Instruction

Putt The Percentages

There’s no quicker way to establish yourself as totally clueless on the greens–and to inspire confidence in your opponent–than to set up for a right-to-left putt, make a little pull stroke that sends the ball dead left, and watch the ball meander aimlessly on a path five or six inches below the cup, totally oblivious to the hole. Ditto the left-to-right breaker that you push well right of the hole. There’s a reason they call this missing on the amateur side–these are the putts that haven’t got a chance.

If you hit your putts to the high side of the hole, you’ll make a much higher percentage. Hit the putt too high and–if you’ve hit the putt with the correct speed–it still has a chance to trickle in over the edge. Putts never fall in over the edge on the low side.

Here’s a simple, yet extremely effective system, to hit more putts on the pro side of the hole–and to sink a higher percentage of them while you’re at it.

Regardless of whether the putt you’re faced with breaks right or left, you’ll have the greatest opportunity for success if you keep the ball above the hole–otherwise known as the pro side. The theory behind this technique is that putts that drop below the hole have little or no chance of finding the bottom of the cup. Your ability to read greens aside, the best way to ensure that your putts never drop below the pro side is to make simple adjustments to your hand and ball position. For right-to-left putts, encourage an inside-square stroke by playing the ball back and your hands forward. For putts that break in the opposite direction, set up with the ball forward and your hands back. These adjustments will make it difficult to push the ball to the low side.

Right-To-Left-Breaking Putt
On a right-to-left-breaking putt, set up with the ball slightly back (about two ball widths) in your stance and with your hands ahead of the ball so that the shaft leans forward (below). These adjustments will encourage a stroke that comes to the ball on a slightly inside-to-square path. More importantly, it minimizes the likelihood of cutting across the ball and pulling it left–the low side–of the hole.

Left-To-Right-Breaking Putt
When you’re facing a putt that breaks right, position the ball forward by one or two ball widths and keep your hands behind the ball so that the shaft tilts slightly away from the hole. From this position, it’s next to impossible to push the putt offline. Instead, your putter will travel along a square-to-square or slightly out-to-in path, keeping your putts on the hole’s high side.

Straight Putt
On a straight putt, focus on keeping the puttershaft in a perfectly vertical position at setup and impact. This will help you utilize the putter’s loft and impart a true roll on the ball.

Former Southern California PGA Metro Chapter Teacher of the Year Larry Brotherton instructs at San Juan Hills C.C. in Dana Point, Calif.

Drop 5 Strokes

Instead of taking advantage of clear scoring opportunities from less than full-wedge distances, most recreational golfers unnecessarily struggle, often needing additional strokes to get the ball into the hole following a poor approach. Not only does this situation work to balloon your scores, it robs you of the momentum you might have gained had you made par or birdie._Ê Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way. Over the next several pages, you’ll find an easy-to-follow guide to hitting crisp and accurate approaches from short distances with varying wedges. If you can learn these techniques and put them into play when the situations present themselves on the course, you’ll be in position to shave a good three to five strokes off your score and keep positive momentum active throughout your round.

Distance Challenge
The key to mastering short approaches is to learn how to hit the ball different distances with different clubs. Shots hit with a shorter or longer backswing and with more or less clubhead loft will exhibit trajectory characteristics that are better suited for some situations than others. For example, the 65-yard shot with a full lob wedge may not be the best play into a wind or if there’s plenty of green with which to work. Instead, the 65-yard play with half-pitching wedge will give you more control and likely a greater chance at getting close to the hole.

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Shot	PW (46__-48__)	SW (54__-56__)	LW (58__-60__)
1/4	45 yards	30 yards	20 yards
1/2	65 yards	45 yards	30 yards
3/4	85 yards	65 yards	45 yards
Full	105 yards	85 yards	65 yards

The Clubs
1/4
With your stance narrowed to a quarter of its normal width and your hands placed 1.5 inches from the top of the grip, swing the club back to a point where your left arm crosses your right pants pocket. Allow your wrists to naturally hinge. From here, swing the club to impact with an accelerating move.

1/2
Address a half-wedge shot by cutting your stance in half and by gripping down on the club a full inch. Swing the club back until your left arm is parallel to the ground. Don’t forget to coil onto your rear leg on the backswing, and to allow your body to uncoil as you bring the club back to the ball and into the finish.

3/4
With a slightly narrowed stance and your hands placed a half-inch from the top of the grip, make a three-quarters backswing. From the top, execute a normal turn back toward the golf ball, making sure to line up everything at impact. Your swing should finish at three-quarters without the need to consciously halt its motion.

Full
A solid wedge full swing exhibits the elements of any full swing, including a full turn of the shoulders against the lower body, a shift in weight rearward on the backswing and toward the front leg on the downswing, and a natural release of the clubhead. Keep your hands ahead of the face to keep shots from ballooning.

Players struggle on less than full-wedge shots for two basic reasons. First, they lack an understanding of the correct technique and, second, they fail to practice from different distances. Understanding the correct technique begins with understanding loft. In the 1970s, the standard loft on a pitching wedge was 50 degrees. On the sand wedge, it was 56 degrees, effectively creating a six-degree gap between the two. Today’s standard for most pitching wedges is 47 to 48 degrees. The stronger pitching wedge lofts have created a larger gap between modern pitching wedges and the standard 56-degree sand wedge. My advice to players is to add a lob wedge with 60 degrees of loft and a sand wedge with 54 degrees of loft. This switch creates the desired six-degree gap among your highest-lofted clubs.

The Setup
The technique to hit less than full-wedges begins with the setup. The first adjustment is to grip down on the golf club. Specifically, a player should grip down one-half inch for every 25 percent they would like to reduce the distance of their shot (measure the amount you grip down on the club from your palm, not your pinkie). The reason behind gripping down on the golf club is that it decreases clubhead speed without your having to swing the club any slower. Usually, when a golfer tries to hit the ball soft, he or she will decelerate and hit the shot fat. Gripping down also allows the player to stand closer to the ball while maintaining the same posture, thus making it easier to contact the ball with a descending blow.

The Swing
The next adjustment the player should make is to narrow his or her stance. The percentage of stance width that should be narrowed should be equal to the percentage you wish to reduce the length of your shot. For instance, if you’re hitting a half wedge, then you should stand with half the width of your normal stance. Narrowing the stance is important because doing so facilitates a proper weight shift when shortening the backswing. Think about it this way: With a shorter swing, it takes less time to swing the club to the top. Consequently, you have less time to coil onto your back leg. The only way to complete this coil with shorter backswing lengths, yet maintain proper tempo, is to narrow the width of your stance.

Once you’ve made the setup adjustments of gripping down and narrowing the stance in proportion to the length of the desired shot, the only thing left to do is to shorten the backswing. The key to shortening the swing is to focus on the left arm. For instance, to hit a half wedge, the left arm should be halfway back, or parallel to the ground. (Same goes for quarter- and three-quarter-length shots). Since many players haven’t practiced shortened swings, they lack the awareness of where the backswing stopping point lies. Those players need to rehearse and feel these positions until they’re aware of where they are in the backswing.

Once you complete your backswing, regardless of length, there’s only one thing left to do: accelerate. The most common mistake in mid-wedge play is deceleration. Most players have too wide a stance, too much club and too long a backswing to hit their shortened wedge shots. When one or any combination of these mistakes exist, the natural reaction is to slow down, since you instinctually know you have too much club or completed too big a backswing. The typical results are fat and thin shots.

Shot Guide

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Technique	3/4 Shot	1/2 Shot	1/4 Shot
Grip Down	1/2 in.	1 in.	1 1/2 in.
Stance	3/4	1/2	1/4
Backswing	3/4	3/4	1/4
Finish	Full	85 yards	1/2

By practicing quarter-, half- and three-quarter shots with each wedge in the bag, you’ll be able to accurately gauge the distance for each shot. The distances in-between will ultimately become a matter of feel. Players who haven’t practiced their quarter-, half- and three-quarter shots leave too much margin for feel, often having no real idea how far back to swing the club for their given shot. That player will always struggle to control their distance and will certainly lack the needed confidence.

One other benefit of practicing and developing this system for your wedge play is that once your distances are defined, you’ll be able to hit wedge shots the same distance, but with different trajectories. This gives you multiple shotmaking options. For instance, on one hole you may have a 65-yard shot to a back pin into a stiff wind, so you opt to hit a little more than a half-wedge. On the next hole, you turn downwind, but have the same 65 yards to a tucked pin, so you opt to hit a fuller lob wedge. These are fine points you can develop once you’ve built your base system.

The bottom line is that if you put the time into working on this system, you’ll learn to be able to control the distance and trajectory of the ball for all your wedge shots that are less than full. When you’re on the course and you’ve figured out the distance you want to carry the ball, you’ll be able to choose a shot that gives you the best access to the pin, given the conditions. Most of all, when you’re standing over the shot, you’ll have confidence because you’ve had the benefit of practice and, more importantly, experience. The final outcome is that you’ll save more pars and, hopefully, have a few more birdie chances.

PGA professional and top-100 instructor Todd Sones operates Todd Sones Impact Golf Schools at White Deer Run GC outside Chicago, Ill. (847-549-8678, www.toddsones.com)

Score From Anywhere

Regardless of how good your golf swing is or how crisply you strike the ball, you won’t post good scores if you don’t know how to think your way around a golf course—to score from anywhere.

Obviously, solid technique helps, as does driving the ball long and straight. But throughout the course of a round, there are a variety of situations in which fundamentally solid golf skills simply won’t get the job done. Instead, you must be able to rely on good decision-making to put yourself in position to shoot the lowest score possible without risking double and triple bogeys. Many of the following tips might not seem earth-shattering at first glance, but in time they’ll save you a fair number of strokes. And I know from my personal playing experience that sometimes just a couple of shots here or there can make all the difference.

Tee Smart

While the views from Scotland’s seaside links can be magnificent, shooting good scores can be difficult. Due to the typically windy conditions, shot and club selection are at a premium. Depending on which direction the wind is blowing and the shape of the target area, even a little thing like which part of the tee box you hit from can save a couple of strokes. In most instances, play with the wind rather than against it. If it’s blowing left to right, for example, favor the left side of the teeing area.

Low Rider: Swing Smooth

One of the most common mistakes made by golfers when attempting to drive the ball low is overswinging. Typically, a faster, more powerful swing, especially with a low-lofted club like the driver, will produce higher spin rates and shots that balloon up into the wind. Obviously, on a downwind shot, this technique can be desirable. But when you need to hit a more piercing, low-trajectory drive, the key is not to overswing. I recommend positioning the ball slightly back in your stance (more toward the middle of your body, instead of off the left foot) and making a smooth, body-driven swing. By swinging smoothly, with your arms as loose as possible, you’ll be able to take some of the spin off the ball, which helps to keep it low and under the wind. Notice how my hands are clearly ahead of the ball and clubhead as I approach impact. This shows that I’ve taken an abbreviated backswing, with the intention of simply returning the clubhead to the ball as smoothly and effortlessly as possible.

Short Stop

A smooth, easy tempo is critical to producing low, boring drives, but reducing the length of the backswing is also key. Not only does a shorter backswing help take some of the speed off the clubhead, but it promotes more solid impact, which is an absolute must when playing shots into the wind.

Pitch Shot Over Bunker: Don’t Flip Out

This is a situation that every golfer has faced at least once in their playing career: a shot over a bunker from a tight lie. The key here is not to try to flip the clubhead at the ball through impact, which leads to skulled, thin shots that either shoot over the green or straight into the bunker. Instead, keep your hands ahead of the clubhead at impact and remember to maintain a normal tempo.

Pitching over a bunker from a tight lie can be further complicated by a tailwind. The most important thing is to pick a target that will allow you to clear the bunker, while still providing enough room to keep the ball on the green. Once you’ve picked your target, forget about the flag and just hit the shot.

Wind Cheat: Low and Slow

Hitting an iron shot into the wind from a tightly mown fairway can be a tough task. However, with the proper technique, it’s relatively simple. Start by placing the ball well back in your stance to promote solid contact. Depending on the wind, you’ll want to select at least one, if not two or three extra clubs than usual (to further help keep the ball low). Then concentrate on a slow, smooth takeaway and try to return the club to the address position. After some practice, you’ll be surprised how easily and consistently this shot bores through the wind.

Links Location: Fairmont St. Andrews

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Lag Putting: Don’t Blow It

Every golfer knows the effect wind can have on drives and approach shots, but putts can be strongly influenced by wind as well. Indeed, one of the toughest shots you can face in windy conditions is a lengthy lag putt with a significant side wind. In these situations, I like to select a target to the right or left of the hole (depending on the wind) and concentrate solely on that spot. When I strike the putt, I pay no attention to the actual hole, but simply roll the ball to my target hole, allowing the wind to take it toward the cup.

Let It Fly: Shoot The Breeze

On approach shots over hazards, the wind can actually be your friend. When possible, opt to hit shots that take advantage of the wind instead of those that try to fight its effects.

Here, I’m hitting into a left-to-right wind, with a bunker on the right and some long grass in front of the green. Instead of trying to draw the ball in low, against the wind, I almost always choose to ride the wind. In this case, the smart thing to do is aim well left of the target and hit a straight, solid shot with a nice, high follow-through. This will shoot the ball up into the wind and allow it to blow the shot over the hazards and safely onto the green.

High Irons: Play It Up

When golf instructors talk about playing shots in the wind, they almost always focus on playing the ball low. There are some situations, however, like when you have a tailwind, when it’s best to play the ball high and exploit the wind. In these cases, I recommend positioning the ball more forward in your stance, close to your left instep. Instead of taking an abbreviated backswing, allow yourself to make a full swing. When you reach impact, stay back and let your arms extend fully through the ball. The shot should rise quickly off the clubface and attain enough altitude to take full advantage of the wind.

Pitch Shot: High vs. Low

To execute the high pitch, select a lofted wedge and position the ball slightly forward in your stance. A high, balanced finish will allow you to carry the ball onto the green. To play the low shot, which I recommend most of the time, position the ball back in your stance and use a less-lofted club. Finish with your hands relatively low, and let the ball feed to the hole.

Downhill: Use Your Head

On downhill approaches like this, it’s always tempting to fly the ball to the hole. In this case, however, I suggest playing a high-percentage, low shot toward the middle of the green. Select one more club, and make an abbreviated backswing with minimal wrist cock. Don’t be afraid to put the ball on a tee—you’ll still be able to hit it low.

Bunker Play: Great Escapes

For a high bunker shot, open the clubface and aim it at your landing area, while you point your feet well left of the target. Take a longer backswing, and allow the club to pull your arms into a nice, high finish. The ball will come out high and should land softly.

Just as is the case with greenside pitches, bunker shots can be played either high or low. To hit a low, running bunker shot, keep the clubface square at impact and finish with a low followthrough. When you play this shot, remember to allow for a substantial amount of roll.

Scottish PGA professional John Kelly teaches in Fife, Scotland.

Editor’s note: This story was updated September, 2019

Speed Plane

One of the main reasons why recreational golfers can’t generate the power they’d like to is that they never fully get the club in their hands on-plane, especially the longer irons and, to an even greater extent, the driver. What recreational golfers need to understand is that the plane on which the club should travel changes from club to club–it’s a path dictated by the lie angle of the iron or wood you wish to swing. As the lie angle decreases from the short irons to the driver, the desired swing plane becomes flatter.

I see many beginning golfers and those who struggle with a lack of power and a chronic slice swing their woods on a plane more fitting for a high-lofted iron. That is, they swing the club on too steep a plane. When you swing above the appropriate plane, you rob your motion of width, and creating as wide an arc as possible is the key to generating extra speed with your longer clubs. In addition, if you’re too steep going back, you’ll likely be too steep coming down–fore right!

To get a better sense of the difference between driver and wedge planes, try this drill. Hold your driver with your right hand and any wedge with your left. Notice how much flatter your driver shaft lies than that of your wedge. Now, imagine a plane of glass resting on both shafts–this describes the path on which you should take back either club. Go ahead and make a mock backswing with both clubs. If you’ve kept the clubs on their respective planes, you’ll have moved your left arm above your right.

If you can move your driver on the right plane, and give your swing extra width, you’ll be set to swing with more speed and hit with greater power.

French PGA Teaching professional Fr_©d_©ric Anger instructs at Saint Donant GC in Grasse, France.

Get Some Shut-Eye

Golfers tend to get worked up about putting. They make it into a far more complex exercise than it has to be, which is why I often jokingly compare putting to performing brain surgery. No doubt about it, we put unnecessary pressure on ourselves as we stand over that little white ball and whisper a prayer before pulling the trigger.

Some players become anxious about having to look away from the target and down at the ball to make the stroke. That worry causes them to lift their heads too soon, sometimes even before impact, ruining the putt. Others focus too intently on mechanics, resulting in a tension that turns their stroke into something more like a jab.

An effective way to cure both problems is to practice putting with your eyes shut. Address the ball as you normally would, shut your eyes and make a few practice strokes. You’ll notice that your anxiety will be relieved and you’ll feel calmer right away. Additionally, your head and body won’t move as you swing. That’s because with your visual sense temporarily shut down, there’s no reason to lift up and look for the ball. You’ll also notice that with your sight blocked, your sense of feel will be enhanced, almost magically transforming your stroke into a free, relaxed motion. This heightened sense of feel will show up dramatically in your distance control.
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I’ve known players who have so perfected putting with their eyes shut that they do it in competition. If you can’t make that leap, at least try closing your eyes when you make your practice stroke, then step up and hit the ball with that same relaxed motion.

Instruction Editor Debbie Steinbach played on the LPGA Tour for 12 years. She currently teaches at The Reserve in Indian Wells, Calif.

Flaws And Fixes 2002

Over the years, I’ve worked with thousands of golfers, and if I had to find a common trait among them all, it would be that each and every one has his or her own unique swing. A second–albeit unfortunate–universal characteristic is that all of these swings are plagued by at least one major flaw.

This is not to say that all of my students can’t play the game of golf. Some are intimately aware of the position of their golf club throughout the swing and understand the adjustments that must be made in order to get the clubface squared up in the impact zone.

Most have become better golfers by eradicating their flaws, however. For these players, the path to lower scores wasn’t easy–it takes a great deal of time and practice to beat a swing fault. But the process is much simpler if you discover which flaw or flaws are doing the most damage to your swing and, more importantly, the drills you need to eliminate them.

That being said, ask yourself if you’re guilty of committing any of the faults listed on the next several pages. If you’re unsure if your swing is hindered by any of these flaws, look at the clues we present for each. Often, a golfer may not know he or she is laid off, for example, but will know the ballflight errors this flaw typically creates. Once you uncover a flaw, or flaws, get to work on the drills. You’ll soon find yourself fault-free and ready for a season full of low scores.

Are You Laid Off?

Here are the clues:
1 You seldom take a divot, your ballstriking is inconsistent and you feel the need to make adjustments on the way back down to the golf ball.
2 Your playing partners tell you that your shaft points left of the target at the top, and that you take the club away too far to the inside.
3 Your backswing initially is flat, so you adjust it on the way up and down. Your hands are very active in the golf swing.

Usual Suspects
Typically, the club gets laid off in the beginning of the backswing. If you can start the club back on the correct path, chances are good that it will stay on path, eliminating the need to make costly adjustments. First, check your setup. Specifically, make sure your right arm isn’t tucked in too much (above). A tucked right arm leads to an inside takeaway and a laid-off position at the top.

If your setup is solid, then the problem may be an overactive right hand or right arm in the backswing. When the right side dominates, it usually pulls the club too far to the inside.

Also, if you prefer to roll the clubface open as you take the club away, you may be susceptible to the lay off–don’t overdo it.

Fixing The Lay Off
Shaft At Ball Drill
Assume your setup and make a 1/3-backswing (left arm at waist height) and hinge the club up. Check the following to see if you’re on the right path: 1) your hips have rotated so your belt buckle has turned toward your back toe; 2) your left arm is parallel to the target line and your left elbow points down; and 3) the shaft points at the ball and is on-plane (use a tee for reference). These are all elements of a fundamentally correct takeaway.

Push Ball Drill
Take your normal setup, but with a second golf ball placed on your target line six inches behind the ball you’re going to hit. Now, make your backswing. Did your club push back the second golf ball? If your club traveled back on path, it would have pushed the second ball straight back. If you rolled the club to the inside, the ball would have moved inside the target line. Practice this drill until you get both the club and the second ball traveling straight back. Progress to hitting the real ball and check your ballflight against the direction in which you pushed the second ball back.

Are You Reversed?

Here are the clues:
1 You finish your swing on your back foot, you have a vertical backswing and you find it difficult to hit low shots.
2 Your ballflight is inconsistent and you seldom take a divot. Furthermore, you feel the need to overuse your hips to create a weight shift and your hands are very active in the golf swing.
3 Also, you try to keep your head perfectly still. These are all flaws that can lead to the dreaded reversed position.

Usual Suspects
The reversed position has the majority of the golfer’s weight stranded over the front foot at the top of the backswing. A common fault that can lead to a reversed position is establishing level shoulders and hips at address (right). Your right side should be slightly lower so that your left heel, left knee and left shoulder are all in a vertical line that’s also slightly tilted away from your target.

Even if your setup is sound, you can force a reversed position by keeping the head too still. Remember, the head must float a bit on the backswing. If it isn’t allowed to, you’ll make it extremely difficult to swing the club in balance.

However, the most typical cause of a reverse pivot is sliding–not turning–the hips on the backswing. When you slide, your upper body will tilt toward the target. This negates any possibility of turning behind the ball. Without rotation, the only backswing you can make is one that’s all lift and no turn, with the bulk of your weight sitting where it was at address. This is a powerless, slice-causing position.

Fixing The Reverse
Tilt Drill
Take your normal setup with any club. Once you’re set, place the shaft on your chest to mimic the angle of your spine (left) and see where it points. The shaft should point toward your left heel. Notice that when it does, your left hip sits taller than your right and that your right shoulder hangs below your left. Proceed to make backswings from this address position with an eye toward rotating your hips and turning your left shoulder over your right thigh.

Backswing Coil Drill
Once your setup is correct, set the club across your shoulders. Practice turning the shaft over your right foot, keeping your right knee flexed. Picture your hips turning in a barrel, not sliding side to side. A good, upper-body pivot will naturally shift your weight onto your right leg without conscious effort. Now you’re coiled in a great position to swing the club to the ball on the proper path.

Are You Trapped?

Here are the clues:
1 Your ballflight is very low and, since your right arm is trapped behind your body, you can only block it right or you flip your hands through the hitting zone and send the ball low and left.
2 As such, you can’t hit a high, soft fade, and the majority of your divots point to the right or,
3 if you come over the top–a natural result of being trapped–your divots point left.

Usual Suspects
Two main culprits: your setup or your overactive hips. A common setup problem is that your right side is too high. This causes your hips to slide to the right during the backswing. You react by bringing your right arm inside to get the club on path (right). On the downswing, your objective is to swing the club on an in-to-out path, and you achieve it, but your chest and shoulders are too open. With your upper body racing in front of the lower, the clubhead gets trapped behind you. Ouch.

Trapping also occurs if you rotate before your arms and elbows get in front of your chest on the downswing._Ê In a good motion, the arms drop down (without releasing the hinge in the wrists) while the body gradually opens. This creates arc width without destroying path.

Fixing The Trap
Right Hand Drill
Select a wedge or 9-iron and tee up a golf ball. Grip the club with your right hand only, and set the back of your left hand against your right elbow. Attempt to hit shots as you keep your left hand on the right elbow throughout the golf swing. On the downswing, sense the timing needed to bring the right arm down with a gradual body turn.

Right Foot Drill
Take your correct setup, but with your feet about six inches apart. Move your left foot slightly forward and your right foot back and balanced on the toes. Your hips will close naturally as you find your balance. Proceed to swing the club. Your goal is to maintain your balance and spine tilt until impact. If you do, you’ll be assured that the club is traveling on a better path.

Are You Too Flat?

Here are the clues:
1 Your ballflight is very low and right-to-left, you seldom take a divot and you like hitting your woods over your short irons.
2 Also, you can’t hit a high, soft fade. Your playing partners notice that you take the club inside in the backswing and roll the clubface from open to closed in the downswing.
3 Furthermore, your backswing is short and you keep your hands very low to the ground.

Usual Suspects
First, check your setup. If you bend from the knees and not the hips, your upper body will tend to get too erect. This results in the shoulders turning too flat in the backswing and downswing.

If your setup is good, then the problem may be in your right arm. Many golfers try to keep their right arms close to the body throughout the backswing and downswing. This will also produce a too-flat approach to the ball. Coming into the ball on an overly flat plane can also stem from keeping the hands too low. Remember, the backswing is up as well as around.

Fixing The Flat
Setup Drill_Ê
Stand erect, with your feet close together and your hands holding the club out in front of you (bottom photos). Bend from your hips as you set the club, keeping your lower back straight and your chin up. Feel like you’re sticking out your rear end. Your upper arms should rest lightly on your chest and hang straight down. Now, look at your target and set your feet apart. Allow your knees to flex as you keep your hips out. Practice this drill in a mirror to ensure your setup contains these important elements. When it does, you’re set up to turn correctly.

Feet Together Drill_Ê
Get in your correct setup, but with your heels about six inches apart (about a blade-length) and your toes flared slightly. Go ahead and swing the club, making sure to maintain your spine tilt. Your goal is to maintain your balance and spine tilt throughout the swing until impact. Doing so will get the club on a better path. On the course, make this your practice swing as it will help you sense the feeling of an on-plane delivery.

Are You Too Steep?

Here are the clues:
1 Your ballflight is very high and left-to-right (slice).
2 You take a divot, but it’s usually too deep.
3 You like hitting short irons, not your woods.
4 You hate to play in the wind.
5 You find it difficult to hit low shots.
6 You like to take the club straight back in the backswing and your hips tend to slide instead of pivot.
7 Your backswing is long, with your hands high above your shoulders.

Usual Suspects
Again, check your setup. If you bend from your stomach and shoulders, the upper body will tend to hunch over too much. This results in the shoulders turning too upright in the backswing and in the downswing. If your setup is good, then the problem may be with your hips. If you keep your head too still and slide your hips instead of turning them, you’ll get too upright.

Fixing The Steep
Perform the Setup Drill discussed in the Too Flat section and the Right Foot Drill discussed in the Trapped section.

Hip Pivot Drill
Take your setup. As you assume your posture, set your golf club across your shoulders. Now, make a backswing and turn the shaft over your back foot, making sure that the spine tilt you established at address is intact (left). In order for this to happen, your hips must pivot, not slide. Don’t keep your head still. A correct hip pivot will help the club travel back and through on the correct path–neither too steep nor too flat.

Are You Flippy?

Here are the clues:
1 You either like your woods or your irons, but seldom do you like them both at the same time._Ê
2 You’re great on the practice range, yet struggle on the golf course.
3 Your hands are always very active in the golf swing.
4 As a bonus, however, you’re fairly adept at the greenside flop shot.

Usual Suspects
Enemy number one: Your body is out of position or out of balance. Your body senses this, so your hands take over to try to get the clubface squared at impact. However, this adjustment usually takes the form of a flick or flip of the wrists.

Flippiness can also occur if your body gets too far in front of the golf ball. When this happens, your club will drastically lag, usually with an open face. Instinctually, your hands will work to close the face at impact. This level of timing is difficult even for the pros to execute on a consistent basis. What usually happens is the clubhead races in front of the shaft and strikes the ball with an open or closed face, and typically on an ascending arc. In baseball, if you get too far in front, you’ll hit the ball to right field, unless you flip the wrists. The same is true in golf. You need to establish a firm left side and keep your head behind the ball. If you do, the flipping will disappear.

Fixing The Flip
Impact Bag Drill
The best drill to help eliminate a timing flip is to use an impact bag. Set up to the impact bag (or use an old duffel bag full of towels), push the club into the bag and set your body into a good impact position. The left arm and shaft should form one straight, vertical line while the head remains back. Make sure your left leg is braced and your hips are turned slightly open. Hold this position to create the feel. Now, set up to the bag and make a small swing into it. Again, hold the impact position and make sure the elements of a solid contact position are all there. Focus on form first and not speed in this drill. Work on hitting the bag with a square clubface and with the clubshaft aligned with a straight left arm. Now, you’re solid.

Balance Drill
Take a short iron and tee up a golf ball. Assume your normal setup. Now, close your eyes and swing. The key here is to keep your balance and feel the club during the swing. The better the balance, the easier it is to hit solid shots. Swinging with your eyes shut forces you to become much more aware of your balance since you won’t be able to rely on hand-eye coordination. Try it and you’ll see what I mean.

Are You Over the Top?

Here are the clues:
1 Your ballflight is left-to-right and your divots point to the left of the target line.
2 You either pull it or hit a slice and find it impossible to hit a high, soft draw.
3 You prefer to hit short irons and avoid hitting your long irons.
4 You aim toward the left rough and hope to hit the right side of the fairway with your tee shots. You often make solid contact, only to look up and see your ball headed left of target.

Usual Suspects
Likely, you aim left of left or you try to hit the ball hard with your upper body. Golfers who swing hard from the top often have difficulty getting the club on the correct plane on the downswing. When you rotate or lunge your upper body too aggressively, the club travels outside-to-in.

Check your setup and alignment. If you set up with your body aiming way left–and usually with your weight favoring your left side and your shoulders open to the target line–you’ll never get turned behind the ball in the backswing. As such, you’ll have no other choice but to come over the top in the downswing and swing out-to-in.

Even if you’re set up correctly, you can still fall prey to coming over the top if you lead with the shoulders or over-rotate your upper body to start the downswing. Many amateur golfers do exactly this in an effort to increase clubhead speed. The key to extra power lies in understanding the proper sequence of movements in the transition from backswing to the first part of the downswing, and that these motions are anything but aggressive. I teach my students to first set their left legs. This initiates the downswing movement. I ask that they keep their shoulders quiet and use their hands to set the club on the proper path. With the club on-plane, the next move is to swing the hands and unwind the body in a smooth, synchronized motion.

Fixing Coming Over The Top
Perform the Right Foot Drill and the Feet Together Drill (Previous Pages)

Split Grip Drill
Tee up a ball, assume your address position and grip the club with your hands several inches apart. Now, simply swing the club and focus on your path. Because your hands are apart, you’ll become more aware of where the club is traveling. More importantly, the split grip will make it difficult to get the club back on-plane if it does happen to stray off-line.

Stop Flaws Before They Start
Most swing flaws can be traced back to the setup. In addition to the requirements listed in this article, add these critical components to your everyday address position to ensure a faultless swing.

Grip
Find a grip that fits your build and flexibility. Here’s how: Grip the club with the left hand. Bend from the hips and let your left arm hang straight down. Hinge the club up and down, hitting the ground as you do so. Adjust your grip so that the club feels solid in your left hand and the clubface is hinging straight up and down. Now, lift the club up and set the right hand with the lifeline of the right hand covering the left thumb. Hinge the club up and down once again to check that the clubface remains square.

Aim
The majority of amateurs walk up to the ball, set their feet first and then set their club. Setting your feet first creates two chances for success: slim and none. The best way to aim is simple: Walk up and aim the club first at your target or intermediate target; align your shoulders parallel to your target line; then set your feet so that your in balance and ready to hit a great shot.

Waggle
Your waggle is a dress rehearsal for your golf swing. If it’s incorrect, you’ll have to work twice as hard to find the correct feel and motion. If you have the right waggle, then you’ve set the tempo and feel for the correct motion for your golf swing. Practice hitting shots with your waggle and see if it’s helping or hurting you hit more consistently.

Balance
I always ask my students which is more important to them in a golf swing: clubhead speed or control? I always take control, and so do those golfers who can consistently score to their potential. When you’re balanced, most flaws magically disappear.

Senior Instruction Editor Glenn Deck is Director of Instruction at the Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast, Calif., and oversees the award-winning Glenn Deck Golf Academy at Pelican Hill (www.pelicanhill.com). A former So. Calif. PGA Teacher of the Year, Deck is recognized as one of the Top 25 Instructors in California.

Hit More Fairways

Just round the corner from my house in northeastern Oklahoma lies Miami CC, a course on which I grew up and learned the game. It’s a track steeped in history, having at one time Ky Laffoon as its head professional. I taught each one of my five children to play golf on Miami CC–a course where each hole seems to demand a different golfing skill.

Of course, being in the fairway helps throughout, but on no hole is accuracy off the tee more important than on the par-4 11th. With water right and OB left, you absolutely need to be in the fairway with your tee shot to score well on ‘ol Number 11.

I’m sure you know of a hole like No. 11 on your home course–a hole where if you’re off the fairway, you’re in serious trouble. Indeed, there are times when accuracy off the tee is priority number one. When you approach these situations, use the following advice to ensure you’re safe and long.

Make An Impact
At the point of contact, everything should come together evenly, with your hands leading your body into the ball. From here, allow your right shoulder to turn through along with your head.

Shoulders
Set yourself up to swing on the desired inside-out path by dropping your right shoulder and resting your arms against your chest. If you don’t swing in-to-out, you’re in trouble.

Legs And Hands
Play the ball off your shirt logo and with a solid, shoulder-width stance. Lead with your hands, but don’t forget about your body turn–focus on rotating around your right leg.

Setup and Swing
The accurate driver swing is all about balance, control and togetherness. In no part of the swing should any part of your body dominate, whether it be the hips, legs, shoulders or arms. Balance starts at address, where your stance should be shoulder-width and with your feet flared to facilitate your turn. Your right shoulder should hang slightly lower than the left. When the right shoulder sits lower, it makes it much easier to swing from in to out.

Also, fight the urge to play the ball too far forward or too far back in your stance. Typically, if you play the ball too far forward, you’ll encourage a pull; playing it too far back will encourage a push. Favor a neutral ball position.

As far as the swing is concerned, there are only a few musts on which to focus. As you move your hands to the top and back through the ball, your upper and lower body should turn, but lag behind the hands. A critical point is your approach to the ball. At this point, I like to think of my right arm brushing against my right pocket. This lets me know I’m approaching the ball from the inside. As I make contact, I should feel my right shoulder hit my chin. Here, many golfers raise their heads. This destroys the inside path you worked so hard to create. Instead, let your head rotate toward the target with that right shoulder.

Common Flaws
Now that you know what to do, it’s a good idea to discuss what not to do. If you can keep from making the following mistakes, you’ll have a better chance of hitting your target.

For starters, don’t try to over-control your swing by making it too compact. With your short irons, this works well. But the driver is too long for such an approach. In other words, don’t pin your right arm to your right side like you would for a delicate approach. Let the right arm float out a bit to create the wider swing arc the longer-length driver demands. All that I ask is that you keep the right elbow pointing toward the ground. Again, this makes it easier to maintain the desired inside path.

Also, don’t toe dance. Remember your balance. If you’re not balanced, it means that one body part is dominating the others, a malady that doesn’t apply to accurate driving. Toe dancing occurs when you lift your right foot on the downswing. Some golfers can get away with this, but most amateurs can’t, especially when there’s trouble off the fairway. Usually, when you lift up on the right toe, you destroy your swing path. Same goes for the left foot. When I’m driving the ball well, both my feet are firmly planted as I approach impact.

Lastly, don’t forget about your finish. I’m a big believer that most poor drives result from hindering the finish or failing to get to it all together. Never stop rotating toward your target. As you swing to the followthrough, keep in mind that your hands should be traveling toward your target and releasing. Don’t quit on it–let that right arm extend and pull your right shoulder through. I know you want to peek and see if your tee ball is safe or not, but fight that tendency. Finish your swing first. Believe me, the ball won’t suddenly change its course if you give it an early look.

Faulty Towers
Most golfers fail the accuracy test because of two major flaws. The first is unnaturally pinning the right elbow to the body. While this is okay for a wedge, overly tucking the right elbow while swinging a driver (above left) will limit your swing arc and set the stage for an inside takeaway or a reverse pivot at the top. A second common flaw is lifting the right heel on the downswing (above middle). Doing the toe dance is a huge balance killer that moves your body and head too far in front of the golf ball.

Control
I’m sure you’ve heard tips on how to generate extra power with the driver, advice such as drive hard with your lower body or whip your shoulders through impact. While these suggestions may give you extra yardage, they simply don’t apply if you need to be laser-accurate. The accurate driver swing is all about balance, control and togetherness. In no part of the swing should any part of your body dominate, whether it be the hips, legs, shoulders or arms.

Mental Accuracy
The main mental challenge is not to assume you’re going to pull off a perfect shot. If you’ve been fading the ball all day, don’t expect to suddenly stripe a frozen rope down the center or hit a soft draw. Play the shot the day gave you.

Second, don’t allow tension to creep into your setup. If it does, back off. Take a few continuous practice swings. I like to find some long grass and let my clubhead brush over it, back and through, back and through. Try the same, and you’ll be surprised by the results.

Also, guard against your worst shot by teeing up on the side of trouble. If there’s OB on the left, tee up on the left side of the box and aim right. Do the opposite if there’s trouble on the right. Doing so effectively widens the fairway and creates a greater margin for error.

Furthermore, get a clear, definite target. When driving to a fairway with no clear landmarks, you have to use your imagination to find a specific spot to aim toward. Often, this spot is beyond where your ball will land. Look for a distant cloud, a tree branch or a bunker that’s out of reach. Whatever, make it specific.

Lastly, don’t worry about distance. Remember, you’re favoring accuracy here. Keep that your priority and favor balance over speed and let your equipment do the work. At about 46 inches, the driver is designed to give you plenty of yards without your consciously giving it that extra juice.

With all this in mind, remember that the driver swing is the most rotational of all. If you get too steep in the forwardswing or downswing by limiting the turn of your shoulders and hips, you’ll find it difficult to land the ball where you desire. Of course, don’t confuse turn with slide. Moving laterally left or right instead of rotationally clockwise or counterclockwise will spell disaster.

As a final tip, key in on your right leg. See it as the center around which your entire body turns. Combine this with active hands and an emphasis on maintaining balance, and you’ll be guaranteed the type of shot you need on tight driving holes.

Instruction legend Marshall Smith teaches out of Miami CC, Peoria Ridge GC and Shangri-La Resort in northeastern Oklahoma. Past students include Craig Stadler and Chi Chi Rodriguez, as well as his son, Marshall Jr., who joined Smith this year as a member of the Joplin (Mo.) Golf Hall of Fame.

Break The Ice

The majority of my new students fight a slice. That is, they tend to leave the clubface open at impact. An open clubface will impart left-to-right sidespin on the ball regardless of the path on which your club travels through the hitting zone. If you struggle with a slice, you know how frustrating the game can be. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way.

The following drill–actually, simply the image of it–has greatly helped my slicing students. It has taught them to square up the clubface at impact and finally lose that left-to-right arc once and for all. Here’s how it works.

Arrange a block of ice cubes two or three inches in front of the golf ball on the intended target line. Address the ball with a 6- or 7-iron. Then, have a friend kick away the ball and begin your swing.

From the top of your swing, focus on hitting past the spot where you normally play the ball and strike the ice cube block with the toe end of the club. Golfers who slice the ball will tend to simply push the clubface into the ice and lead with the heel end of the club first. This is an open clubface, and will lead to a glancing blow and most likely a slice. Rather, feel the toe digging into the ice and breaking it. This sensation will lead to a better squaring of the face at impact and a straighter shot pattern.

You don’t need the ice to gain benefit from this drill. Simply imagine the sight and sound of the toe of the club cutting into and breaking apart the block. Use this image while hitting a golf ball. It’s amazing to see the look on my students’ faces after they perform this drill and truly feel the dynamics of a square clubface at impact and the sensation of compression.

Professional golf instructor Barry Goldstein is the director of golf at Polar Shot Golf Center in Johnson City, N.Y. He also instructs at the Coral Springs Golf Range in Coral Springs, Fla.

Wiggle Your Toes

Posture and balance in golf are extremely important if you want to be a consistent ballstriker. In fact, in all sports, balance is paramount. The next time you thumb through a sports magazine, look for a baseball player awaiting a pitch at the plate or a quarterback set in the pocket and ready to throw. In every case, you’ll immediately recognize the high level of balance all professional athletes possess.

In golf, balance is critical at all areas of the swing, which means that you must be balanced at address. At address, I imagine that I’ve centered my body so that if someone tried to push me in any direction, I’d be able to hold my ground effortlessly. The next time you’re on the range, ask a friend to gently push you while you’re in your setup. If you’re not centered, you’ll fall off balance quite easily, even with just a two-finger nudge.

To prevent this from happening, establish your balance at address so that you feel as comfortable as possible–don’t let tension creep into any part of your setup. A key checkpoint is that your weight is centered over the arches of both feet. You’ll know when you’re over your arches when you can wiggle your toes in your shoes.

That’s right–wiggle your toes! If you can’t, then you’re out of balance and leaning too far forward in your posture position. Relax, get comfortable and get those toes to wiggle. Then you’ll be in balance.

Former LPGA Tour player Debbie Steinbach instructs at The Reserve in Indian Wells, Calif.

Putt With Precision

Just like it is with the full swing, it’s easy for golfers to get sloppy while executing their putting strokes. By sloppy, I mean hitting the ball all over the putterface rather than striking the ball precisely on the sweet spot.

A reason for this sloppiness is the fact that putters get more and more forgiving each year. Face balancing, perimeter weighting and other mass-distribution systems allow golfers to miss the center of the putterface and still enjoy favorable results. However, these results don’t come with necessary feedback.

The best method for learning any motor skill is trial-and-error-based practice. If you don’t receive feedback as to where on the putterface you’re striking the ball, it’s impossible to improve your stroke. Feedback is the key to lasting improvement.

I like to practice putting with the toe of my putter. When you putt with the toe of your putter, you must make perfect, centered contact or the ball will carom off in an embarrassing number of directions. Next time you spend your valuable time practicing, practice like a pro–with purpose.