It’s a revitalizing sensation to get out on the links and enjoy some golf. Enjoying the great outdoors, having a drink or two and chatting with friends is a great way to spend your time. If you’re looking to improve your golf game in the process, here’s a starting guide.
Straighten Up
There’s a common misconception that distance should be your goal when hitting the ball. However, the truth is that hitting the ball very far isn’t necessarily going to help your handicap at all.
What you should be doing instead is working on your strike so that your club face smacks the ball and hits it in a more directed manner straight onto the green or fairway you’re aiming for. Try to hit the ball straighter rather than farther and improve your swing path. Your handicap will thank you.¹
Having Vision
As great a player as you may be, if your eyesight is declining your game will inevitably suffer. Getting your eyes checked is the best course of action here, and there are opticians all over who can do that quickly and effectively to make sure you’re wearing the right glasses or contact lenses to correct your vision.
When your vision is at its best your stance, swing, grip and whole game reaches its full potential, but when you’re having trouble seeing everything else becomes harder out on the course.²
Anchor Yourself
A starting tip for improving your game is also to work on anchoring your stance behind the ball. The foot behind the ball should be firmly planted in the ground to provide a pivot point for when you strike. Having a good stance and anchoring your foot firmly behind the ball will give you driving power and accuracy.³
Work on Chipping
One of the most difficult parts of golf is chipping, but there are various sure-fire ways to improve your chipping game. A good starting point here is to buy wedges that are designed to hit different distances so that you have clubs more tailor made to the task at hand and you don’t have to cramp your style on a wedge that’s too strong or weak. When chipping, practice hitting the ball so that it still has time and space to roll towards the hole instead of aiming straight for the hole and overshooting. Also, don’t immediately turn your head to see where your chip shot went, as this momentum can scull the ball and take it way off course. Instead stay straight ahead for at least three seconds after chipping.⁴
Play Out Worst-Case Scenarios
Another great tactic for improving your game is to practice hard situations. Hit two balls and play the one that lands in a harder spot. Presenting yourself with this constant uphill challenge will make it far easier once you’re in a real game. Instead of that sinking feeling when you land in the rough you’ll already be well battle-tested and ready to respond effectively.
You’ll be confident about handling situations that go the opposite of how you were hoping because you’ve tested your skills many times already by playing your worst ball.²
Get in the Green
Getting in the green is your key to golf excellence, and in order to do so it’s worth using your wedge. Try using your wedges to hit different distances by modifying your swing and posture. As you get better and more accurate at estimating and placing the distance of your wedge shots you will find that you start hitting the green far more frequently and becoming a much stronger golfer all around.¹
[1] https://www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/features/instruction-features/2018/february/12-ways-to-help-easily-improve-your-game/
[2] https://www.golfdigest.com/story/9-ways-to-be-a-better-golfer-in-2019
[3] https://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Your-Golf-Game
[4] https://golftips.golfweek.com/improve-golf-game-simple-tips-1001.html