Best Way to Improve Your Golf without Changing Your Swing

Professionals often laugh about pupils who say ‘I want to be a better golfer, but don’t change my swing’. Perhaps, in reality, the pupil has a better understanding of the game than her professional! The first aim is to learn to do your best swing more often. The second is to learn the art of scoring and winning.

Winners on the pro circuit don’t always have perfect swings. In fact they don’t often have perfect swings. What they do have is self-belief and confidence, combined with a repetitive method.

To improve your golf, you need to understand your weaknesses. Monitor your results and see where the real problems lie. On the course, plot your progress on the scorecard – not just in terms of your actual score, but in terms of achievements in other areas. If you improve certain elements of your game, the score itself will improve. On your scorecard, mark off the various columns and use these to give yourself information.

Make one column the number of drives where you hit the fairway. Use the second column to mark how many greens you hit from under, say, 150 metres. In this way you begin to see whether your clubbing is accurate. Golfers will often find that they finish short of the flag on at least 15 or 16 of the holes. They never attack the hole.

In another column on the card you can assess your putting. How many putts did you take and from how far? Is the long putt short or past? See whether there is any pattern to your game that can be bettered without actually improving technique. It is only by keeping a record such as this and giving yourself feedback that you become aware of your own shortcomings.

Always try to practice by using a set schedule and give yourself a plan for your practice before you go out. Don’t just hit balls aimlessly without having a set idea in mind. Think of a round of golf as, for example, 14 drives, four par threes, eight fairway woods, 10 medium or long irons, 10 short irons and so on. Keep a record of your practice and check the results. Note the grouping of the balls around your target. How many finish left and how many to the right? Are you achieving the distance you expect? How far do you hit the ball with each club, when you are using good golf balls?

Set yourself goals in order to improve. Determine what is the weakest part of your game and what is the strongest. List the five physical things that will most improve your game, in other words the type of shots, and then practise them. Learn to make friends with every one of your clubs. You should be on as good terms with your 4 iron as you are with your 5 iron (or any other club in the bag).

If greater distance is your aim, be realistic. Everyone wants to hit the ball further – even Laura Davies. But don’t try for another 30 metres and lose your rhythm. Try to hit the ball 10cm (4in) further, until those 10cm build into 10 metres. Be realistic. And if you want to hit the ball further, hit it louder!