Get A Major Boost From Tee To Green With This Masters Champion's 5 Timeless Tips
The 2003 Masters Champion shares five timeless tips that will help you improve your golf from tee to green...
As we edge closer to the first major of the season, many amateur golfers will be dusting off their clubs and getting prepped for a big season of golf. In the pursuit of improvement, most of us will be scouring the internet for the best golf tips, but who better to learn from someone who has actually won The Masters?
In this article, 2003 Masters Champion Mike Weir talks us through his five timeless tee to green tips that can help you improve your all around game...
Mike Weir's Tee To Green Tips: Driving
I would say load into your left side if you’re a left-hander or more into your right side if you’re a right-hander. I see a lot of people who have a false turn; they don’t get wound up enough. This could mean letting your lead foot come off the ground so you can get truly wound up.
As you get older, you start to lose a little of your mobility. Let that foot come off the ground to allow yourself to give a big and full turn – that’s the key thing for driving.
Iron Play
Make sure you swing within yourself. It’s not about distance and how far you hit a 6-iron and how far you hit a 9-iron. It’s trying to control those distances, so just remember to swing within yourself. Take a little more club and swing with some confident tempo and rhythm as that will help your distance control.
Ultimately, the thing with good iron players is that they control their distances very well. Playing with Vijay Singh over the years, that’s the one thing I’ve always marvelled at with him.
He is pin high so often. If you’re pin high a lot then you’re going to be close to the hole. So if you can be pin high a lot, that’s a good sign for you as an iron player.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Reading Greens
I’d say use your feet. You want to use your eyes but also feel the putt in your feet. When you’re paying close attention, you’ll get a lot of sensory perception from your feet and you can feel whether you’re uphill, downhill or sidehill.
So when you’re walking on the green, try to get a feel for whether you’re walking uphill to the hole. If you’re above the hole, it’s likely you’re going to have a downhill putt. So remember to feel it with your feet and not only with your eyes. Definitely use those other senses that you have.
Short Putts
I think you want to tell yourself to have a nice, smooth acceleration into the ball. Keep a steady head and a steady lower body. It helps to have an image of Arnold Palmer in your mind, with his knees knocked in and really bracing himself on these short putts.
Also, think of Gary Player. There was no movement at all in their lower body and I think that’s a really good mindset for short putting.
Bunker Shots
There are a lot of thoughts you could have over a bunker shot. I would say get anchored well. Get your feet dug in deep. Don’t be afraid to hit the sand. I think most people try to scoop it out. Make sure you really spank that sand, hit it an inch or two behind the ball and really be aggressive.
Without getting too technical, try to use the bounce of the club and really bounce it into the ball. When Gary Player hit them, it was like he was striking a match. You want that club to get in and out of the sand quickly and you’re striking a match to light the flame. You don’t want to slow down or that match won’t light.
Barry Plummer is our Staff Writer, joining in January 2024 after seven years as a PE Teacher. He now writes about instruction, working closely with Golf Monthly's Top 50 Coaches to provide hints and tips about all aspects of the game. As someone who came into golf at a later age, Barry is very passionate about supporting the growth of the game and creating opportunities for everyone to access it. A member at Sand Moor Golf Club in Leeds, he looks forward to getting out on the course at least once a week and making up for lost time in the pursuit of a respectable handicap.
Barry is currently playing:
Driver: Ping G425
Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth 4 Hybrid
Irons: Mizuno JPX 921 4-PW
Wedges: TaylorMade RAC 60, Callaway Jaws MD5 54
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
-
'A Natural Fit' - Tiger Woods Backs Keegan Bradley US Ryder Captaincy
The 15-time Major winner made his remarks during an appearance in the NBC Sports broadcasting booth in the final round of the Hero World Challenge
By Mike Hall Published
-
Scottie Scheffler Set To Overtake Six-Time Major Winner For Consecutive Weeks As World No.1
The 28-year-old will soon reach 82 weeks at the top of the world rankings, overtaking Nick Faldo
By Mike Hall Published
-
Jack Nicklaus Golf Tips: 5 Timeless Lessons From The Golden Bear
As one of the greatest players in golf's history, Jack Nicklaus possesses a wealth of experience and wisdom. Here, we share five of his invaluable golf lessons
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Peter Uihlein Golf Swing Tips: How To Maximise Distance By Balancing Power And Control
Hitting long tee shots is a crucial skill for amateur golfers, but control is key, so we asked big-hitter Peter Uihlein to share his tips to maximise distance
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Ball Striking Masterclass: Drastically Improve Your Distance And Consistency With Long-Irons, Fairway Woods And Hybrids
Many amateurs struggle with ball striking when using long-irons, fairway woods and hybrids – but these PGA pro tips can improve your distance and consistency
By Gary Munro Published
-
How To Start The Backswing In Golf (Plus One Bonus Hack To Revitalize Your Ball-Striking)
Improving your ball-striking is a key factor in the pursuit of progress on the course, but consistency can be elusive. This simple hack could be the answer...
By Joshua Mayo Published
-
Dan Grieve Golf Tips: 3 Releases To Save Your Short Game
Dan Grieve is a world-renowned short game expert and his 3 releases system has helped countless amateurs to play better golf. Dan explains all in this video...
By Dan Grieve Published
-
'These Are The 3 Hardest Bunker Shots You Could Ever Face'... Overcome Your Misfortune With Alex Elliott's Sand Save Masterclass
When faced with the hardest bunker shots in golf, most amateurs curse their luck and feel defeated before they even try... but PGA pro Alex Elliott can help!
By Alex Elliott Published
-
How To Play The Long Lazy Lob Shot: Get Out Of Trouble Around The Greens With This Essential Short Game Saver
The long, lazy lob shot is a short game essential for when the only option is to go airborne with your chip shot. Our expert PGA pro explains how to nail it...
By John Howells Published
-
I'm Confident These 9 Tips Can Help You Putt Like A Pro... Say Goodbye To Misreads and 3-Putts!
These 9 putting tips, from Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Joshua Mayo, will help you to improve your distance control, read, posture and success rate on the greens
By Joshua Mayo Published