The Sand Trap .com

Have you had your driver fitted? If you can reasonably repeat your swing, get thee to a pro shop. You deserve a fitted driver.

The mantra these days is “high launch, low spin.” A little bit of that will depend on your ball, cut the clubhead and the shaft (particularly the shaft) matter quite a bit. Use this guide to achieve your optimal distance.

According to Titleist Science Van representatives, the spin numbers are a bit high.

Now, get thee to the pro shop. Get equipment that suits your game. Instant improvement doesn’t come often, so take advantage of it when you can.

Your grip is your only link to the club, and your grip pressure says a lot about you. Slice? Hook? Your grip might be telling on you. With some understanding, a change in your grip pressure may help you hit better shots.

If you’re looking to stop slicing the ball, ease up on your grip. A firm grip inhibits the ability of the clubhead to release through impact, holding the face square or open. A gentler grip will allow the forearms to rotate, the hands to rotate, and the clubface to release (close after impact). On the contrary, people who hook the ball may be releasing the club too much, and are advised to grip the club a little tighter.

The next time you’re on the practice range, give this tip a try. Or, give it a try on the course if you’re confident. Perhaps there’s a hole that requires a draw when you normally play a little cut. Give it a go!

This tip comes from Masters champ Jackie Burke, widely regarded as one of the best putters of his day and, perhaps, ever.

The tip is relatively simple: practice two-footers with your left hand only. Start with two-footers, and bang several dozen of them in. It may be difficult at first, but your stroke will become smoother as you continue. You’ll strike your putts more solidly. This helps to eliminate the dreaded breakdown of the left wrist.

When you’re confident in your ability to make the two-footers, move back to 10 feet. When you’re comfortable with that, put your right hand back on the putter. You’ll be surprised at the difference.

This drill works for cross-handed putters, “claw grip” putters, and more. According to Burke, it may be the quickest way to turn you into a good if not great putter nearly instantly.

“Casting” is releasing the club from the top of the swing. Your wrists unhinge early, and your club resembles a fishing rod “casting” a lure to a pond behind you. Casting results in loss of power and accuracy.

To stop casting, think of your body as a hurricane. Your arms are like the outward arms and your body the middle of the storm. As the head stays still (the eye of the hurricane), the body uncoils. The arms follow behind but at extremely high velocities. Your upper body effectively pulls your arms and thus, the club, into the ball.

This tip was inspired by the January 1 entry in Bill Kroen’s “Golf Tip a Day” calendar. He’s also written a book, which you can find at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and other book retailers.

From this weekend’s telecast of the Mercedes Championships comes a fantastic, yet simple tip – a wider putting stance helps to keep one’s balance in windy conditions.

For the pros playing last week and for those going to the Sony Open this coming weekend in Honolulu, windy conditions are the norm. The trade winds (from the northeast) and the kona winds (from the southwest) are typically 5-15 miles per hour. When bad weather arrives, usually indicated by the kona winds, it can get even worse. Even placing your ball on the green and getting it to stay put can be difficult at times.

So in those times of increased breeziness, open your stance a few inches or more. The last thing you want to do is fall over on a putt.