Drop 10 Strokes In 10 Minutes

Score your best in 2011, quickly!

By Tom Stickney, PGA, With Ryan Noll, Photos By Ryan Noll

Photo location courtesy of Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, California.

It’s a new year. It’s a new you. It’s time to kick those bad swing habits and make 2011 the year you play your best golf ever. I’m here to help you do just that, only this time, I’m going to help you make some immediate fixes that don’t require long hours at the practice facility. Nope. I’ve got 10 fixes for you that, in a matter of minutes, ought to help you drop those unwanted strokes and shatter your scoring barrier.

STROKE 1:
1. THE TOPPED TEE SHOT

Most golfers who top their tee shots (you know, the ones that barely make it past the ladies’ tees) do so because they try to hang back and hit up on the ball. Ironic, isn’t it? Sometimes the harder you try to hit the ball higher, the more you’ll top the ball and drive it straight into the ground. In fact, some golfers top the ball so often, that they don’t realize the ball careens off the ground a few inches in front of the tee before it gingerly flies down the fairway. To cure the topped shot in a hurry, imagine you’re hitting two golf balls at the same time. The first is where you normally tee it up. The second is a few inches in front toward the target. By concentrating on the second ball, you’ll be more inclined to make a sweeping motion through the first ball, thus preventing the topped shot. And in case you’re wondering, a good drive is the result of a slightly ascending arc—something that will naturally happen when playing the ball forward in your stance with a driver. Don’t force it.

STROKE 2:
2. THE BIG SLICE

It’s awful, isn’t it? Sometimes a slice comes out of nowhere, and when it does, it usually gets worse by the end of the round. A great way to kill a slice right away is to monitor your grip pressure. If you grip the club too firmly, your hands won’t release quick enough, and you won’t be squaring the face at impact. So loosen your grip pressure—just don’t go so loose that you can’t hold the club securely. Second, as you can see in the photos, I like to wear a watch when I play. It reminds me that the back of my left hand (the watch face) ought to face the target at impact. If the watch is facing up or to the right, a slice is imminent. Wearing a watch is a great way to train and remind yourself where the hands should be at impact, thus killing that nasty slice.