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YOUR GAME
OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE
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SPRING 2015
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obsports.com
BAD HABIT: Not reading
the greens.
GOOD HABIT FIX: Spend
some quality reading time
on the practice green.
"Usually, the only time
someone studies the line on
a practice green is when
they're in a putting contest.
Typically, they'll just drop a
sleeve of balls, casually look
at the break, putt it and
make adjustments. But last
time I played golf, I wasn't
in a one-man scramble.
"So I tell my students to
spend 10 to 15 minutes on
the practice green reading
every putt before they hit
it. Their mind and eyes get
in the habit of thinking and
seeing, and that's additional
information you can store
and use later on the golf
course when a similar situa-
tion presents itself."
BAD HABIT: Relying on
your loftiest wedge around
the greens.
GOOD HABIT FIX: Work
on your chip-and-run shot.
"Most golfers grab their
loftiest wedge and that's
what they use for their
short-game shots. But using
the wedge means creating
more spin and some-
times the ball doesn't
catch. Also, the big-
ger swing with the
wedge means there's
going to be more
chance for error on contact.
"You're generally better
off in many situations by
grabbing a low-lofted club
like an 8 iron, and instead of
flying the ball to the pin, fly
it about one-third of the way
and then let it roll the other
two-thirds.
"I suggest finding a level
green chip shot in neutral
conditions and figuring out
which of your high irons you
can get the one-third, two-
thirds ratio. Once you iden-
tify the club that best gets
those results – like a 7, 8, or
9 iron – you can then adjust
your shot based on the put-
ting surface you are playing
to. If it's uphill, you're going
to get less roll so you need
to select a target closer to
the hole. If it's downhill,
you'll need to aim closer to
where you're standing."
CLUB SELECTION
LOFTY EXPECTATIONS
FORGET THE WEDGE AND PLAY A CHIP-AND-RUN
GREEN READING
LEARN YOUR LINES
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO STUDY THE BREAK
CLICK
HERE TO
VISIT SCOTT
WATKINS
ONLINE
Get in the habit of lining
up putts during practice.
