Out on the links, whether you are just beginning or playing the final nine in your club championship, golf can be an intensely enjoyable or intensely frustrating experience. While Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy famously noted golf is one of only two hobbies you don’t have to be good at to enjoy (the other might have earned the movie its R-rating), many golfers agree it’s a lot more fun be competitive on the golf course. Here are a few tips often forgotten or overlooked from time to time by even the most experienced golfers.
- Swing within your control – When there’s danger in front of the green and you need to carry it on a fly, don’t try to muscle up on the club you would normally hit for that distance. Trying to kill the ball will often cause you to role your wrists or jerk up your body, resulting in either a nasty hook or a sculled line drive. Instead, let the club do the work. Go back to your bag and grab a lower numbered club. It’s less difficult to maintain accuracy and swing consistency when easing up on a club than trying to swing harder.
- Carry a ball mark – Once you reach the putting surface, a ball mark enables you to easily pick up your ball, wipe it free of any clinging dirt or debris and replace it, allowing it to roll uninhibitedly towards the hole. This also allows you to align the brand of the ball (i.e. Titleist, conveniently printed in a straight line) with the spot you are aiming for, helping to better line up your put.
- Arrive early – Would you enter a race without stretching or send a pitcher to the mound before warming up in the bullpen? Of course not, so why would you expect your opening drive on the first tee to find the middle of the fairway when it’s your first swing in over a week? Take a few extra minutes at the driving range to make adjustments or else you’ll have to try to correct mid-round, marking each stroke on the scorecard.
Posted on July 14th 2010 in Golf Tips
