Five Ways To Get Better At Golf

Are you fed up of feeling like you're not reaching your potential? Maybe you have just purchased a new driver, irons or putter - but you still aren't seeing the results that you had hoped for. There can be many reasons why you don't get better at golf, and this can quickly become demoralising. If this sounds like you, we have five simple golf tips to help you get your handicap down and set you back on the path to improvement.

1) Practice

So, how do you actually get better at golf? The simple answer is, practice. 

Yes it's an obvious one but ask yourself this, how often do you actually practice? It can be difficult to find the time, but dedicating half an hour here and there will help you to start making progress.

On that note, it is important to distinguish what we mean by practice. Ideally, practice doesn't mean going to the range and aimlessly bashing your way through a bucket of balls.

You need to practice with intent, imagining shots and playing them with the same mindset and precision that you would like to achieve on the golf course. For example, when at the driving range, try and play your home course. Imagine each shot, aim at different 'greens' and give yourself a clear point system to assess how you've done. This will allow you to practice with purpose.

2) Focus On Course management

There are a number of golfers whose sole aim in golf is just to hit the ball as far as possible, and that eventually leads to one or two disasters throughout a round. Golfers are always going to make bad swings, including the professionals, but it's how you recover from a bad swing that often makes all the difference.

Most 18 handicappers have the ability to play off 12-14, but it's those pesky double and triple bogeys that eventually become costly. One of the main reasons why golfers choose to be as aggressive as possible is because they simply don't have the confidence in their games to play the percentages.

Consider a par-4 that you regularly double bogey or worse at your local course. Perhaps the best way to play it would be to take a hybrid off the tee and play it as a par-5? Give it a go and see how you get on - you might even surprise yourself with a cheeky bonus 4 before long.

3) Be Confident

Confidence is a huge part of playing good golf. While it's difficult to be confident on the course, especially when it's not going well, being hard on yourself won't solve your problems. Thinking you're going to miss a green, or hit a bad shot, disengages the mind from the job in hand and that's where bad swings come from. You need to believe in the shot you're about to hit.

Visualisation is a great tool. Imagine the ball flight and where you want it to land, as the mind works better when it's focused on a clear target. This again links to point one, and the necessity for purposeful practice. If you practice specific shots on the range, or at the short game area, you will give yourself a much better chance of hitting them on the course and build confidence that you can replicate good shots. If you don't believe you are going to hit a good shot, chances are you won't.

4) Invest In Some Lessons

If you haven't had a lesson with your PGA Pro before, or some time has passed since you last had a check-in, remember it's never too late to be pro-active about your improvement. Finding a good coach will not only help you to understand the areas you need to improve, but also help to shape your practice time, provide an opportunity to measure progress and clearly see results.

It may be that you focus on the perfect ball position for every club or how to get a straight left arm in your golf swing, but just having the safety net of a qualified coach to help you navigate the process will certainly pay dividends in the long run.

5. Build your fitness levels

Playing golf has many physical and psychological benefits for players, but maintaining a good level of physical fitness can help to prevent fatigue creeping in to your swing later in a round. The architecture of many of the top golf courses around the world, including some of the Top 100 courses in the UK and Ireland, will naturally test your fitness levels if you walk the full 18 holes. Setting aside time to complete some specific golf exercises could help you stay competitive and enjoying your round for longer.

Some of the best golf workouts can be carried out using the equipment at your local gym, or even adapted to allow you to complete at home with minimal or no equipment.