"Everybody can get better on 15 minutes per day."
"You can even get better on 5 minutes per day."
Tom Tucker, Unrenowned Golf Coach 😄
Tom's Featured Tip: Five Shots To Avoid
Lesson Comments: What Students Have To Say
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Five Shots To Avoid
The Best Training Aid For Indoor or Outdoor Practice
The Divot Board
This is the most useful ball striking development training aid that I own.
Five Shots To Avoid
For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.
In a round of golf, it's logical to expect a few mistakes. We all miss putts, hit shots into bunkers, and choose the wrong club for the shot.
Then we all think back on those bad choices and say "why the heck did I do that?", after the mistake turns into a double bogey.
Here’s a look at five high risk shots that can ruin your score, and what to do instead.
- Cutting the corner on a dogleg
Dogleg holes are designed to test your decision making. You’re standing on the tee and you see the opportunity. If you can hook one around the trees or cut the corner, you’ll have a short wedge into the green.
The reward is tempting but the risk is high. If you don’t shape the shot perfectly, you might catch a tree and end up blocked out from the green.
Do this instead:
Just play the hole the way it was designed. Aim for the fat part of the fairway and give yourself a clear look at the green. The only exception is: if your natural shot shape fits the hole, go ahead and use that to your advantage.
- Punching through that tiny window in the trees
Your tee shot ended up in the woods. One option is to punch out sideways, the other takes you through a small gap in the trees and leaves your ball close to the hole. That small gap in the trees looks just wide enough for your shot, but it’s risky.
The problem is that most golfers don’t even have the required skill to hit the ball through that gap.
Do this instead:
Unless the gap is wide and it’s a shot you’ve practiced, grab a club and just get the ball back to the fairway on a line that's the shortest and safest. Take double bogey off the table, even if it means accepting a bogey.
Keep in mind that the farther away that “window” in the trees is, the harder it is to hit. If the gap is close and directly in front of you, your alignment and control odds improve and it might be worth the risk.
- Taking on a forced carry with a club you don’t trust
Forcing shots in golf almost always doesn’t always work out. There’s also the issue of not being sure of your carry distance or total distance, but rangefinders help in that regard. When you have to force something with a club you don’t trust and there’s water in front of the green, it’s probably not worth it.
Do this instead:
Take a safer line, even if it means laying up, especially if you don't have 100% confidence in the club you would need to use. This also requires that you know how far the ball will carry with each of your clubs. That's "must have" knowledge in any event.
- The hero flop instead of a bump and run
When there is nothing between you and the pin and it’s easy to hit a club that you can bump on the green and let it run to the pin, take that shot. If you are reaching for your highest lofted wedge to hit that pretty “hero” shot when you could keep it simple, it’s a mistake.
Do this instead:
KISS - Keep it simple stupid.
Use a less lofted club and play a bump and run. You’ll make cleaner contact, get better rollout, and avoid turning par into double.
- Being too aggressive on downhill putts
Aggressiveness on these putts turn into three-putts in a heartbeat.
Do this instead:
Get a grip on your intentions. Forget about making it, just lag it to the hole. Some will drop, and you'll three-putt less. Aggressiveness on these puts has a poor return on investment.
Try it, you'll like it!
Email Comments: to TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer, The Stack and Tilt Swing
Love your practice, own your swing, own your health, and remember that golf is a game of discovery. Dont be afraid to experiment when you practice, it's good for your golfing brain.
Tom
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Sponsors and Affiliates
Buying a sponsored product through any of my affiliate links helps support this free newsletter, and I only affiliate with excellent products that I use myself. Thanks, Tom
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Click here to buy your Divot Board to drastically improve your ball-striking. Combine your Divot Board practice and putting practice with the included putting lesson drills, and watch your scoring improve1. And make sure to check out their new turf mats, I think they copied what I did - but in a better way!
Use your club or hand to re-set the board after your strike
Click here to buy now for outstanding Ball-Striking practice feedback
BONUS: when you buy through the newsletter link above, you'll also receive free access to my Putting Lesson Videos ($60 value) which cover: The Elevated Aimline Drill, The Squareness Awareness Drill, The Aimline Accuracy Drill, The Stock Putting Stroke Drill, The Barrier Drill, The Short Putt Channel Drill, and more.
Click here to buy your Fiberbuilt Golf Flight Deck Practice Station. (Editor's note: Order through Amazon Prime instead of through the manufacturer's site and you'll save around $100)
If you are looking for the most robust portable hitting station that money can buy, the Fiberbuilt Golf Flight Deck Practice Station fits the bill.
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SuperSpeedGolf.com Buy now and get to work on increasing your swing speed now.
Club Champion Don't waste another dollar on clubs until you've gone through a fitting at Club Champion, 1669 Pittsford Victor Rd., Suite 400, Victor NY 14564. Call Master Fitter & Builder Jeff St. John. PGA work: (585) 978-8513, cell: (585) 831-2292 to schedule your fitting today1 Mention my name and you'll get special attention.
Train with a Rypstick to improve your swing speed and gain more distance off the tee. If the versatility of three different swing weights in one club appeals to you, this is your swing speed training aid of choice.
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Click here Rypstick.com to buy now, and make sure that you enter TOMTUCKERGOLF (case sensitive) in the Discount code box when you check out to receive a 5% discount.
All the best,
Tom Tucker
Teaching Professional, Batavia Country Club
WGTF ' "Top 100 Golf Teacher"
USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
IGPA Certified Golf Psychology Coach
Cell: (716) 474-3005
Email: TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com
"There are no substitutes in the quest for perfection1"
~ Ben Hogan