Richard Bland's impressive professional golf career spans almost 30 years, in which time he has amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience that could be invaluable in your pursuit of progress on the course.
Fortunately, as I wandered through the gold mine that is the Golf Monthly archive, I stumbled across this absolute gem from the two-time Senior Major winner.
After winning the British Masters back in 2021, becoming the oldest first-time winner in European Tour history in his 478th start, Richard Bland shared with us his expert tee-to-green tips...
1. Driving Accuracy
One of my faults in the past has been a tendency to sometimes not complete my backswing – I start down too early.
When the club is late and I’m ahead of it, I can’t square the face and sometimes I’d hit a weak cut. If I’m working on something, I might look at a player who does what I’m trying to do very well.
I looked at Hideki Matsuyama and that slight pause he has at the top. I have this image in my head and it helps me to set the club at the top, then I can move into the transition and it’s not rushed.
2. Iron Play
If you can hit your numbers then you probably shouldn’t be too far away. This is where Monty was so great – he was always pin high from 170 yards in. He knew exactly how far he was going to hit it, and that’s what I work on with my wedges and short irons.
I don’t tend to see Tim [Barter] at tournaments. I’ll always have my GCQuad on the range and I do my work with him when I’m back at The Wisley.
We do lots of over-exaggeration work. There are certain things that you can’t over exaggerate enough.
For example, if I’m hitting the ball too much right to left, I’ll try and hit fades. I find it helps to neutralise the ball flight.
Learning to hit your numbers with your irons is a great way to improve
3. Bunker Play
You rarely see pros giving bunker lessons, but I think amateurs could learn so much more by having one. I see amateurs go into a bunker with a normal set-up and they think they have to dig it out.
The sand is your friend and you’ve got to use the bounce. Once you understand how to play the shot, good technique will take care of itself. With pros, you see the clubface is set with more loft, so they can hit it harder and get more spin.
Good bunker players can play a variety of shots. Amateurs go in with one club and try to hit the ball harder. If it’s a longer bunker shot, I’ll use my 54° with a little less loft and play a sort of duff and run, which I find to be more consistent over 25-30 yards.
4. Chipping
The only work I do is on the strike, because without that you have nothing. It comes back to the basics: ball in the right place, weight slightly on the lead foot, a descending blow, ball and turf at exactly the same time.
You’re not trying to hit the ball; the ball just gets in the way. Don’t overcomplicate matters, either – just get the ball running on the ground as quickly as possible. I putt from off the green now more than I ever used to because it’s often just the right shot.
Try not to overcomplicate chipping - start by perfecting the basics
5. Dealing With Pressure
It’s a bit of a cliche, but all you can do is play the next shot in front of you. If you’re on the tee and you’re already worried about the second shot, then you’re not focused.
We’re all guilty of it; our minds wander because we have so much time to think about things.
In the British Masters play-off, I just went through my routines. We’ve done it so many times that it becomes second nature.
It’s just about hitting every shot to the best of your ability. You’re still going to hit poor shots, but commit to every shot like it’s your last.
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