PITCHING AT TARGETS

Many golfers are selecting the wrong targets when they hit pitch shots. They either think "get it over the trap" (and anywhere on the green), or they simply lob it all the way to the pin on the fly, which often then sends it too long and sometimes even off the back of the green. Try selecting a target area that allows for the ball landing AND ROLLING so you can END UP next to the pin. Think THAT AREA, sometimes ten to thirty feet SHORT of the pin as where you want the pitch to land. You'll make adjustments as to how much roll you'll get on uphill, downhill, sidehill, soft, moist or firm greens, but narrowing your focus to "landing the pitch to the optimum area that will get you close" will help your golf score.

Freedom From Back Pain?

This is only anecdotal and SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS MEDICAL ADVICE, because only a doctor does that. But I have found a great assist in my lifelong battle with a bad back. By utilizing one of those hanging upside-down, anti-gravity inversion rack devices, my back has gotten much, much better. The device, which lets you shift yourself from upright to upside down, allows your body weight to pull you down, while your ankles hold you up, which creates a natural traction effect on the area that needs it. It has pulled some of the pressure off of my bulging disk such that a round of golf can be played now that is relatively pain free. Again, ASK YOUR DOCTOR OR CHIROPRACTOR about "hanging upside down." Tell them you've heard of one person who said it helped.

Each Shot Is A Challenge

Every shot you take is a challenge in and of itself. Sure, a one foot gimme putt isn't MUCH of a challenge, but most everything else IS. Will the drive be long enough, or in the fairway? How much will the wind affect the next shot? Do I go for the safe part of the green, or attack the pin? Or lay up short of the bunkers? How much will the ball run once it hits the ground, so do I chip it, or pitch it? How will the slope effect the roll? How firm to putt it uphill? Or how easy to hit it downhill? EVERY SHOT has it's own, unique challenge. Once you are done with one, CONCENTRATE on the next.

Eighty-nine

Not a score. An age. After having just played a round of golf with an 89-year-old women, I can say it's probably possible to play this game longer than any other sport. It certainly puts a lot of things into perspective about your own game, seeing someone who's out there, just happy to be playing. Golf reduced to it's basics -- Hit it, find it, hit it again, etc. The longest distance she could hit it? About 89 yards. And yet she got on in two, took two putts for a bogey four on a tough, heavily trapped 171 yd. par three. Some things transcend your own round of golf.

Putt Out Two-Footers

As we have seen by the many misses on the pro golf tour, a two-foot putt is NOT a gimmie, even for pros. Even though it's "inside the leather," two feet is a distance that CAN BE MISSED. Why do people give themselves putts that they capable of missing two or three out of every ten tries? To some people, a two footer with some break is a difficult, knee knocking test of golf. I can see, for the sake of speedier golf, a policy of "gimmies" for putts INSIDE of one foot in non-tournament situations, but I think two feet and out is definitely too far to be given. Bottom line - ANYTHING that's far enough to miss should be putted out.

A Bunker Mentality

If you are really bad out of sand traps, the kind of person who shoots huge numbers on holes (because you can't get out) when they're in them, then think about this possibility. Try chipping out sideways, or backwards (where there are no lips) to get out of the trap on the first try. If you aim it correctly, and execute it half way decently, you shouldn't have to contend with that bunker anymore, with only a chip or pitch to the green remaining. A good chip and a putt will get you the same result as if you hit a pretty good bunker shot and two putted. Play away from weaknesses and toward your strengths.

Discovering the secret of your swing

I went to the range last night and managed to get a bay with a mirror for once. Just loosening up and realised that at the top of my back-swing the club-head was aiming about 15 degrees left of the target line. Possibly explains why I have been blocking so many shots left all summer.

So I adjusted my swing accordingly which as a consequence led to my right shoulder staying closer to my body and then proceeded to hit glorious shot after glorious shot.

Now Im under no illusions that this will translate onto the golf course in any way, we have all been there before. But it sure feels good at the time.

But my question is has anyone ever had this kind of eureka moment which has actually been exactly that and led to a massive improvement in their game, or maybe just led them to understanding their swing better?

Personally I think the main reason I was hitting it so well is because I'm off to Scotland on a four day golf trip tomorrow and felt totally loose and relaxed. Which would lead to my second question, how can you take your range head (and what I feel I've learned) to the course, I'm not great at doing that - always way too tense for the first few holes.