Tips From A Pro
By Todd Hammock

     First of all, the best tip I could ever give to someone would be, if you are sincere about improving the quality of your golf game, seek a golf professional who is actively employed in the game of golf. While it is human nature to try to assist others, poor or incorrect instruction from one untrained amateur to another typically doesn't accomplish anything other than giving the golfer another misconception about the golf swing that needs to be erased from his or her memory.
The golf swing, including the short game (chipping, pitching and putting) can be made very simple or extremely complex. As a teacher of the game, I choose to make the swing a very simple athletic motion. With proper insruction and practicing the fundamentals of the game, the higher handicap golfers have a great opportunity to improve at a reasonable pace and can make this game more enjoyable to play.
     Here is my final tip of the day. The following tip is designed to create a solid putting stroke. As simple as it may sound, it can really work for you (if you practice). Take two golf clubs and a putter to the practice green or carpet in your den. Lay the shafts of the clubs about 8-10 inches apart, parallel to the putting cup. The cup should be flat or uphill and about 3-4 feet away from the middle of the parallel shafts. Your clubs on the ground should look like a set of rairoad tracks. The objective is to place your putter between the 2 rails and practice putting 3 to 4 foot length putts. You should make almost every putt you attempt, because the rails make you align in the middle of the cup. More importantly, you are forced to keep the putter square. Repeating this drill for several practice sessions and as an occasional warm up to playing, will help you develop a solid putting stroke. Come by Mariners Landing sometime and I will show you how I use this drill for my own game. Until next time, fairways and greens.