Player tips
Andrew Marshall
If you want to become a better putter, you have to learn to stabilize the lower body as much as possible. All great putters have a rock-steady lower half and swing the putter from above the waist. Now, deciding whether you’re a hands-driven putter or a shoulder-driven putter (or both!) is a matter of personal style, but one thing is for sure: no matter how you choose to swing with the upper body, the lower body must stay as still as possible.
Benn Barham
Chip dead every time
The mechanics of this shot are really simple. Just keep everything basic, don't do anything fancy. I start by focusing on where I want the ball to land. Decide your club depending on how far you want the ball to run out.
The shorter the shot the more lofted the club you'll need to use. Play the ball toward the middle of your stance, and keep the hands ahead. The key to playing this shot well is to get a good hands-and-arms swing. I just accelerate the clubhead through the ball, letting the left of the club do all the work for me and then allowing the ball to run out toward the pin.
Bradley Dredge
Perfect Posture
Bad habits stay with you for years, constantly
holding back your progress. Its never too late to make a change, so I suggest
you take five minutes in front of a mirror to check the following in your
posture:
1. Your chin should be held high, to make room for your shoulder
turn.
2. Your knees must be flexed.
3. Spine angle needs to be such that a
vertical line from your right shoulder bisects your
kneecap.
4. Alignment
is crucial - your toes, thighs, hips & shoulders should correspond with a
line
parrallel to the target.
5. Your hands should hang down to the club,
your arms free of tension.
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Making a putt under pressure
When the heat is on I follow a definate routine. I first of all make sure that my weight is on my left side, then I concentrate on keeping my grip light and my strokes as smooth as possible, by controlling it with my shoulders and back muscles. I always try and hold my follow through position until the ball is well on its way to the hole. The back of my left hand mirrors the putter face. If you can control your swing with larger muscles, you'll find that repetition is a lot easier to come by.
Damien McGrane
Tuck elbows in for straight shots
One of my key thoughts when I'm swinging well is to keep my elbows tucked in - my right elbow is close to my right side on the takeaway and my left elbow close to me left side on the followthrough. In each case, I used this guideline until the club was about parallel to the ground. This helps keep the arms close to the body at impact. It eliminates a lof of excess motion and gives you a more compact swing, which means fewer things can go wrong. When I do this I find that the ball starts on a better line and doesn't curve as much. I have more control - and more power too.
David Lynn
Keep the left arm and putter in line
Over the years, the putting motion has evolved from a wristy jabbing stroke with virtually no wrist action. I think the turning point came in the mid 60s when player's seeing how successful Jack Nicklaus was, began to imitate his stroke. What struck me when I first analysed his style was how high his hand position was. When looking at him from behind his target, you could draw a line straight up his puttershaft and it would extend up through his left arm. This higher hand position helps eliminate wristness and ensures a more solid, consistent stroke.
Garry Houston
Part of being a skilful player is “reading” the situation, choosing the right shot and then being able to execute that particular play. Taking into account all your options is important, but most golfers never consider the versatility the game allows. For example, when faced with a bunker shot, most golfers think “blast.” But in some situations, thinking “chip” may produce the better result.
There are three conditions that should trigger your consideration of the sand-chip. The first thing is your lie. If the ball is sitting up so you can get the club head cleanly on the ball, the chip is a possibility. The second factor is the height of the lip. The sand-chip features a low trajectory, so you can only use it if the bunker has a very low lip. The third factor is the location of the pin—the sand-chip will run with very little spin, so it’s ideal when there’s a lot of space between the ball and the flag.
The sand-chip also is the shot of choice when the pin is on a tier where it would be all too easy to hit a normal bunker shot a foot too short and spin it back down the slope, leaving you a long, difficult putt up a steep slope. When all three of these conditions are present, you’re primed to make your chip from the sand.
John Bickerton
Why the hatchet shot on buried bunker lies work
When I'm faced with a deeply buried lie in the sand, I use what I call the 'hatchet shot' to ensure that I get out in one try. Use either a pitching wedge or a sand wedge with a very thin flange. This will guarantee that the clubhead penetrates the sand rather then bounces off it. At address, align the clubface so its square to the target . Swing the club back and up abruptly on an upright swing plane so that 'at the top' the clubhead is directly over your right shoulder. Then swing the clubhead down steeply, stopping just after impact. You don't need to swing hard because the ball will come out low and run toward the hole.
Jyoti Randhawa
Bunkering Out
When hitting an ordinary bunker shot try to imagine you're scopping the ball out with a frying pan. In addressing the ball, have your stomach almost facing the hole and draw the left foot back so you have a wide open stance. This will encourage you to cut across the ball, so ensure you aim the clubface square at the flag.
Miles Tunnicliff
Better Balance
All great players swing the club within themselves. It doesn't matter whether they're using a long iron or a 9-iron; the tempo remains totally constant. They also maintain the same balance from the moment they set up over the ball to the time the ball lands. That's how I feel about my golf swing, always under control. To get the correct posture take your normal stance, raise your arms up so that the club points towards the sky and rock forwards on to your toes, then backwards onto your heels before setting your weight in the middle. Flex your knees and rotate in the backswing and you'll strike the ball better.
Peter Lawrie
Little pitches and chips from the first cut require soft hands and great technique. You also have to factor in roll-out. The trick is to judge how far to carry the ball.
I practise these short shots by sticking a tee in the ground for both my landing spot and hole location (if im not chipping to a flag). I also change my trajectory depending on slope of the green by either shutting the club down through impactfor lower shots or holding it open for higher, softer shots.
Phillip Golding
Master the Lag Putt
The golden rule when you work on the longer putts is that the speed at which you release the putter must be determined by the length of your stroke. I make a habit of swinging back and forth at a smooth even pace, relaxing my arms and wrists so the putter accelerates smoothly. The best way to develop a feel for the distance is to stick to tees in the green at 10, 20 and 30 feet, then work between them at random. Vary the length of your stroke to suit the length of putt. Alternatively, line balls up from 40 feet to the hole and work your way to the hole.
Richard Bland
One of the biggest mistakes I see amateurs make is in their address position with the driver. They naturally bend towards the ball causing the spine to tilt to the left of centre. This results in the upper body aiming left of the lower body and more body weight on the left foot. Always tilt your spine towards the centre of your stance ignoring the ball which is opposite the left heel. And do not allow your knees to point towards the ball which would also twist the hips to the left. This will give you a squarer set-up promoting more body coil and weight transfer.
Scott Drummond
Putt with a wedge for a better strike
To get a consistent roll on the ball when you're putting, you have to strike it at a consistent depth, with a slightly upwards brushing action. One of the best ways to develop a consistent stroke is to practice putting with your wedge. Hover the leading edge of your wedge behind the ball and concerntrate on making the smooth stroke that rolls the ball towards the hole. With just the sharp leading edge to focus on, you will find that your margin for error is greatly reduced. This should help you to develop the correct upward brushing stroke you need to make regular contact with the ball just above its equator.
Stephen Dodd
How you make a practice swing when chipping from off the green is especially critical. First of all, you’re not just trying to calculate how far you need to hit the ball, you’re also trying to determine how high the ball should fly and how much roll you want it to have. Also, a practice stroke helps you to assess the lie, which can range from having a ball that’s sunken down in the rough to one sitting high on the collar. All these variables come into play when making a practice swing.
Steve Webster
Learn to draw the ball
To play the draw adopt a closed stance, facing right of your target, with your right foot drawn back. This automatically flattens your swing. The V's of your hands should point to your right trouser pocket, causing the hands to roll over at impact. Remember, the ball will travel farther than normal.
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How to play the long bunker shot
When your normal explosion shot with a sand wedge won't reach the flag, simply go down to longer clubs and utilise your normal explosion shot technique. With an open stance and the ball positioned somewhere off your left heel, open the face of the club, make a three quarter swing along your stance line and slide the club through the sand under the ball, making sure the trailing edge of the flange strikes the sand before the leading edge. Don't be afriad to make a firm swing. Thinking of a good finish will keep you from quitting on the shot and sticking the club in the sand.