Strategy/Troubleshooting

Don’t Get In Your Own Way

There’s little doubt that golf is one of the most difficult sports to excel in, because it’s so mentally taxing. I often get the question, “How much of this game is mental versus physical?” My stock answer is to say that golf is 100% mental when your physical is 100%. This means the better your technique, the more important the mental game becomes. You can’t will the ball toward the target with just your mind, and you can’t cut off your mind and expect the body to just blindly take over. You need 100% of both.

Having said this, there’s no question that it’s important to be positive while on the golf course. The next time you play golf, add up every single negative thought that races through your mind. The total might surprise you. And, let me ask you this: How many birdies have you made when you were upset, angry or frustrated with your game? Have you ever scored well when you were angry with yourself?

When it comes to Tour players, and even better amateurs, many of them aren’t busy adding up the perfect shots they hit. Sure they relish in them, but what they’re really trying to do is minimize mistakes made out on the golf course. And for them, the worst thing they can do is make a mistake on top of a mistake. This means following up a bogey with another, or wasting a stroke only to waste another with the next shot. At the highest level of the game, a compounded mistake is often the result of a negative state of mind.

The Tour even has a statistic for how well players rebound after making a score above par. It’s called the “bounce back” percentage.

It calculates how often a player makes a bogey or worse, only to follow up on the next hole with a birdie or better. Right now (as of this article being written), Charley Hoffman and Keegan Bradley are at about 36%, meaning when they make a bad score, more than a third of the time they bounce back with a good score. This is a real testament of how Tour players, who may show initial anger and frustration after a bad shot, quickly get over it and get in a positive frame of mind.

So how can you make sure you’re staying positive, even when things go bad? Try this simple exercise. Next time you play, wear a rubber band around your wrist. Every time a negative thought comes into your mind, simply snap the rubber band so that you feel it on your wrist. This concept has been used in numerous other disciplines, and I think it works well in golf, too. A quick flick of the rubber band will help you to remember that golf is just a game, there are more holes left to play, and negative thoughts do nothing toward helping you play better golf.

Remember, no matter how well you play, you’re going to get the occasional errant shot, get a bad break, and miss more putts than you’ll ever make. If you feel yourself getting frustrated, snap that rubber band and get things back into perspective and get back to having fun. Do that, and I’ll bet you start shooting lower scores and get busy enjoying yourself out on the golf course.

John Stahlschmidt, PGA, is the Head Instructor for the TOUR Academy TPC Scottsdale. To comment on this ProSpective, email him at johnst@touracademy.com.

Trouble Shots

Golf is a lot like life. Some days everything comes easily; other days nothing seems to go your way. But just like life, there are ways to deal with the ups and downs. Helping people figure this out is just one of the many reasons why I love to teach the game.

One challenge is how to deal with bad breaks. In my experience, golfers who can handle them the best usually come out on top. Read on to learn how you can best escape from these tough situations and get your game back on track.

Learning how to chip the ball well will help you save strokes, but it also has side benefits. After all, the motion you use to chip is really just a small version of your full swing. Once you learn to chip well, simply lengthen your swing into a pitch-shot length and then, with a little more motion, you have a full swing. Here are a few variations of the chip shot that will help you save shots around the greens, and maybe even help your full swing, too!

1 Hit A Low Hook Around A Tree

When I was a kid, I loved trying to make my shots hook and slice on purpose. It was fun seeing my ball curve around trees, and it helped me get out of a few tough situations, too. To hit your shot around a tree so it ends up back in a safe place, you first have to have a proper setup.

I start by aligning my body (feet, hips and shoulders) on the path I want the ball to start on (to the right of the tree). Then I align my clubface to where I want the ball to finish (in this case, the flagstick). Once that’s established, I swing my club along my body line. The ball will start out on that line and curve around the tree toward the end target.

The final key to curving the ball is to finish properly. If I want to hook the ball more, I swing the club into a flatter finish; if I want to slice it, I finish into a steeper finish.

2 The Tee Shot That Doesn’t Set Up For You

We’ve all played a hole that just doesn’t set up for our normal shot pattern. Take me: I usually hit a draw, so this hole, a dogleg right par-4, doesn’t fit my eye. Still, I can play this shot a number of different ways.

1. The most conservative play is to choose a long iron, aim to the left side of the fairway and play for a safe position. It may leave me with a longer second shot, but it takes the trees on the right and the water on the left out of play and eliminates the chance that I’ll hit my shot through the fairway.

2. The second approach is a little bit more aggressive. I choose a 3-wood and aim along the left side. This takes the trees on the right side out of play, however, there’s the chance of hitting the ball through the fairway on the left side. That can present some challenges.

3. The third way is for advanced players only: to fade your driver. But you have to practice it!
Pick a target on the fairway’s left side and fade it back to the center. If you hit the shot successfully, you’ll have a much easier approach shot; if the shot doesn’t fade, however, you’ll be in trouble through the fairway on the left.

3 First-Tee Jitters

The best way to conquer first-tee jitters is to turn your nervous energy into excitement.

Most golfers think this shot makes or breaks their entire round, but that’s not the case. To put the shot in perspective, I tell my students that it’s just one of many shots they’ll hit during their round.

Too often I see golfers walk up to the first tee thinking today’s their day to shoot the lights out, only to fear that that won’t happen if they hit a poor drive. Rather than fixating on results, I tell them, play to your strengths and focus on the type of shot you want to hit. Start preparing for that first tee shot on the practice range. Rehearse the shot several times so you gain confidence.

When you get up on the tee box, choose a specific target and make a good swing. If it helps, think back to a time when you hit a great first tee shot in front of a lot of people. Then use that feeling to conquer your jitters.

4 Avoid Trouble

It’s important to know what kind of trouble you can get into on the course and how best to avoid it. Consider the situation pictured here. There’s trouble to the right and left of the green, so I’ve broken this shot into quadrants.

First I consider where the most trouble is located–in the back-left portion of the green. I’m definitely not going to hit it there. Next, I look at the other three quadrants and determine which of them is the safest place to land. I take into account my lie, how far I am to the landing area and which quadrant is the easiest for me to hit. After committing to a quadrant, I narrow my focus to a spot where I want the ball to land.

Being as clear as possible helps you commit to the shot. It’s important to think of what you want to execute, and not shift back to what the negative consequences might be. Take in the information, develop a plan, execute it and you’ll begin to see lower numbers on your scorecard.

1. Keep it simple

5 Three Ways To Escape The Stymie

1. The easiest and most conservative play here is to chip the ball out about 10 yards back into the fairway. Since my stance and followthrough are restricted, I try to be stable and just swing my arms like a chip shot to advance the ball onto the fairway. When you do this, make sure you don’t follow through too much and hit the tree!


*2. Play the reverse shot*

2. The second way to advance the ball is to use just your right arm to swing the club. By doing this backwards shot, you can generate a little more power than just advancing the ball back into the fairway. The key here is to keep your arm and club in one line to make solid contact. Don’t just use your wrists. You won’t create much power, and your contact will be inconsistent.


*3. Hit it left-handed*

3. The third way is the riskiest, and most difficult: a left-handed shot. To pull this off, I turn over a 9-iron and follow these three key steps:

• I keep my head steady through the shot.
• I take only a 3/4 swing.
• And I keep my eyes on the ball at impact.

Make sure you first practice this shot on the range to get past the awkward feeling of swinging from the other side.

6 Handle The Wind

Playing golf in the wind can wreak havoc with your ballflight. For the best success, you have to control your shot’s trajec-tory, and the best way to do that is to play a punch shot. Hitting the ball low (and solid) minimizes the impact the wind has on your ballflight. The key to this shot is how you set up and finish. First, play the ball back in your stance, placing a majority of your weight on your forward foot and keeping your weight on that foot during your swing. As you swing through the impact position, it’s important to keep your hands in front of the club and your right shoulder lower than your left one. Feel your swing moving down through impact and keep your weight on your forward foot.

7 Launch It Over A Tree

Trouble shots are all about risk and reward. Here I have to hit the ball over a few trees to get it to the green. This requires some adjustments to my setup.

To hit the ball as high as possible, place the ball forward in your stance, near the heel of your forward foot. Next, open the clubface to increase your club’s loft. Finally, tilt your body away from the target. Keep your weight on your back foot during the swing and finish high.

8 The Short-Sided Solution(s)

Even players with great short games have trouble playing the ball from the short side of a green. Leaving yourself very little room on the green to land the ball creates a dilemma; do you try to land the ball onto the fringe and let it release toward the hole, or do you hit a short high shot to land the ball softly so it doesn’t roll past the hole?

First, you need to consider the circumstances: the lie, the firmness of the green, the amount of green between you and the hole, and the fringe’s condition. Next, visualize the entire shot: its trajectory, the landing spot and how the ball will release.

If you plan to hit the ball onto the fringe, you’ll hit a chip shot with a lofted club. Place the ball back in your stance and square the clubface with the target. Make a normal chip shot motion and land it on the fringe to slow the ball down. Then it will release onto the green.

If you want to play a lofted shot, change your setup. Move the ball farther forward in your stance (opposite your left foot) and open up your sand wedge. You’ll still make the same chip motion, however, you’ll have to make a longer swing. The shot will get up higher more quickly and land soft on the green.

9 The Three-Footer For Your Career Round

It’s easy to say that every three-foot putt is the same, but depending on the situation, your mind-set changes. Consider what happens when you have a short putt to shoot your career-best round.

Most golfers in this situation get ahead of themselves. They think only of the outcome. They get excited and start to fear that they’ll choke.

The key is to focus on the process and stroke the ball with confidence. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Take a mini time-out as you start your preshot routine. Become aware of how your body is feeling. Take some slow, deep breaths to calm your mind.
• Acknowledge that this putt is for your personal best and then turn your attention back to the process. Use a question to focus on the process like, Where is this ball going to enter the cup?
• As you look behind the ball, visualize the putt going in several times.
• Then, finally, take a practice stroke that matches how you want to stroke the putt.

The next time you have one of those important putts, remember to shift your attention from what the putt means, to how you’re going to make it.

Rick Sessinghaus Psy.D., PGA, is a nationally known mental coach who works with professional, collegiate and top junior players to achieve focus, confidence and mental toughness. He’s the author of Golf: The Ultimate Mind Game and works out of Chevy Chase CC in Glendale, Calif.

Bad Lies

Take a divot on your rehearsal swing

Feet In Bunker, Ball Out

The key to this shot is to choke down on the club far enough–all the way to the shaft–if necessary.

When you set up to this shot, imagine you’re making the same rounded swing you would if you were playing tee ball. This shot is on the same swing-plane angle.

Before you actually hit the ball, make sure you take plenty of extra practice swings to not only find the proper swing plane, but also locate the point where your club bottoms out. Don’t hit the sand!

Take one more club (you’ve choked down so you’ll hit it shorter) and swing smoothly. See the club hit the ball and don’t look up!

Uphill Lie

When you have an uphill lie, the first ingredient is to match your shoulder angle to the slope. Because gravity pushes you downhill, the tendency when you swing is to fall backward.

That’s where counterbalancing comes in. To help push your weight forward up the hill, take an extra club, place more weight on your left side and swing smoothly. Expect to hit it about a club shorter than you normally do, a bit higher and to the left of your target (adjust your aim accordingly). As you swing, keep your weight moving into the hill and finish in balance on your left side.

Downhill Lie

When you have a downhill lie, pretty much everything is reversed. First, angle your shoulders to the slope. This helps match your setup and swing to the hill. Expect a lower-than-normal ballflight that curves a bit right.

Remember, all uneven lie shots require good balance and a stable lower body. Take plenty of club, and swing smooth. Place a little extra weight on your downhill foot and think, balance, balance, balance.

Farther

Ball Above Your Feet

When the ball is above your feet, you have to stand farther from the ball. As a result, your club’s lie angle is flatter than normal. Stand taller at setup, sit down and back, and point your chest at the ball. These adjustments will produce a flatter swing plane a la Ben Hogan.

The second important concept in executing these shots is counterbalance. Gravity, obviously, pulls us downhill. Hitting a ball that’s below your feet encourages an over-the-top swing and a loss of balance toward your toes. A ball above your feet tends to pull you in the other direction, toward your toes. To maintain your balance, take an extra club, make a smooth swing and keep your lower body stable!

*Ball Above*	*Ball Level*	*Ball Below*
On sidehill lies, your club’s lie angle changes in relationship to the slope’s angle. When the ball is above your feet, your club will have a flatter lie angle; when the ball is below your feet, it’ll have a more upright lie angle. (This is important, because, as you’ll see later, I want you to fit your entire swing and stance to this new lie angle.)

Closer

Ball Below Your Feet

When the ball is below your feet (and, as a result, you have to stand closer to the ball and have a more upright swing), flex your knees more and bend more from your hips. Also, feel as if your chest is pointing at the ball. This new setup, fitted perfectly to the angle of the slope, will allow you to make a more upright swing, a la Jack Nicklaus.

The Flyer

The key to hitting from a flyer lie is to anticipate and predict how the ball will react–which, unfortunately, isn’t always easy.

First, let’s define what a flyer is. Typically, flyers occur when grass gets caught between the clubface and the ball. This results in a sort of knuckle ball shot that spins less, flies farther and rolls longer.

To get a sense of how the ball will react, look at how much grass is around your ball and in which direction it’s growing. The most common flyer is in light to medium rough that’s growing toward the target.

If you think you’ve got a flyer lie, take one extra club, make a smooth swing and expect the ball to release more once it lands.

Out Of The Deep Rough

When the ball nestles down in thick rough, it doesn’t fly as far as from a typical lie.

The main thing to guard against with a shot like this is the club bottoming out before it gets to the ball. This will cause the clubface to close and the shot to veer left.

To make good contact, take a club with enough loft (a higher-lofted hybrid is ideal), stand closer to the ball (which allows for a steeper swing) and open your stance (which helps you swing from the outside in). Hold the club a bit tighter in your lead hand, and accelerate through the hitting area.

These adjustments help your club bottom out at the ball and prevent the clubface from shutting.

Back Of Stance

Hands Ahead

From The Pine Straw Or A Tight Lie

To advance the ball appropriately, you must hit the ball first! I can’t stress that enough if your ball is on pine straw or a hard surface.

To help you make ball-first contact, set up with the ball positioned slightly back of center in your stance, with your hands slightly ahead of the ball and your weight favoring your lead foot. Choke down about an inch and make a 3__ã4-length backswing. Add it up, and these adjustments will help you strike the ball first and the ground second. The shot might not fly as far or as high, but you’ll get a confidence boost from making clean contact.

Against The Fairway Collar

To make clean contact on this awkward lie, you have to adjust your setup and swing. If I addressed the ball with my normal setup and swing shape, I’d hit the fairway collar before the ball–and from there, the ball could go just about anywhere.

Normal

Closer

To compensate–and make cleaner contact–I stand closer to the ball. This makes me stand taller, which promotes a steeper swing plane, kind of like a Ferris wheel. Once again, the ball might not fly as far as normal, so take an extra club to be safe. Your mantra here should be clean contact. Don’t try to do too much.

Bonus Tip: Towel Drill

Here’s a great drill that’ll help you develop the feel for an earlier wrist hinge in your backswing and a steeper angle of attack in your downswing. (Both are key components for escaping divots, depressions, long rough, loose dirt and just about any other awkward lie.)

Backswing

Downswing

Place a rolled-up towel about 15 inches behind your ball, then make a backswing. If your clubhead hits the towel, you aren’t hinging your wrists early enough in the backswing. If you hit the towel on your downswing, you’re releasing your hands (and, hence, the clubhead) too soon. Either way, your angle of attack won’t be steep enough, and you’ll struggle to escape any awkward lie.

Practice this drill the next time you hit the range and don’t bump into the towel–on the backswing or the downswing.

Zachary Allen, PGA, teaches at DeBell Golf Course in Burbank, Calif. A former Mini-Tour player, Allen has won 20 worldwide titles.

Ain’t Bad, Just Is

CASE #1: Your ball comes to rest on the wrong side of a tree/bush.

I can’t go at this shot right-handed because the cactus impedes my stance. But I can get the ball back in play by playing a left-handed shot. Here’s how to do it:

First, take one of your lofted clubs and flip it over so you expose the toe of the club as your contact area. Take a left-handed grip and lean the shaft forward. This gets the clubface aimed squarely.

Next, make a few practice swings to get a feel for the swing and your club control. (When you do this, it’s vital to make sure you consistently hit the ground.)

Then, simply try to stay in balance, make a controlled swing and commit to swinging down into the impact zone. In this situation, I advanced the ball about 40 yards back into the fairway.

CASE #2: You stripe your ball down the middle, but your ball ends up in a divot.

To play this shot, make sure you catch the ball first, then the dirt.

To do this, set up with your weight leaning toward the target, much as you would for a punch or chip shot. As you take the club back, try to keep it going back on plane or even slightly outside. (If your club shaft is slightly steep, you may hit down too much, and the club will bottom out in front of the ball.)

As you swing into and through impact, it’s imperative that you keep your body and club moving forward. You should hit the ball first, then the ground in front of the ball. Because of the adjustments you’ve made, it’ll come out with a little lower-than-normal ballflight.

CASE #3: Your ball plugs in a bunker’s lip and it compromises your stance.

The trick here is to get into a setup position that allows you to successfully escape a tough lie from the kitty litter.

If both of my feet were in the bunker, it’d be hard to stay balanced when I swing, so I place my left foot outside, on the grass. Now, my left foot is higher than my right, so I need to make sure my shoulders are in a similar position (left shoulder high, right shoulder low). This puts me in a severe uphill lie stance that’ll help me get the ball over the bunker’s lip.

As you can see, I’ve chosen to set up with my clubface square because the ball is slightly buried, and this will allow the club to dig the ball out. I need to make an aggressive swing through impact and not worry about hitting the lip on my followthrough. If executed well, the ball will come out high, hit the green and roll slightly.

CASE #4: Your ball is on the fringe, but a sprinkler head is on the target line.

I would love to just putt this ball to the hole, but unfortunately the sprinkler head has gotten in the way.

If you find yourself in this situation, you need to get the ball airborne, but instead of hitting a chip or pitch that might spin, try the so-called off-green putt instead. What’s an off-green putt you ask? It’s a shot where you use a lofted club with a putting technique. The ball will have just enough airtime to get over the sprinkler but will then roll like a putt.

I’ve chosen a pitching wedge in this case, and set up with my putting grip and stance (notice how I shorten the club to putter length so my eyes are right over the ball at setup). Then it’s just a matter of making a normal putting stroke. Do that and the ball will pop up over the trouble and roll to the target.


*BUMP & RUN*

CASE #5: Your ball rolls off the edge of the green and goes 10 yards down a hill.

you think you’ve hit a perfect shot, only to find out that it doesn’t stay on the green. In this photo, you can see the ball careened down a hill. I can play it two ways: I can go low and play a bump-and-run, or I can go high with a flop shot.

To play a bump-and-run, set up with your weight leaning toward the target. Lean the shaft forward and make a chipping motion. Notice how I finish with the clubhead low? That’s a good thing. The ball should come out low, bounce along the ground and run up the hill.


*FLOP SHOT*

To play a high flop shot, set up with your weight more balanced and the ball forward in your stance. Make a bigger swing and let the clubhead pass your hands through impact. You still need to clip the grass underneath the ball, but keep in mind that this swing uses the wrists much more than any shot.

Notice how the clubface looks at the sky in my finish and I’ve exposed all the loft of the club through impact to elevate the ball.
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Steve Dahlby, PGA, is the director of instruction at The Golf Club Scottsdale and Forest Highlands Golf Club. He has taught numerous Tour players.

Why You Can’t…

One of the great things about the game of golf is that, on occasion, all of us, even the highest handicapper, will hit a shot like a pro. It might be a well-struck drive, hitting a par-5 in two or holing out a bunker shot. Whatever the case, once in a while, the stars align, and for a brief moment, we pull off a Tour-quality shot.

Having been around Tour pros for many years, I can tell you that one thing is certain, however: There are things they consistently do on the golf course that you and I can’t. That’s why they’re the game’s greatest.

And yet, of course, you’re an expert in your respective field. Whether you’re a doctor, a chef or a real estate agent, in your work, you’re a Tour pro. There are things you know that most of us don’t.

Like you, Tour pros are good at their jobs, and there are shots they hit that we can’t always pull off when we play. That’s reality. But let’s look at what they do well and try to learn from them so we can improve our games.

…hit it 300 yards on a rope consistently

To crush it, you must use all your power sources (correct wrist action, a controlled arm swing and a full body pivot) effectively.

Start your downswing by uncoiling your lower body first so your club swings around your body on plane. This will help you hit it in the center of the clubface and help you square the club at impact.

…control your distance with all clubs

Tour pros know not only how far they hit each of their clubs, but also the distance gaps between them. The key, though, is how they fill the gaps between each club: by adjusting the length and speed of their swings. This ability to dial in shots helps Tour players make tons of birdies.

To shrink your distance gaps, work on making half and three-quarter swings. You’ll find that the distances the ball travels and the trajectory you have with different-length swings will help you control your distances much better.

…spin the ball on command

When you see the pros hit the ball past the flag and then zip it back to the pin, it doesn’t happen because they got lucky.

Tour pros are great at making perfect contact with a descending blow into the ball, plus they use the right equipment. To spin your shots like a pro, use a soft-covered ball, keep your grooves sharp and make solid contact. Hitting into perfect turf on great greens doesn’t hurt either.

…curve the ball on command

If you want to move the ball from right to left, I suggest you strengthen your grip slightly at setup (see photograph at right). Turn both hands to the right a few degrees. The Vs created by your thumbs and forefingers should now be pointing toward your right shoulder. This stronger grip will encourage you to rotate your hands and wrists over through impact (see photograph at left), which will place a draw or hook spin on the ball and make it curve from right to left (for a right-handed player). If you’re a lefty, do the opposite.

To hit the ball from left to right, weaken your grip slightly. Turn both hands a few degrees to the left so that the Vs are pointing more toward your chin (see photo at left). This helps your hands and wrists hold off the club and keep the face open at impact (see photo at right). As a result, the ball will move from left to right. Make sure both hands match! For a slice, they both should rotate to your left; for a draw, they both should rotate to the right. This will help your hands and wrists work together.

…get out of trouble like Houdini

In the photo at left, you can see I’m stymied. Should I start the ball way left and slice it? Should I hit it over the tree? Can I fit it through the gap between the branches?


*SLICE*

Here’s how to hit all three:
To slice it, take a less lofted club (this will help you curve it), weaken your grip slightly and aim safely to the left to get the ball started away from the trouble. Try to actually swing down from outside to inside the target line and make sure to hold the clubface open at impact. Here, the ball started left of the tree, and I curved it 30 yards.

To hit the high shot, play the ball a bit forward in your stance and keep your head well back of the ball at impact. Make sure you hit the turf and don’t flip your wrists at impact. In both photos, notice how low my right shoulder is. I’m definitely behind the ball, and that produces a high ballflight.


*HIGH LAUNCH*		*PUNCH THROUGH*

To punch the ball (here, through the gap between the rocks and the large branch), lean your weight slightly forward and commit to making a swing down into the turf to promote a low ballflight. Here I hit an 8-iron, played the ball slightly back in my stance and made sure the hands stayed in front of the clubhead as I struck the turf.

…lag it close from anywhere

Learning to lag putts close is a great way to save shots during your round. There’s a stat on Tour called 3 Putt Avoidance, and trust me, nobody wants to be near the bottom of it.

If you’re going to be a good distance putter, I believe you need to do two things very well. First, you need to be a good green reader. As you approach the green and survey your putt, look for high and low points in the green complex. Imagine where water would flow if it were dumped on the green. Remember, all greens are built for drainage, so look for those spots, and they’ll tell you where your ball is going.

The second (and most crucial element), however, is distance control. It doesn’t matter how well you read your putt if you leave it 15 feet short. In the photo at left, I’m faced with an uphill putt over a small tier. It also appears as if the ball is going to move a little from left to right. To make sure I get the ball to the hole on this uphill putt, I visualize a pin 10 feet past the hole so I can make sure I hit my putt with enough pace.

…make it all day from 3 to 6 feet

The key to making tons of short putts is to develop a consistent putting stroke. In my opinion, the simplest type of stroke should give you the best chance to make those so-called 3-6 foot knee knockers.

Here you can see I’m working with a training aid made by Momentus called the Inside Down the Line Putting Track to help me groove a stroke. You can use either this type of aid or any other tracks that help you get the feeling of what a good putting stroke should feel like.

One thing to remember while practicing either with or without a training aid: Tour pros work incredibly hard on these putts, and while it’s not as much fun as hitting drivers on the practice range, the time you put in on the green will pay big dividends on the course.

…chip it off the tightest lies

For many players, tight lies are the kiss of death. When the grass is really closely mown, you need to trust that your technique will give you perfect contact (remember you always want to hit the ball first, then the turf), or all sorts of things can happen: fat contact, skulled shots across the green or, worse yet, the chip yips. When we watch Tour pros play these shots, they don’t seem like that big a deal, but they are.

Don’t tell your greenskeeper (or mine), but a great way to gain confidence when playing off tight grass is to hit a couple chips off the practice green. To begin, first lay a club down a couple feet in front of your ball. The goal is to hit the ball over the club. If you aren’t confident with this shot, you’ll probably try to lift the ball, your wrists will flip, and the ball will skid into the club (see below right).


*YES*	NO

If your technique is good (see below left), however, you can make a confident stroke, pick the ball right off the green and control its trajectory, distance and spin. To do this, make a small swing with your weight leaned slightly forward before and throughout the swing. Wrist action is the enemy in this shot, so keep the left wrist flat at impact, and good contact will occur.

…Perform at the highest level in front of spectators

Part of a Tour pro’s job is to play in front of large crowds while television cameras and thousands (at times millions) are trained on his or her every move.

Although professionals do get nervous during tournaments, the consistency they have in their games (and the confidence that breeds) allows them to focus on the shot at hand and continue to pull off great shots. They’re no different than elite athletes in any other sport.

Great athletes are so mentally tough and focused that they can (most of the time) put all the outside elements aside and focus on their jobs.

Keep in mind, if you feel nervous while playing, that’s a good thing. It means you’re playing well, and the more often you play well, the easier it’ll get to play under pressure. Embrace your nervousness and let it help you play your best.

…average under 70 for a year on the world’s most difficult courses

Tour pros’ games are rarely satisfied with the state of their games. That’s one of the reasons why they work so hard at improving. The time they put into their games pays off too: They hit long, straight drives and controlled approach shots and have accurate short games. It’s easy to see why the world’s best players average under 70.

While you may not play as well as Tour players, take a close look at your game to identify areas that need the most work. Then set some goals as to how best to improve your game. With quality practice, you’re sure to get better.

Steve Dahlby, PGA, is the director of instruction at The Golf Club Scottsdale and Forest Highlands Golf Club. He has taught numerous Tour players.

Manage Your Game

A common saying in golf is that the game is 90% mental. That is, 90% of what’s required to be successful comes from how you think and manage your way around the golf course. I don’t think that’s true. I think it’s 100% mental.

Consider the fact that you have, at one time or another hit a perfect golf shot. Clearly you’re capable of making solid contact. So why can’t you do it all the time?

One reason, of course, is that a lot can go wrong in the golf swing; another, more likely reason is that your mind often impedes. Whether you think too much (about swing technique or a water hazard) or don’t picture the shot at hand or fail to build a repeatable routine, simple course management and mental game techniques can help you not only play smarter, but also swing better.

Being mentally tough doesn’t mean you have to have a killer instinct with you at all times, but it does mean you have to know how to manage your game, from warming up before your round to bouncing back after bad holes to goal setting.

Golf is such a terrific game because it’s subtle. For some folks, those nuances have reduced grown men to tears and fits of rage; for others who manage it well, it has catapulted them to another level of performance, and they’ve become better players and better people because of it. Read on to become one of them, too.

THE PRESHOT ROUTINE
FAST FACT!
Emotionally charged events or information (whether good or bad) burn a more significant imprint on the brain than nonemotional events. So every time you react with frustration to a mis-hit shot, you make it harder to concentrate in the moment.

Most golfers think a preshot routine involves only taking a practice swing, aiming at your target and then swinging, but it has a bigger purpose: to prepare a golfer to hit his shot successfully. This demands both a mental and physical routine.

During the mental routine, take in your environment: the lie, hazards, wind, yardage and target; then analyze what the shot requires. Say you’re 142 yards out, your ball is in the fairway, and the pin is tucked over a bunker. There’s a 10 mph wind into you. At this stage, you need to make a decision, based on your skills, about which club and shot is required.

Next, rehearse the swing you plan to make. If it requires a __ 7-iron, take a __ practice swing so that it simulates your actual shot. I call this the feel stage of the preshot routine. Its purpose is to help you commit to your shot.

Once you’ve rehearsed your swing, it’s time for the real thing. Set up to the ball and shift your focus to the target. This is the time to quiet your mind and react to the target. Finally, make a swing with your target in mind.

THE POSTSHOT ROUTINE
After most players hit a shot, they usually take a moment to react to it (often verbally and not always with words that I can repeat here) and either walk away pleased or frustrated. Riding an emotional roller coaster like this can do damage to your confidence. A proper postshot routine, however, will minimize your emotional reactions and help to prepare you for your next shot.

After you hit a poor shot, first figure out if it happened because of a mental or physical error. Mental errors include being distracted, lacking confidence and never committing to the shot. Physical errors are swing flaws such as bad alignment, an open or shut clubface, poor weight transfer and incorrect swing path.

If your shot happened because of a mental error, remind yourself that you, and only you, are in control of when you make a swing. Don’t swing until you’re ready. If it were a physical error, understand the cause and effect of the shot pattern. If the ball went right, then simply say to yourself, I left the clubface open. Then rehearse the swing you wanted to make. The goal is to walk away from your shot and understand what happened.

The problem many golfers suffer from is that they get mad after a poor shot and don’t learn from it. This makes it more likely that the poor shot will be repeated. By making a practice swing after a poor shot, you’ll forget about the shot and shift your focus to the next one

HOLD YOUR FINISH
After your swing, hold your finish for at least three seconds without reacting to the result. Don’t talk to the ball, call yourself any names or use any negative body language. Just watch the ball and hold your finish. Reacting to a shot’s result wears on your emotions.

If you have a hot temper and complain about every shot, compose yourself. Start by doing this postshot routine. Hold your finish without a reaction. It’ll take some time, but you’ll play better and have more energy at the end of your round.

RISK VS. REWARD
Many golfers let one bad shot ruin a hole because they try (and usually fail) to pull off a difficult shot to get out of trouble. The next time you find yourself with a difficult shot, ask yourself if the reward is worth the risk. Is it worth trying to save one shot, when you might add on a couple more? Consider your skill level and honestly assess what your chances are of pulling it off.

Consider the situation I’m in here. My ball is behind a tree, and there’s a small gap under its branches. I could go directly at the pin, but I might hit the branch, or I could hit a little to the left and avoid trouble altogether. The safer play to the left might leave me with a 20-foot putt, but I’ll be on the green with my putter in hand. If I risk it and go at the pin and hit the tree, I’ll have to hit another pitch shot, and the chances of getting up and down decreases.

I ended up playing it safe. The risk was not worth the reward. I’ll leave the green feeling confident and hope to bounce back on the next hole.

PUTTING ROUTINE
Your putting routine should start when you’re 100 yards from the green. From there, it’s easier to see how the green slopes. Too often, people start to look only after they’ve marked their ball. Here’s how to do it.

First, look for the general slope–the high and low points of the green. When you get on the green, use your eyes and feet to tell you how the putt breaks. If time permits, walk the low side of the putt and feel the slope under your feet. Many times, our eyes will see one break, and our feet will feel a different one. As you take one last look behind your ball, it’s time to pick a target and see the entire line, including where the ball will enter the cup. Your practice stroke should replicate how hard you plan on stroking it.

WHAT’S YOUR TARGET?
The average player should aim for the middle of the green. If you have a normal shot pattern like a fade, then play for it. You should rarely aim at a hole that’s tucked on one side of the green, especially if it’s tucked behind a bunker or other hazard.

Imagine if your ball finishes in the middle of any green. The longest putt you’ll probably have is 30 feet. When you aim at the middle of the green, you minimize the chances of hitting it in trouble areas on the side of greens. Also keep in mind your skill level. What’s your average dispersion rate with the club in your hand? Unless you’re a low handicap, you’ll be better off playing to a target in the center of the green.

WHAT’S YOUR CLUB?
Many players fall short of their target at least 80% of the time because they overestimate their skill level. Just because you once pured a 7-iron 150 yards doesn’t mean you’ll do it on every shot. Instead play what I call the 10% Rule.

Take the best shot you’ve hit with a club and deduct the yardage by 10%. Never take a club you feel you have to hit perfectly to get to your target. If your best 7-iron goes 150 yards, then deduct 10% (15 yards) and plan for a 135-yard 7-iron. You’ll swing smoother and make more consistent contact.

The worst-case scenario is that you’ll hit it too flush and end up on the back of the green, or have to chip from just over the green. Most courses are designed with trouble in front of and to the side of the green. You’ll take those hazards out of play by playing within yourself.

THE HOLE YOU HATE
Playing a hole you hate can send your scores soaring. You might hate a certain hole because it doesn’t set up to your eye or because it challenges your weaknesses. Don’t worry, because you have options:
Play a different shot. For example hit a 3-wood off the tee instead of your driver.
Remember a similar type of hole you’ve played well to boost your confidence.
Use visualization to focus on what you want to do instead of fearing what you don’t want to do.

VERBALIZE YOUR SHOT
A common technique used by Tour professionals during their preshot routine is visualization. By imagining their shot’s shape, they see a clear picture of the shot they intend to play. This mental rehearsal promotes focused, confident decisions–and that leads to good shots.

Unfortunately many amateur golfers have a hard time pulling this off. While some see where they want the ball to end up, they don’t see the path of the entire shot. If this sounds like you, or if you have trouble visualizing your shot, then verbally describe the shot you want to hit. For instance, tell yourself, I’m hitting the driver toward that palm tree with a 10-yard draw, and it will roll past the bunker on the left. Saying it out loud will help you create pictures and clarify the shot shape. Another benefit is that it places your focus on what you want to do, not what you don’t want to do.

HOW TO BUILD A PREROUND ROUTINE
FAST FACT!
During the time you prepare to hit a shot, a hemispheric shift should take place in your brain. From the analytical left side (measuring your shot, accounting for the wind), to the creative right side (visualizing your shot).

The goal of a preround routine is to get your body warmed up, your mind focused and your swing ready to go.

Here are a few quick ways to get ready before your next round:
Do light stretches for five minutes that concentrate on the lower back, hamstrings, hips and shoulders.
Take at least 10 minutes to hit about 25 balls on the range. Start with a sand wedge and make some half swings, then progress through your set, skipping a couple clubs each time. Finish by hitting a few drivers. Use this time to develop your rhythm and balance for the day. When you hit the last three balls, go through your preshot routine to get your mind focused on targets instead of swing mechanics.
Next, give yourself five minutes to practice putting on the practice green to develop speed control. The last few putts should be from four to six feet so you can feel confident standing over some short ones.
Finally, go to the first tee with a positive attitude. Don’t fixate on your score, but rather stay committed and focused on every shot. This will minimize pressure and get you focused on what’s in your control. Then go have fun.

HOW TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER A BAD HOLE
The definition of mental toughness is the ability to handle adversity, and nothing puts your toughness to the test more than blowing up on a hole. Golf can be frustrating when a shot result (or a bad hole) doesn’t match our expectations.

The first thing you need to know is that all golfers hit poor shots and get bad breaks. How you react to these situations says a lot about your character.
Here are some tips on how to bounce back from a bad hole:
Put the shot into perspective–it’s just a golf shot.
Use whatever frustration you feel to refocus on the next shot.
Remember the rounds when you hit poor shots and had bad holes, but still scored well.
Shift your focus from outcome to process, and to what’s in your control (namely the next shot).
Become aware of excess tension that creeps in when you get frustrated or angry. Take some breaths and begin to walk a little slower to relax yourself.

WHAT YOU SHOULD THINK WHEN YOU SWING
Ideally you shouldn’t think about anything when you swing. I suggest you picture or visualize or imagine your target, but most golfers have a hard time doing that.

Don’t use technical swing thoughts like, my right elbow should point down at the top of my swing. This disrupts your flow and disconnects you from your target. If you have trouble picturing your target, use swing thoughts that focus on tempo, balance or finish. Keep your thoughts simple and tailor them so you can swing through the ball.

WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM WATCHING GOLF ON TV
Golf is one of the few sports you can watch on television and imagine hitting the same shots pros do. You might not hit it as far or as consistently as they do, but you’ve had to get up and down to salvage a par to beat your buddy.

Watching the best in the world can benefit your game if you focus on a few key areas.

First, observe their swing tempo. Yes they hit it a mile, but they look smooth and in control while they’re doing it. The average player hits it shorter but with more effort and swings out of balance.

Second, study how pros play around the green. As talented as they are, they still keep it simple. For example, pros treat chip shots like putts. They read the slope of the green and plan for the break. They pick an intermediate target where they want to land the ball, and then they visualize the ball rolling into the cup. Their chipping motion has very little body motion allowing them to be consistent on these short shots.

Third, watch their routines. It might seem as though they take forever to hit a shot, but they stick to a routine in which they make a decision, set up and fire away. Most average players just guess and rush their shots. Take an extra five seconds to think before you hit it, and you’ll notice a huge difference.

HOW TO BEAT FIRST-TEE JITTERS
Most golfers feel a little nervous on the first tee. After all, the first-tee shot (rightly or wrongly) often sets the tone for the entire round.

If you’ve been playing well recently, then you may be excited that you’ll put together a great round. If you’ve been playing poorly, you might fear a bad round. The key is to not feel too much pressure on your first shot. If you stripe it down the middle or cold-top it, your first shot doesn’t determine whether you’ll shoot 80 or 100. What determines your success is your ability to shift your focus from a bunch of what ifs to what is in your control. Stay focused. Play to your strengths, eliminate your expectations of what you think you’ll shoot and develop a plan for the first hole.

With first-tee jitters usually comes a feeling of discomfort. Change that through proper breathing and a solid preshot routine. If it makes you feel more confident, hit a club (3-wood or even a hybrid) that’ll have you playing your second shot from the fairway.

Spotlight: Charles Howell III

Arguably one of the best American-born players in his 20s on the PGA Tour, Augusta native Charles Howell III had a great year in 2007. His second win came at the famed Riviera CC—a victory that kick-started his best year as far as PGA Tour earnings are concerned, having amassed more than $2.8 million on the golf course. For ’08, Howell’s game looks even better, thanks to a newfound confidence in his swing, putting and, most of all, in his new golf clubs.
We took a few minutes to ask Howell a few questions about his plans for ’08, his golf swing and his new equipment.

GT: Seems a lot of players, even on the PGA Tour, have adopted the I’d rather hit it long, high and straight approach to iron play. Where do you find yourself among your peers? Are you a feel player or a mechanical one?

Charles Howell III: Most people label me as a mechanical player in comparison to my peers. However, over the last year, I have begun to hit a lot more half shots, and I’ve been working the ball at different trajectories—especially within 120 yards.

GT: Do you prefer blade-style short irons? (Some equipment experts feel most amateurs can actually play just as well with blade-style short irons). What are your thoughts?

CH: Many golf purists certainly believed in blade irons. However, over the last few years, more Tour players have gravitated toward the mixed set. To me, the most important aspects of the iron are the topline and shape of the toe. [The new J36 irons have both a thin topline and nicely shaped toe—a look that Tour players like.] Many of the mixed/combo sets today look awfully good by incorporating these two design features. I use a mixed set from Bridgestone that has cavity-back long irons and a blade design in the short irons. This combination allows me some forgiveness in the long irons while providing me the control I desire in the short irons. In the future, Bridgestone plans to make the concept available for everyone, which will only help amateur players.

GT: What, if any, modifications do you make to your irons? Is there a particular thing you like to do?

CH: I have fairly large hands, so I have my grips built up a little extra. Typically, I do not use lead tape.

GT: What are a couple quick tips that the amateur can learn from you about iron play?

CH: On the golf course, I try not to think about mechanics too much. So, in practice I focus on my alignment, setup and making a good turn with my irons when preparing for an event.

In playing in pro-ams with amateurs, I would encourage amateurs to do two things to become better iron players:

1. Don’t swing so hard. Many amateurs are swinging as hard as possible to gain distance with little regard for accuracy.

2. Hit enough club. Amateurs see the pros hitting 175-yard 8-irons and want to do the same.

GT: There’s been a lot of talk about how a golf ball performs with a driver—more so than what you hear about how the ball performs with irons. If you had to choose, would you take a golf ball that performs better with the driver or with your irons? How do you make that decision? What advice do you have for amateurs in selecting a ball?

CH: Luckily, ball and club technology has become so advanced that golfers really do not have to make that decision. I use Bridgestone’s Tour B330-S because I like the way this ball performs with the driver, irons and around the greens. In terms of selecting a golf ball, I utilize data from the Bridgestone engineers in addition to the way the ball performs on the course. Regarding amateurs, I would encourage them to attend a product day at their club or local golf facility to learn more about golf ball technology.

I know Bridgestone offers several of these days at no charge that allow amateurs to match up with the best ball for their swing.

Fresh New Sticks for CH3
The new J36 irons feature three models that can be interchanged. The options include a blade (shown), cavity-back and pocket-cavity design.

4=8

All players like to pull out the driver and hit it hard, but it’s not a great way to lower your scores, particularly if you tend to slice. Instead, try choosing your 3-wood and teeing the ball down a bit. The greater loft will help you keep the ball in play.

I call it The New Math, but you can think of it as a simple way to cut strokes from your scorecard quickly and easily._Ê As an instructor, I like to teach my students the basic premise that by adding to their technical repertoire and eliminating incorrect moves, they can effectively lower their handicaps. In other words, I believe that a good instructor subtracts as much, if not more, than they add. By eliminating inefficient and wasted motion and streamlining your technique, you’ll be making a giant first step toward improving your swing and your scores.

Not everything in the add and subtract method is highly technical. In fact, many of the techniques are relatively basic but are elements that players often overlook or simply don’t understand. From course management to club selection to putting performance, every element of the game can be simplified to make it easier. Pay close attention to the drills I recommend, as well as the techniques I demonstrate for short-game performance. Take my advice and learn to add and subtract properly, and your scores will go down in no time.

Save 2 Strokes, Avoid Hazards With Your 3-Wood


When there’s trouble up the right side of the fairway, leave the driver in the bag and choose your 3-wood instead. Tee the ball on the right side of the tee box and aim away from the trouble, and even if you do hit a slice, your ball will avoid the hazard.

The first weapon I suggest adding to your arsenal that I guarantee will save you strokes immediately is a simple course-management strategy. Most recreational golfers share one common fault and that’s the tendency to slice, particularly off the tee with a driver. This is no surprise considering that the driver is the lowest-lofted and longest club in the bag, making it the most difficult to square through impact. I know today’s drivers are better than ever, featuring higher MOI and COR, as well as extremely large clubfaces. However, I strongly suggest playing the 3-wood (or your longest fairway wood) on just about any driving hole that features trouble on the right side of the fairway. The added loft of a 3-wood helps create more backspin, which effectively counteracts the sidespin that typically causes a slice. In addition, the significantly shorter length (most drivers are about 45 inches in length, while 3-woods are typically closer to 43.5 inches) makes it much easier to make a balanced swing and more solid contact. Avoid penalty strokes and get the ball in play more often, and you’ll probably save a lot more than two strokes per round.


A great way to cut strokes from your score is to become deadly with your favorite wedge. Pick a specific distance and learn to make consistent, ball-first contact, and soon enough, you’ll find you have a shot you can rely on regularly.

Save 2 Strokes, Develop Deadly Distance

The second shot you need to learn is what I like to call the deadly distance shot. To begin, simply choose your favorite wedge (sand, gap or pitching) and learn to make solid, ball-first contact on a consistent basis, or what I call the squash. This is what occurs to the ball when you strike it with a proper, descending blow and compress it between the clubhead and the ground. To learn this type of contact, use the Board of Correction (seen at left and below). Place the golf ball an inch or two in front of the board’s edge, in the middle of the slot, and start hitting balls. Swing too shallow and you’ll hit the board, swing too steep and you’ll hit the ground before the ball. Once you’re able to squash the ball every time, find a dependable yardage marker (or GPS unit) and find out exactly how far you hit it.

Save 2 Strokes, Learn To Putt With Your Hybrid
As we all know, most strokes in golf are lost within 100 yards of the green. Of those strokes, more are wasted around and on the green than anywhere else. A great method of saving a good number of these shots is to learn what I call the hybrid putt. Next time your ball comes to rest on any type of tight lie around the green, take your hybrid and set up to the ball with your putting grip. Don’t hesitate to choke down a bit on the club, as they’re quite a bit longer than the standard wedge. Once you feel comfortable, simply visualize your target on the green (these shots will travel like low chips that release quickly) and make a normal putting stroke with a medium tempo.


The design of a hybrid club makes it perfect for short shots around the green. The sole is much wider than that of an iron, which helps prevent chili-dips and skulled shots. Also, the CG of a hybrid is fairly low and deep, which promotes overspin.



Penny on the putter: The importance of good rhythm to the full swing is well known, but it’s equally important in putting, even on short ones. To help develop a smoother, more consistent stroke, try my penny on the putter drill. To begin, simply place a penny on the flange of your putter and begin making some smooth strokes. Don’t be surprised if the penny falls off the first few times, but be sure to continue until you can keep the penny on the putter every time. Try making a bunch of three-footers in a row using this method until you feel your rhythm is good.	The Twin Towers are simply two tees that are taped to the face of your putter. Space the tees so only the sweet spot is left open, without getting too close to the hosel. Learn to hit this spot consistently, and you’ll drop a number of strokes quickly.

Save 2 Strokes, Make The Short Ones
After just about any round of golf, I’m willing to bet most players, with the exception of Tour pros, look back and think, If I had just made a few of those knee-knockers, I would have really scored well. It’s true, learning to make the short ones is without question the quickest way to improve your scores. Probably the most important and overlooked aspect of short putting is making solid contact with the ball in the center of the putterface. This is the only way to create consistent speed and direction, both of which are obviously key to good putting. To improve your ballstriking, try my Twin Towers drill. Tape two tees to the face of your putter so only the sweet spot is exposed. Practice draining short putts without hitting the tees and your stroke, along with your confidence, should improve dramatically.

Tim Brown, PGA, is a Teacher of the Year recipient and the Head Pro at Timberlane C.C. in Gretna, La.

Back To Basics

Four Steps To Laser Focus (for that perfect preshot routine)

Step 1: Observe. As you approach your shot, take in the entire environment, including your lie, yardage, wind, hazards and your intended target. There’s a lot of info to process, but with a little practice, it’s easy to do.

Step 2: See. Analyze the shot’s given circumstances. Take my situation here: Teeing off from a severely elevated tee box (Lombard Street at Moorpark Country Club in Moorpark, Calif.), the yardage book says I have 240 yards to the rough. If I hit my 5-wood (which normally goes 240), I’ll drive through the fairway (remember, downhill shots go farther). Therefore, I must come up with a hard yardage, or what the shot actually plays. In this case, I’ve subtracted 15 to 20 yards to account for the elevation change and have selected a 3-iron instead.

Step 3: Feel. See how I’ve just made a practice swing? I’m rehearsing the shot exactly how I want to execute it. All too often, golfers take practice swings that don’t resemble how the actual shot is going to be played. Don’t underestimate the importance of a practice swing! They create a feeling of the shot at hand. Now I’m going to take that feeling to the next step: execution.

_Ê

Step 4: Trust. At this stage, you’re actually hitting the shot, so narrow your focus to a specific target, like I’m doing here (in this case, the 150-yard marker). If you’ve completed the first three steps correctly, then you’ll be able to trust your shot. Stay focused on an external target and execute by just letting go. Maintain a focus on what you want the shot to do, not on where you don’t want the shot to go.

4 Ways To Score With A Hybrid

score with a hybrid opener By now, you’ve probably realized that hybrid clubs are a lot easier to hit than traditionally shaped long irons. The ball flies higher and lands softer with a hybrid, making them ideal for shots deep in the fairway that require a soft landing on the green. But what you may not know is hybrid clubs are also designed to perform well from a variety of other locations on the golf course. From the rough, the fringe, even the bunker—the hybrid can be an effective tool for saving your score. Let’s look at four ways to score with a hybrid, and in no time, you’ll be reaping the rewards of one of the most versatile clubs in the bag.

No. 1: From a Bunker

The proper ball position relative to your stance is extremely important when playing this shot from a bunker. If the ball is too far back, you’ll top it—too far forward, you’re going to hit it fat. The right position is to situate the ball a half-inch to one-inch back of where you normally would play your hybrid shot. As you swing, keep your feet planted in the sand as much as possible to prevent slipping and keep your weight in a centered position throughout the swing. This will help steepen your swing to ensure ball-first contact. Truth is, hitting a hybrid from the bunker isn’t much different from hitting a regular shot, as long as you make the minor adjustments in your ball position before you make a swing. From there, swing and accelerate through the ball!

score with a hybrid chip

No. 2: From a Bunker

One of the best ways to ensure consistency around the greens is to keep the ball as low to the ground as possible. With a hybrid, you’re assured that the ball will start rolling really quickly, making it easier to gauge how far the ball will roll. The key to hitting successful bump-and-run shots begins with choking down on the grip and holding the club with a putting-style grip. The trick with this shot is to emulate a body-driven putting stroke. To further encourage greater accuracy, opt for the square-to-square stroke as shown here. This will help you get the ball rolling in the right direction. As for the hands, limiting excessive wrist movement will make it a lot easier to gauge speed and distance, helping you to hit the ball more consistently and get up and down more often.

score with a hybrid above hole

No. 3: Above The Pin

When you barely miss the green and end up in light rough on the high side of the hole, don’t assume the putt or lob shot are your only choices. Another option is a shot that’s more likely to lend a desirable result. Like the previous shot that encourages roll, the chip from above the pin does the same. The key is in knowing where to get the ball rolling. Begin by making sure there’s room to get the club behind the ball. Address the ball like you would a standard chip, with your hands slightly forward, the majority of your weight on your forward side and your head directly over the ball. With a confident stroke, chip the ball so it lands in the rough, not the fringe or green. The extra momentum of the hybrid will cause the ball to roll forward even after hitting the rough, which will then slow the ball down so that it will roll softly onto the green. It’s a safer shot than a wedge from a downhill lie, that’s for sure!

score with a hybrid against collar

No. 4: Against A Collar

Before you opt to putt or chip from a spot where the ball is resting against the collar, consider the benefits of a hybrid. For one thing, a hybrid has a longer, wider sole that can help push the grass down behind the ball, making it easier to make solid contact. As a result, there’s a greater margin for error than with a wedge or putter that can easily slip underneath the ball or get stuck in the grass. To play this shot, address the ball with a putter-style grip, only this time, don’t choke up as much. With the ball in the back of your stance, press the hands forward. On the backswing, cock your wrists to lift the clubhead slightly and then swing downward on the downswing. Unlike the bump-and-run, which is more of a body stroke than a wristy one, allow your wrists to hinge slightly to help lift the club away from the collar on the backswing. On the downswing, the ball will pop and roll in a hurry, so be sure to read the green!

Frank O’Connell, PGA, is a 10-year teaching veteran based at the beautiful We-Ko-Pa Golf Club near Scottsdale, Ariz. For more info on booking a lesson, visit www.wekopa.com.