It's Not All About Putting

By Josh Walker

How's your golf? Do you regularly produce stunning shots that leave your golf partners in awe? Or do your double bogies leave them laughing instead? Here are some tips to get your golf game out of the sand traps and onto the green.

Improving Your Drive

When you watch someone execute a perfect long drive, it all looks so easy. And yet it doesn't seem to work quite so well when you do it yourself! This is one area of the game where coaching can be very beneficial. Someone needs to watch your technique closely and pick up any little mistakes you might be making. A whole range of factors contribute to the success of your drive, from a good turn of the shoulders for power, through to keeping your arms loose and relaxed rather than jammed against your body. A few sessions with a good coach should quickly identify any errors and correct them.

Backhand Shots

These shots don't happen very often in golf, but because they're so rare, they really sort out the good players from the amateurs. Basically, you use a backhand shot when a normal stance isn't possible. This might be because the ball is against an obstacle, or the lie of the land is too difficult. Try to get a steady stance, even if you need to be slightly sideways or on a slant. You need to be stable to produce a controlled stroke. Many people find the seven iron is the best choice for backhand shots.

Sand Traps

Playing a ball out of a sand trap can be quite tricky. The sand affects the ball, making it quite a different shot to a normal lob. It's easy to hit the ball hard so that it ends up on the green. To make your shot effective, however, you need to learn how to lob the ball without actually hitting it. To begin, you need to close the face of your club or sand wedge. Dig into the sand beneath the ball with your stroke, so that you're lofting the ball up into the air. You should see some sand flying into the air, following the ball. This helps to stop the ball from traveling too far. As you become more skilled, you should aim to put some backspin on the ball to prevent it from rolling too far on the green.

Remember, becoming a good golfer takes time, practice and patience. While the common strokes such as putting and teeing off are an important part of your game, learning how to execute the less common shots can do a lot to reduce your golf score.

Josh Walker publishes the Golf @ Learn Heaps site where you can find more golf tips.

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