Flipping our hands through contact is a definite no-no in golf. This statement is nothing new and many golfers understand this concept. Knowing what not to do is often as important as knowing what to properly do during our golf swing. From time to time I make poor contact with my irons (actually more often than I want) because I am hitting behind the ball. This poor swing action is caused by several different reasons, but one is more apparent than the others. It is a know swing fault, but for some reason I cannot avoid this mistake.
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Struggling With Solid Ball Contact
The start of my 2024 golf season has seen the resurgence of a swing challenge: making solid ball contact. This is challenge is not unique to this year’s start, but on I face each year. It takes weeks for me to find my swing, train my body to play golf, and to feel comfortable with hitting a golf ball. It is a process that is a yearly tradition (much to my chagrin) the accentuates the lack of solid ball contact. I go through many different stages of improvement and finding drills to help is always a boon. Well, I have one from Colin Morikawa that I use each year. It is simple, easy to replicate and sustainable; hence, a drill made for a grateful golfer.
Continue readingHitting A Long Putt
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.
Continue readingSuccessfully Hitting Out Of A Divot
I am fairly confident that during a friendly most amateurs who land in a divot on the fairway will use a foot wedge to improve their lie. I do say this with tongue in cheek, however I am pretty sure it does happen. During competitions I would say that this would never happen and all golfers would play it as it lies. Over the many, many years of playing golf I rarely (maybe twice a year) land in a divot in the fairway and as such do not work on hitting out of divots on a routine basis. This does not mean I have not worked on this important skill, it just means that I can.
Continue readingAre You To Helpful On The Golf Course?
Golf is a funny game. I bet at this very moment you are making a list or running through scenarios that support this statement. This crazy game is infinitely simple, yet extremely complex. It is not a game that can be force to create a different outcome, but a game that requires a steady, focused, calm demeanour to be successful. Specifically, the fastst way to flub a chip shot is to try and help your swing through to completion. It never works and I have thousands of helpful moments that prove my point!
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The Grateful Golfer 