Course Management Archives - Page 2 of 2

Reading Greens

Course Management, Golf Fundamentals, PuttingMarch 4, 20140Comments By

Do you have a consistent process for reading greens? Or do you just wait until it is your turn to putt and then hurriedly guess the line and go with it? Here's my process for reading greens that has helped me make a lot of putts over the years: 1. Read the slope from a distance: As…

Hitting off Upslopes and Downslopes

Course Management, Golf Fundamentals, Golf Set-up, Trouble ShotsFebruary 19, 20141Comment By

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Setting up properly is the most important part of hitting off upslopes and downslopes. My goal is to set up so that the clubhead will swing parallel to the slope through impact. Below are my keys for mastering upslopes and downslopes. Upslopes: 1. Lean to the right: For upslopes, I take a normal width of stance and…

The 70 Yard 7-Iron

Course Management, Golf Fundamentals, Short GameDecember 13, 20130Comments By

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You are only 70 yards from the green for your 3rd shot on a par 5, but a big tree limb is hanging out over the fairway in front of you. You can't hit your normal wedge shot; what do you do? I would choose to hit a 7-iron to avoid the tree limb. In the…

Four Keys to Great Golf in the Wind

Course Management, Golf FundamentalsDecember 11, 20132Comments By

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Does the wind intimidate you on the golf course? Here in Arizona we don't get many windy days, but when it blows you want to be prepared. Here are my four keys to playing great golf in the wind: 1. Keep the ball low. This number one key will help you the most. To keep the…

Course Management: What do you see?

Course Management, Golf FundamentalsDecember 6, 20130Comments By

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My definition of course management: Determining how to proceed based on what you see in front of you on the golf course. What do you see in the picture below? Here's what I see: I like to look at the trees closest to me and picture them as if they were outlined in a steel wall. If…

Play Better Golf: 8 Iron vs. Sand Wedge

Course Management, Golf Fundamentals, Short GameOctober 28, 20130Comments By

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A few days ago, I was giving a lesson to Shannon, a five handicap. From where we were hitting shots, she had 34 yards to the hole. She needed to carry 6 yards of rough and she had 28 yards of green to work with. In the past, when faced with this shot, Shannon had always…

Judging the lie Part 3: Application

Course Management, Golf Fundamentals, Short GameOctober 21, 20130Comments By

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(Read part 1 here) (Read part 2 here) Playing a par 5, you fan your second shot short, right of the green. Your ball comes to rest 40 yards from the hole on a hard-pan, dirt lie. The pin is tucked 6’ onto the edge of the green and you have to hit over a deep pot…

Judging the Lie: Part Two

Course Management, Golf Fundamentals, Short GameOctober 16, 20130Comments By

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(Read Part 1 here) When hitting a wedge shot, if I play the ball forward in my stance it adds loft to the club and exposes the bounce (the rounded sole of the club-head) to the ground. This is great for when the ball is sitting up in the grass in a “fluffy lie.” When I…

Judging the Lie: Part One

Course Management, Golf Fundamentals, Short GameOctober 14, 20132Comments By

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What’s one of the most important aspects of the short game? It’s judging correctly how the ball is going to come out of its lie. What’s the most overlooked aspect of the short game? You guessed it - I believe it’s judging the lie. I have seen many golfers make perfectly good swings only to hit…