When was the last time you had a round where you made every putt inside of 5 feet? Odds are, you probably haven’t had one of those rounds in a long time, if ever. So try to add up the amount of strokes you would have saved yourself. Even half that amount might sound like a pretty good score, right?

The top tour players are solid from this distance. Usually, the winner each week on the PGA Tour will be 100% from this distance and in for that week. That’s a terrific stat. You might not have the time to dedicate to your putting like they do, but here is a quick and easy drill to help you with short putts.

Start 3 feet from the hole and insert two tees into the ground, just outside the heel and the toe of your putter. This will form a “gate” to swing the putter-head through. Hit about 5 putts swinging the putter-head through this gate making sure not to hit the tees. From 3 feet your putter should be on pretty straight line going back and towards the hole. Then hit 5 putts with just your right hand. This adds a degree of complexity to the drill and provides you with more feedback as to where the putter-head is. It also helps to develop a good sense of touch.

Once you have completed this drill at 3 feet, move back to 4 feet. Then do the drill at 5 feet. By the time you get to five feet the putter-head should start to release a little bit as you finish. Make sure to keep your head steady as this will help to keep the putter swinging through your “gate”.

If you manage to make the majority of your putts with this drill then you are well on your way towards becoming a more confident putter from inside 5 feet!

Please tell me if this sounds familiar. Tee time is 9:30am. You pull into the parking lot at 8:53am, take your bag out of your car, put your shoes on, and walk into the golf shop at 9:02am to check-in. You grab a small bucket and proceed to the practice range to “warm-up”. What transpires over the next 20 minutes could be the equivalent of 3 golf lessons. Your whole round and demeanor is based on those precious few minutes. If you start off great then you are confident and ready to play and if it is anything less than spectacular, there are doubts. Many doubts.

This is where a shift needs to be made.

I understand if you can’t get to the club earlier as there are other obligations but if you can, I would recommend splitting up your “warm up” time into 2 parts: 1.) the part where you stretch your body and 2.) the part where you focus on a target and stay confident. This is not a time for dramatic swing changes! Your swing will not change in that period of time and it will only cause harm when you step on the first tee.

Now I know this is starting to sound familiar to some of you. The question now is how I change it.

Step 1 – Show up, if possible, with ample time to warm-up. Ideally, give yourself at least 30 minutes.
Step 2 – Stretch for about 5-10 minutes focusing on your lower body, core, and neck/shoulders. Hit some short pitch shots to warm up the swing.
Step 3 – Work through your bag in even or odd numbers (9, 7, 5, etc.) hitting only a few balls with each club and focusing on your aim and target. Your swing should not be the focus.
Step 4 – End your full swing warm-up with the club you will be hitting on the 1st tee trying to visualize the hole and the shot you would like to hit. If you have never played the course before then simply hit your fairway wood or driver and focus on the target and your pre-shot routine.
Step 5 – Go over to the practice putting green and roll some short and long putts to get a feel for the green speed and break.
Step 6 – Clear your mind and focus on having a fun round and enjoying each shot. There are a lot worse places to be so you have to forget about your “warm-up” whether good or bad and focus on the round ahead and hitting quality shots each and every time.

There will be variations to this program depending on your certain situation and facility and you can change it to fit your personal needs. However, keep in mind that the warm-up is just that, a chance to warm up your body, not a place to re-invent the wheel.

Stay focused and have fun during your next round and you will amazed at the results you can achieve.

Why You Should Re-Grip
Grips are made of materials that age and wear as a function of time. Ozone, heat, dirt, and oils from your hands all age your grips and cause the natural degradation of the grip. The traction that a fresh grip provides lets you hold the club lightly without the subconscious fear of losing the club during your swing. This relaxed state promotes proper swing mechanics and wrist action. While a worn grip causes you to grasp the club tighter, causing arm and wrist tension that inhibits proper swing mechanics.

How Often?
As a rule of thumb, you should regrip once every year. Regardless of whether you play golf every day or only twice a year, ozone, heat, dirt, and oils are constantly at work breaking down the materials that make up your grips. Granted, frequent play and personal preference may dictate regripping sooner, but normally there’s enough degradation of the material after a year to warrant fresh grips. Keep in mind that grips lose a significant amount of their original feel long before they become hard and glazed over. Because it happens slowly over time, most golfers fail to notice it. That’s important to remember because just a tiny, imperceptible slip at contact will be magnified to many yards by the time the ball reaches its target. Many people find that getting in the routine of regripping every spring as the golf season “officially” begins is the easiest way to remember.

How to Choose the Right Grip
There is no one grip that is right for all golfers; thus grip selection varies widely with individual needs and preferences. A good starting point in selecting grips is to explore the Golf Pride Grip Selector. Once you’ve narrowed your decision check out the grip selection at your local golf retailer or on-course shop, or seek the advice of a professional club-builder.

***The Information and content in this article was provided by www.golfpride.com.

What an exciting Masters Tournament it ended up being. There was a double eagle, 2 holes-in-one, a dramatic Triple Bogey and another new Masters Champion. Predicting the Masters Tournament outcome is proving to be more difficult each and every year. There are many things the average player could learn from this years Masters, but I would like to address what happened on Hole 4 with Phil Mickelson.

I think the best thing the average player could take away from August this year is to stay in the moment. I think Phil Mickelson lost focus of the overall picture and it very well could have cost him a fourth Green Jacket.

Phil was able to rebound and finish a couple shots out of the playoff but had he stayed in the moment and played the higher percentage shot he could have captured the years first Major. This situation was very similar to the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Phil sliced his tee shot into the tents left of the fairway and preceded to try and play a very low percentage “hero” shot from U.S. Open rough. We all respect how Phil plays the game, and it is tough to question a four time Major winner, but had he managed himself better under tough low percentage shots could his major total have been 10?

When you find yourself in a situation that requires the “hero” shot to succeed – ask yourself “what is on the line”? Making a guaranteed bogey or risking making triple may be the difference in you shooting your lowest round ever. Make sure that the next time you are faced with an improbable situation you way your options against the overall goal of the round.

This week is the start of the Masters. It is what every golf fan and player has been waiting for all winter. So what can you take away from the Masters this week to help you improve you game? Let’s take a look at how the average PGA Tour player prepares for a course like Augusta – and the responsibility of playing with a chance to dawn the green jacket.

Preparation begins weeks, if not months ahead of time for the average tour professional. They might play the course in early March just to get reacquainted with tee shots and green complexes. They take notes of any changes and can prepare for shots they might face during tournament week.

Altering their equipment is another major force in preparation for Augusta. Perhaps they add a hybrid, or adjust the loft on their putter. They let the course dictate the clubs in their bag.

When the average player gets to a tournament they are out of their element. They start trying to act like a tour professional – getting there an hour early, hitting lots of golf balls, putting for 30 minutes. They think this is what they “must do” in a tournament.

For your next event try some of these tips:

• Make sure your equipment is ready to go
• Know the golf course, don’t play it blind (you should have an idea of what to expect on every hole)
• If you don’t have a pre-round warm-up let’s get one. I will help you get the most out of your warm-up so you can play your best.

This should be an exciting Masters – and all because each Professional is prepared to play his best.

The PGA Tour season has roughly a two month “off season;” and what the players choose to do with their time can make or break them for the coming season. So what can the average player learn from these Tour Players and how can it help you improve?  Now, this winter in Raleigh, North Carolina has been very fortunate for us golfers.  We have seen plenty of days in the 50’s and 60’s with minimal rain.  This is still, technically, the “off-season” as many players but their clubs up for the skis or more family time.

The key component is preparation: setting a goal and establishing a plan to reach that goal. Many players will schedule some time with their instructor and evaluate what they did good that season, and what areas of their game need improvement. Then they make a plan of how to improve. The players that execute their plans most efficiently are usually the ones you see have a great season – or a breakout / comeback year.

I recommend sitting down and taking a serious evaluation of your game. Find the areas of the game that you can improve the most and execute a plan.  Be realistic about your time commitments so that you stick to the plan.

Here are some areas that will help golfers of all skill levels improve the fastest.  These are the main things that Tour Players focus on.  Work with your instructor to find out the proper course of action to improve your game in the shortest amount of time.

1. Course Management – Do you need to hit driver every hole?  Make sure you are taking enough club on certain holes to avoid trouble short of the green. A player needs to know where you can and should miss the green. Ex: If you know you can miss the green right and you normally fade the ball, be aggressive – if you over cut it then you won’t be in trouble.
2. Make more putts – You have heard this 1,000 times so maybe now is the time to listen.  It is no secret, you make more putts, and you shoot lower scores. Think of how many “make-able” putts you miss (or even turn into 3 putts!) Now imagine making those – talk about dropping your handicap, who cares about adding 10 yards to your driver!
3. Know Your Limits Around the Green – Get good with one club at a time. If you chip with a bunch of different clubs, try just using one.  Get comfortable with using that club to hit chips, pitches, bump & runs, etc…  And stop trying to hit the impossible “Mickelson” flop if you don’t know how – it will just add 3 or 4 extra shots that hole!

Schedule a lesson today and let’s talk about how you can improve your game for the season.