Best Golf Tips for the New Year

golf-practice-tips

Let's start the New Year off right. Before heading out for your next outing in the golf course communities in Gilbert, AZ, take a look at some of the top golf tips provided by our certified instructors

Driving
Increasing your flexibility is a great starting point to add distance to your drive. Limited mobility only hinders your golf swing. Practicing upper body, spine and leg flexibility will help your swing become smoother and in turn, help generate more power. Most amateur and pro golfers are able to turn their shoulders close to a perpendicular position at the top of a swing. Aim for this benchmark and you’ll be amazed at how turning 10-15 degrees effects your driving distance.  

The impact of the golf ball is crucial but sometimes difficult to determine. In comes this great and unconventional driving drill from GolfWRX. At a local convenience store, purchase a can of athlete’s foot spray powder. Spray the face of your driver (note: it will not damage the club and the spray can be easily removed with a wet towel) and make a plus sign by dividing the face into four quadrants. After your swing, check the face to determine where you have made impact on the club face and adjust accordingly. 

For distance control, approach your tee and try hitting balls with your driver only to the 100-yard flag or marker, then 125-yards, then 150, then 175, gradually moving to a normal distance for your driver. This will help you better understand driving distances and begin mastering your and placement for any par hole. 

Putting
To better improve your judgement of putting distance, practice with the Ladder Drill. On the practice greens, place a tee at 15 feet, 10 feet and five feet. The idea is to put your ball as close to each of these tees as possible. After a few rounds of the Ladder Drill, you’ll begin to have a better understanding of your power and distance control with your putts.

A popular putting drill by world-renowned golfer Tiger Woods, the gate putting drill helps improve your short game accuracy. Head to an open area on the practice green and place two tees a foot apart from each other. Then, practice putting the golf ball between the “gate” from five, 10 and 15 feet away. As you build your confidence and consistency, narrow the gate and repeat.

Strengthen your putting accuracy with the Path Putting Drill. Head to the putting green, find a flat stretch of turf and place two clubs parallel from each other on the ground, wide enough for you to place your putter between them. Set the ball at one end and then putt, trying to keep the ball rolling straight. If you hit one of the clubs, your swing is not following a straight target line. Aim to keep the putter head low and be sure to follow through. Before you know it, you will be sinking lengthy and accurate straight putts on the greens.

Iron Play
To get the most power out of irons, use your whole body to make contact with the ball and finish the swing. Using the power of your whole-body rotation will increase your distance, regardless of which iron you use.

Another common mistake is not taking a full backswing with iron shots. Limiting your swing can cause golfers to hit too steeply into the ball. When using longer irons, it’s important to use a sweeping, shallow motion to make contact with the ball and create less of a divot.

Here’s to another great year of golf on our two Nicklaus-designed golf courses. With these tips in mind, you will be well on your way to an improved golf game in the new year. If you would like personalized one-on-one instructions, give our Top 100 Golf Shop a call at (480) 983-1411.