Basic Golfing Tips for Beginners: 4
We have all the seen the fantastically long, but very accurate drives of Tiger Woods. When he hits the ball, it sails through the air and lands smack in the middle of the fairway, some 300 yards away.
It is difficult not to let jealousy rise in us as we wonder if we could ever dare to hope to drive like that. Luckily, long drives are not the crux of the game of golf.
So, we get to the ’short game’ because without decent short game skills, all those great long drives are not worth a candle.
We call the ’short game’ those shots that get you onto the green from roughly a hundred feet away from the hole, no matter whether it’s from the fairway, a bunker, the rough or a drop zone. It includes all chips, sand shots and pitches.
This is where you get to use your higher numbered golf clubs, as well as your pitching iron and sand wedge or lob wedge.
Most golf courses have practice areas as well as a driving range. You should spend some time working on hitting the ball onto the green from different distances. Aim for a ten-foot circle in the center of the green at first. Experiment using your wedges, but what works for someone else, might not work for you and your particular swing.
When you can perform this skill fairly consistently, it is about time to start practising how to get out of a sand bunker. Being able to get the ball out of a bunker can really cut your score quite dramatically and it is very frustrating if you can’t do it.
Plant your feet firmly into the sand with your left foot turned toward the hole. Imagine a 4-inch circle around the ball and try to hit the edge of the circle that is furthest away from the ball.
Take lots of sand with your ball and swing through completely. Don’t decelerate at all when or after you hit the ball. It should pop up onto the green and stop. This doesn’t work well though unless the sand is dry, soft and powdery. On hard surfaces, you might need to avoid actually hitting the sand at all.
However, as in every skill in the game of golf, it is only continual practice that will help you to improve your game.
Are you new to golf? We have some great tips for the beginner golfer at Golfing Tips for Beginners