Round Savers- Five Instant On-course Fixes

By Jack Moorehouse

Even PGA pros need help in golf. That’s why many of them, including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Vijay Singh, consult swing coaches. They help players re-capture their swings or improve their putting strokes through golf instruction sessions. Usually, it doesn’t take long for Tiger, Phil, and Vijay to get back on track.

But what do the pros do when they’re in the final round of a tournament and they suddenly lose it? They can’t call time out to ask their swing coaches for some golf tips. And they can’t they ask their partners for suggestions on what they’re doing wrong. With thousands of dollars at stake, there’s no time for golf lessons. That’s when they turn to whatever “instant on-course fixes” they know.

Below are five tried-and-true instant fixes. They’re simple and easy to learn but effective. Of course, they aren’t foolproof, but they can often help you recover your swing or your stroke when don’t have time to take a golf lesson or read a golf tip. The fixes may not help you get on the Tour, but they will help you shave a few strokes off your score.

Fix #1: Grip Your Putter with Your Fingers

We’ve all had rounds where we suddenly lose our putting touch. One minute we’re fine, the next it feels as if we’ve never putted before. And it gets worse as the putts get shorter and shorter. Gripping the putter more in your fingers increases the feel of the putterhead. It also decreases your grip pressure, allowing the putter to swing on its natural path, and it fosters more consistent contact on long putts, ensuring better release of the putterhead on short putts.

Fix #2: Tee up on the Right 

You’re on the 15^th tee and there’s a lake on the right. Unfortunately, you’ve been pushing everything right all day. What do you do? Try teeing the ball up on the far right when you can’t miss it right. But don’t just tee it up over there and bang away. Visualize your predominant ball flight, then find a point in the distance that would be the apex of your normal shot’s curve. Next, pick out a target about four feet in front of the ball. Line up the two spots and use them as your aiming line. Now hit away. Lose yourself in the aiming process and commit to your specific target.  Be realistic here.  The whole point of this fix is that you are assuming you will hit the ball with your normal ball flight and path.  Don’t assume you will be hitting any differently than you have been on all previous holes.

Fix #3: Tee up on the Left

If the trouble is on the left, move over to the left side of the tee. You don’t even have to stop at the left marker. You can move all the way over if you have to, just make sure that the ball is teed between the markers. If you move outside the markers make sure that the ground you’re standing on is flat. Now make the same calculations you did on the right side and hit away. Remember visualize, aim, commit.

Fix #4: Waggle the Club Slowly

You just hacked your way to a double bogey on the 7^th hole. As you tee the ball on the 8^th, steam is coming from your ears. A quick hook to the right, a topped shot later, and you’re quite possibly looking at a snowman. What started out as a good round is turning into a disastrous day. How do you get your rhythm and tempo back? Try a waggle. First, take an easy practice swing to calm things down. Then, step up to the ball and assume your normal stance. Now waggle the club slowly. A waggle is a rehearsal for what follows so a slow waggle will mirror itself in the actual backswing.

Fix #5: Pick a Smaller Target

You just missed an easy two-footer on the 7^th hole, costing you par (and perhaps a few dollars.) Suddenly, you realize that it’s not the first short putt you’ve missed that day. You missed short ones on the 1^st and the 5^th. Instead of panicking, try picking a smaller target to putt to. In fact, keep picking smaller and smaller targets as the putts get shorter and shorter. Inside of six feet, it’s easy to see into the back of the cup. Pick a spot on the back of it—some grass or an imperfection—and roll the ball towards it. Use small targets to banish any negative thoughts on short putts.

These instant on-course fixes will help you make mid-course corrections during a round. If you watch the pros carefully or read over my golf tips, you can probably discover more. Or, can ask your local pro for more the next time you take a golf lesson. They’re nice to have when things go awry. Pull them out when you need them, just like Tiger, Phil, or Vijay. They’re good tools for chopping that golf handicap down to size. 

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.