Golfing for Novices: Part Four

We have all the seen the bewilderingly long and yet accurate drives of Tiger Woods. When he hits the ball, it flies through the air only to land in the bang middle of the fairway, 300 odd metres 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.

Enter the short game for without good short game skills, all the long drives are not worth a light.

The short game consists of those shots that get you onto the green from about one hundred feet out, be it from the fairway, a bunker, the rough or a drop zone and includes chips, sand shots and pitches.

This is where you get to use your higher numbered golf clubs, as well as your pitching iron and sand wedge or lob wedge.

You will find practice areas on most golf courses. You really ought to spend some time practising hitting the ball onto the green from various distances. Try to hit the ball into 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 because your particular swing is an unknown factor in the equation.

After you get accustomed to performing this drill consistently, it’s time to start practising in a sand trap. Knowing how to get the ball out of a trap will 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.

However, as in all aspects of the game of golf, only practice will help you to improve your score.

Are you a rookie to golfing?? We have some great tips for the beginner golfer at Golfing Tips for Beginners