Golf is often called a gentleman’s game. The game has since its inception attracted many with its velvety greens and the stunning aesthetics of the clubs. The game that had made Tiger Woods the highest earning sportsman once is still more popular among the rich class than the masses.
Mastering this game might be a little difficult, but is fairly possible task. An avid golf player and winner of around twenty golf tournaments (including the BMW Cup) Achal Ghai from Emirates Golf Club has some useful tips for the beginners that can help them achieve their endeavours in their golfing careers. Following are the tips:
- Club-face alignment: Look at hole from behind the ball and imagine it. Always pay attention to how you hold your club. Align the face of the club with that of the face of the ball to make the ball run straight to the hole. You don’t need to align your whole body and everything, just concentrate on the face of the club. Some players try to align their whole body, while others align their bodies slightly to the left of the target. You must practice and know what works best for you. Make use you align the face first and then worry about body alignments.
- Choosing the club: It is not as simple as choosing a short club for a short distance and a long for the longer one. You need to strategise how many shots will be needed and decide the right landing area if the par is above one. This is purely dependent upon the terrain and the wind conditions.
- Maintaining the stance: Your stance should not necessarily change with the club you are using. It is possible that you use a driver and then use an iron and have the same stance in both the shots.
- Making a good grip: You must hold the club well with your hands and let your shoulders loose if you are aiming for a driver shot. The three types of grips are: Vardon grip, the Interlocking grip and the baseball grip. Know the grip that works for a particular shot and practice it.
- Play with the wind: Take the shot imagining the trajectory the ball will follow if the wind is blowing. Practice in wind and understand the dynamics of the way the ball flies during a particular wind speed. Even if the wind is intermittent, hit the ball imagining the wind will remain blowing when you will hit the shot. In this way, even if the wind had stopped, your next shot will be towards the wind and not away, and that is an advantage.
- Be positive and Aim: Keep clam while you play the game and be positive. Concentrate on the trajectory your ball needs to follow and do not look on the trouble spots that are present in the way. Because if this happens, there will be two outcomes: first, you will hit the ball in trouble area and second, you will hit it on the opposite direction. In both ways, the result is worse. On the other hand, do not be over confident and try for a single shot where 3 or above is the par.
- Chippings: Chipping is just as important as the drive. You need to master both well. You need to practice stacking your left arm, the shaft and your whole weight on your left foot. Just the amount of force that is needed to transfer to the ball and appropriately determine the length of your back swings.
These are a few tips that you must keep in mind, keep practicing and try with dedication in order to master the game of Golf.