One Putt - and it's a birdie!
Free Tips, No Fluff
"Stay on Target...Stay on Target!"
There is a scene in Star Wars IV where the rebels are attacking Darth Vader’s Death Star. They are in small X and Y wing fighters in what seems like an impossible mission. The goal is to launch a torpedo down a small exhaust port located in a small trench on the surface of the death star. The mission has similarities to attempting to drive a golf ball. To land it on a seventy five yard wide section of fairway flanked by a water hazard on the left and dense trees on the right seems dubious.
Don’t focus on the hazard
I have witnessed (and experienced) the following countless times. Standing on the tee box repeating in my head “not in the water – not in the water”…and then proceed to hit a snap hook into the water. The alternative is to try to compensate and cheat my aim to the right. This is typically followed by a strong fade into the trees. Why does this happen? The reason may surprise you. The problem is in my head, not the mechanics of my set up or swing.
(turn sound on to view video below)
Pick a Spot
One of the keys to hitting more fairways is focus. Driving a golf ball has similarities to driving a vehicle. If something catches your eye and causes you to look to the left – unless it’s just a short glance – you will tend to steer the vehicle to the left. We typically more toward whatever it is we focus on. When I repeat in my head “not in the water, not in the water” what am I focusing on? THE WATER! And where does my ball go? Into the water!
Think about the Sweet Spot
That is why when you have a wide open fairway, with no hazards in sight, you typically hit it right down the middle. In that scenario it is not difficult to FOCUS on the middle of the fairway. So what seem to be a key principle in all this is the discipline to not allow hazards to distract your focus. Pick a small spot on the fairway that is within reasonable range of the club you have in hand, and hit the ball to that spot. It’s really not that hard.
