The Manila Times

Fundamenta­ls of the game

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It is to your great advantage to learn the fundamenta­ls of the game from an accredited golf coach or instructor. You are guided accordingl­y. You will be taught what needs to save a lot of time during the learning process.

Owning the fundamenta­ls of the game hones you into a better player. The better you strike the ball, the more you would enjoy the game. Moreover, you will always have something to go back to, on days that you tend to go out of track. It reassures you to get your

A golf equipment easy to hit with

I always suggest that you acquire a golf set that is most forgiving to hit with. It is a big plus to hit straighter and farther shots. This allows you to score better by avoiding hazards, caused by hook, slice, pushed and pulled shots.

Honestly, you don’t really need to buy any of those top of the line and expensive golf sets. Most of the time it is useless. All you need to know is to buy the golf set that works best for you, based on distance, accuracy and the least on design. If you are keen on design, then it is a matter of choice. Feeling a solid shot more frequently is more rewarding.

Establish the habit of proper practice

It is advisable to have a set of drills to practice at home and in the driving range. It is to your advantage to practice at home at least 10 minutes a day for the mind and body to master. Swinging through a golf ball is not necessary. Doing and understand­ing the golf swing mechanics are more relevant.

To be consistent, repeatabil­ity is a must. You must love to constantly practice correctly, coupled with mindful strategies, to achieve better scores. Again, there are no short cuts. You only get better in golf with enough principled practices.

Play the golf course short

More often than not, play the golf course short. It actually allows you to focus on the shorter shots. Your fairway woods, hybrids, long/short irons and wedges, are a must to improve. These are shots normally taken approachin­g the green.

I am not implying that putting is not important. Of course it is important. Averaging two putts per green is not bad at all. There are plenty of ways to achieve this so that putting stroke and feel becomes better.

Hitting long and straight drives are very rewarding. I believe this is the part of the game you need to work on most. The reason being, if you can hit straight shots with the longest club in your bag, it follows that the shorter clubs gets easier to hit with. Therefore, practice the driver as much as you can, the shorter clubs become better as well.

Build your confidence

is all about trusting yourself and believing that you can actually achieve the goals that you have set forth. The shorter goals you get to achieve, the more it gives you that certain feel of easiness to achieve much bigger goals.

Repeatabil­ity of the so- called good swing mechanics and solid ball striking - dence levels. So, memorize what you need to do associated with the right feel. Feel can only be memorized when you have done enough. Doing enough is different for each player. You and only you can determine that. With the assistance of a coach, it can probably be accelerate­d.

Thinking back and wrapping it up

The suggestion­s above will make you enjoy the game we most love. There are so many ways and it only requires a minimal amount of creativity.

When playing alone or with friends, bend some rules. But, strictly keep in mind not to affect the players surroundin­g you. You can create your own rules or other arrangemen­ts during the game, among

Always, and I will always emphasize that you feel good and have lots of fun!

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