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 But if you’ve resolved to get your golf game in shape this year, we can help. Here are some tips from Southland golf pros that could lead to lower scores in the next 12 months. 1. PLAY MORE “I think it’s really important that people take time for themselves and get out one more time a week or month. Most people today are so busy. But, in the long run, playing more will help everybody. Everything’s so fast-paced that people forget to slow down and do something for themselves.” Rodney Young, general manager, Desert Willow Golf Resort 2. PRACTICE AFTER YOUR ROUND “If you’ve hooked six shots left of the green, you’ve got something to work on. Look at professional events — everyone’s on the tee after their round working on what went wrong.” James Saenz, head professional, SilverRock Resort 3. LEARN TO READ GREENS “There’s a big misconception about being a good putter. Yes, you need a good stroke, but you’ve got to know how to read a green. Look at the land behind the green. How is the land flowing? Is it going to the ocean? Is it moving away from the mountains? Also, when in doubt, double your read. If you’re thinking of playing your putt two balls to the right, try four, because you’re not always going to make that perfect two-ball-out stroke every time.” Tom Endy, general manager, Rancho San Marcos Golf Course 4. Have Realistic Expectations “Golf is not the easiest of games. You can’t just step up and expect to ace the diamond run. To better enjoy the game you must come to terms with your ability level and the amount of effort you put forth. You can’t expect to be Tiger Woods if you play two or three times a year. You need to be patient when you’re on the golf course. Ben Hogan knew he’d only hit five quality shots a round. It was how he managed the rest of them that made a difference.” Eric Lohman, general manager, Black Gold Golf Course 5. CARE LESS “How many times have you been shooting as bad as you can and, over the last five or six holes, you say to yourself: ‘I don’t care any more.’ Then, all of a sudden, you stripe four or five pars and a birdie and you wonder what happened.” Rand Veal, director of golf, Desert Princess Country Club 6. INCREASE YOUR FLEXIBILITY “Start addressing it while you’re still young, because eventually it’ll go away. Limited flexibility affects everything: distance, accuracy, you name it. I suggest lots of stretching. Also, Pilates is great.” Chris Schwartz, head professional, Morgan Run Resort and Club 7. PRACTICE PERFECTLY “Practice, practice, practice … with a purpose.” Ted Debus, head professional, Alta Vista Country Club 8. GO IN REVERSE “If you’re going to learn to play golf correctly you need to learn how to putt and then work your game backwards to the driver. The driver is the hardest club to control, but it’s not a club you score with.” Bob Johns, director of golf, Dad Miller Golf Course 9. TAKE IT EASY “A lot of people think that if they swing harder and use their arms they’ll hit it farther. But that’s not the case. You must use your whole body and increase your swing arc. You’ll hit it farther if you use all your weight as opposed to the weight of your arms and hands. To increase your swing arc, keep the club low to the ground as long as possible in your takeaway.” Stan Gonzalez, head professional, Menifee Lakes Country Club 10. LISTEN UP “Golf is a game of precision. Ben Hogan compared it to playing a complex piece of music. No one who seriously wants to play music would sit down at the piano and start hammering keys in hope of finding the right sequence. But golfers do exactly that. To improve at this game, find a teacher who not only knows the game but is able to convey it to you in a clear and interesting fashion. Finding such an instructor is the key.” Brock Shafer, assistant professional, Oak Quarry Golf Club 11. GET FITTED FOR CLUBS “Ninety percent of golf is getting fitted correctly. It doesn’t have to be very technical. Just getting the lie, loft and length correct with the right shaft flex will take you a lot farther than buying it off the rack. Plus, a lot of the club manufacturers have great new technologies coming out and most people will fit you for free.” Byron Smith, director of golf, Eagle Glen Golf Club 12. GET THE BALL TO THE HOLE “Ninety-five percent of putts left short don’t go in. To get it there, visualize that the hole is 6 to 8 inches past where the actual hole is.” Joe Williams, head professional, The Golf Resort at Indian Wells 13. CHANGE YOUR PAR “The average golfer is about a 20-handicap, so if they played golf courses to a par of 90, they’d have the chance to break their own par. Less than 1 percent of all golfers are going to attain the goal of breaking par. Golf is a game. Games are supposed to be fun. So have fun at the game.” Jeff Sauvage, club manager, Escena Golf Club 14. PICK YOUR FRIENDS WISELY “They say if you play with better players, you’ll play better, too. No, you’ll feel inferior. I mean, are you going to play basketball with the Lakers if you’re 5-2?” Eddie Fierro, head professional, Montebello Golf Course 15. WORK ON YOUR TEMP “You can have a great swing, but if your tempo isn’t right, you’re not going to hit the ball very well. The Medicus (a training aid with hinges in the shaft) is good for tempo. Also, a drill I like is to set up 10 balls on a tee, space them apart in a line and hit each one without stopping your swing. Also, a good mental thought would be to think ‘low and slow’ as you start your backswing.” Kerry Rapelje, Diamond Valley Golf Club 16.SHOULDER THE LOAD “When someone gets tired late in the round, the first thing they should check is their shoulder turn to make sure they’re doing the same thing they were early in the round. People tend to reduce their shoulder turn late in the round because they’re trying so hard to make crisp contact that their swing becomes an arm swing. When that happens, their shoulder turn is reduced by half, their arms come down and they struggle. As soon as you can get that full shoulder turn you’ll hit the ball crisp again and be back in the game.” Steve Vaquera, head professional, Sandpiper Golf Course 17.PRACTICE YOUR SHORT GAME “Practicing your short game isn’t sexy, but there are so many shots devoted to putting and chipping. If a player spent their time practicing around the green, their scores would drop. This year spend 20 minutes on basic chipping, 20 minutes on rescue shots and 20 minutes on putting — in that order.” Mark Tansey, president, Sunrise Golf 18. GET SOME HELP “Play more golf, but before you do that, take a short-game lesson.” Eric Horve, director of instruction, Tustin Ranch Golf Club - PHOTOS BY EDDIE MEEKS |
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