Hill Rides: Downhill and Uphill Shots

Uphill and downhill lies are a challenge as they demand balance and control of the clubface throughout the swing

Set up with your spine perpendicular to the slope and shoulders

parallel to the ground so you can swing up the slope on the backswing

and down the slope on the forwardswing. The arrangement of your body

will favor the creation of an upright swing and make it more difficult

to square the face through the hitting area—that’s why a shot from a

downhill lie tends to curve a little to the right. To help shallow the

plane and encourage a swing that’s a little more around your body, drop

your right foot back to close your stance slightly and match up the

ball position to your stance by putting it about two inches back of

normal.

Under 100

Five lessons that will lower your handicap in '07

Golf isn’t a game of who hits it the best, it’s a game of who misses it the least. Even the best players in the world routinely mis-hit shots. In fact, the average Tour player hits only about 12 greens per round! How do they miss one out of every three greens and still manage to routinely shoot under par? Two reasons: steely determination and a red-hot short game.

Shotshaping Formulas

How to make the shots you need to play your best

It’s a “how-to” world these days. Everywhere you look, you’ll find someone, somewhere or something dedicated to what I like to call, “HTH” (How-To Hysteria). “How to bake a cake, how to wire a motorcycle, how to build an arboretum, how to fix a car—we as a culture have become so fascinated by the “how-to” genre that dozens of magazines, Websites and even television channels have been developed to help you help yourself. Luckily, Golf Tips is no exception, as the authors in every instructional story provide you with the scoop on how to become a better player.

Tips From The Tour

Study the best in the world and improve your game

It goes without saying that the players who compete on the PGA Tour are

the best in the world. Not only do they have impressive natural talent,

but every guy out there spends a tremendous amount of time and effort

working on his technique, strategy and fitness. For those of us not

fortunate enough to be able to spend all day, every day improving our

all-around game, this opportunity seems like a dream come true. For the

players on Tour, however, it’s a job that they take seriously, and one

that’s both extremely competitive and tough.

Money Shots

Every round requires at least one money-shot situation to win a few skins or to stay competitive when the chips are down

It doesn’t matter how great or poor you’re playing, any given round

requires at least one spectacular shot to win a skin, save a

much-needed stroke or, in some cases, avert a disaster. We like to call

these “money shots,” as opposed to “miracle shots,” because we believe

that with practice, these types of shots will be your go-to plays when

the game is on the line. Better yet, learning a few money shots will

not only help you lower scores, but your overall game is likely to

improve, thanks to a newfound confidence in knowing you can face

anything that comes your way.

25 Shots

A tee-to-green guide to great score-saving plays

Shotmaking is a broad term and one that’s typically reserved for highly skilled players. Yet all golfers, even those who have a tough time breaking 90, should consider themselves shotmakers. Face it, the game of golf constantly demands a degree of creativity, and unless you play on a perfectly flat course with no rough, no hazards and no undulations on the greens, you have to be ready with a variety of plays–just to get through a single round.

Drop Down, Choke Down

In the late 1970s, the greatest player in the world came to the realization that he had to change his swing in order to better control his golf ball in the wind. That golfer, Jack Nicklaus, spent the better part of a year relearning the golf swing in heavy Florida winds. A few years later, Nick Faldo retooled his leggy, high-ball hitting motion by inserting mechanisms that helped him lower his trajectory in order to produce a more penetrating ballflight. The move led him to six majors.

What Makes A Golf Swing Great

A good golf teacher can spot a great swing a mile away. Such recognition is based on years of experience.

As an instructor with over 50 years of teaching experience, I’ve seen my fair share of golf swings–both good and bad. Most of the bad swings I see are marred by basically the same series of mistakes. Similarly, good motions are defined by several, rock-solid commonalities that, if you know what to look for, stand out like a sore thumb on a tiny hand.

Become A Shotmaking Artist

From tee to green, all the plays every golfer needs

The one constant in the game of golf is that each round is different. Weather conditions, course conditions, course layout and even a golfer’s physical and mental state on a given day create a unique set of challenges. That means that to play well you have to learn to adapt. Golfers who maximize their scoring potential know how to do things like shape the ball around the corner of a dogleg, handle uneven lies on a hilly course, and hit the ball back in play from under low-hanging branches.

5 Driving, 5 Wedge Play and 5 Putting Mistakes

Fix common errors in three key areas and watch your scores plummet

Mistakes–we’re all going to make them, especially on the golf course. Luckily, this isn’t a game that demands perfection. Even on Tour, low scores can be had without being perfect on every swing. The key is to limit the mistakes that can cause the most damage and jump on scoring opportunities whenever they arise.