Instruction

How to Keep Your Game Red-Hot as the Leaves Turn

Ted Odorico September 9, 2026

Instruction

Adjust Your Swing, Equipment, and Strategy to Play Your Best Golf All Autumn Long.

As the humid haze of midsummer fades into crisp morning breezes and vibrant foliage, golfers everywhere face an annual crossroad. It is easy to view autumn as the sunset of the golf season—a time when clubs start gathering dust in the garage and tee times become an afterthought. Yet ask any seasoned player, and they will tell you the exact opposite: fall is arguably the absolute best time of year to play. The fairways are firm, the air is refreshing, and the courses offer breathtaking backdrops.

To make the most of this golden season, you do not need a complete swing overhaul. You simply need a slight shift in mindset, a few smart equipment adjustments, and a willingness to embrace the changing elements.

Riding the Momentum: Don’t Put the Game on Cruise Control

By late summer, most golfers have established a rhythm. Your tempo is dialed, your contact is consistent, and you have built up valuable course muscle memory over months of regular play. The biggest mistake players make right now is pulling back on their schedule just as their game peaks.

Vibrant autumn foliage frames a pristine green, showing off fall’s best scenic course conditions.

To keep that momentum rolling, rethink how you structure your golf week. If daylight savings time or cooler evenings cut into your post-work nine holes, shift your focus toward quality practice rather than full rounds. A brisk 45-minute evening session focusing on short-game touch or wedge distance control keeps your hands sensitive and your feel sharp. When weekend rounds do arrive, you will step onto the first tee feeling warmed up and ready, rather than trying to shake off a week’s worth of rust.

The Cold Hard Physics of Cold Weather Golf Balls

One of the most noticeable differences in autumn golf comes down to simple physics and ball compression. Cold air is denser, creating more drag on the ball in flight. At the same time, cold weather affects the golf ball itself: lower temperatures cause the core material of the ball to firm up, making it feel harder off the clubface and reducing core spring energy.

Switching to soft, low-compression balls maintains optimal feel and distance as temperatures start dropping.

How to Choose the Right Ball for Fall Conditions:

1. Drop to a Lower Compression Rating: If you normally play a firm tour-style ball (like a Titleist Pro V1x or TaylorMade TP5x), consider switching to a softer, lower-compression model (such as a Titleist AVX, Callaway Chrome Soft, or Srixon Soft Feel). A lower-compression ball compresses more easily under cold temperatures, helping restore felt feel off the club and maximizing distance when swing speeds naturally slow down slightly.

2. Keep Your Balls Warm Before Teeing Off: Keep a couple of golf balls in your pants pocket between holes. Body heat helps maintain the core temperature of the ball, ensuring optimal energy transfer at impact.

3. Expect Less Distance Overall: Combine denser air with firmer ball reaction, and you will lose about 2 to 3 yards for every 10-degree drop in temperature. Adjust your expectations and club selection accordingly.

Reading the Elements: Playing Smart in Cooler Air

Transitioning to fall golf requires accepting one fundamental physics rule: cold air is denser than warm air, and golf balls simply do not fly as far. Add in extra layers of clothing that slightly restrict your turn, and you can expect to lose anywhere from half a club to a full club in distance.

Wearing cozy layers maintains smooth swing tempo during a crisp autumn session.

Instead of trying to swing harder to force your midsummer yards—which usually leads to tense, off-center hits—club up generously. If you normally hit a 7-iron from 150 yards, pull a smooth 6-iron. Focus on a relaxed, effortless rhythm. Additionally, pay close attention to turf conditions. Autumn morning dew leaves fairways damp, meaning less roll on your drives, while afternoon leaves can hide a ball that strays just a few yards off the fairway. Playing target golf and favoring accuracy over raw distance will keep your scorecards clean.

Two Simple Fall Swing Fixes to Take to the Range

While you shouldn’t overhaul your mechanics mid-season, fall is the ideal time to refine a couple of low-effort, high-reward feel drills during your Sunday practice.

. The Low-Tee Stinger Drill: With breezy autumn weather rolling in, learning to control trajectory is a game-changer. Tee the ball low—just half an inch above the turf—and move it back an inch in your stance. Focus on finishing with your hands low around chest height on the follow-through. This naturally lowers your launch angle, keeping your ball flight penetrating under wind gusts.

. The “Two-Putter Cover” Contact Drill: Damp fall greens mean your putting stroke needs crisp, center-face contact to roll smoothly. Place two headcovers on either side of your putter head, leaving just half an inch of clearance on the toe and heel. Practice taking short, smooth strokes without clipping the covers. It instantly solidifies your stroke paths on slower autumn greens.

Embracing the Season’s Rewards

Ultimately, autumn golf is about enjoying the unique charm of the game when nature puts on its best show. Pack a lightweight windbreaker, swap in a slightly softer golf ball that responds better in low temperatures, and keep a micro-fiber towel handy for damp turf. With a few minor tweaks to your routine, the fall months won’t just mark the end of another year on the links—they might just produce your best rounds yet.

How To Hit Out Of A Divot?

Ted Odorico July 8, 2026

Instruction

A step-by-step guide, from club selection to ball positioning.

Imagine standing up on the first tee and striping the perfect drive down the middle of the fairway. You’re feeling great as you drive your golf cart down the path to find your perfect drive in a deep..fat..divot. What are the chances, right? With the increased number of golfers frequenting the links, I would say your chances are pretty high during peak season. Unfortunately, an unfilled divot is even more likely.

Here’s your guide to hitting your ball out of a divot.

Step 1: Assess the divot and ball placement

Assess The Divot And Ball Placement. Take a look to see how deep the divot is and where the ball sits in the divot. If the ball sits anywhere toward the front of the divot, it will be a much more manageable shot. If it sits toward the back, you will need to hit the ball with a steeper angle.

Step 2: Select a club to best carry the distance needed

Select A Club. I highly suggest you grab an iron to hit this shot since the ball sits below ground level, so if your measured yardage is longer than the longest iron distance you have in the bag, grab the longest iron.

Step 3: Visualize the shot you want to hit

Decide The Shot. Wherever the ball sits, you are looking to hit a punch shot out of the divot. Your swing size will be at most a 3/4 length, and you will finish low. The goal is to make a deeper divot with your shot, so the ball comes out clean. If the ball sits toward the back of the divot, you will need a steeper angle of attack into the ball. The ball flight won’t be high, but you can expect more spin than usual most of the time.

Step 4: Play the ball back of center to ensure ball first contact

Position The Ball. Set the ball two revolutions back of center, so it’s positioned for you to hit down.

Stay Down And Steady. If you even take a small peek at where the ball might go, you will most likely top the ball, so make sure you maintain posture and go after the ball. Once you finish, make sure to replace your divot!

Tip provided by: Cathy Kim, PGA/LPGA & Top 25 Instructor

Learn To Master Your Tee Shots

Ted Odorico July 4, 2026

Instruction

Are you choosing the correct side of the tee box for your swing?

If you’re guilty of trying to make a driver swing change in the middle of your round like most, you’ve probably realized that it isn’t the greatest way to play. Instead of trying to make mechanical changes, try playing with the shot that you have for that day and take advantage of your surroundings instead. Most tee boxes are wide enough to set up in a variety of locations, so let’s figure out which side is the correct side for you. In general, whatever side you fear hitting to, you will go to that side of the box.

Scenario 1

Let’s say that you are a player who absolutely hates missing the shot to the left. I would suggest that you set up on that side of the tee box to eliminate the left side. If you tee it up on that side, you will open up more of the right side of the hole.

To help avoid the left side of the fairway. Tee it up on the left.

Scenario 2

If the right side of the hole makes your blood boil, try teeing it up on the right side of the tee box, so you’ll be more inclined to aim out toward the left side.

Golfer who typically fade or slice the ball, you should tee it up on the right side.

Scenario 3

The middle of the tee box works best if your miss is minimal both ways and if you’re teeing off with a shorter club.

If you hit pretty straight then you are generally safe to tee it up in the middle.

Bonus Tip:

Did you know that you can set up with your feet outside of the tee markers? As long as the ball itself is teed up within the parameters of the markers, it is completely legal. As extreme as this may be, it comes in handy if the teeing ground is uneven or if there are divots all over.

As long as the ball itself is teed up within the parameters of the markers, then this is completely legal.

Summary:

Instead of making mechanical swing changes during a round, golfers should use tee box positioning to manage their ball flight and fear of hazards. Align on the side of the tee box that corresponds to the side you fear missing on, or use the center for minimal misses, notes instructor Cathy Kim

Tip provided by: Cathy Kim, PGA/LPGA Professional & Top 25 Instructor

How to Master Desert Target Golf in Arizona

Alex Fisher June 28, 2026

Instruction

Stop fearing fairway bunkers with this simple shift in strategy.

One thing that attracts people to golf is that no two rounds will ever be the same. Whether you’re playing on the East Coast, in the Midwest or out in the desert, you will face different shots, situations and challenges. One thing’s for sure, though—you need to be fast on your feet and know how to deal with different situations when you don’t have your “A” game!

Playing golf in Arizona presents many challenges that aren’t often found in other regions. Because of the scarcity of water in the southwest, golf courses reduce the amount of grass and rough by replacing it with fairway bunkers and desert landscape around the greens, so it’s often called “target golf.” If you’re not able to keep your ball in play, you’re likely to find either one of these situations.

Practicing fairway bunker shots is often overlooked when it comes to divvying up your practice schedule. It really isn’t a shot, though, that you should fear. Think of it as hitting a shot from the fairway but from a different-looking surface. One of the most common mistakes I see golfers make is trying to get too much club out of the situation. You have to think less about the distance you need to hit it and more about what club you can use to get out of the bunker and clear of the lip. Getting greedy never works. Take what the situation is going to give you and move on to the next shot.

Fairway bunkers

There are a few subtle changes you need to make in your setup when it comes to hitting from a fairway bunker. Tilt your upper body slightly toward the target so that the buttons on your shirt or your sternum are in front of the golf ball. You should feel that your weight is slightly favoring your front foot at address. These adjustments with your upper body will allow the club to travel on a steep downswing, making it less likely you will hit the sand behind the ball at impact.

Keep the ball position in the middle of your stance if you are hitting a short- to mid-iron out of the bunker. Grip down on the handle slightly, as your feet will be below the ball at address. Because of the adjustments in your setup, expect the trajectory of the shot to be slightly lower than normal. As a rule of thumb, take one more lofted club than you think you’ll need so that you have no issues clearing the lip of the bunker.

Your backswing is going to be slightly different than a regular shot. As you initiate your backswing, your weight must stay on your front foot. There should be absolutely no weight transfer toward your back foot as the club completes the backswing. Your swing thought should be to set your weight forward and make an arms and hands backswing with minimal body rotation. If your weight does pivot toward your back foot, it will be very difficult to pivot back toward your front foot on the downswing.

On your downswing, your body should lead the charge back to the ball. Your weight should shift toward your front foot, and your hips and chest should have rotated slightly past the ball before your arms and hands deliver the club back to the ball. Following this correct sequence will ensure you contact the ball before the sand.

As long as you don’t try and hit the ball hard, your swing should end balanced and finish. The majority of your weight should be on your front foot, with your shoulders stacked on top of your hips. Any hanging back with your upper body will cause the club to bottom out early and either blade or chunk the shot.

Desert greenside

Hitting from the desert poses a different challenge. If you are just off the fairway, and you have a clear shot to the green, play it like any other shot you would hit from that distance. If the situation is around the green, then you are more likely to tackle it like a greenside bunker shot. Evaluating the lie should be the first thing you do.

Take into consideration the firmness of the surface and how aggressive you can be with the shot. If the ground is firm like a wet bunker, you’re going to have to somehow break up the dirt with a punchy, steeper swing. If the surface is softer and broken up like a regular greenside bunker, you’re going to need to swing a little shallower and avoid driving the club into the ground.

Club selection is going to be critical when hitting out of the desert. You’re going to want to select a wedge that has little to no sole bounce. Typically, the lie will be tight and the ball will have nothing underneath it other than dirt. High-bounce clubs tend to bottom out too soon and bounce off the hardpan before the ball. Open the clubface slightly to avoid digging the club into the ground and play the ball forward in your stance. Opening the face tends to expose the heel of the club, so make sure you align the ball more toward the toe of the clubface. A good visual cue is to make sure the grooves on the clubface point to your front big toe.

To maximize loft and spin, make some practice swings and feel like you are fanning the face open. Focus on getting the right hand underneath the handle at the midpoint of your backswing, and make sure the clubface is pointing toward the sky. A good visual cue is to make sure the toe of the club points away from the ball and behind you at this point in the swing.

Set up to the ball with a slightly wider stance than normal. This will give you better stability and balance throughout the shot. Lean your weight toward the target to help you create a slightly steeper swing and avoid hitting the ground behind the ball.

Hinge your wrists early to create a slightly steeper backswing. Try to limit how much your body rotates away from the target. If your upper body turns like a full swing, you’re likely to sway off the golf ball and change where the bottom of the swing happens.

Impact should feel like you’re hitting a bunker shot. To maximize the sole’s bounce, release the club early on the downswing by making the arms and hands get to the ball before the body turns toward the target. By playing the ball more forward in your stance, you should aim to thump the dirt before the ball. This will cause an explosion, launching the ball into the air and landing softly while at the same time generating backspin.

Allowing the clubhead to release faster through impact, you should notice that the clubhead finishes above your head before you even have a chance to see where the ball has gone. Resist the feeling of trying to help the ball up in the air by hanging back on your back foot. The swing should come to an end with the majority of your weight still on your front foot.

Summary

Arizona’s “target golf” requires a strategic approach to navigate desert landscapes and fairway bunkers, replacing traditional rough with arid hazards. Successfully managing these courses involves prioritizing club selection to clear bunker lips and adapting swing techniques to firm or soft desert lies. Mastering target golf in arid conditions requires strategic course management, prioritizing higher-lofted clubs for bunker escape over raw distance. Success in desert environments hinges on anchoring the weight forward and utilizing low-bounce wedges to ensure clean ball-first contact from both sand and firm hardpan.

Keep checking back for even more great tips from our elite Top 25 Instructors.

Golf Should Be As Easy To Learn As Your ABCs

Alex Fisher May 21, 2026

Instruction

Grasping the fundamentals from the onset is vital to building a golf swing that will last.

So, you have a future golfer on your hands but don’t know where to start? The first six months of any new golfer’s development will define their progress and tendencies. Many things must be taken into consideration. Instruction that allows the golfer to grasp the fundamentals from the onset is vital to building a golf swing that will last. People often overlook equipment, too, especially when it comes to junior golfers. The common mistake I see parents make is giving children hand-me-down clubs they might grow into but that simply don’t fit right now. I get it! I’m a parent, too, but new golfers create compensating movements based on their equipment being too long and heavy.

So, you have the right equipment but don’t know what step to take next. Don’t fall into the trap of taking your junior to the range and teaching them your experiences. The rules you follow for your swing will probably not apply to theirs. It’s human nature to overcoach others. We desperately want the best for our kids, but that sometimes leads to coach desperation. I see this a lot when it comes to parent/child situations on the range. If the first thing doesn’t work, let’s try this instead. Before you know it, you have run out of ideas and frustration is at its highest. Regardless of someone’s ability to swing a golf club, you should always take a building block approach and not cut any corners. Stick to the PGA approach of posture, grip, alignment before even considering having someone hit a golf ball. Posture defines the shape of the swing and how much the body will pivot and rotate throughout the golf swing. Grip will influence most of the golf ball’s direction, and alignment determines whether the ball can stay on target. A breakdown in any of these areas will void a golfer of any consistency.

With two alignment sticks and four different-colored golf balls, create a practice station that highlights where the feet should be placed in relation to the golf ball. Your two alignment sticks should be placed on the ground, creating a letter “T.” Put both feet an equal distance on either side of the stick and toes parallel to their target. Place four different-colored balls in a row, starting from the middle of the stance and staggered toward the front heel. This will help identify the ball positions within the stance with different clubs.

As illustrated, the soccer ball position in the middle of the stance should be for any wedge, 9 and 8 iron, orange for a 7, 6, 5 and hybrid, yellow for fairway woods and red for a driver. Having different-colored golf balls creates a lasting memory for the new golfer and creates a systematic approach for the foundation of the golf swing.

To fully grasp what happens in the golf swing, you have a feel for what the body does and how it creates the correct sequence. Within the practice station, align your feet so that the alignment stick is toward the back inside heel. Make sure your weight is 50/50 as you cross your arms and place a golf club on the top of the shoulders. Posture should feel athletic and ready to move.

Maximizing the body’s rotation in its backswing is key to distance and power within the golf swing. In order to feel it, the golfer needs to rotate their body so that their weight shifts slightly in their inside back heel. At the resting point of the top of the backswing, the club across the shoulders should align up to the alignment stick between their feet. Spine angle should remain the same throughout the transition from address position to full backswing position.

Following the correct sequence will cause the weight to shift toward the opposite foot at impact. This weight shift starts from the ground up. Lead with the hips first, slightly rotating the opening toward the target. The shoulders will rotate back toward the target, too.

Complete the swing by completing the hip and shoulder rotation. The majority of the weight will be on the front foot, while the back foot “shows some shoe”—pivots to its toe. If done correctly, this position should be held for approximately five seconds.

Throughout the golf swing, there are key basic positions every level of golfer should know and recognize. Some theories have up to 16 positions, but for the average golfer, that’s way too many positions. Keep it simple and limit those positions to just four.

Stay with the practice station setup previously created, with both feet an equal distance on either side of the alignment stick on the ground. Weight should be evenly distributed while creating an athletic posture. While holding the golf club in the center of the body, notice how the arms and shaft of the golf club create a letter “Y.”

At the top of the backswing, the left arm should remain straight while the right arm folds at the elbow. The right forearm and golf club form a letter “L.” Creating this position demonstrates that the wrists have fully hinged on the backswing.

New golfers tend to avoid hitting the ground for fear of hurting themselves. Golf clubs, for the most part, are designed to lessen the club’s impact and not cause any harm. Weight at the moment of impact should be on the front foot, and the right arm straightens to help the club’s shaft angle lean forward through impact. Remember: No ground means no right arm extension; ground before the ball means no weight shift toward the front foot.

The swing isn’t finished when you hit the ball! At the end of the swing, most of the weight will be on the front foot. The back foot should have pivoted to its toe, and the heel is off the ground. The old saying “belt buckle to the target” is a simple reference to knowing if you fully finished the swing or not. I’m a big believer that new golfers decide whether they are going to stick with golf or not in the first few months. It takes a lot of dedication and discipline because golf is a difficult sport, period! Make sure that you give that new golfer in your life the right start and, as always, keep it fun.

Uneven Lies: Here’s How To Beat Them

Derek Nannen May 6, 2026

Instruction

The “Tough Two”: When the Ball is Above and Below Your Feet.

Think back to your last round—how many times did you actually have a perfectly level stance? If you’re like most golfers, you can probably count them on one hand. Golf is a game of slopes, yet we spend hours practicing on level ground. To truly take your game from the range to the course, you must understand how to work with gravity, not against it, by adjusting your setup for every incline. Understanding what may or may not happen from these uneven lies and making the necessary set-up adjustments are extremely important to executing the shot and minimizing the BIG mistakes.

When executing any of the uneven lies, use these three steps to help.

Step 1: Take several practice swings to get a feel for the slope
Step 2: Swing at 75% tempo
Step 3: Use a three-quarter length swing

Here we’ll discuss the two toughest uneven lies: Ball above your feet and ball below your feet.

Uneven Lies: Ball Above Feet

Option 1: Action-Oriented Flow

“To execute this shot correctly, start by choking down slightly on the grip for better control. You’ll want to aim just right of your target to account for the ball’s flight path while shifting your weight toward your toes to keep the movement dynamic. Complement this by adopting a more upright posture at address, and consider using less club than usual; this helps take some speed off the swing and effectively reduces the risk of a hook.”

Option 2: Casual & Direct

“When setting up, try shortening your grip and aiming a bit to the right to give yourself some room to work. Keeping your weight on the balls of your feet and maintaining a taller, more upright stance will help stabilize your plane. Finally, reach for less club—it’s one of the easiest ways to kill that unwanted hook and keep your ball on a straighter line.”

Key Adjustments Included:

. Choking down: Improving control.
. Aiming right: Counteracting a hook.
. Weight on toes: Promoting balance and athletic movement.
. Upright posture: Creating a more repeatable swing plane.
. Less club: Reducing swing speed to minimize excessive curvature.

SWING – The more lofted club you use for this shot, the further the face will point to the left. Using a lower lofted club will point closer to the target at address and reduce the amountof hook on the shot. This lie shifts the ball closer and higher to you than normal, which will steepen the swing plane, causing you to hit too much ground. At impact, feel the club just brushing the top of the grass. The slope, and a flatter swing plane, will create a right-to-left flight.

Uneven Lies: Ball Below Feet

Option 1: Technical & Instructive Flow

“To properly address the ball and guard against a slice, start by gripping up on the club to utilize its full length for maximum leverage. Set your alignment by aiming slightly left of your target, which helps square the face at impact. At address, shift your weight toward your heels and increase your knee flex to create a deeper, more stable base. Finally, opting for a club with more loft is a simple but effective equipment tweak that reduces the side spin responsible for a slice, keeping your ball flight straighter.”

Option 2: Casual & Action-Oriented

“Setting up for success starts with your hands—grip further up the club to gain a bit more extension and power. You’ll want to aim to the left of your final destination to account for any natural curve, while sitting back with your weight on your heels and adding a bit more bend in your knees. This grounded stance, combined with the extra help of a higher-lofted club, will work together to kill off that slice and keep you in the fairway.”

Key Adjustments Included:

. Grip up: Maximizing club length for leverage.
. Aim left: Offsetting the left-to-right curvature of a slice.
. Weight on heels: Promoting a more stable, grounded foundation.
. Increase knee flex: Lowering your center of gravity for balance.
. More loft: Reducing the axis of side spin to straighten out ball flight.

SWING – This is by far the hardest of the uneven lies. Why? In this situation, your swing needs to be more upright than normal WITHOUT changing your posture or knee flex duringthe backswing. Opposite of the other lie, the ball is now further away, making is easier for you to thin or top the shot. Keep your chest down and keep your knee flex throughout the swing, including the finish. Use a club with more loft to help increase backswing on the ball which will reduce the amount of slice. Play for a left-to-right shape and stay down.

Summary

To wrap up these techniques, it’s all about understanding how small setup tweaks can completely alter your ball flight. The first shot requires a more athletic, “tall” posture with the weight forward to help you hold off a hook and maintain precision. Conversely, the second shot focuses on creating a deeper, more stable foundation with a lower center of gravity to help square the face and eliminate a slice.

By mastering these opposing adjustments, you gain the ability to troubleshoot your swing flaws in real-time and keep your ball on the intended line.

Why Embracing Discomfort Is Your Key to Improvement

Ted Odorico April 22, 2026

Instruction

Ever feel stuck in the same place, wondering how some people seem to level up effortlessly?

Here’s the raw truth: Growth begins when uncomfortable becomes your new normal

If you’re comfortable, you’re not evolving — you’re just repeating. That’s exactly what keeps most players and coaches stuck in a loop, hitting great shots in practice but crumbling under pressure on the course.In this post, I’ll cut through the shiny surface and reveal why embracing discomfort is the game-changer. Whether you’re a golfer struggling to transfer practice to the course or a coach hungry to push your players beyond their limits, this is for you. Let’s dive into why being uncomfortable is the secret to real progress — and how to harness it.

Why Growth Comes From Discomfort — Not Comfort

When I spoke with golf coach Michael Wheeler on a recent Coaches Corner segment of my podcast Golf Talk Live, he dropped a truth bomb: “Growth begins when uncomfortable starts.” Think about this—when was the last time you truly pushed yourself outside your comfort zone? To see how embracing discomfort can truly change your game, watch the full conversation here:

The problem: Most people like being comfortable because it feels safe. But safety doesn’t lead to progress; it breeds stagnation. Growth happens when you challenge yourself, push past doubts, and face the uncomfortable realities of what it takes to improve.

Coach Wheeler emphasizes: “Your job isn’t to make someone comfortable; it’s to make them uncomfortable — that’s how you grow.” Whether it’s in golf swing mechanics or mental toughness, the discomfort is where the magic occurs.

The key takeaway: If you want to grow, you must get comfortable being uncomfortable.

How to Embrace Discomfort and Accelerate Your Progress

Change doesn’t happen by wishing for it. It demands action — specifically, action that pushes your boundaries.

Here’s how to flip the script:

1. Shift Your Mindset on Challenges: Instead of avoiding discomfort, see it as a sign you’re on the right track. Like a coach told me, “The best players don’t shy away from the tough shots — they seek them out.” Every mistake, every missed shot, is a stepping stone, not a failure.

2. Seek Out Your Limits: Get intentional about putting yourself into uncomfortable situations. On the golf course, this could mean practicing under simulated pressure or trying shots that scare you. Off the course, it’s about pushing mental boundaries — like staying present during high-stakes moments.

3. Learn to Appreciate the Discomfort: Discomfort is a signal that you’re growing. Instead of resisting it, lean into it. The more you do, the more resilience you build — resilience that translates into all areas of life.

4. Make It a Habit: Consistently put yourself in uncomfortable settings. Whether it’s a tough practice drill or high-pressure situations, discipline creates growth. Remember: “Building a swing is one thing; transitioning into a player requires facing your fears and uncertainties.” Pro tip: The more often you step into discomfort, the less intimidation it holds over you.

From Practice to the Real Deal — Making the Transfer

Here’s the real challenge: it’s one thing to be a “range rat” hitting fantastic shots, but how do you bring that same confidence to the first tee? Coach Wheeler nails it: “Building a golf swing is one thing. Becoming a player is another.” The difference? “Transferability”

Practice should mirror the real game, and that’s where discomfort comes in again. It’s about replicating pressure, unpredictability, and stakes during practice so you’re not thrown off when it counts.

Practical Tips:

Simulate course conditions during practice.
Practice under pressure — time yourself, add stakes.
Reflect on failures and embrace them as learning opportunities.
Train your mind to stay calm amid discomfort.

Remember: the more you get used to feeling uneasy, the better you’ll handle stress and uncertainty on the course, where it matters most.

Final Thought: Growth is Uncomfortable — Get Used to It

If you’re serious about getting better, you must accept that discomfort is part of the journey. It’s like the coach said, “You need to put yourself in uncomfortable positions — that’s when you start to grow.” Every successful athlete and golfer has faced moments of doubt, fear, and discomfort. The difference maker? They kept going.

So ask yourself: Are you avoiding discomfort — or leveraging it to level up? The path to mastery isn’t paved with comfort zones. It’s built through challenge, resilience, and the willingness to face what makes you uneasy.

Ready to Embrace Discomfort and Grow?

Start today: Seek out the uncomfortable, push your limits, and watch yourself transform. Growth begins where comfort ends. Will you take the leap?

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why is discomfort necessary for growth? Discomfort signals that you’re stepping outside your current limits. Without it, you risk stagnation because real progress requires challenging what’s familiar.
How can I get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable? Start small. Wear the uncomfortable cloak intentionally: try new drills, take on pressure scenarios, or push yourself just beyond your usual boundaries. Over time, discomfort becomes familiar.
What if I fail during uncomfortable situations? Failure in discomfort is a vital part of growth. It teaches resilience and helps you refine your approach. Embrace mistakes as lessons, not setbacks.
How does discomfort help in golf or sports? It prepares you for high-pressure moments, builds mental toughness, and transfers the skills from practice to performance. The more uncomfortable situations you train in, the more prepared you’ll be when stakes are high.

Remember: Growth doesn’t happen in comfort — it happens when you rise above your fears, face discomfort head-on, and keep moving forward. Are you ready to grow?

Take Some Lumber to your Game

Alex Fisher April 11, 2026

Instruction

This might sound like a stupid question but do you want to hit the ball further? Well, there are many things that can go right or wrong during the golf swing, but one thing is for sure, the golf ball really cares about what happens at the moment of impact. It is at that precise moment the golf ball is given all its flight data from the golf club. It really doesn’t care about what your swing looks like. Even on the PGA Tour today there are different styles of golf swings. Some people might consider Matt Wolfe to have a very upright swing plane, Matt Kucher flat arms at the top of his swing, or Adam Scott just picture perfect. Is one swing better than another? To be honest, all the golf ball cares about is that the clubface angle is square to its intended target, the club is traveling on the correct plane, and that you make a divot after the golf ball with all your clubs except a driver and of course, a putter.

A lot of the golfers I see want to hit the golf ball further. More often than not they aren’t being efficient at impact. Common issues I see with amateurs at impact are: weight is on their back foot, their hands are behind the ball, and the left wrist (for a right handed golfer) is cupped. Not only is their ball striking not crisp, but the contact on the club face is not centered. Ultimately the club is ascending into the ball and there is a significant loss of distance.

In order to improve your ball striking and impact you first have to “educate the hands and arms” to be in the right position. If you are a right handed golfer your left hand specifically controls the club face. If your grip isn’t fundamentally sound you’re unlikely to have a square clubface at impact. Your right hand and arm influences the plane angle of the swing as well as shaft lean at impact. The right arm is a major sauce of power in your golf swing because of the levers in your right wrist and elbow. The concept of leading with the left arm and letting the right arm go along for the ride simply doesn’t hold true. You have to use your dominate arm as much as you can in the golf swing.

There are certain drills that can over correct a problem but this impact drill will have you hitting your shots better and maximizing your golf swings efficiency.

Setup: Make sure that your fundamentals are in place and you haven’t cut any corners

Before you proceed with the 2×4 impact drill, make sure that your setup fundamentals are in place and you haven’t cut any corners. Using a short iron, place the 2×4 approximately one foot behind the ball, perpendicular to your toe line. The golf ball should be positioned in the middle of your stance. Your setup should look like you are getting ready to make a full swing.

The Take Back: Take the golf club back until your left arm is parallel to the ground and the shaft is set at a 90 degree angle.

When you’re focusing on improving your impact position in the golf swing, start by making slow half swings. Take the golf club back until your left arm is parallel to the ground and the shaft is set at a 90 degree angle. To ensure that your clubface remains square, make sure that your left wrist remains flat and the right wrist is fully cocked. Your right arm should feel relaxed and soft like a wet noodle and you should have little to no tension in your left arm.

The Down Shift: To start your down swing you have to start transferring your weight toward your front heel.

As you start your down swing you have to start transferring your weight toward your front heel. If you don’t shift you are likely to hit the 2×4 before you get back to the golf ball. Make sure that you are keeping your wrists fully cocked while at the same time making sure that left wrist is flat. All this will ensure that you avoid releasing the club head early and casting. Remember, your hands will lead the charge back towards the golf ball.

The Moment of Truth: Feel like your right arm is extending and driving the club head through the ball and into the ground.

As the club continues to travel on a descending path towards the ball you should feel like your right arm is extending and driving the club head through the ball and into the ground. The most critical moment at impact is when the club reaches the low point in the swing arc and bottoms out. Your low point at impact should be in line with your left heel (approximately 4 inches past the ball) and will be identified as the end point of your divot. It is the only position in the swing that both left and right arms are fully extended at the same time. Other key points to recognize at impact are that your left wrist is still flat and right wrist is bent. The majority of your weight is on your left foot and your right heel is slightly raised.

Stick the Landing: Your weight is on your left leg, you should be able to maintain a balanced abbreviated finish position.

As you continue to rotate your body into the swings finish position, maintain extension in both arms to avoid the dreaded “Chicken Wing Left Arm”. As long as your right arm pushed down through impact and your weight finished on your left leg, you should be able to maintain a balanced abbreviated finish position. Remember these two key points; if you hit the 2×4 on your down swing it was because your weight remained behind the golf ball. If you were unable to take a divot it is because your right arm didn’t drive the club head into the turf.

The Statue Finish: Owning the Result

Ted Odorico April 5, 2026

Professional male golfer in navy polo and visor executing perfect driver swing during golden hour on pristine golf course with dramatic sunset lighting and bokeh effects.

Instruction

Why Mastering the End of Your Swing Fixes the Start.

Welcome to the finale of our four-part transformation. Over the last three days, we’ve built a rock-solid foundation, wound your core into a high-tension spring, and mastered the “Gravity Drop” that delivers the club with professional sequencing. You’ve done the hard work of rebuilding the machine. Now, it’s time to learn how to stick the landing. Have you ever wondered why the best players in the world—from Tiger Woods to Nelly Korda—look like they’re posing for a bronze statue after every shot? They hold that finish, chest high and eyes on the ball, until it disappears into the horizon. It’s not vanity. It’s not for the cameras. A balanced, held finish is the ultimate “receipt” for a perfect swing.

If you find yourself stumbling forward toward the ball, “walking” after your shot, or falling back toward your heels, it is a definitive sign that your swing path was a mess long before impact. Your finish is the diagnostic tool for everything that happened in the previous two seconds. Today, we’re closing the loop. We’re going to focus on the end of the swing to fix the beginning.

The Finish as a Mirror: Diagnosing Your Faults

In golf, the “result” isn’t just where the ball goes; it’s how your body ends up. Your brain is an incredible compensation machine. If you swing too much from the outside (the slice path), your weight will naturally pull toward your toes to keep you from falling over. If you swing too much from the inside, you might find yourself falling back toward your heels.

By forcing yourself into a specific, balanced finish position, you are actually “reverse-engineering” your swing. When you commit to a pro-level finish, your brain subconsciously self-corrects your swing path and tempo mid-stream to make that balance possible. You cannot hold a perfect finish if your transition was violent or your path was crooked. To own the finish is to own the fairway.

The Drill: The “Three-Second Freeze”

This drill is the ultimate lie detector. It’s easy to fake a good swing for a split second at impact, but you can’t fake balance once the club has stopped moving.

The Mission: To prove your swing was in total equilibrium and that you used your “foundation” from Day One correctly.

1. The Setup: Head to the range or your backyard net. Grab a mid-iron, like a 7-iron, and go through your full routine: the Wall-Butt hinge, the Shoulder-to-Chin load, and the Step-In transition.

2. The Action: Swing through and make contact. But here’s the catch: You are strictly forbidden from moving your feet, dropping the club, or “stepping out” of the swing until the ball hits the ground (or for at least three seconds if you’re hitting into a net).

3. The Checkpoint: While you are “frozen” in your finish, run through this mental checklist:

. The Chest: Is your shirt buttons (or chest) facing directly at the target or even slightly left of it?
. The Weight: Is 95% of your weight on your lead leg? You should feel like you could stay there all day.
. The Trail Foot: Is your trail shoe completely vertical, with only the very tip of the toe touching the turf?The Spine: Are you standing tall, or are you “crunching” over?

4. The Payoff: If you can’t hold this for three seconds without wobbling, you’re swinging “out of your shoes.” It means you’re trying to generate speed with effort rather than with the sequencing we’ve built this week.

Did you notice any specific wobbles during your first few Three-Second Freezes, or were you able to stay rock-solid right away?

Efficiency Over Effort

The “Three-Second Freeze” teaches you the difference between forced power and efficient power. When you swing within your balance, you create a more consistent strike. A center-face hit at 80% effort will always out-drive a toe-hit at 100% effort.

The finish is where you prove you stayed “connected.” If your arms and body finished together, you’ll be as stable as a tripod. If your arms raced ahead or your body outran your hands, the “statue” will crumble. By mastering the finish, you’re training your nervous system to maintain control through the most violent part of the swing.

Summary: The Receipt of Success

The finish is where you diagnose your game. It’s the final grade on your four-day exam. When you commit to a full, balanced follow-through, you remove the “hit” impulse and replace it with a “swing” motion. You’ve now completed the circle. You started with a foundation that allowed for movement, you built a turn that created tension, you mastered a transition that used gravity, and now you’ve learned to hold it all together until the very end.

The Final Word

You’ve gone from a shaky, “Rubik’s Cube” setup to a pro-level finish. You have the blueprint in your hands: Posture, Load, Transition, and Balance. The instruction phase is over. Now, it’s time to stop reading and start swinging. The transformation won’t happen sitting on the couch; it happens in the dirt. Grab your bag, head to the first tee, and show your playing partners what a four-part transformation looks like. Your skyscraper is built—now go see how far the penthouse can hit it.

Need more help? You’ll find it here at golftipsmag.com

Secret to Seamless Transition and Explosive Delivery

Ted Odorico April 4, 2026

Pro golfer in a golf swing, using a driver golf club, rear view

Instruction

Letting Gravity Do the Heavy Lifting in Your Downswing.

The Gravity Drop: Mastering the Transition from Load to Lead

Welcome to Day Three. This is the moment of truth. Over the last two days, you’ve built a professional foundation and wound your torso into a high-tension spring. You have the posture of an athlete and the potential energy of a coiled cobra. But now comes the part where most amateur games fall apart: the delivery. If the backswing is about building the engine, the downswing is about the transmission. Most golfers panic at the top of the swing. They see the ball sitting there and their brain screams, “Hit it!” In response, they “cast” the club from the top, throwing their hands and shoulders at the ball like they’re trying to swat a fly against a wall. This move—the dreaded “Over-the-Top” move—is the primary cause of the weak slice and the pulled shot. The pros do the exact opposite. They don’t try to “hit” the ball; they let gravity and sequencing do the work. They understand that speed isn’t created by shoving the club downward; it’s created by letting the club “drop” into the slot so it can arrive at the ball with clinical precision and maximum velocity.

The Secret of Sequencing: The “Bottom-Up” Engine

In a perfect golf swing, the downswing starts before the backswing even finishes. Think about a professional pitcher or a quarterback. They don’t wait for their arm to reach the furthest point back before they start stepping toward their target. Their lower body moves forward while their upper body is still finishing its load. This creates “separation.” When your lower body starts moving toward the target while your shoulders are still turned away from it, you create even more tension. This is the “Gravity Drop.” By shifting your weight to your lead side first, the club naturally falls into a shallower, more inside path. When you “cast” with your hands, you pull the club outside the line, forcing a steep, across-the-ball strike. When you lead with your hips, the club “slingshots” behind you, allowing you to hit the back of the ball rather than the side of it. Today, we are going to force your body to feel this professional sequence.

The Drill: The “Step-In” Transition

To master this, we’re going to use a dynamic drill that makes it impossible to “cast” the club. This drill forces your lower body to take the lead in the dance, creating a natural, effortless transition.

The Mission: To force your lead side to “re-center” and clear the path before your hands have a chance to take over.

1. The Starting Block: Set up to a ball (or just a spot on the ground) with your feet touching—heels and toes side-by-side. Hold the club in your normal grip, but keep your stance completely narrow.

2. The Move: Start your backswing as you normally would, focusing on that “Shoulder-to-Chin” rotation we practiced yesterday.

3. The Action: Here is the key: Just as the club reaches about 75% of the way to the top—before you’ve finished your backswing—take a small “stride” (about 6 to 10 inches) toward the target with your lead foot.

4. The Follow-Through: Once that lead foot plants firmly on the ground, let your hips turn and allow the club to swing through.

5. The Payoff: This “re-centering” move is a game-changer. It forces your hips to clear and your weight to shift forward before your hands can fire. You’ll feel the club “drop” onto an inside path, ensuring you hit the back of the ball with a compressed, powerful strike.

When you tried the Step-In drill, did you find it difficult to time the stride while the club was still moving backward?

Why “Effortless” Speed is the Fastest Speed

There is a massive difference between “swinging hard” and “swinging fast.” When you swing hard with your arms, your muscles tense up, which actually slows the clubhead down. When you sequence the swing correctly—starting from the ground up—you create a “whip” effect. Imagine a long bullwhip. To make it crack, you don’t throw the tip of the whip at the ground. You move the handle forward, then snap it back. The handle (your hips) leads, and the tip (the clubhead) follows with massive, multiplied speed. By using the Step-In Transition, you are training your body to be the handle, not the tip. This is how players like Fred Couples or Ernie Els look like they’re barely trying while the ball screaming off the face.

Summary: Power is Sequenced, Not Forced

The transition is the bridge between your preparation and your result. If that bridge is shaky, the result will be inconsistent. By letting the lower body lead the downswing, you eliminate the “handsy” compensations that lead to fat shots, thinned shots, and slices. You’ve learned that the downswing isn’t a race to the ball; it’s a controlled release of the tension you built in Part 2. When you trust the “drop,” you stop fighting the club and start letting the club work for you.

What’s Next?

You’ve made contact, and if you’ve followed the sequence, it probably felt like butter. You’ve felt the “click” of a compressed ball and seen the higher, more penetrating ball flight. But the work isn’t done. Are you falling over your own feet after the strike? Are you “walking after” your shots because you’re off-balance? A great swing doesn’t end at impact; it ends in a position of total control. Tomorrow, we wrap the series by mastering the “Statue Finish.” This is the secret to consistency that the cameras love, your playing partners envy, and your scorecard desperately needs.

Check back tomorrow for Part 4, the final piece of the puzzle that ensures every shot you hit is as repeatable as the last.