In my earlier years of playing golf, I would often be influenced by my playing partners. If they exhibited a certain excellence, I would change my game to try and match their efforts. Unfortunately, this approach to improving my golf game never worked and I usually ended with a much higher score than expected. I think it is natural for players to want to feed off of each other, but without the required skill or training, changing my swing mid-round never worked. As I matured as a golfer, I learned to play my game and not focus at all on what other players were doing. I became mentally stronger with a propensity to look inward for success.
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Chipping From Off The Green With Phil Mickelson
Arguably one of the best shot game players in golf history, Phil Mickelson continues to impart his short game wisdom to the masses. I like watching his teachings and although I do not always agree with his views, I respect his expertise. There is one short game tip that I whole hardily agree with and that is how to successfully chip from off the green. His chipping tip is definitely in line with my view on how to dramatically improve our short game and lower our golf scores.
Continue readingHitting The Safe Shot In Golf
We talk about course management a fair bit at The Grateful Golf because it is a sure fire way of saving strokes. There is ample opportunity for players to shave a point here or there during a round of golf just by hitting a safe shot. What exactly does this mean ‘hitting a safe shot”? I could hit my 7-iron for the entire round and hit nothing but safe shots, but that is not really what we are talking about is it? A safe shot is one that has a higher percentage of success WITH the added bonus of reducing your score. This means that our shot choices make a difference and always hitting the same club for distance regardless of position is definitely a way to turn a possible birdie into an annoying double!
Continue readingHow Shallow Is Your Backswing?
Believe it or not, the topic of how shallow my club position during my back and downswing has never come up. I never really thought about it. After watching a video my Andrew Rice, I realized that I needed to look into this topic a bit deeper. The gist of the topic is ensuring the club shaft in is the correct position on my downswing to ensure I generate the maximum power possible. Rice explains that there is an active or passive approach to shallowing that escaped my attention in the past. Well, I am over that now and think it is something I need to investigate.
Continue readingRefining Your Wedge Play For Lower Golf Scores
Hitting consistent accurate wedges is the key to lower golf scores. Often referred to as scoring clubs, hitting the proper wedge, the right distance, at the correct height is a skill that I have worked on for years. In my mind, I think I understand the mechanics to hitting great wedges, but it is never a bad idea to revisit (or learn for the first time) how to control the height of a golf shot with a specific specific wedge. Being able to manipulate the trajectory by adjusting the angle of attack of an approach shot is an advanced skill, but one every golfer will need to eventually know.
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