The post 5 reasons every golfer should consider getting fit for clubs appeared first on Golf.

The post 5 reasons every golfer should consider getting fit for clubs appeared first on Golf.

I often hear golfers say they aren’t good enough for a club fitting or that they’re going to wait until they’re playing better before investing in new clubs. I actually think the opposite is true. A proper club fitting may be exactly what you need to take your game to the next level.

As I recently watched my son, Matthew, get fit for a new set of irons, I was reminded just how important it is for every golfer to play with clubs that truly fit their game.

Here are five reasons that every golfer should consider getting fit for clubs.

1. Eliminate guesswork

One of the biggest misconceptions about club fitting is that you have to buy clubs afterward. In reality, that isn’t necessarily the case. You can simply pay for the fitting and walk away with valuable information about exactly what specifications fit your swing. That knowledge alone is worth the investment. Assuming you visit a qualified fitter, you’ll leave with a prescription for your ideal set.

2. Carry clubs you actually trust

Do you have clubs in your bag that you simply avoid hitting? If so, there’s a good chance they either don’t fit your swing or simply aren’t the right clubs for you. A professional fitting helps determine not only which clubs belong in your bag but also which ones don’t. Eliminating clubs that don’t perform for you can save both frustration and strokes.

For example, I no longer carry a 3-wood. My longest fairway wood is a 5-wood. While many golfers assume a 3-wood should travel farther, my swing speed actually allows me to hit a 5-wood higher, more consistently, and ultimately just as far.

A good fitter will also help with proper gapping, making sure each club covers a distinct distance. If several clubs in your bag all seem to go about the same yardage, a fitting can solve that problem.

3. Understand your numbers

Today’s club fitters use launch monitor technology to determine the ideal combination of clubhead, shaft, loft, lie angle, and settings for your swing, and that data removes the guesswork.

I saw this firsthand during Matthew’s iron fitting. Although he had already been striking the ball well, a different shaft profile immediately improved his spin rate, carry distance, and consistency.

Launch monitor numbers don’t lie. When you find the right combination, the improvement is often immediate — and surprisingly obvious.

4. Make your driver a weapon

If you’re only going to get fit for one club, make it your driver. Having the proper loft, shaft, clubhead, and adjustable settings is essential for maximizing both distance and accuracy. Since every hole begins with a tee shot, driving the ball well sets the tone for your entire round.

I recently accompanied one of my students to a driver fitting. The fitter changed nearly everything; the manufacturer, loft, shaft, and overall setup, and the improvement was dramatic.

Not only did he gain distance, but his swing also improved because he was no longer fighting a driver that launched the ball too low. His old driver forced him to compensate, preventing him from swinging freely and aggressively. Once we found the right fit, everything became easier.

5. Dial in your wedges, too

The right wedge setup can have a tremendous impact on lowering your scores. But it’s not just about loft. Bounce, sole design, and proper gapping all play important roles, especially based on the course conditions you typically play.

When you have the right wedge in your hands, you’ll notice it right away. The club interacts with the ground more cleanly, the ball launches as intended, and you’ll gain confidence around the greens.

A proper club fitting isn’t reserved for elite players. In many cases, it’s one of the fastest ways for recreational golfers to improve. The right equipment allows you to make your natural swing without fighting clubs that weren’t built for you.

Instead of waiting until you’re a better golfer to get fit, consider getting fit so you can become a better golfer.

Looking to revamp your bag? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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The post The 3 types of mistakes every golfer makes — and how to avoid them appeared first on Golf.

Ever finish a round of golf and feel like nothing went right? It’s a frustrating feeling, but simply saying, “I played badly,” won’t help you improve. To get better, you need to understand the types of mistakes you’re making. Once you can identify your errors, you can focus on the right things in practice and on the course.

I typically break down the mistakes golfers make into three categories.

1. Execution errors

These are the most obvious errors and the ones most golfers think of first. They are the dreaded mishits — chunks, tops, slices and hooks. They happen when your swing doesn’t quite match your intention, leading to a poor result.

While some execution errors are unavoidable, you can minimize them through consistent practice and lessons. But remember, no matter how much you practice, execution errors will happen. Even the best players in the world don’t hit every shot perfect.

2. Strategic errors

Strategic errors are more common than many golfers realize. They happen when you make a poor decision before you even hit the ball. This could be because you didn’t properly assess the conditions, such as a strong headwind, a wet lie, or the speed of the greens.

For example, imagine you have a 140-yard shot over water. You normally hit your 8-iron 140 yards, so you pull that club without thinking twice. However, you fail to notice a strong wind blowing directly into your face. The ball comes up short and lands in the water. Your swing wasn’t the problem. The mistake happened before you ever addressed the ball.

Other strategic errors include attempting shots you haven’t practiced enough or misjudging the risk versus the reward. Often, choosing the smarter, safer play leads to a better score than attempting a low-percentage shot. These are mistakes that are much easier to limit, because they boil down to making smarter decisions.

3. Mental errors

Mental errors are all about mindset, focus and concentration. Unlike a poor swing, these are mistakes that are entirely within your control. They include rushing your shot, skipping your pre-shot routine, or allowing one bad shot to affect the rest of your round.

Elite players understand that mental mistakes are often the easiest to eliminate and can have the greatest impact on scoring. If you can cut down — or even eliminate — mental errors, you can save several strokes per round.

How to avoid these mistakes

During your round, take a moment after every bad shot to determine what type of mistake occurred. Was it an execution error, such as a mishit? A strategic error, like choosing the wrong club? Or was it a mental error, such as rushing your routine? Simply identifying the cause helps you stay present and learn from each shot instead of reacting emotionally.

It can also be helpful to keep a simple record of your mistakes. Create a system using “E” for execution errors, “S” for strategic errors, and “M” for mental errors and mark them down on your scorecard. At the end of your round, tally each category. The results will quickly show you where your biggest opportunities for improvement lie and help guide your practice.

By learning to identify the root cause of your bad shots, you can turn frustration into a clear plan for improvement. The next time you have a disappointing round, don’t just say, “I played badly.” Instead, determine what type of errors you made so you can focus your practice moving forward on what will make the biggest difference.

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The post 5 quick at-home drills that will help you hit the ball solid immediately appeared first on Golf.

I recently ran a golf school for a great group of members at Aronimink, working alongside their assistant, Tessa Teachman. Tessa, along with my fellow dewsweepers, Morgan Hale and Connor Luke, worked together to help a great group of members make some dramatic improvements to their contact in less than a day.

The changes didn’t require anything drastic from a physical perspective. They all came down to helping players associate new feels for what the club can do when you get out of the way and stop working against it. Most amateurs don’t need a swing overhaul — they just need to find the ground in the right spot to get solid contact, and do it with a good pivot. That’s the whole battle for a huge percentage of golfers.

At the school (and with my regular students), I find that handicaps matter far less than the design of what you’re working on when it comes to improving. Give a player something simple they can do at home, in the gym or in the parking lot before a round, and nearly all of them will commit to doing it — and doing it well enough to make a real difference.

Take these five drills we used at the school and incorporate them into your routine this weekend and I promise you that by Sunday afternoon you’ll be hitting more solid shots. None of these drills require a bucket of balls or a trip to the course. You can run through all five in your living room or the backyard. You’ll find the ball at the bottom of your swing more consistently, make more solid contact, hit it farther, and have more control over how it curves.

1. Find your balance

Before you can do anything else well, you need to be hinged correctly at your waist so your hips can turn and load instead of sliding. Set up in your posture and check that the base of your spine is stacked under the top of your spine — not tipped forward or hanging back. You should feel roughly 50/50 in your weight distribution, evenly balanced between your feet. Get that feeling right at address, and everything downstream gets easier.

2. Stabilize your lower body

A lot of golfers move their pressure side to side instead of rotating — sliding laterally on the way back and again on the way down. When your lower body is sliding around like that, it’s nearly impossible to find the same low point twice. Stand on two small balance discs so your base is a little unstable. Hold a club across your chest and make some slow backswings and downswings. The instability underneath you won’t let you lurch or slide; your body has no choice but to stay centered while it turns.

3. Add rotation to your forward swing

If you stay stuck on your back foot and never rotate your upper body through the ball, you’ll never get the low point of your swing out in front of it, where it needs to be. Grab a light resistance band and stretch it so your arms are fully extended out to your sides — like you’re about to give somebody a big hug. Get into your golf posture, then turn your shoulders fully going back and fully going through, all without ever letting the band go slack. That tension is what teaches your upper body to keep rotating instead of stalling out.

4. Hold your spine tilt

This one will feel strange the first time you try it, but the results show up immediately. Hold a club across your chest like you did in tip 2, and this time watch the angle it makes with the ground as you turn back and through. If you keep the same spine tilt you had at address, that club stays at a consistent angle the whole way around. Lose your posture, and it’ll move parallel with the ground. Come over the top, and it’ll go more vertical. Use the club as your mirror, and keep that angle locked in.

5. Push off the ground to rotate your hips

The last piece is learning to use the ground to rotate your hips while staying in posture, instead of standing up or leaning through the shot. Use that same stretchy exercise band and have a partner the middle of it. Grab each end in one hand, and start your backswing like you’re pulling the cord on a lawn mower with your right (trail) hand. Push off the ground, and don’t let the band pull you forward! Now initiate the downswing by pulling with your left hand. The pull from the band forces your hips to actually rotate instead of stalling at the top or through impact.

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Golf is a famously frustrating, stressful game. Like the old joke says: It’s called “golf” because all the other four-letter words were taken. But, #$%!, it doesn’t have to be that way — at least not so often. Maybe the smoothest of the smooth are born that way. The rest of us can still produce our best selves — free flowing — at the best times by following a few simple tips.

Check out below for nine tips you can lean on to shoot lower scores.

1. Perfect the grip

Everything in golf, including effortlessness, starts with a good grip. Choking the club to death obviously isn’t the way to begin a buttery move — but neither is a soft grip that’s more in the palms. For effortless oomph, you need to hold the club more in the fingers, which activates the wrists, a key power source. Added bonus: Doing so will help all the slicers out there to square the clubface at impact and eliminate the banana ball. Think of it as an effortless double play.

2. Make smarter choices

A stress-free round isn’t a trouble-free round. You’re never going to hit every fairway and green. It’s not the bogeys that raise your blood pressure; it’s the angst of trying (and often failing) to pull off difficult recovery shots. Shot choice greatly affects our agita levels: Taking your medicine with a simple pitchout or layup instead of attempting the miraculous keeps golf a walk in the park and doubles and triples off the card.

3. Have a reliable warm-up

Does working yourself into a lather sound like the road to chill? The secret may be in the dirt, as Ben Hogan said, but beating lots of balls is for practice sessions, not for planting the seeds for a stressless round. Keep your warm-up to one bucket, maybe even a small one, and focus on being target-oriented. It may also help to make some practice swings with your eyes closed to feel your motion and get into a relaxed groove.

Instruction

Insiders Only Copy this minute-by-minute breakdown of Nelly Korda's warm-up

By: Jessica Marksbury

4. Develop a waggle

Sprinters burst out of the blocks, but an effortless swing isn’t a sprint—it’s more like a leisurely jog, in which you shake out your arms and legs before setting off. Develop a personalized movement as part of your pre-shot routine so that you’re not jolted from a static position. Whether it’s three little wrist wiggles or miming the first 18 inches of your takeaway, devise something that both relaxes and activates you.

5. Make a full turn …

Think about all the effortless swings that are short and quick … Okay, stop, because you won’t come up with one. (Tony Finau is the exception that proves the rule.) A big, full, complete, majestic, heroic backswing is needed to store the power that you’ll soon make look like rolling off a log. This may entail some gym work on hip and upper-body flexibility; in the meantime, consider lifting your front heel off the ground to help create that needed coil.

6. … then nail the transition

At the top is where so many effortless swings jump off the bridge. After a syrupy takeaway, suddenly the brain screams, “Now kill!” The hands go hurtling down toward the ball, speed is wasted early in the swing and smooth synchronization disintegrates. To keep the nice flow and gradual acceleration that yield easy power, think about pushing into the ground with your legs to start the downswing. Don’t worry about your hands; they’ll do what they need to on their own.

7. Stay balanced in the follow-through

Not to get too Zen master, but it can be hard to make an effortless swing when you’re thinking about making an effortless swing. One way to overcome the dreaded “paralysis by analysis” is to think instead about getting to a very specific follow-through position. At the range, hold that follow-through position for several seconds after each swing. You’ll be surprised how well your body soon reverse engineers an effortless move to get to that spot.

8. Don’t overthink in the sand

For many golfers, greenside sand is like quicksand — the more you struggle, the faster you’re swallowed up. To promote the quick wrist hinge and upright swing that makes escaping the bunker a breeze, do this drill: Stick a tee in the butt end of your grip and, during the backswing, hinge your wrists so the tee points directly at the ball. On your downswing, all you need to do is release that angle and let the clubhead glide underneath the ball to blast the ball out of the bunker.

9. Develop a smooth stroke

Effective putting strokes are repeatable putting strokes. If a jab-and-hit pop stroke works for you, fine. But an effortless, Ben Crenshaw stroke, well, looks like a Ben Crenshaw stroke: It has a longer backswing and a shorter follow-through. This ratio promotes the solid contact that produces effortless power and fewer yippy shorties. Practice a little recoil move soon after impact, which helps shorten the through-stroke and encourages purer impact too.

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Few putts intimidate golfers more than the slick, downhill breaker. The combination of speed and slope makes these putts difficult to judge, causing many players to misread the line or instinctively steer their putter toward the hole—resulting in a putt that misses on the low-side or races past the cup.

Luckily, the solution is simpler than most golfers realize. According to GOLF Top 100 Teacher David Armitage, the mistake most amateurs make on these tricky breaking putts isn’t with their stroke or technique — it’s focusing on the wrong target.

Stop focusing on the hole

To master slippery, sidehill putts, Armitage says golfers need to rethink their approach.

“They [amateurs] are trying to almost make the putt turn a corner,” Armitage says. “The hole is the distraction.”

Instead of trying to guide the ball, Armitage says to think of breaking putts as straight putts to a specific point: the apex, or the highest point on the intended line before breaking toward the hole.

Concentrating on the apex allows you to start your putts on line and let the green do the work. And to find the apex, you just need a reliable green-reading routine. Whether you prefer to walk around the putt to study the slope from multiple angles, use AimPoint or another method, the key is developing a consistent process that you trust.

“Reading greens is a skill set that you’ve got to practice,” Armitage says. “You’ve got to have a process — something that you believe in.”

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Mark the apex with a tee

While many amateurs can correctly identify the apex by reading the green, they usually forget about it once they stand over the ball.

“They’re [amateurs] reading the green to the apex correctly, but then they’re looking at the hole,” Armitage says.

To keep yourself locked in on the apex, Armitage recommends practicing with a tee. When you address each putt, zero-in on that point — not the hole.

“Forget the hole,” he continues, “let the hole be the end spot, but don’t let it be the end-all-be-all.”

Once you’ve chosen your line and set up to the putt, your job is simple: roll the ball to the apex, trust your read and let the green do the rest.

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In the first two parts of this series, we’ve covered block practice and transfer training to improve your putting. Today, we will cover variable practice, where golfers learn whether those skills can hold up under pressure.

On the golf course, every putt matters. A three-foot putt to win a match feels different than a three-foot putt during practice. Your heart rate increases, your attention narrows, and golfers become more aware of the outcome. While technical skill remains important, performance often depends on a player’s ability to execute under pressure.

Performance training is designed to recreate those demands. Rather than focusing on mechanics, golfers are challenged to complete tasks with consequences attached to success and failure. The objective shifts from learning a skill to proving that the skill can be trusted when it matters most.

Effective performance games often include scoring systems, consequences for missed putts, competitive challenges, and opportunities to perform with only one attempt. These constraints create emotional investment and encourage golfers to develop routines, commitment, and focus similar to what they experience during competition.

Below are two performance-based putting games that challenge golfers to execute under pressure, measure their performance, and develop the confidence needed to transfer practice success to the golf course.

21 Around the World

One of the best performance putting games is the “21 Around the World Challenge” because it combines pressure, consequence, and changing locations around the hole.

Setup

Place seven tees or markers in a circle around a hole, with each putt measuring between three and five feet depending on the golfer’s skill level. Each station is worth three points, making the maximum possible score 21.

How to play

Begin at any station and attempt one putt. A made putt earns three points, while a miss earns zero. Continue around the circle until all seven putts have been attempted, then total your score.

Scoring

Scores of 18–21 indicate excellent performance, 15–17 are considered good, 12–14 represent average performance, and anything under 12 suggests additional practice is needed.

Performance version

The real value of this game comes from adding meaningful consequences. Require yourself to score at least 18 points before leaving the practice green, restart the challenge after missing two consecutive putts, finish the challenge by holing the final putt, or compete against a partner with the loser buying drinks or completing a set of push-ups. These consequences create emotional investment and closely simulate the pressure golfers experience during competition.

The Seashell Putting Challenge

Want to become a great putter inside 12 feet? The Seashell Putting Challenge is designed to test your ability to make putts from a variety of distances and angles while building confidence under pressure.

Setup

Find a hole on the practice green with minimal break, approximately one percent slope or less. Place tees around the hole in a spiral or seashell pattern at distances of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 feet. The gradual curve of the pattern ensures each putt comes from a slightly different angle.

How to play

Begin at the three-foot station and attempt to hole one putt. If successful, move to the next station and continue working through all ten distances until you have made one putt from every location. If you miss a putt, simply move to the next station and continue the challenge. The objective is to eventually hole one putt from every station.

You are allowed to miss putts throughout the challenge, but you may not miss three consecutive putts. If three misses occur in a row, the challenge begins again from the start. This consequence adds pressure while encouraging golfers to remain focused throughout the exercise.

Advanced version

To increase the difficulty, set up the challenge on a section of the green with greater slope, approximately 1.5 to 2 percent. The additional break forces golfers to continually adjust their start lines while maintaining precise distance control and commitment on every stroke.

Why it works

The Seashell Putting Challenge combines changing distances, varying angles, and performance pressure into a single game. As golfers move farther from the hole, the difficulty naturally increases, while the “three misses in a row” rule creates accountability and consequence. The result is a realistic test of a golfer’s ability to perform from scoring range.

Putting improvement is not the result of a single drill or practice session. It’s a process that begins with building the skill, progresses through learning to adapt that skill in changing environments, and ultimately culminates in the ability to perform under pressure. By incorporating block practice, transfer training, and performance training into a structured practice plan, golfers can move beyond simply hitting putts and begin developing the skills necessary to lower scores.

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In Part I of our three-part putting series, we explored how block-practice stations can help golfers develop the fundamental skills of putting. Through controlled environments and immediate feedback, players can build awareness of their setup, alignment, face control, stroke mechanics, and speed control with block practice. But while these stations are valuable for skill acquisition, they do not fully prepare golfers for the challenges they encounter on the golf course.

Golf is rarely played from the same spot twice. Every putt presents a unique challenge, with varying distances, slopes, green speeds, and visual perspectives. Performing successfully in these constantly changing conditions requires more than technical proficiency, it also requires adaptability.

This is where transfer training comes into play. This type of practice bridges the gap between skill development and on-course performance by introducing variability, decision-making, and problem-solving into practice. Rather than repeating the same putt over and over, golfers are challenged to apply their skills in constantly changing situations.

That’s why having practice that helps utilize this training is so important. It’s where your objective shifts from executing a movement perfectly to producing a successful outcome under a variety of conditions.

Below are a couple of drills I like my players to use for transfer training on the putting green.

Station 1: Random distance speed control

In this station (above, left), you can see a series of discs positioned at varying distances between the golfer and the target. Rather than focusing solely on making putts, the goal is to control speed and finish each ball within a designated zone. This task encourages adaptability and develops the ability to calibrate speed across multiple distances.

The objective of the drill is to have one ball come to rest between each pair of discs. Golfers may also choose to benchmark their performance by tracking how many balls are required to successfully complete the challenge.

Station 2: Green reading

One of the most challenging aspects of putting is learning how much a putt will curve as it travels toward the hole. Many golfers struggle not because they make poor strokes, but because they consistently misjudge the amount of break. Transfer training provides an opportunity to develop this skill by creating tasks that require players to read, predict, and respond to changing green conditions.

Gear

How to dial in your putting stroke before every round

By: Jessica Marksbury

In this station (see featured photo above, right), a marker is placed on the intended starting line between the golfer and the hole. Rather than focusing on whether the ball is holed, the golfer’s objective is to roll the ball directly over the marker while allowing the slope of the green to move the ball toward the target. The marker serves as a visual representation of the golfer’s read.

Each putt requires the player to evaluate the slope, determine an appropriate starting line, and execute a putt that matches that prediction. If the ball misses the marker, either the read or the execution was incorrect. If the ball rolls over the marker but misses the hole, the golfer receives valuable information about the accuracy of the predicted break. The result provides immediate feedback on both the quality of the read and the quality of the stroke.

This drill demonstrates how a simple target can transform putting practice from repetitive execution into a decision-making exercise. Instead of repeatedly hitting putts toward the hole, golfers are challenged to make a prediction, test that prediction, and adjust based on the outcome. This process closely mirrors what occurs during actual play, where every putt requires a new read and a new decision.

Block practice involves repeating the same skill or movement in a consistent, controlled environment to build familiarity and technique. While block practice helps golfers develop skills, transfer training teaches them how to apply those skills in changing environments. By introducing variability, decision-making, and problem-solving into practice, golfers learn to adapt to the demands of the course rather than simply repeat a movement.

As players become more proficient at transferring their skills to new situations, they are ready for the final stage of development: performance training. In this stage, skills are tested under pressure, consequence, and competition, creating practice environments that closely resemble real playing conditions.

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Most golfers want to become better putters but lack a clear roadmap for developing the skill. Too often, their practice consists of rolling a few putts before a round or playing games on the putting green without a specific purpose. Effective improvement requires more than simply spending time on the green — it also requires a structured process.

In this three-part series, we’ll explore a systematic approach to putting practice that follows the same progression used in skill development across sports: first building the skill through focused repetition, then learning to transfer that skill to changing situations and finally testing it under pressure.

In Part 1, we will talk about how to use block practice on the putting green.

Block practice for putting

Block practice is where skill is developed. The environment is controlled, variables are limited and the golfer receives immediate feedback after every stroke. This is not the time to test performance — it’s the time to establish the fundamentals that lead to performance.

Here are three different drills you can use for block practice to improve your putting.

Station 1: Setup and alignment

Many putting problems begin before the stroke ever starts. Alignment rods, mirrors and setup stations help golfers establish consistent posture, ball position, shoulder alignment and eye position.

In the image above on the left, you can see the alignment rod on the ground serves as a reference for foot, knee, hip and shoulder alignment, while the putting mirror allows the golfer to verify eye position relative to the ball while also providing feedback on shoulder alignment and putter aim. Together, these training aids help golfers develop awareness of how their setup influences the direction of the stroke before the putter ever moves.

The objective is to create a balanced, athletic posture that can be repeated from putt to putt. By consistently monitoring these fundamentals, golfers develop a setup routine that promotes improved aim, more consistent face control, and greater confidence on the greens.

Station 2: Face control and start line

Research consistently shows that start line is one of the most important factors in successful putting. Gates, rails and alignment stations provide immediate feedback on where the putter face is pointing at impact and whether the ball is starting on the intended line.

A putting mirror is a great tool for this kind of practice. The mirror allows golfers to monitor eye position while simultaneously checking that the putter face is square to the target line. Combining setup feedback with face-awareness training helps bridge the gap between proper alignment and proper execution.

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You can increase the challenge of this setup by adding a start-line gate several feet in front of the ball. A string line can also be used to map the intended path while the gate serves as a test of execution. To successfully complete the drill, the golfer must not only aim correctly but also return the putter face square enough at impact for the ball to pass through the gate without contact. This creates a measurable task and develops the precision required to consistently start putts on line.

Station 3: Stroke path and face awareness

Training aids that provide visual feedback help golfers better understand how the putter moves throughout the stroke. A putting mat with a stroke path can be helpful for this. Whether a player naturally produces more arc or a straighter path, the objective is to improve awareness and consistency.

When using a putting mat, each repetition provides immediate feedback, allowing players to connect feel with performance. Small changes in path or face movement become easier to recognize, helping golfers develop a more reliable motion over time.

The purpose of this station is not to force golfers into a single “perfect” putting stroke. Instead, the goal is to increase awareness. When golfers understand how the putter moves and how the face behaves throughout the stroke, they are better equipped to make adjustments and develop a motion they can repeat under pressure.

The controlled environment and immediate feedback make this an ideal station for building consistency, confidence, and trust in the putting stroke.

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Having spent years teaching on Long Island near Shinnecock, I have seen my fair share of rough, including thick fescue. While it can certainly be beautiful, it can also be extremely challenging if you don’t know how to handle it. The good news is that with the right technique and smart decision-making, you can learn to escape fescue and virtually any type of rough.

Here are five things you should keep in mind to hit solid shots from the rough.

1. Analyze the lie

The first step is to assess how thick the rough is. A simple question to ask yourself is: How much of the golf ball can I see?

The less of the ball that is visible, the more conservative you need to be. Thick rough makes it difficult to make clean contact and significantly limits how far you can advance the ball.

Understanding the severity of the lie will help you make better decisions before you ever swing the club.

2. Don’t get greedy

The worse the lie, the more important it is to play conservatively and focus on getting the ball back in play. Most golfers have experienced the frustration of trying to advance the ball too far, only to have the rough grab the club and leave the ball barely moving. What should have been one recovery shot turns into two.

My son and I saw plenty of this while playing in Scotland. Getting too aggressive with club selection or target choice often produced disappointing results.

Learn to take your medicine. Sometimes the smartest play is simply returning the ball to the fairway, where you can make clean contact and attack the next shot.

3. Club wisely

Club selection is critical when playing from thick rough. In most situations, more loft is better than less, although your strength and clubhead speed should also be considered.

The setup adjustments required for these shots tend to reduce loft at impact, so choosing a more lofted club is usually a smart decision.

In many cases, a wedge is the best option. When you’re between clubs, err on the side of additional loft to improve your chances of extracting the ball cleanly.

4. Set up steep

Proper setup is the key to getting the ball out of heavy rough. Position the ball in the center of your stance or slightly back. This helps you contact the ball before the club encounters too much grass.

Lean your body slightly toward the target so that your lead shoulder sits lower than your trail shoulder. This steeper shoulder alignment encourages the club to travel down the back of the ball with a steeper angle of attack, increasing the likelihood of solid contact and reducing the amount of grass trapped between the clubface and the ball.

The shaft should also lean slightly toward the target, with the end of the grip remaining aligned with the center of your body. This setup effectively reduces loft and promotes a more descending strike. Keep your weight favoring the lead side throughout the entire swing. Avoid falling back or trying to lift the ball into the air. Doing so encourages the club to strike the ground before the ball, making it much more difficult to advance the shot.

You want to start forward, stay forward, and finish forward. This helps steepen the angle of attack and improves the quality of contact.

5. Stay down

The setup creates the conditions for a steeper angle of attack, but now you need speed and commitment through impact.

The downswing should be exactly that — down. Feel as though the club is driving into the ground after striking the ball. Aggressive speed through impact helps maximize distance and gives the club enough momentum to cut through the rough.

Because so much of the motion is directed downward, the follow-through may appear abbreviated. Often, the ground and thick grass will naturally limit how far the club can continue after impact, and that’s perfectly acceptable.

Maintaining your weight forward and your upper body over the ball will also contribute to a shorter finish. Focus on making a committed, descending strike rather than trying to create a full, flowing follow-through.

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The post 5 shots (& skills) players need to be successful at Shinnecock Hills appeared first on Golf.

The post 5 shots (& skills) players need to be successful at Shinnecock Hills appeared first on Golf.

Having taught in the Hamptons for many years at Atlantic Golf Club and Sebonack, I had the opportunity to play many of Long Island’s great golf courses, including Shinnecock Hills. With so many outstanding courses in the area, Shinnecock always stood out as one of the most challenging and rewarding. It is always exciting to watch the U.S. Open there and see both the course and the players put on a great show.

Here are five shots and skills the winner will need to master to score well at Shinnecock.

1. Fairway-finder tee shot

The rough at Shinnecock can be brutal. Finding the fairway off the tee provides a huge advantage and makes approach shots significantly easier.

A controlled tee shot with a slight fade is often an effective fairway-finding shot. To produce this shape, the trail-hand grip can be positioned slightly more on top of the club, which tends to open the forearms and shoulders slightly and encourage a controlled fade.

2. Rough escape

The rough and fescue at Shinnecock are demanding but manageable with the right technique.

Club selection is critical. Using a club with sufficient loft helps combat the thick grass, which can grab the hosel, twist the clubface, and make it difficult to launch the ball high enough to advance it back into play.

At address, tilting the upper body slightly forward so the lead shoulder sits lower than the trail shoulder and favoring the lead foot can help create a steeper angle of attack. This allows the clubhead to strike the back of the ball more directly before entering the turf, reducing the amount of grass trapped between the clubface and the ball.

3. Flighted wedge

Wind is one of Shinnecock’s greatest defenses. Long Island often experiences strong coastal winds, making trajectory control essential.

The ability to flight wedge shots lower allows players to better manage both distance and direction. Moving the ball slightly back in the stance can help produce a lower trajectory. Players can also favor the lead foot throughout the swing while dropping the lead foot slightly back to align the shoulders and maintain forward pressure.

A three-quarter swing both back and through helps keep the ball flight down and minimizes the wind’s influence.

4. Touch on the greens

Fast hardly does justice to the speed of Shinnecock’s greens, especially when combined with their significant undulation.

Avoiding three-putts will be critical, making distance control one of the most important putting skills throughout the week. While tour professionals generally excel in this area, it is also one of the skills recreational golfers can improve the most through focused practice and distance-control drills.

5. Par-3 tee shots

Shinnecock’s par 3s are both beautiful and demanding. The 11th hole immediately comes to mind.

Hitting the green should be the primary objective. The elevated putting surface requires exceptional distance control, particularly when the wind is blowing. There is nothing wrong with aiming for the center of the green and prioritizing a safe target, given how easily shots can roll away when they miss the surface.

Shinnecock will provide a tremendous test for the field and should be fantastic to watch. These skills will be essential for anyone hoping to contend.

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