Golfdirt

Improve Your Golf – 5 Simple Steps

April 22, 2008 – 7:07 pm | by Golfdirt

By Norman Stanley

Golf, as they say, is not a game of perfect; there is simply no a perfect way to play it. If there were, someone would have done it by now, taught everybody else and we could all find another hobby.

The best you can do is play as well as YOU can and keep on refining your game little by little, rejoicing in the occasional triumphs and learning what you can from the mistakes. After all, at the end of the day you are only competing against yourself. It is your score that matters, not anybody else’s. So read on for five little tips to up your game.

1. Buy some comfortable golf shoes. I cannot stress the importance of this too much. Sore feet are the worst, and this discomfort will surely ruin your round. Wear two pairs of socks to avoid blisters and keep your tootsies dry and fresh.

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2. Drink water. Even on the coolest days the exertion of playing golf, humping your bag and walking from tee to green will dehydrate you, sapping your energy and leaving you open to poor performance. Drink at least a liter of liquid during your round.

3. Walk as though you own the place. It is well attested that a confident upright stance will help your golf. Walking tall will allow you to breathe properly, expanding your chest, but will also make you more alert and feel more confident. Even the illusion of confidence will make you feel confident. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but it works! Try it.

4. Keep your head. If you hit a good shot, a rocketing drive straight down the fairway, a chip shot 60 yards to the pin or a 40-foot putt, enjoy it, commit it to memory, remember it. If you duff your drive, spin the chip into the cabbage or miss a two foot tap in, forget it.

5. Be a sport. Win or lose, always shake your playing partners hand and congratulate or commiserate as appropriate. No one likes a bad loser. No one likes a cocky winner. Remember, it is really only yourself you have to beat.

That’s about it for this little article except for two more pieces of received wisdom:

First, the woods are full of long hitters, and second, there is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing. So to recap, wear good shoes, drink water, keep your head up, never fret about a poor shot and be a good sportsman.

Happy thoughts.

Norman Stanley, “Big Norm,” is a weekend hacker, gives private tuition and never pays full price. He runs golfamateur.co.uk.