The chances of sinking a long putt of 20+ feet is very slim. It is not because we have inferior skills to those of professionals (and we do), but it comes down to the physics of distance control. Hitting the ball in a 1.70 inch ball into a 4.25 inch hole does not leave a great margin for error. To improve our chances, we should develop a method of putting that improves our chances of at least leaving a tap in putt if we happen to miss. There are many styles and techniques to hitting a ‘lag put’ that most golfers could try in order to improve their long putting. I use a few techniques myself and feel that for the most part they are very successful. In today’s article I am going examine a few presented by Scratch Golf Academy plus a couple of techniques I use to ensure I avoid the dreaded 3 putt.
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Chipping/Putting Around The Green
There are a plethora of methods to strike a golf ball around the green. Anything within 10 feet of collar is a distance that affords so many choices, that many players become paralyzed. Or they only use one method regardless of the shot. I have lived all the spectrums of the above situation until I found a new way to hold my wedges/7 iron when playing close to the green. I always tried to figure out why I changed my grip on my wedges and 7 iron, but could never find the proper solution. Well, low and behold I found a short video that explains it perfectly.
Continue readingAssuming In Golf Is A Bad Thing?
For all the amateurs out there, it is time to stop assuming and start knowing about your golf game. That is right, you are your own worse enemy because you think you can hit shots (even basic ones) far more consistently than you actually can and it is hurting your golf score. Okay, my opening was a little harsh for a golf blog that tries to stay positive, but I needed to get your attention. My point about assuming is entirely true and I have fallen into that pitfall myself many a time. As we develop our game, there are the knowns and unknows about our game. Unfortunately amateurs like myself often confuse the two which leads to miss shots, poor decisions, and higher golf scores. All because we assume we know what we are doing when in fact we are walking a tight rope of success.
Continue readingGripping My Golf Club Too Tight
Grip it and rip it! Let the big dog eat! Swing Away! I guess I could go on, but you must be getting the idea of a theme by now. As my 45+ year golf journey unfolded, the advice of the experts was to grip my golf club tight enough to hold on to it during my entire swing. The challenge with that advice is that it really does not explain how to accomplish this important swing technique. Just how tight is tight enough because I do not want to lose my club during my swing from the force during all phases of my swing plane. It really can be a challenge for beginners to understand what gripping the club just right means to executing my most efficient swing. So, what does gripping my club too tight actually mean?
Continue readingAiming, Chipping and Ball Position: Are They Connected?
I talk about chipping to lower my score. Next to putting, I chip more than any other shot during my game. I thought that I had everything figured out and even offered some tips from my experience. I thought that I had everything covered until I came across a video that connected aiming to my chipping ball position. I might have thought about it and unconsciously adjust my aim accordingly, but I was surprised that I never talked about how my technique could affect my aim while chipping.
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The Grateful Golfer 