Top 10 Feel Tips

By golfdigest.com

February 05, 2012

To Play A Fade, Quiet Your Arms

I naturally draw the ball, but I can get the hooks going if I'm not careful. So it's important that I reduce the amount of right-to-left curve by trying to fade it. To pull it off, I feel as if I'm making a more deliberate move through the ball and really keeping my arms from rolling over. I call it "holding off the shot." I'm keeping my arms quiet with far less forearm rotation and delaying the closing of the clubface. You can see here my hips have turned significantly toward the target before the club has reached the ball. That's a good fade feel for me.--Adam Scott

Get The Clubface Back To Address

My key to hitting it flush is to anticipate the feel of the middle of the clubface meeting the back of the ball, just like at address. You probably won't see the club actually make contact with the ball, but chances are you're going to hit what you're looking at. This tip also helps you stay balanced as you swing through the ball. A lot of amateurs lunge toward the target, producing a weak hit. But if you look at the back of the ball from the time you take your address until the time the club makes contact, you're going to make a controlled swing and hit it solidly.--Bill Haas

Create Space To Hit A Draw

When I need to hit a fairway, I play my go-to tee shot: a three- to five-yard draw. What I do when I want to draw the ball is visualize the shape and then allow my body to make it happen. To hit a power draw, the club has to swing down from inside the target line. I feel as if I'm creating space on the downswing between my body and the ball for the club to travel (left). That's the big feel for me. To do that, your lower body must lead the way through. If you have room on the inside, you'll have an easier time turning it over.--Dustin Johnson

Chunk It, And Let It Run

I try to take a lot of sand on greenside bunker shots. I used to spin these shots so they'd fly all the way to the hole and check up, but now--when there's enough green to work with--I play the chunk-and-run. The ball won't fly as far but there's less backspin, so you don't have to worry about where it's going to grab. The roll-out is consistent--like a putt--so it's easy to predict. The key is making sure that you accelerate through the ball. You have a lot of dense sand to get through, so keep the clubhead moving forward. Don't quit on it. I've hit enough of these shots by now that I don't really get too technical--it's mostly feel.--Fred Couples

Hinge Early To Hit More Fairways

Every now and then I have a tendency to let my drives leak to the right of my target. It's a problem that comes in part from being a fraction laid off at the top of my swing. Being laid off means my clubshaft is pointing well left of my target when I finish my backswing, instead of parallel with the target line. One way I help myself get into a better position is to hinge my wrists early in the backswing. I do it as soon as I take the club back, rather than waiting until I'm nearly at the top of the swing like many golfers do. The early hinge gives me a nice feeling that the clubshaft is pointing where it should at the top.--Ian Poulter

Control Distance With Ball Position

The big thing in chipping is controlling how far the ball rolls. I try to keep my chip shots simple by following this process. First, I walk the distance to the hole and look at the shot from behind it to visualize how the ball will roll out on the green. Next, I pick a club that will let me run the ball almost the entire distance--the longer the distance, the longer the club. I want it to start rolling as soon as possible. If the situation lets me hit it low, I'll move the ball back in my stance, anywhere from center to off my right instep. I want to feel that I'm making the same stroke every time, so the only things I change are my club and where I play the ball.--Jhonattan Vegas

Take Your Hands Out Of The Stroke

When it comes to putting, I'm a feel player. That's why I used to putt with a "prayer" grip--my fingers interlocked as if I were praying--and it's why I'm now putting with my left hand on the grip lower than my right. If the grip feels right to you, then I say go for it. But no matter how you hold the club, the important thing is to eliminate as much hand action as possible. When your hands get overactive, you make it that much harder to control distance and direction. The feeling I have with my left-hand-low grip is that my hands are just along for the ride. All I worry about is picking the right spot on the green and hitting the ball at it.--Mark Wilson

Slow Your Takeaway With A Headcover

When I start to hit the ball poorly with my driver, it's usually because I'm getting quick in the takeaway. By adding some weight to the clubhead for some practice swings--either by leaving the headcover on, as I am here, or by wrapping a towel around the head--you force yourself to be more deliberate at the start of the swing. When you take it off, the driver will move back in good sequence and on a better path. Plus, the club will feel much lighter and faster on the downswing, which is more than a small side benefit. I hit my longest drives when I feel loose, relaxed and unwinding smoothly through impact without a lot of effort.--Martin Laird

Flick The Face Under The Ball

I was always taught that the first rule of bunker play is to just get the ball out. When you have a steep face in front of you, this rule applies more than ever. Start by addressing the ball with a slightly open stance. Next, open the face of your sand wedge and then take your grip. From there, swing the club back and rotate the face open even more. Now comes the tricky part: You have to throw away your lag. In other words, let the clubhead pass your hands before impact and scoop under the ball. The club should still enter the sand just behind the ball, but the full unhinging of your wrists will increase your swing speed and help pop it up. It'll land softly and stop fast.--Matt Kuchar

Slide The Clubface Under The Ball

I hit the flop shot only as a last resort, and amateurs should do the same because it's hard to execute. But if you absolutely have to loft the ball high and stop it quickly, then you want to feel that the clubhead is passing the shaft at impact (left). It's important to set the clubface open at address (pointing right of the target) and then grip the club--in that order. You can even weaken your grip, your hands rotated toward the target; that will soften the shot even more. Assuming your lie is fairly flat, you can play the ball forward an inch or two for extra height. From there, your thought should be to slide that open face under the ball as the clubhead passes the shaft.--Stewart Cink

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