Golf is a challenging game with too many variables to consider. To become a better golfer, you need to practice quite a bit. You also need to approach the game smartly.
Sometimes being smart is also just not enough, you must follow some tips given by expert golfers who know their way around. Which is why I have decided to collect the best tips given by pro’s in this field.
The following are 27 golf tips that you can follow. These will help you develop your game and become a better golfer.
Weight Shift and Clubhead Movement
Always keep this in mind that the direction of the club head movement and the direction in which you shift your weight should be identical.
When you are making your backswing, move the clubhead away from the direction of the target, and shift your body in the same direction. Then you do the same on your downswing.
This time you move your body weight forward and in line with the target. Likewise, synchronize the club to make it move in that same direction towards the target.
The result is that your power switch gets activated.
Take Control of a Release
Imagine a scenario that takes place in medieval times when horses were the most fashionable form of transport. In that scenario, a man is riding a horse and together with the horse the rider approaches a wall, seven foot tall.
As soon as they reach a few feet away from the wall, the horse makes a sudden break. The momentum of this abrupt stopping action flings the rider over the wall. The mechanics that apply in this scene are what you will need to use when making a golf swing.
You have to think of the clubhead as the rider and your arms and hands as the horse. The front foot plays the role of the wall as an endpoint where energy is transferred from one medium to another.
Just as the movement of the horse and its sudden stopping action affects the movement of the rider, the flow of your hands and arms would dictate the movement of the clubhead as it swings back and forth. Then through the golf ball.
Try to understand the mechanism that go into both situations, and how energy is being transferred from one being to the other. The horse, when it makes a sudden stop, transfers energy to the rider which results in the rider being flung over the wall.
Similarly, you need to imagine that there is invisible energy, like chakra that goes from one medium- your arms and hands- to another medium, which is the clubhead.
In your backswing and the subsequent downswing, you build energy in your arms. Then it gets transferred to the clubhead as it passes the front foot- which plays the role of the wall in this scenario.
Power Generation
Think of another scenario, this time a more modern and relatable one. In this scenario, you have a power generator at the edge of a town. Power is generated here using big turbines. Then it is delivered to the consumer through the transmission lines.
Now, you can probably guess that we are going to relate the mechanics of the power generator to a golfer’s body as they are making their swing. When making a golf swing, the role of the power generator is played by the big muscles located in the golfers’ back, hips, and legs.
The arms, hands and the club shaft are the transmission lines in this case with the golf ball being the endpoint where the power is being delivered.
Leverage must be provided by the movement of the hands, arms, and hips. Just like a transformer in a transmission line, you must make a proper coiling motion with your body to maximize power output. Otherwise, the end product would not be satisfactory.
Some Tips before Starting on Your Round
You need to be in tiptop shape before you start around. To get started, stretch. Do the Superman stretch with your arms pointing straight forward as you stand upright. Then do this:
With your left wing pointing straight forward, get your right arm under your left arm and wrap the right wrist around your left elbow. With both your arms locked in this manner, bring them both toward your face and have the right palm touching your right cheek.
Now bend your hips to form a golf posture, then make a very controlled, slow-motion backswing until your arms reach the peak.
Maintain this position for about half a minute, and then proceed to repeat the process with the arms reversed.
At the driving range, focus on practicing by maintaining balance as well as solid contact on the ball. Place the ball on the tee and take a 7-iron. Make your swings to be 3-quarter of your normal swings.
This will help you to achieve solid contact on the ball. Don’t mind how much distance you are getting on your shots since that is not your goal here.
The next time you play around, observe the quality of your game. If you are constantly succeeding in hitting the ball solidly and accurately, go hard on those swings. Otherwise, play safe and focus more on making sure you make proper contact every time you hit the ball.
Power Warmup
Before you start your round, warm yourself for power by making a bunch of practice swings non-stop. Maintain a flow and rhythm as you continually swing at an invisible golf ball. Do this for 5-10 times, and you’re ready to go.
Spinal Rebound
When you make a swing, it is a little challenging to maintain balance as the club rushes past your body and around your front hip before making its’ way through the ball. As your body is making a quick rotating motion, find some balance by moving your spine tilting it a little away from the target.
The angle of the tilt could be anything between 5 to 10 degrees.
Measure the Loft and Trajectory
In some situations, like when you are under a tree, you might want to keep it low but you are not sure how fast and high the ball will turn up when you hit it. This means you need to check your club to see if you have the right one for the job.
To determine that, place the club on the ground having the butt end pointed towards the target. Then put your feet on the clubface and observe the shaft as it rises from the other end and points in an angle. This will be the initial launch angle of the shot. If it does not match your requirements, change clubs.
Hit Inside
If you want your shots to have crisper, hit the ball on the inside, specifically the inside-back portion. The club hits the ball at a moderately open point by making the ball rotating straight towards the target.
You could make this easier by placing the ball on the tee. That the logo sits the inside-back point where you are going to hit it.
Under-and-Over Swinging
Underswinging has been seen to be a case more common amongst women, while overswinging is a condition mostly seen amongst men. Underswinging is when the club is too slow to keep up with the pace of the body’s twisting motion. It results in a shot that is far too outside.
On the other hand, an overswing is when you swing too fast and the result is a pull or pulls slice.
The solution for this is not that complicated though. Just add one less club (a 7-iron if you are playing with an 8-iron) if the shot is going too far outside. On the other hand, select one more club if the resultant shots are pulls.
First-Time Tee Tips
During your very first tee, you must observe the ground and the hole. Look at how the hole is shaped and try to discern what was going through the mind of the architect as they were designing the hole.
The term fairway is an old term that means a safe route. Therefore, the area outside the fairway is not safe and you should aim your shots toward the short grass. Make it your aim to hit the fairways instead of trying to gain more distance. That way you keep things safe.
Most of the clubs in your bag will have a specific direction and distance set built into them, but the drivers are different. With a driver, there is the chance that you will overload your shots with too much power. You need to fix a direction and a landing spot.
To get your direction right, focus on an object positioned on the target line. It could be anything- a tree, a rock, etc. to ensure that you land the ball at the right spot. Think about where exactly you would like to play your next shot from. Then focus on an object lying there and aim at that.
Develop Skills Packages
Every golfer develops a repeatable shot that they can make over and over again during a round. This is very useful as it saves you the trouble of having to adjust and adapt for every single shot.
Practice combining of different shots. Play your fairway wood swing in conjunction with a pitching wedge. You’ll be able to use it again on a par-5. You can make other combinations as well and utilize them in multiple different circumstances.
Choose Your Weapons Carefully
During a round of golf, you will be carrying around a bag of golf clubs. Specifically, 14 at most. Therefore, it is incumbent that you choose the right tools for the trade.
For regular use, you might have a certain set of clubs that you are going to use for every round. However, for specific conditions and circumstances, you will have to keep room for special purposes.
An example of carrying two putters for a course with large greens is to have chest-anchored putters for short putts, and the normal-size ones for lags. Another example would be to have different lofts and bounces in your sand wedges for different types of sand.
Have an Imaginary Commitment Line?
If you want to be a top golfer and you want to think like a champion golfer, you need to commit in your game. For that purpose, draw a “C” line for commitment in the space between you and the ball. Stay behind the responsibility until you have the shot selection ready in your mind.
Once you have decided on your shot, cross over to the other side of the C-line and take your stance in front of the ball. If you lose your commitment again and need to reconsider your shot, step back over the line and repeat the process all over again.
Add a Bit of Ambidexterity to Your Skillset
During a warm-up session or a practice session, swing with your opposite hand. This means that if you are right-handed, swing a few golf balls in a left-handed stance.
Developing these skills can come in handy as you will come across some particular situations where the ball is in a position and you would wish you were opposite-handed. However, it helps to strengthen your golf muscles in both arms.
It’s not essential to be both-handed, but a little bit of ambidexterity can always come in useful.
Follow the Grass
Observe the grass and see which way it is growing. If it’s growing away from the target, that means that it will slow down the ball. This means you need to hit harder. If necessary, you can add one more club to give you more power.
Otherwise, if the grass is growing in a direction towards the target, it will not inhibit the pace of the ball. In such a case, hitting it softer would be the better option; reduce an iron if necessary.
Practice in the Rain
If your practice session gets interrupted by bad weather and rain, embrace the adverse conditions and continue your training. This will help prepare you for tournaments when a game gets interrupted by rain. Thus, you can survive the harsh conditions.
Putting Angle
When you grip the club for a putter, the trail hand makes a slight bend towards the forearm. Top golfers maintain this angle throughout the entire swing by making sure their hands don’t get overused.
Look Where You Swing
During your practice sessions or warmups, make your swing with your eyes completely fixed on the target. That way you will gradually rely less on your eyes and more on the feel of the swing.
Calibrate Your Stance for Putting
Before you start a round of golf, experiment with different foot widths to determine the most appropriate width for the putt.
Start by practicing for a short putt with your feet assuming a very narrow stance. Take the club back to your trail foot and then slowly move the club through the front foot. After completing one putt, repeat with a larger foot width.
Continue this exercise with different variations of foot widths.
Map a Triangle on Your Putt
There are three different points from which to assess and map out the putt. The three points are: behind the hole, behind the ball, and the exact midpoint between the putting hole and the ball.
A simple and geometrical method of visualization that does not put too much strain on the mind while providing enough insight which you’ll need for the shot.
Aim for the Green
Try this for an experiment next time you step onto the ground. Shoot at the green at the very center instead of aiming for the pin. This might seem a bit counterintuitive, but at least you will ensure that you’re hitting more greens. That inevitably would result in lower scores.
Aim with Care
Observe the pin and see if it is surrounded by a strong wind and a bunker that might deflect the ball away from the greens. In such a case, it’s better to aim for a spot away from the pin.
Furthermore, if there is only one condition protecting the pin such as the wind, point at a spot a few yards away from the pin. Otherwise, if there are no such obstacles, go for it with a full aim.
Choke in the Sand
If you get your feet digging in the sand, you need to recalibrate your swing. With your feet in the sand, your club is effectively a few inches longer. This will more often not result in the club scraping by the sand on its swinging course.
You want a clean swing without the club going through the sand, make sure you choke down the same amount of sand your feet dug.
Matching the Sand
Save a few strokes by adapting your sand wedge to the type and texture of the sand. If the sand is soft and silky, choose a wedge with more flange and bounce. Otherwise, if the sand is rock solid, wet or crusty, choose one with less flange and bounce.
Sync Head Movement with the Swing
Every time you make a golf swing, your head will inevitably move. The head makes a mini-swing of its own.
The movement of the head should match of the front shoulder. It should rotate away from the ball during the backswing and towards it on the downswing. The head should not just move forward, up or down but rather rotate in its place.
Shift Weight to the Back on Short Irons
When making a short-iron shot, golfers often don’t execute a proper weight shift which results in a weak shot made by using only the arms. Many golfers tend to make short-irons where they leave about two-fifths of their body weight on the back foot. This happens while PGA Tour pros make a weight shift that leaves only about 10% at the back.
To get rid of this, make sure to shift almost your entire weight in the initial stage of the downswing.
Another form of Sand Play
If you’re hitting the ball too thin and skulling your sand shots, do this. Get your body a little more open to the target line and place the ball right between your feet. Now for this shot, don’t shift your weight.
Keep your weight locked on the back foot throughout the entire swing. This should allow you to hit the sand and avoid skulling your shot.
Our Final Thoughts on Our Golf Tips
With the tips mentioned above, any amateur player can get tons better at their game. All you need to do is focus on the points discussed and think all positive things at all times.
