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Golf Strategy & Troubleshooting

Every player knows golf strategy plays a big role in lowering scores. Our swing troubleshooting tips are designed to help you make the most of every swing.

Trouble Shots

Don't Let Some Bad Breaks Ruin Your Round

Golf is a lot like life. Some days everything comes easily; other days nothing seems to go your way.

Bad Lies

Make clean contact no matter how difficult your lie

The key to this shot is to choke down on the club far enough—all the way to the shaft—if necessary

One of the great things about the game of golf is that, on occasion, all of us, even the highest handicapper, will hit a shot like a pro. It might be a well-struck drive, hitting a par-5 in two or holing out a bunker shot.

Ain’t Bad, Just Is

Catch a bad break? Don’t let it get you down. Escape!

I can’t go at this shot right-handed because the cactus impedes my stance. But I can get the ball back in play by playing a left-handed shot.

Manage Your Game

Think Better, Score Better

A common saying in golf is that the game is 90% mental.

Spotlight: Charles Howell III

Find out what Charles Howell III thinks about iron play and his new Bridgestone irons

Arguably one of the best American-born players in his 20s on the PGA Tour, Augusta native Charles Howell III had a great year in 2007. His second win came at the famed Riviera CC—a victory that kick-started his best year as far as PGA Tour earnings are concerned, having amassed more than $2.8 million on the golf course. For ’08, Howell’s game looks even better, thanks to a newfound confidence in his swing, putting and, most of all, in his new golf clubs.

4=8

Four shots that will save you eight strokes

I call it The New Math, but you can think of it as a simple way to cut strokes from your scorecard quickly and easily. As an instructor, I like to teach my students the basic premise that by adding to their technical repertoire and eliminating incorrect moves, they can effectively lower their handicaps. In other words, I believe that a good instructor subtracts as much, if not more, than they add. By eliminating inefficient and wasted motion and streamlining your technique, you’ll be making a giant first step toward improving your swing and your scores.

4 Ways To Score With A Hybrid

By now, you’ve probably realized that hybrid clubs are a lot easier to hit than traditionally shaped long irons. The ball flies higher and lands softer with a hybrid, making them ideal for shots deep in the fairway that require a soft landing on the green. But what you may not know is hybrid clubs are also designed to perform well from a variety of other locations on the golf course. From the rough, the fringe, even the bunker—the hybrid can be an effective tool for saving your score.

Back To Basics

Step 1: Observe. As you approach your shot, take in the entire environment, including your lie, yardage, wind, hazards and your intended target. There’s a lot of info to process, but with a little practice, it’s easy to do.

Use Your Head

Learn to improve your scores without changing your swing

What’s your goal in the game of golf? If it’s primarily to enjoy the outdoors or spend time with friends and family on the links, then you probably don’t need a lot of instruction. For most of us who love the game, however, the challenge of playing well and competing is a major part of why we’re hooked.

Myth Busters

Many popular swing tips and equipment theories are just plain wrong

If you practice your backswing at a gas pump while talking on your cell phone, the station will explode. It’s myths like this—though hardly as ludicrous—that can send golfers who need the right answers into a tailspin. The trouble with myths is that most sound reasonable, and usually are passed from one golfer to the next with only good intentions. Nevertheless, the common tip shared across grill room tables and on tee boxes nationwide tends to do more harm than good if only because the true reasoning behind the suggestion is misunderstood. Let’s clear the air, shall we?