Tip No.8 Putting/ Putter Face

When putting it s important to remember that we want to hit every putt like a straight putt. This means that we should first of all work out what is the intended starting line and have a clear picture of it. Once we have done so we should set up to hit the putt along the intended starting line ignoring the hole. Your putters need to stay square to the starting line you have chosen and not drift open or closed towards the hole. For right handed players ask yourself how many times you come up short and on the low side when hitting a left to right breaking putt? This is because the putter face has opened up towards the hole therefore losing power and direction. Try placing two shafts on either side of the ball with room for your outer to swing through. Aim the shafts at your starting point and practice hitting putts through keeping the face square to the starting point. For any feedback, specific topics or advice email me at walkleygolf@gmail.com

Tip No.7 Clubface

Surprisingly the clubface is an often overlooked aspect of our golf games. Learning how to aim the clubface correctly and have it return to square at impact are two of the most important factors of a good shot. When next lining up make sure you use the clubface (leading edge) first to ensure your clubface aim is not affected by the way your body is facing. Use the clubface to then help aim your body. To test if you can square the clubface at impact swing the club nice and easy to waist high in your backswing and through to waist high in your forward swing and see if you can get a soft straight ball flight, if not the flight of the ball will tell you if the face is open or closed. For any feedback, specific topics or advice email me at walkleygolf@gmail.com

Tip No.6 Black and White balls

So many of us now use a line on the ball in particular for lining up putts. Try making a line all of the way around the equator of the ball with a marker pen and then colour in one side black to produce a black and white ball. Use this ball to practice your putting, chipping, pitching and bunker shots lining up the ball with the line around the ball facing the target meaning the black and white sections will be upright on either side of the ball facing the target. When hitting any of the above shots try to keep the black and white sides of the ball looking the same throughout the shot. If you can’t achieve this you are putting too much sidespin on the ball and need to keep practicing until you can keep the black and white sides the same. For any feedback, specific topics or advice email me at walkleygolf@gmail.com

Tip No.5 Posture

Posture is so important to a good golf swing. The better your posture is and the more athletic you are in your set up before you get the club moving the easier it is to keep the club and your body where you want it throughout the swing. To get better posture try standing straight up with your hands on your hips and your feet shoulder width apart, tip forward from the hips creating a good angle between your lower and upper body. Then add a little knee flex and let your arms hang. A similar feeling in other sports is digging in volleyball or getting ready to dive into the swimming pool. For any feedback, specific topics or advice email me at walkleygolf@gmail.com

Tip No.4 Driving

Driving the ball is such an important part of the game. The basic principle of the golf swing does not change when you get your longest, straightest faced club in your hand, it does however become a little harder to control as all angles get longer and the ac of your swing is at its longest as well. To help counteract this we need to stay in control of our swing with the driver and feel more like we are just swinging a 7 iron, modern technology has made this possible with much better shafts and oversized heads now available. Make sure the ball is positioned near your front big toe for driving and that half the ball is above the top line of the driver on the tee allowing for an upward blow into the ball. For any feedback, specific topics or advice email me at walkleygolf@gmail.com

Tip No.3 Getting the ball in the air

It is often a misconception in golf that we need to try and lift the ball into the air. I have encountered a lot of my students over the years trying to lift the ball by flicking the club at the ball and leaning back onto their back foot trying to get the ball into the air. The opposite is actually needed to get the ball into the air, for iron shots and chip shots in particular it is a downward blow with the club and your weight moving forward through the ball ending up forward that will get the ball into the air. For any feedback, specific topics or advice email me at walkleygolf@gmail.com

Tip No.2 Storing energy and turning

Storing and releasing energy through a golf swing is so important to creating a repetitive and powerful swing. If your body is moving the wrong way making it makes it very difficult for your energy to be stored and released correctly. This incorrect body motion is commonly referred to as a reverse pivot.

A really good drill to help to start to fix this problem is to get into your normal golf posture and place your club across your chest horizontal to the ground. For a right handed player practice turning the centre of your body over the top of your right knee trying to keep the shaft of the club level to the ground. When you reach this position most of your weight (around 80%) should now on the inside of your right foot with your left foot flat if you can. Once you can achieve this rotate your body forward around your left leg. In this position close to 100% of your weight should now be on the inside of you left foot with your right foot naturally coming up on its toe. For any feedback, specific topics or advice email me at walkleygolf@gmail.com

Tip No.1 Mirror Work

For those of you who do not have a lot of time to practice I have a solution for you. One of the most important things in building a repetitive golf swing is bringing what you think you are doing and what you are actually doing as close together as possible. Try practising in front of a mirror or window a couple of times a week watching the movements that you are trying to make. This will ensure that what you think you are doing and what you are actually doing are getting very close to being the same thing. It will also help you to fast track your correct muscle memory as seeing what you are doing when you do it really helps. For any feedback, specific topics or advice email me at walkleygolf@gmail.com