Nick's tip of the week

Wedge Fitting 

I believe a lot of golfers do not have the right yardage gaps for their wedges. I decided to go for a gapping session myself as I always got stuck with a yardage which was not enough for my PW and too much for my SW. This gapping issue ultimately costs me 2 to 3 shots a round so I got on a launch monitor and checked all my yardages. After 30 minutes it became clear that I needed to put a 50 degree wedge in my bag. I find a lot of golfers have very similar wedges in their bag and some have exactly the same degree option over two wedges for example two sand wedges and no lob wedge. 

Why not resolve this issue before the winter season kicks in? Book a gapping session on our launch monitor and work out where your gaps lie. Don't forget wedges are your scoring clubs and having the correct configuration could see you handicap tumble. 

If you would like to book a gap fitting please call the pro shop on 01508 473 887 or alternatively click here.

Sam's tip of the week 

My tip this week is on getting the most out of your practice time I see so many people just beat ball after ball mindlessly on the range and wonder why there not improving. So here is my 6 drills to better practice and golf. 

1. Rehearse Your Full Swing 

Don't be a mindless when working on your full swing. Instead, take one deliberate, mindful practice swing before each shot, mimicking the feel or technique you're working on that day. For example, if you're working on a more upright backswing, make a purposeful rehearsal that employs your new swing key, then repeat it when hitting the shot. This helps you reinforce the new skill you're trying to learn. It also keeps you focused on the all-important process of the swing, not just the quality of the contact.

2. Make Dead Aim a Game 

On the practice tee, visualize a course you know well and "play" an entire nine or 18 holes (minus putts). If the first "hole" calls for driver, then 6-iron, then wedge, hit those clubs in succession; choose a specific target for each shot, and follow your normal pre-shot routine. This drill makes you hit your clubs in random order, just as you would on the course, and it also helps you work on visualization. Turn it into a game. Give yourself a score; one point for a quality swing, zero for each so-so shot, and minus-one for poor shots (tops and chunks etc). Your goal? Beat the previous score by at least one point.

3. Dial In Your Chipping Distance 

On the practice green, take five balls and hit chips of various lengths to your target hole until you knock all five to within a club-length of the cup (make it two or three club-lengths if chipping isn't your strength). Once you go five-for-five, repeat the drill, this time trying to knock them all inside, say, the steel of the club. Hey, we told you this would be hard!

4. Be Ambitious From Five Feet 

Find a straight five-foot putt on your practice green and keep Rolling them in until you make 50 -- yes, 50! In a row, going back to zero after every miss. Is this easy? It might take you two hours, it might take you two days. But it's doable. Once you get to 47, 48, 49 putts...well, that's where you'll learn what pressure is. This drill smoothes out your short stroke and evicts the fear of knee-knockers. Don't give up until you've rolled in No. 50. 

5. Get A Feel For Your Half Wedges 

Few weekend golfers practice hitting wedges at less than full distances, but you face those shots all the time on the course. Pick three awkward distances -- 35, 50 and 75 yards, respectively -- and hit ten balls at each target. Give yourself a point for each ball that lands within what you consider an acceptable distance -- perhaps 15 to 30 feet. Whatever you score, try to beat that number the next day, with the perfect score of 30 being your Holy Grail.

6. Get Serious from the Sand 

Instead of mindlessly blasting sand shots from the practice bunker, let a precise goal sharpen your preparation. Choose a challenging radius around a hole -- it could be 10 feet or 50 feet, depending on your skill level. Using five balls, try to blast all five shots within your chosen radius. Give yourself two points for hole-outs, one point for inside-the-radius shots, and zero points for all others. Once you score five points with five swings, you win! Now shrink your radius, choose a new distance, and start all over.

I am doing a special offer at the moment. £25 for an hour lesson for the rest of October. 

Just call or email me and Quote 'MOT' 

Call 07979 822 885 or email me on Sam.cubitt@btinternet.com.