Linkman

Hi All Could I start a thread where we post our best ever golf tips? Not videos or long technical treatises from the real students of the game, just small bite size pearls of wisdom which have done us some good. They can be technique tips, scoring tips, swing thoughts, even just pithy remarks with a kernel of golf truth. I am making a collection of golf tips and would love to hear yours. One of my best: "Placing the ball in the right position for the next shot is eighty percent of winning golf" Ben Hogan

Long putts are often missed 6 feet past the hole or 6 feet short. They are rarely missed 6 feet left or right. Read the putt but concentrate more on the distance/length. This will take your mind off technique and avoid a lot of three putts.

Hi All Could I start a thread where we post our best ever golf tips? Not videos or long technical treatises from the real students of the game, just small bite size pearls of wisdom which have done us some good. They can be technique tips, scoring tips, swing thoughts, even just pithy remarks with a kernel of golf truth. I am making a collection of golf tips and would love to hear yours. One of my best: "Placing the ball in the right position for the next shot is eighty percent of winning golf" Ben Hogan

Greetings from the land of Nick Price, Mark Mcnulty and Brendon de Jonge. I am a 55 year old hacker. I haven't played for some years due to work commitments but get to the range a couple of times a week. I have been trying to invent a new swing and training regime, having failed to achieve anything using the conventional stuff. I am not sure I have done it but I am hitting the ball well at the range. I will shortly be in a position to get back onto the course. Will be interesting to see how my new swing translates into real golf. I am going to blog these ideas on my new community site where the membership post their own tips and questions and other members rate them with stars. I won't spam you with the url. Golf out here in Zimbabwe is still healthy and relatively cheap. We have a few nice courses and plenty of good company. Also got the weather for it of course. See you all in the forum.

Without video of your swing its hard to give much useful advice. Start by following these 3 pointers then get yourself some lessons from a good pro. (1) Slow your swing down from flat out to about 75% of that. Never swing harder than that again. Quality of club/ball contact is far more important than club head speed. (2) Pay attention to remaining totally in balance throughout your swing, slowing down will help that instantly. (3) Never "hit" the ball. Swing the club head on a smooth controlled arc through the ball position and start the swing with hips, shoulders then arms. Arms come last.

Mcdonaldtj, I play golf like you do, that is with a strong grip. There is nothing wrong with a strong grip, in many ways it is a good thing. Players with a more neutral/weak grip have to roll their wrists through impact to square the club face. This is difficult to time accurately and the cause of many wayward shots. With a strong grip the club face remains correctly aligned to the swing path throughout the swing and needs no manipulation at impact. Strong grippers also tend to hit the ball further. As you say your poor shots are generally hooks and duck hooks. This is caused by "letting go" just before impact. The wrists relax as a subconscious reaction to permit the arms to swing around and behind the body on the follow through. The club face closes and a duck hook results. This will also tend to happen if your arms and hands get ahead of your body in you downswing. To play well with a strong grip you want to hit the ball as late as possible and to "hang on" through the impact area. To hit the ball late start your down swing with your shoulders and hips and consciously delay your arms for a brief moment. Drop your right elbow to your side immediately and sweep through the ball from the inside. Hang on through the contact area and don't allow your wrists to roll. Your follow through will be almost over your head rather than around your body and behind you. As you noted above wrist hinge is very important. Try and develop a sensation of pulling the butt end of the club into the ball as you start your downswing. You won't be able to do this without wrist hinge. I hope this works for you.