Bring The Right Strategy to the Course
Course management is an extremely important topic that is not discussed enough in the golf world. Here are some basics that all golfers should be thinking about:
Stop aiming at the pin
That thing sticking out of the ground with the flag on it should not always be your target on your approach shots. There is not a good reason for any golfer to be aiming at the pin, unless you are playing at an extremely high level. The payoff is simply not there.
Playing smarter tee shots
Understanding when to be aggressive with the driver, or to choose a more conservative club choice based on the hole, is one of the best golf tips. This takes discipline, planning, and an honesty with your ability as a golfer. Keeping the ball in play off the tee is extremely important, and that can be accomplished through picking smart targets and clubs.
Just get on the green!
Reducing double bogeys is probably the best golf tip for any golfer. One of the biggest mistakes that most recreational golfers make is getting too aggressive with shots around the green, and going for a low-percentage play like a flop shot. Sometimes bogeys are our friends, and the best strategy is just to get the ball onto the putting surface and make sure you are two-putting at worst. Be honest with the kinds of wedge shots you can pull off, and pick the shot that you know you can get on the green 9 times out of 10.
Be honest with yourself
One of the hardest things to do as a golfer is to be honest with your abilities. This leads to many mistakes on the course that lead to double and triple bogeys, or in other words, round killers. For example, if you have 155 yards to your target, and you know you will have to hit your 7-iron absolutely perfectly to reach that number, maybe it’s a better idea to take more club. The likelihood is that you won’t strike it purely, and it will come up short. And if you’re stuck in the trees, don’t try and thread it through that small opening either.
Of all the golf tips out there, this can easily eliminate serious strokes from your score.
Analyze Your Stats
One great feature of the advanced stat-tracking devices out there like is that they can start to reveal tendencies in your game, and you can change your strategy on the course accordingly. Are you much more accurate with a 3-wood off the tee with your driver? Do you have a tendency to miss your approach shots to the left? Are you not taking enough club into greens? All of these questions can be answered quite easily if you start to track statistics. When the information is clearly presented to you, then you can go about making smarter decisions on the course.
Use the right training products
The golf world is jam-packed with tons of training aids and technology that make big promises. Unfortunately, most of them don’t deliver. The following ones can help all golfers. Investigate to see which are right for you:
- Orange Whip
You may have seen this product in the bags of PGA Tour Players and various teaching pros. It seems to be everywhere because it works. The Orange Whip is one of the most versatile swing trainers out there because it can help you warm up, work on your tempo, and improve the balance of your swing. Swinging the whip just 5 minutes a day can do wonders for your swing. A lot of golf tips and training aids focus on the mechanics of the golf swing, and the beauty of this product is that it helps you feel a smooth, rhythmic golf swing. - DST Compressor
Impact has been described as “the moment of truth” by many great instructors. It’s because no matter what your swing looks like beforehand, if you can control what the club is doing when you make contact with the ball you can have a successful outcome. The DST Compressor is a unique swing trainer that helps golfers get into an optimal position, and has caught fire on the professional tours simply because it works. - The Pill
Almost every golfer has the ability to practice their putting at home, in the office, or at a practice facility near them. The Pill is a unique training aid that gives golfers immediate feedback on their stroke. It also can be used as a tool to improve your chipping. It can help a golfer of any level give more meaning to their practice sessions in a variety of environments. - GAME GOLF
If you want to really improve as a golfer, you need to understand where your weaknesses are, try GAME GOLF. That’s extremely hard to do if you are not keeping track of your stats. GAME GOLF is a comprehensive shot-tracking system that uses GPS technology to show golfers where they stack up, and what they can do to reach their goals. It can be a very powerful tool in your quest to achieve your goals as a golfer. - TIBA Putt
The two-tee putting drill is a favorite amongst touring pros, particularly Tiger Woods. It helps a golfer figure out if they are squaring the putter face at impact, which is crucial to having more success on the greens. TIBA Putt was invented to help golfers easily perform this drill, and to track if the putter is staying square before and after impact as well. This is a great tool to use at home or on the practice green if you are looking to make more putts inside of 10 feet, and three putt less.
Stop listening to the myths
If you go to any driving range right now you’ll hear all kinds of golf tips being discussed about the technical elements of the swing. Most of them are simply not true.
Keep your head down
This is the most common golf tip given out, and the mistake that everyone refers to when they hit an errant shot. Whether or not you keep your head down during your golf swing is not the reason you succeeded or failed. David Duval had a pretty good career, and look where his head is at impact.
You need to take a divot
Most of us watch the professional game and see golfers like Sergio Garcia digging small canyons out of the ground with their irons. People think divots are responsible for more spin, crisper iron shots, and many other results that simply aren’t true. You can play successful golf without taking massive divots. In fact, for some golfers trying to dig into the turf more can actually harm their game. The most important thing is to strike the ball first, and then make contact with the ground afterwards. Whether or not that results in a divot is not absolutely crucial to hit a successful golf shot.
One swing system works
There are many instructors out there that only teach one version of the golf swing, and will claim it is the only true way to play golf properly. While this “swing” might work for some golfers, it is simply not true that it will work for everyone. Golfers come in all shapes, sizes, and physical abilities. Find a version of the swing that works for you and your natural capabilities. Trying to fit yourself into someone else’s version of the golf swing will do more harm than good. This is one of those golf tips that you can take to the bank!
The swing is the main vehicle to lower scores
The golf world is obsessed with the swing, and for good reason. The quality of your golf swing is an extremely important factor in improving as a golfer. Just don’t think it’s the only thing! Practical Golf was founded for this reason. Playing great golf, and improving, is a complete package. The swing is part of that package, and this article hopefully shows you that there is much more.
Understand golf equipment
There are so many myths amongst golfers on what equipment can and can’t do for their games. Becoming a more educated consumer will help you spend your money wisely and can improve your game.
Get Fitted
There is no question that you are making golf harder for yourself by playing equipment that is not correct for your game. There are no standards in the golf industry. Shafts are different, lie angles are different, and there are many other critical elements of clubs that can effect your performance on the course. Working with a knowledgeable club fitter can absolutely improve your scores by making your bad shots not as bad, and your good shots just a little bit better. If you just go to the store and pick a club based on marketing claims of manufacturers then you are not giving yourself the best chance to succeed.
Understand wedge bounce, and how to use it
Wedges have come a long way, and there are many options available to golfers. The short game is extremely important to improving your scores, and knowing a few basics about how wedges actually work can make all the difference.
Longer isn’t always better
One of the the trends in the golf industry has been to introduce longer shafts on drivers because golfers are demanding more distance. Stock driver shafts can be as long as 46″ now, and for most golfers that does increase their swing speed, but something else happens…it’s much harder for them to make proper contact on the face, which is crucial to hitting longer and more accurate drives. In fact, some club fitters in the industry believe that going with a shorter shaft will not only help your accuracy, but might actually help you hit the ball farther.
Lie angle
If you have no idea what the lie angle is on your irons, perhaps they were not properly adjusted. If you have clubs that are too upright, or too flat for you then your ability to hit accurate iron shots will be greatly diminished. This is possibly the most important golf tips for your equipment!
Driver shafts and lofts…they are ALL DIFFERENT
Most golfers assume that based on their swing speed they should get X loft driver with X shaft. This is wrong for many reasons. First off, there are no standards in the golf industry for shafts. One manufacturer’s stiff flex could be the equivalent of another “regular” flex. Additionally, most golfers assume that in order to hit the ball farther you need a lower loft on your driver. Completely untrue! Many players actually need more loft in order to hit the ball farther (it could be as high as 11 or 12 degrees).
