PGA Pro Alex Elliott talks us through some simple pointers to help you score lower
7 Ways To Play Better Golf Without Changing Your Swing
How to practice and think better on the golf course for a smarter approach.
PGA Professional Alex Elliott explains all in the video below:
WATCH: 7 Ways To Play Better Golf Without Changing Your Swing –
7 – No-flag golf
Most golfers get the green light in their heads to go for flags as soon as they’ve got anything less than a six iron in their hands.
Instead, imagine there’s no flag and simply aim for the middle of the green.
Chances are you’ll find it and two-putt for par as oppose to short-siding yourself and making double.
6 – Smart golf
When you find yourself in a spot of bother or have a difficult shot ahead of you, ask yourself ‘is it worth the risk to go for the hero shot?’
If you’re confident of pulling off a shot eight times out 10 then go for it, anything less then it may be too much of a risk.
For example, if you’re in the rough with a tree in front of you that you need to fade it round, ask yourself if you’re confident that eight times out of 10, you’ll pull it off.
If you struggle with a fade then it’s worth chipping out sideways, or if you find fades easy to hit then this would be a situation where you may take on the risk.
5 – Deliberate miss
Aim for the best spot to miss it and you’ll sharpen your long game and short game too
If you’re playing on your own and practising on the course, the deliberate miss game is a good one to play.
The aim is to miss the green in the safe spot and get it up-and-down from there.
You get 1 point if you miss the green, 2 more points for an up-and-down and -2 points if you hit the green.
If you play three holes on your own, there is nine points available.
This is not just a great way of testing your iron play, but it also helps out your short game and putting as you’ll be trying for up-and-downs on every hole.
4 – Asking good questions
Before every single shot, ask yourself – ‘what shot do I see?’
Straight away it’s a lot easier to paint that picture in your mind.
Almost try to imagine a shot tracer.
3 – Build a strategy
Looking back down the hole will help reveal a better strategy for next time
Try to play the course the way the designer intended it to be played.
Instead of making the same mistakes and hitting the same clubs over-and-over again on holes, think about what the best strategy to play that hole might be.
It may require a long iron down the right side to give you the perfect angle and a full shot into the green where you might normally block yourself out with a driver.
Look back from the green back to the tee and think about what the best strategy to play the hole is.
Plan your rounds better and take the trouble out of play.
2 – Traffic light system
Just because you’ve got a wedge in hand doesn’t mean you have to go straight at the pin
Having a category of flags definitely allows you more of a game plan.
A 120-yard shot might be a green light to you, but if there’s a bunker nearby that could easily lead to a bogey, then perhaps it’s an amber flag and a safer shot would be to play closer to the middle of the green.
1 – Alignment routine from the tee
People can easily get into bad habits with alignment that then leads to bad swing habits.
Find your target in the distance and pick something nearby that is in line with the ball and your target.
Aim yourself to this closer target – it could be a divot, a leaf, a tea or anything that can be picked out.
Make sure your clubface is aiming at it and then build your stance parallel to the target line.
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