Some of the most common mistakes made by golfers. Golf is a game that can be played for a lifetime, and with something that spans a lifetime bad habits find their way into our games.
These bad habits are not only related to the golf swing but also your actions either before or during your round.
One of these habits, although some of you may call it carelessness is leaving a club somewhere on the course.
In all the years I have been playing golf I have never left a club by a green or in bunker, in fact I have never left a club anywhere.
The act of leaving a club somewhere may seem to be nit-picking but it is the lack of complete concentration during the play of a hole that is the issue.
If you are in the zone you will not lose or leave clubs lying around. If you are not in the zone, then why are you playing?
Another non-swing error or habit, is the golfer that arrives to the tee seconds before they are due off, they rummage around in their bags looking for a tee and a ball and cause havoc, especially when the courses are busy.
If I look at the most common swing errors made by amateur golfers the number one must be trying to swing the club too hard.
In over 4000 hours of coaching I can recall only a small number of instances when I have had to tell a client to hit the ball harder.
Men are the main culprits here, and this stems from the need o “show off” and perform in front of their peers.
The thought process and preparation are replaced by an urge to simply lash the ball as far as possible, usually resulting in any number of expletives echoing around the golf course, yet they don´t learn.
Swing within your own limits and you will have no issues, try to play a game that is not your normal then you will encounter numerous problems and write down some big scores.
The next most common error can be found when chipping or pitching.
An excessive swing length which is detrimental to actually achieving the desired shot.
When pitching and chipping it is paramount to ensure that you are accelerating through the impact zone.
I have lost count of the number of golfers that I have seen trying to dink the ball over a bunker, say 30 yards, make a full swing and decelerate into the back of the ball.
This deceleration of the golf club results in a weak pitch that invariably ends up in the trap.
By learning to control the length of your swing to suit the distance that you need the ball to travel your game will improve without doubt.
Much like putting, the use of an unnecessarily long back stroke and a short follow through is the cause for so many problems amateur golfers face on the greens. Your putting stroke should be reminiscent of a pendulum, rocking back and through with harmonic rhythm.
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