High handicap golfers are often searching for the key to shooting lower scores... and I think we might have found it.
Seve Ballesteros is one of the greatest golfers of all time, with a legacy that continues to inspire amateurs and professionals all around the world.
7 Timeless Golf Tips From Seve Ballesteros
These tips are taken straight from the incredible Golf Monthly archive and were originally shared by Seve Ballesteros in December 1982.
The words are unchanged from the issue published more than four decades ago, maintaining the authenticity and quality of Seve's tips in the hope that they will help you to play better golf today.
Seve Ballesteros is a true legend of the game and one of the greatest players ever to play golf. As well as being a five-time Major champion, Seve was successful all around the world winning a record 50 times on the European Tour and being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999. Seve sadly passed away in 2011, but his legacy lives on as he continues to inspire golfers at all levels of the game.
1. High Finish
It is important to go for a high finish with the hands. A high finish indicates that the swing has been a good one.
A flat finish often indicates that there has been a fault in the takeaway. It is the takeaway that dictates what happens later in the swing.
So, if you are not getting a high finish to your swing, check that you may be doing something wrong in the takeaway. If the takeaway is too quick, or too upright, then you get a flat finish.
Aim for a high finish with the hands, just like Seve!
2. The Right Knee
I have noticed that a lot of handicap golfers do not bring the right knee quickly enough into the downswing.
They are too slow with their right knee as they come into the ball and so they are not in the correct position at impact.
Obviously they have never practised good right knee action on the downswing. What they do not realise is that the quicker you move the right knee coming from the top of the swing, the more speed you give to the club face at impact. It is very important.
3. Low Flying Shot
Sometimes you may want to keep the flight of the ball low when playing from the fairway to the green. To do this there are four things you should do. They are:
- Take one club more than you normally would, i.e. a 5-iron instead of a 6-iron.
- Hold the club a little further down from the top of the shaft than you normally do.
- Stand a little bit closer to the ball than you do in your normal stance, and
- Make your swing slightly less than full.
Seve Ballesteros was a master at controlling his ball flight
4. High Flying Shot
Sometimes you may want to hit a high-flying shot—to make the ball fly higher than it normally does with the club you are using. To get this extra height of flight you should do four things:
- Hold the club right at the very end of the shaft.
- Stand a little bit further away from the ball than you normally do.
- Make a bigger swing arc than you normally do, and
- Concentrate on making a big, high finish.
5. Grip And Wrist Action
Keep the left wrist firm at the start of the backswing.
This helps to put your swing in the right plane. I say "firm" but not "stiff". The wrist has to start cocking during the backswing. If it is held stiff it will not do that.
Also guard against a quick cock of the wrists. Some players cock the wrists right at the start of the back-swing. This can make them have a very narrow, tight, restricted backswing, often with too quick a lift in it.
The smooth, silky action of Seve Ballesteros - something most amateurs (and professionals) would love to replicate
6. Playing In A Crosswind
When there is a crosswind some players try to play into the wind—trying to draw the ball into a left-to-right wind, and trying to fade the ball into a right-to-left wind.
I do not agree with this way of playing because I think it is too difficult to control the shots when you play this way.
It is much better, I think, to play with the wind, not against it. And it is a much simpler way to play.
If the wind is right-to-left then all you have to do is to aim a little bit to the right and leave it to the wind to bring the ball back to your target. If the wind is left-to-right then all you have to do is aim a little bit to the left.
7. Curing Stiffness
Some handicap golfers get very stiff when trying something new on the practice ground. Others get very stiff every time they stand to a golf ball.
They are very rigid before they start the clubhead back from the ball. So there is no way in which they can make a good swing.
If you have this problem then you should make a few waggles of the clubhead just before starting the backswing. This keeps the body and the arms moving a little bit, and so take tension and stiffness out of the shot.
Seve Ballesteros with the Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship in 1984 - two years after this article was originally published
When Did Seve Ballesteros Reach World No.1?
Seve Ballesteros first reached number one in the Official World Golf Rankings in 1986, spending a total of 61 weeks in that position.
Seve maintained a top-10 position from 1977 to 1991, aided by 90 professional wins worldwide including five Major Championships.
He won the European Tour order of merit six times and is the current record holder for most European Tour wins (50).
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