How to Become a Better Golfer This Summer

You will have noticed that summer has arrived. Light early mornings, light evenings - it doesn’t get dark until around 9pm. And drought warnings! Of course.

It means there is lots of time for us all to improve our games in 2025. Of course we probably won’t but there are some things we should all be doing to help us lower our handicaps.

Here are a few things you might want to try before the nights start drawing in on June 21! Gulp!

Driving Range

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When you finish work and have an hour or so on your hands why not head off to your nearest driving range? 

Don’t just get yourself 100 balls and aimlessly batter them. These sessions should have a purpose. 

If you have been struggling with your short irons focus your session entirely on that part of your game. Any driving range worth its name will have targets at set distances, and that means you can work on hitting your wedge to a specific distance. Practice lob shots too. 

Most club golfers struggle with bunker play. Again, a decent driving range will have some practice bunkers so throw a heap of balls into the sand and keep working at it until you are confident that you can escape first time, every time.

Many of us neglect our short games, and I simply do not understand that because eliminating three-putts and getting up and down in two most of the time will most definitely improve your game. 

So get out on the putting green and hit putts from all sorts of distances. And if you finish two feet from the cup, make sure you hole out. Getting the ball in the hole is a good habit to get into.

Practice your chip shots and do it from dodgy lies - it is not very often that you find your golf ball sitting up like an egg on the course.

Equipment Update

I am not talking about clubs here. You will know whether or not your clubs need to be replaced. 

Ensure that your golf glove is fit for purpose. If it has holes in it throw it in the nearest bin. Gloves don’t need to cost a fortune. Go online and I guarantee you will find some bargains. The same applies to golf balls. 

Check the studs on your golf shoes - do they need to be replaced? Do your shoes need to be replaced?

Lessons

If you want to improve - and don’t we all? - this is the perfect time to book yourself some lessons with your local pro. 

Remember that he can and will look at specific parts of your game if you ask him to. Struggling to get out of bunkers? Chunking your chip shots? Got a dose of the shanks? Pulling all your putts? Tell your pro what part of the game you want him to help you with. 

And when he gives you the fix, head back to the driving range and work on it. Do not try to perfect golf lessons on the course.

Summer Clothing

If you haven’t worn shorts since last summer it might be an idea to make sure they still fit!

Fuel in The Tank

Ensure you have a cold drink in your golf bag, along with some energy bars.

Variety

Playing the same course week in week out may make you complacent. Visiting other courses will force you to stop and think rather than just blindly reaching for the same club. 

If you regularly play on an inland parkland course try to find some links courses. They offer an entirely different sort of challenge and will have you playing shots you would not normally have to face.

Distance

For goodness sake, make the most of the hard fairways. Those par fives that are normally way out of range in two shots should be birdie opportunities at this time of year. Find the fairway from the tee - and then enjoy the ride.

Adaptability

We have seen some hot and dry weather in recent weeks and that means both fairways and greens have been pretty firm, to say the least. Play to the conditions. Don’t try to stop approaches on the greens because that just is not going to happen. If you are less than 100 yards from the green, opt for a pitch and run. Or you may even consider pulling out a putter. Even the most poorly-hit of either of those options is likely to have a better outcome than trying to judge how a wedge or lob wedge is going to react when it lands.

Time Keeping

Why do so many club golfers seem to find it so difficult to arrive at their course in time? Give yourself enough time to hit a few shots and several practice putts before teeing off. If you are rushing around I can pretty much guarantee that the results are not going to be pretty.

Deep Breaths

Golf is an infuriating game and it can get to us all. As somebody who knows what it is like to throw the odd temper tantrum (I don’t do so now), I can recommend taking deep breaths on every tee and before and after every shot I play. Tension in golf is a killer. This is a great way to relieve it. And whatever else you do, when you do hit a bad shot, eliminate it from your mind immediately and move on.

Pace of Play

Resolve to stick to the rules and take no longer than three minutes to look for a lost ball. If you find thick rough, hit a provisional - there is nothing more soul-destroying than failing to find a ball and then having to traipse back to the tee. Play ready golf. Ask yourself if you really need to take eight practice swings.

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