In this issue we continue the countdown to  #15 of the 20 Toughest Shots In Golf. There is a corresponding drill afterwards. Toughest Shot #15 – Bunker Blast On An Upslope No one wants to land in a greenside bunker. … Continue reading →

Landing in a bunker can cost you a hole in match play if you can’t escape in one. Many poor bunker shots are the result of hitting either too far behind the ball or too close to the ball. This … Continue reading →

What’s the hardest shot in golf? Many think it’s the 40 to 50 yard bunker shot. They may be right. At this distance you’re too close to take a full swing and you’re too far to use your customary greenside … Continue reading →

Deciding what club to use when chipping from just off the green is among the game’s most critical—and most difficult—scoring decisions.  Some players use a pitching wedge to hit every chip shot, regardless of the lie. That’s fine, if it … Continue reading →

The pros are good at all phases of golf. But they usually depend heavily on one phase to help them make the cut. That’s their “go to” phase. Take Brad Faxon. He putts as well as anyone. In fact, he … Continue reading →

Most recreational golfers would love to break 80 even once. To do this, you must play well from the tee box. It’s hard to break 80 when you’re always hitting from deep rough or waste areas. To remedy this, develop … Continue reading →

Copying a Tour player’s move can be dangerous.  Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson are great players. But copying Watson’s hip turn or Johnson’s body separation is a bad idea. These moves are unique to these players and their bodies. On … Continue reading →

If you want to score on long par 5s, you must drive the ball well off the tee. If you don’t, you cut down your chances of hitting the green in regulation. This makes it hard to score on some … Continue reading →

Stroke play, many golfers say, is the true test of a player’s skill. When you have to count every shot, it tests your ability to make shots. But match play is as much of a test of a player’s skill … Continue reading →

In this issue we continue the countdown to  #16 of the 20 Toughest Shots In Golf. There is a corresponding drill afterwards. Toughest Shot #16 – The Flop Shot We’ve all been there: You come up short with your 7-iron. … Continue reading →

Here we go again down Magnolia Lane… Yes … the world’s greatest pros are all assembled down in Augusta, Georgia, ready to tackle the great course in the world’s most prestigious tournament. And so many guys can win it. The … Continue reading →

Balance is the key to hitting a ball solidly, especially if it’s below your feet. If your balance is off, your swing is off. If your swing is off, you’ll probably mis-hit the shot. Improve your balance and you’ll hit … Continue reading →

If you live where it’s really cold or snowy, playing winter golf is only a fantasy. It’s just too cold or too snowy to play. This is a bummer. Instead of getting out two or three times a week, you’re … Continue reading →

Golf swings fall into one of two basic types. With a one-plane swing, the golfer bends over more and swings around her body. With the two-plane swing, the golfer stands upright more and shifts her weight from back to front. … Continue reading →

If you’re like most golfers, you probably visit the practice range as often as you can. It’s a great place to work on your game. Depending on the range, you can work on a variety of things—driving, putting, chipping, and … Continue reading →

Once a year we get together with other instructors and talk about teaching golf to our students. Invariably, we discuss the most common swing faults we see in golf instruction sessions among new students. Our discussion on common faults generates … Continue reading →

If you want to break 80 consistently—and chop strokes off your golf handicap—you must make aggressive shots toward your target. If you’re not confident about the shot you’re about to make, you can’t make an aggressive shot. How do you … Continue reading →

Applying pressure where it’s needed most is the secret to a good grip. But how much pressure to apply is a key question? It depends. If you ask three teachers how much pressure to apply on a scale of 1 … Continue reading →

Make no mistake about it. Using the wrong grips can hurt your golf handicap. The wrong grips stop you from hitting good shots. Needless to say, it’s in your best interest to use grips tailored to your swing, not to … Continue reading →

If you could chop strokes off your score would you do it? Sure you would. Who wouldn’t? After all, shaving strokes off your score—and your golf handicap—is what it’s all about. It’s why we read golf tips in magazines, take … Continue reading →

Students take golf lessons for many reasons. Mostly, it’s to learn something technical. For example, some students attend our golf instruction session to learn how to hit their woods better. Others come to us to learn how to hit their … Continue reading →

Watching Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, and the rest of the field duke it out at the Players Championship last Sunday proved instructional. It brought home a point we emphasize at our golf lessons all the time: One thing that separates … Continue reading →

Failing to turn the clubhead over through impact can cause you to slice. It also can cause weak shots and wild drives. If this sounds like you, try the drill below to correct this swing flaw. Assume your normal stance with … Continue reading →

To shave strokes from your golf handicap, you must learn to make adjustments to your swing and your game during a round. While making adjustments is the key to playing a good, solid round of golf, it’s more critical to … Continue reading →

Greens hit in regulation are critical to breaking 80. The more you hit in regulation, the lower your score usually. But sometimes even well-struck approach shots end up short of the green. When they do, you can find yourself in … Continue reading →

Augusta National Golf Club has been the home of The Masters Tournament since 1934. The club features a course that’s among the PGA Tour’s most beautiful. It’s also among the Tour’s most photographed. Over the years the club has made … Continue reading →

Want to sink more putts? Improve your green reading skills. Green reading is one of the most underrated aspects of putting. You must read the green correctly to find the right line to start the putt on—especially with breaking and … Continue reading →

This issue we begin a new article series. It will cover what we think are the 20 toughest shots in golf and provide golf tips on how to hit them. We’ll review one shot each issue in reverse order until … Continue reading →

Q. Hi Jack, I really enjoy your tips. There is no question they work. As a high handicapper (20), I come completely unglued in some rounds. I suddenly top drives, shank irons, and duff wedges while my putting goes to … Continue reading →

If you’re unable to hit your pitches close enough to one-putt, you may be costing yourself strokes. Hitting pitches close enough will help you chop strokes off your scores and your golf handicap. Here’s a drill from short game guru … Continue reading →

Q. Hi, Jack: I’m struggling with a high cut or fade and am losing valuable meters off the tee with this type of shot. Please assist me to hit a straighter drive or even a draw Regards, Garth  A. Thanks … Continue reading →

Stroke play, many golfers say, is the true test of a player’s skill. When you have to count every shot, it tests your ability to make shots. But match play is as much of a test of a player’s skill … Continue reading →

The “Y” Drill teaches the proper relationship between your power center, your hands, and your club. It’s also a good drill to teach people to hit what some call a “mini-flop shot”—a short shot near the green that requires you … Continue reading →

If you said Jack Grout in our golf lessons, few students would know the name. A little known professional golfer, Grout played on the PGA Tour from 1931 to 1953. He started as a caddie at the old Oklahoma City … Continue reading →

Wouldn’t you like to break 80 consistently? Breaking 80 can help you chop strokes off your golf handicap and increase your match play wins. But it’s not easy breaking 80 consistently. Take it from someone who has conducted hundreds of … Continue reading →

All good irons players—Ben Curtis, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods—have great footwork. Weekend golfers, on the other hand, often struggle with their footwork when hitting irons. Some get up on their toes when making their downswings. Others fall back … Continue reading →

Scoring well during a round depends on two things: keeping the ball in play and playing well from 100 yards in. Playing well from short yardage is critical. About two-thirds of the shots you take during a round are from … Continue reading →

Looking for more power off the tee? You don’t have to swing harder to get it. Freddie Couples generates power with a nice fluid swing that seems effortless. Yet the ball travels great distances. To develop a swing like Freddie’s, … Continue reading →

Why do savvy golfers make swing changes? They don’t do it because of what their golf-ing buddies say or to copy their favorite pro golfer. Savvy golfers make swing changes because of their ball flight. That’s what really matters. If … Continue reading →

When professional golfers overswing, they know they must make adjustments with their hands to hit the ball solidly. More often than not, they’re able to do it without a problem. That’s because they have super-fast hands that let them get … Continue reading →

In this issue we continue the countdown to  #14 of the 20 Toughest Shots In Golf. There is a corresponding drill afterwards. Toughest Shot #14 – Ball In Rough On Upslope All golfers hit bad drives. It’s just a question … Continue reading →

Hitting the fairway with your drive is the ideal way to start a hole because it keeps you out of trouble. Staying out of trouble off the tee helps you break 80. But even the best drivers in the golf … Continue reading →

In this issue we continue the countdown to  #16 of the 20 Toughest Shots In Golf. There is a corresponding drill afterwards. Toughest Shot #16 – The Flop Shot We’ve all been there: You come up short with your 7-iron. … Continue reading →

Every golfer wants to excel when he or she plays. But learning to play golf well is hard. That’s why only a handful of golfers own single digit golf handicaps. These golfers rack up low golf handicaps because they know … Continue reading →