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“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” - Helen Keller​​

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​​​​Lay up to your favorite yardage, most golfers have comfortable approach distances for short shots. Subtract your desired distance from your total distance to help you choose the proper club to hit when playing short shots. This will help you decide what club to lay up with on a par 5 in planning for your 3rd shot. 

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Distance control is the big thing on long putts. If you judge the speed right, you'll almost always have a simple second putt. On long putts, I like the stroke to be a little longer and slower, so you can put some hit on the ball. I also stand a little taller to lengthen the stroke.  When most golfers try to hit it harder, they get quick and jabby, which usually causes a mishit. You want the putter head to accelerate through the ball naturally on it's pendulum, so think long and smooth. Ease up on your grip so the putter can work. 

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NEVER use the term LAG! If you do then you have already missed that putt.

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"When you stand over the ball on the tee with your driver in hand, you are likely excited and anxious to blast one long down the fairway. You have to be careful with that excitement, however, as hitting a shot while excited can cause you to rush the golf swing. You need to take your time at the top of the swing if you are going to strike the ball properly at the bottom, so don't let your anxiousness get the best of you."  Slow down Turbo And breath!!!

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Players love to focus solely on their golf swing and very little about their target. This causes your brain to focus far more on making a nice golf swing and far less about where the swing will send the ball. Pick the top of a tree or small target in the distance to aim for. When hitting into the green pick a smaller target, like a discolored spot on the green and focus on making a great swing towards that point. This simple change in your thinking will lead to more accurate golf shots and far less stress when you are playing golf.

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Getting to within striking distance of the green is only worth so much if you then spend the next four shots either crisscrossing the green with too much power, or flopping short with too little. The art and swing of chipping is very different to that of driving from the tee or with an iron from the fairway.  Two big differences are that your club should never go above parallel with the ground on the backswing, and your hands should always stay ahead of the ball and club. These tips will help with repetitive impact positions and consistent trajectory.

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Every good golfer knows that power comes from the body, not the arms. To learn to power the club with your body instead of your arms and hands, put the club behind the ball at address, with your body in a dead-stop position. Without taking a backswing, try to drag the ball into the air. If you are a golfer who uses his or her hands to control the club, you’ll probably struggle at first. However, you will quickly find that once you start moving the club with your body you’ll begin to get the ball in the air more consistently. This helps you turn fully through the ball on the downswing.

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It is easy to understand why drawing a line on your ball and aiming it from behind can help your putting alignment. It’s easier to aim from behind the barrel than beside it. If you watch golf closely on television, you will notice that the majority of top PGA Tour players use a line on their golf ball for this purpose. Try this the next time you're out practicing some putts!  I started doing this way back in the 70’s so not new to me.  Oh, and I haven’t stopped either 40+ years later!

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While most our pro tips are related to the swing itself, other factors, like how you practice that swing, are equally as important. As you begin to hone your skills it’s important to maintain some kind of practice routine. Whether you practice once a month or three times a week, try to stick to a similar routine each time you practice on the driving range. While we know it’s tempting to grab the driver first, start by hitting some 1/2 wedges then move on to your short irons. After warming up and getting a feel for your golf swing again, then proceed to longer irons, woods, and finally the driver.

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You want to be a better golfer?  Then you need to become more comfortable and relaxed on the golf course. This will help you to perform at your peek.  If you watch most great players, they have a very repeatable routine throughout their round. They walk at the same pace, do the same thing before each swing, and there is a timing and rhythm to it all. Watch them and learn.  No two players have the same routine, yet each is the same every time.  Start by talking to your pro, or me, but try and find one that works for you!  Then WRITE IT DOWN!  This is essential…  because if you write it down then you have a base line in which to improve upon.   As you and your game morph and improve so too will your PSR (Pre-Swing Routine).  Moreover, in written form it can be set to memory much easier.  This simple act works much like what I write about in my book in the section on goals and what to do with them.  You should already carry a sort of golf journal in your bag to write down this STUFF and other STUFF that happens in this crazy game. ​

Be Good and Get Better

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Limiting the height of the follow through of your swing will effectively reduce the height of your shots. The lower the hands, the lower the ball flight. Moving the ball back in your stance or choosing a stronger club and trying to swing easy are other ways to accomplish the same thing, but they're less reliable and more difficult to execute. Instead, keep your hands low in the finish and the trajectory of your shots will be lower.

 

When faced with a shot into a headwind a player would benefit from a shot with less spin.  To do this, take a club longer, and try to hold off your finish through impact.  By abbreviating the finish, the body is able to keep the hands from releasing aggressively through impact resulting in less spin.  On the contrary, a full and high finish will usually produce more spin and provide a player with a higher ball flight.

 

Create a repetitive set up and a solid foundation! Your set up is the foundation of your golf swing. It will affect the shape of your swing and its ability to generate speed and power.  So it only makes sense that if you start off correctly, you are likely to follow with a decent swing, leading to great results. Each link is only as good as the previous link.  If you start with a poor grip or poor posture, the second, third, fourth link, and so on your swing will only be trying to compensate to get you back on track.

 

When hitting pitch shots you don't need weight transfer. Keep your weight in your lead leg and then rotate around that post. This will keep you more centered which will allow the club to bottom out at the center of the arc.

 

Swing your arms! Many amateur players have their torsos outrunning their arms. When transitioning into the ball from the top of the swing down let your arms fall prior to your torso rotating. This will reconnect your arms to your body and have them traveling in front of you not behind during the strike. Ok...now get out there and play!​

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Memorial Week 

In honor of the Memorial Tournament, here is a swing tip relating to the great, Jack Nicklaus.  It’s a common refrain in golf instruction: The body controls the arms. But Jack operated the other way around. He had a clear idea of where he wanted his arms to be, and he moved his body to accommodate those positions. For example, Nicklaus wanted to feel that he could swing his arms freely. To do that, he said, he needed to get his right hip out of the way, so on his backswing, he moved his right hip back, not in a lateral slide but a rotation, perpendicular to the target line. Turning his right hip out of the way allowed Nicklaus to bring his arms down unimpeded, exploding through impact with tremendous speed. It’ s not a bad move for you to work on, too.

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Soften your hands for chip shots and putts. One of the most common mistakes most novice golfers make is gripping the club too tightly! Sam Sneed once said that the grip on the putter should be much like holding a little bird. Just tight enough to hold it but not too much to crush it. And remember, you're putting with loft when chipping. Pick the heel of the club up just a bit like Raymond Floyd.

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When practicing mix it up. Hit different shots to avoid repetitive practice. This translates to the course better than hitting the same shot with the same club over and over again like 60 times. 

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While repetition is key during practice, make sure you practice more than just straight line, 20 foot putts. This type of practice is good, but will not prepare you for putts or shots you may encounter on the course, or in a real tournament. Try shooting from farther distances or out of uneven terrain. Explore challenging areas on the green complexes and master them!.

 

To hit high soft bunker shots don't be afraid to open up the clubface and position the ball more forward in your stance. Take a wider stance than normal.  And remember. In order to pop the ball up you must swing down. Don't try to help it up!

A side note here:

Every time I hear this one comment it sounds to me like a chalk board screeching...

DO NOT!!! Do not try to hit 2 inches behind the ball in a bunker! Everything you have done to this point has set you up to make that strike. You have dug your feet in which is already going to make that 2 inches happen. Inconsistent shots abound when this "hit 2 inches behind the ball" thought process shows up!

Just FOCUS your eyes on that particular spot and let your eyes direct your brain to direct your swing. This will take care of the rest. 

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Ball position is key to the height of your shot when pitching and chipping.  The weight should be forward for balance.  With the ball forward, the shot will be higher and with the ball back the shot will be lower.  Maintaining weight on your front side with both ball positions can create a repetitive routine for a player to hit consistent pitches and chips from any lie.  

When chipping around the green do not think of the hole but rather a spot on the green you want to land the ball. Get the ball on the green as quickly as you can and let it run out like a putt. Once again, you're putting with loft. 

 

In order to gain distance with the driver... JUST STOP IT RIGHT HERE. JUST STOP IT.  Every player who has chased distance throughout the history of golf has suffered mightily. So just stop.

Davis Love II told Davis III that he was allowed to swing as hard as he wanted as long as he kept his balance.

GO SCOTTIE GO!!! Amazing as it is the guy never goes down...

Arnold said SWING YOUR OWN SWING!!!

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Practice with purpose. At the end of each session play a hole or two that you are struggling with imagining the shots you need to hit while on the range. Go through pre-shot routines and pick the clubs for yardages you believe you will be hitting. The next time you play that hole remember your practice session and emulate all the good shots and visions that took place during your practice session on the range.

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When handling pitches and chip shots, players tend to expand the window of error by aiming at the hole rather than a landing area. Next time you are out on the course try to find an area of the green that you can see the ball landing on and releasing toward the hole. This landing zone can be a larger target for a golfer to visualize and can help create better results.

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When faced with a difficult shot, try to create the best opportunity to limit a higher number. Plan and play for your next shot. Oh, and don't forget... BREATHE!

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When playing in a tournament or against friends in a friendly Nassau always commit to the shot you are about to hit. The best golfers have short term memories and besides the only thing that matters is the one shot that you are about to hit!

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If you stare at the ball too long at address, it's easy to get brain-locked and hit a bad shot/putt. Get up and swing the club! You're not in the thinking box, you're in the swing box.

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Alignment issues can cause swing flaws as well as difficulty on the course for most players. A great way to work on alignment would be to find an intermediate target that is on the same line as the ball and your target line. For example, stand behind your ball and run the shaft up through the ball to the flagstick. Along that same line you will see a divot, a leaf, or a lighter patch of grass you can align the body and club to that is much closer than the flag. Making sure your lines are correct to an intermediate target can create more confidence and comfort. Give it a try, and hopefully your accuracy will increase. 

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When practicing understand where your time should be spent. If you are missing fairways practice your drivers. If you are not getting up and down from the greenside practice chipping. Knowing where you are losing strokes plays an imperative role on how we should spend our time practicing. Spend very little time on this then move into your normal practice routine. 

SOMETIMES!!! The fix can be as simple as a de-briefing after the round... I was playing Big Boy golf on Kona recently. I knew that in my last 3 rounds I hadn't missed a fairway, furthermore I put it right or left fairway at will, however, I only hit 8 greens in regulation from those most prime spots... IN 45 holes!

REASON?!? I was not using my PSR and as I stepped into the ball, consequently was too far away from the ball and there the inconsistencies were born once again!

PSR

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The One Club Shortgame

​Far too often we see amateur and low handicap players pitch the ball with their sand wedge or lob wedge instead of chipping the ball on

a low trajectory. If you have plenty of green to work with then let it roll out as long as there isn't some type of obstacle like a bunker,

cart path, tree, etc. that forces us to hit it high, we always want to keep it low. Use a lower lofted iron like a 7 or 8 and let it roll out like a putt. The general rule on pitching is to make the ball will fly 1/3 and roll 2/3 of your total distance.​ In chipping you want to get the ball on the green about a foot and get the ball rolling as soon as possible.

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Each time you reach your ball, your objective is to get it into the hole from that position in as few shots as possible. Don’t think about what has gone before, or the worst-case scenario, just focus on how to get the ball in the cup in the most efficient way from where it lies. If you play a bad shot that ends in a difficult spot, try to think of it as a new challenge. Don’t just wallow in the predicament; start from scratch. Remember, your objective is to get the ball into the hole in as few shots as possible from the current situation. 

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The difference between low and high handicappers is how they look at trouble on the course. The high handicapper will focus on the trouble and feel anxious about going into water, trees, or sand.  The low handicapper will focus on the target and where he or she wants their ball to land. They are aware of the trouble and play away from it, but it is not their primary concern or something that they focus on while swinging. Find your target and play to that as if the trouble does not exist.

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​Playing a shot out of the rough can create a different outcome strictly based on the turf the player is dealing with.  If the grass is growing towards you, it will have a tendency to grab the club. So, take more club than you normally would. If the grass is growing with you, then it might “fly”, and offer less resistance. Take less club, and prepare for the ball to run more.  Next time you are in the rough, look at the direction the grass is growing and adjust the shot accordingly. Remember, lie dictates shot selection. 

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One of the most important assets a player can have throughout the round is a consistent grip pressure.  Full swing, flighted shots, chips, pitches, and putts all require light grip pressure during the shot or stroke.  When practicing, start to notice what kind of pressure the hands are building.  Tension can travel from the hands to the forearms, then to the biceps and shoulders, and eventually the chest.  When this happens, the body can lose mobility.  A lot of the fluidity a player can create starts with a soft handle on the club. 

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If you leave yourself a lot of long putts, here’s a simple tip that will help prevent three-putts: Always take your practice strokes looking at the target. This gives your brain the information that links feel to force, so you can hit the ball the right distance. 

NEVER NEVER NEVER use the term "lag" in front of Ian Poulter or myself. We both believe that the term Lag means that you have DRASTICALLY reduced your chances of making that putt.  Proper speed and proper line and it goes in no matter how long your putt is. I believe you can become a good enough putter to make all of the putts you have.  What is the longest putt that you have ever holed?

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Very few players are still leaving the pin in the hole from shorter distances. The reason for this is if you leave the pin in, your mind is interpreting that the hole has been reduced in size and/or the pin is viewed in your mind as another obstacle. 

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If you are hitting big hooks or slices it may be time to check the lie angles on your clubs.  If your clubs are too flat for your swing the ball will slice. If your clubs are too upright for your swing the ball will hook. It's an easy 20-minute fix with your professional staff and a lie board.

 

Having the correct posture at address is a very important fundamental which a lot of golfers overlook. This helps dictate how the club swings around the body and helps the body turn correctly, and helps promote good balance. Good posture, balance and rhythm is the key to a clean and more consistent golf swing. But like Arnold said, "Swing your own swing." 

 

"Don’t stand at attention. The knees are flexed, and the arms are hung naturally, neither reaching nor pulled back to the body. The left foot is pointed slightly out and weight evenly distributed between the feet. One thing applies to everybody. Be comfortable. If you have the feeling that you are standing in an awkward position, you’re licked before you start."- Arnold Palmer

 

Jack Nicklaus was a huge proponent of making sure he dialed in his feel on shorter shots before he moved into his full swings, and this is one of the greatest golf tips that has been making its way around for years. Establishing your feel on shots from 15-45 yards is a great way to warm up and get your swing in sync before you move on to your longer clubs. Try this in your next practice session, or before a round.

Like I have been saying… ½ wedges!!!​

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"The mark of a great player is in their ability to come back. The great champions have all come back from defeat," from the great Sam Snead. 

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It is easy to rush the golf swing. After all, you are probably trying to hit the ball a significant distance, especially if you are standing on the tee, so it is only natural to swing as hard and fast as possible. However, most of the time, that level of effort is going to do you more harm than good. The best golf swings tend to be those that allow speed to develop gradually, with the club accelerating all the way down until it arrives at impact. Hit it solid not hard!

​Sir Nick Faldo asked Jack Nicklaus, the best golfer of all time besides The Count (another story), how many times he really went at it in a competitive round.  Jack responded, “Only 2-3 times”.  Scratching your head yet?

 

Good tempo is imperative for a smooth transition into the ball. Take the club away slower. This will help a player to have a full set at the top of the swing thus allowing better sequence into the ball.  Keep in mind that you can take it away too slow thus building tension to the breaking point which can also break down the swing.  Furthermore, the top of the swing varies with each individual and even within each individual it varies from day to day.  So…  The Golf Dr recommends getting a tune in your head to create pretty much the same tempo, or closer to it each time and each day.  Do not change it unless you find it is too slow or fast. ​

Mine you ask?  M.A.S.H. Musically Altered State of Happiness.  That too, but the tune from the show MASH from the 70’s?  Oh bouy…​

Have you ever seen the lyrics?

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You might not know it, but golf can create so much stress that it triggers the “fight or flight” response in your body. Your heart beats faster, your blood pressure increases, and your mind begins to race. These are all things that make it harder to focus and stay in the moment.  Plenty of professional golfers do controlled breathing during their rounds because it actually works. Most golf tips don’t explore this part of the game, but it’s an essential tool to have on the course.​

Just know this!  Some gamer is going to ask you, “Do you inhale/exhale on your back/down swing?  The answer is neither, but turn that question right back around to the knucklehead that asked it…  “I’ve never thought of that, what do you do?  That’ll fix him.  Make sure you ask him next time you play again.  LOL DO NOT let them beat you with their mouths!!!​

You should inhale and exhale and take one last look and then take it back.

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Always make sure to give yourself the best opportunity at a beneficial approach shot to the green. 

Make sure that the club you are teeing off with will leave you with your desired yardage to the green (i.e. the prime of your bag).  We don't always have to tee off with driver.  For example, if the hole is 375 yards, and my desired yardage is 150, I would only need to hit a club 225 off of the tee. 

This approach to the game becomes even more important if you find yourself in trouble off the tee.  You know… Your favorite driver?  Shoulda hit that 3 wood.

Try this out next time you are on the course.  I’ll bet you play better!

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Tips from the Pro: 

When a player has the opportunity to assess their game following a round, more times than not the player will find that the large majority of their shots were hit inside of 10 yards from the green.  This includes chipping and putting.  80% of the practice time should be dedicated to short game and the other 20% can be full swing and everything in between.  Try to limit any weakness on the course and that starts with the proper practice regimen.  This includes, or should, a mental practice regimen as well.

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Putting with Garina Pillar

When I approach a putt, I like to look at it from all angles; whether it’s uphill, downhill, left to right, or right to left.  From there I just focus on where I am going to start it, how I’m going to roll it and what speed is going to make it into the hole.  I trust that I have looked at all the angles and taken everything into account.

This is good, but you can refine it a bit and make even more putts! Your putts!

 

PSR

The Golf Dr’s take you ask?  Well, while my approach is similar it should be noted that each of us has our own little quirks and idiosyncrasies so our PSR’s will vary from individual to individual.  Some of these idiosyncrasies directly affect our PSR like biorhythms, and even something as simple as an addition or subtraction of a step in your PSR.  This can affect EVERYTHING!  You may have just tipped the scale…

Think of it like this.  You have 7 items to check off on your PSR in order before you address your shots and you have been doing things this way for a while; now you go and add another.  Your total is now a positive number 8 and not a negative number 7, but odd numbers play too… I call this the ole switcheroo.  No trick or tweak works forever… You must keep moving forward and progressing along the way to improve/maintain YOUR golf game. That is one of the reasons that Golf is a game for life!

Be VERY CAREFUL not to upset this apple cart!!!  Your PSR is a delicate tool and that box of wires between your ears is apt to see this as an additive to a recipe that has already been working.  An alien outsider! 

Be careful to prepare, but not over analyze.  Remember the old-adage,

“Analysis can lead to paralysis.”

 

 We need to remind ourselves from time to time that our games as a whole reflect our very traits and personalities.  If you are basically an aggressive personality then you are going to have a hard time playing golf passively. You see it’s all about the details.  That is why Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott advanced so many games with their collaborated book.  Even if you just read the title, it could rock your world, but READ ON. 

Oh, The Title you ask?

Every Shot Must Have a Purpose

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I digress… Oh yeah, my putting PSR leads me to picking it out of the hole more times than not. 

Goes like this…

As I am walking down the fairway, (notice I said walking!!!)  I am feeling my surroundings and my very presence in this role that I selected today, I realize that everything that surrounds me is alive and breathing.  Get in SYNC with this!  It is why you are here really… 

I take in the terrain, the breeze, the angles, and slopes of the green as it sits there majestically surrounded by its very own Royal Guard, be it bunkers, or water, the pin begging you to go for it! I do not focus much on these as they are not my target, however THAT having been said, you should know that each one of these can affect a putt and should at some point be considered in this process. Course Architects make you think.​

DO NOT wait until you have arrived at your ball on the green to start in with your PSR!!!

You see your PSR is much more amplified in the putting part of the game. Do you know your putting Pre-Shot Routine?  It is by nature got to be much more exact than your long shots!  After all, this is where scoring takes place! Remember “If you want to attain specific results then you need to aim at specific targets.

Sooo, I have begun to scope out the situation before me and now I am about 30 yards from the green where I really begin to hone in on this particular situation presented before me. 

I recommend looking at ALL angles of the putt after you mark your ball and, also after you replace it.​

Don't forget to repair the depression your ball is resting in!

Dominant Eye? What's that?

At this time I would like to propose this question:  Which is your dominant eye?  Makes a difference!  Find out!  And then use it to your advantage!  Make your own choice, but close one eye and then the other and see if things look just a little different with each…

Try it for ALL shots!  You’ll see…

Ok so here we are on the green and we have looked this putt over extensively from every angle.  Time to pick a spot out.  Huh?  Just pay attention!  You want to pick a spot on the green about dime size to start (this should get smaller as you improve, but a good start here).  This is the spot in the line of your putt about 1 to 2 feet in front of your ball on the intended path you have picked that you want your ball to follow right down into the hole. 

 

The reason I choose a spot about 1-2 feet in front of my ball is simple.  If you hit it near perfect and you chose the correct speed then it will fall right into the hole.  Remember there are variances so it DOES NOT have to be a perfect putt to go in.  Why do I use a spot at 1-2 feet? Well even you can make a 3 footer!!!  And if you split that 3 feet you have 18 inches, which if a perfect putt goes by the hole 12-15 inches, then if you are anywhere near the proper speed and your putt doesn’t go in well you will be left with YOUR LAG PUTT results -one that you WILL MAKE!

That in and of itself should be enough to relax you.  Whew… 

 

Here’s one…  PUTTERS – You know GOOD Players that can putt?  They DO NOT TRY TO MAKE PUTTS!!!  That creates too much tension and stress.  Noooo…  They pick out a spot on their intended line and THEY KNOW that if they hit that spot and their ball is travelling at the proper speed, that even if they miss their spot just a little, that putt will go in.

 

Ok now the moment of truth!!! Speed is the most important part of putting!!!  Putting is the most important part of the game after mental. Good putters... Scottie Crameron. NOT. I'll putt you anytime. Because what you have, is not what the players on the PGA tour play. FACT!  Scottie Crameron came from Betinardi and once you know, you can thank me later. Because I called them on their plastic Chinese crap and told them if they wanted to start selling putters again for the player, they needed to mill metal again. THEY DID!

Still have mine 25 years now with original grip!

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THE PROPER SHOT AT THE PROPER MOMENT

IS ALWAYS REWARDING!!!

 

Be GOOD and GET BETTER…

The Golf Dr​​

 

PS

          Finding a putter that works for YOU is a task, especially with all of the thousands of designs, but once you find a good one (one that fits YOU, one you can look upon, and one that has a good pendulum action and balance (so important).

YOU MUST LOVE YOUR PUTTER!!!, because it must do the most important job for you and your game… IT MUST PUTT THE BALL INTO THE HOLE!!!

          Once you have found your love, NEVER, NEVER, EVER switch that prized weapon again. I have played the same putter for 25 years now. Betinardi BB7 Original Series 1999. I recently found one on eBay and bought it for $500, two and a half times more than what I paid originally. But well worth it considering it's worth $5,000.

 BUT,  if yours goes south and stays past winter, or frequently makes unannounced last-minute trips to the Bahamas, then by all means sell it to your best buddy. LOL

I remember I had a Tommy Armour Silver Scott that took flight into a jungle behind the 6th green at Tama Hills one day.

Somethings just can’t be helped. LOL

          That’s when I learned to putt with a 2 iron. You have got to be creative in this game! Besides, It’s only a few degrees difference…  Ok 15 degrees LOL  

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Be Good and Get Better

The Golf Dr

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