Golf Tips
50 Ways To Lower Your ScoreUse our top tips, equipment advice, Tour examples and a few new training aids to play your best golf |
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| By Brady Riggs, PGA, with Mike Chwasky, Photography by Warren Keating | |
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Page 10 of 11 40. Escape Lob An easy way to execute a high lob from the rough is to place the ball in the middle of your stance, with the face square and your elbows pointing out. Maintain your elbow bend and the clubface position all the way through the shot, being sure to accelerate the clubhead through the ball. This shot works well with any lofted wedge. Ten Tips For Course Management 41. Take A Fresh Look Starting from the right side of the tee instead of the left, hitting a 3-iron instead of the driver, or laying up on a short par-4 can give you a boost of confidence and help establish more positive feelings when you’re having a tough day. To turn your game around when things just aren’t going right, begin by being aware of what shots are working and which are causing trouble. If you’re drawing or hooking the ball, use the left side of the tee box, or the right side if you’re fading more than usual. Also, be realistic about club selection, and don’t be afraid to use more or less club than you normally would.  42. Be ImaginativeSuccessfully executing scoring shots around the green is a key to good scoring, and smart decision-making is as important as solid execution. When deciding what shot to play, consider the contours of the green and the surrounding land and where the pin is located. Always choose the high-percentage play, which at worst will give you a sure two-putt, with a good chance at making a par-saving one-putt. 43. Plan Ahead Great poker players always are thinking one step ahead, and great golfers should do the same. Rather than always playing bold shots, it’s best to consider what target will make your next shot as easy as possible, and to adjust accordingly. This holds true for drives, approach shots and putts. 44. Pro Files: The Thought That Counts Retief Goosen has become one of the best players on the planet in recent years, due in large part to his increased interest in and exploration of the mental aspects of the game. After shooting a final round 64 at the 2004 Tour Championship, which gave him an eight-shot victory over Tiger Woods, as well as a $1,080,000 paycheck, Goosen attributed the win in part to an unusual and fairly bold strategy change he made that Sunday. Feeling he needed to find something to kick-start his round and his game, he decided to play from the opposite side of each tee than he had in the previous three rounds. Obviously, the change gave him a different look at the hole, which made him concentrate a bit more on each tee shot, helping both his overall play and his scoring. 45. Try This! SkyGolf SG2 Cart GPS devices are great, but what if you had your own personal GPS to use on any course and even during those rounds where you choose to walk? Thanks to SkyGolf GPS, you now can own that luxury. The SG2 unit ($350) provides instant yardages to specific locations on courses in the SkyGolf vault (expected to number 10,000 by the end of ’05). The SG2 works so well, the Adams Golf Tight Lies Tour allows use of the SG2 during competition rounds. For more info, visit www.skygolfgps.com. |
