Struggling on course simplify your golf thoughts (Video) - by Pete Styles
Struggling on course simplify your golf thoughts (Video) - by Pete Styles

Maybe this tip flies in the face of a lot of the other things that I might talk to you about in terms of trying to improve the technical aspects of your swing. But if you got a big game to go and play in and you're in the middle of a transition in between your golf swing, you're not quite sure about exactly where your swing goes. I don't really want to get too technical in the middle of a round of golf.

So, sometimes when you turn upon the golf course and you have a few swings before you tee off, you might see that the ball has a particular shape. It might be a left to right shape, and you might not be happy with that shape, you might be trying to work on improving that shot and trying to work on the driving range at changing your swing path. But I don't really think standing on the first tee is the time to change that shot. So, I fairly regularly, when I go out and play, I might hit 25 balls before I tee off on the driving range.

If I'm hitting a fade on the driving range, that's what I'm going to take to the first tee and that's what I'm going to play with and I might even just compensate for that, aim a little down the left side and just play that fade back into the middle of the fairway. Very rarely would I stand there mid round to think through with my game trying to change that shot. I might go to the driving range after I've played and try and work on improving my technique.

But if you've got one particular shot shape in one particular day, whether you like it or not, if you're on the golf course, you've got a scorecard in your hand, you've got to play, just compensate for it. Aim down the left side, let it happen. Aim down the right side, play the draw that you've got on that particular day.

Don't fight things too much, particularly if you know that when you get buried into swing thoughts and technique, you're not able to perform. Save that for the driving range. On the first tee, play with what you've got. See the ball in front of you, see the target, make the swing that you're comfortable with, whether that happens to the golf ball, it won't be that bad. Don't tie yourself of technical knots when you're playing.

 2012-12-03

Maybe this tip flies in the face of a lot of the other things that I might talk to you about in terms of trying to improve the technical aspects of your swing. But if you got a big game to go and play in and you're in the middle of a transition in between your golf swing, you're not quite sure about exactly where your swing goes. I don't really want to get too technical in the middle of a round of golf.

So, sometimes when you turn upon the golf course and you have a few swings before you tee off, you might see that the ball has a particular shape. It might be a left to right shape, and you might not be happy with that shape, you might be trying to work on improving that shot and trying to work on the driving range at changing your swing path. But I don't really think standing on the first tee is the time to change that shot. So, I fairly regularly, when I go out and play, I might hit 25 balls before I tee off on the driving range.

If I'm hitting a fade on the driving range, that's what I'm going to take to the first tee and that's what I'm going to play with and I might even just compensate for that, aim a little down the left side and just play that fade back into the middle of the fairway. Very rarely would I stand there mid round to think through with my game trying to change that shot. I might go to the driving range after I've played and try and work on improving my technique.

But if you've got one particular shot shape in one particular day, whether you like it or not, if you're on the golf course, you've got a scorecard in your hand, you've got to play, just compensate for it. Aim down the left side, let it happen. Aim down the right side, play the draw that you've got on that particular day.

Don't fight things too much, particularly if you know that when you get buried into swing thoughts and technique, you're not able to perform. Save that for the driving range. On the first tee, play with what you've got. See the ball in front of you, see the target, make the swing that you're comfortable with, whether that happens to the golf ball, it won't be that bad. Don't tie yourself of technical knots when you're playing.