Solid, consistent contact between the ball and the club face is paramount to great golf. I am always looking for new and innovative drills to share with The Grateful Golfer Community! Additionally, I think it is important that the drills are easy to duplicate and provide immediate feedback to the player.
At Golfshake.com, Steve Astle of the East Midlands Golf Academy talks though a drill that you can use on the practice ground to help you improve your ball striking. This drill improves the consistency of your ball striking making sure create a quality contact with the ball every time.
This is a great drill for me to use during my practice sessions in the spring of 2016. I have never used impact tape before and for the life of me cannot understand why! Before I rush out and buy some, have anyone of you used impact tape before? If so, are you pro or con?
There is an age-old dilemma in golf! It is on every players mind every time the stand next to their ball wondering which club to hit next. They are at 175 yards, hitting over water, with a wide open, yet tricky green to land on. The dilemma has arrived; play safe or go for it!
I asked this very question a short time ago, and was surprised by the response.
At 175 yards from the green, over water, what do you do?
81% of the respondents had enough confidence in their game that they felt going for it was the answer! Personally, I would go for it as well, but I would have to admit, I would not go for it every time. @cencalhack added a qualifier to his comments below and most golfers would agree that “going for it” depends on many factors.
Unless the lie/wind is horrible that is a go for distance every time https://t.co/TtcIYKHblq
Hitting a long shot over water is difficult at best. There are so many factors that must be considered, that I am not sure we amateurs actually consider them all! So, I thought I would make my list and see if I am forgetting something. If I am forgetting something, please let me know! Here is what I look at when hitting the ball 175 yards, over water, to an open, tricky green:
Lie. My lie will have to be relatively flat and in the first cut or fairway for my next shot to be an automatic go shot.
Wind. Which way is the wind blowing and how strong is the wind are definitely.
Hazards. The water hazard is the most obvious hazard, but what about the hazards by the green. What happens if I hit long, left or right? Are there out-of-bounds markers near the green?
Feel. How am I playing to this point? If I am playing poorly, well a lay up shot might be the best course management approach. If I am playing well, then pin hunting might be the solution.
My list is fairly generic, but covers most situations. Again, if you have any suggestions, I am all ears!
One final note, ego does play a part of golf. Some players (myself included sometimes) automatically reach for a club when we get to a specific distance or think “that difficult shot” is in our bag. Playing automatically is not good course management and will cost us strokes over 18 holes. So beware of that dreaded ego!
It is important to remember that risk – reward is part of every golf shot!
Regardless of your decision, commit to the shot because anything can happen on the golf course!
Golf is not a sport for fair-weather players. Well actually, many golfers are fair-weather players, but I am not one. I play in the rain, wind, heat, and cold. Of all these conditions, I find playing in the cold the most difficult.
Playing in the cold is a given in Canada. Unlike this year, the cold weather starts to set in around October and does not leave until April. However, if the brave are willing to embrace the cooler weather, the off-season can be shortened by a couple of months.
I have written about playing in the cold weather before and I touched on 5 main topics to consider when playing fall or spring golf in the northern climates. For more details on the 5 topics below, click here:
A toque is a must.
Gloves are a benefit.
Keeping hydrated is critical.
Choosing the correct golf ball!
Lastly, avoid getting wet.
I recently did a poll on about golfing in cold weather and wondered what the golfing community considered what to keep warm when playing in cooler temperatures. Not surprisingly, here is what the masses had to say:
When playing #golf in the cold, what is most important to your game?
Keeping our hands warm is the most important thing for me aswell. When my hands get cold, I loose my feel, strength, and flexibility. Also, every miss hit feels like I am holding a giant frozen tuning fork that will not stop vibrating! Playing with cold hands is extremely uncomfortable and sometimes painful.
As many of you venture out to play golf in cooler temperatures, remember to keep your hands warm; warm hands will help you shoot lower scores and have fun as you loop the links enjoying the great outdoors!
Not to be outdone by his brother, Gary McLaughlin was playing the same round of golf at the Slieve Russell Golf and Country Club, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan, Ireland. Gary is playing a different Par 3 and as all golfers do, hoped for an elusive hole-in-one!
The thrill of playing a Par 3 is always the same. Every player has the hope and confidence that they will hit that perfect shot that will provide a lifetime of bragging rights! Here is what Gary had to contend with last year:
From the looks of the picture, the hole is about 160 yards (center of the green), no elevation change from the tee to the green. The pin is located in the back right. The wind is blowing straight in his face and looks like it will affect the shot by a half a club.
You are playing well and need a birdie to keep your awesome round going! What do you do?
Let us know where you aim, if you play safe, what type of ball shape you would want, and what club you would use! We all want to know!
It is easy to be a great golfer when hitting the ball down the middle of the fairway. Generally, the short grass provides a great lie for an equally great shot into the green. Unfortunately, most of us are not as consistent as we hope and errant shots occur from time to time.
After watching this video, it is obvious that being able to perform a recovery shot is important to your golf game. I helps lower scores and build confidence; however, the I have to suggest that most amateurs should beware of the consequences of attempting a shot that has great risk. (as a side note, number 6 was my favorite)
When faced with an impossible lie, immovable objects or a crazy shot that requires a special touch, your ability to recover and reduce the damage to your score is paramount to a great round of golf. Through the years, I have heeded the saying “take your medicine” after a poor shot, but sometimes a something special is required keep a great round going. This is when knowing when to make that recovery shot (course management) plays an important role in your game.
For me, recovery shots have three important parts that every golfer must understand. They are the tenants I use when deciding if a risk/reward recovery shot is needed. If you are wondering, this is how I look at these special shots:
Do I need to make that recovery shot – as silly not as this sounds, it has to be the first question. If I do not gain any real advantage from making a special shot, through a small gap as an example, then there is no point in compounding my original error by making another one. This is when I default to a safe shot or punch out. In essence, I take my medicine.
Can I visualize the recovery shot – all the great scramblers can visualize their shot before they make it. The can see exactly what they need to do and know they have a shot in their bag to do it. There is no sense in attempting a recovery shot if I have no idea how to actually perform it! If I proceed without visualizing the shot, then it is just plain ego clouding my judgement. Again, it is time to take my medicine!
Perform the recovery shot with confidence – this may sound simple, but difficult shots weigh heavily on my confidence. If I attempt a shot with doubt in my mind, then it is likely this is wrong shot to be making. Confidence is critical during a recovery shot. It is that special something that allows me to do special things on the course.
Recovery shots are critical to golf. As a single digit handicapper, I have learned the lesson of ego on risk/reward shots many times. My greatest lesson is to ensure I can answer yes to my three criteria for a recovery shot before proceeding. I recommend you do as well.
These are my thoughts on recovery shots. What are yours?
