StrokeSavers Golf Tips
Strokesavers® for Golf Shop Live!
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WHO MAKES THE RULES?...The rules of golf are the joint responsibility of two organizations-the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Scotland (R&A) and the United States Golf Association (USGA). They jointly write and interpret the Rules, and every national golf organization, professional and amateur defers to their judgment. An agreement exists that neither the USGA nor the R&A will act unilaterally and that amendments will be adopted only every fourth year. These playing rules are the same for everyone in the more than sixty nations where golf is played. This doesn’t happen in other games!
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ALWAYS TEE THE BALL ON PAR 3’s - Place the ball on a tee. This will give you the best lie possible. Take advantage of this. Setting the ball on clumps of grass can keep you from putting backspin on the ball.
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SAND TRAP BASIC - The worst thing you can dote a sand shot is try to out think it You worry about hitting it high or low, long or short making the ball spin, and so on...rely on basics, common sense, and geometry. To ensure a gentle splash of sand, aim your shoulders left of the pin and the clubface to the right, and swing the club smoothly along the shoulder line. You will skim thru the sand with an open face, and the ball will float out high and land softly.
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PLAYING A WET FAIRWAY? Hit the ball first .not behind it, try to pick the ball cleanly. Keep it in the air as long as possible and make bold approach shots. Remember, wet fairways and greens....means less ball roll.
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DON’T REPAIR SPIKE MARKS - The line of your putt is sacrosanct It is not to be improved unless you are repairing ball marks or removing loose impediments This means that irregularities on the line of your putt, such as raised tufts of grass caused by spikes may not be tamped down. You are allowed to pickup or brush aside loose impediments on the line, but all you can use are your hands or a club. If anything else is used—a hat, for instance— it’s a violation.
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LARGE MUSCLES GENERATE POWER - The large muscles....especially the hips, are quite active in a pro’s swing. The hip muscles are the largest in the body and you must learn to use their power. A muscle’s power is proportional to its cross-sectional area, the bigger it is, the more potential power it has. No matter how strong your wrists or forearms might be, they cannot substitute for the proper use of your hip muscles!
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“TURNING IN A BARREL” Is an extremely useful image for making a full back swing turn without swaying off the ball. Use that same image to promote a complete body release on the downswing by “busting the barrel” with a lateral movement of the hips, legs and knees as you swing through impact.
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WHEN PUTTING ON A ROLLING GREEN - Slopes have more effect on the ball as it slows down. Plan for the slope nearer the bole to increase the break as the ball nears the hole.
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HAVING TROUBLE ROLLING THE BALL TRUE ON PUTTS? Practice with a striped ball. Paint the stripe on the ball or use a range ball. Set the stripe so it is pointing straight down the target line and stroke it If the line rolls straight, your swing path is correct If the stripe wobbles, you are cutting across the ball, either in-out or out-in. Practice taking the putter straight back and stroking smoothly until the stripe stays straight as it rolls. |
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DON’T TRY TO POWER IT - Too often golfers become obsessed with swing fundamentals and they loose flexibility. Think about the natural coil and uncoil. Don’t think hit, just coil and uncoil, and stay with the shot. The harder you try to hit the ball....the more it works against you.
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BALL UNFIT FOR PLAY - A ball has to be visibly cut, cracked or out of shape to qualify as unfit for play. Scratches and scrapes are not grounds for declaring a ball unfit for play. Balls with plastic cores and of one-piece balls prompted the Rule makers to establish that when a ball breaks into pieces, the stroke is cancelled.
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IN THE PATH - High handicappers can improve their game by simply thinking on every shot of swinging through the ball rather than at it Picture the ball accidentally being in the path of the club head as you sweep thru.
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PRACTICE SAND SHOTS - Set two balls in the sand, one in front of the other. Practice hitting both balls out of the trap with one swing without touching either ball. You have to create the desired long shallow divot.
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SENIORS DISTANCE LOSS - As we get older our bodies become less supple and we cannot swing back as far. Keep turning your shoulders as far as you can while keeping a firm grip and your head steady. It also helps to practice with a weighted club.
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BACKSPIN - Is achieved by contacting the ball on the lower half of the clubface. As the clubface drives downward, the ball moves upon the face picking up spin all the way until it propels off the clubface.
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HOW MUCH are the annual dues to belong to the Augusta National Golf Club?...$2,000...The money earned from the Masters Tournament provides the income needed to run the club. The initiation fee is approximately $20,000.
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DON’T GET TOO “HANDSY”- If your timing isn’t right you will come into impact with the clubface misaligned and hit a hook or slice. Keep your arms close to your body on the downswing. This restricts your hand action and allows you to use your big muscles to thrust the club squarely into the ball.
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WHICH WEIGHS MORE? A 3 wood head weighs more than a driver head. A heavier head is necessary on the shorter-shafted 3 wood to retain the consistent shaft flex and swing weight characteristics of a driver for maximum results.
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ONLY ONE? Who is the only person who is allowed to wear his Master’s green coat off the grounds of the Club?...The current winner of the Masters.
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HAVING TROUBLE WITH YOUR GAME? These “Stroke Savers” may give you some insight to a problem, but for expert help see your local P.G.A. Golf Professional.
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ALIGNMENT AND A SMOOTH SWING... are necessary for a great shot. Check out our training aids section and find the best selection on everything you need to take your game to the next level.
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