Peter Boyce, resident and Canadian PGA member, and Jason Whitehill, Director of Golf
Q. I know I have to practice to improve my game, so how many balls should I hit in each session?
A. It, of course, depends on the amount of time but if you have lots, between 80 and 100 balls would be a good practice session as long as you remember two things. First, take time to think out each shot before you swing and don’t be a machine gun. Rushing through a bucket of balls is useless and probably will increase your tempo instead of smoothing it out. Secondly, if you are having problems, hit shots with half your normal swing speed as it will help you to regain the feeling of what your body does to strike the ball squarely. Also practice with wedges and nine irons as smaller swings are easier to control and contribute to better scoring. Alignment rods are a good addition to any practice session.
Q. I know that I should try to take approximately two inches of sand on a normal bunker shot but no matter how much I concentrate, I always take more which results in very inconsistent shots. What is going wrong?
A. We see this all the time when teaching the sand shot. The cause of hitting behind the intended spot is a combination of keeping the weight on the back foot and involuntarily tilting your spine angle back away from the target. It looks like a scooping action that can be corrected by keeping your weight on the front foot and head completely still during the entire swing. Usually the golfer is afraid of catching the ball first and hitting it over the green and just tries to help the ball out of the bunker. Stay still with weight on the front foot as the ball is positioned forward in your stance and finish your swing. Always swing as though you are splashing the sand out of the bunker. Your knees should remain flexed throughout the entire swing too.
Q. I am new to the game and I continually top the ball with my irons and it runs along the ground. What am I doing wrong?
A. As you begin to feel your golf swing (it is not a hit) you will realize that to launch the ball with an iron, the path of the club head must be down and through to your finish position. Most novices try to scoop the ball into the air and this usually results in the ball being hit with the bottom edge of the club as it moves upward. Remember that the perfect iron shot is made when the club head strikes the bottom portion of the ball and the turf at the same time resulting in a divot after the strike. Every golfer has a different angle of attack so it is not necessary to take a big chunk of turf; just move the grass after impact.
Q. I have yet to embrace the hybrid but my two-iron flies about 200 yards, then fades about five yards and then drops softly. What should I do?
A. Turn Pro!
For more help with your game – see your PebbleCreek Golf Professionals
Questions? Please contact the PebbleCreek Golf Professional Staff.