We all hear about golfers who never practice but we don’t hear much about the player who practices more than they play. A question I often get from my students is “why do I hit it great on the range yet I can’t take it to the course?” My answer is “you’re not as GOOD as you think you are on the range, and you are not as BAD as you think on the course!” HUH? Think about it….on the range, if you hit a bad shot, you can rake over another ball and make it ... full post »

OK…this article is for our blogger, Chris Baldwin. Back in May, Chris claimed that instructors are “afraid to teach the driver“. No, they are not “afraid.” Experienced and knowledgeable instructors want to help students “walk around the block before they run a marathon!” I personally want to help a student with a game improvement plan and not give them a band-aid to keep their tee shots in bounds! Band-aids fall off. Until a golfer learns to hit a ball in the center of the clubface, the driver will be the hardest club to keep in the fairway. But thanks for ... full post »

Get it OUT! Get it CLOSE! Get it IN! Once you’ve learned to get your bunker shot onto the green, you’ll now want to learn how to get it CLOSE! So you need to learn BUNKER DISTANCE CONTROL This lesson is to help you adjust to the different length shots you will face from the bunkers. You need creativity and touch. We can all get better touch through practice and experience. Please use this lesson to help you develop your ‘touch’ so that you can hit shots of varying lengths. Getting the ball close to the hole so ... full post »

I receive several golf publications each month because I need to know what my students are reading and seeing. Sooner or later a student of mine will ask me about a theory, concept, or idea that is being written about in one of these magazines. I need to keep up with what’s being said and demonstrated. Whatever is being written about is what many players will want to try! They are going to ask me my opinion since I’m supposed to be an “expert” in my field. For the last year, it’s been “what do you think about the ONE ... full post »

Donald Ross is alive at Pine Needles this week for the US Women’s Open! I hope all of you are watching the Open this weekend. These women (and girls) are good!! Just to show you what girls can do…the yardage is set up to 6664 yards. OK guys, how many of you can play from that yardage? There is even a 12 year old girl playing who is unbelievably good. Alexis Thompson is the youngest participant ever to qualify for a US Women’s Open. There are actually 25 players under the age of 20 in this years’ ... full post »

I’ve heard it ALL now!! I got a call from a student of mine after she played in a local golf event recently. It was a fun event that was played with a group of local women and a group of invited women from another city. She’s a fairly new golfer (2 yrs.) with a handicap index of 28.5. She’s attend USGA rules seminars, etiquette seminars, taken lessons, and has played in several local tournaments. She was so perplexed by something that happened during the round that she started questioning her knowledge of the rules of ... full post »

Want to hit your driver further? That is one of the most common desires I hear from my students. I am going to give you a short, easy way to improve your distance. Put some face tape (can be purchased from a golf shop or ask your instructor) on your WEDGE and see how often you contact the ball in the center of the clubface. You’d be surprised at where the marks will be on the face tape. It has been proven that when you contact the ball in the center of the clubface, your distance ... full post »

I used to be a terrible “pitcher” of the golf ball when I was learning to play golf. I could hit it far off the tee but when I got to 70-30 yards from the hole, my knuckles would turn white, my shoulders would be up around my ears and the ground would tremble with my fear! That was not fun! So I learned how to pitch the ball. I practiced correctly until I learned to perform the shot and then I learned how far the ball would carry onto the green. I then observed ... full post »

Last week I wrote about being invited to be an instructor at a golf school of 35 women and 7 instructors. The school was a great success … how do I know? Because I saw LOTS of smiles, experienced lots of positive energy, saw lots of camaraderie, and the students were going out to play on the golf course after the school was over! That’s a sure sign! I know that they left with a very positive experience. And that’s what it’s all about … a positive experience. They also learned some valuable things … not just about their ... full post »

I have been invited to be an instructor at an all women’s 3-day golf school. There will be 35 students and 7 instructors at one facility. Whew! Sounds like a zoo, doesn’t it? Thank goodness the lead instructor is very organized. Read my blog on “Teaching women … a bit like herding cats” and you’ll see that during these 3 days, we will have “herded them!” What they do when they go back to their home course will then be totally out of our control “Heaven only knows” what will happen to the students then…this is when the ... full post »

What’s going on with the weather this week!? Watch the tournaments on TV today and see how the pros handle these conditions. I know that the wind is playing havoc on golf games around the country. Scores are higher and it is a battle sometimes just to get through the round emotionally and physically! If you have seasonal allergies, your energy if really being zapped in this wind! So how do you adjust in these conditions? First of all, take your medication and then adjust your thinking about your game before you get to the course. ... full post »

It’s spring and it’s Augusta, Georgia! To truly understand the Masters Golf Tournament and why it is the most revered event in all of sports, one must have an understanding of Bobby Jones. Being from the South (Greensboro, NC), I also believe one must understand the culture of the South, especially in the era that Bobby Jones grew up in. The history of Augusta National Golf Course and of Bobby Jones will help your enjoyment of this tournament. I highly recommend learning more about this rich history. To give you a little background, Bobby Jones was one of the greatest golfers ... full post »

I am always amazed and mesmorized by watching golfers on the practice tee. I have come to the conclusion, after many years of watching players practice, that there are two types of people on the range….the ones that are trying to practice what they’ve been taught and those that simply are there to entertain themselves. I can tell you this…some can certainly entertain ME! But HEY….there is nothing wrong with people entertaining themselves at a golf range…as long as they know that is their purpose for being there. If you are a more serious player and REALLY want ... full post »

How many ways can a person putt!? MANY! Noted putting gurus like Dave Pelz have spent their life studying the physics, laws, by-laws, in-laws, and art of putting. Which way does the green slope, is it uphill or down hill, what kind of putter should I use, where do I position the ball in my stance, what kind of ball should I use…a pink one or one that has red writing on it, how hard do I hit it, and who’s on first base? Good grief! With all these thoughts in your mind, who can ... full post »

WHAT DO YOU WANT GOLF TO BE FOR YOU? I often hear from women, “my husband/boyfriend wants me to practice, practice, practice. . .and he wants me to be competitive! I don’t want to practice.. .I don’t want to compete! I want him to lighten up!” On the same hand I hear from men, “Beverly, you’ve got to get my wife/girlfriend to practice more, play in tournaments, and get better.” My answer to both parties is: Golf is only fun if you are playing within Your Own Style. ... full post »