.
Your wrists should be completely cocked by the time your left
arm is parallel to the ground. The golf club shaft should be at a 90
degree angle to your left arm.
Don’t focus on the club head during the backswing. Instead
think of the arm as being hinged at the left shoulder. Then, like a gate
that swings open from its hinges, the left arm hinges at the left
shoulder and swings across the body until it approaches the right side
at my right armpit. The left arm remains relatively straight, but could
bend slightly.
Your shoulder and upper body turn begin as the left arm reaches

this position. As the arms go back, two things should happen:
1. The forearms will naturally rotate clockwise slightly until the golf
club head points to the sky. Opening the club face more won’t
seem right to you if you tend to slice, but don’t resist this very
natural movement.
2. As your arms travel up and back and the golf club shaft
approaches parallel to the ground, you will gradually begin
cocking your wrists. Then by the time that your left arm is
parallel to the ground, your wrists should be completely cocked
at a 90 degree angle.
Cocking your wrists is a very important part of creating club
head speed. This is often a big swing problem. You can get so
concerned about “taking the club straight back” at the beginning of
your back swing that you don’t completely cock your wrists. Fixing this
problem can straighten out several golf swing problems.
The next part of the golf swing is the shoulder and upper body
turn. The left arm has swung across the body near the right armpit.
The natural continuation of this motion is to begin the turning of the
shoulders. The shoulders will turn from parallel to the target line to
approximately perpendicular to the target line depending on your own
flexibility. As this happens, the hips and then legs will also become
involved in the turn.
Wouldn’t you like to feel more body torque build up in your golf
back swing? Of course! A friend gave me this golf swing tip just the
other day. Maybe you’ll find it to be as helpful as I did.
Instead of trying to create body torque by turning your
shoulders, think of turning your lower chest (Let’s say about six inches
above your bellybutton) away from the target. Of course when you do
it this way your shoulders will still turn but you should feel much more
torque building through your body.
Don’t let the knee of your back leg turn or fly out or to the back
as the back swing progresses. You’ll lose part of your body torque.
At the height of the back swing, you’ll feel like your back is over top of
your back leg. At this point your weight has shifted back over your
back leg.

It is truly a myth that the head stays over the ball as at address
and the body turns on an axis formed by a line traveling through the
head and the backbone. In reality, the body turns on an axis formed
by a line traveling through the head and the back leg. Keep in mind
that the head is moving slightly backwards. The head should stay fairly
level and not bob up and down.
Where are the arms and club at the end of the back swing?
Should the golf club be parallel to the ground? Honestly, you shouldn’t
really don’t give that much thought. As long as you don’t bend the left
arm more than slightly, these positions will be determined by how far
you can turn your upper body.
If you keep your back knee in, the back foot will feel your body
weight on the inside as the shoulders turn. Towards the end of the
golf back swing, some golfers make the mistake of letting the heel of
their front foot leave the ground. If the back swing coils the spring, the
feet must stay anchored to the ground to give the body something to
coil against. Better to let the front foot roll or sort of lay down on the
inside of the foot without dragging.
If you start with a correct golf stance, grip, and back swing, the
best advice for your down swing for the most part is to just let it
happen!
The down swing and follow through should be the very natural
result of everything that precedes it. You may want to use the “No
Arms Drill” in the next section to memorize the feel of the golf swing
which leads to a more comfortable, automatic golf swing.
If you’re at the correct position at the top of your back swing,
your body will start to unwind releasing the golf club which will strike
the golf ball and lead to a balanced follow through.
Think of the follow-through as your victory salute to a successful
golf swing! Your front leg will be fairly straight and your hips will be
forward forming a straight line with your front leg.
Your head may feel like its back a bit and your back leg will be
forward of the back foot which has rolled to the inside, front of the
foot. Most all of your weight will be on your front foot, completing your
weight shift from the back side to the front side.
This is like a barometer of your entire swing. When your golf

swing is balanced and smooth, you end with that nice reverse C
position at the end.
On the other hand, you could end your golf swing off balance
and catching yourself from falling down. Then it’s time to go back to
the beginning of your golf swing and find where you lost that balance.
You should have only one swing thought during your golf down
swing. That’s because you really don’t have time for two.
Consequently, your only thought should be to turn your belt buckle (or
bellybutton) towards the target as fast as you possibly can.
This movement should begin about a third or half way through
the golf down swing. It will end, of course, when you are pointed
towards the target at which point you will have already hit the golf ball
and you’re into the follow through. And you should also be seeing the
golf ball traveling straight down the fairway!
On the golf down swing your body will move forward and turn on
an axis formed by a line traveling through the head and the front leg.
Keep in mind that the head will be moving forward from its position at
the end of your golf back swing; however, the head should stay fairly
level and not bob up and down.
Since the golf down swing starts from the bottom and works its
way up, then the feet are the place to start. Let’s see, at the end of
the back swing, the front foot was rolling (almost laying down) on the
inside of that foot.
Consequently, a good trigger motion would start by moving the
left side towards the target and placing that foot back to being flat on
the ground.
To trigger this move, you should plant your front foot by moving
the front knee towards the target. Your lower body will slide towards
the target.
Since both knees are still slightly bent and flexed, this move will
give you sort of a squatty look and feel. You might feel as if you’re
dropping down slightly. Planting that front foot begins the chain
reaction of your body uncoiling and your weight will shift back to the
left (front) side.
What you do not want to do is start the down swing with your

arms and shoulders. This move will cause your wrists to un-cock too
soon (called casting) resulting in some pretty nasty results (topped
shots, slices).
The most effective golf swing tip I’ve found to prevent casting is
also a very logical one. Begin your down swing before you finish your
back swing. Makes sense! You’re not likely to start your down swing
with your arms and upper body if they’re still winding up.
So, as you feel your upper body approaching the end of the back
swing you will move your front knee towards the target. As you do
this, you’ll feel that low, squatty position and know that you’re starting
your back swing properly with the lower body.
Often the golf swing feels uncomfortable and awkward, so you
may want to try the following drill until you start feeling better about
the golf swing.

No Arms Drill
Remember, I said you should probably be spending less time
thinking about what your arms are doing and where they’re going?
Once my wrists are cocked, I really don’t think much about my arms.
This golf swing drill, simply put, is just practicing your golf swing
without using a golf club. Consequently, you’ll be able to concentrate
on the feeling of your muscles coiling up and releasing without being
confused or distracted by the movement of your arms.
This is also a good opportunity to practice keeping your feet on
the ground. Practice having your front foot roll inward on the golf back
swing and memorize that feeling.
Another upside to this drill is that you can practice it anywhere or
anytime.
Begin by getting into your regular golf stance. You can place a
ball down in front of you or imagine where it would be if that helps.
Now instead of holding a golf club, cross your arms in front of you to
where your left hand is at your right shoulder and your right hand is at
your left shoulder.
Try not to do this drill fast or slow, but at a steady tempo. Do

this drill frequently and memorize the movements and how they feel
so you can do them without think when you’re on the golf course.
Again, the golf back swing starts at the top (your shoulders and
arms) and works its way down to your hips and legs. Remember, your
head will move to the back but should not bob up or down. It should
stay level.
Of course, in this drill you don’t use your arms, so you begin by
turning your shoulders. I find it more beneficial to think of turning your
midsection (Let’s say about six inches above your bellybutton.) away
from the target. Of course when you do it this way your shoulders will
also turn. Get comfortable as you are feeling the torque building
through your body.
As your shoulders and hips turn, remember to not let your right
(back) knee turn outwards (towards the back). This will have the
feeling of pushing that knee inwards and/or keeping your body weight
more on the inside of the back foot.
Feel the front knee turn inwards and the front foot rolls towards
the inside but still stay on the ground.
Start from the bottom. This golf swing drill is a good time to
practice moving your front knee towards the target as a trigger to your
down swing. Don’t forget to start that move before the back swing is
complete. Get comfortable with that low, squatty feeling.
Turn your hips with the swing thought of turning your belt buckle
to the target. You will feel like your hips are leading the rest of your
body. The shoulders will follow as you pivot on your front leg.
Use this drill to commit to memory, or muscle memory, any
movement that isn’t a swing thought.
In a slight variation of this drill, you could start the golf back
swing with your arms (no club). Practice hinging your arms at the
shoulder and cocking your wrists as your arms cross your chest near
the back arm pit triggering your shoulder turn.
And that’s the basics of the golf swing. You won’t get any better
unless you practice, but if you have good solid mechanics in your golf
swing, you have the beginning to a great game!

We’ve already said that golf is much more than just a physical
game. It’s a mental game as well. You have to keep a positive
mindset when on the golf course, so getting your mind in the right
place is very important.

THE MENTAL GAME OF GOLF
When you begin to address the golf ball and prepare for your
swing, it’s essential that you have a sense of relaxation. If you are
tense when you swing your club, the chances of you hitting a bad shot
are increased by leaps and bounds. However, you don’t want to be
TOO relaxed lest your grip isn’t tight enough to hit the ball solidly.
Without relaxation, it is more difficult to maintain your tempo or
rhythm from swing to swing and stay in good balance from start to
finish. Because it is essential for the golf swing to function properly,
relaxation of the mind and body should be our first priority. Please
keep in mind that this also applies to the short game, even though I
will be referring to the full swing.
Tension restricts movement. A quiet, relaxed mind and body
allows you to swing more freely. Simply stated, muscle groups
respond more easily to a natural, balanced swing motion.
If your mind is tense, your muscles will be too. If you have had a
hectic day at work or at home, chances are you will take that tension
and anxiety to the first tee. This tension not only causes tight muscles,
but can also increase the speed of your swing.
When that happens, the little muscles (hands and arms) take
over the big muscles (shoulders, hips, and legs) throughout the golf
swing. The big muscle groups cannot move as fast as the little
muscles. All body parts must be given time to do their jobs efficiently
and in harmony.
First, clear your mind. Picture your mind as a blackboard, and
written on it are all the thoughts and happenings of the day. The key is
that you've got the eraser! Erase your mind of everything and take a
moment to put yourself in an environment that makes you relaxed,
quiet and happy.

Envision yourself listening to soft music, reading a good book,
relaxing in your favorite chair, strolling in the park, hiking, fishing,
walking on the beach, or simply being in the mountains.
Basically, pick whatever image that helps you relax, and then
put your mind and senses in that personal place. Be explicit. Actually
hear the music or the waves. Feel the warm breeze or the water
flowing around your body. See the mountains in all their glory. Smell
the flowers. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Allow your mind
and body to come down so that you can be up and ready to play a
good round of golf. Now your mind and body can focus more clearly on
one shot, one hole at a time.
Second, practice more relaxation in your grip, stance, and swing.
Check the tension level in your grip. The hand pressure on the club
should be light. If it is too tight, your takeaway will tend to be jerky
and too fast. If you are not sure of the amount of pressure, let your
hands feel the difference by squeezing tightly and then releasing to a
very light grip.
Notice that when you squeeze tightly, your forearms are tense.
This generates tension throughout the body. You want just enough
grip pressure so that you won't lose the club during the swing. No
white knuckle! What little pressure you do feel should be in the last
three fingers of the let hand, and the third and fourth fingers of the
right.
When addressing the ball, your arms should hand relaxed. The
forearms should be soft - like ashes, wet noodles, or any other
descriptive word of your choice that triggers relaxation. If your left
arm is jammed straight, tension is created in the shoulders. I've seen
some golfers who looked like they were trying to jab their left
shoulders into their left ears.
The left arm should hang comfortably straight and the shoulders
should droop. The legs should also be set in a relaxed starting
position. Trying to force your weight to your insteps can cause lower
body immobility.
Now waggle! The waggle helps keep the body loose and in
motion. Freezing over the ball can cause tension. Chances are you are
thinking too much, and paralysis of analysis can set in. Develop a
waggle that is comfortable to you.

Most waggles consist of moving the club to and fro over the ball
(not up and down) with a slight weight shift back and forth from foot
to foot, while you look at the ball, then to the target, then back to the
ball.
If you do not have a clear picture of what a waggle is, observe
golfers on television or other golfers on your course. Waggles vary, but
good golfers always stay in motion.
Most importantly, your waggle must be one that you are
comfortable with. Each person has his or her own waggle personality.
Find yours and practice until it becomes ingrained in your swing
routine. You can work on this in your backyard.
Initiate the swing and swing relaxed. To practice a relaxed
swing, take continuous swings back and forth without stopping. Be
aware of any tension you might feel during these swings. Try to stay
totally relaxed and loose as you swing back and forth. Don't be in a
hurry to start or finish the swing. When you get to the finish, allow
your body to be lazy in returning the club to another backswing. No
jerks!
Notice whether your hands and forearms tense when initiating
the first swing of the series. If they are tense, then repeatedly practice
starting your swing with a feathery grip pressure so that no tension
runs through to your forearms and thereby to the rest of your body.
Tension can cause quite an array of problems such as reverse
pivots; fast takeaways; forced swings; loss of club head speed; rolling
on the outside of the right foot; incorrect swing plane; fat or topped
shots; big and little muscle groups not working together; lack of
balance; or a fast tempo that your swing cannot handle with any
efficiency.
A major problem with even professional golfers is that it is so
easy to let our minds take a wide sweeping view of what the next shot
means:



"How will it affect my score?"



"What does it mean to me personally?"



"Is this the best round I have ever played? Is it the worse
round?"



"If I sink this putt it will put me one up on my opponent!"



"My dad is watching, I really want to do well."

All of these comments, questions and statements are possible,
along with hundreds more, at the very time you need to be focused on
the elements of planning and executing the shot. If you are doing this,
you are not "boxing out" the shot.
"Boxing out" means that you mentally put up a fence around
what you need to do, so that you are not distracted by the things and
thoughts that have no real bearing on the shot or putt. By not "boxing
out" you allow your mind to wander to distractions.
Remember: even pleasant thoughts of success are not relevant to
making the shot. Sometimes this lack of limiting your thoughts is
called "outcome thinking". In other words, you spend time and energy
thinking of what the outcome could be and how that would feel. This is
truly an unwise way of spending the time and energy needed to make
the shot.
Think of a piece of paper with words and pictures covering it. All
of these words and pictures are in some way related to the next shot,
but only a few of them are helpful in making the shot. Now group the
needed and useful elements together on the page. Now draw a box
around these few things.
Some of the things in the box would be: a solid plan to make the
shot, a solid pre-shot routine, feeling the swing or putt in your mind,
seeing the ball go to where you want it, and ending up looking at the
back of the ball as you swing or putt.
Things left out of the box are: past mistakes, thoughts of how
bad it would be to miss the target, thoughts of how good it would be
to make the shot, or just about anything else you could think of. All of
these are left out of the box because they do not help you make the
shot.
It is important to really understand what should be in the box.
Make a list of what is important to making the shot. You may even
what to consider the sequence or order of the included thoughts. Any
other thought or picture is out of the box and not allowed. If you find
anything in the box that does not belong in there, simply pick it up by
its tail and drop it outside the box. Practice limiting your thinking to
only what is in the box.

Begin by practicing at home. Practice "boxing out" fifty times at
home before you begin to practice it in physical practice. After two or
three weeks of practice you will be ready to begin to use this in
competition. Remember, you must first practice mental training at
home and then in physical practice before you can expect to use it in
competition.
One of the most effective changes that a golfer can bring into his
or her game is called step-breathing. The benefits of using stepbreathing are many. You give yourself a solid, focused mental and
physical place from which to hit your shots or make even the longer
putts, you have a time to find the best level of mental arousal, and
you gain more control over your playing tempo.
Another advantage of taking the time and centering yourself with
step-breathing is that it places a nice dividing line between the
thinking part of your golf swing and the hitting part. The old saying is;
"The thinking must stop before the hitting begins."
You begin to learn step-breathing at home. You simply sit in a
comfortable chair and imagine a side view of a set of stairs. When
each stair drops down, this is your exhale. When the stair is flat, and
horizontal to the ground, this is your inhale.
In normal breathing your breath in and out and really never move
lower in your body. If you were to graph a normal breath it would be a
"U" shaped curve. It would go down on your exhale and back up on
you inhale. Your breathing would be one long line of "U" shaped
curves. This is fine for taking in oxygen, but not very effective for
centering your mind and body to maximize your golf.
You continue your training by practicing lowering your center of
breathing from high in your chest, near your throat, down to your
lowest point in your stomach. Following your six or seven steps down
into your body, remember the exhales are when you drop a little
further down and the inhales are the flat part of the step. On the
inhale you do not go down, but you also do not go up, as in a normal
breath.
Once the breathing is very low in your body practice keeping it
there for four or five breaths. Then let it gradually come back up. If
you practice this exercise one hundred to one hundred and fifty times
you will begin to find that the breathing begins to anticipate your
lowered center of breathing and your breathing will automatically drop
on the second or third breath.

When this happens you have learned the ability of using the short
form of step-breathing. The short form of step-breathing utilizes this
learned reaction and allows you to become fully centered using only
two or three breaths. On the course, or even in practice, you will need
to use this short form of step-breathing so that you can quickly get
centered and ready to take the swing or the putt.
After you have learned the short form of step-breathing you are
ready to make it part of your pre-shot routine. After you have planned
your shot, addressed the ball, recalled a successful shot like the one
you are about to make, you can use the step-breathing to end your
thinking, relax your body, lock your expectation on the exact target
and be externally focused on the ball. No thinking, no worrying, no
wobbling of focus and fully ready to put the ball where you want it.
Now that you can center your breathing, begin to use it on the
practice tee. Practice your pre-shot routine before each shot. (Did you
think the practice tee was only for physical practice? How will you find
your best game if you only practice the physical aspects of your game?
Establish your exact target, complete the step-breathing short
form, focus on the ball and let yourself hit the ball. By practicing the
entire routine you will soon be very comfortable with the procedure
and your scores will reflect your new level of mental and physical
control.
Do not try to utilize this or any other mental training technique
until you have understood the theory and concepts involved and
practiced the mental technique to the extent that you are able to fully
use the procedure. Then bring it into competition after you have used
it in practice several times. There are no short cuts to improving your
game. You need to do the work and do it in the right order before you
can really enjoy the higher level of play it brings.
Start practicing your long form of step-breathing today and soon
you will have the mental control you need to play your best game.
After a mild winter many golfers are ready to hit the links with
renewed vigor. Unfortunately, high hopes will be dashed quickly if you
can't keep your emotions in check. Here's an example of how we like
to have 'Pity" parties for ourselves when we aren't playing too well.
There was this guy in west Texas delivering a package to a
house out in the rural countryside. He pulls up and sees an older
gentleman on the porch in his rocking chair. A few feet away there was

a dog-moaning and whining away. "Excuse me, Sir." said the
concerned delivery guy to the older man on the porch. "What's the
matter with the dog?"
The old man, with an attitude of indifference replied. "Oh, he's
layin' on a nail."
The delivery man asks "Why in the world is he doing that? Why
doesn't he just get up?"
The old man shrugs his shoulders and says, "I reckon he ain't
hurting bad enough yet!"
Well I think we have all met people like that pitiful dog-spending
time whining and complaining about how their golf game is so bad and
why they can't play well. Instead of complaining about how life is
treating them unfairly they won't take the initiative to do something
about their situation and change their circumstances. Sometimes
people like to take umbrage in their miserable plight and they enjoy
company whenever possible.
Nothing is going to change until you start hurting bad enough to
do something about it. This of course applies not only to your golf
game, but life in general. In fact, if people spent as much time looking
for the solutions to their golfing problems as they do complaining and
making excuses most of their problems would scurry away like that
frightened dog.
Instead, they throw a "pity party" and are put out when no one
shows up to attend. Life is too short to waste time and energy on such
negative thoughts so move on and get some help for your game.
So "get off layin' on the nail." and you can start having success
and fun on the course again. "Break that old broken record" that has
you playing that same sad song and taken your game into tailspin.
There's a great old saying that goes,” If you always do what you've
always done. You'll always get what you've always got." It's time to
start seeing the 'Light through that dark tunnel' you have built for
yourself.
Mark Twain once said, "You can't depend on your eyes when
your imagination is out of focus." There is a multitude of reasons why
we bury our games into submission and none of them are good. It's
time for you to start believing and seeing yourself pulling off the shots

you dreamed about instead of worrying about where disaster is lurking
ready to strike you down on the course and ruin your round.
Many players say that even when they're playing good they are
anticipating the proverbial wheels to come off at any moment. I read a
statistic somewhere that 92% of what we worry about or fear never
comes to fruition: meaning that you’re wasting your time on
meaningless things distracting you from your goals.
Stop concerning yourself with past events or things in your game
that you have no control. "You can't water yesterday's crops with
today's tears." Let it go and move onward!
It's a good practice to mentally play a round in your mind where
you control the ball and place it where you want it to go avoiding all
the problems such as water, out of bounds, sand, etc. Try it sometime
and let your imagination run wild.
Take notice of this mental exercise to see if you allow bad
thoughts to enter your mind even in your pretend round. Bad habits
die hard and the first place to attack them is in your conscious mind.
In order to eliminate bad habits that you have formed in your
game try this 3 step process:
1. First confront your fears in your game and admit them by writing
them down on a piece of paper.
2. Replace it-it's time to trade in bad habits and negative behavior
for good ones.
3. Stick with it-by being persistent, diligent and remaining
disciplined your game plan you'll be soon forming a new habit.
We can't change our circumstances about how the ball bounces
so to speak, but we can alter our response to them. It's all about
choice so choose wisely. Having a brighter outlook about playing and
excepting occasional bad breaks that are inevitable will help you start
getting over being "Teed off" about yourself and your golf game
However, sometimes losing your cool can be good because it can
help you let off some steam and help you refocus on the task at hand.

Often, as all golfers know we keep it bottled up which can impair our
performances for the rest of the round.
The key is to allow yourself to completely vent, then refocus
again immediately. By venting I don't mean throwing or breaking
clubs, or cursing. The skill of refocusing lies in knowing what the most
important element to master is. How does a person learn to regain
composure after losing it?
Just remember that losing your cool is nothing more than
focusing on what went wrong, and allowing yourself to get frustrated,
angry, ticked off, etc. Think about how you respond when you’re angry
- you breathe faster, your body tightens up, your heart rate increases
and so on.
These stress messages you’re sending to your brain only make
your body tighten up more sabotaging your abilities to perform
properly. This unfortunate cycle will continue until you learn to break
this broken record set on self-destruct.
In a tense situation the best way to regain your composure is to
work in the opposite direction, to get your body to calm down, this in
turn will allow your mind to calm down by taking several deep
breathes, and by pushing away any negative thoughts.
There's a good method called "Treeing" which seems appropriate
since you’re on the golf course with plenty of trees. What you do is
take your emotions in this case negative thoughts and put them onto
something else.
Some older cultures throughout the world have used this
technique for centuries. They learned to pass their bad feelings or
negative emotions to a tree, hence the name. So next time when
you’re on the golf course and you’re losing your cool find a tree and
push or touch it physically releasing your pressure that you’re feeling
into the object and leave it there.
After you have dealt with the past it's time to move on to the
future which in this case is a new hole, or shot at hand. Remember
you can't change the past, but you can profoundly affect your future
with the proper mind set. There's no longer a reason to carry all this
emotional baggage to the next hole so let it go. So next time you see
a player in the woods a lot during a round maybe they’re just getting
rid of some issues that are bothering them.

This is all easier said than done, but like all things with a little
practice and some discipline you'll be recovering from poor shots
quicker and salvaging your round instead of going from bad to worse.
The best players in the world all have their own particular methods for
staying cool, so watch how they handle poor shots while they are in
town.
It's traits like staying cool when everyone else is losing their
heads that make the difference from being a good player to becoming
a great player.
So many people are harder on themselves than they need to be.
Constantly berating yourself is a recipe for disaster. The dialog that
you hold with yourself is critical to your development as a player and
as a person.
Self-talk can be encouraging or it can be detrimental, according
to how you present it to yourself. Remember: Your mind doesn't have
a sense of humor. If you program it to do something and the message
is negative, it will respond accordingly.
This is why it's important to monitor your inner dialog; what you
say to yourself after a poor shot can be self-destructive. Even the best
players in the world are guilty of this mistake, and if they don't make
corrections immediately, the round or tournament is lost.
We've all beaten ourselves up after a bad day on the links, or
when things don't go our way. If you watch a tournament on
television, periodically you'll see a player bad-mouthing themselves.
They might be saying things such as, "I'm the worst golfer in the
world," or "Why can't I hit that simple putt? I stink." These statements
or other expletives will bring the golfer down.
The key is to change how you talk to yourself while practicing or
on the course. I've taught and worked with a number of sports
psychologists over the years who gave me some good insight about
how to break negative self-talk patterns.
First, you need to be aware of situations when negative thoughts
can occur.
Here's a simple method to get you started on the right track: The
next time you head out to play a round of golf, put a handful of
pennies in your right pants pocket. Not too many to weigh you down,
though.

Every time - and I mean every time - you become aware of
negative images or internal dialog where you're speaking poorly to
yourself, transfer one penny from your right pocket to your left pocket.
By learning to monitor your thoughts, you're on the right path to
correcting your inner demons.
When you're finished playing, count out the number of pennies
that made the journey from one pants pocket to the other. Then write
down the total. Try to remember what words you used, and what
situations prompted them.
Then, start setting some new, clearer goals. In this case, the goal
is to attempt to cut down on the number of negative self-talk
speeches. Just like you have goals to shoot certain scores, you need to
apply this same attitude with correcting this debilitating self-talk.
Once you have been able to calmly re-examine your round and
your outbursts of negativity, imagine yourself reacting to those
circumstances in a different way and replacing those negative
statements with positive thoughts. Learn to laugh with yourself and
say, "I can do this shot," and other such positive feedback to reinforce
your self-worth.
With each round, make a conscious choice to reduce the
negativity and try to remain positive - remember it's only a game.
With some diligent practice and commitment, you're on your way to
erasing bad thoughts about your golf game.
Now that we’ve covered what should be going on in your head,
let’s take a moment to examine each of the most important golf shots.

DRIVING THE BALL
While driving the golf ball might seem like a simple process, it
really isn’t. Some seasoned golfers just look at driving the ball as a
simple process. “Grip it and rip it” is a common phrase you can hear
on many tee boxes. However, there are some things you can do to
get more distance on your drives.
First and foremost, you need to be relaxed when you begin
addressing the ball. You must be loose before pulling back the club.
Do not tighten up over the golf ball. It is important to waggle the club

back and forth a few times in order to create some flow to start the
golf swing. This action will promote proper rhythm and tempo.
Teeing the ball higher will aid in hitting the ball farther. By
teeing the ball higher, it will help achieve better launch angle and
reduce backspin at impact. This will allow the ball to be hit on the upswing - producing more carry and distance.
One of the most valuable pieces of advice this recreational golfer
ever received was to look at the back of the ball. It’s easy to take
your gaze off of that little white orb, but if you are not looking at the
ball before you hit it, you will be more likely to miss it.
You will want to have a wider stance in order to gain more
stability in your backswing. Approximately sixty percent of your body
weight on the left side to gain a more powerful coil. If you’re right
handed, point your left toe more inline to the target. You’ll need to
swing harder and put more of your right hand into hitting the ball, and
take advantage of all of the elements – especially the wind, if there is
any.
When you're at the top of your backswing, be sure to turn your
shoulders a full 90 degrees. Your back should actually be facing the
target. Look at John Daly when he drives the golf ball. He has a
massive shoulder turn. Many players ask him all the time how he does
it. He says it's due to having a sound technique and a wide swing arc.
He always has a rhythm to his golf swing and is never out of sync on
his swing.
After you reach the top of your backswing, you're ready to begin
the downswing. Do not rush your downswing. If you do, you'll have an
increased chance of swinging straight down on the ball and eliminating
any power you had going. You will also most likely chili dip and miss
hit the golf ball. Look at Fred Couples and his downswing. It's nearly
flawless.
Make sure to keep your left arm straight during your transition.
When you keep your arm straight it enables the club head to remain
square and hit the ball properly. Don't have a herky-jerky swing. Keep
your golf swing smooth. Picture yourself hitting through the ball, not
just to it. Hit hard with your right hand.
Be sure to take advantage of the playing elements to help give
you more distance; especially using the wind to your advantage. When

you have the wind at your back, you should tee the golf ball higher
than normal. This gives you a higher ball flight with more carry in the
air. That means greater distance. When you're playing into the wind
you want the opposite. Tee the ball down a little more than usual.
As mentioned before, you will want to look at the ball before
hitting it. Some players find this difficult as it makes them lose focus
as they concentrate too much on the ball. An easy answer to this
problem is to turn your chin to the right and point it about two or three
inches behind the ball. Keep it there until impact and then watch the
ball sail through the air.
Believe it or not, the pressure you use to grip the club is
important in driving the ball longer. Even though you may think that
gripping harder and swinging harder produces results that is absolutely
incorrect and is probably why you don't get consistent distance.
The great players indicated that the grip pressure should
resemble one holding a bird without crushing it but also not letting it
go. The tighter you hold the club, the less it will release through the
ball creating severe pulls and big ballooning slices. Swinging hard is ok
but the hands must be tension free.
Your driving wood should stay along the ground for a least the
first 20 to 25 percent of your swing. If your club is lifting up, you will
pop the ball up and not get that long boring drive that you see the
pros hit regularly when the ball takes off like a missile and slowly
climbs to a beautiful height and tracks down the fairway.
Keep the angle on your leading hand. Many amateurs tend to flip
the hands forward in an effort to get the ball in the air, but this only
retards the effort of having good equipment. The leading hand (left
hand for most players, right hand southpaws) should be angled down
towards the ball on the downswing.
It's like you are hitting the ball with the back of left hand. If your
left hand is flipping up on the downswing, your contact will not be solid
and you will get consistent misses with your wood. This tip also starts
the ball low and lets its climb on its own through your generated
power.
Finish towards the target. Pick a spot on the ground that lines up
with your target and from your address stretch your wood towards it.

If done correctly, your arms should form a V shape with both arms
fully extended. Finish the swing over your left shoulder.
Do you have a tendency to bend your left arm early? That also
will retard distance; keep your V as long as possible before it bends at
the finish of your swing and you will find yourself getting much more
distance.
Speed can be increased by setting the wrists into a cocked
position early, and on the downswing keeping the wrists cocked for as
late as possible, and then swishing through the ball. This is similar to
flicking your wrists when using a badminton, squash, or tennis racket.
Golfers who are inclined to hit at the ball with their hands rather
than swinging through the ball find that they lose a lot of power, and
hence distance. Your power comes from your body, not from your
hands. If you want to drive the ball further, don’t hit the ball with
your hands – let the club do the work it was designed to do.
Of course, you will want to choose the right club for the distance
of the hole. Obviously, you will want to choose a driver for the longer
holes to get maximum distance, but for shorter holes like Par 3s, you
will likely want to choose a smaller club like an iron. You will want to
try and get as close to the hole as possible, but you also don’t want to
overshoot the green either.
The best way to know how far you can hit specific clubs is to get
on the driving range. Because golf isn’t an exact science, there are a
lot of variables that come into play with the golf swing. But if you
practice a lot, your chances of hitting the ball consistently are much
higher. Plus, you will know which club is your hundred yard club and
which one is your 50 yard club.
After you have driven the ball, you’ll (hopefully) be in the
fairway.

FAIRWAY SHOTS
Once you have driven off the tee box, you will probably be faced
with a second shot, hopefully from the fairway. Of course, we hope
that you’ve been able to make it to the green, but on longer par 5
holes, that’s just not realistic for most golfers.

The lie of the ball in a fairway shot will dictate how you hit your
next shot. In some friendly games, your opponents may allow you to
put the ball up on some grass. This will emulate, in a way, a tee since
you cannot use a tee with a fairway shot. In tournaments or serious
money games, you will probably have to play the ball as it lies, so it’s
a good idea to know how to hit an effective fairway shot.
Many inexperienced golfers are intimidated by the fairway shot.
They will often baby their swing and not hit the ball fully. This is a
huge mistake. Golf clubs are designed to work with a full golf swing
and do a specific job, so choose a club that matches your distance
from the hole and then take a full swing. Don’t be afraid that you’ll
overshoot the hole. If you’ve picked the right club, you’ll get to the
green.
Aim your left shoulder (the right one if you’re a southpaw) at
your target – the flag. Your hands should be in front of the ball at
impact. Keep the same swing motions as if you are driving the ball.
To help square your clubface, try to touch your left forearm with your
right forearm at impact.
If you are in deep grass, the main idea is to get the ball up in
the air. That means you will want a club that has a lot of loft. That
means an 8 or 9 iron ideally. However, remember that you will most
likely not get a lot of distance with these smaller clubs.
When you swing, be sure and follow through after impact. The
laws of physics dictate that when you strike the ball, it will be carried
through and into the air as your arms bring the club back up.
Your technique on deep grass shots should be geared toward
minimizing the intervention of the grass. In other words, you want to
hit the ball as cleanly as possible. To do that, you need to move the
ball back in your stance.
If, for instance, on a 5-iron shot from the fairway you position
the ball off your left heel, move it back to a spot an inch to the right of
your heel for a shot from the rough. This ball position should leave
your hands slightly ahead of the clubface at address. From that setup
you'll tend to swing the club up a bit more vertically on the backswing
and return it a bit more steeply to the ball. With this steeper attack the
clubface will come down on the ball rather than brush through the
grass.

For really deep grass, again, the idea is to minimize the presence
of the grass and how it will affect your shot. Once again, play the ball
back in your stance, but this time, play it two inches back instead of
one, because you're going to have to go down after the ball.
To further increase the steepness of the swing, open your stance
a few degrees so that your feet, knees, hips and shoulders align to the
left. Your club head should align square to the target line. It's the
same basic alignment as for a slice, but when playing a short iron from
the rough 1 you won't have to worry about any sideward spin.
Since the grass will grab at your club and close the face: at
impact, you'll want an extra-firm grip in your left hand. Alternatively,
you can aim the clubface a bit right of your target at address, thereby
allowing the grass to turn the face into a square position at impact.
The swing should be an aggressive, forceful one. If you get a kick
out of swinging hard, this is the place to enjoy yourself. It's a
powerful, steep chop that must go down and through the thick stuff.
Be sure to keep the club accelerating through impact; otherwise you'll
risk moving the ball only a few feet. The faster you can get the club
moving through the ball, the faster that ball will climb out of its nest
and the farther it will go.
Eventually, you’ll be close enough to chip.

CHIPPING
This is the part of golf that many golfers have the most trouble
with. Because chipping requires a bit of finesse, it’s much easier to
flub a shot or overshoot the hole. There are some good techniques
you can use when chipping the ball up onto the green.
There are two parts to a successful short game: the plan and the
execution. The plan is simply defining your shot before you play it. You
should determine where you plan to land the ball and how far it will
roll. The plan should include landing the ball on the green whenever
possible and playing the best percentage shot. The best percentage
shot is usually the one that is simplest to execute.
Since you are hitting the ball a shorter distance than with a full
swing, you should choke up on the club, narrow your stance, and

stand closer to the ball. Picture the shot you're about to play and make
a practice swing to approximate the swing you'll need. The club should
be swung with arms and shoulders, with some wrist break. The key to
shots around the green is to "keep the arms moving".
As with other golf shots, picking the right club is essential to an
effective chip. First of all, chip shots are essentially those played from
right off the green. Most are otherwise known as "bump and runs."
Don't confuse them with pitches, which are lofted shots with a sandwedge.
Many of us have been taught over the years to get the ball on
the green as soon as possible and let it roll to the hole. There is
nothing wrong with this. This is fine.
The issue of concern, however, is when golfers go about playing
different length of chips with an assortment of clubs. They hit a 9-iron
if the flag is 20 feet away, 8-iron thirty feet, 7-iron forty feet, etc. You
should really just choose ONE club to hit all of your "bump and runs"
with, and adjust for the distance with the force of your swing.
It can be a 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, wedge, or sand wedge. It doesn't
matter that much. A great player, Phil Mickelson, likes to use his sand
wedge in just about every case. He will play it far back in his stance,
with his hands way ahead to bump it. On the other hand, Corey Pavin
often uses a 5-iron around the green. He just "taps" it and the ball
goes scurrying across the green with a lot of topspin.
These are extremes, however. You should pick a 7, 8, or 9-iron.
I, personally, like to use a 9-iron for chipping. I know how the ball is
going to come off of the club because that's the one I practice with all
the time. I have tried using a 7-iron on longer chips, but the ball
seems to explode off the club face because I am not sure the proper
force that I need to use.
The art of chipping is hard enough without having to master four
or five clubs. Practice with a couple at first. You should hit short "bump
and runs" from the fringe and then longer "bump and runs" from in
front of the green.
From there, decide which one you like better, which one you can
control the spin better with, and ultimately which one that you can
control the distance better with. Then, put the other one in the bag,
and practice with the one you chose. Master this one club approach
and your chipping will improve dramatically.

You will want most of your weight to be focused on your lead
foot. For right handers, that would be the left foot. Your swing should
be in a pendulum motion with no wrist action. If you break your wrists
on a chip shot, your ball is going to shoot to one side or you may
overshoot the hole altogether.
As we’ve said, you often won’t want to take a full swing when
chipping. Gauge the distance you are away from the hole and then
estimate how hard you’ll have to hit the ball to get it to the hole – or
at least close to the hole!
Here are some general tips on chipping that can really help:



Keep your hands ahead of, or even with, the club head on the
follow-through.



Grip the club firmly so that the rough doesn't twist the club on
the swing.



Get the ball rolling on the green as soon as possible; this will
make it easier to control the shot



In deep rough, angle the club so the toe is the only part touching
the ground.



In windy or downhill conditions, or on fast greens, always chip
the ball instead of pitching it.



Repair all divots taken.



Be careful not to hit the ball too hard; otherwise it might roll off
the other side of the green.

Chipping should not be confused with pitching. When you chip a
ball, you are going to be just off the green and you want the ball to
easily roll across the green and toward your target. A pitch shot is a
lofted shot that flies more than it rolls. A pitch is usually used when
you are a little further off the green but you still are close enough that
you won’t want to take a full golf swing.

A pitch shot is usually from 30-70 yards away from the green.
You can also use a pitch shot if you need to hit above trees, hazards,
or sand traps.
Use a lofted wedge club like a sand wedge, a pitching wedge, or
a lob wedge. These clubs have faces that allow you to get underneath
the ball and put it in the air.
You will want an open stance with your feet closer together. The
ball should be positioned in the center of the stance. Your body turn
will be determined by the size of the swing. Focus about 70 percent of
your weight on your lead foot.
You will have to modify your backswing according to the distance
you have to go to the hole. It can be waist high, shoulder high, or a
full swing. Just don’t put too much power into it or you will overshoot
the green. Let your legs and body turn slightly through the shot.
As with any shot, your aim should be to present the clubface
perfectly square to the target. But this is even more important with
the pitch, as any minor deviations will be magnified by such an intense
shot. Aim for a ball then turf contact. If you are regularly thinning the
ball when attempting this shot, you are probably not accelerating into
it.
Once on the green, you’ll want to putt effectively. There’s
nothing more frustrating than taking more putts than what you need
to.

PUTTING
Again, many golfers have trouble with their putting. I know of
one experienced golfer who can consistently drive the ball 250 to 300
yards only to get on the green and three putt. Nothing frustrates him
more, but putting is an important part of your golf game – possibly
THE most important part.
Stroking the ball is only one part of putting. To putt effectively,
you first need to know how to read a green. That means looking at
the trajectory your ball will travel and compensate for any dips, hills,
or anything else that could cause your ball to move a specific way.

Good green reading comes with experience. After hitting enough
putts over enough different types of terrain and grass, you develop a
sixth sense of how the ball will roll. As you walk onto a green, whether
you realize it or not, you take in all sorts of subtle information.
If the green appears light, you know you're putting against the
grain; if it's dark you're down grain. If the green is set on a high area
of the course and you feel a breeze as you step onto it, you sense that
the putt will be fast. Even if you don't look closely at the surrounding
terrain, you are aware of any major slope in the land.
Without having to tell yourself, you know which the low side of
the green is and which the high is. If the putting surface is hard and
crusty under foot, you receive one message; if it's soft and spongy you
get another. Experience with many, many putts allows you to run this
data through your computer before you even mark your ball.
The most elusive aspect of green reading has to do with the
grain. Grain refers to the direction in which the blades of grass grow.
The light/dark appearance is one way to read it. Another method you
can use is to take your putter blade and scrape it across a patch of
fringe. If the blades of grass brush up, you're scraping against the
grain. If they mat down, you're scraping with it. (Incidentally, be sure
to do this scraping on the fringe. On the greens, it's against Rule 351f.)
A third method is to take a look at the cup. Often, the blades of
grass will grow over the edge of the cup in the direction in which the
grain moves. Incidentally, grain usually grows toward water, especially
toward the ocean, and in the East it's apt to lean toward the
mountains. If you're not near any such topography, figure on the grain
growing in the direction of the setting sun.
Grain is strongest on Bermuda grass, where short, crew-cut-like
blades tend to push the ball strongly. Although each putt on each
green is different, as a general rule you can figure on stroking the ball
about 20 percent harder than usual on a putt that's dead into the
grain, and about 20 percent less on a down grain putt.
When the ball breaks with the grain, you need to read-in extra
"borrow" on the putt. When the slope is against the grain, play for less
break. These effects are less marked on the long-stemmed bent and
other strains of grass, but they are present nonetheless.

The break of your putt will also be affected by the firmness of a
green, the wetness/dryness, the amount of wind you're facing, and
even the time of day. In general, any time you have to hit the ball
hard, you play for less break.
Another way of reading the break on a green is to watch the way
other players' putts behave. I'm all for this "going to school," but with
one caveat: Allow for any difference between your own playing style
and those of your fellow players. If, for instance, your friend is a
lagger and you're a charger, don't play as much break as he does.
Finally, one hard and fast rule in putting is this: Never hit the
ball until you have a good vision of the path on which it will roll.
Sometimes the vision will come to you immediately. You'll see the
perfect putt the minute you step up to it, and more often than not,
you'll sink it just as you saw it.
Other times, it will take much longer to get a picture of the putt,
and even then you won't be comfortable. But don't make your stroke
until you have the best read you can get. You have to believe in your
line if you want to have a good chance of sinking any putt.
If the green is located near water, you can bet the ball is going
to break towards that body of water. I’m not sure why this is, but it is
certainly true.
It’s essential that you know you shouldn’t be aiming for the hole.
Good putters know that you have to pick a spot on the green and then
aim for that spot. For example, if you think the ball will break three
inches to the right, pick a spot three inches to the left and shoot at
that spot.
Don’t think of a putt as a curved shot – think of every putt as
being straight on. When you have your spot, aim to have the ball
travel right over that spot. If you have read the green correctly, the
ball will naturally travel into the hole.
Don’t rush reading a green. Take a look at how your ball lies
from all angles. Walk around it; look at it from across the pin to see
the trajectory that the ball needs to travel at. But have respect for
your fellow golfers. Don’t take forever reading a green. It’s not rocket
science and you won’t want to hold up play.

Keep in mind that the line of the putt has little to do with being
able to put the ball in the hole. Good putting depends on the speed of
the ball when it leaves your putter’s face. But achieving that speed
can be quite elusive. There’s no easy way to judge how hard you need
to hit the ball to get good speed. However, there is something you
can do.
Go to the practice putting green. Hit several putts with about a
12-inch backswing. Do this over and over until you can get a good
idea of how far the ball will go with that 12-inch backswing. Then
when you get on the real green, you can use that putt as a reference
to determine how much you will have to add or take away from your
backswing to sink the putt.
The way you grip your putter can make a difference in accurate
putting as well. You can choose what’s best for you, but most
professional golfers know that gripping a driver and gripping a putter
should be two different animals.
You will want complete control of your putter for the most
accuracy. One technique that can help you do this is to modify your
grip so that both of your index fingers are extending down either side
of the shaft and your thumbs are placed together on the top of the
shaft. This can help you guide your putter smoothly and improve your
accuracy.
When in your stance, you need to be positioned directly over the
ball. I like to call this hovering the putt because you are hovering over
the ball like a mother hovers over her children. Set the putter square
to the target and have the ball positioned right in the middle of the
club face – which most people refer to as the “sweet spot”.
Keep your body free of tension and your body motion limited.
When you swing, you should do so in a pendulum-like motion using
your shoulders not your hips. Always follow through with your putt
and accelerate through the ball. Your follow through should be about
the same distance as your pull back motion and you need to keep your
eyes on the ball at all times.
And most golfers know that if you are faced with either an uphill
putt or a downhill put, you should always go with the uphill choice. A
downhill putt is much more complicated because of gravity whereas
when you putt uphill, you can gain more control of your stroke.

Good putting is essential to a good golf game, so practice as
much as you can and try to be consistent in all you do.

SAND TRAPS
Ah, those fairway bunkers – the golfer’s bane. Sand traps are a
reality on many courses, and you will probably find yourself having to
shoot out of them on a fairly regular basis. Although we certainly
hope that’s not the case, it certainly is possible. Knowing how to
effectively hit out of a sand trap is another huge part of a good golf
game.
First, don’t be afraid of the bunker shot. Sure, it can be
intimidating, but you can develop good technique that will get you out
of the sand and back on the grass – even on the green.
Establish firm footing and take an open stance. Open the
clubface by turning it to the outside before hitting the ball. This will
put loft on the ball and allow the back portion of the bottom of the club
to bounce off the sand instead of having the leading edge dig into the
sand. You will want to use a wedge for this shot – preferably a sand
wedge.
Distribute most of your weight to the left side of your body. You
will swing the club back and through the same distance. Don’t let the
clubface close and accelerate through the ball. Don’t let the club touch
the sand (a big rules no-no) and concentrate on hitting the sand about
two inches behind the ball.
What you are trying to do is take as little sand as possible
without making contact with the ball. You want the sand to life the
ball out of the bunker. As you make contact with the sand there
should be a cupping of the left wrist.
Let me explain "cupping." Assume you are wearing a watch on
your left wrist and the face, as usual, is pointing outward. When
contacting the sand on the forward swing, you should try to take the
back of your left hand and move it towards your watch face, thereby
creating wrinkles underneath your left wrist.

This action is called "cupping of the wrist" and it is very
necessary in producing quality sand shots. Since this motion prevents
the club from closing, the ball is lifted in the air with backspin.
You will want to have a neutral grip on the club. You don't want
to use a strong grip for bunker shots because it's absolutely essential
that the club face slides under the ball and into your finish without the
club face closing.
A neutral grip is one that has the back of the left hand facing
parallel to the target line and the right palm facing the same direction.
Slap your hands together in front of you and you'll instantly see what I
mean. You can also choke down on the club in an effort to gain more
control.
Aim the club face down the target line which should be just left
of the hole. You've heard all the hype about opening the club face and
such and that's fine if you hit a lot of bunker shots but most folks don't
so aim the club face down the target line which should be just left of
the hole. The target should be just left of the hole because this method
will impart some left to right spin which will move the ball from left to
right once it gets on the ground.
Aim your feet on a 20-30 degree angle to the left of the target
line. The greater the angle you create between your feet and the
target line, the higher and softer the ball will come out of the trap.
Practice these shots a bit with varying angles and you'll see what I
mean. Find the angle where you're most comfortable and which
produces the best results and stick with it whatever it might be.
This all works for balls that are lying on top of the sand, but
what do you do if your ball is buried? The technique is different.
When your ball is buried (fried egg) in the bunker, you do not
want to swing super long and follow through. The idea is to pick your
sand wedge up abruptly, swing down steep, stick your club in the
sand, and leave it there. What will happen is your ball will pop out. It
won't have any spin on it because of the lie, but the chance of it
getting out of the sand are much better than if you were to follow
through.
Why is this so...? You want a very steep angle of attack and no
follow through on this shot because it allows for the club to get more
underneath the ball. With some of the ball resting below the surface,

you need to compensate to get underneath it. That is where a short,
steep, punchy type of swing works best.
A typical bunker shot calls for an open stance, an open clubface,
and a nice shallow swing while taking a little bit of sand. That will not
work with a plugged lie, regardless of how hard you swing. Your club
will be approaching from too shallow an angle.
You will hit the sand to the RIGHT of the ball, instead of hitting
the sand UNDERNEATH the ball. Thus, your club will just bounce, or
deflect into the ball. Worse yet, you will plow too much sand into the
back of ball and it will go nowhere. You need to get below the ball
somehow.
Here's what I recommend from a buried lie in a greenside bunker:
1. Set up with a bit squarer stance.
2. Square the clubface a bit also. This will allow for the leading
edge to enter the sand first.
3. Pick the club up steeper, and then swing down steeper and stick
the club in the ground. Hit about 1-3 inches behind the ball. You
can swing hard, just don't follow through. You won't be able to
follow through if you make the correct swing, because you will be
coming down too steep. That's good!
This is not a shot that you will face a lot, but I still think it is
worth practicing. Go to a practice trap and step on a couple balls to
bury them a little. Then hit some shots. Experiment a bit. Especially
get the feeling of that up and down "chopping" motion, and that no
follow through release. By doing so, you will find that this shot is not
really that hard to get out of the bunker.
After a round of golf while socializing in the '19th Hole', you will
always hear "I hit the ball well but didn't score." The object of the
game of golf is to score the lowest possible score you can. How you
can hit the ball well and not score can be summed up in two words:
course management.

COURSE MANAGEMENT
You can ruin a good round by trying to pull off that one in a
million shot and making a triple bogey. After hitting a shot into trouble
you are almost always better off to take a safe route out and play for a
bogey.
What exactly is course management? Essentially, it means
adapting your game to the specific nuances of the course and playing
the course in the best way you can to achieve a good score.
When does course management start? Some players will tell you
it starts after they have to make a decision on the course. Nothing
could be further from the truth. Course management starts before you
tee off on the first hole. You should always have a plan for the round
you are playing and more importantly you should always have a plan
and a target for each and every shot.
One particular area that most all golfers should concentrate on is
hitting the ball from 125-150 yards out to the green. By improving
your game in this area you'll give yourself many more chances for
birdie and par putts.
The key to this aspect of your game is being able to "know" that
you can hit the ball onto any green from 150 yards out. You want to
get to the point where you can consistently knock on 8 or 9 iron onto
the green every time!
It may sound difficult if you're a higher handicap golfer, but it's
really not. 125 -150 yards is very manageable, and most greens are
large in size. In addition, hitting 8 and 9 irons are much easier to
control than your longer irons.
If you have a tough time swinging these clubs then this is an
area where you need to spend some quality practice time on. Once
you do get this down, the only part left is distance management.
That's the first key. The next point is working your game around
the 150 yard shot.
If you're on a 550 yard par 5, you know if you hit a decent drive
and even if you hit your second shot poorly, leaving you with 135

yards to the green, you know you can now get it on the green with
your third shot.
So, even though you didn't hit a great second shot, because you
have the 150 yard shot in your bag you're still putting for birdie. This
is what good course management is all about.
It's amazing what focusing on this part of your game can do for
you. You'll see your golf game differently. Now you'll know that no
matter what kind of trouble you get into off the tee box, all you need
to do is get your ball 135-150 yards out and you'll be fine.
Practice until you can master this shot. Then build your golf
game with that thought in place. By doing so, you won't be worrying
as much on how to hit bunker shots, chips shots and other tough
greenside shots.
Instead of being completely frustrated, you'll find yourself having
more fun.
Once you have this shot in your bag, then you can focus on
putting, driving, or hitting your long irons. Until then, put all your
efforts into mastering the 125-150 yard shot. If you will take this
advice I can honestly tell you that you will dramatically lower your golf
scores.
You have to know what your strengths and weaknesses are on
the golf course. This is essential to the principles of course
management. You must know how far you can hit the ball with
specific clubs in order to navigate the course in as few shots as
possible.
When you are managing the course, you are taking into account
the problems and strengths of your game and applying them to the
way the course is laid out. Let’s look at two examples:
1. You are on a par 5 hole with light rough on the left side of the
fairway and a lateral water hazard up the right. You’re pretty
confident you can hit the green in regulation, but you have a
propensity for hitting a “banana ball” or a hard slice. How
should you hit this shot taking into consideration the way you
play?

Most players would just hit it up the middle trying to hit the ball
straight hoping to keep the water out of play. However, that
water hazard is the hole’s strength and your slice is your
weakness. It’s foolish to pit the two against each other because
you will probably be the loser.
Aim your teen shot to land in the rough on the left side of the
fairway. In this case, your normal slice will result in a second
shot from the fairway while a straight ball will result in a second
shot from the rough. However, you will probably still be able to
reach the green in regulation from the rough.
Most fairways are at least 40 yards wide. If you aim 10 yards to
the left of the fairway, it would take a 50 yard slice to get the
ball to the water. A shot with that much curve is rare, so this is
definitely the best way to play this hole.
2. You are 150 yards from the green with the pin placed at the
front of the green, but the pin is tucked behind a menacing sand
trap. You’ve spent a lot of time practicing getting out of the
sand and on the green in one shot, but you’re not confident
enough in your ability to do it just yet. Your 150-yard club is an
8 iron. What do you do to try and avoid landing in the bunker?
Most golfers would automatically reach for their 8 iron, and “take
dead aim”. However if you were to play with sound course
strategy, you would take a 7 iron and aim for the middle back of
the green leaving a straight forward two putt for par.
Most people would be afraid of going over the green, but you
know that your 7 iron goes a maximum of 165 yards. Even if you
hits your best shot you will still have a 45 foot putt for birdie.
You also know that if you miss hit the 7 iron it will wind up pin
high and in almost no circumstance will the dreaded bunker be in
play.
On the other hand if you choose the 8 iron, it will require a near
perfect strike to get the ball to the flag. The slightest miss hit
results in your ball landing in the sand trap. Here, the 7-iron is
the right club based on the layout of the hole.

Putting course management into play with your golf game
requires a good working knowledge of the way you play and what you
are capable of doing. That means you need to track your progress and
really pay attention to how your game is coming along.
Course management skills can really help shave strokes off of
your score. So can knowing what the most common mistakes and
problems golfers have along with ways to combat them.

COMMON PROBLEMS WITH A
SWING
As we’ve said numerous times, golf is not an exact science.
Many golfers have worked for years and years trying to perfect their
swing and improve their game. However, problems do arise. They
come about mostly because golfers tend to forget the basic mechanics
of the game and start playing sloppy.
In this section, we’ll address some of the more common
problems golfers have along with mistakes they make. We’ll also offer
up some suggestions to help you combat these problems and get on
the road toward playing better golf.

The Slice
A slice is a specific left-to-right trajectory shape for a golf ball
created by a significant tilt of the spin-axis of the golf ball to the right,
or a clockwise spin. This is opposite for lefties. A slice usually ends up
right of the target line, and the term is often used when the curve in
the trajectory is extreme and unintentional. The less extreme version
of a slice is called a "fade".
In understanding the basics of the golf swing, in order to hit the
ball squarely and straight every time, you must return to the original
spot at impact. A slice is caused by the club face being slightly open at
the point of impact, thus causing the ball to spin in a clockwise motion,
(opposite for lefties). In most cases the swing path is correct, but the
golf ball is not being hit squarely at the point of impact, commonly
caused by what is known as a "weak grip".

A second factor that causes a golf slice may be swing speed and
shaft stiffness. If you use a stiff shaft driver try a regular flex or mid
flex shaft and that may correct your problem.
The simplest fix for a slice is in the grip. By having a "weak grip",
a grip that is turned more counter-clockwise, (opposite for lefties), can
cause the club face to open at the time of impact.
You should start by turning your grip slightly to the right, (left for
lefties), thus giving you a "stronger grip", not holding the club more
tightly. Remember the basics and only hold the club tight enough to
keep control. You should not have any tension on your wrist and
forearms.
You may want to try increasing your swing speed by pulling the
club farther back before swinging to fix your golf slice. When you
increase your swing speed you can gain yardage and will hit the
fairways more often.
Make sure not to bend over too far or round house your swing
similar to a baseball swing. Bring your club back straight and follow
through on the swing.
Point the label on the ball in the direction you want it to go when
teeing it up. This way you can concentrate on the ball without looking
up.
Then, when you tee up your ball, follow this checklist faithfully:










Stand Straighter
Bend Knees Slightly
Keep Feet Shoulder Width
Line Up Ball with Front Foot
Tip the Club Face in Just a Bit
Loosen Your Grip
Keep Your Eye on the Ball
Clear Your Mind
Now Hit the Fairway

Draw/Fade
The less extreme version of a Hook is called a "Draw", and the
less extreme version of a slice is called a "Fade". Many golfers find that

they are only having a draw or fade with their longer clubs, and they
are very accurate with their shorter clubs.
Both the draw and the fade are both products of a stronger
swing and can be normal. Many golfers use the fade and the draw to
their advantage. Slight modifications to your swing will correct both
problems, but be careful; tampering with perfection could lead to
disaster.
If you are consistent with the fade or the draw, my advice would
be to continue to play either shot, just slightly change your aim. If you
are inconsistent in your shots and you sometimes fade, draw, slice or
hook, look into getting back to the basics and modify your swing to
correct your inconsistencies.

Hook
A hook is a specific right-to-left trajectory shape for a golf ball
created by a significant tilt of the spin-axis of the golf ball to the left,
or a counter-clockwise spin. This is opposite for lefties. A hook usually
ends up to the left of the target line, and the term is often used when
the curve in the trajectory is extreme and unintentional. The less
extreme version of a hook is called a "draw".
In understanding the basics of the golf swing, in order to hit the
ball squarely and straight every time, you must return to the original
spot at impact. A hook is caused by the club face being slightly closed
at the point of impact, thus causing the ball to spin in a counterclockwise motion, (opposite for lefties). In most cases the swing path
is correct, but the golf ball is not being hit squarely at the point of
impact, commonly caused by what is known as a "strong grip".
As in the slice, the hook is often a product of an improper grip.
Start by looking at your current grip. Remembering the basics of the
golf grip, you should only see 2 knuckles of your left hand. If you see
3 knuckles, then you have a "strong grip" and this maybe the cause of
your golf hook.
You can fix your hook by trying to change your grip to a "weak
grip". Turn your hands slightly counter-clockwise on your grip,
(opposite for lefties), thus weakening the grip. Grip pressure is also a
key element in the release process. If the pressure is too loose at

impact then the tendency will for the club to release too early causing
the ball to hook.
Remember the basics and only hold the club tight enough to
keep control. You should not have any tension on your wrist and
forearms. Practice the grip and check your results. Changing your grip
should be slight, over compensating can cause other problems with
your swing or begin to cause you to slice.
Most golf hooks are from a "strong grip", but in order for you to
correct your hook properly; you must have the know-how and learn
the basics of the golf swing.

Push
A push is a ball that goes directly to the right because of the
action of the club. This should not be mistaken for a slice. A slice is an
action of the ball spinning clockwise. A slice normally begins to the
target and arcs away to the right, (left for lefties). A push is an action
of the swing and is normally in an in-to-out swing motion. The
opposite of the push is the pull, which is an out-to-in swing motion.
The push is caused by the swing path of the club. In the down
swing, the path of the club will travel in an in-to-out path. Normally
this is caused by throwing your arms ahead of your shoulders, being
too close to the ball, and trying to over compensate your swing to
make contact with the ball, or having your hips ahead of the impact
area. These are the easiest to identify, but there could be other
reasons.
The easiest way to fix a push is to go back to the basics of the
golf swing. The push is directly related to the action of the golf swing.
Throwing your arms ahead of your shoulders, make sure that during
your back swing, you push your arms out with your shoulders, and on
the down swing, you pull your arms down with your shoulders.
At the point of impact you should be back to the same point as
you were at your stance. Standing too close to the ball, check out your
stance. The club face should be positioned center of the ball and the
butt end of the club should be about 4-5 inches from the inside of the
left thigh and in line with it.

Having your hips ahead of the impact area, again, you should
remember to be exactly the same at the point of impact as you were
at your stance. The push comes from an improper club swing and
knowing the basics.

Shank
The shank is a missed hit ball off the club face. Other ways that
a ball can be missed hit include topping, whiffing, blading, dubbed, or
fat shot. All of these miss hits are the product of only a few things;





Not keeping your head down through your swing.
Standing too close or too far from the ball.
Improper Club Grip.
Improper Swing Dynamics.

A shank is something that nobody wants to have happen to
them. A shank is normally a product of not concentrating. Slow down,
remember the basics, keep your head down, and concentrate on the
shot at hand. The shank is one of the easiest fixable problems in golf.
Remember your training and get back to the basics. By getting
back to the basics of golf, and learning the correct grip or proper
stance, and using the proper swing technique will help in eliminating
all of the problems with miss hitting the ball.
Those are the most common problems golfers find with their
swing. There are also some very common mistakes that golfers make.

COMMON MISTAKES
It’s difficult sometimes to hit a good golf shot. Some of us hack
away at a ball hoping that we can get off a good shot and be proud at
least for a few moments. But if we know what the most common
mistakes are in the golf game, we can take steps to correct those
mistakes and extend that pride throughout our game.

The Exaggerated Twist

Most people believe that the more they turn their backswing, the
more distance they will gain. This is simply not true. Actually, to gain
distance, you need to find the perfect posture and perform a fluid
swing that will insure solid contact with the ball. If you exaggerate the
twist, you will go out of the ideal swing plane and have to overcompensate to even make contact. Plus, the chances of coming out
with a slice, a hook, or even topping the ball are much greater.

Rolling Hands
This is a common mistake and one that feels OK as you are
doing it. As the backswing progresses the club gets too far inside and
behind you and the clubface is open, facing the sky. To finish the
backswing you will lift the arms and put the club in a steep and weak
position, maybe even getting it across the line.
If this is your mistake, you need to monitor how much the left
wrist rotates early in the swing. Take the club back to waist high and
allow only 90 degrees of rotation, so the back of your left wrist is
parallel to your body line and the shaft is in line with your toes. The
toe of the club should be almost vertical.

Disconnecting Arms
Many players begin the swing by pushing the hands out toward
the ball and moving the left arm away from the body. As the handle
moves out the club head moves inward, getting it inside and behind.
The rest of the backswing is similar to the previous move.
The fix here is to keep your left arm connected to your left chest
and moving across as the swing progresses. Visualize your hands
tracking back with your body rotation, rather than moving out.

Picking the Club Up
If all you use to begin the takeaway are hands and arms, you will
surely pick it up and chop it back down. The golf swing is a
synchronized blend of club, hands, arms, and body movements, and
they need to start together. If you are a picker, make sure the core

begins to rotate as the club is put in motion by your hands and arms.

Club Head Starts Outside
The opposite of rolling the hands, this is often the result of trying
for maximum extension or an overdone one-piece takeaway. Once
your club is outside and above the plane, it must loop back under to
get back on plane.
Lee Trevino perfected this move, and Jim Furyk is pretty good at
it as well. But it is not something the average player can do
consistently. Eliminate the exaggeration and work the club head back
and up your plane line.

Standing Upright
Too many golfers stand too upright at address. Instead, their
spine should be bent forward from the hip sockets until their arms
hang freely. Players should also tilt their spine from 3-to-9 degrees on
their trailside. This defines the starting move and helps you reach the
90-degree rotation needed for your upper trunk at the top of your
backswing.
Two things derive from this trailside tilt: 1. it lowers your trail
hand so that you can easily grip the club without stretching your trail
arm or shortening your target arm. That way, you will not be inclined
to move your trail shoulder, so that it points out towards your target;
2. It also puts your torso in a proper position to begin your swing.

A Bad Stance
The position you want to achieve at address is the well-known
"railroad track" in which your feet, hips and shoulders form a line
parallel to the target. That parallel line must be directed to the side of
your actual target.
Most golfers do not achieve this setup and otherwise find
themselves in poor address positions. That is because they step into
the ball with their eyes on their feet or on the ball and the club. The
end result is they mistakenly step toward the target, which forces

them into a closed position at address.
Imagine when looking down the line of flight while stepping into
your address position that your focus is keyed on a large tree left of
the target. Now, draw an imaginary line from that tree back to your
feet/hips/shoulders, so that they are parallel to your target line.
When hitting a short iron, align your feet/hips/shoulders directly
to the tree. With middle irons, the alignment is a little to the side of
the tree. For a driver, the alignment is farther to the side to allow for
the optical illusion that makes your target appear smaller.
Here are some things to keep in mind when addressing the ball:


Widen your stance when using a driver, so that the width
measured from the center of your feet is equal to the
outside of your shoulders. The width becomes
proportionately less and less as the club gets shorter. That
way, your ankles are under your shoulder joints.



Close your stance a little, with your trail foot pulled back a
little more from the target line than your target foot. This
is important, especially if you lack flexibility. You can do
this with all clubs, even your wedge. It makes the rotation
of the upper trunk to 90 degrees that much easier.



The base of your sternum (center of your chest) should be
pointing directly at the ball, so that your trail arm moves
most effectively and stays below the target arm at the
start of the swing and until it folds.



Golf is a stability sport. Distribute your weight from the
balls of your feet to your heels, but not to your toes.



Golfers tend to stand with knees that are too straight. Be
sure there is some flex in your knees, so you can use your
joints properly. In essence, sit back with your hips out
behind you in a skeletally balanced position.

Skulling or Topping the Ball

When you skull the ball, your club is coming over the top of it
and you will end up hitting it “fat”. It won’t go very far, if at all, and
you’re likely to be a little embarrassed at your mistake. Don’t worry; a
lot of inexperienced golfers top the ball. There is a fix for it as well.
Put your weight in the middle, the golf handle left, weight on
your left side, swing the arms up and swing the arms down in the
downswing. Up/down makes the golf ball go up.
Hitting the ball fat is caused by the club being too vertical. If you
go too vertical, you'll wind up chopping the floor.
After you get all set up, make sure you're not leaning too far
over on the left side. A little weight on your left side is alright, but the
trick is to swing the golf club up on the inside. And that will give the
golf club a little better angle into the back of the ball.
Be sure that you are looking at the ball and that you don’t rise
up before you make contact. Standing up on the ball prior to the
swing is the number one reason for skulling the ball.
Many beginners are eager to see where their ball is going after it
is hit, but they look too soon and take their eyes off of the ball. This
can also cause you to top the ball, so be sure to look at that little
white ball until you hear it whooshing through the air. Then you can
watch it land beautifully.

Chipping Problems
When you are chipping, a common problem that many golfers
face is restricting your swing while chipping, not getting enough loft,
or easing into the ball. To cure this, you should shorten the stroke
instead of restricting your swing and don’t ease into the ball.
Make a short backstroke and use a less lofted club if you feel the
need restrict your backswing. Make a long follow through to allow for
the necessary acceleration. Divots are not necessary, so hit down and
through so you strike the ball with a slightly descending blow. You are
likely playing the ball too far forward if you do not hear a click when
chipping. The ball should be positioned just before the bottom part of
your stroke.

Reaching out at the ball during address and impact, a player’s
arms are almost at a 45-degree angle from the ground. It takes too
much effort to hold your arms out at address and therefore it’s even
harder to get back to that position at impact.
To fix this problem, refer to the posture where the arms just
hang in the natural position. If you feel like your hands are too close to
the body then make the adjustment and kick out your rear end a little
(check your weight distribution). The distance between your zipper
and your grip should be around four knuckles.
Find a picture of a professional golfer and by using a straight
edge notice how their eyes are over the shaft (approximately over the
shaft label).You may have to bow more to get to that position
Another big mistake is made when referring to ball position.
Some players believe they need to change the position of the ball
based on what club they are using. If the ball is played too far back in
the stance, your shoulders will aim right and you will start the back
swing from the inside and probably come over the top at impact (slice
or pull). If the ball is too far forward, your shoulder will be aiming left
and you will take the club more on the outside and loop under coming
down resulting in a block or a hook.
To fix this problem, the ball position should be played one ball
forward of center for short to mid-irons, two balls left of center with
long irons and fairway woods, three balls left of center with the driver.
This may vary a little based on your swing arch.
Here’s a drill to help you with this problem. Take your swing
with the proper stance and posture and see where your club hits the
ground. You should notice that it’s very close to the left center. If you
are hitting the ground way before the ball, there’s a good chance you
are not pivoting your hips or coming out of your stance.
So those are some of the more common mistakes made by
golfers. Even if you’ve been golfing for years, you can still fall prey to
these mistakes. Knowing how to fix them can be a great addition to
your game and will eventually shave strokes off your score.
There are some shots in golf that will require some finesse in
getting out of without amassing your score to new proportions. Let’s
look at a few trouble shots and get some advice on how to overcome
them.

TROUBLE SHOTS
Because golf is such a complicated – yet easy – game, you may
find yourself in some situations that seem impossible to get out of.
We call these trouble shots. They can be frustrating and can add to
your score in record proportions. Here are some trouble shots we’ve
encountered and ways that you can approach them.

Deep Rough
Long grass has the effect of closing the face of the club and
decreasing the loft of the club. For this reason, the player should use a
more lofted club than if the ball were in the fairway. If a player has a
long distance left, the first consideration should be getting the ball out
of the rough. Use of lofted fairway woods #5, #6, #7 is advisable in
this situation.
The long grass will decrease the loft of these clubs and the ball
will actually go the distance of the less lofted fairway woods. Around
the green, the player must again use a more lofted club. These types
of shots are custom made for a wedge or a 9-iron. The effect of the
long green will once again decrease the loft of the club. The ball will
therefore fly lower and run more than if it were in the fairway.
Remember; allow the loft of the club to lift the ball out of the rough!

Side hill, Downhill, and Uphill Lies
Nothing can be more frustrating than having a golf shot on a
slanted surface. The way many golf courses are laid out, you will
probably have to deal with a lie like this at some point in your game.
But you can deal with hilly lies with no problems and a little advice.
Take a practice swing and note where the club is striking the
ground. If the club is striking the ground nearer the back foot, move
the ball back in your stance; if the club is striking the ground nearer
the front foot, move the ball forward in your stance. This system is the
most accurate system to determine where the ball should be placed in
the stance. Seldom does a player have a purely side hill or uphill lie.
This system takes all the factors into account as the practice swing is
the forerunner to the actual shot.

The general rule of thumb is to position the ball in the stance
nearer the higher foot on the downhill lies, and about center on the
uphill lies. On side hill lies, position the ball left center (as you
normally would). If the ball is above your feet on the side hill lie, you
will normally hit the ball straight or pull it to the left. If the ball is
below your feet, most players will actually pull the ball to the left
because their leg action will slow down as they try to maintain their
balance.
You will want to have a longer club than you would usually use
for an uphill shot (a 4 instead of a 5). Choke down on the club and
put more flex in your left knee (if you are right handed). Much of your
weight should be on your front leg. Remember that the ball will
generally go to the left, so aim to the right of the target. Position the
ball slightly ahead of center and swing in a slow deliberate way
maintaining your balance.
For downhill lies, you will want a shorter club than you would
normally use (a 6 instead of a 5). The ball will go right, so aim to the
left of the target. Position the ball so that it is back in your stance.
Put most of your weight again on the forward foot. Have some flex in
your right knee and then swing slowly and deliberately maintaining
your balance.
Side hill shots are probably some of the worst in golf. If you are
faced with a side hill shot where the ball is below your feet, you will
need a longer club than you would usually use. Set up closer to the
ball when you address it and increase the flex in both of your knees.
The ball will go to the right, so aim left of the target and, again,
maintain your balance with a slow, deliberate backswing.
When the ball is above your feet on a side hill shot, the stance is
slightly different. You will still want a longer club than usual, but you
will choke down on the shaft. Stand more upright and put more
weight on your toes. The ball will go left, so aim right of the target
and maintain a slow and deliberate backswing as you should be doing
in all hill shots.

Restricted Back Swing
There are times when you will have a shot that will restrict your
back swing. Let’s say that your ball ends up next to a tree. You won’t
be able to take a normal back swing because the tree is in the way.

You will have to make some modifications in order to get yourself out
of this trouble shot. Luckily, it’s not as difficult as you might think.
First position yourself so that you can get to the ball and still aim
at your target. Practice a couple of backswings to see how far you can
take the club back without bringing the tree into play. Then keep that
distance first and foremost in your mind. You will need to cock your
wrists and keep them cocked throughout whatever backswing you will
be able to muster up.
Make a normal down swing, knowing that the club has room to
miss the tree trunk and you will advance the ball into scoring position.
The idea here is to just get away from the tree completely so you’re
not worrying about distance or even accuracy for that matter. All you
want to do is get the ball back in the fairway so you can save your
score.

Hitting Out of Water
The main rule of thumb when you have a ball in water is to just
let it be and not try to hit out of it. However, if it truly is playable in
shallow water, you may want to go ahead and try to hit it out and save
yourself a stroke.
The key here is to play this ball like a buried sand lie with a nine
iron which will not bounce off the water like a wedge will. Use a cut
shot allowing the blade to slice through the water at an oblique angle
and be sure to follow through on your swing.
In other words, you will want your backswing to be more outside
of the normal line and then come back in across your line with the
blade of the club open. Keep your hands still in the swing as you
won’t want them to release and rotate. You may just find yourself
back in the water if this happens.

Punch Shot
A punch shot is used when you need to navigate under tree
limbs and other low-lying obstacles. You will use a punch shot when
you need to keep the ball low but still get some distance on your
swing. A punch shot is also used to get your ball out of trouble and
into the fairway. So how do you execute a good punch shot?

You can use almost any iron to execute a punch shot, but
generally, a lower lofted club will work best. Begin by choking down
on the shaft and place the ball further back in your stance. Seventy
percent of your weight should go mostly on your left foot if you are a
right handed golfer – the opposite for you lefties.
Your backswing will be about ¾ of your regular backswing.
Bring the club back making sure you keep your head down throughout
almost the entire swing because making good contact in this situation
is extremely important. Take the club back low and then finish low.
What that means is that you won’t have a normal follow-through as if
you were hitting out of the fairway. But you do have to follow
through.
The punch shot is easy to curve in one direction or another
because you are generally using a lower lofted iron and they tend to
exaggerate the angle of that loft. This shot is great for getting
yourself out of a sticky situation involving natural hazards on the golf
course.

The Flop Shot
A flop shot is a high shot that travels a short distance and is
used to get over objects such as trees. It is designed to sail high and
clear these objects easily. If you are unable to hit a punch shot and
your only option on a hole is to navigate the tree, you will want to use
a flop shot. It will sail high in the air and land softly on the green with
little or no forward spin.
You can also use a flop shot if you have a pin that is tucked tight
– or there isn’t much green in between your ball and the pin. In this
situation, you will need to get the ball up in the air quickly and land
softly.
For a good flop shot, you will generally use a sand wedge or a
lob wedge. The ball is played more forward in your stance and you will
open the club face wide and choke down on the club. The club will be
taken back using your wrists more than anything.
Cock your wrists quickly in the backswing and during the down
swing, you will release your wrists quickly. Your wrists will also cock
in the follow-through. Essentially, this is a fast swing that requires
you to abandon natural form to get the desired results.

Playing Into the Wind
Another of those trouble shots is dealing with the wind. Many
players advise teeing up the ball lower for a drive into the wind.
For average golfers it is better to tee the ball as normal and hit
as solid a shot as you can make. The wind will exaggerate any side
spin put on the ball at impact. This shot demands a solid hit with a
nice even tempo.
Teeing the ball low will tend to produce a downward blow rather
than a sweep through, thus producing more spin.
Another problem with the wind is club selection. If you find
yourself a wedge distance from the green facing a headwind, try
punching a 9 iron instead. Less loft means greater control. Stopping it
will be no problem.
Our final chapter will be about a very important part of the golf
game that many people just take for granted – stretching before your
game.

STRETCHING FOR GOOD GOLF
The importance of stretching for your golf game cannot be
stressed enough. Because a good golf swing requires that your body
be in a relaxed, tension-free state, you will want to release some of
that tension before you ever pick up a golf club.
The good news is that these stretching exercises are easy and
only take a few minutes. That means you can effectively stretch right
before you start your round.
For the first exercise, take your driver and place it across your
shoulders. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Wrap your
arms around the club at either end. Bend slightly back stretching your
back muscles. Bend side to side so that you loosen up your side
muscles and shoulders. Bend forward to extend your back.
Next, perform a partial squat with your golf club in hand. Stand
with your feet shoulder width apart and place the club in front of you
holding with both hands for balance. Lower your body by bending at

the knees, not the hips, and raise the club at the same time. Raise
back up and repeat ten times. During this whole stretch, you need to
keep your upper body very erect.
This exercise will increase your blood flow and circulation
throughout your body. This is a great total body warm up to allow
your body to make a relaxed, comfortable first swing. It also
increases the range of motion in your hip which encourages a more
synchronized swing from the ground up.
Finally, you can do a standing rotation twist stretch. Hold a golf
club chest high with the grip at shoulder width apart. While keeping
your feet and hips fairly stable, rotate the club to the right and the
left. Try to breathe out on every turn to release tension. Repeat each
side ten times.
By doing this stretch, you will be preparing specific muscles of the
trunk to make an aggressive move from the first tee on. This also
prepares proper sequencing of the swing while warming muscles. This
exercise will improve body movements during the swing from the
beginning. This way you will not sacrifice strokes on the first couple of
holes.

CONCLUSION
We don’t agree with Mark Twain that golf is a good walk wasted.
It’s a wonderful way to get out in the fresh air, enjoy nature, and have
a little playful competition with your friends. You can get some great
exercise on the golf course without straining your body which makes
this sport ideal for any age group to participate in.
We do, however, agree that golf can be a very frustrating sport
and one that requires a good mental state of mind as well as an
attention to the body and how the golf swing works. It can be
overwhelming – especially for the beginning golfer.
It is a great way to make new friends and business executives
agree that the golf course is a wonderful place to make business deals
and connections.
In order to make the golf game fun, you’ll want to score well.
With the tips we’ve offered you in this book, we think you’ll be able to

take strokes off your score when you employ the techniques we have
outlined.
But nothing is quite as good for your golf game as practice. The
more you play, the better you’ll get. Practice on the course, practice
on the driving range, practice in your backyard. Any time you can
emulate swinging a club, you will start to learn about what will work
and what won’t when you get on the course.
Above all, don’t be too hard on yourself when you get on the
links. It’s nearly impossible to perfect the game and you’ll have your
share of problems – it’s almost guaranteed. That’s why I think this
quote can truly sum up the game of golf in the best way.
“Golf is so popular simply because
it is the best game in the world at which to be bad”
~ A.A. Milne
See you on the links!



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