Advice Well Worth What You Pay For It

Today... some golf advice. If you are not a golfer, you won't want to bother reading this post. If you are a golfer, you may find this advice useless... or not. I am certainly no expert and I tend to disregard conventional wisdom about golf so take this advice with a grain of salt and assess its value based on its cost.

Putting: speed is paramount, more important than break. Because if you do not get the speed right, the break will not be what you thought it was. Trust me on this. In fairness to the group behind you, do not wait to start reading your line until it is your turn to putt. Start reading it as soon as you walk on the green. Nothing annoys so much as waiting for the green to clear so you can hit your approach.

Laying up on par 5's. Unless you can consistently hit the ball a long way (or you are within your range), lay up. When I gave up trying to hit those accurate 200 yard fairway shots, the game got more enjoyable and I scored much better. Getting the ball into that "comfort" range is really the right thing to do.  It's a bit silly to have that dreaded half-wedge shot and then chunk it. You will get more pars and birdies from 70-120 yards out than from 30.

I think the golf club industry is wrong about shaft stiffness. A lower swing speed does not necessarily translate to a need for a more flexible shaft. Consider that a consistent swing speed is vastly more important. If your swing speed varies by 10 MPH, a more flexible shaft will result in a wider dispersal of shot lines. Try a stiffer shaft for more accuracy. An extra 5-10 yards won't help if it is just further into the trees or rough. I have a golf buddy who says "Hit `em long and straight... Long is optional, straight is mandatory."

We all mishit the ball. Even the pros. We amateurs miss the "sweet spot" much more often (and by wider margins) than any pro. Lessons won't help much but practice will. Here's my tip. Take some masking tape and cover the face at toe and heel, leaving it bare in the center two inches (that "sweet spot") then practice, practice, practice. You will get instant feedback when you are off the mark.  Make sure you remove the tape before playing, though.

Hate those tight lies just short of the green? Often chunk or blade that little pitch? Take a 7 iron, or a 6, if the pin is not close to the edge... let the ball run out, you'll do much better on average.

Slow greens? Put some lead tape on the putter... And never trust the speed of the practice green... it is likely faster and less contoured than the course greens.  I once played a course where the practice green was a 12+ while the course greens were 10's. It took me 4 holes to get my distances anywhere near correct... at least.

Last tip on putting: Use the sniper tactic.... When you get ready to putt, take a breath, let half of it out, and then take the backstroke and hit the putt.


Remember... you are supposed to be having fun.