8 Tips That Every Golfer Forgets

We can all be guilty of overcomplicating the game of golf at times, and often keeping it simple and listening to the best tips can really help us to improve. This list of the eight tips that every golfer forgets is certainly not rocket science, but it does hone in on some of the key areas you may be neglecting in your preparation, practice and golf swing.

In this video and article, we asked Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Katie Dawkins to remind us of the things we may have forgotten along the way...

8 Tips That Every Golfer Forgets

Grip pressure

Grip pressure is one of those things that is easily forgotten about. Setting the perfect golf grip is important but crucially, it shouldn’t too be too tight. This is easy to overlook especially as the pressure mounts and tension naturally creeps into your grip.

If you hold the club too tightly your forearms will become tense and you’ll lose the fluidity and rhythm that’s so important. A good way to think of grip pressure is as if you are holding a tube of toothpaste. You should be holding it tight enough to be in control without being too tight so the toothpaste comes out. This is a light grip pressure and exactly what we’re looking for.

Golf Swing... Not Hit!

This is quite a basic mistake that so many amateurs make, as they give into the urge to hit the golf ball as hard as they can and lose all of that effortless rhythm and tempo you see in tour pro golf swings.

This can create a big problem, as when your tempo gets too quick you are less likely to get a clean strike. To improve this, make a few practice swings with your feet together. This will force you to swing within yourself, and ultimately slow down, or you could end up flat on your face. Add this to your pre-shot routine and focus on a smooth and steady swing through the ball.

Alignment

Alignment is crucial for better ball striking, but often amateur golfers forget how to aim correctly. It's important to remember that it's the clubface, not the body, that sets the alignment. I have seen plenty of players set the club pointing at the target, but then adjust their body angle before hitting the ball – throwing everything out of whack.

In an attempt to point themselves at the target, they create a closed stance which can cause an inside takeaway. This results in an over the top golf swing, so make sure you focus on your setup before you even think about hitting the golf ball.

Landing spot

A habit so many golfers get into over time is pulling out the lob wedge every time they miss the green, but playing those impressive high-flighted flop shots might bring in more risk than is necessary. Hitting a chip and run, where possible, might be a more sensible option and it could increase the number of times you get up and down from around the green.

Picture yourself on the side of the green, with a golf ball in your hand, making an under-arm throw toward the target. Where would that ball land? Chances are it finds the flattest part of the green and rolls out towards the pin. Choosing a club that most accurately represents that flight is definitely the way to go with your short game.

Posture

While the importance of good posture in golf is no secret, it can be easy to slip into quite 'lazy' positions, especially as the round wears on. To test your posture, take your normal set-up position and try to lift your heels and toes. This will show you where your weight distribution is.

If you aren't able to achieve this without falling over, you posture is most likely off. Reset with the weight on the balls of your feet, and try it again.

Fried Egg Drill

The tip golfers forget when it comes to how to play bunker shots is to strike the sand, not the ball. In fact, this is the only shot on golf where you are not trying to strike the ball first. Instead, you should be looking to hit the sand before the ball so it makes sense to address the area you are looking to strike. 

In practice, draw a circle around your ball (the ball is the yolk in the middle) and address the part of the egg that’s furthest from the target. This is where you are looking to strike. Through impact you should take out the whole egg! This way the ball should emerge onto the green on a nice cushion of sand!

Playing Smart

Something we all forget from time to time is that we don't have take on flags that are tucked away. It is all too easy to see the flag and then go into auto-pilot thinking about other areas of the game. However, playing for the middle of the greens maybe the fastest route to lower scores. If you need convincing, try playing for the middle of the green on every approach in your next round. See what it does to your scoring!

Pre-Shot Routine

Having a pre-shot routine is something all the best players in the world put so much importance on, yet amateurs often neglect this crucial part of the game, or have simply forgotten one they previously had.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach but it is worth developing one that works for you. Here's a rough breakdown of what to focus on... 

- Stop and think about the shot: assess the lie, calculate the distance taking into consideration the conditions, think about the club and shot you want to hit

- Rehearse: make some practice swings thinking about the shot you want to hit and trying to recreate the swing required

- Execute: get into your address position and have a trigger that is consistent so you don't freeze over the ball