The 'share a personal golf tip' thread

[8.5_Drive]

For me, as a mid handicapper, its all about choosing the right club, 150 yards would be a well struck 7 iron

So i would hit a 7 iron right? Instead, get out a 6 and play within yourself.

Why try to fly the ball over the pin and rip it back 3 feet, when u can hit a much more forgiving shot to just as good effect.

Prime example - Pretty much every female golfer.

[sean_miller]

For me, as a mid handicapper, its all about choosing the right club, 150 yards would be a well struck 7 iron

Not sure what your example is illustrating. In the past 5 year, I've played golf with approximately 2 female golfers who had a clue about club selection and approach shots. Sad but true.

My tips: 1.) respect your playing partners (sight lines, shadows, putting line, flag stick ettiquette, being ready when it's your turn, hitting provisionals) 2.) have fun no matter what your skill level. Some days you have it and some days you don't.

[$2 Nassau]

Accelerate through every shot.

[mattttt25]

Don't drink until 2 in the morning the night before a 7 am tee time.

[golfro]

Work on your driver. People are too quick to say driving distance doesn't matter. Of course we'd all rather be more accurate than long, but being accurate AND long adds for a lot of advantages. a 270 yard drive makes for a much shorter approach shot than a 230 yard drive. and if you're like me, i'm much more accurate with my PW or 9i than my 6 iron.

further more...days that I'm playing well, I'm driving well. Maybe this is one of those chicken/egg things but I find a direct correlation to my score with driving. Days that I'm driving well, my approach shots are much simpler. No need to mess around in the thick stuff or have blind shots from the next fairway over. A good drive sets you up for a good approach shot, whcih ultimately makes for better GIR and 1 or 2 putt for birdie/par.

On a more general level of golf tip... PRACTICE.
I golf with so many people who will never spend a minute at the range but they always ask me why they're not improving. You're not improving because your ball striking isn't improving. When you're out on the course and you mishit shots, you end up creating these compensating moves that don't help but make things worst at times. All in all adds for very inconsistent shots. Practice your ball striking!

*edit. i'm bored so im gonna add more onto this.

Short game - work on your chipping. Sure, putting is important but your strokes rise up more from bad wedge work. A bladed chip shots to the other side of the green, chip shot that you chunk...a misshot with a wedge is almost guaranteed an extra stroke. Work on sticking that chip shot within 5ft of the pin.

Putting - don't overthink it. This is one of my biggest flaws with my current game. I'll read the line, set address, then at the very last second readjust my putting stroke and end up pushing/pulling it. Read the line, trust it, and putt. If you really feel like its off, then step back and do it again.

Appraoch shots - the cliche advice...always go pin high. i hate leaving iron shots short. if you're gonna miss left or right, atleast get the distance right. I understand that for a lot of people, getting consistent distances with irons is an issue. This is where you can refer to my other advice above, work on your ball striking and get a feel for consistent distance control.

[Fat Slice]

Keep it in the fairway. Seriously.

[bwdial]

Turn... don't sway.
Don't over-swing.
Focus on the part of the game that costs you the most strokes... and don't rely on the 'experts' to tell you what part of the game that is.

[kpaulhus]

Don't drink until 2 in the morning the night before a 7 am tee time.

This, except it was 4am for me, teeing off at 8am. 8 over on the front, 18 over on the back. My most embarrassing round this year.

[Ben]

2.) have fun no matter what your skill level. Some days you have it and some days you don't.

Hey, you stole my tip!

Backup tip: Stay soft/relaxed at address. I heard Nick Faldo mention this while he was commentating a few years back. As of recently there was an interview with Fred Couples in Golf Magazine and he said that if you were to walk up to him at address that you could take the club right out of his hand with little resistence. I used this along with the "have fun" tip in a tournament a few weeks back and really kicked but. My last words to myself before each shot were "stay soft and have fun"

[shankalots]

I like the Practice tip, I have the same friends who never practice and always play exactly the same. To add more to the practice tip, I like to practice shots I hit a few times a round on the range.. like: Ball below my feet, on a downslope, punch shots, feel shots..etc.

[DBC]

The best tip I ever got was to NOT over-swing. In fact the days Im struggling, I say to myself every swing to not coil up. If I remind myself of this 3/4 swing, no matter which club I have, the ball will go straight. Its easier to find my ball in the fairway you know
KISS.

[DBC]

Oh, and I have another one as well. GET FITTED.
Obviously for clubs that fit you, but during the process of fitting, you will go through some drills that may enlighten you about your swing.
For example, I had absolutely no clue I hit the ball on the heel of the club every time. The face tape doesnt lie. This led to me concentrating on hitting the sweet spot more.

[Frito]

My two tips that I wish i could have grasped alot earlier.
1. Grip the club very lightly , thanks but no thanks to golf digest.
2.No arms - forget you have them and don't muscle it with them. I'm hitting a shank everytime I use them or don't get them loosened up enough.

[alf174]

Don't drink until 2 in the morning the night before a 7 am tee time.

This applies to light-weights only lol.

While putting, keep your trailing elbow in close to your side.

[soloredd]

Respect the course and treat it with care (fix divots, repair marks, etc)

One I'm really working on is to have fun even when the round is complete crap (if you don't have it that day, play some shots you might not normally take, like a 9 iron off the tee on a par 5 or try and punch shot everything...something different)

[Deryck Griffith]

1. Aim for the center of the green vs. pins.
2. Practice, practice and more practice of lag putting vs. trying to make puts from 10 feet on the putting green.
3. Video tape your swing.
4. Get fitted!!

[$2 Nassau]

Don't drink until 2 in the morning the night before a 7 am tee time.

At that point it's probably better to just go straight through the night and keep drinking until your tee time....or "play through" as some call it.

[chef35ca]

1-have fun no matter what. enjoy it for what it is.
2-let your hands lead the clubhead especially in chipping.
3-never aim a shot where a straight ball will put you in trouble. read that one years ago in tiger's book when i used to slice.
4-if your front 9 sucked, start drinking. Heck, it can't get worse.
5-no matter what you believe at the range you haven't discovered the secret to the golf swing. there is a reason all great players swing close to the same.