Swing Solutions

Technology continues to change and that’s why the pros are hitting their shots longer and with more control. If you haven’t changed your clubs in the past 5 years, take the opportunity to tryout a new set of demo clubs from a number of different manufacturers. You will be surprised to find that the weight, shape and feel of different clubs will all give you new insights on your ability to improve your game.

Consider the Following Steps before your Change Your Clubs

Take a Private Swing Lesson
Don’t expect that a new set of golf clubs can solve your swing faults. Observations and recommendations from a PGA professional can steer you in a new direction with your swing problems. If you are changing your swing to fix one problem, you may be creating another problem. Very small changes in the position of your ball, the flair of your feet and your grip can create major problems or improvements in your swing. Start with a lesson and get back to the basics.

Changing Your Grips May be a Quick Fix
Changing your grips will give you a new feel for your existing clubs. A word of caution: There are 3 grip sizes (Regular, Midsize and Jumbo). Holding your clubs with “soft hands” is an important step to generating more power and distance so you would think that thicker grips could allow you to hold your club with a softer hold. I changed my driver grip to a Jumbo size to gain more distance with “soft hands”. I was told that Jumbo grips will cause me to fade my shots. (Changing to a stronger trailing hand grip was not a great solution for consistency.) The fitter was correct and I quickly changed back to a regular grip.

GOLF is wonderful when you are playing in “THE ZONE”. You control your game and it’s all in your mind to take control and lower your score.

The Good News about New Irons
The extra weight in the head of every new iron that you will try today will help you slow down your transition, help you hold your lag and give you more time to execute your weight shift from your trailing leg to your leading leg during your transition. Don’t rush the transition. USE LAZY HANDS to allow your hands to whip your club through impact. (Just listen to the whoosh at the bottom of every swing.)

At the practice range, you can feel the delay at the top and the whipping action of your club.

If you rush your swing during your round you will lose your weight transfer to your leading foot and you will lose that whooshing sound at your point of impact.

Tips
1/ Work with a Club Fitter
2/ Test out different shaft weights and flexes for your height and arm length.
3/ Compare your performance with new clubs to your existing clubs before you buy.

Feel the momentum of your club as you change direction at the top of your swing. (If you don’t feel it, you are swinging too fast.) Allow your weight to shift your leading foot, keep your left ear over the ball to bottom out your swing as your impact the ball and then graze the turf after the ball. Enjoy your new clubs and perfect your swing with GOLFSTR+. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

Steve Eubanks (Global Golf Post) wrote some wonderful observations about their success. We are all wondering why a country which is one seventh the size of USA and with a smaller population than Kenya, Africa can produce such successful golfers. Steve made these interesting observations:

-When Jin Young Ko was complimented about a 3 under par round she replied that “It should have been 7 under”.

-Ko, who won Rancho Mirage Tournament, finished her third round at 6 PM and was still on the practice green at 8 PM. Winners work harder.

Se-Ri-Pak with her Seoul Sisters. And the Korean winners continue to grow.

-Last year when Ko won Rookie of the Year, in her acceptance speech, she spoke about praying on the golf course, only focusing on the next shot, being happy, only thinking of positive thoughts and that only God knows her future.

-Another successful Korean, Lee6, who started golfing in earnest at 16, commented that she does all of her hard work to support her family who helped her get there.

It’s all about positive mental attitude, work ethic, belief in success and appreciation for family support.

Of course their success is a commitment to their future in golf. Weekend Warriors don’t really share the same commitment but we should learn something from the success of these young Korean women. We all want to be better golfers.

When your game is going in the wrong direction:
1/ Listen to your friends as they may see that you are making a major mistake. I recently understood that I was dropping my leading shoulder during my backswing. When I understood the mistake, it was easily fixed with one swing. Shoulder rotation with a fixed head location was the answer.

2/ Watch the LPGA pros on TV and duplicate their swings. It may sound silly but Weekend Warriors really should be watching the LPGA and learning from their slower swing speeds. You need to realize that the PGA is playing 7200 yards, LPGA is playing about 6400 to 6600 yard and most Weekend Warriors are playing 5600 to 6100 yard courses. YOU don’t need to swing like you are trying to hit 300+ yards.

3/ If your scores continue to go up, you are not only aging and losing power but your swing may be deteriorating. Take a lesson and learn some tricks to deal with your aging body or start doing more exercises to strengthen your arms and core.

4/ One private lesson is a great start to help you get your swing back on track. Take control of your swing for every club in your bag. Of course 1 lesson will just be a building block to get you started in the right direction to improve your game.

Fixing your drive and approach shots are critical for your future golfing success. Practice with GOLFSTR+ to correct 6 swing flaws for every club in your bag. It’s a great solution TO HELP YOU practice after you learn the correct way to swing. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

Your swing takes about 2 seconds to execute. You can’t afford to be focusing on 20 swing thoughts. You only have time to “feel” your swing so don’t let your mind mess it up. You should rehearse your swing with a practice swing and then go into the same mental mode for your actual swing WITHOUT cluttering your mind with swing thoughts or disturbing noises around you.

“Distract the Distractor”
That was the line that Martin Hall used on a Golf Channel blog as a reminder to block swing thoughts when you swing. He mentally repeats “1,2,3, 1” while he makes his backswing and his impact with the ball. His backswing takes about 3 times as long as his downswing so it helps him slow down his backswing and his transition while he blocks out any other thoughts.

I also use the descriptive words “Sweep in Pose” to block any other thoughts during my swing and to only focus on the 3 components of my swing. I sweep wider in my takeaway and loop my club back at the transition and up the inside slot on my downswing to a balanced pose. Mentally saying these words allows my mind to focus on my swing up the slot to a controlled finish. I’m just pleased to hear Martin Hall quote others that use the same technique.

Believe It
Try saying 2 different words in your mind at the same time.  You can’t do it. I agree that we can think of many things in a very quick sequence but you can’t say them in your mind at exactly the same time. That’s why your thought process can clean your mind during your swing. Just say your swing words with a smooth cadence and you will adopt a controlled feeling for your swing and your swing speed.

Stay in Focus
If your game is under control, it’s easy to keep your focus. Unfortunately when we make a stupid decision to hit a ball out of the rough with a 5 wood which you most likely will top, STOP and get back in focus. Use an iron to get out of the rough, suck-up your penalty shot and get on with your game. One bad hole is not going to kill your round of golf so start using your controlling “Swing Words” to cool down your hot head and get back in your game.

Believe That You Can

After 11 years since his last Masters win, Tiger knows how to focus on the shot that he needs to make! His focus was amazing.

Tiger was amazing at the Masters. Now at 43, he is within 3 Major Championship wins from Jack Nicklaus’ record which was set at the age of 46. Over a year ago I projected that Tiger would win again and now we can all see that he will most likely beat Jack’s record. It all comes down to focus, determination and commitment. Tiger never lost it and we all should learn from this as there is nothing we can’t achieve if we want it badly enough.

When your game is in trouble, make wise decisions to take your penalty and choose the right club to get out of trouble. Getting out of trouble may cost you a shot but you will at least avoid the blow-up holes. Practice with GOLFSTR+ to improve your cadence for every swing in your game. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

What’s the difference between making a practice swing and a swing at your golf ball? Exactly NOTHING! So what allows you to make a perfect practice swing and then prevents you from shifting your weight during your transition at the start of your downswing (as you swing at a golf ball)? When you don’t transfer your weight, you may be hitting 3 inches behind your ball or swinging over the top of your ball. You need a solution to stop hitting it fat, thin or topping it.

So why can’t you keep your mind and body relaxed enough to shift your hips and hit the ball before bottoming-out your swing? You can blame most of this problem on rushing your backswing.

I know that when I put extra power into my swing, I hit fat shots (hitting the ground first before the ball). I also see the same problem for most golfers when their game starts to fall apart. It’s so frustrating. Recently after watching my playing partner hit multiple fat shots, I describe his perfect practice swing before his “fat” swing at the ball. He confirmed that he knew that he was making this mistake and just could not bring himself to make the right correction to fix the problem. This has got to be the most frustrating problem in golf. And, it can happen for every club in your bag (except your putter).

Finding the Solution For a Perfect Impact on Every Swing:

Ernie Els is a great image to remember weight transfer starting during your transition.

1/ Stop Rushing Your Backswing: When you address the ball, you may tend to swing faster than your practice swing. You are try to put more power into your swing as you shorten your backswing and minimize the shift of your weight from your trailing leg to your leading leg. You may also tend to fall to the side or backwards when you finish your swing. Take more time in your backswing to allow your weight to shift forward during your transition from your backswing to your downswing.

2/ Are You Having a Brain Cramp? The weight and length of each of our clubs are different. That’s why we need to take a full practice swing before we address and hit each ball. You may also know that you often hit off the toe of one of your clubs and you need to compensate for that in your setup. Adjusting your grip and stance for a side hill lie is also a critical step in your setup. Don’t have a Brain Cramp and forget to correct for each of your clubs and the slope of your stance.

3/ Create a Consistent Swing (Practice and Actual): Our practice swing is often completed in a very controlled and deliberate swing at about 60% of our normal swing. That slower backswing gives us time to create a proper transition as our hips start to rotate for the downswing. When you execute your swing at the ball, everything changes as we speed up our swing. MATCH your 80% practice swing FEELING and SPEED with the same swing when you execute your hit. [DON’T SWING FASTER!]

4/ Try Setting-up with Your Weight Shifted Forward: To learn the feel for your forward weight shift you may want to try setting up with 60% of your weight on your leading foot to ensure that you impact your ball before skimming the ground. You may lose some distance when you do this but it will definitely improve your impact with the ball and avoid those fat shots. As your round progresses, slow down your backswing and create your weight shift during your transition to generate more distance.

5/ Andrew Rice Tip @ Revolution Golf: Another way to feel the transfer of weight from your trailing leg to your leading leg is to slightly lift your leading heel in your backswing and then drive it into the ground and as you shift your weight forward during your downswing. This is almost the opposite of point #4 but you do need to transfer your weight forward to get more power and to consistently hit your ball.

Golf is a game of consistency and mind control. It will NOT happen naturally. You need to understand what’s causing your mistakes and focus on corrective action. Practice your swing for consistency with GOLFSTR+ for every club in your bag. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com.

Is it possible to change your “self” into a “Golf Performer Self”?  Many books have been written on this subject and they all point to the fact that you CAN create a new self-image when you step on the first tee or a tennis court or any sport that you choose for that matter. You have performed your past successes and you can use that knowledge to transform your mind and body into a unique “Golf Performer Self”.

Elton John transforms into his own “Performer Self” when he steps on stage. That “Performer Self” is unique from the “self” that we have seen when he is off stage. This is just an example of the unique performer that you can also become when you play every round of golf.

We all know that it is a struggle to take our wonderful practice shots from the practice range to the golf course. On the practice range we are relaxed and hitting a number of shots with the same club to find a consistent rhythm for each club. You may have heard the phrase that “any idiot can hit their second attempt at the same shot better than their first attempt”. All you need to do is put your mind in the same frame-of-mind for every swing in your game.

How do you become your own “Golf Performer Self”  HINT: You have to work at this.
Choose a video of one of your favorite golfers on YouTube.com. Find a video of their full swing and then a slow motion version of their swing. I love to visualize Ernie Els’ swing because he never rushes his transition at the top of his backswing. Don’t throw this opportunity away. It’s your chance to step up your game.

Ernie Els has a wonderful golf swing.  His transition and finishing balance are so important:

Ernie Els’ Swing and Slo-Mo Swing (select and skip the ads to see a Golf Monthly video):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=322VsPIlnIo

Golf Is a Unique Game You Can Master
Golf is one game where you can practice your perfect swing before you swing at your ball. It’s one of the few games (like billiards) where your ball is not even moving. All you have to do is understand the wind condition, the lie of your ball and the right club to reach your target. Once you get those right, your practice swing will confirm the right feel for your swing (without over swinging and killing the shot). Turn your “Performer Golf Self” on and then deliver the same consistent swing that you know will deliver the shot you want.

Don’t Let Bad Thoughts Creep into Your Mind
We all know friends with a low handicap who can shoot rounds in the 70’s or 80’s but when they play in the club championship their game disappears during their final round. There are very few golfers and professional golfers who win golf tournaments. The winners can turn on their INNER CALM that allows them to find their “Performer Self” as compared to their “Real Self” AND YOU CAN TOO!

You have already turned on your “Performer Self” in the past. It happened when you played a round of golf that’s 10 or 15 strokes below your average round of golf. You have done this before and you can do it during every round you play. Just turn on your positive attitude and enjoy keeping every shot in the center of every fairway or chipping it close. Practice with your GOLFSTR+ to learn the right swing for every swing in your game. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

Golf is a game that we all play to build our personal mental toughness. We know that we can par every hole with the perfect shots and that drives us crazy. Our goal has always been to conquer the inner demons in our minds. Unfortunately, we get caught up in too many “inner demon thoughts”. What you really need is to forget about your mental toughness and focus on our Inner Calm. Relaxing our inner calm minds will make your game happen.

Focus on the good (inner calm), not the bad and the ugly (demons).

Professional golfers have proven that their greatest success comes from an “Inner Calm” as they prepare and then hit each shot. We have all seen golfers like Tiger making a poor tee shot on the first day of a major tournament. His shots on the driving range are consistently amazing. The time from his practice to his first drive could be 15 minutes and that’s when his anxiety builds up. Occasionally a poor first drive is cause by tightness and anxiety. After that first drive, he somehow he finds his inner calm; he regains his composure and he starts hitting amazing shots.

Overpowering your swing never generates the best results. A little less ummph is the answer. When you take a less lofted club and swing at 90% you will improve your direction and distance control. Choking down on a less lofted club and keeping your swing at 90% is also a good plan. If you plan to swing a club at a much slower swing, you will most likely impact your ball with an open face on your club and you will not finish your swing as your ball slices away from your target line. A very slow swing can mess up the physical sequence of your swing.

A very slow swing with any club can be the kiss of death as your body is not firing on all pistons. Your body gets out of sync. If you have to make a short shot with a specific club, you should setup with a more open stance to ensure that you are rotating through the ball with a full follow-through to a balanced stance. Every golf swing needs to be consistently finished with a follow-through.

Inner Calm Suggestions:
1/ Get your body loosened up with stretching and physical motion at the driving range.
2/ Hit a variety of clubs at the practice range starting with your lofted clubs and work up to your driver.
3/ Build confidence with each club by knowing the setup that allows you to hit your target.
4/ If your body is tight and you are not confident with your driver, use one of your woods for your first tee shot or even for the first few holes to get body and mind warmed up.
5/ Make a full practice swing to a balance finish at the end of your swing.
5/ Take a full inhale and exhale, as you move forward from your practice swing, to allow your tight shoulders to drop and relax.
6/ Recall that feeling of your past perfect hits or your swings at the driving range.
7/ Don’t rush your backswing and focus on completing your swing in balanced as you watch your perfect hit.

We all need to play with an inner calm mind. Understand that your best golf shots only happen when you swing with an inner calm. Practice with your GOLFSTR+ to develop perfect shots for 6 swing fixes. Mental toughness is what you want but it only comes from your inner calm. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

The Player’s Championship was an exciting match to watch because the course is designed to tear the hearts out of great players and leave the cream at the top. As much as I was happy to see Rory McIlroy add this critical win to his young career, at the age of 48 it was even more exciting to see Jim Furyk charge up the leader board to finish 1 stroke off the win. We really should take a lesson from this veteran golfer with that ugly swing.

With $70 million in career earnings, Jim Furyk is the 4th highest on that list. So that begs the question: why is he so good with such an ugly swing? He must be doing something right and we should all take a closer look to understand why he is so successful. His “ugly” swing has made him one of the most CONSISTENT golfers in the game.

There is no one in golf that swings like Jim Furyk. He has this crazy looping swing over the top of his head. Then he creates a downswing on the perfect plane. The plane of his downswing is exactly the same as every great golfer who swings from the inside slot (as David Leadbetter calls it) and directly up his target line. Jim is not thinking about his crazy loop in his backswing. He just has one thought to avoid swinging over the top. Tiger and Cameron Champ do a very modified version of it too.

Cameron Champ drops the head of his club about 10 inches at the top of his backswing so that he can swing from his inside slot and up his target line (to avoid swinging over the top).

Why is Furyk so Consistent?
1/ We all know that if we could eliminate our mishits that we would all have lower scores. Jim not only avoids mishits but his hideous swing is always controlling the perfect direction of his shots.

2/ His crazy looping backswing allows him to swing high and then loop down and perfectly up the slot on every swing. If you ignore the ugliness at the top of his swing you will see that it prevents him from swinging over the top and gives him time to bump his hips forward in preparation for his perfect downswing.

3/ Bad golf swings are caused by rushing the downswing before we complete our transition from up to down. Rushing the arms before allowing our hips to start the downswing creates our fat hits, thin hits and slices. Our swing is ALL ARMS and we are forgetting to keep our hips moving. Jim Furyk is using his looping swing at the top as if it is part of acrobatic routing to prepare for his downswing.

Here is a YouTube Video of Jim Furyk’s Swing in Slow Motion

Click to watch it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7jePVzL47E

The next time you work on your swing at the range, you may want to take a little more time in your transition to drop down into the slot for a more consistent, controlled swing. Of course you should be practicing with your GOLFSTR+ as a reminder to keep your leading arm straight for a consistent swing distance down to the ball. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

Plumb-bobbing (PBing) to determine the break of a putt near the hole is a critical piece of information that you need to know if you can’t quite read the break NEAR THE HOLE. PBing with your putter is the only legal way to see the actual slope near the hole. DON’T waste your time PBing unless you know how to do it correctly and especially if you can’t see any break.

I have seen many pros on televised tour events trying to see the slope of the green from behind their ball. Unfortunately that only tells them the slope below their feet and near the ball (NOT NEAR THE HOLE). The worst break on every putt happens as your ball slows down near the hole. So your primary concern is the break near the hole and the only way to measure the direction of the break is to plumb-bob behind the hole. [ I REPEAT: Plumb-bobbing actually measure the slope of the green directly below your feet when you stand on a line extending between the hole and your ball. Ideally you need to stand behind the hole to see the actual slope near the hole.]

NOTE: If you can see a double or triple break, PB will only help you read the direction of the break near the hole (when you measure from behind the hole and back to your ball). On a severely sloped green, your ball will start to break at the start of the putt (near your ball) so don’t forget to include that break in your read. Don’t try to Plumb-Bob if you don’t follow these 4 steps as you most likely will not read the right measurement.

1/ Calibrate your putter: (a) Because the weight of your putter head can change the angle of your shaft (when you hang your club from your fingertips) you need to determine a consistent DIRECTION TO POINT THE PUTTER FACE when you are using it to PB. (b)You also need to use the same eye every time you PB. (c) To “calibrate” your putter stand back from a door frame and hang the putter in front of you with 1 eye closed (then try the other eye). (d) The shaft is tapered so you need to consistently use the same eye and the same side of the putter with the face of your putter pointing in the same direction that allows your putter to line up with the side of the door frame.

I close my left eye to view with my right eye and line up my left side of my putter shaft when the putter face is pointing directly at the door frame. [Calibrate your putter now!]

2/ If you can see that the green has an obvious slope at the hole, don’t waste your time PBing. Just putt to the high side. [Use PBing to speed up your play not to waste time. Do your PBing while others are checking out their putts as you are only sorting out the slope direction near the hole.]

3/ If there are a number of left and right breaks on the path of your putt, don’t waste your time PBing unless you need to read the final break near the hole.

Plumb-Bobbing: Stand on the line from the hole to your ball.  Hang your “calibrated” putter shaft to line up with the hole.  The shaft lines up on the high side above the ball. The putt in this photo has a right to left break.

4/ To determine the high side of the green (the side where your putt will break down to the hole), stand behind the flagstick and visualize a straight line from the flagstick to your ball. Hold your putter up and line up with the bottom of the shaft with the center of the hole (using your calibrated eye, your calibrated side of the shaft and calibrated putter face direction). If your putter shaft lines up with the ball, there is no slope on the green where you are standing. If the upper part of your putter shaft lines up on one side of the flagstick then that is the high side of the green (at the point where you are standing).

Test out your plumb-bobbing skill on the practice green to build confidence in reading the break at the hole (and also from behind your ball if you can’t see the obvious break where you are standing). Now that you know the direction of the break at the hole, practice with a flat leading wrist for straight putts with your GOLFSTR+ to the high side of the hole and sink more putts. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

We all know that consistently making every shot is the only way to become a scratch golfer. Unfortunately that’s not going to happen for recreational golfers. We just don’t have the time to hone our skills to perfection. Even the best of the pros struggle to find their best game every time they play. So you should focus on the easiest shot that you can make on every hole to save one stroke. It can save you up to 18 strokes for every round of golf that you play.

Driver?
Your driver demands that you have the timing and skill to power your ball with a draw or fade to the perfect safe spot on the fairway. Of course distance and a long run out are bonus benefits for every drive. Hitting 18 perfect tee shots is every golfers dream but it is not the easiest shot to make. For many of us, our drive is the most difficult shot to consistently make.

Fairway Shots?
Woods, hybrids or irons all demand skill and perfection to control direction and distance. The slope on the ground where your ball is resting, wind, altitude and humidity all make these difficult shots. Again, we all work hard to perfect these shots but they are not the easiest shot, especially when you would like to hit every green in regulation.

Putting?
Of course it takes a lot less skill and power to control the direction of a putt. Reading the green for every putt is also a critical skill that you need to master but sinking a putt in a 4 inch hole is never easy.

Get your lap putts close to the hole and avoid 3 putting.  Visualize the best line to get your putts close.

What’s the Easiest Way to Drop Strokes?
The easiest shot in golf to help you save 1 stroke on every hole is a great lag putt. If you can’t get your lag putt or lag chip to stop within 4 feet of the hole, you run the risk of missing your final putt and adding 1 more stroke for every hole. The shorter your putt, the easier it is to sink. So if you can’t get your lag putt within 4 feet, your risk of missing your final putt increases exponentially as the length of your putt increases.

Suspense on TV:
Some televised golf tournaments are starting to show the percentage chance that a player will sink their putt based on their historic record. It really does build up the suspense for us when we are hoping for an underdog to take over the top spot in a tournament. On a recent tournament in Mexico I saw a caption saying that Rory McIlroy had a 15% chance of making a 15 foot putt. If he has that slim chance then what do you think your chances are?

Your lag putt is the easiest stroke for any golfer to make. Practice will help you develop a good feel for direction and distance when you are faced with different slopes and green speeds. The shorter the putt or chip the easier it is to get it close for your final putt on every hole so you have to make your lag putt count. You will never be a low handicap golfer if you don’t get rid of those 3 putt greens. Of course I’m including those chips or putts from just off the green as your opportunity to lag it close for a 1 putt green.

Take the risk out of every shot and learn to lag it close. Whatever you do, learn to putt with a flat leading wrist. When you rock your shoulders using the large muscles in your back, you will have a lot more control of the direction for every putt. Practice with your GOLFSTR+ to lock your wrist and swing directly up your target line. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

What’s your primary goal if you want to par every hole that you play? You have to know that getting your ball on or near every “Green In Regulation” (GIR) will give you the best chance to par every hole. A long drive landing on the fairway is the perfect starting point. The shorter your approach shot the easier it will be to stick a high arching shot on the green. Of course you would like to land every approach shot next to the hole.

If you don’t practice every day like the pros, landing near the hole is just a wonderful dream. Recreational players like you will be much better off playing a safe shot for a better chance to get down in 2 putts or with a great pitch and a putt.

Pros on the PGA Tour average about 12 our of 18 GIR on every round. So don’t feel so bad if you can’t get 9 out of 16 GIR.

Why not try these ideas to hit more GIRs? Play with caution and you will par more holes. Choose the highest probability shot to get your ball on the green. Controlling a putt for direction and distance is always easier then chipping for a one putt.

A. Choose the right club for the right job. Of course you need to pitch a high shot over a green side sand trap to land and stay on the green but if your shot is 150 yards you may want to aim for a wider part of the green or the front access to the green so that you still have a good chance for a 2 putt green or a chip and a putt.
B. The longer your shot and the harder you swing the worse result you can expect. You lose control when you swing at 100% of your swing speed. Don’t risk missing your target. Wake up and use the club to make sure that you can make a controlled swing to land in a safe location for a chance to make a 2 putt green.
C. Swing every club at 80%. You may not always have the perfect distance to match your club to the distance you need to hit and land and rollout. Choke down on a less lofted club and accept the fact that you will not stick on the green for tight shots. You need height and space to land and stay on every green. A good alternative is to run your shot to the front edge of the green or to a side that avoids the sand or water hazards.
D. If you are hitting with a strong side wind, don’t swing harder and faster as you will lose direction and distance control. Just choose a lower lofted club and play it safe.

This is a great green to hit in regulation and it’s a bad one to miss.

E. Hitting into heavy wind is always difficult to judge for the right club selection. Let your playing partners go first and check out the loft that they are using. (It’s not legal to ask what club was used during a competition but use your eyes and brain to figure it out.) Don’t be afraid to down club by 2 or 3 clubs in a heavy wind. The fun part is stopping dead on a green (without a roll) when hitting directly into a heavy wind.
F. 2 putt greens are easy if your first putt stops within a foot of the hole. Fat chance that will happen very often. Before every round get a good feel for the green speed on the practice green. Practice your long lag putts as well as your 2 to 4 foot putts as they are the putts that make your pars.

IMPORTANT STRATEGY to sink your short putts:
A. On a steep downhill putt you may want to leave the flagstick in but for short flat putts you should always take the flagstick out. [The flagstick acts like a wall and stops you from putting through the hole at a reasonable speed.]
B. When the flagstick is out, you will be more comfortable putting through the hole about 12 to 18 inches past the hole to minimize the break as your ball slows down.
C. Be consistent in the weight that you use to make sure that you are putting to stop past the hole (not at the hole). All short putts never go into the hole and all very slow putts tend to bounce off line when hitting the imperfections around the hole.

Practice with your GOLFSTR+ to control your flat leading wrist for putting and control the lag with your trailing wrist for chips. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com