Pros tend to place the club on the ground before taking their stance. The club should be square to your body — wherever you are in your backswing. Try stopping your club at a variety of positions in your swing to see where the head of the club is in relation to your body.

Gripping the club too tightly can lead to weak shots and a tendency to slice whereas a lighter grip enhances wrist hinge — a vital power source in the swing. This light pressure also increases the amount of clubface rotation, improving your chance of squaring the club at impact. On a scale from 1-10, aim for a pressure of 4 or 5. This allows the club to be swung with power and control. At address your hands and forearms should be tension-free.

Your head has to move or you’ll cause reverse weight shift in your swing. When your head is down, your leading shoulder cannot turn under your chin on the backswing. So the weight stays on the same side as your front foot. Your head should move with the swing, allowing a full shoulder and weight shift.

Most golfers when they slice the ball lose extension in the forward arm which mean on follow through both arms are separated from each other. Some teachers refer to this as “chicken winging” it. To avoid this make sure your forearms touch each other in the follow through. This closes your club face through the impact area and minimizes side spin on the ball. When you’ve exaggerated your release a few times, your arms should be ready to release in the right way, not quite touching.

Amateur golfers often fail to take into account the effect that a strong wind can have on the ball even on the green.

Get to the putting green on a dewy morning. Hit some putts and you’ll see their trail in the dew. This is a great way to reinforce your “feel” and to get a real idea of how the lie of the greens works.

If you’re temped to swing harder to compensate for the wind then you’re more likely to make poor contact because of poor balance, grip tension and lack of overall fluidity. Also, a hard swing will compress the ball more so it’ll spin less and get caught by the wind more. A well-struck ball with a more penetrating trajectory will be less affected by the win. So when it’s windy discipline yourself to use more club and swing easier.

When you have a bad lie always remember to play the safest shot you can to give yourself a chance to make the next shot.

If you watch a pro you’ll notice that they rarely hit the ball short. So always aim to play towards the top of the hole and if you’re getting your speed right the ball may even break into the hole even if your initial direction was a little off. Speed can strangely be actually more important in making a putt than direction, so practice getting it right.

Most high-scoring golfers make these sorts of decisions on autopilot — such decision making is very often the reason they remain high scorers. A club should be chosen by assessing the conditions, the obvious hazards of the hole and your own playing tendencies.

Lots of amateurs go for massive swing, the net result of which is usually loss of control. It’s much better to go for a short, wide swing. You should be able to get as much power in your shot as you need with a three quarter length backswing and the correct turn of your body.

A pro will often hold this position until the ball has actually stopped. It helps ensure that you are following through properly and that in turn ensures you’ll make clean contact. You can practice this in your garden without a ball. Concentrate on getting those hands high and pointing in the right direction.

If it’s windy and you need to make a 100y shot, you may want to try a half hit 4i and keep it low rather than raise a 9i into the ether and risk it being blown off course. By mastering half and three quarter length swings, you’ll gain greater flexibility around the course.

Sure, you lose distance but even on the longest and fiercest of par 5s you can hit the green with 4 decent iron shots. Two putts and you come away with a bogey. A gooey on each hole will soon have you heading closer to 90.

A narrow stance should make your swing a little steeper which is good for chipping because it helps ensure a downward strike on the golf ball. And a downward strike is the only way to make good contact. You should have plenty of balance because the swing is so short and you don’t need a lot of power.

Practice bunker shots regularly, then when you need them you’ll be prepared.

Amateurs on the course usually look for the flag and aim accordingly but pros often don’t really look at the flag, preferring to use taller items beyond the flag and objects in the foreground when lining up shots.

Here are some tips for getting the best out of your wedge:

  • Firstly, use just 70% of effort when you swing.
  • Keep your arms soft and relaxed.
  • Keep your chest turned away from the target during the swing and let your arms flow through the shot. Your shoulders will automatically line up with the target and your arms will follow the shoulder line directly to the pin.
  • For bunker shots onto the green, open the club face and imagine throwing sand underarm with your left arm all the way to the pin.
  • On all wedge shots, use a soft and semi-loose grip.
  • Align your shoulders with the lie for all shots.
  • The softer your arms are in the wedge swing, the more you’ll stroke the ball and master the club.
  • For tight lies, or when the ball is in a divot, plays the ball 2-3 inches back. This allows a steeper downswing and compresses the ball more quickly.
  • If you’re in the rough, the deeper it is the firmer your grip needs to be.
  • Keep your right foot planted firmly on the ground and let your arms flow.

The important thing to remember when playing off a slope is the position of your shoulders. Your shoulders need to be set to the slope of the hill.

When hitting from a downhill lie: the ball needs to be played towards the back of the stance. Open the face of the club slightly because the club face as a tendency to close on impact.

When hitting from an uphill lie: it should be played forward in the stance. Use more club to compensate for the added loft created by the angle of the hill.

When facing a water hazard, we try to lift it too much and invariably fluff the shot, usually by topping the ball. It’s natural to try too hard to lift it over the hazard and that’s why so many balls end up drowning. Instead aim to hit the ball downwards towards the water.

When considering the ideal ball position remember that what works for one person may not work for another — golf’s a peculiarly variable game. It depends on the arc of your swing, since the optimum ball position is at the very bottom of that swing arc. The ideal ball position is the spot from which you play your best golf and the only way to establish that is through trial and (lots of) error.

The anxiety of standing on the tee, being watched by your partners or clubhouse voyeurs, is often the culprit. It’s very easy to lose the gentle, smooth, rhythmic swing that you need to get the most out of your biggest club. Try this next time you’re at the driving range: use just your wedge and your driver. Take the wedge and hit a dozen or so smooth shots concentrating on hitting solidly and with control. Hit a few drives this way and then go back to using the wedge.

When you’re playing consistently well you need to learn from it. At setup look at your optimum ball position, and take a mental picture of it.

This routine should connect you more closely with your putter head and give you a much better feel for the greens. We don’t recommend you close your eyes when putting out on the course, but this is a great method of improving your touch and feel on the greens.

You can change the distance you hit off the tee by several yards by making a couple of adjustments of just a few inches. Try placing the ball on the tee an inch higher off the ground and about 4 inches ahead of your left heel. This means you’ll stay behind the ball longer, allowing extra time to add power. Doing this means that you’ll hit the ball higher and it will stay in the air longer — perfect if the wind’s behind you. You can also try widening your stance by a couple of inches to increase the length of your swing arc and create more club head speed on the downswing. The wider stance lowers your center of gravity and creates a lower ball trajectory; if you’re playing toward a strong wind this can come in very handy.

Finding yourself with a lie beneath your feet can be a real challenge. With good balance you still should be able to hit the ball solidly but you won’t be able to make a full powerful swing, so in this case you should over club slightly. Sit back rather more than usual in your stance by flexing your knees and getting a bit closer to the ball. The ball is likely to go left to right on this shot so aim to the left of your target to compensate or open the club face rather more than usual. Keep your knees flexed and let your arms dominate the swing to keep your balance. Swing smoothly and don’t overextend. Keep your weight back on your heels. It’s a tricky shot but if you concentrate on letting your arms do the work you can make it.

The extension position of your club through the backswing, the half way point where the club extends directly away from your target, is a critical moment in your swing. It’s here you’re establishing the arc of the swing and so how powerfully you’ll hit the ball. Many amateurs fail to use this extension properly and allow their wrists to cock too soon on the backswing. In addition they pull the club inside and around them rather than pointing it straight back.

The yips is an expression used to describe the sudden and inexplicable loss of certain motor skills in a number of different sports. If you do suddenly get struck by the putting yips remember it’s a mental issue not something caused physically. The brain isn’t sure what you’re trying to do so it makes your hands go soft or your elbows drop before impact.

Backspin is easier to apply with square-grooved irons on a soft-covered ball. To create the friction that spins the ball aim to hit the top-back quadrant of the ball — thus squeezing the ball against the turf for a fraction of a second. Position the ball a few cm further back than usual in your stance. You want firm wrists — this shot is played through the upper arms rather than flicked — so grip the club more tightly than normal. Swing through briskly with your arms as your legs and lower body move toward the target.