instructiOn
BOOK
A tee
tiMe
N
ew Year's resolutions
have a tendency to
fade shortly after the
calendar flips to
February, but there's no reason you
can't resolve to improve your game
all year long. Here are a few simple
things you can do in 2021 to help
lower your scores:
practice your putting
The first thing you should do is
work on your putting, with the goal
of getting the ball in the hole in two
putts or less. The average weekend
warrior throws away too many
shots three-putting from 20 feet or
more, but it doesn't have to be that
way.
Here's a drill to help you better
read greens, get the pace right, and
make your stroke repeatable:
Practice making 3-footers from
every hour on the clock in a circle
around the hole, then move to 5-
footers and so on. This will help
boost your confidence.
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try wedges with different bounces
One way to improve your
chipping is to experiment with
different bounces. In my opinion,
the average golfer doesn't play
enough bounce with their wedges.
More bounce makes the club
more forgiving, and will help you
get the ball to react the way you
want it to a little easier. You don't
have to be able to hit the high lob
shot and make it spin back, but you
should focus on getting the ball as
close to the hole as possible, no
matter the flight. If you have a good
bump-and-run shot in your bag,
you can do a lot of great things
around the green.
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Minimize your misses
If you've always been a slicer,
learn how to control the face of the
club, which comes down to your
hands. At address, turn your hands
in the direction the ball curves on
your miss. You're strengthening
your grip, and you should be able
to curve the ball in a different
direction on the next shot.
Play around with it until you get
comfortable. Your grip is the CEO
of the golf swing – it's in charge of
the club face.
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focus on footwork
Everybody wants to hit the ball
farther, and a lot of people overlook
how important footwork is in
achieving that goal. You want a
pattern in your feet where, as you
bring the club back, you're moving
your weight to your back right heel.
At the top of your swing, you want
to transfer that weight to your front
foot, under the left shoe laces. If
you can develop that great ground
work, you'll start hitting it farther.
resOlve tO iMprOve
4 tips to help you play better in the year ahead
C L I C K H E R E TO L E A R N M O R E A B O U T C L A S S I C C LU B'S P R O F E S S I O N A L G O L F I N S T R U C T I O N
By david curtis
PGA Teaching
Professional
