Written by Scott Cranfield on Friday 21 September 2012
The golden rule in matchplay is to never give your opponent the hole. By keeping your ball in play, you force your opponent to make birdies to gain the advantage and often, this strategy will grind them down and force them into a mistake. This strategy applies off the tee (avoiding out of bounds and water hazards) but also in fairway...
Written by Scott Cranfield on Friday 21 September 2012
Letting your opponent know that you’re willing to be aggressive from every tee sends a signal of intent. You can do this most effectively on holes where the honour is theirs by pulling the driver from the bag and ensuring they notice you’ve done so. In this video tip from TG Elite Pro Scott Cranfield, our man highlights how you should...
Written by Scott Cranfield on Friday 21 September 2012
You can become unnecessarily frustrated in matchplay if you expect your opponent to give you a putt, only for them to stare at the floor quietly when you look over. This could lead to you making poor decisions or swings on the subsequent holes, giving your opponent the psychological upper hand. A way to prevent this is from the very start...
Written by Adrian Fryer on Friday 31 August 2012
In matchplay, your opponent can take confidence and strength from your weakness. If you hit a wayward shot and show your displeasure, your opponent will believe he has you on the racks and make a conscious effort to put the final nail in your coffin. But there’s a way you can stop this from happening, as TG Elite Pro Adrian Fryer...
Written by Adrian Fryer on Friday 31 August 2012
Momentum is key in matchplay. To that end, one must never assume a hole is won or your opponent is out of the hole until you’ve nailed that winning putt. A common way momentum is lost is when you hit your approach shot close only for your opponent to strike first with a lengthy birdie putt. This can sometimes leave you...
Written by Adrian Fryer on Friday 31 August 2012
Ernie Els’ Open Championship win at Royal Lytham brought into the public eye (excuse the pun) of Eye Doctor Sherylle Calder and more importantly, the role the eyes play in performing at the highest level. Recent research has shown that when the eyes are busy, looking around and taking in the surroundings, the mind is relatively still, which means you don’t...
Written by Adrian Fryer on Wednesday 1 August 2012
Our Elite Pro Adrian Fryer feels that too many people focus on one aspect of their swing during their pre-shot routine, and let that effect the real thing. So he has come up with these tips on the range at Royal Lytham and St. Annes to help you find that extra bit of consistency. First up is always make your last practice swing a...
Written by Karl Steptoe on Thursday 23 February 2012
When faced with a short putt we expect to hole, we can often become anxious and focus too much on the stroke because ours and our playing partner’s expectations are so high. A good way to combat this problem is to rank the putt on something other than if the putt is successful, as top sports psychologist Karl Steptoe explains in...
Written by Karl Steptoe on Thursday 23 February 2012
It’s not beneficial to be concentrating fully on our golf for the whole four hours during our round. Aspects of our pre-shot routine can be used as a trigger to switch our concentration on when we need it – when hitting golf shots. In this video tip, top sports psychologist Karl Steptoe also highlights crucial parts of the pre-shot routine you...
Thursday 9 February 2012
The mental side of the game has never been more important on Tour, as players eek every ounce of performance in order to compete at the highest level. Jon Finn, a former university lecturer and has produced a free document for todaysgolfer.co.uk users, to help you improve your mental attitude to the game. Finn has identified four tools to tackle...
Written by Adrian Fryer on Thursday 20 October 2011
When you find yourself with a bad lie in a bunker or up against a steep lip, it’s not difficult to rack up a big number and wreck your medal scorecard. So it might be worth taking a step back, considering your options and using the rules of golf to your advantage. As TG Elite Pro Adrian Fryer explains in this...
Written by Rob Watts on Friday 12 November 2010
Bad shots often occur when we spend too much time thinking about our technique when standing over the ball. During our swing we should be thinking about nothing other than executing the shot. If you start focusing on a certain swing move or feeling during the shot, it’s unlikely you have a successful outcome. A great way to separate the thinking and...
Written by Richard Ellis on Friday 24 September 2010
You’ve arrived for your weekly medal desperate to shoot a good score and get your handicap cut. So what should you do in those 20 crucial minutes before you tee off? In this video tip from TG Elite Teaching Pro Richard Ellis, we show you the best way to prepare for your own major championships. Use your time on the practice ground...
Written by Adrian Fryer on Tuesday 27 July 2010
Every golfer wants to pull off the impossible shot. The thought of playing stunning shots from around the green like the pros is usually too appealing to resist. But sometimes, the perfect shot is simply not an option and playing to the safe part of the green is actually the strategy that will lead to a lower score on that hole! So if you want to cut...
Written by Adrian Fryer on Friday 16 July 2010
Understanding when to attack flags and when to play to the safe side of the green is what separates the sensible from the stupid! On every approach shot, you need to take into consideration all the relevant factors around the flag: hazards, slopes and thick rough for example. More often than not, playing to the centre of the green will still give...
Written by Adrian Fryer on Friday 16 July 2010
Going straight for the pin from greenside sand is not always the best way to record the lowest possible score on a given hole. Sometimes, if the lie is bad or the slope between us and the pin is severe, the prudent play is to actually aim away from the flag. Take the risk out of the shot with this bunker course...
Written by TG Instruction Editor on Thursday 3 June 2010
Do you feel stiff every time you step on the first tee? There’s absolutely no way we can play to the best of our ability right from the start if we haven’t warmed up and stretched our body properly before we play. With this in mind, we’ve brought in fitness guru to the stars Rob Hillman, the European Tour Physio Unit...
Written by Jamil Qureshi, Psychology Expert on Wednesday 24 February 2010
We all know it’s been a shocking winter for us golfers. The great thing about golf is that it’s supposed to be a sport you can play all year round. But playing in conditions that are bad even for winter can be a frustrating pastime. But how can you turn this into an enjoyable experience? There are a few things...
Written by Dan Frost on Friday 9 October 2009
Although it’s not ideal, we rarely have any regrets about stepping out of our cars and onto the first tee without any kind of warm-up because, quite simply, we just want to play golf! But thanks to TG’s Dan Frost, you don’t have do a stressful warm-up routine. You can go from your car to the tee and hit your first...
Written by Stanley Popovich on Tuesday 18 August 2009
Your fears, anxieties, and other problems have the best of you and you don’t know where to turn for help. Your golf game is starting to go south as a result of the stress and anxieties. In these cases, some golfers will use alcohol or other substances to feel better. So what do you do to make your problems and fears...