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Golf Tips

Read some of our best tips for improving your golf game!

Shave strokes off your game.

What is the secret to improving your game? Technique certainly helps, but perhaps more important is the mental side of the sport. Spending hours on the driving range and taking lessons may appear to improve your game. however, once you hit that first bad shot, the lack of confidence starts and mental frustration can ruin the round. So here are a few tricks to consider next time you're on the course.

Secret #1: Getting in the Zone.

First off, what is the zone? The zone is a state of focus and balance allowing you to perform at a high level. Basically, everything seems to effortlessly flow and feel automatic. It would be great if things were like that all the time, right? But a BIG mistake most golfers make is trying to stay in the zone for the entire round (4-5 hours on average). It isn't humanly possible to stay tuned in for that long. Technically you are only swinging for 25 minutes per round according to Dan Candell, a high-performance golf coach. So, don't worry about staying focused the entire time, ONLY when you need to.

Let your mind wonder between shots and think about or discuss with playing partners a topic that is not related to golf. This can also help you leave those bad shots in the rearview mirror and not let them poison the remainder of the round.

Here are a couple of methods to try and help you not carry bad shots in your mind.

Method One: Count Trees.

I know this sounds ridiculous, but this can help distract your mind. Too many golfers carry bad shots with them, so give this a try if you tend to replay your mistakes over and over again.

Method Two: Play a Movie in You Mind, a Funny Movie.

This is called a pattern interrupt. Feel free to smail and laugh, it will make your brain happy and your golf game happy too.

Secret #2: Eliminate Expectations.

Getting out of the perfection mindset can help you shave strokes. Don't think like an amateur, think more like a prefessional. Here are a few tips in eliminating expectations.

Tip One:

Try to take some focus off your handicap and stay in the present. Go in the round free of expectations, you will notice yourself free of anxiety, and those expectations to shoot a certain score.

Tip Two:

Focus on the fun of the game rather than the final outcome.

Secret #3: Shift Your Focus.

Most golfers take lessons after lessons trying to improve their technique, but sometimes it isn't the technique you need to focus on. Try addressing mental components. For example, think positive to boost up your confidence. Mental and physical relaxation can help every golfer. Don’t let tension be a hindrance to your game.

Now you know a few secrets to try the next time you go out on the course. Boost your confidence, increase your focus, eliminate danger, get in the zone, and most importantly, maintain your mental toughness! Why? Because you are a golf champion!

Master your short game.

There are three basic shots that will turn you into a master around the greens: BUMP-AND-RUN, PITCH, AND FLOP.

Bump-and-Run

Best used when there’s a lot of real estate to cover and you need to get the golf ball rolling quickly, the bump-and-run is your safest choice around the greens. Here’s how to do it:

Use a lower-lofted club (like an 8- or 7-iron) and set up with your feet slightly open and close together.
Keep your weight forward (this prevents you from falling back and catching it thin) and swing the golf club like stroking a putt (some golfers even use their putting grip).
Next, pick a quarter-sized spot on or off the green where you need to land the ball and simply focus on hitting it to that point. It’s a shorter swing, so less can go wrong; think of it like a big putt.

Pitch

When you need to get the golf ball up in the air yet travel a short distance, the pitch shot will be your best friend. Many golfers know pitch shots require less force, but they dial back power in the wrong way. Here’s how to hit the proper pitch:

Use a higher-lofted club (pitching wedge to lob wedge) and set up with your feet close together and square to the target.
On the backswing, let your wrists hinge slightly so the handle stays close to your midsection. Keep your lower body fluid during pitch shots, so a little hip turn is ideal.
On the downswing, let your arms pass in front of you and turn your lower body toward the target with your hips level; your hands and grip should finish almost in your left pocket (for right-handed players).
Important to note, maintaining clubhead speed is key on this shot and you create it by releasing your hands, not by tugging the handle.

Flop

Minimal green to work with? Need to get the golf ball up fast and stopped quickly? Flop shots are the most difficult to pull off but the most useful in short-sided situations. Here’s how to hit a golf ball high and make it land – as David Feherty once said – like a butterfly with sore feet:

Use your highest lofted club (60- or 64-degree wedge) and set up with your feet close together.
Open the clubface as much as you can (clubface to the sky) and shift your weight so the majority is on your front foot (around 80%; this is to avoid falling back, hitting up and thinning it over the green).
On the backswing, hinge your wrists to keep the clubface open.
On the downswing, maintain clubhead speed by releasing your hands; it’s important here to allow the clubface to pass the hands at impact. Be sure to practice this shot plenty before taking it to the course.

Maximize your time at the driving range.

For sand wedges and 8 irons, or when the club has more loft (i.e. a pitching wedge), place the ball just behind the middle of your stance. Place 7 irons and up in the middle of your stance; remember that the longer the club, the more forward the ball should be.

Additional practice tips

One-minute swing practice

Pick up the tempo with this tool. Players like Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods have implemented this practice tip into their routines to perfect their rhythm.

It’s simple: when the tempo is right, there is less time for other things to go wrong. This tool can help you learn the position of your swing and control your tempo while also engraining your swing in your mind through muscle memory.

Lights, camera, swing

Think about it—have you ever actually seen your own swing in action? Next time you’re out on the course or range, ask your buddy to videotape your swing so you can see it for yourself.

You can also try swinging in front of a mirror to see your motion firsthand. Then, you can correct your swing to the right motion or plane.

Get a grip on your positioning

"V" is for victory, so don’t forget the V’s.

Typically, the gap between your index finger and your thumb should point to your shoulder blade. In other words, the gap in your left hand should point to your left shoulder and vice versa.

If you are getting blisters on your hands, try lightening up your grip. We’ve also got SuperStroke grips to help you.

Less is more

When you practice, you don’t have to hit with every single club in the bag to improve. Always have a focus and purpose so you can improve one club at a time.

For example, if you want to improve your driver’s consistency, try to focus on hitting your driver and 3-wood. As always, be sure to visualize the shot you want to hit before you hit it, just as you would on the course.