A short time ago I came across an article penned by a local man who had been caddying since he was a kid. Few courses still have caddies. But back then many courses had them. During his career he had caddied for players with both high and low golf handicaps. He had even caddied for a few professional golfers in his time that had wandered into town for one tournament or another.
The caddy chatted about a number of things, like the changes he saw during his time on the bags, such as the introduction of metal shafts and metal clubheads on drivers. The best part of his article, though, was his take on what he thought was the difference between weekend golfers and professional golfers. Below are some of the golf tips he thought would help weekend players trim strokes from their golf handicaps.
Play To Your Strengths
Playing good golf isn't about shaping shots. It's about shaping shots to your strength. Many players with high golf handicaps don't play this way. Instead, they let the course dictate their shots. In other words, they hit without thinking. Then play whatever lie they get—uphill, downhill, etc.. But smart golfers control their shots. They look for targets that favor their strengths—even if they're adept at working the ball. In most cases they stick with what comes naturally—no matter where the pin is on the green. Play to your strengths and you'll cut strokes off your golf handicap.
Stick With Your Routines
Pre-shot routines are the key to consistency. Players like Justin Leonard and Jim Furyk are known for their pre-shot routines. But fans don't realize the amount of pressure professional golfers face. To achieve consistency under great pressure, pro golfers use a routine for each shot. This systematic approach ensures that the golfer is in the right frame of mind to hit a shot. More importantly, it ensures proper setup, which, in turn, dictates proper positioning of the body. Develop a routine you're comfortable with. And remember to set the club first before the body.
Keep A Solid Forward Leg
Not keeping a solid forward leg is among the most common errors instructors see in golf lessons. Watch the pros on TV—men or women—and you'll notice that that they all keep a solid forward leg. They have to if they want to generate the kind of shots they need to compete on the tour. A solid forward leg helps you swing along your body, not around it. Keep the knees flexed, but the forward leg solid. You'll see both your ballstriking and shotmaking greatly improve.
Move On
Golf is as much mental as it is physical—maybe more. One of the keys to conquering the mental side of golf is not letting bad shots get to you. That's why it's important to acknowledge—and accept—that you will occasionally hit a bad shot. Nobody hits perfect shots every time, not even Tiger Woods. And sometimes, luck works against you. It's okay to get a little angry now and then, but don't let that anger get to you. And don't dwell on it. Let it go. Move on. There's nothing you can do about the bad shot anyways. It's done. Focus on the next shot. Remember, winning is a positive state of mind.
Use Shadowing Putting
Professional golfers are all great putters. When they err, it usually isn't mechanical. It's things like keeping their eyes on the putter head or poor rhythm. To combat this, the pros use a simple drill, called shadow putting. When it's your turn to putt, turn your back to the sun so it casts a shadow in front of you. While watching your shadow, make a few practice strokes. Imagine you're swinging to the beat of a metronome. Once you have your rhythm, move to the putt. In golf instruction sessions, instructors tell people to back off the putt if they feel their rhythm is off. Then take a few practice strokes emulating the metronome all the while. That's good advice.
One other golf tip from the caddy is to perfect your posture. Good posture leads to proper weight shift and a more fluid release through the ball. Weekend golfers often over look good posture as a key fundamental, as they do the other fundamentals in this article. But my thinking is: if a fundamental is important enough for the pros, it's important enough for myself and players trying to whittle down their golf handicaps.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book "How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros." He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.
