This is the second of two articles on fixing your game when things go bust. The first article covers driving, iron play, and the short game. This article covers putting and sand play. Like the first article, this article has golf tips to improve the problem areas. No one plays well all the time. No matter how low your golf handicap, sooner or later you will have some problems. Even the pros go thru rough patches now and then. When they do, they work hard on correcting their problem areas. That's why you often find pros working on their games long after playing in a tournament. When things go bust, you must fix your game, if you want to achieve—and keep—a low golf handicap The first step in fixing your game is determining problem areas. Once you've done that, you can develop a game plan designed to abolish swing flaws. Lastly, you must work on ingraining technique. Determining your problem areas does you no good if you don't correct them. Below are some areas of your game to examine when things go bust. We've also provided some golf tips to help streamline practices. Ups and Downs When you miss greens, you must be prepared to play different shots. The only thing you should think about after missing a green is making par. Scrambling up and down trims strokes from your golf handicap. When facing a chip shot, think in terms of two techniques—hitting the ball with a closed clubface or an opened clubface. Use your closed clubface when you want to run the ball or hit from hardpan. Use your open clubface when close to the pin or from long rough. Also, use the club's leading edge, not the toe, to determine the club's true angle. At practice, spread balls at various spots off the green and then chip them on the green. Experiment with different shots to get the feel of each. While taking golf lessons and reading golf tips in magazines are also good ways to improve your chipping, the best way is to practice chipping as much as possible. The best chippers are self-taught. Rough Escapes Shots that miss the green often find the rough. Previously, players used the sand wedge from the rough. Today, players have the 60-degree wedge. They need to use their imaginations a lot less. The key for playing from the rough with the 60-degree wedge is follow-through. Good rough players complete their follow-through. Poor rough players don't. Don't get so concerned about getting out of the thick stuff that you stop at contact. Also, try to prevent your right-hand (left-hand for lefties) over the other hand. Keep the clubface open and you'll get more height on your shots. Lag Putting Lag putting is all about pace. Golf tips in sports magazines agree. To lag put well, read the green before getting to it. You want to see the fall of the ground before you reach the hole. Also, after determining your line, make a few practice strokes while looking at the pin. When you look at the target, it sends signals to your brain to move your arms and shoulders the correct speed to putt the ball the right distance. This doesn't happen when taking practice strokes with your head down. Golfballs.com Putting Some say that the key to putting is maintaining the triangle formed by your forearms and hands during your stroke. Others say that it's confidence. More than likely it's a combination of the two. By keeping the keeping the triangle intact, you eliminate al wrist action, which can kill a putt—short or long. Instead, power your stroke with the muscles in your shoulders. If your wrists push the putter past your hands, you won't be able to control distance putts. Practice with a metronome for rhythm. Or try putting with your eyes closed. It forces you to visualize the stroke and helps feel and speed. Hopefully, these two articles give you a game plan to implement when things go bust. And trust they will. Like the pros, you'll experience a rough patch when it comes time to playing. But if you stop to fix your game, you'll never go bust. Pre-empting major problems before you ingrain bad habits keeps your golf handicap low. Copyright (c) 2009 Jack Moorehouse
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