Golf Instruction
Master the most difficult shots and learn long drive secrets with our golf instruction articles. Our online golf lessons will help you transform your game.
Thursday, May 1, 2003 Stop Shanking Most golfers have felt the agony of wasting a great drive by shanking a wedge shot into the trees or the water. That one shank probably has even made a few of you so paranoid that you shanked the next four shots around the green. |
Thursday, May 1, 2003 Throttle Back I’d like to let readers in on a little secret that professional long drivers share among themselves: Maximum distance results from somewhat less than maximum effort. Trust me, I’ve been competing in the long drive arena for 20 years, and during that time, I’ve watched competitive long drivers post their best distances when they throttle back from an all-out assault on the ball. So will you. |
Tuesday, April 1, 2003 TurnstyleGet behind the ball for better, more powerful swings Most golfers know that a full, 90-degree shoulder turn is a crucial element of a solid golf swing. Without it, a proper weight shift and a correct swing plane are almost impossible to achieve. A good shoulder turn not only ensures that your shoulders and chest are behind the ball at the top of the backswing, but helps maintain consistent balance throughout your motion. Before you can master a proper shoulder turn, however, it’s important to understand what it entails and exactly what it is. |
Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Correct CallsDistance control starts with selecting the right club You’re in the middle of the fairway, 150 yards from the flagstick. “Perfect 7-iron,” you say to yourself, after which you promptly sail the ball over the pin—and over the green. What happened? Likely, you only gave yourself a fraction of the data you needed to select the right club for the shot at hand. |
Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Tighten Up!Contrary to popular opinion, loose swings produce loose shots How many times have you been told to relax your grip, your arms or your entire body to better your golf shots?Everyone has, most often by a well-meaning playing partner hoping to pull you from the depths of a horrible round. However, such misguided advice can wreak havoc on your swing. Most golfers would be better served by tightening up their swings rather than making them looser or, to coin a phrase, “more fluid.” The next time a tournament airs on TV, check out Ernie Els or my old college teammate David Toms. |
Tuesday, April 1, 2003 The Chicken Swing Most teachers will instruct you to fold your left arm into your left side during your followthrough so your hands and arms can release the clubhead down the target line. That’s certainly good advice, but at times, especially in pressure-packed situations where you absolutely have to hit the ball onto the green with an iron or drive it into the center of the fairway off the tee, not folding your left arm into your side can pay huge dividends. |
Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Post-Up For Precision Do you have a problem striking the ball solidly on a consistent basis? Do you tend to hit behind the ball? Do you struggle getting the ball to go into the air? Do you lack power? If so, it could be that you have too much lateral body movement through impact. |
Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Reduce Spin, Add Distance Tour players are hitting the ball dramatically farther these days. Improvements in clubs and balls are contributing factors, but so is the fact that professionals have learned to reduce the amount of spin on their drives. Today’s players put in long hours finding ways to reduce backsin and create the optimal launch angle. Work on the tips below to take spin off your tee shots and hit longer, more penetrating drives. |
Saturday, February 1, 2003 Hacks, Lies And VideotapeA step-by-step guide to improving your swing, one frame at a time Using Video to analyze and improve your golf swing is the essence of being a “serious” student of the game. Attempting to tackle the golf swing without taking advantage of video technology is a tremendous handicap. In fact, there’s no question in my mind that one of the main reasons we’re seeing so many young superstars in golf today is the use of video analysis. |
Saturday, February 1, 2003 Heat Up Your Game Inside And Out!Whether you're snowbound or course-bound, here?s all you need to keep your game burning hot Although there are many different swings, there are only two kinds of golfers: those who live in climes that allow year-round golf and those who don’t. For those who must suffer through months of frost-covered greens, watching wedges and irons collect dust, we feel your pain. However, there’s no reason why you can’t use the between-season time to prep your game for when the gates of your home course reopen to the rites of spring. |
Saturday, February 1, 2003 Speed Through Many amateur golfers sacrifice power and distance because they become infatuated with swinging at the ball—not through it. They’re so intently focused on making solid contact that they become fixated with the point of impact. |
