Golf Tips For A Reduced Handicap

The game of golf has a lot of benefits to offer to everyone and the great thing about it is that almost anyone can do well at the sport regardless of age or gender since so much of the game is based on your mindset and short game skills as they account for a large percentage of your overall score. The short game which includes putting, chipping, sand play and hitting wedge shots is a great equalizer in the game so even if you are small in size and not that strong you can still shoot a lot of great scores if you can learn to master the short game.

Tips on the short game:

Chipping is an important part of the short game and in order to get good at it you need to spend time around the greens hitting shots from various lies including uphill, downhill and sidehill. Also look for bare and buried lies and try to master the most difficult chip shots as this will make it a lot easier when you get on the course and face much simpler lies so you get the best results possible. When hitting chip shots you want to use an open stance which means that your feet should point to the left of the target if you are right handed. Also do not break your wrists after impact and be sure the ball is positioned close to your right foot for best results.

Avoid scooping the ball when chipping, instead focus on hitting down and do not lift your head up too early. Hit chips from all different lengths as well so that you build good distance control around the greens. Remember that every now and then you will find yourself in a bunker so it is important to keep this part of your game sharp so be sure to spend some of your practice time in the bunkers learning how to get out effectively. When hitting bunker shots you want to make sure that you use an open stance like when chipping and also be sure to hit behind the ball, about an inch or two so that you use a cushion of sand to get the ball out of the bunker. Be sure to also follow through fully and do not be tentative otherwise the ball will probably end up back in the bunker since you do need some club head speed to get the ball out effectively.

Putting is one of the most important components to the game of golf. The key to great putting is learning and mastering a particular technique and then learning to think well on the greens. It is important to keep your mind quiet during the putting stroke and not think too much about the result or any other thought except the target. Do not spend a lot of time over the ball after your last look at the target, simply learn to look and react to the target and trust in your stroke. Try some of the above golf tips to help you get better at the game fast.