Qualified PGA Teaching Professional

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Training

Never try to go through the entire bag of clubs in one practice.  A more effective drill is to spend a single session on the clubs involved in one type of shot, such as five, six and seven irons.

[For the better player] If you are plagued by a hook (or a slice) take time out to practice nothing but an intentional slice. Think nothing else for the time being. This opposing formula takes advantage of the ability of your hands to seek proper position at impact. Keep at it until you can control the intentional shot at will. When ready, go back to your regular swing.

[For the intermediate golfer] If you are plagued by a hook (or a slice) first check you grip, aim and your hand position at the swing top-point. More often than not you have slipped across the thin line of what is acceptable or not. You may need assistance from a coach to quickly get back into top form.

For practicing approach and recovery shots it is important to be methodical. By that I mean practice chip and run shots one day, and lofted pitch shots another day. If you practice with both at the same time, you will find that it will be a longer job to obtain touch. Start from a distance 10 steps from the green. Repeat from the same distance two or three times then move another 10 steps away.

If by chance you like going through the entire bag of clubs in a practice session try this. Once you hit two consecutive good shots, put the club back in the bag and grab another one. The idea here is that at any time you choose a club on the course you will remember that the last two times you used it they were good ones.