In just about every conversation about golf, the drive and putt appear to be the main focus of discussion. The drive is usually related to distance and the putt to how it rolled into the hole. I can see that these dynamic shots would stick in many players minds, however I would suggest the second shot is as or more important to the other previously mentioned golf shots. I realize this might fly in the face of many discussions on The Grateful Golfer, but if you think about it, the second shot is critical to how every round sets up!
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Do You Have A Travelling Handicap Index?
During a recent conversation on Twitter with my friends Serge and Andre, we stumbled on a great topic. Actually, Andre is the person who first brought up his desire to lower his traveling handicap and that sparked a thought. I have spent years touting the benefits of creating a handicap index through Golf Canada and supporting your local golf course. I still adamantly support this view, but I wonder how solid my handicap index really is if I record 98% of my rounds on my home course!
Continue readingEven Experienced Golfers Make Rule Mistakes
Understanding the rules of golf is very important for all golfers. I studied the rules and feel that if wanted to be competitive golfer, I needed to know the ins and outs of the rule book. I feel that I understand the rules well and that I have saved many strokes because I knew the details and how to implement the rules. Regardless of how confident I felt, I still made mistakes that cost me a stroke or two. Fortunately, it did not cost me a match or a tournament.
Continue readingFirst Swing Of The Round
Depending on whether you had the time to prepare, if any, will likely determine your mental state on your first swing of your round. For many players, rushing from their car to the first tee is the norm and probably results in a less than optimal shot. At Osprey Links, I would say that I only prepared for the first hit occasionally due to the lack of driving range. They did have a driving net and I found this a reasonable substitute to hitting a small bucket of balls, but I did not really like using it…..so I didn’t. My lack of preparation did impact my fairway percentage and I am hoping this year at my new course I will be able to improve on my start of each round.
Continue readingChipping With Confidence Over Something
The title of this article might be a little misleading. The reason I used the word something is because many amateurs experience a tightening of their golf swing if anything is in their line of sight to the pin. The tips in this article where designed to deal with hitting over a bunker, however I would suggest that the skill of chipping with confidence is not limited to dealing with hazards. If we master the tips presented by Rick Fowler and Butch Harmon in the video below, then our golf game and golf score will improve dramatically.
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