Tip of the month

chipping from just off the green Minimum Airtime March 5, 2020 7:05 pm

A great phrase to remember to improve your score on the short game is: “Minimum Airtime”.  In other words, if you do not need to knock the ball up into the air, don’t. If possible, use the other phrase: a bad putt works better than a bad chip. It’s a bit negative I guess, but it’s also true. If you... View Article

Use of the driver Park the Driver February 20, 2020 3:16 pm

Understanding the risk According to the physics of the game, the driver, or number 1 wood, is the club that will hit the golf ball the furthest. It’s the correct choice when you want the ball to go the maximum distance. One cannot argue with the mathematics. It has the longest shaft and the least loft. So, the result, of... View Article

Golf stance How wide should your stance be? January 1, 2020 9:29 am

Happy New Year Everyone! Here’s a great question to set you up for improving your game in 2020. How far apart should your feet be when hitting the golf ball? The answer is dependent on the club you are using.  Put simply, the longer the golf club you are swinging, the greater the centripetal force your body is experiencing and... View Article

Taking aim is not difficult November 10, 2019 11:55 am

Many amateur golfers fret about the importance of taking aim. If they don’t get it exactly right, then that’s why their shots are misdirected. I’m not convinced. Sure, you should aim where you want the ball to go, but it’s a little like firing a rifle. I am by no means a marksman, but if I take aim the bullet... View Article

Stay in the moment, not in the scorecard October 10, 2019 12:59 pm

It’s a classic schoolboy error on the golf course, but we all do it. The question is why? When you are on the course, you know whether you are playing well or not. So do you really need to work out how many over par, or under par you are after every hole? How many stableford points you have scored... View Article

A [icture of a bunker shot Distance Control on Bunker Shots September 9, 2019 8:15 pm

With every golf shot you play; you control the distance of the stroke by the length of the backswing. Just as you would do if you were throwing a ball. But, to every rule there is an exception. In this case it is the greenside bunker shot. Now, I am very strongly of the opinion that there are 3 levels... View Article

Look at the hole when practicing putting Look at the hole when practising your putts August 12, 2019 9:34 am

I learn a lot by watching the best golfers in the world on the TV. That brings me to this month’s tip on putting.   I consider myself to be a poor putter. After watching some of the top players, I picked up this little tip.  It is related to judgement of distance while putting, certainly the hardest of the... View Article

Impact tape on a golf club The centre of contact July 13, 2019 8:57 am

Two of my most frequently asked questions are: “how can I hit the golf ball further?” or “why do all my shots go the same distance?” This fixation with extra length is understandable, but my usual response is the following caution: accuracy and consistency always trump length Let us look at what determines the distance that you will hit a... View Article

highlights the importance of the mental side of golf The mental side of golf: What you say affects what you do June 10, 2019 11:53 am

I guess we are all guilty of the odd expletive on the golf course. After all, this is probably the most frustrating past time ever invented. But we are also aware that sudden explosions of emotion and verbiage affect our play… and not in a positive way! Do we think that “getting that off our chest” releases the frustration and... View Article

golf watch Play to the Back of the Green May 9, 2019 4:20 pm

This is a subject that I have touched on in the past. With the advent of the golf watch, it is now even easier to get this principle across. Essentially, it’s about how often amateur golfers playing into the green, end up short of the pin or even more often, short of the green. Now with the modern watch technology... View Article