Dropping Strokes From Poor Decisions

Golf is all about making decisions. Which clubs to use, laying up, going for it, where to land the ball on approach shots, aiming at the pin, what is the wind doing or should I putt or chip this shot are but a few thoughts that go through our minds continuously during every round of golf. Most of the time, I have a decision making process, but now and again I let how my game is unfolding drive the answers when playing. I do know, however, that what ever decision I make has the protentional to save or drop strokes. Specifically, poor decisions hurt my score card the most. After years of playing, I have determined the one decision above all others that has to be correct if I want to play well and shoot low golf scores. Do you know what that is?

Continue reading

Toe Chipping With Success Revisited

I have decided to repurpose an old post because of a tournament I play in two weekends ago at Clear Springs Golf Course. The rough around the green was long, wet and thick. When I used my technique of toe down chipping, I was asked by the playing partner and opponents what I was doing. They asked because my ball effortlessly popped out of a difficult lie with great success. Thus, with fall golf upon me and the grass being wet and think, I thought it was important to revisit this great chipping tip.

We have all heard of life hacks that make our lives easier. Well, golf is no different as there are a few tricks and tips to help you shoot better scores. And this is one of them. I use this technique often and it is something I learned about 20 years ago. It is such and integral part of my game, I actually overlooked talking about it earlier. Today we rectify that oversight. It is time to talk about the benefits of chipping with the toe of our club.

Continue reading

Ball Position For Hybrids and Fairway Woods

Do you have a challenge topping the ball with your hybrids or fairway woods? Or perhaps you take a huge divot with the same clubs? I know I had challenges in the past with my ball being too far forward in my stance. To hit the ball, I would have to lean forward to ensure I made relatively solid contact. But that all changed many years back when I realized that I was out balance with my follow through. I was fortunate to figure out my error, but I could have saved a great deal of time if I found this video earlier.

Continue reading

Hitting Shots From Golf’s Grey Zone

As I improved my course management skills through the years, I came to realize that hitting balls from a distance outside my comfort zone was not good for my score. The distance I dreaded most was from 30 to 50 yards. At best, this was a shot that required a different type of shot each time and I was challenged to match the shot requirements. My biggest challenge was not having the knowledge or understanding to hit a shot from 30 to 50 yards. Well, I finally found a simple explanation that will benefit all golfers.

Continue reading

First Round Of My Best Ball Tournament

The first round of the 2 day, 2 person best ball tournament is in the books. Blair and I had the second tee time and we found the conditions challenging at the beginning of the round. As the round unfolded, the temperature warmed up than the ground dried out. We had a good strategy and for the most part, it worked. We had two bad holes (doubles on both) and many good holes. As a result, we finished 30th out of 68 teams with a score of 79. We are in the third flight and three strokes out of first in our flight. We figure we left four strokes on the course, but that is the way it goes during tournaments.

Continue reading