Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
What to do to break 80 In order to break 80, you have to admit that it's not the club's fault. It's about
developing a repeatable swing and a great short game. To create this
repeatable swing and great short game, you have to work with a qualified teacher on a weekly basis.
You're going to forget trying different tips and quick fixes because you will destroy the changes your coach is trying to make. This whole process is not going to be easy because you will basically be making changes to your swing that may cause you to hit some very poor shots.
This will happen at first because you're not used to your new swing but if you stay determined, you'll start to hit some shots that will totally amaze you. These amazing shots are telling you that your hard work is paying off and pretty soon you will be playing in the 70s.
If you shoot over 72
You have a great swing. It will still go astray from time to time, but you can usually get it back fairly quickly. You will usually make a few mistakes in a round that you just can't seem to let go of. This creates stress and pressure that affects the rest of your game.
Your short game may not be as good as it could be. You know this but actually finding time to practice it is sometimes a challenge. Finally, you may be taking the game a little too seriously, causing you to try to hit every shot perfectly. This may lead to second guessing your swing which is
definitely trouble when you are on the course.
What to do to break par
You will have to find the time to do some serious work on the short game. If it's difficult to make it out to the course, you can always chip and pitch balls at the short game area at the Royal Golf Academy. Imagine what you could play like if you practiced the short game for two hours rather than playing nine holes.
This dedication to the short game is what will allow you to still shoot good numbers when your swing is not at its best. It will also reduce pressure on your approach shots because if you can get the ball up and down regularly, it's not that big a deal if you miss the odd green.
When you practice on your full swing, try to work on the weaker clubs in your bag and also hitting the ball from the odd poor lie. Also try and forget distance. At your level you are probably long enough. Concentrate on never swinging over 90 per cent of your ability. If you can resist the temptation to hit the ball too hard, your mishits will not stray too far off line, eliminating the need for that miraculous shot to get you back into the game.
Finally, have fun out there. If you lighten up a little you will reduce your stress levels allowing you to switch into automatic mode instead of having to grind it out all the time. Trust me, there is nothing worse than walking off the course feeling as though you would have had more fun back at work!
