Chipping - Around the Green

Cannot get the ball close to the hole from around the green. One of the major frustrations in golf for most golfers is that after missing a green by a metre or two with an approach shot, we then take three or four more shots to hole out.

Cause:

Incorrect club selection and technique. More often than not most players are tempted to use a lofted club such as a pitching wedge or sand iron from just off the green, some will even try using a lob wedge. Let's face it, most recreational golfers do not have the time to spend countless hours practicing the technique needed to use a lofted wedge effectively from the fringe. In my observations of the world's best players most of them will choose to keep the ball on the ground with the exception of having to play over bumps and hollows, bunkers etc.

Correction:	If you have a clear shot to the flag take a 6 or 7 iron and use the same technique you use for putting. Hold the club down at the bottom of the grip almost onto the shaft, use your putting grip and position the ball directly below your eyes. At this point the heel of your club may be off the ground, this is quite OK. To play the shot use a pendulum putting stroke with very little wrist action brushing the ball off the grass. Once you have mastered the shot and gain a little confidence you will soon find the ball carries just across the fringe grass and rolls on nicely towards the hole.

	You will then find, as I have, that this is a percentage shot, it's not fancy but it works. Ask Tiger, he uses it a lot and if it's good enough for the world's best player it will be good for you.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Hooking - Cause 1

An uncontrolled Hook (A shot which curves violently from right to left for Right Handers) can be quite demoralising, especially if you know when and where it is going to happen.

Correct analysis of your swing is the key to curing any errors especially with a bad hook. Sometimes the cause can be very minute and difficult to detect, so if the problem persists book a lesson with your local PGA Professional.

Cause 1:	Incorrect grip.

Correction:	It pays to periodically check your grip. You should have reasonable pressure in the top three fingers of the left hand and be able to see two knuckles on the back of this hand when setting up to the ball. Should the little figures on the left hand lack strength, try squeezing a squash or Racquet ball while watching television. The exercise will help to develop these little used finger muscles which are necessary in swinging a golf club.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Hooking - Cause 2

An uncontrolled Hook (A shot which curves violently from right to left for Right handers) can be quite demoralising, especially if you know when and where it is going to happen.

Correct analysis of your swing is the key to curing any errors especially with a bad hook. Sometimes the cause can be very minute and difficult to detect, so if the problem persists book a lesson with your local PGA Professional.

Cause 2:	Poor body alignment and ball position, improper weight transfer and or swing plane.

Correction:	Incorrect alignment is a common cause of the hook. Many people tend to aim too far to the right, which may cause an inside to out swing plane. When setting up to the ball try to get the feeling of aiming a little left of your intended target. The ball should be positioned inside a line off the left heel.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Hooking - Cause 3

An uncontrolled Hook (A shot which curves violently from right to left for Right handers) can be quite demoralising, especially if you know when and where it is going to happen.
Correct analysis of your swing is the key to curing any errors especially with a bad hook. Sometimes the cause can be very minute and difficult to detect, so if the problem persists book a lesson with your local PGA Professional.
Cause 3:	Over use or rotation of the hands through impact.
Correction:	Over rotation of the hands and arms through impact will cause the club face to close and put counter clockwise (hook) spin on the ball. A drill I have personally found effective is to hit 6 or 7 irons out of old divot holes on the practice range or even drivers straight off the grass. To hit either of these shots with some degree of proficiency requires a square to open club face at impact, you just can not turn the hands over through the ball at all.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Low Shot - Keeping the ball under the trees

A common problem for most golfers trying to get out from under trees is popping the ball up in to the branches they are trying to avoid.   A couple of things need to be considered before you even make a swing.
Problem:	What club do I need? When selecting a club to play underneath overhanging branches always go with a safety margin of one or two clubs more. For example if you think a 6 iron will do the job take a 5 or even a 4 iron just to be sure.

Correction:	How to keep the ball down: One of the first things you will be taught when starting golf is this. To get the golf ball airborne it must be struck with a descending blow, in other words to get the ball up hit down on it. Try doing this under trees, especially on loose pine needles and you could be in the woods for quite a while.

	Play the ball near the centre of your stance, hands slightly ahead of the ball.

	Make a swing with very little wrist break on the way back and follow through with almost a sweeping action rather than hitting in a downward motion.   This stiff wristed swing combined with the correct club will keep you down and out of trouble and back on to the fairway.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Putting - Developing feel for putts of varying lengths

We all frustrate ourselves at times on the putting green, with missing short putts which we feel are easy, often by leaving the ball short or too far past the hole.
Causes:	Greens vary in speed according to the course you play and from day to day. We often take a few holes before finding the feel for green speed. A common technical mistake I see is that many golfers use the same length of stroke for all putts, de-accelerating on the short ones and accelerating on lengthier putts.
Correction:	Always take the time to have a few putts on the practice green before teeing off. Even two or three putts is often enough to give some confidence in your stroke for the day. An exercise to develop feel is to place half a dozen tees about 10 centimetres evenly apart along your putting line just outside the toe of your putter. The tees should run along a line from just outside your back foot finishing outside a line off the front foot. Number the tees in your mind 1-2-3 back and 1-2-3 forward. Now practice a few putts along a flat surface (not to a hole), swinging smoothly back to tee #3 and forward to tee #3. Now practice some putts using the same speed of stroke from #2 tee back to #2 tee forward, do the same back and forward to #1 tee. Practice this exercise a few times and you will soon find the balls grouped together for each length of stoke. This practice putting routine is favoured by many PGA Tour and teaching Professionals as it works in developing good technique.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Shanking - Cause 1

The Shank is caused by the golf club striking the ball at the point where the neck of the clubhead meets the club face. In golf component language, the area where the shaft is inserted into the neck of the club head is named the Hosel or Shank. Undoubtedly the most frightening bad shot in golf. Even to mention the word Shank brings a look of fear to most golfers. You may even find that your local golf pro suddenly has a full book when you explain the problem to him. Seriously though, "The Shank" may strike any player without warning and can be difficult to cure without proper swing fault diagnosis, so you could save a lot of time and pain by visiting a PGA Golf professional.

Cause 1:	The arms may tend to drift away from the body during the downswing, causing the ball to meet the club near the hosel and club face.

Correction:	Try hitting a few wedge or 9 iron shots with a towel or head covers under both armpits. Only a little ½ or pitch shot at first until you find a rhythm. This exercise will keep your arms in closer contact to the body stopping them moving out towards the ball.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Shanking - Cause 2

The Shank is caused by the golf club striking the ball at the point where the neck of the clubhead meets the club face. In golf component language, the area where the shaft is inserted into the neck of the club head is named the Hosel or Shank. Undoubtedly the most frightening bad shot in golf. Even to mention the word Shank brings a look of fear to most golfers. You may even find that your local golf pro suddenly has a full book when you explain the problem to him. Seriously though, "The Shank" may strike any player without warning and can be difficult to cure without proper swing fault diagnosis, so you could save a lot of time and pain by visiting a PGA Golf professional.

Cause 2:	Your whole body weight could be moving slightly toward the toes resulting in the club travelling out toward the ball causing the ball to meet the club near the hosel and club face.

Correction:	When you have set up to play a shot, place a golf ball under each toe of your shoes. Hit a few shots using a slow motion rhythm and keeping your balance. This will help you to stop moving the body out toward the ball.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Shanking - Cause 3

The Shank is caused by the golf club striking the ball at the point where the neck of the clubhead meets the club face. In golf component language, the area where the shaft is inserted into the neck of the club head is named the Hosel or Shank. Undoubtedly the most frightening bad shot in golf. Even to mention the word Shank brings a look of fear to most golfers. You may even find that your local golf pro suddenly has a full book when you explain the problem to him. Seriously though, "The Shank" may strike any player without warning and can be difficult to cure without proper swing fault diagnosis, so you could save a lot of time and pain by visiting a PGA Golf professional.
Cause 3:	A severe out to in swing path will cause a shank and usually be accompanied by a slice.
Correction:	Use the same swing corrections as for slicing.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Slicing - Cause 1

There are many contributing factors which may cause a slice (a shot which curves from left to right, for right handers). Here is one of them.

Cause 1:	Incorrect grip.

Correction:	Rotate the left hand clockwise so that you are able to see two or three knuckles on the back of the hand. The "V" formed by the thumb and forefinger of both left and right hands should point towards your cheek or shoulder.

Effect:	This "stronger" position of your hands on the golf club has the effect of rotating the club face closed at impact counter-clockwise (hook) spin on the ball.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Slicing - Cause 2

There are many contributing factors which may cause a slice (a shot which curves from left to right, for right handers). Here is another.

Cause 1:	Incorrect set-up and alignment.

Correction:	When setting up to the ball, your feet, hips, arms and shoulders should all be parallel to the target line. The ball should be positioned inside a line off the left heel. Two common errors amongst golfers who slice the ball are aiming too far to the right, which will result in hitting off the back foot, and aiming too far to the left.

Effect:	Errors in alignment may result in an outside to in swing path which can cause a slice. Correcting any set-up fault is the first step in developing a good swing plane and straighter shots.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Skied Shot

Hitting too far behind the ball

Cause 2:	Improper weight transfer.   Poor rotation of the upper body will cause what is termed as a reverse pivot. Instead of your body weight moving from the left side to right on the back swing, the opposite happens. (Reverse for left handers).

Correction:	Always make sure that you finish facing the target with little or no weight on the right foot.   An exercise to correct dynamic balance is to make linked practice swings lifting the left foot completely off the ground as you swing back, then lift the right foot during the follow through. If you have trouble doing this exercise it could be the root of many poor shots.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Stiffer Shafts - Will Stiffer Shafts Increase Accuracy?

I am frequently asked whether a stiffer shaft will give more control than one with more flex, especially the Driver.   More often than not the answer lies not in the club itself, but with a swing flaw on the players part. The driver is one of the most difficult clubs to master because of a lack of loft. In observing a player who has trouble hitting the driver I will get them to hit shots with a 3 wood. Most times I find that they do not hit that with any consistency either. Then I'll get them to hit a few 5 irons with usually the same results.   In the above case the player obviously needs help with his swing, but in some cases where the golfer's swing is consistent but suffers from lack of control, a stiffer shaft may be of benefit.
Swing Speed:	Swing speed will usually dictates the correct shaft flex to suit the individual. In days gone by, judging club head speed was usually trial and error. These days your PGA Professional has more sophisticated methods of finding this out. An accurate measurement can be made with a swing meter. This machine is similar to a vehicle radar detector and gives readings in MPH.
Decision:	Any player with a swing speed in excess of 95-100 MPH can use a stiffer Driver shaft, especially graphite. Swing speeds between 85 - 95 MPH can use an R or regular flex. Below 80-85 MPH should consider something a little more flexible such as an A shaft flex. Stronger women could consider moving from an L flex to A or men's R flex.
Torque:	Torque, the amount of shaft twist, also affects distance and accuracy. Slower swingers can use a shaft with more torque. Faster swingers need less torque.
Caution:	Be careful not to choose a shaft that is too stiff. You may run the risk of losing distance because of the lack of shaft flex and you may also have trouble getting the ball airborne. Accuracy may also suffer because you will be unable to get the club head back to square at impact.
Shafts are now a very technical item and can completely change the characteristics of your clubs. A good quality graphite Driver shaft such as the UST Proforce, True Temper Bi-Matrix or Grafalloy Prolite are not cheap, but you will not get any benefits from inferior quality.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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 Topping the Ball

Topping the ball, particularly off the tee, is a common problem. Even the best of players have been known to top the occasional one. Topping or hitting the ball "thin", (almost topping it), can be a rarity for the low handicapper, or often in the case of a new player, although the swing errors causing it remain the same.
Causes:	The most common causes I have found are: Playing the ball too far forward. Positioning the ball too far away. Improper weight transfer - too much weight on the back foot at impact causing a premature release, resulting in the club head striking the upper hemisphere of the ball. Excessive bend of the left elbow during the back swing. If the elbow is bent and does not straighten out on the down swing, the swing arc will be narrower resulting in the club meeting the top of the ball.
Correction:	Move the ball position back at address. Just inside a line off the right heel, (for right handers), for woods and just forward of centre for irons. Work on keeping the left arm straighter (not stiffer) during the back swing while maintaining good shoulder rotation. Concentrate on a balanced finish with little weight on the right foot at the finish of each swing.

I hope these tips help your golf game. If you continue to have any problems with your game, contact me on gouldfamily@paradise.net.nz or contact your local PGA registered professional.

Rex Gould, New Zealand PGA Golf Professional

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