GOLF TIPS

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Hello and welcome to my golf tips page. Here you will find a variety of game improving tips to help you with your game. If you would like a tip for a particular aspect of play, simply send your suggestion to me via my contact page and I will post a tip in my next update. Happy golfing, Mike

ARE YOUR EYES TELLING YOU THE TRUTH? 
Looking at a green, your ball and a target in the distance even 4 feet away requires your brain to interpret a three dimensional image provided to it by your eyes. But for most of us, our eyes struggle to reproduce this image accurately, especially when it comes to drawing a line between where the ball is and where the target actually is.

Each of us has a dominant eye and we need to know which one it is. This needs to be the “master” or “aiming” eye.


When you are lining up your Putts, looking for the target and the aim line (for breaking Putts) it is important for you to position your dominant eye behind the ball and the line you are looking down. If your dominant eye is not right behind the ball, then your eyes can start to play those awful tricks on your brain and you are going to setup to miss.

This is just one of the tricks your eyes can play, but understanding this one and what you should do to combat it, is a great start to setting up to sink more Putts.

IMPROVE YOUR PUTTING BY PRACTICING YOUR CHIPPING
The better your technique, the less you will rely on feel, and nowhere is that more evident when you are within 50 yards of the green. How often have you heard playing partners bemoan their lack of practice or game time, blaming it for a poor pitch or chip? Actually most amateur golfer’s poorer Pitch or Chip shots are as a consequence of a poor technique. If they do practice then they are usually trying to find a way to make a bad technique work!



Next time you’re out on the course count the number of times an ‘up and down’ from near to the green would have saved you a shot (or two). If that number is anywhere near double figures you don’t have an excuse. Improve that technique.
           
DRIVE FOR SHOW
A new Driver, expertly selected for your swing, will improve your distance off the Tee. The key words here are “your swing”. Because each is different, each will have its own unique problem – an underlying factor that costs you yards - and therefore requires a different solution.
 
For the majority of golfers that means having one or two lessons  as the closer you hit the ball to the sweet spot the further and straighter it will go. Combine an improved technique with club fitting benefits that include extra club head speed, or a higher launch, or lower spin (or all of the aforementioned) and you will be able to maximise the distance and accuracy you get from your drives.



Above and below are just a few ways of how modern Drivers can add distance to your Tee shots but let’s not forget the ‘simple’ things. Teeing the ball higher promotes a higher launch angle which can add a few more yards.
 
That’s another ‘distance’ solution, but it’s worth remembering that well struck shots don’t just go further, they go straighter as well. That means more approach shots from the short grass and that means more enjoyment of the game.
 
If you are struggling to hit your longest and straightest shots from the tee or if you are considering replacing your current Driver, simply get in touch via my contact page and we can find the best solution for your game.



PUTTING SOLUTIONS?
Three putting is one of the most frustrating factors do deal with when playing golf. You can negotiate hundreds of yards with rough, trees, bunkers and water hazards with two good, clean strokes only to throw it all away on the green by taking three more to get down from a last few yards.
 
Poor putting is so frustrating because it is the easiest stroke to make in golf. You don’t have to hit the ball in the air, the lie is always perfect and it requires the shortest of swings with the least number of moving parts, so it’s near impossible to miss it completely so how difficult can it be?

If putting was like full shots where the difference between a good and bad shot is more apparent then golfers would pay more attention to the quality of their putting stroke instead of it being one of the least practised part of their play even though it makes up an enormous percentage of your final score; some 35-40% for the majority of golfers.

Take an average 24 handicapper; they will likely shoot 96 with around 40 putts. Get rid of the three putts, hole a few more 3-5 footers and suddenly 40 putts becomes 32 putts – and a 16 handicap. Any golfer, at any skill level, can consistently hit putts with good distance and directional control, yet ‘putting’ rarely gets its share of the any practice time so... commit yourself to holing more putts and enjoying yourself a lot more on the greens.



BALL FLIGHT
If you are looking to change the ball you play, the spin rates you achieve with your driver and long irons will have a big effect on what ball you should use. The combination of launch angle and spin rate can be optimised for your swing speed and the ball speed you generate.
 
You all know that backspin is necessary to create lift but too much spin will cause your golf ball to balloon and then drop vertically. Tests have highlighted that swings speeds between 80mph and 120mph with a driver will affect the ball spin rate by 500RPM.

It is for that reason that manufacturers make multiple versions of their premium golf balls. Some golfers will benefit from a lower spinning golf ball that launched at a slightly lower trajectory, while others are better off with a higher spinning ball that launches at higher angle.

The golf ball that will be best suited to your game is not solely based on swing speed alone as the angle your club head approaches the ball will change the spin rate and optimum ball flight achieved.

Another contributing factor is if you impart so much side spin on the golf ball that your shots slice or hook. If this is the case then you might benefit from a lower spinning golf ball irrespective of your swing speed.

To find out the best ball for your game try the Titleist Ball Fitting App

GET FIT
When buying a new glove golfers always make sure it is the right size but don't always do the same when getting a new set of irons, driver, fairway, hybrid, wedge or putter. See the diagram below to find out how club fitting variables will influence your shots and remember you can buy custom fit clubs to suit your swing and any budget.



BOUNCE SITUATIONS

The sole of the wedge is angled so that the trailing edge of the club is closer to the ground than the leading edge. This is what causes the club to ‘bounce’ off the ground. The greater the angle from leading edge to trailing edge, the greater the bounce. This helps when playing a shot in long grass. However, when playing from a firmer surface, a club with lower bounce will lie tighter to the ground, helping the club face get a better contact on the ball. Selecting the club with the correct bounce for the shot will increase ball contact, giving you better control.

Loft Options
The problem many players have, particularly within 50-60 yards, is that they attempt to play this shot with a reduced swing with a normal wedge or sand iron. Unless you have practiced this shot a lot and know your yardages, it’s difficult to avoid mis-hitting the ball. A wedge with a higher loft allows you to hit a more purposeful shot without having to alter your normal swing and players are able to regulate these distances on a more consistent basis.

What is bounce?
Bounce is the angle represented by a line drawn from the bottom of the sole to the leading edge, and affects the way a wedge interacts with the turf. Gap wedges generally carry between eight and ten-degrees of bounce, while lob wedges can carry between six and 12 degrees, as they are required to cope with a wider range of playing surfaces. The more bounce there is, the more the bottom of the club acts like the bow of a boat to prevent the club from digging into the ground.

What bounce should I use at my course?
A low bounce wedge tends to play well in firm conditions (such as tight links fairways), and a high bounce wedge works for softer, more grassy conditions and fluffy bunkers. But you need to consider your angle of approach. If it is steep then you need to either fix that or get a bounce angle on your clubs that will protect you from digging in. Different Wedges will also expose you to different challenges, so you really need to take a look at your game and what Wedges you are carrying.