SAVE STROKES BY MAKING BETTER LAG PUTTS

Lag putting are not about holing the long ones to card a birdie (even though it’s awesome once in awhile). It’s all about getting it close enough to the hole to set up an easier tap-in and avoid a three putt or worse. Mastering this skill can dramatically reduce three-putts and four putts and help keep your scorecard tidy.

WHY LAG PUTTS MATTER Lag putting is a skill that when mastered can save you a handful of strokes each round, helping to prevent three-putts or worse that can wreck your score. It is a crucial aspect of solid putting, especially when greens are fast or undulating, or both. Learning to lag it close will also increase your confidence on the green, as you’ll better understand the pace required to leave it close to save a par or bogey.

- Visualize and Aim for Proximity, Not the Cup Rather than targeting the hole, aim to leave your ball within a manageable “tap-in” circle, which is typically considered around 3 feet. - Maintain a Consistent Stroke Let your shoulders lead the stroke and avoid wrist manipulation. A smooth tempo creates predictable speed control. - Develop a Smooth Tempo and Stroke Length Rhythm Change distance by altering stroke length, not speed. Your rhythm should stay constant, which helps avoid deceleration or over-swinging. - Adjust to Green Speed and Slopes Faster greens require softer touch while slower or uphill putts command a little extra force. Trust your visual assessment and adjust accordingly.

Drills That Build Distance Control and Feel:

Final Thoughts Lag putting is an art and a repeatable routine. By practicing disciplined tempo and calibrating your feel through structured drills or mindful reps, you’ll significantly reduce three putts and shave strokes off your card without the need for chasing birdies.

HOW TO SPEED UP YOUR PLAY WITHOUT RUSHING YOUR GAME

Pace of play has become one of the most talked about topics in golf. Whether you’re teeing it up on a busy Saturday morning or trying to squeeze in nine holes after work, one thing is certain no one enjoys waiting on every shot. But speeding up doesn’t mean rushing or playing anxious, hurried golf. In fact, the best players are usually the most efficient, not the fastest. They move with purpose, stay ready, and make decisions quickly all without sacrificing their rhythm or routine. Here’s how you can play faster golf without rushing your game.

Be Ready to Hit When It’s Your Turn: This might be the most effective (and most overlooked) tip in golf. You don’t have to stand over your ball with club in hand before it’s your turn but you should be thinking through your shot while others are playing theirs. What club will you hit? What’s the yardage? Where’s the wind coming from? How does the lie look? You can answer all of that while walking to your ball or while your playing partners take their turns. Then, when it’s your shot, you’re not starting from scratch. You’re stepping in and swinging.

Keep Your Pre-Shot Routine Simple: You don’t need to eliminate your pre-shot routine just tighten it up. One or two rehearsal swings are plenty. A quick visual of your target. Step in, commit, and go. Most players could trim 5–10 seconds from every shot without noticing a difference in performance. Across 18 holes, that adds up. Keep in mind: a solid, repeatable routine is great. But if it’s dragging on longer than a shot clock in a Tour event, it might be time to dial it in.

Play “Ready Golf” (Especially Off the Tee): Unless you’re playing in a tournament or match play format, there’s no need to stick to strict honors. If you’re ready and it’s safe to go. Most courses and playing partners appreciate it, especially in recreational rounds. Same goes in the fairway. Don’t wait for the furthest player to hit if you’re ready and not in their line. Everyone appreciates the player who keeps things moving without being pushy.

Drop a Ball and Move On: There’s nothing wrong with taking a minute to look for a lost ball, but if it’s slowing down the group or you’re holding up the course, take your drop and move on. Keep a couple of spare balls in your pocket and don’t be afraid to reload. It’s better to take the penalty stroke and keep pace than to hold up three groups behind you digging through the cabbage.

Park Your Cart Smarter: This one’s simple but makes a difference. When you’re approaching a green, park your cart or place your bag on the side closest to the next tee. That way, when you’re done putting, you’re not doubling back and slowing everyone down. It’s a small habit, but across an entire round, it saves real time and other players will notice.

Be Efficient on the Greens: You don’t need to rush your putts. But while others are lining up, you should be too. Get a read while they’re putting, mark your ball quickly, and be ready to go when it’s your turn. Tap ins should be tapped in no need to mark a 12-inch putt unless you’re playing by strict rules. And if you’re out of the hole, feel free to pick up and move on. It keeps things flowing and shows respect for the group. Walk with Purpose, Even if You’re Not Playing Fast: You don’t need to sprint around the course, but a brisk walk between shots signals that you’re engaged and keeping pace. Even a small increase in pace 10–15 seconds per hole can shave 10–15 minutes off a round. This goes for both walkers and riders. If you’re in a cart, drop one player at their ball and drive to the next shot. Share clubs if needed and keep the group progressing forward.

Know When to Wave a Group Through: If your group falls behind and there’s a gap in front of you let the faster group behind play through. It’s not an admission of poor play; it’s a sign of awareness and course etiquette. Keeping pace benefits everyone. If you’re struggling on a hole, pick up and rejoin on the next tee. No shame in it, especially when it keeps things moving.

Final Thoughts: Speeding up your play isn’t about rushing. It’s about eliminating wasted time, staying mentally engaged, and moving with a purpose. When you do that, you not only help your own rhythm you help the group and the course as a whole. Golf is meant to be enjoyed, but it’s even better when it doesn’t take five and a half hours. Play smart, play ready, and the game flows a whole lot smoother

PITCHING

Back to Basics The pitch shot is little more than an elongated chip. The fundamentals are exactly the same as the chip, and the swing technique is based on the same philosophy. So how is a pitch different than the basic chip? The difference is the length and speed of the swing, which ultimately makes it possible to produce a wider variety of shots than is possible with the chipping motion. The pitching swing is longer in the terms of your arm swing, wrist cock, shoulder turn and footwork. As a result, you generate much more clubhead speed. When you add speed to the equation, a new world opens up in terms of what you can do with the ball. With speed comes the possibility of increasing your backspin, hitting the ball higher than normal and producing good shots from difficult lies. The pitch includes high, soft shots from around the green as well as the half wedge from 20 to 35 meters – a shot that causes most amateurs to become nervous.

Here I’m playing a 25 meter shot to my target. Align with your stance and wedge squarely at the target and position the ball just inside the left heel, the shaft should be fairly vertical this is to use the bounce on the sole of the club, which maintains the loft of the club, and stops the club face from shutting during the backswing, and the leading edge of the club digging into the ground during impact. The bodyweight should be positioned towards the left side in the address position so that the middle of the sternum is in line over the ball.

Here are three different lofted wedges 48’ 53’ and 58’ it is important select the appropriate combination of gap, sand and lob wedges to provide you with the proper short game distance control.What is bounce on a wedge? Bounce is built into the sole of a wedge to keep it from digging into the turf or sand. The greater the bounce, the more the sole resists digging. Bounce helps prevent "fat" shots by keeping the club moving through the turf or sand.Having enough bounce is particularly important on all shots. Too much bounce can make shots from firm conditions more difficult to execute.

PUTTING TIP FOR RHYTHM

To begin finding your putting rhythm, comfortably walk for one minute (60 seconds) taking normal steps, timing yourself with a stopwatch and counting your steps. Do not rush or dawdle, just walk at your normal pace. Do it a few times and take an average of the number of steps you normally take per minute. Now take that number of steps per minute, subtract 70, and then double the number. (Ex: Walking at 110 steps per minute = (110-70) x 2 = 80). This “initial base rhythm" is measured in beats per minute and will correlate to the rhythm of your putting stroke back and through, like the tempo of a metronome. It may not be your final putting rhythm, but it is a starting point for finding it. Get a metronome, set it at 80 beats per minute, and feel your putting stroke as you putt to that rhythm. Close your eyes and adjust your stroke rhythm (change the metronome setting up or down) from there until the putting stroke feels almost effortless. As you work with a metronome and rhythm drills, remember to stroke all of your putts, from two-footers to 100-footers, at the same rhythm. If you can execute this rhythm in a pendulum motion, you will eliminate most of the sources of variability in putting.

MENTAL GOLF: EYES WIDE OPEN

In order to achieve consistency on the putting green, a player’s perceptual motor skills must be fully engaged with the ‘read’ of the putt then the focus on the ball-roll line. Good visual health, creative visualisation skills and obtaining reliable depth and distance judgment information are crucial to great putting. You must be able to read the slope of a green accurately, see your putting line clearly, and trust what your eyes are telling you before you step into the address position and stroke the ball.

MASTERS WEEK SPECIAL

Hey Golfers, its that time of year again a big week ahead of golf with The Masters. The Fairways are perfect, the greens are rolling and so should your golf game. To celebrate Masters Week, I’m giving you: A Huge 🔥 20% OFF 🔥 Any lesson package OR your first month of Subscription on SKILLEST. Whether you’re looking to: Fix that slice or hook, Strike it more consistently, Lower your scores this season, Now’s the perfect time to start, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me direct. Happy golfing.

SIMPLE STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE YOUR GOLF GAME

HOW TO CONTROL THE SPIN (LOW BACK-SPIN SHOTS)

The latest scientific evidence shows that there is not an increase in spin rate when golfers hit down more on the golf ball. Here’s the reason — in order to hit down more a golfer has to lower the dynamic loft of the club, which causes the ball to be launched lower. There is no increase in spin loft or in actual spin rate.

What is Spin Loft.  Spin loft is a calculation of these angles and is found using this equation: dynamic loft (actual loft at impact) - angle of attack = spin loft.
Now here is where it can get confusing: Spin loft does not mean spin rate per second. The rotations per minute (RPM) of a golf ball is the actual spin rate. Spin loft is one of the factors that causes spin rate, but it is not the only factor. A higher spin loft, however, will always increase spin and slow  down ball speed, and vice versa. If you look at the chart below, the gap between the red and blue lines is the spin loft. It is measured in degrees, not RPMs.
So let’s say a shot struck with a 6 iron has a dynamic loft at impact of 20 degrees and an attack angle of negative 4. The spin loft of that shot, 20 minus negative 4 (remember your double negatives?), is 24 degrees.
This is a very important point to understand because spin loft is also a matter of compression, which is a measure of how directly a ball has been struck. When the spin loft is low, the compression is high — the hit is more direct. When spin loft is high, the compression is low – the ball spins more and the ball speed is reduced with the ball been compressed less.
Look at the chart below: The narrower the gap between the red and blue lines, the more the golf ball is compressed and the further it will go. In the example, there is no change in the gap, so hitting down did not spin the ball more; it simply launched it lower.
A zero spin loft would be the most compression we could have, but it’s not posssible because the golf ball would not have enough spin to stay in the air.

So what does all this mean to the average golfer? Well let’s say, you’d like to learn how to hit a low wedge shot that comes to stop on a penny by the hole. Since you understand the dynamics of spin and launch, let’s go through the conditions that allow the low-flying, high-spinning wedge shot to happen:
To hit a low wedge shot, golfers need to get a low launch factor, which means they have to de-loft their wedge by getting their hands in front of the clubface. But you know that reducing loft, the biggest factor of spin, actually decreases the amount of spin, so the low-flying wedge shot seems like an anomaly, especially when you add the fact that you can’t increase the speed on short shots because that would make the ball go too far.
So the magic of the high-spinning, low-flying shot is a low spin loft – remember the gap?
In order to have low spin loft, the angle of attack and loft have to be closer together. To make the spin loft as narrow as possible with a wedge, that wedge has to be de-lofted and have a very shallow angle of attack.
Think about it — if a golfer hits down too much, the spin loft “gap” would become wider and the compression would get lower. In those conditions, the golf ball does not “grip” the face as well; friction is reduced and spin goes down.
However, studies show that a very shallow attack angle (which is slightly downward with a wedge) and a de-lofted face produce the optimum friction, or grip of golf ball and club. The ball flies low, spins a lot and checks after two, sometimes three bounces. In short, you will be the envy of your foursome.
Here’s something else to consider: You should always keep not only your grooves clean, but the surface area between the grooves rough, a perfectly legal thing to do, because it to optimizes friction.

FINAL CHECKLIST FOR SPIN

• Clean your grooves and keep the surface area between the grooves roughened.
• Play a premium golf ball; one that allows for spin to happen.
• Do not expect spin off any lie where contact with the golf ball first is impossible; example — shot from the rough, especially ones that are into the grain, as they limit friction with the ball.
• While hitting down does not cause more spin, it is an essential element when hitting any ball on the ground.
• Work on keeping your hands ahead coming into impact (flipping the club ahead of your hands adds loft), but keep a very shallow angle. This is the best way to get a low-flying, high-spinning pitch when close to the green.

Finally, remember this: Backspin looks great, but if it is beyond your skill set, you can always come in a little higher, softer and even allow for the old bump and run when there is enough green to work with.

How To Practice Golf If Your Can’t Get To The Range Or Course

Whether you’re stuck at home, short on time, or just can’t make it to the golf course this week, there are still plenty of ways to work on your game without hitting a single full shot. In fact, some of the best players in the world spend more time working on the “little things” than they do pounding balls on the range. So if you’re looking to improve your golf without grass under your feet, here’s how to do it.

Get Serious About Your Short Game — Indoors You’ve heard it before: short game is where scoring happens. You don’t need a green or bunker to sharpen your touch. Indoor chipping drills: Use a few foam practice balls and chip into a laundry basket or onto a landing towel. Practice different trajectories using the same club — low runners, mid-height chips, and soft floaters. Use painter’s tape to create a “landing zone” on your floor. Try to land the ball consistently in that space from various distances. This builds distance control, trajectory awareness, and consistency — all without needing real turf.

Make Putting Practice a Daily Habit If you’re not practicing putting at home, you’re leaving strokes on the table. And you don’t need a fancy mat — a smooth carpet or hardwood floor will do.

Try these simple drills: The Gate Drill: Set up two objects (like sleeves of balls) just wider than your putter head. Work on keeping the stroke clean and centered. Start Line Drill: Lay down a ruler or yardstick and practice rolling the ball off the end without veering off. One-Ball Distance Drill: Putt to a target (like a cup or coaster) and track how close you leave it. The goal: consistent lag speed.

Use Mirrors or Video to Work on Your Swing Mechanics If you can’t hit balls, work on how your body moves. Grab a full-length mirror, a training aid, or just your phone and record yourself making slow, controlled swings. Focus areas: Posture and setup Grip and takeaway Top-of-swing position Finish and balance Use slow-motion rehearsal swings to groove better mechanics. Even shadow swings — without a ball — help train your body to repeat better motion. Bonus: it’s great for muscle memory and flexibility.

Get a Mat and Net Setup If you’ve got a little extra space — like a garage, basement, or backyard — a hitting net and mat combo is a game-changer. It’s not just about getting reps in. It’s about building a repeatable swing under consistent conditions. Here’s what to look for: The Hitting Mat Not all mats are created equal. You want something that mimics real turf — not a glorified welcome mat. Look for thickness: 3/4″ to 1″ of turf with solid backing protects both your wrists and your floor. Pay attention to feedback: Good mats will punish fat shots slightly so you don’t groove bad habits. Size matters: A 4’x5′ mat gives enough room to practice different stances and ball positions. The Hitting Net You want something durable and easy to set up/take down, especially if space is shared. Look for a wide base: At least 7’–10′ across to catch your occasional mishits. Easy assembly: Pop-up or foldable nets make practice sessions less of a hassle. Durability: If you’re using real balls, make sure it’s rated for full-swing shots.. See also Chervò Unveils Stylish Autumn/winter Apparel Collection Optional Upgrades

If you really want to level up: Drop a cheap launch monitor behind you for basic feedback on distance and ball speed. Hang a tarp or old comforter behind your net for extra safety and sound dampening.

Play “Mental” Golf at Home Visualization is a surprisingly effective way to practice when you’re stuck indoors. Here’s how: Pick your favorite course — or a course you’re preparing to play. Close your eyes and imagine playing a hole, shot by shot. Picture the fairway. The hazards. The flag location. What club you’d choose and how the shot would feel. Go through your pre-shot routine, then mentally hit the shot. Top athletes in every sport use this technique — and it’s especially powerful for golf, where mindset is everything.

Make Your Practice Routine Repeatable One of the biggest benefits of at-home practice? You control the environment. Use it to build good habits. Create a mini routine: 5 minutes of mirror work 10 minutes of putting 5 minutes of chipping 10 minutes of mobility or strength That’s 30 minutes a day that will absolutely move the needle — even if you never hit a real ball.

Final Thoughts: You don’t need a pristine range or manicured fairway to work on your game. Some of the most meaningful improvement happens at home — through consistency, intentional reps, and a bit of creativity.

MY 4 A’s OF SHOT PREPARATION

I came up with the 4 A’s for preparing for a short game shot which I thought was quite neat, here they are:

Assess- Read the lie and the situation, taking into account all the factors that influence the shot

Anticipate- Only when you have a clear plan should you move to the next A and make some practice swings trying to anticipate what type of swing and intensity you need to make the plan work

Act- When you have the right feel you should be completely ready to play. This means just play and no more thoughts, they belong in previous stages. Get over the ball and just do it.

Accept- This for me is really important for two reasons. You have an opportunity to learn from what just happened, did you get the flight and roll correct? Did the ball break as you imagined? Controlling your reactions is also so important.

Try the 4 A’s and dont move on to the next A unless you have completely finished the previous one, this is the huge key to a quiet mind and decisive action. Preparing for a shot and “thinking play not swing” is a big key for on-course development when I work with players.

Try some of these golf specific conditioning training exercises during the winter 👍💪👌

 

This first exercise helps us understand and work on winding and coiling into our trail side during the back swing motion for a right handed golfer. As our hips and shoulders turn my lead shoulder works down and around over towards my trail side, while my trail pocket goes back towards the wall behind. My weight naturally transfers to the inside of my trail heel and inside of my trail leg creating resistance from the ground up, and been now in an ideal position to transition for the downswing.

The second exercise helps work on the transition movement of the trail side. Having a band in my trail hand we can see my trail wrist is set my trail arm is folded. When I make a short back swing motion and pull down on the band, this makes my trail side drop creating some torso side bend to my trail side while my trail knee drives towards my lead leg this transfers weight from my trail side to the lead side naturally. With a certain amount of side bend and rotational lateral weight shift during the downswing helps improve swing, low point and impact position.

For this final exercise, we are training more of the motion post impact where my lead leg is extending and weight is approximately 85% to 90% through my lead side. The trail leg will push away from the ground while the arms remain extended during the follow-through.

INSTAGRAM

Golf specific dynamic exercises

LOWER YOUR SCORE - WITH BETTER GREEN READING

Compared to the full swing there has been little written about the short game and also many golfers avoid working on this area of there game. A putt is probably looked at as the simplest shot form played in golf, but the most important shot form when lowering your score. Not every golfer has the talent or the physical capability to make repeatable putt stroke like a tour professional. As every golfer has the possibility to improve there short game and through this save a hand full of shots.

1. Putting
Green Reading
The most commonly talked about thing when reading greens is that its just down to experience and time to learn to judge the breaks and slopes on the greens. This is not entirely true there is a method and a easier way to read a putts. So here are our two wonderful tips

Find the Zero Break Line.

As seen here in the we are looking for the zero break line, this is the line that has no break also its the only line on a slope that you can putt straight upwards or downwards. The line stretches out across the hole about one meter radius from the hole, this line will help identify the position where the ball will begin to roll. Generally by every pin position on a green you can find the fall line, as the Greenkeeper should find a area on the green that has a slight consistent planer break (a flat surface that maybe on a angle) one meter radius of the hole. When you think of hole 1 at your home club there you will most probably find usually 3 to 5 allocated pin position areas on every green dependent on the size of the green. So when you have found the fall line the following points are highlighted:

-You will know in which direction the ball will break.

-You will find out where the easiest putt to play is (under the hole up hill)

Every top tour pro and there caddies will receive from the tournament officials a green plan card that competitors can note down where the Zero break lines are around all likely pin positions on all greens. As this information can become useful when playing into greens as the pros can position the ball in the best possible position around the hole. So you yourself can make a note of the pin positions and zero break lines in you course plan book!!

The spider effect

From the "spider effect" that maybe seen above. All putts on the one side of the circle break from left to right and on the other side of the hole putts naturally break from right to left. through this knowledge a clear decision can be made whether the putt is to break one way or another when a difficult putt lies near to the fall line. So by knowing how the putt falls and breaks in the last meter will give you a better understanding in how the ball enters the hole. By putting this method into practice this will fore sure help reduce putts and improve your score. 

🚨 UNDERSTANDING YOU’RE IMPACT CAN AFFECT BIG CHANGES IN BALL FLIGHT💪🤔

Understanding Impact is about Controlling the Club face angle, which indicates 80% of the ball's initial direction.

Impact location on the Club face indicates Ball Speed, Launch Angle and Spin with face contact offering maximum efficiency.

Heel shots often cause Fades, while Toe hits produce Drawers due to the "Gear affect".

Low impact increases Backspin and reduces Launch Trajectory, while High impact reduces Backspin but increases Launch Trajectory. Consistent centre impact indicates better control and distance.