Winning advice

3 tried-and-true tips that will help take your golf game to the next level

Most longtime golfers know that there’s no end to great (and some not-so-great) golf tips. A quick mention of golf in casual conversation more often than not leads to a discussion about the best way to do this, or the worst way to do that. ​

After surveying some local PGA professionals – all of whom have heard and shared plenty of golf tips over the years – we came up with these three tried-and-true tips to help get your game in tip-top shape.

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Execute a proper set-up. Many good instructors say, “Golf is about 90 percent set-up.” Executing a golf shot is so much easier with a proper grip, aim, stance, and posture. When players have a poor set-up, they have a tendency to develop bad habits by making compensation moves to get the golf ball to go where they want. Next time you’re in a slump, go back to the basic fundamentals and work on a proper set-up.

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Develop a solid pre-shot routine. Most instructors like to have their students come up with their own pre-shot routine and perform that routine before hitting every shot. This gives them a process to go through to stay away from those thoughts that create tension and anxiety, and instead helps them focus on the task at hand. Golf is about consistency, and one thing a player can do consistently on the golf course is develop and practice a solid pre-shot routine.

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Use intermediate targets. It’s difficult to align yourself to a target that’s 150 yards away, so why not make it easier and align yourself to a target that’s a couple of feet in front of your golf ball? When struggling with alignment, try drawing an imaginary line from the target (i.e. the flag) down to a spot a couple of feet from their ball, such as a divot or a leaf. From that point it’s easier to aim the club face and align the body to where you want to send the ball.

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