Quick Tips

Let Your Golf Swing Go Downhill

Unlike most other major sports, not all golf is played on a flat surface. That’s just one of many reasons it’s such challenging and fascinating game. But how many practice ranges actually offer uphill and downhill shots? Not many, though such lies come up all the time during an 18-hole round — including the all-too-familiar “downhill” stance where your trailing foot is higher on a slope than your forward foot.

This tip addresses how to properly set up for this downhill shot. You won’t always encounter flat lies on the golf course, so practicing downhill shots will allow the player to be more proficient in downhill shot making.

Let’s focus on where the body weight should be at set up and the direction the club should move on the follow-through.

Take a few practice balls and find a downhill slope to practice on. Position the ball in the center of the stance (Photo 1 in the sequence above). This way you’ll be able to catch the ball first. Place more body weight on the lead side of the body and match the angle of the shoulders with the angle of the ground (left shoulder will feel slightly lower than the right shoulder). This inadvertently treats the shot as almost level. Make sure to execute a normal, on plane takeaway and backswing, keeping your head centered over the ball (Photo 2). Then comes the key move: Swing down along the hill in your forward and through-swing, as in Photo 3. Do not pull up on the shot and try to “help” it up, as in Photo 4. The proper follow-through will feel lower than impact position. Expect the ball to fly lower than normal as the follow-through will be lower and the weight will be more forward; to compensate for this, be sure to select a higher-lofted club than normal for a given distance.

Alison Curdt is a PGA Master Professional in Instruction, 2015 LPGA National Teacher of the Year, 2016 Southern California Section Teacher of the Year and a featured instructor on the Golf Channel’s SwingFix. Find out more at www.alisoncurdtgolf.com

Miss The Box

Angle of attack is the direction the clubhead travels into the back of the ball. Whether it be downward, upward or level with the ground, your angle of attack changes with the length of your clubs. The longer the club, the shallower your angle of attack–that is, not counting the driver, which is the only club in the bag where you actually want to hit up on the golf ball.

One of the most common mistakes I see from my mid- to high-handicappers who struggle with the driver is that they have an angle of attack into the ball that’s far too steep. And one of the main reasons why this angle gets too steep is that the head gets too in front of the golf ball before the clubhead makes contact with the ball. This steepens your swing tremendously, resulting in ugly pop-ups like crazy.

If pop-ups are familiar to you, consider this simple drill. Grab a sleeve of balls and place it about 12 inches in front of the ball you’re trying to hit. The goal is to create an upward angle of attack without hitting the sleeve of balls.

As you can see in these photos, when I hit the ball, I have my head leaning backward behind the ball. This helps me shallow out my angle of attack into the ball, and if anything, allows me to ascend into it. Give this simple drill a try, and not only will you stop the pop-ups, you’ll hit the ball higher and farther than before.

FORGET SPIN!

Remember back in the day when we worried about spin rates with the driver? I can remember using low-lofted drivers to keep spin rates down and prevent the ball from ballooning up in the air. In fact, the goal way back then was to launch the ball as low as you could with as much speed as you could muster. At least, that’s what we thought was the key for more distance off the tee.

Well, thank goodness those days are long gone. And, boy, were we wrong! Today’s drivers and golf balls are designed for much higher launch angles and for less spin. Why? Simply put, if you launch the ball higher with less spin, it will carry more and land on a flatter trajectory. Now here this: When we say “less spin,” that doesn’t mean “no spin.” Every shot you hit (even with a driver) needs backspin to lift the ball into the air. Without it, we’d hit knuckleballs that fly short distances and wobble uncontrollably in the air.

For all intents and purposes, don’t worry about your spin rate and instead focus on hitting drives that have a high initial launch. A clubfitter will help you rein in spin (if you have too much or too little), and sometimes adjusting what type of ball you play or shaft you use will do the trick.

Justin Klemballa, PGA, teaches at the Jim McLean Golf School at SunRidge Canyon Golf Club in Fountain Hills, Ariz. For more info, visit www.sunridgegolf.com.

‘Clean Up’ Your Sand Shots!

I have been teaching and building golf training tools for over 30 years. Both have truly been a passion of mine, starting back when I was a young teenager helping out my friends with their golf game.

When I became a young golf professional, building training tools began to accelerate. As the knowledge of the golf swing and short game grew, so did my arsenal of training tools. Although, many of these devices were built with equipment and materials found at your local hardware store, in the following tip on improving your greenside bunker game, I have used a couple of things that you might just have lying around the house. Have no fear: There’s no table saw, drill press or hammer needed to build this training tool creation!

WHAT YOU NEED
Eight-inch piece of a noodle – like one your kids used the pool when they were little – a dust pan, and a tape measure

THE SITUATION
Sand shots left in the bunker or sculled into the lip or over the green

Far right: Too Far Behind Ball

• One of the keys to consistent sand shots is hitting the sand two to three inches behind the ball. A common occurrence is when the golfer makes contact too far behind and leaves the ball in the bunker.

• Similarly, contact can be made too far behind the ball, but resulting in ‘sculling’ the shot into the lip or over the green. This happens because the club enters the sand with a shallow angle of attack, which causes the club to bounce off the sand and as it is exiting, skulls the ball.

• Both cases require precision relating to sand contact – again two to three inches behind the ball.

THE SOLUTION
• Turn dust pan upside down and place noodle under handle
• Place golf ball inches ahead of dust pan’s leading edge
• Indicate 12 inches with tape measure

With the dust pan in place and set at a steep angle, your goal is to avoid the dust pan in the backswing and downswing.
Two ways to get this done:

1. Lean left address and maintain the lean throughout your stroke
2. Use your wrists early in the backswing to create a steep angle

• The key is to ‘zero in’ on the 2 to 3 mark

What a Nice Feature: Clean up your messy ‘sand divot’ with the dustpan!

THE RESULT
Consistently out of the sand trap and eventually close to the hole.

Watch the quick demonstration video:

Out-Turn Your Target

When it comes to chipping and pitching, I see a lot of people using only the hands and arms to hit the shot. To become very good at these shots, you must use the pivot of the body so you can take the hands and arms out of the hit. When hitting chips and pitch shots, have the buttons on your shirt out-turn your target. Try to get the sensation that the energy of the strike is coming from the rotation of your pivot and pivot speed.

The differences in the two sets of photos are pretty drastic. In the first set, the arms and hands are way too active, and there’s zero to little pivot of the body.

In the second set of photos, the body has fully turned and I’ve hit the shot with no hands. When chipping or pitching, try to get the buttons on your shirt to out-turn your target.

Jack Crosley, PGA, is an instructor at The Vintage Club in Indian Wells, Calif. Find Jack on Twitter @jcrosley3 and on YouTube at RollYourRock.

Golf chipping tips: common denominators

Play Like A Pro!

Every week, TV audiences are mesmerized by PGA Tour pros. It’s easy to understand why. It seems like every few minutes they hit some amazing shot, drain a long curling putt or stripe a drive down the center of the fairway. “If only I could do that,” golfers at home think.

Of course, to play like a Tour pro demands years of sacrifice and dedication. But that doesn’t mean the average golfer can’t hit Tour-quality shots. In fact–and this is one of the things I like most about the game–over the course of a round, I guarantee that every golfer executes at least one shot that comes off just like a pro’s.

In this article, I’m going to show you how to do that on a more consistent basis. Read on and get Tour-tough.

AIM AWAY FROM THE TROUBLE
Whenever you tee off on a hole with a hazard or an OB on either side of the fairway, always tee the ball up on the side the trouble is on.

Consider the shot I’m faced with here. I’m standing on the 18th tee at TPC Scottsdale, where a large lake extends down the fairway’s left side. I’m teeing it up as far left on the tee box as possible so I can aim right and away from the trouble. (Trust me, I’ve seen a lot of players snap-hook their drives into that hazard during the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and it’s not a fun way to finish your round.)

By teeing up on the left side, I actually can aim so far right that my back practically faces the lake. (In truth, I can barely see it when I look down the fairway.) By eliminating trouble (or ignoring it), I’m free to make a more aggressive swing. That’s exactly what the best Tour players do.

HOVER YOUR PRACTICE SWINGS
Roughly 85 percent of all amateurs slice their driver, but very few Tour players do (or, if they do, they do it on purpose). Why? Simple. Pros swing the club on a flatter plane and square the clubface at impact.

Slicing can happen for two reasons: a steep downswing that leads to an outside-in swing and/or an open face at impact.

To fight the slice, try rehearsing your swing on a flatter-than-normal swing plane by hovering the clubhead about a foot off the ground and making swings like you see here.

This creates more arm rotation through the impact zone and generates more clubface rotation. Do this enough, and the face will square at impact and allow for a straighter drive.

TURN YOUR BACK TO THE TARGET
Here’s Woody Austin teeing off on the 13th hole at Riviera Country Club during a practice round at the Northern Trust Open. He has selected a driver and made a full turn in his backswing. In fact, it’s so full, his back now faces down the fairway. Woody is in his late 40s, and you can be sure he stays limber to torque up like that. When you combine a big shoulder turn with quiet hips, as he’s doing here, you create a lot of coil. Unleashing that is the first big step to hitting long drives.

DEVELOP AND REPEAT A CONSISTENT PRESHOT ROUTINE
When the game’s best golfers get ready to play a shot, a few things happen the same way, time and again.

1.) To establish a target line from their ball to their target, they always stand behind the ball. In most cases, they pick out an intermediate target (a spot, blade of grass, etc.) three to five feet in front of the ball and align their clubface and body lines to it.

2.) They assemble their grip while behind the ball and then walk in to address the ball from the side. The grip assembly from behind the ball is important so you don’t have to fidget while over the ball. Like the pros, always aim the clubface at the intermediate target and then align your feet accordingly.

3.) They breathe, retain a concentrated focus on their primary target and make an aggressive swing.

MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE
In construction, the saying goes, Measure twice, cut once. That is, before you cut a piece of wood, make sure it’s the right length. The same goes for golf. Take this series of photos of Padraig Harrington and his caddie, Ronan Flood. As a team, they assess the lie they have, determine the distance and then select a club based on these factors. Note how in the last photo, Harrington is locked in on the target? After he has assessed all the elements, he hones in on one thing before pulling the trigger: the target.

CONTROL YOUR PITCH SHOT TRAJECTORY
To control how high their pitch shots fly (and, hence, how far the ball rolls after it hits the green), I tell my students to alter how much their shafts lean at address. Hey, that’s what most Tour pros do, too.

Here’s how to do it: First, select a 56_¡ sand wedge. For a high toss, lean the shaft slightly back; for a low toss, move it slightly forward; and for a standard toss, keep the shaft at 6:00 (if the ball is at 12:00).

As a rule, the shaft should always point to the center of your body. This requires you to shift left for the low toss and right for the high toss. Your ball position is dictated by how you “stand to the handle,” as it were. (The more you lean to the left, the farther back in your stance it will be. The more you lean to the right, the farther ahead the ball will be.)
Keep your lower body passive during the backswing, and assemble your hands with a predominantly arm swing. Return the shaft

position to the identical spot you started with at setup. “Thud” the ground and really go at it with your lower body. The result should be three different trajectories that produce three different “rollouts.”

This is a great shot to play when you’re about 20 yards away from your desired landing spot on the green.

PRACTICE WITH A PURPOSE
Charlie Wi and Tour pros like him don’t just play around during their practice rounds. He practices with a purpose. Here he is chipping on Riviera Country Club’s 12th green. But he’s not chipping to the hole, he’s chipping to where the hole will be cut on one of the tournament days. Lots of pros take a hole-sized rubber Frisbee that they can place anywhere on the green and putt or chip to. Just because the pin is cut in a specific position doesn’t mean that that’s the only hole you should play to.

DIVIDE THE GREEN INTO THIRDS
Here’s a maxim I always tell my students: Putt when you can putt, chip when you can’t putt, and pitch when you can’t chip. In short, the closer your ball is to the ground, the easier it is to control. All Tour pros know this.

First, however, you have to establish a landing spot. If there’s no trap or hazard in the way, it should be roughly two paces onto the green, regardless of where the pin is. Once you establish this spot, determine which club you should hit and at what trajectory. The higher the shot, the less the ball will roll; the lower the shot, the more it’ll roll.

Next, divide the green into thirds. If you hit a sand wedge or pitching wedge, the ball should not roll very much. In fact, it’ll stay on the front third of the green. A 9- or 8-iron should roll to the middle third of the green, and a 7- or 6-iron should roll to the last third of the green. Regardless of which club you hit, factor in green speeds and other conditions that’ll affect these ratios.

PRACTICE LIKE A PRO, TOO!
If you want to better your game like the pros do, why not practice like they do? The TOURAcademy, located at various locations throughout the U.S. (including here at the TPC of Scottsdale), offers a tee-to-green, PGA Tour-influenced, immersive learning experience for players of all types. (No, you don’t have to be a member of the PGA Tour to experience what the TOURAcademy has to offer.) Programs include total game improvement programs from the ground up, one-on-one instruction, group lessons, multi-day golf schools and more. Better yet, you can customize your experience based on how intense you want your lessons to be. Whether you’re looking for a light primer on the fundamentals or a total swing overhaul, the TOURAcademy delivers some of the finest golf learning experiences in the entire country. To learn more, visit www.pgatourexperiences.com.

MAKE A REAL-TIME PRACTICE STROKE
A few years ago, I had dinner with one of the game’s best putters, Loren Roberts, the so-called “Boss of the Moss.”
Inevitably, the conversation turned to putting. I asked him what he thinks about when he stands over a putt. He answered with only one word: “Speed.”

Without question, average golfers have a hard time controlling the speed of their putts. If that sounds like you, consider making “real-time” practice strokes. Take one or two practice strokes and hold your finish for the amount of time you think it will take the ball to arrive at the hole. Five-footers on most greens take about three seconds, whereas 50-footers take considerably longer, obviously. In both cases, hold your rehearsal finish for the amount of time you think it will take for your ball to arrive at the cup. Then make the same stroke when the ball is there.

These real-time practice strokes program your brain to get a sense of the right speed and will help eliminate all those
unwanted 3-putts.

John Stahlschmidt, PGA, is the head instructor at the TOURAcademy in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, visit touracademy.com.

Tee Party

If you’re struggling with your distance control and three-putting, sometimes the best practice is to rehearse a simple drill that takes the focus off the hole and onto a different end goal. When we try to get specific with our targets, sometimes this makes matters more difficult. This is especially true when it comes to lengthy putts. Seems the more we try to pinpoint our long putts, the worse we sometimes get. It’s the curse that comes with trying too hard.

To help fix this problem, I like to take two tees, and position both of them about three feet on the higher side of the hole (if you have a flat putt, choose the side of the hole you rarely miss), with one tee about three feet behind the hole, the other a few inches front of the hole. This essentially forms a triangle with the hole, and it’s where I like my golf balls to end up after each putt.

As I mentioned, the goal isn’t necessarily to make every putt (although it doesn’t hurt if you do). Instead, what you should do is train your eyes and your mind to see a bigger target when you putt from 20, 30, 40 feet and beyond. These are the distances you’re more likely to two-putt from anyway, so let’s make sure you do and avoid the dreaded three-putt at all costs.

The drill is to take about 5-10 golf balls, and practice rolling your putts from 20 feet, 30 feet and 40 feet. Keep putting until the majority of your putts end in the triangle from each of those distances.

As you practice getting your golf balls to end up in the triangle (or better, in the hole!), you’ll find that the bigger target is easier to find, you’re more likely to make a confident stroke, and most importantly, you’ll find yourself three-putting a lot less often on the golf course. And speaking of that, try visualizing this drill the next time you have a lengthy putt on the course. It just might help calm your nerves and make a smoother, more controlled putting stroke. After all, a bigger target is a much easier one to find than a 4.25-inch cup!

Susie Corona, LPGA, is the Director of Golf at Terravita Country Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. Visit terravita.com for more information.

Between The Ears

ARE YOU READY to start playing your best golf? Is your swing dialed in and you’re confident with your ballstriking? How about your distance off the tee? Are you happy with your chances to reach an occasional par-5 in two? Is your short game ready for action?

Okay, those were the easy questions. Now let me ask you this: how’s your mental game? When was the last time you practiced your decision-making, controlling your emotion or trusting your instincts?

Hmmm, by now, hopefully I have your attention. Playing your best golf isn’t just about putting time in practicing your swing mechanics. You have to work equally as much on your ability to make wise decisions and react the way you should when things don’t go your way. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite tips that are designed to help you play better between the ears and, ultimately, shoot lower scores.

IT’S OKAY TO GAMBLE SOMETIMES
This scenario follows what you saw in the opening photo of this article. I’ve hit a good drive on a par-5, but my tee shot leaked a little to the right and I’m just barely on the fairway. I have two choices. First, I could lay up and put the ball down in the fairway far enough to leave myself with an easy short shot to the green. Or, I can pull out my 3-wood and go for the green, which as you can see is guarded by a few bunkers.

Now, my ball (which you see in the photos below) is just on the first cut of rough, and I actually have a pretty good lie. I’m only 242 yards from the middle of the green, which is right in the wheelhouse for a smooth 3-wood. Decisions, decisions, decisions!

For this shot, I’m going to go for it with my 3-wood, and here’s why. I’ve addressed three key things. First, the lie. I have a perfect lie for hitting a 3-wood since it’s on a cushion of grass. Second, I take a look at my distance, and 242 yards is a very comfortable 3-wood for me. Next, I’ve determined my shot shape and the angle I have towards my target. Because I’m playing from the right side, I have plenty of room to accommodate my natural fade ballflight.

Based on these variables, I’ve made a decision to let ‘er rip. If I don’t catch it flush, the ball will likely end up in the fairway. If I do hit it well, the ball will land soft on or close to the green thanks to my usual fading ballflight.

I’ve decided to go for the green based on the variables I’ve described, but there was also another element to the mix that lead me to take the gamble and go for the green. I had to make sure I felt it was the right shot at the right time. When I held the 3-wood in my hand, I felt confident that I could execute the shot. I also had no trouble visualizing the shot beforehand. The wide fairway accommodated my fade, and I had an innate sense that 3-wood was the way to go.

Sometimes, even when all the variables point towards going for the green, your gut may tell you the better play is to lay up. When it speaks like that, listen to it and lay up! Play the safe shot and don’t hesitate. On the other hand, when the variables aren’t in your favor to go for it and laying up is the safer play, stick to your routine and don’t feel as though you could will the ball to the hole with your 3-wood. Play it safe when you don’t feel comfortable, no matter what the circumstances are. You may have a perfect lie in the fairway, but if it doesn’t feel right to go for it, don’t!

MANAGE THE TEE BOX
Sometimes we get so fixated on what lies ahead that we forget where we’re standing. On this hole (a sharp dogleg to the right), I’ve got to consider not only what club to use, where I want the ball to land and what shot shape I should play, I also need to find what area on the tee box gives me the best chance for success.

It may not look like much of a big deal, but the two tee box positions in the above photo greatly affect my performance on this hole. The one on the left forces me to play a straight tee shot because it pulls the trees on the left side more into play. I may be able to better see the fairway as it doglegs right, but it’s a tricky angle for my natural left-to-right ballflight. At the top of my swing, whether I’m aware or not, my eyes will notice that I have to steer a straight shot from here, and it’s likely I’ll swing with less fluidity and make more mistakes. This is precisely why you sometimes feel uncomfortable on some tee boxes. It’s because your body and your eyes are trying to tell your mind something that you haven’t consciously noticed yet.

The tee position on the right is much better for me, and I feel much more comfortable from here. I can’t see the fairway as well, but I’ve allowed more room to hit a soft fade. This slight adjustment in tee positioning shows that the difference between feeling comfortable or not can be as subtle as a few feet from side to side.

Consider your natural ballflight and be conscious of what part of the tee box is best for you. Also, it doesn’t matter if the hole is 600 yards or 300 yards. Go with the club you feel comfortable with off the tee. As you can see, I’m hitting 3-wood. Why? It feels right.

PLAN YOUR ESCAPE
No matter how finely tuned your golf swing, or how mentally tough you become, you’re still going to hit the occasional bad shot. Humbling, isn’t it? Even the best players in the world are not immune to making mistakes. And sometimes, it’s not even a mistake that leads to an unfortunate situation. Luck, good or bad, is always a factor in the game. In this instance, my tee shot (on a par-5, luckily) has found the trees on the left side of the hole. It’s a par-5, meaning I don’t have to necessarily advance the ball as far as I can to try and save a good score. I’m going to pitch out, but I want to make sure I evaluate how to do that.

Ask yourself, when was the last time you actually practiced hitting pitch shots out of the rough and back into the fairway? It’s not something most of us spend much time doing! But truth be told, hitting a recovery shot is just as important as any other. Time to do it right.

Most golfers assume hitting a pitch recovery shot means taking a short iron or wedge and pitching the ball back into play. Okay, fine. Sometimes that’s all you can do. But in some instances, there are more choices to make and a short pitch back into the thick part of the fairway isn’t always the best choice. In the above photo, you can see I have quite an opening. Why would I pitch the ball back into the fairway with a short iron when I could advance the ball much farther?

I can’t hit a full middle or short iron because of the tree branches above me. So, first thing I do is choose the right club. I’m going with the 4-iron. For this shot, I can hit the 4-iron without having to deloft the clubhead too much, which, when you deloft an iron, you make it easy to dig into the turf, often resulting in a fat recovery shot. Instead, consider a lower-lofted iron and lower your ballflight that way. If you artificially play the shot with the hands far forward, you’ll find that much harder than it would be with a more natural and lessened forward shaft lean that engages the bounce on the sole and prevents digging.

Then again, if your ball is nestled deep in the grass, use more loft, and go ahead and play with forward shaft lean. You need that steeper angle of attack in that case.

Hitting a good recovery shot usually means limiting as much unnecessary movement as possible. Distance isn’t as important as direction, so the key in this shot is limiting movement and making solid contact with the face pointing in the right direction.

As you can see in the sequence above, I’m making a rotational, body-driven swing with less hand action and lower body action than I normally would have hitting a full swing iron shot. Again, think control first, distance second and remember to use the loft of your iron to adjust for trajectory, not an extremely hand’s forward position (unless you’re in the deep rough.)

Having good mechanics will certainly help in the successful execution of the shot; however, I see too many golfers playing trouble shots without being committed to the shot. If you stand over a shot and you’re still not sure you’ve made the right choice, you’ll become tentative. Doubt of the decision and fear of the consequences get in the way of pulling off successful trouble shots. The decision is based on the lie, the risk versus reward and your skill set. When you assess all of those variables, it will lead to a committed visualization of what you want, which leads to a decisive swing.

SAVE THE HERO SHOTS FOR THE FAIRWAY

We all want to hit the exciting recovery shot that sometimes Tour players make on TV. And as fun as it is imagining yourself to be Tiger, Rory, Bubba or Phil and hitting an all-world recovery, most of the time, Tour players actually opt to get the ball back in play more than they do try for the hero shot out of trouble. Pitching the ball back into the fairway doesn’t make for great entertainment on television, and you don’t see players do it as often on the broadcast, but truth be told, they do it more often. Tour players know that they’re more likely to hit a hero shot from a better lie and/or better position to the pin from the fairway than they do from way off the short stuff.

Now, I know there are some mixed messages on these two pages, and sometimes you should go for broke and try to hit the big, exciting recovery shot. And sometimes, you may be in such a bad spot that you need to stab down on the ball with a lot of forward shaft lean and scoop the ball out. The point is, recovery shots should be rehearsed and practiced, and you should be aware of multiple options. Take time on the range hitting quarter and half shots, and get a feel for how high and low the ball flies, as well as if they fade or draw. Also, aim precisely and practice with precision in mind, not distance.

If you practice your recovery shot routine and options, you’ll be more inclined to succeed on the golf course the next time you need to make a decision from a tough spot.

HIT!

JUNK THE SHOT, NOT THE WHOLE ROUND
Like the previous spread indicated, sometimes you’re going to make mistakes, and sometimes bad things just plain happen. Here, I hit what I thought was a perfectly flush 8-iron, dead straight at the pin. Unfortunately though, just as the ball lifted into the air, a gust of wind picked up and pushed against my ball higher than normal. And guess what? My ball got caught up in the wind, lost it’s velocity and plop, there it goes right into the lake! Yes, a good shot just ended up being a terrible one. It’s now on to the drop area to try and salvage a tough par or bogey.

Now, when that sort of thing happens, remember that it’s only one shot of many that you have to execute, and you can’t let one shot be the catalyst for several more bad shots to follow.

REACT!

For me, hitting what I thought was a good shot that ends up being a bad shot is very frustrating. It’s especially maddening when things like this happen that seemingly aren’t your fault. But, it happens! And likely, it will happen again.

Better players know how to react to a bad shot quickly and come time to hit another shot, move on just as fast. It’s okay to have a moment of anger and frustration so long as you have the ability to move on and be done with it in a hurry.

A simple way to minimize a negative reaction is to hold your finish until the ball lands. Believe me, waiting that three to five seconds before the ball lands will be like having a mini time-out. Just observe the ball in the air without the immediate judgment that so many bring to each shot. This short cooling-off period will minimize the intensity of the frustration. The goal is to be able to bounce back and move on.

PROCESS!

If I react to a bad shot and let anger take over so that it manifests in my body, well, that’s going to definitely linger long enough to affect my ability to not only think clearly, but also make relaxed golf swings.

The emotions that you feel have a direct effect on your grip pressure, breathing patterns and tempo. Your swing will definitely react differently and another poor shot will occur. The goal of the postshot routine is to break that cycle of: bad shot > negative reaction > physical effect > another poor shot. The keys to regain control are constructive self-talk (learn from the shot), slow/deep breathes and transitioning into a productive preshot routine only focusing on the present shot.

Take a breath, think about what just happened, diagnose why it may have occurred and use a bad shot to remember how to avoid the same mistake later in the round. I probably should have hit a 7-iron anyway, ensuring I at least get the ball on the green and not near the pin in the front part of the green. Next time, I’ll play the safe shot and be happy with a par instead of trying too hard (and failing) to make a birdie.

IT AIN’T OVER TIL IT’S OVER

Ain’t that the truth? A round of golf lasts several hours over 18 holes. You’re going to hit good shots and bad shots, have lucky breaks and bad breaks. The important thing is acknowledging that before you tee off, and not going to the first tee with a specific score in mind. “Gosh, if only I can break 90 or 80 today, I’ll be happy.” Breaking that thought process will allow your mind and body to play without the added pressure of hitting a target score. Also, what happens if you don’t hit that score and there are still a few holes left to play? It’s likely things will get worse because you’re already angry and frustrated that you’ve missed your number. It’s even tougher when you get close to your target score on the closing few holes. That kind of added pressure is totally unnecessary!

Start the round fresh with a clean mind, and don’t worry about your score before or during the round. Save your analysis for after you’re done playing, and evaluate the mistakes you made, the good shots you hit and how you could go even lower next time.

SPEED ON LONG, DIRECTION ON SHORT
When it comes to putting better, preparation is key, and you want to feel as comfortable as possible before you tee off. A great way to do just that is to practice some long putts first, but only for speed control. Don’t worry about a target, in fact, you can even putt to the edge of the green. By ignoring the target, you can better gauge your desired stroke length and tempo. Practice this for a few minutes until you feel you can control your speed well enough.

Once you get a feel for roll and speed, the time comes to add direction. Use the practice green to your advantage, and read it like you would if you were on the golf course. Don’t simply putt a ball and make an adjustment to the next ball based on how the first one rolled. You can’t do that on the course, so why do that here? Practice each putt as though it counts.

THINK, THEN EXECUTE (NOT EXECUTE, THEN THINK)
Once you dial in your speed and have determined the direction you want your ball to start, it’s time to execute and trust your decision! When you’re over a putt and in your stance, it’s not time to second guess and reevaluate your intended line. No, it’s go time, and all you’re checking at this point is your ball position, alignment and making sure you make a smooth, sound putting stroke.

Preparing to putt great is one thing, actually executing on the course is another. Too many golfers get away from going through their process and turn their attention to just the outcome. For instance, does your attitude change on a putt if it’s a birdie, par or bogey? If your attitude changes on one type of putt versus another, you’ll quickly get out of your routine and start focusing on outcome. This leads to thinking about missing it and what that will mean to your score, which is exactly the opposite of what you want to do! All that great preparation is wasted, and frustration ensues if you have a negative outcome in your mind.

The key to good putting on the course is to embrace the process for each putt and treat it the same no matter the circumstances. The process includes: determining your intention of speed, the line that matches that speed, seeing the ball go in and getting the body relaxed to execute a smooth stroke.

GETTING READY TO PLAY
Often, golfers get off to bad starts and don’t look at their preround routine as the reason why. A preround routine isn’t jumping out of your car, putting your golf shoes on and running to the first tee.

The first step in a proper preround routine is to warm up the body. I don’t know about you, but I need some time to stretch and get my back ready for golf swings. I use a device called Smart Flex (smartflex.com), which helps me stretch out my muscles and simulate the proper rotation of a golf swing.

The second step is to warm up the swing. This doesn’t mean fixing the swing; it means developing the balance and tempo you want to use on the golf course. I use a sand wedge and do three-quarter shots to get into my rhythm. I then progress through my clubs with my intent on having a smooth tempo and solid balance.

The third step is to warm up the mind. Here’s where I actually do full preshot routines and hit specific targets on the range. I imagine the first three tee shots I’ll encounter that day and maybe some tee shots that require me to shape the ball. By rehearsing these shots, I’m waking up my focus and developing confidence for these key shots.

The final step of my preround routine is getting comfortable with the greens. I spend a few minutes putting some long putts to gauge the speed and then finish with some shorter putts to boost my confidence. Now, as you go to the first tee, you’re physically and mentally ready to play your best. This routine can be modified for 10 minutes or 45 minutes.

THE FIVE MOST COMMON MISTAKES IN GOLF

1 Getting Easily Distracted. There’s a lot of downtime in golf, which allows our minds to wander. Some players begin to think of the holes that are coming up, while others are thinking of the phone message they just received from work. These are distractions that will take away from you being focused on the current shot. Instead, ask better questions of yourself to stay focused. How is this lie of the ball going to affect my shot? What angle do I want to come in from to this hole location? What’s my intermediate target on this chip shot? Questions like that will change your focus and get you to stay focused on what’s relevant for the present shot.

2 Obsessed With Score. Yes, we keep score, and it’s an important aspect of the game; however, if golfers only focus on their scores, it will create a major distraction. Thinking of score too much creates anxiety and added tension. Instead, focus on the process of each shot. Use a mental routine, breath deep and survey the shot at hand. Check for wind, elevation changes–basically, do what you can to distract yourself from your score and think more about hitting shots. You can only control the current shot, and thinking of what could happen to your score will only pull you away from making a relaxed, confident swing.

3 Reacting Emotionally To Poor Shots. Golf can be a frustrating game, if we let it. If every time you hit a poor shot you react with anger and frustration, it will be very difficult to bounce back and be ready for the next shot. When we experience frustration, it affects our tension level, decision-making and enjoyment of the game. No one hits good shots all the time, but your reaction to your poor shots will determine your mind-set for the next shot. The best players use a postshot routine to learn from a shot instead of constantly being critical of their performance. Being able to learn from the shot and move on is a mental game skill you should develop. Ask yourself, “Why did that ball go there? Was it a mental error or physical error?” Then, make a practice swing, and put the club back into the bag and move on to the next shot, leaving the last shot behind. If you can manage your emotions, you’ll begin to bounce back quicker and enjoy the game more.

4 Lack Of Course Management. Okay, you may not be able to play like Tiger, but knowing your strengths and limitations can help you shoot lower scores. So many golfers play shots based on their ego and not on reality. These poor decisions lead to blowup holes and further frustration. When you play to your normal patterns, you’ll be more comfortable and relaxed, which leads to better performance. Play to your strengths. Know your average distances you hit clubs. Play your normal shot pattern–if you normally hit a 20-yard fade off the tee, play it, don’t fight it! A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t hit a certain shot at least 70 percent successfully, then play that shot no matter how the hole is shaped. When you’re comfortable with your decision-making, it will result in a relaxed, confident swing. Make the best decisions based on your game and you’ll shoot lower scores.

5 Losing Confidence. Believing you can hit a shot successfully is crucial to lower scores. Unfortunately, many play golf with doubt and fear. So many choose to remember poor shots or think of worst-case scenarios. You need to choose to be confident by recalling past shots you’ve hit well in similar situations, visualizing the shot exactly how you want to perform it. Check your self-talk to make sure you switch it from negative to positive, and improve practice habits to work on shots that give you trouble. By using other mental game skills like course management, focus and emotional control, you’ll actually improve your confidence. All aspects work together to make or break your performance. Put time in today to avoid making these mental mistakes, and see your score lower.

Rick Sessinghaus, PGA, is “Golf’s Mental Coach” and is based in Southern Calif. Learn more about how to improve your mental game at www.MZCoach.com and wwww.RickSessinghaus.com.

Short Game: Steady Head for Putting Success

Out on the LPGA Tour, if you’re averaging somewhere in the 28-29 putts per round, you’re considered among the best putters out here. Short putts, long putts, whatever length you may encounter, if you manage to keep your putts to under 30 in a given round, you’ll shoot a good score. Remember, a strong short game is key to going low — and that includes conquering the greens. So I’ve got some tips to help you get there.

Keeping the head steady starts with also keeping the lower body steady through the stroke.

Among the better putters I’ve seen (not just on the LPGA Tour, but other professional tours), not all two players have the exact same stance, putting stroke, rhythm or even tempo. But what they definitely have in common with one another is a steady head through contact with the golf ball. Often, in pro-ams I see amateurs try to steer the ball with their eyes, hoping to “push” the ball into the hole with the body. Doing that usually means that the body lifts up out of its correct posture, and the putterface either opens or closes at impact. Meaning, all sense of control for distance and direction is lost! Instead of trying to push the ball and opening your body through the stroke (like you would with any other club), allow the body to stay square and the head to stay relatively still through the stroke. Meaning, let the putterhead pass you from right to left and stay in posture until well after you’ve made contact with the ball. By the way, the lower body needs to stay stable through the stroke, too. As you can see in the black- and-white photo, my left leg isn’t visible after contact with the ball. This movement leads to all sorts of inconsistent putts.

This tip, albeit a simple one, will help you make more putts with better distance and direction.

Find Your Length
As you can see in the color photos, I like to set up over the golf ball with my eyes just barely inside the target line. According to my putting coach, that’s a good spot to be, and you never want to error with the eyes outside the target line.

I’m able to set up in this position pretty easily because my putter shaft is a comfortable length and lie. However, a longer putter may help you set up with your eyes directly over the golf ball (or just to the inside), like how I’m doing. A shorter putter usually helps with the opposite problem and will help move your eyes, if they happen to be too far away, more over the golf ball. Point being, get your putter fit for length and lie, and pay attention to your head position as it relates to the golf ball. A good/bad position can greatly affect your putting results.

Paige MacKenzie, LPGA, currently plays on the LPGA tour and is a familiar face on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive. For more info, visit paigemackenziegolf.com.

This story was updated on May 19, 2016

Be The (Middle) ball

A very important variable to better ballstriking is “centeredness of contact.” It doesn’t matter how dialed in your swing becomes, if you’re missing the center of the clubface at impact, you’re going to have trouble controlling your distances and hitting the ball in your intended direction. Hitting it on the “sweet spot” not only feels pure, it will also help you to maximize your distance.

Here’s a drill that will help you get better at making contact in the center of the clubface. Simply set up with three golf balls, and place each ball a few inches apart, with the middle ball being the ball you intend to hit. Make sure the three balls form a line perpendicular to your target line. Leave just enough room for the clubhead to pass through without hitting the two outside balls.

If this is too easy for you, here’s a variation of the drill. From the original drill, move the ball closest to you forward approximately 2 inches and the ball farthest from you away approximately 2 inches. Leave just enough room for the clubhead to pass through without hitting the two outside balls. This aligns the three golf balls diagonally, which now forces you to not only make centered contact with the middle ball, but it discourages you from coming over the top and hitting the ball from too outside-in the target line and encourages you to swing the club with an inside path on the downswing. Either variation drill will help you hit the ball more in the center of the face.

Boyd Summerhays, PGA, is a former PGA Tour player and the Director of Instruction of the McDowell Mountain Learning Center at the McDowell Mountain Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. To contact Boyd or for more information, go to www.summerhaysgolf.com.

Beat The Golf Slice With A Tennis Racket

When was the last time you hit a tennis ball with a racket? Whether it has been a while or you happen to play tennis regularly, I’m willing to bet you do a few things without even thinking about it that can help you beat the golf slice. I’ll bet you instinctively try and hit the ball over the net by hitting the ball with your elbow pointing down when the racket meets the ball. Now, if that’s hard to visualize, go ahead and grab a tube of tennis balls and a racket, then hit a few balls up and away from you as though you need to get the ball over the net. Try and hit the ball so it clears the net just barely. You don’t want to lob it way in the air.

For me, when I hit a forehand in tennis correctly, I don’t hit the ball with my right elbow flaring out or away from my body. If anything, my elbow is pointed down and close to my side, and I rotate my body through to add more power and control through the hit. Check out the pictures above to see what I mean.

How can this motion of a forehand in tennis be so helpful to you? Well, the overwhelming majority of golfers slice the golf ball to the right, losing distance and accuracy. Without having the knowledge of the proper adjustments needed to correct their slice, a golfer’s most common attempt to compensate for their slice is to bring their hands, arms and elbows well away from their body on the downswing and swing their clubpath too far to the left on the followthrough. This is commonly referred to as the “over the top move.” All this does is produce even bigger slices to the right and big pulls to the left, depending on the direction the clubface is pointed at impact.

Now back to our forehand in tennis. To transition this feel into your golf swing, as a drill, take your golf club in your right hand (right-handers) and hold it a little bit above the ground. Imagine a ball is coming at you, and hit a forehand! Let your instincts take over. Make several swings like this until you can really feel that forehand hit.

You’ll begin to notice that you’re keeping your right elbow close to your side and pointed down on the downswing and into impact. Remember, good tennis players hit the ball with their whole body, not just their arms, and they do it by rotating through the hit. Do the same in your golf swing, and let your instincts take over.

If you’re struggling with big slices and pulls to the left, try this drill the next time you practice, and think of every ball you hit as though you’re hitting a forehand in tennis. This will take your mind off your golf swing and, hopefully, help you hit better shots with improved mechanics.

A.J. Bonar’s instructions on curing your slice.