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In some of my golf tips I tell the story about playing a course which had severe fairway undulations. I could see where the course would be discouraging for recreational golfers. I seldom had a flat lie on the course. In fact, it was so hilly, I was almost always hitting from some kind of slope. More often than not, I was hitting down hill.

If you’ve ever played a course like this-and you probably have-you know how tricky hitting from a downhill lie can be. It’s especially difficult for recreational golfers, who are sometimes intimidated by a downhill slope and/or have little experience hitting from this type of lie. The resulting effort isn’t pretty and does nothing to lower the player’s golf handicap.

Hitting from a downhill slope is primarily a matter of making the right adjustments. I cover these in my golf lessons and golf tips but, obviously, there’s nothing like hitting from a down hill slope to learn how to do it.

Here are the 4 adjustments I recommend:

Tailor set-up for slope
Position ball back in stance
Swing with the slope
Chase ball down the slope Read the rest of this entry »

After mastering the concept of the tee shot, the next step as a golf instruction beginner is to move on to the short game and what are known as approach shots. For most people, these shots will be increasingly more difficult because they require more skill & patience than a simple tee shot.

There are a variety of approach shots, all of which are used in different situations depending on where your initial shot lands on the course. However, your intention with these shots is always to land on the green.

The pitch shot is an approach shot that is played from farther away than the other shots. Using a wedge, the ideal pitch shot is the perfect combination of enough swing momentum to carry your shot through, but not enough to send it sailing over the green. Trajectory will be low to average depending on how far you are from the cup and you want to make sure the ball doesn’t roll too far.

You must start off with a slightly open stance, positioning your right foot directly across from the ball. When following through on a pitch shot, always make sure to keep your backswing as short as you possibly can. Failure to keep your backswing in check will usually cause you to instinctively put the brakes on your shot while accelerating, which is a definite no-no. You want to have enough confidence in your wedge to let the club do the work for you: don’t think you have to assist the ball through the air. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have decided to take up golf as a hobby you will be rewarded with the benefits of fresh air, exercise, and the addition of many new friends and acquaintances. Like any project you approach in life your attitude and expectations will determine your enjoyment of the game.

Take stock of your personal traits. Are you overly competitive? If you are, remember the road to a low handicap is littered with bad shots, bunkers, water hazards and triple digit scores on your round. You will invest a lot of time in practice. Welcome every hook, slice and 3 putt as a learning opportunity. Even Tiger Woods needs a coach to help him with his game.

If you like to meet new people golf provides you with opportunities for social interaction. You will get to meet new people in a setting in which you both have an avid interest. This makes for easy conversation and more opportunities to improve your game. Most clubs offer single players the opportunity to play the round together, if you would prefer to play alone just mention this to the club pro when arranging your tee time. Read the rest of this entry »