John Catlin

The 30-year-old American has picked up three European Tour victories since the start of 2020

1.

I’m not particularly long, but I’ve always hit it quite straight with my driver. I’ve stuck with one shot shape – right to left. A lot of great drivers of the ball work it one way or the other. If I start the ball at the right edge of the fairway and I know it’s going to draw, I give myself a much bigger target. It can draw as much as 20 yards and I can still be on the fairway. So, depending on the hole, I tend to favour the left side of the tee box.

If you’re looking to gain a bit of distance, make sure the ball is up in your stance – off your left heel. You want to feel as if you’re hitting up on it a bit, catching the ball on your upswing.

2. Driving Practice

I wouldn’t say to anyone who just wants to go out and enjoy a few beers with their buddies, “Hey, you’ve got to take this seriously!” Just have a good breakfast and don’t let the bad shots affect you. However, if you’re serious about being a competitive amateur, you need to adopt more of a professional’s mindset, whether you’re practising or playing.

I’m a firm believer you should have a clear objective ahead of every shot, so you’re not blindly swinging away. Whether it’s ball position, posture or swing path, you must have an aim. Play games, too. For example, if you’re working on your iron play, pick a ‘tournament flag stick’ – so one that’s close to one side of the green – and if you hit ten balls, the goal should be to not miss more than two short-sided. Now you’re challenging yourself based on the fundamental side that you’ve been working on.

3.

You have to put the work in – there are no shortcuts. It’s also about believing in what you do. I know what I do and I know what I do works. I think a lot of people struggle with the idea of failing, like it’s the end of the world if they do. Failure is a great opportunity to come back stronger. I don’t necessarily fear it like some people do, and I think that might give me a little bit of an edge when the pressure mounts.

4. Coping with pressure Putting

If you do too much mechanical stuff, I think you can rob yourself of feel. Lots of amateurs don’t rely enough on what their eyes are seeing and what their feet are feeling. There are so many great training aids out there, so do a bit of trial and error.

For me, it’s Eyeline. I’m a big believer in having my eyes in the right spot, and a mirror helps me to work on that so I’m starting the ball on the correct line. Before I go out, however, it’s all about feel. I won’t even use the putting mirror. The only thing that’s important to me before I play is speed control. I don’t worry about whether I’m holing putts or not. I pick a target and it’s all about hitting that at the right speed. 5.

Bunkerplay

The key to good bunker play is feel. How do you know how to hit it 20, 25 feet? How do you hit it low, or high? You’ve got to spend time developing your feel, so when you have a 22-yard shot, for example, you do it without thinking. This applies to pitching, bunker play and chip shots.