Golf Tips

Hitting solid chips and pitches around the green is crucial to getting up and down.  If you are a scooper through impact and tend to hit the ball either fat or thin, try this drill the next time you go out to practice:

Take your sand wedge and set up properly: narrow stance, lean into your front leg with the hands and your nose ahead of the ball, and position the ball a little back in your stance.  Then, take a club and place it on the ground about 8-10 inches behind the ball. Take practice swings first and avoid the hitting the club on the ground.  Make sure the clubhead brushes the grass as it swings through. You will have to keep the clubhead above your hands longer into impact to hit down on the ball properly.  Once you can do it without a ball, try hitting some shots.  If you are inconsistent after a number of shots, take a headcover and substitute it for the club. (you might have to place it a bit farther back.)  It will force you to be even more precise.  After a while, your shots will be crisp and true.

I am more and more convinced that the fastest way to lower scores is NOT just hitting balls on the range.  Here are 3 ways to lower your scores immediately without working on your full swing.

1- Sharpen up your lag putting.  Try the ladder game---here are the rules:

Set out 3 balls at five foot increments starting at 10 feet out to 40.  Then, create a semi-circle with tees or coins behind the cup in a 3 foot radius.  Your goal is to roll all 3 balls into the cup, or into the semi-circle, before moving back 5 feet.  You can either keep a running total and try to best it each time, OR you can put some serious pressure on yourself and see how many putts you can lag consecutively.  If at any time you miss, you must start OVER.  You can set up the game for uphill putts, and then switch to downhill, sidehill, etc…When you begin to focus only on speed, you will be amazed at how many putts will go in or leave you an easy tap-in.

2- Make your short putts.  Do the shadow drill--- it’s simple:

Go out to the putting green early in the morning or late in the day.  Find a straight putt and place a few balls right on the shadow line created by the sun and the flagstick.  You can work on two of the crucial areas for success in making short putts: putter face aim and path.  Set the putter perpendicular to the shadow line to ensure you are aimed squarely at the center of the hole. Then, make some short, compact strokes keeping the putter following the shadow line to work on your path.  Don’t let the putter move away from, or too quickly inside, the shadow line.  If you use your shoulders as guide, you will likely keep the path pretty square back and through.  Finally, keep your eyes on the shadow line until you have hit the putt. Don’t follow the ball with your eyes too quickly.  More people miss short putts b/c they look up to follow the ball and they push it to the low side of the cup.

3- Work on your short chips.  Master the bump-and-run---here are the keys:

When faced with a short shot just around the green, take the club with the least amount of loft needed to chip the ball just onto the green so it will run out to the cup LIKE A PUTT.  Set up closer to the ball with your wrists arched slightly and the ball back in your stance.  Lean the club shaft just forward so you can hit down slightly as you swing through.  Now, here is the KEY: do not “pop” the ball with your wrists.   This will put too much spin on the ball and it will check up and release inconsistently.  You want a very smooth, rhythmic, arms only stroke that creates more overspin.  Most importantly, try and MAKE the shot!  Worst case if you miss, it should be within a 3 foot circle that will hopefully ensure an up and down.

Are you having trouble handling the “pressure” you feel on the course on the 9th, or 18th holes when you are trying to finish off a great round, or hit THE shot that will win your team the money?  If so, then try to simulate those feelings when you practice.  Doing so will put pressure on your mind, and make the real-course scenario easier to handle.  You need to do the following:

1-     Establish a consistent routine prior to each shot.  NO matter what the situation, you follow it.  It should involve visualizing the shot you plan to hit, some positive self-talk, and a consistent type of practice swing and waggle prior to the shot.  Whatever you do, do it EVERY time.

2-     Practice pressure situations on the range, either by yourself of with a friend.  Imagine you are hitting your 2nd shot on #18 and go through the entire process you would on the course.  If you find your mind wandering, then start your routine over.  When you can execute a solid shot over and over on the range, it is incumbent on you to believe you can do it anywhere.  (that includes the course)

3-     Walk briskly on the range for a few minutes, or even jog lightly, and then walk up to a ball and hit a shot.   If you can get your heart rate and breathing up slightly, this will simulate the physical reaction you often might feel on the course when you are nervous or feeling some pressure.  Once you can learn to breathe correctly and deeply, and can then calm down, you should then fall into your routine and swing away.  You will learn to manage your emotions and your nerves doing this exercise.

Give these ideas some thought, and try and put them into practice.  Remember, we all want to play better on the course so you must practice handling all kinds of scenarios when you practice.  Dealing with pressure is something that is not usually an issue UNTIL you start your round.  You must then be smarter when you practice so you can learn to address it and then find a way to manage it.  Once you are faced with it on the course, you will have a definite plan of action to get you through it.

One final thought…imagine how great it feels when you pull off the clutch shot!

Much of my early Golf in the Now tips were instruction based, and there is much value in that.  Now, as a more seasoned instructor, I see the importance of teaching ALL aspects of golf that affect on-course performance.  For instance, how can we practice handling “pressure” that we sometimes face on the course?  The key is to simulate in practice various situations that create stress or have “consequences”.  For instance:

1-     Try a putting drill called 5 to 1.  Take five golf balls and line them up at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 feet.  Then, make 5 in a row at two feet, walking to the cup each time to retrieve the ball.  If you can do this, then make 4 in a row from four feet.  Upon doing that, make 3 in a row from 6 feet, 2 from 8 feet and then you GRADUATE if you make the ten-footer.  In all, you would need to make 15 consecutive putts.  The real value of this is not in making 15 straight putts, but it’s in recognizing your rise in heart rate and tension in your mind/body when you get to the last few putts.  Trust me, you WILL feel it.  But realize that your confidence can really go up if you can make those pressure putts.

2-     Play an up and down game with one wedge, a putter and ONE golf ball.  Create a 9-hole course on the putting green and set a target score. Don’t leave until you beat it.  You get no mulligans and you must putt everything out.  Becoming proficient at saving shots around the green is such a “score-dropper”, and I don’t think most of you understand how significantly you can improve your scores if you can just save par 1-3 times more per 9 holes on average.  So, set a challenging standard just above where you feel comfortable: say 24 strokes for 9 holes.  That would be 9 chips, 6 two putts and 3 one putts.   So, you would have 3 out of 9 “up and downs.”  If you can become 3 strokes more proficient for 9 holes, that is 6 strokes for 18 holes, which can make your 94 an 88, and so on.

Remember, pressure is internally based.  How you deal with it will determine your performance.  It can spur you on to great things, or paralyze you.  I look at a pressure situation as an opportunity to hit the best shot of your life.  Think how that feels when you pull it off. Let’s try to use pressure to help us play our very best!

What else can be said about Tiger?  Five in a row is so phenomenal, it’s hard to imagine.  I hope everyone appreciates what they are watching, b/c he will most certainly be the greatest to ever play the game.  He is the epitome of Golf in the Now, in that he lives only in the present tense, and is able to tackle each tournament and each shot as it comes.  He doesn’t live in the past, nor does he get ahead of himself.  How remarkable that he has the never ending discipline to do this every single day. He relishes pressure and being in contention, and looks at every opportunity he is given as a chance to do something great and to make history.

What can mere mortals like us learn from him?  I’ll give you three things each of us can do to be more like Tiger:

1-     Focus on the shot at hand, and nothing else.
2-     Relish pressure, however it presents itself, as an opportunity to do something great, and not as a chance to embarrass oneself.
3-     Constantly strive to improve and get better, and to enjoy the process of doing so.

There are so many other things we can learn from watching him, but most of all I think his relentless pursuit of personal excellence, so to speak, is at the core of his success.  He challenges himself each day, I am certain, in his workouts, his ball striking, his mental game, his putting, etc...to be a little bit better than the day before.  He is never satisfied, on some basic level, because he always feels he can improve.  I think each of us in our own way should aspire to that high standard.

I was leaving the golf course at Bay Hill last week and walking up the 9th fairway when an errant tee shot came careening into the trees right as I walked by.  I looked up the fairway and lo and behold it was Tiger.  Since I was virtually standing on his ball, I decided to wait until he arrived to watch him hit his next shot.

I learned a few things watching him hit his shot onto the green (which he did successfully):

1-     As he walked down the fairway, he was obviously irritated.  He was walking and swinging, trying to “figure it out.”  Once he arrived at the ball, his demeanor completely changed.
2-     He cleared the debris away from his ball and fortunately realized he had an open line to the green, so that appeased him slightly, I believe.  I don’t think he even noticed the hundred or so people swarming around him.
3-     Prior to doing anything, he stood behind the ball and closed his eyes for a few seconds.  He completely relaxed and appeared to gather himself and began to focus.  You could just feel the “zen-like” state happening, so to speak.  It was pretty cool.
4-     He and his caddy went through their normal pre-shot routine and Tiger NEVER lost focus.  He appeared to be in a zone, yet was looking at the green, closing his eyes, visualizing exactly what he was going to do.
5-     Once he was ready, he walked into his shot and with a line of people only a few feet from him a good 100 feet down the fairway proceeded to smoke a 7 iron right past them all and onto the green.  Never once did he look at a spectator or waver in his focus.

The point I want to get across to all of you is what I believe makes Tiger the ultimate champion.  The minute he got to his golf ball, he completely forgot about his tee shot.  All of his mental energies were focused ONLY on the shot at hand.  He gathered his emotions, focused his mind, and executed the routine he does over and over and over with such success.

As a side note, Tiger leads the tour in the “Comeback” category.  This stat tracks the number of birdies a player makes after a bogey.  We should all try to draw from this and apply it to our own games.

What “non-swing” elements influence your performance the most on the golf course?  There are many for sure, but I find three areas to be crucial:

Commitment- Each shot requires a commitment to a specific target.

Trust- You must have an inner trust and confidence that your swing will execute the shot at hand.

Relaxation- Tension free motion will produce maximum club head speed for your shots.

Make sure to pick a clear target every shot, treat every shot as an opportunity to hit the best shot of your life (and NOT an opportunity to screw up), and keep your grip pressure light to produce your maximum club head speed.  Make sure your self-talk is positive as well because your “sub-conscious” will begin to believe you if you are constantly negative. Even if you hit a bad shot, try and find something positive to build on.  Self-belief and a positive attitude are crucial to playing your best golf.

During the summer many of you will travel and play different courses for the first time.  That can be such a treat, especially if they are top notch resorts or golf destinations.  However, playing an unfamiliar course can be challenging.  Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your game on the road:

1-     Prior to the round, allow yourself enough time to warm up properly on the range so you are feeling comfortable and not rushed. Take time on the putting green so you can get a feel for the green speed and try to chip and pitch a bit out of the rough to gauge how the ball will come out as well.

2-     Don’t obsess about your score. Enjoy the course and the fun of hitting good shots (hopefully!) and taking in scenery.  Trying too hard to play your best could very well take what should be a fun day and turn it into a very frustrating one.

3-     Adopt a conservative strategy off the tee. When in doubt, hit 3- wood or an iron off the tee and aim for the middle of the green with your approach shots.    Understand that unfamiliar courses can result in defensive swings off the tee so keep the ball in play and in front of you.  Also trust the yardages and not your eyes for full shots.  Many times your distance perception will be off with unfamiliar surroundings so trust the number you have.

4-     If you have the choice, take a caddy and walk. Walking is such a treat for those of us who have to play in carts all the time.  If you are overseas this is almost always an option.  A caddy will know all the little things you won’t about a course.  Listen to the caddy and have them pick specific targets in the distance they know are in line with the fairway or where you need to be.  Let them read putts as well if you are not sure, as they will likely know subtleties of break etc.. on the greens.

5-     Most importantly have fun. If you are taking a once in a lifetime trip simply enjoy the experience. You will in all likelihood play better as well.

Why is that one word so crucial in golf?  Confidence and self-belief are the cornerstones of playing your very best golf.  A golfer must trust him/herself and their swing as they play.  Take the following examples:

1-     On a tight par 4 with OB stakes left and bunkers right, a “confident” player picks a precise target in the distance and swings decisively toward it.  The non-trusting player says something like “I sure don’t want to hit it left here.”  The likely result is as high block to the right.

2-     A player has a 3-foot putt to win all the skins on the 18th hole.  A “confident” putter remembers the last time he drained a putt like this and says to himself: “I’m a great putter.  I putt solid.”  He will likely make the putt.   A non-trusting putter will say “I sure don’t want to choke. I’ll never hear the end of it!”  Most likely, he’ll miss the putt.

3-     You are playing your personal best round up until the 18th hole.  All of the sudden without warning, the high draw you have played all day off the tee turns into a block way right and out of bounds.  Re-tee and now you are hitting three.  A “confident” player forgets the tee shot, shrugs off the anger, and re-loads to her target knowing full well she has to finish strong to reach her goal.  A negative player says “I was just WAITING for that shot.  I knew I would BLOW it.”  She then will likely over-hook the next shot, make a quadruple bogey, and storm off the course angry at the world.

Any of these examples sound familiar???  Golf in the Now is all about staying in the moment, trusting your swing and being your own best friend on the course.  You have to believe in your talents/abilities as a golfer and you must be resilient.  Finally, all great players can come back from bad shots with great ones.  That is something all of us can strive to do.

One of the most challenging aspects of golf is taking your swing from the driving range onto the course.  Many of us struggle with this every single time we play.  Here is a practice strategy designed to help you with this:
1-     Lay a club on the ground 6 feet behind the golf ball (on line with the target).  The area behind this club is called the “on-deck” circle.  It is only in this area that you take practice swings isolating, or focusing on, ONE swing thought or feeling you want to create while over the ball

2-     Once you cross this line and approach the ball and step in the “batters box”, your only goal is to re-create the feeling you just established.  Great players “FEEL” their swing on the golf course.  Get into your shot and pull the trigger.  No extra practice swings or hesitating.  Trust your swing.

3-     After making contact, follow the ball until it stops.  The 5 seconds after the shot are the most important for gathering feedback.  Ask yourself if you felt what you intended to feel during the shot.  Soak in the great shots, and discard the bad ones.  Only carry forward the positive feedback.

Use the “on-deck circle/batters box” approach on the range at first, and then see if you can integrate this process into your regular routine on the course.  Give this a shot, because the best players in the world rehearse, visualize, sense and feel their swings.  Most amateurs think, force, analyze and try to perfect their swing “positions” on the course.  Great players do NOT do that.  That is what the range is for.

One of the crucial power sources in the golf swing are the wrists.  Used properly, they provide tremendous snap and power at impact.  Here are a few checkpoints to ensure your wrists function correctly during the swing:

1-     Make sure the club rests more at the base of the fingers than up in the palms of BOTH hands.  A palmy grip will inhibit the wrists from hinging correctly

2-     At the ½ way back position in your backswing, stop and see if the club shaft and left arm form a letter “L.”

3-     Coming down at the same point, you want to see the “L” position once again.  Most people cast, or throw, the club early and the wrists consequently release prematurely.

4-     Once the hands reach about shoulder height on the follow thru, they should be hinged once again just prior to the club falling over the left shoulder.

Check these positions in slow-motion on the driving range, and try to “feel” the “L” position both going back and coming down. This is the crucial checkpoint to ensure that you create the set going back and lag position into impact coming down.

You can also do an “arms-only” drill on the range with your feet together.  Just hit some 9 irons swinging only your hands and arms.  Isolate your wrists so you can hinge and then release them properly through the shot.

When it comes to playing golf, we all run through certain hot and cold periods.  Who can explain when your game turns around for the better, or when it suddenly goes south?  Either one can be confounding.  If you are struggling with a particular part of your game, don’t be afraid to switch things up a bit.  For example:

1-     If you are in a putting slump, try a completely different kind of putter.  For example, if you play a conventional Ping model, try a mallet putter by Odyssey.  Or scour your old putters and bring out “old reliable” that has worked for you in years past-- sometimes the old “Billy Baroo” is all you need to boost your confidence.  Whatever you choose to do, the KEY is to make a radical shift.  (You could even try cross-handed, the claw grip, or a long putter.)

2-     If your tee shots are really erratic, try switching drivers.  You might demo your friend’s new driver and see if a different shaft/head combination might work better for you.  Monitor your ball flight with your current driver and try to figure if it is equipment related.  Shots that are consistently low and to the right might indicate a club with too little loft, or too strong of a shaft.  The converse of that is true for a club with too much loft a shaft too flexible: you will likely see your ball flight too high and to the left.  Ultimately, when you swing your driver (or any of your woods), the shaft never feel too “whippy.”  Most steel shafted irons give a firmer feel through impact.  Your driver should feel much the same.

If you watched the British Open this weekend, you likely saw a large number of low running chip shots, or bump and run shots from relatively longer distances from the hole: 30-50 yards sometimes.  How do you play this shot, and when is it effective?

1- First, choose a club with minimal loft, ie a 6 or 7 iron.  Play the ball just back of middle in your stance with the shaft only slightly forward.  This is slightly different than a chip and run around the green (where you might play the ball farther back with a sand wedge) because for a longer shot, you don't want too much backspin which will negate the "run" portion of the shot.

2- Allow the clubface to rotate open going back and do so with a soft rotation of the forearms.  Keep the body pretty still with about 60 percent of your weight into your front leg.

3- As you release the club, let the toe softly pass the heel through the shot.  You should sense the image of a tennis racket hitting a forehand shot and closing over top of the ball.

4- Practice the shot to learn to gauge how hard to hit it.  The key element to learning feel for this shot is to get the ball to roll CONSISTENTLY every time off the clubface, hence point #1 above. Along with that, your tempo should be very rythmic with no "hit" at impact.  Think "soft".

5- This shot is useful when you have a lot of green to work with and maybe a back pin, or you have a bad lie or a severely downhill lie that prohibits sliding a wedge under the ball and lofting it back to the hole.  Also, if you are not a very confident pitcher of the golf ball, and chip and run, or even a putter, will likely produce a more solid shot.

One final tip....examine the contour of the ground prior to the shot closely.  Try to visualize how the ball will roll and how the slope will affect it as it tracks toward the cup.  Then, aim appropriately to allow the ball to follow the track you imagine.

Bunker shots make the average golfer very uncomfortable. Why is that? I believe that too many people do not understand the adjustments that need to be made that will successfully allow you to control both the distance and height variables required to execute any kind of bunker shot faced on the course. Let's look at the following ideas:

Core concept: shallow, not steep, leads to success!

To consistently hit good bunker shots, your angle of attack must be shallow, not steep. Many people misunderstand this, and think that chopping down on the sand pops the ball up. While that technique works well for buried, or fried-egg lies, that is not the way to approach a regular shot.

Steps to success

#1- Get wide and low
* set your feet 1 1/2 times shoulder width with more knee flex than normal and get your center of gravity low.

#2- Open the clubface of your sand or lob wedge to allow the bounce to work for you. The club must skim the sand, not dig into it.

*the best image to understand this idea, and how the clubhead enters the sand is to imagine standing in a swimming pool with your right hand palm up, on top of the water. Now, imagine skimming the back of your hand through the very top bit of the water. You don't slam your hand down into the water, and neither do you dig your club down into the sand.

#3- Swing the club more around your body, and not up and down in a choppy fashion.

***in addition to the principles outlined above, three more ideas will help you:

First- longer shots require a fuller swing, not a faster swing

Second- high trajectory, short bunker shots require a 60 degree wedge laid wide open, and more of a full length, accelerating swing

Third- adjust the amount you open your wedge, or the wedge you choose to fit the height and distance of your shot. Not every shot requires the same approach.

With a bit of practice and experimentation, bunker shots can and should become a strong part of your game, not a shot to be feared.

Choosing the correct sand wedge to hit bunker shots is as important as proper technique in determining success.  Here are some tips for choosing the right wedges:

1- For wet, firm sand or tightly packed sand, use a 60 degree wedge with 4-6 degrees of bounce.  A club with minimal bounce will dig a bit more into the sand, and ensure that the club gets into the ground before reaching the ball.

2- For fluffy, lighter sand choose a 56 degree wedge with 12-14 degrees of bounce.  This club will skim through the extra sand effortlessly, and will minimize digging.  Open up the clubface to allow the bounce to work for you.

3- It's a good idea to make your highest lofted wedge's bounce match the common characteristics of your course.  If your course has lots of tightly mowed areas around the green, and wetter, more firm sand, then choose a 60 degree wedge with minimal bounce.  If you play on a course that has lots of rough and fluffy bunkers, then get a 60 degree wedge with more bounce.

4- Ideally, carry two wedges in addition to your standard pitching wedge.  Most better players have a nice sequence of loft between clubs:  53 and 58 degrees, or 54 and 60.  From there, make one of those two wedges higher bounce, and one lower, depending on the type of course conditions you normally play.

5- With two sand wedges, ideally you can then use the higher lofted club for higher and shorter shots, and the other one for longer, lower shots.  Just practice with your wedges to determine which ones work best in different situations.

I want to talk a bit about the importance of properly fitted irons. The most important thing I can say initially is that your clubs should fit your ideal set-up. A golfer should never compromise his or her posture to fit a set of clubs. Unfortunately, I see this all the time with my students.

First, "static-fitting" is the correct way to fit a golfer. This simply means that your clubs need to fit how you are built. If you have longer legs, you need longer clubs. Shorter legs require shorter clubs. If you have longer arms, you need flatter lie angles. Shorter arms require more upright clubs. Using a lie board to fit someone is pointless if the clubs don't fit a person's build. All you do with a lie board is measure the way you are currently swinging. For many of you, your swing technically needs improvement, and by no means should you adjust your clubs to fit that swing.

The standard I use is quite simple. Using a man's pant size as an example, if the inseam is 30 inches, you are standard length...38 inches on the 5 iron. ( the 5-iron is the baseline club for fitting.) That is the "off the rack" length for most clubs. For every 1 inch longer inseam, you should add 1/4 inch of length to your irons. So if your inseam is 34 inches, your clubs should be 1 inch over standard, or 39 inches for the 5 iron.

To determine your lie angles, check your arm length. First, stand facing a mirror and let your arms hang naturally. Then, find where your knuckles fall in relation to your hip bones and kneecaps. If they hang in the middle, then you are more of a standard lie angle, which is 60 degrees. ( not all irons use 60 as a standard, though. You should have a professional clubfitter adjust them to a specific degree). If your knuckles hang closer to your hip bones, then you need more upright lie angles for your irons. Flatter lie angles are needed for longer arms.

Your final check for lie angles is pretty simple. Assuming your posture is athletic, balanced, and correct, and the length of the club is what you need, take your stance with a 5-iron on concrete and look at how the club rests on the ground. At most, 1/2 of the sole of the iron should be off the ground. If the entire club rests flat, then the lie angles are too flat. If only the hozzle area sits on the ground, then your irons are too upright.

I hope this gives everyone a basic idea of how to check your irons to ensure they fit you properly. There are some other important elements involved in fitting someone correctly, but I hope this at least gives you a starting point with your irons.

It's getting cold again here in Orlando...not quite cold as it is for our friends up North, but nevertheless it's a bit chilly. What are some good cold weather suggestions for playing better golf?

1- Dress appropriately! Wear layers of thin clothing, and if it's windy, an outer piece that is wind resistant. Don't wear bulky clothes, because it hinders your range of motion.

2- Buy some hand warmers. You can get golf mittens, so to speak, that slip on and are outstanding at keeping your hands warm between shots. Maintaining normal feeling in your hands and fingers is vital for feeling the club.

3- Warm up properly. Stretch before you go outside, and take plenty of time to warm up. Hit some extra balls on the range, and start off SLOWLY, bumping easy wedges first as you ease into your full swing. Take your time. If possible, don't rush to the first tee and swing away. That is a recipe for injury.

4- Change to a softer ball for more feel. Harder balls get "harder" when the temperature drops below about 45 degrees. So try using a softer covered ball that won't feel like a rock coming off the clubface.

5- Finally, play conservatively. Most likely, you won't feel your most powerful on a cold day, nor will the ball fly as far in the air. Hit reliable, controlled shots and keep the ball in front of you. Your strategy will likely pay off in your final score because you will minimize big numbers.

Tension is a killer. Gripping the club tightly, and swinging harder, does not equate to more distance, and usually we see our shots go farther off-line, and into more trouble. A great relaxation tip is to hit balls with your tongue between your teeth. Be careful!!! The point of this exercise is to keep your jaw relaxed, which is the source of most tension in the body

Try this exercise: clench your jaw tight and grit your teeth. Do you feel the pressure and tension? Now, relax your tongue and unhinge your jaw and let your lower jaw drop down and go slack. What do you feel? Did you sense the tension release throughout your hands, arms and body?

Close your eyes and give it a second, and really try to feel this. This exercise has really helped me to relax, and consequently the rhythm of my swing has improved. Try this, and see if it doesn't help you. The next time you go to the range, hit balls with your jaw relaxed and maybe even your tongue between your teeth. ( just don't bite down!!)

How important are short putts? Think about the number of putts you have from 6 feet and in during a round of golf. Now think about how many of those you miss and how it inevitably leads to lots of frustration post-round as you analyze your score. For some of us, short putts are not gimme's, so to speak, so here are some tips to sharpen up your short putts.

Steady as a rock

1--from the waist down, move nothing
2--at set-up, get balanced with your eyes directly above the ball and your hands even with, or slightly ahead of the ball
3--focus only on the back of the ball and not the putter head as you make your stroke
4--rock your shoulders and arms in a "triangle" to ensure the simplest, most repeatable stroke
5--most importantly, keep your head down and steady. An old friend of mine used to say: "if you peek, it's gonna leak." Obviously, he was referring to our tendency to look up quickly after the stroke to follow the ball, and very often as a result the ball ends up short and pushed because the putter-face was open at impact

So remember, to allow the putter to swing back and release through the ball properly:

*rock your shoulders
*no lower body movement
*keep head still--no peeking!
*listen for the ball to go in

Finally, and most importantly, you have to believe you are a great putter. Practice the tips I have given and begin to make your putts on the practice green. Expect to drain putts, and over those short putts (when they matter), tell yourself "I putt solid." That is a "present tense" and positive affirmation of your ability.

Let's talk about hitting the driver longer. Everyone wants 10 more yards, right? (Maybe 20 or 30 for some of us) Here are some tips to add some extra pop to your tee shots...

First:
Get in the game with your equipment. If you own a 1975 Tony Lema Special Persimmon Driver, I would advise an equipment modification. Experiment with the technology available to you. Some recommendations:
1- Get a driver with enough loft. Most people need at least 9.5 degrees.
2- Play a graphite shaft that is not too stiff. You don't need an incentive to overswing. A more flexible driver shaft will also kick more at the bottom, helping to get the ball up in the air.
3- For most of you, the bigger the better! Try the Taylor Made r7, the Cleveland 460, or the Titleist 983 K.
The larger sweet spots are more forgiving and will help your mis-hits go farther and also find the fairway.

Swing Tips:

1- Tee the ball up high. With a big headed, deep faced driver you want the ball teed up high so it gets up in the air quickly. The old days of the "low-riser" are gone....launch the ball high with low spin and maximize your carry time. A ball like the Pro Vx goes farthest when it stays in the air longer.
2- Finish your backswing. Coil behind the ball and max out your shoulder turn. Get your front shoulder over your back leg and load up!
3- Relax. Don't try and kill the ball. I know that is counter-intuitive to the driver mentality but trust me, swing within yourself. You will find that your rhythm, which is nothing more than the synchronization of your swing, will improve and you'll find more fairways.

Finally:

*Work on your flexibility. Maximizing your shoulder turn with resistance in your legs is the key to building power and clubhead speed. Here are two good stretches:

1- Take your set-up and hold a club across your chest and practice turning your front shoulder over your back knee. Keep your front foot down and rear knee flexed. Feel the lead side stretch and coil.

2- Find a door handle or edge of a wall you can grab by reaching across your chest. Pull, or stretch, your shoulder and arm away from where you are holding to help loosen the shoulder and lat muscles that help you turn.

Do you feel like you are swinging hard, but getting nothing on your tee shots?  Try this for a few extra yards:

At address, grip the club lightly so you have NO tension in the hands and arms, and maintain it throughout the swing.  Then, focus simply on turning your front shoulder under your chin to ensure a full coil.  Once you feel the top of the shoulder slide under your chin, focus on making a full, balanced finish.  Swing in control and hold your pose until the ball stops rolling.

Try this doing some practice swings without a ball so you are not “ball-conscious” as you swing.  Then, swing and let the ball get in the way.  Remember: relaxed, soft muscles generate more club head speed than do tense, tight ones.

Fairway bunker shots can be a difficult shot for many of us. Often times, players try to hit the shot too hard, with too big of a swing. Here are some tips to sharpen up those shots:

1- take one extra club than normal and choke down about 1"

2- dig your feet in an equivalent amount so you establish a level stance relative to the ball. Stabilizing your legs will also help keep them quiet through the shot.

3- take a 3/4 length swing with minimal leg action. Feel the arms and torso doing most of the work

4- sweep the ball off the sand. Trying to hit it "a little thin" is actually a positive thought for this shot

5- feel the club working on a shallow, inside path through the shot. Turning your shoulders level back and through will help with this. (Keep the ball position normal as well. Moving the ball back will encourage you to be too steep, or choppy, with your swing.)

6- finish in balance, and do not overswing! Crisp contact is your only priority---hit the ball first and get it out of the bunker.

Taking an extra club is important because when you choke down, and take more of a 3/4 length swing, you won't hit the ball as far. So if you have a shot of 150 yards, and your normal distance is an 8 iron from the fairway, take a 7 iron in the bunker.

When done correctly, you can hit anything from a fairway wood to a lob wedge from a fairway bunker. Setting up correctly, staying level, and keeping your legs quiet are all important because it allows you to reach impact on a shallow, inside path. Focusing on hitting the ball first and the sand second will allow you to pick the ball cleanly.

Get to the driving range and try and practice this shot. With a little work, you will begin to see some immediate improvement.

Being target aware is crucial to playing good golf. If anyone is struggling with alignment, or feeling comfortable orienting themselves to their target line, here are some ideas:

1- Sight your target in the distance with your dominant eye. If you are right eye dominant, stand with your right eye in line with your ball and your target in the distance. This helps for both full shots and putting.

2- Pick an intermediate target on that line. I have found that the closer the intermediate target is to your ball, the easier it is to line up squarely to it. Therefore, pick an old divot, tuft of grass, clump of dirt, whatever no more than three feet in front of your ball and use that as your primary aiming point.

3- As you approach the ball, focus only on this spot, and then trace it back to the ball and immediately place your clubhead perpendicular to that line… this is crucial! I like to imagine a white line between my spot and the ball, and then simply place the leading, or bottom, edge of the club at a right angle to that line.

4- Finally, you must aim the club first, and then your body second. Good players orient their bodies to the club and the target, not the other way around. Period. Knowing that you are properly aligned to your target allows you to swing freely toward it.

One of the biggest inhibitors I see for students of mine in trying to make necessary swing adjustments is the inability of their bodies to be flexible enough to move correctly.  As we get older, and lose flexibility, it becomes imperative that we take steps to keep our range of motion as great as possible.  If you feel like your body doesn’t let your golf swing perform as it should, consider the following:

1-     Hire a personal trainer that can design a golf specific workout regimen for you that is concentrated in flexibility based exercises and golf specific motion.

2-     Consider doing some basic stretches every morning and focus on your lower back, shoulders, hips, hamstrings, and do some crunches as well for your abs.

3-     Spend time prior to playing golf or hitting balls stretching.  Don’t just head to the range, hop out of your car, and begin swinging away with your driver.  Take time to stretch, warm your muscles, and begin gradually hitting wedges to avoid injury or stress to tight muscles.

4-     If you have been more of a “heavy lifter” your whole life, consider modifying your weight program into one that is more high rep, low weight so you focus on tone and not bulk.  Big, inflexible muscles don’t work well for golf.

Remember that making changes to your body, much like your swing, takes patience, time and a healthy dose of commitment as well.  Be specific in what you need to achieve, and don’t be afraid to let an accomplished trainer help you along.

Shaving shots from around the green is the fastest way to lower your handicap.  Here are some techniques you can use to get up and down, or better yet, up and in!

1- Chip the ball as low as possible.  When close to the green, use a 7 or 8 iron, play the ball back in your stance and keep your hands in front of the ball.  Essentially use a putting-like stroke with quiet hands.  Just chip the ball over the fringe and get it rolling like a putt.  That is the key!  With some practice, you can gauge this shot more consistently because the ball will come off the club with the same amount of roll/overspin.

2- When faced with a longer shot, i.e. a "pitch", choose a more lofted club that will allow you to carry the trouble (fringe, rough, bunker, etc...) and get the ball to a specific landing spot so it can then roll to the cup.  The key element here is choosing the proper club and visualizing the shot and your landing spot.  Practice pitching balls to very specific points on a putting green to get a feel for this.

3- AVOID the following two common mistakes I see the most:
* Hitting chip shots with too much of a lofted club. Often a player tries a chip and run with a sand wedge and the ball will check up too quickly and stop short.
* Decelerating through the shot. Make sure the club accelerates into a finish position past the golf ball. Shorten the backswing to allow for an accelerating hit.

Good luck with these ideas.  To make them work, get out to the practice green and experiment.  Remember: "touch" and "feel" are learned skills.

The end of the golf season is the perfect time to assess your performance on the course, and begin setting goals for the upcoming year. Here are a few specific recommendations:

1- Write down everything.

2- Be realistic in your assessment of your play this past year. Analyze your strengths, and identify obvious weak links in your game. If you feel your short game lets you down time and time again, then make a commitment to devote more practice time to chipping and putting than to hitting balls.

3- Figure out how to turn your liabilities into assets. For example, if you feel you don't hit the ball far enough, quite possibly you don't turn fully on your backswing. Lack of flexibility could be the culprit, so one goal could be to improve this by hiring a trainer, or beginning a stretching routine every day.

4- Have two goal lists: short term and long term. Each one should have 3-5 attainable, specific, tangible goals. For example:

Short term:
*I will practice 2 days per week for one hour.
*I will play 18 holes one time/week
*I will stretch each morning for 10 minutes
*I commit myself to being my own best friend on the course

Long term
*I will increase my shoulder turn by 20 degrees this year
*I will enter the club championship this fall and play to win
*I will lower my handicap from 18 to 9 by the end of the year
*I will commit to a necessary swing change, be patient as it takes shape, and work on it throughout the year ONLY on the range.

Sit down over the next week or so and try doing this. Having some tangible, specific goals written down can be a great motivator for change and it gives us direction in our pursuit of excellence.

The beginning of each year is an ideal time to sit down and set some goals for the upcoming golf season.  Make two lists: one for long term goals, and one for short term.

Some long term goals could be:
1-     Lowering your handicap by 7 shots by the end of the year
2-     Increasing your strength and flexibility through a committed work out program.
3-     Winning your flight in the club championship next fall.

Some short team goals could be:
1-     Committing two nights per week to practice, and doubling the amount of time you work on your short game.
2-     Revamping your equipment to ensure it fits you properly.
3-     Modifying your diet to provide you with more endurance and energy.

Whatever you decide, make sure you WRITE DOWN your goals on a piece of paper.  Look at them, and be accountable to yourself to follow through.

Finally, when you hit the course, resolve this year to play golf “In the Now.”  This simply means playing one shot a time and staying in the moment.  Don’t get ahead of yourself or dwell on what just happened (good or bad).  The best golfers in the world play one shot at a time, and are fully committed to that particular shot.  It takes tremendous discipline and focus to accomplish this, but it can be done.

Below are some strategies for negotiating windy days, and not letting the wind throw you off your game:

First rule-- for every 10 mph of wind in your face, add one club. You might find yourself hitting as many as 3 or 4 extra clubs on extremely windy days.

Second rule-- "when it's breezy, swing easy." Swinging at full speed with your irons will cause the ball to up-shoot into the wind, making your shot likely fall short.

Third rule-- the effect of wind on a ball hit downwind is not as great as into the wind. For instance, a shot playing 30 yards longer into the wind will probably play only 15-20 yards shorter, at most, downwind.

Make the following adjustments for the wind:

1- factor the mph of wind, and choose your club accordingly. Choke down 1 inch and take more of a 3/4 swing, keeping the trajectory low. This holds true for shots into the wind as well as downwind.

2- feel your body and arms swinging together, and with good rhythm. Don't try to "muscle" shots through the wind.

3- finish in balance. Hold your finish to ensure good tempo.

The natural tendency is to try and "power" the ball through the wind, effectively negating its effect. That is the wrong strategy. The wind will affect the ball no matter what you do, so don't fight it.

Taking enough club and swinging within yourself will help keep the ball under the wind, and less affected by it. Swinging harder creates more backspin, which causes the ball to up-shoot more.

One final tip--on tee shots with a strong wind at your back, try using your 3-wood. Getting the ball up in the air more can help a tee shot "ride" the wind, effectively helping you hit it farther.

Many times I am asked how to spin the golf ball. Spin is the product of a well struck, crisply hit iron shot. There are ways to increase the spin rate on your ball and make the ball "juice" backwards.

1- First rule: play a ball designed for spin and control!

Any kind of three-piece ball: Pro v1, Callaway black, Strata tour and the like are performance balls designed to maximize distance and feel. Consequently, they can be spun as much as any ball. Two-piece balls with a harder outer covers such as Top Flite and Pinnacle are designed for distance only. They are harder, less responsive and more durable. You will never be able to spin these balls consistently.

2- Rule number two: set up for success

Ensure that your body is in position to make a descending strike into the ball. Make sure your hands are ahead of the ball slightly at address, your spine is centered and the ball is more in the middle of your stance. You want to contact the ball at the very bottom of your swing arc to ensure hitting the ball first. This is the key to spin...nipping the ball off the turf and then making a divot. To make sure your ball position is correct, simply take some practice swings and see where the divot starts. Then, place your ball in the exact same spot between your feet when you swing for real. Also, make sure your body is shifting left as you swing through, and not falling backwards. (This can cause you to scoop under the ball or hit shots thin.)

3- Rule number three: take a fuller, more aggressive swing.

Remember that the faster you swing, the more you will spin the ball. That is why Tiger hits a lot of 3/4 "hold-on" wedges with quiet legs and a lot of arms. He wants to reduce spin and make the ball stop on a dime. Most people want the opposite, so be more aggressive through the shot and accelerate your body and club into your finish.

What can we learn from watching Peter Lonard win the MCI at Harbour Town last week?
First, it's a 72-hole tournament.  Although his 2nd and 4th round scores weren't his best, his first round 62 and third round 66 were outstanding, and enough to separate himself from everyone in the field with the exception of Darren Clarke.

Second, you can't force things on the course.  Clarke was -4 through 5 holes Sunday, and Peter was +1.  He could have easily packed the tent, or tried to take some big risks in an attempt to catch up quickly, but instead plugged along, didn't make any big numbers, and took what the course gave him.  Yes, Clarke blew his lead, but the bottom line is that Peter won at -7, and no one else was able to beat him.

Third, and maybe most importantly, you can't be afraid to change things up in an attempt to jump start your game.  Peter was really struggling with his long-putter, and just two days before MCI, decided to put the short putter in the bag.  Sometimes a radical change can be just the antidote for your ailing golf game, so don't be afraid to change putting styles (or putters) if you aren't rolling the ball the way you want.

For all of you, what can be learned is simple.  A club championship, or city tournament, or member/guest, etc... often is 36-54 holes.  Any tournament will offer a golfer various highs and lows, and the key is to stay "level" and keep plugging along, one shot at a time.  Stay in the now.  And at some point, a stroke play tournament could come down to a match play situation.  At that time, you might begin to adjust you strategy to fit what your opponent does.  Until then, play your game and worry only about the things you can control.

Bay Hill week always provides me the opportunity to watch some of the world's best golfers tackle an extremely tough course.  Here are some of the things I came away with:

1- Tour players hit bad shots. Even the best players screw up from time to time.  (they tend to recover better than the rest of us, though!)  For example, I saw John Daly chunk two wedge shots on back to back holes.  Adam Scott 3-putted for par from 40 feet on a par 5, when the worst he should have done was make birdie. Tiger Woods yanked a tee shot onto the driving range during his 3rd round on the 9th hole, and was reaching for another ball before the ball even landed.  He also popped up his opening tee shot on Thursday morning, hitting his 3-wood 198 yards.  (He made par, though.)  What we can all learn from this is that even the best players in the world make mistakes, but the great ones leave the past behind and look forward to hitting their next shot pure.

2- Tour players have great rhythm. Of all the things I observed watching many different types of swings, the one element permeating all of them was tempo.  Every single player I saw had such a wonderful flow to their swing.  The "effortlessness" of the swing motion is something we can all copy.  Never do they look like they are "hitting" a ball. Rather, their real swings look remarkably like their practice swings.  If you struggle finding good rhythm on the course, or even on the range, try taking 5-10 practice swings without a ball, then immediately slide a ball in place and copy the feeling of your practice swing. Try that a bit and see if you can't immediately sense a change in your tempo.

3- Length is an asset off the tee, but accuracy can make the difference. The rough was extremely penal at Bay Hill, and those players who drove it straight were in contention.  How else was a guy like Corey Pavin in the top portion of the leaderboard on the weekend?  Hitting it in the rough was an automatic bogey.  So, for those of you who are losing distance off the tee, don't be too discouraged.  Become as precise as possible, and keep the ball in the short grass.  Each of us should work on targeting on the range. Hit irons to various flagsticks, and practice hitting tee-shots between flags, imagining you are hitting into a fairway.  Try to simulate on-course conditions as much as possible.

Below are some ideas to liven up your practice sessions. Try some of them:

1- When you go to hit balls, finish up playing your favorite course in your mind on the range. Change targets, change clubs, hit pitch shots, etc. Your first shot is the tee shot you would hit on the first hole. Your second is the shot you would have next, and so on...

2- At some point while you are hitting balls, try hitting some extreme shots---big hooks, banana slices, low screamers, high flop shots,,, every once in a while, you need to be able to hit a shot like that from trouble on the course, so practice shots like that. You will learn by experimentation and visualization how to execute shots you wouldn't normally think to practice.

3- Hit shots from divots, tight lies, uneven lies and fairway bunkers. Quite simply, not every lie on the course is a perfect one, but that is how we often place our balls on the range. Practice hitting shots like these, because you will encounter them on the course.

4- If you hit balls with a friend, try challenging each other to different contests. Put a wager on the outcome. Do closest to the pin shots with a sand wedge, long drive contests, trick shot contests, most 7-irons in a row hit onto a green, etc… little competition is always good.

Finally, always make your practice time of the highest quality. Work diligently on the areas of your game you need to focus on, and use your time wisely. But from time to time, mix things up a bit to make practice fun.

I was out at the Bay Hill Invitational today watching the tour players and I came away with some observations about their swings that I think can help you:

1- They all have an athletic, balanced set up. They bend from the hips and their arms hang down and slightly away from their bodies. They are relaxed and comfortable, and their weight is on the balls of their feet.

2- Half-way back their club is parallel to, and above their toe line. Some guys hinge their wrists earlier than others, but virtually every player has the club in front of their body, not flat or behind them

3- At the top of the swing, their left shoulder is coiled over their right knee. Most players have minimal hip action, and create tremendous stretch and coil on their backswing. This allows them to unwind aggressively through the shot.

4- Every player stays behind the golf ball at impact and hits up against a stable front leg.

5- Tour players finish in balance every time.

6- The top players play one shot at a time, and are completely committed to the shot at hand.

The observations above apply virtually across the board. Obviously there are exceptions, but I want you to consider adopting one or more of the above ideas into your game.

For a golfer, proper posture is vital. Among other things, it allows you to coil properly on the backswing, build the proper resistance from the ground up and swing in balance.

Here are some posture keys to check on yourself:

1- Imagine you are playing quarterback, taking a snap from the center. Get your center of gravity down, weight on the balls of your feet and your arms extended.

2- An "angular" look is best---bend from your hips so your upper back is straight and your arms hang slightly away from you. Your spine should angle slightly to the right, if you are a right handed golfer. Flex your knees slightly and tap your heels a few times to feel your weight on the balls of your feet.

3- If you have a mirror, or a friend who can check, look for the following from a "down the line" perspective:
*middle of the shoulders and the front of the knee should line up
*your hipbone and your ankle should also be in line
*your hands should be under your chin, with at least a fist to fist and a half gap between the club and your legs

Warning!!

Many golfers set up to their club, and they don't have a club that fits their most athletic stance.

This means that too often a golfer will adjust, or compromise many of the above ideas because their equipment doesn't allow them to take the correct posture. Incorrect line angles are the biggest culprit here. To verify that your equipment is at least in the ballpark, spec wise, take your posture as we have talked about without a club. Then, grab your 6 iron and see how the club rests on the ground. Odds are, the toe will be too far off the ground. If that is the case, get your lie angles flattened, or the toe lowered. Many clubs today are made too upright--a "standard, "off-the-rack" set of clubs does not always fit.

So be athletic as you take your posture. Contrary to popular belief in some circles, golfers are athletes, and that starts with your stance.

Why do better players have a consistent routine shot to shot? I think the main reason is for comfort on the golf course. A pre-shot routine breeds confidence. No matter what the situation: the first tee jitters, a small crowd, or an important putt on the 18th hole with all the bets on the line, a routine signals to the brain that nothing is out of the ordinary. This is a huge mental advantage to the better player, because they don't psyche themselves out of a good shot by focusing on how important a putt it is, or how embarrassing it would be to hit a bad shot on the first hole.

What are the parameters of a good routine?

1- A routine is consistent in both what you do, and how long it takes you to do it.

2- A routine begins with a trigger, i.e. tugging on your glove. This tells the brain it's time to go.

3- A routine starts behind the ball, and should involve a practice swing designed to ingrain a "feeling" that you will take with you into the shot.

4- Choose your target, and visualize the shot you want to hit. Start the same distance behind the ball, and approach every shot at the same pace. No rushing or slowing down when there is money on the line, or more pressure.

5- Approach the ball confidently, and swing freely toward your target. Expect to hit a great shot.

Spend some time on the range working on the process of your routine. Develop a consistent and reliable series of thoughts and actions that you do each and every shot. It takes a lot of discipline initially to do your routine over EVERY shot, but eventually it will be second nature.

If you are struggling with your putting, quite possibly the rhythm of your stroke needs to be addressed.  One simple training aid can help you do just that: a metronome.

Used properly, a metronome can establish a rhythmic pace to your stroke that NEVER varies from one putt to another.  This is so important because if you can begin to stroke putts at a constant tempo, touch and feel become easier to acquire.

You can purchase a hand-held metronome at any music store.  Once you have it, head to the practice green and set it to about 72 beats per minute to start.  For some people, 68 or so may be better.  For others with a more upbeat personality or stroke, 78-82 might be better.  Either way, experiment until it "feels" right.  You will know.

Set it to a 2-beat interlude, and then begin to putt.  For all length putts, beat #1 is the end of the backstroke and beat #2 is impact. Period.  It's that simple.

Here's the tricky part....ALL putts hit the two beats.  That means short putts will feel like the putter moves a bit slower than longer putts. This is actually correct because each stroke, regardless of length, hits the proper beat and stays in rhythm.

Try this, and don't be surprised if you putting improves immediately.

Tip #1-To improve your putting stroke, try this:

Take 3 balls and drop them 10 feet from the cup.  Roll 2 putts your normal way and try to hit it solid and roll it in.  Then, for the 3rd one, close your eyes as you strike the ball.  Call out where you think the ball will finish based on what you felt at impact.

Why this drill helps:  Most people look up too quickly on shorter putts to instinctively watch the ball roll toward the cup.  Closing your eyes will help you keep your head steady and allow the putter release through the ball before you move.  You will likely strike the ball more solidly and feel more stable throughout the stroke.

I have compiled a list of some "quick tips" that I hope you find useful. See if you can't put one or more of them into play.

1- Take one more club than normal from the fairway.

*Most people under-club and miss the green short. I believe it is because people tend to gauge their iron distances on a perfectly struck shot, not their average shot, which will tend to be a bit shorter. Taking enough club is especially important when there is trouble short of the green, i.e. lake, bunker, etc...

2- Hum away

*If you are struggling with your tempo, and feel you are over-swinging, or hitting from the top, try humming quietly to your self in monotone. Take some swings, and at no time should the tone or inflection of the hum change. Most likely, it will get harder into your downswing, and that is where it needs to stay constant.

3- Focus on speed

*Most 3-putts are the result of hitting the ball too far, or too short---not too far right or left. I think the average golfer is so worried about the line that they forget to focus on speed. Try taking practice strokes looking at the cup, and trust that your eyes will tell your muscles how hard to swing. Then, trust that your instincts are correct and stroke the putt. Practice this, and your touch will improve.

4- Hold your finish

*One of the best on-course tips I know is to simply hold your finish in balance. If you can get to the end, the means take care of themselves, so to speak. If you are taking lessons, or have a number of swing thoughts and are struggling on course to simplify your thinking, try simply to get to your finish. That allows your mind to focus not on your swing mechanics, but your target...which is what should be your top priority!

Putting is such a vital component of shooting low scores. I am constantly reminded of this when I hear people echoing the following statement after a frustrating round: "Gosh, I hit the ball great today-- I just couldn't make anything on the greens!" What is more frustrating than giving yourself birdie opportunities and not cashing in?

Well, consider the following 3 ideas to help sharpen up your putting:

1- Check your fundamentals:
a- get your eyes over the ball
b- square up your forearms and shoulders
c- rock your shoulders to guide the stroke
d- keep the lower half completely still
e- and most importantly.....keep your head still!! Do not look up until the ball has left the putterhead. On short putts, listen for the ball to pour into the cup.

2- Get some rhythm to your stroke
a- have a constant pace to your stroke both back and through
b- purchase a pocket-sized metronome, find a rhythm that suits your stroke, and putt to the beat. Make the completion of your backstroke, and impact, hit successive beats. All length putts hit two beats.
c- make your backstroke and follow-thru the same length. To help with this, place two tees on the ground in front of you and set the ball in the middle. Your stroke should transition at one tee, and finish at the other.

3- Speed, not line, is the most important element of great putting.
Most every 3-putt is the result of being way short, or way long, but rarely way left or right. Controlling the pace of your stroke and varying the length is the most reliable way to learn feel on the greens. My suggestion to make aiming easy is to draw a line on the ball and point it at your target line as you mark your ball. Once you have done this, line your putter head up perpendicular to the line, and focus solely on speed. Take a few practice strokes feeling the distance, and then copy the stroke exactly. Trust that read.

Let's talk about reading break and factoring in the effects of grain on putting.

How do you read greens?

1- Look at the contours of the green as you walk onto it. Survey the ground, the contours, the humps, and figure out where water would fall if it was raining. Finding the low spots indicates the direction gravity likely will take the ball.

2- As you approach your ball lying on the green, look at the area between your ball and the hole. Fix any ball marks, remove any loose impediments, analyze the grain and gauge distance.

3- If you are not first to hit, go behind the hole and look at the putt. Check the grain around the hole and look for any sneaky contours you might not see otherwise.

4- Finally, look at the line from behind the ball. If you are in doubt as to the read, go with what you see directly behind the ball. However, ultimately, go with your first impression! If you first thought "one cup left", then looked around and said "maybe its left edge", go with your first instinct, it is usually correct!

What is grain?

Grain is the direction the grass grows, and it influences the roll of the ball, especially when it begins to lose speed around the hole. You can't touch the grass, but you can look at how the blades lay. That, along with the slope, influences the direction the ball will usually fall.

Putts directly into the grain are much slower, and the grass usually will look darker. Putts down-grain will be much quicker, and the grass looks brighter.

You have to factor grain into the equation when you putt because all Bermuda grass courses have grain. Greens cut especially fast minimize the effect of grain, but most average speed greens will be significantly influenced by grain. Learning to read grain takes some practice, and skill, but over time, a golfer can learn to anticipate what the grain will do to the roll of the ball.

So, be efficient in surveying the green. Don't waste time, just look around as you walk onto the green, check different perspectives when others are putting, and when it is your turn, pick a committed aim line, trust your stroke, and tell yourself "I putt solid."

What is the fastest way to lower your handicap, and ultimately your scores?  Devoting enough time to practicing your short game is one of the surest ways to do just that.

Most people make the mistake of spending all of their practice time hitting a bucket of balls, rarely with a purpose in mind, and then MAYBE stroking a few putts before heading home.  The average 18 handicap who shoots about 90 will use their wedges and putter for about 50-60 of their shots. That means that about %60 of your score is determined by how efficiently and expertly you hit your wedges, chip and putt.

Therefore, my suggestion is to devote 40 minutes of every hour of practice time to your short game.  Spend half of that on putting alone!  The other 20 minutes you should chip/pitch around the green, hit some bunker shots, and devise some contests around the green to test your skill.  One of my favorites is to play 9 different holes with one wedge and a putter and ONE golf ball.  Hit a shot, putt it in.  Give yourself a par for an up and down, a birdie if you make the chip, and a bogey if you take more than two shots to get the ball in the cup.  After 9 holes, if you are more than 3 or 4 shots over par, start over.  Put some pressure on yourself to sharpen up your short game!

How frustrating is it for the average golfer to hit a career drive, be in position to hit a short iron to the green to have a birdie putt, and to then hit a poor approach, leaving a chip and putt for par at best. The answer is obvious---it is extremely frustrating. So how can we improve our greens-in-regulation to take advantage of a good drive and convert some birdies?

First:

Do not try to hit your short irons their maximum distance. Golfers love to say things like "I was 150 yards from the green and I hit 9-iron!" Well that is great, except usually the 9-iron isn't on the green, right? How about the following strategy instead:

*take one more club than normal
*choke down 1/2 inch
*take rehearsal swings feeling a 3/4 length backswing
*avoid excessive hip and shoulder turn
*stay down for a crisp, solid hit and finish the swing in balance
*watch the ball fly straight to your target!

Remember--leave your ego in the golf cart, and take a rhythmic, controlled swing, not trying to power the ball as far as possible. Your ego will be gratified when you start rolling in birdie putts.

Try this the next time you play, and make your goal for the day to hit every green inside 150 yards with a controlled, 3/4 length swing designed to "dial-in" those short shots to give you looks at birdie.

Introducing juniors to golf is so important if we want our next generation to continue playing the game.  What are some things we can do to ensure they learn to enjoy the game?

1- If they are really young, (2 or 3), bring them to the golf course and let them ride around in the cart with you.  Bring them up on the green and let them roll the ball into the cup.  Introduce them to the course and the environment.

2- As they get older, teach them to first putt and chip the ball.  Let them learn to get the ball in the cup, and play fun games with them.  Determine a winner, and give points out for closest putt to the hole, one-putt holes, etc...

3- Once they begin to chip, teach them to pick landing spots on the green.  As they begin to develop touch, their learning will accelerate when they can begin to pick a spot and then pitch the ball to it.

4- Finally, introduce the full swing and encourage solid fundamentals only.  Teach them a basic 10 finger grip, an athletic stance and a balanced finish.  Do not get too mechanical with children.  Show them what they should do and let them imitate you. That is probably the best way to teach kids what to do.

Make the game fun for children!  Spend time with them on the course, around the putting green, and play lots of games with them.  Let them win, and praise any little thing they do correctly.  Most of all don't push them.  If they don't seem to have too much initial excitement for golf, be patient.  They may develop more of a passion for the game if it is introduced slowly, and not forced on them.

Winter time is certainly not good for golf, especially if you live up North.  What can you do indoors to help maintain the feel and comfort you develop over the season with your golf swing?  Here are some ideas:

1-     Get in front of a mirror. Take a club, drop a ball down, and take your posture.  Check it from both face on and from the side.  Make sure your stance looks and feels correct. Practice it every few days, so you don’t forget what proper posture feels like.

2-     Find a room that allows you to swing freely. Go ahead and take practice swings inside the house.  (Just don’t blame me if you forget to move a lamp!)  Pretend you are on the range preparing to warm up and hit balls. Your first few days on the range next spring will feel less awkward if you can keep swinging throughout the winter.

3-     Buy some soft, plastic golf balls and pitch them around the house. It’s hard to break anything by hitting it with the ball, so go ahead and work on good tempo and try to ingrain good fundamentals of impact such as the hands leading into impact and your weight favoring your front side.

Finally, and this is certainly the least risky of my suggestions, take your putter and putt.  Check your fundamentals, i.e, eyes over ball, proper ball position, steady head, etc.. and just putt to table legs, a corner of the couch, etc.. With no need to “make it”, try to condition yourself to keep your head completely still well after you have made contact.  Keeping your head still until the ball is well on its way is the fastest way to improve your putting.

Do you struggle coming “over-the-top” on your downswing?  Then, try this:

Go to the top of your backswing, STOP, and then initiate your downswing by moving your left (or lead) knee toward the target. Sam Snead called it the “squat”, and it is a deliberate attempt to ensure that the right shoulder stays back.  Just make sure as your left knee moves, your right knee holds until the momentum of the swing pulls it forward. Try some practice swings first without a ball.

A solid transition starts from the ground up, but the “hit” instinct for many of us is felt in the upper body.  Therefore, to help the club fall into the “slot”, feel a deliberate shift into your left leg and a clearing of your left hip.  Moving your left knee first will let this happen. You will sense the club working more down, instead of away from you.

I play golf from time to time with Skip Kendall and Pete Lonard, both very successful PGA tour players. I am consistently impressed by certain aspects of their game, but most notably their iron game, and in particular, their short iron approach shots. Let me share a few observations with all of you that might help your games:

1- They never swing a wedge full tilt. They are always under control, in balance, and never over-swinging.

2- Generally, they hit wedges a shorter distance than they could were they swinging hard, but they sacrifice control when they do so.....so they don't.

3- They putt for birdie virtually every time after hitting a short iron or wedge into the hole, and oftentimes, it is inside 10-12 feet.

4- They are "trajectory control" masters, so to speak. They flight the ball properly...mid-trajectory, penetrating, and straight. Usually the ball hits the green and then stops, whereas with a full swing you can get a lot of backspin and suck the ball too far back from the pin.

5- They are pin-point accurate with their shots. They take dead aim at their target, (the flagstick), and focus all of their energies on firing the ball right at it.

So what does all of that mean to each of you? Well, none of us will probably have the skill level those two players have, but what each of you can do is quite simply learn that control, and not distance, is the key to great wedge play.

With a wedge, you need to leave yourself a birdie putt, or a par putt of a make-able distance. So hit more 3/4 shots with your short irons, finish in balance, and don't over-swing. Doing so will help you control the direction, height and spin of your shots. Consequently, you should have many more make-able putts.

To play your best golf, you have to be in the moment. In other words, you have to be in the present tense, focused only on the shot at hand. That is the essence of "Golf InThe Now." Letting go of a previous bad shot and not getting ahead of yourself allows you to focus all of your energies on the shot at hand. This is vital if you expect to get the most out of each shot, and ultimately, your entire round.

The most common mistakes I see golfers making on the course which ultimately sabotage their scores include the following:

1- Adding up their scores prematurely, or speculating ahead to a possible personal best score. This would involve saying something like: "If I can just par out, I will have my best 9-hole score of the entire year!!!"

2- Hitting a tee-shot out of bounds, 3-putting from 6 feet, or missing a green with a sand wedge. Making one of these frustrating mistakes often leads a golfer into all kinds of negative self-talk. "You are such an idiot: I can't believe I just did that!!!" is just one example.

Example #1 shows how we often get ahead of ourselves.

Example #2 shows how easy it is to want to beat ourselves up, so to speak. Being angry in this fashion makes it so difficult to concentrate again on the task at hand, which quite simply is picking your next target, and swinging confidently toward it.

So, try to focus on the shot at hand. Stay in the present, be your own best friend, and add up your scores at the 19th hole. More than likely, your score will be lower there than if you start doing it during the round.