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Golfing TipsTip #1: PUTTING DRILLI was introduced to a great new putting drill that builds confidence and a solid putting stroke. This drill is used by world champion putter Len Mattiace. Take three golf balls to the putting green and set them in a line about a foot to 18 inches from each other. The first ball should be about a foot or so from the cup. This drill is a little different from my line drill to learn distances. Using only three balls, after putting the first ball in, retrieve it from the cup. Take that ball and put it behind the last ball in the line. Your confidence builds because after each holed putt, you must take the ball out. This conditions you to seeing the ball reach the bottom of the cup. Challenge yourself and even other playing partners to see who can get the most. The world champion has been known to sink 16 of these putts in succession. Have fun improving your putting! First appeared in the “Orange County Register”
Tip #2: YOUR GAMEI had a student ask me recently, "How do you know what clubs to use around the green when chipping?" There are a lot of you out there who get into a comfort zone (or rut, as I would call it) and always use the pitching wedge or sand wedge from everywhere around the green. The problem with this is the margin for error is small. If you have a shot that needs to carry a bunker or needs to carry in the air over grass, 20-plus yards, then it might be correct to pull out the sand wedge or the pitching wedge. But let us assume for a moment that the ball is lying next to the fringe and it is not smooth enough for a putter. The flagstick is a good 30 or so feet from the spot where the ball is. The green is fairly flat. The club selection might be a small chip shot with a 7-iron letting the ball land a third of the way and then roll the rest, right into the hole. Think of the shot this way: If you are in the fairway 150 yards or 75 yards away, chances are the same club selection was not made. Why then do we assume that we should play just one club around the green? Different length chips are benefited by different clubs. A good rule of thumb is a pitching wedge or 9-iron generally will roll as far as it flies. If the ball flies 5 yards, it probably will roll 5 yards. A 7-iron will fly one-third of the distance and roll two-thirds. Therefore, if the ball flies 5 yards, it will roll 10 yards. Do not be afraid to experiment on the course -- and when practicing. It is the only way to learn. By the way, I have holed out chips with 5-irons and 3-irons. So have some fun! First appeared in the “Orange County Register”
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