Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Build your golf shot arsenal


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“There isn’t enough daylight in any one day to practice all the shots you need to practice.”
BEN HOGAN

On the golf course, success can come down to how many shots you are capable of hitting. When you play, it’s you versus the course. The golf course has bunkers, water hazards, trees, hills, undulations, rough, and tricky pin positions. Also, on any given day, you may have to deal with wind, rain, cold, heat, or wet course conditions.

On the course, every shot you’ll need to hit will consist of varying circumstances. The more shots you are capable of hitting, the better you will be. No matter what your skill or experience level, you can always try to learn new shots or improve on specific shots.

Examples of shots to practice:
Putting: short, mid-range, lag, breaking, off fringe
Chipping: with all irons, wedges
Pitching: all wedges
Specialty shots: flop, bladed wedge, wood from fringe
Bunker: greenside, fairway, buried lie, wet sand, fluffy sand
Irons: 1/2 swing, 3/4 swing, full swing, off tee
Woods: fairway, rough, off tee
Shaping the ball: fade, draw, slice, hook
Controlling trajectory: low, medium, high
Specialty: stinger, punch, knockdown, lay-up
Un-even stance: ball above or below feet
Lies: fairway, rough, divot, mulch, hardpan

The more shots you are capable of hitting, the better you will become. The crazier shots are also a lot more fun to practice than doing normal swing after normal swing on the range.