The Things Every Golfer Has to Get Right

WE ALL approach golf in different ways. Stand by the first tee at any club and watch eight players starting their rounds and you will see eight different swings, eight different grips and, no doubt, eight very different outcomes.

However, I believe that there are certain things that every club golfer simply has to get right to give themselves the best chance of playing this sport to the best of their ability.

Master The Right Grip

Hold the club correctly and half the battle is won.

You cannot play this game to any kind of high standard unless your grip the club properly. I consistently shake my head in disbelief at the way some of my fellow golfers grasp their clubs. I have no intention of telling you how you should grip a golf club - just spend a few seconds on the internet. Take a look at the world’s best golfers - their swings may vary to some degree but they all employ exactly the same fundamentals when it comes to holding a golf club. And they cannot all be wrong.

Don’t Skip the Warm-Up

A few minutes of preparation can save you from a shaky start.

I simply cannot believe how many golfers clamber onto the first tee having arrived at the course 10 minutes before starting their round, do no form of warm-up and are then surprised when that opening drive goes all wrong. I totally get that not everybody wants to head to the driving range and pound 100 balls but I will never understand why so many golfers make no attempt to warm up. This can take the form of a few loosening up exercises, hitting a few chips, grabbing a six and seven iron and swinging them together. There are all sorts of things you can do.

Make Practice Count

Range time should have purpose - not just ball-bashing.

For me, the driving range is like a second home. In an ideal world, I want to hit at least 50 balls before starting my round. This is not always possible. But I do try to visit the range AT LEAST once a week. I get myself 100 golf balls. If I am playing well then I will work through the bag but I will often focus on one part of my game. There are times when I will only hit short irons. It has helped me hugely in knowing exactly how far I hit each every one of my wedges. I find it quite astonishing when I see fellow golfers pouring 100 balls with a driver and wondering why each and every one of those shots slices miles right - all that they are doing is perfecting the faults that cause that slice. The driving range is important but only if your visits have a purpose.

Listen to the Pros, Not Your Pals

A few lessons from a qualified coach beat a thousand bad tips.

If you want to improve and play better - and who doesn’t? - then please don’t take tips from your 24-handicap playing partner. The only way forward is to have some lessons. If you are a member of a club you will have access to a professional who gives lessons. Have a word with others who have used his services. If they all speak highly of him then why wouldn’t you employ his services? Or it could be that you have to shop around. Remember that he or she is going to want you to change things. These changes are likely to feel alien and uncomfortable. The temptation is to ignore what you are told. But these people know what they are doing. Take what you have taught to the driving range and keep doing it until those changes start to feel comfortable. A good teacher will make it simple. They will not fill your head with too much information. But they will all give you the correct fundamentals.

Ditch the Worn-Out Glove

A tattered glove ruins your feel - replace it before it costs you shots.

Why do so many club golfers use worn-out golf gloves with holes in the thumbs, fingers and palms? They are as much use as a chocolate teapot! It would be better not to use a glove at all. There is a perception among some golfers that gloves are expensive - a quick internet search will quickly dispel that myth. When I go to buy a glove I always pick up at least one spare and the moment I see any signs of wear that glove finds it way into the nearest bin. It is also worth buying some weatherproof gloves for the inevitable days when it rains.

Check Your Club Grips

Worn grips breed tension - and tension wrecks swings.

Don’t get me started on grips. I said… There is nothing more likely to destroy your game than smooth and shiny grips. Why? Because you have to grip more tightly to stop them slipping out your hands. And there is nothing worse than tension in the golf swing. If you have shiny grips either change them or invest in some new clubs.

Stay Dry, Stay Focused

Good shoes and waterproofs are as vital as good clubs.

We have just enjoyed the warmest and driest summer in living memory. That may have lulled many of us into a false sense of security. The chances are that wet weather will be arriving sooner rather than later. Before that happens, check that your shoes are still waterproof and that your waterproofs, which you may not have worn for months, still keep you dry.

Play Smart

Strategy and course management can turn double bogeys into pars.

If you keep making the same mistakes, why would you be surprised that you keep making the same mistakes? Do you think that leading tournament professionals adopt the same approach to every round of golf that they play? Of course not. They will look at the course they are playing, identify where the trouble is and adopt a strategy that gives them the best chance of producing a winning score. If you keep slicing your drive at the 15th into the lake, would it not make more sense to leave your driver in the bag and pull out a club that you know will keep the ball in play? If there is a par four that you cannot reach in two shots, why not work out the best place to lave you second to ensure you score nothing worse than a five? If you consistently find that cavernous bunker on the 17th, would it not be better to reach for a club that guarantees you will come up short? In other words, adopt a strategy that will help you to eliminate the scores that destroy your card.

Find a Ball That Fits Your Game

Consistency starts with using the same ball every round.

All tour pros have a golf ball that they are contracted to use. Now I am by no means suggesting that every club golfer uses a Titleist ProV1x but it surely makes sense to find a ball that suits your game and then stick with it. Distance balls will perform entirely differently to soft-feel balls. Perhaps go for a golf-ball fitting.

Invest in Golf Clubs

A proper fitting transforms your game more than any new driver ever could.

Finally, and this is something I have addressed several times, if you take your golf seriously then why would you ever buy a golf club off the shelf without knowing it suits your game? I cannot recommend custom-fitting highly enough - and that applies to every club in the bag. I was fitted for a putter earlier this year - I suspected it might make a change but I have been utterly staggered by how much my putting has improved, thus proving that you can teach an old dog new tricks!

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