The post Jack Nicklaus reveals the secrets to fearless putting appeared first on Golf.

The post Jack Nicklaus reveals the secrets to fearless putting appeared first on Golf.

Good golf requires great mental discipline, and no element of the sport requires more mental fortitude than putting. When you’ve got confidence on the greens, the cup begins to look like a basketball hoop. But when you’re struggling, it can feel like trying to putt into a thimble.

Just about every tournament victory ends on the greens. Whether it’s a 15-footer to clip your opponent by one, or a two-putt to close out a dominant victory, it all ends on the greens.

That in mind, it’s crucial that you can handle your nerves with your wand in hand. If you’ve got sweaty palms and shaky hands standing over the ball, it’s tough to sink a putt. To be a great putter, you must be fearless.

There may be no more undaunted putter in the history of the game than Jack Nicklaus. Over the course of his legendary career, the Golden Bear won 18 major titles — and much of that success can be attributed to excellent pressure putting.

In 1994, Nicklaus joined GOLF Magazine to share some tips on becoming a fearless putter. You can check them out below.

Jack Nicklaus’ tips for fearless putting

The common wisdom is that putting ability declines with age. The analysts point to great champions whose green skills deteriorated late in their careers. Some of the great champions themselves have blamed inferior putting for making them less competitive as they grew older.

Well, it hasn’t happened to me so far. And I don’t see any reason why it ever should, as long as my competitive fires keep burning fiercely.

Granted, I haven’t putted these past few years quite as well as I did at my peak, but that had nothing to do with “nerves,” or vision problems, or declining mechanical skills, or any of the usual excuses for age-related inferior green work.

The only reason I putted a little less well than I used to was the extra pressure I subjected myself to as a result of hitting fewer greens in regulation and not getting the ball as close to the hole as in my best years. Whereas once I knew I only had to make a certain percentage of putts to win, during the long, lean spell I increasingly felt I needed to make everything I looked at to have any chance. However, had my tee-to-green skills matched those of my peak years, I’m certain my putting would have been equally good.

It’s in your head

If you think the above statement is further proof of the old adage that putting is all in the mind, you’re dead right. Believe you can knock them in the hole and you’ll knock ’em in. Believe you can’t and you won’t.

When I started on the Tour in 1962, there were a lot of what you might call “real men” out there who had come up the hard way and who, deep down, seemed to look upon putting as sort of a sissified part of the game. It was macho to be a great “shotmaker”-to crush out big drives, drill long-irons tight to the hole, draw and fade the ball at will-but a little wimpish to make low scores mostly with the short stick. Many of those players’ putting skills declined severely as they aged. I believe their attitude had a big bearing on that.

To become and remain a good putter, you have to accept putting’s huge role in golf, you have to like putting, and you have to want to do it very well.

A couple of statistics might help you with all of those challenges. The last time I checked, 43 percent of the strokes expended on the PGA Tour were putts. “Par” for players making a good living out there was under 30 putts per round.

The fear factor

“Boy,” you’ll hear on any golf tour in the world, “that guy is an unbelievable putter! He’s absolutely the best out here!”

Being a get-along person, I just smile to myself at such comments, but what I really want is to ask, “What’s he won?”

There are many great strokers of the ball in tournament golf. But players who can get the ball into the hole time after time after time when it matters the most — when you’re either going to win or lose right now — are a much rarer species. 

They, of course, are the top winners.

Last year’s Masters champion Bernhard Langer is perhaps the best current example of the dif-ference between a “wonderful putter” in the technical sense and a player with great ability to get the ball in the hole when it matters. At least twice, Bernhard has suffered from the yips about as badly as a golfer can, resulting in an ungainly-looking technique worked out by and unique unto himself. But, year after year, he’s also one of the winningest golfers in the world.

What’s at play here, of course, is the fear factor.

Because putting is the most precision-oriented, most delicate, and most decisive act in golf, fear of losing— or, even more commonly, fear of winning — grabs tightest and most destructively on the greens.

Instruction

Thus the best putters aren’t, as so many people seem to suppose, the finest technicians or the smoothest strokers. The best putters are the golfers who, over and over and over, make the putts they absolutely have to make in order to win the game’s top tournaments — Bob Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Ray Floyd, Seve Ballesteros, and Nick Faldo.

Did they all have wonderful putting techniques? No, sir. Did they all have strong, steady stomachs, steady nerves and great hearts? You bet! And that’s what made them great putters.

Learn from your mistakes

Are those qualities of courage and resolve innate gifts, or can they be acquired? Although some will do better than others, I believe anyone can build up his inner resources by learning from his mistakes.

One of the best examples of a golfer doing that is Tom Watson. When he was very young, Tom had the chance to win a number of major championships but lost them all down the stretch. He was accused of choking, but what he lacked was experience and self-insight, not guts.

Many people in Tom’s situation would have accepted second-best and gone on performing at that level. Watson was made of sterner stuff. Each time he failed he thought hard about why, then tried the next time he got into a winning position to feed off what he had learned about himself and his game. Most of the mistakes were in the management of his tee-to-green play, but some, like over-aggression or under-aggression under pressure, were in his putting. When he’d finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together, his confidence had grown to a point where, especially on the greens, he believed he couldn’t fail. And, of course, he then became the best player in the world for a decade or more.

The chief reaction among amateurs to poor putting, it seems to me, is exasperation, combined with a sort of vague hope that, by some kind of mini-miracle, it will all have gotten better by the next time they play. Without analyzing and learning from their mistakes, I doubt that it ever will.

Are those qualities of courage and resolve innate gifts, or can they be acquired? Although some will do better than others, I believe anyone can build up his inner resources by learning from his mistakes.

One of the best examples of a golfer doing that is Tom Watson. When he was very young, Tom had the chance to win a number of major championships but lost them all down the stretch. He was accused of choking, but what he lacked was experience and self-insight, not guts.

Many people in Tom’s situation would have accepted second-best and gone on performing at that level. Watson was made of sterner stuff. Each time he failed he thought hard about why, then tried the next time he got into a winning position to feed off what he had learned about himself and his game. Most of the mistakes were in the management of his tee-to-green play, but some, like over-aggression or under-aggression under pressure, were in his putting. When he’d finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together, his confidence had grown to a point where, especially on the greens, he believed he couldn’t fail. And, of course, he then became the best player in the world for a decade or more.

The chief reaction among amateurs to poor putting, it seems to me, is exasperation, combined with a sort of vague hope that, by some kind of mini-miracle, it will all have gotten better by the next time they play. Without analyzing and learning from their mistakes, I doubt that it ever will.

Because the advice about the basic techniques of putting is sp readily available from so many sources, my focus here will be on what long experience has taught me are the most crucial factors in accurately rolling a golf ball across a green.

Grip

So long as they allow you to swing the face of the putter squarely through the ball traveling directly along your intended target line at impact, the mechanics of your putting grip are immaterial. Experiment until you achieve comfort, repeatability, and effectiveness. When you do, even if your grip looks “funny” to others, stick with it. Silence any nay-sayers by mentioning Langer.

More important than the configuration of your hands on the putter is the pressure in them. Whether you hold the putter tightly, loosely, or somewhere in between is of much less consequence than equalizing the pressure in each hand, then sustaining the same amount of pressure throughout the stroke.

News

Change your grip pressure and most likely you involuntarily change both the pace and the path of the putter head. Grip tight at address then ease up during the stroke and you’ll tend to over-accelerate the putterhead and pull the ball left. Hold loosely at address then tighten during the stroke and you’ll tend to decelerate and shove the putterhead and the ball to the right. Even if you avoid major errors of speed and line, you will be less consistent than you’d like on the greens.

Achieving equal grip pressure in both hands at address, then sustaining it throughout the stroke, has been a putting key of mine for many years. If you’re not already using it, I think it could have a beneficial effect on your green work.

Setup

As with grip mechanics, I think how you arrange your- self at address for putting is, with a couple of exceptions, pretty inconsequential, so long as it promotes swinging the face of the putter squarely through the ball and direct- ly along your intended target line at impact. Being comfortable and stress-free, or well balanced, over the ball will help you achieve that. The exceptions concern your eye-line at address.

Most good putters over the years have set up with their eyes either directly over the ball, which also posi- tions them over the intended starting line of the putt, or, as in my case, behind the ball but still over the target line. The reason for this is, when the eyes are positioned to the inside of the target line, there’s a tendency to stroke excessively from in-to-out and push the ball; and, conversely, to stroke from out-to-in and pull putts when the eyes are positioned beyond the target line.

Your other equally important optical goal should be to set your eyes parallel to the putt’s starting line, rather than angled to its right or left through an inclination or canting of the head at address. Even though you’ll hear or read less about this factor than the previous one, in my experience it can have an equal bearing on how you stroke the ball. Align your eyes right of the target line and you’ll tend to stroke too much from inside to out and push putts. Align your eyes left of the target line and you’ll risk doing the opposite-pull putts by swinging the putter head from out to in.

I recommend that, as I do, you constantly check both of these important optical elements in practice. And you should certainly look to them first whenever, for no obvious reason, you begin missing more than your share of putts.

Stroke

Over the years I’ve tried every kind of putting stroke known to man, but have always gone back to the technique that felt the most natural to me, and with which I was most successful from my earliest golf days. If I’m right in believing that most other top players have followed the same pattern, then the lesson is clear: Find out through trial and error what works best for you as a unique individual, then stay with it.

There are basically three ways to stroke a golf ball with a putter. One is with a swinging of the arms, hands, and putter as a single unit motivated by a back-and-through rocking motion of the shoulders while everything else stays relatively still. Another is with hinging and unhinging of the wrists, while as in the shoulder stroke, the rest of the body stays comparatively still. The third, which always in the end has worked best for me, involves a combination of the other two techniques.

I can describe my stroking action fairly simply. A slight targetward motion or forward-pressing of my hands serves as a “trigger” for backward swinging of my arms, combined with some hinging or cocking of my wrists, the amount in each case depending on the length of the putt.

A slight forward-press of my hands serves as a “trigger” for my backswing, combined with some hinging to cocking of my wrists, the amount in each case depending on the length of the putt. 

On shorter putts, from the end of the backswing I simply pull the butterhead through the ball with my hands and forearms with very little or no release of my wrists.

On longer putts, the distinct hitting motion of my right hand causes my left wrist to “break” or hinge targetward a little bit after impact. I believe this breaking of the left wrist through or after impact to be less than ideal theo- retically, but have gone along with it because fighting it does more harm than good to my sense of “touch.”

Why do I keep coming back to this method? I’ve always believed that golfers putt best when they are able to “feel the ball to the hole.” Although it can badly frustrate me at times, the action I’ve described lets me do that more often and better than any of the others I’ve tried.

You need to find the type of stroke that does the same for you.

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The post Peter Kostis has ‘controversial’ opinion on where power *really* comes from appeared first on Golf.

The post Peter Kostis has ‘controversial’ opinion on where power *really* comes from appeared first on Golf.

Ground reaction forces have not always been well-understood, but they’ve always been present. You can look at swings from the legends of golf back in the day and clearly see them using their legs throughout the swing. From Ben Hogan to Tiger Woods, the legs have been the driver of the golf swing.

However, while the legs might be crucial for ball-striking, longtime GOLF Top 100 Teacher Peter Kostis disagrees that power is created by the legs.

“This will be controversial as hell,” Kostis says. “It is my opinion that the proper use of the legs, hips [and] body rotation — but especially from the hips down — the proper use of the legs is not to create power. I repeat: it is not to create power.”

So if the legs aren’t creating power, then what are they doing? According to Kostis, they are creating a stable base that allows you to swing powerfully with your upper body.

“It is to create a solid foundation from which you can swing faster,” he says. “The vast majority of your swing speed comes from the waist up.”

Once you have a solid base in your lower body, you are able to whip the club through the hitting zone much faster. But it’s imperative that you have a strong core and upper body to do so.

“I don’t jump up off the ground,” Kostis says. “But it’s a reaction to my swing speed, it’s not to create swing speed. I want my lower body to create a foundation.”

You can check out his full explanation in the video above.

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The post 10 things to know to pitch with precision, according to Top 100 Teacher appeared first on Golf.

The post 10 things to know to pitch with precision, according to Top 100 Teacher appeared first on Golf.

Follow along to find out what they are. 

1. Use a higher-lofted club

Selecting the right club for your pitch shot might seem tricky, but it’s easier than you think. Remember that you need to get the ball in the air, so you’ll want to use one of your most lofted clubs like your lob wedge, sand wedge or gap wedge. These clubs are also designed with a rounded bottom, or a bounce, that helps them glide across the ground and decreases your chances of catching the leading edge. 

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2. Take your full-swing posture

Most pitch shots require a longer swing, which means you need to set up to the ball like you would any other full-swing shot. That means getting into a balanced, athletic position. Bend from the hips and let your arms hang naturally, with your hands below your shoulders. Having a proper stance and posture will help you make solid, consistent contact, and give you complete control over your distances. 

3. Position your club properly

Not knowing how to position the club at setup is a common mistake that I see from amateurs. Most amateurs I see think the leading edge should be even with the ground, but if you’re doing it right your club will actually rest on the bounce, thereby raising the leading edge slightly off the turf. 

Another issue I see players run into is knowing when their clubface is square. The increased loft of a wedge actually gives it the appearance of being open, but many players don’t know that so they usually close the face thinking they’re squaring it up. Unfortunately, this actually increases their chances of catching the leading edge. Instead, try finding a marking or indicator on your shaft or grip that’s in the center to know when your face is square, open or closed. 

A great way to check if your clubface is positioned properly is to take a few practice swings. If the club hits the ground and digs, there’s a good chance that it’s not positioned correctly at setup. When you reset, check that it’s resting on the bounce and square at setup. 

4. Ball position slightly forward

Ball position is crucial for every shot in golf, especially pitching. As a general rule of thumb, your ball position on a pitch shot should be slightly forward of center to catch shots cleanly.

Instruction

However, depending on the lie, sometimes your ball position may change. For instance, a nice lie may require a slightly forward ball position to increase the loft and bounce. If you’re ever unsure, a good way to check where your ball position should be is to take a few practice swings and see where your club naturally clips the ground.

One thing to keep in mind when setting up to a pitch shot is that you never want your ball position to drift behind center. Playing the ball too far back creates too much forward shaft lean, which decreases the loft and bounce. It also causes the leading edge to catch and dig, resulting in the dreaded chunk.

5. Use your backswing to control distance

The most effective way to control your distance on pitch shots is to adjust the length of your backswing. That’s because it helps you naturally adjust the speed at which the club moves. And a great trick for distance control is the clock method, where you think of your swing like a clock and assign your yardages to different ‘times.’ 

6. Match your setup to your swing

It can be helpful to match your set up size to your desired swing size. For some players, making a small swing from a full-swing setup is difficult. Instead of feeling uncomfortable, try choking down on the grip or narrowing your stance. Both of these adjustments can help you control how much power you deliver into the shot. 

7. Think ‘brush the grass’

If you struggle to make solid contact on pitch shots, try taking a few practice swings first and think about brushing the grass with the bottom of your club. If you’re doing it right, you’ll hear a satisfying ‘thump’ when you hit the turf. Not only will this help you utilize the bounce and get the ball in the air, but it will also help you avoid those pesky chunks and thins without overthinking the shot too much. 

8. Use the scrape drill

One of my favorite drills for pitching is the scrape drill because it helps players that lift up and corrects contact issues. To try it, get into your setup and without making a backswing, drag your club across the grass. You should feel your club pressing, or scraping, the turf on the path to your finish. 

Instruction

As you do this a few times, you’ll notice how low you need to be to the ground in order for your club to sweep the ground and make solid, center face contact with the ball. Remember, the club can only do the work for you and get the ball in the air if you hit it in the sweet spot. 

9. Don’t forget to pivot

Although pitches are shorter, feel-based shots, they still require a small rotation or pivot when you hit them. A great way to check that you’re turning through properly is to see if your trail heel lifts up when you’re in your follow through. If you’re doing it right, your heel will rise in reaction to your body rotating. 

10. Calibrate your distances

If you want to hit your wedges with great precision, you have to calibrate your distances. A great way to do this is to figure out what club and swing length you need to carry the ball various distances. I tell my students to work in increments of 10 and write down their combination of backswing length and club selection to get the ball to carry and land 10 yards, 20 yards, 30 yards, 40 yards and so on. 

Write it down somewhere you can refer back to it when you’re playing. And next time you’re on the course you won’t be guessing, you’ll know exactly what club to use and how long of a swing to take.

If you’ve found this information helpful, you can access more of my pitching tips here or follow me on instagram for more great golf instruction. 

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The post Conquer 30-yard pitch shots with the help of a short-game whiz appeared first on Golf.

The post Conquer 30-yard pitch shots with the help of a short-game whiz appeared first on Golf.

But most amateurs really struggle with controlling their distances near the green, since it requires great touch and an understanding of how long (or short) the backswing should be.

For instance, if you’re using the same club from 30 yards out as you would from 50 yards out, common sense tells us you’ll need to shorten your swing. The question now becomes “by how much?”

Since this can be tricky to determine on your own, GOLF Teacher to Watch Parker McLachlin, aka the Short Game Chef, has some cues to help you master those difficult 30-yard pitch shots.

So the next time you find yourself just short of the putting surface and fear either going too long or coming up a bit too short, just use the tips below from McLachlin to trust your process and confidently hit your shot.

Become a master on 30-yard pitch shots

There are a number of reasons why you might have a 30-yard pitch shot, with the most common being on a par-5 when you weren’t able to reach the green in two. But for mid-handicappers like myself, pitching from here could be to salvage a hole and avoid a big number on a par-4 — which is why it’s important to understand how to put it close.

“This is an awkward yardage, but it really helps if you can find in your rehearsal swing where you’re supposed to be at the top of your backswing,” McLachlin says. “For me, this is about 30 yards [hip high, or about halfway]. This is 30 yards in the air.“

Short Game

Knowing what your backswing length should be to a carry yardage is the first order of business, with the rehearsal giving you a sense of feeling before addressing your ball.

“My goal for this shot is to have nice width [in the backswing], good stance, good shaft positioning at address, I want to feel a lot of rotation on the way through, and build a shallow angle of attack,” McLachlin says.

So why come into impact shallow versus steep? McLachlin says it’s all about adding some protection against a mishit, where the leading edge of the club could dig if you come in too steep on a pitch shot from this distance.

“If I’m taking a divot from 30 yards, for my style, that’s not what I want to see,” he says. “I know that I’m too steep on that [if I make a divot], so I’m going to make sure I’m really wide and I’m creating a nice shallow angle of attack.”

By using these simple steps from McLachlin, you’ll be able to get up and down more frequently and save strokes, using your short game to improve your scores.

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The post Major winner explains how to easily shave 5 strokes off your handicap appeared first on Golf.

The post Major winner explains how to easily shave 5 strokes off your handicap appeared first on Golf.

There’s nothing like some good conversation in the grill room after the round. It’s where you and your playing partners debrief on the day that was. The highs and lows. The good shots and bad. The birdies and bogeys.

A common refrain comes up often in these conversations. “If only I had …” Golf is easy when you analyze it in retrospect. If everyone had a few mulligans every round, the game would be a heck of a lot simpler. Alas, mulligans are not a part of the rules of golf and we must live with the outcome of every shot.

Luckily for you, dear reader, there are some ways to get those bad shots back. All it takes is limiting the number of times you throw away shots during the round.

Back in 2009, former U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy joined GOLF Magazine to share some of his secrets for cleaning things up on the margins. Follow them and you’ll shave five strokes off your handicap in no time. Check it out below.

Shave 5 strokes off your handicap

If you had your A-game every round, golf would be easy. We all post low scores when we’re splitting fairways, hitting pure irons and draining long putts. But what makes you a really good player — and a tough-to-beat opponent — how you play when you’ve left your A-game (and is maybe even your B-game) at home.

When you’re not playing well, the worst thing to do is to try to hit perfect shots. Save the perfect shots for when you feel perfect. On days like this, you need to recognize what you still can do, and then use that to get the ball from tee to hole. You don’t need to hit perfect shots to win — if you’re missing right, aim left and let it cut. That shot will feel more doable, and that’s the name of the game when it feels like nothing’s working.

If you start planning and executing shots — no matter what shots they are — your confidence will come back, and you may very well find that your game comes back with it. Here’s how to make those mid-round fixes to your drives, iron shots, chips and putts that will get even your shakiest round back on track.

Driving: Find a swing that works

Goal: Hit one less drive out of bounds
Save: Two strokes

The most important thing to do when you can’t find the fairway is find a driver swing that will get you back on track and eliminate the chances of really losing one left or right. If I’m hitting my driver horribly, I’ll throttle back to my 3-wood or 2-iron. Another great mid-round fix is to simply choke down on the club an inch. It’s amazing how much easier it is to control your drives if you do this. The lower ball flight will feel more controllable, especially when you’ve been hitting it all over the place. Finally, if you’re missing to one side or the other, plan for it. My main miss is right, so if I’m having a tough day, I’ll aim to the left edge of the fairway and let it come back.

Approach: Manage your misses

Goal: Hit one more green
Save: One stroke

Approach Shots

Ona good day, you can go after any pin. But when you’re not feeling it, it’s crazy to go after difficult pin placements. The key is to miss on the correct side of the hole so you can land the ball on the green and not waste a stroke chipping or pitching from the rough or sand. Move your target area to the fat side of the hole. If the pin is to the right, like it is here, miss it left. If the pin is short, miss it long.

Take a tip from how Tour pros play the biggest tournaments. In a U.S. Open, you need to manage your misses. You can get up and down from the correct side of the hole, but the firmness of the greens and thickness of the rough make it impossible to get up and down from the wrong side. Augusta National is the same. You can get up and down all day from under the hole, but it’s impossible when you’re above it.

You’ll know how the ball will react on the greens after the first couple of holes. If I’m playing well, I’ll aim about 10 feet to the left of the hole. If it’s “one of those days,” I aim away from trouble. Rule No. 1 on a bad day is to take double-bogey out of play. Determine your landing area based on how confident you are. No matter how well I’m playing, I never go right at the pin: 10 feet left is pretty good.

Short game: Get it rolling

Goal: Get up-and-down one more time
Save: One stroke

If you have a solid short game, you can rescue a lot of bad drives and approaches. The key to chipping is to get the ball rolling as soon as you can. Look at the lie: If the ball is sitting down deep in the grass, use a more lofted club. If the lie is tight, you want less loft.

Also, don’t try to spin your chips; you’ll get better roll with less spin. If you’re hitting them fat, avoid the temptation to move the ball back in your stance. The reason you’re hitting it fat is that the angle you’re bringing the club down on is too steep, and this causes the clubhead to hit the ground first. With the ball back, you’re just going to come in even steeper.

Putting: Trust your instincts

Goal: One less three-putt
Save: One stroke

Putting

When I was younger, Ian Baker Finch told me that when you’re not putting well, you should stop reading greens. That’s an exaggeration, but if you stop overanalyzing the greens, your mind will instinctively know what to do. The important thing is to keep it simple. Trying just makes it worse. If I’m not having a good day on the greens, I don’t think about my mechanics, and I try not to over-read the greens. Instead, I just line up in a comfortable position that lets me feel like the ball is going to go in. The more I do by instinct, the better I putt.

Amateurs should tap into their instincts more instead of doing what they’re told is the “right thing.” I can’t tell you how I know a putt feels right; I just know it does. Your feet will feel the slope better than your eyes. Stand over the ball and line up so that the putt feels right. If it feels wrong, step away and start over.

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The post Help! How do I fix the chipping yips? appeared first on Golf.

The post Help! How do I fix the chipping yips? appeared first on Golf.

“Hey, Chef! I’ve officially got the chipping yips and have no confidence holding a wedge. Help me!” — Phil G., Columbus, Ohio

It happens to the best of us, Phil. Don’t despair — the yips are curable. The best advice is ditch whatever you’re doing now and revisit your chip basics, starting with the setup. Find a video online of a Tour player’s stock pitch shot. Pause the reel at setup and take a screenshot. Grab a wedge and have a buddy take a pic of you in the same position. (Both from face on, by the way.)

Spot the differences and make whatever posture and club position changes you need to make your pic look like the pro’s. Once you’re adjusted, try 10-yard pitches using your 7-iron — carry the ball just three yards and let it roll out.

Once you nail these, go back to your wedges. Your new foundation is bound to pay dividends.

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My son is a big golfer as well — and to make sure he doesn’t fall into the same bad habits I do, I make sure he gets regular instruction. I take him to the new studio of Eric Dietrich and GOLF Top 100 Teacher Stephen Sweeney for help with his putting, and sometimes I even take a lesson myself.

As we’ve continued taking lessons at the studio, I’ve been compiling some tips for others to get the most out of their own lessons. Check them out below.

1. Focus on your technique

When we first started taking lessons, my son mentioned my stroke was looking a bit off. I’ve been putting ok, but after getting help from some fellow pros, I could see he was right. I was doing some things I’d never suggest my students do, but I did not even realize it. The lesson reminded me that I truly need to work on my technique.

2. Take advantage of technology

Technology has made diagnosing flaws in the golf swing easier than ever before. Most coaches you visit will have some sort of technology there to aid in this diagnosis, so take advantage of it. It takes the guesswork out of swing diagnosis and will make your progress much faster.

3. Don’t get embarrassed

It’s natural to get self-conscious during a lesson (I know I do from time to time), but don’t be embarrassed when you struggle. Teaching pros are there to help you, not judge you. They want to see you succeed as much as you do — trust me.

4. Embrace training aids

Training aids are great tools to help you correct certain flaws. After my most recent putting lesson, I went home and bought the same putting mirror we used in the studio. If you get solid use out of a training aid during your lesson, it might be worth investing in one of your own as well.

Perfect Roll Putting Mirror

$29.99

Perfect Roll Mirror The Perfect Roll Mirror is a compact, low-profile putting mirror that helps you improve your putting stroke. It is just 1/8″ thick, so your putter head and stroke are not elevated as with some other mirrors. The mirror measures 6″ wide x 12″ long, so it is easy to store in your golf bag and take with you to the practice green. The Perfect Roll Mirror has a beveled entry port that makes it easy to roll a ball to the same fixed location every time. This helps you develop consistent setup and stroke mechanics that will lead to more made putts. The mirror also includes tee holes that can be used to secure it to the putting green if desired. These holes can also be used as stroke guides for putters with a 5 ½” head or smaller. White and green lines on the mirror provide additional feedback on your stroke path and the squareness of your putter face. These lines complement the TrueSquare slots through the impact zone, which help you ensure that you are making square contact with the ball. The Perfect Roll Mirror is a portable and functional training mirror that is perfect for improving your putting stroke. Order yours today and start making more putts! Here are some additional benefits of using the Perfect Roll Mirror: Helps you develop a consistent putting stroke Improves your stroke path Ensures that you are making square contact with the ball Reduces common putting mistakes Makes you more confident on the green If you are serious about improving your putting stroke, the Perfect Roll Mirror is the perfect training aid for you. Order yours today and start seeing results!

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5. Don’t be afraid of change

Good instructors will make changes to your swing that might feel uncomfortable, but don’t let that intimidate you. Making meaningful changes should feel uncomfortable. Trust that your teacher is making the changes for a reason and embrace them.

6. Accept your mistakes

When I teach students, I expect them to hit some bad shots during the lesson — and that’s totally OK! Mistakes are a part of the learning process and are expected.

7. Lock in mentally

It’s important as a student to be engaged during your lesson. Give your instructor your full attention and lock in mentally for the best results.

8. Take notes

Don’t be afraid to take notes during your lesson. Much like taking notes during a lecture in school, taking notes during your swing lesson is a great refresher to look back on later on.

9. Go practice

No swing coach will be able to fully fix your swing over the course of a lesson. To get the most out of it, you need to take the things you learned in the lesson and go practice them on your own.

10. Schedule more lessons

Players who get the most out of golf instruction are the ones who stick with it on a consistent basis. Keep going back for more lessons and you’re sure to see more improvement than just going when you’re really struggling.

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The post 10 things that will help you bounce back from a bad round appeared first on Golf.

1. Practice resilience

It’s always noticeable when someone has given up on themselves during a round. It usually starts as a shift in demeanor, negative self-talk or poor posture. Over time these small changes can snowball into mistakes that lead to big numbers, and it can feel like your game is spiraling. 

But you can regain some control by making an active effort to stay in your round. This can be something as simple as staying committed to your process, completing your entire pre-shot routine and avoiding unnecessary risks. 

You might even try shifting your focus off the overall score entirely. See if you can two-putt the next hole, or hit the next fairway and green. This will help you stay present and in the moment. 

2. Pay attention to your misses

Have you ever wondered why Tour pros watch their mishits so intently? It’s because they’re studying the ball flight so they can identify the cause of the off-center strike. When they know what caused the miss, they know what adjustments to make so they can get their game back to normal.

This is something you can do in your own game. I suggest working with a coach to understand what causes your most common misses. Figure out if it’s your setup, sequencing, clubface position, or something else. Then work with your instructor to develop a ‘band-aid’ or temporary fix for this miss. That way, the next time you’re playing and that pesky miss sneaks back into your game, you’ll know what you’re doing and how to fix it.

3. Select clubs you know you can hit

If things aren’t going well, one sure-fire way to turn things around is to hit the clubs you know you’ll strike solidly. This could mean forgoing your 3-wood for a more forgiving club like a 7-wood, or hitting a shorter club that’s designed to get the ball in the air. Selecting a club that’s easier to hit will give you some positive momentum and build up your confidence. 

4. Set smaller goals

When I’m having issues on the course, I like to focus on a goal that’s easily attainable like hitting the center of the clubface. I find that small wins change the momentum of the round quickly, and encourage my students to utilize this tactic to get their game back on track. 

Short Game

5. Club up on your approach

Having contact issues? It’s always smart to take extra club on your approach into the green. This gives you a better shot of leaving these key shots close enough to make an up-and-down, two-putt or at worst make a bogey. 

However, there are a few cases where leaving shots long might get you into more trouble, so, before picking your club, ask yourself three questions. Where is the pin? How much green do I have to work with? Are there any hazards around the green?

6. Focus on the controllables 

It’s natural to get frustrated when your round isn’t going how you hoped, but instead of letting that anger take over, try to focus on the things you can control. This will help you avoid outbursts that bring you and your group down. Plus, it’s a constructive outlet for your frustration, so you’ll likely pull yourself out of your funk faster. 

7. Groove a better feel with practice swings

Practice swings are a great tool to use on the course if you’re trying to groove a better feel. Sometimes I use them to rehearse specific moves in my swing, while other times I try to keep it simple and focus on brushing the grass cleanly. Regardless of their purpose, I always find that a few additional practice swings help me regain a bit of trust in my game. 

8. Remind yourself, it’s just golf

When things are looking extra bleak, I find that it helps to remind myself that golf is a difficult game and no one gets out unscathed. 

Even the best golfers in the world experience bad days on the course, so it’s likely your playing partners can relate to what you’re going through. Just remember that they’ve been there too and you should be able to keep your head up for the rest of the round. 

9. Be supportive of your playing partners

If you want to catch a future invite with your playing partners, don’t forget to compliment their games. Oftentimes, I’ll see golfers get so consumed with their own games, especially when things go south, that they forget to participate with the group. 

Your score won’t even matter once you leave the parking lot, so try to be supportive of your playing partners as they navigate the course alongside you.

10. What can you do to improve?

As is with any sport, golf is a game that’s earned and not given. One days when your game is really struggling, try to make a note of your mis-hits or areas of weakness in your game. Instead of viewing your round as a bad day on the course, shift your perspective. Consider it an opportunity to audit your game and formulate a more productive practice plan for the next time you hit the range.

Try these next time you’re struggling on the course. They might just be the thing you need to save your round.

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The post Lacking consistent contact? This 1 adjustment could help fix that appeared first on Golf.

The post Lacking consistent contact? This 1 adjustment could help fix that appeared first on Golf.

But for a mid-handicapper like me, it can be a struggle to both identify and correct any common swing flaws.

Instruction

After spending the past few days in Florida on a golf trip, one thing I noticed about my swing was something simple: The better my tempo, the better my shot results are, since this allows my sequencing to be where it needs to be to avoid all sorts of issues.

I have the tendency of getting my chest out in front, which dips my head and can lead the club to bottoming out. It’s why my miss is usually a fat one (or a chunk).

So what’s an easy way to clean this up? GOLF Teacher to Watch Devan Bonebrake says it’s a combination of tempo and release, and shares a tip in the video below to help build better consistency. Check it out!

Correct your release to improve your ball-striking

“This is something I see with a lot of my students,” Bonebrake begins the video. “Coming into impact, their upper body takes over, they get very forward, and the club never quite catches up, so the chest is just as much, if not more, around than the clubhead [after impact].”

When a player does this, it can cause a number of issues that lead to bad ball-striking — from a lack of clubface control to weight-transferring issues.

But Bonebrake gives a quick and easy solution to stop doing this.

“I want you to feel like the trail foot stays down, the club speeds up, and the chest stays facing the ball a lot longer — almost like the clubhead has traveled a much further distance than the chest has,” he instructs.

After getting a feel for the right way to rotate through, Bonebrake says to just casually swing the club back and forth, feeling it release and ensuring you’re rotating and not dipping the chest.

“So you can just practice some swings where you go back [in the backswing], and through, then back and through again before setting up to the ball,” he adds. “Having my chest slow down a little bit into impact is going to make it a lot easier to let that club catch up and swing through, creating more of a full feel release and a transfer of energy.”

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The post Jack Nicklaus’ swing key for belting long drives down the fairway appeared first on Golf.

The post Jack Nicklaus’ swing key for belting long drives down the fairway appeared first on Golf.

Power off the tee is an irreplaceable skill in golf. When you can hit the ball longer than your competitors, you are at an immediate advantage.

This fact has been true for as long as golf has been played. One example? The Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus.

While it is true that Nicklaus could do everything well on the course, one of his greatest skills early in his career was his power off the tee. When he arrived on the scene in the 1960s, he played golf in a way that few had ever seen before.

Nicklaus’ dynamic power was a huge factor in establishing him as a near unstoppable force in the 60s and 70s. Over the course of those two decades, the Golden Bear won 15 of his 18 career major titles — and it all started with his prolific skill off the tee.

Back in 1968, GOLF Magazine highlighted the keys for Nicklaus’ power, which you can read below.

Jack’s power key

Jack Nicklaus is one of the best golfers anywhere at any type of shot you want to name, although his versatility is sometimes almost forgotten. Ask a fan to describe Nicklaus’s game in one word, and every time that word comes back loud and clear — power.

This is because no one consistently hits the ball farther than Jack, and therefore he has become recognized as the longest hitter in golf today. Although he is a big fellow, standing 5-feet 11-inches and weighing over 200 pounds, the secret to Nicklaus’s length lies more in his great swing, perfect timing and tremendous power generated from his hips and legs. A study of the Nicklaus swing is truly a study of power — but also a study of precision action and complete utilization of the body for the best possible performance.

Putting

Jack uses an upright stance and begins his swing with a great coiling of his shoulders and hips. In the recoil, he moves the left side out of the way very early, with perfect timing, to unleash the massive power in his body.

Coming into the ball, Jack drives his right elbow tightly against his right side, delaying the wrist break until the hands have reached hip level. A big source of strength is in the knees, and especially the right knee. His entire lower body — the hips, knees and feet — all work together to generate power and a fluid swing, but the knees serve as the focal point or coordinator of the swing.

In looking at Nicklaus’s swing, one sees that as the club comes back the left knee turns in toward the right and the right knee becomes the critical part of the entire swing. It is locked into position throughout the swing, as it must be, and the knee then works as the brace around which the body coils.

This firmness helps build up power and also makes it impossible to sway off the ball, thereby losing power.

Nicklaus’s strength is released by pushing off the right foot, causing the hips, knee and foot to all thrust forward, into and through the swing. The right knee turns directly toward the target after impact and on the follow-through, and thereby pushes the entire body and all its power in the direction the ball is being hit.

It’s the Nicklaus method — one with proven success both in distance and accuracy — and it certainly involves a lot more than simple brute strength.

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