Here is a very simple yet effective drill to help you stop jabbing your putter. You will find that when you are put under pressure especially on shorter putts, you will tense up and stop on the stroke. Here’s the drill: On the putting green, find a hole where you will be hitting a relatively straight and flat putt. Place a pitching wedge face down, with the thinner part of the shaft...

Many times I see golfers struggle with an over the top swing. They know they are doing it but don’t quite know how to fix it. Here’s one of the main causes for the problem: Taking the club on the inside on the back swing. Now you ask, what does that mean? Basically you are swinging the club around your body from the takeaway, causing a loop at the top of your swing and throwing the club over th...

The best method I’ve found to describe to my pupils on how to get out of Humewoods treacherous bunkers is quite simple. Merely balance a glass of wine on your club! Most golfers when they setup to the ball don’t open their clubface up enough. The end results are as follows: either they blast it straight into the bunkers lip as they don’t achieve enough height or the club digs into the sand and ...

This is often one of the most feared golf shots to the average golfer, it’s not quite a chip, and not quite a full shot. The dreaded in-between length!What I have learnt in my years teaching is that their or no real swing thoughts or basic fundamentals used by many golfers when trying to hit this type of shot. They merely stand there and have an uncommitted swish at the ball, often catching the sh...

This is probably the most important chip you will ever learn to play, especially around the links of Humewood! What I’ve noticed lately, especially playing with higher handicap golfers is their love for a sand wedge or lob wedge. Those two clubs are by far the toughest clubs in the bag to chip with! Around Humewood Golf Course, I rarely ever pull out my lob wedge, as it’s just not the percen...

Far too often I see players on a putting green with a bucket full of balls hitting putt after putt at 1 specific target. This is great for practicing a specific putting flaw you or your pro have identified.  If you want to hole more putts, you need to practice pressure putting and preferably shorter putts as well. Here’s a simple putting game you can play with a partner or even alone: P...

Often you will see good players hitting great chip shots that take one hop and ‘bite’ stopping neatly next to the hole. Yes it does take some practice and good ball striking but there are a few secrets! Firstly you need to keep in mind; professionals and good golfers tend to favour a more expensive golf ball. These golf balls have softer covers, are normally 3-piece and are more receptive to sp...

Most golfers including myself have one or other time in their lives hit the dreaded ‘shank’. One shank is usually enough to send fear and panic even into the most seasoned golfer and usually if you shank one shot in a round, you are bound to shank another! One of the main and overlooked reasons I feel many golfers shank the golf ball is due to early extension. Early extension is when your hips ...