Tee Up On Par 3 Holes

If you tee up rather than play your ball off the ground you will improve your chances of a solid strike,with consequent gain in height and distance carried.For the shorter irons (6 iron down)tee up a ¼ inch,for longer irons ¼ to a ½ inch.

Slice When You Need To

Slicing the ball intentionally can bend your ball around obstacles such as trees.To play the shot you need to aim your clubface at your target,while your body is aligned to the right of target.Swing out-to-in along your bodyline cutting across your ball and target line.

Allow For Shots That Fly From Light Rough

Depending on the lie that you have, your shot with a given iron from light rough may gain as much as 20 yards over what you regard as your normal distance for that club.Bits of grass between ball and clubface take off some of the backspin,give you greater carry,and increased roll when the ball lands.

Choke Down For Greater Accuracy

Playing your middle irons,on shots where direction is more important than distance or height,select one club longer than normal for the distance,choke down the grip an inch or so,and swing with balance and rhythm.Your contact on the ball will improve,it will fly lower, but will stay on your chosen line to [...]

No Joy With Your Long Irons

Finding it difficult to get on with your 3 and 4 irons.Take them out of your bag and replace them with lofted 5 and 7 woods,which are much easier to make clean strikes with,more forgiving if you mishit,and less likely to snag from light rough.

Contacting Ground Before Ball As You Chip

Hitting the ground before the ball wastes the energy of your shot.To ensure proper contact your ball should be opposite your left foot,your hands should be ahead of the ball at impact and through the shot,with your right arm and the club shaft forming more or less a straight line.

Unsettled?…Set Up Again

If you are distracted by something as you set up,and are not comfortable as a result, then don’t play the shot.Pull back, and begin your set up routine again

Playing An Approach Shot Into A Strong Headwind

Faced with a potentially difficult approach shot into a headwind always aim for the top of the flag.The strength of your shot will give you the distance you need to the hole,plus backspin to run the ball to the cup.

Chip Successfully

Fat or thin chips often share the same cause :too much body movement.For a successful shot concentrate on keeping your body still as you swing,using just your arms and hands to do the job.

Don’t Take Your Problems Home With You

You may identify one or two things that spoil an otherwise good round.If you have the energy, time, and facilities at your disposal,follow the pros example.Work on curing those faults before you go home,so that they don’t worry you until you play the next time.