Golfing For Beginners: Part 4
We’ve all the seen the incredibly long yet accurate drives of Tiger Woods. The ball flies through the air and lands in the middle of the fairway, 300 yards away.
It is difficult not to let jealousy rise in us as we wonder if we could ever dare to hope to drive like that. Luckily, long drives are not the crux of the game of golf.
So, we get to the ‘short game’ because without decent short game skills, all those great long drives are not worth a candle.
The “short game” is made up of those shots that get you onto the green from no more than about a hundred feet out, whether it’s from the fairway, a bunker, the rough or a drop zone. It includes chips, sand shots and pitches.
It is in this middle stage of the game of golf that you get to use the higher numbered clubs, your pitching iron and sand wedge or lob wedge.
You will find practice areas on most golf courses. You really must spend some time working on hitting the ball onto the green from various distances. Try to hit a ten-foot circle in the centre of the green at first. Experiment using your wedges, but remember that what works well for one person, might not work so well for you and your particular swing.
After you have got into the habit of being able to perform this skill consistently, it’s time to start practising in a sand bunker. Being able to get the ball out of a bunker can cut your score dramatically.
The way to get out of a bunker is to place your feet firmly in the sand with your left foot turned to point towards the hole. Draw an imaginary 4-inch circle around the ball and try to hit the outer edge of that circle with a short, sharp chip.
Kick up lots of sand with the ball and swing completely through as normal. Don’t slow down the swing at all when or after you hit the ball. It should jump up onto the green and stop almost dead. This doesn’t work very well though unless the sand is soft and dry. On hard, compacted surfaces, you might need to avoid actually hitting the sand all together.
As in all aspects of golf, only practice will help you to improve.
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.