From the Course Blog Archive
From the Course Blog
February 15, 2010
Most Common Mistakes
The difference between a good round and one that is wasted is often the result of not thinking after a bad shot. It is an old cliche to take it one shot at a time but in reality that is exactly what you need to do to prevent these common mistakes. Below you will find some usefull advice in making sure to keep those 8's off your scorecard.
Most Common Mistakes - Poor Club Selection
There is nothing more unnecessary than poor club selection, but it is the most common fault of a club golfer. It is so frustrating to take too little club at a par three hole, hit a beautiful shot, only to watch it plummet into the trap short of the green.
Although it is the most common fault, and one of the most expensive, it is the easiest to correct. Next time you play a round of golf make a promise to yourself, every time you reach for an iron, take one more club. Once or twice you may go over the back of the green, but you will come up short much less often than normal.
Try to commit to it for the whole round and then compare your score.
Golf Tactics - Not Getting Out of Trouble
No matter how well you swing the club, at some stage during the round you will get into trouble. There is one major difference between you and a professional in these circumstances – a pro has a caddie who will keep calm and know what to do.
Unfortunately, making cool calm decisions is difficult when your ball is under a bush or in thick rough, but your number one rule must be to get the ball back in play as soon as possible, and not compound the mistake with another bad shot.
So many times a golfer ends up with an eight on their card because they were not careful ,or sensible enough, getting the ball back in play. Don’t gamble, take your medicine and hit the ball back onto the fairway as soon as you can.
Leaving Putts Short
A similar fault to poor club selection is leaving putts short. Several times during a round, a golfer will leave the putt on line but a few inches short of the hole. Set yourself a goal and see if you can hit every putt past the hole for a round.
You might have one or two more putts from behind the hole, but in all probability you will also hole one or two that ordinarily would have finished short.
Stop Common Golf Mistakes - Poor Preparation
It may not be your daily job, but taking some time to make sure you have everything ready for golf will save you shots. If it looks like rain make sure you have the necessary equipment; take out a can of drink and a nutrition bar; have the right golf ball for your swing.
These may seem small details, but most club golfers waste shots by not being prepared properly. As for the first tee shot, make sure you turn up on time!
Swing Easy When Its Breezy!
Whether you are in Scotland, Pinehurst, or New Jersey one common problem players have is playing in the wind. We have a tendency to try and drive down on the ball to keep it low, swinging hard and actually creating more backspin and causing the ball to shoot up into the wind more. The proper way to play in the wind is take extra club and swing easy to decrease backspin and keep the ball on a lower flatter trajectory.
Most Common Mistakes - Poor Club Selection
There is nothing more unnecessary than poor club selection, but it is the most common fault of a club golfer. It is so frustrating to take too little club at a par three hole, hit a beautiful shot, only to watch it plummet into the trap short of the green.
Although it is the most common fault, and one of the most expensive, it is the easiest to correct. Next time you play a round of golf make a promise to yourself, every time you reach for an iron, take one more club. Once or twice you may go over the back of the green, but you will come up short much less often than normal.
Try to commit to it for the whole round and then compare your score.
Golf Tactics - Not Getting Out of Trouble
No matter how well you swing the club, at some stage during the round you will get into trouble. There is one major difference between you and a professional in these circumstances – a pro has a caddie who will keep calm and know what to do.
Unfortunately, making cool calm decisions is difficult when your ball is under a bush or in thick rough, but your number one rule must be to get the ball back in play as soon as possible, and not compound the mistake with another bad shot.
So many times a golfer ends up with an eight on their card because they were not careful ,or sensible enough, getting the ball back in play. Don’t gamble, take your medicine and hit the ball back onto the fairway as soon as you can.
Leaving Putts Short
A similar fault to poor club selection is leaving putts short. Several times during a round, a golfer will leave the putt on line but a few inches short of the hole. Set yourself a goal and see if you can hit every putt past the hole for a round.
You might have one or two more putts from behind the hole, but in all probability you will also hole one or two that ordinarily would have finished short.
Stop Common Golf Mistakes - Poor Preparation
It may not be your daily job, but taking some time to make sure you have everything ready for golf will save you shots. If it looks like rain make sure you have the necessary equipment; take out a can of drink and a nutrition bar; have the right golf ball for your swing.
These may seem small details, but most club golfers waste shots by not being prepared properly. As for the first tee shot, make sure you turn up on time!
Swing Easy When Its Breezy!
Whether you are in Scotland, Pinehurst, or New Jersey one common problem players have is playing in the wind. We have a tendency to try and drive down on the ball to keep it low, swinging hard and actually creating more backspin and causing the ball to shoot up into the wind more. The proper way to play in the wind is take extra club and swing easy to decrease backspin and keep the ball on a lower flatter trajectory.
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