It is said by many that golf is 90% mental and 10% physical. The reason being that even though the act of performing the golf swing is muscle movement of the body, the path of the swing both conciously and subconciously is controlled by your mind. Remember the last time you shot that amazing recovery shot from around the trees? Well, it was the stimulation of your imagination that helped you visualize your plan of attack for the troubled shot. To become more in touch with your imagination and visualization of your abilities, take some time and watch your favorite pro golf player making his swing. After you’ve ingrained that image into your mind, you will begin to visualize that swing out on the golf course. The rhythm and flow of the stroke as well as the path of the swing from all angles. It takes a little practice, but you’ll be soon be hitting the same shots as your favorite pro.

I had this friend once who hated hitting from the sand so much that he would always chip out and never even try to use his sand wedge. When he would actually try his sand wedge, he would most likely stick his clubhead too deep in the sand, thereby leaving the ball in the bunker. Now, he is so good at hitting from the sand that he gets up and down in two from greenside bunkers, usually better than better players hitting from greenside roughs. What made the difference? Well, it was the simple execution of watching for flying sand after his shot that helped him become an expert from the sand. If you don’t know what i’m talking about, watch the next golf tournament on tv and watch how the pros can blast a perfect blanket of sand after their shot that flows so effortlessly with the wind. Creating that shallow divot with the clubhead and carefully sliding underneath the ball is the goal for a majority of your sand shots close to the green. A good tip to remember is to keep your clubface open so that you won’t dig into the bunker, but instead promote the sliding of the clubhead underneath the ball. Watch the sand fly and you’ll be better prepared to get on the green!

Before you play, you should warm up on the driving range and the putting green. The final thing to do before teeing off is putting. Because the practice green is usually near the first tee, you won’t have to rush to make your tee time. Rushing is a poor way to begin your round.Putting is crucial to scoring. Gauge the speed of the greens with some long putts. Proper speed prevents three-putts.

Use just one ball. It will force you to concentrate on each putt so you can learn from each stroke. You’ll be prepared when you take your first putt on the first green.

Got five minutes?

Sometimes, you only have five minutes before your tee time. When you’re pressed for time, limit your warm-up to the putting green. Hit a few long putts to get a feel for the speed of the greens. Then hit four- to six-footers-makable putts. You want to go to the first tee with the confidence born of having seen the ball go in the hole.

It starts with setup!

Normally, a shot that flies high is the best way to advance the ball from point A to point B. But there are times when a lower ball-flight is preferable-into the wind, for example, or under trees. Hitting it lower requires changes at address. They include narrowing your stance, putting the majority of your weight on your left side and placing your hands ahead of the ball.

The low-shot setup encourages you to make contact while the clubhead is traveling downward with reduced loft. The combination results in a lower trajectory.

1) Swing to the left
2) Don’t raise your hands

by Hank Haney

It never fails. During my clinics on pitching, I’ll ask my students to get their sand wedges. At that point, they all look at me like I’m crazy. “What about my pitching wedge?” they cry.

A pitching wedge is really a 10-iron, nothing more. In contrast, a sand wedge has more loft and a wider flange on the bottom, factors that help when you’re pitching from semi-rough. More loft will help you get the ball up quicker. The wider sole has more “bounce” through impact; a pitching wedge tends to dig into the ground. Even if you hit a little behind the ball, a sand wedge lets you get away with it.