GOOD golf shots cannot be executed without good management. Here’s where you can pick up five shots.
1. One of the many things I see on the course is golfers over-hitting short shots with little or no control. If you think it is a full pitching wedge, especially into the wind, hit a three-quarter 9-iron instead as this will give you more control over the ball flight and distance.
2. When approaching your second shot on a par 4 or par 5, make sure you check the lie of the land as you may need to adjust your ball position, club length and weight distribution at address to work with the slope of the ground. This will allow you to produce a more solid shot from that lie.
3. When teeing off, check all sides and aspects of the tee. You need to make sure you tee up on the correct side of the teeing ground for you. Teeing off from the side that suits your eye and shot shape will give a better result. Many players go to the ‘wrong’ side of the tee for them, which leads to a poor result from the tee shot.
4. When teeing off on a short par 4, where you may be tempted to go for the green, don’t. Select a fairway wood or even a hybrid to place the ball on the fairway close to the green. Hit your next shot on the green and have a chance at birdie or at worst a two-putt for par. More often than not, the over-exertion of trying to drive the green results in a bad tee shot, making what should have been a birdie hole into a bogey hole.
5. When playing a short par 5 where you haven’t hit the best tee shot, don’t try to hit the miraculous second shot. Instead, use your second shot to position the ball so that you can hit your third shot onto the green. This will give you a better chance at birdie.
• Jason Laws is the NSW PGA Teaching Professional of the Year. If you have any questions for Jason, e-mail him at [email protected]
