I could tell you that consistent practice and lessons will guide you to a scratch handicap, but from my experience, that is untrue. A combination of practice and playing, a strong mind, and talent are essential to achieving this goal. In this post, I share 10 expert tips on how to become a scratch golfer.

I have played team golf with four players that are now professional golfers playing their trade on various tours around the globe. We all had the same coach and practice regiment. However, they had a natural talent and a strong mindset that led them to a zero handicap and a tour card.

Some players have what it takes, and others do not. But I will explain how to best position yourself to achieve this goal.

What Is a Scratch Golfer?

Simply put, a scratch golf player has a handicap index of 0. Therefore, they must shoot even par in 18-holes to play to their handicap. If the total par is 72, a scratch golfer is expected to return that score on an average day.

When a scratch golfer plays well, they will card several birdies and finish their round under par. Conversely, bad days lead to the scorecard reflecting over par.

How Realistic Is It to Reach This Level of Play?

Not everyone can reach the level of a scratch golfer. I want to remove the fairytales and focus on the facts. You need to possess an element of talent and dedicate yourself to playing and practicing consistently.

Casual players who hit the golf course a couple of times a year are unlikely to lower their number of strokes to the range of a scratch golfer. Conversely, those who train and play consistently are not guaranteed to become lower handicap golfers.

It is realistic if you thoroughly understand golf swing mechanics, course management and improve the weaknesses in your game. Plus, you must have a steel mind that shrugs off a bad shot and encourages resilience.

10 Tips to Help You Become a Scratch Golfer

1. Get Fitted for The Correct Equipment

The first step to becoming a scratch golfer is to get fitted with the correct equipment for your game. A high handicap golfer is typically oblivious to which golf clubs and ball best suits their golf swing. That is why I suggest visiting a professional fitter sooner rather than later.

They will set you up on a launch monitor and analyze each part of your swing through impact. Statistics provided to you by the launch monitor include clubhead speed, club path, backspin, sidespin, apex, direction, and distance. Plus, they assess your putting stroke to find the ideal design for your setup.

Fitters have you test various clubs during their search for your holy grail. In addition, they determine which golf ball is compatible with your swing.

Although their work involves analyzing stats, posture, swing, and ball position, they have two objectives. Find the equipment that maximizes your distance without compromising accuracy.

Without the correct tools, you cannot expect to reduce your total number of strokes from that of a bogey golfer to the level of scratch players. That is much like sending a soldier to the front line with a knife, expecting them to win the battle.

2. Take Lessons

Hopefully, you took a golf lesson or three from a PGA professional when you first took up the game. That would have taught you the basics, such as How to grip the golf club, alignment, ball position, and rotation.

However, a couple of lessons will not cut it. You need to consistently work with a coach to neutralize any issues as soon as they arise. Otherwise, you walk off the golf course, pondering how one lousy hole prompted a disastrous round.

Then, you hit the range and keep making the same mistake without comprehending your errors and how to fix them. The experienced eyes of a coach will detect your issue, help you correct it, and then work with you to get back on track.

Regular lessons basically prevent bad habits from seeping into your game and imploding your mission to be a scratch handicap.

3. Practice with a Purpose

One of my friends, Pete Arnott, coaches amateurs and professionals in Scotland. We recently spoke about practicing with a purpose and how that sets amateurs from the pros.

He used the example of Tiger Woods, who would pick out a spot on the driving range and hit different shots to reach that point. For example, he would hit a full, straight 7-iron to the target, followed by a draw and a fade. Then he would hit a 6, 5, 4, and 3-iron and attempt to land it on the desired spot.

The point is that Eldrick had a mission to land as many balls as possible in the same spot by playing different shots. This gave him multiple shot options from that distance to navigate varying weather conditions and golf course layouts.

By the end of his practice session, he had improved his ability to stick it close to the target from that distance. Therefore, practicing with a purpose helped boost his game.

Before you learn how to hit a draw or fade, I urge you to improve your accuracy and distance control with a straight flight. Start with your highest lofted wedge. Pick out a point in line with your average full wedge distance, and hit 20-shots to that target. After your 20th shot, take a break and analyze the results.

If you achieved a 70% success rate, move on to your next wedge and follow the same procedure. Work your way through your bag and dial in every club in your bag. That is one example of numerous methods to practice with purpose and actually see improvement in your game.

4. Play Often

While some golfers make our game look like it requires minimal fitness, that is fake news. You can practice all you want on the range, but if you do not take those teachings to the course, you will struggle to lower your handicap.

There are 3 elements involved here; walking, winging the club, and your mental state. You need endurance to navigate 18-holes of golf consistently, which comes when you play golf frequently.

When you are exhausted after the hole 12th, it is impossible to focus. That leads to a lack of power on your downswing and reduced hip and shoulder rotation.

As a result, you produce inaccurate shots and lose distance. That is one way to rapidly ruin your round. A couple of duffs and miscalculations can add those feared squares to your scorecard.

5. Master Your Short Game

A solid short game is vital to reach a scratch handicap. If you cannot execute chip shots and struggle to putt, a scratch handicap is an insurmountable challenge. Pencil in a short game session, at least once a week, to hone in on your performance around the green.

When you possess the ability to get up and down from around the green, it enables you to escape disastrous situations. Instead of a bogey, you walk away with a par and do not destroy your round.

Besides, saving your round increases your chances of carding birdies. Golfers who know how to stroke a flat stick stand a higher chance of carding birdies during their rounds. 1-under par holes are essential to becoming a scratch golfer.

We have a guide dedicated to the 9 best short game drills. Give this a read if you are searching for exercises to boost your greenside skills.

6. Learn How To Scramble

Players unfamiliar with the term should read our guide called what is scrambling? But, if you know how to scramble, you should improve your skills. You will rarely achieve a 100% fairways in regulation record every round. As a result, you need to prepare to escape tricky situations.

When you are in the thick rough, the sand, or behind a tree, you need to learn how to escape with minimal wounds. Therefore, you need to play smart and put yourself into a position where you can attack the flag and one putt to get down for a par.

High handicappers would implode in this quagmire and try and hit the ball through a 1-foot gap in the tree. Despite missing the 21-yard fairway, they still think they can execute with precision.

7. Shape Your Shots

I said earlier that you should focus on hitting the ball straight before embarking on a shot-shaping mission, and I stand by that. However, as you lower your handicap and know your way around the course, the next step is, shaping your shots.

The ability to hit a draw or fade enables you to position yourself optimally on doglegs and work your ball around trees and obstacles. Plus, working your ball from left to right allows you to remove hazards and trouble from your line. Plus, you can induce these shapes to play with the wind rather than into it, resulting in a loss of distance.

8. Play with a Caddie

Certain golf courses do not offer caddie services, but if your local does, take advantage of their knowledge. I credit most of my results on the course to my caddies as a junior. Edwin guided me to make the right club and shot selections, taught me how to read greens, and play off different lies.

Having a caddie gives you one less element to worry about when on the golf course. You do not have the heavy load of your bag on your back, and you have a second opinion before making a shot decision.

Finally, it helps if you can build a long-term relationship with a caddie, as I did with Edwin. He understood my game, my thought process, and what shots I could and could not execute. Thanks to him, I made better decisions that saved me strokes when I could easily have carded a double or triple bogey.

9. Improve Your Course Management

Amateurs often step onto the tee box and start swinging. There is no thought about the hole’s layout and where they should place their ball. Course management requires you to think astutely and play for your position. Effectively, you ask where should my ball land on this shot to give me the best chance at attacking the flag on approach?

Manage each shot and think about position. It is, of course, easier to make birdies from the fairway than from the woods.

For example, if water runs along the left side of the hole, you should avoid this area like the plague and instead aim to the right. That completely eradicates the threat of the water hazard.

10. Learn Green Grass Grains

My final word of advice revolves around grass strains. Each type of turf performs differently and impacts the result of your putt. For example, Bermuda grass produces fewer breaks when putting with the grain of grass. Conversely, bentgrass grows upwards and enables balls to break in every direction.

Bermuda greens are slower, while bentgrass produces increased speed. In addition, there is a third strain of grass used on golf courses, called Poa. This grass creates inconsistencies on the green by offering a pure roll one moment and deviating bobbling ball the next.

The point is that each grass strain impacts your putting experience. If you do not know how to play these greens, you will battle to play to a scratch handicap. Especially when you play at away courses covered in grass that you are unfamiliar with.

Further Reading: If you are a beginner, I suggest you learn to crawl before you can run. Study our review on how long it takes to get good at golf, and then come back to this post.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years. Current Handicap: 8

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Are you a golfer who shoots a 79 one day and an 89 the next?

If you are, you are not alone. Consistency in golf is one of the most difficult things to nail down, and it’s really a battle all golfers fight.

I was recently speaking with a beginner golfer who mentioned that they had chipping all figured out, and then it was gone completely. Of course, the first thing that came to my mind was that feeling where golf can so quickly take away your confidence and leave you feeling like you are back at square one.

Luckily, some ways to develop consistency in your golf game and become a more accomplished player. You can trust me here – it’s much more enjoyable to shoot 78, 79 than 79, 89!

1. Establish a Strong Pre Shot Routine

If you want to hit consistent golf shots, you will need a pre shot routine.

The pre shot routine is in place so that you can easily repeat your golf swing every time. For a consistent golf game and a repeatable golf swing, try to keep the pre shot routine the same each time.

Depending on what type of golfer you are and how long you have been playing the game, the pre shot routine typically consists of some type of alignment component, a practice swing, and then very often, a mental thought.

More important than what the pre shot routine consists of is the fact that you are doing it!

2. Choose a Grip and Stick To It

The grip is the only connection we have with the golf club.

If your hands are not in a comfortable position, it will have a huge impact on the golf swing. A poor grip can impact the left wrist and then chance the clubface angles through impact.

Problems with the grip will cause inconsistency in the golf game. Grip is something that you must practice and ensure you have full confidence in when you are standing in the address position.

The majority of golfers have the best lock with interlock or overlap grip. Decide if wearing a glove helps you, and be sure to regrip your clubs often to have the most control.

3. Pick a Solid Swing Thought

Think of your golf swing a bit like a science experiment. When you conduct a science experiment, you will only change one variable at a time to see the impact of this variable. Golfers somehow missed this memo!

Golfers love to stand over the ball with 13 swing thoughts, and 11 of those swing thoughts are different from the ones they had with the last swing they took.

How can you be consistent in the swings that you are putting on the ball if you are thinking about something different every single time? The key here is to choose a swing thought that helps you and to stick with it throughout the round.

If you keep changing everything and making adjustment after adjustment, expect some trouble on the golf course that day.

4. Keep The Swing Simple

Do you remember when the stack and tilt golf swing became such a big deal?

I remember well because everyone came out to the range to try and learn how to do this method. The reason so many people wanted the stack and tilt style swing is that it eliminated the slide and extra movement in the golf swing and kept things simple.

To play good golf, you must have a fairly efficient and repeatable swing. It’s hard to be a consistent player if your club comes inside on one swing and heads outside on the next. Take a video of your golf swing and see how your swing could benefit from some simplification.

5. Practice with Alignment Sticks in Place

One of the best drills to work on a more consistent golf swing is to use alignment sticks when you practice.

One of the major issues that players see with consistency is that their hips, knees, and shoulders are not correctly aligned. In addition, the ball position can be a problem at the setup that leads to even more inconsistency.

If you practice with alignment sticks in place, you can pay closer attention to where the ball should be placed between your feet, your overall posture, alignment, and much more. Once you get this down on the driving range, you can take it to the course for increased success.

If you’re looking for a good alignment stick to buy, here’s one I like to recommend:

6. Work on Clubface Angle at Address

When I set up to hit a golf ball, I’m fairly confident as to how the clubface is sitting. I know that it is square. However, through the years, I have realized that this was an acquired skill. It takes time to know exactly what your clubface angle should look like at the address.

One of the best ways to do this is to practice club face angle when you are not out on the course. Use a 90-degree angle like a door jam and set your golf club up against it. This is what the clubface should look like at address.

If you are still standing up there, closing the clubface of your club down at times, and feeling like you need to manipulate those angles, you can’t expect the shots you take to be consistent. Start trusting a square clubface and taking swings that will return you to this square position.

7. Check The Shafts/Weights on Your Equipment

Sometimes inconsistency in the golf swing is caused by problems with equipment. Are your shafts and grips relatively the same for each of your clubs, or do they vary widely? If you have a senior shafted graphite wedge and a stiff shafted driver, that may be difficult to work with.

It’s essential to have your golf clubs made to fit your golf game. When you look inside the bag of many professional golfers, you will notice that their equipment has similar shaft weights and always has the same grip throughout the entire set.

It’s hard to ask a golfer to repeat a swing with two clubs that have different shaft weights or even lengths. These changes in equipment will absolutely impact the ball flight, the speed of the swing, and your ability to produce the same shot over and over again.

8. Get More Physical Strength and Better Balance

Another excellent way to get more consistency in your golf swing is to improve your overall physical strength.

Sometimes golfers start to become inconsistent later in their round and start to hit shots off the heel or toe of the club. Sometimes this is not as much about accuracy and consistency as it is about getting tired.

At the end of your round, if it is hard for you to shift weight from the backswing to the downswing or finish with the club up high, it becomes hard to stay consistent. If you start to implement a bit of a physical health routine, even just adding in more walking, the results will be very beneficial.

9. Practice Your Short Game

You can’t forget the short game when you want to work on consistency in your golf game.

Hitting chip and pitch shots is such a good thing for your full swing as it helps you focus on the impact position and ensures the swing is mechanically sound.

Practicing your short game can also help with rhythm and tempo issues. If you establish a confident tempo in your short game and can then carry that on to the rest of the golf swing, it may be easier to get that impressive timing that the professionals have.

The great thing about increasing the consistency in your short game is that it will also allow you to save those rounds when scoring is not going your way.

10. Develop Proper Weight Balance at Setup

Last but not least is the balance of weight at setup.

Do you know where your weight sits when you set up to hit a golf shot? So many players struggle with whether their weight is too close to their toes or too far back in the heels.

To develop proper weight balance, you want to feel as though the weight is in the balls of your feet, allowing you the ability to turn back and through with ease. If the weight is not balanced, you may end up with swing plane issues and even spine-angle problems in the swing.

Weight balance may seem like a simple thing, but it’s a problem that causes quite a bit of inconsistency in the game. To see what this weight balance can do to your golf swing, we highly recommend experimenting with it at the driving range.

Hit a few shots with the weight on your toes and see what happens, then switch to heels. This little bit of a change brings about big impacts on the golf ball and could be causing some of your inconsistencies on the golf course.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

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The internet will tell you that the average pair of golf gloves last (on average) around ten to twenty rounds. However, in my twenty-eight years in this game, I have seen players destroy gloves in a round of golf, while others last for months.

The point is the question is not black or white. Multiple factors are often not considered, such as the glove’s material or the strength of one’s grip. In this post, I focus on my experience with gloves to help you determine which scenario fits your situation.

How Long Golf Gloves Typically Last

Invictus Gloves out of Montreal, Canada, suggests that the life of your golf gloves on average does not exceed ten rounds. However, this depends on the strength of your grip how you take it off and maintain it.

For example, if you pull your glove off from your fingers, you will cause this area and cause it to rip. Furthermore, those who grip a golf club tightly may find the palm rip rapidly, compared to a golfer with a softer hold.

In addition, Golfweek explains that while Cabretta leather golf gloves offer a superior feel, they wear out faster than hybrid or synthetic gloves. Therefore, a player using a synthetic glove may find that they enjoy a better grip for longer compared to premium leather golf gloves.

My golf gloves last approximately twenty rounds, which works out to four months. I take care of my gloves and have a softer grip than others. That helps ensure they remain durable and provide optimal grip for as long as possible.

I have tried synthetic and Cabretta leather gloves. However, the modern hybrid design offers the high quality of a leather glove, with the dexterity of a synthetic glove.

Contrary to my solid golf glove record, my late father would rip one every two to three rounds. The circumference of his left hand was wider than a regular glove. If he had used a cadet glove, I doubt he would have ripped as many.

After racking up the bills from glove acquisitions, my old man took the Ben Hogan and Fred Couples route and stopped wearing one altogether.

Besides your grip and hand shape, how you store and wash golf gloves impacts their lifespan. The quicker you remove dirt from the surface, the less damage it will invoke on the grip and durability of the mitt.

As you can see, there is no one size fits all approach to the life of the golf glove. However, if you had to put an average on it, the Invictus glove is not far off with the assumption of ten rounds of golf.

Do More Expensive Gloves Last Longer?

Surprisingly, more expensive gloves do not last long. According to Golfweek, Cabretta Leather are the most expensive glove on the market, but they wear out faster than a synthetic or hybrid construction.

Leather gloves combine with precisely positioned perforations to encourage optimal airflow through the glove to reduce perspiration. The quality of the glove from a feeling and comfort perspective is unmatchable.

However, if you wear leather gloves on a hot day, your sweat, coupled with the sun’s rays, will cause the leather to contract. That makes it challenging to get on and off.

That is in contrast to synthetic gloves, which deliver superior durability but reduce airflow. As a result, you can sweat profusely if you do not take this glove off between shots.

How to Make Your Gloves Last Longer

Remove The Glove Gently

How often do you yank at the fingers of your glove and violently tug at it to remove it from your hand? I am also guilty as charged. You need to stop doing that and be more delicate with the glove.

Pulling hard at your glove can stretch the material leading to a loose fit and a dysfunctional product. I suggest undoing the velcro or the glove’s clip, then sliding the glove off your palm and thumb. Next, apply pressure on your four fingers to create leverage and slide them out of the glove.

Therefore, you do not stretch your glove or tear the material while removing it.

Keep Two Gloves In Your Bag

Although some gloves feature moisture-wicking qualities to repel sweat, not all of them succeed. The material of a golf glove, combined with sweat, can cause it to contract, between disfigured and uncomfortable.

That is why the best way to avoid this scenario is to keep a replacement glove in your golf bag. If you find that your hands are sweating excessively, switch out the glove to maintain your grip on the club. When you swing with excess moisture on your hands, it can cause the club to slip and go flying.

Remove It Between Shots

Another way to limit the impact that sweat has on your hands is by removing the glove between shots. You have probably seen pro golfers do the same. I recommend it because it airs your hand and restricts the amount of moisture that circulates inside your glove.

For added convenience, store your glove in your back pocket between shots. Make sure that the palm of the glove sits inside your back pocket, with the fingers sticking out. That way, you do not impede the shape of the glove.

Keep in mind that despite their higher price, leather gloves are typically non-washable, as the water dehydrates the leather and shrinks it.

Keep It Clean

Before you clean your glove, check whether it can go in a washing machine or needs to be hand washed. Your gloves are bound to pick up dust particles and mud rapidly. That is why I suggest cleaning them frequently for maximum grip and comfort.

Grip Your Club Softer

Another way to increase the lifespan of your glove is to loosen your grip slightly. When you strangle the club, you put excess pressure on the material of your glove, causing it to tear around the palm region.

Take It Off For Your Short Game

Other than airing your hand, I suggest removing your glove when your wedges or putter is in hand. Not wearing a glove in your short game helps you increase the feel of the club to produce supreme control around the green.

Store It In Its Packaging

Once your round is complete, straighten out the glove to ensure the correct shape and place it back into its packaging. That protects it from becoming misconfigured or torn while resting in your golf bag.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years. Current Handicap: 8

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A tight lie occurs when the golf ball comes to rest at a part of the course where there is very little grass underneath it. When there is little to no grass underneath the golf ball, the golfer cannot take his normal divot while swinging. A lot of folks also refer to a tight lie as a thin shot or a bare lie.

Golfers of every skill level often struggle to hit shots from a tight lie because the margin of error is so slim. Tight lies make it difficult for the golfer to make solid contact because the ball isn’t sitting up. This is why specific clubs for tight lies, from companies like TaylorMade and Adams Golf, have risen in popularity over the years.

There are several common places where tight lies may occur on a golf course. The most common of which is on the fringe around the greens where the grass is extremely short. Tight lies can even occur while in the fairway, especially in the winter months when the grass doesn’t grow as well.

Most golfers, especially high handicappers, are more comfortable with the golf ball up on the tee or at least sitting up nicely on a patch of grass. This is because, in their minds, it is much easier to get the ball in the air when it is elevated.

However, it is possible to still strike the golf ball well even from the tightest of lies. Here are a few tips from various pro golfers.

5 Pro Tips to Hit a Tight Lie

Hale Irwin’s Tips for Hitting Chip Shots with Tight Lies

Hale Irwin was one of the best short game players on the PGA Tour during the prime of his career. Irwin won 20 PGA Tour events including 3 major championships. Here are some of Irwin’s best tips for hitting chips out of tight lies.

• “Never try to lift the ball when chipping out of a tight lie. If you do, you’ll either hit it too thin or too fat.”
• “Hit down on the ball to make it go up. You want to have a descending blow.”
• “Open the clubface a little to add 1 or 2 more degrees of loft on your low-bounce wedge. This will make for a softer landing on the green.”

Phil Mickelson’s Tips for Hitting Chip and Bump and Run Shots

Mickelson has been a fan favorite on the PGA Tour for several decades. The 6-time major champion has won 45 PGA Tour events which is tied for 8th on the all-time list. Here are some of Mickelson’s best tips for hitting chips or bump and run shots from tight lies.

• “Keep the shaft as vertical as possible during your setup. This will help to get rid of the bounce and allow you to make solid contact with the ball first.”
• “While addressing the golf ball, stick the toe of the club into the ground. This will help the shot come out like a normal chip.”
• “As crazy as it sounds, you want to eliminate the sweet spot of the club to keep the ball from coming out too hot.”
• “When chipping from tight lies, use the same stroke as you would with your putter.”

Moe Norman’s Tips for Pitching Out of Tight Lies

We’ve talked at length on this blog about Moe Norman’s incredible ball-striking ability. Most people don’t know that Norman was a master at hitting shots from tight lies.

Norman learned to play golf in Canada on a municipal course with lots of tight lies called the Rockway. Here’s how to execute Norman’s Rockway Move that he used when hitting out of tight lies. These tips come from Tim Graves, who is known for teaching Norman’s best golf techniques.

• “When pitching out of tight lies, focus on keeping your back foot flat on the ground at all times.”
• “Play the golf ball in the middle of your stance with your feet slightly open.”
• “Make contact with the ball with your back foot still flat on the ground. The hips won’t turn since these shots are only a short distance to the green.”
• “Remember, there’s no forgiveness when hitting out of tight lies. That’s why it’s so important to keep your head down and completely still. Any type of peeking will cause the shoulders to shift forward and will limit your accuracy.”

Xander Schauffele’s Tips for Hitting Out of Tight Lies

Schauffele is one of the PGA Tour’s brightest young stars, as he has already won four events. The 28-year old is an excellent ball striker and he has some good tips for when hitting out of tight lies. Here is some of Schaffele’s best advice.

• “You want to make sure you hit the back of the ball. ”
• “Play the ball off of your right foot.”
• “Keep the hands ahead of the golf ball.”
• “You want your hands to return to where they started.”

David Leadbetter Shows How to Hit Fairway Woods from Tight Lies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr8ZkHn3eL0

When most golfers hear the term tight lie, they automatically think of shots that they’ll have to hit with their pitching wedge or sand wedge. However, tight lie shots with a fairway wood or a hybrid can also be very intimidating.

David Leadbetter may not have played on the PGA Tour, but he did play pro golf on both the European and South African Tours. Leadbetter is one of the most famous golf instructors in the world and has coached the likes of Nick Faldo, Lydia Ko, and Michelle Wie. Here are Leadbetter’s top tips for hitting a fairway wood with a tight lie.

• “Never try to lift the ball. You want to swing down and try to make a small divot in the ground.”
• “Play the ball toward the middle of your stance just as if you were hitting an iron.”
• “Be sure to complete your backswing. Too many golfers have a tendency to rush through it.”

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports for over 30 years. He’s been an avid golfer for more than 10 years and is obsessed with watching the Golf Channel and taking notes on a daily basis. He also holds a degree in Sports Psychology.

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When you want to get full distance from your golf shots, you need to be able to swing through the ball with power. The swing should feel free and unobstructed.

However, there are times when players feel as though they are getting stuck on the downswing. This feeling is frustrating. It makes you lose power, and sometimes it will even increase dispersion rates in your golf shots.

If you’re getting stuck in your golf swing, try these four steps to start swinging freely again.

What Does Getting Stuck in Your Golf Swing Mean?

Getting stuck in your golf swing is a common swing flaw in which you feel as though the club can’t get through the ball. It feels almost as if on the way down, there is nowhere for the club to go, and your arm doesn’tt fall into place the way it should.

You may hear golfers talking about dropping the golf ball into the slot on the downswing. This is something that helps to get the downswing on track.

Getting stuck may be something you feel when taking practice swings or when hitting full length shots. The results of getting stuck could end up with shanks, chunks, blocked shots, and more. Obviously, it’s best to get rid of this issue as soon as possible.

3 Common Reasons You Could Be Getting Stuck in Your Golf Swing

There are 3 common reasons you could be getting stuck in your golf swing. They include standing too close to the ball, poor transfer of weight, and a swing plane that is too upright.

Standing Too Close

Standing too close to the ball is a very common reason for feeling stuck in your swing. When you’re close to the ball, there is nowhere for your club to go, and you may struggle to release the club.

Many golfers make the mistake of standing too far from their golf shots but standing too close can be just as much of a problem for some.

Remember that as a club gets longer, there are times that you will have to stand further from the ball. If you’re standing the same distance from the ball with your pitching wedge as your driver, that is a problem.

Always adjust based on the length of the club you have in your hand and find a spot that is more comfortable.

Poor Weight Transfer

One of the causes that I have seen the most often in golfers getting stuck in their golf swing is they don’t correctly transfer their weight. If the weight does not make its way back onto the right leg, it will have a hard time getting to the left leg as you go through impact.

The result is a player feeling as though they are loaded up on their right side with nowhere to go. Players struggle to get that push forward, and then the club and the weight feel as though they are lagging behind.

Ask yourself where you should be when you finish a swing. The answer is finished with your weight forward on the left side. However, most golfers are leaning backward, barely trying to maintain balance.

Too Upright of a Swing Plane

Another common cause and something that you don’t see too many pro golfers doing is an upright swing that creates an issue with the club being stuck behind. When the club is more upright, sometimes there is no room for a golfer’s elbow to fit in to release the club.

These feelings of getting stuck typically release in a slice-type golf shot.

4 Tips to Help You Stop Getting Stuck in Your Swing

Now that we have identified why you get stuck in your golf swing let’s look at a few of the ways you can ensure that you stop getting stuck. The good news is that these tips can make this process considerably easier than you might think, and you shouldn’t have a hard time getting it done.

Stand Further from The Ball

The first way to ensure that you’re not getting stuck in your swing is to make sure you have enough room for your arms to swing. Sometimes you get stuck simply because there is a lack of space to swing through the golf ball.

Of course, there is a fine line between standing too far from the ball and standing too close. Try to make sure your arms are hanging freely down your sides. Don’t feel as though your hands are too close to your thigh, and don’t reach out to extend your arms too far.

Standing further from the ball means that you will be able to cast the club out just a bit more too. If you have had a hard time with the swing inside out, this can certainly help.

If you start to lose balance and feel as though you have to bend over to reach the ball, chances are you’re standing much too far from the golf ball, and you need to move up.

Start The Swing With a Weight Transfer

So many of golfers’ swing flaws are because of how they start their golf swing. If your swing does not get started the right way, it’s very hard to recover and start swinging correctly. Therefore you must ensure that you start your back with a weight transfer back to the right foot.

This is not difficult to accomplish if you take a low and slow takeaway. The club moving back low and slowly helps the weight transfer onto the right foot, making it considerably easier to get the weight onto the left side.

When you swing properly with the correct position of the weight to start, you have a much lower chance of getting stuck on the right side (for right-handed golfers).

One of my favorite drills to help focus on weight transfer and ensure that it is more efficient is to swing with my legs completely together. Standing with the legs together teaches you how to get more balanced and simplified in your swing; in the end, this will translate into the regular swing when you’re ready.

Shallow Things Out a Bit

A shallow golf swing can undoubtedly lead to some issues.

However, for the most part, shallow golf swings are really good for a draw style ball flight and a much easier time getting distance. In addition, when you swing more shallow, you help to get that space in your downswing for the club to fit.

One of the best ways to determine if your swing is too shallow is to take a video of the swing with a camera. When you take a video, ensure it is a down the line view. Ensure your alignment is correct and your spin angle is good.

Once these are in place, take a look at the actual swing plane.

The swing plane that is too upright could cause you to get stuck. The shallower swing plane involves a more rounded move around your body. Play around with this to see how it impacts your ball flight and whether or not you have done too much, and it causes you to start hooking the ball.

Don’t Close The Stance Down

Another great tip is to open up your stance and setup a little bit. So many players make the mistake of closing things down. Their shoulders, hips, and even their feet will be closed off to the target.

When this happens, players will notice that the club can swing back just fine, but once it is back there, the room to swing through is significantly impacted.

The best way to do this is to start by opening up your lower body a bit. Take your feet and your hips, and just turn them slightly left of the target.

Remember that a slight move to the left is all it will take in golf. There is no need to exaggerate this movement; it won’t help you!

If you find this creates some space in the swing for you to swing down the target line, you may want to check your shoulder position as well to ensure that it is properly aligned. Take some practice swings with this more open stance first and see if it is easier to get the club face angle you’re looking for.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

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When used correctly, a hybrid can be one of the most versatile weapons in your armoury. They’re great tools to help you navigate tight lies, edge yourself closer to the green on longer holes, escape the rough or even tee off on shorter holes.

But they’re very much the Marmite of golf clubs. Some swear by them, whereas others rue what appears to be an inconsistency of outcomes. If you find yourself in the latter category, constantly wondering how to hit a hybrid, you’re in the right place. Here are six tips to get to grips with hybrids and add another string to your golfing bow.

What are hybrids?

A hybrid golf club is a combination of a long iron and a fairway wood, designed to replace the former and offer a simpler technique.

Hybrids were first released in the late 1990s and are particularly useful if you struggle with long irons. They really gained popularity when TaylorMade introduced its ‘Rescue’ clubs in 2003, which are all but synonymous with the clubs to this day.

Though they look like woods with their seemingly open club faces, hybrids are really irons and are generally used in their place. That said, you can tee off with them instead of your trusty drivers, and it’s versatility like this that has made them popular with pros and amateurs alike.

6 essential tips for using a hybrid

Keep reading, and you’ll see the steps necessary to maximise the effectiveness of these jacks of all trades.

1. Treat ball positioning a little like an iron 

First things first, the position of your ball is going to have a big impact on how well you’re executing your shots with hybrids.

Imagine where your ball would be if you were using a mid-length iron. Your feet are shoulder-width apart, and the ball is about as central as it can be. Now, move it ever so slightly forward – but not quite as far as if you were using a driver.

This is where it’s easy to go wrong with hybrids. Just because it bears the resemblance of a wood while largely having the characteristics of an iron doesn’t mean you can treat it as either club. A hybrid is an iron – you’re trying to compress the ball to maximise distance, so you don’t want to position the ball as you would for a wood. A sweeping swing might initially feel natural, but you risk hitting thinner shots.

So, your ball is located slightly further forward than a mid-length iron, but not so far as a driver.

2. Get your body positioning right 

As already mentioned, your feet should be shoulder-length apart. Your grip on the club itself should be neutral, and you should lean forward slightly so your sternum is a little in front of the ball.

The point of this is to create as steep an angle of attack as possible. This is a really versatile stance too – wherever your ball is on the course, it’s an appropriate and effective way of preparing for your shot.

3. Compress the ball

As you would when striking the ball with an iron, the best way to maximise the strengths of a hybrid is to compress the ball. In layman’s terms, this means using the ground as a third party in your shot.

This is why the correct technique is to hit down on the ball, not to sweep it. By delofting the clubface and hitting down (first the ball, then the ground), you’re squeezing both surfaces against the ball and compressing it, so it shoots off and travels farther. There are few feelings in golf quite as satisfying as getting this right and watching the ball rocket off into the distance.

If your technique is correct, you’ll make a divot in the ground.

4. Trust the clubface

Though the clubface of a hybrid looks quite open and lofted, it’s important to let the club’s design serve its purpose. Your goal is to compress the club, so even though a hybrid doesn’t entirely look like an iron, you should still trust it to behave in a similar way.

5. Perfect the swing

Like with any golf club, you’re not going to reap the benefits of using a hybrid if your technique in the swing is incorrect.

A smooth, consistent swing is necessary to get the maximum out of your hybrid. It’s important to keep the speed and power the same throughout your swing, but don’t rush it.  

Really commit. Get that clubhead down and compress the ball.

6. Know where to use your hybrid

The rough, the fairway, or tight lies. You name it. If it’s outside the green, a hybrid will likely be a viable option.

There’s a reason TaylorMade called their hybrids ‘Rescue’ clubs. After all, even if you’re in a fairway bunker, a hybrid offers you a way out and back into the game.

Additionally, teeing off – particularly on a shorter course – is an option with a hybrid, though it’s important still not to treat the club like a driver.

In many ways, a hybrid is best at setting up the shot, which will get you into the green, not necessarily getting you there itself. In some cases, rushing your way to the green from miles out can have negative consequences, so a methodical extra shot with a more forgiving club like a hybrid can pay dividends – even if it’s not quite as exciting.

Ultimately, these clubs were designed for fairways, and that’s where they’re particularly effective. That said, one of the great things about hybrids is that they can be used just about anywhere except on the green itself.

Key takeaways

If you remember to treat your hybrid like an iron and not a wood, you’re already making steps in the right direction. Swinging down, maximising that angle of attack and really compressing the ball are the keys to making hybrids work for you.

But, like everything, practice makes perfect. Hybrids may have been designed as an easier option than a fairway wood or long iron, but that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to thrive with them from the word go. Spend time practising, perfect your technique, and you might never have a bag without a hybrid ever again.

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To master your long game, you’ll need to work on your driving to improve your range and accuracy. In this blog, you’ll find 10 handy golf driving tips and guidance on how to practice each one at home.

How to practice driving for golf

1. Perfect your grip

You can’t drive successfully without holding your club properly. Using the wrong grip is usually the culprit for slices and hooked shots. 

How to do it

Hold the club with your lead hand (left for right-handers) so that the grip sits diagonally across your fingers. Both of your thumbs should point down the shaft. Place your trailing hand so that your palm covers the lead thumb with your fingers wrapping around the grip. Use a neutral grip.

Practice at home

Use a spare club to rehearse your grip if you have a spare few moments. Focus on doing so correctly and building muscle memory so the correct grips grow to feel natural.

2. Use the right stance and ball position

Using the proper stance provides stability and allows you to put power into your golf swing. Correct ball placement also helps ensure solid contact. 

How to do it

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent, and your weight evenly distributed between both feet. Your back should be straight with a slight tilt from your hips. Your arms should hang loosely from your shoulders. Position the ball in line with the instep of your lead foot. Of course, the club you’re holding will also affect your drive, and using a more forgiving driver will come in handy here. 

Practice at home

You can practice your stance and ball positioning with a club and a ball to ensure it becomes second nature. Alignment sticks can be a big help with this. 

3. Tee the ball high

A higher tee encourages an upward angle of attack, which helps with clean hitting and maximising the distance you generate from the force you use.

How to do it

Position the tee so that half the ball sits above the top edge of your driver. Roughly three-quarters of the ball should be above the club’s head as it strikes, allowing you to sweep into the ball with an upwards motion without the driver making contact with the floor.

Practice at home

Whilst this is most effectively practised at a driving range, you could use foam or plastic practice balls to rehearse your tee height and swing at home.

4. Master your backswing

A smooth backswing is essential for generating power and maintaining control throughout your drive.

How to do it

If you’re a right-hander, keep your left arm straight, and your wrists relaxed as you move through your backswing. Rotate your shoulders fully, creating a 90-degree angle between your upper body and your hips. Try to avoid over-swinging, though—you can stop when your club is parallel to the ground.

Practice at home

Practice slow-motion backswings in front of a mirror (in a room with plenty of room) to check your form. You could also record yourself going through the motion to work on perfecting it.

5. Focus on a controlled downswing

A powerful drive comes from a well-timed downswing that maximises energy transfer from the club to the ball.

How to do it

Your downswing comes from your core. Start by rotating your hips toward the target, following with your knees, then your arms. Keep your underarms relatively close to your body and tuck your trailing elbow in. Keep your lead shoulder down and make sure your hands and arms stay relaxed so you don’t skew your release.

Practice at home

As well as watching your swing by recording yourself at home, you can also use resistance bands to strengthen your hip rotation.

6. Improve your follow-through

You don’t want to ruin all that work on your backswing and downswing by not following through properly. A good follow-through ensures you complete your swing with full power and balance and strike the ball cleanly.

How to do it

After impact, allow your arms to extend naturally toward the target. Finish with your weight on your lead foot and your chest facing the target. Your back foot should be on its toe, with your hips fully rotated.

Practice at home

Use a slow-motion drill to exaggerate your follow-through position and improve your balance. Speed up the motion once you’re sure you’ve got it right to make sure it becomes a natural motion for you.

7. Focus on a consistent tempo

A smooth, consistent tempo throughout a swing leads to better contact, and the Holy Grail of driving—better reliability. 

How to do it

Count in your head during your backswing and downswing to establish a rhythm. Most professionals recommend a 3:1 count for a drive, counting three on your backswing and one through your downswing.

Practice at home

Try using a metronome app or a swing tempo trainer to develop a steady rhythm.

8. Use your legs effectively

Your legs might stay reasonably still during a drive, especially compared to your upper body, but they provide balance and generate a portion of the power of your swing. Using your legs effectively can help you get more distance out of your drives and will aid in controlling your swing.

How to do it

Start with a slight bend in your knees. Push off your trailing foot during the downswing to transfer energy to your lead side. Shift over to your front foot during the downswing to add momentum. Maintain your balance throughout the swing and aim to move smoothly.

Practice at home

Use step-through drills where you step forward after impact to emphasise weight transfer and leg engagement.

9. Work on your core strength

Your core muscles play a significant role in generating power and stability during your swing. The stronger your core, the more strength you’ll be able to generate throughout a round on the links. The more you can engage your core muscles during driving, the more stable your drive will be and the more power you’ll be able to put into it.

How to do it

Focus on engaging your abdominal muscles as you rotate your torso. Avoid overusing your shoulder and arm muscles, and let your body’s rotation drive the swing.

Practice at home

Improve your core strength by exercising at home, including doing planks, Russian twists, and medicine ball rotations. When you practice your swing, focus on feeling and engaging your core muscles.

10. Incorporate visualisation into your game

Visualisation is a powerful mental technique where you mentally rehearse an action and its consequences, such as visualising your swing and the flight of your ball along the fairway.

Whilst it might sound like wishful thinking, visualisation really works and is practised by professional golfers and athletes from other sports, too.

How to do it

Try visualising your ideal drive before stepping up to the ball. Focus and try to make your visualisation as real as possible. See your ball landing on a specific target. This can feel odd at first, but the more you do it, the more natural it’ll become.

Practice at home

Spend 5-10 minutes each day visualising perfect drives and imagining yourself performing confidently on the course.

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My best wedge tip: I feel like the most accurate wedge players are the ones who can control trajectory, so it’s vital to develop more than one stock short-game swing. To hit a low shot (good for back pins), finish your swing with your hands and the clubhead in line with your forearms. This sharply reduces the launch angle. To hit a high shot, line up your hands and forearms in the finish, but release the club up and to the left.

4. How to make more putts

Over the years I’ve tried to be perfect with my putting stroke. That’s not the way to make birdies, because there were times when my stroke was perfect and I couldn’t buy a putt. You’re better off working on improving your green reading than overthinking your stroke.

The way I read greens now is to walk behind the ball in a semicircle. Using my feet, I’ll try to feel the point on the green where I go from walking downhill to walking uphill (or vice versa). Finding this “inflection point” (it’s not hard to do with practice and added awareness) gives you important clues about how the putt will break: If your ball sits left of the inflection point, it breaks right; if it sits to the right, it breaks left. And the farther the ball is from the inflection point, the more it will curve.

My best putting tip: I’ve tried a lot of putting tips over the years, but the one I keep going back to is “keep your eyes still.” As soon as you start peeking, you’re toast. If your eyes move, then so will your body, and this will ruin any chance you might have for centered contact. I challenge myself to watch every inch of my putting stroke — if I keep my eyes still, I won’t miss a moment of action. Even on long strokes I’ll use my peripheral vision to track the putterhead back and through. Listen for the ball to drop, don’t watch it.

Divot Board

The Divot Board is a revolutionary golf training aid that gives golfers instant feedback on every swing. By showing exactly where your club contacts the ground, the Divot Board makes it easy to spot errors and correct them on the spot. Whether you’re practicing indoors or outdoors, this tool helps you improve ball striking, swing path, and low-point control. With consistent use, the Divot Board builds muscle memory so you can strike the ball cleaner, hit straighter shots, and lower your scores.
Instant Feedback for Faster LearningResearch shows that immediate feedback can accelerate learning by 50–70%. The Divot Board provides real-time feedback on your swing so you can make quick adjustments and refine your technique instantly.
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Using a Divot Board consistently will transform your practice routine. It’s the easiest way to gain awareness, develop better ball striking, and see results faster.

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There is a lot of information out there on how to putt and how to putt better. After all, putting is, without a doubt, the most important part of the game.

For many amateur players, it can be difficult to narrow down which information is worth following.

With putting tips, you don’t necessarily need to follow them all. Instead, it’s about getting a simple thought or feeling that can change the way you look at the game. Sometimes all it takes is one tip, and things start to fall into place on the golf course.

Putting has always been the weakest part of my game; however, by working through issues with routine, rhythm, and alignment, it’s become one of my strong points. With putting, there is always room for improvement.

Dave Stockton: How To Sink Putts

As a kid, Dave Stockton was my favorite golfer. He was at the top of the leaderboard week after week, was a solid player to watch, and for the time being, won more money than any other player on the senior PGA Tour.

When it comes to winning money on tour, one thing that seems to be a trend is being a good putter.

In this video, Dave Stockton goes through all of his best tips on how to approach putting. There is a lot of information here, and I recommend going through it in steps.

However, the tip most golfers will benefit from is how Stockton relates putting to shooting pool. He talks about standing behind the ball as you approach. In pool, you never come from beside the ball to line up your shot; you must be behind it, looking down the line.

Clay Ballard: 2 To 1 Putting Stroke

Clay Ballard is a top instructor and great golfer that knows how to instruct the best golfers in and around the putting greens. One of the best tips that Clay gives is that the pendulum putting stroke can be a little misleading.

With a pendulum type stroke, golfers often think you will take the club as far back as you swing it forward. This is not the case.

After doing quite a bit of studying of professional golfers, they found that these players take the club back about half as far as they swing the putter forward. If you were going to time this, it wouldn’t be one for the backswing and one for the follow-through; instead, one on the backswing and two on the follow-through.

We learn from this tip that acceleration in the putting stroke is incredibly important and something that professional golfers focus on.

For you, as an amateur player, it will feel like a shorter backswing and extended follow-through. The putts should come off the clubface with a bit more jump.

Matt Ballard: Keep Moving To Make Short Putts

Mall Ballard is another PGA Teaching Professional that has a unique approach to teaching the game of golf. We loved his tips in this video about making those shorter putts that matter even when money, scores, or trophies are on the line.

One of the issues that players face when trying to sink shorter putts is tension. You know in your mind that you must make the putt, so tension starts to creep in. Instead of your stroke feeling smooth and confident, it feels forced and almost jerky.

The best way to deal with this is to learn to get the tension out.

Of course, you can tell yourself to relax, but we know that doesn’t work all that well. Instead, Matt Ballard says to keep moving. Don’t stand over the ball for so long that you feel locked in and stuff.

Move your feet around, get the blood flowing, and keep yourself more dynamic. This is the best way to ensure that your golf putting stroke has less tension. Even in your hands, the tension will decrease.

Lag putts are important and help you get close to the hole, but these short putts allow you to score, and Mall Ballard’s tip makes it much easier to get that done.

Dave Pelz: Circle Putting Drill

Dave Pelz is a short game and putting expert. His information and knowledge have led to some of the best putting drills in the game. Pelz talks about everything from distance control to speed control to alignment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk8ma48F-UE

However, in this particular drill, Pelz wants players to work on making a series of 3-foot putts. These putts are set up in a circle around the hole from a distance of about 3 feet. Try to get ten golf balls to fit in this circle.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have been known to do this drill and have had tremendous success with it.

When making these putts, you will immediately know your putting stroke and alignment are correct. When you miss one, there is a chance that your putter face is not lined up correctly or your stroke is not consistent.

One of the most important aspects of becoming a better player is knowing where your mistakes come from; this drill will help narrow that down for players. If you get really good from 3 feet and want to move to 4 feet, it’s only going to help you the next time you try to shoot lower scores on the course.

Rickie Fowler: Take The Same Amount of Time

We know that consistency in putting is important. You will want to ensure your putting stroke is about the same each time you swing it. In addition, making sure the setup is perfect will help increase the number of putts that go into the hole.

However, there is another important aspect here, and that is the timing of your routine. In this video, Ricki Fowler talks to coach Butch Harmon about his putting routine and how he does it the exact same way every time.

What is so important about this video is that the putting routine does not change even on the shorter putts. The time it takes to line up, get into the address position, stare down the hole, and eventually make a stroke is the same for short putts as it is for long putts.

For golfers to get the feel of the putt down and shoot lower scores, this consistency in the timing of the routine is incredibly important. This is what trains our brains to make more putts. If you watch golf professionals on the putting green, you will see that they remain incredibly consistent in their actions and motions.

Tiger Woods: Right Hand Only Putting

Tiger Woods is arguably one of the best putters the game of golf has ever seen. In fact, his putting under pressure was something that didn’t even seem human for a while. One thing we know about Tiger is that he puts a lot of time on the putting green. He knows that this is where tournaments are won.

One of the most important aspects of putting, according to Tiger, is ensuring that the putter’s face is square at the address. Some golfers take an arc-style stroke and rotate the putter head open and the square at address.

Others will take the club straight back and straight through.

Tiger’s point is that it doesn’t matter which way you take the club back as long as you can consistently return to square every time.

He sets up a drill on the putting green using two tees that will be a guide for a square putter face. In addition, Tiger likes to start with a drill that allows him to make putts with just his right hand on the putter.

This putting drill encourages a better start line and more putts that roll the way you expect them to. In addition, when you can properly incorporate the right hand into your golf stroke before you get out to the course, you will notice more consistency.

Some golfers will even add a few right-hand-only practice strokes to their putting routine when they get this feeling down.

When Tiger works on a drill like that, he will do it from about 4 feet away. Although you can do it longer, the putter head may start to wobble on some of the longer putts, and this could defeat the purpose of the drill.

Tiger has plenty of other important information to share about putting, but you have to find the tidbit of information that works for you.

Britt Olizarowicz: Look Before You Go

With all of these great tips from some of the best golfers and instructors in the game, I was inspired to share one of my own. I’m not sure of the origin of this tip, but I know that it has helped me in my ability to make more putts on the golf course.

One thing that amateur golfers struggle with in putting is focusing on hitting the ball. Of course, we need to make contact with the ball, but in putting, our main goal is to roll the ball into the hole.

In order to roll the ball into the hole, we need to focus on the hole more than on the golf stroke.

Most putting routines have players stand over the ball for much too long. They don’t look down the line at the hole after being set up to putt. I feel as though this technique allows our brains to forget the original goal.

The goal is to roll the ball to the hole, and the last thing I do before I make a stroke looks at the hole. This has become so effective that I have incorporated it into my full swing. The last thing I do before I pull the trigger on any shot is looking at the hole.

I look at the hole, look back down at the ball, and go.

Of course, you will have to establish timing on this that works for your game. It’s intended to happen slowly and with a smooth feel, but if you can be smart about allowing your brain the time it needs to look at the hole, you will putt better.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

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Chipping is my favorite area of the game to practice. When you can get good at chipping, you can save almost any hole.

However, chipping is a real problem for a ton of golfers.

In reality, most golfers overcomplicate the chipping process, and it’s entirely unnecessary.

I gathered some of the best chipping advice around; of course, there is no perfect way to chip. Take a look at some of these options and see if any of them could change the way you approach chipping the next time you play.

Right Hand and Left Hand Only Drill (Sean Foley)

Sean Foley is a highly accomplished instructor capable of helping all levels of golfers with their short game and long game. This particular tip is one of our favorites because it talks about the importance of the body in chipping.

So many golfers make the mistake of using their hands and wrists as opposed to the rotation of their bodies. When you take one hand out of the equation and take one handed golf swings, it becomes much easier to get consistent chipping results.

You will notice that when you do the right hand only chipping, your right arm needs to stay stable and maintain its angle. The same goes for the left hand only drill. This video also demonstrates that there is no perfect way to accomplish a chip shot.

Learning various methods will help you improve your performance and become a much better player.

Don’t stick with a one handed drill for too long. It’s best to go back and forth between the one handed drills and your regular shots. In the end, both hands need to work together to hit golf shots, and you won’t want just one to dominate.

Watch The Height Of Your Lead Shoulder (Adam Bazelgette)

One of the biggest mistakes that golfers make is they tilt their body in a way that their front shoulder is pointed high. This makes it difficult for golfers to get through the golf ball; instead, they hit a chunk shot or even blade it a bit.

It’s best to have your shoulder set up a little more square to ensure that you can make the proper approach to the golf ball.

The way that Adam says it is best to do this is to set up as if you are about to hit a chip shot, then hold the club cross handed and then, with little movement in your shoulders or head, put your clubs back on the club correctly.

What this will do is keep your left shoulder a little lower and promote a more solid shot with less flipping or skulling of the chips around the green.

The great thing about this concept of lowering the lead shoulder is that it improves turf interaction and encourages several of the other mistakes in the chipping area to go away. An expert tip here, you may find that this concept even helps with the full swing.

Keep Momentum In The Swing (Clay Ballard)

Since many golfers struggle with chipping, they often freeze up and hit poor shots. The first thing that tends to go is any natural movement that they may have in their swings. Therefore it makes sense to listen to this great tip by Clay Ballard to keep momentum in the chipping stroke.

The first step here is to use something like a sand wedge and keep the club face slightly open. Then swing the club so that there is some tempo involved and it is not as rigid of a motion. If you have the ball position and swing path correct, the ball should get up in the air without any issues.

As you watch Clay Ballard hit his chip shots, he shows you that even these shorter chips need to keep this momentum through impact if you are going to make great contact with each of your chips and pitches.

There is More Than One Way To Get This Done (Tiger Woods)

When you watch videos of Tiger Woods hitting some of the best shots around the green, he always looks as though he has a different type of technique or club in his hand. That’s because he does!

Tiger never thought about a chip shot as a singular chip shot. Instead, he looked at this process as being a decision. He had to choose which golf club would make the most sense for his short game and then combine that with the proper stroke.

With most golfers carrying four wedges in their bag, your opportunities to create a variety of golf shots have expanded greatly. You can hit shots with less loft and higher backspin or shots that have a very little spin and roll from the front to the back of the green.

The concept here is that the more prepared you are for the different types of shots you need to hit, the easier it is to be successful on the course.

Weight and Hands Forward (Phil Mickelson)

Another master short game excerpt is Phil Mickelson. Phil does a tremendous job on the flop shots that he hits around the greens, but Phil has more to his game than just these flops. In fact, some of his chipping technique is considered the best in the game because of his consistency.

You can look at some players and notice that they are very methodical and by the book in their chipping. However, when you look at Phil’s short game, there is an artistic element mixed in. He is a bit of an artist around the greens, and the best way to see this is the way he can get himself out of trouble when he’s in a bad spot.

Whether it’s bunker shots, flop shots, or a standard run of the mill chip, Phil Mickelson knows how to get it done.

The two best tips that we get from Phil Mickelson is to keep your weight forward and to push your hands forward.

There is a bit of mixed advice out there about what the hands should be doing. Something that it’s best to keep them in the middle of your stance, but he feels that for more control, your hands should be pushed forward.

We like this technique quite a bit for the golfer that struggles to hit the ground on their chip shots; the forward press will help ensure that this happens for you.

Open Clubface and Use The Body (Mr.Short Game)

The Mr.Short Game videos do a great job of simplifying the importance of an open clubface. Tips in this video initially stemmed from the advice of Bob Vokey, the creator of the Vokey wedge. Certainly, the man knows a thing or two about hitting a great wedge shot.

The key here is to keep your elbows connected more toward your body if you want to ensure consistency. Essentially if you are hitting shorter chips or longer chips, you must ensure that your body stays more connected. When the club gets away from you, that’s when you see the chunk or the shank shots that you must try to avoid.

Opening the clubface also allows for the use of the bounce on the wedge. Bounce is there to be forgiving and can really help when you want to get the full loft out of your shot as well.

Don’t close the clubface down thinking that it will actually be more forgiving; it won’t be! The most forgiving shots you will hit are the ones with the more open clubface, where you take full advantage of the bounce.

I recommend working on this concept on the chipping practice green first and then bringing it out to the course. The open clubface concept takes a few swings to get used to.

Think Small (Britt Olizarowicz)

Maybe this concept or technique is easy for me because I’m short, but the one thing I’ve always told golfers who struggle with their chipping is that they must think small. You can’t expect to hit a short little shot that lands softly on the green while setting up to hit a large full-swing approach into a hole.

Think small, to hit it small.

The idea here is that your stance, setup, and swing all need to be simplified. Some of the best chips I’ve ever taken in my life are with my feet entirely next to each other. The full stance with your feet shoulder-width apart does not help when chipping.

Essentially you must ensure that you have set your brain up to adjust to this shorter distance shot. The easiest way to do this is by thinking of everything as being a miniature version of the big swing.

Small stance, small swing, choke up on the grip to make the club smaller, and see how this works for your short game. It has always worked for me.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

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